Podcasts about executive creative director

How design leaders build influence, navigate conflict, and lead across cultures. In this episode, Ekaterina sits down with Julia Whitney, executive coach and former General Manager and Executive Creative Director at the BBC, where she led a 150-person UX and design team.Julia spent over 20 years as a design leader across the UK and US before turning her experience into a coaching practice that helps design leaders at companies like Condé Nast, AWS, the Financial Times, and IDEO perform at their best.Julia is also a teacher at our Executive programme for Design Leaders: https://fla.wiki/4fDlOirWhat you'll learn:► Why self-limiting beliefs about leadership are the hidden barrier for most design leaders► How to build sponsorship at the next level up — and why empathy is the first step► How cultural differences shape communication, hierarchy, and trust — and what to do about it► The four types of workplace conflict and why identifying them early changes everything

Send us Fan MailToday's conversation is with Sara Soskolne, Executive Creative Director at Monotype, sharing her 20-year history of working on one of the world's most recognizable typefaces: Gotham.In this conversation, Sara shares her recent contributions to Gotham, working directly with the Obama Foundation for the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Centre in Chicago. She gets delightfully technical about Gotham's letterforms, pulling back the curtain on the decisions made in the expansion of this iconic type family, including for the brand new Gotham variable font. Sara talks about how success is measured in a big project like this and how she knows when the work is done. Finally, Sara shares her advice about what current and future type designers can do to stay on top of the changing landscape. This episode was recorded as part of a guest lecture series in GCM 806 - Advanced Typography in Winter 2026 at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University. Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Pär Heyden has spent his career at the intersection of precision design and brand building, from the tactile engineering of Hasselblad cameras to the industrial heritage of Volvo, and now as Head of Brand and Executive Creative Director at Polestar. In this conversation, Anant sits down with Pär to explore what it really means to build a considered brand from the ground up. They discuss why restraint is a competitive strategy in a sector defined by feature escalation, how Polestar approached the redesign of the in-car interface with the same craft typically reserved for physical materials, and why the automotive industry has consistently underestimated the intelligence of its customers. Pär also reflects on the role of retail space in shaping perception, the thinking behind some of Polestar's most distinctive brand moments, and where enduring value sits as mobility becomes increasingly software-defined.

In this episode of the What About The Music? podcast, host Beto Azout sits down with Jane Cronk, Executive Creative Director at BBH USA, to talk about the role music plays in creating unforgettable advertising. Jane shares insights from her work across creative production, music supervision, and sound design, including the making of a Schick campaign and what it takes to collaborate with editors, composers, and clients to bring bold creative ideas to life. The conversation also explores how music can shape brand memory, why custom scoring can create deeper emotional impact, and how to sell a brave music choice when clients are unsure. Jane also discusses her experience working with Max Richter on a Super Bowl spot, the importance of giving creative partners room to experiment, and practical advice for reviewing music in an edit. sostereo.com

Nevena and Paul talk to Gavin Macleod, Executive Creative Director, Emotive; Bold New Safe Sex Campaign from Four Seasons Naked Condoms Sydney, 12th May, 2026. STI rates are rising among young Australians, but the message about safe sex isn't getting through. Now, Four Seasons Naked Condoms is taking a radically different approach, launching a bold new campaign that turns the risks of unprotected sex into giant, cinematic monsters designed to be impossible to ignore. As a heritage brand in Australia for decades, Four Seasons Condoms is on a mission to make the conversation around protection more approachable for Gen Z. According to data from the Kirby Institute, Australia recorded more than 101,000 chlamydia cases in 2024, with around half among people aged 20–29, alongside rising rates of gonorrhoea. At the same time, research from La Trobe University shows condom use among young Australians is declining, with more than half not using one the last time they had sex. “In general practice we see young patients presenting with sexually transmitted infections every single day” said Dr Lucy Herron, GP at Coogee Beach Doctors. “Chlamydia is very common and is a particular worry as it often has no symptoms but can cause a serious infection and even infertility if not detected early. Others, like gonorrhoea and syphilis, are unfortunately much more common than they were a few years ago. Really common infections like herpes have no cure at all, and can lead to annoying symptoms like irritation and pain, which can come and go for the rest of your life.” Instead of traditional health messaging, the campaign uses humour and spectacle to bring those risks to life. The hero film begins with an intimate moment between two young adults, where a decision not to use a condom quickly spirals into chaos. A giant baby crashes through the city, followed by grotesque STI creatures representing gonorrhoea, chlamydia and syphilis tearing through streets and buildings, turning abstract risks into something visible and confronting. “STI rates are rising, and traditional messaging isn't cutting through,” said Michael Porter, Director at Four Seasons Condoms. “We wanted to create something people would actually watch and talk about, using entertainment to make the risks feel real.” Women's health advocate Grace Toombs and founder of Hey June Health said the approach reflects how younger audiences engage with the topic. “Sexual health shouldn't feel awkward or taboo, but a lot of messaging still does. When you approach it through humour and culture, it opens the door for more honest conversations.” AI filmmaking techniques were used to create the cinematic scale and surreal characters, bringing the concept to life in a way that would traditionally require blockbuster-level production. The campaign rolls out nationally across Snapchat, supported by social and creator-led amplification and was created by independent creative agency Emotive in partnership with AI film production specialists, AiCandy Australia. The post Sat 16th, May, 2026: Gavin Macleod, Executive Creative Director, Emotive; Bold New Safe Sex Campaign from Four Seasons Naked Condoms appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

In the confusingly-named conclusion to our first-ever two parter, Jelly Helm continues sitting down with Sean to talk about his design mistakes at Wieden+Kennedy and beyond… as well as the Season 6 cast of Saturday Night Live, Zip plus-fours, and bean basements. What can we say: it's a freaky time and we're feeling freaky!Miss part 1 with Jelly? This episode should be fairly self-contained, but if you want the full story on Jelly's early career, go back and give part 1 a listen here.Jelly Helm is a creative director, brand advisor, and educator based in Portland, Oregon. As founder of Studio Jelly, he provides thoughtful creative leadership and trusted brand partnership to organizations seeking to powerfully express who they are and what they are about. Previously, Jelly served as Executive Creative Director at Wieden+Kennedy, Group Creative Director at The Martin Agency, and Creative Director at Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam. He was also founding faculty at VCU Brandcenter and founder/director of Wieden+Kennedy 12, the agency's experimental in-house school.CW: the latter part of this episode includes discussion around self-harm that some might find distressing.This episode was also recorded on Saturday, March 28, 2026 in the Rat's Nest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brian Watson: The "Cactus" Legend Brian is essentially the embodiment of the agency's history. He is often cited as the "ultimate homegrown talent," having spent his entire 24-year career at Cactus. Career Arc: He started at the agency as a junior copywriter in the early 2000s and worked his way up to Executive Creative Director before being named Chief Creative Officer in June 2025. The "Man Therapy" Fame: Brian was a key leader behind one of the most famous and effective mental health campaigns in advertising history: "Man Therapy." This campaign used a fictional character (Dr. Rich Mahogany) and dark humor to reach working-age men about suicide prevention—a demographic traditionally hard to engage. Clients & Impact: His portfolio includes massive regional and national brands like the Colorado Lottery, Fjällräven, and the University of Miami.

Most creative directors are never told what their job actually is.That confusion leads to imposter syndrome, burnout and years of silent mistakes at the top of agencies.In this episode of Embracing Marketing Mistakes, we sit down with Mick Mahoney, one of the most experienced creative leaders in advertising. Mick spent over 25 years as a Creative Director, Executive Creative Director and Chief Creative Officer at agencies including Ogilvy and BBH.He has led award-winning teams, topped creative rankings and worked alongside some of the biggest names in the industry. Despite that success, Mick openly admits that for much of his career he felt like he was winging it.We talk about the real job of a creative director, why no one ever defines it, and how that lack of clarity fuels ego, micromanagement and burnout. Mick shares the mistakes he made early on, the clients he lost, and the leadership lessons that only come from experience.This is an honest conversation about empathy, psychological safety, confidence and what creative leadership actually looks like when you strip away the posturing.If you lead creative people, manage senior teams or feel the pressure of needing to have all the answers, this episode will resonate. Is your strategy still right in 2026? Book a free 15-min no obligation discovery call with our host:

In our the first half of our first-ever two-parter, the legendary Jelly Helm sits down with Sean to talk about his early career design mistakes… as well as urinal content, slowly becoming the big gray bean cube, and the worst conversations you can have on a long flight. This is interesting to other people—we swear!Since we recorded more than 3 hours together in studio, I broke our conversation in two to give you as much of the good stuff we talked about without needing to lose any of it. Listen in two weeks for part 2, where we'll talk about his more recent career milestones including Wieden+Kennedy 12, Studio Jelly, and more. Subscribe wherever you get the show to hear that episode as soon as it drops!Jelly Helm is a creative director, brand advisor, and educator based in Portland, Oregon. As founder of Studio Jelly, he provides thoughtful creative leadership and trusted brand partnership to organizations seeking to powerfully express who they are and what they are about.Previously, Jelly served as Executive Creative Director at Wieden+Kennedy, Group Creative Director at The Martin Agency, and Creative Director at Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam. He was also founding faculty at VCU Brandcenter and founder/director of Wieden+Kennedy 12, the agency's experimental in-house school.This episode was recorded on Saturday, March 28, 2026 in the Rat's Nest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Sandals Palmcast, we sit down with Scott Peiffer, Executive Creative Director at Unique Vacations, Inc., to explore Sandals Resorts' role in this year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, taking place this weekend, April 30–May 3 following its opening weekend. From thoughtfully curated experiences to vibrant cultural programming, Scott shares how the brand is honoring the festival's 30-year legacy while adding its own Caribbean flair. Tune in for an inside perspective on the creative vision—and how Sandals is bringing the energy and spirit of Jamaica to life.

