Rising - Conversations with Leaders On Their Way U

Brian Myers is the Founder and CEO of CURVEJUMPER Growth Accelerator, where he works with companies from Fortune 5 to startups to drive high-growth strategy and execution. With over 25 years of experience across Accenture, Prophet, and SC Johnson, he brings a unique blend of brand, innovation, and operational expertise. In this episode, Brian shares his journey from a “regular kid” in Texas to global consulting and brand leadership, the role of earned luck in career growth, and how AI is reshaping early careers. He also discusses launching CURVEJUMPER, the importance of learning hard skills, and how reconnecting with his passion for coaching baseball reshaped his definition of success, reminding us that careers, at their core, are human Segment highlights ~2:00 Brian’s early career + “regular kid” background ~5:00 Transition into brand management ~8:00 Building design + growth capabilities at Prophet & Accenture ~10:30 Founding CURVEJUMPER + the “333 model” ~12:30 Luck vs. hard work + early career advice ~15:30 How AI is reshaping careers + “academy companies” ~17:50 Career paths for 20-year-olds today ~20:00 Starting a business + lessons learned ~22:30 Biggest career mistake ~24:30 MBA + professional education POV ~29:30 Career decisions + shifting priorities over time ~31:00 Coaching baseball + redefining success ~35:00 Thank you notes ~38:30 Top Picks Links Mentioned Claude Cowork (Anthropic) Rode Wireless Microphones Design Your Life Program (Stanford d.school) Find us on LinkedIn Josh Boaz  (host)  Mat Zucker(host) Brian Myers⁠(guest)

Andrea Sullivan is the CEO of vYve by Vayner, a leadership and business acceleration venture within VaynerX that helps high-performing entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs unlock their next level of growth. Drawing on her experience as a former CMO of VaynerX and Interbrand, a professor at the School of Visual Arts, and a longtime advisor to Fortune 500 leaders, she blends heart, strategy, and human transformation in her work. In this episode, Andrea shares her journey from a Wisconsin farm stand to global brand leadership, the career pivots that shaped her path, and why authenticity, storytelling, and community are essential for modern leaders. Segment highlights ~2:00 Andrea's career arc (including selling vegetables and being Midwestern) ~8:50 Career pivot to branding ~12:56 Takeaways about tenure ~17:54 About the new role at Vyve by Vanyner ~24:33 Balancing, doing everything ~26:33 Differentiating yourself (without B.S.) ~29:24 Thank you notes (James___?) ~31:50 Top Picks Links Mentioned Unreasonable Hospitality, by Will Guidara (book) Cracking the Rich Code: 21 Thought Leaders Share Strategic Living, Jane Barandes Monarch Money (budgeting app) Find us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠Josh Boaz⁠⁠⁠⁠ (host)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Mat Zucker⁠⁠⁠⁠ (host) ⁠Andrea Sullivan (guest)

Breaking into the professional world isn’t easy especially in today’s job market. For Ada Stout, a summer marketing intern at Prophet the path from campus to industry has been shaped by persistence, curiosity, and a willingness to learn by doing.In this episode, Ada shares the realities of the internship search, the lessons she’s gained through hands-on experience, and why mentorship matters more than ever. She also offers a candid Gen-Z perspective on navigating rejection, building connections, and the practices that help young professionals rise. Links Mentioned Rick Steves on The Interview (Podcast) Spiraling Up by Hinge (Podcast) Attio CRM Find us on Linkedln Josh Boaz(host) Mat Zucker(host) Ada Stout(guest)

Jodi Cary is the Director of Brand and Creative at Corewell Health, where she leads with empathy, clarity, and a strong creative vision. After stepping away from the workforce for over a decade to focus on motherhood, Jodi reemerged with a fresh perspective shaped by consulting, strategy, and deep curiosity. In this episode, Jodi joins us to talk about reemergence, how to navigate major career shifts, stay sharp during time away, and return to a fast-changing industry with confidence and purpose. Links Mentioned Coursera Google Analytics course Giggly Squad (Podcast) Unhedged Financial Time (Podcast) Find us on Linkedln Josh Boaz (host) Mat Zucker (host) Jodi Cary (guest)

Greg P. Liccardi is the Vice President of Sponsorships and Partner Programs at the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), where he connects leading brands with innovative marketing solutions. Known for his collaborative spirit, he helps brands drive engagement across the full marketing funnel as well as in his latest book, The Holy Grail of Marketing. Greg also teaches Integrated Marketing Communications as an Adjunct Professor at Fordham and Seton Hall Universities. In this episode, he joins us to explore how marketing and sales work together and the essential skills professionals need to grow in both. Links Mentioned Holy Grail of Marketing by Greg Liccardi Morning Brew Daily (podcast) Zoe Science & Nutrition (podcast) Clearspace (app) Find us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠Josh Boaz⁠⁠⁠ (host)⁠⁠⁠ Mat Zucker⁠⁠⁠ (host) Greg Licciardi (guest)

Kenny Smithnanic is an experienced marketing leader with a strong background in driving growth through digital strategy, content marketing, and customer engagement. Currently serving as a key figure at Mint Mobile, Kenny has led successful initiatives that enhance brand presence and deliver measurable results. With previous roles emphasizing data-driven marketing and creative storytelling, Kenny brings a wealth of expertise to his work. In this episode of Rising, Kenny shares insights on his career journey, lessons learned from developing impactful marketing strategies, his experience navigating leadership roles, and how his commitment to innovation has shaped his success.

Omar is the Founder and Principal Analyst of Benchmarker, where he has spent the last decade publishing research and advising companies on marketing excellence. Previously, he was the head of research at Altimeter, a Prophet Company, and an Associate Partner at Prophet, advising Fortune 500 companies on improving their marketing and content strategies. He is also the co-author of the best-selling book Winning Through Platforms - How To Succeed When Everyone Has One. In this episode, our guests and hosts talk about A.I. benefits and costs, moving from brand-name to start-up, rising through expertise, and more. 7:30 - Moving from name-brand to startup 9:00 - Factoring in risks 10:20 - Journalist to Analyst 14:40 - Talking to the software 16:30 - Rising through expertise 19:25 - A.I. benefits—and costs 20:35 - Becoming a consultant 23:20 - What good looks like quantitatively 25:30 - Deciding to be an entrepreneur 29:55 - Josh’s advice 30:25 - Thank you notes: Mina Kimes 31:17 - Top Pick Links Mentioned Writing Without Bullshit by Josh Burnoff Canva AccuWeather Remarkable Find us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠Josh Boaz⁠⁠⁠ (host) ⁠⁠⁠Mat Zucker⁠⁠⁠ (host) Omar Akhtar (guest)

Tom Berry is CMO at the CFA Institute where he leads a global team responsible for brand strategy, new learner acquisition, and engagement with over 200,000 members across the world. Prior to CFA Institute, Tom was Global Product Director at the Red Flag Group and previously worked in marketing at Euromoney Institutional Investor. In this episode of Rising, Tom speaks with our hosts about his dynamic professional journey, what he learned across direct response and brand, international moves including moving to Hong Kong, the shift to the CMO role, and how he has stayed curious throughout his career. In this Episode 0:00 - About Tom & Career 1:30 - First Job in a Call Center 2:28 - Wanting to Be in Marketing & Early Learning 7:37 - Global Moves 11:03 - The Shift to CMO 13:39 - Finding Peer Support 27:54 - MBA or no MBA? 19:42 - Lateral vs. Vertical Moves 23:26 - Tenure vs. Switching 26:58 - Thank You Notes 28:04 - Top Picks Links Mentioned Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride Forced (app) Find us on LinkedIn ⁠Josh Boaz⁠⁠ (host) ⁠⁠Mat Zucker⁠⁠ (host) Tom Berry (guest) Subscribe to never miss a show! Hosted by Josh Boaz and Mat Zucker, Rising is produced by Direct Agents and Prophet. For more information or to nominate a guest, please visit rising-podcast.com or email us at marketing@directagents.com. Original theme music created by Movers + Shakers. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/risingpodcast/message

Andrea Derby is Vice President of Digital Marketing at UPS. Beginning her career in the Ogilvy Associates program in New York City, she gained valuable experience in various agency functions including strategy, account management, and production. Andrea discusses her transitions between prominent agencies like Ogilvy and BBDO, delving into her roles in customer insights, one-to-one marketing, and large-scale brand campaigns. She reflects on her strategic shift to client-side positions, highlighting her impactful work at UPS and the startup initiative, Where To Go. Andrea offers insights into mentorship, the art of internal selling, and the non-finality of ‘no’ in client-side roles. Her story is enriched by her decision to pursue an MBA, emphasizing continuous learning and leadership development in the marketing sector. In this Episode ~0:00 - About Andrea & Career ~3:40 - Early Mentorship ~6:32 - Blending Brand & Performance ~10:09 - Moving Client Side ~16:37 - Business School ~21:41 - Work at UPS ~25:01 - Thank You Notes ~26:40 - Top Picks Links Mentioned Mr. Beast on Youtube Cult-ish, Amanda Mantell The Economist Podcasts Find us on LinkedIn ⁠Josh Boaz⁠ (host) ⁠Mat Zucker⁠ (host) Andrea Derby (guest) Subscribe to never miss a show! Hosted by Josh Boaz and Mat Zucker, Rising is produced by Direct Agents and Prophet. For more information or to nominate a guest, please visit rising-podcast.com or email us at marketing@directagents.com. Original theme music created by Movers + Shakers. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/risingpodcast/message

