Confessions of a Creative Director (Jaime Cabrera)

Happy New Year everyone, and welcome to the very first episode of 2024!

I'm thrilled to have one of the hottest creative minds in the industry, someone who is breaking all the rules of marketing and advertising, and leading the brand Liquid Death to places few brands ever reach. I'm talking about the creative genius, Andy Pearson, who gives us a peek behind the curtain of how he and his team continue to defy the norms of our business and create work that is truly memorable and ultimately effective.

Visit jaimecabreracreative.com to learn more about everything I spoke about in the intro or go directly to the items:

https://patreon.com/confessionsofacreativedirector

https://amzn.to/4aMRoFG

Group Creative Director Mike Potter has been around the block. From building the first websites for some of the biggest clients in the world to helping build communities for brands, Mike has a passion for emerging technologies and disciplines. Check out our great conversation where we talk about everything from his Hit The Mascot ideation technique to ad agency hijinks of the past. 

It's important to have heroes in our business. People we can look up to, learn from, and even mimic while we search for our own voice. Chief Creative Officer Clarence Bradley, a self-proclaimed advertising nerd, had plenty of heroes coming up, but not too many that looked like him. But that didn't stop him from seeking out mentors and guidance he needed and in some ways becoming his own hero.

Highdive Advertising has become a go-to shop for top brands looking to make a splash at the Super Bowl. It might have a little to do with the fact that Chade Broude, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Highdive, sold through his first Super Bowl script one year into his career and has been creating winning spots ever since.

Today, he’s opening up his playbook to reveal 4 simple concepts to keep in mind when working on a spot for the big game, including my favorite which is the Two Beer Rule!

So if those SB briefs are starting to come in, you’re gonna wanna listen carefully to our conversation.

Learn more about Chad here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-broude-13b74b11/

Our very first ever Crossover Event! Listen to Jaime on Brandon Faris' podcast A Quick Read as he discusses the lessons and impact of the book The War of Art. 

On today’s show we have Ly Nguyen, Head of Creative at Movement Strategy, the social media agency behind some of the best brand social channels on the inter webs.

Ly is here to share how her unique and versatile career path set her up perfectly to deliver on the agency’s social centric approach, as well as some misconceptions about executing effective social media campaigns.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyunguyen/  

https://www.linkedin.com/company/movement-strategy/

https://twitter.com/mvmtstrategy

https://www.facebook.com/MovementStrategy/

https://www.instagram.com/movementstrategy/

Author, thought leader and all-around swell guy Dan Nelken shares thoughts and ideas about the role of Creative Director including one that we both share....WE'RE NOT MAKING ENOUGH SH#@ FOR OURSELVES! And the mindblowing "We need to think about thinking" and have a better understanding of how we come up with ideas.  Check out this enlightening conversation with the author of A Self-Help Guide for Copywriters. And while you're at it, pick up Dan's book here: 

https://www.amazon.com/Self-Help-Guide-Copywriters-headlines-confidence/dp/177778350X

And while you're at it, pick up my new book, What's The Big Idea here: 

https://mybook.to/whatsthebigidea

On another international episode, Laura Stein, Chief Creative Officer of Bruce Mau Design in Toronto Canada, is here to share 5 things we as creatives can do right now in our work and in our lives to be more sustainable. This cause is near and dear to her heart and something she brings to every project. Spoiler Alert: If you’re a user of Post-It Notes, you might be in for a big surprise. Laura will also explain how her years spent playing in an indie rock outfit led to her career in design. It’s a really cool story and an important topic so don't miss it!

Enjoy an in-depth with Mark DePace Chief Creative Officer and Zach Mortensen, the CEO of Ghost Robot. This innovative studio is a one-stop creative powerhouse for top tier clients like Netflix, Google, Peloton, Away, and Airbnb, just to name a few. Ghost Robot stands out as a channel agnostic creative hub, adept at solving complex marketing challenges with a diverse array of solutions from video games and apps to comic books, card games, and even podcasts.

