Own It

This week on Own It we’re talking to Chelsea Matthews from TUX, a creative agency with offices in L.A. and Montreal. Chelsea is also an owner beyond the agency world. She is also a partner in Highly Likely which has a number of casual dining restaurants in Southern California, and co-founded Candid, a content creation platform that was acquired in 2024. We certainly dove into her ability to thrive balancing multiple ventures and used her amazing experience to get to her thoughts on closing the gender gap in agency ownership in the advertising business. Chelsea is so interesting and smart. This was such a fun learning experience to get ot know her. We know you’ll enjoy this as much as we did. You can find links to Chelsea Matthews’s LinkedIn profile and TUX’s agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It we’re talking to Tiffany Rolfe from R/GA. She is the global chair and one of the new owners of one of the world’s largest and most successful agencies so this episode has a lot of value in it. Tiffany has recently touched work with Puma and Jay-Z, the ACLU and many more. She’s in the middle of leveraging influencers and creating strategic solutions at the intersection of storytelling and technology that lead to growth and cultural impact for her clients. This was such an amazing conversion and you’ll enjoy getting to know her, her work and her perspective on the gender gap in agency ownership a lot. You can find links to Tiffany Rolfe’s LinkedIn profile and R/GA’s agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It we’re talking to Remy Stiles from Kepler. After serving as the North American president for the previous three years She is now Kepler’s global CEO. She’s been with the firm for over 13 years and came up through the account side of the industry. Remy has been instrumental in building the culture, innovation, and vision that defines who Kepler is, which is a critical piece of the leadership puzzle. We talked about her journey through the business to leadership, her perspective on the industry and certainly her thoughts on closing the gender gap in agency ownership. I so love talking to fellow owners and leaders in this industry. Remy is yet another that inspires me and I’m sure will inspire you.  You can find links to Remy Stiles’ LinkedIn profile and Kepler’s agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It, we’re talking to Lennon Barnica from Wild Manor. It is a editorial and finishing house that focuses on the quality and craftsmanship they bring to client projects. They say they’ve created a place for storytelling to flourish. We love that. Hearing Lennon tell her story was fascinating and inspiring. We had a wonderful time hearing that, getting to know her and certainly getting her perspective on the gender gap in agency ownership. Lennon is also a project fiend. She’s a handy woman who loves to tinker, build and fix things away from work. We learned so much from her. We know you will, too. You can find links to Lennon Barnica’s LinkedIn Profile and Wild Manor’s agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It we’re talking to Emily Siegel from Lafayette American. She not only started her Detroit-based agency in 2018, but did so at the same time she had her first child. None of that held her or the firm back. It has earned AdAge Small Agency of the Year, was on the Adweek Breakthrough Agency of the Year Shortlist and Emily was named an AdAge Woman to Watch along the way. Emily came to ownership through running the content studio for Ford Motor Company where she won the first of her two Effie Awards.  We could talk about her awards and accomplishments all day, but we dove into lots more about her and her journey. I loved her perspective on closing the gap in agency ownership as well.  You’ll enjoy Emily’s perspective on all of this. You can find links to Emily Siegel’s LinkedIn Profile and Lafayette American’s agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It we’re talking to Michele Kunken and Julie Liu from Slim Creative. As you might infer from the name, they are focused on the power of less and strip away the layers that crush great ideas. Michele and Julie lead the agency from different coasts with Michele operating out of the New York/New Jersey area. Julie is in Los Angeles. We dove into their firm, their individual and collective journeys to ownership through our industry and, of course, their take on closing the gender gap in agency ownership. Having two owners on at once always makes the shows lively and fun. You’re going to enjoy this! You can find links to LinkedIn Profiles for Michele Kunken and Julie Liu and Slim Creative’s agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It we’re talking to Aleena Kuzma from FUSE Create. She’s based in the Toronto area in Canada but immigrated there from the middle east when she was a teenager. That sense of adventure and travel drives her creativity. Aleena has been with FUSE for eight years and earned her way to a partnership role very early in her tenure. The firm promises to create work that turns heads. They are such a fantastic creative agency and we enjoyed getting to know it and her as we talked. We loved hearing her journey and ideas about our industry. And we were thrilled to learn she and her husband are also expecting their first child soon.  You can find links to Aleena Kuzma’s LinkedIn Profiles and FUSE Create’s agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It we’re talking to Alexis Young and Danielle McNeill from Definitely Real. It is a creative marketing agency committed to delivering impactive creative solutions based in Vancouver, Canada. Alexis and Danielle started the firm in 2021 after meeting at a music festival in Toronto. Definitely Real was recently featured in AdWeek as a Top 10 Indie Agency to Watch. We had so much fun hearing about their journey to each other, then to ownership. They shared their ideas on the industry and how we can close that gender gap in agency ownership. We had such a great conversation. We're glad to share it with you now.  You can find links to Alexis Young and Danielle McNeill’s LinkedIn Profiles and Definitely Real’s agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com. I’m Christy Hiler. We’ll talk again soon … On Own It!

