Media People Podcast

Episode 121 of the Media People Podcast is LIVE with ThinkStart.ca Award-Winning Speaker and Consultant, Mohit Rajhans. We chat:

Episode 120 of the Media People Podcast is LIVE with Don't Be A Little Pitch Founder/CEO & Pitch Pro, Bryce North. We chat:

Episode 119 of the Media People Podcast is LIVE with Reboot Consulting Group Managing Partner & Founder, Kerry Harris. We chat:

From sports media to crisis management, TIEJA INC. Founder and Communications Strategist, Tieja MacLaughlin joins Episode 118 of the Media People Podcast. We chat…

The birth of a media agency? Obsessed Media is fresh to market! Co-Founder Danny Weisman stops by Episode 116 to chat all about it and more. We cover… - Obsessed Media's origin story - Advising clients on buying expensive Super Bowl spots - What exactly is “The Most Index”? - Saving the NBA All-Star Weekend - How different media brands are leaning into different genres **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@MediaPeoplePodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/ www.tiktok.com/@media.people.podcast

Table 9 Productions Founder & Creative Director, Matt Manuge is my guest. We chat… - Starting Table 9 Productions - How networking & reputation directly impacts freelance work - Living off credit card debt between freelance gigs - His tenure at Blue Ant Media - Why professional wrestling is a lifelong passion **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@MediaPeoplePodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/ www.tiktok.com/@media.people.podcast

Kabil Rahaman is the Head of Commercial Data at The Globe & Mail—leading the company's charge in the application of data monetization. Born in Zambia to Guyanese parents, Kabil and his family moved to Canada when he was three—settling in Brampton, Ontario. He studied anthropology at the University of Waterloo, dabbled in sales after graduation, before making the jump into ad operations with Suite 66. He moved agency side, holding senior roles at Accuen and Omnicom Media Group. Kabil Rahaman stops by to chat about growing up in Brampton, why his influences range from George Orwell to Ken Griffey Jr, his career in advertising, and leading data monetization at The Globe & Mail. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@MediaPeoplePodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/ www.tiktok.com/@media.people.podcast

Isaac Adejuwon is the CEO and Founder of Metricsflow—a cutting-edge, privacy-friendly data attribution solution for marketers. A native of Nigeria, Isaac's early life had its challenges. Electricity and running water were inconsistent, while there was no infrastructure for home internet. Much of his time was spent farming and playing soccer, but it was the introduction to a physics textbook that would spark a lifelong passion for science. That passion carried him to the University of Lagos where he majored in physics. He continued his studies at Memorial University in Newfoundland and Labrador, earning both undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering. Isaac Adejuwon stops by to talk about growing up in Nigeria, his passion for science, why he chose to relocate to Canada, his experiences as a Nigerian-Canadian entrepreneur, and where the idea for Metricsflow came from. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@MediaPeoplePodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/ www.tiktok.com/@media.people.podcast

Chris Quinn is the co-founder of ProOps Consulting, a consultancy dedicated to accelerating operational efficiency and proficiency within the digital media ecosystem. Chris was born in Sudbury, Ontario, raised in Cambridge, and spent his teenaged years living in Brazil and Italy. He studied business and marketing in university & college, and took up an internship with a TV branding agency. Chris quickly learned that creative advertising wasn't for him, and jumped at the chance to move into a role focused on operations with Rydium. Operations is where Chris found his groove, and his career grew to include senior level roles at Suite 66, Olive Media, Kijiji Advertising, and Loblaw Media before founding ProOps. Chris Quinn and I chat living and learning on three different continents, being a Bob Dylan fan, returning to Canada for university, passing on a career in creative advertising, spending a decade at Kijiji, and why he decided to start ProOps Consulting. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@MediaPeoplePodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/ www.tiktok.com/@media.people.podcast

Shelley West is the Chief Revenue Officer at Elite High Performance—an organization specializing in human-centric mindset coaching and high-performance leadership training for teams and individuals. Born in Manchester, England, and raised in Toronto, Shelley's early years were defined by her passion for dance. She studied different types, taught, and graduated from the prestigious Randolph College for the Performing Arts. Changes to the professional dancing landscape forced Shelley to rethink her pro career. She pivoted into media with Brunico, before assuming sales leadership roles with Rogers, Cimoroni & Company, and MiQ. Shelley West joins me to chat about her dancing career, why she retired from dance at 23, her move into media sales & adtech, and how Elite High Performance is redefining leadership development. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/ www.tiktok.com/@media.people.podcast