Today, we're getting an insider's look at how Mark and Zach balance their roles, perfectly meshing the creative and business sides of their company. They're here to share their insights on building a successful collaborative environment in the fast-paced world of running a creative business.

Gray hair, Spicy Ginger Beer, Multi-reality, Pintrest and Lycra. Just a few of the topics we cover in this wind ranging conversation with seasoned Experiential ECD Aaron Miller. 

Fresh off her appearance at Cannes, Margaret shares her thoughts on the power of AI and how she's harnessing it to take GS&P to new heights in innovation.

In our very first International Show from Mexico City, Creative Director Chelsea Obrien shares how she pulled off the near impossible in the agency world....A MOVE FROM ACCOUNTS TO CREATIVE....and even working on a Super Bowl Spot! Yes kids, dreams do come true. Plus, hear about how she has Uncle Conan on speed dial and her technique for crystallizing the big idea. Hint: It involves lots and lots of writing. 

In this episode, Jaime talks to Creative Director Mike Matthews from CultureSpan, the agency where Jaime got his start back in 1996!

Mike Matthews shares insights into their Transcreation philosophy as well as some of the intricacies that go into creating advertising in a border town like El Paso, TX. In addition, Mike talks about his approach to creative direction, his go-to "move" for idea generation and where to get some great late-night eats with a free side of Insta videos (spoiler alert: It's not Chico's Tacos!).

Executive Creative Director and former strategist Trish Rexroth shares her her unique perspective on how she uses the two sides of her brain to fuel her innovative thinking. And, talks about how managing is more like herding tigers than cats. Plus, hear Jaime share some exciting news at the top of the show. 

Belgian Creative, Pieter Claeys thought he wanted to be a Creative Director. Then when he became one he lost his smile.

Aaron Duffy is the ECD of SpecialGuest, a different kind of creative agency run by a different type of Creative Director. A talented "maker" at heart, Aaron brings that unique perspective to everything he does, and it's evident in his work for Google and the band OK Go just to name a few. Check out our awesome conversation as he shares his love of crocheting and illusions and what he dislikes most about being a CD. 

I am thrilled to welcome my friend and former colleague, Creative and Brand Strategist Matt Jones. Matt and I met during his time at Jack Morton where he was Global SVP of Strategy and Creative… and to this day, he is hands down the best, most brilliant, most effective creative strategist I've ever worked with.

His career has taken him from the halls of Parliament to the C-Suites of some of the biggest brands in the world, to co-creating a highly successful brand of his own, about which he’s written a new book called “Lessons From Gin.”

Robb Burnham is a pure Creative. He's an artist, musician and storyteller who dreams of being a bartender when he retires from advertising. This episode is chock-full of wisdom, real-world insights and hands-down the best confession ever! Do. Not. Miss. It. 

On this episode I speak to Andrew Carty Head of Strategy and Glen D’Souza Head of Creative respectively for Forsman & Bodenfors Canada about their unique approach to integrating creative and strategy into what they call “The Product”. They’ll also touch on the importance of creative teams being involved early in the process, the tools they use to foster creativity, such as 'what if' statements and their innovative concept of 'flooring' work for peer review, and embracing the messy nature of the process to achieve impactful results for clients.

Ashley Davis Marshall...the name alone should tell you she means business. An ECD at The Martin Agency, Ashley shares valuable lessons and thoughts she's gathered along a journey that is the envy of any creative professional. Plus, three-quarters of her recipe for queso dip (hmmm, she left out her secret ingredient!) and a somewhat surprising realization about the possible cause of her imposter syndrome. 

