DesuckifyWork®

Why is it so hard to be a leader?  Besides constant technological change, economic uncertainty, post-pandemic turmoil, dramatic shifts in generational expectations, global unrest, distributed workforces and 27 other unexpected things that will show up in your inbox by the morning, it’s a piece of cake, really.  The good news? One thing remains constant throughout all of that. Our need for human co...

There’s no text book for working in advertising. At least not officially. Unofficially, as far as I’m concerned, there are two. Soon to be three. All written by today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ podcast, Cameron Day . Spend a few days digesting Chew With Your Mind Open and Spittin’ Chiclets and you’ll be armed and ready for just about anything this nutty business hurls at you. We spend a good ch...

You’re not supposed to fit in everywhere.  If you did, the world would be flat, boring and sad. A monotonous bubble with no escape. Like cable news. Or LinkedIn. Kidding. Am I? So why do we expect every job to be a perfect fit?  Let’s face it. You’re not everyone’s cup of tea. And most companies aren’t yours either. They don’t value what you value. They don’t work how you like to work. And they do...

What happens if a company doesn’t pay attention to its culture? Chances are you’ve found out, the hard way.  Companies who ignore culture create the worst kind of culture. One filled with chaos, politics and a general sense that no one knows what the hell is going on.  Nicole Mahoney knows exactly what’s going on. Because she has carefully curated a culture based on shared values and purpose. One...

I hate sales.  I hate selling. I hate being sold to. I even hated Soupy Sales back in the day. (Yes, I’m old). So why would I choose to bring a person who’s spent his entire career in sales on my show? Because, like it or not, selling is a part of almost any job.  And because Larry Levine has a different take on sales. One that shows up loud and clear in his book Selling from the Heart. And one th...

What can a Mad Man teach us about advertising? Quite a bit, if that Mad Man is Jerry Fletcher.  Jerry helps consultants, coaches and independent professionals build their brand. He earned his spurs, to use his phrase, on Madison Avenue back in the day, working for some of the largest agencies in the world, like J. Walter Thompson and Campbell Mithun.  Some of those agencies may have been gobbled u...

Who holds the keys to advertising’s future? No, it’s not AI. It’s the people who actually do the work. And leaders need to recognize that, if we want the business to have a future worth a damn. Today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast has been fighting this fight for a while. Jack Skeels is the CEO and Founder of Agency Agile, a group that helps agencies (and other companies) create cultures th...

Ever wonder what the leaders of your company are thinking? What they truly care about? What terrifies them? Our guest today on the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast has a pretty good idea. Amii Barnard Bahn has worked with hundreds of C-suite executives, helping them become more self-aware, more inspiring and more in tune with the values that really matter to them and their organization.  There’s a lot of te...

If you’re on LinkedIn and you’re not following Sara Richmond, you are depriving yourself of joy. Plain and simple. I like joy, so I follow Sara and was fortunate enough to speak with her on this latest episode of The DesuckifyWork™ Podcast.  The conversation was delightful. Not in a sunshine and butterflies kind of way, although we had our moments. It was delightfully human. Complex. Nuanced. Dark...

I launched the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast late last summer. And I realize, 22 episodes later, I never really stated why. So, this is me, stating why.  Episode 23. The Manifesto. Just me, 7 minutes. I hope you listen. If you prefer to read the manifesto, check out the transcript above. ☝️ #desuckifyworkpodcast #desuckifywork #coaching #humanity #advertising #coachingforcreatives Get full access to Desu...

What does it mean for work to have meaning?  It can mean a lot of things actually.  And it can show up differently for everyone.  But when it shows up? The effect is undeniable. With meaningful work, employees are seven times more engaged, 64% more fulfilled on the job and 69% less likely to leave the company.  Those numbers come from today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast, Tamara Myles. Tama...

Quick. Your company is about to be bought. Or merged. Or otherwise smashed together with a group of strangers.  What’s your first thought?  Chances are you’re not jumping up and down with glee. There may be stomping and kicking, however.  Our guest today on the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast helps companies avoid the common pitfalls of mergers, acquisitions and large-scale transitions. Jennifer Fondrevay...

Can smaller agencies save the ad business? I think so. And our guest today on the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast gives us plenty of reasons to believe. Drew McClellan runs the Agency Management Institute with his wife, Danyel.  They help small to mid-sized agencies make the hard work of running the business easier, less lonely and more profitable.  Drew helps us understand just how that can happen during...

