As AI creates more noise than ever, business leaders are under pressure to move fast without chasing every shiny new tool. Matt sits down with guest Mark Rickmeier, CEO of TXI, to unpack how leaders can focus on the right problems before jumping to technology solutions.

Mark shares how he spends his time building relationships, learning from competitors, and creating immersive communities that help leaders grow. He explains why the best use of technology starts with understanding real business challenges, especially for companies that move, make, or maintain things.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why leaders should focus on problems before solutions
• How Mark builds trust and community with competitors, clients, and peers
• How “cooperation” with competitors can create stronger businesses
• How TXI helps industrial companies find practical uses for data, AI, and intelligent products
• Why “speed to value” should replace “move fast and break things”

Check out Mark on LinkedIn! https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrickmeier/

As AI reshapes how marketing teams work, the fundamentals matter more than ever. Matt sits down with guest Ann Hoeger, a fractional CMO and change management leader, to unpack why better briefs, clearer roles, and stronger agency relationships lead to better creative work.

Ann shares what she has learned across CPG, B2B, private equity, innovation, and brand-building environments. She explains why great marketing starts with clarity: knowing your customer, defining success, assigning roles, and building enough trust to solve problems when the work gets messy.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

- Why a strong brief acts like a contract between a client and agency

- How unclear roles create friction across teams and agency partners

- Why “clarity is kindness” when managing multiple agencies or consultants

- How AI is changing the briefing process and raising the bar for human judgment

Check out Ann on LinkedIn!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhoeger/

Brands are fighting harder than ever to break through a congested landscape. Matt sits down with guest Michael Shmarak to unpack how creative PR, timing, and human connection helped revive the historic Smith Brothers cough drop brand and turn it into a national retail success story.

Michael shares the behind-the-scenes thinking that helped transform Smith Brothers from a forgotten legacy brand into a product carried in over 42,000 stores across the US and Canada. Michael explains how great marketing happens when brands tap into emotion, personality, and culture—not just product features.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

- Why personality and storytelling matter more than product specs in marketing

- How Michael took a cultural moment from the Chicago Blackhawks and leveraged it into a success campaign.

- Why human connection still beats technology when it comes to building trust and brand loyalty

- Michael’s perspective on “moments-based marketing” and creating cultural relevance in real time Check out Michael on LinkedIn!

As AI continues to reshape how work gets done, it’s also quietly changing how people learn to do the work in the first place. Matt sits down with Antonio Garcia to unpack a growing concern: AI may be accelerating output, but it’s also threatening the job experience that junior professionals need to advance.

Drawing from his own experience, he breaks down what actually makes a great mentor, and how intentional guidance can be career defining. In an attempt to bridge the generational gap, Antonio has helped start a mentorship program, Strength in Numbers. It’s a Chicago based group focusing on senior professionals taking accountability for young people's progress.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

- Why AI may be limiting early-career, on-the-job learning opportunities

- The key traits that separate good mentors from great ones

- How mentorship can be the defining factor in a young professional's careers.

Check out Antonio on LinkedIn!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amgarcia/

Don't forget to check out Strength in Numbers below.

https://strengthinnumbers.cargo.site/

With the rise of AI tools changing how buyers research, traditional intent-based marketing like Google Ads is losing its edge. Matt travels to Milwaukee to sit down with guest Steve Robinson, a B2B marketing strategist.

Steve discusses why B2B marketers need to return to fundamental branding and audience building to cut through the increasing noise of AI. To help marketing leaders adapt, Steve has developed Path3. This platform empowers B2B marketers to execute self-service advertising across multiple channels without needing deep technical expertise in each individual platform.

What you'll learn in this episode:

- Why B2B marketers must shift their focus from catching intent to building an audience.

- How Path three allows marketers to push creative out to various platforms and pull metrics back in.

- The growing importance of authentic social proof and a strong brand position in an AI-saturated world.

Check out Steve on Linkedin!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedrobinson/

An effective way for your audience to make sense of what's new is to connect it to what's known. Today, Mike Bechtel is here to teach you techniques to tell better stories. In his work as a futurist, he helps companies understand what's new and next. His strategies include using silence, a three act structure and analogies to stop from just adding to the noise. Stick around to learn how to implement these into your own storytelling.

Learn something new in this week's episode!

Check out Mike on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebechtel/

You’re a Founder who built your agency from the ground up. Congrats on getting this far! The bad news is, what helped you grow, isn’t going to help you scale. At this phase, it’s time to shift priorities, get clearer processes and delegate operations among your Senior people. If stagnancy and heavy workload is bogging you down, Isabelle Papoulias, Head of Operations and Marketing at EliteOps is here to help. With sharp experience as a COO, she’s bringing tips and tricks for getting yourself unstuck while generating lasting improvement with your team.

This episode, expand your perspective!

Check out Isabelle on LinkedIn!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabellepapoulias/

Is improv your missing leadership skill? Just ask Marcy Freeman, a Global Marketer with over 20 years of experience. She’s developed brand strategies and product campaigns as an Executive Leader. She's also an avid improver who’s performed with Chicago’s Second City. This episode, Marcy walks us through her journey to becoming a performer, and all the ways it has made her a more active listener, leader and brainstormer. As crazy as it sounds, spontaneity may be the quality your leadership style is desperately lacking.

Figure out how to use it this episode!

Check out Marcy on LinkedIn!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcyefreeman/