In Episode 12 of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with Melissa Gordon-Ring, Global President of Health at IPG Mediabrands, to discuss the importance of trust and human connection within the evolving health landscape. Melissa shares her perspective on leadership and the future of health communications, offering insights from her professional and personal experiences.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00–05:51 Introduction, Personal Insights & Role of Family
05:52–11:00 Career Journey & Passion for Healthcare
11:01–18:59 Navigating Consumers & Understanding IPG Mediabrands
19:00–23:24 Adapting to Change & Building Trust
23:25–29:06 Simplifying Healthcare Communication & Innovation
29:07–32:08 Embracing Change in Media & Health Tech
32:09–End The Future of Health Tech & Empowering Teams
In Episode 12 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with Paul Gartland, Executive Vice President and Northeast Regional Manager, to reflect on his remarkable 40-year career at Lamar. Paul discusses lessons learned and the values and innovations that have shaped his leadership style.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00 - 05:06 Introduction & Career Beginnings
05:00 - 11:08 Growth & Leadership at Lamar
11:08 - 20:26 Overcoming Challenges
20:26 - 29:13 Evolving with Technology
29:13 - 38:40 Culture & Integrity in Growth
38:40 - 50:30 Relationships & Communication
50:30 - 58:02 Reflections on the Future
In Episode 11 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian welcomes Buster Scher, founder of organic social media agency, The Buster Agency, to discuss building a personal brand, turning passion into business, and amplifying culture through collectibles, content, and social strategy.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00 – 01:31 Introduction: Hoops Nation, Collectibles & Background
01:32 – 04:31 SpongeBob art & Investment Strategy
04:32 – 08:40 Passion and Purpose in collecting
08:41 – 13:27 Building Hoops Nation & NBA recognition
13:28 – 18:47 Creator economy & Staying true to your niches
18:48 – 23:31 Patience, Consistency & Long-Term Vision
23:32 – 30:40 The Buster Agency & Brand Amplification
30:41 – 53:01 Social Trends, AI, & Personal brand legacy
In Episode 10 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian welcomes Stacy Bernstein, Co-Founder of All Better Co., an innovative first aid and skin care company, to discuss the company she built, how social media and retail partnerships can drive organic growth, and the power of word-of-mouth marketing to overcome limited advertising budgets.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00 – 06:40 Introduction: Soccer roots, Teamwork & Lessons in leadership
06: 41 – 14:31 College legacy & Early career in sports marketing
14:32 – 20:27 Entrepreneurial shift & Founding Crafting Community
20:28 – 26:21 Inspiration behind All Better Co. & Reimagining first aid
26:22 – 33:43 Skin-first innovation, Sustainability & Family-driven design
33:44 – 41:17 Health-conscious consumers & Authentic brand storytelling
41:18 – 47:48 Retail growth, Community marketing & Building trust
47:49 – 58:04 Female founders, Funding challenges & Stay true to mission
In Episode 9 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian welcomes Jaselyn Berthelot, a professional deepwater angler and President of Rising Sons Fishing, a sportfishing tournament team. Jaselyn discusses how she’s leveraged social media to grow her personal brand while competing in a male-dominated sport.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00 – 05:32 Introduction: Passion for fishing & Dream of going Pro
05:33 – 08:19 Building her personal brand & Growing platform with 100K+
08:20 – 10:44 The ESPYs & How sport fishing is gaining popularity
10:45 – 22:03 Rising Sons Fishing & Her Career Journey
22:04 – 28:38 Breaking barriers in male-dominated sport & Catch-and-release
28:39 – 35:53 Influence of LSU athletes & Community through Socials
44:31 – End Inspiring the next generation, Confidence & Passion to Purpose
In Episode 8 of this season’s Digital and Dirt Podcast, Ian welcomes Katey Hassan, Co-Founder & CEO of Nocturnal Skincare to discuss how beauty, skincare, and branding intersect with culture, science, and storytelling. During the interview, Katey shares insights from her career, the story behind the launch of her brand, and explains how authenticity and innovation has helped shape her company’s approach to developing skincare products.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00 – 04:46 Travel inspiration & Fascination with human behavior