In deze aflevering van Brood en Spelen praat Amber Roner op het kantoor van GRAP met Maartje Glas, Maik Cox en Pieter Perquin, ook bekend als Perquisite. Maartje is General Manager van Buma Music in Motion, bij Buma Cultuur. Buma Music in Motion (BMIM) is een organisatie die op alle fronten mediacomponisten ondersteunt en in de spotlight zet. Maik is Executive Creative Director bij Ambassadores en componist en songwriter, gericht op film. Ook Pieter is, naast artiest, manager en labeleigenaar, ook als actief als filmcomponist en winnaar van een Gouden Kalf. Een aflevering vol ervaringen en tips over hoe je begint als mediacomponist. Hoe kom je aan werk? Hoe ga je om met opdrachtgevers en hoe werken briefings? Welke vaardigheden heb je nodig? En hoe ga je om met druk en deadlines? En hoe verdien je geld met het componeren voor media?Ben je geïnteresseerd om meer te weten over mediamuziek en wil je andere mediacomponisten ontmoeten? Kom dan naar de BMIM Conference op 3 juni. Maartje vertelt wat je kan verwachten. Links uit de uitzending:https://www.grap.nethttps://www.perquisite.nlhttps://buma-music-in-motion.nlhttps://ambassadors.comPodcast Behind the track: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qHKwgibTuj5q5NDEWmgco?si=n2SDDZDJRsa99v1U75BR8g Voor meer info over Brood en Spelen volg je ons online: Spotify (met de gedraaide tracks uit de uitzending): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0M7pWD7Tfmx4xgkVJVAAhc?si=XHjpEQo1T96J48ng-NPvkwFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/BroodenspelenpodcastInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/broodenspelenpodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This might be the first you're hearing of it, but we feel very strongly you should listen to a new episode of Did I Do That?! Rinee Shah (Executive Creative Director at Hatch) sits down with Sean to talk about her design mistakes… as well as chinchilla celebrations, ceremonial cream cheese tastings, and Sleepytime satanic panics.Rinee Shah is a creative director and illustrator, based in Portland, Oregon. She is a 2023 Ad Age 40 Under 40 honoree and is currently Executive Creative Director at Hatch. In the last few years, she's led creative for Oatly in North America, created an episodic video series for Spotify, creative directed Snapchat's first global TV campaign, led prototype-building product design sprints for Kodak and published three illustrated books. Her illustration clients include The New York Times, NY Mag, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Inside Hook, BuzzFeed News, O Magazine, Apple, IDEO, and Simon & Schuster.You can find Rinee's work online at rineeshah.com, and on Instagram as @rineeshah. You can get her latest book with David Roth, LOL 101: A Kid's Guide to Writing Jokes, from Chronicle Books directly, or from tons of other booksellers including Amazon, Powells, or a local retailer near you via Bookshop.com)! You can find her previous book, The Made-Up Words Project, on her website, Amazon, and many more places!I have given us a mission, listeners! Let's get Justin Hager of the Partanna Mission Spicy Pepper Olive Oil his accolades: please go and review this good can design anywhere you can review the product itself and let them know that it is Sleepytime Tea hell. Maybe if we're lucky, we can get a very weird collaboration going! A few places I've found it that offer reviews: Amazon; Partanna Foods' own page for the Mission Spicy Pepper Olive Oil; Best Sicily, whatever that is; and probably others, though Zupan's is disappointingly not among them. That said, you can probably go in there and just tell somebody you think the design is sick!This episode was recorded Saturday, March 21, 2026 in the Rat's Nest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#190: Pat Burke is the Executive Creative Director at Special Group. He sits down to share his work in advertising, which includes producing 18 Super Bowl commercials. Bananas, right?  Burke details the rigorous six-to-eight-month timeline and the immense pressure of creating a cultural moment.  He explains the creative process, from the initial client brief and competitive internal "jump balls" to the granular testing of scripts and final edits. He also provides insights into the evolving role of celebrities and the importance of generating a "PR tail" that extends beyond the game itself.  Pat and Pat also discuss the shifting agency landscape, emphasizing how smaller, independent shops offer a nimbler alternative to large holding companies. And, Burke shares his perspective on AI as a creative tool and the necessity of maintaining outside interests to fuel long-term professional inspiration. Grab your pint and jump on in. Connect with Pat here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-burke-a434608/ Connect with Pat here: pmcgovern@ascedia.com Connect with Ascedia here: https://www.ascedia.com/contact   Oh, before you go, please do us a favor. Take a minute and leave us a review. That's the energy that powers this supertanker!  Thanks, you're the best! Want more marketing insights? Take a look at our full lineup. This podcast is sponsored by Ascedia. A web development and digital strategy agency helping clients win in the digital space.

Femi Corazon shares his inspiring journey from Iowa to global success, exploring how storytelling, human behavior, and AI intersect in creativity and business. Discover insights on cultural diversity, the power of authentic stories, and the future of AI in human experiences.Femi is EVP, Executive Creative Director at Rescue, The Behavior Change Agency. She is a creative leader by trade and a brand builder and storyteller by obsession, with deep experience where creativity, culture, and innovation drive real-world impact and growth. At Rescue, Femi leads award-winning, large-scale behavior change initiatives forpublic health organizations across the United States, leveraging branded marketing approaches to deliver integrated, multi-channel campaigns powered byinsight-led storytelling and culturally resonant creative. Prior to Rescue, Femi served as VP, Brand Creative at NBCUniversal, where she played a key role in the global rebrand for Universal Destinations & Experiences, associated brand campaigns, and upfront planning for the launch of EPIC Universe. Earlier in her career, she was Head of Creative at Little Dot Studios Americas, shaping modern, short-formstorytelling and brand engagement for brands including Google, Disney, and Expedia. Her broader experience spans technology, entertainment, and retail, with work for Snyders of Hanover, NBC Television, ABC, AT&T, Intel, Lenovo,T-Mobile, and Michelob. Across her career, Femi has led and mentored resilient, high-performing teams while delivering work grounded in clarity,craft, and emotional truth. A certified global Gallup Strengths Coach, she is deeply committed to compassionate leadership, craft excellence, and building cultures where people and ideas can thrive. She holds an MBA in Design Strategy from California College of the Arts and is based in Los Angeles, where she liveswith her dog, Zooey. Get In Touch With Femi:www.femicorazon.comhttps://linkedin.com/in/femicorazon/

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we sat down with Tom Foley, Executive Creative Director at Monotype–the biggest type company in the world–for a conversation that went way deeper than we planned (in the best possible way). From his family's legacy of stonemasons and sign painters to his graduate research on Irish typography, Tom gave us an entirely new lens through which to see typography.We also dig into the big questions: what actually makes good type, how type trends work (and why they're so hard to predict), what Monotype's research reveals, and where variable fonts are actually landing in the world.All that and more when you listen to this episode:The fascinating origin story of what we now call Irish typeWhat makes good typeWhether design knowledge and historical context make you better or worse at type designWhat Monotype's research reveals about purchasing habits across generationsWhether giving users more font choice in apps is actually what people want (or need)Type as a deeply human invention–linked to language, identity, and cultureConnect with Tom FoleyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tom_foley_type/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-foley-75062158/ Mentioned in this episode:Monotype https://www.monotype.com/ Monotype's ReVision Report 2025 https://www.monotype.com/resources/ebook/unlock-report-revision-2025 Montotype's Report 2024 https://www.monotype.com/resources/ebook/unlock-report-type-trends-2024 What the font https://www.myfonts.com/pages/whatthefont Brethren Brothers https://www.brethrendesignco.com/ Connect with Katie & Ilana from GoodtypeGoodtype WebsiteGoodtype on InstagramGoodtype on YoutubeWe wrote a book! Grab a copy and sign up to access the audiobook when we release it!Love The Typecast and free stuff? Leave a review, and send a screenshot of it to us on Slack. Each month we pick a random reviewer to win a Goodtype Goodie! Goodies include merch, courses and Kernference tickets!Leave us a review on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to the showTag us on Instagram @GoodtypeFollow us on Tiktok @lovegoodtypeLearn from Katie and IlanaGrab your tea, coffee, or drink of choice, kick back, and let's get down to business!

Bianca Guimaraes is a Founding Partner and Executive Creative Director at Mischief @ No Fixed Address, an award-winning independent agency based in New York. She is widely recognized as a "maverick" in the advertising industry for creating provocative, culturally impactful campaigns that push boundaries. Professional Background Career Trajectory: Originally from São Paulo, she began her career as a junior art director before moving to New York to join THOMPSON. Prior to founding Mischief in 2020 during the pandemic, she spent six years at BBDO New York, where she rose to Senior Vice President and Creative Director. Notable Campaigns: She is the creative force behind several high-profile projects, including: Sandy Hook Promise: "Back-to-School Essentials," for which she won an Emmy. Thinx: The "MENstruation" campaign. Monica Lewinsky: Anti-bullying initiatives like "The Epidemic".

