A few weeks back, I got to talk to Neal Mann.Neal has had a fascinating career. Working in the literal frontlines of journalism, he got to experience the pressures and realities of getting stories out to the world before your competitors. He was an early advocate and power user of digital platforms like Twitter and understood the transformations happening to news and journalism. He spent time helping News Corp and Dow Jones with their digital transformations and at Anomaly, where he was Director of Content and Global Head of Transformation. Neal has recently relocated from the US to Portugal, where he now works as the co-founder of NOAN, a start-up that uses AI to empower millions of small business owners to compete with the big guys. 

Joe Carter spent time working in independent ad agencies in the UK, landed a sales job at Contagious, became enamored with Colenso BBDO,  arranged to have lunch with the agency MD, brought a one-way ticket to Auckland,  got a job in new biz at Colenso and then went on to be a co-founder of a company that makes cast pans- The Ironclad Pan Company.In the podcast, I talk to Joe about his journey, what he's learned, and his plans for the future.It's a required listen for anyone working in advertising who wants to take a shot at building a brand and business from scratch. 

The latest episode of the Inspiring Futures podcast features an interview with Katie Dreke. Katie has spent time with the likes of 180, Wieden Kennedy, Droga5, and Nike (7 years), and three years ago, she embarked on her journey as a consultant, which was when we last spoke.  We talked about her biggest learnings over the three years- such as unpacking and understanding her skills and capabilities and what she can offer her clients. Her fascination and interest in "futures" work and how it's become more relevant these days. Understanding that the future will be complex, we must look to the positives, technological advances, and the opportunities it presents.  How can brands navigate their way to this new future?How can they be the authors of their narratives?It also took us into the world of "Unknown- Unknowns" as the place to think about and where you can explore the most exciting questions and opportunities. And how a strategist has the power to look and poke through the system/ecosystem of pieces to find the "lightbulb that needs to be changed to make the world brighter."We also touched upon awards shows and how agencies should think beyond them to offer their core capabilities to solve problems meaningfully, and perhaps it means competitive agencies working together. There was also some discussion around the analogy of the contemporary brand as "the body"..............some parts need to move past, some parts need to move slowly, some parts need fixing, and some weak empathy muscles, etc...All in all, it was an inspiring and fascinating conversation with lots of food for thought. 

The latest Inspiring Futures podcast features an interview with George Prest.George started his career in the creative department of BBH and moved on to creative director roles at Lowe. He was early to understand the power of digital transformation and was Global Executive Creative Director at R/GA and, most recently, a partner at the Brandtech Group.In the podcast, we discuss his career trajectory, embrace of digital, and fondness for strategy and creative problem-solving. His most recent experience as a consultant has included thinking about the issues around brand purpose, which we discuss in the episode, and how it became a springboard to his involvement in local politics in the UK.

Sophie Ayles, one of Australia's most experienced strategists, discusses her journey, the challenges of being a strategist, and the aspects of strategy she enjoys. She also talks about her work at M&C Saatchi/Greenhouse, transforming Woolworths, Australia's largest retailer. The podcast explores cultural transformations, the story of Woolworths, and reviving love for the brand by showcasing partnerships and innovations.

In the latest Inspiring Futures podcast, I spoke with Dan Gardner, the co-founder of Code and Theory. A 22-year-old- digital-first agency that states its philosophy as   "Our intent is to be unclassifiable in a cluttered agency landscape.We discussed the origins and evolutions of Code and Theory, how to think about technology correctly, the importance of discourse, what keeps him inspired, the power of the internet giants, why all websites look the same these days, and many other things. 

Ivan heads up Redscout and is the CEO of the consulting company. Founded over 20 years ago, Redscout focuses on "making change real," using strategists and designers to make this happen. Ivan has a strategy background and has been with Redscout since 2015. His client experience includes- Best Buy, Google, PepsiCo, and ADP.  Our conversation was wide-ranging, covering his career progression, the state of marketing and brands today, brand and performance marketing. talent, skills, and what it takes to succeed at Red Scout. 

Kyle is the Strategy Director of BBH Singapore, where he works on a roster of great brands, including; Heineken, Nike, and Riot Games. The podcast discusses his background, including his time at BBDO in Germany and his award-winning work for the WWF (World Wildlife Fund). We also talk about the importance of how work gets developed that's culturally resonant and is likely to capture attention and go into some detail on the sneaker idea BBH created for Heineken. In many ways, Kyle represents a breed of strategists at creative agencies where their understanding of culture and, importantly, how word gets out in culture plays an integral role in helping to develop great work.

Way too many months back, I had the chance to speak to Evie and Tyler at the Escape Pod in Chicago. It was an excellent opportunity to talk to members of a strategy team at a small agency. Tyler runs the department and Evie is a brand strategist on the team. Since Evie came into the industry from academia, we had an interesting discussion about what she brought to the team from her learnings on personal branding and entertainment. As a student, her dissertation was 350 pages on "Real Housewives." Tyler's experience includes Wieden, 72, and R/GA, and he has been at the shop for four years and was brought in as part of a team to create version 2.0 of the agency. We discussed the importance of building a strategy team and an overall agency culture where everyone can contribute and feels comfortable doing so. We also talked about golf grips. 

Craig Mawdsley and Bridget Angear are Craig and Bridget - brand strategy consultants based in London. They started a couple of years after spending time as joint Planning heads at AMV BBDO, where they worked on a portfolio of impressive brands and picked up a trophy case full of awards. They were named top strategists by Campaign Magazine six years out of eight. This podcast is a follow-up to one I did when they had just started their business. Two years on, we discuss how their business has evolved and developed, why strategy is still fundamental to brand and business, how they work, the importance of words, and much more. It's an essential listen for those thinking of starting their strategy practice and for those who need reminding how essential strategy is to business and brand.