In partnership with

Have you registered for our Cannes Event?

Will you or an industry leader you know be at Cannes next week?

Cannes can be chaotic, so I’m hosting a breather. This is not another panel.

Marketers are facing more challenges than ever before. And it’s not about to get easier. From AI to creators to community, purpose, privacy, and more, the pressure is real.

Join us for a no-BS, interactive session and escape from the chaos on the Croisette, with a moment of community and connection as brand marketing and media leaders come together.

Make sure to register today. Space is limited.

Register now.

Was this newsletter fwded to you? Make sure to subscribe here for more.

Help make better ads

Did you recently see an ad for Roku Ads Manager in a newsletter? We’re running a short brand lift survey to understand what’s actually breaking through (and what’s not).

It takes about 20 seconds, the questions are super easy, and your feedback directly helps us improve how we show up in the newsletters you read and love.

If you’ve got a few moments, we’d really appreciate your insight.

Take the survey.

🔥 And now, for your weekly spark.

This week, thousands of marketers, founders, creators, executives, and agencies are descending on Cannes.

The next few days will be filled with keynotes, panels, yacht parties, awards, private dinners, chance encounters, and enough LinkedIn posts for several lifetimes.

Here’s the reality though: most people overestimate what happens in these rooms, and they underestimate what happens afterward.

The value of Cannes — or any conference, event, summit, or gathering — isn't measured by what happens while you're there. It's measured by what you carry home.

A surprising number of people approach events like collectors. They collect badges, wristbands, contacts, photos, and content. But very little changes once they get back.

The best leaders I know do something different. They don't attend events to accumulate. They attend to transform.

They leave with a new relationship, perspective, or conviction. New ideas and some sense of where the world is headed.

That’s worth carrying home.

👉🏽 And it's why community matters so much.

The greatest value of being in community isn't access to information. It’s exposure to perspectives that wouldn't have existed in your world otherwise.

One conversation can shift how you see an industry. One introduction can change the trajectory of your career. One insight can unlock a new business opportunity.

And a single relationship can create value for years.

The moment itself is rarely the most important part. What happens next is.

🎥 ICYMI: I’m in community with Tariq Hassan on the podcast

In the latest episode of In Community, I talk with Tariq Hassan, most recently Chief Marketing Officer at McDonald’s, about leadership, community, AI, trust, culture, psychological safety, the transformation Tariq led at McDonald's, and why asking better questions may become one of the most valuable skills of the next decade.

If you're leading a team, building a brand, or trying to make sense of where marketing is headed, you'll find a lot that stays with you in this one.

Watch the episode. And if you haven't already, subscribe to the channel for more.

📌 The CARRY Framework

The next time you attend a conference, event, dinner, gathering, or even a coffee meetup, ask yourself:

C: Connection

Who did I meet that I genuinely want to stay connected to afterward?

A: Application

What’s one thing I‘ll do differently because of what I learned?

R: Reflection

What challenged my assumptions?

R: Relationship

Which conversations deserve more conversation and expansion?

Y: Yield

What could compound from this down the line? Not as a transaction, but as a way to build something better through our relationship?

Most people evaluate an event based on what happened that day. The better question: what will still matter six months from now?

The best opportunities rarely arrive fully formed. Instead, they arrive as conversations, introductions, ideas, and possibility.

Whether you're heading to Cannes this week or navigating your own journey, the goal isn't to leave with more contacts or more content.

🔥 It's to leave carrying something that changes what comes next.

✅ Now Hiring

Is someone you know considering what’s next for them? Here are a few roles with people hiring across the network. I list roles here every week, so stay tuned and make sure to spread the word.

💥 Editorial Director — Hue (I’m hiring — help me find the right person for this role!)

💥 SVP, Global Growth Systems — Salesforce

💥 SVP, Product Marketing & Enablement — Sinch

💥 Head of Brand Marketing — Tonal

💥 Director, Brand Management — Feastables

💥 Creative Director, Growth & Product Marketing — Chime (multiple other roles too)

💥 Sr Manager, Integrated Marketing Communications — e.l.f. Beauty

💥 Sr Manager, Influencer Marketing — Wizards of the Coast (owned by Hasbro)

💥 Sr Manager, Marketing Operations — JCPenney

💥 Brand Manager, Formula Lead — Bobbie

💥 Manager, Digital Partnership Marketing — LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games

ICYMI last week:

💥 EVP, Brand Strategy — Real Chemistry

💥 SVP, Marketing & Ecommerce — Caraway Home

💥 VP, Marketing Strategy — Warner Music Group

💥 VP, Customer Experience & Innovation — Marriott

💥 Brand Director, Social Strategy — SoFi

💥 Director, Brand Partnerships — Paper

💥 Growth Marketing Channel Manager — OnePay (multiple other roles too)

💥 Sr Product Marketing Manager — Amazon (multiple other roles too)

💥 Sr Marketing Manager, Performance — Replit

💥 Sr Manager, Future of Innovation — Kenvue

💥 Sr Marketing Manager, Events — Forrester

💥 Marketing Manager, Lifecycle & CRM — Care.com

💥 Brand Manager — Dollar Shave Club

💥 Influencer Marketer — Lovable

💥 Events Manager — The Lighthouse

💥 Sr Media Planner — Zambezi

And before you go, consider who else might value this newsletter and what’s coming up on YouTube. Make sure to fwd this newsletter onward to them too. They can subscribe here for more directly in their inbox.. 🔁 

In community,

Fahad