EP45 - Pelmorex Head of Data Sales and Product Strategy - Celeste Normington

Do you work in digital media? If so, then you already know how comprehensive it can be. You could be working with anything from data to content to search or social—and that’s not even the full list. Today’s guest, Celeste Normington, has seen her career grow with the evolution of digital media.

Celeste started out at the old Toronto.com, which offered local search engine advertising solutions well before Google was known for it.

From there Celeste moved to Olive Media, where she rose through the ranks from sales executive to management—working on everything from monetizing partnership inventory to leading their charge in the mobile solutions space.

Leading French-Canadian news company La Presse came calling, tapping her to lead sales in their Toronto office.

Celeste has pivoted away from content and media sales, joining Pelmorex Data Solutions where she is currently their Head of Data Sales and Product Strategy.

We chat about everything from growing up in small-town Ontario to the culture shock and excitement that came teaching English in Japan. And we even compare notes on what reality shows kept us from attending class in university.

IG @VicGenova

EP44 - Midas Exchange Senior Director of Strategy - Boris Cho

Marketer, strategist, and nerdologist—that’s the way Boris Cho introduces himself on LinkedIn. But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll learn that the Midas Exchange’s Senior Director of Strategy has one helluva story to tell.

Boris was born in Sao Paulo, Brasil, and emigrated with his family to Canada at an early age.

1980’s & 90’s pop culture was a big part of his upbringing—everything from cartoons, comic books, video games, music and even professional wrestling. All of which helped shape the person he is today.

And it was pop culture that influenced his early career moves. This includes everything from working in the music industry to opening a pizzeria in Saskatchewan.

What’s one of the keys to Boris’ success? I’d argue it’s the way he chases employment opportunities. Never one to take an apply-&-interview approach, he makes sure to do his due diligence on both the role he’s applying for and the company that’s hiring. From there he proactively seeks out the hiring managers, and then pitches to them how he can solve their business problems.

Boris Cho stops by to chat about all this and more.

IG @VicGenova

EP43 - CANNADA BRANDS Founder & Creator - Jordan Brooks

Science argues that people are either left brain or right brain thinkers. Left brain people are more likely to analytical, while right brain thinkers tend to be more creative.

However, today’s guest, Jordan brooks, defies this theory by straddling both sides of the spectrum.

A native of Barrie Ontario, music was one of Jordan’s passions growing up, but upon graduating from university he found himself working in the AdTech world. He’s held roles at AdConion, Olive Media, and was one of the early employees at Cadreon’s Canadian office. As a matter of fact if you go through his LinkedIn profile, you’d think he’s completely a numbers guy.

Jordan has taken all of that collective AdTech & data experience and founded CTRL-X, a “cut the crap agency”.

But he hasn’t stopped there. Indulging his creative side, Jordan recently launched CANNADA BRANDS—a new video production studio dedicated to telling the entrepreneurial stories of Canadian cannabis purveyors.

CANNADA BRANDS cannadabrands.ca

Victor Genova IG VicGenova www.mediapeople.ca