Bob Sherwin has 20 years of operating experience as a Strategist, Chief Marketing Officer, Retail Executive, and Advisor. He’s a board member at Articore (parent company of RedBubble and TeePublic) and an independent advisor to public and private companies on a range of strategic, marketing, and organizational topics, such as creating innovative and data-driven cultures. His most recent full-time corporate role was as Chief Marketing Officer at Wayfair, where he was responsible for the entire family of global brands. Prior to Wayfair, he was a consultant at McKinsey and began his career at IBM’s Business Consultant Services. He shares with Josh and Mat about his trajectory, why he got an MBA, the early influence of data, important attributes for a career, the value of variety in what you do, and what to prioritize early in your career vs. later. In This Episode 0:00 - Seeking Variety & Learning Analysis in Consulting 6:01 - Getting an MBA 7:04 - McKinsey & IBM 9:02 - Wayfair 11:32 - Trade-offs, Titles & Building Teams 15:22 - Scope & Struggles 17:12 - Managing 1,000 People 19:14 - Having a Support System (Including The Marketing Academy) 21:02 - Being on a Board 22:57 - Career Attributes 25:42 - Prioritizing Skill & Content Accumulation 27:20 - Thank You Notes 31:12 - Top Picks Links Mentioned The Marking Academy High Output Management, Andy Grove "Peter Attic Drive" (Podcast) "Zoe Podcast: Science & Nutrition" (Podcast) Goodpods (Podcast Platform) Noble Rot Find us on LinkedIn Josh Boaz (host) Mat Zucker (host) Bob Sherwin (guest) Subscribe to never miss a show! Hosted by Josh Boaz and Mat Zucker, Rising is produced by Direct Agents and Prophet. For more information or to nominate a guest, please visit rising-podcast.com or email us at marketing@directagents.com. Original theme music created by Movers + Shakers. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/risingpodcast/message

John Gaines is the VP of Marketing at Cohere Health and has over 20 years of diverse, go-to-market leadership experience across health plans, health systems, physician organizations and healthcare IT vendors. Prior to joining Cohere, John led efforts to help grow the health plan UM businesses at McKesson/Change Healthcare, Cognizant Trizetto and InformedDNA. John holds a B.A. in Economics from Cornell University. He shared with Josh and Mat about his trajectory, grasping all aspects of a business, product management, the value in non-marketing experience and opportunities in healthcare. In This Episode 01:15 - First Job at Macy’s & Running Your Own Business 04:32 - Navigating to Management Consulting 06:00 - Choosing Healthcare & Next Roles 08:02 - Motivation Behind Job Switching 13:49 - Establishing Preferences 15:31 - The Importance of Non-Marketing Experiences 19:10 - What's Next? 20:13 - Opportunities in Healthcare 22:32 - About Cohere Health 26:11 - Mistakes 28:38 - Thank You Note 31:26 - Top Picks Links Mentioned The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin Beautiful AI House of Suns, Alistair Reynolds Subscribe to never miss a show! Hosted by Josh Boaz and Mat Zucker, Rising is produced by Direct Agents and Prophet. For more information or to nominate a guest, please visit rising-podcast.com or email us at marketing@directagents.com. Original theme music created by Movers + Shakers. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/risingpodcast/message

Jeffrey L. Bowman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Reframe, where he has pioneered a change operating system with software that helps people leaders build the most culturally inclusive employee and customer experiences at scale. Bowman is also a two-time award-winning published author. Before Reframe, Jeffrey was senior partner and managing director at Ogilvy & Mather in New York City, where he created the industry’s first cross-cultural practice. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Economist, Fast Company, and NBC’s Today Show, and he speaks frequently at industry and trade events. On Rising, Jeffrey talks about his career from brand management to corporate strategy — starting at Pepsi and moving to Procter & Gamble, Miller Brewing, Whirlpool, Ogilvy & Mather, and finally founding Reframe. He shares what he has learned, how he sees moving the industry ahead, and advice for the rest of us. In This Episode 01:19 - First Job Client Side to Business School for Brand Management 03:01 - Procter & Gamble, Miller Brewing & Whirlpool 06:40 - Motivation Behind the Switches 19:23 - About Reframe & the Market Response 27:00 - What’s Next? 28:48 - Advice for Others 31:12 - Thank You Note 34:06 - Top Picks Links Mentioned How to Master the Art of Selling, Tom Hopkins We Should Not Be Friends, Will Schwalbe Lemon: A Novel, Kwon Yeo-sun Reframe Jeffrey L. Bowman Subscribe to never miss a show! Hosted by Josh Boaz and Mat Zucker, Rising is produced by Direct Agents and Prophet. For more information or to nominate a guest, please visit rising-podcast.com or email us at marketing@directagents.com. Original theme music created by Movers + Shakers. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/risingpodcast/message