Kate Holgate shares her journey from art and design to leading a creative agency focused on the future of food and agriculture. She discusses how AI is transforming marketing, the importance of human connection, and the evolving landscape of food sustainability. New Episode Out Today!Kate Holgate is the co-founder of Secondborn. An award-winning creative director who has been at it long enough to see trends come full circle, Kate has shaped standout brands across a wide range of industries—from education to outdoor recreation, healthcare to pet care, transit to yes, even toilet paper. When she's not in ideation mode, she serves as Partner and Executive Creative Director at Noble West, a marketing agency focused on the future of food. With infectious enthusiasm and insatiable curiosity, she inspires teams to create bold ideas that defy expectations. Kate's superpower is connecting with people—both through creativity and in real life. When she's not solving creative challenges, Kate is an active community leader and educator in Boise, Idaho. Her experience includes adjunct teaching at Boise State University and serving on the Advisory Board for the University of Idaho. She also coaches for the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, where eighth-grade girls frequently remind her she is not that fast.Get in Touch with Katewww.wearenoblewest.com https://instagram.com/kathrynholgate ‍ ‍https://linkedin.com/in/kate-holgate-98b99a4‍ ‍

This episode of LERMA/'s Loud and Clear podcast, hosted by Francisco Cardenas, is a live video event with an audience at LERMA/ headquarters titled “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” where MC and moderator Bill Cochran leads a discussion of the latest Super Bowl ads in collaboration with Circulo Creativo. Cardenas introduces the panel—SMU professor Andrew Elliot, Republic Editorial senior editor Shaddai Berron, and Conill creative director Mauricio Macías—and thanks sponsors Deaf Mule Music House and Republic Editorial. The group shares Super Bowl ad facts (66 national ads, about $8M per :30, 59% featuring celebrities, 18 debut brands, and 15 ads involving AI) and debates spots including Dunkin', Levi's, Bosch with Guy Fieri, e.l.f.'s telenovela-inspired Spanish-learning tie-in, Salesforce/Slack with MrBeast, Instacart's banana feature, Uber Eats' NFL platform, Jurassic Park-style WiFi, Kellogg's fiber humor, a prostate cancer PSA blood-test message, Pepsi's rivalry approach, and the “He Gets Us” campaign.Guests:Andrew Elliott, MBA, Executive in Residence at Temerlin Advertising Institute, SMUMauricio Macías, Creative Director at Conill Advertising. (Saatchi & Saatchi / Publicis Groupe)Shaddai Berron, Editor at Republic EditorialBill Cochran, Executive Creative Director, LERMA/ Producers:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Victor Cornejo Tell Me More Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pranav Kumar at LERMA/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Executive Producer:Barbara Dauajare, Agency Growth Manager, LERMA/Hosts: ⁠Bill Cochran, Executive Creative Director, LERMA/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Francisco Cardenas, Executive Director, Brand Integration at LERMA/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Send a textIn this week's episode of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with siblings Jo and Dov Zmood, media and creative leaders at global agency holding companies, to explore today's relationship between creativity and media, the importance of influence, and how modern storytelling comes to life across today's fragmented media landscape.Podcast Breakdown:00:00 - 03:25 Introduction, Sibling dynamics & Creative roots03:26 - 09:40 Adventure, Parenting & Growing up Australian 09:41 - 17:17 Finding advertising & Going global17:18 - 23:06 Navigating a fragmented landscape23:07 - 29:16 AI, Data & Cultural relevance 29:17 - 37:55 Alignment, Emotion & Impact 37:56 - 52:44 Cultural moments & The future of storytelling 

Dr. Danny Huerta and Rebecca St. James discuss the transformative power and significance of storytelling in parenting. Special guests, Dave Arnold, Executive Creative Director of Adventures in Odyssey, and John Pomeroy, the Director of Animation for the new feature length animated Adventures in Odyssey film called 'Journey Into the Impossible." The episode concludes with a listener's question about handling Greek mythology from a Christian perspective, and teaching a Christian worldview. Article: Bible Reading With Adventures In Odyssey Listen to Adventures in Odyssey Support the film, Journey Into The Impossible! Support the show! Ask Us Your Question via Voicemail or Email If you enjoyed listening to Practice Makes Parent with Dr. Danny Huerta and Rebecca St. James, please give us your feedback.

Falk Eumann is the Executive Vice President of Creative, North America at WongDoody (a global creative technology agency and Infosys company), based in New York City. An Executive Creative Director with over 15 years of international experience in digital, he blends technology, design, human-centered storytelling, and innovation to bring brands to life—focusing on purpose-driven work, next-gen tech (including AI & creativity), and immersive experiences.He joined WongDoody in 2025 as Executive Creative Director, North America, after roles like Creative Director at Monks (leading campaigns such as Dragonfly) and Founding Partner/Executive Creative Director at Caviar. Fluent in English and German, he's passionate about pushing creative boundaries, has spoken on AI in creativity (e.g., WongDoody's Creative AI initiatives), and is active in pitching ideas for events like SXSW 2026.

Design is about more than just how something looks—it's about how it works for the people using it. On this episode of On Brand, I'm joined by Lee Hoddy, Executive Creative Director at Conran Design Group, to discuss how experience-led design can solve complex brand problems. We'll dive into how he leads multi-disciplinary teams to create meaningful work for global names like Sofitel and AstraZeneca, and why every great brand starts with a deep understanding of human needs, wants, and motivations. What You'll Learn in This Episode - How to map emotional friction points to find the gold in a brand experience - Why the pursuit of human endeavor is the key to branding functional industries like pharma - The reason storytelling acts as a sticky DNA thread across physical and digital touchpoints - How to conduct a multidisciplinary orchestra by surfacing the ambition in every brief - Why original ideas are the only way to escape the sea of sameness in an AI-driven world Episode Chapters (00:00) Intro (01:22) Getting to the heart of human motivations (02:43) Mapping emotional micro-moments (04:54) Humanizing corporate and functional brands (06:39) Using storytelling as a brand DNA thread (10:53) Leading multidisciplinary creative teams (14:35) Creating the Brief 2.0 (17:31) AI and the currency of original ideas (24:14) A brand that made him smile (27:41) Outro About Lee Hoddy Lee Hoddy is the Executive Creative Director at Conran Design Group, where he is responsible for maintaining creative standards and solving brand problems through experience-led design. With a career spanning decades, Lee has lived through major industry shifts, enabling him to lead diverse teams of designers, strategists, and experience experts like a conducted orchestra. He has spearheaded major rebranding programs for global names such as Sofitel, AstraZeneca, and Bicester Motion, always focusing on the deep understanding of human needs to create meaningful, strategically grounded work. What Brand Has Made Lee Smile Recently? Lee recently found joy in the "Venture Beyond" campaign by Hermes, noting its use of evocative illustrations and artisanal craft that respects the audience's intelligence. He also highlighted Apple's "Critter Carol" for its charming, deeply human approach to technology, using puppets and physical craft rather than CGI to celebrate creativity. Resources & Links Check out the Conrad Design Group website. Connect with Lee on LinkedIn. Listen & Support the Show Watch or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon/Audible, TuneIn, and iHeart. Rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to help others find the show. Share this episode — email a friend or colleague this episode. Sign up for my free Story Strategies newsletter for branding and storytelling tips. On Brand is a part of the Marketing Podcast Network. Until next week, I'll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if brands have more power to launch artists than record labels or streaming platforms? In this episode of What About The Music, Claire Jordan, Executive Creative Director at Proof Advertising, joins us to unpack a major shift in the creative industry. Brands now have the reach, budgets, and cultural influence to launch artists in ways traditional record labels and streaming platforms can't. sostereo.com

This week, Ivy Slater, host of Her Success Story, chats with her guest, Lulu Essey. The two talk about building a successful global creative career while navigating bipolar disorder, the power of true self-love as a foundation for resilience, and how Lulu helps ambitious professionals achieve meaningful, sustainable success through her coaching and podcast.  In this episode, we discuss: How Lulu built a 30-year global creative career, from theater and television in South Africa to experiential marketing and executive creative director roles across Europe, the U.S., Hong Kong, Greater China, and Southeast Asia, while quietly managing severe bipolar disorder. What it was like to move to New York City in the middle of the pandemic, visa bans and all, and simultaneously build a coaching business after years of doing workshops, speaking, and mentoring on the side of her agency career. When being let go from her senior vice president, executive creative director role during a major bipolar relapse felt "brutal" in the moment, but ultimately became the push she needed to fully step into her own work and redefine success on her terms. Why self-love (not just "liking yourself") is now at the core of her work, defined as refusing to abandon yourself, your needs, and your voice, and how that perspective completely reframed resilience, failure, and bouncing back from hard seasons. How shifting her worth off "quicksand" metrics like titles, awards, and deals, and onto an inner sense of value, helped her stop chasing external validation and start feeling worthy now, even when goals are still in progress.   Lulu Essey is an award-winning Executive Creative Director who has spent three decades working with global brands like Porsche, BMW, Cartier, and Google across four continents. Finding her way through a 30-year journey with severe bipolar disorder while building an impressive career, she discovered that external achievement and awards mean nothing without authentic Self-Love as the foundation - the missing infrastructure most driven women never build. Now a Speaker, certified Life Coach, and host of The Lulu Essey Podcast, Lulu helps ambitious professionals create success that actually feels good. Her message: sustainable success isn't about pushing harder or doing more - it's about building from the inside out. Website: https://www.luluessey.com/ Social Media Links: https://www.luluessey.com/podcast    

