What happens when the women who helped build Microsoft finally get their story told? In her new book, The Women of Microsoft, Miri Rodriguez—Senior Storyteller at Microsoft, CEO of Empressa.ai, and award-winning author—spotlights the pioneers who shaped both the company and the future of tech. Along the way, she shares powerful insights on storytelling, leadership, and how empathy and purpose can transform the way we work.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(01:09) How the book began

(02:43) The mission behind The Women of Microsoft

(04:33) Surprising and moving stories

(06:35) Women’s impact on Microsoft’s innovations

(09:10) Balancing celebration and hard truths

(12:11) Lessons for women navigating tech today

(19:14) The code of confidence and future generations

(20:42) AI, Empressa.ai, and the future of work

(26:35) A brand that made Miri smile

Miri Rodriguez is the CEO of Empressa.ai, a groundbreaking AI company reshaping the future of work for women, and serves as Senior Storyteller at Microsoft, where she crafts narratives that resonate globally. An award-winning author of Brand Storytelling—translated into four languages—Miri is also a sought-after speaker and consultant known for her empathetic, purpose-driven approach. Beyond her professional work, she champions social advocacy by training leaders of social enterprises in Africa, mentoring students and professionals in the U.S., and sharing mindfulness and happiness through her platform Be Mindful Be Happy. Her global travels with her husband fuel both her storytelling and her belief in the power of human experience and technology to transform lives.

What Brand Has Made Miri Smile Recently? Miri shared how the shoe brand Mephisto recently made her smile. While traveling in Spain, she rediscovered the brand her father had once introduced to her as a teenager. A local store gave her an unexpectedly personal, “white glove” experience—handwritten receipts, phone calls to the manufacturer, and even custom colors. For Miri, it was a powerful reminder that personal treatment and genuine customer care still win, even in a world dominated by mass retail.

Links

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How did Google become one of the most powerful forces in advertising—and what happens when that power crosses the line? Ari Paparo, ad tech veteran, Marketecture founder, and author of Yield: How Google Bought, Built, and Bullied Its Way to Advertising Dominance, takes us inside the deals, innovations, and strong-arm tactics that reshaped the industry. From behind-the-scenes stories of the “Rocket Docket” antitrust trial to the coming AI disruption of search, Ari shares candid insights on market dominance, branding, and the future of digital advertising.

Ari Paparo began his career in digital advertising during the early days of the internet and went on to shape how online ads work today. He has led product teams at AppNexus and Bazaarvoice, helped create industry standards including the VAST video specification and Nielsen’s Digital Ad Ratings, and founded the media company Marketecture to make sense of the complex ad tech world. A sought-after speaker and host of the Marketecture podcast, Ari is also the author of Yield: How Google Bought, Built, and Bullied Its Way to Advertising Dominance, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the rise of one of the most powerful forces in technology.

Ari pointed to Buck Mason—a clothing store he stumbled into with his wife in New York. Despite describing himself as “not a big clothes person” who usually dresses like a slob, he was struck by how perfectly the brand nailed its vibe: black T-shirts, a classic car parked in the middle of the store, art books casually scattered yet deliberately placed, and even a liquor bar to loosen wallets. Founded less than a decade ago in Venice Beach, Buck Mason impressed Ari as a masterclass in creating a brand experience so spot-on it feels like it was built in a lab for its ideal customer.

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(00:00) Intro

(00:29) Ari’s background in ad tech and industry standards

(01:20) Breaking down Google’s strategy: bought, built, bullied

(03:08) Conflicts of interest and antitrust cases against Google

(05:10) Covering the “Rocket Docket” trial and stories from the courtroom

(06:32) The impact of Google’s dominance on smaller ad tech companies

(08:02) What might change if regulators break up Google

(12:01) Google’s brand halo vs. behind-the-scenes behavior

(16:12) Privacy, third-party cookies, and regulatory pressures

(19:00) AI disruption and the future of search

(21:08) Marketing implications: SEO, SEM, and influencer marketing

(23:01) The buzzword Ari is tired of hearing

(24:52) The brand that made Ari smile: Buck Mason

(26:20) Where to learn more about Ari and Marketecture

(27:32) Closing remarks

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Noel Massie is the former Vice President of U.S. Operations at UPS and author of the new book Congrats, You’ve Been Promoted. Over a decades-long career, Noel rose from part-time college employee to leading 200,000 people with a focus on values-based leadership. Today, he mentors rising leaders and serves on the boards of organizations like the Annenberg Foundation and the Los Angeles Urban League. We talked about leadership at scale, navigating promotions, and building a career that makes an impact—this week on the On Brand podcast.

