Episodes
It’s impossible to make good business decisions with bad information. That’s where truth-seeking reporters like Stephanie Ruhle come in. Host of the 11th Hour on MSNBC and Senior Business Analyst for NBC News, Stephanie has brought truth and accountability to power by breaking momentous stories like the London Whale loss. Bob talks to Stephanie about how she navigated a major career pivot, the surprising role New York City restaurants played in her career advancements, and how companies can...
Published 11/03/22
In 2019, the Black Information Network— a full-time news service by and for the black community— was in the early stages of planning at iHeartMedia. But when George Floyd was murdered, Tony Coles, one of iHeart’s Division Presidents who had been overseeing BIN’s development, knew the platform needed to launch immediately. Tony, now President of BIN, reflects on how he and his team were able to spring into action so effectively, some stories that have made the biggest impact, and why triumphs...
Published 10/20/22
Jeff Bewkes started at HBO as something of a traveling salesman; his job was to urge motels to add HBO to their properties and their marquees. Later, Jeff would become the last CEO of Time Warner, and engineered the company’s sale to AT&T. Jeff shares the original programming gambles that paid off, what television in the 90s teaches us about the streaming wars and how spending childhood summers on a farm shaped his business sense. Plus, Bob and Jeff give their intersecting stories from...
Published 10/13/22
What do Enron, Warner Music Group and Krispy Kreme have in common? “King of the Turnaround” Steve Cooper’s guiding hand during key transitions. Bob sits down with the business legend to talk about the possibilities of web3, Steve’s upcoming departure from WMG and why we should all rewatch Disney’s “Wall-E.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Published 10/06/22
If you think a neuroscientist couldn’t lead a master class in marketing, you haven’t met Dr. David Eagleman. Professor of Brain Plasticity at Stanford, best-selling author, TV host and CEO of neurotech company Neosensory, David has a passion for applying neuroscience to topics beyond academic science. In fact, Bob considers David’s book “Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain” as one of the most important marketing books ever written. In this episode, we find out why. See...
Published 09/29/22
Suzy Deering has been preparing to take the business world by storm since the second grade, and she certainly has. She’s shaped powerhouse brands like Verizon and eBay, and now serves as the Global CMO of Ford. Learn how Suzy’s experience shepherding landline customers to wireless is informing her marketing strategy around electric cars, and why your car isn’t just a car— it’s a lifestyle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Published 09/22/22
Join Bob Pittman for the new season of Math & Magic. This season, Bob sits down with visionaries—from CEOs, to neuroscientists, and everyone in-between—to hear how they’ve used data and creativity to successfully adapt to the biggest changes of our time: the metaverse, fake news, remote work, championing stories that matter, and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Published 09/15/22
Today, Bob goes from podcast host to podcast guest and sits down with actor Minnie Driver for her iHeartRadio podcast, Minnie Questions. Bob shares why he’s grateful for a childhood injury, lessons from growing up in the South during the Civil Rights Movement, and why plans are sometimes bad for business. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Published 03/16/22
What do start-up founders and hip hop artists have in common? According to Ben Horowitz: a lot! Since his teenage years, Ben has been inspired by hip hop artists’ ability to create something from nothing-- and he took that guiding ethos with him to Silicon Valley. So even when industry giants shrugged off what would become the internet as we know it, Ben always saw it for what it could be… and in his roles at Netscape and Opsware, Ben actualized it. Learn how at his VC firm Andreessen...
Published 08/12/21
In honor of the 40th anniversary of MTV, we’re rereleasing a fan-favorite episode: the real story of MTV, as told by the founders. Today MTV is a cultural institution, but people forget what a long shot it was to get the channel off the ground. Bob Pittman led the team that created MTV. In this special episode, he reminisces with co-founders and friends John Sykes, Judy McGrath, Fred Seibert, Tom Freston and Jarl Mohn about what it was like to create the '80s version of a start-up and lead a...
Published 07/31/21
In Remi Kent’s first job as a library page, she discovered her love of stories. Now, as CMO of 3M, Remi is crafting stories for countless consumers across the globe! Despite this massive audience, Remi stays focused on making individual, human connections with 3M customers. Learn how this framework has helped Remi shepherd 3M through major shifts: from taking Post-it digital, to mass producing N95 masks during the pandemic. Plus, learn how Remi’s focus on human connection has helped her act...
Published 06/10/21
After dropping out of school and struggling with homelessness, a young Christian Navarro was rejected by his top-choice job and accepted a gig sweeping floors at a wine shop. There, Christian fine-tuned his precocious palate and client partnership savvy. The rest is history! What felt like the second-best job offer at the time, actually put Christian on fast-track to where he is now: President, Principal and “Wine Therapist to the Stars” at the iconic one-stop-shop for all things delicious,...
Published 05/13/21
When Brad Gerstner, a “simple kid from Indiana” set out to build a brand-new investment firm in the swirl of the 2008 financial crisis, his friends and advisors told him he was nuts. But that company, Altimeter Capital, has become an incredibly successful vehicle-- not just for profits, but also for enabling entrepreneurs to do good. In this week's conversation, Bob learns why Brad needed to build Altimeter (it comes down to some advice from Jeff Bezos), how a conversation with his kids...