Brett Essman is a Creative Director extraordinaire Brett Essman from ad agency Preston Spire in Minneapolis Minnesota. Brett’s here to talk about being proactive as a Creative Director and looking for the opportunity to create big ideas in every brief And when you boil all that down, what he’s really describing is this idea of not becoming complacent but pushing yourself to go above and beyond. It’s about the grit and perseverance you need to get to do the work that makes you feel fulfilled. And what I love about Brett is that he’s not all talk, he’s got the case studies to back it all up.

Check out his work here https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettessman/

and here http://www.brettessman.com/

What does Mr. Rogers have to do with B2B Marketing? Turns out, everything. In this amazing episode, Creatives Cliff and Scott talk process, inspiration, teamwork and how a children's show changed the way they think about marketing.  

Shlomo Genchin is a kind, generous and supremely talented creative machine! You probably know him from his super popular newsletter and website thecreativemarketer.net where he shares recipes, tools and techniques for writing creative copy, content and ads that help creatives achieve better work more consistently and efficiently.

But he also has a day job as Creative Director at Ground Up VC where he helps 45 startups with all their creative and marketing needs.

And he believes this sector is the Wild West for bold creative cowgirls and cowboys looking to disrupt and make career defining work. And he’s here to tell us all about it.

On today's show, creative director Roberto Lastra shares his inspirational origin story as a kid from Mexicali, Mexico, who immigrated to the US during his teens. Pushing through culture shock and language barriers, he went on to work for five of the most famous agencies in the world before founding his own agency, Lovers Not Haters.

Along the way, he learned that "The Less You Try To Fit In, The More You Do" and he’s passionate about the idea of bringing your whole self to work.

In the first ever episode of Confessions of a Creative Director, Jaime talks to Joneric Amundson, who shares his thoughts on storytelling and the creative process, plus a hilarious story about the "CBD" fueled pitch. 

The masterminds behind Major in NYC join the podcast to discuss everything from their zero tolerance for boring to the launch of their very own brand Drugs for Plants to their mission to turn hacks everywhere into the next generation of creatives.  

Click here to learn more about Major.

Click here to connect with me. 

And click here to check out my new book!  

Joel Kaplan shares his journey from cook, to accountant to receptionist at an ad agency all the way up to ECD at M/H in San Francisco. I guess you could say he's a Joel of All Trades and Master of Creativity. Ok, that was bad. But this episode is freaking great! Hear his perspective on everything from the future of our business (hint: buckle up, it's gonna get faster!) to leadership lessons he's learned from Ted Lasso. 

On this episode, I speak to Emily Jeffrey-Barrett, founder of Among Equals in the UK, a brand and campaign agency for people who want to make more than *just* money.  

Emily shares her journey from working in large advertising agencies to one day realizing that her fear of not starting her own agency became bigger than her fear of actually doing it. That was the day she handed in her notice and jumped head-first into starting Among Equals during a global pandemic, no less.

She discusses the challenges she faced and how she struck gold with her agency’s strategy of “start with no one cares.”

If you’ve ever wanted to start your own agency this episode might change your life.

Gordy Sang and Brian Siedband, Co-Chief Creative Officers and founders of Quality Meats Creative (recently named Ad Age Small Agency of the year!) share the story of their once-fledgling agency that is now exploding by forgoing conventional wisdom, trusting their instincts, maintaining a high standard of work, and fostering a collaborative environment where all disciplines are valued.

Sarah May Bates is by far the most accomplished guest I've had on the show thus far. She is the ultimate multi-hyphenate renaissance woman. Check out this amazing conversation where we talk about everything from her personal journey to become her authentic self to auditioning to star in some of her own TV spots! You really have to listen all the way through.  

The brilliant, charming and very funny Sean McBride, Chief Creative Officer of Arnold Worldwide, is here to talk about the resurgence of comedy in advertising, which I’m sure we all witnessed during this year’s Super Bowl.

Sean is an expert in this area, overseeing creative for two of the longest running and funniest campaigns in advertising history. I’m talking about his work on Progressive’s iconic Flo and Dr. Rick campaigns, some of my all-time favorite ads!

