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Raw and unfiltered, the Mixed Company Podcast is much more than a show about diversity, inclusion and social equity in the creative industries. It’s a much-needed breath of fresh — yet sometimes uncomfortable — air for an industry that struggles to understand the power that all voices and backgrounds can bring to its success and future. The hosts: Karinna Schultz, Simeon Coker (the first man to join us on the podcast) and Kai Deveraux Lawson have strong industry chops. Schultz works as a senior account executive at Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness; Coker has deep experience working with brands like Nike and Verizon at a variety of shops; and Lawson is a senior project manager at AKQA, working on Maybelline, DVF and more. Much like Mixed Company’s podcast, the conversation was wide and deep with observations, practical advice and passionate wisdom for any professional at any level in the advertising and marketing industry. On the topic of what each has learned that has surprised them lately, Lawson pointed to set

To Samantha Scharff, chief executive officer of Giphy Studios, accomplishment is not about one’s own resume, but rather those of the people inspired. As a founder and leader of Giphy Studio’s creative content practice, Scharff is proud of building something unique and different — an exciting, nurturing environment where talent can thrive. “I’ve tried to build something different, that has empathy and compassion — where people really feel heard,” she says. Additionally, in Scharff’s mind, the industry — and especially women’s interactions with each other — can and should be more uplifting, a view that came from being in the entertainment ‘Boy’s Club’ for most of her career. “I once had a female boss that wouldn't let any women have a seat at the table, and it was terrible, and I've seen other women not supporting [each other],” she says. “Women are being competitive, and it just makes no sense. We need to be helping each other, lifting each other up, especially if we want to make more change in the workplac

To Liz Ross, the president and chief executive officer of Periscope, it is vitally important to be able to learn, unlearn and relearn. Those qualities, she says, can lead to success. And Ross has had plenty of success. In her 20 years of experience, she has held leadership positions at IPG Mediabrands, Digitas, Tribal DDB, and roles in business development at Modem Media and J. Walter Thompson, along with working with top brands and even being inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement. In her position she sees technology changing how people view love and how they love – think dating apps – but our humanity keeps our relationships from veering too much into tech, thankfully. Still, she sees opportunity with tech, even if keeping up with the pace of change can seem daunting. “We have to embrace it and understand that change is the constant, not the enemy,” she says, adding that common sense is a powerful tool when navigating change. What drives the staunchly Minnesotan Ross is f

Holly Aguirre, president of St. Louis agency New Honor Society, says there is “no substitute a for effort, zeal and enthusiasm.” All of those words add up to her attitude that interest and passion for something keep her driving towards success. It’s also how she determines who in her company is fit for certain projects and a good match for the agency when hiring. It’s the difference between merely having talent and using hard work and passion for getting the job done well. Aguirre doesn’t fear conflict. Where things can go wrong or when somebody isn’t happy, she sees the opportunity to strengthen relationships, negotiate and solve problems. She also thinks people should never stop learning, growing and changing. While that involves self-reflection, it also helps push her to think about her next moves as an agency and industry leader. Surprisingly, she says a Disney cruise is a "must do," which she describes as “magical.” She is also a keen believer in random acts of kindness — another "must" on her list.

For author, illustrator and artist Lisa Congdon, an artistic career path was started a little later in life. Her 30s were formative as, by that time, she hadn’t picked up a paintbrush or even drawn. Through her talent and passion, however, she has created a remarkable collection of work that spans the spectrum, including work with brands like REI and Airbnb and companies like Martha Stewart Living and the Museum of Modern Art. She's also the author of A Glorious Freedom, a collection of interviews, profiles of and essays by women over 40 who are thriving. Congdon, a Northern California native now based in Portland, Oregon, looks for the good in situations, especially tough ones, and she's had plenty over the years. But she has overcome adversities by concentrating on the good. Congdon recently celebrated her 50th birthday and she believes that with age can come wisdom. “We need to worry less about what other people think, and I think that's something that doesn't come until you're older,” says Congdon. She