Published 03/18/21
Before Jack Donaghy, before Jack Ryan and SNL, Alec Baldwin was studying to be a lawyer and interning on Capitol Hill. This episode, Alec sits down with Bob to share why he changed course, and how he made it as an actor. From nights working as a busboy at Studio 54, to his Emmy-award-winning performance in 30 Rock, Alec shares behind-the-scenes stories, including: how Soap Operas informed his work ethic, what he's learned from Lorne Michaels, and why he chooses projects based on his...
Published 03/04/21
No one's story captures the spirit of the American Dream better than Gary Vaynerchuk. Fresh from the USSR, Gary’s earliest memories are of his family of eight crammed into a studio apartment in Queens. But he's been focused on turning lemons into literal lemonade from the very beginning: Gary launched his own lemonade stand at age seven—and he's been an entrepreneur ever since! From his early adventures selling wine on the internet, to the triumphs of VaynerMedia, learn why Gary sees...
Published 01/28/21
Any good student of advertising and marketing should know Sir Martin Sorrell’s name! From his rising to star status as Saatchi & Saatchi’s CFO, to his building and shaping of WPP— growing it from a shopping cart maker to the world’s largest advertising holding company, Sir Martin is as well known for his legendary insights as his headstrong opinions. Listen as he and Bob discuss why you need to employ dissenters, how his father’s drive and work ethic shaped his career, and how a sabotaged...
Published 10/15/20
As the Chief Marketing Officer of American Express, Elizabeth Rutledge has a rare superpower... she's an introvert. And the way she wields it is impressive! Learn how she harnesses the power of small, nimble teams (it has something to do with pizza!); how she's used her introversion to foster a culture of empathy and respect, and why she still draws inspiration from her stint as a 9th grade biology teacher. Plus, Elizabeth reveals how she empowered her teams to give small businesses across...
Published 09/24/20
It’s hard to imagine what this pandemic would look like without the internet to keep us all connected, and we have Jan Brandt’s marketing genius to thank for that technological revolution. As the CMO of AOL in the 1990s, she grew their subscription base by being keenly attuned to customers’ desires—and to the potential for home internet access to transform their lives. Listen to Jan explain why she loves being “the queen of no,” why she’d never fire someone for making a mistake, and how her...
Published 08/13/20
It's not just about marketing for Brad Hiranaga. As the Chief Brand Officer, North America for General Mills, Brad has been helping the company realize its potential as a force for good: from encouraging families to connect around the dinner table, to fighting the hunger gap with the No Kid Hungry initiative. In fact, he's been working tirelessly to improve food security and accessibility during this pandemic. Learn why he was so committed to brands as a 5-year old (hint: it had something to...
Published 07/02/20
Today, MTV is a cultural institution. But people forget what a long shot it was to get the channel off the ground. Bob Pittman led the team that created MTV. In this special episode, he reminisces with co-founders and friends John Sykes, Judy McGrath, Fred Seibert, Tom Freston and Jarl Mohn about what it was like to create the '80s version of a start-up, and lead a TV revolution by dreaming up the rules as they went along. From why the first MTV logo was designed on crinkled paper (it spent a...
Published 06/25/20
From Estee Lauder to Taco Bell to now EVP, Chief Brand and Marketing Officer at Lowe’s, Marisa Thalberg hasn’t had the most obvious career path. But when you’re as creative as she is, it’s easy to connect those dots! (Did you realize that Taco Bell markets like a fashion brand?) Tune in to hear Marisa and Bob discuss how writing plays as a second-grader shaped her schooling, why she started the “Executive Moms” blog, and the simple reason she’s been championing audio as a vital marketing tool...
Published 06/11/20
How will the pandemic change the way we work, go to school, go out, travel, and experience the world? In this new limited series, co-hosts Katie Couric and Bozoma Saint John set out to understand how this unprecedented moment will change our future. In weekly episodes, Katie and Boz interview CEOs, innovators and thought leaders in industries from tech and media to education and entertainment to fashion and sports, to find out how they are adjusting to — and innovating in —this new world...
Published 06/05/20
For anyone struggling to lead their company through the current climate, Dave Cote has some advice for you. The legendary former chairman and CEO of Honeywell ushered his company through two big recessions while growing it from a $20 billion business to a $120 billion one. Tune in as Dave tells Bob how he marshaled his company's leadership in a storm, what he learned from Jack Welch, and how his rural New Hampshire upbringing shaped his independent streak.  Learn more about your ad-choices...
Published 05/28/20
In this Special Edition of Math and Magic, Bob sifts through his favorite graduation speeches from Commencement: The Podcast, to share lessons for aspiring leaders. Learn why Google X's Astro Teller thinks you need to embrace your inner “weirdo” to solve the world's biggest problems, what Abby Wambach thinks you need to know about teamwork, and why Tim Cook thinks reading Lincoln might be the perfect inspiration for these times. Plus, advice from Sienna Miller, Guy Raz and David Chang!  ...
Published 05/21/20
Though the world has stopped, we've been able to text with friends, video conference relatives, check e-mails and stream content. It's easy to take for granted. But that incredible access is possible thanks to executives like Verizon’s Chairman and CEO, Hans Vestberg. How did Hans prepare the Verizon network to respond so effectively to something so unpredictable? How has he transitioned his team to working remotely? And how does he manage to exercise and spend time with family while doing...
Published 04/16/20