Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing with Bob Pittman
In this podcast, iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman interviews leading marketers and entrepreneurs about how they break through the noise. He explores the combination of 'math'—strategy and analytics—and 'magic'—creative spark—that drives successful campaigns. Each episode features conversations with top industry disruptors and compelling storytellers, offering insights into the art and science behind effective marketing.
Episodes
Celebrating MTV’s 45th Anniversary with the Real Story of MTV
In honor of the 45th anniversary of MTV, we’re rereleasing a classic episode: the real story of MTV, as told by the founders. Today MTV is a cultural institution, but people forget what a long shot it was to get the channel off the ground. Bob Pittman led the team that created MTV. In this special episode, he reminisces with co-founders and friends John Sykes, Judy McGrath, Fred Seibert, Tom
Charlamagne Tha God Live at POSSIBLE: “Influencer means impact.”
As a Radio Hall of Fame inductee, best-selling author, TV personality, and producer, Charlamagne Tha God is a singular shaper of culture. He’s the co-host of iHeartRadio's The Breakfast Club morning show, driving millions of listeners daily, and he’s expanded his collaboration with iHeart to create The Black Effect Podcast Network. Live from Miami at POSSIBLE 2026, Charlamagne talks wi
Sherrie Westin: “As long as we’re true to our purpose, the brand is authentic.”
Working across 190 countries to deliver research-driven early learning, Sesame Workshop is the non-profit behind the longest running children’s television show and so much more. SherrieWestin is at its helm as President and CEO. Sherrie sits down with Bob to talk about the power of mission-driven work and how to stay relevant for generations of kids to come. From addressing social and enviro
Mike Milken: “Science could not move fast enough.”
From the free market to medical research to philanthropy, Mike Milken has had an outsized impact on it all. In the 1970s he ushered in an explosive era of innovation that changed the world of business and even the world itself. By the ‘90s, when facing his own life-threatening cancer diagnosis, he was determined to accelerate medical research and produce faster cures. Over the decades his wo
Lisa Coffey: “ Radio personalities are the original influencers."
Chief Business Officer at iHeartMedia, Lisa Coffey has run the gamut in media sales. She started out as part of traditional media, at newspapers like USA Today and The Wall Street Journal and at the magazines of Time Inc. Then she made the jump to digital, first at LinkedIn and then spending a decade at Amazon before being named Chief Revenue Officer at LoopMe. Now she’s working across
Strauss Zelnick: “Doing something from scratch, that’s challenging.”
After finding success from a young age at companies like 20th Century Studios, Vestron, and BMG Entertainment, Strauss Zelnick decided to go out on his own in his 40s. He founded Zelnick Media Capital and became CEO of Take-Two Interactive, the software company behind Grand Theft Auto. Together, they’re a $55 billion enterprise. He’s spent his career at the intersection of technology a
Mike Cessario: ”No investor was gonna write me a check for the concept.”
A skull-emblazoned design with a funny slogan is just not what people expect when they’re buying a healthy beverage. But that’s exactly why Liquid Death Founder and CEO Mike Cessario thought there was room for disruption. He didn’t think funny, cool, irreverent marketing should be limited to things that are bad for you. What if this approach could even help people make healthier
Math & Magic Returns March 19th
Join iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman for a new season of Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. Bob is taking you behind the scenes of the biggest businesses and industries while sharing insights from the smartest minds in marketing, business and creativity. New episodes start March 19th. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
CEOs You Should Know: Chon Nguyen, CEO of Newgentek
Chon Nguyen started his career in the kitchen. As he shares on this episode of CEOs You Should Know, he became an entrepreneur but never left restaurants behind. Today he builds high-impact businesses at the intersection of technology and hospitality. He’s the founder of and CEO of Newgentek, an IT service provider offering a help desk, field services, technology infrastructure, and strategy
CEOs You Should Know: Avani Desai, CEO of Schellman
Avani Desai is the CEO of Schellman, the largest specialized CPA firm focusing on cybersecurity assessments for major companies like Walmart, Meta, and OpenAI. In this episode of CEOs You Should Know, she discusses the firm's role in building trust through third-party cybersecurity evaluations, the increasing importance of data privacy, and the evolving landscape of AI technologies. Avani emphasiz
Listen to Bob on Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin
Math & Magic host Bob Pittman shares some iconic stories from the launch of MTV in this episode preview of Tetragrammaton, a podcast by record industry legend Rick Rubin. Find the full episode here. For more from Rick, visit his website and YouTube channel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus Episode: Business Breakthroughs
This bonus episode is all about innovation– that breakthrough that can change individual careers and even entire industries. We’re going back through the Math & Magic archives to hear from top innovators –from Blake Scholl, who is working to revolutionize commercial flights as the CEO of Boom Supersonic, to Gerry Laybourne who changed children’s television forever at Ni
Jonathan Adashek: “I’m going to do this job like I don’t need it.”
