Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing with Bob Pittman

Jon Bon Jovi is so well known that when his songs play, everyone can sing along – even those born well after they first hit the radio. That kind of success is rare in the music business and a lot of artists would stop there. Yet Jon has tackled a number of ventures, bringing a magic touch to everything he’s involved in, from entrepreneurship to philanthropy. With Hampton Water, he turned a family joke into a top rosé brand. With Soul Kitchen, he created a first of its kind community restaurant for those in need. Live from Miami at the POSSIBLE conference, Jon tells Bob about his secret to remaining timeless – which he credits to ignoring trends and staying true to himself. 

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At its core, radio is a community service. No one knows that better than Angela Yee. She’s been on the airwaves for over a decade as a founding member of The Breakfast Club, host of her midday show, Way Up, and now the podcast, Lip Service. Angela is a friend and mentor to her listeners and she’s no different off the air. As an entrepreneur, she finds creative ways to help others. From juice bars, to coffee, to open conversations about finance, she spreads the wealth of her successful career to communities in need. Recording live from the NAB Show (National Association of Broadcasters) in Las Vegas, Angela recounts this journey to Bob. Listen to hear how she went from Wu-Tang Clan’s assistant to a respected voice in hip hop and beyond. 

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For so long, Paris Hilton’s story was told for her – in tabloids, through her persona on The Simple Life, and in the context of her legendary family. Now, Paris has taken the reins. She’s used her power as the original influencer to show her true self on social media, through entrepreneurship, and as an activist. From documentaries to podcasts to successful brands, there’s now so many ways to get to know the real Paris. She sat down with Bob to share how she helped build influencer marketing into the phenomenon it is today, and how she learned to use her voice in every facet of her success. Listen to hear how she went from running a lemonade stand in Malibu to building a successful brand –while becoming a world-renowned DJ along the way. 

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These days, a lot of actors double as entrepreneurs. Yet no one has had their finger on the pulse quite like Gwyneth Paltrow. Before everyone else was doing it, the Academy Award winner started a newsletter with personally curated recipes, travel tips, beauty items, and more. That grew into the lifestyle brand Goop. From its clothing line to its podcast, Goop’s offerings have captivated customers who are just as obsessed with health and wellness as its founder. Gwyneth sat down with Bob to discuss how she came into her own as a CEO. When she became an entrepreneur, a retail job at Penny Whistle Toys was one of the few non-acting gigs on Gwyneth’s resume. Listen to hear how that early experience, plus belief in service to others and staying true to herself have been among the keys to her success. 

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Allen Grubman is a legend in the music business, but he’s not a musician. He’s an entertainment lawyer who for over 50 years has been making deals for superstars in music and media. He’s a trusted advisor to Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, and, of course, Bob Pittman. Bob sat down with his longtime friend and confidante to learn how he went from Brooklyn kid to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. All it took was a stint singing on NBC’s Children’s Hour, an infectious personality, and a keen attention to the business of music. 

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With Boom Supersonic, Blake Scholl is reaching for the impossible. When the Concorde was grounded in 2003, dreams of a profitable model for supersonic aviation were abandoned. It took an introverted kid obsessed with aviation to prove skeptics wrong. Today, Boom has orders to make over 100 supersonic aircrafts for the US Airforce, United Airlines, and more, ensuring that supersonic travel is about to make a comeback. Of course, Blake didn’t achieve this overnight. He sat down with Bob to relay how his time in the early days of tech at Amazon and Groupon taught him the do’s and dont’s of startups and how he realized that above all else, it’s passion that makes a business soar. 

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Join iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman for the new season of Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing.

This season, Bob sits down with leaders across various fields –from A-list entrepreneurs to a supersonic aviator and everyone in-between—to learn how they’ve used data and creativity to push their businesses into the future. There’s nothing these visionaries can’t teach us about how to find success in our ever-changing world.

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You might be surprised to learn that legendary sportscaster Colin Cowherd rarely checks his ratings. As he puts it: checking your ratings doesn’t make your ratings better. Instead, Colin has some other tried-and-true ways to build an engaged audience— and it shows. With his program on Fox Sports and two podcast networks in partnership with iHeartPodcasts, Colin hasn’t just built an audience, he’s built an empire. Colin joins Bob to share insights on audience growth, his advice for advertisers and what lessons from pro athletes we can apply to any industry.

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Throughout the tumultuous pandemic, Christian Juhl kept a steady hand at the helm of GroupM at WPP—the world’s largest advertising and media investment company. The key to Christian’s powerful leadership lies within his early experiences in the eye of the dot com boom and bust. The memories of wondering whether his paychecks would cash have not faded, and neither have the corresponding lessons. Listen as Christian shares those lessons with Bob; plus, how Christian and his team are leveraging GroupM’s size to change the industry, and the world, for the better.