What do Paris, New York City, Boston, London, Toronto, Montreal, and Fernie, British Columbia have in common? They are all places that make up the (somewhat) nomadic life and career of today's guest, Will Rizzuto. Each location plays an integral part in Will's story. He's American, but spent his infant and pre-school years in Paris. The majority of Will's youth was spent in New York City, but he attended university in Boston, returned to New York City to start his career in adtech before moving to London where he met his future Canadian wife, whom he relocated to Canada with. And in-between he found time to indulge his passion for skiing on a fulltime basis. Will Rizzuto, Sr. Manager, Advertising Sales & Partnerships at TELUS stop by to chat about his early life in Paris and New York City, studying business at Northeastern University, finding his way into adtech, the fast-paced story behind his relocation to London, his road-trip sabbatical from media, and helping to lead TELUS' foray into media and data sales. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/ www.tiktok.com/@media.people.podcast

Rob Meyers is the Managing Director and Partner at VERSUS—a studio crafting highly creative, one-of-a-kind work for brands and agencies. A New Jersey native, pop culture played a big role in Rob's early life. He refers to himself as an avid reader—everything from books to comics and was heavily invested in both TV and movies. Studying Television, Radio, and Film Screenwriting at Syracuse University provided the education Rob needed to pursue his interests professionally. He's held a number of creative roles and has written and produced for the likes of BET, ESPN, NFL, Nickelodeon, CNN, and USA Networks—to name a few. Rob Meyers stops by to chat about growing up in New Jersey, the life of a freelance writer and producer, why he started working for a homeless charity after 9/11, and how VERSUS is shaking up creative advertising. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/ www.tiktok.com/@media.people.podcast

What does a strategy director do at a creative agency? According to VML's Rory Petty—you figure things out. This includes everything from writing the creative brief to consulting with the client marketing team—with any number of things in-between. Creative is actually a recent move for Rory. His advertising career started in broadcast media at Carat's London office. He took a role as a Planning Account Manager at Mediavest, before relocating to Toronto to continue his career. Rory Petty stops by to chat about growing up in a village outside of London, how studying the human side of geography prepared him for a career in advertising, how the advertising industry in London differs from Toronto, and his move from media to creative. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/ www.tiktok.com/@media.people.podcast

The word “coach” is closely aligned with sport, but it's becoming ever more synonymous with the corporate world. More people are employing experienced professionals to provide career coaching. Sometimes that coach is a colleague and sometimes it's an outsider bringing fresh advice & insights. And that's exactly what today's guest, Theresa Smith, does for her clients. Theresa is the founder of The LeaderSmith—a company providing executive coaching and leadership development coaching, for all levels. This includes emerging leaders right up to the c-suite. And Theresa has a tremendous amount of wisdom to impart. Her media career started in print sales with the Financial Post, before pivoting into digital with CANOE and MSN Canada. Most people familiar with Theresa's story will recognize her from Olive Media, where she served as VP of Product, General Manager & VP, and President. Theresa Smith stops by to chat about growing up in Strathroy, competitive figure skating, why she studied history in university, the culture shock that came with teaching English in Japan, her media sales career, both leading & sunsetting Olive Media, and how The LeaderSmith is shaping a new generation of leaders. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/ www.tiktok.com/@media.people.podcast

Heads+Tales Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Amanda Shuchat, is part of a team that's flipping the agency model on its head. Heads+Tales offers best-in-class integrated marketing services while focusing on high-performance coaching to foster greatness. And Amanda is ideally placed to disrupt the agency model. Her career begins as a PR Intern with Strategic Objectives, and continues into senior roles at Hill+Knowlton, Citizen Relations International, and Middle Child. The roster of clients Amanda has worked with is equally as impressive, and include Kraft, Pfizer, HP, Motorola, Canada Goose, and Endy—to name a few. Amanda Shuchat stops by to chat about her early life in Toronto, completing high school in Israel, negotiating and reselling Yogen Fruz local elementary schools, why she studied journalism, her career in PR, and taking the entrepreneurial leap with Heads+Tales. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/ www.tiktok.com/@media.people.podcast

Media and commerce are closer than ever before. Retail Media is the term used to reference this convergence. And it's where today's guest, Victoria Cromie, is leaving her mark. Victoria is the Managing Director, Canada for Mars United Commerce—a global commerce company, dedicated to driving growth for brands and retailers. Before helping retailers get more hustle out of their media dollars, Victoria was applying similar principles to her babysitting business. While most teenagers were sitting around waiting for referrals from friends & family, Victoria was putting up flyers around the neighbourhood and generating her own leads. She honed her marketing skills at York University and Sheridan College before jumping into agency life with Carat. Victoria Cromie stops by to chat about growing up in Toronto, her affinity for do-it-yourself projects, working on the Hyundai and Ford media accounts, selling Olympic-calibre balance beams on Amazon, and her move into retail media. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/ www.tiktok.com/@media.people.podcast

