The Power of Growing Together: Friendship, Career, and Building Brands with Jessica Graboff of CAA

The Power of Growing Together: Friendship, Career, and Building Brands with Jessica Graboff of CAA

No one pushes you, challenges you, or calls you on your bullshit quite like your best friend.  Farryn’s ultimate boss and best friend of nearly 20 years, Jessica Graboff—an agent at CAA—joins the Farrynheight Podcast for an intimate conversation about friendship, career, and the lessons that shaped them both. From early days as ambitious twenty-somethings in New York to building brands and storytelling on opposite coasts, Jessica and Farryn unpack what it really means to evolve side-by-side both personally and professionally. This is an intimate, full-circle conversation about loyalty, reinvention, and the beauty of building your life—and your career—with people who see your potential before you do. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introducing Jessica Graboff: Agent, Mentor, Best Friend 03:29 – Would We Live Together Again? Absolutely 05:49 – Moving to NYC & Becoming Real Friends 06:55 – Early Ambition & Career Drive 08:18 – Discovering We’re Both Storytellers 09:58 – Law, Talent, and the Birth of Brand Storytelling 12:06 – The Rise of Talent-Driven Brands 14:07 – Learning From Each Other’s Worlds 15:59 – Shanghai, Michael Kors & Early Career Lessons 18:21 – Learning Through Failure as a Young Agent 20:31 – Why Moving to LA Changed Everything 21:23 – What Makes a Successful Agent 22:16 – Building Trust With Talent & Brands 24:05 – Defining Your Personal Brand & Lane 25:41 – Working With Powerful Women in Hollywood 27:50 – Motherhood, Ambition & Identity Shifts 29:06 – Returning to Work After Kids & COVID 30:00 – Sacrifice, Guilt & Balance as a Working Mom 31:26 – Growing Careers Side by Side 32:59 – Diverging Paths: Marriage, Divorce & Growth 34:36 – How Motherhood Changes Perspective 40:22 – What’s Next in Brand & Celebrity Marketing 45:15 – Creativity, Growth & Staying Curious 46:09 – Rapid Fire 46:22 – Fear of Scaling & Letting Go of Control 50:47 – Final Thoughts & Outro Subscribe to The Farrynheight Podcast:  YouTube [http://youtube.com/farrynheight] Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0jFMVHC9m7SNT3KYtmpC5M] https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-farrynheight-podcast/id1522532699 Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-farrynheight-podcast/id1522532699] Follow Farrynheight on social: Farrynheight Podcast Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/farrynheightpodcast/?hl=en] Farryn Weiner Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jetsetfarryn/?hl=en] Farrynheight Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/farrynheight/?hl=en] Farrynheight LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/farrynheight/] Interested in raising brands? Send us a note at hey@farrynheight.com [hey@farrynheight.com] or visit us at https://farrynheight.com/ [https://farrynheight.com/]

