The Servant Marketer

Dr. Karla Bird and Dr. Salena Beaumont Hill | An Indigenous Perspective of Collective Stewardship

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

In the final episode of our special series on the ten characteristics of servant leadership, we celebrate an awe-inspiring perspective of the definition of stewardship and explore leadership through an Indigenous lens.

Dr. Karla Bird of the Blackfeet Amskapi Piikani Nation and Dr. Salena Beaumont Hill of the Crow Nation discuss the Indigenous experience with leadership and community contribution. And they explain why language around stewardship matters to people when an idea like volunteerism embeds their culture.

Hear how spirituality and collective responsibility heal tribal communities and why the two women believe in the freedom of choice over the notion of following.

Join us as we discuss:

Examining stewardship through an Indigenous lens (11:46)
Walking the line between appropriation and understanding (24:20)
The spirit to choose in a non-hierarchal community of equals (38:31)
Centering indigenous education in a system that doesn’t fit (47:05)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to The Servant Marketer on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

Thomas Kemeny | Making Space to Listen

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 11:00:00 -0400

A key skill for any profession is listening, but in marketing, it’s necessary to cut through the noise and find compelling stories. Sometimes, we get in our own way, feeling a need to fill an empty space with our thoughts when we should make room for others instead.

Thomas Kemeny, Author of Junior: Writing Your Way Ahead in Advertising, joins us to discuss listening and its impact on creative work, client relationships, work-life balance, and creative inspiration.

As Thomas suggested, there is power in our silence. Rather than break it, we can use it to listen and identify the moments that matter.

Join us as we discuss:

The writing journey and advice for aspiring content creators (1:13)
Collaboration and problem-solving through listening (15:50)
Listening to your gut and confronting your inner critic (27:04)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

Vince Rougeau | Healing from a Place of Dignity and Understanding

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 06:00:00 -0500

Healing is perhaps the most ambiguous of the 10 characteristics of servant leadership. Every person processes pain differently, but it’s often the unspoken wounds we inflict on others that call for intentionality in compassion and compromise.

As Vince Rougeau, President of College of the Holy Cross, advises, by taking the time to listen, you’ll often find that the path to healing is easier than you think.

In this episode on healing, Vince shares his unique insight on staying grounded in healthy relationships, building coalitions around differences, and the liberating power of forgiveness.

Join us as we discuss:

Opening yourself up to the pain of others and rebuilding trust (5:12)
Collaborative healing in an environment of independent thinkers (19:43)
Putting the dignity of others first in difficult decisions (31:15)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

Abnia Loriston | Growth Through Access, Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Equity

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 06:00:00 -0500

Growth is hard no matter who you are. But for minorities and marginalized groups, the creative industries have historically not provided the same ladder to leadership that the majority has been given.

Abnia Loriston, Program Director at The Creative Ladder, is working to fix that.

Powered by existing creative industry players like Dionna Dorsey Calloway, David Griner and Ryan Reynolds, Abnia’s work helps to open doors for some that would otherwise remain closed.

The Creative Ladder is currently developing a wide range of free or affordably priced services to help aspiring creative professionals find—and thrive in—their career paths.

Join us as we discuss:

Training ourselves to be an advocate (23:58)
How reflection can be divine (28:30)
What is the Peter Principle and how can we educate future workforces to not fall prey to it (34:15)
ADIBE and why it’s critical to the modern workforce (38:20)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

Mark Mohammadpour | Ted Lasso and the Empathetic Lens

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 06:00:00 -0500

Empathy is an intentional aim to understand and accept the emotional perspective of others. As a core characteristic of responsible servant leaders, empathy is a bedrock of professional relationships as it drives positive communication and promotes well-being in the workplace.

Mark Mohammadpour, Owner and Chief Well-Being Officer of Chasing the Sun, shares his insights on empathy and how the pandemic catapulted it to the front of the people management conversation.

Join us as we discuss:

Defining empathy in a post-pandemic work environment (2:29)
How empathy is at the core of marketing and relationships (16:24)
Why Ted Lasso is a masterclass in empathetic leadership (25:42)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

Mark Mohammadpour
Chasing the Sun
mark@chasingthesunpdx.com

You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to The Servant Marketer on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

Debbie Heiser | Developing Foresight

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 06:00:00 -0500

Not only is foresight important when projecting outcomes, but it’s critical to perceiving relationships and habits. By taking lessons from the past to heart, servant leaders can identify unsettling patterns in the present to help sculpt a brighter future.

Debbie Heiser, creator and founder of Lead Your Life With Debbie Heiser, shares why she believes foresight is one of the most important characteristics in servant leadership.