When CHUM Radio wanted to monetize its online audience for the first time, they called Debbie Benadiba. When Rogers Media launched its first online, on-demand streaming video app, they called Debbie Benadiba to lead ad sales. Debbie has a knack for launching new advertising products to market. There are other examples I can touch on—they include both mobile and OOH advertising, but you'll have to listen to this episode to hear those stories. Debbie Benadiba, CEO of Talon OOH Canada, stops by to chat about growing up in Toronto, her love of dance, how her original life plan was to become an orthodontist, why she left agency life early in her career for media sales, and what lured her back into the agency world. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/ www.tiktok.com/@media.people.podcast

Brigitte Sachse is the founder of Bee Video Production—a digital video producer specialising in branded content. But securing content production budgets from clients such as the Toronto Star, Accenture, and the Royal Bank of Canada is a bit of a 180 from her early work. Before founding Bee Video Production, Brigitte's career focused on providing public and private financing for documentaries, TV shows, and feature-length films. This included reviewing grant applications for the Canadian Media Fund & the National Film Board of Canada, and advising private media lenders on which TV shows and movies to invest in. Brigitte Sachse stops by to chat about her nomadic childhood, cleaning kennels, why she studied business and french literature in university, a career in public and private media financing, and the founding of Bee Video Production. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/ www.tiktok.com/@media.people.podcast

Pary Bell's CV is stacked with leadership roles at some of Canada's biggest media companies including, but not limited to, the CBC, Rogers Media, and TorStar. He's made a career of leading organizations through digital transformation, but his original plan didn't involve building teams, managing people, and navigating internal politics—Pary's first love was drawing. Pary studied General Arts at Queen's University, but departed after two years to pursue a Fine Arts Degree at Emily Carr University of Art & Design. It was difficult making it as an artist, and Pary made the choice to enroll in the Communications & Multimedia program at Centennial College. He aggressively chased an internship opportunity with the CBC, and his digital media career took off. His current role? Leading The Podcast Exchange. Pary Bell, CEO of The Podcast Exchange stops be to chat about growing up on a farm outside of North Bay Ontario, the impact sport has had on his life & career, his passion for drawing, and leading teams and departments at some of Canada's most prolific media companies. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/ www.tiktok.com/@media.people.podcast

Sue Haas is the President and COO of NLogic—Canada's leading provider of audience analysis technology and data. But Sue's career didn't start in data and analytics. Her first job in media was an internship on eTalk Daily, researching and writing interview questions for celebrities like Phil Collins, John Mayer, and Nelly. This was a complete shift from her childhood in the rural town Melbourne, Ontario. How rural? No cable TV, dial-up internet was the norm, she had to travel one town over just to go to school, and there weren't many opportunities for part time work. Sue Haas stops by to chat about her growing up on a hobby farm, studying English and Journalism in university, a career that includes everything from digital product development to getting John Mayer coffee, and what NLogic has in store for the future. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/ https://www.tiktok.com/@media.people.podcast