04:47 – 09:17 Education & The psychology of self-expression
09:18 – 14:47 Early career at L’Oréal & Emotional storytelling in beauty
14:48 – 20:21 Leading at Tarte & Blending science with creativity
20:22 – 26:23 Launching Nocturnal Skincare & The Japandi heritage story
26:24 – 33:43 Authentic growth & Building trust without influencers
33:44 – 41:17 Circadian rhythm & Skin longevity
41:18 – End Sustainability, sourcing, & Brand authenticity
In Episode 7 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian welcomes Marissa Nance, Founder and CEO of Native Tongue Communications, a multicultural marketing agency helping brands connect with diverse audiences, for a conversation on how to build authentic connections in today’s marketing world.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00 – 04:49 Introduction, Handbags, Love & Basketball house, & NBA ties
04:50 – 09:48 Athletics, Teamwork & Values that shaped her career
09:49 – 15:28 AI, Culture, & The importance of authenticity in marketing
15:29 – 23:44 Early career at BBDO, Survivor, Top Chef & Castaway
23:45 – 30:00 Storytelling, microcultural marketing, & Audience connection
30:01 – 33:50 Leaving Omnicom & Launching Native Tongue
33:51 – 41:15 Challenges as a founder & Building cultural competency
41:16 – End Proudest career moments, & Advice for future leaders
In Episode 6 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian welcomes Liz Caselli-Mechael, VP of Communications and Marketing at World Central Kitchen (WCK), a non-profit providing food relief to communities in crisis. Together, they discuss how food, storytelling, and partnerships can build trust, provide comfort, and connect communities around the world.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00 – 09:18 Intro, Liz’s cooking confessions & career in food storytelling
09:19 – 18:18 Building trust in food & digital storytelling
18:19 – 23:27 People over logos: farmers, community & sourcing
23:28 – 27:14 Comfort foods, culture & World Central Kitchen’s origins
27:15 – 35:51 Disaster response: 400M+ meals & WCK’s rapid mobilization
35:52 – End Partnerships, authentic stories, recovery & Liz’s inspiration
In Episode 5 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian welcomes Lindsey Scheftic, Founder and CEO of The CMO Sidekick, to explain what inspired her to start her consulting business that helps mid-sized companies without CMOs access strategic marketing support.
In Episode 4 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian welcomes Priti Ohri, Co-Founder and CEO of Advertible Inc, to discuss how her early recognition of the value of data influenced her efforts to transform adtech.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00-03:40 Fun Facts & Introduction
03:40-08:30 Dance, Wrestling & Coachella Stories
08:30-12:40 High School, UCLA & Early Career
12:40-18:00 MTV & Ad Sales Journey
18:00-30:40 Retail, Luxury & Shift to Data
30:40-39:30 Programmatic Evolution & DataXu
39:30-57:11 Founding Advertible & Future of Native
In Episode 3 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian welcomes Emily Chatelain, CEO & Founder of the School Food and Wellness Group and the 3 O’Clock Project, to discuss the importance of high-quality nutrition for kids at school.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00 - 9:04 Introduction & Emily’s personal journey
9:05 - 18:18 The complexity of school lunches, A kid's most important meal: Lunch
18:19 - 26:50 Food education, $14 Billion Industry & The business side of a cafeteria
26:51 - 30:01 Chiefs in schools, Impacts of school lunches
30:02 - 39:58 Largest challenges in the school food system & Small Changes
39:59 - 54:29 A parent's role, Advertising with school cafeterias & TikTok reels
54:30 - End A message to the Ad Industry & Closing remarks
In Episode 2 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian welcomes Doug Jensen, current Head of Business Development at Ekimetrics, a leader in data science and AI-powered solutions, and former SVP of Global Data & Analytics at Estée Lauder, to discuss Marketing Mix Modeling, or MMM, in the beauty industry.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00 - 12:45 Introduction, Corn fields & Spelling Bees, & Asking Why?
