The conversation.
A map of where we might go — not a script. We'll follow the good tangents. Skim it beforehand so nothing catches you cold.
Getting to know you
- If we rewound to the very beginning of your story, where would we be standing?
- What's the one thing about your upbringing that explains the most about you?
- What were you like before any of the work — as a kid, what were you drawn to?
- Was there an early moment or influence that shaped how you see the world?
- Looking back, what were the early signs you'd end up doing what you do?
Brand career & storytelling
- What's the first brand you connected with? And how did you come to realize the idea of brand?
- Give us the quick version of your career path. How did you end up in marketing and brand?
- Across all the companies you've been at, what's the through-line in how you approach brand?
- Walk me through the brands you've worked on. Which one shaped how you think the most?
- Was there an early campaign or project that taught you something about brand you still use?
- Is there a job where the brand strategy was really working — and what made it work?
- Tell me about the brand you walked into at your current company. What shape was it in — and what did you do about it?
- What was the big idea you built the brand on, and what did that process look like?
The state of brand & marketing
- What's the brand in your industry that's doing it right, right now?
- What's changed most about marketing in the last few years that you don't think everyone's caught up to yet?
- Where are you spending your time and budget now that you weren't two years ago?
- What's a channel or tactic everyone's obsessed with that you think is overrated?
- What's the hardest tradeoff you're living with right now — brand versus demand, speed versus quality, something else?
Lessons & takes
- What's one experience from the beginning of your career that still influences how you approach your work today?
- Across your career, what's a belief about brand strategy that's held up — and one that's fallen apart?
- Where do you think marketing's heading next — and what should leaders be doing about it now?
Closing
- Who's a fellow marketer or leader you'd like to shout out — someone who's shaped how you think about your work, or is simply doing it right?
Look & sound your best.
A few minutes of prep is the difference between a good take and a great one.
Setting up your space
Pick a background with depth
A room you like, a window with a view — anything but a plain wall. Somewhere quiet, too; sound matters as much as the shot.
Log in and test your video
Open Zoom and look at your feed the way the audience will. Does the background hold up? Adjust before you record, not during.
Frame the shot
Your whole head and some of your torso in view. Sit a touch off-center, 2–3 feet back, with the camera at eye level — never angled up or down.
Light your face evenly
No harsh shadows off the nose or brow. The goal is simple: you should be brighter than — and stand out from — everything behind you.
Confirm audio and video
One last check that both are coming through clean. Then you're ready to roll.
Speaking to camera
Speak sincerely
Talk in your own words, straight from the heart. Do as many takes as you want — talking points are fine, a rigid script isn't.
Flub a line? Keep going
You don't have to start from the top. Just pick the sentence back up and continue — it's all edited together afterward.
Look down the lens
Set the Zoom window so the person you're talking to sits near the top-center of your screen. Your eyes find the camera — that's direct address, talking straight to the audience. Don't watch your own image.
Be confident, have fun,
speak from the heart.
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