Dunc Urquhart has billed themself as "the ultimate diversity hire," and for good reason. They have a Metis and Caribbean background, was raised in a Muslim and Christian household, studied English Lit (w/ a minor in cultural studies) and started a Masters of Divinity at UofT before graduating from Seneca's ad program. Dunc is an outsider wherever they go and that has made them a master at talking and relating to different kinds of people, all while keeping an open mind and chameleon-like adaptability. Find out how they have turned these skills to their advantage as they moves through the advertising industry in our third episode of the series, Outsiders Get In. You can learn more about Dunc and how they seamlessly switch between codes and cultures here. You can also listen to Dunc's own podcast, Cast Without Trace, where they covers another passion of theirs: Dungeons and Dragons as both a game and as a collaborative storytelling method.

On the second episode of our Outsiders Get In series, hear how Rica Cabanog has thrived by routinely pushing herself outside her comfort zone. Prior to joining Per Se Brand Experience as a Creative Intern, she spent 15 years client side marketing at Nestle. And since moving to Canada from the Philippines, she has thrown herself into Canadian way of life by polishing up her camping skills and making friends from all over the world. Rica's adaptability, adventurous spirit, and resilient attitude are what makes her thrive as an outsider in the advertising industry.

Seneca's students come from many different countries and many different walks of life. They bring an outsider's perspective to advertising...and the industry benefits from it. Over the next few weeks, we will be exploring how the outsider status of Seneca's CAB students and recent grads, have made them better at advertising, now that they're on the inside.  Kyrie Jamir's arrival into world was heralded by AC/DC's Thunderstruck so she is definitely ain't no wall flower. Kyrie moved to Canada from the Philippines and before studying at Seneca, she was a stylist, makeup artist, photographer, model, modeling mentor, and event planner. She even launched her own business in fashion. These experiences have allowed her to appreciate many different points of view. She has a kaleidoscope of perspectives that makes her well equipped for the ad world.

For the last few weeks we have been talking to industry thought leaders on how strategic planning in Canada has changed over the last 10 years and what might be in store for the next. In our final episode in this series, we are talking to Emily MacLaurin-King,VP GAD and Josh Hansen, VP Strategy at McCann and Rebeca Stutley, SVP Storytelling and Communications at Kids Help Phone, a mental health support platform for Canadian youth. Get their perspective on how strategic planning has played an integral part in their combined success and partnership and see their work in action.  Feel Out Loud - Hidden Feelings Kids Help Phone is a space where young people can feel safe and secure to free themselves from all the feelings they hold inside.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv0KSwhgCKc   Feel Out Loud - Fine This creative pulls back the curtain and reveals how young people are really feeling when they say that they’re “fine.”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0mphDDrMfo KHP Identity Redesign - Help in all Sizes The help KHP provides comes in all sizes. And now, so does their new brand identity.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxtnRaYETO8

Helen Keller once said, “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” Matt Foulk’s 9-5 is CSO of Jolly Good but when he’s not working, he can be most often found on his bike (or one of several). Matt is the Founder of Ghost Gravel (an adventure cycling company that creates and supports extraordinary adventures 'off the beaten track') and unsurprisingly a huge supporter of adventure. Matt believes adventure is important not just for health and happiness but also for excelling as a strategist. To find out why and how you can inject your life with more adventure, take a listen.

There is rarely a week that goes by where I don't see an article or report or study on effectiveness. And for obvious reasons. Advertising is "commercial art" and so obviously should be expected to deliver. And while there is much more data to show that this commercial art is doing something, understanding what it is doing and the resulting implications is something that the entire agency needs to embrace, not just the strategy dept. So this week we're chatting with Ian Westworth, SVP Head of Planning and Effectiveness at Grey who will share his top tips on how he has managed to build a more results oriented culture through partnership with his Creative, Account and Client colleagues.

"Reading fuels a sense of curiosity about the world, which I think helped drive me forward in my career and in the work that I do now with my foundation." Bill Gates is many things: visionary computer programmer, co-founder of Microsoft,  American billionaire, philanthropist....and also a prolific reader. Gates, who has been known to read 50 books a year, credits some of his biggest ideas to reading. When it comes to reading, there are many books that we as planners are told to read but there are few planners I've seen actually apply what they've read to their work. And that's the magic of Jeff George, who is the Founder and Freelance Strategy Director at The Courage Lab and also, of course, a prolific reader. Listen to this week's GrowOp to find out how you too can use reading to power your planning.

Shortly after I joined TAXI, I remember being asked to fly to Amsterdam to work on the launch of Axe Hair in Europe. I couldn't believe my luck! While there, I worked alongside Ron Smrczek and Chris Andrews who were heading up the TAXI Amsterdam office at the time. Since then, Ron and Chris led had a storied career venturing throughout Europe and the US. And they are currently the Independent Creative Director & Principal at Those Who Wander and President & CEO at BBDO Canada, respectively. Given their varied background, I thought they'd be the perfect pair to answer this question: How is strategic planning in Canada different from the rest of the world and what is the unique contribution that a Canadian style of strategic planning can offer the industry. Listen in to find out what they had to say.

Lucia Thomaz is a brand strategist based in Montreal and originally from Brazil. Several years ago, Lucia was persuaded to leave Sao Paolo, where she worked at agencies such as FCB, DDB and Fabrica, to chase love and has since settled into life in Canada. Given her background, we thought he'd have an interesting perspective on our question: What makes strategic planning in Canada different and what might a Canadian style of strategic planning have to offer the industry.

Graham Lang, CCO at TAXI, has enjoyed a storied career in advertising so far having worked at agencies like Saatchi & Saatchi London and Y&R South Africa, prior to moving to Canada in 2018. Given his background, we thought he'd have an interesting perspective on our question: What makes strategic planning in Canada different and what might a Canadian style of strategic planning have to offer the industry.