Afleveringen
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This week we spent all our time pressing the flesh (until finding out we’d misunderstood what that means and getting very firmly asked to leave Subway) all in order to win the approval of this week’s guest, the master networker Oli Barrett MBE.
Blessed with the ability to bring together the right people with the right ideas at the right time, Oli has built a reputation for being the nation’s ultimate connector. But, being a fine fellow as well as a canny-business operator, he has used his powers for good – forming remarkable social change initiatives like ‘Tenner’, the UK’s largest schools entrepreneurship competition and ‘Turn On The Subtitles’, a global children’s literacy campaign.
Deftly uniting the worlds of entrepreneurship, innovation, education and social impact, Oli has been rightly lauded and awarded for his considerable efforts – bagging, among other accolades, the title of ‘Most Connected Man in Britain’ from Wired and a place in GQs ‘Top 100 connected figures’. Plus there’s the small matter of being awarded an actual MBE from the actual Queen who, we assume, Oli was able to successfully introduce to an off-the-grid artisan driving-goggle manufacturer based in the Peak District.
In a chat where Oli reveals the magic behind all his connective conjury, we ponder everything from the value of active learning to the magnetic powers of a well-built network.
Follow Oli on LinkedIn
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02:27 – Quick Fire Questions
05:18 – The Zigzag Journey: Dropping Out and Moving On
11:04 – Disney World vs. Lecture Halls: The Awakening
12:01 – Networking: Chance Encounters vs Intentional Connections
14:40 – The First Business: Amazing You
18:05 – The £10 Challenge That Took Off
24:22 – The Power of Defaults: Small Changes, Big Impact
26:04 – Permission to Create: The Entrepreneurial Mindset
30:08 – Connecting the Dots: How to Build Real Networks
35:45 – The Art of Introduction: What Actually Makes It Work////
Oli’s book recommendations are:
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Reflections on Success by Martyn Lewis
The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger////
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This week we tried (unsuccessfully, messily, hauntingly) to mate a canary with a cockerel – all in a bid to impress our guest, former Norwich and Tottenham footballer, turned performance psychologist, Paul McVeigh.
Having played more than 270 professional games, as well as earning 20 caps for Northern Ireland, Paul kicked ball with and against some legendary players, earning a few trophies, a few promotions and, perhaps the ultimate honour, his own song.
But rather than go off and do the sort of generic post-playing jobs many ex-pros go for (like moaning about stuff on the tv. Or moaning about stuff on the radio. Or moaning about stuff on a podcast etc.) Paul has bottled up all his remarkable experiences in sport and used them to help all kinds of leaders to perform when it matters most.
As a highly respected performance psychologist, Paul has built a super-successful second career out of helping to dismantle the old narratives about shouty, macho, ego-driven leadership, through his coaching and his two excellent books: ‘The Stupid Footballer is Dead’ and ‘It’s Not About You: The Psychology of Leadership.
In a chat where Giles tries really, really hard not to dribble ‘Spurs’ all over the conversation, we ponder the most common mistakes, and misunderstanding, when it comes to ‘being the boss’, and some of the most influential sporting figures who inspired Paul’s philosophies on leadership.
This episode is proudly dedicated to Paul’s Aunt Jean – proof that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself and that anything is possible.
Follow Paul on LinkedIn
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Timestamps
1:32 – Quick Fire Questions
5:37 – Leaving Belfast for Tottenham Hotspur
10:05 – Inside a High-Performance Environment
16:03 – Leadership Styles in Football
19:12 – It’s Not About You and Modern Leadership
24:21 – Leadership Beyond Football
27:25 – Humility and Misconceptions About Leadership
33:18 – Ahead-of-the-Curve Professional Habits
39:58 – Transformational Habits That Stick
42:52 – Advice to His Younger Self/////
Paul’s book recommendations are:
Awaken The Giant Within by Anthony Robbins
Money Master the Game by Anthony Robbins/////
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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This week we made our way through twenty rolls of ‘Word a Day’ toilet paper – not (entirely) because of tummy trouble, but in order to impress one of the world’s greatest wielders of words, copywriting legend Tim Delaney.
An advertiser who made all of advertising try harder with their adverts, Tim is of course the founder of the famous Leagas Delaney agency as well as being one of the all-time great copywriters.
You’ll no doubt have spent much time gawping at and/or weeping over some of his most iconic work – including some extraordinary campaigns for Harrods, Adidas and Nationwide. He’s also the creative brain behind the unforgettable ‘Perfect Day’ film for the BBC – giving the world the briefest sniff of what a Bowie/Boyzone collaboration might have been.