3 News stories, you only get to hear one, Raven chooses. Options are 1. Man using blow torch on roof to melt ice sets home on fire 2. Car wash malfunction traps woman inside for an hour, and 3. Passenger dragged off ferry after refusing to leave after missing wristband.  Michael Field, Vice President & Executive Creative Director at Mason join Anna and Raven today to discuss Big Game commercials! Who to expect to see, and which commercial will stand out most!  Producer Sophia gets her Big Game half time performer knowledge put to the test. Anna and Raven picked out 5 iconic shows to quiz her on!  Trending today: It is day 5 of Savannah Guthries mom missing. The scary layers behind the ransom letters. Savannah and her siblings plead on social media for prayers, help, and answers.  Student teacher with Producer Justin! The smartest person among us educates us all today on the National Anthem. The Olympics and Super Bowl are right around the corner, now you can brag your new information!  Charlie Puth is BACK! Our manifesting king, soon to be dad, and National Anthem Big Game performer kicks off his World tour in March and Anna and Raven got to hear all about it!  Being taught cursive is now no longer optional in New Jersey as all students will be mandated to be taught the dying font. Anna and Raven discuss if they believe it is necessary to revamp it or just let it go.  Sandy wants to ban eating in front of the television.  Her live-in boyfriend, Ryan, is a loud eater and she has misophonia – she can't stand the sound of chewing.  So, when he eats when she's watching her favorite shows, she can't concentrate.  All she hears is him smacking away! He says this is the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard – people have been eating in front of the TV for decades, what else do you do when watching it?  If she doesn't like the sound of his chewing so much, she can watch her shows somewhere else, he says she needs to learn to deal with it, she's being unreasonable and wants to unwind after being at work all day. Kim has a chance to win $1300! All he she has to do is answer more pop culture questions than Raven in Can't Beat Raven! 

Michael field, Vice President & Executive Creative Director at Mason, joins Anna and Raven today to discuss all things Big Game commercials! 

Dustin Black is the Executive Creative Director at Preston Spire, where he leads the agency's award-winning creative team with curiosity and bold thinking. With over 25 years of experience in the advertising industry, he's worked at top agencies including BBDO Worldwide, Colle McVoy, MONO, and Carmichael Lynch, crafting standout work for brands like Perdue Farms, Frank's RedHot, Craftsman, Subaru of America, and MSNBC. Dustin's creative leadership has earned recognition from Clio, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, The One Show, D&AD, Effie Worldwide, and other major industry awards. Beyond advertising, he's the author of The Book of SPAM, an entrepreneur, and an advocate for blending strategy, art direction, and human insight in creative work.

Discover how to transform "artificial intelligence" into "artful intelligence" and inspire your brand storytelling in this must-listen episode of the Business of Story. Park Howell is joined by Jen Perry, Executive Creative Director at Vagrants, who shares her journey from building creative teams for brands like JetBlue, IKEA, and Dunkin' Donuts to leading Vagrants' evolution into a creative powerhouse. You'll learn why "artificial intelligence" is a branding problem, and how reframing it as "artful intelligence" helps you keep your storytelling human, emotionally resonant, and truly impactful—even as you embrace the latest technology. Jen reveals practical strategies for using emotional intelligence in your creative process, building lasting client relationships, and coaching teams to bold, effective ideas. Plus, you'll hear a real-world case study from Tom Schwab of Interview Valet on how the StoryCycle Genie™ platform delivers artful, brand-aligned content that saves hours and elevates quality. Listen now to discover: How to blend AI and empathy for better brand stories Why artful intelligence is your creative edge Actionable steps to inspire your team and audience For more insights and resources, visit businessofstory.com.

In this episode of the Career Gems for the Journey podcast, Leah C. Murphy sits down with Loni Booker-White, co-founder and executive creative director of Sauce, for a powerful conversation about creativity, leadership, entrepreneurship, and legacy.Loni shares her non-linear career journey, from studying English and public relations to building a thriving creative career across advertising, retail, and media. Together, Leah and Loni explore what it really means to lead with integrity, navigate layoffs without losing your sense of self, and build work that aligns with both purpose and impact.This conversation offers a meaningful preview of what attendees can expect at the 2nd annual Career & Care Summit where Loni Booker-White will take the stage as a speaker, sharing her insights on creativity, leadership, and legacy.In this episode, they discuss:

Dagger is an independent, creatively wired, strategy obsessed brand building agency based in Atlanta, Georgia. It's one of Ad Age Best Places to Work and has been named 4x to Adweek's 100 Fastest Growing Agencies. On this episode I sat down with the agency's Chief Creative officer, Al Patton, and Head of Dagger Originals, Lance Krall to talk about the state of Dagger, Advertising in Atlanta, and more. About our Guests: AL PATTON, CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER Al joined as Chief Creative Officer in February of 2019 and is responsible for driving the creative vision of the agency. He came to us from 22Squared, where for just under three years he served as Executive Creative Director and oversaw all creative output for the agency's Atlanta headquarters. Prior to that, Al spent eighteen years at top creative agencies in New York, the final ten of which at R/GA where he was Executive Creative Director on the agency's Nike and Samsung accounts. His resume also includes stints at Deutsch, FCB, Digitas and Tribal, where he led teams working on such global brands as American Express, Reebok, Kraft, Chase and AT&T. Al's work has been a mainstay at the annual creative award shows, having taken home top honors at Cannes Lions, CLIO, One Show, London International Awards, Webby Awards and the Effies. LANCE KRALL, HEAD OF DAGGER ORIGINALS Most recently known for his role as "Dad" to his two children, Lance previously worked on other less demanding projects, such as creating and starring in Spike TV's "The Lance Krall Show," and Vh1's "Free Radio," writing on "Breaking In," "Last Man Standing," and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," Co-Executive Producing TruTV's unscripted comedy, "Fameless," and penning the William H Macy helmed feature film, "The Layover." As an Executive Producer, Lance has had the pleasure of developing television alongside some of the industry's top players, including Jerry Bruckheimer, Doug Robinson, Drew Barrymore, Laurence Fishburne, and Eric Tannenbaum. Learn more about DAGGER here.

In this week's episode of the B2B Marketing Podcast, David Rowlands spoke with Paul Collier, CMO, FunnelFuel; Chris Omotosho, Managing Director, UK, Gravity Global; Nick Watmough, Executive Creative Director, The Croc; and Jon Buckthorp, Commercial Director, Differentiated. As we close out 2025, it only felt right to end with a conversation inspired by the year's standout work. Drawing on insights from across agency, brand and creative leadership, the panel discusses what made this year's award-winning campaigns at the B2B Marketing Awards resonate. The conversation opens with a focus on the growing role of emotion and creativity in B2B, with brands increasingly doing their best work by connecting on a human level. From there, the discussion turns to the rapid influence of AI, the rise of experiential marketing, and a noticeable shift away from product-first messaging in favor of more meaningful, human-to-human engagement in an increasingly AI-driven landscape. The panel also reflects on Gravity Global's ‘Global B2B Agency of the Year' win for the second year running, before diving deeper into some of the more thought-provoking themes emerging from the awards. In particular, Jon explores how concepts like content dysmorphia and thought theatre are influencing both creative strategy and how brands show up in-market (ideas first unpacked in a previous episode with Differentiated). If you're curious about the other award-winning campaigns highlighted at our 2025 awards, check out our Winners Report here: https://www.b2bmarketing.net/reports/b2b-marketing-awards-winners-report-2025/

The story behind creating a brand new brand. When SES and IntelSat joined forces…Sequel, a branding and digital agency based in New York City, talks about the creative process to building a new tagline, motto and set of values.This episode features:Jen Decker (IntelSat/SES Brand and Digital Marketing Manager)Alex Reed (Head of Strategy and Research at Sequel)John Nishimoto (Partner and Executive Creative Director at Sequel) & Dana Gonsalves (Creative Director at Sequel)Find out more about this new chapter for SES and Intelsat: www.ses.com Satellite Stories podcast is presented by Kristina Smith-Meyer, SES content creative and development manager, Global Marketing Communications.

Luke Woodhouse, Executive Creative Director at Ragged Edge, shares his 15-year journey from a four-person studio to a 40-person powerhouse creating category-defining brands. This conversation explores the evolution of branding from nice websites to transformative digital ecosystems, revealing what it takes to create work that generates immediate business impact. Luke discusses major projects including Wise's global rebrand and Solflare's bold cryptocurrency positioning, explaining how Ragged Edge works with clients who are "confident in the unknown" to create brands that users adopt and celebrate. He shares practical insights on keeping concepts loose while opinions stay strong, collaborating deeply with in-house teams, and why getting comfortable with uncomfortable is essential for breakthrough creative work.Key takeawaysSelf-selecting clients are the best clients—when you stand for something bold, people who share your mindset will seek you out rather than needing convincingKeep early concepts rough and loose to invite client collaboration, which prevents teams from becoming too precious while helping clients feel ownership of the directionThe concept should be the creative director, not personal opinions—focus on communicating the core idea in the strongest way possible rather than aesthetic preferencesTesting for distinctiveness matters more than testing for likability—brands need to stand out, and uncomfortable feelings toward something new are often positive signalsBuild real-life relationships at project kickoff and during initial concepts when ideas are most delicate and nuanced conversations determine directionDeep collaboration with product and in-house design teams three-quarters through the project helps stress-test brand elements and find the balance between disruption and usabilityCase studies that explain why and how, not just pretty pictures, are crucial for winning new work because people love ideas and storiesSeparation of self-worth from work is essential—celebrate talented people pushing hard while maintaining a "no ego" approach where the work is what mattersDifferent means new, new means unfamiliar, and unfamiliar is uncomfortable—getting comfortable with this discomfort is where breakthrough creativity livesThe trend toward agency and in-house teams working as one unified team will continue growing, leveraging client expertise on their business to get great work launched Daring Creativity. Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic daringcreativity.com | desk@daringcreativity.com Book by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFcFree audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobookBook bundles https://novemberuniverse.co.ukLux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/ (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)

