MIXED COMPANY

Burrell Communications CEO Tara DeVeaux joins Kai to unpack the evolving role of culture in marketing, challenging outdated assumptions about identity, behavior, and influence. They discuss the biggest misconceptions about Burrell, the agency's shift from a multicultural label to a general market powerhouse, and the impact of today's political climate on Black-owned businesses. Tara shares insights from Burrell's Cultural Compass study, revealing how media habits and consumer behavior are shaped by intersectional identities—not just demographics.

There are many takeaways from the 2024 election, but our main one is this: the DNC brand didn't resonate the way they thought it would. We went live on Instagram the day after, as America faced a new reality once again.

Join us for our Brave Brands episode of The Advertising Club of NY presents Mixed Company Podcast! This episode celebrates Advertising Week and the annual Brave Brands celebration! We're diving into the amazing Grimace's Birthday campaign by Wieden + Kennedy and McDonald's. We can't wait to chat with our talented creatives & guests: Kelsey Heard, Nell Stevens, and Chane Rennie. We'll explore how this iconic campaign blended nostalgia and innovation, capturing the hearts of long-time fans and a new generation of young consumers. We'll share the journey of modernizing a beloved character and how they stayed true to McDonald's brand values. Plus, we'll discuss the team's bravest moments in bringing this campaign to life! Take look at the campaign here: https://www.wk.com/work/grimaces-birthday-mcdonalds/

As Fashion Week took over New York City, we explored the intersection of marketing and fashion with industry leaders Nicolas Garcia (Garcias), Scott Lux (ESPRIT), and Olu Gbenga Obafemi (Uncommon Threads). Every brand is striving to keep up with the ever-changing consumer demands, so we're decoding the latest trends and uncovering how these two powerful industries are shaping modern culture.

The Advertising Club of New York and the Mixed Company Podcast are partners for 2024! This collaboration aims to bring together the best of both worlds - the expertise of the Advertising Club and the engaging content of the Mixed Company Podcast. In a time when digital innovation is transforming every aspect of our lives, it's no surprise that our election processes are undergoing a profound shift. For the first time, digital strategies, social media, and online platforms are not just supplementary tools but central to how campaigns are run, how messages are spread, and how voters are engaged. Mark Skidmore, the CEO of Assemble, joins us to share his insights from working on campaigns for Obama and more.

Generation Z, also known as Gen-Z, refers to individuals born between 1997 and 2012. As this generation becomes increasingly influential in the market, it's crucial for businesses to understand their behavior and preferences to effectively reach and engage with them. In partnership with the Advertising Club of NY, we delve into the latest trends in marketing for Gen-Z, and explore their unique characteristics, values, and behaviors that differentiate them from previous generations.

In October of 2023 Burrell Communications announced it was officially under new leadership. Boldly boasting a remarkable acquisition by the Black-owned private equity firm FVLCRUM Partners and Channing Johnson, a Los Angeles attorney at Loeb & Loeb, through his investment company View Park Capital. As apart of this leadership shift, Tara DeVeaux, former CMO of LA Based firm wild Card Creative Group, and managing director of its creative content division, 3AM, would be taking the big seat as CEO and ACTIVELY pursuing General Market work. In this episode, we chat with Tara about how she got here, how things are going so far, and what the future holds for Burrell Communications Group under her leadership.

Jason P. Chambers' new book 'Advertising Revolutionary: The Life and Work of Tom Burrell' spotlights the ad exec's influence on the industry's approach to marketing to Black Americans. He joined us to give insight into why he chose to highlight Burrell and why the book is important for this generation of advertisers.

Join us for a special edition of the Advertising Club of New York's "Mixed Company" podcast, recorded live at the esteemed 60th International Andy Awards. This episode brings together a powerhouse lineup of creative leaders, including Tiffany Rolfe (R/GA), Rafael Pitanguy (VML), Shannon Washington (Gotham), Lewis Williams (Weber Shandwick), and PJ Pereira (Pereira O'Dell, Serviceplan Americas). Dive into the minds of these industry innovators as they share insights, experiences, and creative wisdom from the forefront of advertising, including what it takes to win an Andy.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion landscape is shifting. There are laws prohibiting it and C-suites minimizing it. What does all of this mean for historically marginalized groups? We're joined by Micheline Grace Lewis & Tope Ajala to take a closer look at how far we've come since the 2008 Madison Ave Lawsuit, Times Up Advertising in 2016, and the 2020 Reckoning, and forecast where the advertising industry is heading.

