Shows
Kansas City Marketing LegendsSiobhan Lesley // Valentine Radford/Walz TetrickSend us a textToday, we’ll hear the inspiring journey of Siobhan Lesley — one of the forces behind the success of Valentine Radford, one of Kansas City’s legendary agencies, where she rose all the way to President. Siobhan’s story is rooted in leadership, purpose, and a deep passion for people. We’ll dive into her work on iconic accounts like Pizza Hut, and how that path eventually led her to another great KC agency — Walz Tetrick — followed by her move to Gilda’s Club, a lifeline for those impacted by cancer. And if you’ve ever wondered w...2025-06-1153 min
Kansas City Marketing LegendsAl Eidson // Eidson & PartnersSend us a textFrom the cockpit to the boardroom, Al Eidson’s career is a masterclass in leadership and reinvention. He started out flying C-141 cargo planes across the Pacific in the Air Force, then moved into the corporate world at Procter & Gamble, helping launch new products. Eventually, he brought it all together — co-founding agencies like Eidson Spear and Eidson & Partners, where he blended his military mindset with a sharp eye for business. In our conversation, Al talks about how his time in the Air Force shaped the way he leads, solves problems, and builds teams.2025-05-281h 00
Kansas City Marketing LegendsAnn Willoughby // Willoughby DesignSend us a textSeason Two kicks off with the trailblazing Ann Willoughby, founder of Willoughby Design. Her story begins in the aisles of a small department store in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where she sketched fashion illustrations that would mark the start of a remarkable career. After relocating to Kansas City, Ann didn’t just launch a design firm—she built a creative powerhouse and became a pioneer for women entrepreneurs in an era when even opening a bank account required a male co-signer. In this episode, Ann reflects on the uphill climb of securing clients, build...2025-05-1449 min
Kansas City Marketing LegendsWelcome to Kansas City Marketing Legends Season 2Send us a textWelcome to Season Two of Kansas City Marketing Legends!After the incredible energy and inspiring conversations of Season One, we knew we had to come back for more. This season, we’re diving even deeper into the stories and insights of the people who have helped make Kansas City a marketing powerhouse.A special shoutout to our friends at Evolution Audio — we’re thrilled to have recorded every episode live in their studios. Big thanks as well to Springboard Creative for making us look sharp, and to our other amazin...2025-04-2636 min
Kansas City Marketing LegendsSeason 1 // It's a WrapSend us a textAs they say, it's a wrap! Season One of Kansas City Marketing Legends is in the books. We are extremely grateful to all of you who have listened to our conversations with the legends of Season One and look forward to offering up more legends when we launch Season Two in early 2025.This final episode of our first season gives us a chance to remember some of the high points of our first season and provide you with a glimpse of a few of our Season Two legends. As a...2024-10-0931 min
Kansas City Marketing LegendsBecky Blades // Blades & AssociatesSend us a textBecky Blades is the ultimate startist. Her second book is titled Start More Than You Can Finish. That certainly describes Becky to a tee.As you will hear into this episode of Kansas City Marketing Legends, Becky not only started a lot of things, but she finished a few as well. And how well she did finish. But as you will hear, after starting her own PR Firm and then deciding to sell it, Becky was only beginning to become a true legend in Kansas City and beyond. #kcmarketinglegends2024-09-041h 09
Kansas City Marketing LegendsScott McCormick // VMLSend us a textSo, three ad guys are sitting around in one of their homes one summer talking about how to create a new approach in the marketing business. No this is not the start of a joke. It’s exactly how the world’s largest agency was born right here in Kansas City.Scott McCormick and his founding partners, John Valentine, and Craig Ligabel, left one firm in Kansas City and started what they hoped would be an early adaptation of a virtual agency with maybe 25 employees and lots of contractors. On this epis...2024-08-2149 min
