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Send us Fan Mail On this week’s episode of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with Krystal Faircloth, Senior Director of Brand Marketing at Smalls Sliders, to discuss her career journey across sports, consumer brands, influencer marketing, and technology, and how she’s helping build a fast-growing restaurant brand through creative storytelling and community connections. Podcast Breakdown 00:00 - 10:02 Meet Krystal Faircloth 10:03 - 15:57 Community Coffee & Building a Brand as an Early Creator 15:58 - 23:21 NIL Tech at Matchpoint & the Power of a Career Pivot 23:22 - 28:19 Inside Smalls Sliders & Building the Brand Brick by Brick 28:20 - 33:14 Orange Can Drops & Small Town Heroes 33:15 - 41:22 Cross-Industry Inspiration & Championing Micro Creators 41:23 - 51:40 Smossy Social Content & Keeping Franchisees On Brand 51:41 - 57:05 Secret Menu Teases & Calendar Management as a Working Mom

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s episode of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with Dave Dreyer, Chief Marketing Officer of Bazooka Companies, to discuss how iconic candy brands are evolving beyond nostalgia, tapping into fandom, and finding new ways to stay culturally relevant.

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s episode of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with Cody Kuecker, Lead Marketing Manager of Sponsorships and Experiential Marketing at AT&T, to discuss the evolution of sports sponsorships, the art of building authentic brand partnerships, and how technology and connectivity can enhance fan experiences. Podcast Breakdown 00:00 - 05:40 Meet Cody: From College Baseball to Aggie Sports Marketing 05:40 - 09:49 From TMA to Learfield: Learning Sponsorships Inside & Out 09:49 - 14:49 Beyond Spots & Dots: What Makes a Great Partnership 14:49 - 19:39 AT&T Stadium & the Cowboys: A Naming Rights Win 19:39 - 25:24 Brand Love, Authenticity & Moving at the Speed of Culture 25:24 - 33:54 The Blue Thread: OOH, SGA & Cooper Flagg 33:54 - 41:51 Calculated Risk & the Second Screen Experience 41:51 - 52:30 March Madness, Big Moments & Standing In for Jordan Spieth

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s episode of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with Katie Steinharter, Director of Social Media and Content at Alterra Mountain Company, a ski hospitality company and creator of Ikon Pass, a multi-destination season pass that lets skiers visit many different resorts without buying separate lift tickets for each trip. Katie share her views on the power of authentic storytelling and explains how athletes and creators can bring a brand’s lifestyle to life. Podcast Breakdown 00:00 - 08:02 Ketchup Fears, Tamagotchis & Growing Up in Australia 08:03 - 15:10 Self-Made Study Abroad, Nannying in Maine & Teaching in Spain 15:11 - 21:29 Solar Lights, Cambodia & a First Taste of Marketing 21:30 - 28:05 The Denver Post, a Ski Sabbatical & the Chairlift Phone Call 28:06 - 37:04 Selling the Lifestyle & Sharing the Mountain with the Pros 37:05 - 50:10 Building the Athlete Program, Mikaela Shiffrin & the Creators Behind the Lens 50:11 - 56:56 Zeb Powell, Marshawn Lynch & the Power of One-Take Authenticity 56:57 - 59:28 Mountain Memories & Katie's Card-Splitting Skills

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s episode of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with Ashleigh Griffith, Director of Marketing for Dunkin, to discuss building iconic brands, bringing Dunkin into emerging markets, and creating experiences that turn customers into loyal fans.

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s episode of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with Haley Brantingham, Director of Integrated Marketing for Sporting Kansas City, the city’s Major League Soccer franchise, to discuss marketing to the team’s passionate fan base. Podcast Breakdown 00:00 - 12:58 Fun Facts, the Pepsi Jet Redemption & Frontier Airlines Campaigns 12:59 - 17:35 The Leap to Sporting KC & Life as Director of Marketing 17:36 - 22:32 Kansas City's Soccer Obsession & the World Cup Effect 22:33 - 32:52 Inside the Cauldron: Culture, Traditions & Fan Diversity 32:53 - 44:35 Chants, Content & the Stories That Make Fans Feel Like Family 44:36 - 52:20 The Youth Soccer Pipeline & Building Community Roots 52:21 - 55:46 Career Reflections & Bella the Sponsored Chihuahua

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s episode of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with Rachel Roger, Vice President of National Sales at Lamar Advertising, to discuss the power of building lasting relationships and why the human side of the business remains more important than ever. Podcast Breakdown  00:00 - 03:57 Meet Rachel: Playlists & Growing Up One of Five 03:57 - 10:07 The John Miller Interview That Almost Didn't Happen 10:07 - 18:13 Decentralization: Lamar's Secret Weapon in National Sales 18:13 - 21:57 Jazz Fest: Where Clients Become Family 21:57 - 28:03 Mom, VP, & Everything In Between 28:03 - 43:05 OOH in the Age of AI 43:05 - 47:57 Lamar's Human-First Culture & What's Next