Drum Studios branded content event by TheDrum

Drum Studios branded content event by TheDrum

As NYC indie agency Barker’s executive vice president and creative director, Sandi Harari leads up a lean but highly creative team in the country’s biggest ad market. With over 20 years of experience in advertising and branding, Harari’s talents and experience in health and beauty, fashion, film, and lifestyle marketing verticals have helped the agency win over 35 international awards. She also regularly speaks out to encourage the next generation of women in the industry. Understanding and managing people is a part of her job she loves, and her superpower, she says, is her ability to say the thing that someone needs to hear at that very moment in time when she is speaking to them, which is a product of emotional intelligence and her “Brooklyn-ness.” For someone to truly find success at work, she links that to culture and the people they work with. “I think people sometimes underestimate the importance of that ecosystem of people around you in the workplace,” she said. A must experience for her is failure

Kristina Prokop, co-founder and executive vice president of special ops at Eyeota in Berlin, has come a long way since growing up near Niagara Falls, New York. After graduating with a biology degree and moving to San Francisco, Prokop gravitated towards the adtech space. Blending science and advertising with international business landed her in Germany where she has lived for seven years, running Eyeota, a company that provides marketers with the data to reach audiences online and helps them understand customers as humans, not just numbers. Proving Eyeota could work across three continents was not only a real challenge but also her most significant victory. She gets her can-do attitude from her family – a determined grandmother who graduated from law school in 1927, one of the few women to do so, and two strong parents, including her father who came to the US from Germany when he was 19. Though her job is demanding, she tries to keep things in perspective and have a sense of humor, which helps a lot consid

For Diana Tickell, chief executive officer at NABS – a support organization for the advertising and media industry – in London, she sees that success involves not only hard work but a lot of luck. However, one can make luck happen for them. Networks are also critical, and in Tickell’s career journey, she has had the fortune to build her network by working at board-level across the many challenges of leadership, including leading whole organizational change management. Tickell praises those who have helped her rise up professionally, and she counts learning experiences and feedback as ways to grow. She also knows that sometimes you have to take the difficult path to do the right thing. Being aware of the impact she has on other people is a must for her. “Some people call it your shadow. Some people call it ‘be a radiator, not a drain.’ But I think that I've learnt that over time you have to really, really watch this one when you're under pressure because your natural ability to be a radiator or to have sun

Cindy Gallop discusses the current state of industry affairs realted to sexual harrassment, its root causes and actionable ways to improve the dynamic moving forward

For Deborah Kilpatrick. vice president and co-founder of Source Knowledge, based in Montreal, making mistakes is par for the course — and not something to be feared. It’s not so much just the learning but rather the ability to recover and make faster and better decisions in the future. “I personally think that perfectionism is overrated,” she says. Enthusiasm is something that Kilpatrick places a great premium on and is inspired by as well — especially when it comes to taking a position and defending it with rigor. She also believes that we are in a time where she believes there is less enthusiasm, which can stanch strong opinions, especially publicly. But when she sees it — and hears it — it is fuel to make it more contagious.

For Andrea Ring, chief strategy officer of Big Spaceship things seem to have simply fallen into place. Doing whatever has been in front of her at a given moment, she acknowledged that, though there is ample opportunity, happiness is key and being more intentional is the best course of action — which has informed her choices, especially as it relates to her life. In fact, its this ideal and idea that brought her closer to her father, with whom she didn’t have the closest relationship — while he battled Parkinson’s disease. Acknowledging that relationships and people are important, she is now armed knowing that she will put the time and energy into making each one special. Taking that experience with her father, Ring realized that she should demand the same at work and used that experience to create a more rewarding career path. What holds people back, according to Ring, is that we could potentially reveal something about ourselves that, “might not be as great as we think.” But that’s not necessarily a bad

Retail became the first love of Debby Reiner, CEO of Grey New York. Instead of bedtime stories, Reiner wanted her dad to tell her about the new accessory inventory and executive committee. So it’s no surprise that she leads one of the top agencies in the city. In her mind, at this moment in time, Reiner believes that we should be placing a premium on togetherness — and that is reflected in how brands approach their own station in society. Additionally, applying some focus, rigor and simplicity in the work is key. In fact, overcomplicating the work doesn’t help a brand or agency’s identity and can hold both back. Holding back is another issue, Reiner believes, for women in the industry. Success, she says, “can be a little bit scary,” but experience and trusting instincts can help get over the barrier and take women to great heights in the business. Part of that process, and a must in Reiner’s eyes, is to raise ones hand — but also listen more than one talks. From there, a voice can be found and make a signi

