The Woodshed

Everybody can be creative if they push fear aside. Take Louis McConnell. He has always believed in self-discovery through hard and unfamiliar situations – from amateur MMA to quitting his insurance gig to go work in a factory with more time to mountain bike. That’s how he met Alex, who took a chance and offered him a copywriter gig, zero experience and all. Hear how this experiment started, what it’s taken for Louis to prove himself as a creative and why it’s important to be yourself 100% of the tim

Tweens consume 6 to 9 hours of content every day. Adults, as much as 10. What is the responsibility of advertisers as narrative builders in this very real media environment?

Michelle Lipkin is the Executive Director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE). She and Alex talk about the importance of creating a free, positive and safe media environment and practical tips to be better contributors, from deliberate empathy to representing underrepresented demographics in casting.

65% of ad pros are suffering "Burnout," more than teachers (58%) and consultants (55%), according to a recent AdAge article and Tim Dyer, founder of Manifesto Agency, was brave enough to share his burnout struggles on the show. Alex and Tim then discuss tactics and tips that have worked to combat Burnout in their lives as well as expert suggestions. From de-powering failure to finding value in your work to challenging everyday assumptions about your job.

The Woodshed is a CPB Podcast Production.

If you’ve worked in advertising long enough, or any industry, you’ve thought about running your own shop. Paul Caiozzo led Goodby Silverstein and Partners New York before starting his own agency, Interesting Development, in 2016. And like most founders, he has felt the highs and lows ever since. Paul stopped by The Woodshed for a cautionary yet encouraging chat about building an agency from the ground up and what it takes to stand out in a crowded market.

The Woodshed is a CPB Podcast Production.

Gayle Troberman is CMO of iHeartMedia, the world’s largest audio company which reaches nine out of 10 Americans every month. Listen as Alex and Gayle talk about the "good ol' days";  what annoys Gayle about agencies, and the exploding world of podcasts. Find out what brands are doing wrong with audio, the good and bad of the fractionalized media landscape, and how to engage the 27% of the American workforce that no one is talking with.

The Woodshed is a CPB Podcast Production.

Advertising has always been driven by instincts, opinions and luck. What’s been missing? The rigor to prove wildly creative ideas throughout the process. Join Caffeinated Mornings host Jay Ferracane as he sits with Alex to talk about applying the Scientific Method to creativity, why theoretical physicist are the most creative people on earth and why advertising needs more Einstein-like creatives to ask great questions.

The Woodshed is a CPB Podcast Production.

Things get crowded in the shed when guest Adam Chasnow brings in a jazz trio to prove a point about collaboration. Adam has made acclaimed ad campaigns for Microsoft, Kraft and Infiniti, and credits his early education in jazz trumpet with his ability to collaborate creatively with others. His theory: everyone in business can improve their craft by learning the tenets of collective improvisation. Paul Romaine (drums), Annie Booth (piano) and Mark Diamond (bass) join the discussion.

Art D’Elia is SVP, Chief Brand and Innovation Officer at Domino's. He dropped by the shed with Alex and creative director Kelly McCormick, to talk about innovation and consumer advocacy in the pizza category, as well as what agencies can do to better align with their clients and why Alex thinks advertising is 100% science.

How to be well-rounded, what is method advertising, tips on getting over creative block and more. Alex sat down with the current group of CPB interns to answer their questions.

With Alice Fennelly, David Zosel, Brandon Dwight, Billy Boy Horn Chloe Gordon and Omari Green.

Chances are you’ve talked about something and the next thing you know, you’re served ads about it. Predictive analytics or surveillance? Alex is joined by Joe Toscano, author of the book “Automating Humanity” and Founder/CVO of BEACON, along with Jen Bollman (CPB Director of Communications Strategy) and Joe Corr (CPB Executive Creative Technology Director) to dig deep into the creepiest of media, Russian hackers, China, tech addiction and more.