“This podcast is an exercise in not being perfect” says recovering perfectionist Ken Calcaterra. Amen brother.Fresh off his documentary Emmy, video storyteller, podcast host and my buddy Ken Calcaterra and I interviewed each other just for kicks. We determine: Larry deserves as much as Bono – Old guys still want to rock – Creative’s wouldn’t be hur…

McAnallen and Son. When you meet Ray McAnallen, he’s one of those guys you don’t forget. Cigar, beard, Hawaiian shirt, that certain swagger – is he a private eye in a Carl Hiasson book? A Lost Jimmy Buffet keyboardist who missed the tour bus? Nope, Ray is a St. Louis Ad man. And what you see is what you get with Ray - he’s been part of the St. Loui…

Content, motion, sound and swagger. Antidote is the remedy to rock. Michael Francis and Ryan Bury started their production studio 8 years ago. It was small and scrappy and defined by a peculiar little space and very good work. They’ve since grown up and grown out. With a vast and beautiful new space, new look and feel and a fresh sensibility they’v…

Fathers Day Special – Cbabi Bayoc takes on the art of being a dad. Cbabi Bayoc's artistic work mixes caricature, realism, portraiture, and compassionate observation to create an important and remarkable narrative of the African American family experience. In fact, a few years ago he painted a finished work every day for a year on the subject of fat…

Recovering Creative Director. Chris Aguirre leads the Recovery Revolution. After nearly 20 years of sobriety and a few years out of the ad business, Chris Aguirre found himself at the point in his life where something had to give. His own battle with depression and social anxiety mixed with a creative’s dark cynicism had pushed him out of the ad bu…

Check out the Schwinn Varsity Trailer here. NSFW. https://vimeo.com/213769266Summer, 1977. Two teenage boys set out on a bicycle journey in an epic search for freedom, America, and a dumpster full of discarded Porno mags. A little "Stand By Me", a little "Dazed and Confused" and a Whole Lotta Love, writer/producer Richard Eschenroeder has had "Schw…

“There’s these two knuckleheads on the couch telling the editors what to do, that’s when I realized I wanted to be one of those guys," says Joe Bishop on the moment he realized he wanted to be an agency creative. Since then he and his compadres have been creating some of the more famous and infamous (Quadracorn!) work to come out of the St. Louis a…

Talent Plus turns 40.“I still love doing this,” says Sharon Tucci, which is not at all surprising if you've spent any time around her. Her daily enthusiasm, real generosity and natural ability to listen and connect have made her one of the true cultural icons of our city. In every era since she opened her doors in 1977, Sharon has been on trend and…

Keep Fast Company. Jon Maurice has the Need for Speed. With the new show, Speed is the New Black, coming to Velocity in May and Fast N’ Loud roaring into it’s 10th season, Jon Maurice and his No Coast cohorts have made plenty of noise in reality TV. Now they’ve turned their sights into using this model to creates hits and build audiences for brands…

This podcast sponsored by Creative Circle!Kicking off our Badass series, Jen and I wanted to interview creative types who are in their prime and knocking it out of the park. Leslie Bogosian fits that bill. Sharp, fearless, the consummate idea driven art director, we talk to Leslie about the workings of the modern creative team, badass women in the …

Meet Michael Weiss, VP Marketing of Creative Circle and lifelong story teller. From being a Musician, Script Reader, PA to Roseanne and Tom, Author, Digital Agency Owner, and then to Creative Circle, Michael brings a unique perspective and eclectic mix of experience to the creative talent agency game. Jen and Jeff talk to Michael about the new para…

This episode sponsored by Creative Circle!Tom Townsend is a Creative Director's Creative Director. Constantly curious, he is interested in everything and has built a career based on the integrity of great work. Yet, he has done arguably done most meaningful work since he left the agency he co-founded. Tom has brought to life his dream of giving Pia…

Getting a truly meaningful insight to create from is often more valuable than the idea that comes from it. Bob Cuneo figured that out 15 some odd years ago as a Creative Director watching his work get murdered in the graveyard of a poorly run focus group.So he decided to start his own insight driven strategic agency. And over time, they've become o…

"The people that got into the marijuana business are the same kinds of people that own bars. Risk takers, storied personalities and extremely fun to hang out with," notes this week's guest Jack Thorwegen in what could easily be a description of himself. As the kick-off to our Legends series, our new co-host Jennifer Oertli and I sit down and talk t…

Everybody’s Angel Investor. Laura Burkemper knows the start-up hustle. In fact, she might be the busiest woman in the St. Louis Start up game. She’s a lead mentor in Stadia Ventures, a big part of the Billiken Angel Network, teaches entrepreneurship at SLU and has helped create an impressive portfolio of investments, strategic vision and bottom lin…

How's your novel coming? If you are one of the half million or so crazy would be writers out there who are trying to finish your novel in 30 days as part of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) you've got one day left to finish off your 50,000 word masterpiece! Or in my case, a 50,000 car pile up. But it's done and I have Kelly Jones to thank f…

