Episodes

  • #96: Hinge CMO and President Jackie Jantos | Long-Term Thinking in a Short-Term World

    #96: Hinge CMO and President Jackie Jantos | Long-Term Thinking in a Short-Term World
    Sep 8 2025
    In a world obsessed with instant results, Jackie Jantos makes the case for brand building that lasts.

    From Coca-Cola to Spotify to Hinge, Jackie has spent two decades shaping brands that endure by focusing on cultural insights, inclusive teams, and work that actually serves audiences. Now, as President and CMO at Hinge—the dating app “designed to be deleted”—she’s proving that long-term growth comes from products that deliver real outcomes.

    In this episode of Soul & Science, Jason Harris sits down with Jackie to explore why usefulness beats flash, how empathy and courage guide her leadership, and why staying patient pays off in brand building.

    Key Takeaways:
    ✅ Design for outcomes, not vanity metrics—Hinge optimizes for “great dates,” not swipes
    ✅ Big insights upstream fuel creative ideas that can scale globally
    ✅ Credibility-rich programs compound more than week-long activations
    ✅ Empathy and courage work best as operating systems inside the company
    ✅ Long-term brand consistency beats short-term distraction every time

    Memorable Moments:
    💡 “What better way to encourage people to try your product than to be a product that really works?”
    💡 “I get most excited upstream—at the insight—when it feels unique and true.”
    💡 “Not every brand needs another stunty activation. Put resources where they’re genuinely useful.”
    💡 “Empathy and courage mean saying the hard thing, even if you botch it the first time.

    ”Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    37 mins
  • #95: Why Clients Don’t Want Collaborators | Michael Palma, Founder of The Palma Group

    #95: Why Clients Don’t Want Collaborators | Michael Palma, Founder of The Palma Group
    Aug 25 2025
    What do basketball, brand reviews, and $400M in agency wins have in common? Michael Palma.

    From being a Parade All-American athlete to coaching under Jim Valvano, Michael Palma pivoted into advertising recruitment—eventually placing more than 1,300 top talents and helping agencies win over $400 million in revenue. Today, as founder of The Palma Group, he manages reviews for global brands like Coca-Cola, Heineken, Peugeot, and Zaxby’s.

    In this episode of Soul & Science, Jason Harris sits down with Michael to unpack what makes partnerships last, how to spot red flags before they sink a pitch, and why true leaders walk with a “humble swagger.”

    Key Takeaways:

    ✅ Clients don’t want collaborators—they want leadership that listens
    ✅ There’s no “perfect” agency, only the ideal fit for the moment
    ✅ Good agencies get comfortable; great ones never stop bringing ideas
    ✅ A pitch is won or lost in the first five minutes of emotional connection
    ✅ Agency culture—not case studies—ultimately drives client choice

    Memorable Moments:

    💡 “Clients want leadership that listens. They don’t want collaborators.”
    💡 “If you’re gonna lose, lose as you. Don’t lose pretending to be someone else.”
    💡 “There is no perfect agency—only the best possible fit.”
    💡 “The mortal enemy of good agencies is efficiency. Great ones never stop caring.”

    Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    38 mins
  • #94: Future-Proofing Your Brand | Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur magazine

    #94: Future-Proofing Your Brand | Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur magazine
    Aug 18 2025
    Change is inevitable—but the most successful leaders know how to turn it into their greatest advantage.

    In this episode, Jason sits down with Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur magazine and author of Build for Tomorrow. From walking away from his first reporting job to pitching national outlets cold, Feifer has built a career on spotting opportunities no one asked him to pursue—and helping others do the same. They unpack how to future-proof your career or brand, the filter he uses to separate hype from lasting change, and why your personal mission statement should never hinge on a single role.

    Key Takeaways:
    ✅ “Opportunity Set B” can unlock your biggest career leaps
    ✅ Anchor your identity to transferable value, not your current title
    ✅ Trends that last solve old problems, not new ones
    ✅ Redefining productivity can help you sustain growth and avoid burnout

    Memorable Moments:
    💡 “Never be satisfied with the thing you already have. It’s a launching point for what’s next.”
    💡 “If nobody’s asking you to do it, that’s probably where the best opportunities are hiding.”
    💡 “Your mission statement should survive any change in title, industry, or medium.”
    💡 “Things that last are things that solve old problems in better ways.”
    💡 “Change doesn’t mean losing your value—it’s a chance to apply it somewhere new.”

    Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    39 mins
  • Mini: Cannes Lions Scandal — When AI Crosses the Line

    Mini: Cannes Lions Scandal — When AI Crosses the Line
    Aug 11 2025
    This year’s Cannes Lions Festival — the world’s biggest celebration of creativity — made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Brazilian agency DM9 was stripped of multiple awards — including a Grand Prix — after using AI to fabricate campaign case study results.