Join us as we discuss:

Naturally trusting your instincts and that “gut feeling” (4:07)
The Theory U behavior modification model and its impact (15:12)
Why self-martyrdom conflicts with empowerment (26:26)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to The Servant Marketer on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

Brad Stulberg | Awareness: Overcoming Perfection

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 06:00:00 -0500

Awareness, especially disciplined self-awareness, is a key leadership attribute for recognizing issues within a team. Servant leaders must constantly scan the horizon and be aware of what is around them, but also cultivate a deep understanding of themselves.

Brad Stulberg, author of The Practice of Groundedness, shares his insights on how great leaders can attain self-awareness by embracing practice over perfection.

Join us as we discuss:

Heroic individualism and inevitable burnout (3:42)
Why leaders need a self-awareness brain trust (20:45)
Choosing to be good enough over perfect (32:26)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to The Servant Marketer on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.

Teresa Valerio Parrot | Building Consensus Through Persuasion

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 06:00:00 -0500

The art of persuasion is an essential implement in every servant leader’s toolbox. Bound by truth and choice, a great persuader can bring teams to a composed consensus and move projects forward.

Teresa Valerio Parrot, Principal at TVP Communications, shares her insights on how persuasion is used for good to influence and empower teams to overcome roadblocks together.

Join us as we discuss:

The fine line between persuasion and manipulation (4:55)
Defining characteristics of persuasive leaders (24:40)
Why good intuition is a learned skill (34:56)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

Christina Garnett | Building Authentic Communities

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 05:00:00 -0500

Humans naturally seek out fellowship in community, but someone has to take it upon themselves to intentionally build community through listening, empathy and advocacy.

Servant leaders build community by sensing and diagnosing real issues.

Christina Garnett, Principal Marketing Manager of Offline Community and Advocacy at HubSpot, shares her insights on building communities in a post-pandemic world.

Join us as we discuss:

Coaching the right people as community builders (8:00)
The main character syndrome pervasive among thought leaders (20:20)
How brands foster community by creating core memories (35:16)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

Jeff Kallay | Conceptualization in a Transformation Economy

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 06:00:00 -0500

Helping kick off our 10-part series on the characteristics of servant leadership, Jeff Kallay, Senior Vice President of Enrollment Consulting at Echo Delta, joins me to discuss conceptualization.

Jeff has spent the last 16 years touring colleges and universities and auditing their campuses. In doing so, he’s helped over 300 schools elevate the student experience.

In this episode, Jeff and I talk about conceptualization in student-centric branding and lessons that higher ed marketers can take away from other industries.

Join us as we discuss:

Why physical spaces are so important to service (15:11)
Bringing the right attitude for big ideas (26:25)
A simple strategy for brainstorming (31:29)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

Episode 22 - Rebekah Tilley | Social Media and Healing

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Episode 21 - Brooke B. Sellas | Comfort Marketing

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Episode 20 - Seth Odell | Using Curiosity to Serve

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Episode 19 - Massiel Abramson | The Proper Care and Feeding of Teams

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Episode 18 - Terry Flannery | How to Market a University

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Episode 17 - Rick Bailey | Are All Marketers Liars?

Sat, 05 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Episode 16 - Keith Reynold Jennings | How to Be a Servant Marketer

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Keith Reynold Jennings is an executive and writer working to bring lift to people's work lives. He currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Community Impact at Jackson Healthcare

In this episode:

The personal story of how Keith discovered Servant Leadership
Operating from a sense of values and honoring diverse perspectives
Why CMOs have the highest turnover in the C-Suite
The one question any potential CMO should ask before taking a new position

Episode 15 - Gary Mueller | A Visionary Servant Marketer

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Have you ever heard of the term “karmic assignment?” It’s the idea that each of us has a purpose on this planet or work that we cannot not do. Work that we would pay to do, instead of being motivated by extrinsic motivation. In Episode 15, I talked to Gary Mueller, Executive Creative Director for BVK, a large advertising, and marketing agency.

In this episode:

Gary’s journey to his “karmic assignment”
The sacrifices he made to bring Serve Marketing into the world
Barriers for non-profits when it comes to marketing
Why brands need a purpose
What other agencies can do to give back

Episode 14 - Barney Abramson & Lynn Arage | #TeamAwesome Part 2

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0500

#TeamAwesome can't be contained and the conversation spilled over into Part 2. Barney Abramson and Lynn Arage joined the podcast to share their experience as children of immigrants working as creatives and marketing professionals.

