What do David Bowie lyrics, childhood memories of soda, and gut health all have in common? 

For Mark Lester, co-founder of the brand consultancy Squint, they’re part of a deeper exploration into how happiness shapes behavior and how brands can use that insight to grow.

Prior to starting squint, Mark spent 15 years in the advertising industry, sharing his talents with R/GA, McGarryBowen and Dentsu, working a wide variety of brands, including Samsung, Diageo, and Equinox, just to name a few.

In this episode, Mark shares how Squint’s “Happiness Advantage” approach to brand-building helped turn Olipop into a nearly $2 billion soda brand by leaning into emotional associations, not functional claims. 

We also discuss GenZ’s fraying relationship with sport and how an activation at the Olympics was able to help Nike reconnect with a younger generation. 

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• Why great brands are built on memories, not just messages
• How a hike in the Hollywood Hills with Olipop’s founder led Mark to some powerful aha moments about himself and the brand
• The consumer research findings that made “soda” a more powerful word than “tonic”
• The evolving nature of competitive sports and the opportunity to be part of the growing movement around collaborative sports
• How being an au pair in France during his gap year after college taught him some valuable life lessons
• Mark’s secret to happiness, both personally and professionally

Show Notes:

Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Books:

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Never Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Campaigns:

Dude Wipes: The Evolution of Wiping

Brands:

Nandos (UK Peri Peri Chicken Restaurant Chain)

Podcasts:

What are the key characteristics of designing a great toy? It turns out, it’s many of the same characteristics that go into building a great brand.

Playfulness. Imagination. A little bit of mischief. And joy.

In this episode, I talk with Assaf Eshet, founder and award-winning toy designer at Clixo Toys.

I met Assaf at the ISTE EdTech conference in San Antonio this summer and I was immediately drawn to the flexible, colorful shapes of Clixo and all the different things you could build with them - robots, animals, vehicles, wearables - you name it.

And when Assaf started telling me about the philosophy behind Clixo - how they blend the best of origami with the best of magnetic building toys - I knew he needed to be a guest on the show. Because he definitely sees the world in a different way compared to most.

I’m glad I met him when I did because since our chance encounter in San Antonio, Clixo has been getting attention just about everywhere. In the past few months Clixo launched nationally in Target, had a huge activation at the MoMA, and was just named one of Time’s Best Inventions of 2025.

In this episode, Assaf and I talk about the principles of great toy design, and how his teaching philosophy helps students embrace failure and experimentation, which are prerequisites for coming up with even better ideas. We also explore the psychology of play and the secret to living as a joyful creature. 

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• One of Assaf’s favorite design assignments that he gives to his students each semester
• Why good toy design (like good branding) requires constant testing “in the wild”
• What his grandmother’s hand-sewn Barbie clothing collection taught him about resourcefulness and innovation
• How Italian cinema and Roberto Benigni shaped his outlook on creativity
• The importance of becoming a collector (for whatever you’re passionate about) 

Show Notes:

Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Books:

When Nietzsche Wept: A Novel of Obsession by Irvin D. Yalom

Products:

Chomshop: A Kid-Safe Power Tool for Cutting Cardboard

Speeches:

Roberto Benigni Oscar Speech for Life is Beautiful

For over two decades, Tracy Lovatt has helped brands build transformative insights by challenging assumptions and embracing the chaos of tectonic cultural shifts. 

After starting her career at BBDO, where she guided brands like HBO, GE, Bank of America, Hyatt Hotels, PepsiCo and many others, Tracy eventually stepped away from advertising to start Batten & Co, where she now helps brands connect the dots between insights, operations, and the customer experience.

In this episode, Tracy talks about the power of sarcasm to disarm people and she shares her candid approach to uncovering insights that matter.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• The surprisingly different ways men and women talk about engagement rings
• The power of deprivation studies to get consumers to open up emotionally 
• What she’s learned from the Medicis when it comes to inspiration and new ideas
• The surprising impact a British accent can have in American boardrooms
• A memory she had of our first encounter (that made me blush)

Show Notes:

Below are links to books, shows, and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Books:

This is what it sounds like: What the music you love says about you (by Susan Rogers)

Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain (by Oliver Sachs)

Shows & Movies

I’m Still Here Trailer

The Last of the Sea Women Trailer (Apple TV)

Brands & Campaigns

GE - Ideas are Scary

Ffern (Fragrance brand)

Ground Up (Nut butter brand)

Great research isn’t just about collecting answers. It’s about knowing which questions to ask and how to observe with all your senses to get to the truth of a situation.

Bob Morais, business anthropologist, ethnographer, and lecturer at Columbia University’s Business School, knows how to read between the lines of what people say and what they actually do, and in this conversation, Bob shares his techniques for consistently finding those aha moments that can help a brand soar. 

Over the years, Bob has set up some fascinating research methodologies for a wide variety of emerging and established brands, including Sensodyne, Freshpet, WD-40, and Simply Orange, just to name a few. 

And in every case, Bob has helped those brands uncover what their customers really need, not just what they say they want.

Together, we dig into the key differences between a flat-footed finding and an actual insight, and we talk about the importance of “presentation theater.” 

Bob also shares his perspective on AI as a research assistant, and why he believes the human element in ethnography is still irreplaceable.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• Bob’s aha moment that led to a multimillion-dollar product innovation for WD-40
• An unexpected, eye-opening experience during a research project at the Plaza Hotel that helped crystallize the idea of luxury 
• The power of research techniques like laddering and guided retrospection
• How to sell ethnography projects to clients who want everything “buttoned up”
• The unexpected ways that playing lead guitar in different rock bands prepared Bob for life in strategy and research

Show Notes:

Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Campaigns & Brand Videos:

Fresh Pet: It’s not dog food. It’s food food.

