March 13, 2025 • 32 mins
For the premiere of Possible Now, Michael Kassan dives into bold predictions on AI, the future of marketing, and building 3C Ventures. Hear why strategic connections and creativity drive the next wave of industry transformation.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome for the premiere of the newly Possible Now podcast,
where we dive deep with the most influential minds shaping
the future of media marketing and technology. Today, we have
an absolute powerhouse of the industry with us, a visionary demiker,
a strategic mastermind, and a true connector of global leaders.
(00:28):
My guest has an unmatched talent for recognizing the relationships
and synergies needed to make things happen, and it's no
surprise that the core values of his company, consulting, convening
and co investing are the foundation of his success. He's
the founder and CEO of Three C Ventures, a company
at the cutting edge of media marketing and technology innovation.
(00:51):
You may know him as the force behind some of
the most groundbreaking partnerships in the business, a trusted advisor
to Fortune five hundred executives, and a game changer who
sees opportunities where others see challenges. He's a longtime friend,
a business partner, a mentor, and also the chairman of Possible.
Please welcome the one and only Michael Kessen. Welcome Michael.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Thank you Christian, and you know it's always difficult to
hear you describe my evil twin brother, but I'd love
to meet him one day.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
I think you already did seven times.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Well you're very kind, Christian, And I'll underscore one thing.
I think our friendship now is you know, pushing twenty years,
but certainly more than fifteen. And it's been a very
enjoyable friendship and partnership. And you know, having had the
chance to work together now for a couple of years
on Possible and before that just on an other industry
(01:49):
ten polls to Mexico, et cetera. I consider you a
friend and a partner and it's nice to share some
time with you.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Thank you so much. And as I said at the beginning,
this is a premiere of our new podcast, and I
couldn't think about you know, somebody better than you being
my guest, but I will do it with every production
that I would love to talk about or ask a
personal question at the beginning before we dive into the
incredible work you're doing and the transformative changes in our industry.
(02:17):
So let's take a step back for a second. You've
closed deals in boardrooms all over the world, but let's
get real. What's the most ridiculous or let's say, unexpected
place you've ever made a business deal? Was it on
the beach, whether the bathroom, whether the golf course, which
is quite common in today's Can you share or do
you want to share anything? Nobody knows that now.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Well, you know you made it too easy for me
when I just started practicing law. And this is probably
on the hitting of too much information for our visitors,
But you did ask was it in a bathroom? I
was doing what one does in a stand up mode
in the men's room, and I got a pretty big
piece of business right there on the spot. When I
(03:00):
was a young lawyer, the guy next to me asked
me a question, and as one does, I was looking
straight ahead and he asked me a question which turned
into a significant piece of business when I was a
very young lawyer. In fact, Christian, it was the first
week that I was practicing law when this happened, and
(03:22):
it unleashed a lot of new business and it kind
of was a game changer for me and career wise.
And that did happen in the men's room, So nothing
else untoward but the new business opportunity. And you know
you've asked odd places to have deals closed. Yes, I've
done plenty of business on a ski lift. Yeah, so
(03:42):
another place, not hopefully not what we're skiing down the mountain,
but just writing up you know, God knows.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
And in today's time, you know, is dock you sign
and all the digital kind of signages. I mean, it
could be really everywhere, right, But it's interesting that you
said it was just at the beginning of your career
that you already started making deals.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Well, I didn't know that that was going to be
the hub of new business in the men's room, but
it turned out. It turned out to be a good story.
And I can even tell you the name of the
guy was Leonard Levigne that I remember. Yeah, after I
finished my business, I went back to the office because
I didn't know the answers to the questions. But I
(04:20):
was part of a law firm already, and I said
to some of the senior folks, I said, I need
some help. I got a live one here. And that's
what happened. So I guess that's as good a story
as like.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
That's a great story to kick off, and I'm sure
not everybody knows this part of your career in life.
So that was, you know, a good start. And let's
start with another obvious but no less exciting question, which
is about three S Adventures. Let's look ahead of it. Threeadventures.
I think it's fair to say it's still in its
early days, but it's already making ways. What's your vision
(04:54):
for the company over the next few years and how
do you see it shaping the industry?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
That you asked me? The you of all people asked
me this question, Christian, the first time I publicly talked
about three C Ventures was it possible? Last April? I
hadn't really formed it. I hadn't formed it yet, but
I was clearly contemplating it and had already identified its
primary purpose, if you will. When I was being interviewed
for that keynot last year, the question was Michael, what's next?
(05:25):
And as you kind of ponder that from my perspective,
I said, well, what I'd say, which is consistent with
how I view it now. I want to continue to
add value to an industry that I love and that
I cherish, and I want to do that through the
lens of the three c's, through the lens of consulting, convening,
and co investing. As you said, consistent with what I've
(05:47):
done over the last twenty plus years on the consultative
side of the business, and I want to underscore to
the industry that I cherish and especially at the inflection
point we find ourselves at now more than ever. It
kind of reminds me of the inflection point when I
started my previous company. It was the dot com dot
(06:09):
com moment where everything was on the hard eight, if
you will, in Las Vegas jargon, and lots of problems
were being solved that weren't needing solving, and that was
the dot com implosion, really the explosion, and the implosion
one could argue where at a similar point now with
AI and whatever and whoever and however, And I'm certain
(06:32):
we'll talk about that later in this conversation, but it's
a similar sort of inflection point. And I think experience
and history and knowledge and understanding are critical at this moment,
which is an inflection point. And I think that you know,
I'm fortunate and blessed equally to have this opportunity, and
(06:58):
you know, the good fortune of it, Christian is several
months in now, three C is creating real traction in
the marketplace and solving real problems and opportunities and creating
alignment in places where it's not as obvious to others perhaps.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Yeah. I mean you've mentioned you are now a couple
of months into the business with the new company. So
using these three principles you've mentioned how they're guiding your work.
Can you describe the impact you already achieve with three cventures?
Speaker 2 (07:29):
So what was one of the different Yeah, when you
say impact, you know the best way Listen. I don't
know the ripple effect of what we're doing in the
market other than that stuff I can touch and feel.