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After a brief stint as a Blackjack dealer, Mike Meldman thought he’d try his hand as a real estate developer. Cut to the present: Mike and his team at Discovery Land Company have created over thirty luxury communities worldwide. But Mike is not just providing four walls and a roof: he’s providing community. Bob sits down to find out how Mike has achieved that— and where Casamigos, the award-winning tequila brand Mike co-founded, fits in.

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Although Byron Sharp grew up on a sheep farm, he’s spent his career defying herd mentality. As Director of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, Byron has debunked marketing conventions and helped brands stick to what works. Along the way, he wrote the seminal book “How Brands Grow,” which you can find on any CMO’s desk who is worth their salt. In today’s special episode of Math & Magic, Bob shares the mic with iHeart’s CMO Gayle Troberman for a conversation with Byron on the marketing strategies backed by science.

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It’s impossible to make good business decisions with bad information. That’s where truth-seeking reporters like Stephanie Ruhle come in. Host of the 11th Hour on MSNBC and Senior Business Analyst for NBC News, Stephanie has brought truth and accountability to power by breaking momentous stories like the London Whale loss. Bob talks to Stephanie about how she navigated a major career pivot, the surprising role New York City restaurants played in her career advancements, and how companies can get media coverage (spoiler alert: it’s easier than you think!).

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In 2019, the Black Information Network— a full-time news service by and for the black community— was in the early stages of planning at iHeartMedia. But when George Floyd was murdered, Tony Coles, one of iHeart’s Division Presidents who had been overseeing BIN’s development, knew the platform needed to launch immediately. Tony, now President of BIN, reflects on how he and his team were able to spring into action so effectively, some stories that have made the biggest impact, and why triumphs deserve as much coverage as tragedies.

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Jeff Bewkes started at HBO as something of a traveling salesman; his job was to urge motels to add HBO to their properties and their marquees. Later, Jeff would become the last CEO of Time Warner, and engineered the company’s sale to AT&T. Jeff shares the original programming gambles that paid off, what television in the 90s teaches us about the streaming wars and how spending childhood summers on a farm shaped his business sense. Plus, Bob and Jeff give their intersecting stories from the historic Time Inc. / Warner Communications merger.

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What do Enron, Warner Music Group and Krispy Kreme have in common? “King of the Turnaround” Steve Cooper’s guiding hand during key transitions. Bob sits down with the business legend to talk about the possibilities of web3, Steve’s upcoming departure from WMG and why we should all rewatch Disney’s “Wall-E.”

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If you think a neuroscientist couldn’t lead a master class in marketing, you haven’t met Dr. David Eagleman. Professor of Brain Plasticity at Stanford, best-selling author, TV host and CEO of neurotech company Neosensory, David has a passion for applying neuroscience to topics beyond academic science. In fact, Bob considers David’s book “Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain” as one of the most important marketing books ever written. In this episode, we find out why.

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Suzy Deering has been preparing to take the business world by storm since the second grade, and she certainly has. She’s shaped powerhouse brands like Verizon and eBay, and now serves as the Global CMO of Ford. Learn how Suzy’s experience shepherding landline customers to wireless is informing her marketing strategy around electric cars, and why your car isn’t just a car— it’s a lifestyle.

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Join Bob Pittman for the new season of Math & Magic.

This season, Bob sits down with visionaries—from CEOs, to neuroscientists, and everyone in-between—to hear how they’ve used data and creativity to successfully adapt to the biggest changes of our time: the metaverse, fake news, remote work, championing stories that matter, and more.

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Today, Bob goes from podcast host to podcast guest and sits down with actor Minnie Driver for her iHeartRadio podcast, Minnie Questions. Bob shares why he’s grateful for a childhood injury, lessons from growing up in the South during the Civil Rights Movement, and why plans are sometimes bad for business.

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What do start-up founders and hip hop artists have in common? According to Ben Horowitz: a lot! Since his teenage years, Ben has been inspired by hip hop artists’ ability to create something from nothing-- and he took that guiding ethos with him to Silicon Valley. So even when industry giants shrugged off what would become the internet as we know it, Ben always saw it for what it could be… and in his roles at Netscape and Opsware, Ben actualized it. Learn how at his VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, Ben is helping entrepreneurs actualize their big ideas. Plus, Bob and Ben travel in time to look at the future of some of today’s biggest topics: remote work, video streaming platforms, biotech, and, of course, audio.