It's episode 100 and we welcome back our episode nine guest, Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada President, Sonia Carreno. Sonia was only a handful of months into her presidency when we first chatted back in 2015. Nine years later, Sonia returns to talk about how the IAB Canada has evolved under her leadership, while providing insight into how the organization tackles issues and shapes policy impacting the digital media industry. A big thank you to all of our loyal listeners and past guests. We couldn't have hit the 100-episode milestone without your support. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Kevin Bartus is a terrible employee—those are his words, not mine. But that's OK because he's a very successful entrepreneur. Kevin is the President and CEO of Ideon Media—Canada's largest digital rep firm, responsible for monetizing Canadian ad traffic for brands such as VICE Media and IGN, to name a few. Ideon also owns and operates several sites including SavvyMom, 29Secrets, and AmongMen. A Chicago native, Kevin was quite the academic in his youth. He found subjects like math easy, so it shouldn't be a surprise that he graduated from both MIT and Harvard. He moved into consulting after university and then founded Blue Spark—a company building websites for TorStar and Rogers. Despite an exit and the chance to lead Rogers Media's foray into digital advertising, Kevin had the itch get back out on his own. He saw the success Olive Media enjoyed in the rep space, and decided to emulate their business model with Ideon Media. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Cracking the media industry can be tough for an employee, but for an entrepreneur? Building something from scratch can be a tall order. But it was a challenge that Sotero Bernardo was up for. Sotero is the Co-Founder, Head of Business Development at Coastal Digital Group—an experience agency combining creativity with technology. The original goal was to make it in media sales. But sales opportunities are scarce when you're fresh out of school, so Sotero took a job as a jr. media planner at Cossette Media—working on both the Nike and Sony PlayStation media accounts. He moved into venue advertising before networking his way to a sales role with Ideon Media. His success led to a promotion along with expanded responsibilities that included managing people and acquiring new publisher representation deals. But Sotero saw an opportunity within the creative space. He had a plan to capitalize on it, and co-founded Coastal Digital Group with his business partner. Sotero Bernardo stop by to chat about growing up in Toronto's Parkdale neighbourhood, attending high school in suburbia, working at McDonald's, monetizing charisma lessons, his media sales career, and entrepreneurship in the ultra-competitive media space. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Sales is a performative art, and presentations are like a play. Notes serve as the script, while the PowerPoint deck acts as the set. The boardroom the stage, and clients the audience. At the heart of the production—the sales rep. When comparing the two professions, you can see why today's guest, Kristie Painting, has enjoyed a successful sales career. Kristie is Pinterest's Country Manager for Canada, and while many people in her position have a marketing or business degree, Kristie majored in drama. Her first job out of university was handling pharmaceutical orders. Kristie wasn't enthused by the work, and quickly moved into media sales with NOW Magazine. She progressed into roles with Yahoo! and DoubleClick, and ascended into leadership positions at Olive Media and Bell Media, to name a few. Kristie Painting stops by to chat about growing up in suburban Toronto, her passion for the dramatic arts, her media sales career, why she took an agency job, and leading Pinterest's Canadian office. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

When Valerie Tyson interviewed for a marketing role with the Charlotte Hornets, it was team owner and NBA legend, Michael Jordan, who handled her final interview. And this is only one of the many stories comprising Valerie's sports marketing career. Valerie is the Co-Founder, Head of Strategy + Sports at Unrivaled Group—a female led, sports driven tech consultancy. Valerie's career didn't start in sports, but local radio—running promotions for stations in Arizona and San Diego. She moved KLSX in Los Angeles, where it provided her first taste in sports marketing. It included LA Kings radio broadcasts along with west coast events for the Howard Stern Show. She jumped at the chance to lead marketing for the LA Avengers inaugural season in the Arena Football League, and it was from here her sports marketing career took off. Valerie Tyson stops by to chat about growing up in Chicago, why she studied journalism in university, creative ways to launch an arena football team, relaunching Charlotte's NBA team after the original Hornets moved to New Orleans, and what she's out to accomplish with Unrivaled Group. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Kensington Grey is an influencer management agency rooted in diversity, representing an extensive roster of black and brown creators. At the heart of the agency is President & CEO, Shannae Ingleton Smith. Born in Toronto, raised in Calgary, Shannae studied finance and economics in university. But marketing was her real passion. There wasn't an option to major in it, so Shannae filled her electives with every marketing class available. She moved into finance after graduation, but quickly pivoted into media sales with Mediaplanet Publishing. Shannae moved to Rogers Media, holding sales roles at MacLean's Magazine, Elevate Multi-Platform Sales, and leading a multi-million-dollar territory of education-based clients. It was during this time that the seeds for Kensington Grey were planted. Shannae ran a private Facebook group providing business advice to black influencers. She noticed that opportunities were slim, and their services were undervalued. She saw an opportunity to rectify this, and Kensington Grey was born. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Ian Dallimore is Lamar Advertising's Vice-President, Digital Growth & General Manager of Programmatic, but his path to OOH advertising didn't start with a typical agency job. A New Orleans native, Ian's original plan was to be a pediatrician. He studied medicine at Louisiana College while on a basketball scholarship. An injury nixed this, and he transferred to Louisiana State where he graduated with a degree in marketing. He moved into minor league baseball, taking marketing roles with AAA affiliates of the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros. Ian pivoted into OOH advertising with Lamar, rising from strategist to where he is today. Ian Dallimore stops by to chat about growing up in New Orleans, running marketing for minor league baseball teams, why Michael Jordan is the GOAT, and working for Lamar Advertising. And be sure to check Ian's podcast, the Digital Dirt Podcast—featuring conversations with inspiring and influential thought leaders from the advertising world. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

