After finding success from a young age at companies like 20th Century Studios, Vestron, and BMG Entertainment, Strauss Zelnick decided to go out on his own in his 40s. He founded Zelnick Media Capital and became CEO of Take-Two Interactive, the software company behind Grand Theft Auto. Together, they’re a $55 billion enterprise. He’s spent his career at the intersection of technology and media working across film, music, and home entertainment. Not to mention he holds an MBA as well as a JD from Harvard and is the author of Becoming Ageless: The Four Secrets to Looking and Feeling Younger Than Ever. He’s also a longtime friend of Bob’s who sits down to talk about what it looks like to operate on the business side of creative industries, the importance of developing talent, his outlook on the future of technology, and his own personal commitment to health and wellness.

After finding success from a young age at companies like 20th Century Studios, Vestron, and BMG Entertainment, Strauss Zelnick decided to go out on his own in his 40s. He founded Zelnick Media Capital and became CEO of Take-Two Interactive, the software company behind Grand Theft Auto. Together, they&rsquo;re a $55 billion enterprise. He&rsquo;s spent his career at the intersection of technology and media working across film, music, and home entertainment. Not to mention he holds an MBA as well as a JD from Harvard and is the author of Becoming Ageless: The Four Secrets to Looking and Feeling Younger Than Ever. He&rsquo;s also a longtime friend of Bob&rsquo;s who sits down to talk about what it looks like to operate on the business side of creative industries, the importance of developing talent, his outlook on the future of technology, and his own personal commitment to health and wellness.

How do the smartest marketers and business entrepreneurs cut through the noise? And how do they manage to do it again and again? It's a combination of math—the strategy and analytics—and magic, the creative spark. Join iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman as he analyzes the Math and Magic of marketing—sitting down with today's most gifted disruptors and compelling storytellers.

How do the smartest marketers and business entrepreneurs cut through the noise? And how do they manage to do it again and again? It's a combination of math—the strategy and analytics—and magic, the creative spark. Join iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman as he analyzes the Math and Magic of marketing—sitting down with today's most gifted disruptors and compelling storytellers.

Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing with Bob Pittman

Strauss Zelnick: “Doing something from scratch, that’s challenging.”

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9b7009f7-d1d1-4b3f-ae59-b41201064691/transcript

msuic?

A skull-emblazoned design with a funny slogan is just not what people expect when they’re buying a healthy beverage. But that’s exactly why Liquid Death Founder and CEO Mike Cessario thought there was room for disruption. He didn’t think funny, cool, irreverent marketing should be limited to things that are bad for you. What if this approach could even help people make healthier choices? Now the healthy beverage company trying to “Murder Your Thirst” has expanded to soda-flavored sparkling water, iced tea, and energy drinks and it was valued at $1.4 billion in March 2024. Mike sits down with Bob to talk about how he got from inspiration, to concept, to funding an original order of 150,000 cans. He has great insights on both creativity and analytics, shares lessons from all the surprises and challenges he faced in becoming an entrepreneur and explains why he dislikes traditional marketing as much as most people do.

A skull-emblazoned design with a funny slogan is just not what people expect when they&rsquo;re buying a healthy beverage. But that&rsquo;s exactly why Liquid Death Founder and CEO Mike Cessario thought there was room for disruption. He didn&rsquo;t think funny, cool, irreverent marketing should be limited to things that are bad for you. What if this approach could even help people make healthier choices? Now the healthy beverage company trying to &ldquo;Murder Your Thirst&rdquo; has expanded to soda-flavored sparkling water, iced tea, and energy drinks and it was valued at $1.4 billion in March 2024. Mike sits down with Bob to talk about how he got from inspiration, to concept, to funding an original order of 150,000 cans. He has great insights on both creativity and analytics, shares lessons from all the surprises and challenges he faced in becoming an entrepreneur and explains why he dislikes traditional marketing as much as most people do.

Mike Cessario: ”No investor was gonna write me a check for the concept.”

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d2aed23e-dc60-422f-bc13-b40c0100eb52/transcript

Join iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman for a new season of Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. Bob is taking you behind the scenes of the biggest businesses and industries while sharing insights from the smartest minds in marketing, business and creativity. New episodes start March 19th. 

Join iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman for a new season of Math &amp; Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. Bob is taking you behind the scenes of the biggest businesses and industries while sharing insights from the smartest minds in marketing, business and creativity. New episodes start March 19th.&nbsp;

Math & Magic Returns March 19th 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ff2c1f3a-77e6-43a3-9052-b408014e4552/transcript

ab break 

Chon Nguyen started his career in the kitchen. As he shares on this episode of CEOs You Should Know, he became an entrepreneur but never left restaurants behind. Today he builds high-impact businesses at the intersection of technology and hospitality. He’s the founder of and CEO of Newgentek, an IT service provider offering a help desk, field services, technology infrastructure, and strategy for companies and restaurants without an IT department. He’s also the co-founder of FusionPrep, an iPad-based kitchen management platform used by restaurant operators to handle everything from food safety compliance to recipe management to operational checklists. On top of all that he’s a partner at Proper House Group, a restaurant group that has been recognized on the Florida Michelin Guide and with Bib Gourmand Awards. He’s been interested in technology since he got his first computer as a kid and talks about where we’re headed with automation and AI, how they complement each other, and why we’ll always need experts to rely on.

Chon Nguyen started his career in the kitchen. As he shares on this episode of CEOs You Should Know, he became an entrepreneur but never left restaurants behind. Today he builds high-impact businesses at the intersection of technology and hospitality. He&rsquo;s the founder of and CEO of Newgentek, an IT service provider offering a help desk, field services, technology infrastructure, and strategy for companies and restaurants without an IT department. He&rsquo;s also the co-founder of FusionPrep, an iPad-based kitchen management platform used by restaurant operators to handle everything from food safety compliance to recipe management to operational checklists. On top of all that he&rsquo;s a partner at Proper House Group, a restaurant group that has been recognized on the Florida Michelin Guide and with Bib Gourmand Awards. He&rsquo;s been interested in technology since he got his first computer as a kid and talks about where we&rsquo;re headed with automation and AI, how they complement each other, and why we&rsquo;ll always need experts to rely on.

CEOs You Should Know: Chon Nguyen, CEO of Newgentek

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d68c843e-f5bd-4151-8be4-b35900fa0158/transcript

Strauss Zelnick: “Doing something from scratch, that’s challenging.”

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