Best Adam Pierno Podcasts (2025)

1
What does art mean when AI enables anyone to create anything? 2:26:27

12M ago2:26:27

2:26:27

A person has been able to receive the thoughts, emotions, intent transmitted by another across media. Maybe more amazingly, a person has been able to translate that transmission. Artistic transmissions are able to be sent by children to their parents, and across eons on cave walls. The most able are thought of as artists. The word 'artist' conjures…

1
Gaming in culture with Jamin Warren 37:02

2y ago37:02

37:02

Shall we play a game? Sorry, couldn't resist and I know that only people over 40 will get the joke. Jamin Warren of Twofivesix has been working in gaming for long enough to see the influence of games come full circle. Before, games tried to capitalize on pop culture, like films (anyone played the ET game?) but for the past decade, games have become…

1
Are dating apps video games with Katy Coduto 41:20

2y ago41:20

41:20

You are no doubt familiar with some of the elements of dating apps that have become UX and pop culture staples. For some of you, you're all too familiar with the ways gamified UX features affect approach to dating. Dr. Katy Coduto can explain why. She's been researching dating apps and behaviors for years. A researcher and Assistant Professor at Bo…

1
Lisa Heyamoto is helping unbreak news 39:46

2y ago39:46

39:46

You've probably read or heard a lot about the plight of news in America, and specifically how local news has shrunk over the years. LION is an organization started to help more local groups successfully report their local news. Lisa Heyamoto, Programming Director, Membership Education at LION helps develop tools and training to help these local gro…

1
Don Caldwell on the evolution of memes 50:43

2+ y ago50:43

50:43

If you're interested in memes, this show is for you. Managing director at Literally Media and Editor in chief of Know Your Meme, Don Caldwell joins Adam to talk about how memes have evolved from the early days of the commercial internet and how they look like they'll change going forward. Don's been at Know Your Meme for some of the memes that pop …

1
SPECIAL EPISODE: Nishita Tamuly is gently powering through with Kaitlin Maud-Moon 50:01

2+ y ago50:01

50:01

Have you ever felt like you hit the wall? How did you get through it when you know stopping isn's a long term solution. Nishita Tamuly joins the show and talks about what's she has discovered about intention as a powerful force for overcoming burnout. She's joined by the one. The only. Kaitlin Maud-Moon (horn sound effect here). Find Kaitlin at: ht…

1
Where we go wrong with performance improvement with Carla Fowler 46:08

2+ y ago46:08

46:08

How much time do you spend thinking about how you might perform better - at your job or in other areas of your life. Just in time for your new year's resolution, Dr. Carla Fowler is thinking about it for you. After leaving a pursuit of medicine, she realized she wanted to help people, but in a different way. She's gone on to build THAXA Executive C…

1
SPECIAL EPISODE: Kaitlin Maud-Moon hosts Ezra Englebardt and Matt Rainone 48:20

2+ y ago48:20

48:20

How do the skills you learn in one industry set you up for future career success in another? Both Ezra Englebardt and Matt Rainone started inside ad agencies working on planning and strategy. Now, they're both in house at CVS Health moving forward complex and occasionally sensitive comms efforts, using some of those same skills. In this conversatio…

1
Nick Bond found real metrics for a scripted sport 51:51

2+ y ago51:51

51:51

How many times have you come up with an idea, and then you have no idea how to measure it to see if it's successful? Nick Bond writes (and thinks and dreams) about professional wrestling. While acknowledging that WWE promotes a scripted sport, which he describes as subjective, Nick identified a clever way to measure how wrestlers are performing ove…

1
Introducing: In the Demo - a new podcast from Adam Pierno 1:31

2+ y ago1:31

1:31

A new podcast from the makers of The Strategy Inside Everything. How did the generation defined by hope become the enemy? Where do stories this big come from? And why does it matter?Introducing, in the demo. A new podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, experienced strategists and researchers F…

1
The art (and science) of the conversation with Brooke Sellas 47:21

2+ y ago47:21

47:21

Author Brooke Sellas (she's still getting used to that descriptor) has been leading and measuring conversations for years. As CEO of B Squared Media, she's developed a model for metrics that have meaning and help organizations understand what is happening and why. Instead of generic measures linked to 'engagement' she reports on a return on convers…

1
Amanda Brennan explores the connection between memes and culture 42:19

2+ y ago42:19

42:19

Ever wonder why a meme resonates with you so hard? Ever catch yourself realizing the dumb looping video you just giggled at and retweeted is actually a clever commentary on a common social convention? Ever apply library science skills to one of the largest meme data sets in the world? Okay, two out of three ain't bad. Amanda Brennan joins Adam to t…

