Giant Stories

Giant Stories

While the tools we have at our disposal to create and share stories have never been more broad and varied, the fundamentals of great storytelling remain as transcendent as ever. Despite the headwinds our industry faces, clients and brands will always covet companies that remain steadfast — with a steady eye on culture, an understanding of the business dynamics at hand, and a commitment to the fundamentals of what makes a great story. Join us for compelling conversations with some of today's most influential and relevant storytellers. You’ll be inspired by their journey and learn how the power of story has transformed their brands, their companies, and their careers. – Giant Stories is a production of Medium Giant, a full-service creative marketing agency based in Dallas and Tulsa — and a sister company to The Dallas Morning News. We believe storytelling is a beacon in the static white noise and come from a 140-year-proud tradition of storytelling and connecting people. Our team includes more than 100 creative storytellers applying our sensibility to our clients’ business acumen. If you're interested learn more about how to use storytelling to accelerate your business velocity, visit us at MediumGiant.co

Episodes

Transforming the Beauty Industry from the Inside Out — with Jennifer Masie

June 23, 2026 • 23 mins
Transforming the Beauty Industry from the Inside OutIn this episode of Giant Stories, host John Kiker sits down with Jennifer Masie, Group Vice President of Full-Service Operations at Sally Beauty Holdings, to explore the intersection of marketing, operations, leadership, and innovation. Jennifer shares her journey from Cleveland to Dallas, her experience leading marketing initiatives at 7-Eleven, and how those experiences shaped h...
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Leading a Beloved Brand Through Change — With Southwest Airlines’ Julia Melle

April 6, 2026 • 32 mins
In this episode of Giant Stories, host John Kiker sits down with Julia Melle, Director of Brand and Content at Southwest Airlines, to discuss what it means to steward one of the most beloved brands in America through a moment of transformation.Julia shares her journey from agency creative to in-house brand leader — with career stops at Leo Burnett, Publicis, and The Richards Group — and explains how those experiences sh...
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What Brain Health Can Teach Us — With Laura Bloom Gordon

February 2, 2026 • 39 mins
In this episode of Giant Stories, seasoned marketer Laura Bloom Gordon shares how her career journey — spanning global brands, major retailers, and media organizations — has shaped the way she communicates one of the most complex subjects in the world: brain health.As the Chief Marketing Officer at Center for BrainHealth, she talks about how science becomes a story, how data becomes meaning, and how communicating brain ...
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Storytelling that Sells and Serves — with Natalie Yancy

September 12, 2025 • 28 mins
From the enduring value of print to the rising role of AI in marketing, Natalie unpacks the tools, tactics, and truths behind modern media — and why authenticity, relevance, and community connection will always matter most. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Signs, Strategy, and Storytelling: Inside Tire Discounters’ Unique Brand Voice — with Crissy Niese

August 16, 2025 • 38 mins
In this episode of Giant Stories, we sit down with Crissy Niese, the Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer of Tire Discounters, to explore how a Cincinnati-based, family-owned company has grown from a one-bay garage into one of the nation’s largest independent tire and automotive service chains. Episode highlights include: The origins of Tire Discounters and its family-owned ethos Why storytelling is the foundat...
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Built by Locals, Made for the World: The Heart Behind the Dallas Rebrand — with Jennifer Walker

July 14, 2025 • 35 mins
In this episode of Giant Stories, host John Kiker sits down with Jennifer Walker, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Visit Dallas, for an honest, insightful, and energizing look at how a bold brand transformation is reshaping how the world sees Dallas — and how Dallas sees itself. Jennifer and her team are on a mission: take Dallas from a city with strong name recognition but low tourism consideration and t...
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Helmets Off: How the NFL is Winning with Global Storytelling — with Marissa Solis

April 25, 2025 • 38 mins
In this episode of Giant Stories, we sit down with one of today’s most dynamic marketing leaders, Marissa Solis, Senior Vice President of Global Brand and Consumer Marketing for the NFL. From transforming fan engagement to expanding the NFL’s global reach, Marissa shares how one of America’s most iconic brands continues to evolve through the power of storytelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastch...
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Bringing the FIFA World Cup to North Texas — with Monica Paul

March 26, 2025 • 37 mins
Episode highlights include: A behind-the-curtain look at the bid process for hosting the FIFA World Cup How North Texas positioned itself as a prime location for the event — and what makes its sports culture unique The impact of bringing global audiences to North Texas and the massive infrastructure efforts needed to prepare for the World Cup The economic and cultural impact of hosting nine matches in the metroplex &mdash...
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Defining the Storytelling Edge — with Medium Giant’s Shawn Kruggel and Lizzy Bakhaus

