“I call myself an AdTech influencer… which is a little bit of a joke, but it's also true.” That’s how Ari Paparo kicked off our BOSS interview, and the insights that followed make it clear why this conversation is worth your time.

🎙 AdTech, Agentic AI, and Saying What Others Won’t — with Ari Paparo is now live.

In this BOSS episode, we covered: 📌 How performance is reshaping the narrative across marketing and media 📌 The three waves of AI, from workflow automation to system-to-system efficiency to potential transaction-level execution 📌 What clear communication, real strategy, and product leadership look like in today’s environment 📌 Why technical fluency matters more than ever — across roles and levels 📌 How Marketecture Media is evolving as a platform for honest, smart, and cross-functional conversation in AdTech

We also talked about career advice, product thinking, and the importance of staying curious, from SQL and Python to AI-powered tools that can 10x how we work.

If you're in the marketing, media, or advertising ecosystem, this one's for you.

🎧 Watch or listen to the episode and let me know what resonated. Tag someone who should be part of this conversation, or who you want to see on BOSS next.

And follow me, Ali Levitan, for more BOSS executive interview

What would happen if you said yes to something that scared you at work and in life? That question changed everything for Marie Han Silloway, Executive Partner at Gartner, and this week’s guest on BOSS.

This week on BOSS, I sat down with Marie, a global marketing leader whose career has spanned Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Estée Lauder, Godiva, and Subway. Her story hits every note on courage, clarity, and growth.

Marie said yes to moving halfway across the world to China with a newborn. She said yes to leading through uncertainty and cultural complexity. And she said yes again when the world shifted toward Agentic AI and nonstop transformation.

🎯 Her biggest insight:

“Resilience isn’t perseverance. It’s adaptability. It’s testing, learning, and resetting without losing momentum.”

We talked about: 💡 How calm and clarity are the ultimate leadership superpowers 🤝 Why asking better questions beats having all the answers ⚡ The real ways CMOs and agencies are using Agentic AI to move faster, smarter, and more creatively 🚨 Why the risk of doing nothing with AI is now higher than ever

If you’ve ever hesitated to take a leap or wondered how to keep your edge when the rules keep changing, this one’s for you.

🎙️ Watch the full episode of BOSS x Marie Han Silloway below 👇 Then tell me in the comments: What’s one thing you’ve said “yes” to that scared you and changed everything?

"I think there is a huge risk, and it’s all going to continue to evolve faster than anybody is ready for." Peter Naylor, Advisor, Investor, and Former Netflix, Snap, Hulu, NBCU Revenue leader, joined me on BOSS to unpack the future.

Curious what we’re talking about?

🎙️ In just 13 minutes, we covered:

→ What Agentic AI means for media & marketing

→ Why most execs need to rethink how they’re learning

→ What leaders should stop doing, and what they must start

⚡️ Favorite Peter Naylor moments:

🧠 “You better be studying AI every day. And there's no reason not to be an expert on your customer's business."

🧠 “Be a good person. Be nice. This business is full of relationships.”

🧠 “Could your product become a feature in someone else’s AI platform?”

💬 Watch the episode.

💬 Share it with your team.

💬 Then tell me: What’s the smartest question YOU heard or read this week?

👇

Tag the exec, podcast, or newsletter that’s making you smarter right now.

And of course…

🎧 BOSS: My Executive Interview Series & Podcast — quick hits with 100+ leaders to help others learn, network, and pay it forward.

And follow me, Ali Levitan, for more BOSS executive interviews, AI & AdTech insights, and the real talk on work and life as Jake and Sophia's mom during back to school Week 1!

Unpopular truth? The best companies aren’t just building great products, They’re building thought leaders from within.

🔥 Empowering employees to find their voice

🔥 Encouraging the C-Suite to actually show up online

🔥 Using social as a business growth engine, not just a branding tool

That’s why this BOSS interview is a must-watch.

🎙️ Meet @Trish Riswick, team lead of social marketing at Hootsuite, and one of the sharpest voices out there on social strategy, employee advocacy, and the power of showing up, cringe and all.

We talked about: 📍 The real reason some companies win on social 📍 Why leaders should act like creators (hint: your people > your logo) 📍 How to build internal influence, even if you’re not the CEO 📍 And why it’s totally OK to feel cringey when you start posting (That’s how every thought leader begins.)

My favorite line from Trish? 👉 "Your world, your story, your people — that’s what sets you apart. People follow people, not brands."

If you’re in marketing, sales, or social, or you’re leading a team and wondering how to activate your people, or if you're the CEO, watch this one.

🚀 This is the playbook.

🎧 Watch & listen to BOSS: my executive interview series on LinkedIn & podcast where I interview 100+ top leaders to help others learn, network, and pay it forward. New episodes dropping soon!

👇 Who’s your favorite brand leader to follow on LinkedIn? Tag them. Let’s build each other up.