From the White House, to Edelman, Microsoft, Nissan and IBM, Jonathan Adashek has had a wide-ranging career. His experiences may span from politics, to the business side of PR, to tech, to automotive, but he has developed core beliefs about corporate culture, work ethic, marketing, and communications. Now as IBM’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Jonathan joins Bob to s
The Value of College
It can take decades to build breakthrough brands and noteworthy careers, and this bonus episode examines an essential building block to getting there – the college years. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon didn’t get the training you might expect for a leader in investment banking at his small liberal arts college. United Talent Agency CEO Jeremy Zimmer skipped college altogether, whereas
Bobby Bones: “Tenacity is a talent.”
Bobby Bones has been called “the most powerful man in country music.” Host of the nationally syndicated country music radio program, The Bobby Bones Show, and the podcast, Bobbycast, millions of Americans consider him a friend. Audio is his bread and butter, but he’s also made a name for himself on TV, as a mentor on American Idol, the host of Breaking Bobby Bones on the National
Ron Howard: “Understand the entertainment value of an idea.”
Ron Howard is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Grammy award-winning film director. With work spanning from comedies like Splash and Parenthood to critically acclaimed dramas like Apollo 13, Frost/Nixon and A Beautiful Mind, he is one of the most popular and prolific filmmakers of the last 50 years. His first on-screen appearance was at just 18 month
Bonus Episode: Building Corporate Culture
Corporate culture is a big buzzword these days, but for our guests it’s integral to how they do business. Bill Koenigsberg, CEO of Horizon Media, feels personally accountable for his employees, while Progressive Insurance CMO Remi Kent shares how the pandemic made her bring her values to the workplace during her time at 3M. WPP’s Christian Juhl shares how the power of culture was a dif
Hugh Howey: “I write for myself.”
Hugh Howey is an international best-selling author whose work has been published in 40 languages. But he’s not just a writer, he’s an entrepreneur in the purest sense. When Hugh self-published a short story, the world demanded more. Soon enough the income from that one story was enough to quit his job to begin work on what became the now-iconic Silo trilogy. Instead of going the tradit
Norma Kamali: “Be creative, be original, be innovative.”
Fashion designer Norma Kamali has stayed relevant for generations by tapping into culture, creativity, and technology. In the early 60s, she got a degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology but didn’t fit in with the style of the time. She abandoned design to work for an airline instead, giving her access to travel. During frequent trips to London, Norma discovered a fashion revolution
Tarang Amin: “Embrace what you think is risky.”
When he was 14, Tarang Amin’s family sold their home and bought a motel. They fixed it up and expanded their business, buying one motel after another. Since those days, Tarang’s gotten an MBA, built an impressive resume at Procter & Gamble, Clorox, and Schiff Nutrition, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Board and CEO of e.l.f. Beauty. Tarang still credits his days at the
Damian Maldonado: “You can’t teach motivation.”