Diego Norris is currently Chief Marketing Officer at Gimme Seaweed. He has over 20 years of experience in CPG marketing, working at food companies like General Mills, Nestle, Red Bull, and Campbells. Diego also spent several years in consulting, first at Deloitte where he started his career, and later at Prophet. Diego grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina and moved to the U.S. on his own at the age of 19 to pursue his dream of becoming a marketer. In this episode, Diego talks about his career beginning, professional choices, business school as a beneficial foundation, the multi-faceted role of a CPG marketer, how he utilizes AI in his work and the miracle which is seaweed. In This Episode 1:17 - Diego’s Start & Career Journey 12:31 - Continuous Learning & Growth Mindset 14:49 - AI Implementation in Work 17:26 - The Magic of Seaweed 19:33 - The Remit of a CMO in CPG 22:09 - Sustainability 25:56 - Maximizing Digital Performance 29:11 - Thank You Note 31:03 - Top Picks Links Mentioned MidJourney AI App PodViz by RSS.com Perplexity AI Spotify DJ Gimme Seaweed Diego Norris on LinkedIn Subscribe to never miss a show! Hosted by Josh Boaz and Mat Zucker, Rising is produced by Direct Agents and Prophet. For more information or to nominate a guest, please visit rising-podcast.com or email us at marketing@directagents.com. Original theme music created by Movers + Shakers. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/risingpodcast/message

Dave Edwards is currently EVP of Growth at R3, a global marketing consultancy. Our hosts, Mat Zucker and Josh Boaz, learn about Dave's career starting at Milton Samuels Advertising to 14 years at powerhouse R/GA and ultimately at R3. They also talk about his alter ego "Weather Edwards" which he explains as a goofball bit that weaved its way into his career. Dave has lots to share about career choices, what it takes to thrive in business development, being kind & optimistic, why he always asks two questions, and how to succeed at conferences (“The Handshake ROI”). Plus, he gives a special thank you note to his long-time colleague and friend Vin Farrell (and sneaks in a second one to his wife, Nomi!). Tune in for some great lessons, stories and laughs. In this Episode 0:00 - Dave's Start at Milton Samuels & Andersen & Lembke 6:53 - Going to Ogilvy 9:31 - Lessons in Making Changes 13:15 - Growing with R/GA 15:54 - Staying Relevant 20:03 - Skills He Learned 22:16 - Business Development vs. Sales 24:43 - Weather Edwards 28:22 - Handshake ROI at Conferences 30:50 - Thank You Note 33:33 - Top Picks Links Mentioned The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson Homesick for Another World: Stories by Ottessa Moshhfegh Journey of Humanity: The Origins of Wealth and Inequality by Oded Galor Weather Edwards on Instagram Dave Edwards on LinkedIn Subscribe to never miss a show! Hosted by Josh Boaz and Mat Zucker, Rising is produced by Direct Agents and Prophet. For more information or to nominate a guest, please visit rising-podcast.com or email us at marketing@directagents.com. Original theme music created by Movers + Shakers. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/risingpodcast/message

Bradley Werner is currently Senior Director of Global Content Strategy, Innovation & Experience at CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate services brand. Bradley’s career is varied across digital media with internships in entertainment, an early career at start-ups in digital video and branded content, a slew of roles at publishers including running video at the NY Post and being a managing editor within Complex, and jumping back into the start-up world. Now, he is on the client-side at CBRE in content marketing, running the team that -- among other things -- produces their podcast, The Weekly Take. We talk about careers with startups, mentorship, why he follows the fun, coming to CBRE, and how and from whom he learned to “be a contributor not a contaminator.” In This Episode 0:00 - Welcome Bradley Werner 1:35 - Career Start 7:31 - Intentionality About Career Choices 10:52 - Two-Way Mentorship 14:35 - Mistakes & Moves 17:14 - Follow the Fun 19:16 - When to Win the Argument 21:53 - Coming to CBRE 25:40 - Starting the CBRE Podcast 27:24 - Working Globally & Building Consensus 28:32 - Bradley's Thank You Note (Bill Caspari “There are contributors and there are contaminators”) 31:40 - Top Picks Links Mentioned CBRE The Weekly Take Mat’s pick: Marketecture podcast Josh’s pick: The Current podcast Bradley’s picks (3 books he reads every year): 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 Show Your Work by Austin Kleon --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/risingpodcast/message

