Special Sauce

Ramsey McGrory was a Montana kid who drove his dad's two-toned '57 Ford truck by sliding in through the passenger side door. He joined the Army out of high school, served in the Gulf War, worked a presidential campaign, and stumbled into the early internet through a modem at NationsBank — all by his early 30s. That restless, excitement-junkie energy carried him straight into the plumbing of digital advertising, where he has spent the next three decades helping build the infrastructure the industry runs on.Ramsey joins the podcast to talk about what it was like to be inside DoubleClick in its rocket-ship years, how he followed Mike Walrath to Right Media in 2004 to help invent dynamic CPM pricing and launch one of the first open ad exchanges, and what he learned from a decade-plus at Mediaocean alongside Bill Wise, where the company became the system of record for roughly $200 billion in annual ad spend. He reflects on being inside two of the most consequential acquisitions in ad tech history — Right Media to Yahoo and MediaOcean to private equity — and shares a hard-won philosophy: the culture and vision of a founding team matters as much as any financial model, and when those aren't honored post-acquisition, the talent walks and the mission dissolves. He also talks openly about why he's stepping back from his President role at Mediaocean now — not to slow down, but to go all-in on AI at a moment he believes is more transformative than search, social, and programmatic combined.Ramsey and Jordan also get into the nature of building things people depend on without knowing they depend on them, what it means to be an infrastructure person in an industry full of brand and creative people, and why Ramsey believes the smartest bet you can make is on yourself.

Atit Shah has spent nearly three decades at one agency -- not because he stood still, but because the agency always let him keep moving forward. What started as a Monster.com resume posting and a junior account executive role, has turned into one of the most quietly remarkable creative careers in our business.Atit joins the podcast to talk about what it felt like to be "voluntold" by a senior colleague that he was in the wrong department and how a brutal portfolio class at SVA set him on the path to becoming a copywriter...and eventually the Chief Creative Officer at Digitas. He reflects on what it means to be a "spotter" of elusive signals, his belief that "If you can't say an idea in a sentence, it's probably not strong enough," how the American Express account became his creative education, and why he believes modern marketing problems are inherently creative puzzles regardless of your job title.Jordan and Atit revisit the first time either of them ever presented to a CMO - for both, it was in a wood-paneled room on the 50th floor of a shiny corporate office in lower Manhattan - and what that moment of reverence taught them about generosity, coalition-building, and the nobility of the work. Atit also makes the case that the old-school CCO archetype of legs on the desk - and ripping ideas off the board - is dead (and good riddance!).

Kevin Wassong has spent his career chasing what’s next — often before the rest of the industry was even ready for it. From television to entertainment to digital and now AI, he has consistently built at the edge of change.Kevin joins the podcast to talk about working on The Golden Girls during its final season (editor's note: best show ever), how early exposure to storytelling and technology shaped his instincts, and why he has always been drawn to building new things. He reflects on his time at Radical Media and J. Walter Thompson, the risks of building things too early, and the difference between the "bleeding edge" and the "leading edge."Jordan and Kevin also discuss timing, passion and why some problems are worth coming back to again and again. They close with a personal conversation about purpose, Sandy Hook Promise, and the belief that passion is the one thing you can’t buy.

Tim Castelli has built a career by repeatedly stepping away from what was comfortable in order to lean into what was coming next. From print to digital, from static to dynamic, and from content to commerce, he never sits still.Tim joins the podcast to talk about growing up as a studious kid in Weirton, West Virginia, what studying psychology at Duke taught him about sales and leadership, and why he believes the most important career moves often require going sideways or backwards in the short term. He reflects on his early years in print at Ziff Davis and Rolling Stone, his decision to leave publishing to get his “MBA in digital” at Google, and what it has been like learning entirely new languages like search, digital audio and retail media.Jordan and Tim also discuss his appreciation for "things that are true, but hard to understand," his mom's ultimatum back when he was still living at home, and how he had Pittsburgh Steelers royalty gathered at his kitchen table as a kid. He also goes on the record (sort of) by naming the best agency relationship leader he has ever worked with.

Bob Lord has built his career helping companies navigate moments of profound change — from early automation on factory floors to digital transformation across media, technology, and marketing.Bob joins the podcast to talk about how past technology shifts reshaped entire industries, why removing mundane work is often what unlocks the most human value and why today’s AI moment feels familiar. He shares lessons from leading transformations at Razorfish, AOL, and IBM, and explains what it takes to drive change inside organizations at massive scale.Jordan and Bob discuss his family's tradition of welcoming in new members with a triathalon, why an agency client once told him she'd fire him if he opened a local office near their headquarters, how transformation only happens when "ideas get into the machine" and leaders "give hope for the future while painting reality," and what drew him back into the industry and his current role as President of Horizon Media.

