The Ad Podcast

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John Carstens - Chief Creative Officer - Team DDB (Omnicom) Feb 17, 2026

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John Carstens is the Chief Creative Officer at Team DDB (Omnicom), leading creative efforts for the US Army account—a massive, multidisciplinary consortium of 11+ agencies. A seasoned writer, strategist, and creative leader, he specializes in building and managing large teams to deliver innovative storytelling across brand categories. His career includes roles at SapientNitro (where he led digital creative departments), Apple, DDB, and others, with a focus on creative diversification, research-driven ideas, diverse perspectives, and evolving industry trends like AI in advertising. He's appeared on podcasts such as "How I F*cked Up" (discussing leading the Army account and lessons from setbacks) and others on unlocking ideas through perspective and storytelling.

Allison Arling-Giorgi - Head of Brand - Method1 Feb 16, 2026

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Allison Arling-Giorgi is the Head of Brand at Method1, a Chicago-based advertising and strategy agency focused on behavioral science-driven marketing. She's a seasoned brand strategist and behavioral-science expert with deep experience in consumer insights, particularly for Millennials and Gen Z. She harnesses human behavior research to build memorable brands, craft high-impact campaigns, and drive business results—often in CPG, spirits, and cultural trends. Her work emphasizes mental availability, habit formation, memorability over precision, and empathetic, human-centered approaches amid information overload.

Nick Miaritis - Global Chief Client Officer - VaynerMedia Feb 11, 2026

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Nick Miaritis is a prominent advertising and marketing executive, serving as Global Chief Client Officer at VaynerMedia (a leading creative and media agency under VaynerX), based in New York. He joined in 2018 and leads brand partnerships, accelerates client growth, builds new agency capabilities, and oversees high-profile campaigns (e.g., Super Bowl work for clients like WK Kellogg Co).Prior to VaynerMedia, he spent 12 years at Saatchi & Saatchi, where he worked globally, led teams on iconic campaigns—including the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity Grand Prix-winning “It’s a Tide Ad” Super Bowl spot and Miller High Life’s “One Second Ad”—and honed expertise in integrated creative, strategy, and brand storytelling.

⁠Jake Kitchiner⁠ - Co-Founder - ChannelCrawler Feb 10, 2026

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Jake Kitchiner is a UK-based entrepreneur and Co-Founder of ChannelCrawler (channelcrawler.com), a powerful YouTube influencer discovery and database tool. Launched after he identified a gap in existing solutions while working on prior ventures, the platform allows users to search and filter YouTube channels using 40+ criteria—including category, subscriber size, location, engagement metrics, and more—to facilitate targeted influencer partnerships, sponsorships, and marketing campaigns.

Steve Katelman - VP Partnerships - DataPhilanthropy Feb 09, 2026

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Steve Katelman is a veteran advertising and digital media executive with nearly three decades of experience in strategic partnerships, media innovation, and growth for major agencies and tech platforms.He currently serves as Chief Partnership Officer at Fyllo (a compliance-first SaaS platform for regulated industries like cannabis, sports betting, and alcohol), where he oversees partnerships across all business lines since joining in 2022 after briefly retiring. Previously, he spent nearly 30 years at Omnicom Media Group (including 14–15 years as Executive Vice President of Global Strategic Partnerships), pioneering digital vision, client success strategies, and forward-thinking leadership in media and advertising.Recognized as an industry visionary, he's served on advisory boards (e.g., Affinity Answers) and is praised for his uncanny ability to drive client outcomes through innovation and transparency. He attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is based in Omaha, Nebraska, with a strong LinkedIn presence (7K+ followers) sharing insights on digital trends, events like CES 2026, and personal adventures (e.g., philanthropy with Team Dayā in Senegal, building schools).He's active on social media (@katelman on Instagram) and known for his engaging, human-centered approach in a fast-evolving industry.

