Breaking and Entering Advertising Podcast

Today, Breaking and Entering heads to McGarrah Jessee in Austin to unpack why the city has become one of advertising’s most creatively alive markets. Strategy lead Jen Hruska and CEO Britton Upham dig into how Austin’s laid back culture fuels better work, why individuality matters more than trying too hard, and what it really means to build brands with integrity. From "advertising athletes" to "in demand and choosy" partnerships, this episode is a look inside an agency that believes good can still be good business.This episode was produced in partnership with McGarrah Jessee More from Breaking and Entering Media:💼 Follow on LinkedIn⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-entering-podcast/⁠📖 Read our Publications⁠ https://www.breaking-entering.com/blog⁠💬 Join our Unlocked GroupMe⁠ https://groupme.com/join_group/102437585/xg5Z5tei⁠✉️ Subscribe to The Vault⁠ https://breakingandenteringadv.substack.com/⁠📹 Subscribe to our :60 Advertising News Videos⁠ https://breakingandentering.beehiiv.com/⁠🏆 Check out the Crowbar Awards to break into advertising⁠ https://www.crowbarawards.com/⁠🤝 Work With Us - Email: ⁠breakingandentering@smoothmedia.co⁠

This week, Breaking and Entering breaks into Bakery’s Austin HQ where the lobby is a bar, the agency has a spirit animal, and the work is built by people who are hungry to make things that actually matter. Founders and creative leaders unpack why Austin has become one of advertising’s most magnetic cities, how indie agencies are reshaping the culture, and what it really takes to build work without layers, gimmicks, or bureaucracy. From custom Nike sneakers to 3D-printed prototypes, this episode is a look inside an agency that does not just launch brands but helps invent them.This episode was produced in partnership with Bakery.More from Breaking and Entering Media:💼 Follow on LinkedIn⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-entering-podcast/⁠📖 Read our Publications⁠ https://www.breaking-entering.com/blog⁠💬 Join our Unlocked GroupMe⁠ https://groupme.com/join_group/102437585/xg5Z5tei⁠✉️ Subscribe to The Vault⁠ https://breakingandenteringadv.substack.com/⁠📹 Subscribe to our :60 Advertising News Videos⁠ https://breakingandentering.beehiiv.com/⁠🏆 Check out the Crowbar Awards to break into advertising⁠ https://www.crowbarawards.com/⁠🤝 Work With Us - Email: ⁠breakingandentering@smoothmedia.co⁠

Breaking And Entering's 2025 Ad Agency Of The Year.03:10 - Recap of the year in advertising 06:10 - Breakout agency of the year 17:00 - Agency of the year 46:00 - Campaign of the year 01:09:30 - Looking ahead to 2026 More from Breaking and Entering Media:💼 Follow on LinkedIn⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-entering-podcast/⁠📖 Read our Publications⁠ https://www.breaking-entering.com/blog⁠💬 Join our Unlocked GroupMe⁠ https://groupme.com/join_group/102437585/xg5Z5tei⁠✉️ Subscribe to The Vault⁠ https://breakingandenteringadv.substack.com/⁠📹 Subscribe to our :60 Advertising News Videos⁠ https://breakingandentering.beehiiv.com/⁠🏆 Check out the Crowbar Awards to break into advertising⁠ https://www.crowbarawards.com/⁠🤝 Work With Us - Email: ⁠breakingandentering@smoothmedia.co⁠

Breaking into advertising has changed.In this solo episode, host Geno Schellenberger shares an updated framework for breaking into the industry in 2026 as entry-level roles shrink and expectations shift.He walks through Nerd Up, Work Up, and Cool Up, then introduces a new fourth pillar that now matters more than ever.If you are a student, recent grad, or early-career professional trying to break into advertising, this episode is for you.Follow B&E on IG for fast and fun advertising content that will help you break in or thrive in the industry: https://www.instagram.com/breakingandenteringmedia/

Jeff Goodby joins Breaking and Entering to unpack how a career built on curiosity, risk, and a little vandalism reshaped modern advertising. From breaking into the industry with a homemade portfolio to co-founding Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Jeff shares hard-earned lessons on ideas, leadership, and why the best work should feel a little dangerous. He dives into the thinking behind iconic campaigns, the power of noticing what others overlook, and what the next generation needs to survive and stand out. A masterclass, if you will, in doing the work your mom definitely wouldn’t think of.More from Breaking and Entering Media:💼 Follow on LinkedIn⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-entering-podcast/⁠📖 Read our Publications⁠ https://www.breaking-entering.com/blog⁠💬 Join our Unlocked GroupMe⁠ https://groupme.com/join_group/102437585/xg5Z5tei⁠✉️ Subscribe to The Vault⁠ https://breakingandenteringadv.substack.com/⁠📹 Subscribe to our :60 Advertising News Videos⁠ https://breakingandentering.beehiiv.com/⁠🏆 Check out the Crowbar Awards to break into advertising⁠ https://www.crowbarawards.com/⁠🤝 Work With Us - Email: ⁠breakingandentering@smoothmedia.co⁠

