Co-hosts Brad Forsythe and Ray Schilens interview Jeff Klein, CEO of Cause Alliance Marketing. At Cause Alliance Marketing, Jeff designs and facilitates collaborative cause-related marketing programs. He currently serves as President of the Conscious Capitalism Alliance and Conscious Capitalism, Inc.—a nonprofit dedicated to “liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good” co-founded by John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market. Jeff was one of the visionaries and driving forces behind...

Co-hosts Brad Forsythe and Ray Schilens interview David Weigelt, co-author of Dot Boom: Marketing to Baby Boomers Through Meaningful Online Engagement . The leading authorities on the mature markets online, David Weigelt is the co-founder and partner of Immersion Active, the only Internet marketing agency in the United States focused solely on the baby boomer and senior markets. David has worked in the online marketing industry since 1995, crafting his expertise in developing interactive...

Co-hosts Brad Forsythe and Ray Schilens interivew Randall Stross, author of Planet Google. Randall also writes the New York Times column, “Digital Domain,” and is a professor of business at San Jose State University.

He is the author of several books, including The Microsoft Way and eBoys. He lives in Burlingame, California.

For entertaining advice join hosts Ray Schilens and Brad Forsythe for a lively and informative discussion.

Co-hosts Brad Forsythe and Ray Schilens interview Howard Bragman, Author of Where’s My Fifteen Minutes: Get Your Company, Your Cause, or Yourself the Recognition You Deserve. Howard has been a communicator, educator, entrepreneur, writer and lecturer for more than two decades. Howard founded a strategic media and public relations agency, Fifteen Minutes, in 2005, which represents a broad yet focused client base in a diverse range of areas: personality, corporate entertainment, special events, consumer products, gay/lesbian market, media training and crisis management. He has media trained hundreds of people including actors, CEOs, physicians, elected officials and attorneys.

Howard's book, Where's My Fifteen Minutes: Get Your Company, Your Cause, or Yourself the Recognition You Deserve, is set for release in January 2009. Published by The Penguin Group, the book contains insight and advice from Howard's years in the business of public relations, as well as accounts of his numerous experiences dealing with Hollywood celebrities and major corporations.

In addition to founding Bragman Nyman Cafarelli Public Relations and Marketing (BNC) in 1989, Howard was also an adjunct professor of Public Relations at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communications for six years. He has been honored for his teaching excellence by his students and the University.

Howard is a nationally respected crisis counselor and has provided litigation support for a significant number of high-profile cases and individuals. These include: Joseph Steffan who was kicked out of the US Naval Academy for his sexual orientation; The Lewinsky Family; and Sharon Smith in Smith v. Knoller, a high-profile civil rights and justice trial involving a tragic dog mauling death.

He has written bylined articles for publications including: Advertising Age, The Advocate, The Los Angeles Times and Playboy. A frequent television guest on issues involving the entertainment industry and popular culture, Howard has appeared on local and network news programs more than 100 times including Oprah, The Today Show, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox and E, as well as in hundreds of national magazines and local newspapers. He has been a featured speaker for numerous groups including The US Conference of Mayors; The UJC Youth Congress; and many others.

Howard Bragman was born and raised in Flint, Michigan and graduated with a B.A. from The University of Michigan, in Journalism and Psychology in 1978. Previous to starting his agency he was a vice president in the Chicago and Los Angeles offices of Burson-Marsteller Public Relations. He resides in Los Angeles with his partner, Chuck O'Donnell, a nationally-respected horse trainer, two dogs and a parrot.

Co-host Brad Forsythe interviews Roy Spence, co-author of It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For. Roy is chairman and CEO of GSDM Idea City, a leading national marketing communications and advertising company that has helped grow some of the world’s most successful brands.

In 1971, Roy and a group of friends founded the agency just after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin. Roy led an effort to build an environment where ideas are destined to flourish and making a difference was a priority from day one. Under Roy’s leadership, the agency flew with Herb Kelleher and Southwest Airlines and helped grow the most successful airline in aviation history and rode with Sam Walton and Wal-Mart and helped build the largest company in the world. They cooked with Norm Brinker and Chili’s and helped serve up the most successful casual-dining restaurant in America and delivered for Ed Whitacre and AT&T and helped produce the largest telecommunications company in the world. And they declared “Don’t Mess with Texas,” creating one of America’s favorite advertising slogans.

They went on to work with Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton to encourage Americans to make a difference with disaster relief efforts. They work with the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative in making a difference around the world. And they brought perspective and unity to a damaged country after 9/11 with the moving “I Am an American” pro-bono ad campaign. Through their philosophy called Purpose-based Branding,™ GSD&M Idea City and their Purpose Institute division help organizations identify, simplify and articulate their purpose— the fundamental difference they’re trying to make in the world and their reason for being beyond making money. Through purpose and visionary ideas that make a difference, GSD&M Idea City is in the business of growing clients’ businesses.