Sean and his team are doubling down on the laughs and have developed innovative ways to find and nurture the next generation of comedic ad writers and talent.

Remote work….love it or hate it, it’s here to stay. That means leaders need to accept it, embrace it, adapt to it and keep on leading. On today’s show, we’re speaking to Patrick Holly, Executive Creative Director at Upwork who shares his 5 Keys to Effective Remote Leadership. And spoiler alert…it has zero to do with monitoring peoples computer activity and everything to do with just being a good human being.

Pitching (read: pitching and losing 90 percent of the time) is one of the hardest and most frustrating parts of being a Creative Director. We've been taught to believe that great ideas sell themselves. That couldn't be further from the truth. On the very first Confessions of a Creative Director Mastercast, pitch and presentation Yoda-like guru Ben Levy lets us in on the big secret....PITCHING THE WRONG F@#$%^& BRIEF WE ARE. 

On this episode, Nick Sonderup, Co-Chief Creative Director of Strawberry Frog in New York City, shares his incredible journey in the advertising industry, including stints at MTV, Wieden+Kennedy, and BBDO.

Then, we’ll dive into an exclusive preview of his forthcoming book, How Not to Hate Advertising, which is, in reality, a love letter to the business. The book emphasizes the importance of mentorship, navigating new technologies, maintaining empathy in client relationships, and finding fulfillment in your work.

Leading from the emerging future while reading theory books on mushrooms and hacking Tomagotchis. Yeah. It's that kind of mind blowing episode. Enjoy my conversation with good pal and fellow songwriter Devin O'Neill.  

All the way from Thailand, it's Creative Director and Creative Coach Rodd Chant!

Rodd and I are kindred spirits who share the same passion for finding the perfect black t -shirt and for helping bring up the next generation of creative directors. I've been following him on LinkedIn for some time and a recent post really caught my eye. Rodd believes that AI will kill all agencies, but it might destroy those that sacrifice senior creative talent in the name of innovation and efficiency.

When Vikki Ross Writes, people read. When Vikki Ross speaks, you should listen. Queen of the Copywriters and a sought-after thought-leader in the field of Brand and TOV development, Vikki has worked for some of the biggest brands in the world like Sky, ITV, Twitter, Spotify, Adidas, Sony Music, Nando's and Pandora. And now she's here to give us a glimpse of what it takes to create a power Tone Of Voice. 

Follow her on Twitter @VikkiRossWrites

Chris DeNinno is the kind of Creative Director you want to drink beers and eat burritos with. He's cool, down to earth, accessible and super insightful. It's no wonder he's enjoyed an incredible career working at some of the best agencies in the world like FCB, Y&R, Chiat Day and David&Goliath just to name a few. And what makes him even more special is his contagious passion for teaching the next generation of Creatives through his side hustle as instructor at the Book Shop For Ads Portfolio School in LA. This is a must listen for anyone looking to break into the ad biz. 

Learn more about the book shop here http://thebookshopads.com/

And don't forget to pick up my new book here https://mybook.to/whatsthebigidea

Donny Dykowsky is an accomplished musician, composer, songwriter and founder of The Ski Team –  a premiere production, custom music and sonic branding studio out of Jersey City, New Jersey. His work has garnered Lions, Pencils, Clios, Webbys, Sundance Premiers, and is on permanent display at the MOMA. Check out our amazing conversation where he shares some hot tips that Creative Directors can use when working with a composer or custom music producer.

Kevin is a self-proclaimed Creative Renegade. He is Executive Creative Direction & Founder of Juniper Jones which serves in-house agencies with insight driven creative & smile-producing content that challenges the status quo. And on the show, he will share his thoughts on how strong leadership and collective ownership leads to the best creative output.

Ned Brown is CCO of Bader Rutter in Milwaukee and an accomplished pianist and songwriter. Over the years he's leaned how to apply concepts and processes usually reserved for music composition to help him generate fresh thinking for advertising campaigns.

