In this episode, I answer a few questions from Instagram - Does strategy need a rebrand? How do you get an executional client to think bigger? How do you avoid post-rationalizing ideas? What’s up with “purpose”? For AMAs: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: www.instagram.com/markpollard 3. Strategy Twitter: www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Megan Averell runs The Insight Inn, a research and strategy consultancy. After years working in large agencies, she decided she’d had enough of Bro culture - misogyny dressed as creativity and frat games. So, she left. Then she researched her own industry and, after speaking to 20 women, she published what she’d found on her website and she presented it at The 3% Conference. Now, she discusses it here. You can find Megan here https://twitter.com/Meggatron and here https://theinsightinn.com  For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: www.instagram.com/markpollard 3. Strategy Twitter: www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Duane Brown runs a digital marketing agency called Take Some Risk. He’s all across PPC (Pay Per Click) and the hashtag of the PPC community #PPCChat. He’s visited 40 countries and he has just moved from Vancouver to Montreal. And along the way, he’s spent time working out the company he wants to work in while building it. We discuss:  Basic digital performance marketing concepts Not charging for hours worked Quora, Pinterest, Reddit, Google Shopping, Facebook When a client outgrows you Which categories are hard to sell online Working out what you want to do and not do You can find Duane here https://twitter.com/duanebrown and his company here https://www.takesomerisk.com/   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter 2. Strategy drawings: www.instagram.com/markpollard 3. Strategy Twitter: www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

A quick look at the ZeeMELT Conference in Mumbai this week just after I arrived back in NY. It includes a brief summary of talks by Faris & Rosie, Laura Bambach, Vicki Ross, Dave Trott, Kate O’Neill, Mr Sodhi, Samuel Scott, Fernando Machado, Rodger Beekman, Gerardo Mazzeo, JP Hanson and Wiemer Snijders. Complete with at least 200 mistakes and mispronunciations. Shout-outs to Payal, Sanika, Tushar, and Animesh for hanging out and to the Kyoorius crew for bringing us out - Rajesh, Anant, Pakhi, Nupur. P.S. My currency conversion was horribly wrong - where I mention $800 it’s closer to $8   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: www.instagram.com/markpollard    3. Strategy Twitter: www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Dos Toros is a Mexican food joint. They are lunch-sponsoring the first occurrence of The Strategy Super Sizer Megaclass in New York. So we thought we'd throw around some ideas like the last episode Julian and I did together. Can we think out loud and messy and try - just try - to find a thread from problem to comms idea and tactics in less than an hour and then draw it up? Will any of it make sense? This time, we brought in Davis Ballard who provided research support (Thanks, Davis!). This is hypothetical thinking. And it's an unedited pod. If you think you can beat it, beat it! Julian and I will do a Live Action Strategy sesh live in our Megaclasses (NYC, Chicago, LA). You can find Julian's newsletter Planning Dirty (not Dirty Planning or Planking Dirty) and his Tweets here: http://www.twitter.com/juliancole. You can find Davis here: https://twitter.com/mrdavisballard. The Strategy Super Sizer Megaclass: http://bit.ly/StrategySuperSizer The deck for the last Live Action Strategy sesh (Lamps): http://bit.ly/LiveStrategyLamps The deck for this Live Action Strategy sesh (Dos Toros): http://bit.ly/LiveStrategyDosToros Sweathead strategy classes are in session: http://courses.sweathead.co

Writing creative briefs, creative brief templates, running brief-writing workshops, propositions, and more. Shout-outs to Gillian Rightford and Shane O’Leary for the Saturday morning encouragement. http://www.instagram.com/markpollard For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard 3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Lauren Cole is Senior Manager of Inclusion & Diversity at The One Club For Creativity. In this role, Lauren helps organizations improve how they understand and apply important ideas about creating workforces that represent the communities they're in, while helping individuals understand more about the industry they are in or might enter. We discuss: - The very concepts of diversity and inclusion - The most pressing diversity and inclusion issues right now - Euphemisms and perpetual surprises about diversity and inclusion You can find Lauren here: https://twitter.com/MsCole84 For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard 3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

