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Episodes
Thursday Nov 23, 2023
Thursday Nov 23, 2023
Marla Kaplowitz is the President and CEO of the 4A's (American Association of Advertising Agencies). She was previously the CEO of MEC North America, CEO of Wavemaker USA, and held senior leadership positions at other major media and advertising agencies. Kaplowitz has been recognized as one of the most influential women in media and marketing. She was named a "Woman to Watch" by Advertising Age and one of the "Most Powerful Women in Media" by Hollywood Reporter.
In this interview, Kaplowitz shares insights from her over 30 years of experience in the advertising industry. She provides advice for young leaders on developing their leadership style, dealing with challenging business situations, and managing teams. Kaplowitz emphasizes the importance of focusing on company culture and people first. She talks about understanding what motivates each individual, having empathy, and helping alleviate stress for employees. Kaplowitz also discusses owning mistakes quickly, bringing in the right talent, and having conviction when turning around struggling businesses.
The interview offers an inside look at leading advertising agencies through volatility and change. Kaplowitz's stories and advice are valuable for young marketers, CMOs, entrepreneurs and managers looking to develop leadership abilities, evolve company culture, and navigate business transformations. Her emphasis on people, curiosity and intuition makes this a compelling listen for anyone interested in inspirational leadership.
OUTLINE:
(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:00:46) Kaplowitz's background and entry into advertising
(00:03:16) Rising through the ranks at media agencies
(00:06:58) Developing a leadership style
(00:11:24) Focusing on company culture and people
(00:15:55) Turning around struggling businesses
(00:20:05) Dealing with challenging situations
(00:23:03) Maintaining a positive attitude
(00:25:29) Work-life integration and self-care
(00:30:44) Making tough talent decisions
(00:32:10) Empowering employees
(00:34:08) Communication styles and leadership
(00:36:58) Parallels between leadership and parenting
(00:38:52) Transitioning to leading the 4A's
(00:42:19) Inspiring remote teams
(00:42:33) Differentiating as a service provider
(00:43:06) Attracting talent to the ad industry
(00:44:13) Traits of great client service people
(00:45:19) Brand building vs. performance marketing
EPISODE LINKS:
4A's (American Association of Advertising Agencies): https://www.aaaa.org/MEC: https://www.mecmarketinggroup.com/GroupM: https://www.groupm.com/Marla’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/meknyc?lang=enOgilvy on Advertising (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Ogilvy-Advertising-David/dp/039472903XFast Company article on Inspiring Happiness course at MEC: https://www.fastcompany.com/1682068/how-one-company-taught-its-employees-how-to-be-happier-and-what-happened-nextExecutive coach Helen Mumford Soul: https://www.mumfordsole.com/
SUPPORT & CONNECT:
Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.comTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeonsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeonsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
Mike King is the the founder of iPoRank, an SEO and digital marketing agency, and the CMO of AIPRM, an AI prompt marketplace startup. He has an extensive background in marketing, coding, and rap music.
In the interview, Mike discusses his journey from coding as a kid to releasing rap albums and battling MCs, to working at major agencies like Razorfish. He shares how his technical skills enabled him to excel at SEO and content strategy roles at agencies. Frustrated by the agency world, Mike started his own successful agency iPoRank.
As a black man in tech, Mike faced challenges like unconscious bias and resisting the trend to 'code switch' to fit in. He discusses how previous generations of black professionals had to assimilate, while he refused to change himself to appease others. Mike aims to instill confidence, curiosity and grit into his daughters so they can achieve anything they desire.
Shifting to AI, Mike believes generative AI will make people lazier as knowledge becomes externalized. He thinks entertainment like movies and music will be disrupted as digital humans proliferate. Pete and Mike discuss concerns around AI fueling misinformation, diminishing attention spans, and altering human memory and consciousness.
Overall, this was an insightful interview covering personal branding, diversity in tech, parenting, and the societal impacts of AI. Mike provides a unique perspective as both a technical expert and creative marketer.
OUTLINE:
(00:00:00) Mike's background and journey into marketing/SEO
(00:04:50) Starting his own agency after bad agency experiences
(00:15:51) Leveraging music skills to become an SEO thought leader
(00:19:21) Seeing content creation like a rap cypher
(00:23:33) Using brand building to improve SEO performance
(00:27:47) Valuing real world authenticity as AI advances
(00:34:26) AI shortening attention spans but increasing output
(00:36:55) Writing effective prompts for chatbots
(00:45:48) Societal impacts of AI and digital consciousness
(00:50:29) Ethics of AI development
(00:55:04) Democratizing software development with AI
(01:02:12) Promoting diversity and inclusion in tech
(01:08:11) Dealing with unconscious bias in the workplace
(01:21:28) AI disrupting the entertainment industry
(01:31:20) Changes in attention span and memory due to internet/AI
(01:34:07) Diminishing attention spans but increased output
EPISODE LINKS:
Razorfish: https://www.razorfish.com/
SEOmatrix:https://seomatrix.com/
IPullRank: https://ipullrank.com/
Mike’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelkingphilly/
Mike’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/iPullRank
“Lost and Founder” by Rand Fishkin: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Founder-Painfully-Honest-Startup/dp/0735213321
“What's Our Problem?” by Tim Urban: https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Our-Problem-Self-Help-Societies-ebook/dp/B0BTJCTR58
“Drive” by Daniel Pink: https://www.danpink.com/books/drive/
WaitButWhy article on AI existential risk: https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/01/artificial-intelligence-revolution-1.html
SUPPORT & CONNECT:
Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Danny Mandelbaum is the VP of Marketing at The Long Drink Company. He was previously the Global Brand Director for Ryan Reynolds' Aviation American Gin at Diageo, and held senior marketing roles at Proximo Spirits managing Jose Cuervo tequila, Kraken Rum, and Three Olives Vodka. Over his 20+ year career, Danny has led marketing for iconic CPG and alcohol brands.