Intentional Power: The 6 Essential Leadership Skills for Triple Bottom Line Impact explores how the transition from shareholder capitalism to stakeholder capitalism has created an urgent need for a new model of leadership; a model that enables leaders to navigate competing demands from both internal and external stakeholders including the most racially and age-diverse workforce in history, activist investors, purpose-driven customers, and global government regulators. We were joined by one of the book's co-authors, Lisen Stromberg, an expert in human capital transformation, a leadership and culture strategist, author, and widely regarded speaker.

On this episode, we're discussing the latest trends in advertising that are expected to dominate the industry by 2024, with Rick Song; President, Brand Innovators Strategy Group & Board Chair Emeritus of the Advertising Club of NY and Enas Hassan; Program Manager of the International ANDY AWARDS. Advertising has always been an ever-evolving field, but with technological advancements and changing consumer behavior, the landscape is constantly shifting. To stay ahead of the game, marketers must be aware of upcoming trends and adapt their strategies accordingly. ***** The Advertising Club of New York and the Mixed Company Podcast are partners for 2024! This collaboration aims to bring together the best of both worlds - the expertise of the Advertising Club and the engaging content of the Mixed Company Podcast. Each episode will consist of industry experts and thought leaders of every level, because we believe valuable perspectives can come from everyone! Here, they'll share their insights and experiences on various topics related to all things advertising. To become an Ad Club of NY member, visit: https://www.theadvertisingclub.org/member-levels-benefits/

A Dose of Black Joy & Caffeine was established in 2020 when numerous Black executives & business leaders were asked to have discussions about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Adu, the host of the podcast, noticed that these conversations often neglected to celebrate the individual and instead focused solely on Black trauma. Adu (AdAge 40 Under 40 Honoree & ADCOLOR Influencer Nominee) created a podcast that has become the top choice for Black creative, marketing, PR, and tech professionals who are interested in discussing Black joy and the things that keep them motivated to keep going.

Geoffrey Cook is an advertising strategist who joined us to discuss how his own autistic/ADHD mind benefits him in a creative industry and how business leaders can foster inclusive environments for other neurodivergent professionals.

Kareem Hayes is an Screenwriter, Author, and Actor who has sold over 150,000 books independently. As his new independent film Necessary Evil is making its way through the film festival circuit, Kareem joins us to talk about the art of storytelling independently, how he's making a way for the next generation, and why authentic stories matter.

Seven years ago, we dropped our first episode, The Miseducation of Diversity [highly recommend re-listening with the link below], and a lot has changed, but many things have remained the same regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion within creative industries. So, we're talking about the state of DEI in a post 'George Floyd Economy', while reflecting on episode 1. But first, we hit on McCann's CCO's group chat fumble and the mispronunciation of IS-Suh Rae at CultureCon. https://soundcloud.com/ask-mixed-company/mixed-company-episode-1-div

In partnership with the Advertising Club of New York, Mixed Company Podcast is celebrating and exploring Advertising's partnership with Hip Hop during the music genre's 50th anniversary. On August 10th, Kai moderated a conversation between Dr. Charlene Thomas and Chaucer Barnes at the ADC of NY's office.

Eternal Polk is the director of the upcoming documentary Gaining Ground, produced by Al Roker and John Deere. The brand-sponsored film examines the causes, effects, and solutions to the issue of Black ownership of farmland. Eternal joins us to talk about how the film was made.

Kat Gordon is back on the pod! A few weeks ago, Kat, the founder of the 3% Movement, released a Substack article, The Rise of Introverts. In her article, Kat outlines how leadership in corporations has historically over-indexed with extroverts, but the future will see a lot of shared traits among introverts being in demand because they will fuel inclusive cultures and ground-breaking creativity. Listen, then subscribe to her Substack to read the article https://katgordon.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

The Great Resignation gave a lot of employees the upper hand. But over the last year, the power has shifted back to employers and employees are feeling the squeeze as the job market course corrects. So now what?

Being a creative leader in a role that requires you to advocate for people who are often othered is taxing on the mental. Liv Lewis joins us to add perspective and solutions on how to maintain your peace and thrive when personal and business values don't align.

We're back after our much-needed hiatus. Still candidly talking about what needs to be done to make creative industries more diverse, more equitable, and more inclusive--but with a new flow. Hit play as we chop it up from our vantage as leaders about everything from DEI backlash to Netflix.

