Something New is Arriving Monday...💻
From being completely clueless, asking "what do you do?" to working on search ads when Google first launched, to zombies literally taking over Advertising Week NY (and joining them because tired), this week covered unconventional career paths and the hard-earned wisdom that came with them 💥 The consistent advice? Be bolder, be more confident, and stop worrying about what you don't know because everyone starts somewhere completely clueless 🚀
But next week brings big conversations: Joe Bennaroch on why you don't need to be the loudest person in the room, you need to be the most informed (listen first, speak second), Moments that Mattered from ANA Masters of Marketing revealing what goes into making industry magic happen, and a Halloween costume compilation showing the industry's playful side 🎃 Now Let's Look Ahead ATM ⤵️
The Weekly Digest 📬
Monday: WSJ's Megan Graham Breaks Down the News 📰
- From Nancy Drew Fan to WSJ Reporter: Childhood obsession led to journalism career, applied to 75+ jobs before Kokomo Tribune hired her, now covers CMO Today on how companies break into zeitgeist, believes best stories come from social media chatter not pitches, still texts mom cooking photos for approval (recently made crispy rice with smoked salmon and ate all but two pieces) 📚
Tuesday: Dana McGraw's Journey from Basketball Court to Disney's Data Lab 🏀
- From Basketball Coach to Disney's Measurement Leader: Coached 8 years before pivoting to data at Yahoo Sports, then Disney, proves measurement is fluid, not finite, with no single metric, debunks cross-platform measurement myths through identity resolution, leads industry shift from reach to outcomes with leadership philosophy "you never lose when you lead with compassion and give people grace" 🏰
Wednesday: Microsoft's Jennifer Kattula Helping Reinvent Brands with AI 🤖
- From Engineer to Microsoft CMO: Started coding in web 1.0, became the 6th person on Facebook's marketing team, early ChatGPT adopter who rejoined Microsoft to lead zero click revolution (4 of 5 people use it for half their searches), building conversational, agentic brand experiences for 2026, can still do handstands while binging billion-dollar exit podcasts 💻
Thursday: How Ruth Mortimer Turned Storytelling into Global Events 🌎
- From Archeologist to Advertising Week President: Started digging up history in the Middle East, became a journalist, now leads Advertising Week's education-entertainment model while launching Playmaker Awards for sports, expanding globally to Mexico City, Tokyo, and Europe in 2026 with the philosophy "be brilliant at something, not everything" 🏺
📰News You Should Know
The Tech Buzz Team
Sarah Whitten
Nellie Andreeva
☀️Next Week on ATM
We came, we saw, we conquered: ANA style 💪
XOXO,