But you know, a deal that we created, participated in
and worked three diligently on was at the end of
last year and you would have seen that Media Ocean
(07:51):
acquired Innovid in an important technology deal. We were fortunate
to be diligence partners with the ownership and all, so
then partnered with both from basically a merchant banking perspective
Christian if I'm describing it, but also co invested in
the spirit of the name with the consortium of holding
(08:14):
companies that participated with the Omnicom, WPP and IPG investing
into Media Ocean. So first Media Ocean and Innovate and
that's an important deal in the technology landscape. And the
tech stack, if you will, and very important, and then
having the whole three of the holding companies become owners,
(08:36):
if you will, and as well myself in business with
your largest service provider. That's a pretty good story to
be telling in terms of marketplace impact, I hope. And
the general strategy and direction that we've been giving, and
some of it came through the lens of ces with
(08:57):
some of the speaking opportunities that we were involved in
just talking about i'd like to say, not just talking
about where the industry is going, but helping influence where
the industry is going.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
So in other words, with three ventures you not necessarily
open new doors, but there are new connections you can
create with these modern version of this.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Oh no, there's new No, No, Christian, you know, I've
been asked frequently, what's the difference between my previous company
and three c I mean, one wise ass answer I
could say is Michael Cassen, that's that's the difference.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
That's for sure of the case. Yes, yeah, But.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
In point of fact, I'm not sure it has to
be different. It would continue to morph if it were
the same.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Right.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
But see, I have the advantage, Christian, of having created
the previous company id eated, strategized and put on the map.
So I kind of know the game play for the playbook,
if you will, and I'm just finding ways where I
would be modifying and tweaking that playbook no matter what.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
That's for sure. That's for sure. As part of your
consultancy or your consulting job, etc. Is that you deal
with c suite for a long time, especially with cmos,
and we all see a lot of discussions also on stages,
on the possible stages as well in the last two
years about the future and the changing role of cemos.
In your view, what are the most critical skills and
(10:31):
quantities today, simo need to thrive in this area of
rapid change. Is it so much changing like the environment or.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Oh no, would I'd say I've been consistent with this
for several years.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
The morphing of the chief Marketing Officer with the chief
information or the Chief Technology officer is an important consideration
today and for the last i'd say ten years, the
role easily maybe fifteen years. The role of the CMO
takes on more and more need for technological capability and
(11:10):
the role of the CIO or the CTO takes on
more marketing. In other words, the way I dumb it
down for myself, because that's how I.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Have to do it, is a chief.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Marketing officer is making more technology decisions than ever, and
a chief technology officer is making more marketing decisions than ever,
So the two have to come together. That's I think
important and as well something that I've been banging the
drum on for now going on two and a half years.
At a FORB CMO conference, I was asked the question
(11:41):
by Seth Matlins, which I think is a provocative question
and I continue to focus on it, which is what
does the CEO not know about the role of the CMO?
And therein is the issue. One thing I always ask
a CMO is what's your job title? Is just CMO
or Chief Marketing and Growth? Is it Chief Marketing and Product?
(12:04):
Is it Chief marketing and Communications? It might be anyone
or all of the above, and if so, is that
consistent with what your boss thinks your job is? And
a key element and again this isn't a new dialogue
for me. If you're given the title of chief Marketing
and Growth, for example, and many are, or in some
(12:29):
cases your chief growth officer and marketing reports up to you,
so you're not necessarily chief marketing, but the the chief
marketing officer reports to you. You better make sure that
you've got the levers to be able to deliver on growth,
because if you've given the title, you want to make
sure you can actually deliver growth. And that's why it
(12:51):
becomes more and more important that your boss, whoever your
boss is in the C suite, understands your job so
that they give you the right tools and levers that
you can pull and execute to do what you have
to do. Right, But I hope that answers your question.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Yes it does. There was one missing in your scripture,
which is a CFO. And because marketing is so much
more data driven, is then the CFO coming into play
as well?
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Or well, it's not only that it's more results driven.
It's not only that it's more data driven. You're correct,
But today, and that's a very important point, but the
CMO isn't being asked to have the CFO capability. But
it's an interesting point you make. I tell ad tech
and martech companies all the time. Right now you're not
(13:38):
just pitching anymore just to the CMO. You're pitching to
the CFO and to procurement, but the CFOs and more
and more in those conversations as well. The difference is you,
as a CMO aren't being asked to think like a
CFO as much as you are like a CTO, whereas
you need the CFO at your side. So I turn
(14:01):
this table and say to add Tech in mar tech companies,
you better make sure when you're pitching brand you know XYZ,
you're also bearing in mind that you're going to be
talking to the CFO.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Right right, Be honest, was there ever a moment when
you thought, in your conversations over years with cemos, when
you thought I'd actually love to be a SEMO myself
or was that never an option and you preferred staying
on the strategic metal level.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
You know, when I've advised rock stars, I kind of
think I'd like to be the rock star, but I
haven't thought about that when i'm you are you are? No,
I don't mean that. You know, when I interview a
good song and dance man or talk to somebody like that,
I may want to be doing their job, but I
haven't felt that way about the CMO job. No.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Well, I don't want to share too much secrets. You
know what we shared. I think it was two years ago,
on the day before First Possible, you know when you
mentioned that dance song and dancing. But I don't want
you know. Maybe for the next episode, you know, we
talk about this part of all.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Well, Christian, I'm going to let you in on a secret.
At December, my wife and I celebrated. I think you
know this because you do, because you're aware of the
trip we took. We celebrated our fiftieth wedding anniversary and
it was quite a special thing. And we did have
a dance contest and our grandchildren voted as to who
(15:21):
won between Ronnie and her partner and me and my partner.
I'm sad to say I came to a second Christian.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Okay, I just wanted to share. Ask if you share
the outcome.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
I may show you a video that when I next
see you, Christian.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Okay, at least we can share with the audience that
we both have a strong connection to dancing.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
And I found out that Christian was a very very
well trained ballroom dancer, and I can imagine you doing it.
I shared with you that's my fantasy. So there you go.
