What Happens When You Bet on Culture Before Revenue? With Dom Williams
What happens when a seasoned media exec switches lanes after 20 years, and nearly walks out after just one week? Rachel and Marco sit down with Dom Williams, Chief Revenue Officer at Mail Metro Media, to unpack the highs, lows, and truths of making bold career moves. From battling self-doubt to rebuilding confidence, transforming culture, and mentoring high-performance teams, Dom shares the lessons behind his rise and reinvention.
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Chapters:
00:00 Welcome & Intro to Dom Williams
02:18 Expanding Mail Metro Media in the US
05:06 20 Years at Dentsu – Why He Stayed So Long
08:24 The Leap from Agency to Sales – And Why He Almost Quit
10:57 Mentorship, Confidence & Rebuilding After a Tough Start
13:31 How Dom Leads High-Performing Teams Through Pressure
17:38 Culture First, Cash Second – Transforming Mail Metro
23:55 Learning from Mistakes: The Booking That Nearly Got Him Fired
32:13 Magpie Moments – Lessons Stolen From the Best
39:38 Best Advice Dom’s Ever Received & Reverse Mentoring Wins
Produced by Viral Tribe Entertainment: https://viraltribe.co.uk/
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42:27
“I Regret the Decisions I Didn’t Make” – Jon O'Donnell on Building a Podcast Empire
This week on Mentor, Rachel and Marco sit down with Jon O’Donnell, former MD of ESI Media, and founder of Viral Tribe Entertainment. From rave MC to running major newspapers to building a creative powerhouse in podcasting, Jon shares what he's learned about reinvention, decision-making, and rediscovering creative purpose later in life.
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Chapters:
02:00 – Jon’s 60-second life story
04:30 – Why starting Viral Tribe wasn’t the brave move
08:00 – Coming full circle back to creativity
13:30 – Big decisions at the Evening Standard & The Independent
17:45 – The biggest career mistake he ever made
22:00 – The importance of mentors (and surprising sources of inspiration)
38:00 – Athletic mindset meets business: hacks, habits & high performance
Produced by Viral Tribe Entertainment: https://viraltribe.co.uk/
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46:26
Why Belonging Matters More Than Fitting In with Kathryn Jacob OBE
Rachel and Marco sit down with Kathryn Jacob OBE – CEO of Pearl & Dean, co-author of three best-selling books, and one of the most thoughtful voices in British media. From her early career chaos with Chris Evans to her OBE-worthy work on inclusion, Kathryn shares honest, funny and insightful lessons on leadership, resilience, and knowing when to change your shoes (yes, literally and metaphorically).
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Chapters:05:30 – Kathryn'ss Career in 60 seconds: Virgin Media, cinema, and more08:00 – Getting an OBE (and nearly mistaking it for a tax demand)10:00 – Creating cultures of inclusion and true belonging12:00 – The power of mentorship and finding your “hand at your back”18:00 – Biggest career fuck-up: wearing the wrong ‘shoes’22:30 – Why “fitting in” isn’t the same as “belonging”24:00 – Behind the books: The Glass Wall, Belonging, and Creativity28:00 – Creativity, elitism, and letting go of the gatekeepers31:00 – What real leadership looks like (hint: it’s not ego)34:30 – Magpie moments: learning from others36:50 – Final advice: if it doesn’t feel right, it might not be you
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41:33
How to Take the Leap – And Land It: Lessons from Colin Gottlieb
Colin Gottlieb has shaped the media world for decades – but he’s not done yet. From building agencies to transforming LADbible, to collaborating with the Muhammad Ali Center and exploring AI’s future, Colin shares stories and career-defining advice with Marco and Rachel.
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Chapters:
02:20 – Meet Colin Gottlieb: Media icon and restless innovator
03:30 – Career in 60 Seconds (ish): From TBS to the top
09:00 – The origin story of Manning Gottlieb Media
13:00 – Taking the leap: Conviction, courage, and starting an agency
17:00 – The Omnicom acquisition & the power of staying focused
21:00 – Why change is opportunity (and how to spot it)
23:30 – The Muhammad Ali Center & Colin’s spiritual side
25:30 – Transforming LADbible & embracing the future
30:00 – Collaboration, creativity, and client-first thinking
33:20 – AI agents, future tools, and creating efficiency
36:30 – What to do when you get ghosted (and how to stay relevant)
39:30 – Colin’s advice to those considering the leap
42:30 – Colin’s biggest f***-up (and what he learned)
Produced by Viral Tribe Entertainment: https://viraltribe.co.uk/
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48:50
“Always Ask If the Contract’s Signed” – Karen Stacey on Tough Lessons in Leadership
What makes a great leader, and how do you recover from a truly career-defining mistake? In this episode, Marco and Rachel sit down with Karen Stacey, CEO of Digital Cinema Media and President of WACL, for a conversation on leadership, learning the hard way, and the surprising power of optimism. Karen shares her journey from skipping university to landing one of the most coveted roles in media, what she learned when a crucial contract went unsigned, and why leaders should be “the sunshine” in the room.
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Chapters
0:00 – Intro: Meet Karen Stacey
1:30 – How Do You Fit It All In?
4:00 – Leadership as the Weather
5:25 – What Makes a Great Leader?
10:00 – No Degree? No Problem
17:00 – The Channel 4 Breakthrough
20:00 – Holding Your Nerve
25:15 – The Power of Positivity in Teams
27:00 – CEO 101: Leading Without Burning Out
30:00 – Get to Know Your P&L - Why financial fluency is essential
32:00 – Karen’s Biggest F*Up - The unsigned contract that taught her a lifelong lesson about detail and delegation.
36:00 – Magpie Moments: Karen’s philosophy of listening more than speaking
38:00 – Imposter Syndrome
Produced by Viral Tribe Entertainment: https://viraltribe.co.uk/
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MENTOR is a podcast that shares the lived experiences of senior leaders across industries.
In each episode, guests open up to founders Rachel Forde and Marco Bertozzi of TheZoo.London about their careers, mistakes, lessons, and the people who inspired them along the way. It’s smart, relaxed, and packed with real-world insight. Whether you’re a future leader or simply curious about how others have navigated the world of work, MENTOR delivers valuable takeaways and thoughtful conversation.
Brought to you by TheZoo.London and Viral Tribe.
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