The interview provides insights into brand building from Danny's experience. He discusses the importance of uncovering emotional connections and cultural truths to build iconic brands. Danny shares how he focuses on defining core brand equity and persona in an authentic way, contrasting this long-term brand building with short-term performance marketing optimization. He advises new brands to start by defining their ideal identity and equity before exploring strategies to achieve that. Currently at The Long Drink Company, Danny aims to drive awareness and penetration for the Finnish long drink cocktail through disruptive marketing and partnerships. The interview offers aspiring marketers wisdom on brand building from Danny's journey leading marketing for global brands like Heineken, Aviation Gin, and now The Long Drink.
OUTLINE:
(00:01:38) Early interest in marketing and advertising
(00:02:57) Understanding consumer motivations and perspectives
(00:05:14) Launching Old Spice in Mexico
(00:07:18) “Premiumizing” Jose Cuervo tequila
(00:08:09) Partnership with Rolling Stones for Jose Cuervo
(00:10:00) Shift to marketing roles focused on driving revenue
(00:10:53) Working with Ryan Reynolds on Aviation Gin
(00:12:13) Joining Long Drink Company and growing awareness
(00:15:38) Pursuing marketing for brands you believe in
(00:17:31) Emotional connections between consumers and brands
(00:19:30) Advice for building emotional brand connections
(00:24:15) Keep It Legendary Heineken campaign
(00:26:40) Jose Cuervo partnership with the Rolling Stones
(00:35:02) Taking on the massive Jose Cuervo brand
(00:38:06) Repositioning Jose Cuervo's brand image
(00:43:11) Unearthing cultural brand stories through research
(00:52:36) Creating fast turnaround creative with Aviation Gin
(00:54:34) Entrepreneurial spirit at small vs. big companies
(00:57:32) Building trust as a leader
(01:00:11) Criteria for choosing influencer partnerships
(01:03:20) Brand building vs. performance marketing
(01:05:57) Defining brand building
EPISODE LINKS:
Danny’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannymandelbaum/
Danny’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/danmandel
Danny’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannymandelbaum
Long Drink Website: https://www.thelongdrink.com/
Long Drink Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/longdrink
Long Drink Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelongdrink
“Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzS8BQBcAu4
SUPPORT & CONNECT:
Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/
Monday Oct 23, 2023
Monday Oct 23, 2023
Mauro Porcini is PepsiCo's Chief Design Officer and author of the new book "The Human Side Of Innovation." Mauro has over two decades of experience leading design for major global brands like PepsiCo, 3M, and Philips. He is considered an influential voice in applying design thinking to business innovation and growth.
In this wide-ranging discussion, Mauro covers the inspiration behind his new book on human-centered business leadership. He shares his vision for the future of food/beverages, wearable tech, and holistic design. Mauro provides insights on building a creative "unicorn" culture within large organizations and the ROI of design for CEOs. He reflects on key lessons learned from iconic designers like Alessandro Mendini. The interview offers an inside perspective on Mauro's leadership approach and passion for elevating the role of design in business.
OUTLINE:
(00:00:00) Introduction and getting to know Mauro Porcini
(00:01:15) What inspired Mauro to write his new book
(00:04:00) Mauro's dream for what he hopes the book achieves
(00:06:40) Mauro's background in wearable technology
(00:07:15) The future of food/beverages and wearable tech
(00:11:20) Mauro's experience running his own agency vs. working for PepsiCo
(00:13:25) The importance of holistic design and learnings from Alessandro Mendini
(00:17:55) The business value and ROI of design
(00:22:00) Developing innovative "unicorn" DNA in organizations
(00:26:40) Where to find more information about Mauro and his new book
EPISODE LINKS:
The Human Side Of Innovation by Mauro Porcini: https://www.amazon.com/Human-Side-Innovation-Power-People/dp/1523002883
Mauro’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauroporcini
Mauro’s Website: https://www.mauro-porcini.com/
Mauro’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauroporcini/?hl=en
Mauro’s X: https://twitter.com/mauroporcini?lang=en
SUPPORT & CONNECT:
Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/