Wildly successful in both the building of an agency and the writing of copy, Tim is also one of advertising’s most compelling talkers of sense – with a philosophy built around strategic thinking, disciplined work and a healthy appreciation for the value of intuition.
In a chat where we skid quickly and wildly away from what we laughably called ‘the agenda’, Tim takes us on an entertaining and eye-opening journey through one of the most remarkable lives in the creativity game.
This episode is proudly dedicated to Tom Harrington.
Follow Tim on LinkedIn
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Timestamps
04:40 - First Job in Advertising
06:45 - Transitioning to Copywriting
09:40 - Early Days in Advertising
12:49 - The Band Experience
14:03 - From Music to Advertising
19:07 - Climbing the Advertising Ladder
22:11 - The Role of Creativity in Advertising
29:03 - Challenges at BNP
30:41 - Understanding Advertising's Mystique
34:08 - The Impact of Technology on Advertising
39:39 - Enthusiasm for Newcomers
43:53 - Advice for Junior Copywriters -
This week we’ve been out every night, committing crimes (twocking Nokias, cussing at ducklings, stealing the dust caps off your dad’s tyres) all to attract the attention of South-London Batman himself – and this week’s guest – Kazeem Jama.
A comedian so entertaining he almost makes you hate yourself slightly less for being on Instagram all the goddam time, Kazeem has been liberally lubricating the amusement pipes on the BBC, Comedy Central and the Mobo Awards.
Before comedy grabbed him by the earlobe and dragged him over to the funny side, Kazeem spent decades working in the education sector, primarily with children with special needs and in alternative education – making him humorous and kind-hearted enough to make us all feel really bad about our own decisions, especially the terrible stuff we said to those ducklings.
This episode is proudly dedicated to the people who shaped Kazeem: his mum, his dad, his kids, and all the doubters along the way.
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Follow Kazeem on Instagram and Facebook
Watch the videos that has us cracking up: Frozen and Waze
Sign up to the mailing list
To go see him live: tickets here.
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Timestamps
02:50 - Kazim's Uncommon Path: From Rugby to Comedy
07:51 - Ownership: The Key to Kazim's Comedy Journey
11:26 - Drama Class: The Shy Comedian's Dilemma
12:52 - Channelling Frustration: The Sports Outlet
18:30 - Stage vs. Socials: The Comedy Landscape
21:26 - Navigating Tough Topics: Kazim's Approach
27:06 - The Unexpected Funeral Laugh
31:03 - Nine-to-Five vs. Comedy Dreams: The Struggle
34:08 - Attention, Skill, Monetizing: The Comedy Cycle
39:03 - The Art of Not Giving a Damn: Embracing the Process
42:48 - Comedy Contracts: The Safe Space Agreement -
This week we rented the top 3 maths movies of all time – A Beautiful Mind, The Imitation Game and 3 Men and a Baby – all in order to be mathematically competent enough to share a pod with one of the world’s greatest number nibblers, Marcus du Sautoy.
So highly acclaimed and awarded, we could have filled the entire podcast by listing out his many achievements, Marcus is perhaps best known as a Professor in Mathematics, Fellow of the Royal Society and Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University.
But, as well as being one of the very smartest people on the planet, he’s also one of the most engaging and enlightening speakers on the unexpected stories to be found in numbers, having written for several national newspapers and appeared on a number of mathematically-inclined TV shows including Mind Games, The Story of Maths and The Code (not to be confused with The Cube).
By now you’ve probably run out of fingers to tally up all the brilliant things he’s done, so we shall just wrap up by saying he’s also the author of a series of superb books examining the relationship between maths, creativity, music, games and more – including Blue Prints, The Music of Primes and The Creativity Code.
(Basically, the fact that it took us all this time to mention he’s also an OBE tells you all you need to know. He’s an impressive dude.)
In an episode where Giles wears his disappointing GCSE results like a hi-vis vest of inadequacy, we ponder the search for meaning in numbers and how the stories behind them can help shape ideas and solve problems.
This episode is proudly dedicated to Mr Baleson.