WD-40 Smart Straw

In a world obsessed with big data, robust dashboards, and faster answers, what if the real insight about insights has to do with slowing down and making real connections?

That’s how Tim Wilson and Valerie Kroll approach each project, working with organizations to help them rethink their approach to data analytics and consumer insights. Over the years, their facts & feelings approach has made a huge impact on a wide variety of brands, including Yoplait, Time Warner, Adobe, P&G, Purell, Marriott, Lysol, and more. 

Instead of more data, they suggest using less data, informed by better questions and smarter conversations. And even though they have a data-driven approach, they never discount the power of observation or instinct to help uncover those aha moments.

With a unique blend of quantitative expertise and qualitative intuition, Tim and Val approach  data less like a crystal ball and more as a conversation starter. 

Because when you stop chasing “perfect data” and start looking at the bigger picture, you’ll often find fresh angles and new opportunities for growth.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• The power of doing a pre-mortem when kicking off a project 
• The surprising focus group conversation that led to a breakthrough innovation for Yoplait
• How a failed “chunky bracelet” for Lysol inspired a successful Purell product idea
• The two “magic” questions they like to ask clients to help set everyone up for success 
• The jobs they had before facts & feelings that have helped them become more detail-oriented, compassionate storytellers
  
  

Show Notes:

Below are links to books, shows, and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Books:

Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts by Annie Duke 

In Your Purse: Archaeology of the American Handbag by Kelley Styring

James by Percival Everett

P is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever by Raj Haldar 

Frog and Toad Storybook Favorites

Shows:

Severance Trailer

The Bear Trailer

Greg Hahn has built his career on reframing questions and seeing things just a little bit differently. 

Actually, that’s an understatement.

Before launching Mischief, Greg spent almost 20 years at some of the biggest and most celebrated agencies in the business, including Fallon and BBDO, where he led creative for brands like Timberland, Citibank, HBO, eBay, FedEx, and more. Along the way, he helped create some of the most awarded campaigns in modern advertising—work that not only racked up Cannes Lions and One Show pencils, but also embedded itself into culture in a way that made those brands unignorable.

When Greg was unexpectedly let go from BBDO New York in 2020 due to budget cuts, it didn’t take long for him to start Mischief @ No Fixed Address. In two months, he created a new shop “where people - both employees and clients - could come and do the best work of their lives, with less layers, pretense and other unnecessary complications.”

Since then, Greg and his team have helped businesses across multiple categories.

When Tinder came to Mischief hoping to shed its reputation as a hookup app, Greg and his team challenged them with a provocative reframing. When Pizza Hut wanted to appeal to job-seeking Gen Zers, Mischief turned the pizza box into a résumé delivery system. And when Goldfish crackers wanted to appeal to adults, Greg and his team landed on a simple, but effective fix.

Ask Greg a question about Capri Sun and you might end up talking about Banksy, Andy Warhol, or Duchamp. Or you might discover his passion for crime shows, data, and the interesting differences between Saxon words and Romance words.

That said, no matter where you start with Greg, you’ll always find your way back to a clear-eyed understanding of a brand’s core business problem and a clever, creative path that’s going to get you where you need to go.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• The way Mischief does briefings differently compared to other agencies
• How an OkCupid data point about voting turned into a viral campaign (and even led to a clue on the show Jeopardy!)
• The role of social listening when it comes to their creative process for Tubi and other brands
• What Greg’s job selling aluminum siding taught him about himself
• Some advice that Greg received from David Lubars during his time at BBDO

Show Notes:

Below are links to campaigns and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Books

Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are

The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom Perseverance and The Art of Living 

What do forensic science and marketing have in common? More than you might think. 

Both require an ability to analyze evidence, challenge assumptions, and uncover hidden truths that are often hiding in plain sight.

Alina Burroughs, a forensic expert and star of the hit show Crime Scene Confidential, has spent years piecing together clues to solve cases, and as it turns out, many of those same techniques can also be applied to marketing. 

In this episode, Alina reveals how marketers and CSIs are both after the same thing - understanding motivations and finding the right guy (or gal). She also points out how forensic tools like “presumptive tests” can be used to help marketers make smarter decisions before going all in on an idea.

Throughout our conversation, Alina shares real-world crime scene stories that demonstrate the power of looking beyond the obvious and why it’s critical to challenge our own beliefs if we want to get to those breakthrough moments.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• How crime scene investigators fight cognitive bias and why marketers should do the same
• The surprising role that gut instinct plays in forensic work and brand strategy
• What a “skin glove” is (warning: it’s both fascinating and unsettling)
• The importance of marketing from the outside in instead of inside out
• Why saying the “stupid” thing out loud can sometimes lead to the smartest insights

Show Notes:

Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Shows

Crime Scene Confidential Trailer

Brands

Liquid Death - Andy Pearson on Any Insights Yet?

Last Crumb Bakery

Books

Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss

Despite the billions of dollars spent on advertising every year, most ads go completely unnoticed. In fact, 85% of them don’t even hit the minimum threshold for attention. So how do you make it into the 15% that actually break through?

John Gibson, Head of Strategy at The Martin Agency, has spent his career answering that question, helping brands fight invisibility by uncovering complex emotional truths.

For Papa John’s, that meant moving beyond “better ingredients” to tap into something far more powerful—people’s deep, almost cult-like devotion to pizza. For OREO, it meant elevating a product ritual in something more emotive and universal. And for Mountain Dew? It meant going deep into the world of sleep to see if creativity could be sparked in the subconscious mind.

Throughout our conversation, John shares stories about the strategic decisions that led to these aha moments, and how The Martin Agency’s culture of curiosity consistently fuels big ideas. 

 Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• The unexpected pizza rituals that inspired a fresh approach for Papa John’s
• The story behind OREO Grams and the Lady Gaga partnership
• How the challenger brand Unisom was able to “punch above their weight” in a crowded, competitive market 
• One of John’s favorite words and how it influences his approach to building great work
• The advice John received early on in his career about creative briefs

Show Notes:

Below are links to campaigns that came up during our conversation.

Campaigns:

Oreo Wonderfilled

Oreo Wonderfulled Chinese New Year Campaign

Oreogram with Lady Gaga

Oreo + Coca-Cola Besties Campaign

Papa John’s Better Get You Some

Unisom Eagles Saquon Barkley Trolls Giants Owner John Mara

Heinz: Draw Ketchup Campaign

The best work in advertising doesn’t just stand out—it challenges the status quo. 

And that’s exactly what Gordy Sang and Brian Siedband do with every client and every campaign at Quality Meats. Whether they’re working on a GoDaddy spot for the Big Game or a provocative box of chocolates for U by Kotex, Gordy and Brian (and their distributed team of strategists and creatives) always bring an unexpected twist to their creations, sparking conversations, and getting people to say, “I can’t believe they did that!”

Their “going cowboy” approach is one of the many reasons they’ve been racking up awards, including Adweek’s 2024 Small Agency of the Year award and A-List Standout and AdAge’s Small Agency of the Year, and in this conversation, you get a peek inside their process. 

While they’re both quick to say they don’t have a ton of business acumen, they’re clearly doing something right, because a lot of businesses are lining up to do business with them, including Regal Cinemas, Doordash, Saxx Underwear, and Cava, just to name a few.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• Their approach to breaking rules and telling stories with a twist.
• How being bluntly honest with German Doner Kebab led to a different campaign approach in the US.
• The Huggies diaper innovation that led to a simple, yet catchy song (and several innovative campaign extensions).
• Their attention-getting Valentine’s work for U by Kotex to help normalize periods
• Why they believe the big idea isn’t dead.

Show Notes:

Below are links to campaigns and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Campaigns

German Doner Kebab

Huggies Baby Butts Song

Marquee Sports Network Just “Gets” Cubs Fans

U by Kotex Period Sex Chocolates

Phasy Chocolates & Functional Foods

Chicagwa campaign

Movies & Shows

Severance Trailer

Swiss Army Man Trailer

Face Off Trailer

Best of Ali G

Any Insights Yet: Dan Cohen at Saatchi New York (Season 1, Episode 7) 

Books

Alphabutt Baby Book

Butts on Things by Brian Cook

How do you take a challenger brand from number two and make it number one? 

And how do you do that with a relentless focus on positive behavior change?

Those are the kinds of challenges that Mark DiMassimo and Lesley Bielby love to tackle at DiGo Brands, and over the past twenty years, they have elevated  and re-energized numerous better-for-you brands, including Weight Watchers, Crunch Fitness, The Partnership to End Addiction, The Bronx Zoo, and Better Help, just to name a few.

Whether they're making award-winning ads or redesigning a brand's identity from top to bottom, their work combines the latest findings from behavioral science with a unique blend of humanity, humility, and just the right amount of absurdist humor. 

Our conversation takes some wonderfully unexpected twists and turns as we try to decipher the motivating emotions surrounding embarrassment and the importance of teamwork when it comes to new business pitches.

Some of my favorite aha moments talking with Mark and Lesley include:

• Their “go-for-the-jugular” approach when it comes to customer research
• How they turned HelloFresh from a challenger brand into the undisputed category leader
• The key research findings and creative executions that allowed Better Help to connect with a wider audience 
• The insightful and entertaining ways they transformed Crunch Fitness into a national brand
• How Mark’s experience in his grandparents’ hair salon and Lesley’s experience as a hypnotherapist have shaped their approach to strategy and creativity

Show Notes:

Below are links to campaigns and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Campaigns

Visit Oslo

Movies

“Easy A” Trailer

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” Trailer

“The Holdovers” Trailer

Podcasts

Any Insights Yet? Episode 10: Andy Pearson at Liquid Death

What is risk?

For most people, a risky situation is one where you’re exposed to danger.

Put another way, it’s the possibility of something bad happening.

But for Andy Pearson, VP of Creative at Liquid Death, the definition of risk takes an interesting detour. For Andy, the real danger is not that something bad will happen, but that nothing will happen at all.

No reaction. No learning. No breakthroughs.

Just a boring piece of creative, dead on arrival, completely ignored.

That’s why, over the course of his career, Andy has developed a habit of pushing himself into uncomfortable situations and doing “scary stuff” so that he can explore ideas that most people won’t even consider.

But scary stuff isn’t the same as doing anything. 

There is always a Liquid Death Logic underneath every idea that helps the team connect the dots between dumb ideas and smart ideas in unexpected ways.

Some of my favorite aha moments talking with Andy include:

• Andy’s favorite activations at Liquid Death and why he loves them
• One of the scariest things Andy did early on in his career before Liquid Death that has shaped his outlook on risks and creativity
• The questions Andy likes to ask in brainstorms to push ideas even further
• How Liquid Death manages controversy and consistently transforms hate into something great
• The intriguing parallels between one of Andy’s hobbies (ultramarathons) and building a brand

Show Notes:

Below are links to campaigns and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Campaigns

Mike Cessario getting a fan’s face tattooed on his body

Limited edition corpse paint with e.l.f. beauty

The Yeti Casket Cooler

The “Freeze to Death” Cold Plunge Tank

Limited edition Hot Fudge Sundae flavor with Van Leewan Ice Cream

A partnership with Burton to create an unrideable snowboard called the Death Trap.

A contest where you could win a free L-39 Aero jet called The Dehydrator. 

