The Spark Podcast: Nashville

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The Spark Podcast amplifies Nashville's creative voices, showcasing diverse talents and fostering growth through shared journeys. By exploring the unique experiences and stories of the city's agency owners, innovators, and creators, the podcast inspires connection and collaboration, reflecting Nashville's rich creative culture. Listen to The Spark Podcast: Nashville on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, or at creativeassembly.agency.

  1. 11 hr ago

    Looking Through the Turn: A Kitchen Table, a Global Sale, and Starting Over in Nashville with Elise Mitchell

    What happens when the company you built runs fine without you? Elise Mitchell started a PR firm at her kitchen table in Fayetteville, Arkansas, grew it 500% in five years with clients like Walmart and Tyson Foods, and sold it to Dentsu. She tells Mark Scrivner the founder story most people skip: the workaholism that came with growth, the intervention that changed how she led, and the hard question of who she was once she stepped away. For creatives, founders, and agency leaders, it’s an honest look at building something big without losing yourself. Topics include mindset during change, scaling with limited talent, founder burnout, selling an agency, identity after the exit, and looking through the turn. Episode Highlights 00:00 – The founder story that starts after the sale 06:04 – Moving to Fayetteville and choosing “bitter or better” 14:36 – What 500% growth cost: workaholism and perfectionism 20:43 – The intervention that changed how Elise led 31:12 – “I think I’m bored”: the road to selling to Dentsu 36:10 – Who are you when you’re no longer the CEO? 40:27 – Two questions that revealed her next chapter 44:46 – Big Mike and the lesson of looking through the turn Learn More & Connect:Show Notes + Resources: https://snapshot.agency/the-spark Connect with Elise Mitchell: LinkedIn | WebsiteGet Elise's Book, Leading Through the Turn Connect with Mark Scrivner: LinkedIn | WebsiteOur Sponsor - Snapshot Follow The Spark

    Looking Through the Turn: A Kitchen Table, a Global Sale, and Starting Over in Nashville with Elise Mitchell

  2. 22 Oct

    Building for Everyone Else: Craft, Legacy, and Community with Manuel Delgado

    What does it take to build something that lasts nearly a century? Manuel Delgado is the owner and master luthier of Delgado Guitars, the family business his grandfather and great-uncle founded in Mexico in 1928. He still builds every instrument by hand in East Nashville.  In this episode of The Spark, Manuel joins host Mark Scrivner to share how he went from East LA to East Nashville and why his grandfather’s advice to “take your time, because we’re in a hurry” still guides every decision. He also explains how a serve-first mindset led to restoring history at The Hermitage and building custom guitars for Nashville SC and Arrow McLaren. For creatives, founders, and business owners, it’s a lesson in building with patience and purpose. Topics include family business legacy, craftsmanship and quality, standing out in a crowded market, customer-centered product design, purpose-driven entrepreneurship, and community leadership in Nashville’s creative scene. Learn More & ConnectShow Notes + Resources: https://snapshot.agency/the-spark Connect With Manuel Delgado: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuel-a-delgado-7765b48/ | https://delgadoguitars.com/ Connect with Mark Scrivner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markscrivner | https://snapshot.agency/ Our Sponsor - Snapshot: https://snapshot.agency #TheSparkPodcast #CreativeAssembly #Luthier #HandmadeGuitars #FamilyBusiness #NashvilleCreatives #CreativeEntrepreneur

