What do Paris, New York City, Boston, London, Toronto, Montreal, and Fernie, British Columbia have in common?They are all places that make up the (somewhat) nomadic life and career of today’s guest, Will Rizzuto.Each location plays an integral part in Will’s story. He’s American, but spent his infant and pre-school years in Paris. The majority of W…

Rob Meyers is the Managing Director and Partner at VERSUS—a studio crafting highly creative, one-of-a-kind work for brands and agencies.A New Jersey native, pop culture played a big role in Rob’s early life. He refers to himself as an avid reader—everything from books to comics and was heavily invested in both TV and movies.Studying Television, Rad…

What does a strategy director do at a creative agency? According to VML’s Rory Petty—you figure things out. This includes everything from writing the creative brief to consulting with the client marketing team—with any number of things in-between.Creative is actually a recent move for Rory. His advertising career started in broadcast media at Carat…

The word “coach” is closely aligned with sport, but it’s becoming ever more synonymous with the corporate world. More people are employing experienced professionals to provide career coaching. Sometimes that coach is a colleague and sometimes it’s an outsider bringing fresh advice & insights.And that’s exactly what today’s guest, Theresa Smith, doe…

Heads+Tales Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Amanda Shuchat, is part of a team that’s flipping the agency model on its head. Heads+Tales offers best-in-class integrated marketing services while focusing on high-performance coaching to foster greatness.And Amanda is ideally placed to disrupt the agency model. Her career begins as a PR Intern with Strategic Obje…

Media and commerce are closer than ever before. Retail Media is the term used to reference this convergence. And it’s where today’s guest, Victoria Cromie, is leaving her mark.Victoria is the Managing Director, Canada for Mars United Commerce—a global commerce company, dedicated to driving growth for brands and retailers. Before helping retailers g…

When CHUM Radio wanted to monetize its online audience for the first time, they called Debbie Benadiba.When Rogers Media launched its first online, on-demand streaming video app, they called Debbie Benadiba to lead ad sales.Debbie has a knack for launching new advertising products to market. There are other examples I can touch on—they include both…

Brigitte Sachse is the founder of Bee Video Production—a digital video producer specialising in branded content.But securing content production budgets from clients such as the Toronto Star, Accenture, and the Royal Bank of Canada is a bit of a 180 from her early work.Before founding Bee Video Production, Brigitte’s career focused on providing publ…

Pary Bell’s CV is stacked with leadership roles at some of Canada’s biggest media companies including, but not limited to, the CBC, Rogers Media, and TorStar.He’s made a career of leading organizations through digital transformation, but his original plan didn’t involve building teams, managing people, and navigating internal politics—Pary’s first …

Sue Haas is the President and COO of NLogic—Canada's leading provider of audience analysis technology and data.But Sue’s career didn’t start in data and analytics. Her first job in media was an internship on eTalk Daily, researching and writing interview questions for celebrities like Phil Collins, John Mayer, and Nelly.This was a complete shift fr…

It’s episode 100 and we welcome back our episode nine guest, Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada President, Sonia Carreno.Sonia was only a handful of months into her presidency when we first chatted back in 2015. Nine years later, Sonia returns to talk about how the IAB Canada has evolved under her leadership, while providing insight into how …

Kevin Bartus is a terrible employee—those are his words, not mine. But that’s OK because he’s a very successful entrepreneur.Kevin is the President and CEO of Ideon Media—Canada’s largest digital rep firm, responsible for monetizing Canadian ad traffic for brands such as VICE Media and IGN, to name a few. Ideon also owns and operates several sites …

Cracking the media industry can be tough for an employee, but for an entrepreneur? Building something from scratch can be a tall order.But it was a challenge that Sotero Bernardo was up for. Sotero is the Co-Founder, Head of Business Development at Coastal Digital Group—an experience agency combining creativity with technology.The original goal was…

Sales is a performative art, and presentations are like a play. Notes serve as the script, while the PowerPoint deck acts as the set. The boardroom the stage, and clients the audience. At the heart of the production—the sales rep.When comparing the two professions, you can see why today’s guest, Kristie Painting, has enjoyed a successful sales care…

When Valerie Tyson interviewed for a marketing role with the Charlotte Hornets, it was team owner and NBA legend, Michael Jordan, who handled her final interview.And this is only one of the many stories comprising Valerie’s sports marketing career.Valerie is the Co-Founder, Head of Strategy + Sports at Unrivaled Group—a female led, sports driven te…

Kensington Grey is an influencer management agency rooted in diversity, representing an extensive roster of black and brown creators. At the heart of the agency is President & CEO, Shannae Ingleton Smith.Born in Toronto, raised in Calgary, Shannae studied finance and economics in university. But marketing was her real passion. There wasn’t an optio…

Ian Dallimore is Lamar Advertising’s Vice-President, Digital Growth & General Manager of Programmatic, but his path to OOH advertising didn’t start with a typical agency job. A New Orleans native, Ian’s original plan was to be a pediatrician. He studied medicine at Louisiana College while on a basketball scholarship. An injury nixed this, and he tr…

It’s difficult to refute social media’s supremacy in the platform hierarchy. Brands are increasingly trying to find new & innovate ways to leverage social for audience engagement.And it’s exactly why they turn to today’s guest, Darcy MacNeil. Darcy is the Head of so.da—a full service, specialized, and award-winning social first agency.Darcy’s caree…

Science has always played a role in marketing—whether it be focus groups, surveys, or any other form of research. But the marriage between the two disciplines has grown increasingly closer over the years. So much, that it has formalized the role marketing science plays in advertising.And PHD Canada has entrusted Matt Devlin, to handle this for thei…

You might know David Cairns as the co-founder of Cairns Oneil, but the agency he started with Sherry O’Neil back in 2012 is just one of the many companies he’s had a hand in founding. In fact, some of those agencies became the entry points for international holding companies looking to enter the Canadian market.For example, David’s first agency—Dav…

You could say a career in advertising was foreshadowed in Anthony Hello’s childhood. After all, two of his influences were fictional advertising executives–Angela Bower from Who’s the Boss?, and Darrin Stephens from Bewitched. Anthony was born, raised, and educated in Fredericton, New Brunswick. He moved to Toronto after graduating from the Univers…

Running commentary on your profession can be daunting—especially on LinkedIn, where point-of-views can be read by your entire industry.But that hasn’t stopped today’s guest, Danny Weisman, from publishing his thoughts.Danny is the Group Media Director at Noble People—a New York-based creative media agency focused on new thinking and innovative meth…

In a world where job hopping is normalized, it’s rare to meet someone who has spent their entire career with the same company. And it’s even rarer to hear about an intern working their way up to president. But this is the story of today’s guest, Caroline Moul. Caroline is the President of PHD Canada—the Canadian division of PHD Media Worldwide. Not…

Marketer, educator, podcaster, & founder—Darian Kovacs stops by to chat.Darian and I talk about growing up in the border town of Tsawwassen, British Columbia, studying art education & visual arts at the University of Victoria, his time as a youth worker in Surrey, and his entrepreneurial endeavours which include Jelly Digital Marketing & PR Agency,…

Ron Tite, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Church+State stops by to chat. And what a conversation we have. Even if you’ve never met Ron, there’s a good chance you’ve come across his content. Apart from being the CCO of Church+State, he’s an in-demand guest speaker, published author, and very active on social media. What makes Ron’s content bot…

Out-of-home media has seen tremendous growth in recent years. Much of this can be attributed to the proliferation of digital signage and the convenience of purchasing inventory via programmatic platforms. We’ve come a long way from manually placing posters in transit shelters.And today’s guest, Stephanie Gutnik, is helping accelerate this change. S…

Coming from a family of scientific and mathematical academics wasn’t enough to deter Kaaveh Shoamanesh from pursuing a career in entertainment. And he wasn’t about to let something like university, which he attended for an entire month, get in the way.After leaving university, Kaaveh packed up at the age of 18, moving south to Los Angeles to kick o…

Jed Schneiderman, Episode 22 guest returns to the podcast. When we last chatted with Jed, he was taking us through his early life and career leading to the founding of Tapped Mobile. Since then, he’s sold Tapped Mobile, and is now the country Manager for Jebbitt—a platform that helps brands collect more data by driving customer personalization effo…

What was your Achilles heel in school? Essays? Presentations? Tests? I was never strong at exams, so I had put the effort into my course work to salvage a decent grade.But this is where Universal Design for Learning comes in. The goal of UDL is to provide students with the options to learn for themselves in ways that make sense to them. At the fore…

The title “producer” is everywhere in show business, but what exactly does a producer do? It’s a bit of a loaded question as responsibilities can vary, but it’s a question that today’s guest, Jodie Davis, will answer for us.Jodie has spent over 20 years in television, and there’s a good chance you’re familiar with his work. This includes many of th…

As a marketer, overseeing a national brand can be a demanding ask. But leading no fewer than six? That’s a separate challenge altogether.And that’s exactly what the day-to-day entails for today’s guest, Cheryl Gresham. Cheryl is the Vice President Marketing, CMO for Verizon Value—a division of Verizon Communications serving value-conscious consumer…

In May of 2022, Becca Lucas Lord resigned from her role as VP, Director of Client Services at Wunderman Thompson. She was ready to explore new opportunities that complimented her recent agency work.That sabbatical lasted all of three days before she was asked to return in a consulting role.When you look at the breadth Becca’s resume, it’s easy to s…

You'll be hard pressed to find a more eclectic resume than Ryan Ladisa’s.Ryan has worked in broadcast, out-of-home, digital, programmatic, and creative. He’s worked for agencies, big corporate conglomerates, and specialised ad tech vendors. He’s slung media space, sold cross-platform solutions, led departments hunting for the latest innovations, an…