Cards Against Humanity Saves America

Movies

The Voyage Out by Barlow Jacobs (Coming Soon)

Books

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

Why should strategists do focus groups with real humans if AI-enabled synthetic focus groups can yield an equally powerful aha moment at a fraction of the cost?

That’s one of several challenging questions I explore with Ed Cotton, brand consultant and former chief strategy officer from Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP).

For the past 25 years, Ed has been at the helm of strategic planning in NYC, leading strategy for a wide variety of brands, including Amazon, Apple, BMW-MINI, Chipotle, EA, LG, Nestle, Nike-Converse, Unilever, and Wal-Mart.

In today’s fast-moving marketing environments, where CMO tenures are shorter than ever, Ed sees a multitude of opportunities that AI can offer - speed, cost reduction, and more ways to connect the dots.

But at the same time, he worries that the combined pressure of smaller budgets and tighter deadlines are creating situations where strategists are afraid to get out of the office or out of their comfort zone.  

Some of my favorite aha moments talking with Ed include:

• How to overcome insecurity as a junior strategist
• Why big data can sometimes be misleading and doesn’t necessarily lead to more insights
• Which categories are most toxic for focus groups and what to do if you’re doing research in one of those categories
• How one of Ed's favorite hobbies helps him see the world with fresh eyes
• A valuable life lesson that Ed learned from a creative director when he was just starting out as a strategist

Show Notes:

Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Films (and books):

Ed’s favorite recent book: The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier

Annihilation - Movie Trailer (Here's the book)

Zone of Interest - Movie Trailer (Here's the book)

Campaigns

AirBnB Original Belong Anywhere Campaign Spot

AirBnB 1/2 Billion Guest Arrival Campaign Spot

Other Miscellaneous Musings

Ed’s Substack - Provoke

Ed's Podcast - Inspiring Futures

Tara Lawall has worked at some of the biggest agencies in the world, earned a Cannes Titanium Lion, and her work has even landed a spot in MoMA’s permanent collection, but her sharpest insights might trace back to a comedy class she took at Miami Ad School.

Today, Tara is Chief Creative Officer and Partner at Rethink’s New York office, and in this interview, Tara shares how her team uncovers powerful truths hidden in everyday behavior — something they call cultural sparks at Rethink — and how those truths have led to some of the industry’s most buzzworthy campaigns.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• The unique “trauma therapy” process Rethink uses to build client relationships that leads to more effective work
• Some aha moments around a spicy but not too spicy Doritos campaign with Walton Goggins
• The creative challenges of finding the perfect soundtrack for different street corners in LA, London, and New York with Epidemic Sound
• The brand love campaign Rethink developed for Mac n’ Cheese
• The Philly slang term that works in literally any sentence
• Important life lessons Tara learned growing up in her dad’s delicatessen and pastry shop 

Show Notes:

Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Books:

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

A Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

Abundance by Ezra Klein

Campaigns:

Doritos: A Spicy but Not Too Spicy Plumber

Epidemic Sound: A Sound for Every Feeling

Heineken Pub Succession

Tim Malefyt has an amazing ability to make the familiar strange.

He does this by doing deep, ethnographic research, helping brands uncover hidden consumer truths through a combination of carefully constructed activities and thoughtful conversation. 

As a business anthropologist, Tim’s research methodologies and key findings have helped re-energize a number of big name brands across multiple categories, including Campbell’s, Gillette, FedEx, HBO, Revlon, PepsiCo, Cadillac, Crayola, and New Balance.

For Tim, context is everything. 

If you want to understand a person’s behavior, you have to talk to them in the right context. That means getting them out of the focus group room, putting away the interrogation pad of paper,  and talking with people in the environment where the behavior in question naturally takes place. 

Because as Tim puts it, “It is in the doing, in the action, that the ‘knowledge of the body’ starts to come through.”

Some of my favorite aha moments talking with Tim include:

• Reframing Campbell’s “dinner dilemma” into something more creative and communal
• The surprisingly social nature of driving and the challenge that poses for self-driving cars
• Different metaphors one can use during interviews for more meaningful truths
• How to check for and overcome gender bias in research projects 
• The way Tim’s experience as a ballet dancer has influenced his approach to research

Show Notes:

Below are links to books, and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Tim’s favorite recent book: The Overstory by Richard Powers

Another great book: Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson

Dan Cohen loves a good challenge.

Tell him he can’t say something in a campaign headline and he’ll find a creative way around it, to the delight of clients and customers alike.

Over the past thirty years, Dan’s creative, collaborative approach has helped a wide variety of brands in commoditized categories, including Bounty (paper towels), Charmin (toilet paper), Pampers (diapers), Pepto-Bismol (digestion), and Puffs (facial tissue).

He’s also worked on the other side of the advertising spectrum, re-energizing luxury brands like Rolex, DeBeers, and Bentley. 

No matter what he’s working on though, Dan always manages to find those aha moments hiding in plain sight - in data points, personal experiences, and in casual conversations with his creative teams. 

Some of my favorite aha moments talking with Dan include:

• The data point that became a powerful springboard for Bounty’s latest campaign 
• How to build awareness for brands in commoditized categories
• Charmin’s creative activations in unexpected places like Pottypalooza and Times Square
• How Gen-Z has upended the traditional approach to linear storytelling
• The summer job Dan had in college that taught him a valuable lesson

Show Notes:

Below are links to campaigns, books, and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Wingmen Gronk & Julian Edelman Spill the Sauce on Their Patriot Days

Lions - Bounty Wingtracker Campaign | The Work

Charmin Restroom Activation in Times Square

Charmin Rollbot at the Consumer Electronics Show

Charmin Toilet Tunes - TikTok

Charmin Toilet Tunes - Spotify

Heinz Tilted Ketchup Label

Dan’s Favorite Recent Book - James by Percival Everett

A great magic trick, like a great creative briefing, begins long before everyone gathers in a room.

