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This week we kept shouting things like HIT ME! TWIST! GO FISH! WHAT’S A SPADE? In order to win the professional attention, and personal sympathy, of Jo Living – founder of ‘poker for business’ consultancy Aces High.Having noticed that poker was less about bluff and bravado and more about strategy, empathy and teamwork, Jo realised it could be the perfect game for teaching people how to make smarter business decisions. From there she went on to run workshops teaching everything from communication and negotiation, to assertiveness and risk management, all done eye-to-eye through what she calls the ‘contact’ sport of poker.It’s an episode where we try very hard not to say things about ‘laying the cards on the table’ (but probably won’t succeed) covering everything from the real-world value of a poker face to the power of a timely pause. This episode is proudly dedicated to Adam Living. Follow Jo on LinkedIn. ///// Timestamps07:33 - Investment Banking Experience 10:32 - Quarter Life Crisis 15:47 - The Poker Environment 18:15 - Poker as a Game of Strategy 19:50 - Women in Poker 22:39 - Parallels Between Poker and Business 26:02 - Skills Developed Through Poker 29:02 - The Power of the Pause 31:37 - Identifying Leadership Traits 37:13 - Getting More Women at the Table 39:12 - Subtle Tells for Leadership Jo’s Book Recommendations are:Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke/////

This week we kept on adding more and more and more irrelevant attachments to our so-called brief, in order to earn ourselves a swift rebuke from the marketing world’s Brief Batman – Howard Ibach.Inventor of the Creative Brief Mastery program, Howard is on a mission to make marketing briefs more meaningful. An advocate for clear thinking, proper collaboration and the single minded-proposition, Howard has been helping marketers all over the world put their bad briefing habits to bed (and then press a pillow over their drooling faces). He’s also an instructor at the Association of National Advertisers’ Marketing Training and Development Centre, the author of the brilliant ‘How To Write An Inspired Brief’ and host of the ‘Brief Bros’ podcast – confirming his undisputed status as the industry’s beefiest brief brain.In this episode, Howard will pick the art of briefing down to its rickety bones, sharing his invaluable expertise on what the perfect brief should say, be and do.This episode is proudly dedicated to Tom Jordan. Follow Howard on LinkedIn. ///// Timestamps 03:45 - Lessons from Stonemasonry06:14 - Path to Writing and Advertising08:36 - The Influence of Advertising on Howard12:29 - The Importance of a Good Brief16:12 - Issues with Copying Client Briefs19:49 - The Disconnect Between Clients and Agencies24:24 - Collaboration in Brief Writing32:13 - Commonalities in Effective Briefs46:02 - Banishment of Purpose AdvertisingHowards Book Recommendations are: Chew with Your Mind Open by Cameron DaySpittin' Chiclets by Cameron DayStones & Sticks by Cameron Day /////

This week we went around slurping muddy water from puddles in order to win the sympathy of Shane Stewart – brand man, running man and fizzy drink saviour.Chief brand brain at XOXO soda, Shane has built his career around launching and marketing drinks that do good stuff for your innards, while looking extremely cool on your outtards. Before shaking up the canned drink business with XOXO he helped create a large and loyal community of slurpers for Moju, a ginger and turmeric shot that’s a bit like unleashing a troop of helpfully energetic monkeys inside your tired old brain. And, as well as bringing better branded bubbly beverages to Britain and beyond, he’s even found the time to launch Step by Steppers, a marvellous running club designed to help people dealing with grief to feel less alone.This episode is very proudly dedicated to his Dad. /////Follow Shane on LinkedIn and InstagramStep by Steppers Run ClubTimestamps03:14 - Shane's Early Career in Hospitality05:08 - Cultural Significance of Pubs in the UK07:29 - Importance of University Experience Over Degree Choice08:50 - Shane's Interest in Brands and Marketing10:57 - Shane's Time in Australia and Farm Work Experience13:04 - Transition from Hospitality to Marketing14:40 - Working at Northern Block Ice Cream16:05 - Joining Moju and Creative Job Application18:22 - Continuous Learning and Mini MBA20:19 - Transition to XOXO Soda23:37 - Challenges and Opportunities in the Functional Soda Market25:21 - Product Range and Flavor Development at XOXO29:27 - Psychological Aspects of Product Taste and Health Benefits31:12 - Listener Questions: Startups vs. Big Brands34:47 - Listener Questions: Convincing Retailers to Stock Products39:42 - Introduction to Step by Stepper Run ClubShane's Book Recommendation is: The Chimp Paradox - Prof Steve Peters/////