Brian Gross - President - Bach to Rock Feb 07, 2026

Show notes

Brian Gross is the President of Bach to Rock (often called "America's Music School"), a leading national franchise of contemporary music schools offering private and group lessons in guitar, piano, drums, voice, bass, and more for students of all ages and skill levels. He has held this role since 2011, after serving as Vice President of Marketing and Operations starting in 2008.Bach to Rock emphasizes a unique, band-based learning approach where students play the music they love together, rather than traditional classical methods—focusing on modern genres to make lessons engaging and fun.Gross brings a strong business background to the role, with prior experience in brand management at major companies including Kraft Foods, Procter & Gamble (Cover Girl), Bank of America, and Sylvan Learning Centers. He also served as president of Rileyroos (children's footwear) and general manager of Barton-Cotton Inc. (direct marketing/print production). He holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of Delaware and an MBA from UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School.A lifelong music enthusiast (classic rock and country fan—favorite band Guns N' Roses, first concert AC/DC), he's a beginner guitar player and "wanna-be drummer." He's based in the Bethesda, Maryland area, active on LinkedIn (@briancgross), and frequently discusses franchising, music education innovation, and second-career entrepreneurship in interviews and industry features.

Bill Lea - Vice President of Media - rEvolution Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

Bill Lea is the Vice President of Media at rEvolution (often stylized as Revolution), a global integrated sports marketing agency headquartered in Chicago.With over 18 years in media planning and buying, he's a strategic, analytics-driven leader specializing in digital, sponsorship, and performance media for sports and entertainment brands. He's led media strategies for clients like Betfred Sportsbook (where rEvolution was named Media AOR in 2022), handled major campaigns including the College Basketball Crown, and progressed through roles at the agency from Group Director/Director of Media Services to VP. He's based in the Palos Hills, IL area, graduated from Carthage College, and is praised for deep expertise in digital media markets and solving complex challenges.

Lisa Giacosa - Chief Transformation Officer - Spark Foundry Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

Lisa Giacosa is a senior executive in the global media and advertising industry, currently serving as Chief Investment Officer at Spark Foundry, a leading global media agency within Publicis Media (part of Publicis Groupe). She also holds roles as US and Global Chief Transformation Officer and Global Client Lead, focusing on driving business transformation through data, technology, commerce, AI, and media investments.Her career highlights include leadership in data, technology, analytics & insights (previously as EVP and Global Managing Director of DTA&I at Spark Foundry), where she has championed addressable advertising, media consolidation in fragmented landscapes, and insights-driven targeting. She has been a prominent speaker at events like Advertising Week, CES, NYC Television Week, and Brand Innovators, discussing topics such as media effectiveness, addressability, and the future of fragmented media.Giacosa is based in the New York City Metropolitan Area, with extensive experience connecting data layers to human-centered strategies for major clients. She's active on LinkedIn (sharing industry insights and leadership posts) and recognized for her contributions to media innovation and transformation.

⁠Isha Patel⁠ - CEO - ⁠Kale⁠ Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

Isha Patel is the co-founder and CEO of Kale (kalecard.com), a New York-based startup platform that lets everyday social media users (superfans, not just big influencers) earn cash rewards for sharing authentic content about brands they love—like Rare Beauty, Glossier, Inc., sweetgreen, and Chili's.She previously worked at LinkedIn (where she met co-founder Luis Molina), graduated from University of California, Berkeley, and has been recognized on Inc. Magazine's 2025 Female Founders 500 list for scaling the company and tripling revenue. Kale focuses on turning genuine advocacy into scalable marketing for brands.

Lou Paskalis - CEO - AJL Advisory LLC Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

Lou Paskalis is a veteran advertising and marketing executive with over three decades of experience in digital transformation, media strategy, data governance, brand safety, and media accountability.He is the Founder and CEO of AJL Advisory LLC, a strategic marketing consultancy that helps senior marketers refine their narratives and assists ad tech companies in better understanding marketer needs. He also serves as Chief Strategy Officer at Ad Fontes Media, a news media accountability organization that rates news sources for bias and reliability, where he focuses on building advertiser opportunities in quality journalism.His career highlights include senior leadership roles at major brands:

Senior Vice President of Customer Engagement, Media Investment, and Measurement at Bank of America (2013–2021), where he drove digital marketing transformation, pioneered marketing data governance platforms, and established one of the first dedicated brand safety practices among Fortune 500 companies.
Vice President of Global Media, Content Development, and Mobile Marketing at American Express.
Earlier roles at E. & J. Gallo Winery and others.

He previously served as President and COO of MMA Global (Marketing + Media Alliance), a key industry trade group.Paskalis is a frequent commentator in outlets like The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Adweek, and others on topics including privacy, brand safety, social media, and the future of news advertising. He holds an MBA in Marketing and Finance and a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Notre Dame. He is based in Manhattan and is active on advisory boards (e.g., Snapchat, VOX) and with organizations like the ANA and TAG.

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