A billion dollar business born from a $5,000 line of credit seems hard to believe, but so are a lot of Damian Maldonado’s achievements. The co-founder and CEO of American Financing, one of the major national mortgage companies, started selling candy and Avon products door-to-door when he was just 10 years old to help provide for his family. While he didn’t go to college, he was steadfa
Jewel: “It’s a lot less painful to be honest.”
Jewel–with just that name, you know exactly who she is. With over 30 million albums sold worldwide, four Grammy nominations, and an American Music Award she has all the accomplishments of stardom, but didn’t get there the traditional way. She spent her childhood in Alaska performing in bars with her dad and left home at 15, struggling with homelessness as a young adult. It was performi
Stéphane Bancel: “The upside was changing humanity forever.”
Moderna’s CEO Stéphane Bancel will go down in history for pioneering the Covid-19 vaccine. He sits down with Bob to recount the story of the pandemic from his perspective, from the moment he knew it would become an international disaster to the decision to throw out Moderna’s playbook and risk everything to help humanity. At the time, Moderna had never sold a product, requiring
Math & Magic Returns March 6th
Join iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman for a new season of Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. How do the most successful minds in marketing, entertainment, business, and even health and science evolve in an ever-changing world? This season, Bob sits down with visionaries across a wide range of industries to hear how they’ve used data, analytics, and creativity
Bonus Episode: Improbable Career Jumps
Whether it’s a promotion or a pivot, a great pitch or a stroke of luck, behind most successful careers is an improbable jump that unlocks new possibilities. Ryan Seacrest went from small-time broadcast host to breaking big with American Idol. On the other hand, Rob Reilly, the Chief Creative Officer of WPP, shocked his colleagues when he stepped backwards just as his career was abo
Bonus Episode: Secrets from the Marketing Masters
Over the years Bob has asked dozens of business titans to share their secrets –what’s inspired them, how they’ve exceeded their career goals, and the important lessons they’ve learned along the way. In this bonus episode, we’re highlighting memorable stories and secrets from marketing masters. AT&T CMO Kellyn Smith Kenny is honest about her takeaways from uns
Martha Stewart Live at iHeart: “Living is a Limitless Subject Matter.”
Martha Stewart has been a household name for over four decades and she still isn’t done building her empire. During her rise, the world’s first female self-made billionaire ignored conventional wisdom to become an Emmy Award-winning TV host, best-selling author, and creator of a groundbreaking magazine. Beyond those accolades, her wildly successful merchandising business and multi-channel lifestyl
Celebrating MTV’s Anniversary with the Real Story of MTV
In honor of the 43rd anniversary of MTV, we’re rereleasing a classic episode: the real story of MTV, as told by the founders. Today MTV is a cultural institution, but people forget what a long shot it was to get the channel off the ground. Bob Pittman led the team that created MTV. In this special episode, he reminisces with co-founders and friends John Sykes, Judy McGrath, Fred Seibert, Tom Frest
Pitbull: “Anything you love you have to fight for.”
You may know this week’s guest by many names. Mr. 305, Mr. Worldwide, or more likely, the one and only Pitbull. Yes, the Grammy winning superstar, education advocate and entrepreneur sat down with Bob for a live conversation in his native Miami at the POSSIBLE conference. Before gaining all his titles, Pitbull was simply Armando Christian Pérez, a kid soaking up the colorful cultures of his city.
Ryan Seacrest: “I celebrate people, but I’m not the star.”
Ryan Seacrest is America’s favorite host. He’s been on the radio since he was a teenager, but it wasn’t until he came on all of our TV screens in 2002 as the host of American Idol that he became a constant presence in American households. That big break propelled him to other roles, like hosting E! Red Carpets, Live with Kelly and Ryan, and will soon become the new host of Wheel of Fortune. All th
Andrew Jarecki: “People really do want to tell you their story.”
You’ve probably been entertained by entrepreneur and filmmaker Andrew Jarecki even if you didn’t realize it. He co-founded the business everyone used in the 1990s: Moviefone. His list of accomplishments also include co-writing the theme song for the hit TV show, Felicity, directing the Ryan Gosling film, All Good Things, and directing and producing the documentary, Capturing the Friedmans, which w
Rob Reilly: “Be a fountain of ideas.”
