Rising Season 3
Top Takeaways
In the latest season of Rising: Conversations with Leaders On Their Way Up, our podcast hosts Josh Boaz and Mat Zucker engaged with some of the brightest minds in marketing, uncovering insights and personal stories that define the essence of leadership and innovation. From career trajectories to impactful advice, each episode was a treasure trove of wisdom. In this season's roundup, we've captured key learnings that resonate and continue to inspire.
Key Takeaways
Every featured guest brings unique career takeaways from their dynamic experiences in the marketing industry. Here are a few highlights that left a lasting impression.
“The Little Things Are the Big Things” – Abby V Reiner, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at J&J MedTech
Abby discusses the importance of handwritten notes, high-quality sound for events, and how much you can accomplish in just 24 hours. She carries with her a poignant quote from Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney: “A brand is a living entity, and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures.”
“Learning Velocity” – Jesse Purewal, VP of Corporate Marketing & Brand at PagerDuty
Jesse shares how he learned to get numbers right, from mastering situation analysis and markets to understanding growth trajectories. He emphasizes the value of storytelling in breaking down data analytics and effectively narrating stories.
“Cultural Fluency” – Stephen Cassell, Chief Marketing & Brand Officer at Point32 Health
Stephen reflects on his global journey, encompassing both challenges and opportunities, from his early days at American Express in the UK to roles in Brazil, the US, and Mexico. He also highlights the importance of having a "personal panel of advisors" for guidance and support.
“Follow the Fun” – Bradley Werner, Senior Director of Global Content Strategy, Production & Innovation at CBRE
Bradley recounts his unique career trajectory, starting with a Craig's List ad and culminating in leading content for the world's largest commercial real estate company. He shares the art of skillfully navigating between startup environments and corporate roles.
“The Handshake ROI” — Dave Edwards, EVP of Global Growth at R3
Dave recounts his journey across several agencies – including Ogilvy, Rapp, and R/GA – and roles in both account management and business development. He even shares some candid missteps along the way (“Verify the scope is signed!”). Additionally, he provides his standout approach to networking events: he prepares in advance, sits in the front row, takes a photo, and follows up by sending them afterward.
“A Growth Mindset” – Diego Norris, Chief Marketing Officer at Gimme Seaweed
Diego traces his path as a CPG marketer, beginning with Pepsico in Argentina and progressing through a stint in management consulting. He discusses "lifestyle design” and making deliberate career choices accordingly. He also explores the essential skills needed for marketing success, how he's integrating AI into business practices, and the unique benefits of seaweed.
“The Next Playbook” – Jeffrey L. Bowman, CEO, Co-Founder & Inventor at Reframe
Jeffrey pioneered a change operating system that helps people leaders build the most culturally inclusive environments and customer experiences at scale. He dives into his large career moves across brand management, getting into digital early on, conferences like the National Black Career Conference, and his brief stint as a recruiter. His advice to the next generation is to “think of the macro, and then identify your role in the micro.”
“Versatility” – John Gaines, VP of Marketing at Cohere Health
John shares his belief that non-marketing experience is crucial to forging a robust marketing career and enhancing your ability to communicate across an organization. From Macy’s to management consulting to McKesson and beyond, John discusses his dynamic career across product management and marketing. “To be successful in marketing, I don’t know how you can do that without understanding how product teams work and what it takes to sell.”
Thank You Notes
“Thank You Notes” – our segment on gratitude – asks guests to recognize someone from their past who opened up a door for them or provided an indelible piece of advice. Our guests thanked mentors who exemplified humility, imparted business wisdom, kept them grounded, colleagues who challenged them, and even high school German teachers. Here are some of the highlights!
“There are contributors. And there are contaminators. Be a contributor. When you come across a contaminator, excise them.” — Bill Kaspari, via Bradley Werner
“Each time, she provided me with challenging opportunities that helped me grow as a marketer.” — Suzanne Saltzman, via Diego Norris
“He really got to know me. He helped me understand how to conduct interviews… how to show up.” — Robert Himby, via Jeffrey Bowman
Top Picks
Each Rising episode concludes with our guests and hosts providing their “Top Picks” – or favorite recommendations for listeners – on what to read, watch, download or listen to. Here’s a summary of this season’s Top Picks and where you can find them.
Podcasts
"Armchair Expert" by Dax Shepherd
"Marketecture” by Ari Paparo & Eric Franchi
"The Current” by The Trade Desk
"Turning Points” by Point32 Health
Books
It’s Not How Good You Are. It’s How Good You Want to Be by Paul Arden
Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite by Paul Arden
How to Master the Art of Selling by Tom Hopkins
The Innovators by Walter Isaacson
House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
Lemon: A Novel by Kwon Yeo Sun
We Should Not Be Friends by Will Schwalb
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towlez
Show Your Work by Austin Kleon
Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh
Journey of Humanity: Origins of Wealth and Inequality by Oded Galor
Born Extraordinary: A parent’s guide to empowering children to embrace their visible and invisible differences by Meg Zucker
Cultish by Amanda Montell
Apps
Strava, (for exercise running)
MidJourney AI (for AI design)
PodViz (for converting audio files to video)
Perplexity AI (for information collection & answer generation)
Beautiful AI (for presentation making)
DJ by Spotify (for personal DJ capabilities)
This season of "Rising" has been a journey of insights and inspiration from top marketing leaders. Their stories emphasize the diverse paths to success and the dynamic nature of our industry. We invite you to recommend future guests and tune in to our podcast for more enlightening conversations that shape the world of marketing!