The agency’s roster of purpose-based clients includes: Southwest Airlines, MasterCard, BMW, John Deere, L.L.Bean, Kohler, American Legacy Foundation, AARP, Hallmark, Lennox, Norwegian Cruise Line, PGA TOUR, American Red Cross, World Market, AT&T, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Marshalls, the United States Air Force, Cancer Treatment Centers of America and Compass Bank.

Roy Spence has been named Ad Man of the Year, Idea Man of the Century and University of Texas Distinguished Alumnus, among other accolades.

In September 2006, The Amazing Faith of Texas, a book by Roy Spence and the People of Texas was published, and in 2007 he was named to the board of directors of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation. Roy has been interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, BusinessWeek, U.S. News & World Report, Esquire, Fast Company, INC. and FORTUNE. A popular keynote speaker, he regularly addresses audiences from throughout the business, government and nonprofit communities. Roy and his wife, Mary, have three children.

Co-hosts Brad Forsythe and Ray Schilens interview the legendary George Lois who is the most creative, prolific advertising communicator of our time. Running his own ad agencies, he is renowned for dozens of marketing miracles that triggered innovative and populist changes in American (and world) culture. In his twenties he was a pioneer of the landmark Creative Revolution in American Advertising. He introduced and popularized the Xerox culture; he created the concept and prototype design for the New York supplement for the Herald Tribune (the forerunner of New York magazine); made a failing MTV a huge success with his “I Want My MTV” campaign; helped create and introduce VH1; created a new marketing category, Gourmet Frozen Foods, with his name Lean Cuisine; and (by inventing yet another new marketing phenomenon) persuaded America to change their motor oil at thousands of Jiffy Lube stations. He made the totally unknown Tommy Hilfiger immediately famous with just one ad; and saved USA Today from extinction with his breakthrough singing TV campaign. In 1994, almost overnight, he changed the perception of ESPN from a Demolition Derby sports channel to the number one sports network with his dynamic “In Your Face” campaign. Additionally, he created the winning ad campaigns for four U.S. Senators: Jacob Javits (R-NY); Warren Magnuson (D-WA); Minority Leader Hugh Scott (R-PA); Robert Kennedy (D-NY). His list of breakthrough ad campaigns goes on and on. Additionally, the only music video he created, Jokerman by Bob Dylan, won the MTV Best Music Video of the Year Award in 1983.

George Lois is the only person in the world inducted into The Art Directors Hall of Fame, The One Club Creative Hall of Fame, with Lifetime Achievement Awards from the American Institute of Graphic Arts, The Herb Lubalin Award (Society of Publication Designers), CLIO (presented by Tommy Hifiger), as well as

a subject of the Master Series at the School of Visual Arts. In 2013, Lois was voted The Most Influential Art Director of the Past 50 Years by Graphic Design USA.

He is the author of George, Be Careful (Saturday Review Press, 1972), an autobiography; The Art of Advertising (Abrams, 1976), praised as “the bible of mass communications”; What’s the Big Idea? (Doubleday, 1991), used as a text book in college communications courses all over the world; “Covering the 60s” (The Monacelli Press, 1996), presenting his iconic Esquire covers during that turbulent decade; $ellebrity (Phaidon, 2003), a brilliantly reviewed book dealing with his extraordinary campaigns using celebrities in fresh and outrageous ways; Ali Rap, The First Heavyweight Champion of Rap (Taschen/ESPN, 2006), a compilation of over 300 rap rhythms, witticisms, insults and wisecracks from Muhammad Ali, wittily and powerfully visualized; and Iconic America (Rizzoli/Universe, 2007), a roller coaster ride through the eye-popping panorama of American pop culture; George Lois on his Creation of The Big Idea (Assouline, 2008), a mind-boggling archeological dig revealing the influences on 100 of his Big Ideas. In 2008 the Museum of Modern Art installed 38 of the iconic Esquire covers in its permanent collection, celebrated by a year-long exhibit and book; George Lois: The Esquire Covers @ MoMA (Assouline 2010). George’s latest book is Damn Good Advice (for people with talent) (Phaidon, 2012), 120 no-holds-barred, in-your-face lessons, explaining, demonstrating, and ultimately teaching how to unleash your potential in any creative-driven industry, published in seven languages and is an iBook. Additionally, George is in the process of designing Lois Logos, and a revised e-book version of George, be careful called An Autobiography of the Real Mad Man: George, be careful. Both to be released in 2014.

For additional information, go to www.georgelois.com.

Jonathan Baskin Warns If You Don’t Have a Plan for the Holiday Season by Now, You’re in Trouble

Co-hosts Brad Forsythe and Ray Schilens interview Jonathan Salem Baskin, North American Director of Futurelab. Jonathan has been called “a merry iconoclast,” “lucid and cutting,” “groundbreaking” and “the new bad boy of branding” because he looks beyond the gimmicks and hype to uncover what really works when communicating with the marketplace.

Jonathan wears multiple hats as a global brand strategist, leading a global network of partner companies in the Baskinbrand Alliance and manages North American business for the global marketing consultancy Futurelab. He’s also a writer, oft-quoted media expert and public speaker, having written the groundbreaking book “Branding Only Works on Cattle” in 2008 and then “Bright Lights & Dim Bulbs” in 2009. He writes the popular blog, Dim Bulb, co-hosts a regular podcast, Socializing Media, writes a regular column on marketing leadership for Advertising Age, and is a member of the board of advisors for Social Media Today.

Jonathan possesses 27 years of experience driving consumer purchases and building strong brands, having has led a number of marketing initiatives that crossed both digital and offline domains for such world-class brands as Apple, Blockbuster, ConAgra, and most other letters in the brand-name alphabet.

He began his career at Grey Advertising, where he worked on integrated marketing campaigns for such consumer products as Duncan Hines’ cookies and Joy Dishwashing Liquid. He also ran major public relations programs for Edelman Worldwide, both in New York and Los Angeles. He received a degree in English Literature from Colby College, Waterville, ME, in 1982.

For entertaining advice join hosts Ray Schilens and Brad Forsythe for a lively and informative discussion.

Co-hosts Brad Forsythe and Ray Schilens interview Nic Covey, Director of Cross-Platform Insights at The Nielsen Company. Working across Nielsen's global portfolio of research, he's charged with delivering new insights on media and the connected consumer. His research is widely quoted, from The Wall Street Journal to BBC News.

In recent years, Nic has managed Nielsen's analysis across a range of emerging research areas, including sports sponsorship, video games and mobile media. He's also worked closely on some Nielsen's most innovative analyses on overall Internet and television usage. Prior to joining Nielsen, Nic worked in strategic research and marketing for both The E.W. Scripps Company and ESPN.

Nic holds a BA in History and Communication from Denison University and works out of Nielsen's Chicago and New York offices.

For entertaining advice join hosts Ray Schilens and Brad Forsythe for a lively and informative discussion.

Co-hosts Brad Forsythe and Ray Schilens interview Simon Thorneycroft, co-founder of Perspective:Branding. As one of the most knowledgeable design strategists and corporate identity experts in the United States and Europe, he has a keen understanding of many critical and often controversial issues relating to commercial art, packaging, environmental design, and retail appeal.

Having been the youngest Creative Director for Landor Associates, one of the world’s leading strategic brand consulting and design firms, as well as a corporate background stateside at Morningstar Farms and Dean Foods, Simon has firsthand experience in one of the strongest and resilient industries that create household names.

With over 15 years of experience, Simon directs a talented group of forward-thinking designers and brand strategists as the Chief Creative Officer for Perspective:Branding (www.perspectivebranding.com), one of the California Bay Area’s most underrated and independent strategic design consultancies. His design work has garnered multiple awards, including the 2008 Silver Pentaward for Packaging Design for the work on Doritos’ Quest, as well as Graphic Design USA’s American Package Design Award for both Doritos and PLEO.

For entertaining advice join hosts Ray Schilens and Brad Forsythe for a lively and informative discussion.

Co-hosts Brad Forsythe and Ray Schilens interview Sally Hogshead, creative director and author of FASCINATE: Your 7 Triggers of Persuasion and Captivation. Growing up with the last name Hogshead would give anyone an unconventional point of view. Today Sally is a creative director and author, developing ideas that help world-class brands to persuade and influence. She’s been interviewed by the “Today Show” three times in the past year, and appeared last week on CBS “Early Show.” Reality TV show “Making It Big” featured Sally as “advertising’s icon” who has “changed the face of North American advertising.”

In her second year of advertising, Sally won more awards than any other copywriter in the U.S., and was called “the most successful junior copywriter of all time.” After working at Wieden + Kennedy, The Martin Agency, and Fallon McElligott, by age 27 she’d opened her first ad agency. Three years later, opened the West Coast office of Crispin Porter + Bogusky as Creative Director/Managing Director. Working with brands such as MINI Cooper, Nike, Target, Starbucks, and Coca-Cola, Sally’s work has collected hundreds of honors, and been invited into showcases ranging from “Best Ads on TV” to The Smithsonian Museum of American History. She was the first-ever host of the national Adweek conference.

In 2005, Penguin published her first book, RADICAL CAREERING: 100 Truths to Jumpstart Your Job, Your Career, and Your Life. Sally spent the next year touring the country as a motivational speaker for CareerBuilder.com.

In February 2010, Sally’s second book was published, titled FASCINATE: Your 7 Triggers of Persuasion and Captivation. The book outlines Sally’s three years of research on the universal triggers of fascination: Power, Lust, Mystique, Prestige, Alarm, Vice, and Trust. Author Seth Godin says, “This is a transformative work, a beautifully written book that will forever change the way you see the world. I loved it. Let me be really clear: you need to buy this book, devour it, absorb it and then buy copies for your colleagues. A lot of copies.” Today, as a creative director and writer, Sally works with brands such as Pepsi, Harry Winston, Godiva, and Cole Haan. She also leads keynotes for companies such as Starbucks and Microsoft.

For entertaining advice join hosts Ray Schilens and Brad Forsythe for a lively and informative discussion.