Noel Massie began working for UPS part-time during college and rose through the ranks to become vice president for UPS’s US Delivery Operations. Before his retirement in 2019, he oversaw 200,000 employees who were led by 12,000 supervisors. In this role, Noel supported and guided the package delivery and logistic services in the United States. He continues to mentor young leaders and supervisors. Noel is currently a member of numerous boards: the Annenberg Foundation, which holds a $1.7 billion endowment and where Noel serves on their investment committee that guides the foundation’s investment strategy; the Los Angeles Urban Leagues Executive Committee, where Noel served as chairman for nine years; Chapter ONE US, an organization that seeks to enhance elementary school literacy; and the Asian American and Pacific Islander Legal Center.

Noel has received over a dozen awards, including the Peter Drucker School of Management Leadership Award, the Whitney M. Young Award, the Admiral Samuel L. Gravely Award, the Civic Leadership Award of Los Angeles, and the Civic Leadership Award of Chicago for serving for five years on the Chicago Workforce Board. He currently mentors young leaders and private organizations on values-based leadership principles. He and his family reside in Oak Park, Illinois, with a secondary residence in Southern California.

Congrats, You’ve Been Promoted. That’s the title of Noel’s new book—and a perfect reminder that getting promoted is just the beginning, not the finish line. Noel shared why so many new leaders struggle after their big break and how values-based leadership can help them not just survive, but thrive in their new roles.

What brand has made Noel smile recently? Noel pointed to McDonald’s—admiring how the brand stays consistent and approachable while evolving with the times. For him, it’s a lesson in balancing legacy with innovation, showing leadership isn’t just about flashy moves but steady, reliable connection.

Connect with Noel on LinkedIn and his book, Congrats, You’ve Been Promoted. 

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

00:00 Intro and Noel's Background  

02:00 Starting Out and Early Leadership Lessons  

06:15 The Idea Behind Congrats You’ve Been Promoted  

11:35 Core Values and Setting Leadership Terms  

17:00 Handling Ethical Challenges and Uncomfortable Moments  

19:30 The No Casual Moments Rule in Leadership  

22:00 Value-Based Leadership at Scale  

25:45 Lessons from Coaching and Leadership Models  

27:00 A Brand Has Made Noel Smile and How to Connect  

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Dani Dufresne is the Founder and Executive Producer of The Auxiliary Co., a creative execution firm known for bringing bold ideas to life—efficiently and without the red tape of traditional agencies. Trusted by top brands, Dani’s built a reputation for flawless production and assembling world-class creative teams. We talked about all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Dani Dufresne

Dani Dufresne is the badass secret agent behind some of the most jaw-dropping campaigns you’ve ever seen. As the brains and brawn behind The Auxiliary Co., she’s the one team's call when they need to pull off high-stakes creative execution—without the bloated budgets and red tape of traditional old model agencies.

With an unmatched eye for innovative approaches, high-value design, and production execution, Dani doesn’t just manage a campaign’s work—she makes it legendary. Whether assembling an A-list creative team, running a massive production on a shoestring budget, or stepping in to save a campaign from disaster, she delivers flawlessly and unapologetically every time.

Forget the outdated agency model. Dani’s way is smarter, leaner, and faster. She’s here to help brands ditch the bureaucracy, hire the right people, and actually get sh*t done. If you don’t know her name yet, that’s because she’s been too busy making everyone else look good.

Industrial Color. Here's a link to the AI color tool Dani talked about.

What brand has made Dani smile recently? Dani shared a recent brand collab that made her smile: the unexpected partnership between hand sanitizer brand Living Touch and Crocs. It’s quirky, a little ridiculous—and totally memorable. For Dani, it’s a perfect example of how brands can break through by ditching traditional influencer playbooks and instead teaming up with other brands in surprising, delightful ways. It may not make logical sense on paper, but it makes great content—and sometimes that’s exactly the point.

Connect with Dani on LinkedIn and The Aux Co website.

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

01:00 – Meet Dani Dufresne

Intro to Dani and The Aux Co. — why she’s rethinking the traditional agency model.

03:30 – From Film School to Creative Producer

How Dani’s Hollywood detour led to a career in advertising and production.

