Matt Chmiel, Head of Discourse at On_Discourse, works with executives, founders, and investors to spark deeper, more thought-provoking conversations. In this interview, he explains how he provokes dialogue, why the best discussions start with powerful questions, and how active listening can transform your interactions.

🎙 Topics Covered:

• What it means to be “Head of Discourse”

• How to challenge people to think beyond their answers

• Examples of provocative icebreaker questions

• Why listening is the most important skill in conversation

• Advice for teenagers on working with people and leading dialogue

If you’ve ever wondered how to ask better questions, create meaningful exchanges, or work in a role that’s all about people, this interview offers valuable insight.

Danny Fishman, co-founder of The Room, has built a career creating in-person spaces for senior-level marketers and industry leaders to connect, share ideas, and rediscover their passion for the work they do. In this interview, he shares how a bet with his late business partner turned into a thriving company, the importance of real-world connections, and why “throwing spaghetti at the wall” is the best career advice.

🎙 Topics Covered:

• What The Room is and how it works

• Why in-person connection still matters in a virtual world

• The story behind starting the company from a bet

• Career lessons on exploration, learning, and travel

• Advice for teenagers on not rushing to “figure it all out”

If you’ve ever wondered how unconventional ideas can turn into successful careers—or how to keep curiosity and passion alive in business—this conversation is for you.

Johnny Mel, sports lawyer at Sheridans, represents professional athletes and their agents in everything from player contracts and image rights to sponsorship deals and transfers. In this interview, he talks about the variety of sports he works in—from football to Formula 1—and the unique challenges of navigating the legal side of athletics.

🎙 Topics Covered:

• What a sports lawyer does day-to-day • The types of clients Johnny represents • Insights from working with athletes across different sports • His experience at Sport Beach during Cannes Lions • Career advice for teenagers on following their passions

If you’ve ever wondered what happens behind the scenes in professional sports—or how to turn a love for sports into a legal career—this conversation pulls back the curtain.

Aaron Cohen—New York University professor of internet media and partner at The Room—shares lessons from over 16 years teaching the history of the web and decades working at the forefront of digital media. In this conversation, he discusses why saying “yes” to opportunities matters, how to navigate your 20s, and why following your dreams (even if they don’t come true exactly as planned) can still lead to success. 🎙 Topics Covered: • What it’s like teaching the history of internet media • The value of real-world, college-style conversations for professionals • How Aaron’s career evolved alongside the digital revolution • Advice for teenagers and young professionals on risk-taking and resilience If you’ve ever wondered how to build a career in a fast-changing world—or how to turn curiosity into opportunity—this interview will inspire you to keep going at 15, 20, 50, or even 80.

In this interview, Sonia Diaz—President of the Hispanic Public Relations Association and founder of her own social impact PR agency—shares her journey into communications, the mission behind her work, and how she’s helping the next generation of professionals. From multicultural campaigns to mentorship and scholarships, Sonia dives into the power of storytelling, community, and cultural connection. 🎙 Topics Covered: • What the Hispanic PR Association does • The importance of multicultural campaign work • How Sonia supports students in communications • Insights from Cannes Lions • Career advice for teenagers and young professionals If you’re interested in public relations, marketing, or making an impact through your career, this conversation is packed with inspiration and practical advice.

How are billboards made and sold? How is innovation affecting advertising? How does AI transform the industry? Teenager Ethan Wilson sat down with Multiply Media Group's director of Innovation & emerging technology, Sean Gadsby. They discussed the data collection required for billboard advertising, a typical day in the life of someone in this field, the impact of AI on ads, and more. This interview is very interesting, and if you're curious about the industry and how it works, be sure to check it out! Thanks to Sean Gadsby for sitting down for this interview, and I hope you all enjoy.

One of the first interviews I ever did was with a man named Mark Myers, CCO of iSpot, and he spoke about ad measurement and his company. Two years ago our interview lasted somewhere from 4-5 minutes, and this year we decided to double the runtime and do a deeper dive with the help of Jensen Muller. Mark explained what it’s like to be a CCO at an ad measurement company, what an ad measurement company is, and what iSpot does, all in detail. Not sure if I even have to say it, but give it a watch!

In this interview, Rio Damata speaks with Jenna Lauer, head of the commercial organization at Marketcast, a leading market insights and research agency. Jenna breaks down how Marketcast helps top brands develop smarter advertising strategies and measure what’s actually working. She shares insights into her day-to-day role, how her team collaborates across industries, and what it takes to build a career in market research. Whether you're into marketing, advertising, or just curious about the psychology behind consumer behavior, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways and great advice.

How do influencers get their names out there? How do companies use social media for marketing? How do influencers and brands connect? They utilize an "influencer marketing company" that helps connect brands and talent, create ad campaigns, and more. I had the chance to talk to Deanna Marzillo (Malee), who oversees sales for "central and west coast" at an influencer marketing company, RhythmInfluence By Nexxen.

Aubriana Alvarez Lopez is a co-founder and COO of the "agentic orchestration platform built for media operation", Agnitio.ai. If you're wondering what that means, watch the first 50 seconds of the video to find out, and you'll get a better answer from her than I could give lol. From what I understand, Agnitio is a company that utilizes the new AI sphere as digital agents, which, in simple terms, is like an AI employee. These digital agents allow companies, workers, and executives to use their creative power and channel it through their jobs far more efficiently. Give this interview a good watch, cuz I know you'll like it.

“You have to take some risk. You have to be bold.”

Ethan Wilson interviewed Harry Kargman, founder and CEO of Kargo, who shared how he went from failing his first startup to leading a company that powers over 4 billion digital ad requests every day across the web, social, and streaming. He talks about the risk, dedication, and time put into making a business, and gives lessons we can all learn from.

We got the chance to sit down with Marion Ranchet, solopreneur and co-host of The Media Odyssey podcast. She gave us some incredible insight on how to get started in an already developed industry, and how to pioneer your own personal brand. This is a great interview if you want to know how you could get started in business, or if you would like ot hear good advice. Thanks, Marion!

What does a CEO actually do all day? In this episode of Explain It to a Teenager, teen host Jensen Muller sits down with Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify, the company fighting digital ad fraud across platforms like TikTok, Meta, ETC. From smart fridges running fake ads (seriously) to bots trying to scam billions of dollars, Mark breaks down how his team keeps advertising real, relevant, and safe—and why it matters to everyone who uses the internet. He continues to talk about the trials and tribulations of being a CEO in a public company that saves people tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars, and how every day is different.

We had the chance to interview Adtech legend Ari Paparo, the CEO of Marketecture Media, the "Barstool" of advertising (as he describes it). He describes what Adtech means, explains his company, and talks about his new book, Yield: How Google Bought, Built, and Bullied Its Way to Advertising Dominance. Thank you, Ari, for this amazing interview, and thank you for watching!

The day we conducted this interview with Dan Callahan, it was announced that he would be stepping into the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer of Spectrum Reach. Many people know about Spectrum and the TV services they offer, but not everyone knows about the advertising side, Spectrum Reach. Spectrum Reach connects audiences and advertisers to traditional TV and streaming TV, all while giving digital solutions to connect anyone with their audience. Dan walked us through what it takes to be in his position, ways for someone to join, and how Spectrum Reach operates. This was a fantastic interview, and a big thank you to Dan for taking the time to shoot this with us. Congrats on the new position, Dan!

Field Garthwaite is the ceo of Iris.TV, and he's trying to make advertising more interesting.

Mike Brooks from LG Ad Solutions explains the four areas of partnership to a teenager