How do you learn strategy? In this episode we look at 15+ questions from strategists around the world and we discuss deliberate practice, sets, and practice as sanity. Ask questions here: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard 3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Ben Phillips is Strategy Director at Anomaly in New York. His parents are from America. I'll claim him as Australian because my family and I walked past him this one time in Ultimo, Sydney. He did work in Sydney. Then he spent a bunch of years in London and he worked at R/GA there. He's also the best skateboarder on the strategy Internet. He got engaged last year but, when we spoke, he either got the date or the year wrong because he was so excited about... talking to me. Or getting married. You decide. We discuss: - London - New York - London - New York You can find Ben here https://twitter.com/Ben_Phillips For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard 3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

James Kirkham co-founded and co-sold the agency Holler. He started it in London. He was young and naive. He worked to spread offices around the world. Then he sold Holler to Leo Burnett. Now, he is the Chief Business Officer of Copa90, a football fan media empire. We discuss:  - Going from freelance to business - The power of young naivety - Luck, proximity, hard work, recession, catching waves, and audacity - What James has learned about football culture in recent years You can find James here https://twitter.com/spoonybear and Copa90 here https://copa90.com.   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard 3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Kate Richardson is a marketing consultant who can work on a wide array of projects. As a generalist, she touches business strategy, marketing strategy, digital and comms planning, and, now, coaching and training. She once worked at Naked in Australia (news came out this week of their merger with BMF), she was the National Strategy Director of the TV network Channel Ten, and she believes in sabbaticals as a way to get distance from the day to day. She also contributed a chapter to "Eat Your Greens". We discuss: - How to approach career changes - How to find the story in a generalist career - The pros and cons of consulting You can find Kate here https://www.katerichardson.co and here https://twitter.com/KateRichardson   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard 3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

A chat about 27 things that make strategy harder than it needs to be as suggested by the good folks who answered my question about this on Instagram. Plus 21 things that I believe make a good operating system for doing good work. If you like these walks, let me know: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard 3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Julian Cole was formerly the Head of Comms Planning at BBDO in New York. We've known each since around 2008. We've blogged, taught Skillshare, and spoken at conferences side by side. And now we're doing a strategy class in a bunch of different cities side by side. It's called The Strategy Super Sizer Megaclass.  We discuss: - Revenge-astroturfing a bank by walking into it and yelling at it - The value of writing and putting yourself out there - Giving useful feedback about ideas - Working better with media agencies - An impromptu strategy for saving lamps from hypothetical extinction You can find Julian and his Planning Dirty newsletter here: https://twitter.com/juliancole And you can find out about the MEGACLASS here: http://www.strategymegaclass.com Sweathead strategy classes are in session: http://courses.sweathead.co

I don't know how good Mike is at strategy but I'd hire him just from how good he is at the things that make a good strategist: finding out stuff, spending time in unfamiliar places, talking to people, documenting it all, and putting it out into the world.  Mike is from London but has lived in Tokyo for the past 11 years. He's a journalist, documentary-maker, and DJ, and he spends his days at Mullen Lowe, where he founded their cultural insights group Tokyo20XX. He speaks Japanese. He's written for The Japan Times and the BBC. Just check him out: https://www.mikesunda.com/ We discuss: - Starting fresh in a new city - At what point is observing culture also participating in it? - That freelance writer/DJ lifestyle - Dealing with doing deep research but shallow outputs - Orientalism    For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard 3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

I interviewed Rob about philosophy a year ago. This time, we chat anxiety and what it's good for. For some reason, there are topics like this that I really want to talk about but when I ask the questions... I get a little anxious and they don't come out right. And I think some of my questions here a bit vague but Rob handled it well. You can find Rob and his newsletter Salmon Theory at https://twitter.com/robistyping   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon. 

Here are answers to about 20 questions people asked today via Instagram Stories. The questions include: How do you inspire creative teams? What do I do without a planning director for a year? What are some useful presentation tips? What’s a good creative brief template? Should anybody give up? Is getting credit important? Find me on Instagram here: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Nicole Landesman is Head of Business Development at BBDO in New York, where she helps potential clients navigate everything BBDO has to offer. And she was once a planner. We discuss: - The BBDO new business process - What’s going on inside a marketer’s mind during a pitch - What makes a useful pitch brief - Moving form planning to business development   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Jason Lonsdale is the Head of Brand Strategy at Ogvily. Originally from New Zealand but now based in New York, Jason manages a team of strategists across America.  We discuss: - What Ogilvy New York is about - B2B marketing - The New York agency landscape - Advice for upcoming strategists You can find Jason here: https://twitter.com/jasonlonsdale   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Helene Dick is Strategy Director at New York's Barton F Graf, an agency renowned for provocative work. And in a time where provocative work seems rare, how on Earth do these ideas travel through an agency committed to them? And what role do planners play? We discuss: - The work: Supercell, Welch’s, Little Caesars, Emerald Nuts, The Climate Name Change, Ragu - Briefs, briefings, and reviews - Client presentations You can find Helene here http://twitter.com/helenebd   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

