Special Sauce

Mike Romoff, Chief Revenue Officer at Reddit, brings a wealth of experience from LinkedIn, Google, and Hulu. In this conversation, he shares his profound meeting with the Dalai Lama and how it transformed his understanding of compassion. Mike delves into Reddit’s unique role in fostering niche communities and the benefits of anonymity in online interactions. He also reflects on raising a neurodiverse child, reshaping his views on success and emotional intelligence, all while maintaining his eclectic style as a form of self-expression.

Janet Balis, Managing Director and Partner at BCG, has a rich history in media and marketing, having worked with giants like Time Warner and AOL. In this conversation, she highlights AI's parallels to the early digital era and the importance of asking the right questions. Janet reflects on her commitment to Cycle for Survival, the qualities that set great leaders apart, and how she nurtures connections. She emphasizes the joy of reinvention, resilience in the face of change, and the need for authenticity in professional relationships.

Seb Tomich has helped redefine how legacy media evolves for the digital era. After early hustles selling Patagonia jackets in Boulder and sunglasses in New York, he found his footing at Forbes under the mentorship of Meredith Kopit Levien — who would later bring him to The New York Times, where he spent more than a decade driving digital transformation, building T Brand Studio, and shaping the company’s pivot from print to digital.Now as Chief Commercial Officer of The Athletic, Seb is leading the next evolution of sports media. He joins Jordan to talk about the lessons he has learned from Meredith, the long game of the Sulzberger family, and why brand endurance may be the ultimate advantage in a fleeting digital world. Seb also shares his unlikely blessing from the Dalai Lama, living in an RV in Jersey City, his transition into fatherhood, and the joy of building something that truly lasts.

Jacki Kelley’s career spans the full breadth of modern media — from the circulation department at USA Today to leadership roles at Yahoo, Martha Stewart, Bloomberg, Dentsu, and now Interpublic Group. Raised on a Colorado ranch, she learned early the values of discipline, empathy, and hard work that would define her approach to business and life.Jacki joins the podcast to talk about what it means to “become a beginner again,” the mentors who shaped her path, and her belief that “the quality of our relationships remains the most valued measure of our success.” She shares lessons from leaders like Wenda Harris-Millard, Martha Stewart, and Michael Bloomberg, and explains the “balcony to basement” leadership philosophy that guides how she manages both big vision and small details. Jacki also opens up about her family’s experience fostering more than 25 children — and how that journey has deepened her sense of purpose and perspective.

Rob Norman has spent decades helping to define the modern media industry. Starting as a media assistant in London, he rose to lead GroupM North America and later, as it's Global Chief Digital Officer, he traveled the world helping clients drive innovation during the rise of social, mobile and auction-based media. All along the way, he has helped shape the careers of many of today's industry leaders.Rob joins the podcast to talk about the genesis of holding companies and the difference between power and influence. He and Jordan discuss Rob's approach to mentoring, the satisfaction of being useful, his near-perfect New York Times Spelling Bee streak, and how a trip to Shea Stadium in 1986 turned him into a lifelong (and long-suffering) Mets fan. Jordan also asks Rob a burning question regarding his own career that he's been wondering about for amost 10 years.

Abbey Klaassen is the Global Brand President at Dentsu Creative, where she leads thousands of creative professionals around the world. Earlier in her career, she was at Advertising Age, where she rose from reporter to editor and associate publisher, before making the leap to the agency side at 360i.Abbey joins the podcast to talk about the risks of leaving journalism for advertising, what she learned from running new business pitches, which jobs she thinks she was not ready for when she got them, and why she believes AI can expand creativity as opposed to diminishing it. She and Jordan also discuss Abbey's Midwestern roots, her balance of right and left brain thinking, the value of being a "utility player," and the power of being a part of professional groups (Go French Bulldogs!).

Penry Price is a media and technology leader whose career has spanned publishing, ad tech, and some of the world’s most influential platforms. He’s held leadership roles at Rolling Stone, Us Weekly, Google, and LinkedIn, where he served as VP of Marketing Solutions for nearly a decade.Penry joins the podcast to talk about growing up in a Mad Men household, his family’s 800-person reunion, and what it was like to help Google and LinkedIn build multi-billion dollar ad businesses.He and Jordan discuss the influences of Tim Armstrong, Jeff Weiner and Satya Nadella, the question that a successful sales leader might have working at a major platform ("Is it me, or the brand?"), the rules he made for himself as the creator of his LinkedIn walk-and-talk videos, and the grand gesture he made to people in his life on the occasion of his 50th birthday.

Sarah Personette is a media industry leader who has worked at some of the most well known media brands over time: Facebook, Twitter, Starcom, Universal McCann and Refinery29.She is now the CEO at Puck, the media company covering the intersecting worlds of Silicon Valley, Hollywood, Washington and Wall Street.Sarah joins the podcast to talk about her bold career ambitions growing up, how agencies provide the opportunity to emerging talent to lead teams at a young age, and what UM saw in her to make her their U.S. President when she was just 33 years old. She and Jordan discuss the difference between working at Facebook and Twitter, her background as an opera singer, and why being known for both toughness and kindness is important to her.

Lee Brown has been the Global Head of Advertising at Spotify for the last 5 years. Before that, he held senior revenue positions at Buzzfeed, Tumblr, Groupon, and Yahoo! He's been a leader at the largest digital properties, companies innovating in commerce and culture, and has done so with an energy and curiosity that's hard to match. Lee joins the podcast to talk about growing up in Kentucky, the experience of being the youngest child, the oldest child, and an only child — all in the space of one lifetime (it's true!), and his need to make a career pivot at just 23 years old.He shares his Dad's philosophy on 'working the hardest, even if you're not the smartest,' the aggressiveness it took to land accounts early in his career and how he is inherently motivated by risk. Lee and Jordan discuss Lee's ability to merchandise a business through experiences and aesthetics, and the power - and comfort - of having a strong network in business.A note to listeners, this conversation with Lee will be the the last episode until just after Labor Day. We'll be back then with fresh sauce."

Gurman Hundal leads MiQ, a programmatic media company that is beloved in the ad tech industry by its clients and partners. He started MiQ with his partner Lee Puri 15 years ago and the pair have since grown the business to 1,500 employees around the world.Gurman joins the podcast to talk about why he believes in operating with a long-term mindset, the reason he never took venture capital, the philosophy of "sell or be sold" that helps him and Lee make big decisions, and why he has no desire to ever have "an exit."He and Jordan discuss how to make big bets in an industry that is always evolving, including the company's recent roll out of new AI technology that MiQ believes will change programmatic media.