On this episode, we nerd out with Creative Director Calvin Innes from JVM Nerd London, a full service creative and media agency for Gaming, Nerd-Culture, and Fandom Communities. He’s going to deliver the Pop Culture Trends Creative Directors need to know about including the rise of the Kidults and the influence of gamification on retail and culture.

A fascinating conversation with a fascinating creative mind! Tom Christmann sees our world in a very different way. He's an evangelist for the use of found content and believes that we're already living in the Metaverse, where creativity is ripe for the picking everywhere you look. Prepare to have your mind blown several times during this wide ranging conversation.

"You won't promote yourself so how can you expect someone else to do it?" - Words of wisdom by the very talented and effervescent Joe Bird. Jo is an accomplished creative director, creative coach, mentor, speaker, photographer, and all around inspiring personality on LinkedIn. She's here to share a lesson she's learned along her journey about the importance of creating your own personal brand as a creative that will help you stand out from the crowd and build credibility.

Jordan Brady is the real f'ing deal! A former stand up comedian turned highly sought-after director, Jordan has directed over 1300 spots, 4 feature films, 3 documentaries, 1 Netflix Comedy Special and coined the phrase Bow-Chicka-Bow-Wow, true story! 

In this episode he shares tips, tricks and best practices for working with a commercial director as an agency creative director. Spoiler alert....make sure craft services has jicama, be patient and don't be a dick. 

To learn more about Jordan, including information about his film directing school, visit truegent.tv. 

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST EPISODES TO DATE! Jim Bosiljevac has perhaps the most well rounded creative career of any previous guest. Not only did he cut his teeth at some legendary shops, but he's also been client side at some big brands like his current gig as VP, Head of Brand Creative at Yahoo. And as if that weren't enough, he's also an Adjunct Professor in Advertising at UT Austin. Hear this great conversation where we' talk about everything from the his thoughts on the role of a creative director to the sometimes mind-boggling nature of being a CD AND a Client to the creative values he and his team at Yahoo have crafted to guide their work. You definitely want to listen to/watch this one all the way through! 

Click here to learn more about Jim. 

Click here to connect with me. 

And click here to check out my new book!   

George Tannenbaum's mind is filled with weird connections, colorful characters and an encyclopedic knowledge of the agency business. This wide ranging conversation is like a roller-coaster ride through the lessons he's learned about creating great work during a storied career that continues today with his one-mad-man shop GeorgeCo.  

Here's someone you don't come across every day...a Grammy Award winning Creative Director! On this episode of COACD, I talk to VSA Partners' ECD Thom Wolfe, who shares his origin story as an album art cover and packaging designer (remember liner notes?) as well as how mimicking other creatives can help you develop your own talents and style. Plus, much, much more. Check it out and don't forget to subscribe to the podcast. 

If you're a Creative and you're not following the work of Chris Do....well, we may have to revoke your card. Chris is the CEO and Founder of The Futur, an online education platform with the mission of teaching 1 billion people how to make a living doing what they love. The Futur's YouTube channel is chock full of great free content for Creatives at every stage of their career and boasts nearly 1.8 million subscribers! And once you hear our in-depth conversation on everything from the iconic power of the branded T-Shirt to an insightful analogy of the creative process to a wedding tasting menu, you'll know why he is so beloved and influential.  

Today’s guest is Andres Fabian, a globe-trotting Dominicano creative director who has worked on three different continents for companies and agencies like Leo Burnett, Kelly Bluebook, Innocean and VMLY&R.

On this episode Andres discusses his experience as a Latino creative in the world of advertising.  It’s an important conversation we all need to hear, and we both share personal stories about the most outrageous things we’ve been told or overheard to the weird practice of code-switching to the need for real action around diversity in our industry.

This is can’t miss episode especially for people of color or under represented groups in our industry .