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In honor of the 40th anniversary of MTV, we’re rereleasing a fan-favorite episode: the real story of MTV, as told by the founders. Today MTV is a cultural institution, but people forget what a long shot it was to get the channel off the ground. Bob Pittman led the team that created MTV. In this special episode, he reminisces with co-founders and friends John Sykes, Judy McGrath, Fred Seibert, Tom Freston and Jarl Mohn about what it was like to create the '80s version of a start-up and lead a TV revolution by dreaming up the rules as they went along. From why the first MTV logo was designed on crinkled paper (it spent a little time in a trash bin), to how a tiny record store in Tulsa helped save the business, to why you should really think twice about going on a Lost Weekend with Van Halen... all the way to how a terrible cereal inspired one of the greatest ad slogans of all time: “I want my MTV,” we’ve packed this episode full of stories that marketers, fans and entrepreneurs will all want to hear. 

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In Remi Kent’s first job as a library page, she discovered her love of stories. Now, as CMO of 3M, Remi is crafting stories for countless consumers across the globe! Despite this massive audience, Remi stays focused on making individual, human connections with 3M customers. Learn how this framework has helped Remi shepherd 3M through major shifts: from taking Post-it digital, to mass producing N95 masks during the pandemic. Plus, learn how Remi’s focus on human connection has helped her act as a strong leader for her team, and a powerful advocate for anti-racism.

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After dropping out of school and struggling with homelessness, a young Christian Navarro was rejected by his top-choice job and accepted a gig sweeping floors at a wine shop. There, Christian fine-tuned his precocious palate and client partnership savvy. The rest is history! What felt like the second-best job offer at the time, actually put Christian on fast-track to where he is now: President, Principal and “Wine Therapist to the Stars” at the iconic one-stop-shop for all things delicious, Wally’s Wines and Spirits. Listen as Christian shares how lessons from his tumultuous childhood helped him brave the COVID-19 pandemic, why brick-and-mortar institutions are here to stay, and what’s in Christian’s glass right now. Plus, Bob learns how far Christian will go for his customers (hint: it’s literally across oceans!).  

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When Brad Gerstner, a “simple kid from Indiana” set out to build a brand-new investment firm in the swirl of the 2008 financial crisis, his friends and advisors told him he was nuts. But that company, Altimeter Capital, has become an incredibly successful vehicle-- not just for profits, but also for enabling entrepreneurs to do good. In this week's conversation, Bob learns why Brad needed to build Altimeter (it comes down to some advice from Jeff Bezos), how a conversation with his kids inspired him to establish the Board Challenge-- an initiative to quickly diversify corporate boards, and how watching his dad rally a small town to take on a goliath inspired his faith in politics. Plus, Brad shares a lesson from Burning Man... and how it changed his worldview might surprise you!

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Before Jack Donaghy, before Jack Ryan and SNL, Alec Baldwin was studying to be a lawyer and interning on Capitol Hill. This episode, Alec sits down with Bob to share why he changed course, and how he made it as an actor. From nights working as a busboy at Studio 54, to his Emmy-award-winning performance in 30 Rock, Alec shares behind-the-scenes stories, including: how Soap Operas informed his work ethic, what he's learned from Lorne Michaels, and why he chooses projects based on his collaborators. Plus, Alec reveals one of the early inspirations for his podcast (spoiler: it's Howard Stern!)  

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No one's story captures the spirit of the American Dream better than Gary Vaynerchuk. Fresh from the USSR, Gary’s earliest memories are of his family of eight crammed into a studio apartment in Queens. But he's been focused on turning lemons into literal lemonade from the very beginning: Gary launched his own lemonade stand at age seven—and he's been an entrepreneur ever since! From his early adventures selling wine on the internet, to the triumphs of VaynerMedia, learn why Gary sees Seinfeld's process as the key to better ad creative, what he'd go back and tell his 20-year old self, and why his mom remains his hero. Plus, Gary tells Bob what he's planning for next … including why he might buy the New York Jets!

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Any good student of advertising and marketing should know Sir Martin Sorrell’s name! From his rising to star status as Saatchi & Saatchi’s CFO, to his building and shaping of WPP— growing it from a shopping cart maker to the world’s largest advertising holding company, Sir Martin is as well known for his legendary insights as his headstrong opinions. Listen as he and Bob discuss why you need to employ dissenters, how his father’s drive and work ethic shaped his career, and how a sabotaged memo almost prevented him from working with David Ogilvy. 

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As the Chief Marketing Officer of American Express, Elizabeth Rutledge has a rare superpower... she's an introvert. And the way she wields it is impressive! Learn how she harnesses the power of small, nimble teams (it has something to do with pizza!); how she's used her introversion to foster a culture of empathy and respect, and why she still draws inspiration from her stint as a 9th grade biology teacher. Plus, Elizabeth reveals how she empowered her teams to give small businesses across the country relief while leading American Express through the pandemic. 