It's difficult to refute social media's supremacy in the platform hierarchy. Brands are increasingly trying to find new & innovate ways to leverage social for audience engagement. And it's exactly why they turn to today's guest, Darcy MacNeil. Darcy is the Head of so.da—a full service, specialized, and award-winning social first agency. Darcy's career started behind the camera as a clearance coordinator. This involved securing commercial rights to content so it could be legally integrated into programming. Her work led to a series of producing jobs before she moved into content marketing, joining agencies like UM and getting the opportunity to start Mindshare Canada's Content+ department. Darcy MacNeil stops by to chat about growing up in suburban Toronto, playing ringette, why dance is such big part of her life, how a pop culture history class at the University of Victoria got her thinking about a career in media & journalism, and running one of Canada's largest social digital media agencies. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Science has always played a role in marketing—whether it be focus groups, surveys, or any other form of research. But the marriage between the two disciplines has grown increasingly closer over the years. So much, that it has formalized the role marketing science plays in advertising. And PHD Canada has entrusted Matt Devlin, to handle this for their roster of clients. Matt is their first Managing Director, Marketing Science, where he's responsible for connecting media investments back to their results. An Ottawa native, Matt left capital city to attend university in Toronto. But unlike most students who enter with a major, Matt used his first year to dabble in a variety of different classes before settling on a degree in Cinema Studies and Semiotics. After graduation, Matt relocated to the United Kingdom, taking his first media role at Zenith Optimedia's London office. He moved back to Canada and continued with Zenith at their Toronto office. He was let go by Zenith, but picked up by PHD where he continues today. Matt Devlin stops by to chat about growing up in Ottawa, being the youngest of five siblings, the differences between Canadian and UK media life, and the increasing role marketing science plays in advertising. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

You might know David Cairns as the co-founder of Cairns Oneil, but the agency he started with Sherry O'Neil back in 2012 is just one of the many companies he's had a hand in founding. In fact, some of those agencies became the entry points for international holding companies looking to enter the Canadian market. For example, David's first agency—David Cairns & Company, was acquired by Aegis and rebranded Carat. But if you look back at David's passions and education, you would have thought a role in the creative world was forthcoming. A life-long artist with degrees in visual arts and education, David worked for two years as an art teacher in rural Prince Edward Island. David returned to Toronto and took a job as a Media Estimator with Ogilvy & Mather, and it was from there that his media career took off. David Cairns stops by to chat about growing up in Toronto, his passion for painting, working the late shift as a taxi driver, his career in media, and why every entrepreneur should have an exit strategy. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

You could say a career in advertising was foreshadowed in Anthony Hello's childhood. After all, two of his influences were fictional advertising executives–Angela Bower from Who's the Boss?, and Darrin Stephens from Bewitched. Anthony was born, raised, and educated in Fredericton, New Brunswick. He moved to Toronto after graduating from the University of New Brunswick, landing an entry level role working on the Labatt Breweries account at Echo Advertising. Anthony went on to senior roles at The Hive, Mediacom, and Bensimon Byrne. During this period his career became increasingly focused on content marketing. Anthony married an American, and he and his husband decided to settle in New York City, where his career continued with senior roles at UMWW and the Mediabrands Content Studio. In his spare time Anthony is also a podcaster. He's the producer and host of All The Boys, a podcast dedicated to telling the historical stories of gay men arrested on so-called morals charges, who were then outed in the press for the sexuality. All The Boys is available wherever you get your podcasts. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Running commentary on your profession can be daunting—especially on LinkedIn, where point-of-views can be read by your entire industry. But that hasn't stopped today's guest, Danny Weisman, from publishing his thoughts. Danny is the Group Media Director at Noble People—a New York-based creative media agency focused on new thinking and innovative methods. In my opinion, Danny is also one of the most open and curious media professionals on LinkedIn. His opinions are candid, and are mix of industry research along with professional and personal experiences. You can check him out on LinkedIn, but be sure to subscribe to his newsletter, Let Me Think, at letmethink.beehiiv.com. Danny Weisman stops by to chat about growing up in the New York City borough of Queens, the impact summer camp had on his life, attending university in Nashville, how a media director's role continues to evolve, and openly sharing his opinions on the advertising industry. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

