Media People Podcast

It’s part 2 of our chat with Laura Gaggi, Founder and CEO of Gaggi Media. In this episode we’ll learn about the growth of Gaggi Media, some of Laura’s ventures that didn’t go as planned, and her most recent endeavour- Peleton Media. And if you haven’t already, be sure to check out Part 2 of our interview.

It’s Part 1 of our chat with Laura Gaggi- Founder and CEO of Gaggi Media. In this episode Laura Gaggi chats with us about life growing up in Toronto, her first media gig, and why she decided to go out on her own and start Gaggi Media- an agency that’s been a major player in the Canadian media world for the past 24 years. Come back next week for Part 2, where we’ll learn about the growth of Gaggi Media, some of Laura’s ventures that didn’t go as planned, and her most recent endeavour- Peleton Media.

In today’s episode we get a peek into the life of a musician working the local music scene. Francesco Alfano, the founder, and one third of the rock trio, Lucid Movement, stops by to chat about life as an artist in a digital world. We’ll also get a listen to 'Next Thing'- one of Lucid Movement’s tracks. And if you like what you hear, be sure to check them out in-person at their next show on May 20th, in Toronto, at Club 120. Tickets are available now at the band's website – www.LucidMovementBand.com.

A former #1 ranked wheelchair tennis player in Canada, Joel Dembe has represented his county at numerous tournaments across the globe. Notably the 2012 Paralympics in London, and the 2015 ParaPan Am Games in Toronto, where he brought home the bronze medal in front of a hometown crowd. He recently retired from competition, and sits down with us to chat about what it’s like starting off as an athlete, and then growing into his own personal brand.

Jeff Atkinson is the Vice-President of Sales & Marketing for Green Savroee Racing Promotions, and while you may not be familiar with the company name, if you’re from the Toronto area, you are probably familiar with one of their events- the Honda Indy Toronto, a race for which he also serves as President. Jeff chats with us about managing one of Canada’s largest annual sporting events, and what it’s like working in the racing world- a place where he has spent virtually his entire professional career.

Gut instincts and assumptions have taken a back seat to data in the decision making process and today’s guest, Devon MacDonald, is that the forefont of this practice. Devon is the Chief Strategy Officer at Mindshare Canada, where he leads overall strategy and story for the agency and their roster of clients.

Have you ever wanted to work abroad? Pack a suitcase and dive into a new job, in a new location? Well today’s guest, Joni Joyner, has done just that. Not once, but multiple times. Originally from Scotland, Joni has held senior ad tech and ad operations roles in places like London, Kansas City, and Australia, at companies such as AOL, Adknowledge, Sky Broadcasting, and Adconion- to name a few. She’s landed in Canada where she currently serves as Managing Director of AdGear’s Toronto Office.

Today’s guest, Ben Davies, wears two hats. By day, Ben is an executive recruiter at Grapevine Executive Recruiters, matching candidates in the media industry with their next big opportunity. By night, he’s a filmmaker- carving his own path in the Canadian film industry. Ben chats with us today about life as headhunter, and the production of his first feature length film entitled Rise & Fall, that recently wrapped principle photography, and is slated for a spring 2016 release.

Have you ever had a rep come in and pitch the WRONG solution for the WRONG client? Marilyn Sherman did, but instead of dismissing the idea she leveraged it to win a new business pitch. This story illustrates why it's important for media agencies and sales reps to have as much face time as possible- something Marilyn feels has regressed over the years. All this, and insight into Marilyn's time at Echo Advertising, and her current role as Media Director at Twenty6Two International.

It wasn't for a teacher's strike, Marilyn Sherman might have had a different career path. In Part 1 of our chat with the Media Director of Twenty6Two International, we hear about how she 'tripped' (her words) into media while still in high school, learn about her days at Saffer, Cravit, and Freedman- where she served as planner and buyer on many big retail accounts like Towers department stores and Bata Shoes, and learn how the entrepreneurial culture of that agency challenged planners and buyers to rethink how they did business.