Follow Marcus on LinkedIn
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Timestamps
04:17 - The Influence of a Great Teacher
06:03 - Mathematics as a Language and Creative Outlet
08:44 - The Intersection of Mathematics and the Arts
12:08 - Exploring Creativity in Mathematics
15:17 - The Relationship Between Structure and Artistic Expression
21:10 - The Cicada's Prime Number Life Cycle
30:51 - Patterns and Expectations in Art and Comedy
33:09 - The Role of Mathematics in Problem Solving
43:15 - The Importance of Storytelling in Science
46:25 - The Search for Meaning in Numbers
48:13 - The Dual Nature of Scientific Thinking
Marcus’ Book recommendations are:
A Mathematician’s Apology by G.H. Hardy
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This week we broke a golden rule and crossed podcast streams with a pair of excellent guests, Richard Shotton and MichaelAaron Flicker, hosts of the Behavioural Science for Brands podcast and co-authors of the soon-to-be released (and definitely-to-be brilliant) Hacking The Human Mind.
Richard is, of course, returning for a record third appearance on Call To Action® although we have respectfully honoured his request to not be left alone with Giles. Responsible for opening industry eyes to the potential of behavioural science, Richard is the author of two books that serious marketing types like you and I could not do without – The Choice Factory and The Illusion of Choice.
Alongside him today, as is so often the case, is MichaelAaron Flicker, founder and president of (Zeeenno-Sigh) XenoPsi Ventures, a brand incubator firm that helps out all kinds of companies with financial, marketing and intellectual capital. As well as co-hosting their pod, and co-authoring their book, they’ve completed a hattrick of Co’s by co-founding the Consumer Behaviour Lab, where they apply their considerable collective knowledge to help make marketing smarter, better and less stinky.
In an episode where we open the sunroof on the human mind and reveal there’s much more to it than day dreams, crippling doubt and song lyrics from 1996, we hear from two of the field’s most compelling experts on what it really takes for a brand to be chosen.
This episode is proudly dedicated to Rory Sutherland.
Follow Richard and MichaelAaron on LinkedIn.
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Timestamps
08:27 - Reflections on Career Path and Pivots
10:09 - Richard's Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne
12:39 - How Richard and Michael Met
14:22 - The Concept Behind Their New Book
16:01 - Writing Process and Collaboration Insights
20:21 - Discussion on Haagen-Dazs and Country of Origin Effect
25:04 - The Power of Naming: Patagonian Toothfish vs. Chilean Sea Bass
30:07 - Marketing Confusion Between Marketing and Sales
Their Book Recommendations are:
Alchemy by Rory Sutherland
Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg
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This week we tucked in our shirt, straightened our tie and resisted the temptation to nip off for a quick vape behind the pickle-ball court, all in order to suitably impress our guest, one of the world’s greatest marketing academics, Professor Byron Sharp.
A man who would need no introduction (if we weren’t contractually obliged to provide all our pod guests with one) Prof Byron is one of the world’s most respected thinkers in the field of brands and consumer behaviour.
Unless you’re deliberately trying to get yourself fired from your marketing role, you’ll no doubt have read his seminal book ‘How Brands Grow’ and, if you’re especially lucky, you may well have learned directly from the man himself in one of his globally prestigious academic roles.
A speaker, a teacher, a thinker and a pioneering researcher, Byron still has the time to be a thoroughly entertaining podcast guest, and is famously happy to share the kind of knee-buckling market truth that the industry fears but also really, really needs.
In an episode where Byron jabs a scholarly finger into the flabby thinking that holds brands back, we ponder the many different disciplines a proper marketer should be able to wrap their heads around if they want a consumer to care.
This episode is proudly dedicated to John Scriven.
Follow Byron on LinkedIn
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Timestamps
03:27 - Early Jobs and Academia
04:38 - The Importance of Real-World Experience
06:09 - Working with Andrew Ehrenberg
08:28 - The Intent Behind "How Brands Grow"
09:41 - Marketing Blind Spots and Unexplored Areas
10:30 - Cognitive Biases and Behavioral Science
11:48 - The Role of Heuristics in Consumer Behavior
12:43 - Understanding Double Jeopardy Law
14:08 - Consumer Efficiency vs. Laziness
15:26 - Predictive Power of Marketing Science
16:06 - The Weirdness of the Real World
17:37 - Misconceptions About Marketing Science
19:40 - The Role of Synthetic Research
32:58 - B2B Marketing and Growth Strategies
35:22 - The Value of Awards in Marketing
Byron's Book recommendations are:
The Halo Effect by Phil Rosenzweig
Everything is Obvious by Duncan Watts
The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver
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This week we’re pushing our withered hamstrings way beyond their wretched limits, all in order to win the attention of our guest, sport and brand marketing super-baller Lisa Parfitt.
In a career that has been, figuratively, one top bin after the other, Lisa has done more than most to give women’s sport a serious platform, particularly when it comes to those all-important commercial relationships.