Known in the industry as "Heineken Jesus," Andrey Tyukavkin is one of the most inventive creative minds working today. As Global Executive Creative Director at Le Pub and Chief Innovation Officer & Founder of Le Garage—their global innovation and prototyping hub—he's led award-winning work for Heineken, Netflix, and Philips, racking up 70 Cannes Lions and over 232 creative awards to his name, ranking as the #3 Executive Creative Director at Cannes Lions 2022. He also speaks seven languages!In this episode, we explore the fascinating connection between neuroscience and creativity. Andrey opens up about his panic attacks, the "dead spot" in his brain, and the science that links an enlarged amygdala to creative genius. We discuss why the best ideas often come from brains that refuse to work in linear ways—and why being "a bit sick" might be exactly what the industry needs.We also dive into his approach to innovation: from The Closer (a bottle opener that shuts down your work apps) to The Boring Phone (a Nokia-inspired antidote to smartphone addiction), Andrey explains how prototyping physical objects in-house allows his team to move at speed and create campaigns that become instant PR stories.Plus: why he values engineering backgrounds over advertising experience, the danger of AI producing "perfectly average" results, and his advice to young creatives—"Fuck around and find out."Follow Andrey here:⁠Linkedin⁠⁠Instagram⁠—⁠Watch this episode on YouTube⁠—We're a video podcast talking brand and creativity with the world's best in class.Hosted by ⁠Andrew Dobbie⁠Sponsored by ⁠The One Club for Creativity⁠Powered by ⁠MadeBrave⁠Follow us:⁠Facebook⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠Linkedin⁠Our website(s):  ⁠https://justachatwith.com http://www.andrewdobbie.co.uk http://www.madebrave.com

Today, Michael welcomes Dorota Stanczyk. Dorota is the author of the book, (Re)-Create Yourself: Embracing Greater Self-Love to Unleash Your Potential, a transformational artist, wellbeing creator, conscious creativity trainer, keynote speaker, meditation master, and Founder of Innerart Transformation Center. With over a decade of experience as an Executive Creative Director in the wellness industry, Dorota has collaborated with renowned brands such as Mindvalley, IVY, Uptime, Sensie App, and Sony, pioneering innovative personal growth approaches. Drawing on her expertise in creativity and consciousness, Dorota designs immersive experiences and products that strive to raise awareness of new models for living, working, and being. Conversation highlights include: -Dorota's Polish family lineage of healers/mediums, childhood clairsentience, overwhelm, and shutting down feeling -Her experience with autoimmune and heart symptoms until she had a turning point in 2014 that led to self-love, responsibility, and compassion, reversing her symptoms within weeks -Awakening isn't one moment; committing to presence and keep letting revelations expand  -How to enter selfless, timeless, effortless creation (downloads, richness) beyond overthinking -Art as transmitters of energy when the creator transforms during creation, becoming channels of pure truth without agenda  -Why new actions create new neural pathways, and exposing yourself to challenge and diversity to expand capacity  -Worth is intrinsic and God-given; "value" is how outputs are judged—do not confuse feedback with identity  -Guided "parts" process (inspired by feeding-the-demon) to meet, question, love, and reintegrate rejected aspects -Seeing difficult people as wounded children and how curiosity dissolves judgment and births empathy -"Marrying yourself" for better or worse—never abandoning yourself and owning all potentials without letting behavior define your Divine core Next, Michael leads a guided meditation on cultivating gratitude and amplifying spiritual availability in daily life. 

Rudi Anggono is the Global Head of Creative at Snap and previously the Head of Creative Innovation at the LEGO Group, leading its integrated creative team within Product and Marketing Development and collaborating with Creative Play Lab on new product ideas. With a career spanning advertising, product design, and research, he has shaped iconic global brands and experiences. Formerly Global Executive Creative Director at Beyond X and Google Commerce UX, his patented design work influenced Google Travel and sustainability initiatives recognized by Sundar Pichai at the UN. Previously Head of Creative at Google ZOO and Executive Creative Director at TBWAParis for Nissan Europe, Rudi's award-winning work includes Cannes Lions, EFFIEs, and an Emmy Award.

Today's guest, Lulu Essey, is an Award-winning Executive Creative Director and certified Life Coach who transforms lives through her revolutionary approach of self-love as a success infrastructure.    As the host of The Lulu Essey Podcast, she helps people worldwide move from seeking to breakthroughs using proven frameworks, showing us that sustainable transformation happens from the inside out.   In this episode, we'll explore: Self-love as a success infrastructure and how to use Lulu's LOVE Framework in your daily practice Why you don't have to believe every thought you think Using self-compassion to transform crisis into a breakthrough Her current favorites: Book: The Prophet, Speakers: Elizabeth Gilbert and Brené Brown, Podcast: This Cultural Life   More from Lulu Essey Her free guide that includes her LOVE Framework Website: https://www.luluessey.com  Podcast: https://www.luluessey.com/podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucille-marie-essey/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lulu.essey Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lulu.essey/ More from Tricia  Go from idea to stage-ready inside The Big Talk Academy Join me LIVE for my Free Monthly Workshop Explore my content and follow me on YouTube Follow me on Instagram  Connect with me on Facebook  Connect with me on LinkedIn  Visit my website at TriciaBrouk.com

SCTV's Dave Thomas talks about making bold life choices, growing up in Canada, Shakespeare saving his ass, choosing between big money success as an ad man or being a broke improviser at Second City, becoming head writer on SCTV, Martin Short, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, John Candy, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Joe Flaherty, Andrea Martin, Grace Under Fire, running an animation studio, turning to dramas like Bones and The Black List, going to Ukraine, Thailand, Mad Magazine, The McKenzie Brothers, Chester Hope, and how, to make it in Hollywood, you need at least two of these three things, Talent, Drive, & Luck. Bio: David William Thomas was born May 20, 1949, in St. Catharines, Ontario. He is the eldest son of British parents, Moreen Duff Muir (May 4, 1928 – May 18, 2022), a church organist for thirty years originally from Glasgow, Scotland and composer of church music, and John E. Thomas (1926–1996), a medical ethicist from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales who was head of the Philosophy Department at McMaster University, and the author of several books. Dave's younger brother, Ian Thomas, is a Canadian singer-songwriter. The family moved temporarily to Durham, North Carolina, where his father attended Duke University and earned a PhD in philosophy. The family moved back to Dundas, Ontario, in 1961, where Dave attended Dundas District high school, and later graduated with an honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.[1]  Starting his career as a copywriter at ad agency McCann Erickson in 1974, Thomas became the head writer of the Coca-Cola account in Canada within a year. After watching a Second City stage show in Toronto, and while suffering from self-described "boredom" in his advertising work, he auditioned for the Second City troupe and was chosen as a performer.[2] He was a cast member of the Toronto production of Godspell, along with Victor Garber, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, and Andrea Martin.[3] Paul Shaffer was the musical director.[3 He first achieved fame as a cast member of the Canadian TV comedy series SCTV, joining Godspell castmates Levy, Martin and later Short, plus Rick Moranis, John Candy, Harold Ramis, Catherine O'Hara and others. Notable characters on the show include Doug McKenzie of beer-swilling brothers Bob and Doug McKenzie, editorialist Bill Needle, Scottish scone-chef/bluesman Angus Crock, motor-mouthed TV ad announcer Harvey K-Tel, Lowery organist/curio pitchman Tex Boil and the "Cruising Gourmet". Thomas's first film role was in Home to Stay, directed by Delbert Mann, in which Thomas played in a scene with Hollywood legend Henry Fonda. He then wrote, co-directed, and starred in the Bob & Doug McKenzie feature film Strange Brew. Soon after, he wrote for and acted in The New Show, produced by Lorne Michaels during his hiatus from Saturday Night Live. Short-lived, this show featured a powerhouse writing staff including Thomas along with Buck Henry, George Meyer, Jack Handey, Al Franken, Tom Davis, Valri Bromfield and Steve Martin. Thomas tried his hand at network television hour-long shows in 1986 when he wrote and co-executive produced Steel Collar Man for CBS. The pilot was produced but did not go to series. He co-wrote Spies Like Us (1985) with Dan Aykroyd.  In 1988, Thomas wrote another hour long show for CBS, B Men, which was back ordered, but Thomas took a directing job at Paramount, which caused the network to drop the series. He reportedly introduced John Travolta and Kelly Preston while directing them in the Paramount film The Experts.  He wrote for, produced, and starred in The Dave Thomas Comedy Show (1990). In 1991, he starred in the Showtime comedy, Public Enemy #2. In 1992, he tried his hand at reality TV and co-executive produced ABC's America's Funniest People with Vin Di Bona, but left after thirteen weeks to appear in the film Coneheads.  In 1993, he co-starred in ABC's Grace Under Fire with Brett Butler and Tom Poston and continued with the show for 5 seasons. In 1995 Thomas starred in the ABC television film Picture Perfect with Mary Page Keller and Richard Karn. In 1995 Thomas produced a pilot of a game show called Family Challenge for ABC. When ABC did not pick up the series, Thomas sold Family Challenge to the Family Channel, where he produced 144 episodes of the show spread over 2 seasons. In 1996, Thomas played the title role in the Fox television film Mr. Foster's Field Trip aka Kidz in the Wood with Julia Duffy. In 1996, he wrote the book SCTV: Behind the Scenes (McClelland & Stewart, publishers). From 1999–2002, he voiced various roles on the animated series Mission Hill. Thomas co-starred in the Paramount feature Rat Race. As of 2001, Thomas has been the Executive Creative Director of Animax Entertainment, an animation studio based officially in Culver City, California. In 2001–2002 Thomas appeared with Eugene Levy and Martin Short on Short's show Primetime Glick as Bob Hope (an impression he had first developed for SCTV with great success). In 2002, he co-starred with Jason Priestley, Dave Foley, and Ewen Bremner in Fancy Dancing. The next year he played a lead role in Beethoven's 5th. In 2003, he directed a hospital comedy feature film entitled Whitecoats, which he also wrote. As of 2004, Thomas was on the official Advisory Committee for the Comedy program at Humber College, the only such diploma program in the world. In 2004, he and Moranis again worked together voicing Rutt and Tuke, two moose based on the McKenzie Brothers, in Disney's animated feature Brother Bear.[4]  Thomas has had a long career doing voices for animation including Animaniacs, Duckman, CatDog, The Adventures of Tarzan, Justice League and multiple roles on The Simpsons, King of the Hill and Family Guy. In 2005, he had a guest stint as Charlize Theron's "Uncle Trevor" on Fox's Arrested Development. In 2006, he reprised his voice role in Brother Bear 2 and appeared as himself in the feature film The Aristocrats. He began production on ArnoldSpeaks.com, a video blog, as the voice of Arnold Schwarzenegger; Animax Entertainment won an Emmy for a broadband animated series produced for ESPN, Off Mikes.  In 2007, Thomas and Rick Moranis reprised their roles as Bob and Doug McKenzie in a one-hour special, Bob & Doug McKenzie's Two-Four Anniversary, for CBC Television. The show featured cameos from McKenzie celeb fans like Ben Stiller, Dave Foley, Tom Green, Paul Shaffer, Andy Dick, Matt Groening, Barry Pepper, Martin Short, and Geddy Lee. Former Prime Minister of Canada Paul Martin was the host. In 2008, Thomas revived Bob and Doug McKenzie in a new animated series, Bob & Doug. While Thomas reprises the character of Doug in the new series, Moranis chose not to voice the character of Bob, which instead is voiced by Dave Coulier. Moranis is, however, involved in the series as an executive producer.[5]  In November 2009, Thomas received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from his alma mater McMaster University and gave the fall convocation speech. In 2010 Animax continued to produce branded entertainment, advertising and digital shorts for corporations like Disney, Warner Brothers, NBC Universal, and Kodak. In 2011, Thomas's company Animax produced another animated show for MTV entitled Big Box along with numerous Internet shorts such as Life With Dad.[6][7]  In 2012 and 2013 Thomas guest starred in the dramatic shows Perception and Bones as well as comedy shows Comedy Bang! Bang! and How I Met Your Mother. In addition in 2013 Thomas voiced the recurring role of Jeff Foxworthy's father Jesco in the CMT show Bounty Hunters.  Thomas joined the writing staff of the Fox crime drama television series Bones beginning in 2013. Thomas worked for two seasons on Bones, writing several episodes and working on staff as consulting producer for two seasons.[8]  In 2015 Thomas joined the writing staff of NBC's The Blacklist as a consulting producer. In 2020 life-sized statues of Thomas and Rick Moranis as their characters Bob and Doug McKenzie were put in place at the ICE District Sports Arena in Edmonton, Alberta.[9] Also in 2020, the Governor-General of Canada announced that Thomas was being appointed to the Order of Canada,[10] Canada's highest civilian award. In 2021, Thomas and Max Allan Collins teamed to write a sci-fi mystery novel, The Many Lives of Jimmy Leighton.

