Beyond High Street

Andy Gloor: Managing Principal, Sterling Bay

Andy Gloor is a Managing Principal at Sterling Bay – an uber-successful commercial real estate and development firm. Bloomberg even named Andy – “the tech industry's go-to real estate developer”. He really stresses the importance of relationships and how handshakes are often more important than lawyers in getting a deal done. He and his wife Mara (a Miami Merger) are incredibly generous and have supported Miami, including the naming of the auditorium at the Athletic Performance Center on campus which has become the multipurpose facility centerpiece for Miami Football.

Beth Herrington: Partner, Morgan Lewis

Beth Herrington is a partner at Morgan Lewis, and has been named one of Crain’s Chicago Most Influential Women Lawyers….multiple times! It was so great to catch up and hear about all of her success. Her comments about gender-split in law, competitiveness and the power of a relationship are so well articulated. You can easily see why a client would want her to be on the front line in any dispute. Beth shares a great story about teaching people how to distill complex issues into a few sentences. This ‘elevator speech’ philosophy is so important in life yet not mastered by many. Thanks Beth….keep crushing it.

Jeff Immel: Creative Director, Weber Shandwick

As PR Week wrote when Jeff Immel was honored with a 40 under 40 Award, “a leap of faith can sometimes usher in a whole new approach to marketing….when Immel left Arc Worldwide to join Weber Shandwick’s budding creative team as its first art director, he was making a bold move.” I so appreciate his risk, and the firm’s, as the public relations discipline was evolving into something much greater – a global communications and marketing business. Since then, he has grown that business tremendously. Our conversation spans from the risks brands need to take to breakthrough in today’s climate to understanding that often business success is driven by understanding that the audience now dictates the terms. Jeff shares a great analogy from a Cannes lecture, that it is now the deer who has the gun, not the hunter (listen for the whole story). And his tips for Miami students are different than some but absolutely on point. All the resumes look great so take advantage of the human side. Stand out by being the call or meeting want to take. Be the person that helps, engages and listens. Sometimes the basics in life are forgotten. And a special shout out to one of Jeff’s Weber Shandwick Miamian colleagues who is awesome -– Executive Vice President Melanie Strah! She has welcomed Miami students each year into their office for a day of learning.

Lisa Schrader: Head of Operations & Chief of Staff, Luminary Media

Imagine waking up every day having to react to countless stories that came in overnight, and to determine how they impact your City. Well, that is what Lisa Schrader did for two years as Chief of Staff for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (and almost 15 years total working at City Hall). She shares great learnings of skillsets you acquire when working in the public sector, and how she has used that experience the jobs she has had since then. We laughed as she reminisced about times at Miami and living a ‘double life’. You will have to listen to the pod to hear that story. We close the conversation talking about her new job (I mean only a week into it…) at Luminary Media, a new podcast premium content subscription business (stay tuned for more on Luminary). I could talk with Lisa for hours, the conversation quickly reminded me (and hopefully us) of the good ‘ole days.

Kevin George: CMO, Harvest Health & Recreation

So good to catch up with Kevin George, the new CMO of Harvest Health & Recreation, Inc. – a vertically integrated public cannabis company. That’s right, a cannabis company. Kevin has spent the past 20+ years in global leading roles at Unilever, Beam Suntory and the marketing agency Mosaic. He is taking his plethora of experience, knowledge and relationship into one of, if not, THE fastest growing industries in the United States. He now has the chance to build a slew of brands from scratch – ones they have acquired and others they are incubating. They have raised nearly $300 million to capitalize the business and as he says, this is like the day after prohibition for the alcohol industry. The opportunity is immense with no clear leader. There are challenges ahead, it is a state-by-state industry that is not federally legal (yet). As he always does, he also shares great wisdom for Miami students in the pod.

Jeff Gooding: Senior Director of Marketing and Advertising, Ace Hardware

Welcome back to Beyond High Street! One area I want to focus on with this podcast is innovation/transformation, and retail is the perfect industry for that. Our guest today is Jeff Gooding, who oversees all Marketing and Advertising for ACE Hardware. He shares great thoughts on what it takes to change in today’s business environment and how to work in a co-op environment (as he says, “it’s like having 4,500 bosses”). Jeff also shares a perspective about job hunting for college kids - that it’s easier to get a job when you have a job. Point being, internships or getting a foot in the door somehow is more important  than landing your dream job at 21. Enjoy the pod.

Marc Bushala: CEO, Heaven’s Door Spirits

Happy New Year Beyond High Street friends. Marc Bushala has passion to be an entrepreneur. You can hear it in his voice in how he thinks through challenges and opportunities. He shares some great stories about taking advantage of opportunities (especially when you are young) and how to find openings in the marketplace. All of this business and entrepreneurial work led him down a path into the spirits world. And after a deep dive almost a decade ago, he has been building and creating some incredible whiskey products including Angel’s Envy and now Heaven’s Door in collaboration with Bob Dylan. Google his background. It’s very impressive. Enjoy the pod.

Jeff Tennery: Founder & CEO, Moonlighting

Jeff Tennery is the founder & CEO of Moonlighting and has spent 25+ years in senior executive leadership roles in the mobile space via Verizon, AT&T Wireless and Millennial Media. Jeff has spent the past year “moonlighting,” helping friends and co-founders on nights and weekends build the first on-demand mobile marketplace (you will hear his commentary on the 41^st hour in the pod! and when/how/why to start a business). Prior to founding Moonlighting, he was responsible for delivering hundreds of millions of dollars annually across 50,000 applications worldwide, playing an instrumental role in Millennial Media’s 2012 IPO. He has incredible insight for those that want to start a business, the future of blockchain plus a stroll down memory lane at Miami talking MGT 495, being a Miami Merger and loving his cheese fries!

Mark Satkiewicz: Partner, SBT GRVL

Mark Satkiewicz has spent the past 20+ years working with and building mission-based businesses. All of that work is guided off a simple phrase from him: are you a contributor in life or a consumer? And a recent near fatal health issue (resuscitated to life!) has made him refocus on what’s important for him and his family. He is taking that new focus back to Steamboat, CO with his family to better the community and move it forward. Like many, he credits Miami for four of the best years of his life.

Donn Davis: Founding Partner, Revolution Growth

The conversation with Donn Davis gave great insight into how he thinks. He is a Founding Partner of Revolution Growth as well as Co-Founder and Chairman of the Professional Fighters League. The commonality of those two businesses: disruption. And that is what we focus much of the conversation on. We also dig into the differences in being an attacker v. defender and a builder v. manager. His perspective and tips for college students and those in their 20’s is worth paying attention to. He is also the first person on the pod to create an actual business class at Miami, called Real Business after 20-years in the business world. I hope you enjoy the conversation. I did.