Soul & Science: Fast Forward Your Marketing Mind

#109: Building a Brand at 190 MPH | Amber Balcaen, Race Car Driver

Amber Balcaen didn’t just have to prove she could win races. She had to prove she was worth backing.In this episode of Soul & Science, Jason Harris sits down with Amber Balcaen, a third-generation race-car driver who made history in 2016 as the first Canadian female to win a NASCAR-sanctioned race in the United States. With a background in dirt racing, Amber became the first in her family to transition to asphalt stock cars and has since made more than 40 starts in the ARCA Menards Series.Together, Jason and Amber explore the parallels between racing and business: the discipline of consistency, the importance of feedback loops, and the mindset required to keep going when results don’t come easily. From cold-calling sponsors to refining her brand story, Amber explains how resilience becomes operational—and why the ability to assess, adapt, and implement is what separates short careers from long ones.Key Takeaways:✅ Performance earns attention, but sponsorship sustains opportunity✅ Resilience works best when it’s treated as a system, not a feeling✅ Strong brands attract partners instead of chasing them✅ Long-term success is built through consistency, feedback, and adaptationMemorable Moments:💡 “If I wanted to be a race car driver, I first had to be a businesswoman.”💡 “Resilience isn’t just emotional. It’s operational.”💡 “Racing and business are so similar: it’s always assess and implement.”💡 “Hold your vision.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

#108: A New Playbook for Standing Out in Advertising | Jack Westerkamp & Geno Schellenberger, Co-Founders of Breaking & Entering Media

Breaking into advertising can be tough—and standing out once you’re in is even tougher. But two young creatives are showing there’s a new path. In this episode, Jack Westerkamp and Geno Schellenberger, co-founders of Breaking & Entering Media, join Jason to share how they built one of the most energetic and attention-grabbing brands in the industry by combining cultural instinct, social-first thinking, and a healthy disregard for the “traditional” career playbook.They share how a pandemic Zoom interview series turned into a movement: raising their first $50K from friends and family, moving to New York on a leap of faith, bootstrapping their first office, and building momentum through daily content like Whiteboard News, Super Bowl coverage, and agency tours. Jack and Geno also open up about learning to run a media company for the first time—from managing a team, to keeping content fresh, to navigating an industry where algorithms, attention, and expectations shift constantly.Key Takeaways: ✅ Energy is a differentiator—fun and momentum cut through a jaded industry✅ Great content wins when it’s built for the busy professional: fast, social-first, and useful✅ When the fall isn’t far, risk becomes a competitive advantage for young marketers✅ Trust, instinct, and consistency matter more than having a five-year planMemorable Moments:💡 “If someone gives you 60 seconds, you better give them something worth it.”💡 “We didn’t have a master plan—we just believed there was something there.”💡 “It’s not illegal to have energy in advertising.”💡 “Life’s not about finding yourself. It’s about creating yourself.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

#107: Moving Your Brand Out of the Friend Zone | Doug Zarkin, CMO of Take 5

Great brands don’t win by being faster or louder—they win by treating every customer as if they’re the only customer.That philosophy sits at the core of this week’s guest, Doug Zarkin, Chief Marketing Officer at Take 5, an award-winning brand builder known for transforming legacy companies into modern-day leaders.In this episode, Doug joins Jason to break down his “Thinking Human” approach—the method he’s used to reinvent brands like Victoria’s Secret PINK, Avon, Pearle Vision, and now Take 5. He shares what it really takes to move a brand out of the “friend zone,” build trust through emotional experience, and drive growth without racing to the bottom on price.Doug also opens up about the realities of leading transformation: overcoming fear-based resistance, elevating customer experience at scale, and why marketers must rally both consumers and employees for change to stick.Key Takeaways✅ Treat every customer like they’re the only customer—that’s the root of brand love✅ Brand reinvention succeeds when emotional experience matches business strategy✅ The frontline team is your most powerful marketing channel✅ Small, consistent improvements (“the sum of marginal gains”) outperform big swings✅ Great CMOs lead by casting the right team—not by being the smartest in the roomMemorable Moments💡 “It’s not about putting a brand on the brain—it’s putting a brand on the heart.”💡 “Think of every customer as if they’re the only customer.”💡 “You can’t lead a brand from a PowerPoint. You have to learn the business from the ground up.”💡 “Speed is a cost of entry. Experience is the differentiator.”💡 “If I’m the smartest person in the room, I don’t need to be in the room.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

#106: How Champions Think | Dr. Bob Rotella, World-Renowned Sports Psychologist

Exceptional performers aren’t defined by talent alone—they’re defined by how they think. And in marketing—where uncertainty, pressure, and change are constant—the right mindset is a competitive advantage.In this episode, Dr. Bob Rotella, one of the world’s most influential sports psychologists, joins Jason to explore the mental principles that fuel greatness in sports, business, and brand leadership. Bob has coached champions like Rory McIlroy, Nick Price, and Ernie Els—but his teachings apply just as powerfully to CMOs, founders, and teams navigating high-stakes decisions every day.Key Takeaways:✅ Confidence is a leadership skill—and marketers have to choose it daily✅ Process beats outcomes: breakthrough marketing comes from consistent attitude, not periodic wins✅ Optimism fuels resilience in fast-changing markets✅ Exceptional teams maintain belief through uncertainty, noise, and shifting conditionsMemorable Moments:💡 “Fear and doubt kill more dreams than failure.”💡 “How you think about yourself has to match the dream of you—and the dream of your company.”💡 “If you want to be exceptional, you can’t think like the middle.”💡 “Blind faith is seeing success long before anyone else can.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

#105: Keurig Dr Pepper CMO Drew Panayiotou | Challenger Energy Fuels Dr Pepper

When you’re up against giants, speed and creativity become your superpowers.Recorded live at Advertising Week New York 2025, this conversation with Drew Panayiotou, CMO at Keurig Dr Pepper, dives into how Dr Pepper’s challenger mindset—and relentless creativity—turned an underdog into a market leader.From transforming Best Buy’s digital future to guiding Pfizer through the pandemic, Drew has built a career on driving growth through agility and purpose. He and Jason explore how to turn legacy brands into modern disruptors, why longevity beats reinvention, and what it really takes to build raving fans in a world that rewards speed over substance.Key Takeaways: ✅ Challenger energy fuels creativity, not chaos ✅ The best campaigns evolve—they don’t reset ✅ Great brands grow by deepening relationships, not widening reach ✅ Progress beats perfection in a world that never slows downMemorable Moments:💡 “The best brands don’t chase new fans—they obsess over their raving ones.”💡 “Marketers get bored faster than consumers ever will.”💡 “Agility isn’t about moving fast—it’s about moving together.”💡 “It’s not funnel thinking anymore. It’s a flywheel.”Brought to you by Mekanism.