Preparing the Media Industry’s Next Generation. An Interview with FUTURE NOW’s Founder Margaret Kim

Margaret Kim, Founder of FUTURE NOW set up her organization to facilitate mentorship with media’s next generation. Similar to her experiences 20 years ago when she struggled to find resources and people to advise her in her career, she expressed surprise that these issues remain an obstacle. “Shouldn’t things be different by now? There is lack of knowledge; lack of access and opportunity; lack of mentorship and sponsorship; lack of training; lack of recognition, promotion and advancement; inequity in pay; and lack of diversity and inclusion. It’s been going on too long, and it is time to change this,” she asserted.

To that end, she has launched FUTURE NOW which recently held its Media & Entertainment Conference in New York. The conference began in 2017 in-person shifting to online during the pandemic.  “Everything was live, nothing was pre-recorded.  We had incredibly growth during the pandemic, because we remained committed to the students and the sponsors believed in us,” she explained and added, “2023 marks the 7th year of the conference and we were back in-person for the first time since the pandemic.” 

So far, FUTURE NOW has, according to Kim, 800+ alumni who have attended the conference and  a mentoring program that is entering its 5th year.  “In the past 4 years, we have had 64 mentees matched with 64 mentors from the industry for one-on-one mentorship over a 9-month period,” she noted. In addition, alumni established the FUTURE NOW Media Podcast, syndicated on 9 platforms including on Apple and Spotify and established and contribute to The NOW monthly newsletter.

For those starting out, the opportunities for advancement, “is everywhere,” she stated. “There are the ones that are created for you by someone else and then there are the ones you create for yourself and others.  It’s about seeing the possible and having the vision, courage, and determination to make things happen.” She advises students, “to engage with FUTURE NOW’s programming throughout the year, learn about the industry, connect with leaders as well as your peers, nurture those relationships, and volunteer with FUTURE NOW or other trade organizations to gain experience, hone skills, and gain mentors along the way.”

Yet, “There are the challenges of the current state of the industry which has been going through massive changes and stresses over the past few years,” she explained. “There have been major budget cuts, layoffs, reorgs, and just when you think the dust is settling, something else comes along to disrupt things again. Students need to be patient and use the time to hone their skills and build professional networks, so that when the opportunity finally comes their way, they are ready.” 

As far as AI is concerned, Kim believes that, “AI will be both a challenge and opportunity for future media leaders.  My hope is that leaders will be proactive, intentional, and rigorous in thinking through the applications and consequences of AI.  The ethics, morals, and accountability regarding the use of AI are extremely important to consider.  Future generations will be profoundly affected by the decisions we make today, and we cannot take this responsibility lightly.” 

When asked what advice she would give to someone starting out today, she said, “Consider your WHY (your purpose) and pursue the truth in all things.  I think of Socrates, who famously said, ‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’ ”

For companies, recruiting the best talent is pivotal. Kim stated that a true commitment is required for companies. “Most people can tell when a company is paying lip service or being genuine about something. When we see diversity and inclusion throughout the ranks of a company, including in the C-suite and on boards, that is a powerful statement of walking the talk and is extremely attractive to future leaders,” she explained. 

Kim remains optimistic about the future. “I believe nothing is impossible and that where there is a will, there is a way. It takes vision, a strong work ethic, time, sacrifice, investment, determination, and grit. And, it takes community. One cannot do this alone. I imagine a new and bright future for the industry by building future leaders, gathering them, preparing them, connecting them with the industry, and helping them launch and soar…to go farther faster…and change the world…everyone winning,” she concluded.

This article first appeared in Mediapost.

Artwork by Charlene Weisler

It Takes One Person to Change Your World. Interview with DXAgency’s Sandy Rubenstein

Sandy Rubenstin, CEO at DXAgency, started her career though an unusual route. Classically trained as an opera singer, she pursued a dual major of music and business in college. “I took all of these business and marketing courses while I was taking music courses. In the evenings I would be performing at an opera and in the daytime I might be studying accounting,” she explained. “But it was great because it gave me a broad sense of the possibilities.” 

