A Coffee with the CMA – 2021 Podcast Round-up

We often spoke about how good it would be to produce a CMA podcast. A podcast that was fun and also one that helped us engage with our community. A few ideas came and went over the past few years, then through speaking to members of our community, it was clear that the Covid-19 pandemic meant people were communicating less with those outside of their household and immediate work environment. There were no networking brunches or ‘let’s grab a drink after work’ – so the team and I decided to create a podcast that would help those in our industry as they sought after news and views from industry peers.

In January 2021, I had a catchup via Zoom with a member of the CMA, Sara Nourizadeh, (Bloomberg Media Studios), and toward the end of our meeting I mentioned the idea of ‘A Coffee with the CMA’. She loudly shouted “DO IT” and mentioned how she’d be more than happy to record a pilot episode with me to see how it goes. So, in February this year, Sara and I record an episode. It was fun and laid back, and exactly what I wanted from the podcast. A chance for a listener to grab a drink, relax and hear thoughts and stories from people who they may not get a chance to usually meet and speak with.

Season one was a great success. We had a whole host of brilliant guests and received so many kind words… and we even have four 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts! I hope you have a chance to listen, and would love any feedback. It’ll certainly help as the team and I prepare for our second season, coming in 2022.

I’ve recapped each of the 26 podcast episodes below. Hopefully this makes it nice and easy for you to select which episodes you want to listen to. We’ve had a variety of guests, covering many different areas of the content industry, as well as content specialists that work across a number of sectors. I hope you learn something and and have some fun along the way!

2021 Podcast round up


Episode 1 – Sara Nourizadeh

I was so happy and grateful that Sara was able to join me for the first recording of ‘A Coffee with the CMA’. We spoke about how Bloomberg Media Studios created content through the first lockdown, as well the work Sara does within Bloomberg Green and how she got started in the media industry, along with the mentoring work she carries out.

Episode 2 – Emma-Lily Pendleton

This podcast episode I was joined by Emma-Lily who was the Content Director at Future Fusion. We spoke about the work that saw Emma-Lily win ‘Editor of the Year’ at the International Content Marketing Awards back in 2018. As we sipped tea, we spoke about the rise of digital magazines and how publishers now have the opportunity to reach a new audience.

Episode 3 – Andy Lambert

After delivering monthly sessions on what’s changed in the world of social media, ContentCal’s Director of Growth, Andy Lambert joined me for a coffee. I’m sure there’s lots of you who’ll recognise Andy from our webinar sessions and know you’ll enjoy this podcast. We discussed social media and branding, along with lockdown and going back to the office, as well as Andy admitting to having a ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ sticker on his wall!

Episode 4 – Cameron Sharpe

This episode I was joined by Cam Sharpe who was on his fifth coffee by the time we caught up. Cam’s the Head of Insight at Progressive Content and has a wealth of experience in the content marketing industry. It was great to catch up with Cam and discuss Progressive’s award-winning work with NatWest, as well as changes to GDPR and web-tracking, and what that means for content creators.

Episode 5 – Stephanie McGrath

I was joined by VERB’s, Stephanie McGrath as we talked content marketing in the travel sector and how VERB managed to continue creating great content over the last 12 months. We also spoke about content calendars and how often you should revisit your plans as well as how Stephanie’s role has changed since becoming Chief Strategy Officer.

Episode 6 – Michael Doukanaris

A trip to see Michael at the SevenC3 office was actually the last in-person meeting I had back in 2020. I invited Michael to join me for a coffee to chat about all that’s been going on inside one of the UK’s largest content agencies, as well as tips on improving productivity from a self-professed ‘project management geek’.

Episode 7 – Zoe Francis-Cox

This week I was joined by Zoe Francis-Cox, Managing Director of award-winning content marketing agency, Dialogue. It was great to have Zoe along for a coffee and hear what the team have been up to this year, including the work they do with Porsche, Bentley Motors, and Harley Davidson… we also spoke on the podcast about the desire to get the Harley back out on the open road (Zoe that is, I’m not cool enough for a Harley)!

Episode 8 – Andrew Hirsch

I was joined by former Chair of the CMA, Andrew Hirsch. Andrew has a wealth of experience in content marketing and it was great to have him join me for a coffee… and not just because he also drinks his morning brew from a glass! We discussed how he began his career in content, as well as the fundamentals of a content business, whilst looking ahead to the future of our industry.

Episode 9 – Simon Baker

It was great to sit down with Simon Baker of TCO London this week. Simon’s team won a number of golds at our 2020 International Content Marketing Awards. We spoke about the award-winning work created by Simon and his team, along with his thoughts on story-telling and purpose.

Episode 10 – Nicola Bray

Nicola Bray, co-founder of Maze Media has spoken at a number of our events, and features heavily in our Women in Content events. So it was great to hear from Nicola and see how her team worked together over the last 12 months and hearing of the plans they have as more of the UK opens up, both within Maze and across their client sectors.

Episode 11 – Mark Field

This week I was joined by the Head of Invention for Reach Plc, Mark Field. Mark has a wealth of experience in the industry and worked on content briefs for the some of the worlds largest brands. It was great to catch up with Mark and hear his thoughts on branded content along with what he’s most looking forward to in the coming years… which may include getting a new family dog!

Episode 12 – Rowan & Svein

I was delighted to have Rowan and Svein of Rationale join me for a coffee. It was my first time with two guests, which meant double the editing… but also meant double the fun. I had such a great time chatting with Rowan and Svein. Two people who are clearly so passionate about the work they do and I’m sure you’ll thoroughly enjoy this episode. Whether you’re in the world of content marketing and purpose, or you just want to learn what Rowan and Svein sing on their karaoke nights out, give this one a listen!