This week on Own It we’re talking to Meryl Draper from Quirk Creative. She is truly global, leading a firm that has offices in New York, Guadalajara, and Paris, where she is based now.  Meryl spent time at iconic agencies and with impressive brands through the years including Ogilvy & Mather, MSL Group, Cisco, Blackboard, IBM and more. After co-founding Quirk Creative in 2015, she has guided the agency to Adweek’s Fastest Growing companies list. She’s also been recognized on AdWeek’s Creative 100, and The Drum’s 50 under 30.   She is impressive. So is her firm. And we loved her perspective on the industry and how we can help produce more women-led agencies … and women owned agencies … as we all continue to grow.  You can find links to Meryl Draper’s LinkedIn Profile and Quirk Creative’s agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It we’re talking to Anjali Ramachandran from Storythings. She is based in the UK but is really a global citizen, having lived in many different countries and cities. She told me was always drawn to the colors, vibrancy and stories that advertising had to offer, even as a child. She has an impressive career journey that included a stop at Nike, and working with brands like Burberry and Warner Brothers. She started Storythings in 2016 to help business-to-business brands tell stories that truly connect with their prospective customers. They do that by helping B2B brands to stay human. We had such a fun conversation about her journey, her perspective on the industry and her thoughts on closing the gender cap in agency ownership.  Anjali is so fun to talk to. We know you’re going to learn a lot and be inspired today. You can find links to Anjali Ramachandran‘s LinkedIn Profile and Storythings’ agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It we’re talking to Bethany Wilcox from Unusual. She started her firm to help brands stand out. They strive to help their clients be genuinely differentiated. She says they entertain, instead of advertise.  Entertaining is an apt description of Bethany as you will see. She’s full of energy, creativity and ideas. That makes her the perfect guest for us to dive into her journey, her inspiration and her thoughts on closing the gender gap in agency ownership. This was such a fun conversation. You can find links to Bethany Wilcox‘s LinkedIn Profile and Unusual’s agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It we’re talking to Heather Waisanen from Coastal Maverick. Her firm is a custom out of home consulting company. That segment of the advertising world became her passion and she has built an amazing company around it. Heather was a gymnast in her younger years and wound up as a gymnastic coach living in places like the Grand Caymans and South Africa out of college. She’s based in Florida now and has such a smart outlook on our business, client success and certainly how we can attack the gender gap in agency ownership. We so love the different perspectives we bring to the table on this podcast. Heather adds so much to that.  You can find links to Heather Waisanen‘s LinkedIn Profile and Coastal Maverick’s agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It, we’re talking to Elizabeth Rosenberg from The Good Advice Company. Her firm is focused on executive personal branding, thought leadership, and brand positioning and high-level PR strategy. But she also founded a company or project called Chief Spiritual Officer.  We talked about that, her amazing career, being present and so much more. I loved her perspective on closing the gender gap in agency ownership and got smarter and more inspired talking to her. I know you will too! You can find links to Elizabeth Rosenberg‘s LinkedIn Profile and The Good Advice Company’s agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It we’re talking to Carrie Stein from Bridge Insights and Media. She obviously came up through the media side of the ad business, working for many years at Neilsen before co-founding Bridge with her partner Jenny Griffith 10 years ago. They started with the idea that advertising could be smarter, more cost-effective and easier for clients. We talked about her firm, her journey to ownership and her thoughts on the gender gap in agency ownership.  Learning more about fellow agency owners never fails to give me ideas and inspiration. This episode was no different. You can find links to Carrie Stein’s LinkedIn Profile and Bridge Insights and Media’s agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It we’re talking to Jessica Blumberg from hunterblu media. It was formed in 2018 to make working with a media agency easier for brands and creative agencies, and has blossomed. Jessica certainly came up through her career on the media side of the advertising industry. She spent time at Crispin Porter + Bogusky before turning consultant, then agency owner.  