From college she entered the music business, moved to music TV, then to a range of cable networks including Sci Fi, Nick-At-Nite and Lifetime Networks before moving into the agency world at DXAgency. “I always hired agencies while at the network – digital agencies, a creative agency, a traditional media buying planning agency – so I was always exposed to the agency from a client side. I started consulting for DX after Lifetime and that is how the evolution happened, ” she noted.

Charlene Weisler: As someone who was a fine arts major in college and has an MBA in the Arts, I have often felt that studying liberal arts was a valuable asset in the business world. What is your opinion?

Sandy Rubenstein: I do a lot of work in education, sitting on two school boards and run a non-profit in education. I hear that ‘we have to focus on STEM’ but you can’t leave the arts out of it. It is such a critical piece of that puzzle and people forget that composition of music is math and visual art has such an impact on being able to offer creative and creative has an impact on media. It all ties together. People underestimate the value of the arts but if you understand the arts you have a deeper understanding of all of the opportunities.

Charlene Weisler: What would you say are the biggest changes in the media industry since you first started?

Sandy Rubenstein:  The biggest change is the amount of data we use now to inform our decisions. When I first started, it was more about creativity, shooting from the hip and trying things because you knew in your heart would be the right path. Now I still have that same sensibility but I need to back it up with data with measureables. Data has changed the way we market and advertise.

Charlene Weisler: Do you think data ‘cramps’ creative?

Sandy Rubenstein:  One thousand percent! In the past I would bring an ad campaign to a client and say ‘This is going to be great. It will move you’ and that would be that. Now I take a campaign to a client and the first thing out of their mouth would be, ‘Did you test this?’ ‘What do you think the measureables are?’ There is so much more analysis. We’ve become overly data-reliant.

Charlene Weisler: Where do you see the industry going in the next 3-5 years? 

Sandy Rubenstein: The consumption of content is going to continue to evolve and that is going to bring greater challenges with a fragmented consumer – targeting them and getting your messages out. We are just at the beginning stages of this. I believe that over the next five to ten years, the landscape will be completely different, which is scary but a reality.

Charlene Weisler: So how can an agency best prepare?

Sandy Rubenstein: Most are not preparing. Media shops are going to suffer the most because they opened digital arms and said ‘we are digital now’ but digital is no longer another vertical. Digital is a marketing channel. It’s the mainstream. To remain competitive, we have to think about how we can micro-target our customers because there won’t be a way to macro anymore.

Charlene Weisler: What are your thoughts about mentorship?

Sandy Rubenstein: I was fortunate to have a teacher in high school who helped me down my life path. I tell everybody that it takes one person the change your world. She was focused on sending me to music school. She taught me how to read music. She drove me to the interviews and the auditions. I am where I am today because of her. Changing one person’s path is huge. That is why I feel that mentoring is so important. I currently mentor two high school students. I mentor University of Miami grad students in business. I try to mentor different people in their careers whether they have worked for me or not. Having someone to be a sounding board to get perspective from someone who has been there is so important and helpful. 

Charlene Weisler: So with all of your work, how do you achieve life balance?

Sandy Rubenstein: It’s a daily struggle and you just have to look at it every day and say, ‘I did my best today. Tomorrow is another day and I will try my best tomorrow.’  I think everybody struggles with balance. When I come home at night, I put my phone by the front door and that time from when I get home to when my kids go to sleep, that is my family time. I can get back on my phone later and check emails but everything has to have its time and place. When you try to do too many things at once, you do nothing well.

Charlene Weisler: What advice would you give to a college student today for a career in media?

Sandy Rubenstein: Do it because you really have a passion and love it. Don’t do it because you think you are going to get rich and famous. And that goes for any industry. Kids come out of school with a false sense of reality, thinking they are going to make Kardashian money with their own YouTube channel. The most important advice I give people is to find something that you are really passionate about because then it is not work and then it becomes something that you really enjoy.