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It’s hard to imagine what this pandemic would look like without the internet to keep us all connected, and we have Jan Brandt’s marketing genius to thank for that technological revolution. As the CMO of AOL in the 1990s, she grew their subscription base by being keenly attuned to customers’ desires—and to the potential for home internet access to transform their lives. Listen to Jan explain why she loves being “the queen of no,” why she’d never fire someone for making a mistake, and how her drive comes from the “moxie” she’s admired since she was a kid watching her mother deftly navigate tough negotiations as a small business owner.  

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It's not just about marketing for Brad Hiranaga. As the Chief Brand Officer, North America for General Mills, Brad has been helping the company realize its potential as a force for good: from encouraging families to connect around the dinner table, to fighting the hunger gap with the No Kid Hungry initiative. In fact, he's been working tirelessly to improve food security and accessibility during this pandemic. Learn why he was so committed to brands as a 5-year old (hint: it had something to do with living so close to Nike!), how a landscaping gig played an outsized role in his understanding of business, and how he's harnessed teams and research to modernize legacy brands. 

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Today, MTV is a cultural institution. But people forget what a long shot it was to get the channel off the ground. Bob Pittman led the team that created MTV. In this special episode, he reminisces with co-founders and friends John Sykes, Judy McGrath, Fred Seibert, Tom Freston and Jarl Mohn about what it was like to create the '80s version of a start-up, and lead a TV revolution by dreaming up the rules as they went along. From why the first MTV logo was designed on crinkled paper (it spent a little time in a trash bin), to how a tiny record store in Tulsa helped save the business, to why you should really think twice about going on a Lost Weekend with Van Halen... all the way to how a terrible cereal inspired one of the greatest ad slogans of all time: “I want my MTV,” we’ve packed this episode full of stories that marketers, fans and entrepreneurs will all want to hear.  

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From Estee Lauder to Taco Bell to now EVP, Chief Brand and Marketing Officer at Lowe’s, Marisa Thalberg hasn’t had the most obvious career path. But when you’re as creative as she is, it’s easy to connect those dots! (Did you realize that Taco Bell markets like a fashion brand?) Tune in to hear Marisa and Bob discuss how writing plays as a second-grader shaped her schooling, why she started the “Executive Moms” blog, and the simple reason she’s been championing audio as a vital marketing tool for years. Plus, discover how she’s ushered Lowe’s through a period of growth during this pandemic while showcasing the company’s spirit.  

[Interview recorded on May 19.]

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For anyone struggling to lead their company through the current climate, Dave Cote has some advice for you. The legendary former chairman and CEO of Honeywell ushered his company through two big recessions while growing it from a $20 billion business to a $120 billion one. Tune in as Dave tells Bob how he marshaled his company's leadership in a storm, what he learned from Jack Welch, and how his rural New Hampshire upbringing shaped his independent streak. 

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In this Special Edition of Math and Magic, Bob sifts through his favorite graduation speeches from Commencement: The Podcast, to share lessons for aspiring leaders. Learn why Google X's Astro Teller thinks you need to embrace your inner “weirdo” to solve the world's biggest problems, what Abby Wambach thinks you need to know about teamwork, and why Tim Cook thinks reading Lincoln might be the perfect inspiration for these times. Plus, advice from Sienna Miller, Guy Raz and David Chang! 

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Though the world has stopped, we've been able to text with friends, video conference relatives, check e-mails and stream content. It's easy to take for granted. But that incredible access is possible thanks to executives like Verizon’s Chairman and CEO, Hans Vestberg. How did Hans prepare the Verizon network to respond so effectively to something so unpredictable? How has he transitioned his team to working remotely? And how does he manage to exercise and spend time with family while doing his job? (Spoiler: it comes down to spreadsheets!) Listen to Bob and Hans as they discuss how handball shaped Hans' leadership, what having a family of police officers means for his worldview, and why he's championed 5G from the earliest stages.  

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The world has changed a lot in the last week. We’re dealing with a pandemic that’s shaken us in unimaginable ways. But how should CMO's shepherd their brands through these times? Join Bob as he calls three marketing experts—and favorite former guests—for guidance. Listen to how CVS Health’s CMO, Norm de Greve led his team to “market with humanity,” learn how Amazon's culture helped them adapt quickly to the crisis from board member and former MTV CEO, Judy McGrath. And listen in as Bob chats with iHeart’s own CMO, Gayle Troberman, as she discusses "brand empathy" and the opportunity to build trust right now. 

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It's hard to imagine an exec with a more colorful background than IPG's Chief Operating Officer and EVP Philippe Krakowsky. Hailing from Mexico City, Philippe grew up speaking three languages. He paid for college by debugging Atari games. And though he studied linguistics and comparative lit, his first job after school was founding an AI startup...that he later sold to Apple! Learn how Philippe got bit by the advertising bug, how he uses data to build credibility with consumers, and why he advises his colleagues and clients to focus on 2 or 3 things, instead of "trying to boil the ocean." Plus, learn why Philippe thinks diversity and working with people you respect are two of the most powerful assets in building a team. 