What kind of relationship should you have with the person who is trying to kill you? Quick, you don’t have much time to think. Today’s guest on the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast has an answer that may surprise you.  He chose to treat his would be killer with kindness and generosity. A disturbed young man, feeling lost and hopeless, opened fire on police officers outside a home in Las Vegas. Allyn Goodric...

Have you ever talked to a crocodile wrestler? I have. And it was fun as hell. Our guest today on the DescukifyWork™ Podcast is Martin Barnes, self-described crocodile wrestler and founder of Eight Seconds to Connect, where he coaches folks on pitching and presenting.  As you can imagine, telling people you wrestle 2,000-pound reptiles is a pretty good way to get someone’s attention in less than 8...

How often are you, you?  Are you, you when you show up at the office? Or log in to Zoom? Are you, you when you have a job interview or post something here on LinkedIn? If not, why? We need you. And we need everyone to bring the best of their humanity forward, if we have any shot at this whole Desuckifying thing.  Bringing the best of humanity forward is the mission of today’s guest on the Descukif...

We are human beings. Not political abstractions.  Sounds obvious, no?  And yet.  I think we all know how often we live up to that ideal.  An ideal that is at the heart of today’s guest’s message. Chloé Valdary is a writer, thinker and entrepreneur—founder of Theory of Enchantment, a diversity and inclusion program that aims to remind us of our shared humanity. To help us create workplaces where we...

We are so much more than our resumes. If there is one thing you can take away from this week’s DesuckifyWork™ podcast episode with Patrick Riley, it is this simple, beautiful fact.  Now, Patrick has a pretty impressive resume himself. From film school to co-founding Modern Survey—a human capital measurement company to his current role heading up RADICL, a company that blends art and science to hel...

Hi everyone, Episode 14 of the DescukifyWork™ Podcast is now live! Today, I’m speaking with Diana Wu David, a future of work expert—based in Hong Kong, so she is literally living in the future. You should really listen to her.  You should also listen because she’s smart as hell and has done the work.  Diana is the founder of Future Proof Lab, where she provides community and coursework that helps...

Hi everyone, Episode 13 of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast is now live Today, I’m speaking with Judy Cirullo , an executive and team coach with a focus on leadership and culture.  We talk about navigating hybrid work environments and making sure those critical human connections can be formed, nurtured and deepened through conversation.  Which led us to something called “conversational intelligence” whi...

Hi everyone, Episode 12 of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast is now live. Today, I’m speaking with Josh Weiss, art director, creative director and curious, compassionate soul. Josh and worked together a while back at Saatchi & Saatchi in LA. In addition to his clever, creative mind, I was always impressed with his desire to learn, grow and shine light on any blind spots he might have. Josh shines a lot o...

Hi everyone, Episode 11 of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast is now live.  Today, I’m speaking with Mike Moss. I’ve known Mike for over 30 years… we were in the same fraternity at Lehigh University and from what we can recall, it was a mostly pleasant experience.  Since our college days, Mike has built a long career in the world of people analytics. And he’s the first person to convince me that employee...

Hi everyone, Episode 10 of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast is now live. (Please note, the video feed in this episode freezes up for about 30 seconds at the 1:06:30 mark. The audio works just fine so we kept the show going.) Today, I’m speaking with Gary Ware, a strategic play consultant and the founder of Breakthrough Play.  I gotta say, I have a lot of fun with the work I do, but it’s hard not get a b...

Hi everyone, Episode 9 of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast is now live.  Today, I’m speaking with Watson Jordan, founder of The Resilience Initiative. His perspective is both powerful and deeply personal, and I’m grateful we had the chance to chat. During our conversation, we talk about the beautiful simplicity of Watson’s 5-3-1 Resilience plan and how its focus on our inner circle, our community and ou...

Hey everyone, Episode 8 of the DesuckifyWork™ Podcast is now live! Today, I’m speaking with Chris Dyer, a company culture and remote work expert. He’s also a former CEO who has managed thousands of people… his companies frequently showing up on best places to work lists. So he knows of what he speaks.  Speaking of speaking, Chris is also a renown speaker, sharing inspiring stories about leadership...