We may have to do a dance off Christian. We
may have to do it.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Maybe not such a serious competition, but at some stage,
yes we will enter.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
I'll get my grandchildren to be the voting body. And
then why not I lost to my wife, maybe I
can win to you.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
I'm sure. Okay, it's on at some stage. There's another
big area in our industry which experienced a lot of
(16:27):
consolidation in the past couple of years, and this is
the agency world. A lot of consilidations and disruptions recently
of course with Omni Common, IPG, etcetera. What do you
see as a driving force behind this trend? Is it
a trend? Is it a lasting trend? And where are
the big networks in a couple of years time compared
(16:48):
to the more independent agencies.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Well, I think that the Omnicom IPG deal portends more
M and A. I think, and I think there's good
opportunity for it in the market. I wasn't prescient. I
just have my ear to the ground and I didn't
know what the configuration was going to be. I didn't
know who was going to move first. But I have
(17:12):
said publicly for the last eighteen months that within eighteen months,
the landscape of the hold codes would be different. It
turned out to be right about that. It wasn't that
I was so prescient. It was just that it was
obvious that the industrial logic of consolidation would make sense
in some context. I think it still does, and I
think there'll be other shoes to fall, and I think
(17:35):
the soft middle that the independent agencies are going to
have some opportunity here, especially on the performance side. That's
an area where I think there's a lot of growth
and opportunity for the independence agencies. But you know, as
I've learned over the years, I hope I'm allowed to
be a little tongue in cheek Christian. Many of my
(17:56):
friends know this, you might know this. I was fortunate
to consider doctor west Tim are a very very good
friend over forty years, and I like to kit around
and say, in the context of consolidation, doctor Ruth told
me size matters, and so you know, I think we're
going to see some more of.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
That, especially because there's another party, right the consulting firms
who stepped into the agency business in some way over
the last couple of years. This is another component.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Right well, and that's growing as well, and continuing to grow.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
And then we have at least I've seen you know,
over the past few years as well, you know, where
brands are bringing more capabilities in house than giving it
to an agency.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Well, and we're going to continue to see that, and
you're going to continue to see brands expressing their their
their spend differently relative to you know, content development and
other things. We're going to continue to see those dynamics
occurring down the line.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
No conversation without touching AI in some way. And I
mean this is a I think the most difficult part
because in a couple of minutes, how should we discuss
AI in today's world. My impression at least is let's
kick it off like this. Talking to CMO specifically, they're
telling me, okay, we get it. Now, we got it.
You know, over years we were told this is the
next revolution. It will impact our everybody's world, every part
(19:17):
of our world, you know, consumer world as well as
our business world. Now it's time that we need to
see experiences from what's already done, the outcome, and what
it means for my today's and tomorrow's business. I don't
want to hear any more what's you know, what's possible
with AI in five years time.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
No let me, let me let me answer it Christian,
and it is obviously a very important, timely and prevalent conversation.
I've described the technology for me at least as the
technology of yes. And what I mean by that is,
when you're asking somebody, will AI impact this, Will it
(19:55):
impact that? Will it impact the next thing? The answer
is yes, will impact everything. I also look at it
a bit as a trojan horse, and if you're thinking
of what it's going to do to your job or
my job, the way I look at it as the
trojan horse nature of it is at the beginning, it's
going to make us better at our jobs, whatever our
(20:17):
jobs are. Back to the technology of yes, it will
impact everybody's job, even the most manual of labor jobs
will be impacted. So Number one, the reason I say
it's the technology of yes. The answer to every question
about what will it impact is yes. Where I think
we struggle right now is we're not even sure what
(20:39):
the questions are. So I think we have to identify
the what and then we can answer the why and
the how. Number one and number two, the trojan horse
nature of it is at the beginning, it makes your
job easier, welcome, Then it makes you better at your job,
Then it makes your job even easier, then it makes
(21:01):
you even better, and then ultimately you're not necessary. That's
the progression.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
I see. I think that's a very good description. Yes, yeah,
I agree.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Now it starts out as your friend and will ultimately
become the end of your job right in some way,
shape or form, or a massive change in your job.
I think one of the highest responsibilities that a company
has today to their employees is L and D, is
learning and development. You know, years and years and years ago,
(21:34):
I was doing work with the company that owned the
Yellow Pages directories. And I say that because there are
probably people on this listening to this don't know what
the Yellow Pages were, so I hope you do, Christian,
and I remember them telling me in that context they
had pick a number five thousand feet on the street,
(21:57):
five thousand sales associates, you know, in market selling Yellow Pages.
If they were trying to become a digital company and
selling the US Yellow Pages as a digital not a
print document, yeah or platform, you better retrain those five
thousand people because they're selling a different product. I think
(22:19):
it's a similar need and opportunity and responsibility to corporate America.
This isn't about a woke approach. This is about deployment
of resources and learning and development, and so I think
that becomes a very high responsibility to the C suite
to make sure that you're educating your teams and you're
(22:42):
enabling your teams to be able to use the technology
of Yes.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
I think that's a very good example about the potential.
And do you think the industry, our industry addressed these
challenges correctly? You know, because with this potential, we have
questions around data privacy, bias, transparency, et cetera.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
I think are industry has got right now. Yeah, we're
all spinning trying to figure out how all of these
pieces are going to play nicely together. You know, I
joke around and say, the mantra in Los Angeles, will
I consider myself more than a citizen of Los Angeles.
I'd like to fancy a citizen of the world. But
you know, the mantra in Los Angeles's instant gratification isn't
(23:21):
quick enough and so as a result of that, we
all want it right now. This one's going to take
a while.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Yeah, Yeah, that's the reason why we have these conversations
also at events, at every event these days, and it
feels a bit, as you said, circling around, but I
also agree that this is the only way to figure
it out. And also with new players coming up every
day into this business, especially around AI, there will be
somebody who will tell us at some stage. Absolutely so
(23:50):
stepping up a bit on our most strategic and general
industry level, you know, it was possible. We believe that,
you know, we have to cover the intersection between marketing,
technology and culture. Do you see any exciting trends or
do you have let's say, some one or two bold
predictions for where the industry has had it over the
next one two years.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Shelter, I think the content side of it is exciting.