In this episode:

The rise and fall of #TeamAwesome
Building a healthy, diverse team
Corporate culture and its impact on fun
Lynn and Barney’s lived experience as people of color and children of immigrants in the marketing profession
Their careers working for some of the biggest brands in the world
Transitioning from being a doer to being a delegator
What a great diversity and inclusion program might look like
How brands can create a sense of belonging

Episode 14 - Barney Abramson & Lynn Arage | #TeamAwesome Part 1

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Barney Abramson and Lynn Arage join the podcast to discuss working with Jenny at IGT as part of #TeamAwesome. Barney and Lynn are seasoned marketers who have worked with some of the world's biggest brands including Disney, Zappos, Black & Decker, and IGT.

In this episode:

The rise and fall of #TeamAwesome
Building a healthy, diverse team
Corporate culture and its impact on fun
Lynn and Barney’s lived experiences as people of color and children of immigrants in the marketing profession
Their careers working for some of the biggest brands in the world
Transitioning from being a doer to being a delegator
What a great diversity and inclusion program might look like
How brands can create a sense of belonging

Episode 13 - Amber Barnes | Brands and Vulnerability

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Vulnerability has been a buzzword thanks to the amazing work of Brene Brown, but what can marketers understand better about consumers and vulnerability? I welcome CEO of StartHuman, Amber Barnes, to this week’s episode to talk about vulnerability, leadership, the drama triangle and so much more.

In this episode:

What vulnerability can teach us about consumers
The Drama Triangle
How leaders can help rehumanize the workplace
Taking risks to find workplaces that align with our values
Characteristics of people who make great people leaders

Episode 12 - Amma Marfo | Creative Bravery

Sat, 31 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Amma Marfo is an expert on creativity and the author of “Cultivating Creativity.” Episode 12 with Amma is full of so many great insights into what it takes to bring an idea to fruition – from how to brainstorm, how extroverts and introverts bring ideas forward differently but want the same outcomes, how leaders can advocate and shepherd ideas into reality, and the responsibility all of us have to ask ourselves if any harm can come from what we are attempting to create.

In this episode:

Why organizations fear creativity
Is it fair to ask people to be creative right now?
The ways marketers can serve through their creativity
Ideas for brainstorming that works
Introverts vs. Extroverts and what they really want
How we can foster more creativity in our organizations and the necessary roles to do so

Episode 11 - Polly Beale | Creative Equity

Sun, 25 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0400

You want candid honesty about the advertising industry? Meet Polly Beale, founder of A Very Good Agency and industry veteran. I enjoyed this conversation with Polly so much because her career is fascinating, but she also cares deeply about her work as a marketer and has spent a good portion of her career helping women and people of color with equity.

In this episode:

Polly’s fascinating career journey from a London art school to becoming a creative director in Moscow, and then on to founding her own firm
How marketers can serve through representation
Tips for people who find themselves working for someone who has less experience than them
Why focus groups don’t work
The ways that marketers contribute to oppression and repression
Being responsible for emotional labor in the workplace

Episode 10 - Christine DiDonato | Get There Faster

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Christine DiDonato, former Sony exec and entrepreneur wants to help emerging leaders discover their values and land in the career they want faster. DiDonato’s new book, “Get There Faster: The No-Nonense, No-Fluff Guide to Getting the Career You Want,” was recently released and it’s packed with the type of advice a mentor would give you while drinking a cup of coffee together. Christine’s experience in helping large companies retain and develop young talent, combined with her behind the scenes corporate experience makes for a book that gives real, practical advice while lifting the curtain on the conversations that happen behind the scenes that determine who gets promoted and who doesn’t.

In this episode:

Developing self-awareness to help you determine what your next career move is
How to have a career conversation with your manager
How to give and receive feedback
The secret to motivating and engaging employees
Why now is the time to reassess your values and energizers
Uncovering your blindspots in career development
Putting boundaries in place to help managers balance the needs of their team

Episode 9 - Vanessa Vancour | Who's at Your Table?

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Episode 7 - Dr. Josie Ahlquist | Digital Leadership and Community Building

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Josie Ahlquist has been researching digital community building and using social media as a leadership tool for almost a decade. Her new book Digital Leadership in Higher Education: Purposeful Social Media in a Connected World was just released, and Josie has studied how leaders are using social media to connect with audiences. Josie challenges leaders to use their values to drive their online presence. She helps leaders close the skills gap that sometimes exists, discern what their digital presence looks like, and educates higher education executives on the ever-changing landscape of social media. Josie is also conscious of how her work trickles down to the marketing departments of institutions; she’s an advocate for not only leaders but those who support them.

In this episode:

Building digital communities in the time of “virtual” everything
The biggest misconceptions leaders have about social media
How modern leaders use social media to build community
How leaders can meet social media managers in the middle to solve for the emerging mental health crisis
Does Gen Z want marketers to chase them from social platform to social platform?
Details on Josie’s new book
How brands can build equitable and inclusive communities online

Episode 8 - Trey Laverty | Print Inspired

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Trey Laverty is the Director of Sales Development at Slate Group - a Texas-based print shop that is a creative partner to some of the world's biggest brands including Southwest Airlines, the Texas Rangers, and countless higher education institutions that are pushing the limits in enrollment marketing.

