It was theater and Broadway where she initially hoped to pave her professional path. Instead, she fell in love with the process of writing and her very first novel became an instant success. Liesl Shurtliff is the New York Times bestselling author of 'Rump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Rumpelstiltskin' and other books in the (Fairly) True Tales series and the Time Castaways trilogy. Her books have been named to several state award lists and have won many awards, including a Children’s Book Award from the International Literacy Association. Liesl lives with her husband and four children in Chicago and found some time to chat with us about: 
 

• Finding her voice as a writer
• The importance of seeing any experience from all sides
• Why audiences resonate with things that are both familiar and new
• How her passion for theater and Broadway influence her work
• Impact of fame on her confidence and understanding her limitations
• Learning to chill out
• Her approach to connecting with the audience on a personal level
• The need to finish, as you can revise bad writing but not a blank page

If you think geeking out on a seemingly mundane pantry item like ketchup isn’t possible, join us for an intriguing conversation with former Kraft Heinz Chief Growth Officer Sanjiv Gajiwala. He is a consumer-first brand builder and storyteller with a track record of strategic repositioning to drive growth - having worked on iconic brands like Heinz, Oscar Mayer and Pabst Blue Ribbon as well as category disrupting innovation like White Claw Hard Seltzer.

Sanjiv loves bringing new consumer experiences to life by understanding evolving culture and communication, while leading teams that thrive on the wild imagination of the impossible. He gets a sense of that impossible while living in Chicago with his wife, a 4 year old, 8 month old and a 2 year old puppy. In our candid chat, we cover: 

• How being a child of immigrants guides his career choices.
• Why he’s actually excited about fragmentation of audiences.
• 'Anything is possible' mentality enables thinking about multiple solutions.
• Dedicating time for experimenting outside of your immediate industry.
• Leadership through vulnerability allows for a truer version of oneself.
• Views on the meaning of a community and how it could define brand love.
• Passion project around preservation of memories and what role brands could play in that space.

In this captivating podcast episode, we sit down with Daniel Bulteel, the marketing executive who has conquered the worlds of agency, brand, platform, and start-up.

With his extensive background at renowned companies like WPP, adidas, TikTok, ByteDance, and now Build A Rocket Boy, Dan brings a wealth of expertise in social media, creator, and community marketing.

Join us as Dan shares his insights on the true essence of social media – connecting people to the things they genuinely care about. Discover how he guides us to become our own temperature check while creating content and how we can accelerate our knowledge by studying and mastering the algorithms of each platform, and watching the superstars that do that every day, creators. 

So, grab your headphones, buckle up, and prepare for a thought-provoking conversation that combines Dan's impressive professional journey with invaluable lessons on crafting compelling content.

Whether you're an aspiring marketer or a seasoned pro, this episode is packed with wisdom to help you thrive in the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing.