Fearless Creative Leadership

'The Math and Magic Man'. Bob Pittman has lived several lives in the course of this one.  At 27 he gave birth to MTV. Then turned Nickelodeon into a lasting success and launched VH-1 and Nick at Night. He was at the center of the creation of Time Warner, ran Six Flags theme parks and then Century 21 real estate before becoming CEO of AOL. He did all of that before the Millennium. In this century he has been the COO of AOL-Time Warner and co-founded, Pilot, LLC an investment group with a remarkably diverse portfolio, before joining Clear Channel Media and Entertainment. From 2011-14 he was named the most powerful man in radio. In 2014, the company was re-named and Bob became Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. He has also been the chairman of the Robin Hood Foundation, fighting poverty in NYC, the Chairman of New York Public Theater, and served on the boards of an extraordinary number of companies and not for profits. Along the way, he’s found time to spend 6,000 hours behind the controls of a plane, and learned to fly helicopters too. He is a human being of diverse interests. He is a man of intention and intense action. We talked about the science and showmanship of leading creativity, about tortured geniuses and what he thinks about his failures and his legacy. This an action packed thirty minutes. A reflection of the man. I hope you enjoy it.  

A 5 minute edited highlight of our full length conversation.

'The Team Builder'. Dianne Wilkins is the CEO of Critical Mass - a global digital experience design agency. She is also a talent magnet, drawing people to her with her openness and her commitment to their success. She is also a survivor. We talked about her willingness to jump in, the tragedy that changed her life, and the role that ice cream played in shaping her remarkable career. Let me know what you think.   

A five minute edited highlight of our full length conversation

'The Thoughtful Leader'. Rei Inamoto is unique. And he’s an identical twin. His professional life has encompassed some of the most prominent and powerful leadership positions in the creative industries, including five years at R/GA and then as the worldwide chief creative officer at AKQA. In 2016, he and his partner Rem Reynolds, launched Inamoto and Co -  a "business invention studio" focused on design, data, technology and digital transformation.  Rei and I met in their offices in Brooklyn and talked about the impact of having a twin, of life as an outsider, and about the importance of humility.  A couple of days after we recorded our interview, Rei emailed me and said that he’d been thinking about one of my questions since we met, and wanted to give a more thoughtful answer. He included a recording and asked if I minded including it.  I didn’t mind. And I have included it at the very end of the show. It’s worth listening to. In fact, it’s potentially much more than that.

A five minute edited highlight of our full-length conversation.

'The Confidence Builder'. My conversation with Kojo Marfo - Director and Founder, My Runway Group Kojo has a passion to change the world. He focuses on social impact through instilling self belief in young adults. His ventures - including myrunwaygroup.com, are targeted at providing a platform for youth development and creative growth.  

A five minute edited highlight of our full-length conversation.

'The Business Starter'. John Borthwick is the founder and CEO of Betaworks, a New York based business described variously as a company of builders, a start-up studio, and a seed stage venture capital company.  Betaworks has built a diverse range of companies that sit at the intersection of media and technology, including Giphy, TweetDeck, and Dots. Last year, they announced the launch of a $50 million early-stage fund called betaworks ventures, designed to support all three of the company’s investment portfolio models - from Betaworks owned, to theme based accelerators to investment in outside companies. John and I talked about why small is beautiful when it comes to unlocking creativity, about the first time he saw the Internet, and why using technology to connect people isn’t enough.

A five minute edited highlight of our full conversation.