Look where's the activity, the money, all the noise and
results that are being delivered through retail media and or,
as i'd like to say, now the media networks, because
you can't limit it to retail anymore. It's not just
you know, Amazon and Walmart, and you know Albertson's and Kroger's,
(24:32):
Tuber and Lyft and PayPal and you know everybody, everybody
in the pool is going to be looking at their
media networks and the opportunity. So that's obviously a place
where a lot of attention, money and time is being expended.
I do believe, and I've been consistent on this Christian
for a while content development, because when I talk about
(24:54):
content development, I'm not talking about branded entertainment or you know,
product placement. I'm talking about content that it ultimately financed by,
influenced by, and brought to you by brands. And not
just long form content, but the idea of commerce. Today,
I rarely see the word commerce not modified by the
(25:14):
word content. So content and commerce. So in the creation
of content, I think there's a lot of time and
a lot of effort and a lot of money and
a lot of focus we're going to see over the
next you know, next cycle.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Okay, that's that's I would call it a bold prediction
for for the new future. For sure, we thought it
was you know, relationship building and that your mastermind doing this,
which is key to leadership, bringing the right people together,
fostering collaboration, aligning perspectives, et cetera. Given the big you
know topics in today's you know world, tech advancements, geopolitical shifts,
(25:53):
cultural trends like let's call it TikTok or evolving regulations.
All these things should lead us prior to us. Now,
I mean, is there Is it really everything? Or would
you say no, there is a ranking, there's a priority list.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Oh, that's a tough one. I think that I'm going
to go back to what I said. I think learning
and development. I think learning and development is a critical
element for a senior leader today. Making sure you've got
the people on the job well trained to do those jobs,
and you know, keeping them current in their thinking. And
(26:33):
that is not getting into any way, shape or form.
I want to be very clear on what I just said.
Some of the noise we hear geopolitically about employment and
D E and I and those terrible initials where you're
not supposed to say anymore. But I don't subscribe to that.
But what I'm saying, I don't mean it from that perspective.
(26:55):
I mean it from the perspective of whoever is on
that job, whyever they're on that well, for whatever reason
they're on that job, you make sure that they are
being as trained and as focused and as current as
they can be.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Definitely a big challenge. I can't imagine this being in
that role. We touched a bit that you've mentioned CS
in recent years, of course with your previous companies, but
also now as well. You are very much involved in
CS and CAN lines. You developed these events over the years,
especially for the marketing world. One question I cannot avoid
(27:30):
being the chairman of Possible. Why do you think Possible
is quickly becoming a standout in the industry. We are
now heading into the third year. It's not a long history,
but I think we all agree that we are at
this edge right, we are at doing the next step.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Now here's what I'd say, and it's a simple one
for me, Christian. Okay, you know it goes back to
field the dreams if you build it. In this case,
I'd like to say we if we build it, they
will come. I think we were correct in that story.
I've said this now for the last two years. I'll
say it again as we approach April of twenty twenty
(28:08):
five for Possible, if the market didn't see a need,
we wouldn't have been able to fill it. You saw
a need and along with the co founders and the
original beyond ordinary investors, of which I'm proud to say
I was one, but you saw a need. We all
saw a need, and the marketplace need that you identified
(28:31):
turned out to be real. And you know, nature appoor
is a vacuum, and there was a vacuum. Maybe it
was a calendar vacuum. Maybe it was a vacuum between
January and June. I don't know. I don't think so.
I think it was a content vacuum. And I think
what Possible has been able to do is kind of
bridge so many of the elements. You know that. I
(28:53):
think the intersection that I live at is that of marketing, media, advertising, entertainment, sports,
and technolog Yes, I think, if possible, we're touching on
all of those things and bringing them together in a
comprehensive and a cohesive way and a clear way.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Right. Thanks for saying this. And as you said, we
all saw the need together, not just one or two
of us, but we all saw the need. And it
is a tremendous group of people who are behind that idea.
And I'm proud to say that you will also part
of this year's show in many different ways, and of
course people will see you back on stage. I started
(29:30):
with a let's call it personal question. I would like
to finish out today's conversation with a bit more personal question,
So mention ex sever time, you're the master connector and
you know everybody inside the industry or outside the industry.
You know, whenever I talk to you, you say, oh, no,
I know this person. You know I can connect or
(29:51):
reach out or whatever. But what is your dream connection
you would like to make in twenty five? Is there
any personality inside outside the indust street that you would
like to meet in person but haven't had the opportunity
to do so yet. It's hard to believe that there
is one, but maybe maybe.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Well when I was a kid, it was Joe Amaggio. Okay,
I was a baseball panattic and I had some heroes
and he was one. And I actually didn't get to
meet him. But one day he was walking in Beverly
Hills and I saw him crossing.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
The street, and that was you met You met him?
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Well, I didn't really meet him, but I kind of
felt like I met him because I saw Jodamagio on
the corner and I was like, okay, as as as
as my kids would say, this is the ship in
a good way, Yes, I know, Okay, that was the
ship for me, uh today, Oh god.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Well, we can keep this question for the next so
I can keep it for the next days.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
You can hit me. I got to really think about
that one. Okay, there's there's a lot of there's, there's
you know, there's a lot of people on that list.
It's a bucket list of it's a bucket list of people.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Let's go offline, you know, and then we have something
to talk about next next, for the next episode, next time. Okay, absolutely, Michael.
It was such a pleasure as always talking to you,
and I hope for our audience as well. And as
I said, so, I'm honored and proud to have you
on the first episode, but also you know, working with
you more or less on a daily level. And as
(31:26):
I said, we all see you back at Possible very
soon in April and Miami. Thank you very much for
this conversation. Michael.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Well, I'm looking forward to being back on the stage
and I know that Possible twenty twenty five is gonna
make us all proud and I'm looking forward.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
Thank you, Thank you, Christian, thanks for tuning in everyone.
Once again, I'm your host, Christian Mohan. If you have
a question or suggestion to me reach out, send me
d M on LinkedIn. If you're curious to learn more
about Possible, sign up for our newsletter, or if you
(32:10):
want to join us at the Possible Show in Miami,
visit Possible event dot com. Possible Now is a co
production of iHeartMedia and Possible. Our executive producers are Ryan
Martz and Yasmin Melandez. Our supervising producer is Meredith Barnes.
Special thanks to Colleen Lawrence Mack from our programming team.
