We Built This Brand

What’s a bird to you? To answer that oddly philosophical question, Chris sits down with Jess Curtis, the founder of J-Bird Digital Design. If you’ve ever visited the beautiful HumblePod website, you have Jess to thank for it! On this episode, you’ll get to learn about Jess's creative approach to web development and the importance of fluidity when collaborating in digital branding. Jess also believes in giving back to artists, and she explains why she makes a focused effort to highlight and empower them with J-Bird. Speaking of our avian friends, you’ll even learn how Chris's childhood obsession with chickens led him to a career in podcasting. By the time you finish this episode, you’ll be able to identify what a bird is to you (jaybird, chicken, or otherwise).

Show Highlights

• (0:00) Intro
• (1:36) How Chris met Jess
• (3:08) The history behind J-Bird
• (4:40) Why the "J-Bird" name
• (8:47) Chris's love for chickens and calling local radio stations
• (11:06) Empowering artists by asking, "What is a bird to you?”
• (13:00) What does J-Bird do
• (15:16) Challenges and successes Jess has seen with J-Bird
• (23:14) Jess’s moment of validation with J-Bird
• (26:39) What Jess is looking forward to in 2025
• (29:46) What brand does Jess admire right now?
• (32:03) Where you can find more from Jess and J-Bird

About Jess Curtis

Jess Curtis is the founder of J-Bird - Empowering small businesses, makers, and entrepreneurs to strengthen their digital presence and marketing efforts through strategic digital marketing solutions. From vision casting workshops for entrepreneurs embarking on their journey to Google My Business setup/optimization, SEO Optimized Landing Pages, Analytics, and eCommerce builds, J-Bird is dedicated to nurturing growth every step of the way through creativity and collaboration.

When she’s not sipping matcha in a cozy coffee shop, you'll find her enthusiastically networking within her creative community or exploring the inspiring world of Art Museums & Galleries.

Links

• J-Bird Digital Design: https://jbirddigitaldesigns.com/
• J-Bird on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jbirddigitaldesign/

Start a podcast with HumblePod!
https://www.humblepod.com/

It’s time to hit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail! On this episode of "We Built This Brand," Chris sits down with Katie Peninger, VP Account Service at Lewis Communications. While her career started on the creative side, the collaborative culture at Lewis allows her to still be involved in the creative process, just in a different way. Chris and Katie also break down Lewis’s incredible work on celebrating the Kentucky Bourbon Trail's 25th Anniversary. From the website redesign to a 26-hour global livestream, Katie and her team have worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. They also get to bond over their experiences working with their respective AMA chapters. So kick back, grab a glass, and listen as we distill some vital marketing insights in this episode.

Show Highlights

• (0:00) Intro
• (1:29) Katie's path to working with Lewis Communications
• (3:48) What Katie does as VP of Account Service
• (5:01) The culture at Lewis Communications
• (7:27) How Lewis helps businesses and leaders make "bold marketing decisions”
• (8:52) Working with the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
• (12:08) What went into the Kentucky Bourbon Trail's 25th Anniversary project
• (13:45) Chris's experience with the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
• (15:47) Redesigning the Bourbon Trail's website and helping people better experience The Trail
• (23:19) Tackling a 26 hour bourbon livestream
• (26:56) What's ahead for Katie and Lewis Communications in 2025
• (27:28) What it's like working with AMA Nashville
• (29:27) What brand does she admire the most?
• (32:08) Where you can find more from Katie and Lewis Communications 

About Katie Peninger

Katie is VP Account Service at Lewis Communications with 22 years of marketing and advertising experience coupled with a background in design and art direction spanning 10 years.

Her experience includes senior client contact and strategy on local, regional and national accounts ranging in size from start-ups to national organizations investing over $50 million annually in marketing initiatives. Katie works with cross-functional teams comprised of research, strategy, digital, creative and media specialists to achieve client business goals across a range of categories. She continually works across all levels of client teams (including C-suite and Board of Directors) to collaborate, communicate and ultimately report on results of initiatives based on business goals.

At Lewis, Kaite is also responsible for growth and development of the account team which also includes recruiting, hiring, training and managing.

Links:

Lewis Communication’s website: https://www.lewiscommunications.com/

Katie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiepeninger/

In this episode of We Built This Brand, Chris goes to THE MAYOR. Well, one of them at least. He sits down with Megan Brittain, Director of Account Management at THE MAYOR, to discuss her journey from her early career beginnings in Texas to her significant role at the upstart agency. Megan and THE MAYOR have played a major role in campaigns for brands like Famous Footwear and Consumer Cellular. She also dives into the unique challenges and opportunities of building an agency while managing personal life, emphasizing the importance of creating a supportive space for working parents. Tune in to learn about the passion and dedication behind THE MAYOR's success and Megan's insights on leading with authenticity and strategic vision.