On today’s podcast, we have chief creative officer of NVE Experience Agency, the talented Shelly Elkins - Adweek Experiential Executive of the Year!

And Shelley is here with a big proclamation that brand experience, also known as experiential ,has finally earned a seat at the big kids table and that we’ve entered the era of marketing with experience at the center of mix.

As someone who has worked in this world for many years and who has had his heart broken by similar claims I was skeptical. But maybe, just maybe Shelley will change my mind.

On the show this week is Jaime's good friend and fellow Jack Morton alum Marc Herron. A Former touring musician turned marketer, he describes his journey from rocker to rock-n-roll strategist in this illuminating conversation. Plus, listen to a Marc Herron original song at the very end of the show! Don't miss it!  

Check out a great conversation with CD Zach Connolly as we talk about everything from how to craft great concepts to ideas on how to amp up pitch presentations! You don't want to miss this one! 

Kevin Lynch is an accomplished Copywriter and Creative Director , whose with an incredible career that has taken him across the globe with stops in China and Sweden where he was most recently Creative Director at Oatly. Kevin has always made career decisions by asking: What stories will I be able to tell? and he’s here to share with us his 5 Principles for Finding Success in a non-linear career.

On this historic 50th Episode of COACD we’re talking with the brilliant and super humble Greg Hahn Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Mischief @No Fixed Address which was recently ranked among the Top Three Best Agencies in the world by AdAge! 

He’s pulling back the curtain to share some of the guiding principles and philosophies that make Mischief such a magical, mystical and near mythical shop. Plus, we'll also get a glimpse of Greg the kid from Ohio who dreamed of becoming a guitar shredding god!

Ty Stafford is the real deal. As ECD Content at NVE Experience Agency, he's helping take the historically experiential agency to new heights by leveraging the whole of his experience, from early breakout YouTuber to cutting his teeth at the iconic RedBull Media House to being named to the Forbes 30 under 30 in Marketing in Advertising. Listen to our amazing conversation and take special note of his big takeaway - YOU have the power to carve your own path in the creative industry. 

On the latest episode, Jaime talks to Creative Director and Founder of Ataboy Studios Vikkal Parikh, on everything from his love of assembling Ikea furniture to the importance of the Creative Brief and being technique agnostic. 

On today’s show, we take a bit of a departure with former copywriter Ben Purkert, author of The Men Can't Be Saved, a wonderful novel set in the world of a branding agency and centered around a narcissistic young copywriter whose world comes crashing down after he gets laid off.

While the book is fiction, it’s filled with stories inspired by his time in the industry we can all relate to like ECDs walking around like Golden Gods and overzealous copywriters who live and die over commas.

The novel also touches on larger societal and agency issues like Toxic Masculinity, the search for purpose and male loneliness.

Lucas Ribeiro and Kazuo Kobo are a dynamic duo of Creative Directors from Brazil, currently residing in New York City, where they work at the legendary McCann NY. They are Cannes Lion-winning creatives who have also taught at the Miami Ad School Brazil and recently published a book in Portuguese, translated as "Principles – 128 Principles for Becoming an Ad Agency Creative."

The book is filled with great tools, techniques, and ideas they've developed along their journey. They are here to expand on an idea called "Batman or Superman: Skills vs. Talent."

Learn more about them at www.landk.work.

Author, thought leader and all-around swell guy Dan Nelken shares thoughts and ideas about the role of Creative Director including one that we both share....WE'RE NOT MAKING ENOUGH SH#@ FOR OURSELVES! And the mindblowing "We need to think about thinking" and have a better understanding of how we come up with ideas.  Check out this enlightening conversation with the author of A Self-Help Guide for Copywriters. And while you're at it, pick up Dan's book here:

http://getbook.at/aguideforcopywriters

https://www.amazon.com/Self-Help-Guide-Copywriters-headlines-confidence/dp/177778350X

And while you're at it, pick up my new book, What's The Big Idea here:

A sense of humor goes a long way as an Executive Creative Director. My guest this week is proof of that. Josh Greenspan is an ECD at Strawberry Frog in NYC where he leads work for Walmart, Northwell Health and many other big names. Hear his funny yet highly insightful take on the world of advertising including his love of "the beautiful chaos" that is the creative process and his longing to hear the sound a recording studio door makes when it closes. This guy could have been a comedian and in fact, he's tried it! One of my fave episodes so far! 