Our theme music is composed by Anthony Kellacoli. For more
(32:34):
podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you listen to your favorite shows
Welcome for the premiere of the newly Possible Now podcast,
where we dive deep with the most influential minds shaping
the future of media marketing and technology. Today, we have
an absolute powerhouse of the industry with us, a visionary demiker,
a strategic mastermind, and a true connector of global leaders.
(00:28):
My guest has an unmatched talent for recognizing the relationships
and synergies needed to make things happen, and it's no
surprise that the core values of his company, consulting, convening
and co investing are the foundation of his success. He's
the founder and CEO of Three C Ventures, a company
at the cutting edge of media marketing and technology innovation.
(00:51):
You may know him as the force behind some of
the most groundbreaking partnerships in the business, a trusted advisor
to Fortune five hundred executives, and a game changer who
sees opportunities where others see challenges. He's a longtime friend,
a business partner, a mentor, and also the chairman of Possible.
Please welcome the one and only Michael Kessen. Welcome Michael.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Thank you Christian, and you know it's always difficult to
hear you describe my evil twin brother, but I'd love
to meet him one day.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
I think you already did seven times.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Well you're very kind, Christian, And I'll underscore one thing.
I think our friendship now is you know, pushing twenty years,
but certainly more than fifteen. And it's been a very
enjoyable friendship and partnership. And you know, having had the
chance to work together now for a couple of years
on Possible and before that just on an other industry
(01:49):
ten polls to Mexico, et cetera. I consider you a
friend and a partner and it's nice to share some
time with you.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Thank you so much. And as I said at the beginning,
this is a premiere of our new podcast, and I
couldn't think about you know, somebody better than you being
my guest, but I will do it with every production
that I would love to talk about or ask a
personal question at the beginning before we dive into the
incredible work you're doing and the transformative changes in our industry.
(02:17):
So let's take a step back for a second. You've
closed deals in boardrooms all over the world, but let's
get real. What's the most ridiculous or let's say, unexpected
place you've ever made a business deal? Was it on
the beach, whether the bathroom, whether the golf course, which
is quite common in today's Can you share or do
you want to share anything? Nobody knows that now.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Well, you know you made it too easy for me
when I just started practicing law. And this is probably
on the hitting of too much information for our visitors,
But you did ask was it in a bathroom? I
was doing what one does in a stand up mode
in the men's room, and I got a pretty big
piece of business right there on the spot. When I
(03:00):
was a young lawyer, the guy next to me asked
me a question, and as one does, I was looking
straight ahead and he asked me a question which turned
into a significant piece of business when I was a
very young lawyer. In fact, Christian, it was the first
week that I was practicing law when this happened, and
(03:22):
it unleashed a lot of new business and it kind
of was a game changer for me and career wise.
And that did happen in the men's room, So nothing
else untoward but the new business opportunity. And you know
you've asked odd places to have deals closed. Yes, I've
done plenty of business on a ski lift. Yeah, so
(03:42):
another place, not hopefully not what we're skiing down the mountain,
but just writing up you know, God knows.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
And in today's time, you know, is dock you sign
and all the digital kind of signages. I mean, it
could be really everywhere, right, But it's interesting that you
said it was just at the beginning of your career
that you already started making deals.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Well, I didn't know that that was going to be
the hub of new business in the men's room, but
it turned out. It turned out to be a good story.
And I can even tell you the name of the
guy was Leonard Levigne that I remember. Yeah, after I
finished my business, I went back to the office because
I didn't know the answers to the questions. But I
(04:20):
was part of a law firm already, and I said
to some of the senior folks, I said, I need
some help. I got a live one here. And that's
what happened. So I guess that's as good a story
as like.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
That's a great story to kick off, and I'm sure
not everybody knows this part of your career in life.
So that was, you know, a good start. And let's
start with another obvious but no less exciting question, which
is about three S Adventures. Let's look ahead of it. Threeadventures.
I think it's fair to say it's still in its
early days, but it's already making ways. What's your vision
(04:54):
for the company over the next few years and how
do you see it shaping the industry?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
That you asked me? The you of all people asked
me this question, Christian, the first time I publicly talked
about three C Ventures was it possible? Last April? I
hadn't really formed it. I hadn't formed it yet, but
I was clearly contemplating it and had already identified its
primary purpose, if you will. When I was being interviewed
for that keynot last year, the question was Michael, what's next?
(05:25):
And as you kind of ponder that from my perspective,
I said, well, what I'd say, which is consistent with
how I view it now. I want to continue to
add value to an industry that I love and that
I cherish, and I want to do that through the
lens of the three c's, through the lens of consulting, convening,
and co investing. As you said, consistent with what I've
(05:47):
done over the last twenty plus years on the consultative
side of the business, and I want to underscore to
the industry that I cherish and especially at the inflection
point we find ourselves at now more than ever. It
kind of reminds me of the inflection point when I
started my previous company. It was the dot com dot
(06:09):
com moment where everything was on the hard eight, if
you will, in Las Vegas jargon, and lots of problems
were being solved that weren't needing solving, and that was
the dot com implosion, really the explosion, and the implosion
one could argue where at a similar point now with
AI and whatever and whoever and however, And I'm certain
(06:32):
we'll talk about that later in this conversation, but it's
a similar sort of inflection point. And I think experience
and history and knowledge and understanding are critical at this moment,
which is an inflection point. And I think that you know,
I'm fortunate and blessed equally to have this opportunity, and
(06:58):
you know, the good fortune of it, Christian is several
months in now, three C is creating real traction in
the marketplace and solving real problems and opportunities and creating
alignment in places where it's not as obvious to others perhaps.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Yeah. I mean you've mentioned you are now a couple
of months into the business with the new company. So
using these three principles you've mentioned how they're guiding your work.
Can you describe the impact you already achieve with three cventures?
Speaker 2 (07:29):
So what was one of the different Yeah, when you
say impact, you know the best way Listen. I don't
know the ripple effect of what we're doing in the
market other than that stuff I can touch and feel.