A star player in the efforts to land the Women’s FA Cup their first brand sponsorship, Lisa can be found on the prestigious pages of PR Week’s Power 100 for her work in pushing for greater representation for women in the sports business.
Having gone toe-to-toe with the inequalities in the game in her time as both a Level 1 coach and director, she now devotes her considerable skills and stamina to creating better, fairer and more sustainable partnerships, sponsorships and culture in the game.
In an episode with absolutely no time wasting, even for the occasional glug of branded energy pop, we ponder everything from the unique brand value of fans of women sport, to how the game is changing, in both sporting and commercial ways.
This episode is proudly dedicated to Karen Earl.
Follow Lisa on LinkedIn.
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Timestamps
04:34 - Transitioning to the Sports Industry
10:31 - First Job in Women's Sport
12:18 - The Shift to Sponsorship and Commercial Focus
15:32 - The Role of Brands in Women's Sport
20:10 - Securing the First Women's FA Cup Partnership
26:32 - The Impact of COVID on Women's Sport
30:35 - Research on Women's Sports Fans Engagement
36:59 - The Future of Women's Sport and Upcoming Events
42:06 - Changing Perceptions in Women's Sport
Lisa's Book Recommendations are:
Eat Sweat Play - Anna Kessel
Why She Buys - Bridget Brennan
Game On - Sue Anstiss
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This week we made difficult phone-calls to Ant & Dec, Torvill & Dean and, accidentally, the Neville Brothers, all in order to explain that the nation now has a new favourite double act – the joint chiefs of Pablo, Harriet Knight and Hannah Penn.
Not content with leading Pablo to the very top of the creative charts in agency land – scooping up the Global Campaign Indie of the Year award on two separate occasions – H&H have set about tearing up the dusty old rulebook for agency leadership (especially all those pages about being greedy and horrible). They’ve poured their considerable energies into actually delivering the kind of culture every agency pretends they have, and even launched the Pablo Living Wage, a £30,000 minimum salary for entry level roles that opens up the industry to people who are usually left on the side-lines.
As well as turning Pablo into the creative, and cultural envy of agency world, Harriet and Hannah are also responsible for one of the most successful agency models around – earning a reputation for being superb to work with that translates into a barely believable 100% client retention rate.
In an episode that puts us all in the uncomfortable position of listening to agency bosses who are actually likeable and amusing, we ponder everything from how agency cultures are created to the dynamics that make their partnership tick.
This episode is proudly dedicated to Dan Watts.
Follow Hannah and Harriet on LinkedIn.
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Timestamps
03:00 - Early Career Paths: Hannah's Journey
09:00 - Harriet's Background and Transition to Advertising
15:00 - The Importance of Diverse Experiences in Advertising
18:00 - Creative and Commercial Balance in Advertising
22:00 - How Harriet and Hannah Met
25:00 - The Dynamics of Their Partnership
29:00 - Legacy and Impact in the Advertising Industry
Hannah and Harriet’s Book Recommendations are:
Four Thousand Weeks– Oliver Burkeman
Cork Dork – Bianca Bosko
Super Communicators- Charles Duhigg
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This week we tried to arrange a VIP brand event for Call To Action® fans in an abandoned toilet brush factory, all just to prove our cool credentials to Charlie Copsey, the founder of Underground Fan Club.
Having conquered the media mountain earlier in her career – working in TV, radio and film with the likes of Johnny Vaughan and her good pal Colin Murray – Charlie realised that her next great mission would be to rescue fan experiences from the desperately dull doldrums they were in at the time. From there Underground Fan Club was born – a studio devoted to producing more memorable, more believable and more exciting experiences between brands, fans and talent. At the heart of the mission is something many marketers bang on about with no clue, or care, about what it means in reality – authentic connections with your most valuable audience, something Charlie is already proving to be much more than the same old brand baloney. There’s an increasingly long line of brands queuing up for the Underground treatment but luckily for your ears and brains, CTA is nothing if not a queue jumper.
In an episode that’s all about fans, super-fans, stan-fans and ceiling fans (not that one) we learn what it takes for your brand to actually mean something more to the people you’re doing it all for.
This episode is proudly dedicated to Colin Murray.