John Kenny is CSO of FCB Chicago, an agency with a planning team of 85 people. A transplant from Ireland who arrived in Chicago many years ago to attend college, John has seen planning in America since the early days of planning in America. We discuss: - Why John feels so bullish about the future of planning - What makes planning and planners work - Planning in the USA You can find John here https://twitter.com/johnxkenny   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Dave McCaughan was a public librarian for 10 years then worked 27 years for McCann in Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Japan. This makes him one of Australia's earliest planners. He is still based in Asia - Bangkok, Thailand, and he hosts a podcast about market research called MR Realities. He talks, he advises, and he is definitely open to you asking him about planning. We discuss: -  The Australian Planner - The white Australian male - Stereotypes - useful or not useful? - How do you know when you’ve gone beyond a stereotype? - Current and interesting market research and survey techniques - Marshall McLuhan and Umberto Ecco You can find Dave here https://twitter.com/bibliosexuality   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Mylene Ong is the Head of Strategy at Colenso BBDO in Auckland, New Zealand. She has worked in New York, Shanghai, and her hometown Singapore. Much of our discussion uses Singapore, a country that is just over 50 years old, as a metaphor for the future of advertising. We also discuss: - Adapting yourself to different cultures - Generalists and specialists in strategy departments  - How working in a small market in an agency that consistently does good work might be the only shortcut there is  You can find Mylene here https://nz.linkedin.com/in/mylene-ong  P.S. I think she's hiring. P.P.S. According to various rankings, Colenso BBDO, is one of the best advertising agencies in the world http://www.colensobbdo.co.nz For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

On Instagram, I recently asked people what questions they had about insights and I responded as an Instagram Story. This episode of Sweathead is those questions and my responses but on a walk around Central Park. Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