But you know, a deal that we created, participated in
and worked three diligently on was at the end of
last year and you would have seen that Media Ocean
(07:51):
acquired Innovid in an important technology deal. We were fortunate
to be diligence partners with the ownership and all, so
then partnered with both from basically a merchant banking perspective
Christian if I'm describing it, but also co invested in
the spirit of the name with the consortium of holding
(08:14):
companies that participated with the Omnicom, WPP and IPG investing
into Media Ocean. So first Media Ocean and Innovate and
that's an important deal in the technology landscape. And the
tech stack, if you will, and very important, and then
having the whole three of the holding companies become owners,
(08:36):
if you will, and as well myself in business with
your largest service provider. That's a pretty good story to
be telling in terms of marketplace impact, I hope. And
the general strategy and direction that we've been giving, and
some of it came through the lens of ces with
(08:57):
some of the speaking opportunities that we were involved in
just talking about i'd like to say, not just talking
about where the industry is going, but helping influence where
the industry is going.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
So in other words, with three ventures you not necessarily
open new doors, but there are new connections you can
create with these modern version of this.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Oh no, there's new No, No, Christian, you know, I've
been asked frequently, what's the difference between my previous company
and three c I mean, one wise ass answer I
could say is Michael Cassen, that's that's the difference.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
That's for sure of the case. Yes, yeah, But.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
In point of fact, I'm not sure it has to
be different. It would continue to morph if it were
the same.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Right.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
But see, I have the advantage, Christian, of having created
the previous company id eated, strategized and put on the map.
So I kind of know the game play for the playbook,
if you will, and I'm just finding ways where I
would be modifying and tweaking that playbook no matter what.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
That's for sure. That's for sure. As part of your
consultancy or your consulting job, etc. Is that you deal
with c suite for a long time, especially with cmos,
and we all see a lot of discussions also on stages,
on the possible stages as well in the last two
years about the future and the changing role of cemos.
In your view, what are the most critical skills and
(10:31):
quantities today, simo need to thrive in this area of
rapid change. Is it so much changing like the environment or.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Oh no, would I'd say I've been consistent with this
for several years.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
The morphing of the chief Marketing Officer with the chief
information or the Chief Technology officer is an important consideration
today and for the last i'd say ten years, the
role easily maybe fifteen years. The role of the CMO
takes on more and more need for technological capability and
(11:10):
the role of the CIO or the CTO takes on
more marketing. In other words, the way I dumb it
down for myself, because that's how I.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Have to do it, is a chief.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Marketing officer is making more technology decisions than ever, and
a chief technology officer is making more marketing decisions than ever,
So the two have to come together. That's I think
important and as well something that I've been banging the
drum on for now going on two and a half years.
At a FORB CMO conference, I was asked the question
(11:41):
by Seth Matlins, which I think is a provocative question
and I continue to focus on it, which is what
does the CEO not know about the role of the CMO?
And therein is the issue. One thing I always ask
a CMO is what's your job title? Is just CMO
or Chief Marketing and Growth? Is it Chief Marketing and Product?
(12:04):
Is it Chief marketing and Communications? It might be anyone
or all of the above, and if so, is that
consistent with what your boss thinks your job is? And
a key element and again this isn't a new dialogue
for me. If you're given the title of chief Marketing
and Growth, for example, and many are, or in some
(12:29):
cases your chief growth officer and marketing reports up to you,
so you're not necessarily chief marketing, but the the chief
marketing officer reports to you. You better make sure that
you've got the levers to be able to deliver on growth,
because if you've given the title, you want to make
sure you can actually deliver growth. And that's why it
(12:51):
becomes more and more important that your boss, whoever your
boss is in the C suite, understands your job so
that they give you the right tools and levers that
you can pull and execute to do what you have
to do. Right, But I hope that answers your question.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Yes it does. There was one missing in your scripture,
which is a CFO. And because marketing is so much
more data driven, is then the CFO coming into play
as well?
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Or well, it's not only that it's more results driven.
It's not only that it's more data driven. You're correct,
But today, and that's a very important point, but the
CMO isn't being asked to have the CFO capability. But
it's an interesting point you make. I tell ad tech
and martech companies all the time. Right now you're not
(13:38):
just pitching anymore just to the CMO. You're pitching to
the CFO and to procurement, but the CFOs and more
and more in those conversations as well. The difference is you,
as a CMO aren't being asked to think like a
CFO as much as you are like a CTO, whereas
you need the CFO at your side. So I turn
(14:01):
this table and say to add Tech in mar tech companies,
you better make sure when you're pitching brand you know XYZ,
you're also bearing in mind that you're going to be
talking to the CFO.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Right right, Be honest, was there ever a moment when
you thought, in your conversations over years with cemos, when
you thought I'd actually love to be a SEMO myself
or was that never an option and you preferred staying
on the strategic metal level.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
You know, when I've advised rock stars, I kind of
think I'd like to be the rock star, but I
haven't thought about that when i'm you are you are? No,
I don't mean that. You know, when I interview a
good song and dance man or talk to somebody like that,
I may want to be doing their job, but I
haven't felt that way about the CMO job. No.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Well, I don't want to share too much secrets. You
know what we shared. I think it was two years ago,
on the day before First Possible, you know when you
mentioned that dance song and dancing. But I don't want
you know. Maybe for the next episode, you know, we
talk about this part of all.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Well, Christian, I'm going to let you in on a secret.
At December, my wife and I celebrated. I think you
know this because you do, because you're aware of the
trip we took. We celebrated our fiftieth wedding anniversary and
it was quite a special thing. And we did have
a dance contest and our grandchildren voted as to who
(15:21):
won between Ronnie and her partner and me and my partner.
I'm sad to say I came to a second Christian.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Okay, I just wanted to share. Ask if you share
the outcome.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
I may show you a video that when I next
see you, Christian.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Okay, at least we can share with the audience that
we both have a strong connection to dancing.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
And I found out that Christian was a very very
well trained ballroom dancer, and I can imagine you doing it.
I shared with you that's my fantasy. So there you go.