In a world where job hopping is normalized, it's rare to meet someone who has spent their entire career with the same company. And it's even rarer to hear about an intern working their way up to president. But this is the story of today's guest, Caroline Moul. Caroline is the President of PHD Canada—the Canadian division of PHD Media Worldwide. Not only is she the president, but also a lifelong employee—going back to the days when the agency was known as HYPN. Born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, Caroline moved with her family to the Toronto suburb of Oakville when she was a teenager. After graduating from high school, she enrolled in the advertising program at Sheridan College. She joined HYPN on a media planning internship, and grew with the company as it was acquired by the Omnicom Media Group and integrated into the global PHD Media family. Caroline Moul stops by to chat about growing up in Africa, the differences between attending school in South Africa and Canada, and how having a firm career plan can help you move from the cubicle to the corner office. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Marketer, educator, podcaster, & founder—Darian Kovacs stops by to chat. Darian and I talk about growing up in the border town of Tsawwassen, British Columbia, studying art education & visual arts at the University of Victoria, his time as a youth worker in Surrey, and his entrepreneurial endeavours which include Jelly Digital Marketing & PR Agency, the Jelly Academy, and Marketing News Canada. **Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter** https://mediapeople.beehiiv.com/subscribe **Listen & Subscribe** www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Ron Tite, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Church+State stops by to chat. And what a conversation we have. Even if you've never met Ron, there's a good chance you've come across his content. Apart from being the CCO of Church+State, he's an in-demand guest speaker, published author, and very active on social media. What makes Ron's content both unique and refreshing are his honest opinions on a wide variety of topics concerning, marketing, advertising, and business. Ron Tite stops by to chat about growing up in Oshawa, why he studied Phys Ed in university, how working for a business school was just as good going to business school, and a creative advertising career that includes founding of the award-winning agency, Church+State. www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Out-of-home media has seen tremendous growth in recent years. Much of this can be attributed to the proliferation of digital signage and the convenience of purchasing inventory via programmatic platforms. We've come a long way from manually placing posters in transit shelters. And today's guest, Stephanie Gutnik, is helping accelerate this change. Stephanie is the Global Chief Strategy Officer at Billups—a leading global out-of-home tech company reinventing the way brands and agencies approach planning and placement. But a career in advertising wasn't part of her original life plan. Stephanie had her sights set on broadcast journalism. That is until a summer internship left her second-guessing that goal. After graduating from university, Stephanie took a role with News America Marketing's Montreal office, working on direct mail, couponing, and in-store media solutions. From there she moved to Broadsign, working her way up to VP of Business Development—and with it a move to New York City. Stephanie would go on to hold senior roles at Outfront Media, Verizon, and Yahoo. Stephanie Gutnik stops by to chat about growing in Winnipeg, studying in Montreal, working at some of the biggest players in out-of-home media, and the differences between working in Toronto and New York City. www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Coming from a family of scientific and mathematical academics wasn't enough to deter Kaaveh Shoamanesh from pursuing a career in entertainment. And he wasn't about to let something like university, which he attended for an entire month, get in the way. After leaving university, Kaaveh packed up at the age of 18, moving south to Los Angeles to kick off his career. He started as an on-air personality, hosting an entertainment news show produced for the global Persian community. Kaaveh then moved into producing and talent management, working with the likes of HGTV and Netflix. At HGTV he worked on the popular real estate renovation show, Love it or List It, handling brand and product integrations. He's taken 21 years of product placement experience and founded Plaiced, a platform enabling advertisers to reach their target audience within online community groups. www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Jed Schneiderman, Episode 22 guest returns to the podcast. When we last chatted with Jed, he was taking us through his early life and career leading to the founding of Tapped Mobile. Since then, he's sold Tapped Mobile, and is now the country Manager for Jebbitt—a platform that helps brands collect more data by driving customer personalization efforts. But Jed hasn't stopped there. A couple years back he co-founded the M2T Collective—a rotational program that gives recent graduates and those looking for a career change the opportunity to experience four different companies within the marketing, media and technology space. And then there's Jed's most recent project—CleverHire, a curated job site for marketing, media, and adtech professionals that integrates candidate videos into the recruitment process. www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

What was your Achilles heel in school? Essays? Presentations? Tests? I was never strong at exams, so I had put the effort into my course work to salvage a decent grade. But this is where Universal Design for Learning comes in. The goal of UDL is to provide students with the options to learn for themselves in ways that make sense to them. At the forefront of bringing UDL to the classroom is today's guest, Danny Smith. Danny is a professor at George Brown College, educating students in the college's marketing and advertising program. But this Ottawa-area native almost missed his calling to teach. When the concurrent education program at Trent University passed on Danny's application, he chose to study mass communications at Carleton University. This led to a career in marketing, which led to a career in education administration, which would eventually pave the way for Danny's teaching career. Danny Smith stops by to chat about growing up in Nepean Ontario, a marketing career that includes the Sales & Merchandise Group and Capital C, and how he's revolutionizing the classroom experience with Universal Design for Learning. www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