12:46 - 19:44 Marketing mixed modeling (MMM) & Evolution of Analytics
19:45 - 29:20 The storytelling of data & The beauty industry
29:21 - 39:19 Media consumption, TikTok Shop & Doug’s time at Estée Lauder
39:20 - 52:55 Tiktok, Influencing & Ekimetrics
52:56 - End Glamping on a Safari & closing remarks
To kick off Season 9 of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with longtime industry partner and friend, Lucy Markowitz, SVP of US Marketplace at Vistar Media, to reflect on how far the Programmatic Out of Home space has come over their decade of working together.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00 - 02:39 Introduction, meet Lucy Markowitz
02:40 - 12:25 Early Career & Introduction to Vistar Media
12:26 - 21:48 Early days at Vistar & How they Sold Through the Solution
21:49 - 32:27 Vistar’s culture & Creating connections
32:28 - 43:01 Leadership & The idea of “failing fast”
43:01 - 49:47 Becoming well-respected in the OOH Industry
49:48 - End How to tell a story & Asking the important questions
In Episode 16 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian welcomes Donna Tuttle, Vice President of Marketing at Whataburger, a fast food chain with over 1,000 locations across 15 states.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00 – 03:10 Fun Facts & Early Creativity
03:11 – 07:15 Childhood Advertising Obsession
07:16 – 12:15 Journalism Career & Lessons Learned
12:16 – 17:30 Transition to Agency Life & Brand Work
17:31 – 22:30 Building Whataburger’s Digital Newsroom
22:31 – 27:30 Culture, Employee Loyalty & “What-a-Life”
27:31 – 33:00 Merch Mania, Menu Hacks & Celebrity Fans
33:01 – 44:50 Leadership, Strategy & Inspiring a Team
44:51 – End Community Expansion & Final Reflections
In Episode 15 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian welcomes longtime friend and programmatic expert Faryn Brown, VP of Addressable at KINESSO, a technology-driven performance marketing agency. Faryn discusses her career path starting on the traditional media side and evolving into leadership roles focused on programmatic strategy, with an emphasis on the pharmaceutical space. She also shares her passion for learning, speaks about the evolving role of Out of Home in omnichannel plans, and explains how programmatic delivers more meaningful and measurable results.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00 - 05:13 Introductions, Travel Stories & Bold Firsts
05:14 - 12:00 Cultural Curiosity & Purposeful Exploration
12:01 - 18:00 Career Foundations & Entering Advertising
18:01 - 26:00 Diving into Programmatic & Pharma Strategy
26:01 - 36:00 Strategy, Measurement & The Power of Personalization
36:01 - End The Future of Media & Advice for Staying Ahead
In Episode 14 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian hits the road for the MediaPost CPG Brand Insider Summit in Nashville where he gathered a powerhouse panel of brand marketers for a rapid-fire conversation on the most pressing topics in today’s consumer advertising landscape.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00 - 06:15 Jolie Laurence – Utz Brands
06:16 - 21:23 Anthony Potgieter – Stanley 1913
21:24 - 25:32 Nolan Johnson – GroceryTV
25:33 - 33:16 Beth Dressman – Vistar Media
33:17 - End Ian Wishingrad – Three Wishes Cereal
In Episode 13 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian welcomes Norm Chait, VP of U.S. Marketplace at Perion, a global provider of digital advertising services. to discuss the evolution of Out of Home advertising, its integration with programmatic and digital platforms, and the creative, data-driven approaches transforming the industry.
Breakdown
0:00 – 1:54 Introduction, proposal story, and early passions
1:55 – 5:05 Getting Started in Advertising
5:06 – 8:06 Alcohol Brands & Real-World Learning
8:07 – 16:05 Choosing OOH Over TV
16:06 – 22:27 Most Memorable Campaigns
22:28 – 34:32 Entering Programmatic OOH
34:33 – 53:24 What’s Next: Perion, Retail Media, and More
In Episode 12 of this season’s Digital and Dirt Podcast, Ian welcomes Aman Advani, Co-Founder and CEO of business wear fashion brand, Ministry of Supply, to discuss how the brand merged technology, sustainability, and customer insights to reinvent modern professional apparel with a focus on comfort and performance.
In Episode 11 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian welcomes Seth Larsen, Chief Relationship Officer at Cheba Hut, the cannabis-themed toasted sub restaurant franchise, to discuss the unique personality of Cheba Hut’s brand and explore how the company has set a new standard for fast casual dining by offering a vibrant, inclusive atmosphere along with great food.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00 - 03:10 Introduction & Ian’s first Cheba Hut experience
03:11 - 06:00 Fun facts & personal background
06:01 - 12:52 Seth’s Journey to Cheba Hut
12:53 - 19:00 Company Values & Inclusive culture
19:01 - 26:36 Franchise strategy & Local Environment
26:37 - 34:53 Community events & In-store bars
34:54 - 44:09 Marketing, Social & Customer engagement
44:10 - End Merch, The menu & Closing thoughts
Ian welcomes Frank Sanchez, co-founder and CEO of Elk Marketing, for a deep dive into how brands must evolve to thrive. They cover everything from the future of SEO and paid media, to the risks of selling on Amazon, to how cultural shifts like Coachella financing are changing consumer behavior. A must-listen for anyone who wants to understand marketing’s new rules — and how to stay ahead of them.
In this special on-the-road edition of Digital & Dirt, host Ian Dallimore takes listeners behind the scenes of two powerhouse industry events: MediaPost’s Retail Insider Summit and QSR Insider Summit.
Gusts You’ll Hear From:
In Episode 8 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian welcomes Billy Long, EVP of the Out of Home practice at Publicis, for a discussion covering the roles of agility and collaboration in media and how mentorship and transparency fuel personal growth.