We may have to do a dance off Christian. We
may have to do it.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Maybe not such a serious competition, but at some stage,
yes we will enter.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
I'll get my grandchildren to be the voting body. And
then why not I lost to my wife, maybe I
can win to you.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
I'm sure. Okay, it's on at some stage. There's another
big area in our industry which experienced a lot of
(16:27):
consolidation in the past couple of years, and this is
the agency world. A lot of consilidations and disruptions recently
of course with Omni Common, IPG, etcetera. What do you
see as a driving force behind this trend? Is it
a trend? Is it a lasting trend? And where are
the big networks in a couple of years time compared
(16:48):
to the more independent agencies.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Well, I think that the Omnicom IPG deal portends more
M and A. I think, and I think there's good
opportunity for it in the market. I wasn't prescient. I
just have my ear to the ground and I didn't
know what the configuration was going to be. I didn't
know who was going to move first. But I have
(17:12):
said publicly for the last eighteen months that within eighteen months,
the landscape of the hold codes would be different. It
turned out to be right about that. It wasn't that
I was so prescient. It was just that it was
obvious that the industrial logic of consolidation would make sense
in some context. I think it still does, and I
think there'll be other shoes to fall, and I think
(17:35):
the soft middle that the independent agencies are going to
have some opportunity here, especially on the performance side. That's
an area where I think there's a lot of growth
and opportunity for the independence agencies. But you know, as
I've learned over the years, I hope I'm allowed to
be a little tongue in cheek Christian. Many of my
(17:56):
friends know this, you might know this. I was fortunate
to consider doctor west Tim are a very very good
friend over forty years, and I like to kit around
and say, in the context of consolidation, doctor Ruth told
me size matters, and so you know, I think we're
going to see some more of.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
That, especially because there's another party, right the consulting firms
who stepped into the agency business in some way over
the last couple of years. This is another component.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Right well, and that's growing as well, and continuing to grow.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
And then we have at least I've seen you know,
over the past few years as well, you know, where
brands are bringing more capabilities in house than giving it
to an agency.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Well, and we're going to continue to see that, and
you're going to continue to see brands expressing their their
their spend differently relative to you know, content development and
other things. We're going to continue to see those dynamics
occurring down the line.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
No conversation without touching AI in some way. And I
mean this is a I think the most difficult part
because in a couple of minutes, how should we discuss
AI in today's world. My impression at least is let's
kick it off like this. Talking to CMO specifically, they're
telling me, okay, we get it. Now, we got it.
You know, over years we were told this is the
next revolution. It will impact our everybody's world, every part
(19:17):
of our world, you know, consumer world as well as
our business world. Now it's time that we need to
see experiences from what's already done, the outcome, and what
it means for my today's and tomorrow's business. I don't
want to hear any more what's you know, what's possible
with AI in five years time.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
No let me, let me let me answer it Christian,
and it is obviously a very important, timely and prevalent conversation.
I've described the technology for me at least as the
technology of yes. And what I mean by that is,
when you're asking somebody, will AI impact this, Will it
(19:55):
impact that? Will it impact the next thing? The answer
is yes, will impact everything. I also look at it
a bit as a trojan horse, and if you're thinking
of what it's going to do to your job or
my job, the way I look at it as the
trojan horse nature of it is at the beginning, it's
going to make us better at our jobs, whatever our
(20:17):
jobs are. Back to the technology of yes, it will
impact everybody's job, even the most manual of labor jobs
will be impacted. So Number one, the reason I say
it's the technology of yes. The answer to every question
about what will it impact is yes. Where I think
we struggle right now is we're not even sure what
(20:39):
the questions are. So I think we have to identify
the what and then we can answer the why and
the how. Number one and number two, the trojan horse
nature of it is at the beginning, it makes your
job easier, welcome, Then it makes you better at your job,
Then it makes your job even easier, then it makes
(21:01):
you even better, and then ultimately you're not necessary. That's
the progression.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
I see. I think that's a very good description. Yes, yeah,
I agree.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Now it starts out as your friend and will ultimately
become the end of your job right in some way,
shape or form, or a massive change in your job.
I think one of the highest responsibilities that a company
has today to their employees is L and D, is
learning and development. You know, years and years and years ago,
(21:34):
I was doing work with the company that owned the
Yellow Pages directories. And I say that because there are
probably people on this listening to this don't know what
the Yellow Pages were, so I hope you do, Christian,
and I remember them telling me in that context they
had pick a number five thousand feet on the street,
(21:57):
five thousand sales associates, you know, in market selling Yellow Pages.
If they were trying to become a digital company and
selling the US Yellow Pages as a digital not a
print document, yeah or platform, you better retrain those five
thousand people because they're selling a different product. I think
(22:19):
it's a similar need and opportunity and responsibility to corporate America.
This isn't about a woke approach. This is about deployment
of resources and learning and development, and so I think
that becomes a very high responsibility to the C suite
to make sure that you're educating your teams and you're
(22:42):
enabling your teams to be able to use the technology
of Yes.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
I think that's a very good example about the potential.
And do you think the industry, our industry addressed these
challenges correctly? You know, because with this potential, we have
questions around data privacy, bias, transparency, et cetera.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
I think are industry has got right now. Yeah, we're
all spinning trying to figure out how all of these
pieces are going to play nicely together. You know, I
joke around and say, the mantra in Los Angeles, will
I consider myself more than a citizen of Los Angeles.
I'd like to fancy a citizen of the world. But
you know, the mantra in Los Angeles's instant gratification isn't
(23:21):
quick enough and so as a result of that, we
all want it right now. This one's going to take
a while.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Yeah, Yeah, that's the reason why we have these conversations
also at events, at every event these days, and it
feels a bit, as you said, circling around, but I
also agree that this is the only way to figure
it out. And also with new players coming up every
day into this business, especially around AI, there will be
somebody who will tell us at some stage. Absolutely so
(23:50):
stepping up a bit on our most strategic and general
industry level, you know, it was possible. We believe that,
you know, we have to cover the intersection between marketing,
technology and culture. Do you see any exciting trends or
do you have let's say, some one or two bold
predictions for where the industry has had it over the
next one two years.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Shelter, I think the content side of it is exciting.
Look where's the activity, the money, all the noise and
results that are being delivered through retail media and or,
as i'd like to say, now the media networks, because
you can't limit it to retail anymore. It's not just
you know, Amazon and Walmart, and you know Albertson's and Kroger's,
(24:32):
Tuber and Lyft and PayPal and you know everybody, everybody
in the pool is going to be looking at their
media networks and the opportunity. So that's obviously a place
where a lot of attention, money and time is being expended.