06:45 – What Agencies Get Wrong

The communication gap between agencies, creatives, and production—and how Dani bridges it.

10:30 – The Rise of the Fractional Producer

Why Dani started The Aux Co. and how her model differs from freelance.

14:10 – Scaling Smart: Building Flexible Creative Teams

How she helps agencies and brands scale production without bloating their teams.

17:00 – Bringing Production in Early

The case for embedding production thinking at the start of the creative process.

20:10 – Leading with EQ

Managing personalities, egos, and teaching her team to anticipate problems before they happen.

23:40 – AI and the Future of Creative Work

Why embracing AI isn’t optional—and how it’s changing creative ideation and production.

27:45 – A Brand That Made Dani Smile

Why an unexpected Crocs x hand sanitizer collab stood out in a sea of sameness.

29:00 – Where to Find Dani

Links, contact info.

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Jason Keath is a creativity keynote speaker, digital strategist, and co-founder of Social Fresh — a long-running marketing conference and agency trusted by brands like HubSpot and Anheuser-Busch. A pioneer in paid social, Jason launched some of the first Facebook ads back in 2004. He’s also the author of The Case for More Bad Ideas, where he makes a compelling case for embracing messy thinking to spark better ideas. We discussed all of this and more this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Jason Keath

Jason Keath was one of the first people in the world to run ads on Facebook in 2004. He’s a digital strategy expert and the co-founder of Social Fresh, a digital agency and long-running marketing conference, founded in 2008.

Today, Jason leads the agency side of Social Fresh, specializing in research, strategy, and paid media. He’s also a sought-after keynote speaker on creativity and the author of The Case for More Bad Ideas, a book that champions a counterintuitive but practical process for unlocking better thinking through messier ideas.

He’s a 20+ year marketing strategist trusted by companies like HubSpot, Credit Karma, Anheuser-Busch, and Robinhood to help them command attention from the right audience. Jason has hosted thousands of marketers at Social Fresh events, built one of the longest-running communities in digital marketing, and believes the best ideas often start out looking like the worst ones.

Want more Jason Keath? Listen to his first interview on the On Brand podcast back in 2016!

During the show, Jason mentioned Mastercard’s innovations in sonic branding. Here’s my interview with Mastercard CMO Raja Rajamannar.

What brand has made Jason smile recently? Jason shared examples from YETI, a brand he first fell in love with because of their exceptional product. But now, Jason thinks the brand’s marketing has caught up and is just as exceptional as the product itself.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn and subscribe to his newsletter (with new AI tools) at MoreBadIdeas.com.

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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Richard Shear is Founding Partner and Chief Creative Officer of Invōk Brands and a founding faculty member of SVA’s Master’s in Branding program. With a five-decade design career and a passion for visual history, he explores how global consumer culture shapes today’s brands in his new book A History of Brands. This week on On Brand, he joins me to discuss the evolution of retail, the enduring impact of packaging, and why the future of branding begins with the past.

About Richard Shear

Richard is a founding faculty member of the Master's in Branding program at New York’s School of Visual Arts and a Founding Partner and Chief Creative Officer of Invōk Brands. His 50-year design career has been influenced by a fascination with visual history, driven by a curiosity for the culture of consumer brands, and guided by rich experience in brand identity and package design.

Richard’s SVA course focuses on the origins, evolution, and current status of retail brands, building awareness of the rich legacy and growth of global consumer culture and its intrinsic connection to the evolution of visual history.

What brand has made Richard smile recently? “That’s easy,” Richard shared. “Barbie.” Specifically, Richard points to their newly released Barbie with Type 1 Diabetes.

Connect with Richard on LinkedIn as well as the Invōk Brands and Branding at SVA websites. And check out Richard’s new book A History of Brands wherever you like to shop.

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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Corin Mills is the Brand Marketing & E-Commerce Director at MOO, where he leads data-driven strategies that connect standout design with authentic brand experiences. With global experience at Google, Tesco, Currys, and more, Corin brings a sharp, cross-industry perspective to brand transformation. This week on the On Brand podcast, he joins me to talk about balancing data and emotion, leading meaningful change, and what it takes to thrive in today’s fast-moving e-commerce space.