Podcast Breakdown:
00:00 - 07:00 Introduction: Louisville Roots & Entering OOH
07:01 - 14:00 Sales Beginnings & Relationship-Based Growth
14:01 - 21:00 MARTA, Management & Team Longevity
21:01 - 28:00 Publicis Move & Building an Agency Team
28:01 - 35:00 Culture, Company Support & People-First Mindset
35:01 - 42:00 Agency Sales, Internal Education & Budget Battles
42:01 - 49:00 Programmatic Rise & Retail Success Stories
49:01 - End Legacy, Advice & Embracing the OOH Community
In Episode 7 of this season’s Digital and Dirt Podcast, Ian welcomes Daniel Head, CEO of Jacquard, a provider of AI-driven marketing automation, to explore how AI enhances efficiency, personalization, and creativity in brand messaging and Out of Home advertising and to discuss why businesses must embrace AI to stay competitive.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00 - 05:52 Introduction & Networking at CES and Super Bowl Events
05:53 - 12:30 Career Beginnings: Retail, Fitness, and Marketing Transition
12:31 - 19:34 Amazon Experience: Super Bowl Campaign & Social Media Growth
19:35 - 29:51 Health Tech Evolution & Wearable Devices
29:52 - 38:21 AI, Consumer Behavior & Personal Health Insights
38:22 - 46:09 Out-of-Home Advertising & Digital Strategy
46:10 - 55:05 Growth Metrics, Influencer Marketing & Future Innovations
In Episode 6 of this season’s Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian welcomes Nick Ortega, Head of DOOH at StackAdapt, an AI-powered programmatic advertising platform. Nick shares how he landed at a career in StackAdapt and in adtech after working in a music recording studio in LA and taking on leading roles at Yahoo and Amazon.
In Episode 5 of this season’s Digital and Dirt Podcast, Ian welcomes Meghan Reynolds, Senior Director of Media and Growth at Oura, for a discussion on how the health technology brand uses data-driven marketing, influencer partnerships, and creative Out of Home strategies to promote holistic health and wellness.
Podcast Breakdown
00:00 - 05:52 Introduction & Networking at CES and Super Bowl Events
05:53 - 12:30 Career Beginnings: Retail, Fitness, and Marketing Transition
12:31 - 19:34 Amazon Experience: Super Bowl Campaign & Social Media Growth
19:35 - 29:51 Health Tech Evolution & Wearable Devices
29:52 - 38:21 AI, Consumer Behavior & Personal Health Insights
38:22 - 46:09 Out-of-Home Advertising & Digital Strategy
46:10 - 55:05 Growth Metrics, Influencer Marketing & Future Innovations
Melissa Gordon-Ring - Global President of Health, IPG Mediabrands
44:59
Paul Gartland - EVP and Northeast Regional Manager, Lamar Advertising
58:11
Buster Scher - Founder, The Buster Agency
53:01
Stacy Bernstein - Co-Founder, All Better Co.
58:04
Jaselyn Berthelot - President, Rising Sons Fishing
58:17
Katey Hassan - Co-Founder & CEO, Nocturnal Skincare
1:00:39
Marissa Nance - Founder and CEO, Native Tongue Communications
56:21
Liz Caselli-Mechael - VP of Communications and Marketing, World Central Kitchen
53:52
Lindsey Scheftic - Founder & CMO, The CMO Sidekick
56:55
Priti Ohri - CEO & Co-Founder, Advertible Inc
54:31
Emily Chatelain - CEO & Founder of the School Food and Wellness Group
57:11
Doug Jensen - Head of Business Development, Ekimetrics
56:33
Lucy Markowitz - SVP, US Marketplace at Vistar Media
1:01:08
Donna Tuttle - VP of Marketing, Whataburger
52:28
Faryn Brown - VP of Addressable, KINESSO
50:03
MediaPost CPG Insider Summit 2025
45:49
Norm Chait - VP of U.S. Marketplace, Perion
53:24
Aman Advani - Co-Founder & CEO, Ministry of Supply
52:02
Seth Larsen - CRO, Cheba Hut
52:03
Frank Sanchez - CEO & Co-Founder, Elk
54:44
MediaPost Insider Summit | Retail & QSR
55:09
Billy Long - EVP of the Out of Home practice, Publicis
49:58
Daniel Head - CEO, Jacquard
56:17
Nick Ortega - Head of DOOH, StackAdapt
1:02:00
Meghan Reynolds - Senior Director of Media and Growth, Oura
52:49