Why purpose-driven work pays off with Pedro Lerma, Founder and CEO of LERMA/

Why purpose-driven work pays off, Founder and CEO of LERMA/

Pedro Lerma leads one of the most culturally impactful agencies in the world. The Founder and CEO @ LERMA/ has two small agency of the year awards, an A-list standout appearance, and an Ad Age agency executive award under his belt. Not to mention, his small agency has produced multiple Super Bowl spots for clients Avocados from Mexico and He Gets Us.

In this episode of Question Everything, Pedro shares LERMA/'s method for producing work that both connects with and shapes culture, the tool he developed to combat AI bias, and how the "He Gets Us" client reacted when their 2024 Super Bowl spot went viral for the wrong reason.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How LERMA/ takes DEI a step further – and how that translates to results

• The three things LERMA/ and their clients do to practice cultural fluency

• What the creative process for a Super Bowl spot looks like

• Why trust isn't built by being perfect, but by being accountable

• Why Luis Messianu, Richard Edelman, and Pedro Lerma formed the MEL agency

• What being a service-minded leader looks like

• The headline that should've been written after the viral 2024 He Gets Us Super Bowl campaign

• How LERMA/ is combating generative AI bias

• Why LERMA/ shifted from being multicultural to a cross-cultural agency

• Why Pedro went back to school and got his degree at 53

Resources:

• Learn more about LERMA/ on their website

• Watch LERMA/'s viral He Gets Us campaign

• See more about the book Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman

• See more about the book How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

• Connect with Pedro on LinkedIn