Show Highlights

• (0:00) Intro
• (1:25) Being at THE MAYOR since its inception
• (3:47) Where Megan was before THE MAYOR
• (5:59) The origin behind THE MAYOR's name
• (8:26) Noteworthy campaigns Megan has been a part of at THE MAYOR
• (13:26) How campaigns from THE MAYOR stick out
• (16:45) Breaking down Megan's role at THE MAYOR
• (21:08) Why THE MAYOR is one of Megan's favorite brands
• (25:07) The challenge of establishing your reputation as a new agency
• (27:53) Balancing a career with being a present parent
• (33:27) Culture between employees and clients
• (35:42) What is Megan looking forward to at THE MAYOR in the near future
• (37:27) What brand does Megan admire the most?
• (40:29) Where you can find more from Megan and THE MAYOR

About Megan Brittain
Megan is responsible for client relationships and for continuing to build business operations at THE MAYOR. Here from the beginning, she partners with the Strategy, Creative and Production departments to ensure that the best work gets made in the best way possible.

Before THE MAYOR, she spent 15 years in Austin, New York and Nashville at GSD&M, Ogilvy and GS&F helping lead brands like Popeyes, IKEA and Marshalls. Her approach to account management is to create a candid space where everyone can speak honestly and directly in pursuit of the best work.

She is a tiny human fueled by coffee, tacos and her fellow tiny humans at home.

Links:

THE MAYOR’s website: https://themayor.com/

THE MAYOR’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/themayor/

THE MAYOR’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themayornashville/

The world of advertising can use a little more kindness and candor. On this episode, Chris is joined by Glen Hilzinger, the Chief Creative Officer at Luquire. Glen is recognized as one of the top copywriters in the world, and he shares his journey from art school to leading an award-winning creative team.  Chris and Glen go into his transition from graphic design to copywriting, his impactful campaigns, and why Luquire promotes a culture of "Kindor.”

Show Highlights

• (0:00) Intro
• (2:04) Glen's background before coming to Luquire
• (3:08) Going from graphic design to copywriting
• (5:20) Glen's journey to becoming the Chief Creative Officer at Luquire
• (9:25) The "dragon" Glen felt like he had to slay
• (10:16) Working for a fully integrated agency
• (13:09) The challenges of remote work with creatives and explaining "Kindor"
• (17:38) Trademarking Kindor and what it means to Luquire's identity
• (20:29) Luquire projects that Glen is proud of
• (26:36) What Glen has learned about branding businesses during his time with Luquire
• (28:34) Glen's thoughts on AI and the advertising industry
• (35:08) What's the future look like for Luquire?
• (37:25) What brand does Glen admire the most right now?
• (39:40) Where you can find more from Glen and Luquire

About Glen Hilzinger
With more than 30 years in the advertising business, Glen has been named one of the top 10 Copywriters in the world by AdAge's CREATIVITY. He’s been listed as one of the 25 most creative people in advertising by Business Insider.

Links:

Glen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenhilzinger/

Glen’s email: [email protected]

Luquire’s website: luquire.com

20 years ago, YouTube changed the internet forever. One woman was there to see the platform evolve. On this episode of We Built This Brand, Chris is joined by Aditi Rajvanshi, Head of Strategy for Portal A and a renowned expert in the content creation industry. Aditi shares her fascinating journey from growing YouTube’s presence in India to starting Brewing Awesome, which supports small-to-medium creators. They also discuss the changing landscape of content creation, the significance of community-building, and the evolving role of platforms like YouTube and TikTok.

Show Highlights

• (0:00) Intro
• (1:36) Aditi's background at the dawn of YouTube
• (9:32) Online content creation in the U.S. vs. online content creation in India
• (17:46) Starting Brewing Awesome
• (24:40) The origins of the Brewing Awesome and Chris's podcasting career
• (30:51) The differences between a "flash in the pan" and dedication
• (34:21) What is Portal A?
• (40:16) Aditi's approach to content strategy
• (46:29) From online content to ad campaign
• (50:03) What is top of mind for the content creation industry
• (1:01:23) What brand does Aditi admire the most?
• (1:05:05) What YouTube channel does Aditi admire?
• (1:08:46) Where you can find more from Aidit and Portal A

About Aditi Rajvanshi

Aditi works with content creators, publishers and brands to help them build and execute their digital content strategy.

She has close to 10 years of experience partnering with YouTube content creators across lifestyle, education, How-To, comedy, kids and beauty categories to build and grow their audience across platforms.