John Harris is CEO and President of Worldwide Partners. Worldwide Partners is a network of 72 independent agencies in 40 countries. It has existed since 1938. One thing that makes Worldwide Partners interesting is that the agencies own the network - the network doesn’t own the agencies. John helps make it work and, insodoing, he has great insight into the minds, needs, and trends of the independent agency. We discuss: - CEO and President - What exactly are these roles? - How an independent network works - The psychology of people who run independent agencies - Why people set up agencies - Trends with new independent agencies You can find John here https://www.linkedin.com/in/netharris and Worldwide Partners here https://www.worldwidepartners.com/ For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Emma Brooks leads marketing at Toronto's Wattpad. Wattpad serves stories to 70 million people around the world every month. Many of the authors are anonymous and many share as they write. Some of the stories are making their ways into books and movies. It's an intimate community where people are able to share ideas that haven't always belonged elsewhere. Also, Emma worked in advertising for over a decade.  So, we discuss: - The stories and community of Wattpad  - Why Emma decided to leave advertising - What it's like on the other side You can find Emma here: https://twitter.com/ejbrooks   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Gareth Price is a senior planner at JWT/WundermanThompson in London. He won the 2017 IPA President’s Prize and the Advertising category in the 2018 WPP Atticus Awards for his IPA Excellence Diploma thesis, Thinklong, which outlined a seven-point plan to tackle short-termism in marketing. So we decided to talk about writing about strategy. Topics include: - The IPA Excellence Diploma - Short-termism and Gareth's thesis about why people don't think long - Writing about strategy - why even do it? You can find Gareth here https://twitter.com/G_Price P.S. There are minor glitches in my questions - well, the sound of my questions. But Gareth's audio is 100%.   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Matt Tanter is the Chief Strategy Officer at Grey London and the Chair of the Account Planning Group (APG). As far as planning credentials go, CSO + Grey + London + Chair of APG = legit. He's a leader who's interested in culture over process and I thought I'd talk to him about this focus to help companies trying to bring in planning understand that you can't just drop in a planner and have planning. Planning happens within an operating system - a city, an agency type, an agency, the philosophy of the agency, the processes of the agency, and the attitudes of managers. We discuss: - Establishing a good culture of planning - The pressures on planners right now - Managing up - Mental health in planning' - The APG and its creative planning awards Shoutouts to all the lone planners or people trying to establish planning where it has never existed. You can find Matt here https://twitter.com/matttanter and the APG here https://www.apg.org.uk/   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Gillian Rightford grew up in the vibrant South African advertising industry. Now, Gillian lectures at the University of Cape Town and, in her company Ad Therapy, she consults with marketers and agencies about how to do better creative work and how to have better relationships to get to better creative work.   We discuss: - Why marketing suffers a credibility issue - The advertising industry in South Africa - Global brands and missteps in going local - The broader societal need for creativity You can find Gillian here https://twitter.com/grightford and here http://www.adtherapy.co.za/   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard 3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Govind Pandey is CEO of TBWA\India, a global advertising agency he sees as a startup. This idea is an easy one to say but Govind can speak to what this actually means as part of his philosophy of running the company (Is the agency solving interesting problems well? Is the agency applying what they learn back to their projects? Are they building new revenue streams and pricing models because of this?). We discuss these ideas and we get into the challenges of taking global brands to India, a country with states bigger than many countries. And we chat planning because, guess what? Govind was a planner. And we hear how TBWA mandates 12% of direct costs to planning and how the global CEO looks at this. Amazing. Topics we touch: - How brands like Suzuki, McDonalds, Coca Cola, and Cadburys have adjusted to India - The role of celebrity in Indian advertising - Going from planner to management, CEO You can find Govind here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/govind-pandey-9309b0/   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Anselmo Ramos cofounded and sold the Miami agency David after years working his way around the world. Madrid, New York, Sao Paulo, and Buenos Aires feature on his itinerary. He recently cofounded another agency, Gut. You'll know him from his work with Burger King and Dove's "Real Beauty Sketches." He takes risks and takes on clients who' also take risks. For, what else is there? We discuss: - The difficulties in doing brave work - The challenges in finding brave clients - The shared DNA of planning and creative roles - A rubric to apply to ideas in creative reviews - The importance of dating in business It's one of those chats to which I hope strategists, creative teams, and clients can listen to develop more empathy and commit to bigger ambition for and with each other. You can find Anselmo here: https://twitter.com/anselmoramos   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Lynne D Johnson is an adjunct professor at SUNY, she's worked in agencies like R/GA, in publishing companies such as Fast Company, and she did a stint at the Advertising Research Foundation. She has spent well over two decades tinkering with the Internet, blogging, and expressing on social media. Lynne and I first crossed paths when Lynne was at Vibe Magazine - and I was publishing a hip hop magazine in Australia (Stealth), so it was great to be able to speak in public all these years later with both of us now in the same city. We discuss: - The early days of magazine publishing, social networks, and the Internet - Blogging While Black - SxSW 2005 - Introversion and public self-expression - Dealing with online trolls - Class, race, and gender in media - Finding your voice online You can find Lynne here: https://twitter.com/lynneluvah For strategy articles and drawings: www.markpollard.net www.instagram.com/markpollard New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Heidi Hackemer. Many of you have heard of her, met her, watched her speak, or read her. Many of you will have seen her article "I've cried on a few runs lately" in which she documents losing her job at the Chan Zuckerburg Institute, family health problems, closing the agency she co-founded, edging towards 40 years of age... and now what?  We spoke on the day Heidi was due to get an impressive tattoo so I wanted to publish this close to the conversation. It's raw, intimate, candid. Everyone is working things out. We discuss: - Creating space for yourself to speak to yourself - Working in advertising but not really being into buy stuff - Recovering from personal and career wipeout You can find Heidi here https://www.instagram.com/uberblond and here https://medium.com/@uberblond.   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Kaitlin Maud recently set up Current Forward, a strategy collective based in Austin, Texas. And as part of her preparation for our conversation (yes, sometimes people do homework... but I don't judge either way), Kaitlin asked the strategy community on Twitter about strategy taboos - what topics or points of view are just too raw for us to admit or examine?   The taboos we discuss:  - Strategy is a creative act - Good at talking, not good at execution - PowerPoint is a weak way to communicate ideas - Brief templates are uninspiring to creative teams - Briefings are too boring - Not every strategist loves brainstorms You can find Kaitlin here: https://twitter.com/kaitlinmaud   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Phil Adams has helped to merge three agencies. He's also worked in London at BBH and in Edinburgh at The Leith Agency and Blonde, and is now at Signal. He's had strategy and managing director roles. He's an OG and was kind enough to let me surprise him with something that resembles a virtual workshop about how to do better work. Like, what happened to taking risks? We discuss: - What we’ve got wrong with process and rigor - The power of asymmetry in creative returns - How to double your chances at winning pitches - The power of a chip on the shoulder - and Edinburgh You can find Phil here: https://twitter.com/phil_adams    For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