February 26, 2025 • 44 mins
Episode highlights include: The Foundations of Great Storytelling: What makes a brand story compelling, and why authenticity is key. Medium Giant’s Storytelling Framework: The unique exploration of critical context to earned ending. The Role of AI in Creativity: When to embrace automation and when human insight matters most. Reach vs. Resonance: How brands can balance data-driven tactics with emotional connection. The Fu...
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From Convenience to Pop Culture: How 7-Eleven Tells Its Story — with Marissa Jarratt

January 23, 2025 • 41 mins
Episode highlights include: The accidental way Marissa fell in love with brand marketing after initially pursuing a career in finance The story framework that 7-Eleven uses in all its marketing, communications, programming, development, and partnerships Why “conflict” is so important to brand storytelling — and how 7-Eleven activates the brand’s conflict of amusing vs. essential How launching a Slurpee ...
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The Real Deal: Why Authentic Storytelling Matters for Brands — with Paige Guzman

January 21, 2025 • 33 mins
In this episode, Paige shares her brand experience and insights with John Kiker, president of Medium Giant, including: The origin stories behind brands like Lagunitas and Mezzetta — and why authenticity matters How to appeal to consumers emotionally and deliver content that makes an impact Why brands birthed in boardrooms can be more challenging to build stories around The challenges of finding influencers who have a mea...
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How 105 Moons Sparked the Importance of Every Individual’s Story and Truth in Leadership — with Jackie Insinger

December 14, 2024 • 36 mins
In this episode, Jackie shares her own sparks of leadership inspiration with John Kiker, president of Medium Giant, including: Why having a rich diversity of perspectives — individual stories — can influence better decision-making, greater innovation, and bigger outputs Why we can’t manage through change in today’s VUCA world — and what to do instead The critical impact of psychological safety ...
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From Pizza Coupons to PCs: How Insights Drive Stories – with Lance Hill

November 27, 2024 • 34 mins
In this episode, Lance sits down with John Kiker, president of Medium Giant, to discuss: How building content around tater tots and milkshakes laid an early foundation for Lance’s career journey Why it takes art and science to fuel storytelling The integral role and appeal of authenticity in marketing — and how nuance can be a game-changer Why playing it safe is clamping down on creativity The role of technology in...
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From The Gap to Bay Club: Why It’s Important to “Keep it Real” – with Tracy Cioffi

November 19, 2024 • 33 mins
In this episode, Tracy sits down with John Kiker, president of Medium Giant, to discuss: How her time at The Gap, Sur la Table, and more shaped her perception of brand story — and its importance The specific qualities she looks for when she’s telling brand stories How she “keeps it real” at Bay Club ay Club’s unique approach to connecting with members of all ages — and what other brands can l...
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Building Real Stories from the Ground Up – with Joan Cetera

October 30, 2024 • 33 mins
In this episode, Joan shares with John Kiker, president of Medium Giant: How she parlayed her experience from highly palatable food at Frito-Lay to heavy-duty machinery at Caterpillar How Caterpillar’s brand story has built a name for itself in our culture — right down to actor Ryan Gosling’s cap in The Fall Guy Why a compelling “story arc” is essential for good brand storytelling Why it&rsqu...
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How a Newsroom Thinks About Storytelling – with Katrice Hardy

October 17, 2024 • 23 mins
In this episode, Katrice shares with John Kiker, president of Medium Giant:   What makes a great story from the perspective of an editor How the multifaceted nature of storytelling formats can be used to meet people where they are The surprising correlation between journalism and advertising when it comes to storytelling Why it’s so important to bring light to stories that would otherwise go untold How journalistic ...
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Elevating the Stories of Black Creators — with Justin Adu

October 7, 2024 • 32 mins
In this episode, Justin sits down with John Kiker, president of Medium Giant, to share: The impact of a people-first approach and how it can bring underrepresented stories to life Why having diverse voices across every storytelling platform is important The elements that make for an attention-grabbing, authentic brand story Why outside-the-box thinking and taking risks is worth it How agency collaboration — in and o...
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The Magic of Turning Wishes Into Stories – with Kim Elenez

October 6, 2024 • 26 mins
In this episode, Kim sits down with John Kiker, president of Medium Giant, to share: Why authenticity is fundamental to a brand story that has staying power Her “bite, snack, meal” approach to storytelling How micro-moments and unthinkable realities can create extraordinary stories Her perspective for breaking through the clutter and noise Powerful takeaways from wishes granted Learn more about your ad choices. V...
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