Creative Haven

Christopher Willis is the CMO at Acrolinx and a specialist in Content Governance, AI, and pipeline management with over 20 years of experience growing companies in the technology sector.  In this episode, we talk about how his background in acting and directing theater productions influenced his management style because he leads a team of talent towards success for the company as well as the individual.  We discuss the breakthrough technology at Acrolinx which uses the power of AI to improve enterprise content, and why it’s important for a business to keep their content consistent in all communication to sustain a consistent voice. The limitations of artificial intelligence and why the unpredictability of human creativity retains the need to have a human in the process or else AI will produce formulaic and boring results. We nerd out on health and fitness as he talks about his experience as a CrossFit coach and how it contributes to his well-being and why people should improve the things they can control in their lives since it comes from a creative part of their soul that makes life interesting. Learn more at TheCreativeHaven.com

Mikhael Porter is a third-generation entrepreneur who is the co-founder of Needle Music: the world’s first social platform built to facilitate meaningful connections through music. In this episode, we discuss the power of music and how it’s a universal language that brings people together, how Needle is helping Dj’s and casual consumers share music and build communities through their favorite songs and artists, potentially giving curators the ability to monetize their selections, the evolution of Djing and house music and how Miami to him has become the forefront for electronic music in the US, how sharing music on social media has helped artists and musicians grow their careers, why music is a gateway to other cultures, and how success is all about just being happy. Learn more at TheCreativeHaven.com

Tom Geary is the Founder and Creative Director at the School of Thought, a fresh and innovative creative agency based in the San Francisco Bay area. Tom has positioned his agency as a leader in sustainability and social responsibility, creating high-impact campaigns for companies like Cisco WebEx, eBay, Bing, and Red Bull. In this episode, we discuss how his experience working at agencies and in-house at corporations helped him cultivate his skills as a marketer, why the purpose of marketing should be about creating an emotional connection with your audience, and why campaigns should be arresting with a strong hook, engaging to keep people interested, and distinctive to make it stand out. The unique idea of treating your marketing campaign like a stock portfolio since you can allocate your resources to conservative ideas to be safe but will have bigger wins if you’re risky and invest in ideas that are innovative. Why he strives to work on projects and with clients that lean into equity, inclusion, and social impact because he prefers to both meet his client’s objectives while doing some good in the world. And why he likes to work with people who are passionate about positively impacting the world rather than another large corporation looking to make a dollar. Learn more at TheCreativeHaven.com

Mark Drager is a pro-conversationalist, MC, moderator, brand strategist, and founder of the branding and creative agency Phanta Media In this episode, we discuss the ups and downs of his journey as a video production company owner and the lessons he learned from building a 7-figure business, why video business owners should go where the money is and templatize their products to have bigger margins and keep their companies afloat,  his philosophy of picking projects and clients by determining if they’re great stories, can bolster his portfolio, or bring in profits.  The elements of a successful video business team, which consist of a craftsman, a salesperson, and a project manager.  Dealing with imposter syndrome by looking at successful people and realizing that it took them a long time to get where they are so you shouldn’t be disappointed in yourself but aware that everything serves you and you are building towards the future you want.  And how you should always leave room in your schedule for freedom to do things that make you feel good because it allows you to get into your flow state and also keeps you happy. Learn more at TheCreatievHaven.com

Christine Pietryla Wetzler is the Founder and President of Pietryla PR & Marketing, an award-winning Chicago-based growth MARCOM agency that specializes in communications strategy and media relations for packaging, CPG, and professional services clients. She also supports small and mid-cap companies on their way to going public. In this episode, we discuss the definition, evolution, and best practices for PR and how it’s ultimately how you authentically relate to the public.  How PR should be your first investment as a fresh business owner because it can help you with increasing leads, awareness, and credibility while establishing your message to your audience and giving them a reason to care about what you have to say; Organic ways to manage your own PR by first knowing your needs and goals, and then reaching out to your industry’s top publications, finding editors that you like, and then offering them stories and content that aligns with their audience, rather than just pitching your company, The difference between good and bad PR campaigns, The importance of being authentic in the way you talk to the public to avoid being exposed for not practicing what you preach, and how she manages her time on the internet when researching stories for work so she doesn’t get sucked into a social media black hole of negativity and wasted time. Learn more at TheCreativeHaven.com