    Building for Everyone Else: Craft, Legacy, and Community with Manuel Delgado

  3. 15 Oct

    Different Materials, Same Instinct: Wes Webb on Design, DJing and Sculpture

    What happens to creative work when anyone can generate something “good enough” in seconds? Mark Scrivner sits down with Wes Webb, art director at Nashville's Locomotion Creative. By day, Wes builds brands for some of the region’s biggest names. By night he makes salvaged wood sculpture, ambient music, DJ sets, and homemade software. Wes explains why DJing is really just design, and how a quote from Louis Kahn shaped his whole creative practice. He also covers why Locomotion lets clients work directly with the people doing the work, and how he uses AI to augment ideas instead of replacing them. This conversation is for creatives, marketers, agency leaders, and young designers navigating a fast-changing industry. Topics include creative process, agency culture, client collaboration, AI in design, mentorship and Nashville’s creative community. Learn More & ConnectFollow The Spark: https://snapshot.agency/the-sparkConnect with Wes Webb: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wes-webb-7731598a/ | https://loco.design | https://iamweswebb.comEmail Wes: wes@loco.designListen to Wes on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5CaHtlHWsf55Kq8VHXImc9Connect with Mark Scrivner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markscrivnerOur Sponsor - Snapshot: https://snapshot.agency #TheSparkPodcast #CreativeAssembly #NashvilleCreatives #ArtDirection #AIinDesign #CreativeProcess #AgencyLife

    Different Materials, Same Instinct: Wes Webb on Design, DJing and Sculpture

  4. 8 Oct

    Fly the Kite: Betting a Career on Boldness and Building a Creative City with Alex Goulart

    What happens when a global creative director trades 200-person agencies for a team of seven and starts making more work than ever? Alex Goulart, Founder and Executive Creative Director of Fire Kite, spent two decades creating campaigns for Gillette, Nissan, Honda, and Qatar Airways across Europe and the US before launching his own agency in Franklin, Tennessee. He joins Mark Scrivner to share the Ben Franklin story behind Fire Kite, why strategy has to come before audacity, and how a small team became the most awarded agency at the local Addys. Topics include creative agency growth, brand platform strategy, cause marketing, Nashville's creative scene, new business development, and creative collaboration. Episode Highlights 00:00 - Alex shows off a replica of Ben Franklin's kite 10:28 - Why Alex left big agencies to start Fire Kite 14:01 - The Ben Franklin story behind the Fire Kite name 19:42 - The alien abduction insurance ad in The Wall Street Journal 23:34 - King Tut, charity: water, and a love ballad to the penny 30:20 - Why Nashville's creative energy feels raw and unformulaic 34:27 - Instinct Sessions and the power of small beginnings 40:30 - A goal to end human trafficking in Nashville in our lifetime Learn More & Connect Show Notes + Resources:  Vaulted: Because Gold Campaign charity: water: Penny Ballad Flower Crown https://creativeassembly.agency/ca-podcast/ Connect With Alex Goulart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergoulart/ | https://www.firekite.co Connect with Mark Scrivner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markscrivner | https://snapshot.agency Our Sponsor - Snapshot: https://snapshot.agency Follow The Spark: https://creativeassembly.agency/ca-podcast/ #TheSparkPodcast #CreativeAssembly #CreativeAgency #BrandStrategy #AgencyOwner #NashvilleCreatives #AdvertisingCreative

    Fly the Kite: Betting a Career on Boldness and Building a Creative City with Alex Goulart

  5. 1 Oct

    No Filter Needed: Why Authenticity is the Ultimate Special Effect with Rob Erickson

    As AI-generated content floods every feed, what actually cuts through? Rob Erickson, founder and CEO of Massive Mission, joins Mark Scrivner to share how he turned a severance package into a video production company trusted by major agencies and global brands. Rob explains why he believes authenticity will win the AI era, how his team uses AI to move faster without replacing people, and why a company mission rooted in giving back still guides his work. The conversation covers live event video production, agency partnerships, creativity in regulated industries, AI workflows, referral-driven growth, and his new paranormal podcast, The Weird Side. Episode Highlights 00:00 – Welcome to The Spark with Rob Erickson 02:12 – From aspiring engineer to hooked on video production 05:33 – The severance offer that launched Massive Mission 10:44 – The story behind the name Massive Mission 13:38 – Why authentic storytelling will outlast AI slop 19:32 – Growing through referrals and honest sales conversations 24:41 – Rob's AI mandate: faster work, no replaced people 30:04 – Inside The Weird Side, Rob's paranormal podcast Learn More & Connect Show Notes + Resources: https://creativeassembly.agency/ca-podcast/ Connect With Rob Erickson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberickson77 | https://www.massivemission.com Connect with Mark Scrivner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markscrivner | https://snapshot.agency Our Sponsor - Snapshot: https://snapshot.agency Follow The Spark: https://creativeassembly.agency/ca-podcast/ #TheSparkPodcast #CreativeAssembly #VideoProduction #LiveEventProduction #CorporateVideo #AIinMarketing #NashvilleCreatives

