Soul & Science: Fast Forward Your Marketing Mind

What if your last idea was the one that mattered most? This week on Soul & Science, Jason Harris sits down with Mekanism alums Tony Benna and Lee Einhorn, the director and producer behind André Is an Idiot: a documentary that follows their friend André Ricciardi as he faces stage four colon cancer with a sense of humor. What began as an outrageous pitch from André—that if he was going to die, they should film it—became a three-and-a-half-year journey documenting the final years of his life through laughter, tears, and honest, irreverent storytelling. Tony and Lee share how the film came together, the challenge of balancing comedy and grief, and why staying true to André’s voice meant refusing to make the “sad cancer film” the world expected. They also look back on the film’s whirlwind path to success, from getting picked up by A24 to winning the Audience Award at Sundance and finally securing distribution, and how it has evolved into something more than just a documentary: it’s sparking conversations, encouraging people to get screened for cancer, and ultimately saving lives. Key Takeaways ✅ Humor can help us face the hardest truths ✅ Being invited in is an honor and a responsibility ✅ Sharing your story can make a difference ✅ Always stay true to your voice ✅ Great stories start with real relationships Memorable Moments 💡 “To be invited into those last years of his life was a huge honor.” 💡 “André’s like, ‘I’ve got stage four cancer, let’s make a comedy." 💡 “The bigger goal the whole time was to save lives.” 💡 “It was one of the best times of my life, as horrible as that sounds.” 💡 “Laughter was the best medicine—not just for André, but for all of us” Brought to you by Mekanism.

The World Cup will get Americans talking about soccer. Can MLS keep the conversation going? This week on Soul & Science, Jason Harris is joined by Radhika Duggal, SVP and CMO of Major League Soccer, to discuss what it takes to grow a league when your competition isn’t just other sports—it’s everything people do for fun. With a background in consulting, fintech, and pharma, Radhika brings an outsider’s perspective to MLS, using data to understand how to turn first-time viewers into diehard fans. They discuss how mapping the full fan journey reveals that consumers stay in the “awareness and consideration” phase much longer than you might expect, and why the most important step for growth is understanding what your consumer is looking for. Radhika also shares why focus is her most important leadership tool, what it means to market a product that’s shared across clubs and platforms, and how she’s preparing MLS for a once-in-a-generation opportunity as the World Cup heads to the U.S. Key Takeaways ✅ Moments don’t build fandom—habits do ✅ Understand what the consumer is looking for ✅ Fewer, bigger bets drive stronger results ✅ Always take time to say “thank you”✅ Big events need a long-term plan Memorable Moments 💡 “It takes time to build interest and passion.” 💡 “Confidence will make you successful.” 💡 “Pick three things and make the outcomes as big as possible.” 💡 “Our job is to turn World Cup fever into MLS fever.” 💡 “Keep the main thing the main thing.” Brought to you by Mekanism.

What does it mean to create something that people don’t just hear, but feel? This week on Soul & Science, Jason Harris sits down with Ziggy Marley, the eight-time Grammy Award winning musician, philanthropist, and entrepreneur, for a conversation about identity, creativity, and his upcoming album, Brightside. Born into one music’s most iconic legacies, Ziggy shares how he’s found his own voice by learning from his parents, being authentic to himself, and always searching for more. In their conversation, Ziggy tells Jason about his lifelong search for music that “speaks to angels” and how the recording frequency of his new album (432 Hz instead of 440 Hz) changes how people hear it — and how it makes them feel. He also explains why he sees love as a powerful armor that protects and grounds everything he does, from writing songs to putting them out into the world. For him, marketing his music isn’t about selling something: It’s about creating something honest and trusting that people will feel the vibe. ✅ Stay true to what you feel ✅ Sound and frequency can shape emotion ✅ Love as both guide and protection ✅ Make something real, not something to sell ✅ Creativity has the power to heal 💡 “We’re trying to heal people through sound.” 💡 “Love is a very powerful armor.” 💡 “The whole planet needs a change of frequency.” 💡 “I need to find this music that speaks to angels.” 💡 “Love is my religion.” Key TakeawaysMemorable MomentsBrought to you by Mekanism.

Big brand breakthroughs don’t come from playing it safe. This week on Soul & Science, Jason Harris sits down with Ben Whitla, Head of Brand and Marketing at Slate Auto, to explore how bold creativity and disciplined measurement come together to build something truly different. From his beginning as a self-taught graphic designer, to helping companies like Great Big Story and launching an EV brand, Ben shares how he’s learned to trust his instinct but not lose sight of his results. In their conversation, Ben breaks down how Slate Auto carved out its own space in a crowded automotive market with a radically simple, customizable vehicle and an unconventional launch. He also explains why building the right team is the foundation of great marketing, how brands can scale without losing their edge, and why the best marketers operate on “gut with guardrails”—taking risks, then measuring everything that follows. ✅ Why great marketing starts with people, not just ideas ✅ Do things that make you uncomfortable ✅ The smartest marketers engineer buzz instead of hoping for it ✅ Why brand and performance marketing must work hand in hand ✅ How simplicity can become a powerful competitive advantage 💡 “You’ve gotta try some stuff that’s pure gut, but if you don’t learn from it…afterwards, then it wasn’t worth it.” 💡 “Before you make a single creative decision, nothing matters more than the people.” 💡 “The internet loves to solve a mystery, and they figured it out. They figured out that that weird everyday changing vehicle on the curb was slate.” 💡 “How do we break every rule? How do we do something that any other auto brand would say…That's unacceptable.” Brought to you by Mekanism. Key TakeawaysMemorable Moments

Big marketing moments rarely happen by accident. This week on Soul & Science, Jason Harris sits down with Brandon Rhoten, Chief Marketing Officer at Dave’s Hot Chicken, to discuss the discipline behind breakthrough marketing. Known for shaping the iconic digital voice of Wendy’s and leading brand turnarounds at Papa John’s and Potbelly, Brandon shares how he blends creativity with rigorous analysis to drive real business results. In their conversation, Brandon shares how Dave’s Hot Chicken built a cult following by letting its fans define the brand — not by chasing trends. He also explains why value is just as important as brand in today’s quick-service restaurant industry, why research and experimentation are key to developing campaigns that actually work, and why the best CMOs are the ones that do their homework. ✅ Why the best marketing ideas are built on research ✅ How viral moments should support long-term growth, not replace it ✅ Balancing marketing and brand identity with real value ✅ How customers can shape a brand from the outside in ✅ Why CMOs should treat marketing like a scientific experiment 💡 “If it was just doing the TikTok dance, everyone would do the TikTok dance.” 💡 “I believe in finding a decade of growth in a brand.” 💡 “You don’t say you’re funny — you tell a joke.” 💡 “The big ideas come out of the blocking and tackling.” 💡 “Do your homework.” Brought to you by Mekanism. Key TakeawaysMemorable Moments