We're about to hit 100,000 listens. Seems like a solid number. Thank you for listening and sharing it with your friends. It means a lot to me because this podcast is how I trap people into deep conversations. If you'd like to rate the podcast, which is something you've probably been contemplating, please do.  Recently, I finished the second draft of this strategy book I'm writing and I wanted to read out the first chapter - Fighting Words. There's still work to do but it will give you a sense of the attitude of the book.  There are two main sections to the book. The first half focuses on 24 words that I find strategists and account planners using (or needing to use) in their work (clarity, meaning, truth, impostor, lonewolf, etc). It's surreal philosophy of sorts. I want it to feel like I'm in your head because I'm channeling hundreds - maybe thousands - of conversations, emails, and meetings. The second half of the book is more practical. It compiles frameworks from my "Strategy! The Workout" training sessions, helps you understand how to apply them, while also breaking down what ideas, problems, insights, and strategy statements are.  I want to get "Strategy Is Your Words" onto desks and walls (posters) around the world. There will be a digital version but... I want you to touch this and be able to point to it.  I'm just starting on launch and marketing plans. I'm open to ideas :) Enjoy.  Mark    For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Alexandra Stankiewicz is CMO and Head of Online Sales at Aloha. She's also worked at Chobani and Calvin Klein. But, guess what? Alex was one of the first ten employees at Mother New York and she spent seven years there. So I thought it would be great to talk to her about what she's learned from being on both sides of the fence.  We discuss: - How agencies and clients can have better relationships - What hurts the relationships - Marketers' appetite for strategy from agencies - What agency folk thinking about jumping client-side need to know You can find Alex here: https://www.instagram.com/alexbdalex   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Omer Azeem is 20 years into a career that has taken him from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Eqypt, Qatar and back to Pakistan. We recorded this a few weeks ago before the war talk between Pakistan and India this week so you'll hear Omer say that things feel "calm". You'll also hear him echo the sentiment in the interview with Priyanka Agrawal from Bombay, India - that we are more alike than we are different. We discuss: - Planning in what many people might see as "closed markets" - Identifying as a progressive but working in what many people see as conservative cultures - How Pakistan is changing - What strategy and planning do in Pakistan You can find Omer here: https://twitter.com/omerazeem   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