SAVI Moves: Savannah Engel on Style, Strategy, and Storytelling

PR is not for the faint of heart—it’s cliques, war rooms, and more than a few late nights. But Savannah Engel, Founder of SAVI PR, hasn’t just survived it; she’s turned the chaos into a career that’s helped define a generation of fashion marketing. From early stumbles and tough feedback to finding her rhythm, Savannah used grit, persistence, and her instinctive social wizardry to carve her path. She’s proof that what begins as “soft skills” can become the sharpest edge, transforming social grit into professional gold. Together, she and Farryn trade stories about 20-hour days, the power of your network, why hiring is about personality as much as merit, and how blurred lines between work and life can create both magic and mayhem. They’re candid about the love of career, the myth of “having it all,” and the radical self-belief it takes to keep going anyway.  TIMESTAMPS:  00:00 Casual Beginnings and Personal Reflections 09:00 Navigating Career Paths in PR and Fashion 20:01 Work Ethic and the Changing Landscape of Employment 29:59 Self-Discovery and Confidence in Professional Growth 30:50 Finding Passion in Work 32:00 The Journey of Self-Discovery 33:51 Overcoming Challenges and Insecurities 36:06 Building a Brand and Team Culture 39:06 Creativity in Marketing Strategies 42:25 The Reality of Hard Work in PR 46:02 Navigating Success as a Woman 49:15 The Complexity of Relationships and Success 54:54 Lessons Learned Through Experience 58:05 Advice for Newcomers in PR Subscribe to The Farrynheight Podcast:  YouTube [http://youtube.com/farrynheight] Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0jFMVHC9m7SNT3KYtmpC5M]Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-farrynheight-podcast/id1522532699] Follow Farrynheight on social: Farrynheight Podcast Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/farrynheightpodcast/?hl=en] Farryn Weiner Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jetsetfarryn/?hl=en] Farrynheight Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/farrynheight/?hl=en] Farrynheight LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/farrynheight/] Interested in raising brands? Send us a note at hey@farrynheight.com [hey@farrynheight.com] or visit us at https://farrynheight.com/ [https://farrynheight.com/]

Growing the Game: Radhika Duggal on Marketing Major League Soccer

Soccer may be the world’s game, but for Radhika Duggal, it’s also a masterclass in marketing, leadership, and consumer obsession. As CMO of Major League Soccer, she’s redefining how a league connects with its fans—through innovation, resilience, and a culture of care that puts people first. Radhika pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to market a league that’s growing at record pace. From embracing imperfection as a strategy (yes, really) to building a culture of care and speed, she shares how consumer behavior and team dynamics intersect to create moments of fandom that last a lifetime. We cover it all: resilience in leadership, why feedback is the ultimate gift, the art of operationalizing innovation, and how soccer’s global DNA makes it uniquely positioned to unite rather than divide.  TIMESTAMPS:  00:00 Introduction and Background 02:10 The Role of CMO in Major League Soccer 06:44 Embracing Imperfection and Learning 09:28 Navigating New Challenges in a New Industry 12:33 Goals and Team Dynamics 15:36 Operationalizing Speed and Communication 18:24 Building a Culture of Care and Trust 21:09 Defining Great Leadership 22:53 Feedback and Growth 25:48 Consumer Behavior Insights 28:28 Driving Fan Growth and Engagement 31:00 Measuring Fandom and Emotional Connection 35:07 Innovation in Marketing for MLS 37:10 Understanding Consumer Behavior 39:39 Real-Life Consumer Insights 42:11 The Thread of People in Career 43:55 Resilience as a Key Skill Subscribe to The Farrynheight Podcast:  YouTube [http://youtube.com/farrynheight] Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0jFMVHC9m7SNT3KYtmpC5M] Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-farrynheight-podcast/id1522532699] Follow Farrynheight on social: Farrynheight Podcast Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/farrynheightpodcast/?hl=en] Farryn Weiner Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jetsetfarryn/?hl=en] Farrynheight Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/farrynheight/?hl=en] Farrynheight LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/farrynheight/] Interested in raising brands? Send us a note at hey@farrynheight.com [hey@farrynheight.com] or visit us at https://farrynheight.com/ [https://farrynheight.com/]