Daniel Wiseman, Creative Director, is one of the founders of Pixel Press. With the recent Mattel Toy deal, this startup looks like it's really taking off. Daniel tells Jeff about the founding of the company, getting to design a game for Cartoon Network, and the ups and downs of doing a start up in St. Louis. Check out Daniels amazing work here.http…

Jeremy Corray, Defender of the St. Lunaverse! Jeremy talks! He and Jeff chat about his brave new world with Coolfire Studios, his being able to live a childhood dream and work on Voltron, the early funny stuff and how he sees the future of content studios. And a whole lot more!Every Thirty Secondshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2PRsoyLnaUMusic by …

We say all politics is local and I believe it. As much as the always-on-eleven-reality show the current presidential campaign has become, it’s the decisions of the city and the neighborhoods we live in that will actually have far greater effects on our daily existence.Kacey works for US Bancorp in the Community Development Corporation and co-chairs…

The Real Mad Man. Jon Hamm is figuring out exactly how to change your mind. WPP decided the world needed another global activation shop. So it cobbled together three or four of its agency chains with offices and staffs and cultures from all over the world and named the new entity Geometry.Then they went out and got somebody crazy enough to pull it …

In the creative business you always hear about hiring people that are better than you. Or more appropriately, hire those who scare the bejesus out of you. I had no idea what that meant until I met Ben Little some 12 plus years ago.I met Ben my first month in London, he was in his mid 20’s and already a charismatic force that both attracted and crea…

Write Way Round. Tom Hodgson has a story to tell. I’m in London this week and was lucky enough to cast some pod with various creative types and gangsters that I’ve worked with over the years. There was no one better to catch up with then the screenwriter Tom Hodgson. Giving him that title has a long time coming, as Tom has wound his way through fil…

Punk Rock PostIf DIY is the Punk Rock ethos, then rukus is the kind of production house that breaks out and builds a t-shirt wearing cult following by making great music and working their asses off. Celebrating their sixth year in business, Michael Hurst talks about being thrown in the deep end and surviving, evolving into an Executive Producer and…

The Ministers of Sound - Mark Bartels of 90dw and Mike Radentz of Antidote.Sound, I would argue, might be the most overlooked, vitally important, and very mysterious aspect of any production. Yet, when it's done well, it can take something good and make it a thing of beauty. Mark and Mike talk to Jeff about their craft, their tricks, favorite movie…

Peace, Bread and Social Enterprise.'A-ha' moments can arise at any time, anywhere. For Markey Culver, it was when she found herself hungry while walking back and forth between her house and the school where she taught English in a small East African village. Markey tells the fascinating story that led her to create The Women's Bakery - a vocational…

Meet the Method Ad Man. The longer Wade is in the business, the more he wants to stay close to the work. As a founder of the agency Grenadier in Boulder (named after the elite senior troops that led the great armies of the last century), Wade and his colleagues are operating against the age old agency principle: As soon as you become great at creat…

SPACE RACE. Matt Homann is fixing your sucky meeting.Too many meetings. It’s on everyone’s short list of things we complain about at work. Start late. No agenda. Somebody with a 167-slide deck trying to show how smart they are. The last hour, wondering if you stabbed yourself in the eye with your pen, would that be enough to end the meeting? Please…

The Data Whisperer. Jenny Dibble knows your KPI's.In a world full of data, those who can make sense of it have the advantage. Jenny has made a career of doing just that. From building and selling her first agency in Seattle, to her stints at Amazon, Coolfire and Brighton, to her new venture, Creative Anvil, Jenny tells Jeff about SaaS tools, vanity…

Kay Cochran is Smoking.One of the original RT'ers, she was employee 006, Kay tells Jeff about the agency as it approaches 20 years, working with up and comers and what goes into a great campaign. Links to stuff we talk abouthttps://vimeo.com/142153758Music by Flaming Death TrapBy The Creative Stickup

Creative Disrupter. John Dames brings in the big guns. There aren’t that many creatives in town that I truly have portfolio envy over. John Dames is one of them. From being CORE number 001, to directing and designing epic videos, to helping Special Forces do their jobs, John tells Jeff about firing clients, doing it all wrong and having the balls t…

Enjoy my highly relevant and enlightening conversation with Ryan Brown where we discuss in no particular order:The Adjacent Possible and how you need to start rubbing shoulders with everyone a whole lot more. Placing Small Bets and then rigorously testing and adjusting the results. The Way of Being Relevant, Ryan's four part breakdown of the very w…

Meet the Designer.You've heard of design thinking, Mike Spakowski is a true practitioner and connoisseur. As founder and creative director at Atomicdust and Chairman of Design Week, Mike tells Jeff about his journey from tinkering with computers to founding his shop and the design centric, collaborative way he approaches his work and the St. Louis …

One of the best parts of St. Louis and doing this Podcast is finally getting to meet someone you’ve heard about for years but never met. The town is the exact size for these encounters to happen often. Just large enough where you can’t know everyone, but small enough to where you know someone who doesI had the pleasure of meeting Elizabeth Tucker o…