I do believe, and I've been consistent on this Christian
for a while content development, because when I talk about
(24:54):
content development, I'm not talking about branded entertainment or you know,
product placement. I'm talking about content that it ultimately financed by,
influenced by, and brought to you by brands. And not
just long form content, but the idea of commerce. Today,
I rarely see the word commerce not modified by the
(25:14):
word content. So content and commerce. So in the creation
of content, I think there's a lot of time and
a lot of effort and a lot of money and
a lot of focus we're going to see over the
next you know, next cycle.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Okay, that's that's I would call it a bold prediction
for for the new future. For sure, we thought it
was you know, relationship building and that your mastermind doing this,
which is key to leadership, bringing the right people together,
fostering collaboration, aligning perspectives, et cetera. Given the big you
know topics in today's you know world, tech advancements, geopolitical shifts,
(25:53):
cultural trends like let's call it TikTok or evolving regulations.
All these things should lead us prior to us. Now,
I mean, is there Is it really everything? Or would
you say no, there is a ranking, there's a priority list.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Oh, that's a tough one. I think that I'm going
to go back to what I said. I think learning
and development. I think learning and development is a critical
element for a senior leader today. Making sure you've got
the people on the job well trained to do those jobs,
and you know, keeping them current in their thinking. And
(26:33):
that is not getting into any way, shape or form.
I want to be very clear on what I just said.
Some of the noise we hear geopolitically about employment and
D E and I and those terrible initials where you're
not supposed to say anymore. But I don't subscribe to that.
But what I'm saying, I don't mean it from that perspective.
(26:55):
I mean it from the perspective of whoever is on
that job, whyever they're on that well, for whatever reason
they're on that job, you make sure that they are
being as trained and as focused and as current as
they can be.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Definitely a big challenge. I can't imagine this being in
that role. We touched a bit that you've mentioned CS
in recent years, of course with your previous companies, but
also now as well. You are very much involved in
CS and CAN lines. You developed these events over the years,
especially for the marketing world. One question I cannot avoid
(27:30):
being the chairman of Possible. Why do you think Possible
is quickly becoming a standout in the industry. We are
now heading into the third year. It's not a long history,
but I think we all agree that we are at
this edge right, we are at doing the next step.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Now here's what I'd say, and it's a simple one
for me, Christian. Okay, you know it goes back to
field the dreams if you build it. In this case,
I'd like to say we if we build it, they
will come. I think we were correct in that story.
I've said this now for the last two years. I'll
say it again as we approach April of twenty twenty
(28:08):
five for Possible, if the market didn't see a need,
we wouldn't have been able to fill it. You saw
a need and along with the co founders and the
original beyond ordinary investors, of which I'm proud to say
I was one, but you saw a need. We all
saw a need, and the marketplace need that you identified
(28:31):
turned out to be real. And you know, nature appoor
is a vacuum, and there was a vacuum. Maybe it
was a calendar vacuum. Maybe it was a vacuum between
January and June. I don't know. I don't think so.
I think it was a content vacuum. And I think
what Possible has been able to do is kind of
bridge so many of the elements. You know that. I
(28:53):
think the intersection that I live at is that of marketing, media, advertising, entertainment, sports,
and technolog Yes, I think, if possible, we're touching on
all of those things and bringing them together in a
comprehensive and a cohesive way and a clear way.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Right. Thanks for saying this. And as you said, we
all saw the need together, not just one or two
of us, but we all saw the need. And it
is a tremendous group of people who are behind that idea.
And I'm proud to say that you will also part
of this year's show in many different ways, and of
course people will see you back on stage. I started
(29:30):
with a let's call it personal question. I would like
to finish out today's conversation with a bit more personal question,
So mention ex sever time, you're the master connector and
you know everybody inside the industry or outside the industry.
You know, whenever I talk to you, you say, oh, no,
I know this person. You know I can connect or
(29:51):
reach out or whatever. But what is your dream connection
you would like to make in twenty five? Is there
any personality inside outside the indust street that you would
like to meet in person but haven't had the opportunity
to do so yet. It's hard to believe that there
is one, but maybe maybe.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Well when I was a kid, it was Joe Amaggio. Okay,
I was a baseball panattic and I had some heroes
and he was one. And I actually didn't get to
meet him. But one day he was walking in Beverly
Hills and I saw him crossing.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
The street, and that was you met You met him?
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Well, I didn't really meet him, but I kind of
felt like I met him because I saw Jodamagio on
the corner and I was like, okay, as as as
as my kids would say, this is the ship in
a good way, Yes, I know, Okay, that was the
ship for me, uh today, Oh god.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Well, we can keep this question for the next so
I can keep it for the next days.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
You can hit me. I got to really think about
that one. Okay, there's there's a lot of there's, there's
you know, there's a lot of people on that list.
It's a bucket list of it's a bucket list of people.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Let's go offline, you know, and then we have something
to talk about next next, for the next episode, next time. Okay, absolutely, Michael.
It was such a pleasure as always talking to you,
and I hope for our audience as well. And as
I said, so, I'm honored and proud to have you
on the first episode, but also you know, working with
you more or less on a daily level. And as
(31:26):
I said, we all see you back at Possible very
soon in April and Miami. Thank you very much for
this conversation. Michael.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Well, I'm looking forward to being back on the stage
and I know that Possible twenty twenty five is gonna
make us all proud and I'm looking forward.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
Thank you, Thank you, Christian, thanks for tuning in everyone.
Once again, I'm your host, Christian Mohan. If you have
a question or suggestion to me reach out, send me
d M on LinkedIn. If you're curious to learn more
about Possible, sign up for our newsletter, or if you
(32:10):
want to join us at the Possible Show in Miami,
visit Possible event dot com. Possible Now is a co
production of iHeartMedia and Possible. Our executive producers are Ryan
Martz and Yasmin Melandez. Our supervising producer is Meredith Barnes.
Special thanks to Colleen Lawrence Mack from our programming team.
Our theme music is composed by Anthony Kellacoli. For more
(32:34):
podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you listen to your favorite shows
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