1
Aric Wood is focused on action 46:30

2+ y ago46:30

46:30

If you are a regular listener to this show, you probably make plans for a living. Ever feel like the job stalls out in Google Slides? Like, you work on the thinking but seeing it take flight is never quite right? Aric Wood of XPLANE gets strategies airborne for a living. He wrote a book, called The Strategy Activation Playbook, which Adam dug so mu…

1
Kaitlin Maud Moon on perpetual forward motion 41:57

2+ y ago41:57

41:57

Ever meet someone and feel like you've known them your whole life? This episode captures that feeling in real time. The amazing Kaitlin Maud Moon was kind enough to join the show to talk to Adam about her non-linear career path and the inspiration for her pursuit of a degree beyond that work. She's thoughtful about how each body of work informs and…

1
Neil Parker knows where brands are going 39:00

2+ y ago39:00

39:00

Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at co:collective, Neil Parker joins Adam to talk about his experience in corporate strategy and how it's informed his thinking about brands. As context changes, brands change. As the meta context changes, the needs for brands to exist change. His perspective as a consultant provides an outlook unique in the wor…

1
What conditions make great work possible with Katie Dreke 47:55

2+ y ago47:55

47:55

Katie Dreke has a lot of experience helping people get above the bar. Better thinking, better work, better outcomes. In agencies and global brands, she has tested ways to get people to feel and do their best work. In this conversation, Katie and I explore the conditions that help people perform and some of the specifics Katie has tried in her caree…

1
Joey Camire on caring 46:57

2+ y ago46:57

46:57

Before all this talk of "quiet quitting," Joey Camire noticed people just tapping out of their work and other responsibilities. He realized there was something big going on, something beyond apathy and approaching nihilism. With waves of bad news, how can we reach people to reengage them, and apply meaning where they may have lost it? This conversa…

1
Adrian Ho is putting in the work 45:44

3y ago45:44

45:44

When Adrian Ho founded Zeus Jones, he had a vision to be a partner that would help solve deeper business problems than the ad agencies in which he got his start. Over time, the firm did just that. Seeing there was more to do to drive change in the world, through business, he and Zeus Jones launched the Demos investment fund to support startups inno…

1
Mirror Thinking with Fiona Murden 36:37

3y ago36:37

36:37

I was wondering about role models, especially in the type of work where people are being assigned to do things that they have never done. I didn't have to look far to find the excellent book Mirror Thinking, and its author, Fiona Murden. She is an Organizational Psychologist and the founder of Aroka Ltd. She joined me to talk about how we learn by …

1
David C. Lowery on finding your audience 52:23

3y ago52:23

52:23

Aggregator platforms are always talking about finding new content relevant for you; Netflix, Google, Amazon, Spotify. David C. Lowery has spent a lifetime figuring out first-hand how to find and curate audiences for his own bands, Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker, and now teaching all he’s learned as a Senior Lecturer at University of Georgia’s Ter…

1
Sara Lobkovich isn't afraid 50:24

3y ago50:24

50:24

The initial prompt for this conversation was "What would you accomplish at your job if you had no fear of losing it?" Sara Lobkovich is the perfect person to respond. She not only helps organizations identify and navigate positive change, but she's been challenging her perception of fear in activities like climbing and motorcycling her whole life. …

1
Timothy Summers' very practical plans for web3 42:03

3y ago42:03

42:03

Dr. Timothy Summers is Executive Director of Product Development of Digital Trust and Lead of Pocket initiative at Arizona State University and CEO at Summers & Company. He has the knowledge and expertise that would make some people tough for laypeople to understand. But he approaches problem solving and opportunities with practicality that is ener…

1
Go Luck Yourself with Andy Nairn 42:48

3y ago42:48

42:48

At the end of every episode of How I Built It, host Guy Raz asks extremely successful founders whether hard work and smarts played as much of a role as luck. Andy Nairn is the founder of Lucky Generals. He's been paying attention to the role that luck plays in life and brand success, since before stumbling on that name almost ten years ago. Now he'…

1
Craig Elimeliah is respectfully obsessed 39:35

3y ago39:35

39:35

Like many of our guests, Craig Elimeliah thinks a lot about things. But he's thinking a lot about a lot of things, and trying to assemble the pieces to understand patterns. From his early start studying the Talmud, through finding his way in the early commercial web, he's developed a passion for understanding the end user. Now, he's leading teams a…

1
Mapping new experiences with Sanya Deshpande 36:47

3y ago36:47

36:47

After years of traditional strategy training at shops VMLY&R and PHD, Sanya Deshpande was inspried by the offering of Oura Ring. She talks about what elements of her experience have served her in this new world, and what she's had to learn and help create. You can find Sanya on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanyadeshpande/ The Strategy Insi…

