Gaby Bayona is a force in the bridal and modeling industries. The humble entrepreneur has been building her empire since her teens and is now the owner of multiple businesses. After starting out as a seamstress in her mom’s bridal business, Gaby discovered a passion for the industry. By the time she graduated high-school she knew she wanted to own …

This year, it seems like every company is trying to get involved in sports. It had us wondering, is there really an increased interest in sports or is this a perceived growth we’re seeing on our own feeds? We brought in sports marketing expert and Director of Content Strategy for William Raymond Communications, Shahob Mehr, to answer our questions.…

Subscribe to Arcade’s Newsletter, SCAN 👀 CLUB: https://www.arcadearcade.ca/scan-club Mitzi and Mike are back with another solo episode. This week, they’re talking through the top 3 news stories (signals) that they’re following. We break down what each signal could mean for the future of digital marketing. First up, Chipotle renames one of their loc…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… Marketers hold their breath and pray the Facebook pixel was installed correctly. Hopefully this episode will breathe some levity into your week. We’re shaking things up a bit this week–taking some time to have a catch-up and chat through some listener questions we’ve gotten. From handling tough client feedb…

Katarina (Kate) Terentieva went from studying International Relations, to building Tumblr blogs, to being a Partner and the Chief Creative Officer at Louder. Now, Louder invests in the world’s most competitive startups and helps them disrupt at scale. We break it down with Kate to learn about her story, how TikTok helped her grow her brand, her adv…

When Lauren Meisner and Jordyn Christensen noticed a gap in the market for influencer news that actually felt relevant, they decided they would be the ones to fill it. Now co-founders of Gen Z media brand, Centennial World, and popular podcast, “infinite scroll,” they join Mike and Mitzi to talk about their journey. The duo shares advice about carv…

Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster of wins and losses. But what if we told you that viewing these losses as opportunities for growth could change everything? In this episode, we’re joined again by founder of I Love Ugly, Valentin Ozich, to have a candid conversation about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Valentin returns as a follow-up to ou…

What if you could unlock the secret to bring a top performer at a marketing agency? That’s exactly what our 2023/2024 social media interns, Andrée Sonnenberg and Chamane Dizon, are looking to discover in this fascinating episode. Andrée and Charmane put Mike and Mitzi in the hot seat, turning the tables to ask them the questions they want to know a…

Jimmy Kim, CEO and co-founder of Sendlane, is known for his expertise in email and SMS marketing. In this episode, he shares his incredible journey from working in the car industry to becoming a digital marketing powerhouse. He shares his top tips for mastering the art of email marketing, particularly for ecommerce brands. Jimmy explains how email …

Do you struggle to create and release video content? If you aren’t at least dipping your toes into video, you’re falling behind. Half of all social media users prefer video over other types of content. 58% of viewers will watch an entire brand video if it’s less than 60 seconds long*. So, why aren’t all businesses and content creators doing it? In …

[REPOST] Your brand is a whole lot more than the products or services you sell. Your brand is what you stand for, and establishing your core beliefs can help you stand apart from the rest, attract like-minded clients, and better serve your community. Today’s guest is Ryan Mack, Chief Commercial Officer at Made In Network. As CCO, his job is a mix o…

Have you been wondering how AI will impact the future of digital marketing and content creation? In this episode we talk with Maria Osipova, CMO at Penny AI and one of the lead educators in Gigantic’s Generative AI course, to dissect the role AI can and will play in marketing. Gain insight into how these technologies are revolutionizing various sec…

Are you tired of feeling like your content is at the mercy of social media algorithms? Cameron Uganec, SVP & GM at Thinkific & The Leap, is trying to show creators a better way to monetize online. Cameron is a seasoned expert in building brands and products in the creator economy. In this episode he shares insights on how creators can maximize mone…

Ever wondered about the magic behind your favorite brand's unique sounds? Does your brand have a sound? Have you ever really considered it? Every time we add music to our social media videos, or sound effects, we start to build a sound ecosystem around our brand – and that affects how your audience feels. In this episode, we’re talking with sonic b…

Are brand deals dead? Is AI going to replace user-generated content? Should brands invest in creator partnerships? Where are the opportunities for creators to earn an income right now? In this episode, we sit down with Sean Scott, The Partnership Expert, to talk everything creator economy. Sean shares advice for creators looking to land big brand d…

Do you feel like you’re constantly chasing the tide of the digital marketing industry? Trends in the industry seem to move lightning fast and there’s no sign of it slowing down. We knew there had to be a better way. In this episode, we’re sitting down to talk with Alyssa Yuhas, Futurist, award-winning designer and the Creative Director at Arcade, a…

Since 2005, YouTube has ebbed and flowed in popularity. Now, we're seeing people navigating to the platform in waves, asking for longer-form content. In 2021, YouTube saw enormous growth, with a 46% increase in revenue. Now, over 2.5 billion people access YouTube each month. For creators and brands, it's a huge opportunity. In this episode, we sit …