About Corin Mills

Corin Mills is the Brand Marketing & E-Commerce Director at MOO, specializing in data-driven marketing strategies that revitalize brand experiences and foster meaningful organizational change. With over 15 years of extensive brand management experience driving business transformation across multiple sectors and international markets, his passion for impactful branding drives MOO’s success in bridging the gap between quality design and human connection. As former Head of Brand and Comms at Currys, his transformative approach centers on genuine collaboration and inclusive leadership at all levels of business. With previous success at major brands including EE, Tesco, Currys, Google, Orange, and AXA, Corin brings a unique cross-industry perspective to discussions about e-commerce strategy and optimization.

What brand has made Corin smile recently? Corin pointed us to the recent GoDaddy campaign with Walton Goggins (and his goggles).

Connect with Corin on LinkedIn and the MOO website.

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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Ryan Hamilton is an associate professor of marketing at Emory University and co-author of The Growth Dilemma. As co-host of The Intuitive Customer podcast, he brings behavioral science to life through real-world brand strategy. This week on On Brand, Ryan joins me to explore why customer decisions aren’t as rational as we think, how brands can grow without losing their soul, and what he’s learned working with companies like Walmart and Visa.

About Ryan Hamilton

Ryan Hamilton is an associate professor of marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School. He has consulted on branding with Walmart, FedEx, Home Depot, Caterpillar, ConAgra, Cigna, Visa, and Ipsos, among others, and has been a keynote speaker. He cohosts a podcast, called The Intuitive Customer, which applies the insights of behavioral science to customer experience. He has produced lecture series on both marketing and human decision making for The Great Courses. He's also the co-author of the book, The Growth Dilemma.

What brand has made Ryan smile recently? Ryan shared a smile he got via a birthday gift from his wife. The gift? A planer from Bridge City Tools. “I love a  brand that can take something workaday and turn it into a thing of beauty.”

Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn and his Emory University faculty page.

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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David Aaker is Vice Chairman of Prophet and Professor Emeritus at the Berkeley Haas School of Business. Often called the “Father of Modern Branding,” David has authored 18 books and over 120 articles, shaping how marketers understand everything from brand equity to purpose-driven strategy. This week on On Brand, David returned to the show to discuss the updated edition of Aaker on Branding, what’s changed (and what hasn’t) in the world of brand strategy, and why purpose, storytelling, and owning a subcategory are more critical than ever.

David Aaker is the Vice Chairman of Prophet and Professor Emeritus at the BerkeleyHaas School of Business. He is the winner of five career awards, including the NYAMA Marketing Hall of Fame. He has published over 120 articles and 18 books that have sold well over 1 million copies and been translated into 18 languages. They include Managing Brand Equity, Building Strong Brands, Aaker on Branding, Creating Signature Stories, Owning Game-Changing Subcategories, and The Future of Purpose-Driven Branding. Called the Father of Modern Branding by Phil Kotler, he was named one of the top five most important marketing/business gurus in 2007 and won awards for the best article in the California Management Review and the Journal of Marketing (twice). His work has received 160,000 citations.

What brand has made David smile recently? David shared a smile from his company Prophet's new campaign for UBS, "Banking is our craft."

Connect with David on LinkedIn, where he publishes regularly, and check out the revised edition of Aaker on Branding.

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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How do you stand out on LinkedIn and build a personal brand that truly works? Regina Dowdell, Content Solutions Consultant at LinkedIn, shares her insights on personal branding, thought leadership, and creating content that drives business impact—drawing on 15+ years of experience across nonprofits, tech, and startups.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Episode Chapters

00:00 Intro and Regina’s Background

02:15 Building a Personal Brand That Matters

06:30 Leveraging LinkedIn for Thought Leadership

11:00 The Entrepreneurial Mindset in Content Strategy

15:45 Balancing Work, Life, and Travel as a Marketing Pro

18:30 A Brand That’s Made Regina Smile and How to Connect

About Regina Dowdell

Regina is a digital-minded, marketing creative with an entrepreneurial spirit focused on helping individuals and companies change the world. Through effective communication, thought leadership, and a strong digital presence, Regina has supported forward-thinking organizations across all industries, from non-profits to technology to start-ups, in spreading their messages and scaling for over 15 years. As a Content Solutions Consultant at LinkedIn, Regina helps organizations craft impactful content strategies that are creative, effective, and help them reach their business objectives.

An avid traveler and self-proclaimed Super Mom, Regina is based in New York City.

What Brand Has Made Regina Smile Recently?

Regina highlighted Pinkest Luv, a platform founded by Shari Bryant to empower women—showing how mission-driven brands can connect deeply with audiences.

Resources & Links

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