To the general public, Mike Jacobson may be best known for his magic show performance on America’s Got Talent in 2023, but for the past decade in the business and advertising world, Mike has brought his unique methods to strategic briefings and creative campaigns for a wide range of clients, including Oreo, Subway, Comedy Central, Paramount, and other MTV Networks.

Some of my favorite aha moments talking with Mike include:

• The surprising overlaps between magic, mentalism, and marketing
• How to take a simple card trick (and a creative briefing) to a level 10 engagement
• Mike’s terrible interview at 72andSunny and how he turned it around to get his first job in advertising
• The secret to priming your audience to be more receptive to your message
• How to get and hold people’s attention in an era of shrinking attention spans
• The importance of confidence and mystery in modern marketing

Show Notes:

Below are links to campaigns, books, and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Mike’s performance on America’s Got Talent

The Last Barf Bag - Dramamine

Steve Martin Documentary Trailer on Apple+

Sascha Mayer knows what it’s like to be invisible. 

Like so many new moms nursing their children, if she wanted to nurse or pump when she was away from home, her options were often limited to a bathroom stall, an unattended room, or a parked car.

But it was around Labor Day weekend in 2006 that an article in the New York Times and a confluence of other events inspired a question that would change her life’s trajectory.

“Why are these women who are so visible to me so invisible to everyone else?”

That question - and the answers that followed - led Sascha and her co-founder Christine Dodson on a seven year journey to create Mamava, a revolutionary lactation pod for on-the-go moms (and dads) who need a clean, comfortable space for nursing, pumping, or bottle feeding.

From the first location in 2013 at the Burlington International Airport to more than 5,000 Mamava locations today, Sascha has channeled her bodacious optimism for mission-driven brands into the Mamava ecosystem, transforming a topic that was once invisible into something that is now highly visible, approachable, and welcoming.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• The process of coming up with a memorable name and provocative logo for Mamava
• Breaking down barriers and raising awareness around the topic of lactivism 
• Finding key partners and “pollinators” to help carry the message and mission of Mamava 
• Sascha’s favorite Mamava pod location and why it’s special to her
• The importance of expanding the Mamava ecosystem from physical pods to a user-friendly app
• The critical branding and ethnographic research lessons Sascha learned while working for Bernie Sanders and brands like Seventh Generation and Burton Snowboards

Show Notes:

Below are links to campaigns, shows, and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Swehl Campaign in Times Square featuring Molly Baz

The Rehearsal - Trailer

Frida - The Motherload of Labor and Recovery Must Haves

The Bodacious Optimist Podcast

Heavyweight Podcast - Episode 24 - Jimmy and Mark

There are a lot of strategy documents in the world. Briefs. Decks. White papers. Books. According to Alex M H Smith, most of them are full of shit. Impenetrable, calcified, piled-high bullsh*t.

That’s because, despite all their words and charts and graphs, these so-called strategies fail to inspire action.

And that’s what Alex wants to change in the world of strategy. With his book (No Bullsh*t Strategy) and his consultancy (BasicArts.org), Alex is on a mission to help brands differentiate themselves through bold, decisive action.

Some of my favorite aha moments talking with Alex include:

• The difference between a bullshit strategy and a no bullshit strategy
• How to redefine your competitive set to create a category of one
• The surprising lies that most marketers believe when it comes to targeting 
• How to maintain differentiation when when copycats come in with commoditized claims 
• How to reduce your strategy down to just one word

Show Notes:

Below are links to campaigns, books, and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

No Bullsh*t Strategy - Alex M H Smith

Atomic Habits - James Clear

Grenade Protein Bars - UK

Alex’s favorite recent good book - The Matter with Things by Iain McGilchrist 

For over two decades, Shobha Sairam has worked on a wide variety of brands at a number of agencies around the world, including Leo Burnett, Mother, Deutsch, and The Community among others. 

Most recently, Shobha has led strategy at 22 Squared Inc, based out of New York, where she and her team have breathed new life into brands like Baskin Robbins, Party City, Publix, and Toyota. 

Over the years, Shobha’s research for different brands has exposed her to a variety of sensitive and challenging subjects, including sexual wellness, banking, and the American Dream, and her process for getting to the heart of people's feelings around such complicated subjects is inspiring.

Some of my favorite aha moments talking with Shobha include:

• The surprisingly complex reasons people have sex and how those reasons led to the evolution of the K-Y brand
• Moving beyond the classic problem-solution formula that most brands adhere to 
• The impact Gen Z has had on brands and storytelling across multiple categories  
• Re-framing the banking industry away from the standard idea of “financial freedom” toward something more poignant and provocative
• Transforming “What is” to “What If” in creative briefings and client work sessions to consistently get to more effective, engaging work

Show Notes:

Below are links to campaigns and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Oatly - Forced Perspective Campaign

Shobha’s most recent favorite book - The Sword and The Scimitar

Most ad agencies have clients. That’s not exactly the case with Bullish Inc. 

Started in 2015 by Michael Duda and Brent Vartan, the co-founders of Bullish asked a provocative “what if” question that re-envisioned what an agency could be to help maximize a new brand’s success.

Their question: “What if we invested in early stage brands by providing actual money along with world-class strategic and creative services?”

That question and their counterintuitive approach to brand-building has led to some impressive results for brands like Warby Parker, Harry’s, Casper, Peloton, Hu, Care/of, Nom Nom, and many more.   