Today on Rising, we're joined by Stephen Cassell, Chief Marketing and Brand Officer at Point32Health. Point32Health is a nonprofit health care provider that is the combination of Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, two of New England’s most iconic companies serving the market for over 90 years. Stephen has a 20+ year career in marketing. Prior to Point32, Stephen held strategic marketing roles at Cigna, JP Morgan, HSBC and American Express among others, in multiple countries and markets. In This Episode 0:00-9:00 - Stephen’s Start & Multi-Country Experience (UK, Brazil, Mexico) 9:00-11:15 - Stephen’s Goals & Launching Centurion Card in Mexico 11:15-12:50 - Coming Back to the US (JPM) & Moving Into Healthcare 12:50-15:30 - Switching Industries 15:31-17:25 - Assembling a Personal Board of Directors 17:26-19:38 - Acquiring Cultural Fluency (Companies & Countries!) 19:39-21:51 - Business School: Yes or No? 21:52-23:29 - Point32 & Health Equity 23:30-24.50 - Stephen’s Thank You Note (Cesar Solorzano) 24:51-27:46 - Top Picks (Turning Points podcast, Born Extraordinary book, silence) Links Mentioned Point32Health Stephen Cassell on Linkedin Top Picks "Turning Points" Point32Health podcast on mental health Born Extraordinary: A Parent’s Guide to Empowering Children to Embrace Their Visible and Invisible Differences by Meg Zucker Hosted by Josh Boaz and Mat Zucker, Rising is produced by Direct Agents and Prophet. For more information or to nominate a guest, please visit rising-podcast.com and subscribe to never miss a show! Original theme music created by Movers + Shakers. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/risingpodcast/message

Today on Rising, we're joined by Jesse Purewal. Jesse is the current Global Head of Brand at Qualtrics, where he and his team are defining the category of Experience Management and building a brand around Improving the Human Experience. He also hosts the Breakthrough Builders podcast, a Qualtrics-sponsored show that invites people with influential passions, perspectives, and instincts to share their stories. Prior to Qualtrics, Jesse was a Partner at Prophet, where he worked with clients in SaaS, mobility, AI, business services and more, and launched brands like T-Mobile’s Un-carrier, Intel’s Amazing, and Amazon’s Amazon Business. In this episode, we'll cover Jesse’s career (1:15) The value of business school (10:05) Learning velocity & maintaining an entrepreneurial spark (21:24) Jesse’s thank you note (29:26) Episode picks (35:21) Hosted by Josh Boaz and Mat Zucker, Rising is produced by Direct Agents and Prophet. For more information, visit rising-podcast.com and please subscribe to never miss a show! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/risingpodcast/message

Today on Rising, we are joined by Abby Reiner, the Director of Global Brand Reputation and Community Impact at Johnson & Johnson Vision. In this role, Abby is responsible for global business development, brand communication, social media strategy, and much more. Please enjoy this wonderful conversation that dives into brand management, career pivots, and embracing opportunity. Hosted by Josh Boaz and Mat Zucker, Rising is produced by Direct Agents and Prophet. Visit us at rising-podcast.com and please subscribe to never miss a show! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/risingpodcast/message

Today on Rising, we are joined by Don Mathis, the Senior Vice President of Strategic Development & Growth at Comcast NBCUniversal, among many other things. In this role, Don focuses on establishing, acquiring, and/or investing in new ventures that broaden Comcast NBCUniversal’s offerings, accessing new & emerging markets, capitalizing on disruptive technologies, and facilitating enterprise transformation.   Don currently serves as Board Director at BluVector, A Comcast Company that works with state-of-the-art AI to revolutionize network security, as well as at Quil, a digital health platform that provides personalized and interactive health journies to consumers and their caregivers. Welcome, Don! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/risingpodcast/message

Adrienne Fasano is the former CMO at Cushman & Wakefield and current CEO of Scoperta Wines, a platform which connects small to mid-size wineries to consumers through a digital marketplace. Tune in as she discusses how raising the bar for herself impacted the trajectory of her career. Hosted by Josh Boaz and Mat Zucker, Rising is produced by Direct Agents and Prophet, with original music by Movers+Shakers. Visit us at rising-podcast.com and please subscribe to never miss a show. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/risingpodcast/message