Check out his work at joshgreenspan.com 

On the latest episode of the show, we have Christian Lachel, Chief Creative Officer of BRC Imagination Arts, a unique design and production agency that specializes in Brand Homes and Flagships and Cultural Attractions and Museums.

If you’ve been to the Johnnie Walker Princes Street Venue in Scotland or the Raiders Stadium Tour in Las Vegas, you’ve likely experienced their work.

Christian is here today to talk about how brands can and should use their history to fuel their future.

Check out my conversation with CD Brad Meyers as he shares his analogy of Creative Director as "Dad" and confesses to some harmless "set-lifting". Plus, the story of how he got to pitch ideas to Simpsons creator Matt Groening! 

A wide-ranging conversations with ad industry veteran Ed Miller. From TV to Experiential, he's done it all for some of the biggest clients and agencies in the world. With that much experience, his confession is surprising. 

Art lover. Fashionista. Culture Vulture. Creative Badass. Meet Anastasia Kouriatova on the latest episode of Confessions of a Creative Director. 

When we think of creative directors, we immediately think of people working in ad agencies. But there's a whole other world of CDs who are working on the client side, at design firms, marketing agencies, or at PR companies like my guest Nipa Eason. Nipa is a brilliant Creative Director from Tallahassee, Florida, who has been working exclusively in PR for the last several years, and she's here to share some things she's learned along her journey, specifically some misconceptions and misunderstandings that happen between the PR side of the house and the creative team at a PR agency. So if you're working in PR as a creative, you're going to want to pay special attention to this episode.

It's the very first edition of Wash-A-Pig Wednesday! Wash-A-Pig is a

a unique card game that boosts your creative and advertising skills in a fun, engaging way. On this episode we play the game live with a few unsuspecting victims, er, panelists: Creative Director and creator of Stuff About Advertising Ashley Rutstein, Sell It Great's Pitch Guru Ben Levy and Wash-A-Pig inventor and Creative Director Todd Turner.

From crushing sessionable IPA's to crushing creative challenges of all types, Jacina Serbalik is the next generation Creative Director. Hear us talk about a wide variety of topics including her thoughts on the creative process, her involvement in the AIGA and about pushing through the FFTs.  

On this episode, Jaime talks to Emily Neubauer of Horizontal Digital about her new journey as Associate Creative Director. Hear her Frozen 2 based thoughts on Design Thinking and the art of the client pitch. 

On today’s show we’re talking to the irrepressible Cameron Day, Creative Director and Copywriter extraordinaire and author of Spitting Chiclets, his second book in a trilogy about the triumphs and tragedies of the advertising business.

He’ll share his motivation for writing the books and some of the extraordinary lessons he learned from his father, legendary adman Guy Day, the Day in Chiat Day. Cameron has some great stories, including watching dailies for the most famous TV commercial of all time. Hint: it was in 1984!

We’ll also talk about lessons he had to learn on his own, the hard way through a storied career that has taking him to some of the biggest agencies and personalities in the advertising universe.

This is an amazing conversation and a history lesson featuring a who’s who of the business. You’re going to have Google at the ready to look up some of the names mentioned in the show if you don’t already know them.

I’m excited to have Colin Jeffery, CCO of Doner and Co-Founder and CCO of Wolfgang, on the show today for a very interesting and timely discussion. Colin has worked for top agencies all around the world, from his homeland of South Africa to Singapore to the US, so I think it’s fair he’s seen a thing or two.