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04:09 - Studying Drama at Loughborough
10:12 - Working with Johnny Vaughan
12:28 - The Evolution of Fighting Talk and Live Events
16:38 - Identifying the Gap: Connecting Talent and Fans
17:52 - Building Underground Fan Club: The First Event
20:32 - The Importance of Authentic Experiences
22:21 - Navigating Brand Partnerships
26:13 - Finding the Right Brand Partners
28:05 - Balancing Involvement in Events
32:29 - The Challenges of Running a Business
Charlie’s Book Recommendations are:
Careless People - Sarah Wynn-Williams
Shoe Dog – Phil Knight
Losing my Virginity – Richard Branson
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This week we kept shouting things like HIT ME! TWIST! GO FISH! WHAT’S A SPADE? In order to win the professional attention, and personal sympathy, of Jo Living – founder of ‘poker for business’ consultancy Aces High.
Having noticed that poker was less about bluff and bravado and more about strategy, empathy and teamwork, Jo realised it could be the perfect game for teaching people how to make smarter business decisions. From there she went on to run workshops teaching everything from communication and negotiation, to assertiveness and risk management, all done eye-to-eye through what she calls the ‘contact’ sport of poker.
It’s an episode where we try very hard not to say things about ‘laying the cards on the table’ (but probably won’t succeed) covering everything from the real-world value of a poker face to the power of a timely pause.
This episode is proudly dedicated to Adam Living.
Follow Jo on LinkedIn.
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Timestamps
07:33 - Investment Banking Experience
10:32 - Quarter Life Crisis
15:47 - The Poker Environment
18:15 - Poker as a Game of Strategy
19:50 - Women in Poker
22:39 - Parallels Between Poker and Business
26:02 - Skills Developed Through Poker
29:02 - The Power of the Pause
31:37 - Identifying Leadership Traits
37:13 - Getting More Women at the Table
39:12 - Subtle Tells for Leadership
Jo’s Book Recommendations are:
Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke
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This week we donned a smelly neon bib, distributed some tiny cones and shouted things like ‘THAT’S NEVER A PEN’ all in order to win the attention of Karen Dobres, one of the sporting world’s most genuine game changers.
Advocating for equal budgets, facilities and recognition in women’s sport with all the tenacity of a crunching, shin-pad obliterating tackle, Karen is the co-founder of Equality FC and the Sistership Network. Her new book, soon to hit the shops, is called Pitch Invasion and tells the tale of her experiences as a feminist on the board of Lewes FC, the world’s first (hurray) and only (boo) equal football club. And, with all the creative energy of a box-to-box midfield dynamo, she’s also helped establish the #CallHimOut initiative, has served as a judge on the UN Women UK Awards, managed a counselling service at Polygram Records and, just because she could, helped arrange the installation of a statue celebrating bisexual female pirates.
It’s an episode where we chatter ‘in and around’ all things relating to her hopes for women’s sport, the impact of equality on crowds and culture and the value of being an outsider.
This episode is proudly dedicated to Marios Christos Sfantos
Follow Karen on LinkedIn.
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Timestamps
06:10 - From Journalism Aspirations to Modelling
08:45 - Transitioning to Counselling and Music Industry
12:40 - Discovering Women's Football
15:31 - Feminizing the Football Environment at Lewis FC
18:14 - Impact of Equality on Crowds and Culture
24:48 - Challenges Faced by Women in Football
27:25 - Creating a Supportive Community through Football
30:37 - Football as a Vehicle for Social Change
32:06 - The Value of Being an Outsider in Football
34:15 - Pitch Invasion: Karen's Book
Karen's Book Recommendations are:
A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
Why Men Win at Work by Jill Whitty Collins
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This week we kept on adding more and more and more irrelevant attachments to our so-called brief, in order to earn ourselves a swift rebuke from the marketing world’s Brief Batman – Howard Ibach.
Inventor of the Creative Brief Mastery program, Howard is on a mission to make marketing briefs more meaningful. An advocate for clear thinking, proper collaboration and the single minded-proposition, Howard has been helping marketers all over the world put their bad briefing habits to bed (and then press a pillow over their drooling faces). He’s also an instructor at the Association of National Advertisers’ Marketing Training and Development Centre, the author of the brilliant ‘How To Write An Inspired Brief’ and host of the ‘Brief Bros’ podcast – confirming his undisputed status as the industry’s beefiest brief brain.
In this episode, Howard will pick the art of briefing down to its rickety bones, sharing his invaluable expertise on what the perfect brief should say, be and do.
This episode is proudly dedicated to Tom Jordan.
Follow Howard on LinkedIn.
