Our Featured Guest for March 10, 2024 is Doug Zarkin

Doug Zarkin, a multi-award-winning marketing luminary, is a Brandweek “Marketer of The Next Generation” and a consecutive honoree in Crain’s NY Notables in Marketing. With two decades at the marketing helm, Doug has catapulted iconic brands like Avon and Victoria’s Secret PINK to new heights. His recent role as CMO of Pearle Vision caught Harvard Business School’s attention, becoming a case study in brand revitalization. Before his brand side triumphs, Doug co-founded G-WHiZ!, Grey Advertising’s youth, entertainment and lifestyle division, delivering blockbuster campaigns for industry titans like Reebok, Warner Bros. Konami Video Games, Seagram’s, W Hotels and The Food Network.

He recently was named Chief Brand Officer of Good Feet Holdings, LLC, a global holdings group of premium wellness brands, including The Good Feet Store and ING Source.

Doug’s book, “Moving Your Brand Out Of The Friend Zone” is about breaking free from the Friend Zone that hinders success. Understand why adopting a business mindset is crucial for your brand’s success and discover high-performance habits that set the stage for unprecedented growth. This book guides you to think like successful people, and guides your through high-performance habits, unveiling practical strategies to elevate your brand beyond surface-level connections.

Doug’s achievements include “Top Marketers” recognition, multiple Effie and Clio awards, and a Harvard Business School case study on brand revival. This week, Doug will release his first book “Moving Your Brand Out Of The Friend Zone: A Modern Day Guide To Strengthening Your Brand’s Value Equation.” Read more at: https://www.dougzarkin.com/

Our Entrepreneur Presenters:

Justin Crosby and Jason Anderson are from The Dream Commission, a pioneering force, dedicated to elevating municipalities and Institutions of Higher Learning through transformative financial literacy summits. The commission brings together luminaries from the realms of entertainment, entrepreneurship, business leadership, and education to champion Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of providing economic empowerment to the marginalized. The distinctive forums not only inspire attendees but also provide complimentary ongoing local and national financial literacy initiatives offered by esteemed regional banks, schools, churches, and accredited institutions. Read more at: https://www.thedreamcommission.org/

Sadie Bones, a 19-year-old triple threat in the world of filmmaking as a screenwriter, director, and actor, brings a fresh and youthful perspective to the industry. At just eight years old, she wrote and directed her first short Film, “Ellipses,” showcasing her innate talent for filmmaking. At the age of seventeen, Sadie penned her first feature film, “If That Mockingbird Don’t Sing,” initially conceived as a no-budget passion project. However, private financing, fueled by confidence in Sadie’s talent and dedication, transformed it into a reality. Sadie also created the short film “The Vanishing Point,” a project that garnered acclaim, earning her accolades such as “Most Promising Filmmaker” and “Best Young Filmmaker.”

Sadie’s commitment to diverse storytelling is evident in another earlier short documentary, “Existential Hokey Pokey,” which explores her best friend’s experience being adopted from China and living with cerebral palsy. Her cinematic influences include powerhouse women like Greta Gerwig, Diablo Cody, Sofia Coppola, and Adrienne Shelly, who inspired her to carve her path in the industry. A chance encounter with Greta Gerwig, where she shared her dream of creating a feature film, became a pivotal moment for Sadie. Gerwig’s encouraging words, immortalized in a tattoo on Sadie’s arm that reads “Go make your movies!” – is a daily motivator to fearlessly pursue her passion. Read more at: https://www.asadiebonesfilm.com/

David Cantor is a natural foods industry veteran and the founder of Folk Revival. He has created a new hot cereal perfect for any time of the day! Each cup of Folk Revival contains 20g protein, is low carb, Keto-friendly, zero sugar, made with wild harvest acorns, and is delicious both hot and cold. Folk Revival is reviving heirloom and heritage foods. “Acorns have been consumed by people for millennia and are enjoyed around the world. They have profound environmental and health benefits and are a largely untapped resource,” notes Cantor. It’s time for a new sustainable, clean-label brand with Keto offerings. Available in four delicious flavors (Original, Blueberry Almond, Maple Walnut, Chai Almond), Folk Revival retails for $3.99 each. Every cup of Folk Revival delivers a nutty, earthy, satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs breakfast that is sure to keep consumers satisfied until the next meal.

David founded Folk Revival in 2022 because he is passionate about increasing resiliency in our food supply. Heirloom foods help support biodiversity, and this diversity gives our food system strength and resilience. David has been working in the natural food world his whole adult life. It started after college, when he founded a small organic vegetable farm in New Mexico, and I never looked back. He later studied Food and Ag Policy and have been working to grow natural and organic food brands ever since. Read more at: https://folkrevival.com/