The path to strategy for Cindy Gustafson, chief strategy officer of Mindshare, started in, on the surface, a most unlikely place: the New York Thruway. As a toll attendant, she got short glimpses into the lives of literally million of people — tiny micro-moments that built a relentless curiosity, something that she believes is an important foundation for anyone in advertising and marketing. In looking back, and if she could give herself a piece of advice, knowing what she knows now, Gustafson, who led the launch of Mindshare’s creative media division — an invention studio — believes that being reliable is one of the most critical traits. Being on time, but also following through is what matters. Bold in her opinions, Gustafson is a proponent of not being comfortable with convention, feeling as though that can be a roadblock to success and a crutch for moving business forward. That improvement also applies to the brief as well — and being better than what’s put in front of people is a sure-fire way to tra

Gina Alshuler, president and chief executive of Rauxa in Costa Mesa, California, thought that politics was in her future after graduating from San Diego State University in 2001. A friend asked her if she wanted to work at the agency and she thought that making a few bucks before moving back east would be a good idea — and it most certainly turned out well for Alshuler and the agency, which has a presence in San Francisco, New York. Seattle and Culver City, California. The energetic Alshuler believes that we overcomplicate our lives because we tend to put too much pressure on ourselves — and act out of fear, thinking about the “next” thing that can create a “perfect life”. She sees this as a reminder to be grateful for what one has at the moment, instead of chasing down stressful dreams that may not materialize. Bravery, a word that is often spoken in the halls of the advertising and marketing industries, has its foundation in preparation and Alshuler has used that to her advantage and also teaches the yo

For almost two years, we have had the opportunity to spend time with some of the industry’s top female leaders in our Exceptional Women of the World podcast — a show that highlights the lives, work, achievements and perspectives of women in the industry. The show itself is in more of an “audio magazine” format — where we break topics into sections that end up being interesting, provocative and sometimes funny conversations about the journey in this industry. One of the segments of our Exceptional Women of the World podcast is known as the “must list.” In this part of the show, we ask our guests to weigh in on “must dos”, “must learns”, “must experience” and, finally, “must read”. As we prepare for the 3% Conference in New York next week, we took a look back at the “must read” part of the show and, specifically, pulled out the responses from past 3% Conference speakers and attendees. In a way, it’s a reading list of sorts. But, in the spirit of the show and the 3% Movement itself, there is some profound

Chaos fills the air in the advertising business. But, for Lynn Power, CEO of J. Walter Thompson New York, that’s not an issue. While some see chaos as something that get people and industries shaking in their collective boots, Power likes change and sees it as an opportunity for invention and innovation — and that’s what excites her most about the current landscape in advertising. Considered unflappable, Power never fears making decisions. In fact, she believes that making no decision is worse than making a bad decision as the latter allows for course correction and opportunity to grow. Additionally, making some bets along the way are also an opportunity to learn, even if they don’t necessarily come out as planned. Highly accessible, open and honest, Power values being around people that she trusts and respects — and believes that the best work comes from the collective effort of those who simply want to focus on the work and not politics. Not short of wisdom, one key aspect of work that Power is especia

For Kate Hironaka, chief strategy officer of B-Reel in Los Angeles, hearing about the impact of iconic work while at the University of Oregon School of Journalism excited her about the industry. While the world went gaga over the creative commercial exploits of Apple’s “Here’s to the Crazy Ones,” created by Chiat Day, Hironaka learned about the mother of a socially awkward 10-year old who wrote Lee Clow a letter thanking him for creating something that allowed her child to see the world differently, embrace his differences and say, “I think I’m going to be OK.” In Hironaka’s eyes, this was what advertising really could be, beyond just selling a brand — and in her career, she has embraced what she learned in Eugene at Wired, Goodby Silberstein & Partners, 72andSunny and now B-Reel. Level-headed and a pointing to listening as a great strength, Hironaka believes that getting to the point of staying on an even keel takes time, repetition and that, ultimately, it can get one to realize that the pace of the bus

For this year's Do It Day, we seek to destigmatize mental health and, in the US, we are working with Mental Health America to find ways to creatively and effectively amplify their message. Today (October 10th) is the hack portion (the execution phase takes place November 16th)and we spoke with Paul Gionfriddo, president and CEO of Mental Health America, to find out his thoughts midway through the process.