In this episode, Ben and I pull apart the advertising industry with care, curiosity, and a healthy amount of disbelief.
We dig into the slow shitification of services, how agencies, platforms, and processes have become bloated, transactional, and increasingly disconnected from actual value. We talk about the changing mindset of entrepreneurs, the rise of independent agencies, and why trust has quietly become one of the most endangered resources in client–agency relationships.
From there, we get into the realities of recruiting and interviewing in the creative world: performative interviews, vague expectations, and the exhausting pressure to package yourself as a “perfect fit” instead of a competent human. We unpack leadership gaps, pricing discomfort, and why so many businesses struggle to commit while still demanding full loyalty from creatives.
I share the thinking behind Untethered Creative, Ben talks about pricing, confidence, and why clients who don’t trust you shouldn’t hire you. Together, we examine how online discourse, personal branding, and AI are reshaping how creatives are evaluated, often badly.
It’s a candid conversation about modern advertising, broken systems, and what it actually takes to show up with clarity and integrity in an industry that keeps confusing polish for substance.
Equal parts insightful, unfiltered, and validating for anyone who’s ever worked in advertising and thought, “It didn’t used to be like this… right?”
Buy his book here! https://a.co/d/5LDzNVn
