What makes someone worth following?

In this episode of Lead Human, Jack Myers and Tim Spengler sit down with Contessa Brewer, CNBC correspondent and one of the sharpest interviewers in business news, for a conversation about leadership, journalism, listening, and the future of truth in an algorithm-driven world.

Contessa shares why the leaders she respects most are great listeners, how small signals like eye contact, follow-up questions, and even writing down a note can make people feel seen, and why that kind of validation creates real loyalty. She also talks about what she’s learned covering CEOs, how to communicate more effectively, and why curiosity might be the most underrated professional skill there is.

The conversation also goes deep on the future of journalism: social media, citizen reporters, hyperlocal news, paywalls, live events, and the uncomfortable but necessary question every news company has to answer — how are we going to make money without compromising the truth?

Along the way, Contessa opens up about a humiliating on-air mistake that turned into one of the greatest gifts of her life, the grace Jesse Jackson showed her afterward, and the lessons that shaped her as both a communicator and a human being.

If you care about leadership, media, communication, or what it means to stay ethical in public, this episode is for you.

Lead Human is hosted by Jack Myers & Tim Spengler, produced by Wondir Studios (Desta Wondirad), in association with Acast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it take to lead 1,400 people across 91 markets while the media business keeps reinventing itself?

In this episode of Lead Human, Jack Myers and Tim Spengler sit down with Dan Callahan, Chief Revenue Officer of Spectrum Reach, to talk about hard work, culture, family, sports, and the future of media.

Dan shares how being a college athlete shaped his mindset around discipline, accountability, and showing up. He explains why great teams outperform their circumstances, why culture has to come before talent, and what it means to lead at scale when most of your organization isn’t in the same room.

They also dig into Dan’s path from early programmatic at Fox to leading revenue at Spectrum Reach, why “raise your hand” has been a defining principle in his career, and why the next era of winning teams will automate the routine while pairing data with empathy, technology with transparency, and solutions with purpose.

If you care about leadership, media, or building teams that can handle constant change without losing the human connection, this episode is for you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it look like to lead at the very top of tech and media—and still put humans first?

In this episode of Lead Human, hosts Jack Myers and Tim Spengler sit down with Carolyn Everson, former global ads leader at Facebook (Meta) and current board member at companies like The Coca‑Cola Company and The Walt Disney Company.

Carolyn shares why no one will remember the revenue she oversaw—but they will remember whether she cared about people. She talks about the pulse survey that forced her to change her leadership, the risks that shaped her career (including getting fired by fax after turning down every “safe” job), and why “not knowing is the new knowing” in the age of AI.

You’ll hear stories about Pets.com, Viacom, Microsoft, Facebook, Instacart, and her current “portfolio” life on boards and with entrepreneurs. Along the way, she gets real about missing small family moments, rebuilding her identity after leaving Facebook “blue,” navigating office politics, and why she still believes in hope and reinvention even as AI disrupts white-collar work.

If you’re leading a team—or trying to lead your own life—this conversation is a masterclass in caring leadership, culture, and courage.

Lead Human is hosted by Jack Myers & Tim Spengler, produced by Wondir Studios (Desta Wondirad), in association with Acast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Lead Human, Tim Spengler and Jack Myers talk with Will Ferguson – a marketing leader, and Ethics Commissioner for the town of Fairfield, Connecticut – about how service, values, and accountability translate from Afghanistan to the boardroom.

Will shares what he's learned about building teams inside huge systems, why he went back for his MBA a decade after undergrad, and how he thinks about talent and education in today’s tech-driven world. He talks about working alongside Afghan partners, seeing their courage up close, and what “leaving no one behind” really means when you come home.

They also dig into:

• What “purpose-driven values” look like inside data- and AI-obsessed companies
• How he approaches ethics in local government and in business decisions
• Why the name “Razorfish” is a surprisingly good metaphor for modern leadership
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If you care about leadership, service, or keeping your values intact in a world of dashboards and algorithms, this conversation is a grounded, human perspective you’ll want to hear.

Lead Human is hosted by Jack Myers & Tim Spengler, in association with Acast, and produced by Wondir Studios (Desta Wondirad).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it really take to grow from assistant media planner to global CEO—and now Global Chief Client Officer—inside one of the world’s biggest media groups?

In this episode of Lead Human, hosts Jack Myers and Tim Spengler sit down with Adam Gerhart to talk about leadership, AI, and staying human in a career defined by constant change.