This article first appeared in www.MediaVillage.com

Using the Loop to Mine for Unique Insights. Interview with Mindshare’s Cindy Giller

Mindshare’s Cindy Giller, Managing Director and Atlanta Office Lead, has always had an interest in consumer behavior, culture and psychology. “So, media and advertising proved to be a nice fit for that,” she confided. 

A seasoned industry veteran, her first foray into media was in Silicon Valley working with tech brands which enabled her to get experience bringing never-before-available products to market. “It was edgy, fast moving and unconventional,” she continued.

After working across agencies such as Young & Rubicam, Publicis, and MEC, she moved to Atlanta to run JWT’s media group, which then merged with Mindshare. Today she heads up Mindshare’s growing Atlanta office, working across clients such as Jiffy Lube, John Deere, Orkin, Falcons, the U.S. Marine Corps, and more.

Charlene Weisler: How have you applied your experience working at a creative agency to your role at Mindshare?

Cindy Giller: I love interacting with creative thinkers whether they’re in the creative agency or the media agency - the more diverse the better. Creative agencies tend to focus on the brand first, whereas we start with the consumer insights and behaviors. Having that experience has helped me see the bigger picture from a user experience and activation perspective, making sure that we’re got a holistic outlook on the brand and consumer journeys.

Charlene Weisler: There appears to be increasing connectivity between media and creativity. Can you speak to that?

Cindy Giller:  Everything is media. Today you’re not looking at just the media buy or the ways that you can introduce a message to consumers. Instead, we must pay attention to the signals that we’re getting from our audiences so that our stories can be told in the right voice and introduced in a relevant way. Our data and insights teams play a crucial role there. 

Charlene Weisler: And this has evolved from when you first started in the agency business.

Cindy Giller:  Tremendously. It’s no longer as siloed as it used to be, which is a very good thing. The real-time data that we collect – whether it’s a reaction to an ad, a new rising search trend, a look at what competitors are doing—it allows us to adapt as we go.

Charlene Weisler: What is the connection between earned, bought and owned media?

Cindy Giller:  Are you familiar with The Loop at Mindshare?

Charlene Weisler: No. Can you tell me about it?

Cindy Giller:  Yes. It’s our adaptive marketing operating system, occupying a physical space in our offices across the globe. Eight or more screens revealing real-time data that’s customized to a client, brand and/or category.  Our Loop sessions are organized around paid, earned, owned, and cultural context.  We’re constantly looking for insights through news, patterns, and data correlation that help us tell a unique story.  These are insights that we can make actionable; data and insights that we leverage for media investment decisions across channels (not just digital). To look at paid, earned, and owned separately doesn’t make sense anymore.

Instead, we use the data to challenge our thinking, to find outliers that could drive an interesting strategy or approach.  For example, working with a client we saw a change in seasonal patterns for keywords of a product they sold. A competitor was making content adjustments in a similar direction.  The client never saw these patterns in their own data “because we weren’t looking for it.” But we moved quickly to adjust our timing strategy and new content was created.  

Charlene Weisler: Can you talk to me about mentorship?

Cindy Giller:  Mentorship is a big picture experience for both the mentor and the mentee. Earlier in my career, I was a member of the Women’s Tech Cluster out in San Francisco. What I learned from that experience was that it is important to have the right pairings for the right reasons. 

Today, we do speed mentoring twice a year in our Atlanta office. It’s a relaxed and fun way for our junior people to have a one-on-one sit down with all the senior people in the company.  They can ask questions, and probe for career advice. And then afterwards, if there’s a particular mentor or pairing that really resonated, something where people felt a connection, they’re given the opportunity to follow up and form one-on-one mentor relationships. This approach results in regular, active mentor pairings in the office. 

Charlene Weisler: How do you achieve work / life balance?

Cindy Giller: I get asked this a lot. Over the years, I’ve learned to reconcile that balance means I’m actually off balance much of the time—and I had to be okay with that, and find ways to take advantage by turning it into a positive. Even though I get a lot of energy and joy from my job – I love what I do – taking time off always refreshes me, refreshes my ideas and my thinking and how I approach problem solving. So I do make time to travel and to have new experiences as well as general family time. And being a Mom has made me a more perceptive media person – there’s a lot that I’ve learned over the years from my daughter and seeing how her media consumption habits have changed. It’s had a real impact. 