Janet Balis has spent her career at the intersection of media, marketing, and transformation — from Time Warner and AOL to Martha Stewart Living, EY, and now BCG. A connector of people and ideas, she has helped shape how companies adapt to disruption, and how leaders think about influence, innovation, and purpose.Janet joins the podcast to talk about how AI mirrors the early days of digital, and why asking the right questions is more important than having the answers. She also opens up about friendship, resilience, and her long-running commitment to Cycle for Survival, the charity founded by her late friend Jennifer Goodman Linn.Jordan and Janet discuss what separates great leaders from merely good ones, the joy of constant reinvention, and how to stay connected — to ideas, to people, and to yourself — no matter what comes next.

Jacki Kelley’s career spans the full breadth of modern media — from the circulation department at USA Today to leadership roles at Yahoo, Martha Stewart, Bloomberg, Dentsu, and now Interpublic Group. Raised on a Colorado ranch, she learned early the values of discipline, empathy, and hard work that would define her approach to business and life.Jacki joins the podcast to talk about what it means to “become a beginner again,” the mentors who shaped her path, and her belief that “the quality of our relationships remains the most valued measure of our success.” She shares lessons from leaders like Wenda Harris-Millard, Martha Stewart, and Michael Bloomberg, and explains the “balcony to basement” leadership philosophy that guides how she manages both big vision and small details. Jacki also opens up about her family’s experience fostering more than 25 children — and how that journey has deepened her sense of purpose and perspective.

Abbey Klaassen is the Global Brand President at Dentsu Creative, where she leads thousands of creative professionals around the world. Earlier in her career, she was at Advertising Age, where she rose from reporter to editor and associate publisher, before making the leap to the agency side at 360i.Abbey joins the podcast to talk about the risks of leaving journalism for advertising, what she learned from running new business pitches, which jobs she thinks she was not ready for when she got them, and why she believes AI can expand creativity as opposed to diminishing it. She and Jordan also discuss Abbey's Midwestern roots, her balance of right and left brain thinking, the value of being a "utility player," and the power of being a part of professional groups (Go French Bulldogs!).

Sarah Personette is a media industry leader who has worked at some of the most well known media brands over time: Facebook, Twitter, Starcom, Universal McCann and Refinery29.She is now the CEO at Puck, the media company covering the intersecting worlds of Silicon Valley, Hollywood, Washington and Wall Street.Sarah joins the podcast to talk about her bold career ambitions growing up, how agencies provide the opportunity to emerging talent to lead teams at a young age, and what UM saw in her to make her their U.S. President when she was just 33 years old. She and Jordan discuss the difference between working at Facebook and Twitter, her background as an opera singer, and why being known for both toughness and kindness is important to her.

Gurman Hundal leads MiQ, a programmatic media company that is beloved in the ad tech industry by its clients and partners. He started MiQ with his partner Lee Puri 15 years ago and the pair have since grown the business to 1,500 employees around the world.Gurman joins the podcast to talk about why he believes in operating with a long-term mindset, the reason he never took venture capital, the philosophy of "sell or be sold" that helps him and Lee make big decisions, and why he has no desire to ever have "an exit."He and Jordan discuss how to make big bets in an industry that is always evolving, including the company's recent roll out of new AI technology that MiQ believes will change programmatic media.

Joy Robins has been working in the news business for almost 20 years. In her most recent 3 jobs, she has led the ad revenue teams at Quartz, The Washington Post and The New York Times. She joins the podcast to talk about what happens on the business side of a news org when a global news story breaks, the impact of technology on generations of news readers, and the people who have influenced her career. She and Jordan also discuss a moment that she'll never forget from the start of the invasion of Ukraine, growing up a few towns away from each other in New Jersey, and why it might (or might not) be appropriate to hang out in the parking lot of diners.

Matt Derella is the VP of Marketing Solutions at LinkedIn, the team focused on serving the advertising industry. Prior to his current role, Matt spent many years at other major global platforms including Google and Twitter, where he rose to the job of Chief Customer Officer. He joins the podcast to talk about what he got out of his English education at Georgetown, the role he had at Google and why he left, and what made Twitter such a special place to work. He and Jordan also discuss why Matt is creating more online content these days, how he and his wife balance being working parents, and they talk about Bruce Springsteen. Listeners: when there's a Bruce connection, you can sleep easy (or not) knowing the topic will get air time.

Suzie Reider might be the OGest of the Digital OGs. Her career took off in the pre-Internet era of the tech publishing world, bridged to early new media when she joined a then 30-person YouTube operation, and continues today as she builds out the media business at Lyft. Suzie joins the podcast to talk about the moment YouTube took off and those early days of digital video. She and Jordan discuss the importance making career connections, what draws her to businesses in the process of being built, the value that people with 30+ years of experience bring to their work, and a shared chance encounter they had with a rock 'n' roll legend.