In the latest episode of A76, The Human Spark, I talk with Kevin McElroy, Executive Creative Director at Razorfish in Chicago, about designing with empathy and leading teams in a constantly shifting landscape. Kevin shares his amazing path from dreaming of Disney, to Detroit automotive to working with Benetton in Venice, culminating in global digital experiences today. He breaks down his human-centered design approach—immersing in products, focusing on real people, and using your senses to get unstuck. And the conversation dives into team-based ideation and leveraging folks outside the creative capability. It's a look at intuition, collaboration, and keeping the approach fun for your creative team. If you care about nurturing an ideation culture and crafting ideas with impact, this one's for you.Plus a reminder—this season I'm asking everyone coming on the pod what song would be on their ideation soundtrack. Checkout the spotify playlist here.~ NoelA76 and its episodes are created by Noel ChildsSeason 4 on the Human Spark is produced by Noel ChildsSeason 3 on Scale is produced by Noel ChildsSeason 2 on Change was produced by Noel ChildsSeason 1 on AI was produced by Casey Hudetz and Noel ChildsOur theme music was composed and performed by Stella Solveig and mixed and mastered by Abbey Nettleton The outro was read by Trudie and Storey Childs If you like what you hear, please give us a rating.Or become a member of the A76 Patreon at patreon.com/A76designpodHave a question or comment, email noel@A76pod.comAnd follow us on Instagram

Joshua (Josh) Fulmer is the Executive Creative Director of Lunge Marketing, a full-service eCommerce agency specializing in Amazon, Walmart, TikTok Shop, and Google Ads services. With over 18 years of design and brand strategy experience, he leads creative teams in developing engaging, inclusive visual narratives. Before joining Lunge, Josh served in the US Marine Corps, worked in the craft beer industry, and built a design consulting practice. In this episode… Content creation has become more essential and complex than ever. AI tools promise faster, cheaper results, but at what cost to brand trust and authenticity? How can brands balance speed and creativity while maintaining a consistent voice across every channel? According to content strategist Josh Fulmer, the key lies in using AI as an enhancer, not a replacement. He recommends developing clear content strategies grounded in audience research and user personas to ensure every asset serves a purpose. Brands should focus their budgets on creators and platforms that truly align with their target market, while maintaining consistent tone and messaging across formats. The goal is thoughtful integration, where technology supports creativity without diluting brand integrity. Welcome back to The Digital Deep Dive as Aaron Conant talks with Joshua (Josh) Fulmer, Executive Creative Director of Lunge Marketing, about AI's impact on content creation. Josh discusses how brands can maintain consistency amid disruption, build smarter strategies through audience targeting, and balance automation with authentic storytelling.