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Timestamps
03:45 - Lessons from Stonemasonry
06:14 - Path to Writing and Advertising
08:36 - The Influence of Advertising on Howard
12:29 - The Importance of a Good Brief
16:12 - Issues with Copying Client Briefs
19:49 - The Disconnect Between Clients and Agencies
24:24 - Collaboration in Brief Writing
32:13 - Commonalities in Effective Briefs
46:02 - Banishment of Purpose Advertising
Howards Book Recommendations are:
Chew with Your Mind Open by Cameron Day
Spittin' Chiclets by Cameron Day
Stones & Sticks by Cameron Day
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This week we have been exclusively watching 'Magic Mike', shaking a Magic 8-Ball and listening to '24k Magic' by Bruno Mars (which is just awful) in order to win the slightly nervous attention of Adam Ferrier, founder of Thinkerbell; the thinkers, tinkers and practitioners of ‘measured magic’.
A psychology brain sat on top of some sturdy strategy bones, Adam is a rare voice of reason in the largely barmy brand world – as well as being the chief sceptic when it comes to the industry obsession with ‘the customer’. He’s also the author of more superb books, including ‘The Advertising effect: How to Change Behaviour’ and supplements all this talk-talking with some serious walk-walking through his work that brings marketing science and creative thinking together.
In this episode Adam shares his expertise on brands who forget how to be brands, why every business problem is a behaviour change problem and the forgotten benefits of simply fitting in.
This episode is very proudly dedicated to Anne Young.
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Follow Adam on LinkedIn
Timestamps
09:16 - The impact of D&AD annuals on Adam's career choice
11:19 - Transition from forensic psychology to marketing
16:12 - The perils of customer obsession
22:57 - Balancing brand and customer needs
25:11 - The importance of consumer research
Adam’s Book Recommendations are:
Stop Listening to Your Customers by Adam Ferrier:
The Advertising Effect: How to Change Behaviour by Adam Ferrier:
Love's Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy by Irvin Yalom:
Existential Psychotherapy by Irvin Yalom:
Here and Now: Tales from the Heart by Irvin Yalom:
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This week we went around slurping muddy water from puddles in order to win the sympathy of Shane Stewart – brand man, running man and fizzy drink saviour.
Chief brand brain at XOXO soda, Shane has built his career around launching and marketing drinks that do good stuff for your innards, while looking extremely cool on your outtards. Before shaking up the canned drink business with XOXO he helped create a large and loyal community of slurpers for Moju, a ginger and turmeric shot that’s a bit like unleashing a troop of helpfully energetic monkeys inside your tired old brain. And, as well as bringing better branded bubbly beverages to Britain and beyond, he’s even found the time to launch Step by Steppers, a marvellous running club designed to help people dealing with grief to feel less alone.
This episode is very proudly dedicated to his Dad.
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Follow Shane on LinkedIn and Instagram
Step by Steppers Run Club
Timestamps
03:14 - Shane's Early Career in Hospitality
05:08 - Cultural Significance of Pubs in the UK
07:29 - Importance of University Experience Over Degree Choice
08:50 - Shane's Interest in Brands and Marketing
10:57 - Shane's Time in Australia and Farm Work Experience
13:04 - Transition from Hospitality to Marketing
14:40 - Working at Northern Block Ice Cream
16:05 - Joining Moju and Creative Job Application
18:22 - Continuous Learning and Mini MBA
20:19 - Transition to XOXO Soda
23:37 - Challenges and Opportunities in the Functional Soda Market
25:21 - Product Range and Flavor Development at XOXO
29:27 - Psychological Aspects of Product Taste and Health Benefits
31:12 - Listener Questions: Startups vs. Big Brands
34:47 - Listener Questions: Convincing Retailers to Stock Products
39:42 - Introduction to Step by Stepper Run Club
Shane's Book Recommendation is:
The Chimp Paradox - Prof Steve Peters
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This week we positioned our most powerful fan at the rear end of a corpulent bull in hopes of snaring the attention of legendary bullshit fighter, Alex Smith
A strategist who’s set himself the mountainous task of extracting all the nonsense from business strategy, Alex is very much a breath of a fresh air in a field that can, at its worst, smell a lot like somebody’s done a poo… on a dead crab… in the drains of an abandoned laundrette… and then set it on fire. He is the author of a bestselling book on strategy, titled, with Alex’s typical disregard for fluff, No Bullshit Strategy. In those pages – and through Alex’s wildly popular LinkedIn posts – he makes a compelling case for businesses to look more closely at the decisions they make and wheedle out the ‘anti-strategic’ ones that are causing 99% of all pickles. So, in true Alex fashion, we probably could have just said something like ‘he helps businesses get stuff right, more of the time’ instead of all that nonsense about the crab and the laundrette. Ah well.
This episode is dedicated to Alex’s wife who is the engine and foundation underneath everything.
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Follow Alex on LinkedIn.