It's Part 2 of our interview with Sonia Carreno- President of the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada. In this episode Sonia chats about her time at the DAC Group, and her experiences working in local digital media. We also get peek into some of things she is looking to accomplish during her tenure as President of the IAB Canada. Missed Part 1? Catch up on it here --> https://soundcloud.com/mediapeoplepodcast/episode9part1

Have you ever wondered what it was like to be part of digital media world in the 90s? You know, back when the industry was young, VC capital was plentiful, there was no Google, and, as we saw later on, a growing bubble that was about to burst. Today's guest, Sonia Carreno- the new President of the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada, was front and centre for all the excitement. In Part 1 of our interview we get a glimpse into the dawn of digital advertising, but also learn about Sonia's time growing up on both sides of the Atlantic, and why she left a promising position with IMG to join the digital media world.

What's it like working for Canada's biggest sports talkshow? In Part Two of our chat with Aaron Bronsteter, Aaron speaks about his current role as Producer, Talent Relations, with TSN's hit sports talkshow- Off The Record with Michael Landsberg.

Aaron Bronsteter - Producer, Talent Relations on the hit sports talkshow Off The Record, chats with us today. Aaron gave us so much to work with that we're going to break into two parts. In this episode Aaron chats with us about growing up in Thornhill, his time at Brock University and Humber College, and his early start in the industry that included roles at Cogeco Community TV, The Fan 590, and TheScore. Come back next Monday for Part Two.

What do you think is the highest accolade an individual in the media industry can receive? Is it a Cannes Lion? A Media Innovation Award? In my opinion, being referred to as a ‘Rockstar’ carries much more weight than any statue ever could. And that’s exactly how Marketing Magazine has described this episode's guest, Mitch Joel. There are many things you can call Mitch: from best-selling author to public speaker, to blogger, to podcaster to media agency president. The list goes on. Today we sit down with Mitch Joel- Canada’s rockstar of Digital Marketing to learn about life growing up in Montreal, working as writer covering the Canadian music scene, co-founding a record label, and being the President of Mirum, a digital media agency that started out life at Twist Image.

In this episode we have the privilege of chatting with Kiip’s founder and CEO, Brian Wong. Kiip is a mobile advertising platform that matches digital ads with reward-based moments. Founded in 2010, this relatively young company is turning the advertising world upside down with its unique offering. Brian ventured down to Silicon Valley to start his career after graduating from the University of British Columbia, at the age of 18. That right, I said 18- the same age when many students are thinking about applying to University. Brian chats with us about growing up in Vancouver, life as an accelerated academic, and what it’s like being CEO of your own company, at the young age of 24.

Blaire Appotive is the founder and owner of Ignite Consulting- a firm specializing in marketing solutions for small businesses and entrepreneurs. But before Blaire ventured out to become her own boss, she was part of Canadian media agency landscape, juggling omni-channel media campaigns for multi-national brands. Blaire chats with us about her past life in the media world, walking away from a this promising career to pursue an MBA, and why after finishing grad school, she decided to go out on her own.

Emigrating with his family at a young age from his native Honduras, Walder Amaya was forced to restart his life in a new country. But this would prove to be just one of the many challenges that he would turn into opportunities. Walder chats with us about moving to a new country, dropping out of high school to start his own business, and how chance meeting with an executive at Rogers Media, started him on a career path to where he is now Executive Vice President of International Sales and Operations, at Evolve Media.

Nikki Hawke is a staple in the Canadian media world. She’s held senior marketing positions at major companies like CTV, Canwest, Alliance Atlantis, and Corus. Nikki even spent time working for Showtime, in the US. But just as media is becoming digital first, so has Nikki’s career. She’s currently Vice President, Global Marketing for The Exchange Lab. Nikki chats with us about growing up in Toronto, attending university in Quebec and New York City, and the marketing differences between TV stations and digital media firms.

Corinne Copreni, the co-founder of Offtrax drops by to chat about her recent adventures driving from London to Mongolia, working in the Canadian media creativity industry, and why after getting a law degree in her home-country of Italy, she passed on taking the bar in favour of moving to Canada.