We talked about her journey, her passion for media and making that component of the advertising world easier to work with and a lot more. This was such an insightful chat. We're sure you’ll enjoy it.  You can find links to Jessica Blumberg’s LinkedIn Profile and hunterblu media’s agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It we’re talking to Casey Benedict from Maverick Mindshare. Her firm spawned from the conflict between bloggers and public relations professionals that emerged in early days of brands being involved in social media. She began bridging the gap between the two sides and brokering brand deals with what we now know as influencers.  We talked about her journey to starting and building her agency, her thoughts on the agency gap in agency ownership and her hard-line position as a tennis player that Pickle Ball is an invasive species. We had such a fun chat. You’ll enjoy it as much as we did. Here’s my conversation with Casey Benedict.  You can find links to Casey Benedict’s LinkedIn Profile and Maverick Mindshare’s agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It we’re talking to Courtney Lewis from The Variable. She just stepped into the role of partner and CEO there two months ago after being on the strategy and leadership team for several years.  Courtney didn’t land at The Variable from the agency world. She was in business and management consulting before and brought that experience and knowledge to the firm. We talked about everything from her journey to agency life and ownership, to her perspective on the gender gap in agency ownership, and even biscuits and baking. We had so much fun getting to know one another. You’re going to enjoy this a lot. You can find links to Courtney Lewis’s LinkedIn Profile and The Variable’s agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It, we’re talking to Holly Conti of Full Swing PR. If you remember the firm’s name, Holly is the co-owner with Caitlin Copple, who was our guest back in November of 2022. She wasn’t originally an owner, so we get to hear how an employe moves into an ownership role.  Holly and Christy had a great conversation about her journey from wanting to be creative and the boss when she was young, to being creative and the boss now. She had some smart thoughts on female ownership in the advertising business, too.  Enjoy this as much as we did. You can find links to Holly Conti's LinkedIn Profile and the Full Swing PR agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It we’re talking to Erin Emmerson and Kelsey Cross from Tower 28. It is a global agency built on a network of in-market experts that helps brands globalize content for any audience. Their unique approach to the business is fascinating. We also enjoy hearing how co-founders and co-owners carve out that journey together. We certainly talked about that, but also parenthood, their paths to find one another and start their firm, and of course we chatted about closing the gender gap in agency ownership. This episode is full of fun and insight. We know you’ll enjoy it as much as we did. You can find links to LinkedIn profiles for Erin Emmerson⁠ and ⁠Kelsey Cross⁠ and the ⁠Tower 28⁠ website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.

This week on Own It we’re talking to Hope Harris Refuerzo from TillSow. It is a fully integrated global storytelling studio. Hope told me they serve the needs of an evolving culture by providing a modern, bespoke experience for companies, brands and artists.  Hope is based in Los Angeles and has a production background and was once a casting director in Hollywood.  We had such a fun conversation about our industry, our challenge with the gender gap in ownership there, and we compared notes as working moms who love to have fun with their kids.  As usual, we learned so much and were so inspired by Hope. You will be too! You can find links to Hope Harris Refuerzo's LinkedIn profile and TillSow's agency website in our show notes at untilyouownit.com.  If you’re enjoying Own It, please find it on your favorite podcast app and drop us a rating and review. Those help more people discover the show and join our community.  Also, if you’re a female or non-binary agency owner, or you want to own an agency someday, join our growing community at that same address … untilyouownit.com.