It’s also really important to have a supportive partner—to have a partnership where you understand one another and you’re there to help each other when things get tough. I have a great husband, who has never made me feel guilty in my career ambition.

This article first appeared in www.MediaVillage.com

The Importance of Saying Yes. Interview with Stephanie Mitchko-Beale

“When I was in high school I excelled in math and science,” noted Stephanie Mitchko-Beale, COO / CTO at Cadent, a leading provider of media, advertising technology and data solutions for the pay-TV industry.  As a high school student, she was encouraged by her father to do anything she wanted, she then decided to follow in his footsteps and study engineering in college. 

“Engineering school was filled with only men and not the easiest place to be for a young woman. But I loved it because I love problem solving, mathematics, decomposing problems into minuscule pieces and then fixing them and building them up. My career has been built on my curious nature and the love of solving problems,” she added. 

Upon graduation Stephanie worked at Marconi Electronics in military systems development and then at Digital Signal Corporation doing electronic warfare for the Department of Defense. But when she was asked to move to Virginia to be closer to clients, she decided to stay in New York and, through a friend, met someone at Cablevision. This led to a 15 year tenure at the company. “I said that I didn’t know anything about cable but decided to go anyway. It was one of my ‘say yes’ moments,” she explained, “Those moments that lead us to places we wouldn't expect and places we wouldn't have arrived at without being open minded, willing and simply raising our hands.”

From there, another ‘say yes’ moment came when through a mutual friend she was introduced to the Board of Directors of Cross MediaWorks, a family of companies that builds media solutions driven by data and technology. What started as a friendly consultation turned into a job offer as CTO for their media services arm, Cadent Network. Today, she leads the technology and operations teams across Cadent Network and Cadent Technology, focusing on the development of cross-platform advertising and data tech.

I sat down with Stephanie and asked her the following questions:

Charlene Weisler: Elaborate a bit more on what you mean by ‘say yes’ moments?

Stephanie Mitchko-Beale: I’ve found, over the years that if you just open yourself up and say ‘yes, I can do this’ or ‘yes, I will take a chance’ or ‘yes, I’ll meet this person’ or ‘yes, I will be the lead on this project’ that doors seem to open up more for you. I think a lot of people, and this is true especially for women, before they say yes to something they want to figure it all out to be sure that they know all the answers. I found that if you just step up and be at the table and say yes to opportunities then it is in your hands to make it work or not. I tried to say yes to every new project that came out and that afforded me the opportunity to keep doing new things. I also say yes to meeting people. If someone takes the time to introduce you to someone else, go and meet them and understand what they are about because those are the connections that eventually lead to great things. By not saying yes you are limiting your opportunities.

Charlene Weisler: Let’s talk about building a diverse team. How do you start? How do you retain talent?

Stephanie Mitchko-Beale: When I was at Cablevision I was very fortunate to be able to hire most of the people who worked in my organization. For me, you start by not accepting the first couple of people you talk to for any position. That is because people tend to hire the same types of people because it is comfortable and easy. You need to build diversity – and I don’t just mean diversity among the people themselves but also in the way people think – diversity in background, formal training, etc. And you have to start by really paying attention to who is on your team and who you want to bring into your team. Every time I talk to somebody, I think about what is different about their philosophy, their technical background, and their experience that brings a different thought processes to the group. By having a team of people who think differently, ideas flow and people tend to see beyond their own lens which makes teams more productive and more capable of seeing the bigger picture. 

It is very competitive and challenging to retain talent in the technology space. And good people know their worth. I believe, in addition to compensating properly, what keeps people engaged is working with a team and management that truly gives them the recognition and visibility they deserve. I also try to talk to my people about the company vision and where the company is going so they are engaged and focused on moving the company forward beyond their day-to-day tasks. And of course you have to feed them. Good snacks are important!