Aditi is passionate about building audiences and believes that we can change the way we entertain and educate this generation and next by nurturing a diverse set of voices in her industry.

Links:

Portal A’s website: https://www.portal-a.com/

Portal A’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portal_a

Aditi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aditirajvanshi/

Aditi’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adi_rajvanshi/

Aditi’s email: [email protected] 

It’s a viral sensation, all thanks to people being put on hold. Nick Adams is a versatile copywriter and the brains behind the renowned Pizza Hut chicken wing song. He started his journey in the mailroom at GSD&M, but his persistence and creativity led him to become a writer, crafting memorable campaigns and even winning prestigious awards. On this episode, Chris delves into Nick's unique creative process, his comedic style, and his thoughts on current trends in branding and marketing. They also explore his passion for comedy and desire to make impactful, humorous content in the advertising world. Tune in to hear about Nick’s fascinating career and the creative minds behind some of your favorite ad campaigns.

Show Highlights

• (0:00) Intro
• (2:21) Nick's education and musical background
• (3:04) Getting started in the GSD&M mail room and working his way up
• (5:53) Creating the Pizza Hut chicken wing hold music and going viral
• (7:25) Nick's musical creative process
• (8:45) What came after the song? 
• (9:44) Nick's current work post-Pizza Hut
• (10:34) Nick's involvement with Second City and his creative process
• (12:50) How will AI and TikTok affect marketing?
• (13:46) Nick's other creative interests
• (15:06) What brand does Nick admire most right now?
• (16:41) Where you can find more from Nick

About Nick Adams
Nick Adams is a copywriter at GSD&M.

He love chips, salsa and going to bed at a decent hour. His current hobbies include changing diapers and surviving wake windows, but he prefers bikes and basketball when he has the time.

Links:

Nicks website: https://www.bignickcreative.com/

Appealing to your audience is the name of the game in marketing, but what do you do when they’re critical and hard to reach? Enter Clint Runge, the CEO and Co-Founder of Archrival. For decades now, Clint has had his finger on the pulse of what young adults want out of their products. On this episode of We Built This Brand, Clint walks us through Archrival’s growing pains as a small business founded straight out of college, to becoming a marketing juggernaut synonymous with tapping into youth culture. Whether it’s taking the (Red) Bull by the horns or remixing Spotify’s ad campaigns, Clint has the insights to stand, deliver, and reach those kids.

Show Highlights

• (0:00) Intro
• (1:37) Clint's background before Archrival
• (5:10) Where did Archrival's name come from?
• (6:07) The struggles of starting a business right out of college
• (8:20) The growth of Archrivals
• (11:14) What was the moment of validation for Archrival?
• (13:31) Reflecting on Red Bull and what came next
• (17:31) What worked and allowed Archrival to grow
• (19:15) The work that defines Archrival today
• (22:50) What it means to build communities
• (24:27) What's the future of youth culture movements
• (31:36) What brand does Clint admire?
• (34:27) Where you can find more from Clint and Archrival

About Clint Runge
Clint leads agency thought leadership with a big-thinking, cultural approach for brands who desire to be more relevant with young adults, teens to twenty-somethings. He kicks the tires and lights the fires for brands like adidas, Spotify, Hollister and Red Bull. 

With a never-say-die work ethic, Clint’s passion for the business has been recognized over the past two decades with as many awards as he’s had all-nighters. Archrival is an Ad Age Small Agency of the Year Award Winner and has made the Inc 5000 list.

With two decades spent reaching young adults, Clint brings a unique, relatable view on the State of Youth Culture as a regular speaker on Gen Z at conferences and events. Topics include identity, world view, relationships, consumerism, creativity, adulting, pandemic-ing and loyalty.

He’s also a frequent Rock Paper Scissors competitor and welcomes your challenge.

Links:

Archrvial’s website: https://archrival.com/

Archrival’s newsletter: https://archrival.com/insights

Clint’s website: https://clintrunge.com/

Clint’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clintrunge/

The world of advertising and marketing is all about standing out, and Dustin Artz is helping spearhead innovative campaigns for noteworthy brands. As a co-founder at Familiar Creatures, he’s dedicated his career to outsmarting the industry’s brand behemoths. On this episode of We Built This Brand, Dustin shares some of the “secret sauce” with Chris about what goes into making his agency stick out. From dumping mayonnaise on college football coaches, to encouraging people to feel good on their fitness journeys, you’ll learn the “Artz” behind some of advertising’s biggest moments in recent years.

