"Let's Talk About..."

Cynthia Nelson
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Hello and welcome to “Let’s Talk” a series dedicated to all things media, marketing and technology. I’m your host, Cynthia Nelson, 3x entrepreneur, Forbes contributor, author, investor and advisor. Each episode features an esteemed CEO, author, artist, marketer, entrepreneur, creator, or brand sharing invaluable tips and expert advice on navigating the realms of business, media, and life

  1. 12/02/2025

    Matt Behrend, CEO of Agility

    🔦 Today’s spotlight is on someone who has mastered the art of leading through disruption — Matt Behrend. Before he ever stepped into the world of marketing and technology, Matt started with a background in psychology, which explains a lot about how he leads. He understands people first, markets second — and that’s why his teams follow him through change with clarity and conviction. When I asked him how he balances reacting to short-term pressure while still steering Agility toward long-term growth, he said something that stuck with me: ⚡ “You can’t protect your future by panicking about the present.” That mindset has shaped Agility’s trajectory through some of the biggest industry shifts we’ve seen. One of Matt’s core beliefs is that smart teams and strong culture outperform any external headwind. For Agility, that means practicing radical clarity — no spin, no politics, no guesswork. It’s a cultural habit that has kept the company resilient when things got tough. And if you’ve followed Agility’s work, you’ve seen how Matt brings creativity and technology together in a way that elevates both. With a psychologist’s lens, he understands that tech should enhance creative thinking, not silence it. It’s the combination that has produced some of Agility’s most successful ideas. 🔥 But perhaps his most provocative point of view is around the future of brand creativity. Matt believes the industry needs to “burn the ROAS flag” — because chasing short-term return is killing long-term brand value. In a world obsessed with dashboards and two-week performance windows, he is one of the few voices pushing companies to invest in brand building that lasts. 🔥 No surprise he’s built an audience of nearly 10,000 professionals who show up for his honesty. When I asked him the advice he gives most often to leaders trying to grow without burning out their teams, he didn’t hesitate: “If people are exhausted, they stop imagining. And imagination is where growth actually starts.” Matt Behrend is the rare leader blending psychology, creativity, tech, and brand vision into something that actually moves businesses forward. If you’re not following him yet, you should be.

    15 min

  2. 11/25/2025

    Wing Ngan, Original Designer of the Scratch Cat

    🎙️ New Episode: The Untold Story Behind the Scratch Foundation Cat — With Designer & Artist Wing Ngan Today, I’m honored to share a conversation with Wing Ngan — the designer, artist, and original creator of the Scratch Cat and many of the sprites that have fueled the imagination of millions of kids worldwide. Wing’s journey is as inspiring as the character he brought to life. Born in #Hong Kong, Wing moved to the U.S. at 17. He had been drawing since he was a young child, sketching between school, home, and the Chinese restaurant where his father worked long hours. He always loved design, but like many kids of immigrant parents, pursuing art felt almost impossible to justify. One night, after a long shift at the restaurant, Wing found the courage to tell his father ('cause he knew he was tired!) he wanted a creative future — but he softened the blow by saying he wanted to be an architect. That small act of bravery changed everything. He was accepted to University of Massachusetts Amherst, discovered graphic design, and instantly fell in love with the form, the craft, and the possibility it held. That path eventually led him to Massachusetts Institute of Technology., where he spent about six weeks working closely with Mitch Resnick and the learning lab teams. With a remarkable amount of trust and creative freedom, Wing explored how the now-iconic Cat should look, feel, and move. That freedom — he emphasizes — was what allowed him to create a character that has since become a global symbol of creativity for kids everywhere. Today: ✨ More than 200 million kids have interacted with the Scratch Cat. ✨ Over 500,000 projects are created on the platform every single day. ✨ Scratch has become the world’s leading creative learning movement, reaching nearly 30 million users annually. In our episode, Wing shares & shows: 1️⃣ His personal journey — from Hong Kong to UMass to MIT. 2️⃣ The early inspiration and emotional intention behind the Scratch Cat. 3️⃣ The design principles that allow sprites to be simple, expressive, and infinitely remixable. 4️⃣ What it was like collaborating with Mitch Resnick and the Scratch team during the platform’s earliest days. 5️⃣ How to design characters for a global audience of kids and educators. This conversation is a beautiful reminder that creativity isn’t just a skill — it’s a bridge. Wing’s work has helped hundreds of millions of kids feel joy, confidence, and agency in what they can create. The Scratch Cat isn’t just a character — it’s a companion in the creative journey.

    17 min

  3. 11/12/2025

    Steve Halland, Managing Partner, The Halland Group

    🎙️ Building Trust, Culture & Clarity: Leadership Lessons from Steve Halland What separates good companies from great ones? According to Steve Halland, CEO of The Halland Group, it comes down to vision, trust, and culture. Steve has scaled organizations from scrappy startups to multi-billion-dollar enterprises, doubled revenue as a CRO, and led multiple companies through successful exits. But what makes his approach different is how deeply he focuses on people—the leaders, teams, and relationships that fuel real growth. In this episode of “Let’s Talk About…”, we unpack: 💡 How to build vision and clarity that aligns everyone in the organization 💡 Why relationships and trust are the foundation of joyful, successful companies 💡 How to create space for leaders and teams to talk openly about change 💡 The critical mindset shift executives must make to scale, delegate, and truly listen 💡 What it takes to navigate choppy waters—M&A, turnarounds, or even an IPO—without losing your culture 💡 The biggest operational gaps Steve sees when stepping in as an embedded advisor or interim leader—and how to fix them fast 😊 As Steve puts it: “If you’re not having fun, why do it?” Because in the end, culture isn’t just a line on a slide—it’s the engine that drives scalable, resilient, and joyful companies. 👇 Tag a leader who’s building something bold and wants to lead with trust and vision.

