Author: Beth Pyne

Join host Mack McKelvey in an insightful conversation with Louis Gump, President, Cambian Solutions, Author of The Insider Innovator and a seasoned professional in the media and mobile industries, as they delve into the intricacies of decision-making. From Louis’ extensive career journey spanning The Weather Channel to CNN and beyond, they explore the evolution of mobile technology and its impact on media consumption.

Louis shares his experiences navigating pivotal decisions, from identifying strategic initiatives to making critical hiring choices and evaluating build vs. buy options. Drawing on real-life examples, they discuss the importance of aligning decisions with organizational values and stakeholder interests, as well as the challenges of managing diverse opinions within a large company.

Through candid anecdotes and practical advice, Mack and Louis uncover the nuances of decision-making, highlighting the role of leadership, collaboration, and adaptability in driving successful outcomes. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned executive, this episode offers valuable insights into the art and science of making impactful decisions in today’s dynamic business landscape.

Join us for a thought-provoking journey into the realm of decision-making with Laurel Rossi, Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Infillion. In this episode of The Cred Podcast, Laurel recounts her extraordinary career journey, providing valuable perspectives on the strategic choices that shape both personal and professional paths.

From her early days as a brand manager to her forays into entrepreneurship and leadership positions in advertising and technology, Laurel’s diverse experiences have equipped her with a unique perspective on decision-making. With a strong emphasis on collaboration, trust, and aligning values, Laurel unveils the principles that have guided her through pivotal moments in her career.

Diving into the intricacies of contemporary leadership, Laurel sheds light on the evolving role of the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) in today’s dynamic business landscape. She underscores the symbiotic relationship between marketing and revenue generation, emphasizing the critical importance of data-driven insights and cross-functional collaboration.

Yet, the discussion extends beyond business decisions; Laurel shares personal anecdotes and reflections, underscoring the significance of mindfulness, teamwork, and empathy in the decision-making process. As she aptly puts it, “Nobody has ever done anything great alone.

In this episode of The Cred Podcast host Mack McKelvey sits down with Vernon Irvin, EVP & Chief Revenue Officer at G-P/Globalization Partners, a seasoned leader, and an expert in decision-making. Together, they dive deep into the intricate world of leadership choices and the art of taking decisive action.

Drawing from his wealth of experience, Vernon Irvin shares invaluable insights into the thought processes that drive effective decision-making. From navigating high-stakes scenarios to fostering a culture of accountability, Vernon provides practical strategies suitable for leaders at all levels.

Throughout the conversation, Vernon and Mack explore the importance of clarity, collaboration, and courage in decision-making. They discuss how leaders can harness data-driven insights, intuition, and foresight to make informed choices that propel organizational success.  Tune in to gain wisdom from Vernon Irvin and Mack as they unravel the complexities of decision-making, offering actionable advice for leaders eager to enhance their skills and face uncertainty with confidence.

In the latest episode of the Cred Podcast, host Mack McKelvey engages in a captivating conversation with Michael Avon, General Partner at ABS Capital.  Gain valuable insights into the world of tech investments as Michael shares the pivotal decisions that shaped his career, from founding companies to successful IPOs. Explore the nuances of decision-making in Silicon Valley, where analytical reasoning meets gut instincts. 

Whether you’re an entrepreneur or executive, join us for a concise yet captivating exploration of the art and science behind impactful choices. Tune in for a deep dive into the mindset of a tech industry leader.

In this powerful episode of The Cred Podcast we sit down with Dr. Stephanie Gutnik, Global Chief Strategy Officer at Billups. Dr. Gutnik shares her incredible journey from Yahoo! to becoming a distinguished academician, earning her doctorate while shaping the future of out of home advertising.

Discover the synergy between academia and industry, as Dr. Gutnik discusses her pivotal role at Billups, navigating global strategies, and the significance of AI and sustainability in out of home advertising. Gain insights into her leadership philosophy, the impact of diverse opinions at the table, and how she turns challenging outcomes into opportunities.

Tune in for a deep dive into the evolving landscape of media, the power of experiential campaigns, and the role of AI in shaping the future of out-of-home advertising. 

After undergoing a career shift in his forties, Adrion Porter decided to take a step back and evaluate what purpose-driven work meant to him. For Adrion, that entailed helping people find magic in the middle of their careers, lives, and transitions, rather than staying stuck in feelings of stress and stagnation. 

During this episode, Adrion joined host Mack McKelvey to share his journey to starting the “Gen X Amplified” podcast and his consultancy, Mid-Career Mastery. He shared his three pillars to transformation—mindset, meaning, and milestones—and how he applies this decision-making framework to his own life and how individuals and organizations can do the same.

Whether you’re not sure what’s next or wondering if you made the right career or life choice, this episode can help you get out of a rut and into a groove to reach your fullest potential. 

The Ricciardi Group (RG) Founder and CEO Marisa Ricciardi discussed her varied approach to decision-making with host Mack McKelvey. Ricciardi shared her career journey from working as a trader to working in-house in a hybrid finance-marketing capacity to eventually launching her own agency, RG, nearly 10 years ago.

During the conversation, Ricciardi dove into why leaders should focus on the value each decision carries to ensure they are allocating the right amount of time, energy, and collaboration to properly assess its outcome. Ricciardi has shifted her decision-making approach over the years, especially as a business owner, and often seeks advice from her fellow leaders on how they’d approach a specific challenge. Ricciardi has found that these diverse approaches and mindsets yield more positive outcomes, as opposed to deploying a homogeneous approach to decision-making. 

Ricciardi and McKelvey also explored how different mentors have helped shape their own approach to decision-making and leadership. Tune into this insightful conversation to learn about decision-making’s value-cost equation from Ricciardi, an entrepreneurial agency leader. 

Since entering the startup space in 2007, Shereen Shermak has had a successful career. A serial entrepreneur, she has been the CEO and co-founder of several companies. With personal stakes in nearly 80 early-stage companies, Shereen has been an avid investor in the Boston startup scene. During this episode of “The Cred Podcast” host Mack McKelvey and Shereen dove into the importance of paying it forward and how Shereen has dedicated her time to doing that through founding TBD Angels, advising up-and-coming or aspiring entrepreneurs at Harvard Business School, and more.

Shereen also shared her approach to decision-making, which in large part depends on the type of decision at hand. For micro decisions, aka daily decisions, she uses a decision tree model in which she takes stock of the options, their associated risks, assesses the odds that a certain outcome will come to fruition, and whether she can do anything to change those odds. For personal or life decisions, however, it comes down to knowing her values. She advises leaders to understand their values so they can make decisions faster and with more confidence.

Think of the leaders whom you most admire. In many cases, these professionals didn’t follow a linear path to get from point A to point B, and that windy career path has helped them become successful. This certainly holds true for this week’s podcast guest, Keith Hernandez, VP of Tech Sales, Future, and Host, “The Changeup Podcast.” After graduating with a creative writing degree, Keith had no idea that advertising sales was a viable career path until he found his way into that world and started building his sales career.

From there, Keith worked at Microsoft and later found himself consulting in tech. During that time, he took a step back to consider his next career move and found that what most energized and fulfilled him was working in smaller companies where he could make a direct impact. This decision-making approach to evaluating his purpose and motivation has helped Keith evolve as a leader and person overall.

During the episode, Keith shared how finding passions outside of work has transformed who he is as a leader, from his volunteer firefighting work to investing in a local craft beer business. He shared how he mentors his team to embrace failure and always be curious in addition to how his upbringing fuels his dedication to helping underrepresented talent in tech.

Check out this episode to become inspired in your own career and life pursuits!