1
Kate Knibbs is making things interesting 41:59

3y ago41:59

41:59

Kate Knibbs is a senior writer for Wired. In her work, she wants stories to be true and interesting. In pursuit of those goals Kate is a determined researcher. In this conversation, she shares her process and talks about stories which presented unexpected turns in the reporting which lead to better–that is more truthful and interesting stories. Str…

1
Carolina Cruz-Letelier is a realistic optimist. 45:57

3y ago45:57

45:57

Carolina Cruz-Letelier has seen career growth from a lot of different angles. From brand side to agency side to jumping to new cities without a job, she's had a chance to think about how people adapt to new teams and organizations, and what prevents success there. Over the wild (understatement?) past years, she's been working with her team at MUH-T…

1
Just how much do you need to know with Adam Nayman 53:16

3y ago53:16

53:16

Adam Nayman is a film critic, lecturer, and author. In an interview he posted with the maker of the film The Empty Man (which I loved), Adam presses the director on other films he was reminded of or felt was referenced. The interview raised some questions for me about my approach to starting a new strategy assignment. How much do you need to know, …

1
Share this experience with Jenny Nicholson 46:09

3y ago46:09

46:09

Jenny Nicholson, Executive Director, Brand Experience at McKinney began her career as a copywriter. But before landing in advertising, she earned a Master's degree in Social Work. She's always been in touch with how people think and make decisions. Despite working on beautiful and compelling creative, she wondered traditional advertising channels w…

1
Asking Neil Sahota how artificial intelligence will displace thought workers 37:46

3y ago37:46

37:46

Chief Innovation Officer at UC Irvine and UN Advisor on AI, Neil Sahota, joins a lively discussion with host Adam Pierno on how AI is improving. Improving means getting smarter, but also carving out niches for applications. This wide ranging conversation touches on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and thinking beyond automation. Neil shares exampl…

1
Colin Mitchell on the Virtues of understanding your audience 41:16

3+ y ago41:16

41:16

Colin Mitchell has come from a traditional planning background at BMP and other shops famous for planning and creative, along with a stop at McDonald's before his current role at Virtue, the agency powered by Vice. Adam and Colin discuss how that planning education from the pre-digital era has informed the powerful work they're doing now to tap int…

1
Reginald Cash is thinking beyond platforms 38:55

3+ y ago38:55

38:55

Reginald Cash, CEO of 3BLACKDOT joins Adam for an in-depth discussion about how creators are transcending (escaping?) the confines of platforms through their own creativity. His background spans the NY party scene and top-levels of high finance communications, providing a different prism to the oft rehashed world of creators, looking at it beyond t…

1
Introduce yourself to Christina Garnett 50:48

3+ y ago50:48

50:48

Where do you fit in and why? Christina Garnett has figured out that people rarely fit in to communities that aren't welcoming. She's been single-handedly making Twitter friendlier (put her on the payroll, cowards!) and sharing insights about how to nurture meaningful communities. If you're a long-time listener, you know I come back to this topic of…

1
Making a list with Joe Cole 46:39

3+ y ago46:39

46:39

Joe Cole joined me from his cross-country travel to share what he's learned building a list of what agencies are serving the interests of oil and fossil fuel companies at Clean Creatives. He's been rallying creative people–and others (that's important) to bring that work into the light, and make it plain who is taking the money. We all have a choic…

1
Brad Scott helps see things clearly 48:55

3+ y ago48:55

48:55

In this episode, I’m joined by Brad Scott of Applied Design Works. I wanted to talk to him about how Applied worked with the Braille Institute on a branding project and ended up developing a font intended for people with visual impairment, that they called Atkinson Hyperlegible. We talk about getting to that solution, and how to work on challenges …

1
Leslie Short navigates uncharted waters 48:16

3+ y ago48:16

48:16

Leslie Short studies workplace dynamics and to identify how diversity, equity and inclusion can be better woven in–sometimes in places where it has never been considered. Her approach is practical, pragmatic. I was fortunate to speak with her and learn more about the questions she asks, and how she addresses some of the biggest challenges in this s…

1
Charlie McKittrick is exploring space 41:26

3+ y ago41:26

41:26

I had to take a break from publishing. Truth, I got extremely busy at my full-time job, some challenging freelance strategy projects for brands, and little disinterested in extra effort beyond all of that. The Strategy Inside Everything is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid sub…