How does one come up with great ideas? Some may think they’re random strokes of genius, but Rob Reilly knows it takes a mix of hard work and creativity–the truest embodiment of math and magic. Now the Chief Creative Officer of WPP, Rob built his stunning reputation on work that is memorable and buzzy, from campaigns for companies like American Express and Burger King to the “Fearless Girl” statue
Scott Borchetta: “This is the future – we better figure this out.”
Country music is the biggest radio music format and Nashville’s Scott Borchetta knows the genre inside and out. He’s the founder, president, and CEO of Big Machine Label Group and the founder of Big Machine Distillery. Scott has signed deals with artists like Tim McGraw, Jewel, Lady A, Zac Brown Band, Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line, and many others. Scott sits down to talk about his impressiv
Kenneth Feld: “People make an organization.”
Audiences love a spectacle, and Kenneth Feld knows better than anyone how true this is. As the Chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment, he’s an acclaimed visionary when it comes to live, family friendly theatrics. He took over the business from his father, who founded it back in 1967 when he discovered the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. Kenneth sat down with Bob to describe how he maintai
Kellyn Smith Kenny: “The working world is a team sport.”
Kellyn Smith Kenny was born to innovate. From her early years, she was a textbook over-achiever, thriving as both an athlete and a mathlete and joining any additional club she could squeeze her way into. Growing up, she watched her mom run a hospital and her dad contribute to groundbreaking work at Bell Labs, inspiring her to dedicate herself to meaningful work. This well-rounded foundation has ta
Math & Magic Returns Thursday, February 29th
Join iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman for the new season of Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing, starting Thursday, February 29th. This season, Bob sits down with leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries across music, film, live entertainment, marketing, and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ted Leonsis: “People want purpose.”
Tech pioneer Ted Leonsis is never one to shy away from a challenge. He’s an uncanny trend spotter, from his beginnings at companies like Wang Laboratories and AOL to his current role as Founder and CEO of Monumental Sports and Entertainment. He’s also the ambitious co-founder of investment group Revolution Growth and even did a stint as mayor of a small Florida town. But before college, Ted was a
Howard Makler: “Your brand is a fingerprint of your behavior.”
Howard Makler knows how vital small and medium-sized businesses are to the economy. But he also knows not everyone appreciates their value. A successful serial entrepreneur and CEO of Innovation Refunds, Howard is working to make sure smaller businesses are no longer ignored. Innovation Refunds helps small businesses gain access to government funding, along with the knowledge, resources, and techn
Jacki Kelley: “Don’t be afraid to zig and zag.”
The world of media is ever-changing — and no one has played it quite like Jacki Kelley, CEO of the Americas and Global Chief Client Officer of advertising giant, Dentsu. Jacki has been at the center of media and advertising for the last 25 years, with leadership roles at USA Today, Yahoo, Martha Stewart Living, and Bloomberg. Her deep understanding of the media landscape has put her in a valuable
Jon Bon Jovi: “It comes down to truth.”
Jon Bon Jovi is so well known that when his songs play, everyone can sing along – even those born well after they first hit the radio. That kind of success is rare in the music business and a lot of artists would stop there. Yet Jon has tackled a number of ventures, bringing a magic touch to everything he’s involved in, from entrepreneurship to philanthropy. With Hampton Water, he turned a family
Angela Yee: “Every time I learn something, I want to bring it to people.”
At its core, radio is a community service. No one knows that better than Angela Yee. She’s been on the airwaves for over a decade as a founding member of The Breakfast Club, host of her midday show, Way Up, and now the podcast, Lip Service. Angela is a friend and mentor to her listeners and she’s no different off the air. As an entrepreneur, she finds creative ways to help others. From juice bars,
Paris Hilton: “I love to be someone who is underestimated.”