In this episode we talk about:

The evolution of print (spoiler: it’s not dead)
How Slate Group builds relationships and markets the company in a crowded vertical
The ideation behind Slate Group’s annual Christmas gift
Why fun should be a part of leadership
What Garth Brooks can teach us about marketing and service

Episode 6 - Aaron Kerson | Brand Building Through Service

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

As the CEO of PNW Components, Aaron and his wife Emily, have created a brand focused on service and creating an inclusive community. They saw a hole in the cycling market for a brand that spoke to the everyman – the weekend cyclist who in the words of Kerson, “Just want to drink, beer, eat burritos and hang out,” and not hyper-competitive, professional cyclists. The couple started building the brand as a side hustle and in a little under 5 years, have grown it to their full-time gig with a staff of people who believe in them and the company. The cherry on top? This year they were named #114 on the Inc. 5,000 list of fastest-growing companies in America.

In addition to learning more about Aaron’s origins and business, here’s some more goodness in this episode:

Aaron and I take a trip down memory lane to our days at a tech start-up
Discuss what Silicon Valley teaches us about leadership
Learn how Aaron and Emily went from side hustle to number 114 on the Inc. 5000 of fastest-growing companies.
How PNW Components’ understanding of their customer helped build a new market that they were uniquely poised to serve.
Aaron’s origin story and family history of Servant Leadership.
We discuss building teams and checking our egos.

Episode 5 - Tony Dobies | Social Media Manager Mental Health

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Tony Dobies is a marketing leader at West Virginia University, and he is uniquely positioned to understand the struggles of social media managers as he was one before moving into leadership. The team Tony leads at WVU has, like so many of us, had a very tough year, but their struggles began before the insanity of the early-March Pandemic. But Tony didn’t turn a blind eye to that suffering. Instead, he did something about it by creating and executing a study on social media manager’s mental health.

In this episode, Tony and I talk about the study findings as well as:

What leaders can do to understand/help their social media teams
What leaders should NEVER say to social media managers
The expanding role of the Social Media Manager
Is Social Media Manager the new Public Relations Specialist?
What the ideal social media team looks like
The damage of snark on a social media manager’s psyche

Episode 4 - Dr. Liz Gross | Listening to Serve

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Liz Gross, CEO of Campus Sonar, joins the podcast to talk about integrating listening into our work as marketers. Liz’s story of moving from student affairs to marketing communications to entrepreneur and CEO of Campus Sonar is inspirational, but it’s her approach to leadership, research, and a commitment to the long haul that are what set her apart as a Servant Marketer.

In this episode:

I try to convince Liz to be my best friend
What Taylor Swift can teach us about marketing
What marketers should be focused on right now
Secular vs. Jesuit vs. Franciscan education
Studying leadership and developing self-awareness through reflection
The importance of context in messaging right now
What our teams need from us during these “unprecedented times”
Selling a service in a cluttered marketplace of SAAS providers

Episode 3 - Mitzi VanVoorhis | Building a Servant Leadership Culture

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Mitzi VanVoorhis is the Chief Marketing Officer at McConkey Auction Group and has seen the power of Servant Leadership as her organization has centered the Servant Leadership philosophy.

In this episode:

How McConkey Auction Group changed after its leaders adopted Servant Leadership
What it feels like to lead and be led by a Servant Leader
What healthy conflict looks like in a Servant Leadership culture
Leading from a place of fear vs. leading from a place of love

Episode 2 - Staci Alonso | A Modern Marketing Servant Leader

Thu, 27 Aug 2020 00:00:00 -0400

2019 CNN Person of the Year Staci Alonso joins the podcast to talk about her journey through the gaming industry, how she approaches leadership, and Noah's House, a non-profit that supports victims of domestic violence by providing sanctuary for their pets.

In this episode:

Staci's award-winning career in the gaming industry
How you can serve no matter what industry you work in
Bringing your whole self to work and advocating for others
Using discernment in gotcha vs. got your back moments
The Servant Leadership characteristics that is the easiest and toughest for Staci

Episode 1 - Dr. Shann Ray Ferch | Servant Leadership Primer

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Shann Ferch is a professor in the School of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University. Think of this episode as your primer on Servant Leadership or Servant Leadership 101.

In this episode, Dr. Ferch helps listeners understand:

The origins of Servant Leadership
Who Robert Greenleaf was
The 10 Characteristics that make a Servant Leader
Common Myths associated with Servant Leadership
How marketers can do a better job of serving their organizations and the people they lead