AdYack

My guest today is someone who I have admired ever since meeting him when he was working at The Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau, headquartered in King of Prussia. PA. Five minutes into that meeting, I knew Ed and I would become friends. Our first meeting took place at the request of a mutual friend, who recommended we meet each other as they felt we had similar outlooks on life and business. Turns out, he was right. Ed grew up in Philadelphia and launched his marketing and advertising career at companies like Converse and Timberland, among others, before landing in the CEO chair at Visit Williamsburg this past Summer, where he works with a wide range of tourism partners like Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens. Ed’s career journey is fascinating, as he could give a Masterclass on leadership and how to inspire a team. We spoke on various topics, including the innovation he participated in during his time working at Converse and Timberland and how both brands reinvented themselves and, in the process, created cult brands. Ed's a savvy marketer, a consummate leader, an adjunct professor at St. Joe's University, and an all-around great guy. Ask anyone who's ever worked with him, and you will hear nothing but praise and admiration for someone who never fails to leave a lasting mark. This interview is jam-packed with solid advice on how to lead a marketing team, how to get people to embrace risk, and what goes into creating a cult brand. We also discussed creativity's role in creating work that cuts through the clutter and drives results. Get ready to be inspired. Here is my Ad Yack, with Ed Harris. #creativity #tourism #travel #leadership #mentor #marketing#teaching #branddevelopment #branding #advertising #risk #ideas

Today on AdYack I talk to Cameron Day, Cameron is a brilliant creative director, brand strategist, and the malcontent scribe behind an awesome series of books called the Advertising Survival Guide trilogy, which delves into brand architecture, political landmines, and mentorship.Cameron’s latest book, Stones & Sticks, is chock full of great advice for creatives at any level, and Cameron’s not afraid to tell the uncomfortable stories right alongside the inspiring ones. He also happens to be the son of Guy Day, one of the all-time agency greats and co-founder of global agency TBWA Chiat/Day.Cameron will be coming to the Lehigh Valley on November 21st at Moravian University Foy Hall to share his wealth of knowledge and wisdom in person. Cameron has penned medal-attracting work for Land Rover, Microsoft, Shiner Beer, Diesel, Rolling Stone Magazine, and Wyoming Tourism, among others. Cameron and I yak it up on topics ranging from why he believes that good enough is not enough to the story of how Apple CEO Steve Jobs hated the original ‘Think Different’ campaign, to the great advice his father Guy gave him over the years as Cameron was growing up. And wait until you hear the story of the Shiner beer takeover at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, deliciously brilliant in every sense. This was an intensely authentic conversation because even though I’d never met Cameron, I felt like I had known him forever. That assessment made for an easy exchange between us in that neither had anything to prove, so we just had fun sharing insights and stories. Cameron is a much sought-after creative director and someone I think you’ll find entertaining, fascinating, and inspiring. Cam’s advertising pedigree runs deep, and I can tell that he’s still having fun helping brands grow in an ever-changing media landscape. Cameron’s father helped him navigate upper management, unruly CEOs, and the politics of the Fortune 500 boardroom. Cameron is committed to helping the next generation of creatives navigate the career minefield known as advertising.@iamcameronday#creativity #mentor #advertising #mediocrityrepellent#stories #author #creativemind #books #branding

Welcome to Season 5 of Ad Yack, the podcast that explores the minds of creative professionals. I want to thank all the fabulous guests who have agreed to appear on the show over the past four seasons for being so open and vulnerable when sharing their thoughts and insights. Today’s guest will be no stranger to anyone who appreciates music and the exceptional craftsmanship that goes into creating one of the world’s most iconic brands. I’m speaking, of course, about Dick Boak and Martin Guitar. After a chance encounter with C.F. Martin the third, Boak got hired in 1976 as a design draftsman and spent the next 42 years honing his craft. We explored the many creative roles he’s held at Martin to some of the more disastrous jobs he’s attempted to support his bohemian lifestyle prior to joining Martin. Dick Boak is a fantastic artist, musician, guitar builder, woodworker, teacher, illustrator, poet, draftsman, and songwriter. A true renaissance man in every sense of the word and someone who’s work I have admired for a long time.Boak was instrumental in setting up Martin’s Artist Relations Department and conceiving more than one hundred signature guitar collaborations with the top musical talents of our time, such as Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, Sting, and Mark Knoplfer. Boak shares his musical Mount Rushmore, along with the now infamous story regarding the destruction of an historic Martin on the set of the Quentin Tarantino movie, The Hateful Eight, to the best piece of advice he’s ever received, which he still uses to this day. Boak may be retired from Martin, but as you're about to learn, he's still out there making good art and pursuing his passions. So tune in, and Turn it on because here is my AdYak with Dick Boak.#music #creativity #woodworking #marketing#musician #craftsmanship #passion #guitars #sound