Cynthia Rubino—CYTRINE CONSULTANCY Founder, advertising educator, and mental health advocate returns to the podcast.The pandemic forced everyone to adjust personally and professionally. For CYTRINE CONSULTANCY, this meant putting more emphasis on mental health services.If you’re a professional, you probably embraced zoom calls in sweatpants. And fo…

Whether it be in the classroom, through her podcast, or her self-published meditation journal—teaching is a big part of Shaelah Pirie’s life.A native of Porcupine, Ontario—a village of maybe 3,000 people, Shaelah studied political science at university, but pivoted into television writing and production after graduation.Her first breaks in media in…

Starting a media company used to be an expensive and bureaucratic endeavour. It usually required buckets of money, a team of lawyers, and even a CRTC license if you were looking to break into TV or radio.But the internet brought down those barriers, giving new media companies a chance to challenge the old guard. And one company in particular, The P…

Sales & Marketing – two departments that at any time, could be working in harmony or at each other throats.And today’s guest, Jennifer DeFrenza has had a seat both tables.Jennifer is the VP of Marketing for Surex, a company offering insurance products for consumers and businesses.Before moving into marketing, she had a successful career as a media …

Sales leader, quota crusher, champion of grassroots basketball, hockey podcaster, and arguably the OG of Canadian digital media sports sales—Tony Luccisano, stops by to chat.A native of Toronto’s Little Italy neighborhood, Tony studied biology with the goal of becoming a doctor. To use his words, his grades weren’t going to cut it for med school, w…

Mo Dezyanian describes himself as the “kid who skipped cartoons to watch the commercials.” But if you look at his early years, you’d be hard pressed to see a future ad agency founder.A somewhat nomadic childhood, Mo was born in Iran, but spent much of his youth living in Germany.His family eventually moved to Canada, and Mo would go on to study com…

Publics relations, social media management, media strategy, and new business development have all played a pivotal role in Sarah Thompson’s career. Born & raised in Dorchester, Ontario, Sarah relocated to Toronto after graduating from university and college.The early part of Sarah’s career was heavily concentrated in public relations. This included…

Agency, vendor, and not-for-profit, Lucy Collin has touched virtually every segment of the media & marketing world.Born & raised in Cartier, Ontario—a small town 80 kilometers north of Sudbury, Lucy moved to Toronto when she was 18 to study Fashion Merchandising and Marketing at Centennial College.After graduating, Lucy moved into media buying & pl…

Founded in 1987 by Denise and Allan Jones, the Jones & Jones Group has served many sides of the creative world for Afro-Caribbean & multi-cultural creators. And at the head of this is today’s guest, Jesse Jones.Born in Sudbury and raised in Toronto, Jesse studied marketing & communications at the University of Ottawa. Being in the nation’s capital …

Have you ever viewed a science, history, or geography video on social media? Of course you have. They’re everywhere. Then it’s likely you’ve seen something produced by Steve Hulford’s company, Underknown.Underknown is a next-generation digital media company operating 40+ owned & operated video channels on social media. With 50 million followers and…

What was your first sales job? Was it in adtech? Media? Perhaps it goes a back a little further. A paper route? Girl Guide cookies? Or maybe a lemonade stand.When Jaime Lipowtiz was a child, she was flipping Beanie Babies. That was then and this is now. She has since moved from collectables and into cannabis.Jaime is the founder of the High Buds Cl…

If you look back at Krista Webster’s high school career, nobody would blame you for thinking she was headed straight for Broadway. The arts —especially music theatre, played a major role in her teenaged years.But her professional career would bring about the opportunity to work with a relatively new type of performer—influencers.Krista is the Presi…

We have a return guest—Walder Amaya from Episode 4 is back on the podcast.So what’s Walder been up to since we last chatted way back in 2015? Quite a bit actually. He departed Evolve Media to co-found Apex Mobile Media—a leading mobile marketing solutions company. And in just a short period of time the company has grown to include the Apex Gaming N…

Data—it has always played a role in advertising and marketing, and its prominence & demand has only grown over time. As a matter of fact, many thought leaders refer to data as the new oil to illustrate just how important it has become.And at the heart of all this is today’s guest, Janice Liu. Janice is the Senior Vice President and General Manager …

Media, adtech, renewable energy, and seafood? It’s quite the eclectic mix of business interests, but it’s just a selection of the many professional endeavors of today’s guest, Andrew Murray.Andrew is the CEO of Broadside9, a media agency specializing in interactive media solutions.Andrew was born in Ottawa, but spent the majority of his youth in Pr…

Darrick Li’s Comscore career started directly after university, and continued for more than a decade. He began as an analyst before pivoting into sales—a move that would launch his career within the company and take him all the way to Senior Director of Sales.It should be no surprise that Standard Media Index tapped him to lead their foray into the…

Think managing media a country with two national languages is complicated? Try handling media and marketing in India—a country with over 1.3 billion people, a number of languages & dialects, and a variety of cultural nuances that need to be accounted for.But that’s only one of the many pieces that make up the life and career of today’s guest, Maz T…