For so long, Paris Hilton’s story was told for her – in tabloids, through her persona on The Simple Life, and in the context of her legendary family. Now, Paris has taken the reins. She’s used her power as the original influencer to show her true self on social media, through entrepreneurship, and as an activist. From documentaries to podcasts to successful brands, there’s now so many ways to get
Gwyneth Paltrow: “Transaction can actually be a service”
These days, a lot of actors double as entrepreneurs. Yet no one has had their finger on the pulse quite like Gwyneth Paltrow. Before everyone else was doing it, the Academy Award winner started a newsletter with personally curated recipes, travel tips, beauty items, and more. That grew into the lifestyle brand Goop. From its clothing line to its podcast, Goop’s offerings have captivated customers
Allen Grubman: “I’m a businessman first and a lawyer second.”
Allen Grubman is a legend in the music business, but he’s not a musician. He’s an entertainment lawyer who for over 50 years has been making deals for superstars in music and media. He’s a trusted advisor to Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, and, of course, Bob Pittman. Bob sat down with his longtime friend and confidante to learn how he went from Brooklyn kid to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. A
Blake Scholl: “It doesn’t matter what you’ve already done. It’s what you can learn to do.”
With Boom Supersonic, Blake Scholl is reaching for the impossible. When the Concorde was grounded in 2003, dreams of a profitable model for supersonic aviation were abandoned. It took an introverted kid obsessed with aviation to prove skeptics wrong. Today, Boom has orders to make over 100 supersonic aircrafts for the US Airforce, United Airlines, and more, ensuring that supersonic travel is about
Math & Magic Returns March 30th
Join iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman for the new season of Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. This season, Bob sits down with leaders across various fields –from A-list entrepreneurs to a supersonic aviator and everyone in-between—to learn how they’ve used data and creativity to push their businesses into the future. There’s nothing these visionaries can’t teach us
Colin Cowherd: “I’m more interested in ‘the why’ than ‘the what.’”
You might be surprised to learn that legendary sportscaster Colin Cowherd rarely checks his ratings. As he puts it: checking your ratings doesn’t make your ratings better. Instead, Colin has some other tried-and-true ways to build an engaged audience— and it shows. With his program on Fox Sports and two podcast networks in partnership with iHeartPodcasts, Colin hasn’t just built an audience, he’s
Christian Juhl: "I have to predict the future just slightly better than everybody else."
Throughout the tumultuous pandemic, Christian Juhl kept a steady hand at the helm of GroupM at WPP—the world’s largest advertising and media investment company. The key to Christian’s powerful leadership lies within his early experiences in the eye of the dot com boom and bust. The memories of wondering whether his paychecks would cash have not faded, and neither have the corresponding lessons. Li
Mike Meldman: "If the product is bad, no matter who is behind it, it won’t work.”
After a brief stint as a Blackjack dealer, Mike Meldman thought he’d try his hand as a real estate developer. Cut to the present: Mike and his team at Discovery Land Company have created over thirty luxury communities worldwide. But Mike is not just providing four walls and a roof: he’s providing community. Bob sits down to find out how Mike has achieved that— and where Casamigos, the award-winnin
Byron Sharp: “Highly restrictive targets are a fantastic way to shrink brands.”
Although Byron Sharp grew up on a sheep farm, he’s spent his career defying herd mentality. As Director of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, Byron has debunked marketing conventions and helped brands stick to what works. Along the way, he wrote the seminal book “How Brands Grow,” which you can find on any CMO’s desk who is worth their salt. In today’s special episode of Math &
Stephanie Ruhle: “I want the world to get better and smarter.”
It’s impossible to make good business decisions with bad information. That’s where truth-seeking reporters like Stephanie Ruhle come in. Host of the 11th Hour on MSNBC and Senior Business Analyst for NBC News, Stephanie has brought truth and accountability to power by breaking momentous stories like the London Whale loss. Bob talks to Stephanie about how she navigated a major career pivot, the sur
Tony Coles: “We are sourcing stories that mainstream newsrooms would never tell.”