Mixed Company Podcast was started in 2016 to speak the unfiltered truth of mid-level professionals to those in power. For over 100 podcasts, Kai, Karinna, and Simeon covered topics that advocated for people who have been historically othered because of their identities. Now, as they've in advanced stages in their careers, they're handing the mics to the next generation of creative leaders to do the same. In this final-ish, episode, Isiah Thompson helps usher in a new era for the people's podcast and takes the reins. Email askmixedcompany@gmail.com for advice or to bring a topic to the people.

We're back with a mid-late summer episode. Humans are still acting up and we still need to talk about solutions that will get us to a place where diversity, equity, and inclusion are par for the course. Is working from the trap? Need solutions? Email us your questions and comments at askmixedcompany@gmail.com

We're bizaaack. We're in a season of "Nevermind, I'm good". Historically excluded talent are making choices about their careers that are setting precedents for retention that can't be ignored. We're catching up and talking about Nikole Hannah-Jones, Sha'carri Richardson, Zoe Scaman, Juvenile, Mannie Fresh, and more. Pull up.

Defund to Refund is an initiative founded by Huge to help Americans rethink public safety. Through a story-based platform that illustrates the human cost of over-policing, they're on a mission to redirect resources to build safer, healthier communities. We spoke to few members of the Defund to Refund team: Fuming Cao, Justin Anderson-Weber, Brandon Coleman & Deadra Rahaman. www.defund2refund.org

Hate against Asian American Pacific Islander communities has risen during the COVID-19 pandemic. The best strategy to #StopAsianHate is to arm everyone with the right information to spark empathy and action. Strategy Director Stephanie Rickards joins us to discuss her ongoing research to combat Asian stereotypes in the media.

Influencer Marketing is a Billion Dollar business making careers for content creators & cultural voices. Now, more than ever, representation and education in this area amongst brand leaders & talent can be the difference between getting played or getting paid. Tiffany Hardin, founder of Gild Creative Group, is making sure that the partnerships between influencers and brands are equitable and culturally impactful with her consultancy. We ended Black History Month learning more about her unique approach to prioritizing the well-being of culture through influencer marketing.

A candid conversation with ADCOLOR's Marc Strachan, Tiffany R. Warren, and Droga5's Tiffany Edwards.

2020 Part Two is working overtime, so we're talking about a few things. AdAge has still not held themselves accountable for their negative CMO "prediction" about Bozoma Saint John--50+ days and counting--shout out to Gary J. Nix. And, working from home has amplified the effects of toxic people and work cultures, so we're solution venting our way to a happier place. Dope Sh*t/ *Ulta's Muse Campaign hits the right Black beats. https://musebycl.io/fashion-beauty/beauty-blackness-takes-center-stage-ulta-beautys-muse-campaign * Cori Gordon is now one of the e-commerce giant's youngest Delivery Service Partners. https://afrotech.com/meet-the-28-year-old-who-migrated-to-the-u-s-and-became-amazons-youngest-delivery-service-partner/ Aint Sh*t: *Amy Cooper's Charges Dismissed after taking a racial bias course. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/16/nyregion/amy-cooper-charges-dismissed.html

It's been six months since brands and agencies made promises for real equality, and everyone who considers themselves an ally in the movement for Black lives posted black squares. Not much has changed or improved in the industry. We're no longer talking about what they need to do--we're talking about what we can do for ourselves. This week's Ain't Shit: The Hero Group x DDB lawsuit: https://reelchicago.com/article/minority-new-york-agency-sues-ddb-over-army-account/

More than 85% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) are unemployed in integrated positions, despite their ability or willingness to work. Laurel Rossi, co-founder of Creative Spirit, the first global organization to create integrated employment for neurodiverse individuals, joined us to talk about their mission. Dope Shit/ Aint Shit - https://www.amazon.com/Small-Axe-Season-1/dp/B08J4HRR4P - Small Axe Season 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0rfCYy9jbI- You Love Me Beats By Dre - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_pru8U2RmM- The Whole Work from Home Thing Apple - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPq23RWpgPM - Match Made in Hell Match.com - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSEivPL1rbY - The Punishment Signal City of Mumbai Creative Spirit - https://www.creativespirit-us.org/ - https://twitter.com/hiredifferent - https://www.linkedin.com/company/creative-spirit-us/

On August 3rd, we had a conversation with Nathan Young and Bennett D. Bennett, founders of 600 & Rising, to address concerns from its Black signatories. It is an insightful discussion that should be listened to through the lens of *Community Accountability. Since the episode was recorded Nathan Young resigned from the organization and they're in the process of restructuring. *Community accountability is a community-based strategy to address issues within our communities, that may be caused by its members. Community accountability is a process in which a community works together to do the following things : *Create and affirm VALUES AND PRACTICES that resist abuse and oppression and encourage safety, support, and accountability *Provide SAFETY AND SUPPORT to community members who are negatively affected that RESPECTS THEIR SELF-DETERMINATION *Develop sustainable strategies to ADDRESS COMMUNITY MEMBERS’ ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR, creating a process for them to account for their actions and transform their behavior. *Commit to ongoing development of all members of the community, and the community itself, to TRANSFORM THE CONDITIONS that reinforce oppression and marginalization.