Timestamps:
(03:26) - First Jobs and Failures
(06:19) - Reflections on Being Fired
(08:53) - Finding the Right Fit
(10:46) - The Challenge of Entering Advertising
(12:24) - Polishing the Pig: Agency Work
(15:36) - The Importance of Unique Value
(19:08) - Theory vs. Practice in Strategy
(20:26) - Defining Business Strategy
(22:03) - Value Generation in Business
(24:16) - The Role of Communication
(28:04) - The Hierarchy of Business Strategy
(30:28) - The Role of Founders in Strategy
(32:10) - Navigating Corporate Structures
(36:15) - The Myth of the Legendary Founder
(40:05) - Mediocrity vs. Strategy
(42:58) - Learning from Established Brands
(45:11) - Applying Strategy to Personal Business
(47:30) - The Shift from Freelancer to Entrepreneur
Alex's Book Recommendations are:
Zero to One by Peter Thiel
Incerto Series by Nassim Taleb
Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
The Matter with Things by Ian McGilchrist
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This week we released AI from the punishment cupboard in which we’ve been keeping it in order to win the approval of author, marketing super-brain and AI believer Paul Dervan.
As the Head of Brand Marketing at Miro, Paul has been busy bolstering his reputation as one of the industry’s smartiest pant-wearers when it comes to marketing effectiveness. Miro is just the latest stop in a marketing career you could only possibly describe as both distinguished and glittering (glittinguished?) and has seen Paul tackle the marketing challenges on behalf of everyone from O2 to Telefonica to the National Lottery in Ireland (scooping, along the way, the title of Ireland’s Marketer of the Year in 2022.) He’s also the author of Run With The Foxes, a superb book about marketing, mistakes and making much better decisions.
This episode is very proudly dedicated to Peter Field. Peter has had a huge influence on Paul’s career both as a mentor and advisor.
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Follow Paul on LinkedIn.
Timestamps:
03:45 - First Job and Proper Job
05:10 - Early Career in Marketing
07:34 - Career Path and Focus
09:30 - Paul's Sweet Spot in Marketing
11:00 - Writing the Book: Run with Foxes
13:27 - Learning from Mistakes
15:51 - Mistakes and AI in Marketing
18:08 - Decision-Making Process
20:40 - Classical vs. Modern Marketing
22:22 - AI's Impact on Marketing
25:06 - Practical Applications of AI
30:05 - Advanced Uses of AI
33:08 - Synthetic Research
34:28 - Skepticism vs. Cynicism
36:42 - Curiosity and Experimentation
39:27 - Admitting Mistakes
43:27 - Listener Questions: Embedding Chapter One
Paul's Book Recommendations are:
Ogilvy on Advertising – David Ogilvy
The Anatomy of Humbug – Paul Feldwick
Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy – Phil Barden
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This week we shredded our vision board and fed it to some ornamental carp, purely to win the approval of author, critic and quite possibly the world first demotivational speaker, Patrick Freyne.
Before becoming the enormously popular columnist and critic for the Irish Times, Patrick spent his 20s chasing the rock star dream. But while the life of big hair, hard drugs and tight trousers wasn’t to be, it did give Patrick the time and space required to be one of the creative world’s leading authors, thinkers and sense-talkers. His book ‘Ok, Let’s Do Your Stupid Idea’ is a glorious celebration of curiosity, experimentation and letting your heart lead the way. And now he’s on a mission to dismantle the cult of ‘Big P’ productivity and remind people that ‘maximising your potential’ is a poor substitute for living your life.
This episode is dedicated to Patrick’s wife Anna Carey, who has been his biggest influence. She also has an amazing funny romance fiction book coming out later this year called Our Song.
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Follow Patrick on X and Bluesky
Timestamps:
01:32 - The Concept of Demotivational Speaking
07:36 - Patrick's Early Jobs and Musical Aspirations
09:08 - The Influence of Music on Patrick's Life
12:04 - The Importance of Curiosity in Career Paths
15:18 - Exploring the Idea of 'Stupid Ideas'
17:14 - The Impact of Burnout and Productivity Culture
20:40 - Finding Peace in Accepting Average Productivity
22:37 - Cultural Expectations and Work-Life Balance
25:31 - The Role of Technology in Productivity Anxiety
30:17 - The Dangers of Measurable Metrics
32:03 - Writing Techniques and Approaches
36:30 - The Importance of Rhythm in Writing
39:01 - Listener Questions: Generational Perspectives on Productivity
42:57 - Antidotes to Hustle Culture and Finding Balance
45:27 - Final Thoughts on Productivity and Well-Being
Patrick's Book Recommendations are:
The Fourth Time We Drowned – Sally Hayden
Commonwealth – Anne Patchett
A Visit from Lagoon Squad – Jennifer Egan
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This week we deliberately trapped ourselves in a cartoon like the dude from A-Ha in order to cross paths with marketing’s MirthMaster 3000, Tom Fishburne aka The Marketoonist.