The title “producer” is everywhere in show business, but what exactly does a producer do? It's a bit of a loaded question as responsibilities can vary, but it's a question that today's guest, Jodie Davis, will answer for us. Jodie has spent over 20 years in television, and there's a good chance you're familiar with his work. This includes many of the major Canadian awards shows such as the Juno and Gemini awards. He was entertainment producer on Toronto One's The A-List, before getting the chance to executive produce ET Canada. Jodie Davis stops by to chat about growing up in Uxbridge Ontario, simultaneous attending both York University and Seneca College, a producer's collective duties, and what it's like producing Canada's biggest entertainment news show. www.mediapeople.ca www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

As a marketer, overseeing a national brand can be a demanding ask. But leading no fewer than six? That's a separate challenge altogether. And that's exactly what the day-to-day entails for today's guest, Cheryl Gresham. Cheryl is the Vice President Marketing, CMO for Verizon Value—a division of Verizon Communications serving value-conscious consumers looking for the flexibility of prepaid wireless service. Born, raised, and educated in Seattle Washington, Cheryl packed her bags after graduation, heading south to start her marketing career in Los Angeles. And what a career it has been. Prior to Verizon Value, Cheryl held senior roles at companies that include Initiative, Coca-Cola, Taco Bell, Mattel, Google, and TikTok. Cheryl Gresham stops by to chat about growing up in Seattle, her time in the agency world, working for some of the biggest global brands, and leading marketing for Verizon Value. www.mediapeople.ca https://www.youtube.com/@mediapeoplepodcast www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

In May of 2022, Becca Lucas Lord resigned from her role as VP, Director of Client Services at Wunderman Thompson. She was ready to explore new opportunities that complimented her recent agency work. That sabbatical lasted all of three days before she was asked to return in a consulting role. When you look at the breadth Becca's resume, it's easy to see why they wanted her back. Besides Wunderman Thompson, Becca's career includes time at Cohn & Wolfe, Sequentia Environics, Twist Image, and Mirum. She has worked on all categories from automotive, CPG, pharmaceuticals, and even petroleum pipelines. Becca Lucas Lord stops by to chat about growing up in London Ontario, why she took a year off from university, her career journey from coordinator to VP, and the decision to move into consulting. www.mediapeople.ca www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