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The way Shazi describes it, she had a magical childhood. Living in the motel her family owned and operated, she had no shortage of things to keep her busy-- from hanging out with cooks to watching new customers to adopting a pet duck. But how did someone who always dreamed of being a painter end up founding Happy Baby, the number one organic baby food company in the world? Shazi and Bob discuss how her parents' drive and optimism led her to believe anything was possible; how she was able to pivot once she realized her grand idea wasn't in the right supermarket aisle; and why listening to your gut really matters when it comes to VCs. Plus, Bob gets a sneak preview of Shazi’s new company healthynest!  

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As a kid, Macy's CMO Rich Lennox had two dreams: to be the next Chuck Yeager, or to be a veterinarian. But after a “bizarre series of accidents,” he took a different path: joining J. Walter Thompson before leading a series of incredible brands. Listen to Rich as he discusses why hypnotizing a focus group might be a good idea (spoiler: it helped him crack an entirely new diamond market for De Beers!); why he's been so effective at turnarounds at places like Zales ("you have to be the type who runs towards fires rather than away"), and what it means to be responsible for not only the Macy's brand, but also one of America's most beloved traditions: the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

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All Judy McGrath wanted to do when she grew up was to write for Rolling Stone. Instead, the storied CEO of MTV Networks now sits on the board of Amazon. Discover how the creative giant got seduced by management, why she learned to love a P&L (spoiler: it was to make room for wildly creative programming like Rock the Vote, and South Park), and how she convinced advertisers to get behind The Daily Show. Plus, learn why you probably need to recruit a knife thrower/improv comedian to your staff.  

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From The Breakfast Club to Nickelodeon, Bobbi Brown to CoverGirl, there’s no question these brands and personalities have shaped culture. But how did they get their big breaks? And how did they turn opportunities into success stories? Tune in to learn why Charlamagne tha God’s passion for radio probably saved his life; how Gerry Laybourne transformed Nickelodeon into the top network for tweens -- while proving herself as one of TV’s first female executives; and how makeup industry mogul Bobbi Brown created her own luck. Plus, hear Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer of Proctor & Gamble, discuss how his daughters helped him realize the importance of keeping your marketing true to your core values.

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BusinessWeek once called him “the James Bond of the media world.” The Columbia Journalism Review declared “No other reporter has covered the news communication business as thoroughly.” And the truth is, there’s a lot about the world that we wouldn’t understand if it wasn’t for journalist Ken Auletta—from his profiles of powerful people to his keen instincts for industry reporting. But how did working in politics lead him to journalism? Why does he think the press can be such a motivator for good? And what’s his trick for landing so many high-profile interviews? Tune in as Bob and Ken discuss.

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As a child in Hyderabad, India, Raja Rajamannar figured he'd study hard and grow up to be a chemical engineer. But when a twist of fate led him to marketing, he realized he'd found his calling. Today, Raja is MasterCard's Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Content Officer, and President of Healthcare Business...and he's used the perch to make some incredibly bold decisions! Listen to Bob and Raja as they discuss why he took the words MasterCard off of the company's logo, how he's reimagining the company's famous ad campaign and the new ways he's thinking about sonic branding. Plus, hear how meditation and a love of dogs keeps Raja grounded as he pushes the company to new branding heights.

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When Bobbi Brown couldn't find a major she wanted, she created her own at Emerson College. When she didn't want to conform to the style of the times, she innovated a more natural make-up look. And when she couldn't find the make-up she wanted to purchase, she created her own. Tune in as Bob and Bobbi chat about what it takes to launch an insanely successful brand, why young entrepreneurs should be a little more patient before looking for that Series A, and why she wore jeans every time she was invited to the White House! Plus, hear about Bobbi's new pursuits, from opening a hotel, diving into the wellness industry, where she sees green space in the make-up industry and why she's launching a new podcast-- Beyond the Beauty with Bobbi Brown-- with iHeart! (You should tune in to that one too!)  

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When Marian Goodell first pulled up to Burning Man in 1995, two men in the desert-- one with a machine gun, and another wrapped in a white sheet holding a plastic flamingo, told her to drive straight toward a mountain peak for 15 miles, then turn right and drive another two. But the experimental community that welcomed her that day, changed her life. As a founding member of Black Rock City, LLC, and Burning Man's first CEO, Marian oversees an operating budget of $45 million, while protecting the Burner culture and helping it thrive across continents. Hear how she discovered Burning Man through a friend's photograph, why founders of Black Rock City LLC were nervous at first about publishing 10 guiding principles, and how a community built on radical inclusion, radical self-reliance and gifting (among other things) has spread across the world.   

