Workbook Radio

After a career 13 years in the making, Mari (pronounced Mary)Amor is finally stepping into her true name. On this episode, we talk to Mari about her decision, the steps taken for this evolution, and what she’s looking forward to on her journey and the industry as a whole.

About Mari: Mari (pronounced Mary, spelled with an i) is a people oriented commercial photographer and director of photography with a big heart. While she calls Nashville, Tennessee home, she has told stories for an impressive client list all over the world. Her commercial career has spanned a huge variety of corporate clients and advertising agencies.

Mari has traveled solo & with production crews throughout the world in some of the globe's most remote locations. Her commercial work for lifestyle brands tells genuine stories with heart. Mari also travels internationally working with NGOs from Iraq to Romania.

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Dennis Welsh is a commercial photographer and director, working with clients to help share their brand stories through authentic stills and motion. On this episode Dennis talks about starting 2024 with a personal project, what past projects have taught him, and how his experiences on them have shaped his commercial work. About Dennis:

Dennis Welsh has been a commercial photographer and director since 1990 working with clients to help share their brand stories through authentic stills and motion. With an emphasis on environmental portraiture, Dennis’ work has earned numerous awards in the industry, but ultimately at the end of the day, it’s the people that he gets to meet and work with that inspire him to tell these stories.

He lives in Maine with his wife and three children.

Dennis Portfolio

Dennis Website

Dennis Instagram

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Mike Popowski is CEO at Atlanta based agency Dagger and has led them from a three-person shop to a 2020 Ad Age Small Agency of the Year winner and one of Adweek’s Top 100 Fastest-Growing Agencies consecutively (2019, 2020, & 2021) in under five years.

On this episode, Mike and I chat about Dagger’s start, what advertising opportunity the city of Atlanta holds, and how innovation is driving Dagger in 2024.

Mike Popowski, CEO | Mike drives Dagger’s vision, culture, and growth. A proven client partner and team leader, Mike has led Dagger from a three-person shop to a 2020 Ad Age Small Agency of the Year winner and one of Adweek’s Top 100 Fastest-Growing Agencies consecutively (2019, 2020, & 2021) in under five years. He brings over 20 years of digital, social, and brand-building experience with the world’s biggest brands across a variety of industries. He joined Dagger in 2015 from TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, where he led the global repositioning for GSK’s global smoker’s health business, Nicoderm CQ (US). Mike was previously SVP, Client Partner at Moxie (formerly Engauge), where he architected the agency’s first content marketing practices for Cisco Systems, UPS and Wells Fargo. He was an early pioneer of social marketing as a consultant for AARP from 2008 to 2011, and implemented their early digital content practices. As a native New Englander, Mike appreciates springtime in Atlanta. Dagger IG | Dagger LinkedIn | Dagger Website

Matt Garbutt is a Creative Director at Brave Bison, a digital agency in the UK. He has been very vocal about the use of AI (specifically generative AI) in advertising, with published articles and interviews on his application of the technology with client campaigns.

On this episode, Matt discusses his start with AI, how it has become a part of Brave Bison's strategy, and touches on the possible threat it presents to the creative community as well as offering resources for others to better familiarize themselves with this evolving medium.

Check out Matt's piece in The Drum.

His piece on the state of AI in 2023.

About Matt (via LinkedIn Bio):

I'm a creative director at Brave Bison, a digital agency that grows brands and makes them famous through performance and organic channels. With over 20 years of experience in the creative industry, I have a diverse portfolio of skills and achievements across copy, art direction, brand, design, and film.

I lead a team of talented creatives, designers, producers, and directors, who collaborate with the agency's pillars of performance, social & influencer, commerce, and media network. We deliver effective and innovative digital creative campaigns, UX/UI design, film & video, content, and copy for a range of clients and sectors. Outside of my role, I'm also an AI artist and a crypto enthusiast, with a keen and active interest in the web3, plant-based, and sustainability domains. I'm passionate about exploring the possibilities of AI and blockchain for creative expression and social impact.