For years it felt like everyone was moving away from email marketing and newsletter and onto social media. However, with changes to platforms and algorithms, email has seen a resurgence this past year. Creators are flocking to platforms, like Substack, where they can own their audience and curate their message. The only trouble is, how do you actua…

** This episode is sponsored by ilovecreatives. Learn more about ilovecreatives' graphic design course, here: ilovecreatives.com/waves ** Five years ago, we joined forces to start Arcade – our answer to the industry’s saturation of generalist marketing agencies. Using a digital first approach, we took on ecommerce clients looking for distinct, resu…

Back in 2008, up-and-coming artist, Valentin Ozich, started I Love Ugly out of his bedroom with zero experience in business or fashion. The brand experienced rapid growth, going from 0 to $10,000,000 in seven years. They had a flagship store in LA, Melbourne, Sydney, four flagship stores in New Zealand and a major license deal on the table in South…

Creator of her namesake intimates brand, Mary Young knew from a young age that fashion was her calling. Sure of her deep values of self-love and sustainability, Mary worked to build a brand that would stay true to these values even as it grew. For episode 57, we sat down with Mary to talk everything MARY YOUNG. We explore her business’ growth, how …

As the CEO and Chief Creative Office for The Craftsman Agency, Gina has worked with major entertainment brands like Disney to create buzz around new releases. For episode 56, we sit down with Gina to talk about the strategies and difficulties with marketing stories. We explore different storytelling strategies, that don’t give away the plot, and cr…

After working in design for over a decade (with many notable accomplishments), Alyssa saw a way she could take her work to the next level. She returned to school and began studying a Masters of Design in strategic foresight and innovation. As a future futurist, Alyssa researches topics around Web3, social media, the creator economy and more to help…

Entrepreneurship has always been in Marissa’s DNA. From a young age, she knew she wanted to pursue a career that felt like more than just a job. As life got busier, she needed a tool to help her stay organized but couldn’t find a planner to do the job. So, she built her own. For episode 54, we’re sitting down with Marissa to talk about her experien…

In April of 2022, the design-forward home scenting company, vitruvi, made a bold move that shocked their followers; they archived their entire Instagram feed, leaving up only a 3-grid with the phrase, “change is in the air.” Their followers guessed new packaging or the introduction of a brand color, but vitruvi took it a few steps further with an e…

This week, Mike and Mitzi are in the hot seat as the Arcademy interns take over Waves Social. Nyarout Jock and Addi Ninaber, Arcade Studio's inaugural social media interns, host episode 52 for an all-out AMA with Mike and Mitzi. They ask the burning questions new grads and marketers want to know, from how to get started in the industry to tips for …

After spending 12 years inside the in-house social media marketing world, Mario Moreno Sears knew it was time to mix things up. Armed with his experience working with Guess?, Forever 21, L’Oréal Paris and H&M, Mario was ready to start his entrepreneurial journey. He has since started a D2C brand, We Spill the Tea, launched his own social media agen…

For episode 50 of the Waves Social podcast, we are joined by the co-founders of THE NEW SAVANT, Ingrid Nilsen and Erica Anderson. We talk about their respective journeys, from working in tech and content creation to running a D2C brand that builds one-of-a-kind olfactory experiences. Ingrid shares her decade-long journey growing her YouTube channel…

Welcome back to the Waves Social podcast. For episode 49, we are joined by business analyst and entrepreneur Dulma Altan. Dulma is the founder of Makelane and Startup Stork, and has over 63k followers on her “B-School for women” TikTok account. In this episode, Dulma shares her advice for D2C brands and business owners looking to build community, i…

Welcome back to another solo episode of the Waves Social podcast. This time, we’re sharing the six routines and non-negotiables we live by now that we didn’t five years ago. A lot has changed since we started our business, and we’ve learned that many of our old habits weren’t going to make us successful in the long run. Over time we’ve developed th…

With 145k subscribers on YouTube, Scott Yu-Jan’s thoughtful storytelling style has undoubtedly resonated with watchers. His YouTube maker videos bring an approachable feel to the craft, inspiring audiences of all ages to test their creativity. For this episode, we sat down with Scott to talk about creativity, content creation and everything YouTube…

After spending eight years working in the creator economy, Kayley Reed realized the gaps she was working around wouldn’t go away on their own. That’s when she decided it was time to build a solution and began working on norm., a unique tech resource for influencers. In this episode, we catch up with Kayley about how the needs of the creator economy…

How often do you sit down and really hash out your quarterly goals with your content? If you said ‘never,’ you’re not alone. In this episode, we talk with Austen Tosone about how she’s grown her blog, “Keep Calm and Chiffon,” into her full-time job by treating it like she would any other career. She explains how she got started, the important role …

