Tell the World What Matters to You

For marketers, metrics started as tools, then became goals. Along the way, we risked losing sight of what truly matters.

The 11th Annual Shorty Impact Awards are back, celebrating work that drives real impact through creativity across climate, equity, safety, education, and more.

For brands, agencies, nonprofits, and creators turning what matters into meaningful work, get the recognition it deserves.

Early deadline: June 18, 2026
Download the Entry Kit or book a call to learn more.

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Join Me Next Week at Cannes

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.

🔥 And now, for your weekly spark.

So much of the conversations around AI, marketing, and business right now are focused on answers.

What's the winning strategy? What's the right platform? What's the future of work? What's the future of marketing?

The assumption behind all of these questions is the same: if we can just gather enough information, we'll eventually arrive at certainty.

But after sitting down with Tariq Hassan, most recently the CMO at McDonald’s, I saw a different way of thinking about it.

Throughout our conversation, he kept coming back to an idea that feels increasingly important in a world drowning in information: the people who shape the future aren't necessarily the people with the best answers. They're the people asking better questions.

He shared a story about a former leader at HP who would sit through presentations filled with data, charts, forecasts, and recommendations. The room would arrive at what seemed like a definitive conclusion, and then he’d start asking questions.

He wanted to understand what existed beyond the data.

What assumptions were hiding beneath it? What perspectives were missing? What else might be true?

Tariq called it developing an intimacy with the data rather than accepting it at face value, and that idea is especially relevant right now.

We're in an era where information is abundant. AI can generate answers in seconds. Research that once took days now takes minutes. Content is everywhere.

The advantage is no longer access to information. The advantage is knowing what to do with it.

👉🏽 And that often starts with asking a better question.

The founders of Google have said that search was never really intended to provide a single answer. It was designed to surface possibilities. One question would lead to another question, which would lead to another path worth exploring.

Community works in a similar way.

The most valuable communities aren't the ones that give us all the answers. They're the ones that expand what's possible by exposing us to questions we wouldn't have thought to ask on our own.

That's why some conversations change your life. It's why certain people seem to show up at exactly the right moment. And it's why a single introduction can transform the trajectory of your career.

It's rarely because someone handed us a perfect answer. Instead, it’s because they helped us see a different question.

🎥 This week, I’m in community with Tariq Hassan

In the latest episode of In Community, we talked 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.

A defining moment from our conversation was Tariq's observation that organizations say they want innovation, but they unintentionally create cultures that make people afraid to take risks.

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. Every conversation is designed to help you better understand the people, ideas, and communities shaping what's next.

📌 The Future Tense Framework

When you're facing uncertainty, resist the urge to ask only what's next. Instead, ask:

What am I assuming to be true?

Often, our biggest limitations aren't reality. They're assumptions we've stopped questioning.

What question am I not asking?

Sometimes the breakthrough isn't hidden in the answer. It's hidden in the question everyone overlooked.

Who sees this differently than I do?

Community expands perspective. The right conversation with people who might be outside your standard view can reveal blind spots no amount of data ever will.

The marketers, founders, and leaders who thrive over the next decade won't necessarily have better information than everyone else.

Most people will have access to the same tools, but the differentiators will be curiosity, the willingness to challenge assumptions, and the ability to stay open to the possibilities for longer.

🔥 And, of course, the courage to ask one more question when everyone else is rapidly rushing toward an answer.

✅ 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 — does this sound like you or someone you know?)

💥 Social Media Manager — Hue (I’m hiring — does this sound like you or someone you know?)

💥 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