“Why?” and “Why not?”If you’ve ever been in a meeting with Soyoung Kang, CMO eos Products, those are the two questions you’ll hear most.

That curiosity has powered her unconventional career:

📍 From management consulting📍 To retail merchandising📍 To building one of the most beloved beauty brands in the world

In this new BOSS interview, we finally got to have the conversation we’ve been meaning to have for years, after connecting on social and running into each other at events.

What we covered:🔥 Her 3-part career journey, and how each stage built different leadership skills🔥 The Gen Alpha insight that’s driving eos’ newest campaign🔥 Why asking “Why?” is often the most powerful move in the room🔥 What happened when eos actually listened to a product complaint (spoiler: it went viral)🔥

Her take on the “thinker vs. doer” debate, and why that binary misses the pointAnd maybe my favorite moment:

💬 “The most impactful marketing doesn’t always come from splashy headlines. It comes from the small, intentional decisions we make every day.”This episode is packed with takeaways for everyone and anyone who’s ever felt like the non-linear career path might just be the best one.

👇 Drop a comment with your favorite takeaway or guest rec! 👉

❤️ Follow me, Ali Levitan, for more BOSS content, Marketing & AdTech insights, new job highlights, and, of course, all things AI.

Your career doesn’t have to be a straight line. In fact… the best ones rarely are. 👏

Chris Schmicker's journey proves it.

📍 Editorial ➡️ revenue-driving marketing📍 Legacy media ➡️ growth tech📍 B2B ➡️ B2C📍 And yes, Honolulu ➡️ NYC

Now?He’s Head of Marketing for Shop (Shopify’s consumer platform)🔥

A few takeaways from this new BOSS interview:

✅ “Being flexible and agile in your career is a virtue, not a vice.”✅ “Your job title doesn’t define your transferable skills.”✅ “When you start a new role, do 100 one-on-ones in your first 100 days.”✅ “B2B and B2C aren’t separate anymore. People buy from people.”

We also got into:→ Leveraging your network for career growth→ Why integrated marketers have superpowers in today’s market→ The real key to adapting across industries (and why recruiters still get this wrong)→ Creative curiosity as a career advantage→ And his boldest next move: finishing a novel!

If you’ve ever felt stuck, considered a pivot, or wanted to make a big leap, this one’s for you.👇 Watch. Comment. Share. Let’s talk about what’s possible in 2025.👉 ❤️ Follow me, Ali Levitan, for more BOSS content, sales & marketing insights, media & tech trends, and what's actually working in 2025.

“You’re watching BOSS with Ali Levitan because if you’re not learning from the boldest leaders out there… you’re falling behind.”

—Christian Muche, Co-Founder of POSSIBLE

Only two people have ever returned to BOSS for a second interview.

The first? Lauren Birnbaum, one of TikTok’s earliest U.S. hires.

The second? Christian Muche.

Why?

Because what he’s building with POSSIBLE is more than a conference.

It’s a business accelerator for the entire marketing ecosystem.

Here’s what we dig into:

🔹 Why most marketing events feel like copy-paste

🔹 What it takes to create rooms that actually move deals forward

🔹 Why IRL trust is the most valuable currency in a noisy digital world

🔹 And how thought leadership is no longer optional—it’s your growth engine

Christian told me someone pulled him aside and said:

“I’ve never been in a room with this much influence, openness, and possibility.”

That line says it all.

POSSIBLE isn’t about panels. It’s about access, action, and outcomes.

The full BOSS interview is live.

If you lead marketing, sales, brand, content, or partnerships—watch this.

And then let’s talk:

What makes an event actually worth your time in 2025? 👇

I’ll be at POSSIBLE this April:

Networking.

Connecting.

Running BOSS interviews.

Taking in the big ideas.

And yes, ordering a cocktail or two. 🍸

If you’re hosting something fab or want to get a coffee or collaborate, DM me.

👉 ❤️ Follow me, Ali Levitan, for more BOSS conversations on sales & marketing, executive thought leadership, and landing that dream role in 2025 (very active on that last one).

“How did I make that decision? I’ll tell you, it was scary as hell.”

That’s how Erica Lockheimer, LinkedIn's former VP Engineering and now Founder & CEO of HumanizeHer, described her leap from corporate leadership into entrepreneurship.

We talked about the fear, the courage, and the mindset shift it takes to bet on yourself, build a movement, and create impact.

💡 Why she left LinkedIn after 13+ years

💡 How she built a global community of women in tech

💡 Why “If you don’t ask, the answer is always NO” became her guiding mantra

This is a must-listen for anyone navigating a career pivot, building a brand, or wondering what’s next.

Watch, comment, and let me know—what’s the boldest career decision you’ve ever made? 👇

👉 ❤️ Follow me, Ali Levitan, for more BOSS conversations on sales & marketing insights, networking like a BOSS, and my path to finding that dream job in 2025 (still working on that last one) 🚀