Matt Widdoes is the CEO of Mavan, and has 15+ years of experience working in growth marketing, user acquisition, and business development in the technology and entertainment industries, leading teams in companies such as Red Bull, Zynga, and King.  In this episode, we talk about the importance of data in marketing and the ethics of data collection for consumers, how data can direct creative ideas and sometimes basic designs get better performance than cool imagery, and why he believes B2C marketing can be more effective than B2B because you’re always selling to humans and ultimately consumers, his experience as a lead singer in a band which developed his growth marketing skills, and how his background in entrepreneurship and picking the right talent to build successful teams lead him to become an angel investor. Learn more at TheCreativeHaven.com

ML Post is a writer, director, producer, and filmmaker who is the founder of Underrated, an upstart streaming service for the independent film community. In this episode, we talk about the struggles filmmakers have with distribution and how hard it is to get a movie distributed on a major platform. How marketing is the most important part of the success of a film.  Why paying creators will help them create better movies which in turn will bring in more revenue.  How Web3, Cryptocurrency, and NFTs are changing the way creators are making content and getting paid with smart contract royalties.  The struggle of being a creative filmmaker and business owner at the same time.  And why young filmmakers should write movies within their budget and should always make sure the film’s story means something to you and the audience. Learn more at TheCreativeHaven.com

Jason Azevedo is the chief strategy officer at MRCA. He started his first manufacturing company with just $600 when he was only 15 years old and was able to grow it into a million-dollar business while working with companies such as Starbucks, Nike, Disney, Marvel, Volkswagen, Audi, and more. In this episode, we talk about building communities, making an impact, and how you shouldn’t look at your competitors as your enemy but as friendly relationships that will expand your network and community.  He also breaks the stigma of manufacturing in America and how having an “America-first” mindset to manufacturing can make a huge impact on a local level by providing jobs, and solving supply chain issues while making a profit. We talk about modern-day manufacturing and that the most important thing to do before mass manufacturing your idea is to figure out your goal and purpose of the idea so you can work with manufacturers, engineers, and other professionals to bring your vision to life.  We also have a fun discussion about our experience moving from California to Texas and how it’s the people that keep us here.  And how success to him means adding value to your community, making an impact, and helping people grow. Learn more at TheCreativeHaven.com

Richard Greene is a thought-provoking speaker who has coached celebrities ranging from Princess Diana, Deborah Messing, Will Smith, and Jada Pinkett-Smith, to help them utilize their celebrity towards effective non-partisan civic engagement. He’s also been a talk show host and has provided commentary for ABC Radio Networks, FOX News, and others. In this episode, we discuss the origins of life, the components of reality, and the meaning of God to elaborate on his point of how important curiosity is for life-changing moments.  We also talk about his 7 secrets to public speaking and how public speaking is about having a conversation from your heart about a topic that you are passionate about in order to help other people.  And also the importance of voting and why we should contribute to the evolution of our communities by using our votes and voice to enact changes we want for a better society. Learn more at TheCreativeHaven.com

Scott Gatz is the founder of Q.Digital, the media company behind GayCities, Queerty, and LGBTQ Nation, and has worked with brands like HBO Max, Mastercard, Lexus, and Target to connect with the LGBTQ community through various touchpoints. In this episode, we discuss the democratization of content creation and publishing which allowed him to build Q.Digital to tell stories about the LGBTQ community which doesn’t get represented enough in the media, his method of branding and the importance of community building when creating niche channels, the evolution of LGBTQ content and how the taste has changed over the years, the importance of managing your focus and leading small effective teams when building a business, and why you should take action on opportunities you recognize as gateways to success because you never know who or what can take you where you want to go. Learn more at TheCreativeHaven.com