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After 44 years of trading, Paul Tudor Jones has built an enviable career as a hedge fund manager. But the way he uses that success to improve the world is even more admirable. As co-founder of  the Robin Hood Foundation, Paul has helped to curb New York City’s AIDS epidemic, fight poverty and improve the education system. But his charity work extends way beyond New York. Tune in to hear why playing bridge as a child informed his finance career, why he turned down a chance to attend Harvard Business School, and how his Bed-Stuy charter schools are continuing to beat the odds. 

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Charlamagne tha God is one of the most powerful people in media, reaching millions of ears every week as co-host of the nationally syndicated The Breakfast Club morning show. But he’s also a New York Times bestselling author, an outspoken advocate for mental health, and an unapologetically tough interviewer who has no time (or patience) for celebrity spin. This week, Bob sits down with Charlamagne to talk about how a simple piece of advice from his mom helped him transcend the circumstances of his childhood, why presenting his authentic self to the world is so important to him, and why hip hop culture is pop culture. Plus, Charlamagne shares his thoughts on the power of podcasting and why he prefers the intimacy of audio over TV.

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Live from Cincinnati, Bob sits down with Procter & Gamble’s Chief Brand Officer Marc Pritchard to discuss the company’s unique culture,  how it’s adjusted its marketing strategy in recent years, and why the company has made diversity a priority. Learn why P&G still lives up to its original motto: “pure goods at an honest price.” Also, we dive into how the company has grown to a workforce of 47% women managers, and why rediscovering audio has helped P&G create more effective advertising. Plus, learn why Marc considers himself an introvert, what his daily mantra is, and why “coming out” as a Mexican-American was so important for P&G. 

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Known as the "fairy godmother of Nickelodeon," Gerry Laybourne took a channel for pre-schoolers and turned it into a cultural phenomenon. Hear how she led Nickelodeon into tween entertainment; why the channel truly spoke to its audience (it was the first one to take kids' side!), and the real story behind why Nickelodeon started sliming kids. Plus, we get into how Gerry transformed the Disney channel; launched her own network, Oxygen, with Oprah; and how her new project, CHKN ,is creating a new type of sandbox for kids.

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This episode Bob sits down with Norm de Greve, the Chief Marketing Officer of CVS, to learn how having a Dutch father gave him a unique perspective as a marketer; why being from Rhode Island gives CVS such a unique identity, and the bold steps the brand took to stop selling tobacco products. Plus, we hear why Norm thinks podcasts are such a great way to reach employees and strengthen the culture! 

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To kick off Season 2, Bob sits down with CEO and Founder of Horizon Media Bill Koenigsberg and discovers how Bill pulled off the ultimate trick: convincing his bosses to sell him the company that would become Horizon... and loaning him the money to do it! Plus, learn why Bill only hires smart people who "make him uncomfortable," how investing in a stunning office has changed Horizon's culture, and why not getting a company car was the best thing to happen to his career.

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Leading up to the Season 2 launch, Bob revisits some of the incredible ways his guests have embraced audio. Walter Isaacson discusses why podcasts will save story-telling; Steve Stoute recalls how he reimagined the power of a jingle; Olivier Francois reveals why he creates a playlist for every brand he handles, and Julie Rieger discusses an incredible radio stunt and the lift it had on movie ticket sales. Plus: how radio helped Daniel Glass foster a connection...in Copenhagen!

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Bob recounts a few of his favorite stories from Season 1-- from the real origin story behind Olivier Francois' "Imported from Detroit" tagline (it's way more spontaneous than you might think!), to Gayle Troberman's best tips for launching a guerilla campaign (it may involve a bag of cash.) Plus, Wendy Clark and Tim Castree discuss how to break through the clutter. And Fred Seibert reminisces with Bob about the incredible origin-- and effectiveness-- of the "I want my MTV" campaign.  

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Join Bob Pittman for more stories from the frontiers of marketing starting December 5th. And in the meantime, we'll be keeping the feed warm with a few bonus episodes. 

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From starting a poinsettia business as a kid, to making and selling her own greeting cards, Casa Dragones CEO and co-founder Bertha Gonzalez knew she was an entrepreneur from the start. But when she fell in love with the agave fields on a tour through Tequila, that's when she found her passion. In this episode, hear how Bob and Bertha decided to launch a tequila company together, why Bertha decided to place her brand around chefs and artists rather than traditional celebrities, and how locating the spiritual home of the product has helped guide so many of Casa Dragones' branding decisions. 