The Business of Influence & Investing with Jaclyn Johnson

What does it really take to rewrite your story? Jaclyn Johnson, Founder & CEO of Create & Cultivate, joins Farryn to unpack the messy, beautiful, and often invisible work of transformation in business and life. From grappling with identity crises after stepping down as CEO, and then returning, to redefining what success means beyond hustle culture, Jaclyn’s journey is a masterclass in owning your boundaries, embracing vulnerability, and learning that sometimes walking away is the boldest act of self-love. They dive deep into how mentorship, masterminds, and community fuel resilience, why asking for more is a revolutionary act for female entrepreneurs, and how personal challenges born of burnout and divorce can lead to unexpected growth and clarity. This episode isn’t just about pivoting a business, it’s about pivoting your life with conviction, courage, and a fierce commitment to showing up authentically on your own terms. Because in a world full of noise and pressure, the real success is learning how to define your own rules and find joy in the journey. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Navigating Change: A Post-COVID Reflection 01:05 The Art of Pivoting: Adapting to New Realities 03:03 Identity Crisis: The CEO Transition 06:53 Masterminds and Mentorship: Building Connections 09:03 Vulnerability in Business: Lessons from Burnout 12:08 Redefining Roles: From CEO to Chief Creative Officer 13:57 Success and Failure: A Fluid Definition 16:13 Learning from Failure: The Wine Venture 19:57 Ego and Self-Love: The Courage to Step Back 23:16 Owning Your Boundaries and Conviction in Business 24:40 Understanding Your Value and Asking for More 26:14 Empowering Women Entrepreneurs to Know Their Worth 28:09 The Shift from Hustle Culture to Embracing Femininity 32:31 Navigating Personal Challenges and Professional Growth 36:56 The Journey of Acceptance and Self-Reflection 43:14 Defining Success on Your Own Terms Subscribe to The Farrynheight Podcast:  YouTube [http://youtube.com/farrynheight] Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0jFMVHC9m7SNT3KYtmpC5M] Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-farrynheight-podcast/id1522532699] Follow Farrynheight on social: Farrynheight Podcast Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/farrynheightpodcast/?hl=en] Farryn Weiner Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jetsetfarryn/?hl=en] Farrynheight Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/farrynheight/?hl=en] Farrynheight LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/farrynheight/] Interested in raising brands? Send us a note at hey@farrynheight.com [hey@farrynheight.com] or visit us at https://farrynheight.com/ [https://farrynheight.com/]

Building Better: Ancient Crunch CEO Steven Rofrano on Why Simplicity is the Ultimate Innovation

The future of snack foods is here, and Ancient Crunch is leading the charge. Steven Rofrano, CEO of Ancient Crunch, isn’t here to disrupt the chip industry. He’s here to rebuild it. With a deep respect for tradition, a sharp eye on quality, and zero tolerance for BS ingredients, Ancient Crunch, the makers of MASA and Vandy, is redefining what “better-for-you” should mean in the CPG space. From vertical integration to viral marketing, Steven joins Farryn to share what it really takes to build a brand that consumers not only taste, but trust. They unpack the critical (and often chaotic) path of launching a CPG company, why real food deserves better storytelling, how moments of validation can keep founders fueled through the grind, and what happens when you decide to challenge the food system from the inside out. It’s a conversation that spans gut health, grit, and the real responsibility of making products that do more than just sell. If you’ve ever wondered how to create food that’s good for people and the planet—and make it cool in the process—this one’s for you. MASA AFFILATE CODE:  Code: FARRYN Link: https://www.masachips.com/discount/FARRYN Worth 25% off first-time orders. TIMESTAMPS:  00:00 Introduction and Background 01:57 The Factory and Vertical Integration 04:16 The Journey to Founding the Company 10:55 Moments of Validation and Growth 14:03 Key Components of Success 18:39 Building Brand Loyalty and Retention 25:12 Future Product Development and Vision 35:30 Navigating Challenges as a Founder 54:47 Qualities of a Successful Leader Subscribe to The Farrynheight Podcast:  YouTube [http://youtube.com/farrynheight] Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0jFMVHC9m7SNT3KYtmpC5M]Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-farrynheight-podcast/id1522532699] https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-farrynheight-podcast/id1522532699Follow Farrynheight on social: Farrynheight Podcast Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/farrynheightpodcast/?hl=en] Farryn Weiner Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jetsetfarryn/?hl=en] Farrynheight Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/farrynheight/?hl=en] Farrynheight LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/farrynheight/] Interested in raising brands? Send us a note at hey@farrynheight.com [hey@farrynheight.com] or visit us at https://farrynheight.com/ [https://farrynheight.com/]