Special Sauce

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.

Jack Myers is an author, consultant and content creator, who has been a steady presence in the media industry for 50 years. Having started out working at big media companies in outdoor, radio and cable in the 1970s, he ultimately struck out on his own in the mid-80s when he launched MediaVillage and The Myers Report. He joins the podcast to talk about why he made that move, and both the positives and challenges to being an innovative thinker with the ability to see around corners (it's not all upside!). Jack and Jordan discuss the premises of Jack's two most recent books and the impact those subjects are having on the order of society today. He also shares a story that led to him being more careful with what he packs in his suitcase when traveling overseas.

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.

Rich Lehrfeld is the General Manager at Walmart Connect, the company's advertising platform that helps brands reach shoppers online and in stores. Prior to Walmart, he spent 23 years at American Express in roles with increasing levels of influence and responsibility. Rich joins the podcast to talk about his time at both companies, how he looks at driving innovation inside (really) big organizations, and the influence that his colleagues and leadership has had on his approach...and his career. He and Jordan discuss some of the projects they have worked on together, the influence of former Amex CMO John Hayes, and Rich's philosophy on getting other leaders in big organizations to care about their shared ambitions.

Lisa Sherman is the CEO at The Ad Council, the organization that brings together the best minds in advertising and media to create public service campaigns addressing the biggest challenges facing our society. She joins the podcast to talk about how she came to be in her role and how the work of the Ad Council has changed in the decade since. Lisa shares her coming out story in corporate America and how that experience changed her, as well as the policies of the company she had just left. She and Jordan also talk about her upcoming induction into the Advertising Hall of Fame and her career reflections that are inspired by this moment.

Jeremi Gorman, a seasoned advertising executive with a rich background at Amazon, Netflix, and Snap, shares her journey through the evolving media landscape. She discusses her transition from marketing to sales and the challenges of being a woman in the boardroom. Jeremi recounts wild stories from her time at Amazon's early ad days and explains her passion for investing in women’s pro sports. With her new role at Fanatics, she aims to build a dynamic ad business, proving that growth starts from the ground up.

Ryan Barwick is a journalist covering media and advertising. He is a rising star on the beat. In just the last year, he has reported on Lina Khan and the FTC, the Google antitrust proceedings and how the ad business is using AI. Ryan joins Special Sauce to talk about how he got up-to-speed on the industry, how reporters view other reporters, and to share some advice for Comms people. He and Jordan talk about what it's like to break a story, the difference between perspective and bias, and how Clark Kent came to become his internet avatar.

With the Los Angeles wildfires still raging, we're using this episode to share a brief story about our next guest and suggest a worthy cause in need of donations. That cause is the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, which is raising money to buy emergency fire shelters, hydration backpacks and wildland brush tools to support firefighters on the ground. As these current fires get contained, new ones will surely follow — and this cause is meant to help today and tomorrow. If you have the means and the desire to help out, please visit supportlafd.org/give or text LAFD to 24365. We'll be back with our next episode shortly.

Eric Berry has been a founder of companies in two disruptive categories: advertising technology and healthcare technology. He started TripleLift, the ad tech company he eventually sold for $1.4B, when he had just two years of industry experience. Eric joins Jordan to talk about why he moved from law to advertising, how the intuition of a founder is critical early on in the life of a company, and the importance of building the pipes of a company in order to make it successful. He tells a Dad joke to kick things off and ends by revealing who he thinks is the best texter on their group chat.

In this engaging conversation, digital media pioneer Peter Naylor reflects on his extensive career, including key roles at Hulu and Netflix. He shares his servant-leadership philosophy, emphasizing the value of authenticity and kindness in team dynamics. Peter discusses the importance of continuous learning through reading and hands-on experience with new platforms. He also touches on hiring experts to foster innovation and maintaining resilience through challenges. With insights from industry greats, he outlines filters for future success in emerging markets.