ABOUT CHRISTIAN DAVIES:Christian's LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/christian-davies-fcsd-3728a513Websites: https://www.bergmeyer.comemail: cdavies@bergmeyer.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianthdavies/ Christian Davies Bio: Davies brings 30+ years' experience as a creative leader, working with brands across the globe, from disruptive startups to the very top Fortune 500 contenders in retail, experiential, beauty, fashion, hospitality, technology, luxury, and more. His veteran status includes over 100 national and international design awards (15 of which earned top honors for Store of the Year Awards), including a five-time winner of design:retail's Retail Design Influencer as well as a coveted Retail Design Luminary award.  As a Chief Strategy Officer for Bergmeyer, strategic innovation and design leadership define Davies role, stemming from a robust background in creative direction and design thinking. His approach harnesses the power of diverse, interdisciplinary teams, developed through hands-on experience in various roles across a wide variety of companies throughout his career. As Chief Strategy Officer, steering the business strategy and our passion for innovation encapsulates my daily mission.Prior to Bergmeyer, Davies served as Managing Director of the Creative Marketing Group at Verizon, Creative Vice President of Global Design and Innovation for Starbucks, Executive Creative Director of the Americas at Fitch, and Vice President/Managing Creative Director at FRCH Design Worldwide.Also See: https://www.bergmeyer.com/people/christian-davies SHOW INTRODUCTION:Welcome to Episode 81! of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast…What started at a pivotal moment during the COVID pandemic in early 2020 has continued for seven seasons and now 81 episodes. This season we continue to follow our catch phrase of having “Dynamic Dialogues About DATA: Design, Architecture, Technology and the Arts. In the coming weeks we have some terrific conversations that are both fun and inspiring. They are going to include thought provoking futurists, AI technology mavens, retailers, international hotel design executives as well as designers and architects of brand experience places.We talk with authors and people focused on wellness and sustainable design practices as well as neuroscientists who will continue to help us look at the built environment and the connections between our mind-body and the built world around us.We'll also have guests who are creative marketing masters from international brands and people who have started and grown some of the companies that are striking a new path for us follow.The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is grateful for the support of VMSD magazine.VMSD brings us, in the brand experience world, the International Retail Design Conference. The IRDC is one of the best retail design conferences that there is bringing together the world of retailers, brands and experience place makers every year for two days of engaging conversations and pushing us to keep on talking about what makes retailing relevant. You will find the archive of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast on VMSD.com.Thanks also goes to Shop Association the only global retail trade association dedicated to elevating the in-store experience.SHOP Association represents companies and affiliates from 25 countries and brings value to their members through research, networking, education, events and awards. Check then out on SHOPAssociation.org Today, EPISODE 81… I talk with Christian Davies. We actually recorded this discussion months ago and Christian wondered if publishing it now was still relevant.I assured him it was, since Christian tends to unearth issues that are future forward - things to be mindful about should we want to address the issues we all face as individuals or societies or as architects and designers making places and things as we serve as our clients creative sherpa guides bringing ideas into the built world. Now… Christian has been sitting atop the heap of 80 conversations as the most listened to episode since we recorded our first talk a couple years ago. So, I thought, well why not do Christian Davies 2.0?Christian does not disappoint - never has – over a couple of decades, Christian has consistently drawn audiences and colleagues into conversation, sometimes challenging, and always brilliant and things that drive design thinking. His matter-of-fact English attitude to the world of design is sometimes a ‘no holds barred' reality check that makes you think twice about the truths you have held dear. His drive towards excellence is irrepressible. That makes him, some may say, demanding because I think he expects that we all give a damn about what we are brining into the world. And why not? We all share space on this little blue dot and, we had better get it, and soon, that we are part of a vast ecosystem of interdependencies.We cover a lot of ground in this open-ended conversation – I'd not expect less from Christian - And here is a few thoughts on subject areas we touch on…1. Entropy:Entropy is a scientific measure of disorder, randomness.Astrophysicist and other cosmologists have postulated that our universe is continuing to expand to a maximum state of entropy from a moment in time, the beginning of the Universe that they have called The Big Bang.There's lots of great content that you can certainly dig up on what happens when the universe finally expands to maximum entropy and all particles are spread out evenly within the unimaginably large space of the universe. It's suggested that of course this maximun expansion will take something like 10 to the 36 or 37 power years in other words trillions and trillions of years. A very very long time….But for now, the way I try to think of it is things will expand and eventually slow down as they all spread out to be evenly distributed throughout the universe… seems reasonable…It's kind of like imagining the initial moments after a massive explosion. Things spread out pretty quickly from the epicenter of the explosion and as they're flung far and wide, particles eventually slow and if you think of it in terms of entropy they all reach maximum randomness.I kind of think that right now, today, considering that the scientists think that the universe has only been around for 14 1/2 billion years or so, that we're kind of right at that very beginning stage of the explosion and things are moving faster and faster away from the epicenter of The Big Bang. This is interesting if you think that the universe will continue to be expanding for a few trillion years so right now yeah, we're kind of sort of in the one second after the explosion time frame. Anyway I am not an astrophysicist and some of these enormous ideas still leave me scratching my head…If we look at today, and everything around us, it certainly seems that things are speeding up and becoming more distributed, more random.I know I've talked about the whole idea of the pace of change in a number of episodes but I find this really interesting because, as I discussed with Christian, it's really hard to design into a future state when you consider that the sands beneath your feet are always shifting.How do we know which step is the right one? How do you know when we step on solid ground or drop forever into a bottomless void…I think the challenge here for designers is that, at least for a time, we need to have a sense of stability and order. The challenge is, I think, is that we're moving to an increasing rate of change where stability and order might be elusive to say the least.2. Moments of human connection make experiences great:I think as we speed along and never ending sea of change perhaps one of the things that we can hang on to, a stake in the ground if you will, will continue to be our ability to maintain our relationships.Change has a funny way of, well… changing people. And, one of our jobs will be to keep up with changing expectations of brands and their customers. One thing is sure, as we scream along this ever changing path, relationships will remain as one of the fundamental qualities of great experiences. Both brand experience architecture and the means with which we engage with brands will change to meet evolving expecations but, my expectation, (or maybe it's just my hope) is that humans still stay at the center of it all - Since at least for this short little time that humans have been in existence, we have relied on the empathic connection between individuals to help create meaning and connection to the world around us as well as the things well as the things we simply buy.And I, like Christian, believe that in the end, when you look at successful projects in our long design careers, the good ones, I mean the really good ones, we're not just because we received a great brief with an inspired client who had a vision of changing up the world,but that the teams we were connected to both on the consultant and client sides were also great. There was something that clicked. There was a gel in communication, respect and collaboration that drove these projects forward.Some may have heard me say before projects will come and go but the relationships are really what make the work great. I'd rather lose a project than trash the relationships…3. Three things that facilitate success stories in the world of retail place-making:So, if you're going to look at success stories over a career full of projects, when you look back at what really made them great was, of course that they were successful from a financial point of view, that they drove increase customers and deeper brand relationships and better revenues all those things are important indicators of success but that there are things that are required to make all of that happen. One would be that there's a big idea someone at the helm of a brand or business that has a thought about doing something different breaking out of a traditional way of bringing goods or services to market, of serving a customer in a different way and technology is often being a facilitator of that.There was coffee long before Starbucks. There was getting from A to B lby horse, camel, richshaw, long before Uber. There were places to stay along the Silk Road before Airbnb. And if you had a shaman in your village you could likely find out where you ame from and where your future was going to be long before there were anything like 23&Me or ancestry.com. In some ways the goods or services have not really changed. How we get them in the hands of customers has changed and that has often been facilitated with new technologies.4. AI – as a new tool for ideation and the ‘why' behind design:One of those technological advances of course that everybody is talking about these days is artificial intelligence.AI it's both causing a lot of excitement about what it sees has to offer in the short term, becoming a new tool in the architect and designers toolbox for ideation as well as causing a lot of concern about what happens to humankind when we finally get to general AI or super artificial intelligence.I am both excited and increasingly aware of influences that it will have on the job market, delivery of goods and services and other parts of the ecosystem like education and manufacturing etcetera etcetera.But if we just for a moment set some of the anxieties aside and simply look at as a tool for imagination and engagement with clients fostering the collaborative process of ideation, it has extraordinary potential to change the game of how we designers and architects work with our clients and create ideas about bringing their goods and services to market.There's a lot of opportunity and uncertainty about what happens when you turbocharge the creative process with AI tools.In the end though, at least for now, the question remains - is that there is a human at the helm of prompt curation?The output is only as good as the input that I'm able to suggest as a prompt. If not… garbage in – garbage out.This of course is interesting because it puts the initial burden still on people to be able to articulate their vision in language and use AI tools to refine the visualizations and other content that emerges from using them.As we use these tools they make things faster but I also sometimes wonder about whether they simply make us lazy and remove our thinking from the process.So Christian does talk about the idea of the drawings or images being very compelling but also needing to ask, and answer, the question of ‘why this particular approach or output is relevant and connected to the brand or customer that we're trying to serve?In the end it's not about the ‘what' of things that make solutions to design challenges great but more and more about the ‘why' you're doing certain things.It's about the process by which you got to the solution rather than simply the solution itself.Don't get me wrong the solutions to the challenges are sometimes very satisfying but what I'm ultimately interested in is the thinking process that led you to along this pathway… it's the journey not just the destination that's important in the creative process….And I think it's ever more important to our clients in the design world that they're looking for people who are not just production oriented but who are also focused on guiding them through an uncertain future5. B-Corporations:And this in a way leads us to the part of our my discussion with Christian about how his company Bergmeyer has recently become a B-Corp.A B-Corporation is a for profit company, but it is certified by the non-profit  B Lab Global and the whole idea is that it seeks to meet high standards for social and environmental performance and accountability and even more so transparency in the ways that they are doing business in support of being good stewards of our environment.In the changing sands that we're all standing on, as entropy increases and uncertainty continues to unfold in front of us, there is certainty that our planet is also in peril as climate change continues to wreak havoc on environmental systems. These B-corporations are seen as a force for good who work to balance profit with a commitment to both people and our planet. What differentiates them from other traditional companies is that they prioritize the social and environmental impacts of their business while at the same time not discounting the fact that they still are in business - that they are accountable to stakeholders as well as shareholders.The stakeholders can be considered as all of us because as companies continue to pull resources out of the ground and push the byproducts of industrialization into landfills and oceans all of our lives are at stake.All right then that's a not so brief summary of some of the ideas that Christian and I riff on in our conversation…Let's dig into some of the details…ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582bWebsites: https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website)vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog)Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.comTwitter: DavidKepronPersonal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/Bio:David Kepron is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why', ‘what's now' and ‘what's next'. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott's “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine's Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation's Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.He has held teaching positions at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.  In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon. David also writes a popular blog called “Brain Food” which is published monthly on vmsd.com.  The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production is by Kano Sound. The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.

Sex and sensuality were big themes on the spring 2026 runways, but if there's one place where sexy is a mode of being rather than merely a trend it's Victoria's Secret. The lingerie behemoth returns this year with its famous Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, this time with the American designer Adam Selman as its Executive Creative Director. Selman has decades of experience under his belt, but is perhaps best known for his work at Savage X Fenty, the lingerie brand founded by Rihanna, whom he has also often dressed, most memorably in 2014, when she accepted the CFDA's Fashion Icon Award in a floor-length sheer tank dress embellished with Swarovski crystals of his design.Selman joins Nicole Phelps on The Run-Through this week to talk about his career trajectory, and the challenges of heading up an independent label, and his plans to modernize the Victoria's Secret brand while keeping its roots. The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

This is an encore episode of Ad Infinitum's Season 2 Finale that I produced. Big thanks to Oxford Road's Executive Creative Director and Ad Infinitum's host, Stew Redwine, for asking me to write about something that I love.  The State of Sonic Branding is like the Princess Bride of podcast episodes; it's got everything! Giant companies, inconceivable innovations, sound storming the Depot, rogue engineers in the Pit of Dispair, and a whole lot of sonic strategists and neuro marketers making miracles happen. All for the ‘True Love' quest for sonic branding.  Ready to listen… well, then… As You Wish!  The original episode can be found here. Let's make this world of sound more intriguing, more unique, and more on brand. — For more on sound in marketing, sign up for the Sound In Marketing Newsletter http://eepurl.com/gDxl6b. Want your very own Make Sound On Purpose mug? You can find it here. For further inquiries, email Jeanna at mailto:jeanna@dreamrproductions.com    The Sound In Marketing Podcast is produced by Dreamr Productions and hosted, written, and edited by Jeanna Isham. It is available on all the major podcast channels here https://pod.link/1467112373. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannaisham/   https://twitter.com/Jeanna_Isham    https://www.facebook.com/DreamrProductions/  https://www.youtube.com/@Dreamrproductions

