Confessions of a Podcaster
By Ritchie Mehta and Mark Evans
Being a podcaster is a fascinating role, in fact we would say it’s a privilege on many levels, not least it’s like intravenous inspiration for us personally.
We get to hear about the lives, stories, journeys and lessons from some of the most renowned CMOs, CEOs, Olympians, Celebrities and Change Makers.
It’s been emotional. We’ve talked with amazing people about fulfilment, triumph and purpose, alongside mental health, discrimination, hardship and even death.
The Places We’ll Go Show was brought to life by Mark Evans and Ritchie Mehta, as a way to showcase how success is rarely linear, and that it’s the undulations in one’s career and life that can act as a springboard to achieve even greater feats and endeavours.
The show recently crossed its 100th episode, where we have religiously recorded every week for 2 years, a true testament of endurance and love for this craft and content.
Check out the latest episode :
To celebrate, we have put pen to paper on some of our key highlights. With thanks to 100 glorious guests, here is a handful of some of the key lessons and takeaways with poetic style but not poetic license.
Rory Sutherland
So the story begins with a legend of our day,
Rory Sutherland, ad guru, with an enchanting way
Vice Chairman of Ogilvy and this he did say;
That we come from an industry where a single idea,
May justify someone’s lifetime of pay.
For a single idea can turn the fortunes,
Of companies and impact millions it’s fair to say.
So you see according to him,
We should never hold back our mind,
For the power of our ideas,
Can truly change the hands of time.
Paul Coxhill
This got us thinking, are some people’s ideas worth more than most?
For often it’s the more privileged among us who tend to boast.
It brings us to Paul Coxhill from the WARC family, as he spoke about his journey,
To find great talent to level up our great industry.
He confessed on the show that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not,
In fact, it’s sometimes the most gifted ones that our most often forgot,
So we each have a role, to ensure that we can say,
We value difference and it’s the only state of play.
Sharry Crammond
Let us turn the page, to a moment we remember well,
When Sharry Crammond visited us for a brief but sunny spell.
Marketing Director of M&S no less with a wonderful outlook on life,
With a heart of gold and Percy Pig fetish too,
She has experienced hardship and strife,
As we’re sure so have many of you.
She spoke of her childhood and standing out from the crowd,
She couldn’t afford a new school uniform,
We can only imagine her parents are now so proud.
She has risen through the ranks as her dream was to be,
A captain of marketing and a thought leader you see,
And by her own admission she went on to say –
That if she can get to the top,
Then there’s no reason for any of us to stop.
But that’s not all she said on the show,
Oh no, that day she really didn’t mince her words,
And was on a mission to really be heard,
“If we all look and think the same”,
She spoke not to be mistaken,
“then we only need one of us”,
As for the rest, well their futures will be forsaken.
So diversity of thought is critical for our success,
And here’s a message for all of you,
To speak up at every opportunity with your view,
And in turn encourage others to do so too.
Jordan Schwarzenburger
On that note, our next guest was a Gen z pro,
And he imparted a few things that we really ought to know.
For those of you who don’t know him, he’s the manager of The Sidemen,
A group that knows a thing or two,
About creating a Youtube following,
That is even greater than what Ed Sheeran could do.
You see Jordan shared some amazing advice relevant for us all here today,
And that is we need to learn from bedroom creators,
As they are disrupting our industry more each day.
You see, true creativity lies at the fringes,
And that cannot be denied.
We should all take heed lest we all get left behind,
They are carving out new rules,
That will become the norm shortly and blindside us,
Making us look like the fools.
So since we are all friends here today, let us give you a tip,
We predict the creator economy is more than just a blip,
In fact, we urge you to mark our words
Its an area that will become dominate,
So jump on board before it’s too late.
Helen Tupper
We then had the pleasure of speaking to Helen Tupper of Amazing If fame,
About the future of careers – no two the same.
She writes about squiggly,
She writes about skills,
She writes about the changing nature of work,
And how we need a new model in order to be fulfilled.
A career today is not like anything of the past,
Its fluid, it’s fragile and likely that staying in one company will not last.
But marketing is a great place as you can no doubt see,
For the skills you accumulate here,
Will hold up wherever you choose to be.