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You might know Walter Isaacson as a legendary biographer, or as the former Editor of Time, or as the Chairman and CEO of CNN ... but did you know he was a high school crime reporter for the Times-Picayune? Or that he was recruited to be in the CIA? Or that he actually invented the cable news ticker? This episode, Bob sits down with Walter to discuss why Ben Franklin and Steve Jobs aren't that different, why technology and job creation will always go hand in hand, and how curiosity has been the driving force in his career. 

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In this week’s episode, Bob sits down with David Zaslav to learn how the Discovery CEO and President grew a network of just three channels (Discovery, Animal Planet and TLC) to become an international media powerhouse. Learn why David believes brands shouldn’t cater to everyone, how he’s been strategizing for a future when “people can watch anything on any platform,” and what high school tennis taught him about outworking the competition. Plus, why David prefers Shark Week to Puppy Bowl!

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Few people can charm and foster connections the way MediaLink Founder, Chairman and CEO Michael Kassan does. Learn how Michael changed the media buying business by treating it like a mutual fund; why audio is finding its way into more media mixes these days; and why he thinks more businesses and agencies need to go to therapy before breaking up. Plus, Michael reveals the savviest business advice you might have overlooked on the Hamilton soundtrack!  

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Scott Hagedorn is CEO of Omnicom Media Group, but don’t let his C-suite title fool you. From why he started a snake wrangling business as a kid, to his stint fabricating Flying Barricudas, to  why a Wall Street guerilla artist is his greatest creative inspiration, Scott has a media story like no others. This episode, listen in as Bob and Scott chat about why more auto manufacturers could benefit from a “suppression strategy,” why the best advertising should have a little “wobble” in it, and why throwing a Halloween party in April is a good thing for your corporate culture.

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Bob sits down with UTA co-founder and CEO Jeremy Zimmer to discuss how fixing a chair got him his first real gig in Hollywood; why the best storytelling is rooted in empathy, and why UTA's podcasting division got such a jump on the rest of the industry (spoiler: it all comes down to company culture.) 

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David Solomon never thought he was a shoe-in to become Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. In fact, as a young man, he’d twice applied for jobs at the firm… and was rejected! Hear how Solomon has used his perch to change the culture of the company and make it demonstrably more inclusive, how he gets 38,000 global employees to row in the same direction and why he believes his summers as a camp counselor and his liberal arts education helped him to become a better leader. Plus— learn how his curiosity about the finances of a Vegas nightclub lured him into the electronic dance scene.

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Tom Freston has a rare skill: the ability to pair raw, creative visionaries with the establishment to create bigger and bolder ventures than either could dream up on their own. From his work at MTV and Viacom— creating a “hothouse” for nurturing talent and spreading TV networks  across the globe, to nudging Vice from a street magazine to an Emmy-winning news service and multimedia behemoth, learn why Freston thinks you need to stay humble, how owning the IP changed the game for MTV and Nickelodeon, and why not buying MySpace may be the smartest thing he did for his career.

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As a kid, there were some things Translation's founder and CEO Steve Stoute just knew: that there were 50 houses on his block (he used to count them!), that there was no job he wasn’t willing to do (from shoveling snow to delivering newspapers), and that the Bangles didn’t have to be classified as either black or white music. Hear how following his curiosity led him to the record business, why the Men in Black soundtrack was a revelation to marketers, and how building bridges and railing against the “fake metrics of segmentation” has made him the incredible success he is.

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Judy McGrath once said John Sykes had the gift of “making everyone want to be at the party.” Hear Bob and John relive the scrappy and ingenious marketing from MTV (including why you should look a little closer when you buy a shack with a cashier’s check, and why you might not want to trust Van Halen with a contest winner). Plus, John gives tips on how to get your next project funded, and how he helped pull the Concert for NYC together in just 4 and a half weeks. 

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Tom Brokaw didn’t win all those Peabodies and Emmys (and a Presidential Medal of Freedom) by cooling his heels! Hear how the legendary anchorman worked his way up from a little radio station in Omaha, why he thinks Watergate turned everyone into an investigative reporter, and how saying yes to opportunities and following his curiosity gave him the edge when the Berlin Wall came crumbling down. Plus, learn how he got a generation of quiet war heroes to finally talk about their experiences. 

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As Global President and CEO of legendary ad firm DDB, Wendy Clark keeps pushing the company to break new ground. (Consider the branded Broadway Show she wrangled for Skittles!) Learn why Wendy believes the best creative campaigns can only come out of trust; how she’s used her perch to create a more diverse workplace, and how her experiences at AT&T, Coca-Cola, and even her early stint as a shift manager at McDonald’s have made her the thoughtful leader she is today. 