This week we released AI from the punishment cupboard in which we’ve been keeping it in order to win the approval of author, marketing super-brain and AI believer Paul Dervan.As the Head of Brand Marketing at Miro, Paul has been busy bolstering his reputation as one of the industry’s smartiest pant-wearers when it comes to marketing effectiveness. Miro is just the latest stop in a marketing career you could only possibly describe as both distinguished and glittering (glittinguished?) and has seen Paul tackle the marketing challenges on behalf of everyone from O2 to Telefonica to the National Lottery in Ireland (scooping, along the way, the title of Ireland’s Marketer of the Year in 2022.) He’s also the author of Run With The Foxes, a superb book about marketing, mistakes and making much better decisions.This episode is very proudly dedicated to Peter Field. Peter has had a huge influence on Paul’s career both as a mentor and advisor./////Follow Paul on LinkedIn.Timestamps: 03:45 - First Job and Proper Job 05:10 - Early Career in Marketing 07:34 - Career Path and Focus 09:30 - Paul's Sweet Spot in Marketing 11:00 - Writing the Book: Run with Foxes 13:27 - Learning from Mistakes 15:51 - Mistakes and AI in Marketing 18:08 - Decision-Making Process 20:40 - Classical vs. Modern Marketing 22:22 - AI's Impact on Marketing 25:06 - Practical Applications of AI 30:05 - Advanced Uses of AI 33:08 - Synthetic Research 34:28 - Skepticism vs. Cynicism 36:42 - Curiosity and Experimentation 39:27 - Admitting Mistakes 43:27 - Listener Questions: Embedding Chapter One Paul's Book Recommendations are: Ogilvy on Advertising – David OgilvyThe Anatomy of Humbug – Paul FeldwickDecoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy – Phil Barden/////

This week we deliberately trapped ourselves in a cartoon like the dude from A-Ha in order to cross paths with marketing’s MirthMaster 3000, Tom Fishburne aka The Marketoonist.Apart from your CEO accidentally getting trapped in his own futuristic private bathroom over the bank holiday weekend, the funniest stuff in marketing usually comes from Tom’s brain. The comic genius behind The Marketoonist, Tom has been skewering this highly skewerable business for years – giving a reassuring chuckle to millions of marketers along the way. As well as being a famous side-splitter he’s also an expert eye-opener, with his Marketoonist agency having persuaded mega brands like Google, Microsoft and even LinkedIn of the value of having (and giving) a laugh. And, in his bid to remove the ‘po’ from the face of marketing, he also shares his wit and wisdom as one of the industry’s most in-demand keynote speakers.This episode is dedicated to David and Claire Hyatt from Wales, as without these two Tom’s cartooning may never have transitioned from hobby to work. /////Follow Tom on LinkedIn.Tom Fishburne's website here.The Marketoonist website here.Timestamps:02:14 - Quick Fire Questions with Tom Fishburne 03:21 - Tom's Career Journey: From English Major to Cartoonist 07:00 - Early Influences and Inspirations 08:42 - Observations and Humour in Prague 10:09 - First Office Cartoons and Their Impact 13:49 - Humour in Marketing and Business 17:55 - Finding Material for Cartoons 19:06 - The Role of Humour in Serious Topics 23:21 - Can Any Brand Embrace Humour?25:18 - Humour During the COVID-19 Pandemic 27:50 - Variety of Brands Tom Has Worked With 29:54 - Consistency of Human Nature in Humour 30:41 - Listener Questions: Balancing Satirical Humour 33:28 - Digital Transformation and Industry Jargon 35:07 - Listener Questions: AI and Humour 38:07 - Listener Questions: Humour Category at Cannes 39:38 - Listener Questions: AI vs. Human Comedians42:26 - Four Pertinent Poses: Advice to Younger Self 43:23 - Four Pertinent Poses: Banish One Thing from the IndustryTom's Book Recommendations are: Orbiting the Giant Hairball – Gordon MacKenzie School is Hell – Matt Groening /////

This week we stopped writing 80085 on our pocket calculator and started doing proper sums in order to catch the mathematical eye of one of the world’s leading financial and marketing thinkers, Moira Creedon. If there’s a fancy, famous and highly respected teaching institute in the world, then Moira has almost certainly been there, sharing the stuff in her enormous brain with students, leaders and top businesses. From Fontainebleau to UCC and the IMI – not to mention the legendary Mark Ritson Mini MBA – Moira has taught at them all, passing on her knowledge and experience as one of the world’s leading financial strategists. Also, as well as being multi-brilliant and multi-nice, she’s multi-lingual and often delivers her talks and lectures in English, Spanish, French and German.This episode is proudly dedicated to the late and great Gail Gunderson./////Follow Moira on LinkedInVisit her website here.Timestamps:(02:19) - Quick fire Questions: (05:47) - Moira's Career Path: Early Jobs and Experiences (09:51) - First Proper Job: General Motors (12:02) - Moira's Extensive Travel Experience (17:16) - Marketing and Finance: Bridging the Gap (19:12) - Understanding the Language of Finance (23:43) - Career Management for Marketers (25:50) - The Role of CMOs in Organisations (28:18) - Low Margin Industries and Marketing Budgets(32:04) - Cultural Differences in High vs. Low Margin Companies (35:00) - Jaguar's Marketing Strategy Discussion (39:51) - Perception of Marketing in the C-Suite (41:06) - Finance's View of Marketing as a Cost Centre (44:33) - Finance and Marketing Decision-Making (46:54) - The Role of Finance in Modern BusinessMoira’s Book Recommendation is: The ascent of money by Neil Ferguson /////