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s episode of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with Ian Wishingrad, Co-Founder and CMO of breakfast cereal brand, Three Wishes Cereal, to discuss the origins of his “better-for-you” cereal, the importance of creating attention, and what it takes to turn a startup brand into a household name. Podcast Breakdown  00:00 - 09:49 Introduction & His Journey to Three Wishes 09:50 - 20:00 Disrupting the Cereal Aisle 20:01 - 30:03 Family, Entrepreneurship & Growing the Brand 30:04 - 35:00 Retail, E-Commerce & the Agency Perspective 35:01 - 43:28 Creative Ideas, Influencers & Authentic Marketing 43:29 - 53:52 The Future of Three Wishes

Send us Fan Mail In this special episode of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian takes the podcast on the road to MediaPost’s Sports Marketing Insider Summit in Park City, where he speaks with industry leaders from some of the biggest brands and organizations in sports marketing.

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with Kelly O’Rourke, Director of Marketing at FiiZ Drinks, to discuss the rise of “dirty soda,” the power of customization, and how social media helped turn a regional beverage company into a cultural phenomenon. Podcast Breakdown: 00:00 - 11:27 Introduction, FiiZ & The Dirty Soda Boom 11:28 - 16:49 FiiZ Is More Than Just Dirty Soda 16:50 - 20:25 Kelly’s Unexpected Journey to FiiZ 20:26 - 23:47 Why Customization Is Changing Beverage Culture 23:48 - 41:08 FiiZ’s Explosive Growth Beyond Utah 41:09 - 47:35 The Secret Weapon: FiiZ’s Frontline Experience 47:36 - 55:38 How TikTok Changed Everything 55:39 - 57:59 What’s Next: Loyalty, Growth & FiiZ’s Future

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with Erin Everhart, VP of Content & Events at MediaPost, the media, marketing, and advertising industry’s resource for news coverage, events, and more.  Podcast Breakdown 00:00 - 05:55 Introduction, fun facts & New Orleans roots 05:56 - 12:00 Journalism beginnings, career pivots & Home Depot journey 12:01 - 17:52 Leadership lessons, saying yes & building opportunities 17:53 - 23:50 Media saturation, creative marketing & consumer attention 23:51 - 30:10 Influencer marketing, brand relevance & omnichannel strategy 30:11 - 40:41 Layoffs, career transitions & finding the right opportunity 40:42 - 52:52 Networking, authentic relationships & the MediaPost community 52:53 - 01:11:06 Work-life balance, family priorities & personal reflections

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with Todd Johnson to discuss the evolution of programmatic advertising, the growing role of AI and attention measurement in media buying, and why storytelling still matters in an increasingly automated industry. Podcast Breakdown 00:00 - 04:50 Introduction, career beginnings & action movie fandom 04:51 - 13:55 Generalist vs. specialist & building a career path 13:56 - 22:14 Inside Viant & the programmatic advertising ecosystem 22:15 - 26:51 Storytelling, brand strategy & connecting with consumers 26:52 - 30:33 Attention, creativity & campaign effectiveness 30:34 - 36:11 Data-driven media buying & optimizing performance 36:12 - 43:29 AI, adaptability & navigating industry change 43:30 - 44:45 Future trends, consumer behavior & what's next for advertising

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with Maureen McCloskey Geraghty to discuss the evolution of out-of-home advertising, the mindset required to build a lasting career in media, and how leadership, hustle, and adaptability continue to shape the future of the industry.

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with Nathan Pearce, Founder and CEO at Pearce Bespoke Franchising, to discuss the human element of styling, how style and individuality shape confidence, and why giving someone the right suit can change the trajectory of their life.

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode of the Digital and Dirt podcast, Ian sits down with Haley Neid, Director of Brand Management at Nate’s Honey, the top-selling branded honey in the U.S., to discuss how the company has successfully redefined how to market a “commodity” product. Podcast Breakdown 00:00 - 05:57 Introduction, Cup stacking & Being a college athlete 05:58 - 11:53 Career journey & The origin story of Nate’s Honey 11:54 - 17:50 Modernizing the honey market & Making honey cool again 17:51 - 25:26 Consumer behavior, Trends & Social listening 25:27 - 32:49 Influencers, Storytelling & Packaging that sells 32:50 - 48:13 Trust, transparency & What it takes to stand out & grow in CPG