Mike Kelly has built one of the most impressive and well-known personal brands in media and advertising.  This podcast is chock full of incredible advice, from building successful start-ups to turning around two major media companies (AOL and The Weather Channel). In addition to holding several active board positions, Mike is currently CEO at Kelly Newman Ventures, as well as Chairman at our agency, Strategy Source. 

If you would like to reach out to Mike, you can email him at  [email protected] or find him on LinkedIn and Twitter at mikekellyny.  

Comic book creator, PR executive, research producer, writer, designer and more.  Kwanza has built a career most people would envy.  He worked at Marvel right out of college and is currently Director of Creative Strategy at Weber Shandwick.  He got the funding for his first comic book on Kickstarter, BLACK, in just three days.  It was a facinating conversation and we geeked out on comic books and the creative process overall. 

Grace Jeon has an extensive background and track record in leading sales, product and marketing organizations in the consumer goods and industrial automation/packaging sectors. 

To call out just some of her experience - Grace was the founding CEO of JUST Goods. Prior to JUST, she was the CEO of Designer Protein, and she also spent seven years with FIJI Water immediately following its acquisition by the Wonderful Company.  In this episode, she provides multiple examples of how she moved into roles that may have been deemed risky at the time, but it always paid off.  We also discussed her experience building teams, entering the C-suite and the pain and joy around founding a company.  

Christie Paich has dedicated her career to fitness, golf and guest service.  She is currently in a role held by fewer than 9% of women in the US - Club General Manager.  The Glen Club is an award-winning golf club in IL and part of the Kemper Sports family of properties.  Previously, she led fitness clubs for Kraft, J&J and McDonald's and has built a reputation of trust and integrity throughout the Chicagoland area (and beyond).  We talked to her about lessons on how to hire the best talent, her perspective on the future of golf and how she helped to lead her club through the COVID pandemic.  Enjoy.

Jenna Young has risen to a title few women have been able to claim - Executive Creative Director.  She has spent the past 10 years at Weber Shandwick and previously led teams at The Martin Agency, Euro RSCG and Y&R.  She has progressive and inspirational approaches to hiring and management, and we dove into both during this interview.  We also talked about opening an office overseas, the value in identifying your 'magic team of seven' and what you can learn from discussing the work and projects that didn't make the cut.  

Sarah Walker is as close to a unicorn as they come - a senior, female engineering executive in the world of ad tech and cybersecurity.  Sarah has worked at American Express, Pfizer, FreeWheel and Annalect Group (Omnicom).  She led a global team of over 70 people at White Ops, a cybersecurity leader, and is a founding member at Chief.  In this episode, some of the topics we covered include: the value of taking a mission-driven approach to your career, moving into a more technical role (if you don't have a technical background), how to build and manage a cohesive global team and all of her incredible work around connecting and empowering other women in tech to succeed.  She is inspirational and laid down some fantastic advice throughout.  

Are your values aligned with your actions?  Have you recently moved your goalpost to help redefine success in the midst of COVID?  If you are currently unemployed, searching for a career change or just in need of some optimism and good advice, this episode is worth the listen. Jon Sanchez is a former Navy Seal, who transitioned into a successful banking career and is now the CEO and founder of Team Performance Institute.  TPI specializes in executive performance coaching, leadership, team development and building strong corporate cultures.  His energy is infectious, and his advice is both valuable and actionable, no matter where you are in your career.  

Over the past 12+ years, Ashley McGowan has built a uniquely impressive career - including positions at Microsoft and Facebook.  She has been highly strategic when making career decisions, but each decision has also been driven by purpose and passion.  As a result, she has become one of the leading voices in advertising on Diversity and Inclusion.  In this episode, she provides the valuable tips she has learned around interviewing, how to create the role you want when it doesn't exist and building a lasting legacy.  

In our first episode of My Storied Career, Christie Hartbarger talks to digital media luminary Scot McLernon.  Scot was there during the first days of digital and helped get the industry to where it is today.  He has led global sales teams, gone through exits and IPOs, and still manages to make delicious wine in his spare time.  In this episode, Scot and Christie discuss why you should never prepare for a meeting in a taxi, what you need to consider when making a career change, and why putting yourself first can make you better at work and at home.