How did a hard kombucha brand manage to disrupt the alcohol industry and reach a net-zero carbon footprint while simultaneously building a powerful ambassador program? Ask JuneShine, a hard kombucha brand based out of San Diego. For episode 44 of the Waves Social podcast, we sat down with Annie Atwell, Director of Marketing at JuneShine, to talk ab…

What does it take to tell a really good story? For episode 43 of the Waves Social podcast, we’re joined by renowned documentary filmmakers, Mark Bone and Michael Del Monte, to talk about their successful online course, ‘The Art of Documentary.’ We discuss what led them to filmmaking in the first place, what impact social media has had on the indust…

For episode 42 of the Waves Social podcast we’re joined by stylist and social media phenomenon, Charly Goss. Charly dives into what it has been like to grow her presence online through the pandemic, how she leaned into passive income streams to exponentially grow her business, her experiences fighting cancer twice and how she’s built trust with her…

In this episode of the Waves Social podcast, we dive into 5 things we’re starting in 2022 and 5 things we’re leaving behind. From content creation to client relations, we explore what has and has not been working for us as an agency. We discuss the importance of creating video content that’s personable, in the moment and low-fi; we explore client d…

Welcome to Episode 40 of the Waves Social podcast. On this episode, we sit down with Gary Williams, Chief Creative Officer for Creative Theory Agency, to talk about his experience scaling the agency over the last year. Creative Theory is a culture-focused agency that has worked with big names like Google, Meta and YouTube. We talk with Gary about h…

Welcome back to the Waves Social podcast. For Episode 39 we are joined by Alyssa Lau, founder of the popular slow fashion web-store, New Classics. Alyssa is a Chinese-Canadian photographer, creator and new mom. On this episode we discuss how Alyssa went from studying chemistry in Edmonton to running an online boutique, a YouTube channel with 30k+ f…

For the final episode of our fourth season, we are joined by Franke Rodriguez, Partner and CEO of Anomaly, a global strategic and creative marketing agency. Franke’s desire to take Anomaly to new heights made him the perfect fit for his role as the youngest-ever CEO of their New York and Toronto offices, and he has worked with major blue-chip brand…

Despite being an experienced flyer at the peak of her career, a panic attack brought on by the prospect of another plane journey changed Sophie Gray's life forever. Instead of getting on the plane, Sophie and her husband tackled the long trip home in a car while the panic attacks continued. It was then that she realized that she needed to change so…

Today on the podcast, we welcome Sara McCabe, business coach, consultant, box-breaker, and not-so-secret dancer. After spending over a decade leading and developing teams across North America, she left the corporate world to help creative entrepreneurs work and lead in a way that actually works for them. Sara is Mitzi’s personal business coach or, …

Welcome to our first ever ask-us-anything episode, where your hosts, Mike and Mitzi, answer the questions you’ve been asking on Instagram. Many of you may know that we run an award-winning digital agency called Arcade Studios, which specializes in digital strategy, content production, social media, and email marketing. Our company has doubled in si…

Today’s guests join us to talk about digital advertising and paid media. Affectionately known as our very own ‘Paid Papis', Josiah Sinanan and Benjamin Velazquez bring tons of expertise on the subject. Josiah is the Digital Lead at Arcade Studios, where he provides an array of unique clients from e-commerce to entertainment with paid media strategy…

Today on the show, we speak with Lars Bengston, Chief Content Officer at Havas Health & You. Lars has built his career partnering with some of the world’s most ambitious brands and creatives, which you’ll learn a bit more about this interview. He joined Havas Health & You this year as their CCO, with the mission to help the global health industry r…

A few years ago, Alexander Simonelli, who had no prior experience in the food and beverage industry, swapped out his condo and his sales job for his parents’ home and a big idea, which evolved into a one-of-a-kind company; Daydream. A sugar-free, flavored sparkling water, infused with adaptogens that reduce stress, and a digital-native brand strate…

Why is it so difficult to meet other cool women? Rachel Wong and Istiana Bestari asked themselves this over and over again while attempting to make meaningful connections through boring networking events and male-dominated workplaces. Intent on finding a better way to build their careers, they cofounded Monday Girl, Canada’s first social club for p…

Welcome back to Waves Social! We waste no time kicking off season 4 with an incredible guest, Lissette Calveiro, a renowned Latina business coach, entrepreneur, and content creator. In 2020, Lissette was named a top 10 social media coach by Yahoo Mail, and she also received a Shorty Award for her Kindness Cards campaign. In today’s episode, Lissett…

A collective approach to connectedness might seem a bit obvious, but today’s guest has blazed a trail that embraces new forms of digital interaction to create deeper levels of community. Scott Bakken is passionate about creating spaces where people can connect and build authentic relationships. He is the Founder and Creative Director of Socality, a…

If the pandemic has reminded brands of anything, it is the value of data as a catalyst for efficient, effective marketing and a foundation for future business growth. If you want to hack success and discover growth opportunities, however, you need to track and measure actionable data, not vanity metrics, and today’s guest has some practical advice …