Remember that whilst it’s in your hands your not alone
Helen speaks a lot of mentors that will show you the path
And give you the benefit of their looking glass.
Becky Brock
As you can see we’re the privileged ones,
Who get to speak to these leaders at each of their twists and turns,
But you can join us each and every week,
Remember The Places We’ll Go Marketing Show if your interest has been piqued.
We are half way through,
So hold on to your seat,
We’ve got five more guests to introduce you to,
So your in for a treat.
In fact, we’re excited about this next one, drum roll please,
She comes from the world of hospitality,
Our very own Becky Brock,
Who is the head honcho for marketing at Costa Coffee.
One of the most impressive leaders we have seen,
That highlights how being yourself,
Is the way to be, as there really is no in-between.
You really wouldn’t believe us, but we promise you its true,
Becky still at times gets imposter syndrome – just like many leaders do,
It goes to show that leaders are humans too,
Who need encouragement, validation and care,
Since they get their fair share of criticism too.
Paul Polman
Now, we often think we are not empowered to make a big start,
To change the way things happen,
So we just follow the existing path.
Paul Polman showed us that this is not true,
He came up with Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan,
It gives us a lighthouse as to how we can push through
To a better world – yes we can!
For all the bad news we are hearing,
Did you know our ozone layer is actually regenerating,
From the efforts companies are making to improve?
Paul said to us, that a marketers fee is based on how good we can be,
At enhancing our societies first and then a company stock,
A man of his word, he removed short term profit reporting,
To every stockbroker’s shock.
But as it came to be,
Unilever share price skyrocketed to victory,
He silenced even the best,
Proving that when we put society first,
It made profits far greater than all the rest.
Cephas Williams
You know we’re always amazed,
At how people spend their day,
Some go to work and toil away for their pay,
However, there are a few,
Who push all the way through
And fight against the grain to find a different way.
For a cause bigger than themselves,
And at significant mental and physical strain,
To get society to re-arrange.
A man we know, who runs the 56 Blackmen show,
He’s a legend in our eyes,
His name is Cephas Williams,
A change maker with a real vision,
You may have seen their art,
Depicting the lives of those mistreated amongst us,
As a way to change the narrative of the past.
He once said to us,
He didn’t want to be this person fighting this war,
Sometimes we choose our destiny
But at other times it chooses us,
So we must be willing to sacrifice for what is right
Take up the cause and fight the good fight.
It’s a valiant message,
And few will ever come to be,
A person like Cephas,
who we believe will truly change the course of history.
Mark Ritson
Ok so on to the penultimate one,
I hope you have enjoyed this,
I hope it’s been fun.
But let’s get serious now,
We need to keep effectiveness in our mind,
So we thought we’d introduce our last two guests,
Who love a good data rhyme.
None other than Prof Mark Ritson and Prof Byron Sharp,
Who graced us with the presence,
The top and the tail of our first 100 shows
Thankfully not together, lest they come to blows.
Mark Ritson was our very first guest,
It was a shaky beginning we must confess
A power cut in Tasmania at an inopportune time,
Left us improvising momentarily,
Before normal service resumed to return from the ridiculous to the sublime.
Mark really showed us the way,
He re-counted his journey,
And reasons why in academia he did stay,
Until of course he broke away,
To become one of the most loved Marketing gurus
Haven’t you done his MBA?
Byron Sharp
After 100 episodes in,
We turned to Bryon Sharp,
The professor and the king,
Who explained the whole marketing science thing,
Which he has down to a fine art.
Byron’s joy of discovery abounds,
And whilst the laws on loyalty sometimes confounds,
The data is repeatable and stands up to the test,
Take heed and drive penetration if you want to be the best.
He advice was to remember,
To align mental and physical availability,
And ensure they don’t get too separated or far apart,
Since from an effectiveness point of view,
That’s the worst place a brand can be.
And so 100 episodes in we have learnt a thing or two,
But most of all we hope that we have benefited you,
Because thats the point – we are just custodians through,
And so as you go on your squiggly way,
Like it or not it’s here to stay,
That you will be brilliant, fulfilled, successful and happy – just not every day….
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