Growing up with big dreams written on a whiteboard (own Manchester United, start a media company, buy a yacht), Michelle Turnbull Reeves, three-time founder and Founder & CEO of Zipline AI, meant writing her own rules from day one.

Many careers follow a straight line. Evin Shutt, CEO and Partner of 72andSunny, took the opposite approach. From middle school teacher to the first employee (and now CEO & Partner!) at one of the most creative agencies in the world, her story is about having the courage to pivot when something doesn't feel right. Host Lauren Douglass sits down with Evin to explore her "pendulum" approach to work-life balance, what 94% of C-suite women have in common, and how Evin realized she was chasing what she thought she should do instead of what made her happy.

What happens when you refuse to let corporate politics kill your creativity? This week, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Drew Train, Co-Founder and CEO of Oberland, who left it behind to start his own shop, and hasn't looked back since.

What happens when you stop fighting who you are and start using it as your superpower? Tune in with Lauren Douglass this week as she interviews Karen Riley-Grant, Chief Marketing Officer of Vuori, to unpack this. From starting on the Gap sales floor in Daytona Beach to leading marketing at one of the biggest apparel brands, Karen's journey is proof that your authentic self is your biggest asset. We talk about her obsession with staying close to customers, why she had to accept that she just doesn't do "slow," and how being told to dial it down early in her career almost made her lose what makes her great.

In a world increasingly going digital and looking towards AI, why are in-person experiences more powerful than ever? Carley Faircloth-Kilmurray, Global CMO at Spiro, argues that IRL experience aren't just fun events to attend - they're business critical.

Hosted by Lauren Douglass, they talk about why leaders are quick to cut experiential budgets (hint: measuring ROI wrong), how AI has made human connection more valuable, and what most people get completely wrong about events. Carley shares her "why not" philosophy and why she believes live experiences are the secret weapon brands are undervaluing. 

If you've ever wondered whether that company event is worth it, or you're curious about the real ROI of human connection, this one's essential.

What's it really like to be president of one of the biggest agencies in the world? Melissa Levy, President of Digitas, pulls back the curtain on her 20-year journey from finance to the C-suite.

In this conversation, Melissa gets real about the myth of work-life balance (spoiler: doesn't exist), why she compartmentalizes everything, and her "flush it and move forward" philosophy that's gotten her through two decades in this chaotic industry. Together with host Lauren Douglass, they talk about why she wishes she'd been more assertive earlier in her career, the advice she gives to young women starting off in their career, and why in-person connections are more critical than ever in our remote world.

If you've ever wondered how to stay grounded in an industry that never slows down, or you're looking for straight talk about navigating leadership as a woman, this one's worth your time.

What happens when you decide to stop wearing a corporate mask and just be yourself at work? On this episode, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Nadalie Dias, CMO of Hearts & Science, to find out.

After years of being told to be less direct and less dominant, Nadalie hit a breaking point and chose authenticity over acceptance. We talk about the gendered feedback that shaped her career, why she values honor above all else, and her hot take on marketing jargon. 

This isn't your typical career advice. It's a real conversation about what it costs to conform and what you gain when you stop trying to be everyone's cup of tea. If you've ever felt like you're performing a version of yourself at work, this one's for you.

By the way! You might have noticed the intro to this one is a bit different. We have rebranded! We wanted to find something closer to what the podcast is actually about: humans, brands, & the humans behind the brands. 

Host Lauren Douglass sits down with Susan Howe, CEO of Weber Shandwick, for a conversation about leadership, growth, and the power of knowing yourself.

Susan shares how she built her career by leaning into curiosity, collaboration, and continuous learning. She talks about what it means to lead with intention, why positive energy is a choice she makes every day, and how she stays grounded while leading one of the top global agencies. They also dig into the realities women still face in leadership, and why it’s important to own your space and speak up about your work.

If you’re thinking about your next move, reflecting on how you lead, or just need a reminder that it’s okay to be a work in progress, this one’s for you. Let's get into it. 

In this episode, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Kate Rush Sheehy, Chief Strategy Officer at GSD&M, for a conversation about the power of curiosity, the misunderstood narrative around women in leadership, and why building brands people care about starts with empathy.

Kate shares the personal story behind her love for advertising, what motivates her as a strategist, and how growing up with limited access to top brands shaped her fascination with them. She talks about trusting your gut in a data-driven world, leading with compassion, and why AI should raise the ceiling, not just the floor, on creativity.

From flipping the script on ageism in the workplace, to helping major brands like Southwest Airlines get unstuck, Kate offers a refreshingly human take on what it means to lead with purpose in an ever-changing industry.

If you're looking for inspiration on career pivots, leadership with heart, or just want a reason to fall in love with strategy again, this one’s for you. Let's get into it. 

In this special bonus episode of Humans & Brands, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Adrianne del Sol, VP, Digital Commerce + Omnichannel Marketing at Kimberly-Clark, and Kerel Cooper, CMO of GumGum, for a refreshingly human conversation about marketing, meaning, and how we show up in work and life.

We unpack what separates great marketing from forgettable, why the human element often gets lost in campaigns, and what it means to lead with empathy in today's changing landscape. Adrianne and Kerel also share their favorite projects and lessons that have stuck with them along the way, long after the work was done.

If you've ever questioned the idea of the linear career path or wondered how to lead with empathy in a metrics-driven world, this episode is for you.