Episode 13 – Andy Barr

It was great to be joined this week by co-founder and CEO of 10 Yetis, Andy Barr. As always, it was great to chat with Andy, we covered a number of topics, from influencer marketing and social media, to how Andy hosted a content series with world famous chef, Ken Hom. Andy also spoke very honestly about the difficulties of the last 12 months and how the agency is recovering from the 2020 pandemic.

Episode 14 – Francis Burns

I was joined this week by co-founder and MD of Puzzle London, Francis Burns. We looked at what running an agency has been like over the last 12 months, including how Francis started the agency and the clients they’ve worked with over the years. We also spoke about the future of our industry and how ‘digital’ has changed over the last ten years, all whilst sipping on our coffee.

Episode 15 – Lisa Wisniowski

Lisa was the Brand Communications Director at Stickyeyes and we’ve had a number of the team along for webinars over the last 12 months, so it was great to chat with Lisa and find out a little more about her role. We discussed how Lisa and the team communicate the successes from the agency and how to avoid the old adage of  ‘the cobblers shoes’. We discussed the role of social media, such as LinkedIn when it comes to amplifying success stories.

Episode 16 – Helena Lang

This week I was joined by Head of Content, Food and Lifestyle from SevenC3, Helena Lang. Helena’s hosted a number of popular CMA webinars over the past 12 months, so it was great to catch up and find out how producing content has been during the pandemic. Helena looks after food and lifestyle and works on Sainsbury’s magazine which sells over 100,000 issues each month.

Episode 17 – Sarah Townsend

Sarah is a vocal member of the freelance community and has a wealth of experience in the industry and joined me for a coffee to discuss what life is like as a freelancer and what you should look out for as you start your freelance journey. We covered topics around mental fatigue and imposter syndrome, as well as advice on joining freelance communities and the benefits that can bring.

Check out Sarah’s book, Survival Skills for Freelancers on Amazon.


Episode 18 – Hayley Selby

Hayley’s the Global Head of Content for Gfk and has worked in the content industry for many years, including both B2B and B2C. I spoke to Hayley about the differences between content marketing in various sectors, specifically about her time at Ann Summers and the difficulties of tracking and measuring content efforts. I really enjoyed this podcast and recommend you give it a listen, although maybe not when the kids are about.

Episode 19 – Emily Trenouth

This week I was joined by Head of Influencer Marketing at MediaCom, Emily Trenouth. It was great to have Emily join me for a coffee and to chat through the world of influencer marketing. We spoke about the changes over the last few years and also the next steps for the sector, as well as how influencer marketing fits in with today’s content marketing strategy. Aside from our marketing chat, we covered popular the Netflix show, Emily in Paris!

Episode 20 – Stephen Kenwright

I welcomed co-founder of Rise at Seven, Stephen Kenwright to the podcast this week. This was the 20th episode of ‘A coffee with the CMA’ and it was great to have Stephen join and chat about how and why Rise at Seven started, along with the future for their ever-growing agency. We delved into a few of Stephen’s favourite campaigns, as well as discussing the impact the Matrix Trilogy had on him.

Episode 21 – Jane Hunt

Having worked at JBH previous to the CMA, I know how dedicated and driven Jane is. We spoke about the thoughts of moving the agency and setting up in Manchester and how the team’s grown over the last two years. We covered lots of topics, from content and digital PR to public speaking… there was even a little mention of Love Island too.

Episode 22 – Will Hobson

After being part of our CMA webinar series, it was good to sit down and have a coffee with Will Hobson of Rise at Seven. We spoke about his role within the company and how he started with Carrie and Stephen, along with tips on getting started with reactive marketing. I also discovered Will’s top three campaigns and why he chose them, so all in all another fun podcast that I’m sure you’ll enjoy listening to!

Episode 23 – Kathryn Strachan

It was fun recording with the founder of Copy House, Kathryn Strachan. Many of you in our community would have seen/heard of Kathryn, especially after running such great events for us over the last 18 months. We look at content marketing through the pandemic, and how certain sectors look now and in the near future. We also spoke in depth about working remotely and how teams can work together across different continents.

Episode 24 – Philip Osei-Hwere

After working closely with Eagle for the past few years, it was good to catch up with co-founder and Managing Director, Philip Osei-Hwere. The Eagle team specialise in cultural marketing and during the podcast spoke in great detail about how brands often miss the mark when looking to create content for a specific culture. We also covered the changes in attitude and the consumer market since Eagle was founded in 2004, an interesting conversation and one I’m sure you’ll enjoy listening to.

Episode 25 – Rasmus Winther

We’re lucky enough to have members from across the world and this week I was joined by OTW’s Chief Executive Officer, Rasmus Winther. Having worked closely with OTW for the past few years, it was great to find out more about content marketing in the Nordic region and the similarities to our members here in the UK. We also discussed humour and why we need to see more humour in the content we produce.

Episode 26 – Andy Seibert

Andy and his team have been a great asset to the CMA community and always enjoy catching up. For our final episode of season one, Andy talked me through how Global Voices began and the aim of bringing different communities together from across the world. Andy recently spent time at Content Marketing World in Cleveland, so I was interested to hear what he had to say about the trends that came from the event.


We’re looking for guest to join us for Season 2 of A Coffee with the CMA. Let us know if you have any recommendations of who you’d like to hear from.

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