Apart from your CEO accidentally getting trapped in his own futuristic private bathroom over the bank holiday weekend, the funniest stuff in marketing usually comes from Tom’s brain. The comic genius behind The Marketoonist, Tom has been skewering this highly skewerable business for years – giving a reassuring chuckle to millions of marketers along the way. As well as being a famous side-splitter he’s also an expert eye-opener, with his Marketoonist agency having persuaded mega brands like Google, Microsoft and even LinkedIn of the value of having (and giving) a laugh. And, in his bid to remove the ‘po’ from the face of marketing, he also shares his wit and wisdom as one of the industry’s most in-demand keynote speakers.
This episode is dedicated to David and Claire Hyatt from Wales, as without these two Tom’s cartooning may never have transitioned from hobby to work.
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Follow Tom on LinkedIn.
Tom Fishburne's website here.
The Marketoonist website here.
Timestamps:
02:14 - Quick Fire Questions with Tom Fishburne
03:21 - Tom's Career Journey: From English Major to Cartoonist
07:00 - Early Influences and Inspirations
08:42 - Observations and Humour in Prague
10:09 - First Office Cartoons and Their Impact
13:49 - Humour in Marketing and Business
17:55 - Finding Material for Cartoons
19:06 - The Role of Humour in Serious Topics
23:21 - Can Any Brand Embrace Humour?
25:18 - Humour During the COVID-19 Pandemic
27:50 - Variety of Brands Tom Has Worked With
29:54 - Consistency of Human Nature in Humour
30:41 - Listener Questions: Balancing Satirical Humour
33:28 - Digital Transformation and Industry Jargon
35:07 - Listener Questions: AI and Humour
38:07 - Listener Questions: Humour Category at Cannes
39:38 - Listener Questions: AI vs. Human Comedians
42:26 - Four Pertinent Poses: Advice to Younger Self
43:23 - Four Pertinent Poses: Banish One Thing from the Industry
Tom's Book Recommendations are:
Orbiting the Giant Hairball – Gordon MacKenzie
School is Hell – Matt Groening
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This week we shrank ourselves down to Dennis-Quaid-in-Inner-Space micro proportions to catch Spencer LaVallee and Graham Douglas, the co-founders of mega-successful micro creative agency Gus.
Spencer and Graham lead a creative crew leaner than a wildebeest that got banished from its herd last Tuesday for repeatedly messing around. But size means little when you have big ideas, and the agency regularly rubs shoulders with the behemoths of the ad and marketing world when it comes to gongs and glory. From Gus being named Ad Age Small Agency of the Year, to their campaigns winning top honours at the likes of Cannes, Forbes and the New York Film Festival, Spencer and Graham are a testament that brains can beat brawn in this industry. Especially when those brains are inside the heads of a couple of fellas who’ve had such an interesting journey through it.
This episode is dedicated to all the small but mighty creative agencies out there proving that size doesn't limit impact.
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Follow GUS on LinkedIn
Visit their website here.
Timestamps:
(01:54) - Quick Fire Questions with Spencer & Graham
(03:26) - Graham & Spencer’s Career Journey
(10:35) - Spencer's Inspiration from an Outdoor Ad
(12:08) - Working at Campfire and True Blood Campaign
(15:54) - Graham & Spencer's Partnership and Founding of Gus
(18:56) - Strategy and Creativity Silos in Agencies and Clients
(20:32) - The Importance of Singular Creative Statements
(22:33) - The Mural Test for Brand Platforms
(24:56) - Internal vs. External Brand Positioning
(26:36) - The Role of Simplicity in Branding
(28:05) - Optimism About AI in Creativity
(30:01) - The Threat of AI in Strategy and Research
(32:29) - Staying Small on Purpose
(36:18) - The Changing Shape of Agencies
(42:18) - The Gus Grid and Creative Strategy
(43:13) - Breaking Norms with Back Market Campaign
(44:48) - Four Pertinent Poses: Advice to Younger Self
(47:59) - Banish One Thing from the Industry: Lack of Mentorship
Spencer and Graham's Book Recommendations are:
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
The Artists Way by Julia Cameron
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
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