Justin Reyes, Director of Diversity & Inclusion at Omnicom Media Group, shares how OMG championed their Black employees before these current crises, what they’re doing to support them now, and how they plan to sustain these efforts.

“I don’t know how we could have survived the two current crises without our BRGs,” says Justin Reyes of these hyper-connected communities that are driving real business results. "We have to earn our employees every single day."

In this episode, I speak with Angela Rodriguez, Vice President, Strategic Insights at Alma, about how this crisis has impacted multicultural communities and how brands can connect with and take on an active role in supporting them.

I speak with Bob Munier, Vice President, Director of Business Development at Omnicom Health Group, about how they’re making their RFPs stand out, the new ways they’re preparing for virtual pitches, and creating chemistry with clients across the screen.

You thought ‘Cribs’ was just for MTV – OHG is bringing back the show to inspire their pitches in the age of COVID-19. From reinventing the traditional static RFP to using interactive technologies to keep clients engaged, we talk through the inventive solves OHG is using to leave their mark and win business.

But it’s not all fun and games: Bob also reveals simple practices pitch teams can adopt to impress clients and save their skin when technology fails.

I speak with Michelle Tenzyk, Founder & CEO, East Tenth Group and The Truth Behind Our Titles, about how we can open conversation around mental health and support the mental wellbeing of our teams, our loved ones, and ourselves during this time and beyond.

Last August, Michelle, a former Omnicom Chief of HR at Healthcare Consultancy Group, shared the story of how she’s dealt with her mental health condition throughout her career on LinkedIn. The story garnered over 50,000 views and countless comments of understanding and support. It opened up the conversation around mental health in business for even the most high-achieving individuals.

In light of Mental Health Awareness Month and the crisis we currently face, Michelle and I talk through some of the simple things leadership can do to create an environment that supports people who are dealing with a mental health condition, with emphasis on how to gauge your team’s emotional states in a virtual setting.

We also addressed what individuals can do to help their colleagues and friends – and most importantly, what we can do for ourselves. Asking for help is difficult for a lot of people, now even more so because we have a layer of technology between us, and Michelle provides tips on how to reach out.

Read and share Michelle’s story here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/truth-behind-my-title-high-achieving-ceos-candid-story-tenzyk/

If you're thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can find help from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

I speak with Whitney Dailey, Vice President, Marketing/Research & Insights at Porter Novelli about their research into Americans' expectations of companies and what this means for how they should act during this time and beyond.

This month’s focus is around Women’s History Month and I sit down with Kathryn Brown, Managing Director at BBDO Worldwide, to talk about how she’s working across agencies on the AT&T business, what she’s learned from being on the board of MAKERS, and what her kids think she does at work.

With years of experience at working BBDO with top clients and Omnicom agencies of all disciplines, Kathryn shares how she "grew up" at BBDO and the ways she's been able to build deep and meaningful partnerships. On the heels of the MAKERS Conference, where as a board member she got up on stage to make a pledge for how BBDO will accelerate women's equality this year, Kathryn digs into what she and BBDO have done thus far and how they plan to continue to move the needle forward.

She also talks about how she's bringing this spirit home to her two daughters, in balancing educating them on the struggles of the women who have come before them without implying they have limited possibilities themselves, and letting them lead with their passions to find their own voices.

I chat, via home offices of course, with The Marketing Arm’s Trina Roffino, President of Consumer Engagement and Will Clarke, Chief Creative Officer, about commerce in the time of COVID-19. We break down how brand experience and ecommerce will happen differently, the opportunities that new consumer habits and work from home present, and how businesses can get customers back into brick-and mortar stores.

I speak with Bryan Gildenberg, SVP, Commerce, Omnicom Retail Group about his new report about the Known Unknowns during this unprecedented time. We dive into the shifts he’s seeing as the acceleration of online shopping becomes a way of life for people, strategies for brands who are doing well right now, and how brands can reposition and reconnect with consumers.

I speak with Walter T. Geer III, SVP, Group Creative Director, Director of Digital Experience and Innovation at TBWA\WorldHealth who talks about the new rules for engagement in this time. After a wildly successful Instagram live session that garnered over 19k viewers, Walt breaks down how businesses and brands can find their way into people’s homes and pivot to digital.

I speak with Ben Grinspan, Director, Cultural Strategy, sparks & honey about how they’ve pivoted their live cultural briefings to virtual, the cultural tensions they’re seeing emerge from this pandemic, and how we can strategize around these uncertain timelines.