Kristen Cavallo's Third Act: From Global Ad CEO to Design Museum Visionary

How do you reinvent yourself after running a world-class ad agency? 🌍 In this candid Act Three conversation, former MullenLowe Group & The Martin Agency CEO Kristen Cavallo reveals how she swapped Super Bowl spots for museum walls—and why a solo 400-mile Camino de Santiago trek became the catalyst for a brand-new purpose.

▶️ What you'll learn in this episode

0:00 Intro & Cara Gray's mission

1:25 Why Kristen planned her exit three years in advance

5:44 The LinkedIn "informational interview" method that shaped her pivot

10:02 Walking the Camino: breaking a 30-year work habit

18:45 Saying no to politics—and yes to design

24:10 Leading the Branch Museum of Design & Architecture

30:35 Building equity & inclusion into cultural programming

41:10 Advice for CEOs plotting their own "third act"

Key takeaways

Use research skills on yourself—Kristen ran 40+ interviews to test possible futures.

A two-week "habit break" can reset lifelong routines.

Non-profits need marketing minds; your corporate skills translate.

Diverse teams aren't a nice-to-have—they prevent creative blind spots.

Design is everywhere; learning to see it makes life more hopeful.

💡 Enjoyed this?

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https://branchmuseum.org/

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