1
Claire Atkin helps brands define safety for themselves 45:43

4y ago45:43

45:43

I had a wonderful conversation with Claire Atkin, co-founder of Check My Ads, which helps firms examine where their media funds are sent by their programmatic partners and software. Claire has an extremely pragmatic approach that makes the work of determining where a brand's ads are running, which can seem overwhelming, very simple. The hard part i…

1
Nick Childs helps tell your story 45:10

4y ago45:10

45:10

I spoke with Nick Childs, who is also helping people better tell their story. He’s a lifelong creative and leader putting together ads and communications on the biggest stages. He’s pretty much seen it all. Now he’s started DIRT, a new method for better understanding what works about creative so we can get better at telling stories and driving resu…

1
Finding your way with Katie Dreke 46:15

4y ago46:15

46:15

All day long, you hear challenges and create plans to navigate through them. Briefs, decks whatever. You put in writing the plan for how to get from the place the organization or brand is in today to where it needs to be. Where are you today? Are you where you need to be? If not, how do you approach that challenge? Here's an idea for you: write a b…

1
Getting Thas Naseemuddeen's incredible perspective 37:42

4y ago37:42

37:42

Most industries work in teams. The recent adaptation to the way we work has affected our approach in some simple and profound ways. As I've spoken to strategists and marketers, I've learned that this has impacted the way their assignments happen, or maybe just the way they feel. Work, or parts of work that was formerly done by teams in shared space…

1
Ben Perreira is learning through repetition 38:43

4y ago38:43

38:43

How often do you look back at your old work? A funny thing happened during the recording of this episode. My guest, Ben Perreira began describing something he had done earlier in his career and made an off-hand joke about a decision he made. But we continued to discuss, and he arrived at an insight about what he learned from that experience. I got …

1
Nate Nichols is creating space 51:59

4y ago51:59

51:59

For the past year, there's been a big reason for each of us to think about ourselves. My safety and security. My health. My job security. Basically protecting our small bubble. As vaccination happens en masse and we take our first tenuous steps back towards a physical social world, you may have noticed a broadening of your perspective. Things are t…

1
You can trust Margot Bloomstein 45:21

4y ago45:21

45:21

I spoke with the author of Trustworthy, How The Smartest Brands Beat Cynicism and Bridge the Trust Gap, Margot Bloomstein about how some brands design their communication and UX around building and maintaining trust, so their customers don't feel icky. In the book, she uses a collection of great examples to make her points, and goes pretty deep on …

1
James Gregson puts it together 35:51

4y ago35:51

35:51

Over the past year, I've been living almost exclusively online. If I had to guess, I would estimate I've watched more than 200 movies and competed a dozen series. I wrote and recorded a bunch. I've played video games and scrolled multiple marathons distance on Twitter. And then came TikTok. Oh boy, Clubhouse. In marketing, advertising, whatever, we…

1
Val Nguyen ventures into the unknown 41:41

4y ago41:41

41:41

In the month of January, I thought I reached the limit of my capacity. Again. I returned to work from a week away from the "office" to all that awaits when you are off for a week. Days of non-stop meetings, and non-moving deadlines kept me moving from item to item wondering when I would run out of steam. This was a combination of professional deadl…

1
Jeff Gomez expands on the story 36:58

4+ y ago36:58

36:58

How do you find the things you love? Films, music, products, people, food? More and more, we're turning to the internet to find pretty much anything. Or, we may not even be looking for things anymore. Amazon, Google, Spotify, Netflix are all recommending things, to varying degrees of success. Social apps recommend people we would like to follow. I …

1
Don't worry, Amy Kean is working on the solution 39:44

4+ y ago39:44

39:44

You are going to enjoy my conversation with the incredible Amy Kean. She is a force of nature. She is an author, the founder of Six Things Impossible and co-founder of DICE (Diversity & Inclusion at Conferences and Events). She is inspiring because she strikes me as the kind of person who has ever backed down from a challenge, and probably intimida…

1
Understanding aspiration with Nadia Tuma-Weldon 41:41

4+ y ago41:41

41:41

I spoke with Global Luxury Practice Lead at McCann World Groupand Global Director of McCann Truth Central, Nadia Tuma-Weldon. She's spent years researching and understanding luxury consumers and brands. Nadia has a fantastic perspective on why we choose what we choose, and how aspiration for luxury serves as the ultimate distillation of aspiration …

1
Gunny Scarfo knows how you feel 42:21

4+ y ago42:21

42:21

Gunny Scarfo, co-founder of Nonfiction Research (https://nonfiction.co/) joined me to talk about the findings and their unique perspective on research. Nonfiction blends qualitative and quantitative methods to reveal stories that might not be discovered otherwise. Read the research here: https://nonfiction.co/americas-secret-playlists Go ahead and …

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