And over the last several years, he’s spotted a distressing trend: advertising professionals falling out of love with advertising and the advertising world and I have to say, I don’t disagree with his assessment.

But fear not faithful listeners, because he’s here to share a few actionable things we can do to reignite our passion and love for what I still believe is one of the best gigs in the world.

Sonny Thomas, SVP Creative Director of PureRED, is a Renaissance Man. He's a designer, painter, musician, songwriter and all around cool dude. Check out our conversation on everything from the influence of his mentor, to techniques to quiet your brain before an ideation session to the strange new world of AI art. 

My new friend, brother from another mother, fellow podcaster and ECD of Leap Agency, Brandon Faris shares all kinds of tasty nuggets regarding his creative process and how he inspires and provokes his team to produce big ideas. Don't miss this great episode and bring a pen and paper! 

It's never too late to become a creative. Just ask my guest Leigh Browne, CD at GSD&M in Austin, Texas. After spending a few years as a newspaper journalist in the boondocks of California, she decided to make a change. And as they say, the rest is history. She's gone on to win some big awards, create a Super Bowl Spot and help fan the flames of the great Chicken Sandwich Wars. Not too shabby for late creative bloomer. 

You wouldn't know it based on her down to earth vibe, but ECD Jaclyn Rink Crowley has a resume and career path any creative director, myself included, would kill (or at least slap someone with a tortilla) for. From Bozell, to Saatchi & Saatchi, to BBDO, to Silver and Partners to Weiden + Kennedy to most recently Anomaly in NYC. I mean...c'mon. Listen to this unvarnished, honest conversation that culminates with one of the best and most vulnerable confessions we've had on the show IMO. 

On this week's show, Jaime talks to his former boss Julien Le Bas on a wide range of topics from life as a Frenchman living in Germany (and Australia and The US), the role of Creative Conductor, er, Creative Director to just not giving a F about certain elements of life in our industry. Plus, we introduce a new segment on the show - 2 Minute Hot-takes! Listener Discretion advised. This show contains colorful and creative language (read F bombs and such). 

Will Chau is Vice President of Creative and Design at Whole Food Market. He and his team oversee and produce most every single touchpoint a consumer might have with the brand - from TV ads to social media to package design to in-store signage and everything in between. And while the former agency CD still gets a thrill from big campaign work he's come to really love and enjoy the nitty gritty detail work that drives a consumer's IRL experience with the brands. Enjoy this wide-ranging conversation on everything from lessons learned from a hard-nosed instructor to a confession about pitching new clients that will make you chuckle. 

Aaron North was recently described as a marketing genius by the master marketing genius Ryan Reynolds for his work as CMO of Mint Mobile. And after our conversation, I would have to second Ryan's assessment. Aaron is here to give us a sneak peek at the multi-agency strategy and workflow that he's perfected to create Mint Mobile's amazing work.

Learn more about Aron here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aronnorth/

On this episode I speak to Creative Strategist and Director David Levine, whose  wide ranging career has taken him from working in the scrappy world of the music business to the burgeoning of experiential marketing to now working alongside scientists and engineers.

Listen as we break down David’s concept of using hyphens as a superpower, which emphasizes  the importance of embracing multiple skills and perspectives in the creative process.

We’ll also discuss his insights on collaboration, the challenges of ambiguity, and the importance of collecting and connecting weird dots. This is the perfect episode to end the year and get us thinking about how to make the most of 2025.

On this episode, we’re speaking with Eric Segal, CCO of X&O, which stands for Experts and Officers, a unique creative and strategy company composed of a network of over 100 big thinkers, all formerly associated with top brands and powerhouse agencies.

They describe themselves as a CMO’s secret weapon, brought in to solve tough marketing challenges in record time. And the coolest part? They all operate anonymously, known to clients only by their colorful code names.

Eric will share some insider information on how they operate with near-surgical efficiency and precision, as well as some ways you could adopt their industry-disrupting practices.