In 2019, the Black Information Network— a full-time news service by and for the black community— was in the early stages of planning at iHeartMedia. But when George Floyd was murdered, Tony Coles, one of iHeart’s Division Presidents who had been overseeing BIN’s development, knew the platform needed to launch immediately. Tony, now President of BIN, reflects on how he and his team were able to spr
Jeff Bewkes: “We didn’t care about the ratings.”
Jeff Bewkes started at HBO as something of a traveling salesman; his job was to urge motels to add HBO to their properties and their marquees. Later, Jeff would become the last CEO of Time Warner, and engineered the company’s sale to AT&T. Jeff shares the original programming gambles that paid off, what television in the 90s teaches us about the streaming wars and how spending childhood summer
Steve Cooper: “You should never get too comfortable.”
What do Enron, Warner Music Group and Krispy Kreme have in common? “King of the Turnaround” Steve Cooper’s guiding hand during key transitions. Bob sits down with the business legend to talk about the possibilities of web3, Steve’s upcoming departure from WMG and why we should all rewatch Disney’s “Wall-E.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dr. David Eagleman: “The conscious mind is like a broom closet in the mansion of the brain.”
If you think a neuroscientist couldn’t lead a master class in marketing, you haven’t met Dr. David Eagleman. Professor of Brain Plasticity at Stanford, best-selling author, TV host and CEO of neurotech company Neosensory, David has a passion for applying neuroscience to topics beyond academic science. In fact, Bob considers David’s book “Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain” as one of the most
Suzy Deering: “We are at the moment where everything changes. And a big reason we’re at that moment, is the F-150 Lightning.”
Suzy Deering has been preparing to take the business world by storm since the second grade, and she certainly has. She’s shaped powerhouse brands like Verizon and eBay, and now serves as the Global CMO of Ford. Learn how Suzy’s experience shepherding landline customers to wireless is informing her marketing strategy around electric cars, and why your car isn’t just a car— it’s a lifestyle.See omny
Math & Magic Returns September 22nd
Join Bob Pittman for the new season of Math & Magic. This season, Bob sits down with visionaries—from CEOs, to neuroscientists, and everyone in-between—to hear how they’ve used data and creativity to successfully adapt to the biggest changes of our time: the metaverse, fake news, remote work, championing stories that matter, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bob Pittman on Minnie Questions with Minnie Driver
Today, Bob goes from podcast host to podcast guest and sits down with actor Minnie Driver for her iHeartRadio podcast, Minnie Questions. Bob shares why he’s grateful for a childhood injury, lessons from growing up in the South during the Civil Rights Movement, and why plans are sometimes bad for business. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/l
Ben Horowitz: “Let’s go make something. Let’s change the world.”
What do start-up founders and hip hop artists have in common? According to Ben Horowitz: a lot! Since his teenage years, Ben has been inspired by hip hop artists’ ability to create something from nothing-- and he took that guiding ethos with him to Silicon Valley. So even when industry giants shrugged off what would become the internet as we know it, Ben always saw it for what it could be… and in
Celebrate MTV’s 40th Birthday with the Real Story of MTV
In honor of the 40th anniversary of MTV, we’re rereleasing a fan-favorite episode: the real story of MTV, as told by the founders. Today MTV is a cultural institution, but people forget what a long shot it was to get the channel off the ground. Bob Pittman led the team that created MTV. In this special episode, he reminisces with co-founders and friends John Sykes, Judy McGrath, Fred Seibert, Tom
Remi Kent: “A small act can make a difference.”
In Remi Kent’s first job as a library page, she discovered her love of stories. Now, as CMO of 3M, Remi is crafting stories for countless consumers across the globe! Despite this massive audience, Remi stays focused on making individual, human connections with 3M customers. Learn how this framework has helped Remi shepherd 3M through major shifts: from taking Post-it digital, to mass producing N95
Christian Navarro: “I've been at the bottom; and if I can use that energy to help people stay on top, then I win.”