I spoke to Priyanka today. She was in Bombay - or "Mumbai," as some call it. Earlier this week, news abounded with fears of international war between India and Pakistan. We discuss this then we discuss doing strategy as the only planner in an agency and how India's diversity requires different approaches to advertising. War to strategy - easy segues all round. You can find Priyanka here: https://twitter.com/pri_agrawal   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Jerrold McGrath helps artists and creators solve big problems and work out how to make a living from their art. He spent a decade consulting with companies and leaders at the amazing Bannf Centre in Calgary and now advises Artscape Daniels Launchpad, a program that takes places in a 30,000 square-foot space in Toronto. We discuss: - How to have a creative practice - Understanding the systems in which you operate - Creativity and saving the world - Hiding from your own creative practice in a job You can find Tom here: https://twitter.com/JerroldMcGrath   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Tom is 20+ years into strategy work and now runs brand strategy at Re in Sydney, Australia. He's worked in the UK, NYC, and Sydney.  We discuss: - The blindspots of different types of agencies doing brand strategy - How complexity has earned many companies money - The return to simplicity in strategy You can find Tom here: https://twitter.com/thepunkrockshop   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Mel McShane has spent well over a decade at renowned design agency Wolff Olins and consults with executives around the world on their brand strategies.  One question up-coming strategists are sometime curious about is which type of agency actually does brand strategy because... so many agencies say they do everything but when you're in them you realize it isn't always true. We discuss: - Where brand strategy happens - How Mel approaches brand strategy - Interviewing people vs running people through questionnaires You can find Mel here: http://linkedin.com/in/melanie-mcshane   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Simon Smiles is the Chief Investment Officer for the Ultra-High Net Worth investors of UBS in Switzerland. He spends his days with people who have over $50M in investments with UBS. UBS banks with half of the world's billionaires. Simon has a PhD, he is a regular attendee of the World Economic Forum and the Milken Institute events, he speaks with hundreds of the world's business, government, philanthropy, and NGO leaders every year. He has a thing for impact investment - investments that earn money for the investor while also helping the planet. And he thinks there are better and more urgent ways to create a different future for the world. We discuss: - How the wealthy think about their investments - The UN’s Sustainability Development Goals - The World Economic Forum - Profit, sustainability, and greenwashing - How to speak to business people about doing good You can find the UBS white-paper on the United Nation's Sustainability Development Goals that we discuss at http://ubs.com/wef2019   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Jonathan Colmenares and Matt Butler established Open Strategy at the start of 2015. They assembled strategy presentations and tools into a website. Then they launched a Slack channel which housed thousands of strategists. Then events and an email newsletter. Then they both left the full-time agency world, reduced how much time they spend online and they now spend less time talking about strategy. But Open Strategy taught them about their love for community, teaching, and doing.  We discuss: - The needs of full-time agency folk - What Jon and Matt learned from running open Strategy - What life after full-time agency life is like You can find Matt at https://twitter.com/MattButler07 and Jon at https://twitter.com/mrjonath   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Imagine if you could put your strategy skills to work for some kind of good. All that brainpower, that empathy, and that creative lust... surely you could change the world. Well, in some places it might be possible. Harsha Prag is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, a country of 50 million people with 11 official languages and a lot of social problems that need help. Having run account planning at JWT, Harsha now works with companies to create products and communications that help more than pollute and hurt. We discuss: - Empathy - what is it and what isn't it? - Advertising in post-apartheid South Africa - How some brands put money into potholes and traffic lights - Advice to heads of planning You can find Harsha at https://twitter.com/Harsha_Prag   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Tom Morton is co-CSO of R/GA in the USA. It's a new role, so new it was announced this week. Tom shares the role with Jess Greenwood. With over 60 strategists in 7 US offices while working with large and fast tech companies but not just tech companies, what does strategy do at R/GA and how is strategy different between the USA and England, the other place both Tom and Jess have worked? We discuss: - Doing strategy in the USA - Doing strategy fast and under pressure - Problems and insights - What a CSO does You can find Tom at https://twitter.com/tommorton   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Samanta Judez is Managing Director of DDB Barcelona. Before this, she was the agency's CSO. She isn't alone as a planner-turned-agency-leader but the convention is to reserve the role for someone from account management. So, what can a planner bring to agency leadership? We discuss: - What an MD does - How to know if this path is for you - Planning in Spain - Barcelona's long history of creativity  You can find Sam at https://twitter.com/samjudez13   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

How would you feel the day you found out you had cancer? How would you feel the afternoon after your first chemotherapy session? How would you feel the sleep before spinal surgery? Would you seek out and do more strategy work or less? Would you know how to speak about any of this with your family and friends? What would you say?  Murray Calder is strategy director at Mediacom in Edinburgh. He also spent a couple years as chairman of the IPA, Scotland. Hearing quietly about what he was going through, I decided to hassle him for some volume. YO, MURRAY! WHAT'S ALL OF THIS LIKE? We discuss: - What it felt like to get his cancer diagnosis - What he's learned from his illness - What makes good strategy - and we use his spine as a metaphor Thanks for the brave chat, Murray. To any of you going through similar things, we're here. You can find Murray at http://www.twitter.com/ScotStratGuy   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.

Sudeep Gohil has worked in Sydney, London, Portland, LA, Mumbai, and Tokyo. He's run a Droga5 office, led strategy at Wieden and Kennedy, helped 72andsunny develop plans for Asia, and now runs brand strategy at KPMG.    We discuss: - How moving around helps you connect more dots - Working in a growing market like India - Taking a break from agencies - The move from strategist to CEO - How it feels when your agency closes - Taking business personally - Building the case for planning - with insight into W+K You can find Sudeep here http://www.twitter.com/sudeepgohil   For more strategy talk: 1. Strategy newsletter: http://www.markpollard.net/email-newsletter/ 2. Strategy drawings: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard  3. Strategy Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markpollard 4. Join 5,000+ strategists: http://www.sweathead.co New book "Strategy Is Your Words" out soon.