And per podcast, you can reach out to Matt with any AI questions via his Linkedin Profile.

Rise Against Suicide is a nonprofit whose mission is to help young people at risk of suicide by removing the financial and social barriers to treatment. Their first awarness campaign launched last week, helmed by board member and ECD/Partner at TDA_Boulder, Jonathan Schoenberg. On This episode, Jonathan talks to us about Rise, his personal connection to this non profit, and how the campaign came together. Check out AdAge's latest write up on the campaign.

Internationally recognized advertising photographer and director Dennis Murphy has shot on four continents for clients including Ducati, American Airlines and the Dallas Cowboys.

On this episode we talk about his new adventure, his non-profit My Hand My Cause, Inc., a fundraising initiative that uses the power of celebrity, along with fine art photography, to raise money for existing charities. 

View Dennis Murphy's portfolio here.

Learn more about My Hand My Cause, Inc. here.

Brian Carlson is photographer and filmmaker with over a decade of experience and a passion for storytelling. On this episode, Brian talks about his time in Africa and how it's shaped him both professionally and personally, as well as his fascination of subcultures which has led him from carnivals to lawnmower racing.

View Brian's work here.

About Brian:

I'm a photographer and filmmaker with a passion for storytelling, it's that simple. With over a decade of experience, I bring a warm and engaging approach to my work, capturing moments and creating narratives that resonate with audiences. Through extensive travel, I've developed a deep empathy and understanding of people from all walks of life, which is reflected in my photography and films.

Whether leading large crews, working solo, or behind the scenes, I'm comfortable in any setting and always deliver exceptional results. When not working, I find rejuvenation in nature, a good book, or spending time in my modest garden. I value meaningful conversations and cherish time with my wife and three boys, who are the pride and joy of my life. With a focus on honesty and authenticity, I'm dedicated to crafting stories that make a lasting impact and connect with people on a deeper level.

In 2023, Goodby Silverstein & Partners created the Doritos Super Bowl spot featuring Jack Harlow, Missy Elliott, and Elton John.

On this episode, I sat down with GS&P’s Chief Creative Officer and Partner, Margaret Johnson, to talk all things Super Bowl. It’s a behind the scenes into what it takes to get from concept to the big game, and beyond.

About Margaret Johnson:

Margaret is a 25-year veteran of GS&P and leads the agency’s Creative department, a position she assumed in 2015 after being named a partner in 2012. In 2016 she was named the agency’s first Chief Creative Officer.

Under her leadership, GS&P was named the “Most Innovative Advertising Agency” and the 36th “Most Innovative Company” in the world by Fast Company in 2021, “Agency of the Year” by Campaign and Forbes with Ad Age picking the agency as a runner-up to “Agency of the Year” in 2019 and 2020. In 2021 Ad Age crowned Margaret “Chief Creative Officer of the Year” and Campaign named Margaret “Creative Person of the Year.” Over the years, she has been recognized as one of the industry’s top chief creative officers by Forbes, Business Insider, Adweek and The Drum.

Margaret serves on the board of the One Show, was a founding member of the 3% conference and co-founded non-profit Daughters of the Evolution with her daughter, Vivian, who was nine years-old at the time. In 2019, the non-profit created Lessons in HerStory, an app that was launched at SXSW and uses augmented reality to celebrate stories of women typically omitted from history textbooks. Over the past year, the app won every coveted creative award, including Gold Cannes Lions and the prestigious White Pencil at D&AD.

About GS&P:

We are a creative company that puts people at the center of everything we do. We work with both clients and consumers in an atmosphere of honesty and truth, wiping away preconceptions and learning together.  

Our mission is to create experiences that reach millions and even billions, but seem to speak only to you. We call this effect mass intimacy.

The smarter, braver work that results from this approach brings people closer to our clients’ businesses, gets them to care, and urges them to take action. Because great work is only great if it reaps results.