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It isn’t hard to call Fred Seibert a creative genius: from his early role in shepherding the look of MTV and crafting a brand image for Nickelodeon, to running Hanna-Barbera, to commissioning some of Cartoon Networks most iconic modern cartoons (Powerpuff Girls! Johnny Bravo!), Fred knows how to bottle Magic. But a big part of his secret is applying Math to the mix. Tune in as he reveals how to spot talent, the secret to great logo design, and why creatives need to count more

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This week Bob sits down with Daniel Glass, President and Founder of the indie darling Glassnote Records. Dive into his origins as “Disco Danny” spinning tracks at the legendary Regine’s; learn why he’s so passionate about radio and why it was crucial to breaking acts like Mumford & Sons and Childish Gambino; and discover why he’s made a habit of letting go of the A-minuses (spoiler: he works harder to land bands like Phoenix and other A-pluses!) 

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This episode Bob puts iHeart’s own CMO Gayle Troberman in the hot seat! Learn how Gayle outfoxed a tiny marketing budget and got all of NYC talking about her 90s start-up; why she believes audio and Instagram are the “two giant green fields” every brand needs to be playing in; and how Microsoft’s reluctance to use the word advertising helped her become a pioneer of branded content. 

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This week Bob interviews Olivier Francois, the legendary CMO of Fiat Chrysler. Learn why Eminem volunteered to put himself in Olivier’s commercial, how coming up with a soundtrack for every brand helps Olivier shape his vision, and why a little cultural ignorance has helped him push the boundaries of advertising. Plus, hear the surprising backstory behind that incredible tagline: “Imported from Detroit.”

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If you want lessons in reinventing your brand while keeping it relevant for decades, Shaggy is a smart place to start. Fresh off his tour with Sting, the two-time Grammy Award winning artist sits down with Bob to talk about why he risked going AWOL every week to record his first album, how he refreshes his brand while keeping it pure to his Jamaican roots, and why he always embraces the creative energy of the low periods.  

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At 15, Jarl Mohn got himself a pseudonym (Lee Masters!), a radio license and a job at a local station. Learn how the legendary CEO of NPR worked his way up from spinning records, how competing with a man in El Paso taught him everything he knows about sales, and why limited funds and a little bit of desperation led to groundbreaking successes at MTV, E! and NPR.

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Ben Lerer knows brands. As the co-founder of Thrillist, Ben created the go-to recommendation engine for everything from secret menu items to must-have flip flops (they came with bottle openers built into them!) In the 15 years since, Ben's not only grown the business, but become CEO of Group Nine Media--parent company to some of the most popular digital brands including NowThis and the Dodo. And somehow he's also found time to launch a successful VC fund with his dad! Learn Ben's trick for making quick business decisions, what working with his father has taught him, why founder’s empathy is what sets his fund apart, and why he always invests in the person over the idea. 

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All Judy McGrath wanted to do when she grew up was to write for Rolling Stone. Instead, the storied CEO of MTV Networks now sits on the board of Amazon. Discover how the creative giant got seduced by management, why she learned to love a P&L (spoiler: it was to make room for wildly creative programming like Rock the Vote,and South Park), and how she convinced advertisers to get behind The Daily Show. Plus, learn why you probably need to recruit a knife thrower/improv comedian to your staff. 

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Just because she's a self-proclaimed data nerd doesn't mean she only cares about the numbers! Julie Rieger, former President Chief Data Strategist and Head of Media at 20th Century Fox is one of the most lauded, out-of-the-box thinkers. In this episode, Julie explains why she looks for specific words in Tweets (it can reveal purchasing intent!), why buying pages in The New York Times and leaving them blank is smart strategy, and why she took up a side job as a Ghost Photographer. 

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Advertising giant GroupM CEO Tim Castree is everything you want from a leader: smart, calm, resourceful, and a Change Agent who also happens to be a client guy. Learn how Tim got his start as an Advertising Cadet, why skipping college never slowed him down, and how his combination of humility and drive have pushed him to the top. Plus, learn how he convinced all of Australia to turn off their lights!

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Few people hustle as hard as Scooter Braun. This episode, Bob discovers how the renowned entrepreneur, investor and entertainment exec dropped out of college to place a bet on himself (and a young Justin Bieber); why David Geffen means so much to him, and why a “burn the ships” mentality is key to spotting the greatest talent.

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When he was hired, Maurice Lévy was just supposed to be the IT guy. Instead, his 3 decades at the helm as CEO of the Publicis Group transformed advertising on a global scale. Bob goes into the booth with the living legend to learn how the NOW Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Publicis Groupe increased the value of the company 100-fold during his tenure as CEO, how he fought off a British merger, and why running into a burning building not only saved the Publicis Group, but changed the way he looked at risk. 

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How do the smartest marketers cut through the noise? And how do they manage to do it again and again? Join Bob Pittman as he analyzes the Math and Magic of marketing.

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