This week we very tentatively clambered on top of our desks to bellow ‘Oh Captain, my Captain’ to the most inspirational educator in advertising, Ally Owen. The brains behind one ad-lands most invaluable teaching programmes, Brixton Finishing School, Ally has done more than literally anyone to help young, multicultural and neurodiverse creatives find a way into advertising – kickstarting hundreds and hundreds of creative careers, while most big agencies were sat fiddling with the font on their DEI policy PowerPoints. For most people, transforming all those lives would have been enough – but Ally has also gone on to launch ADcademy, a free virtual programme that provides 2,500 students a year with top-class creative training. Ally is also one of the brains behind Visible Start, an incredible program designed to help women over 45 to re-enter the workforce. So, in a nutshell, just imagine what a huge stinky poo-fire the creative industries would be without her.In this episode we ponder everything from the real value of diversity and inclusion in all kinds of business, the financial and emotional hurdles she helps young creatives navigate at Brixton and how a Friday-night shift at Portsmouth McDonald's gave her the skills of a UN negotiator. /////Follow Ally on LinkedInVisit the Brixton Finishing School website or follow them on InstagramHead to Career Adventures where tomorrow’s creatives are being inspired/////Timestamps (04:10) - From Selling Shoes to McDonald's: The Early Gigs (06:49) - The Skills of a UN negotiator: Friday night in McDonald's Portsmouth (09:23) - The Great Escape to University (10:56) - From Pharaohs to Advertising and the House of Stolen Things (13:39) - Pure Luck or Destiny, The Path to Advertising? (15:22) - A Relentless Career Pursuit (18:04) - Setting out to make things better with Brixton Finishing School (24:13) - Building a Bridge into Advertising (28:04) - Office Etiquette, Don’t Microwave Fish (31:36) - How to Support Brixton Finishing School (33:07) - The Finishing School Foundation: Practical Help for the NEET (41:19) - Four Pertinent Poses (45:45) - Honouring Carol Tully Ally’s book recommendation is: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman./////

This week we deliberately kept standing on rakes and getting repeatedly thwacked in the face in order to lure out the king of creative nonsense, Mr Mark Denton esq.The creative hero that advertising needs, but doesn’t entirely deserve, Mark Denton is the once-in-many-lifetimes imagination behind more than 500 commercials – scooping up so many awards he could spend all day throwing them at passing canoeists and still have armfuls to spare. With even the biggest creative industry on the planet unable to entirely hold Mark’s interest, he’s flitted magnificently between the worlds of art, fashion and furniture design – Dentonising each field to glorious effect. Currently chief of COY! Communications, Mark is surgically re-implanting advertising’s forgotten sense of fun, and putting the ‘big idea’ back on the table.Teetering gloriously at the edge of what he calls ‘old geezership’, Mark has a lifetime of stories, adventures and quadruple-strength whimsy to impart – covering everything from stumbling into advertising, why he’s embracing new creative spaces and his famous experiment as a 65-year-old intern./////Visit Mark Denton's WebsiteDig through Dave Dye’s Mark Denton Archive Follow Mark on Instagram Connect with Mark on LinkedInMark’s first ever TV ad for Cadbury’s Cream EggsMark’s scamp for Samsung car batteriesA showcase of Mark’s work in his interview with the peerless Dave Dye A tribute to his dedication, and former boss Norman Icke (creator of the Milk Tray man), Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut Case advert: Timestamps(03:55) - Mark Meets Duncan (07:00) - Family Background and Career Choices(09:15) - First Job and Sneaking in Creative Ideas(12:25) - The Cadbury's Cream Eggs Breakthrough(18:10) - Adapting to Different Agency Styles(23:30) - Interning at St. Luke's(30:00) - The Role of Process in Agencies(32:00) - The Decline of Quirkiness in Advertising(35:00) - The Need for Entertainment in Ads(37:00) - The Creative Fulfilment in the Ads Your Working On(39:00) - Encouraging Young Creatives(40:30) - Visual Posters Make Great Ads(43:00) - Encouraging Enthusiasm in Advertising(46:00) - Allowing Creatives to be Creative(49:00) - Conclusion and Reflection on Change(51:00) - Getting his head round TikTok(57:10) - Listener questions(01:01:25) - 4 pertinent posersMark's book recommendations are: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale CarnegieUnleash the Power of Puerility by Mark Denton/////