Kansas City Marketing LegendsPasquale Trozzolo // Trozzolo Communications GroupSend us a textPasquale Trozzolo, without a doubt, founded one of our city’s premier agencies. Trozzolo Communications Group is an exemplary example of a family business. It also is a company that has recognized over the years how to grow through smart acquisitions and how to keep the principals of those they acquired to stay involved.On this episode of Kansas City Marketing Legends, Pasquale will tell us why his experience in the political arena prepared him for his career. Today Pasquale remains Executive Chairman of the agency he founded but has found so...2024-08-0751 min
Kansas City Marketing LegendsAndy Fletcher // Fletcher/Mayo; BarkleySend us a textWhat’s it like to have your dad be your boss? Well, our guest today on Marketing Legends of Kansas City can tell us. Andy Fletcher worked for his dad at Fletcher Mayo and learned a thing or two there about the marketing business, especially in the agriculture arena.But Andy has stories to tell us as he became in his words, a nomad in the business, gaining experience and then running shops over the years from Kansas City to Atlanta to Lincoln, Nebraska.#kcmarketinglegends2024-07-2444 min
Kansas City Marketing LegendsLanda William // LandaJobSend us a textChances are more than a few of you have Landa Williams to thank for a job or for an employee hire in a Kansas City agency or company. And even if you didn’t, you absolutely know a few people who did.LandaJob is her company’s name, and she will tell us how that came about on this edition of the Marketing Legends of Kansas City. Plus, she might even give us some of those behind-the-scenes stories with everyone’s name protected of course.#kcmarketinglegends2024-07-1047 min
Kansas City Marketing LegendsLarry Wheeler // Boasberg WheelerSend us a textThere can be no dispute that Ewing Kaufmann is one of the most impactful and influential business leaders in Kansas City history. In this episode of Kansas City Marketing legends, we hear from one of our own legends what it was like to work for Mr. K. at Marion Labs and the business lessons he learned that helped him run his own public relations firm.Larry Wheeler experienced first-hand the growth of Marion Labs. In fact, he had something to do with that growth as we will hear. After Marion Labs, L...2024-06-261h 06
Kansas City Marketing LegendsBill Fromm // BarkleySend us a textBill Fromm was a born entrepreneur. He ran a dry-cleaning delivery service in college and his dream was to come back to Kansas City and start an advertising agency.He made that dream come true and opened the doors of his agency on June 1, 1964. Today that agency is Barkley, and it is one of the leading independent agencies in the country. Along the way, he had a few other ideas for companies that he brought to life.We will hear from Bill how he started the agency and helped...2024-06-1258 min
Kansas City Marketing LegendsWhitey Kuhn // Kuhn & WittenbornSend us a textHallmark is not just one of Kansas City’s most revered companies, but it has also contributed to the overall growth of the creative community in the city. One of the best examples of that is the partnership that developed between Whitey Kuhn and the late Dale Wittenborn. The two met while working at Hallmark and then one day they started talking about creating a creative agency. And Kuhn & Wittenborn — was born.#kcmarketinglegends2024-05-291h 05
Kansas City Marketing LegendsBob Bernstein // Bernstein-ReinSend us a textListeners to the Marketing Legends of Kansas City may find it hard to believe that there was a time when a handshake was all that was needed to create a decades long partnership between a global retailer and an ad agency in Kansas City. But that’s one story that our guest today can tell.Bob Bernstein started his agency in 1964. The handshake he had was with none other than Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart. Bob will also give us the real story of the creation McDonalds’ Happy Meal and why...2024-05-151h 00
Kansas City Marketing LegendsWelcome to Kansas City Marketing LegendsSend us a textKansas City has a rich and colorful history when it comes to our Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations community. We talked for a while about how to start capturing the stories. We quickly decided we did not want to write a book, so we landed on an even better idea – let’s start a podcast!Our idea is simple. Let’s reach out to all the people who made the Kansas City marketing community what it is today. What we are today is a city of creative powerhouses of all sizes doing...2024-05-0629 min