After dropping out of school and struggling with homelessness, a young Christian Navarro was rejected by his top-choice job and accepted a gig sweeping floors at a wine shop. There, Christian fine-tuned his precocious palate and client partnership savvy. The rest is history! What felt like the second-best job offer at the time, actually put Christian on fast-track to where he is now: President, Pr
Brad Gerstner: “If something's not a fast yes, then it's a quick no.”
When Brad Gerstner, a “simple kid from Indiana” set out to build a brand-new investment firm in the swirl of the 2008 financial crisis, his friends and advisors told him he was nuts. But that company, Altimeter Capital, has become an incredibly successful vehicle-- not just for profits, but also for enabling entrepreneurs to do good. In this week's conversation, Bob learns why Brad needed to build
Alec Baldwin: “You have to find a way to make it work.”
Before Jack Donaghy, before Jack Ryan and SNL, Alec Baldwin was studying to be a lawyer and interning on Capitol Hill. This episode, Alec sits down with Bob to share why he changed course, and how he made it as an actor. From nights working as a busboy at Studio 54, to his Emmy-award-winning performance in 30 Rock, Alec shares behind-the-scenes stories, including: how Soap Operas informed his work
Gary Vaynerchuk: “Accountability's an incredible gateway to happiness.”
No one's story captures the spirit of the American Dream better than Gary Vaynerchuk. Fresh from the USSR, Gary’s earliest memories are of his family of eight crammed into a studio apartment in Queens. But he's been focused on turning lemons into literal lemonade from the very beginning: Gary launched his own lemonade stand at age seven—and he's been an entrepreneur ever since! From his early adve
Sir Martin Sorrell: “Good people are by nature difficult”
Any good student of advertising and marketing should know Sir Martin Sorrell’s name! From his rising to star status as Saatchi & Saatchi’s CFO, to his building and shaping of WPP— growing it from a shopping cart maker to the world’s largest advertising holding company, Sir Martin is as well known for his legendary insights as his headstrong opinions. Listen as he and Bob discuss why you need t
Elizabeth Rutledge: “We call our employees colleagues.”
As the Chief Marketing Officer of American Express, Elizabeth Rutledge has a rare superpower... she's an introvert. And the way she wields it is impressive! Learn how she harnesses the power of small, nimble teams (it has something to do with pizza!); how she's used her introversion to foster a culture of empathy and respect, and why she still draws inspiration from her stint as a 9th grade biolog
Jan Brandt: “We had to break a lot of glass”
It’s hard to imagine what this pandemic would look like without the internet to keep us all connected, and we have Jan Brandt’s marketing genius to thank for that technological revolution. As the CMO of AOL in the 1990s, she grew their subscription base by being keenly attuned to customers’ desires—and to the potential for home internet access to transform their lives. Listen to Jan explain why sh
Brad Hiranaga: “I’ve been in love with brands since I was 5 years old.”
