Author: Beth Pyne

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!

As a young female in her mid-20s, Catherine Tabor found it nearly impossible to secure VC funding for her promising business selling promotional platforms to enterprises. Nicknamed “The Judge” by her family for her determination and decisiveness, Catherine didn’t let these “nos” deter her;  she took a step back, realized she needed to find another way to get capital, and decided to bootstrap her business.

That decision paid off and paved the way for Catherine’s successful entrepreneurial career, with Catherine currently serving as the Founder and CEO of Sparkfly, a retail technology company that partners with restaurant leaders like Denny’s, Bojangles, Chipotle, and more. In this episode of The Cred Podcast, host Mack McKelvey sits down with Catherine who shares early career lessons that helped shape her leadership style and how she runs her business.

In this episode of The Cred Podcast, we sit down with Gary Mittman, Founder/CEO of KERV Interactive, a patented, award-winning AI platform that creates shoppable and interactive elements within video. Gary shares his unconventional career trajectory, from starting out in the entertainment industry to venturing into the world of digital startups, and eventually founding the only AI technology contextually analyzing video behind every screen. 

As we explore the pivotal decisions Gary has made throughout his career, he breaks down his hybrid approach to decision making, citing a blend of intuition, data analysis, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. He also shares insights into managing outcomes when things don’t go as planned and how risk assessment plays a crucial role in the ever-evolving technology landscape.

As the episode concludes, Gary gives listeners a glimpse of what’s next for KERV, hinting at exciting developments in the world of advertising and interactive content.

Get ready for an inspiring journey into the world of values-driven leadership and groundbreaking career training. We are thrilled to present the latest episode of The Cred Podcast featuring the incredible Bharani Rajakumar, a visionary leader with a mission and the CEO of Transfr. Join us as we delve into Bharani’s values-driven approach to life and leadership, exploring the core principles that have shaped his incredible journey. This episode is a deep dive into the world of mission driven initiatives, virtual reality, and the innovative landscape of career pathways. Whether you’re an aspiring leader or a change-maker seeking inspiration, this conversation is bound to leave you informed and motivated.

Join us in this episode of The Cred Podcast as we sit down with Erica Irvin, Group Vice President and Chief Counsel of Digital Technology and Innovation at Albertsons Companies. With over 25 years of experience, Erica shares her remarkable career journey, decision-making insights, and future aspirations. Discover the power of seizing opportunities, aligning decisions with organizational goals, and fostering transparent and empathetic leadership. Erica’s story is a valuable lesson for professionals in any field. Tune in to gain a fresh perspective on making pivotal decisions in your career and life.

Mack McKelvey, entrepreneur and 20+ year business executive joins as the host for Season 2. After a multi-year hiatus, the Cred Podcast returns to showcase innovative business authorities who are transforming their industries. In the teaser, Mack gives the backstory on the theme of the season and a preview of the executives she will be interviewing.