Charlene Weisler: I remember that at Cablevision!

Charlene Weisler: Let’s talk about who inspired you and mentorship in general.

Stephanie Mitchko-Beale: I was fortunate. Both of my parents were very supportive of whatever I wanted to do. I didn’t have any stereotypical limits growing up. Through my career it was not easy being the only woman most of the time. But at Cablevision I had wonderful mentors who helped me move up and take on more opportunities. I call them Champions, not so much mentors. They are people who support you and who are genuinely invested in your success. They are the best people to align with in your company and in your career. 

I do a lot of mentoring through the WICT organization and every year I take on another woman who is either in the cable industry or who is in a supporting industry. Our goal with the program is to try to retain women in the technical jobs because a lot of them leave for various reasons. As a mentor, I feel that it is my job to support and help young women to navigate through their career path and develop strategies. 

Charlene Weisler: How do you achieve work/life balance?

Stephanie Mitchko-Beale: This is not my favorite question, by the way. I try not to think of balance because when I think of balance (and this is probably my engineering mind coming out) it implies that you have to keep things equal, or if you take from one place you have to make it up somewhere else. So what I usually talk about is how I try to integrate my life with my career. That means things like ‘being present’. So when I am at work, I try not to be distracted by what is going on at home. And when I am at home with my family, I am present there. When you can achieve that, you never feel that you are missing out on something. I also try to keep my priorities straight. I raised my three kids while I was working full-time in executive positions. It is important to make sure that you keep your priorities straight so you can be where you need to be. 

Charlene Weisler: How are you applying your broad experience into your current role at Cadent?

Stephanie Mitchko-Beale: It’s come full circle really. It comes back to math and science, which we look at as data and analytics today. When Cross MediaWorks acquired BlackArrow, now Cadent Technology, I was charged with integrating the technology teams. The foundation for coalescing the teams was built on creating a strong data and analytics group that spanned across both divisions. Presently, that group is breaking ground by leveraging predictive analytics and machine learning for a modern approach to traditional advertising.  

This article first appeared in www.MediaBizBloggers.com

The Marketing Journey. Interview with Jessica Navas

Jessica Navas, Chief Planning Officer for Erwin Penland is a polymath who studied communications, French and psychology in college. Her career in advertising started as a receptionist at Chiat Day. “I began my career in advertising not knowing which area I wanted to go into. It wasn’t until I started working with planners that I truly understood what they did – and I realized I’d actually been a planner my entire life,” she confided. 

Luckily she was taken under the wing of her idol, Jane Newman, known at the time as “the mother of account planning.” From there, she launched into an illustrious agency career moving from Merkley, Newman, and Harty to Cliff Freeman & Partners to J. Walter Thompson and now as Chief Planning Officer of Erwin Penland. 

Charlene Weisler: Jessica, describe your planning and marketing journey.

Jessica Navas: I learned the rigors of strategic planning from Jane Newman in a very pure way. And while it’s fascinating to see how planning’s application has evolved, the essential core of the discipline still holds true: identifying the real business challenges and creating an authentic and compelling brand platform – and have course, communications - that can help to take on those challenges. Though Account Planning was pioneered in the UK, I’m also an impatient, pragmatic American – so I was well-trained in hunting, gathering and analyzing insights while also very much in the camp of uncovering news I can use. Ultimately my training at Merkley Newman Harty was terrific, and the work I helped create was solid, but after a few years I was looking for new challenges.

