Ugly, Irresponsible, & Childish

Crisis, Creativity & AI: Inside the Command Center

This week, our two intrepid hosts sit down with Paul Walker, founder of Crisis Command, to discuss how AI is reshaping crisis management, the balance between human judgment and automation, and the tactics organizations need to stay aligned under pressure. They explore Crisis Command's workflow, real-world case examples, industry-specific applications, and the limits of AI — emphasizing empathy, institutional values, and the continued need for experienced human decision-makers.

Who Owns the Vision? Creative Control, Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni

Hosts Marc and Jeremy unpack creative control in entertainment and marketing, sparked by the Blake Lively–Justin Baldoni dispute. They discuss how differing visions, committee influence, and leadership decisions shape— and sometimes sabotage—creative work. Through personal stories and industry examples, they share practical approaches to protect creative vision: early buy-in, staged sharing of work, treating leadership like clients, and balancing surprise with clarity to avoid last-minute compromises.

Escape the Drama Triangle: How Leaders Transform Reactive Cultures

In this episode Jeremy, Marc, and guest Kristen Lisanti unpack the ‘drama triangle’—victim, villain, hero—and show leaders how to replace reactivity with three practical practices: co‑creating, challenging, and coaching. Drawing on agency stories and neuroscience-informed culture work, they explain how small leadership shifts can turn survival cultures into creative, high‑performing ecosystems. Listeners will learn red flags to watch for, how to hold tough conversations without falling into blame, and where to start when change must come from the top.

When Procurement Kills Creativity: Agencies Under Siege

Hosts Jeremy & Marc unpack the damaging rise of procurement in marketing — from unpaid agency pitches and re-bids to opaque fee battles and stolen ideas. They share firsthand stories about lost accounts, the pressure to cut creative work to fit budgets, and practical ideas for how agencies might respond. Listen to them connect all this back to terrorism. Prepare for head-shaking moments and a lot of whining. Fun!!!

Blinding Light: Joe Eszterhas on Cancer, Faith, and Reinvention

Concluding their run with Joe Eszterhas, Marc and Jeremy sit down with and discuss Joe's more recent work, sudden throat cancer diagnosis, risky surgery, and a long recovery. Joe reflects on the role of his wife Naomi and a renewed faith, his anti-smoking campaign, the return to writing, and the hard-won lessons for creatives: write the work in your heart and never give up.