    No Filter Needed: Why Authenticity is the Ultimate Special Effect with Rob Erickson

  6. 24 Sept

    Pivoting and Bootstrapping: The Snapshot Story Behind the Curtain with Mark Scrivner

    What does it really take to build an agency from a hare-brained idea into a company that helped bring Amazon and MLS to Nashville? For episode 52, host Mark Scrivner, founder and CEO of Snapshot, steps into the guest seat while Snapshot President Josh Moquin takes the mic. Mark traces his path from restaurant operations to advertising, launching Snapshot on a $50,000 line of credit, surviving COVID with $40,000 in the bank and payroll due, and learning the discipline to niche down. It's an honest look at the pivots, near misses, and relationships behind a founder's journey. Topics include career pivots, bootstrapping, agency growth, crisis leadership, niche strategy, and the power of an abundance mindset. Episode Highlights 00:00 - Intro: Josh Moquin takes the host chair as Mark Scrivner steps into the guest seat 02:26 - From Houston's and J. Alexander's to running an ad agency 09:36 - Launching Snapshot with video resumes and a $50,000 line of credit 13:05 - Why founders who won't pivot go down with the Titanic 20:49 - Surviving COVID with $40K in the bank and payroll due next week 26:04 - Learning to say no and niching into industrial and behavioral health 31:40 - The story behind launching MasterMined and The Spark 45:43 - What Mark usually leaves out of the Snapshot story Learn More & Connect Show Notes + Resources: https://creativeassembly.agency/ca-podcast/ Connect with Mark Scrivner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markscrivner | https://snapshot.agency Connect with Josh Moquin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-moquin/ | https://snapshot.agency Our Sponsor - Snapshot: https://snapshot.agency/health Follow The Spark: https://creativeassembly.agency/ca-podcast/ #TheSparkPodcast #CreativeAssembly #FounderStory #AgencyGrowth #Bootstrapping #NashvilleBusiness #AgencyOwner

    Pivoting and Bootstrapping: The Snapshot Story Behind the Curtain with Mark Scrivner

  7. 17 Sept

    30 Years, One Company: How Tractor Supply's New VP of Marketing Thinks About Growth

    What does it take to spend three decades building one brand from the inside out? Eric Jackson has the answer. He started working at Tractor Supply at 16, worked his way through an agency detour at GS&F, and just three days before this recording, was promoted to VP of Marketing for Tractor Supply and PetSense. In this conversation, Eric traces that full arc: how "Life Out Here" grew from a small regional tagline into a national brand identity, what he actually looks for in agency partners, why curiosity beats talent when hiring, and how giving back became part of the company's DNA. This episode covers brand building, leadership transitions, agency relationships, hiring philosophy, and community impact, all from someone who has lived the brand he now markets. Episode Highlights 00:00 – Episode intro and welcome to The Spark 01:56 – Eric's start at Tractor Supply at 16, working alongside his grandfather 06:09 – The detour into advertising and landing at GS&F 10:15 – The Henry Ford quote that still guides how he operates 12:03 – Rebuilding Del's Feed and Farm Supply from the ground up 15:21 – How the tagline evolved from "stuff you need out here" to "Life Out Here" 33:43 – The one trait Eric looks for above all else when hiring 35:45 – His advice to agencies: take small bites before the big swing 45:18 – Inside the Country Mile award and the culture it protects Learn More & Connect Show Notes + Resources: https://creativeassembly.agency/ca-podcast/ Connect With Eric Jackson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-jackson-5230077/ | https://www.tractorsupply.com/ Connect with Mark Scrivner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markscrivner | https://snapshot.agency/health Our Sponsor - Snapshot: https://snapshot.agency/health Follow The Spark: https://creativeassembly.agency/ca-podcast/ #TheSparkPodcast #CreativeAssembly #BrandStrategy #AgencyPartnerships #MarketingLeadership #TractorSupply