It's not just about marketing for Brad Hiranaga. As the Chief Brand Officer, North America for General Mills, Brad has been helping the company realize its potential as a force for good: from encouraging families to connect around the dinner table, to fighting the hunger gap with the No Kid Hungry initiative. In fact, he's been working tirelessly to improve food security and accessibility during t
The Real Story of MTV: Founder’s Edition
Today, MTV is a cultural institution. But people forget what a long shot it was to get the channel off the ground. Bob Pittman led the team that created MTV. In this special episode, he reminisces with co-founders and friends John Sykes, Judy McGrath, Fred Seibert, Tom Freston and Jarl Mohn about what it was like to create the '80s version of a start-up, and lead a TV revolution by dreaming up the
Marisa Thalberg: “Connect the dots that aren’t obvious”
From Estee Lauder to Taco Bell to now EVP, Chief Brand and Marketing Officer at Lowe’s, Marisa Thalberg hasn’t had the most obvious career path. But when you’re as creative as she is, it’s easy to connect those dots! (Did you realize that Taco Bell markets like a fashion brand?) Tune in to hear Marisa and Bob discuss how writing plays as a second-grader shaped her schooling, why she started the “E
Dave Cote: “I benefited from second chances. I always kept that in mind”
For anyone struggling to lead their company through the current climate, Dave Cote has some advice for you. The legendary former chairman and CEO of Honeywell ushered his company through two big recessions while growing it from a $20 billion business to a $120 billion one. Tune in as Dave tells Bob how he marshaled his company's leadership in a storm, what he learned from Jack Welch, and how his r
“Believe in your own greatness”: Advice from Tim Cook, David Chang, Abby Wambach and more
In this Special Edition of Math and Magic, Bob sifts through his favorite graduation speeches from Commencement: The Podcast, to share lessons for aspiring leaders. Learn why Google X's Astro Teller thinks you need to embrace your inner “weirdo” to solve the world's biggest problems, what Abby Wambach thinks you need to know about teamwork, and why Tim Cook thinks reading Lincoln might be the perf
Hans Vestberg: “This country relies on connectivity. My job is to empower and energize my company in these times.”
Though the world has stopped, we've been able to text with friends, video conference relatives, check e-mails and stream content. It's easy to take for granted. But that incredible access is possible thanks to executives like Verizon’s Chairman and CEO, Hans Vestberg. How did Hans prepare the Verizon network to respond so effectively to something so unpredictable? How has he transitioned his team
Special Covid-19 Episode: "Market with humanity"
The world has changed a lot in the last week. We’re dealing with a pandemic that’s shaken us in unimaginable ways. But how should CMO's shepherd their brands through these times? Join Bob as he calls three marketing experts—and favorite former guests—for guidance. Listen to how CVS Health’s CMO, Norm de Greve led his team to “market with humanity,” learn how Amazon's culture helped them adapt quic
Philippe Krakowsky: “If you say you’re going to do something, do something.”
It's hard to imagine an exec with a more colorful background than IPG's Chief Operating Officer and EVP Philippe Krakowsky. Hailing from Mexico City, Philippe grew up speaking three languages. He paid for college by debugging Atari games. And though he studied linguistics and comparative lit, his first job after school was founding an AI startup...that he later sold to Apple! Learn how Philippe go
Shazi Visram “Finding solutions— that’s just a part of my DNA.”
The way Shazi describes it, she had a magical childhood. Living in the motel her family owned and operated, she had no shortage of things to keep her busy-- from hanging out with cooks to watching new customers to adopting a pet duck. But how did someone who always dreamed of being a painter end up founding Happy Baby, the number one organic baby food company in the world? Shazi and Bob discuss ho
Rich Lennox: “I came from a culture where I saw big ideas transform businesses.”
As a kid, Macy's CMO Rich Lennox had two dreams: to be the next Chuck Yeager, or to be a veterinarian. But after a “bizarre series of accidents,” he took a different path: joining J. Walter Thompson before leading a series of incredible brands. Listen to Rich as he discusses why hypnotizing a focus group might be a good idea (spoiler: it helped him crack an entirely new diamond market for De Beers
Fan Favorite: Judy McGrath: “I didn’t know anything about TV; I didn’t even like it!” (rebroadcast)
All Judy McGrath wanted to do when she grew up was to write for Rolling Stone. Instead, the storied CEO of MTV Networks now sits on the board of Amazon. Discover how the creative giant got seduced by management, why she learned to love a P&L (spoiler: it was to make room for wildly creative programming like Rock the Vote, and South Park), and how she convinced advertisers to get behind The Dai
Bonus Episode—How They Made It
From The Breakfast Club to Nickelodeon, Bobbi Brown to CoverGirl, there’s no question these brands and personalities have shaped culture. But how did they get their big breaks? And how did they turn opportunities into success stories? Tune in to learn why Charlamagne tha God’s passion for radio probably saved his life; how Gerry Laybourne transformed Nickelodeon into the top network for tweens --
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