Adam shares how he spent 20+ years inside one company—starting as an assistant planner and eventually becoming global CEO of Mindshare—by following three simple principles: be curious, raise your hand, and take real risks. He talks about moving to London with “two duffel bags” having never left the U.S., what he learned from parents who modeled lifelong learning and resilience, and the Mark Twain quote that helped him discover his personal “why.”

They dig into:

• Why the real skill in the age of AI isn’t prediction, it’s preparation
• How to deal with disingenuous bosses, back-stabbing colleagues, and tricky team members
• Why clients today want two things above all: simplicity and assurance
• How to break down silos and lead in service of others, not the other way around
• The best mentoring advice Adam ever got: don’t take it personally—do your job and your career will manage itself

Credits

Lead Human is hosted by Jack Myers & Tim Spengler.

Produced by Wondir Studios (Desta Wondirad).

In association with Acast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you do when your company keeps changing CEOs, the industry swings from “big ideas” to pure programmatic and back again, and now AI is reshaping creative work?

In this episode of Lead Human, Jack Myers and Tim Spengler sit down with Jennifer Rogers, EVP of Consumer & Corporate Marketing at TelevisaUnivision, to talk about thriving through constant change and leading teams in the age of data and AI.

Jennifer shares how she’s survived five or six CEOs and multiple bosses by aligning quickly with new strategic goals instead of resisting, and why she sees change as an opportunity rather than a threat. She explains what makes the U.S. Hispanic audience a “dream” for marketers, how emotional connection and culture give TelevisaUnivision its edge, and why the industry is swinging back from cheap impressions to content, context, and real engagement.

She also tells the story of how a semester abroad in Spain unexpectedly led to a career in Spanish-language media, how she thinks about staying 16 years at one company versus moving around, the kind of leaders she wants to emulate, and her philosophy on using AI as a complement to human creativity—not a replacement. As she puts it: if the job can be done by AI, the real question is, “What’s the job it can’t?”

New episodes of Lead Human every week. In a world of machines and dashboards, the real competitive advantage is still a human one.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can you learn about leadership from Michael Jackson, Magic Johnson, Marlon Brando — and your own family?

In this episode of Lead Human, Jack Myers and Tim Spengler talk with Aaron Walton, co-founder of Walton Isaacson and longtime partner of Earvin “Magic” Johnson, about what it really means to lead with precision, empathy, and service.

Aaron shares:

• What he learned spending 18 months on the road with Michael Jackson, watching him rehearse “Billie Jean” for more than an hour until every detail was perfect
• How Magic Johnson changed the way he thinks about investing in diverse communities and using his influence to open doors
• The moment a client said “we’re colorblind here,” and why he replied, “when is being blind a good thing?” — plus what Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha expect from brands now
• How losing his mother forced him to rethink being “busy,” start monthly family Zooms, and rediscover the value of rest and doing nothing
• Why he believes arts education is a necessity, not a luxury, and how his board work with organizations like Alonzo King LINES Ballet and Young Audiences New York keeps him grounded
• The way his agency uses “Kaizen” sessions after big projects to ask what worked, what didn’t, and how to do it better next time
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If you care about leadership, culture, or building brands that actually reflect the world we live in, Aaron’s stories are a masterclass in leading human — on stage, in the boardroom, and at home.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it really take to lead a modern marketing organization without burning out or losing yourself?

In this episode of Lead Human, Jack Myers and Tim Spengler sit down with Lauren Weinberg – former CMO of Peloton, global CMO of Square, and longtime marketing leader – to talk about grit, energy, and choosing work that actually fills you up, not empties you out. Lauren shares how she thinks about the fork in the road between entrepreneurship and big-company leadership, why relationships are everything inside large organizations, and how she tries to lead with listening, not ego.

She unpacks her idea of “energy vampires” at work and in life, how COVID forced her to reset her priorities as a mom of two teenage boys, and why she now sets unapologetic boundaries around the moments she refuses to miss. Lauren also explains why she avoids the old “brand vs performance” fight and instead talks about creating and capturing demand, including how she partners with CFOs to get on the same page about timelines, metrics, and risk.

From leading Peloton’s marketing through a turnaround, to learning from Jack Dorsey’s blend of confidence and humility, to her own AI learning journey, Lauren offers a grounded, practical playbook for anyone trying to grow a career, a team, and a life at the same time.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.