Alright, Ad Yackers, today, I get to talk to someone whose work I have admired for quite some time. She is not only the owner of an ad agency, but she understands the importance of giving back to the community where she lives and works. She named her agency after an antelope known for being extremely fast, agile, and able to clear tall hurdles that get in their way.I’m talking about Sarah Clark of Kudu Creative. I first met Sarah in 2013 when she was an art director at Mosaic Interactive, a digital agency.We yaked it up on several topics, including client pitch meetings that go sideways, her ability to play three instruments, and her involvement in the Easton Mural Project. I also learned during our conversation that Sarah played three instruments growing up, and we dive into the profound impact music can have on both the player and the listener, as well as her approach to idea generating and how she still makes time to design while running the day to day operations of her agency.I was surprised by her insights about Artificial intelligence when I brought the topic up,We talked about where she sees the technology going and how, if used correctly, it can be a game changer.Before opening her agency, Sarah studied graphic design at Minnesota State University. She worked as a web designer for Flint Communications in Fargo, North Dakota, and was an art director at Mosaic Interactive. She then decided to venture out on her own and open KUDU in September 2014.Sarah loves the many roles she gets to inhabit: agency owner, designer, marketing strategist, Entrepreneur, and, above all, mom to her two sons.Here is my AdYack with Sarah Clark.. https://www.facebook.com/sarah.j.clark.984?mibextid=AEUHqQLinkedin: www.linkedin.com/kuducreativeLinkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/sarahjcInstagram.com/kuducreative #creativity #branding #leadership #design #art #advertising#marketing #adagency #strategy

 Today on the podcast, I talk with Catherine Barnstone, who’s father had a tremendous impact on me during the time I studied with him at his art school in Coplay, PA. I’m referring to Mr. Myron Barnstone, a master painter before becoming an internationally respected fine arts teacher. Myron sadly passed away in 2016 at the age of 83. Since then, his daughter Cat has been working diligently with a team of art professionals and curators to help ensure Myron’s classical approach to drawing and design will live on through his former students and the instructional material produced before his passing.After Myron put down his brushes and started teaching full-time, Cat was omnipresent and had a front-row seat to Myron’s teachings and lectures. It wasn’t until his passing that Cat took possession of all of her father’s art that, until then, was crated and packed away for over 50 years. Cat tackled the challenge of bringing Myron’s incredible work out of the warehouse and into a newly renovated gallery space that will have its grand opening in April of 2024 in Thurmond, Maryland.I met Cat for the first time at Myron’s 80th birthday celebration. What struck me immediately about Cat was her warm, friendly demeanor and sense of humor. But what’s really impressed me about her is her tenacity and dedication to keeping her father’s legacy alive.I was fortunate to study with Myron; his wisdom has stayed with me and continues to inspire me today. Cat and I talk about her early days helping Myron get his art classes up and running, to the real reason why all of Myron’s art was packed away, with strict instructions to not open them.We also talked in depth about the impact that Myron had on his thousands of students and how many went on to careers in major motion pictures, animation, architecture, interior design, photography, fine art painting, sculpting, and how she’s finding new, and creative ways to showcase her father’s amazing artwork.Cat knows all too well the challenges she has to constantly face head on, but she also refuses to let anything stand in her way of guiding the next generation of artists to find their true path through her father’s teachings. She knew it wouldn’t be easy. But then again, nothing worth doing ever is.Here is my AdYack with Catherine Barnstone.#barnstone #artist #goldensection #abstract #painting #brush#original #genius https://www.facebook.com/catszafranwww.instagram.com/fourthwallcatwww.instagram.com/barnstonestudios 