    24 min

  4. 10/28/2025

    Austin Allan & Abby Sugar, Sugar Wood

    Sweet, Naughty, and Defiantly Nice 🍫🍓 Meet Austin Allen and Abby Wood, the brilliant duo behind Sugar Wood — a naughty but nice dessert-decorating experience and DTC kit brand that’s turning heads (and licking spoons). From drinkable gazpacho and LGBTQ fashion to autonomically-shaped (yes, use your imagination 😉) waffle products that bring joy to bachelorette parties, brunches — and maybe even Thanksgiving dinner — these two know how to mix pleasure, purpose, and play. But it’s not just about edible fun. Sugar Wood also supports breast cancer awareness, helping bring a smile during even the darkest times. With a zero-inventory, cash-up-front DTC model, they’ve gone from a hit NYC retail shop to a full-on nationwide e-commerce brand that delivers laughter, sweetness, and a healthy dose of sass. Hey investors — this is one to watch. No taboos. No shame. Just good, clean (well, mostly 😉) edible fun.

    29 min

  5. 10/21/2025

    aimie Schwartzman, Chief Creative Strategist at Flux Branding

    New Interview Drop: Jaimie Schwartzman, Creative Strategist at Flux Branding Jaimie shares how her proprietary IDEA Method helps companies rediscover who they are — and who they’re meant to be. We dig into: 💡 The origins of the IDEA Method and how it uncovers a brand’s true identity 🌪️ What to do first when your brand faces upheaval or major change ❤️ Why culture is the heartbeat of every authentic brand 🔄 Lessons from rebranding across wildly different industries — from car parts to Spotify 🤖 How to stay human and authentic in an AI-driven branding world It’s a powerful conversation about identity, resilience, and creativity in motion.

    13 min

  6. 10/14/2025

    Chris Hallberg, the "Sargent of Business"

    Chris is a U.S. military veteran turned entrepreneur and leadership coach who’s made a career out of turning strong companies into unstoppable ones — fast. He’s been ranked #9 on Inc. Magazine’s Top 50 Leadership & Management Experts, ahead of names like Simon Sinek. And he’s walked the talk: scaling and selling an energy-efficiency business at an 8x multiple during the Great Recession, while competitors were shutting down. Today, he’s coached 100+ leadership teams through EOS, with clients achieving 90%+ employee engagement and over 100 “Best Places to Work” awards — numbers that speak for themselves. He’s also building a $5M AI-driven EOS platform, blending data and leadership in ways that are already turning heads. In our conversation, we got into: 💡 How to make game-changing decisions under pressure ⚙️ The #1 mistake leaders make when implementing EOS (and how to fix it) 🏆 What it really takes to build a culture that wins awards and delivers results 🤖 Why AI could be the next big unlock for leadership alignment 💪 The military lesson he still uses every single day — one that most people would never expect Chris brings a mix of discipline, heart, and straight-talking wisdom that’s rare — and incredibly relevant for any leader scaling through chaos.

    24 min

  7. 09/04/2025

    Scott Degrosseilliers, CEO of Wicked Reports

    Great interview with Scott Desgrosseilliers CEO of Wicked Reports, and it’s one you won’t want to miss. 🚀 We dug into how his 5 Forces System helps #eCommerce brands make smarter marketing decisions, what billions in ad spend have revealed about real #ROI drivers, and why future-proofing with first-party data is non-negotiable. Scott also broke down his powerful “Scale, Kill, Chill” methodology — a data-driven way to quickly and confidently decide which campaigns to grow, pause, or retire. With deep #AI-driven insights and automated reporting, Wicked Reports helps brands use the right tool for the right job (because as Scott says: you don’t measure your height with a scale!). From top-of-funnel to lead gen to conversions, Wicked Reports delivers clarity in a world of data chaos — giving marketers the confidence to back every dollar of ad spend with proof. Stay tuned for the full conversation — you’ll rethink how you measure, attribute, and act on your data.

    21 min

  8. 09/02/2025

    Cat Holt, CEO of Coologee

    🎙️ Just wrapped an inspiring conversation with Cat Holt, CEO of Coologee, Inc. on the podcast — and wow, she dropped some gems worth repeating: ✨ Reinventing legacy without losing soul We unpacked Cracker Barrel’s “hard right” and the lesson it holds for every brand navigating reinvention. Evolution must honor heritage — otherwise you risk alienating the very community that made you. 🤖 AI + CX: The non-negotiables Cat stressed the need for clear standards: data sources, accuracy, compliance, and always a human-in-the-loop. Because when humans step out, hallucinations step in — and consumers can tell. Accountability + audit can’t be optional. 💡 Fractional CMO impact In those first 90 days, empathy and humanity matter most. Cat showed how to shape platforms, identities, and campaigns that not only drive acquisition and retention in the first 6 months — but also leave teams inspired, aligned, and proud to be part of the change. 🚀 If you care about brand legacy, AI integrity, and marketing leadership that uplifts people while growing the business — this is an episode you don’t want to miss

    25 min
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About

Hello and welcome to “Let’s Talk” a series dedicated to all things media, marketing and technology. I’m your host, Cynthia Nelson, 3x entrepreneur, Forbes contributor, author, investor and advisor. Each episode features an esteemed CEO, author, artist, marketer, entrepreneur, creator, or brand sharing invaluable tips and expert advice on navigating the realms of business, media, and life

Information

  • Creator
    Cynthia Nelson
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Cynthia Nelson
  • Show Website
    "Let's Talk About..."