Some of my favorite aha moments talking with Brent include:

• Exploring immutable human desires like family, honor, idealism as key starting points for brand-building.
• The role of vengeance as a rallying cry for brands and consumers 
• How chasing after the lowest cost per acquisition is not always the best way to grow a brand 
• The evolution of ecommerce to consultative commerce 
• Brent’s secrets for getting consumers let down their guard during research

Show Notes:

Below are links to campaigns, books, and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Jolly Rancher and the Jolly Rancher

Sunday Lawns - The Old Way Campaign Spot

The Psychology of Columbo

Brent’s favorite recent book - Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss

Curiosity, conviction, and a desire to get out of one’s comfort zone - these are just a few of the characteristics that Seth Gaffney and Marika Wiggan look for in strategic candidates at Preacher, and it’s this non-traditional approach to finding talent and building campaigns that has led to Preacher’s continued success, winning them Small Agency of the Year for four of the last five years.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• Discovering the very different ways Seth and Marika broke into the world of advertising
• Scrappy techniques for learning about customer pain points and mapping out the customer journey 
• The way Preacher is leveraging AI in their strategic work 
• Funny and insightful stories from their work on Tommy John, Tecovas, Favor, WeTransfer, Sport Clips, and Foot Locker    
• The personal advice from parents that have shaped their approach to the work they do every day

Show Notes:

Below are links to campaigns, books, and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Clipper Confessions - Tashanee Williams and Zachary Stubblefield understand from first hand experience with focus groups that bad research environments lead to bad answers which result in bad learnings and bad representation. So they took focus groups out of the focus group facility and into the Barbershop with Rich “Smash” Payne. Questions include: “What’s the dopest thing about black culture?” and “If a CEO was sitting in the shop right now, what advice would you give them to better support black people?” The answers are nuanced, rich, and revealing.

A few campaigns from Preacher:

Tommy John Campaign - No Adjustment Needed

Vital Farms Campaign - Bullsh*t Free Eggs

Tecovas Campaign - Don’t Go Gently

Favor Campaign - How Texas Orders In

Foot Locker - The Heart of Sneakers

A few campaigns that Seth and Marika admire:

IKEA - Proudly Second Best

Amazon - Spend Less on Your Kids

Capri Sun - Wireless Kid-Noise Canceling Technology 

Favorite Books

Marika’s favorite recent book - Big Swiss

Seth’s favorite recent book - Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to a Tribe Called Quest

Introducing Any Insights Yet? with Chris Kocek.

When Jason Mitchell realized his college professors were still teaching TV-first strategies while every student in the room was glued to Facebook, he saw an opportunity. 

That opportunity was the beginning of Movement, a social-first agency that has done award-winning work for brands like the NBA, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and more.

In this episode, Jason shares the early bets and strategic philosophies that have helped Movement grow from a dorm-room idea into one of the most recognized social-first agencies in the industry. 

We explore what it means to put social at the center of a campaign rather than treat it as an add-on, and why the best ideas often begin with strategic social listening.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• How Jason found his way into the journalism and advertising program at University of Colorado despite having terrible grades
• How social listening led to a viral campaign (and a real arrest) for Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries
• Why Klarna’s biggest brand barrier in the U.S. wasn’t competition, but disbelief over their core value prop
• Jason’s secrets for setting up a great social listening system
• How Jason would rebrand the movie-going experience to help people rekindle their love of cinema in an era of social media

Show Notes:

Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Books:

Turn the Ship Around by L. David Marquet 

Campaigns & Videos:

Klarna: What’s the Catch Campaign with Bretman Rock

So Many Dicks Campaign Case Study - e.l.f. Beauty

Unsolved Mysteries Shorty Awards Case Study

How do you help strategists transform boring briefs into better briefs so that creatives can do what they do best?

That’s just one of many questions I ask Ashley Rutstein during our interview.

Ashley is a copywriter-creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and the founder of Stuff About Advertising - a multiplatform channel with hundreds of thousands of followers, where Ashley covers a wide range of topics, including insights, effective brainstorming techniques, and brilliant movie marketing activations.

I first discovered Ashley because of her Weekly Advertising Roundup videos, where she highlights and dissects advertising wins and fails from the week in advertising. She’s been doing these roundups every week (or almost every week) for the past four years, so I thought it would interesting to learn what patterns she’s discovered about great (and bad) advertising, and how it has helped her with her own creative work. 

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• The awkward middle school moment that led to Ashley’s fascination with blind spots 
• The insight that led to a refreshingly honest addiction recovery campaign
• How Ashley and her team helped Zespri yellow kiwis get more attention in the US
• The Discover Card commercial that has made Ashley consider getting a tattoo
• The methods and questions behind her “unhinged concept” videos for brands like Crocs and Poppi
• Ashley’s advice for brands who are trying to gain more traction on TikTok and YouTube

Show Notes:

Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Books:

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson 

Videos:

Unhinged Concepts: Ideas for Poppi

Dr. Barlow: Intro to African American Studies

Sinners Trailer

Campaigns:

Face it Together (Addiction Recovery Center): Day One

Dr. Barlow: Netflix Black History Month

Discover Card: Frog Protection

Surreal Cereal: Fake Celebrity

What’s the difference between a good observation and a real insight? According to Mark Pollard, one of the most sought-after strategy consultants and trainers in the industry, it often comes down to whether someone’s willing to confess something they’ve never said out loud before.

As an Australian strategist, Mark brings a different voice to the podcast - literally and figuratively.  You’ll notice from his very first line, he doesn’t mince words and he’s not afraid to call a spade a spade. Maybe it’s the Aussie accent that allows him to be so bold. Or maybe it’s because he’s been doing strategy for so long that he just knows how to cut through all the bullshit and get to the heart of a situation. 