You'll be hard pressed to find a more eclectic resume than Ryan Ladisa's. Ryan has worked in broadcast, out-of-home, digital, programmatic, and creative. He's worked for agencies, big corporate conglomerates, and specialised ad tech vendors. He's slung media space, sold cross-platform solutions, led departments hunting for the latest innovations, and helped innovative companies find their foothold in the Canadian market. And we can also add entrepreneur to the list. Ryan was Freshii franchisee number 1. This was back when Freshii was known by its former name, Lettuce Eatery. Ryan Ladisa stops by to chat about growing up in Toronto, studying Creative Advertising at Seneca College, and his extensive media career that spans both the agency and vendor side of the business. www.mediapeople.ca www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Cynthia Rubino—CYTRINE CONSULTANCY Founder, advertising educator, and mental health advocate returns to the podcast. The pandemic forced everyone to adjust personally and professionally. For CYTRINE CONSULTANCY, this meant putting more emphasis on mental health services. If you're a professional, you probably embraced zoom calls in sweatpants. And for many of us, not having a daily commute was a plus. But if you're a student? Well, virtual lectures and group work sapped all the interpersonal benefits that come with the classroom. Something that Cynthia saw first-hand while teaching. Cynthia Rubino stops by to chat about the current state of mental health and wellness in the advertising industry, how it's impacting our students, and her recently launched Masterclass series. And if you haven't already, be sure to jump down to Episode 37 to catch our first conversation. You can find the link in the episode description. Link to Cynthia's first time on the podcast --> Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/z5dbu34j Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/wmrf7njs www.mediapeople.ca www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Whether it be in the classroom, through her podcast, or her self-published meditation journal—teaching is a big part of Shaelah Pirie's life. A native of Porcupine, Ontario—a village of maybe 3,000 people, Shaelah studied political science at university, but pivoted into television writing and production after graduation. Her first breaks in media included promotion and production roles on The Distinguished Artists Series and Canadian Idol. Working in television is far from a 9 to 5 gig. 14-hour days are normal keeping you from family and friends. And as a new mother, Sahaela moved into teaching to have more time with her daughter. But her role has an educator grew beyond the classroom. Shaelah's taken increased authorship of her career. She's focused on bringing meditation and wellness to parents and children. Helping them deal with personal trauma. www.mediapeople.ca www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Starting a media company used to be an expensive and bureaucratic endeavour. It usually required buckets of money, a team of lawyers, and even a CRTC license if you were looking to break into TV or radio. But the internet brought down those barriers, giving new media companies a chance to challenge the old guard. And one company in particular, The Peak, is doing just that. The Peak was created to provide Canadian professionals with the news they need. They cover business, tech, and any other important stories of that day. It's a news site, but also a collection of newsletters and podcasts. And all of this is available at readthepeak.com. On this episode we have The Peak Co-Founder and CEO, Brett Chang, stopping by to chat. Brett speaks with us about growing up in Toronto, his previous entrepreneurial ventures, working in public policy at Uber at time when the legacy taxi industry was very hostile towards both Uber and its employees, and successfully starting a new media company in a very competitive ecosystem. www.mediapeople.ca www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Sales & Marketing – two departments that at any time, could be working in harmony or at each other throats. And today's guest, Jennifer DeFrenza has had a seat both tables. Jennifer is the VP of Marketing for Surex, a company offering insurance products for consumers and businesses. Before moving into marketing, she had a successful career as a media sales professional for companies such as Rogers Media, The Weather Network, and Expedia. Jennifer DeFrenza stops by to chat about growing up in Toronto, completing most of the 8th grade in Red Deer, Alberta, and going from chasing marketing dollars to controlling marketing budgets. www.mediapeople.ca www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Sales leader, quota crusher, champion of grassroots basketball, hockey podcaster, and arguably the OG of Canadian digital media sports sales—Tony Luccisano, stops by to chat. A native of Toronto's Little Italy neighborhood, Tony studied biology with the goal of becoming a doctor. To use his words, his grades weren't going to cut it for med school, which quickly shut down that plan. After school he joined the Financial Post as a Business Manager, but would move into online financial service sales with the Datagroup. Tony's digital ad sales career started with Canoe. He departed Canoe for TSN—arguably Canada's largest and oldest sports media brand, where he would enjoy a nearly 13-year career. A move to competitor Sportsnet was short-lived after a sales team restructuring. Tony has since turned to consulting, putting his experience and success to work for companies looking for fractional growth and experience to jump-start their revenue potential. But Tony's move into consulting isn't entirely by design. Like many experienced members of the Canadian media industry, his career has been impacted by ageism. We close out our conversation by discussing the impact ageism has had on his career, and why it's important for the industry to reject this form of discrimination. www.mediapeople.ca www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Mo Dezyanian describes himself as the “kid who skipped cartoons to watch the commercials.” But if you look at his early years, you'd be hard pressed to see a future ad agency founder. A somewhat nomadic childhood, Mo was born in Iran, but spent much of his youth living in Germany. His family eventually moved to Canada, and Mo would go on to study computer Science at York University. The original goal was to work for Microsoft, but Mo decided to enroll in McMaster University's MBA program. While there, he won an inter-university business case competition. The prize? Admission to a CFO conference. And it had a big impact on his future. He met a member of the Tim Horton's board who also owned a boutique ad agency. He converted that meeting into his first media job before moving over to Trojan One. Mo shifted into freelancing before founding Empathy Inc.—an agency priding itself on providing expertise in media, but also showcasing what media can do for business. Mo Dezyanian stops by to chat about growing up in Iran and Germany, starting Empathy Inc., his love for classic kung fu films, and how the Iranian authorities confiscated and erased his entire kung. fu movie collection. www.mediapeople.ca www.instagram.com/vicgenova/

Publics relations, social media management, media strategy, and new business development have all played a pivotal role in Sarah Thompson's career. Born & raised in Dorchester, Ontario, Sarah relocated to Toronto after graduating from university and college. The early part of Sarah's career was heavily concentrated in public relations. This included roles at National Public Relations, Accenture, and Mansfield Communications, to name a few. Additional responsibilities in social media and strategy pushed Sarah deeper into the media world, which lead her to opportunities with Corus Entertainment, Theo, Cossette, and Mindshare Sarah Thompson, President of Dentsu Media Canada stops by to chat about her career in PR and media, the importance of blending her personal and professional identities on LinkedIn, and why we all need to pay more attention to the erosion of local news. www.mediapeople.ca www.instagram.com/vicgenova/