If every arts scene needs it's patron to thrive, Susan Sherman is certainly on a very short list for the role. For 25 years she's worked to help make our performing and visual arts community a vital part of this city. Now she's tackling her biggest challenge - bringing back the fashion business. Susan tells Jeff all about the St. Louis Fashion Fund…

Allan Meyerson has brought his New York edge and helped build one of the biggest and most successful agencies in St. Louis. He's surrounded by great talent, big clients and a shop thats found its groove. Allan talks to Jeff about his no nonsense approach to building a great creative culture and his journey from the New York shop with his name on th…

Take me to Church.Matt Miofsky has become a man of God. He leads a vibrant and growing Church in St. Louis. But before all that he was an theoretical math major at Wash U looking for someplace to channel his creativity. Matt talks to Jeff about his journey, his storytelling process and how a quirky spirit can lead you to fulfillment down the road l…

Mixology and cocktail culture is everywhere, it's one of the most creative spaces being explored. The most creative of these spirits? It might just be Gin. No one in the world has a better handle on this effervescent spirit than Natasha Bahrami, The Gin Girl and namesake of the St. Louis Institution, Cafe Natasha. http://www.natashasginroom.com/htt…

What does it take to lead an agency?These are the folks who know the answer. Annie Castellano - Senior Vice President/Executive Creative Director at ITCStacey Goldman - Principal/Chief Strategist/CannonballGus Hatrich - President at Paradowski CreativeAllan Meyerson - Senior Vice President/Executive Creative Director at Group 360…

New Honor Society's Holly Aguirre and Heidi Singleton (Hi Ho) are building great agency culture. From the disparate pieces of Zip and Rivet, they've found their soul and are bringing inspiring marketing to brands and the St. Louis agency scene.By The Creative Stickup

We asked the town for the rising stars of 2016. This is who they sent us. Check out the young guns, where did they come from and where are they headed? Bri Gilomen – Junior Creative Project Manager at FHJerry McNeive - Digital Production Developer/Designer at Rodgers TownsendRebekah Nelson - Video Editor/Production Artist at H & L Partners Justin S…

Radiant CX's Amy Gwin hosts an Innovation Roundtable with Pat McGauley of The Startup Within, Angela Minges of Nestle Purina and Dan Reus of Openly DisruptiveBy The Creative Stickup

Always Travel with a Townie.Meet the ultimate one. Does St. Louis have an unofficial mayor? If it does, Mr Smith may be that guy. Publican, Promoter and Fixer of all kinds, including, perhaps the racial divide, Steve takes me on an epic MLK day drive through North St. Louis, where we talk music, boxing, politics and the best North Side taverns to e…

Josie Littlepage has become the go to wedding planner in St. Louis. If you think you've got nervous, emotional or demanding clients, it's nothing compared to the creative endeavor and cast of characters that inhabit your average wedding. Josie gives Jeff the lowdown on brides to be, overbearing mothers and modern love. Check her out at http://www.c…

Rob Grimm wants to teach the world to shoot. After surveying a sea of crappy "how to" Youtube videos, Rob Grimm and his partner Gary Martin, have decided to do it right. At RGGEDU.com, Rob reveals and gets other huge photogs to reveal their secrets. It's bit like great Magicians showing you how they do it!Music by Flaming Death Trap…

Kevin Brennan is cultivating new evenings of culinary one night stands, and it sounds delicious. When he started, he didn't want to own a bar. But he does. So he's constantly innovating by trying new and interesting ideas so he can pretend like he's out of the bar business. From the Cigar Club and Brand, to the BHive co-working space to the Skunk'd…

Fast Times at Fusion Marketing. Brian and Jeff talk about the ups and downs of having the toughest job in the Advertising business. From influences, to talent to how to run a creative department, Brian is getting it done and the work at his agency has never been better. Books recommended: Creativity Inc, by Ed Catmull.Music by Flaming Death Trap…

As part of our Sticky Business evening, Carlos Zamora interviewed Jen Oertlihttps://stickybusinesscom.wordpress.com/By The Creative Stickup

From writing and shooting to finding the money, filmmaking is the ultimate creative endeavor. Chris and Angie Lawing, Partners in Mercury Labs, know how hard it is to get one made. One of their films, Witness 11, is showing as part of the St. Louis International Film Festival on November 11 at the Tivoli Theater. They sat down with Jeff to talk abo…

A St. Louis O.G. tells tales of creating, building and flipping Hot Rods Shows, Cinnamon Tequila and Ending then Restarting the Feud between the Hatfields and McCoys. Books mentioned you should read: The Mission, the Men and Me by Pete Blaber and The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas TalebMusic by Flaming Death Trap…

In the new series brought to you by C8S and Radiant, Jeff and Amy discuss the gap in company values, what leaders can do about it and the secret of the Cardinal Way. Flaming Death Trap provides the music. Photo by Mike Fehr.By The Creative Stickup