My next stop was Cliff Freeman & Partners. In the late 90’s, early 2000’s, the agency was a hotbed of creativity and served as a finishing school for me. Here, take your strategic chops and now here’s how to refine and put them into action. There I worked with some of the smartest creative brains in the business – they truly challenged my strategic thinking and we all arrived at a better place because of it. Plus, I think Cliff Freeman the man is one of the unsung heroes of our business. Eventually, at that point in my career, having been at small agencies, I wanted to experience a larger agency with big brands and global impact, so I went to JWT, where I worked on JetBlue, Lean Cuisine, Rolex, T.Rowe Price and Puma. Around us, the media landscape was exploding and many of our clients had several agencies on their roster, each with their own lane of responsibility. And while we created work in a variety of channels for our brands, I was often envious of the opportunities smaller agencies were given. Shops that were kind of reinventing themselves intrigued me, defying expectations of being a traditional ‘agency.’ A former co-worker had moved to Erwin Penland, which I’d never heard of, but then when I checked them out, I was blown away.  Yes, they are an up-and-coming agency but more like this ninja brand that came out of nowhere, doing all sorts of interesting things - clever brand communications and experiences in every channel – not to mention social media dynamos. 

What I really love about EP is that we aren’t focused on just marketing or advertising; we’re helping our clients define – and even re-imagine – their categories in actual behaviors and experiences. But it all begins with a meaningful, confident brand story. Clearly the media landscape has evolved, and that’s where my role has stayed true, in uncovering the brand story and ensuring it comes to life in acts, gestures and demonstrations. Some of our clients may arrive with a brand story, but we make it work harder. This is how we build trust with the consumer, based on delivering on the brand promise and then growing the relationship.

Charlene Weisler: How do you do that?

Jessica Navas: True brand missions have to be felt and embodied internally and externally. Denny’s is America’s Diner. Califia Farms is all about plant-powered innovation. Whether we come up with  or we inherit it, the brand story must be felt inside and out to be believable. Certainly there is so much more opportunity to connect with people nowadays but that doesn’t mean that a brand should be doing absolutely everything just because they can. It comes back to being rooted in a brand story that inspires the RIGHT brand behaviors. You now have amazing test-and-learn opportunities, but there is also a sense of pollution – if actions aren’t meaningful then there is the risk of tune-out.

Charlene Weisler: Do you use data for analytics and if so how?

Jessica Navas: We’re constantly gathering data – of course we always have, but now there’s so much more, with so much based on real world behavior, rather than ‘reported’, so it’s more truthful. And of course, there’s data about everything: consumer behavior, media usage, brand perceptions. We have never had more tools and inputs, and everything happens simultaneously. Today we need to find ways to connect the dots, to uncover stories that serve not just our brands, but also our consumers, helping to bring them closer to how they view and ultimately brand themselves. There is a great quote our Social Media Director always uses: “People don’t buy your product because they like the product. They buy the product because they like themselves.” It’s true! We are humble and explore how our brands can be in service of what consumers want for themselves.

Charlene Weisler: How do you achieve work / life balance?

Jessica Navas: I think the word balance is overused and not necessarily at the core of what makes people happy, so I don’t really hold it up as a goal. Do what makes you feel good and excited and alive, which could be ‘unbalanced’ living, but who cares? I don’t have children but we all have our own juggling to do. I have strong relationships, friendships; I get involved in charity and volunteering. How much energy do we have to give? Certainly like everyone, there are times when I feel out of balance and need to take a breath. If you don’t feel good and centered, you won’t have much to offer. I feel grateful that my female and male co-workers are very supportive of balance, meaning the pursuit of whatever makes me feel most energized.

Charlene Weisler: What are your views of mentorship?

Jessica Navas: I feel very lucky that I’ve had great mentors throughout my career – both female and male role models who have always been great supporters and champions. I love that they help me feel confident and I try to pass that on to my team – I want to help them shine by supporting them and pushing them forward.  I also believe that we learn from the next generation. Certainly I have 20+ years of experience, but I also learn from the kids every day. It is important to learn both up and down. There is a favorite Malcolm Gladwell quote I love: “Change your mind about something important every day” – for me, staying open minded is everything. 

Charlene Weisler: What advice would you give a college student interested in a career in media?

Jessica Navas: Know yourself. Of course I look for someone who is studied - but also open and receptive to the world. The most critical thing is curiosity. I always want to know what they read, listen to, and watch – what intrigues them. I want someone who understands where we’ve been and is fascinated how that impacts what is happening now and how it may impact us in the future. Curiosity is key.

 This article first appeared in www.MediaBizBloggers.com