Agency of Today

We’ll be talking about…. Differences between a team leader at an agency vs inside a large company like Google.  What Googliness actually is. Pointers for someone going from an agency to big tech Speaking truth to power and more Tobi is a User Experience Design Manager overseeing UX teams for over a half a dozen Google Cloud products. She has led product and service design teams for corporate, government, and education accounts at AKQA, HUGE, Razorfish and her own small shop. Tobi is an active sponsor of accessibility in product design.

We’ll be talking to Adam about…. The differences and future of the UX and design disciplines  How to develop a UX portfolio and land a gig with Dream Projects  The importance of design and proving it’s value How to implement new design processes  Not compromising and holding to a high standard Working with recruiters and more Adam Perlis is the Founder and CEO of Academy – Product Design Agency. He also founded Dream Projects. He is the former Head of Design/UX for TIME Magazine where he oversaw the redesign of TIME, Fortune and Money.com. His award-winning work has been featured on Awwwards, The FWA, and TechCrunch. He has been a speaker at SXSW, Web Summit, Northside Festival, Fifteen Second Festival, Tech Open Air. Working as both a designer and developer his diverse skill set includes UX/UI design, front-end and back-end development, 2D & 3D motion graphics, video production. He is a Design Sprint Facilitator, User Experience Designer, and Design Thinking Expert with a passion for human-centered design.  He also has served on the InVision Design Leadership Forum, DesignBetter.co Instructor, Working Not Working Members Board, Rutgers University Design Thinking Advisory Board, and as a guest lecturer at General Assembly.

In this episode we discuss.... The pros and cons of working on the coasts and in between  The importance of process What makes a good project manager The varying position titles across agencies and clients Transitioning from a practitioner to a manager  Emily is a digital producer / project manager who has partnered with clients ranging from Volkswagen, Verizon, Taco Bell and KRAFT.  From social campaigns to custom apps and .com redesigns, Emily’s had the opportunity to create process and efficiencies. She is an agent for change who is constantly looking outside the ad industry for new and creative ideas. With her flexible style Emily has worked on both coasts and is currently operating in Denver, CO at The Integer Group as a Director of Digital Production. 

In this episode we discuss…. Advice for starting your own agency Work/life balance Career recommendations  2020 and beyond  Rem Reynolds is a Founding Partner at I&CO, a business invention firm based in Brooklyn and Tokyo. He previously held leadership positions at AKQA and Digitas. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two sons.

In this episode we talk about… The power of brand  Pushing into the consultant space  Why a client needs strategy from an agency Recommendations for those wanting to be a strategist  Planners vs strategists Holding agencies accountable Markus is a Group Strategy Director at R/GA, where he solves complex problems to drive growth for Fortune 500 clients. He is passionate about creating authentic, relevant and differentiated brands, products and experiences. Driven by curiosity and empathy, he loves uncovering actionable insights and mentoring teams across disciplines. Most importantly, he’s all about positive vibes.   

Starting during the infancy of the digital industry through today Career advice from someone with over 25 years of experience Being a specialist vs a generalist  The best thing you can do for your career David started his career as a journalist, and then took a brief left turn as an attorney, he has been working in the digital space for 20+ years. He started in digital with groundbreaking cd-rom magazine Blender before moving to the agency world with roles at MF+P, RareMedium and Barbarian Group. He works currently as a digital strategy and relationship consultant. His work has included digital platform + campaign development for global 100 brands including Samsung and LG.  

A dive into data with Jake Abraham a topic not only important for our industry but for the public as a whole due to the growing concerns and conversations around platforms such as Facebook and Google.  We’ll be breaking down data definitions, how it’s used, best practices, privacy concerns, the role of media as well as how Jake went from being a producer to being a prominent player in the world of data.     Jake Abraham is a Peabody nominated producer of film, television and digital projects with over 20 years experience.  For over the past five years Jake has been involved with data in regards to content creation and distribution.  He was Head of Studio at iCrossing overseeing the creation of content for advertisers within the Hearst network and he is currently President at AuDigent.  AuDigent is a data platform specializing in music, entertainment, sports and pop culture.   

When tech should be involved in the creative process Tips for aspiring tech leaders How AI will impact the field Why the best engineers are lazy How to stay on top of all of the new tech  Working with and tips for in-house tech teams The importance of culture for technologists How many f bombs he can drop in an episode  Lawrence has over 20 years in technology working with Fortune 500 clients and agencies such as AKQA, JWT, Huge, R/GA and of course VaynerMedia to name just a few.   In addition to his agency experience Lawrence has also been a strategic advisor wearing multiple hats for Opus AI which is an AI bias free screening solution for HR and recruiting.  

Challenges and recommendations to new mothers or rather primary caregivers who are leaders.    Client services, what it means, the future of it, the role vs project management, staffing vs casting teams and advice for those early in their career.  Stefanie is a marketing consultant with over 10 years experience in digital marketing and advertising.  American Express, Canon, Samsung and Verizon are just a couple of the clients that she has partnered with.  

Career advice for data analysts The impact of AI If analytic capabilities is moving in-house The importance of coding And how you get fired by the Interpol, ie Juan’s everlasting love for Paul Banks  Juan has been in the analytics game for over 10 years on both the media and product side working with client’s such as L’Oreal, Nike, Samsung and Verizon, just to name a few.

Three qualities of strong creative leaders Tips for the aspiring creative directors Building successful teams Balancing time on the work vs management responsibilities  David has been listed in Adweek’s 15 Leading Mobile Innovators, he has worked in over half of the world’s continents and for the top brands in those markets.