This episode comes with a guarantee: this conversation is NOT the same recap of the Cannes Lions that you’ve probably read multiple times by now in your feeds. Joined by leading industry journalist Suzanne Vranica, who has long covered media, advertising, marketing and tech for The Wall Street Journal with a clarity few possess, Marisa, Steven and Suzanne get underneath the real business that happens -and happened this year - in Cannes. From the future of the big agency holding companies (the point of view might surprise you) to some vigorous debate on whether AI was talked about too much, or not enough to where the action really happens, grab your own glass of rosé and join us for this juicy final episode of this season.

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A personal speech. A private AI summit. One powerful catch-up.
In this episode, Marisa and Steven reconnect in real life to reflect on two powerful weeks, from Marisa’s moving and bold speech at the UJA Marketing Leadership Awards in NY to Steven’s high-impact Alpha Board Forum in LA. Threading these two events with the larger themes of this season, the two talk about what it means to “stand up” - as professionals, as humans, and as leaders - in a time of exponential change. With candor and care, they examine how brand, identity, and humanity remain as essential as AI, agents and automation, while being unequivocal about the urgency with AI in “learning how to surf.” A thoughtful lead-up to the 2025 Cannes Lions and a powerful reminder that: how you lead is part of your brand.

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If your work involves connecting with consumers, you’ve probably been influenced by Jim Lecinski without even knowing it. As one of Google’s early top executives, he was at ground zero for the digital revolution that rewrote marketing's rulebook, and coined the idea of a “Zero Moment of Truth” (ZMOT) which is now taught in marketing curriculae everywhere. Jim wrote a definitive book on AI in marketing - three years ago. So it’s fitting that Jim has segued from a huge corporate career to an academic one, as one of the most popular professors at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. On this episode, everyone gets to learn from Professor Jim. From how ZMOT was born, to the best advice Eric Schmidt gave him, join Marisa and Steven as they continue to have the conversations that are critical to wrestling with the challenges and opportunities of business today. As Jim says, “it’s still not too late to be early.”

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The question on every working person’s mind: how do I reinvent myself to stay relevant in this fast changing world? Surprisingly, one of the most erudite thought leaders on this subject says he personally hates change! - but it’s better than the alternative. 

In fact when it comes to navigating the business world and the impacts of technology, no one has navigated a more balanced view about how to embrace it while keeping a soul than Rishad Tobaccowala. Bringing the best of his writings into this conversation, Rishad shares with Marisa and Steven wisdom for brands, and careers. A couple of our favorite nuggets: 
- the future is NOT all about data, it’s (still) about storytelling
- trade thinking about your “tech stack” for thinking about your “customer experience stack”
- don’t compete with AI, complement it
For so much more, including Rishad’s take on the 6 skills that the future of work will need most, tune in now!

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After talking entrepreneurship in the last episode, Steven and Marisa are at it again with one of the most iconic and successful husband and wife entrepreneur teams: Kass and Mike Lazerow. From founding golf.com to going on to create Buddy Media, the leading social media marketing platform that sold to Salesforce for $745 million, this power pair has accrued a lifetime of stories from building their own businesses to helping others as prolific investors and advisors. How do you know when an idea is good enough to greenlight? What are some of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make… and what are lessons that everyone can take away? As investors, do you bet on the jockey, or the horse? Many of these lessons will be found in their forthcoming book Shoveling $h!t: A Love Story… But get a jump before its launch in June, by listening in now.

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What happens when you’re a top media executive and you choose to leave the corporate world to start a food company… with no prior food experience?  What happens when you set out to build a brand based on passion and purpose, not playbooks?
If you’re Gail Becker, you turn cauliflower into Caulipower: the brand that invented a whole new category in an industry that can be a little … crusty. In this episode, Marisa and Steven talk to Gail about what she learned from a life in corporate America - and what she actually had to unlearn - to get past a LOT of “no’s” to unlock that first “yes” as a later-in-life female entrepreneur. Give this a taste!

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We’re in the month that celebrates women… which always begs the question: why do we need a month? There’s no one better to talk that topic than Shelley Zalis, founder of The Female Quotient and a trailblazer in advocating for equity. At the heart of Steven and Marisa’s conversation with Shelley: the clear case for why women leadership in business is simply good for business. From reframing “diversity” to unpacking Marisa’s least favorite research finding ever to the perpetuation of bias in AI, this is one, that we hope is really of interest to everyone. 

Our favorite quote: “Stop fixing women. Fix the system.” Start by tuning in!

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 If it feels like a year has already happened in two months, for those in the world of business and brands, keeping a finger on the pulse of how consumers are feeling is as critical now as ever. Joining Marisa and Steven on this episode is the CEO of the famed Harris Poll, John Gerzema. In this current climate, will Americans “keep calm and carry on… shopping?” How can business leaders and particularly marketers make a tighter connection with price-stressed consumers? What matters more: facts or feelings? And… is there still cause for optimism? This is one for which you are going to want to take notes!



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Marisa and Steven are back! With big (brand) new professional chapters underway, the co-hosts catch up on their respective journeys over the past few weeks: Marisa in the midst of a big corporate merger and Steven back as an entrepreneur in the dynamic AI landscape. With those developments as a backdrop, get caught up with them on what professionals - including boards - should be doing now about AI, and why the role of brands, and human creativity in building them, has never been more important. 

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Marisa and Steven close out 2024 with the inimitable Dr. Marcus Collins, award-winning marketer, cultural translator, and bestselling author of “For The Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be.” If you agree with Marcus’ thesis that “culture is the operating system of humanity,” what does that mean for how brands connect into culture - the right ways? Who does it well, and who is just “sucking the tailpipe?” Stay tuned for reflections on the year in an episode that will inspire you to think differently in the year ahead.

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