Show Highlights

• (0:00) Intro
• (1:19) Dustin's background and where he got started
• (3:15) The origins of Familiar Creatures
• (7:23) Working with various popular mascots
• (10:44) The business model for Familiar Creatures
• (12:24) How Familiar Creatures approaches the challenger space
• (16:51) Work-life balance and the birth of ideas
• (19:41) Duke's influence in the marketing space
• (26:45) Duke's influence on branding college football bowl games
• (30:59) Familiar Creatures' work with Crunch Fitness
• (39:47) What's ahead for Familiar Creatures?
• (44:25) What brand does Dustin admire?
• (48:05) Where you can find more from Dustin and Familiar Creatures

About Dustin Artz
Dustin is a creative director/art director who has worked in the advertising industry with more than 20 years of experience.

He considers himself a maker—someone who can not only think at a high brand level but also execute to finish by art directing, writing, designing, retouching and/or editing.

Links:

Familiar Creature’s website: https://www.familiarcreatures.com/

Do you listen to that feeling in your gut? The that tells you right from wrong and what you should do next? It’s what we call your “intuition,” and Bonnie Casamassima thinks it should help be your guiding light through life. Coming from a corporate background, Bonnie found herself at the intersection of stress and internal understanding. One day, she had a breakthrough while deep in meditation, revealing her true calling in life - Intuition By Nature. On this episode of We Built This Brand, Bonnie and Chris talk about her business and what it means to listen to yourself. If you’ve ever had a difficult time following through on your own intuition, Bonnie’s work and research will help you reach that understanding.

Show Highlights

• (0:00) Intro
• (1:38) How Chris and Bonnie connected
• (2:46) How Intuitive by Nature came to be
• (6:22) What's the goal of Intuitive by Nature?
• (8:51) Who does Intuition by Nature serve?
• (9:37) Reaching a better understanding of your own intuition
• (12:57) The purpose of the Intuitive by Nature Podcast
• (14:21) Highlights from Bonnie's research into intuition
• (16:44) How people interpret intuition
• (23:35) What's next for Intuitive by Nature
• (24:59) What brand does Bonnie admire the most?
• (26:21) Where you can find more from Bonnie and Intuitive by Nature

About Bonnie Casamassima
Bonnie is a researcher, educator and highly sensitive intuitive empath.

She’s dedicated to nurturing people’s joy-driven lives through fostering our innate intuitive connection.

Bonnie worked for the past decade+ in the corporate world, as an academic research professor and consultant to corporations. 

Years ago Bonnie started receiving visual “pictures” during meditation, and now, each day she just keeps listening to what felt aligned deeply within her and followed her heart. So far, it’s led Bonnie to pursue trainings to hone her intuitive abilities and support others in tuning into theirs.

Links:

Intuitive By Nature’s website: https://www.intuitivebynature.com

Intuitive By Nature Podcast: https://www.intuitivebynature.com/podcast

Intuitive By Nature’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intuitive_by_nature/

Everyone has their own favorite brands, but have you ever considered that you’re a “fan” of those products? Maggie Walsh thinks that you should. Having recently wrapped up a social media campaign for Peacock centered around the 2024 Paris Olympics, Maggie is no stranger to working with household names. As the Head of Strategy for the marketing agency GLOW, she’s tasked herself with helping clients and consumers reconsider our relationships with our go-to goods and media. In this episode, you’ll hear how Maggie’s background in the music industry shaped her approach to marketing. Coming from a world where authenticity can be “do or die” for artists, she brings that perspective to our conversation when it comes to working with major brands.

Show Highlights

• (0:00) Intro
• (1:37) What brought Maggie to GLOW?
• (4:10) What does GLOW do?
• (5:50) Music, branding, and authenticity
• (7:58) Identifying fan bases
• (13:32) Relevancy vs. trends
• (16:26) Perceptions of "brand burning"
• (19:31) The problem with Pride Month campaigns
• (24:12) Audience engagement in the social space
• (33:15) The future of brands and "ethical fandom"
• (40:37) What brand is Maggie a fan of?
• (43:06) Where you can learn more about Maggie and GLOW

About Maggie Walsh
Maggie is a marketing strategist with 15 years of experience at ad agencies, TV networks, and record labels. Their career's been built off channeling cultural curiosity into insightful work and effective team-building that’s helped iconic brands earn new places in culture.

Some of Maggie’s many clients have included Captain Morgan, Oreo, and A&E.

Links:

Maggie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monstermaggs/

Maggie’s Twitter: https://x.com/monstermaggs

Maggie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monstermaggs/
Maggie's Threads: https://www.threads.net/@monstermaggs
Maggie's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@monstermaggs 

GLOW’s website: https://weareglow.com/