Susan Spaulding built a career on a simple but powerful idea: that understanding people deeply is the most strategic thing a marketer can do. Starting in journalism and working her way through the agency world, she became Valentine Radford's de facto research engine before spinning Market Directions into its own firm. It was complete with a 60-station phone center and a client list that stretched well beyond Kansas City. Along the way she helped brands stop guessing and start knowing, turning data into decisions that moved the needle. In this episode, Susan sits down with Sam and Mike to talk about organized curiosity, what it takes to build a discipline from scratch, and why the best creative work always starts with listening.

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Steve Doyal didn't set out to become one of Kansas City's most trusted corporate voices, but Hallmark has a way of finding the right people. After serving his country and a few early career stops, Steve landed at Hallmark and never looked back, spending decades as the company's communications compass through milestones, celebrations, and even tragedy. Along the way he helped transform Crown Center from an overlooked destination into the heartbeat of downtown KC. In this episode, Steve sits down with Sam and Mike to talk about the Hallmark way, what radical hospitality looks like in practice, and why integrity, in business and in life, never goes out of style.

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Doug Ballou calls it "marketing chess.” And after 50 years of playing it, he's earned the title of a grand master. From employee #31 at F/M/A to building Yellow Freight's marketing operation from the ground up, to the iconic strategy behind "Pork. The Other White Meat,” Doug has worked every side of this business with a rigor that's rare. But perhaps his most meaningful work came last, applying those same IMC tools to behavioral health and public service through Blue Window and GRACE. In this episode, Doug sits down with Sam and Mike to talk about the full board: strategy, integration, mentorship, and what happens when marketing gets used for something bigger than a campaign.

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