What Do Cold Plunges, K-Pop, and Loyalty Clubs Tell Us About Consumer Behavior?Shifting the focus from real estate to consumer behavior, Chris Ressa and Natalie Chambers, Executive Creative Director at the Dealey Group, dive into the shifting landscape of what makes the consumer tick. Natalie shares three standout trends that you might not expect —ancient wellness rituals, pluralversal storylines, and the rise of social silos—and Chris debates her on what's hype versus what's here to stay.From cold plunges and sound baths to Korean corn dogs and Baseball Lifestyle 101, the conversation weaves together fun examples with deeper insights on belonging, loyalty, and retail programming. They also cover the balance between convenience and dwell time, debating how shopping centers should position themselves for consumers who want it all.Part debate, part discovery, this episode looks at how AI, culture, and community are reshaping what it means to shop—and what it means to connect.What you'll hear: How the rise of AI is pushing consumers toward both high-tech convenience and “ancient wellness” rituals like cold plunges and sound bathsWhy pluralversal storylines—from K-pop hits to unexpected food trends—are reshaping cultural consumptionThe growing power of social silos and loyalty clubs in making shoppers feel like they belongChris and Natalie's spirited debate on convenience vs. dwell time and what it means for shopping centersReal-world examples of how retail can turn “points on a map” into places people loveChapters00:00 Understanding Consumer Behavior02:51 The Impact of AI on Consumer Trends05:58 Exploring Ancient Wellness Trends08:57 Plural-versal Design in Consumer Culture11:54 The Rise of Niche Markets and Social Silos17:55 Balancing Convenience and Dwell Time in Retail20:48 Implementing Insights in Real Estate Marketing23:46 The Future of Retail in an AI-Driven World

Manischewitz is a beloved staple in any Jewish pantry. However, both the brand and the Kosher food market were on the decline. Can a rebrand not only lift them both back up, but rekindle joy and connection too? Lisa Smith, former Executive Creative Director at JKR, speaks to how she and her team did more than create snazzy new packaging, and instead offered a seat at the table.To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Created by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstic), hosted by Blake Howard (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited and scored by ATAM Audio, brief-in by Dee Boyle, produced by Brianna Belcher, and artwork by Stephanie Kim and Michael Martino.“Sergio's Magic Dustbin" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

“You have the first right to be wrong.” — Chris Do As CEO and Executive Creative Director of Blind, Chris has contributed to the motion design industry through decades of award-winning inspiring work. He is the founder of The Futur, an education platform helping millions of creative professionals learn the business skills they were never taught in school. Chris has spoken at global conferences and built a wide-reaching community through courses, mentorship, and content. His mission is clear: to teach one billion people how to make a living doing what they love.  Nearly a decade ago, Chris and I had a conversation that inspired and influenced the way I think about work. At the time, I was at a crossroads in my own creative journey and Chris was starting to explore a different path beyond client‑service. The seeds of The Futur were being planted. In this episode of Object Subject Form, I invited Chris on for a reflective and forward‑looking chat with the full weight and perspective of the past 10 years.  We talk about burnout, ambition, and why the idea of work-life integration feels more relevant than the myth of “balance” in creative careers. We also discuss how AI is changing the nature of creative direction, and why staying curious and open-minded is more important than ever. In our industry, especially in motion design, exhaustion is often the cost of doing great work. We're trained to think that sleepless nights and nonstop output are the price of entry. But what happens when your work begins to consume the life it was meant to support? Chris offers a different perspective. A concept not a centered around a perfect balance, but a designed system. A creative life that supports longevity, not just output, and a way forward that honors our creativity without burning us out. If you've ever asked: “Is the grind worth it?” “How do I keep going without losing myself?” “What's next, personally or professionally?” This one is for you. – Connect with Chris on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/ – Connect with Chris on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/ – The Futur on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheFuturishere – The Futur Website: https://www.thefutur.com/ – The Futur on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/ – Connect with Simon: https://zaap.bio/simonclowes – Object Subject Form on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ObjectSubjectForm – Object Subject Form on Instagram:  https://instagram.com/objectsubjectform

Ever wondered where the magic is really made? In this special episode of Living by Disney, I take you on a rare and exclusive journey behind the closed doors of the legendary Walt Disney Imagineering headquarters in Glendale, California. This is the creative engine of Disney Parks, a place not open to the public, where art and technology merge to create the attractions we all know and love.NEW: Video version is availble on Spotify or watch on YouTube!Join me as I walk the halls of history, see the future being built, and discover the secrets behind the magic. In this episode, you'll hear about:The Model Shop: Get a peek at the intricate, physical models for upcoming attractions like the new Lion King land for Disneyland Paris.The Sound Lab: Uncover the invisible art of 3D audio and learn how the chilling effects of the Haunted Mansion's stretching room are created.The R&D Lab: Step into the future and learn about mind-blowing technology like the HoloTile floor, the Stuntronics robots that bring Spider-Man to life, and the "real" Star Wars lightsaber.PLUS, I sit down for an exclusive interview with Ted Robledo, the Executive Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering. Ted is one of the masterminds behind some of Walt Disney World's most iconic modern attractions, including Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, TRON Lightcycle / Run, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. He shares his journey, his creative philosophy, and what it takes to lead the teams that build these incredible worlds.This is a must-listen for any Disney fan who has ever dreamed of seeing how the magic is made.Video link coming soon! Contact my partners at ⁠MickeyTravels!⁠ They are the perfect people to get your next Disney vacation booked. Whether it's World, Land or Cruise, if it's Disney they will help. Contact them today to get started! ⁠https://mickeytravels.com/get-a-quote/⁠

In this episode, host Corey Nathan sits down with Andrea Weeks, Executive Creative Director at AV Squad. A lifelong creative, Andrea brings a unique perspective shaped by her upbringing in Maine, a background in theater and film, and an impressive trajectory in the world of trailers and creative marketing. From her early days at Sony Pictures Classics to pioneering campaigns at AV Squad, Andrea shares her journey through the indie and mainstream worlds of film marketing. What We Discuss: How AV Squad became 100% employee-owned and what that means culturally Andrea's transition from theater to film and trailers The importance of mentorship and collaborative creativity Behind-the-scenes insights into trailers for major campaigns like Longlegs How Andrea's artistic upbringing informs her creative leadership Episode Highlights: [00:02:00] AV Squad becomes employee-owned: the announcement and cultural impact [00:04:00] Growing up in a Maine artist colony with a creative family [00:12:00] Andrea's first exposure to film and passion for political theater [00:18:00] Interning at Sony Pictures Classics and finding a way into film [00:27:00] Spotting the rise of Netflix and seizing new opportunities [00:34:00] Transitioning from New York to LA and joining AV Squad [00:49:00] Crafting the Longlegs campaign and fostering company-wide collaboration [00:54:00] Mentorship and developing young talent in the creative industry Featured Quotes: “The arts are a way to help shift the world.” – Andrea Weeks “Being invited into the creative space of a film is a privilege—and building trust is everything.” – Andrea Weeks “Everyone knows I'm a huge admirer of AV Squad… it's the spirit of the company that really stands out.” – Corey Nathan Resources Mentioned: AV Squad – https://www.avsquad.com/ Ghetto Film School – https://www.ghettofilm.org/ Our Sponsors:  The Golden Trailer Awards: goldentrailer.com/   Brent Allen Hagel: www.brentallenhagel.com Soundstripe: app.soundstripe.com Call to Action: Please leave us a rating and review:  https://apple.co/3QYy80e You can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.linkedin.com/in/coreysnathan. Want to hear how the best in the business craft the world's most exciting movie trailers? Tune in every week to Trailer Geeks and Teaser Gods!

Maybe you've already heard, but we're in the midst of significant global and technological change. It will be a struggle for many businesses to adapt, but IBM is a company that's no stranger to change. Time and again, they've reimagined, restructured, and refactored their business to stay relevant. Our guest today, Shani Sandy, is playing an important role in IBM's current transformation as VP of Experience Design. Welcome to a live episode of Design Better recorded at THiS Connect presented by UserTesting in New York. We're talking with Shani today about how her team stays connected to users to design great products, design's role in the new era of AI, and how IBM is evolving. *** Learn more about UserTesting *** Bio Shani Sandy is a visionary design executive whose ethos—DESIGNING FORWARD—reflects a career dedicated to propelling businesses, communities, and cultures through intentional, people-centered innovation. With a powerful blend of strategic leadership and creative insight, Shani has led transformative initiatives for Fortune 500 companies, including pioneering roles as the first Executive Creative Director at S&P Global and the first Design Executive at IBM Systems. Her expertise lies in integrating multidisciplinary design, AI, and emerging technologies to elevate user experiences, drive measurable business outcomes, and cultivate design maturity across organizations. Known for aligning design strategy with C-suite objectives, Shani excels at translating complexity into clarity and forging collaboration across functions to deliver lasting impact. She is a sought-after keynote speaker, having shared her insights at premier conferences including 3% Conference, AIGA National, and Adobe Creative Jam. A passionate mentor and advocate for underrepresented creatives, Shani is equally committed to shaping the future of design leadership as she is to delivering on today's innovation. Whether guiding enterprise transformation or nurturing the next generation of designers, Shani leads with bold vision, strategic execution, and an unwavering focus on outcomes.