Mark has been in the agency world since he was 19 and he’s worked with a wide variety of agencies, including Big Spaceship, Leo Burnett NY, Edelman NY, and Ogilvy, just to name a few. His client roster is equally as impressive, working with brands like Audi, Hilton, Netflix, The Economist, Facebook, Electronic Arts, and more.

In this episode, Mark takes a break from his global strategy training tour to talk about the messy, awkward, and deeply human side of strategy.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• The difference between loud and quiet questions when interviewing people
• How to highlight problems and challenge assumptions without pissing people off
• Why studying a language might actually be better than therapy
• The many marketing riddles that are built into US corporate culture
• Figuring out which people in the organization are the most useful to talk to
• Some of Mark’s favorite comedians and what he’s learned from them

Show Notes:

Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Books:

The Innovators Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen

Campaigns:

Steal Banksy: An Australian Hotel Chain Challenges Guests to Steal Art

Comedians:

Anthony Jeselnik Comedy Special - Caligula

Jim Jeffries - The Jim Jeffries Show

Sebastian Maniscalco - Aren’t You Embarrassed?

Videos & Shows:

Why The Loudest Caribbean City Is Also The Most Creative - Santo Domingo, The Dominican Republic 🇩🇴

Weak Hero Trailer (Netflix)

Friends & Neighbors Trailer (Apple TV)

Where do the best insights come from? 

For Kate Rush Sheehy, Chief Strategy Officer at GSD&M, it’s not always based on what people say or even what they do. Sometimes, it’s about what they don’t say or what they don’t do in certain situations.

Sometimes, it’s about having a sixth sense or some feral intelligence.

In this episode, Kate shares her unique approach to uncovering brand-defining insights, from analyzing who shows up to a focus group (and who doesn’t), to asking clients the kinds of questions most agencies shy away from.

We explore the social-first strategy that helped Crocs become a Gen Z phenomenon and the cultural nuance behind Corona’s “La Playa Awaits.”

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• How Kate builds bridges between performance and brand marketing
• The social-first shift that helped Crocs go from cringe to cultural icon
• The difference between Jibbitz, Fibbitz, and “ugly shoe” theory
• How a deep dive into Mexican X (aka Twitter) led to Corona’s new creative direction
• The AI technique Kate’s team uses to pressure-test strategic ideas before they present strategic and creative work
• Some valuable lessons Kate learned about human nature by working in restaurants and retail

Show Notes:

Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Books:

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 

Who Knew? by Barry Diller

Campaigns & Videos:

Dept. of Veterans Affairs (work in partnership with the Ad Council: The Question)

Southwest Airlines: That’s a Big Flex

Corona: La Playa Awaits

Dave Harland LOVES words. Big ones. Little ones. Silly ones. Serious ones.

He has a talent for taking the world’s most boring categories and breathing new life into them with a few flourishes of his pen and some rat-tat-tat-clickety-clacks at his keyboard.

During our conversation, we dig into all kinds of things, including the micro dignities of daily life that are threatened by automation and generative AI, as well as the unmistakable human quirks that make insight building and copywriting an act of creative joy.  

We also connect the dots between The Knowledge of London (the rigorous exam that London Cabbies must pass to show they know their way around the city without a map) and the cultural tension between British formality and British humor (e.g. taking the piss).

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• The scrappy, homemade billboard that taught Dave his first big lesson in strategic copywriting
• Dave’s issues with AI shatbots and the limits of AI in copywriting 
• How a lackluster acronym led to one of Dave’s favorite brand taglines
• The real-world insights that led to surprisingly punchy (and funny) B2B headlines for a speakerphone brand
• An American phrase that has inexplicably made its way into British business discussions 

Show Notes:

Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Dave’s Online Copywriting Course

Write the Funny

Books:

Copywriting Is…:30-or-so thoughts on thinking like a copywriter by Andrew Boulton

Videos:

Bob Mortimor Top Moments | Would I Lie to You?

Monty Python: Ministry of Silly Walks

Life of Brian: Colosseum Scene

Zoe Scaman knows how to rebuild brands and fandoms from the ground up.

Her work with brands like Nike, Netflix, and the NBA has allowed her to dig deep into consumer behavior and organizational structures, resulting in numerous aha moments around community building and how to encourage a culture of co-creation with brand superfans.

Zoe builds a number of beautiful constellations during our conversation as she connects the dots between furries, sports fans, and political communities. We also talk about Lego’s incredibly expanding brand universe and how brands can leverage the flywheel effect to create exponential growth.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• The provocative question Zoe asked in middle school when she was asked to re-read Lord of the Flies 
• The ways Zoe uses AI to help her gut check her own work
• How brands can learn from furries to create a sense of belonging 
• The biggest (often invisible) enemy of progress in any organization
• Zoe’s favorite word and why she thinks more people need to use it more often

Show Notes:

Below are links to books, shows, and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Musings of a Wandering Mind: Zoe Scaman’s Substack

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman

Marilyn Monroe Obituary

Shows & Movies

Mob Land TV Series Trailer

Brands & Campaigns

The Lego Botanical Collection

Adult Fans of Lego (AFOL) - Reddit

Lego Fan Engagement and Programs

Joe Burn has done a LOT of award-winning strategy work, including but not limited to brand strategy, creative strategy, communications strategy, and design strategy.

And it’s these diverse experiences in strategy that have helped Joe connect the dots in the most interesting and unexpected ways for brands like KFC, Heineken, Samsung, Puma, Amnesty International, Benecol, Meta, and more.

But Joe doesn’t just have a passion for strategy and insights. His infatuation with typography, semiotics, and food history helps him become an integral part of the strategic-creative somersault that leads to successful campaigns. 