There's been an uptick in critiques about what the advertising industry is doing to address its lack of diversity and inclusion, and the fostering of inequitable spaces. But without solutions, these critiques come off as tone-deaf and problematic. We discuss our format of Solution Venting and why it's essential to the industry's evolution. We also discuss looming bans on diversity trainings by y'all's president and his friends.

There are a lot of people who are focused on the future of creatives of color right now in media. The emphasis is on reskilling and upskilling for the jobs that are available now--not tomorrow. Cinema Director/ DP and Media Specialist Stephen Small-Warner joined us to talk about we should be focused on in media and culture to thrive in the near future.

In the midst of a slew of empty #BlackLivesMatter statements from brands, it's time to take a critical look at the work that is being done in the name of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Someone has to answer for the lack of progress in agencies.

Four years ago, we recorded an episode in the midst of the Ferguson uprising. Minimal outward support was given to Black employees and from brands then. This time, as America lives through an unrest, there's an outpouring. We're unpacking how corporations need to show up for Black lives.

For 55 years the International ANDY awards have been known as the most sought-after awards for creative excellence in advertising. This Friday they're reviving their original category, The Pop Choice Award, and giving the power to the creative community to decide. The Andy Awards' Assoc. Director Ariel Blakeman joins us to give us the details. Vote 4/24 on Instagram Stories @AndyAwards

We closed out Black History Month with a live recording from Mindshare that was produced by their Black ERG, The Collective. We chatted about everything from allyship to reaching the C-suite. And as always, we kept it extremely real.

Walter T. Geer III is a digital advertising vet who has been using his platform to sound the alarm on issues that are often overlooked--ageism in advertising and Black health disparities. Press play to hear why and how he won't stop.

We've been on lockdown nationally as an industry for almost a month and the end of working from home is nowhere in site. We hopped on IG live with the homies to discuss the work and new norms emerging from this crisis.

The coronavirus is causing a pandemic panic. A new normal is being established that is shifting how we work. And in unprecedented times, the future is often unforeseeable, innovation is inevitable and leadership is crucial. This episode is a strategic stream of consciousness.

Uniworld Group is one of the few ad agencies that can say it's for the culture--and back it up. Its CEO and Chairwoman, Monique L. Nelson, sat down with us to discuss the agency's legacy and how she secured the table and the seat at the head of it.

During Super Bowl LIV, the NFL will release a spot to spotlight the work their Player's Coalition is doing to shine a light on police brutality. Exactly what Colin Kaepernick was doing. He is still unemployed. The NFL is still not acknowledging their missteps or his contributions. We're talking about it.

The most successful people in the world, from Oprah to Jay-Z, have coaches. So, why not us? Shameka and Julius, from The Only One There, join us to discuss their approach to executive coaching and why everyone trying to win should invest in a coach. www.theonlyonethere.com

After 4 DOPE seasons our sister, friend and partner in conversation, Karinna Schultz announces she is stepping away from the show to pursue new endeavors. Listen in as she sends her love and farewell. Be sure to check out her latest project Eyes.Lips.Face with iLL Wayno & Elf Cosmetics https://www.elfcosmetics.com/eyeslipsface/

Kai recaps some of this year's biggest industry topics with the help of our friends of the show, Mara Lecocq & Bennett D. Bennett. They touch on all the things from Russia, to #metoo aftermath, to life on the other side of their career breaks in 2018.

Shante Bacon, the founder and CEO of the acclaimed ONE/35 Agency, is not new to making things happen for real and for the culture. She sat down with Kai to talk about her move from the music biz to marketing and what people need to know for D&I initiatives to work.

Karinna is West Coast repping these days and sat down with the founders of the Industry Collective--Cheryl Faux and Tiona Langley--to talk about the inclusive space they're creating for people of color in creative industries in L.A. It's dope shit.

Every year @ADCOLOR honors people who set the world on

Robert Wong has the kind of résumé most creatives dream of--he's been honored as a Master of Design by Fast Company, named one of 50 Most Influential Designers in America, has exhibited at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and MoMA, and he is one of the 2019 ADCOLOR/ONE CLUB CREATIVE