    30 Years, One Company: How Tractor Supply's New VP of Marketing Thinks About Growth

  8. 10 Sept

    Building a Business With Your Daughter: Mark McNeely on Starting Over

    What does it actually take to build a PR agency from a card table to an industry landmark — and then do it all over again with your own kid? Mark McNeely spent 45 years answering that question. A former newspaper reporter who covered a corrupt governor and got tired of laughing at bad press releases, McNeely bootstrapped McNeely & Associates on $11,000 and a home equity loan, grew it into McNeely, Pigott & Fox — one of the largest independent PR firms in the Southeast — and then walked away to build McNeely Brockman PR with his daughter, Kelly. In this episode, he shares the campaigns he's proudest of, the crises that nearly broke him, and the mentors who shaped how he leads. Founders, agency owners, and marketers will walk away with hard-won lessons on credibility, succession, and building something that outlasts you — covering agency growth, crisis management, family business, mentorship, client trust, and legacy planning. Episode Highlights 00:00 – Mark opens with the philosophy that's guided his entire career: honesty isn't the best policy; it's the only one 09:59 – The bad press release that planted the seed for starting his own firm 24:18 – Bootstrapping McNeely & Associates on $11,000 and a home equity loan in year one 26:22 – The Nashville landmarks his firm helped shape, from Bridgestone Arena to Nissan Stadium 36:29 – The seven-year campaign to get wine into Tennessee grocery stores — his proudest professional win 40:31 – Why he chose his daughter, Kelly, as his partner in launching McNeely Brockman PR 53:14 – The three rules he gives every young PR professional he mentors 55:18 – Leading through crisis: 9/11, the 2008 recession, and a half-million-dollar theft Learn More & Connect Show Notes + Resources: https://creativeassembly.agency/ca-podcast/ Connect With Mark McNeely: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mcneely-1002a15/ | https://www.mcneelybrockmanpr.com/ Connect with Mark Scrivner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markscrivner | https://snapshot.agency/health Our Sponsor - Snapshot: https://snapshot.agency/health Snapshot Health | Behavioral Health Marketing Built for Growth and Impact Snapshot Health is a strategic growth and marketing partner for behavioral health organizations nationwide. We help treatment centers, mental health providers, and recovery programs grow responsibly by aligning brand, digital strategy, and patient acquisition with clinical integrity and long-term outcomes. Our team specializes in performance-driven marketing for behavioral health, including SEO, paid media, branding, marketing strategy, website development, and admissions enablement. We focus on attracting the right patients, improving conversion, and building scalable systems that support sustainable growth. Snapshot Health brings deep expertise in compliance, ethics, and trust-based marketing. We partner closely with executive teams to drive predictable admissions growth while protecting reputation, mission, and quality of care. Follow The Spark: https://creativeassembly.agency/ca-podcast/ #TheSparkPodcast #CreativeAssembly #PublicRelations #NashvilleBusiness #FamilyBusiness #AgencyLeadership

    Building a Business With Your Daughter: Mark McNeely on Starting Over
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The Spark Podcast amplifies Nashville's creative voices, showcasing diverse talents and fostering growth through shared journeys. By exploring the unique experiences and stories of the city's agency owners, innovators, and creators, the podcast inspires connection and collaboration, reflecting Nashville's rich creative culture. Listen to The Spark Podcast: Nashville on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, or at creativeassembly.agency.

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