In this episode, Joe shares a lot of ideas and inspiration, including his favorite songs for tapping into his subconscious mind and how a line from Bart Simpson influenced the insight for an entire campaign.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• An insight for Samsung that led NOT to an ad, but to an awesome music video
• Joe’s unique approach to winning new business pitches
• Why bad ideas are essential to creative success
• How his job as a garbage collector shaped his perspective on advertising
• A piece of advice from Sun Tzu that has influenced his work with clients and creatives 

Show Notes:

Below are links to books, shows, and other inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Books:

The Mezzanine by Nicholson Baker

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

Herscht 07769 by László Krasznahorkai

Shows & Movies

The Simpsons - Season 6, Episode 7

Brands & Campaigns

Money Supermarket Ad

Samsung - Samm Henshaw - All Good (Official Video)

Katie Dreke has always been a rough and tumble explorer, ever since she was a kid.

From early childhood days, she wanted to do all the things the boys in her neighborhood were doing - jumping bikes off of ramps, playing in treehouses, reading science fiction - but she quickly realized that the world was always trying to steer her in another direction. 

Those childhood experiences led to a lifelong fascination with social constructs and gender norms, which has shaped her groundbreaking work with sports brands, from Arc’teryx to New Balance to Nike’s historic maternity collection. 

Katie’s work history has spanned the globe, from Amsterdam to Japan to Australia, and she’s worked at a wide variety of award-winning shops, including Wieden + Kennedy, the Wexley School for Girls, Droga5, and IDEO.

No matter what she’s working on, though, whether it’s a new DTC business model or product innovation, Katie always brings a distinct perspective to every project, one that blends cultural insight and deep empathy for the consumer’s lived experience.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• How social norms and coded systems still shape women’s experience in sport
• Why many women over 40 were turning to Lululemon and not shopping for themselves at Nike
• How the Nike maternity collection uncovered a blindspot in how athletic potential is defined
• The techniques and strategic questions Katie uses to kick start almost any project
• How working the front desk at a software company in Seattle led her to a global career in strategy

Show Notes:

Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Books:

The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler

Brands & Campagins:

Nike Maternity Collection

The Toughest Athletes - Nike Ad

Houdini Sportswear

Benim Denim - A Start-up Designed to Shut Down

This episode is a little different.

Instead of talking with a Chief Creative Officer or a Chief Strategy Officer about a recent ad campaign, I sit down with Rebecca Winthrop, senior fellow at The Brookings Institution and co-author of The Disengaged Teen.

Together, we dive into the insights that emerged from her research with over 60,000 students, 25,000 teachers, and 6,000 parents, and we explore what it takes to really engage young people in today’s tech-driven world.

Rebecca’s findings around engagement are fascinating and we talk about different modes of learning (passenger mode vs. resistor mode vs. explorer mode) and the surprising overlaps between the world of branding and the world of education.

In both worlds, you’re dealing with a rich combination of attention, inertia, distraction, and indifference. And in both cases, real engagement only happens when the people you’re talking to connect the experience you’ve created to something meaningful in their own lives.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• What kids are neurobiologically primed to do in adolescence and the implications for designing more engaging experiences
• The Mattel-OpenAI partnership and why Rebecca is both excited and concerned about its implications 
• How repetition and nagging can often shut down executive function in teens (and how brands might accidentally be doing the same thing with their messaging)
• What Minecraft can teach us about learning, rewards, motivation, and flow
• How working for the Fish and Wildlife Department in her 20s led Rebecca to some valuable life lessons about FIO (Figure It Out) jobs 
• Why educational innovation starts with rethinking how we measure progress and what that also means for brand strategy

Show Notes:

Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Books:

The Disengaged Teen by Rebecca Winthrop and Jenny Anderson

If I Built a School by Chris Van Dusen

Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Lowen

Six of Crows (Crooked Kingdom) by Leigh Bardug

Products

Lego

Clixo Toys

Innovative Alt Education Schools

Big Picture Learning

Templeton Academy

Alpha Schools

Most brands use surface level data to market to superficial stereotypes.

James Addlestone, on the other hand, uses data like a detective, reading between the lines of people’s survey responses and finding innovative ways to get to the truth behind their behaviors.

With a background in behavioral economics and a deep appreciation for detective fiction (we talk quite a bit about Agatha Christie), James brings an exciting approach to data-driven strategy: one that combines quant, qual, and creative curiosity.

During our conversation, James challenges the industry’s overreliance on survey panels, pre-loaded category drivers, and overly-tidy narratives that tend to collapse under real-world scrutiny. 

By contrast, James makes the case for embracing those moments when the data doesn’t quite make sense and treating that ambiguity as an invitation to look closer.

In this episode, we explore how James uses data triangulation, not silver bullets, to connect the dots between data points, which leads not only to new campaign directions, but can also result in subtle shifts in operations and product innovation.

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• The “qual sandwich” framework James uses for insight generation
• Why it’s important to challenge company myths every so often with fresh data
• How a surprising spike in tomato sales led to a deeper investigation and a new campaign direction for a major grocer
• How the pet brand, Chewy, focuses on “moments that matter” and why moments-based segmentation matters even more than traditional demographics
• Three reasons why AI won’t replace good analysts anytime soon
• Advice for junior analysts and how to use different AI tools to help with big data projects

Show Notes:

Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Books:

Factfulness: 10 Reasons why You’re Wrong About the World–and Why Things are Better than you Think by Hans Roling

Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are by Steph-Stephens Davidowitz

Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions by Tom Griffiths

Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention–and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari

Blueprints: How Mathematics Shapes Creativity by Marcus du Sautoy

Companies

System 1: The World’s Most Predictive Ad Test

Meet the 85: Ethnographic Research Consultancy

Podcasts:

Thinking Inside the Box More Creatively with Dan Cohen, Creative Director at Saatchi New York