    Jason Harris breaks down how they pulled it off, why it’s a symptom of a bigger problem in the industry, and what Cannes is doing to prevent it from happening again. From deepfakes to fabricated results, AI is making award scams easier than ever — and the fallout could change the way we measure creative success.

    Key Takeaways:
    ✅ AI has made it easier to manipulate case studies and campaign results.
    ✅ Cannes Lions is implementing stricter AI disclosure rules and expert reviews.
    ✅ If we can’t trust the work we celebrate, what’s the point of celebrating it?

    Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    3 mins
  • #93: AI-Native Storytelling Is Already Here | Jason Zada, Founder of Secret Level

    #93: AI-Native Storytelling Is Already Here | Jason Zada, Founder of Secret Level
    Aug 4 2025
    AI isn’t just speeding up production—it’s rewriting the rules of storytelling.

    In this episode, Jason sits down with award-winning director and creative pioneer Jason Zada, founder of the AI-native entertainment studio Secret Level. From Elf Yourself to Take This Lollipop to an AI-generated Coca-Cola ad that sparked headlines and backlash, Zada has spent his career pushing the boundaries of how audiences engage with content.

    They dive into the power of participatory storytelling, what it means to build with AI from the ground up, and why creative leaders need to think less like traditional producers and more like technologists.

    Key Takeaways:
    ✅ AI-native production requires a totally new mindset—not just new tools
    ✅ Participatory storytelling builds deeper emotional connections
    ✅ Virality often comes from imperfection, not polish
    ✅ Creative leadership means placing long bets before the industry catches up

    Memorable Moments:
    💡 “Pre-production is the new post-production.”
    💡 “You can’t apply a traditional production mindset to AI. It just won’t work.”
    💡 “People didn’t hate the Coke ad until they found out it was AI.”
    💡 “The best thing about launching Secret Level? Being right.”
    💡 “Make something people love or hate. Anything else, why bother?”

    Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    36 mins
  • Mini: Leading with AI: C-Suite Strategies That Work

    Mini: Leading with AI: C-Suite Strategies That Work
    Jul 28 2025
    If you're in the C-suite, it's no longer enough to delegate AI experimentation to mid-level staff. In this Soul & Science mini, we unpack three smart, actionable ways senior leaders can stay sharp in the age of AI—from reverse mentorship to hands-on sprints to rewarding the AI-forward thinkers in your org.This is your leadership playbook for getting off the sidelines and into the AI sandbox.

    ✅ Key Takeaways:
    • Reverse mentorship helps leaders learn directly from internal AI experts.
    • Blocking time for AI experimentation keeps the C-suite hands-on and informed.
    • Rewarding innovation signals that AI curiosity is a company value.
    Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    5 mins
  • #92: When Creative Trust Changes Everything | Kate Torrance, VP of Brand at SickKids & Josh Budd, CCO at Citizen Relations

    #92: When Creative Trust Changes Everything | Kate Torrance, VP of Brand at SickKids & Josh Budd, CCO at Citizen Relations
    Jul 20 2025
    How do you take a hospital’s 150th birthday and make it feel like a city-wide celebration instead of just a line in a press release?

    In this episode, Jason sits down with Kate Torrance, VP and Head of Brand at SickKids, and Josh Budd, Chief Creative Officer at Citizen Relations, to unpack one of the boldest healthcare campaigns in recent memory. They share how SickKids transformed a milestone into a powerful storytelling opportunity through creative risk-taking, clear brand strategy, and a true partnership between client and agency. From crafting 150 stories of impact to launching a hot air balloon over downtown Toronto, Kate and Josh walk through the creative decisions that made it all possible.

    Key Takeaways:
    ✅ Strong partnerships start with trust, not briefs
    ✅ Simple ideas, like balloons, can carry powerful stories
    ✅ Emotional impact comes from authenticity, not pity
    ✅ The best ideas come from looking inward, not just at competitors

    Memorable Moments:
    💡 “It’s not a birthday without balloons.”
    💡 “Some days you wake up with a shovel, some days with a spoon.”
    💡 “If it triggers you, it might mean it’s powerful.”
    💡 “We didn’t just bring an idea. We brought a partnership.”
    💡 “You can break convention if the story is real.”

    Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    39 mins
  • Mini: Don't Let DEI D-I-E

    Mini: Don't Let DEI D-I-E
    Jul 14 2025
    As brands across the country scale back or scrap their DEI initiatives, it’s time to ask: what happened to the values they claimed to stand for? In this short solo episode, we examine the wave of corporate rollbacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion—from Target and Amazon to McDonald’s and Coca-Cola—and what these choices say about brand integrity.

    We’ll dig into:
    • Why DEI isn’t a “nice-to-have,” but a business imperative
    • The backlash companies like Target are facing from consumers and investors alike
    • How younger, more diverse audiences are demanding more from brands
    • Why retreating from DEI can cost you both brand equity and customer loyalty
    Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    4 mins