Disclosure: Travel and accommodations for this visit were provided by the agency.Breaking and Entering breaks into Tombras, setting up inside the agency’s real-time social and data bunker in Knoxville. Geno and Jack sit down with Tombras CCO Paul Caiozzo and ECD Nathan Frank to unpack how data, AI, and cultural listening actually fuel breakthrough creative work. They get into fast-turn social moments, unapologetically being an ad agency, and why building world-class work far from New York might be the advantage. A behind-the-scenes look at what happens when creativity, analytics, and independence collide.More from Breaking and Entering Media:💼 Follow on LinkedIn⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-entering-podcast/⁠📖 Read our Publications⁠ https://www.breaking-entering.com/blog⁠💬 Join our Unlocked GroupMe⁠ https://groupme.com/join_group/102437585/xg5Z5tei⁠✉️ Subscribe to The Vault⁠ https://breakingandenteringadv.substack.com/⁠📹 Subscribe to our :60 Advertising News Videos⁠ https://breakingandentering.beehiiv.com/⁠🏆 Check out the Crowbar Awards to break into advertising⁠ https://www.crowbarawards.com/⁠🤝 Work With Us - Email: ⁠breakingandentering@smoothmedia.co⁠

Geoffrey Goldberg went from Broadway performer to Co-Founder of Movers+Shakers, one of the most influential social first agencies today. We talk about how he built the agency, what makes content go viral, the culture behind their creative process, and how he thinks the next generation can break into advertising. He also shares his path from the stage to the industry, the lessons that shaped him, and what it takes to make work that moves culture.More from Breaking and Entering Media:💼 Follow on LinkedIn⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-entering-podcast/⁠📖 Read our Publications⁠ https://www.breaking-entering.com/blog⁠💬 Join our Unlocked GroupMe⁠ https://groupme.com/join_group/102437585/xg5Z5tei⁠✉️ Subscribe to The Vault⁠ https://breakingandenteringadv.substack.com/⁠📹 Subscribe to our :60 Advertising News Videos⁠ https://breakingandentering.beehiiv.com/⁠🏆 Check out the Crowbar Awards to break into advertising⁠ https://www.crowbarawards.com/⁠🤝 Work With Us - Email: ⁠breakingandentering@smoothmedia.co⁠

Omid Farhang joins the show to talk about how he built Majority from the ground up, and why being tapped into culture gives creative work a competitive edge. He breaks down the early days of pitching the idea to Shaquille O’Neal and the pressure of proving the agency through real work. We get into his rise from Crispin intern to industry leader and why persistence matters more than talent. This episode is a blueprint for anyone trying to make an impact in advertising today.More from Breaking and Entering Media:💼 Follow on LinkedIn⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-entering-podcast/⁠📖 Read our Publications⁠ https://www.breaking-entering.com/blog⁠💬 Join our Unlocked GroupMe⁠ https://groupme.com/join_group/102437585/xg5Z5tei⁠✉️ Subscribe to The Vault⁠ https://breakingandenteringadv.substack.com/⁠📹 Subscribe to our :60 Advertising News Videos⁠ https://breakingandentering.beehiiv.com/⁠🏆 Check out the Crowbar Awards to break into advertising⁠ https://www.crowbarawards.com/⁠🤝 Work With Us - Email: ⁠breakingandentering@smoothmedia.co⁠

PayPal Ads is one of the most interesting new ad platforms in the market. We sat down with Dr. Mark Grether, SVP and General Manager of PayPal Ads, to break down how PayPal collects first party commerce data from PayPal, Venmo, and Honey, how 30 percent of global commerce passes through its products, and why they believe the future of advertising is buying directly inside the ad. We also did a mock job interview for a PayPal Ads sales role live on the show.Topics:• 400 million users and 30 percent of global commerce• How PayPal makes ads shoppable with checkout and trust built in• Using first party data to build a new ad platform• Working with agencies and brands• Mark’s career at Amazon, Uber, GroupM, and now PayPalListen to the full episode and learn away! More from Breaking and Entering Media:💼 Follow on LinkedIn⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-entering-podcast/⁠📖 Read our Publications⁠ https://www.breaking-entering.com/blog⁠💬 Join our Unlocked GroupMe⁠ https://groupme.com/join_group/102437585/xg5Z5tei⁠✉️ Subscribe to The Vault⁠ https://breakingandenteringadv.substack.com/⁠📹 Subscribe to our :60 Advertising News Videos⁠ https://breakingandentering.beehiiv.com/⁠🏆 Check out the Crowbar Awards to break into advertising⁠ https://www.crowbarawards.com/⁠🤝 Work With Us - Email: ⁠breakingandentering@smoothmedia.co⁠

Andrea Gilman, CMO of Early Warning (Zelle and Paze), joins Breaking and Entering Brandside to share three rules for building a marketing career you actually enjoy. She traces her path from economic consulting in Excel to Time Inc, IBM, startup life, more than 20 years at Mastercard, and now leading products used by millions, explaining how an MBA, empathy, and trust shaped each move. Her three rules: define your current North Star, build real skills and relationships, and lead with empathy for partners and consumers.More from Breaking and Entering Media:💼 Follow on LinkedIn⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-entering-podcast/⁠📖 Read our Publications⁠ https://www.breaking-entering.com/blog⁠💬 Join our Unlocked GroupMe⁠ https://groupme.com/join_group/102437585/xg5Z5tei⁠✉️ Subscribe to The Vault⁠ https://breakingandenteringadv.substack.com/⁠📹 Subscribe to our :60 Advertising News Videos⁠ https://breakingandentering.beehiiv.com/⁠🏆 Check out the Crowbar Awards to break into advertising⁠ https://www.crowbarawards.com/⁠🤝 Work With Us - Email: ⁠breakingandentering@smoothmedia.co⁠