I love meeting people who are super passionate about their craft and the work they do to earn a living. Today, on the podcast, I talk to two individuals who exceed that criteria. Mr. Matt Artinger and Patrick Newill. Matt owns and operates Artinger Guitars based in Emmaus, and he was gracious enough to sit down with me on a Saturday morning and talk about the art of making guitars.Partick works right alongside Matt in his shop, putting his stamp on a line of guitars. Matt brought Patrick in because he saw so much of himself in Patrick and wanted to provide an opportunity to pass the torch to the next generation.Matt freely admitted that Partick inspires him, and the two often collaborate on project brainstorming sessions because Matt understands the effectiveness of what can happen when an idea can leap from brain to brain.Matt has built over 1,000 custom guitars, and he’s not stopping. We yak it up on the importance of trial and error in doing such highly custom work, how ideas can get better when you are open to collaboration, and how they try to build magic into every guitar they make.They are part Zen masters, part scientists, part visionaries, part electrical engineers, and Alchemists. Blending complex components and materials into something that brings joy to millions in the form of music and songs.Matt and Partick are the type of people who love to push the boundaries to go where others may resist. That’s the mark of craftsmanship. As Matt stated in a Popular Mechanics article that featured him, “When it comes to guitars, the proof is in the playing. "As pretty as a guitar looks, it has to perform five times better, "It's not a piece of furniture; it's a functional piece of art.”It was clear from our conversation that these guys love their work. They have found a way to channel their talents and shape them into a career as two of the most sought-after builders of custom guitars of their respective generations.Here is my ad yack with Matt Artinger and Patrick Newillhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-newill-6a7328111/https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-artinger-104657/ www.facebook.com/mattartingerwww.facebook.com/patricknewill www.instagram.com/newill_guitars

S4 | E2: Martha DeFeo There are certain people you will meet throughout your life, and as soon as you meet them, you know they possess an innate ability to transcend and succeed in any environment. Martha DeFeo is one of those people. I briefly worked with Martha at Adams Outdoor Advertising, and I knew, even back then, that she was on a mission. She often encouraged and inspired people to become the best versions of themselves, in both their professional and personal life.She’s a seeker of knowledge, a coach, and a mentor to many of her clients, and she doesn’t give up when she believes in something, influencing others with her perseverence.Her search for meaning and her growth mindset has played a vital role in helping her grow into who she is today. As a Marketing Consultant, Strategist, and Business Development Leader, her background has evolved from marketing & design projects, speaking presentations, content creation, and web design to now running her own agency, MILK Marketing.Martha understands the value of authentic leadership and why you need it for sustainable growth & success. She found her purpose in helping entrepreneurs build and grow their businesses through her mentorship programs and strategic advisory work. She relies on her curiosity, creativity, and confidence every time she meets with potential clients, and we talk about how she helps those leaders embrace their courage and authenticity. Martha is proof positive that you must be willing to fail fast and learn faster if your actions aren’t delivering the desired results.Martha and I yak it up about the transformative power creativity has in changing lives, businesses and collaborative relationships, the lessons we learned working for an inspirational leader, the best piece of advice she’s ever received, and how it continues to inspire her to this day.Here is my AdYack with Martha DeFeoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milkmarketing/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milkmarketingmuseFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/successdriventribe

SEASON FINALE! Kate Hughes - AdYack Podcast Season 3, EPISODE 7Today on the podcast, I get to interview someone who has forged a career out of always putting herself in the best light. Someone who knows the power of the pivot and whose energy is off the charts. You could light a city with the wattage that emanates from her presence.I’m talking of course about Kate Hughes. Kate is one of those people that you only need to meet once to realize that she’s impossible to forget.Kate and I yak it up on a variety of topics that include, the double edge sword of being an over thinker, or how gratitude can be a strong catalyst for change, once you fully embrace it.This interview took place at the end of a very exhausting week for both of us. Kate was undeterred. Even though it would have been easy to reschedule, Kate felt we should forge ahead. Boy, am I glad we did.Kate’s infectious attitude provided enough energy for both of us as I got to experience some of that energy during our AdYack.Our topics ranged the power of personal re-invention to how we could all benefit from a little empathy from time to time.I learned that’s she’s proud of her ability to put an efficient team together and is always ready to engage her creative side when solving life’s challenges.She’s tenacious, passionate about her family and friends and has an intense determination when it comes to getting things done.I was grateful for the time I got to spend talking to Kate. She’s on a mission and she’s not stopping until she gets where she wants to go. And she’ll do it with style, wit and a giant smile on her face.Here is my AdYack with Kate Hughes.Instagram: @ih8kateFacebook: @Kate HughesLinkedIn: Kate Hughes Hashtags:#creativity #passion #marketing #advertising #art #pivot #determined#energy #smart #design #leadership #teamwork #aaf #tenacious