Strands of Genius: The JWT Planning Guide, How to be Anti-Racist, The Scratch & Sniff Book of Weed

Guest curated by Seth Matlins, Managing Director, Forbes CMO Network

Aug 31, 2023

:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, SETH MATLINS ::

LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA

Hi, I'm Seth. Marketer by trade, cynic (maybe skeptic) by nature, a New Yorker who lives in (and loves) LA, father of 2, partner to 1, and a believer that dogs are the best people. In a 30-year career, I’ve never had a job that existed before I had it. Wish I could say that I designed things this way, but it’s just how it’s worked out. While today I’m the Managing Director of the Forbes CMO Network, I started this (suddenly very long) career selling water, as the 3rd person in the U.S. marketing department for Evian, at a time when the portable bottled water category was brand new and no one understood why they needed to pay for water—let alone why they need to pay a lot for it. Among other things, I’ve been an Olympic sponsor, represented 3 of the first 4 gold-medalists in Olympic Beach Volleyball, started CAA (Creative Artists Agency) Marketing, put Coke in American Idol, was Global CMO at Live Nation, started each of the Purpose, Planning and Entertainment Marketing practices at Endeavor’s cultural marketing agency, and authored a bi-partisan Congressional Bill, The Truth In Advertising Act (2014 and 2016) that became the CVS BeautyMark in 2017 (more on this below.) Among the co-sponsors of the Bill was the civil rights icon John Lewis, another career high for me.

Editor’s Note (Genius Steals): Our friend Shann introduced us to Seth, and what a lovely Zoom chat we had! He’s an impressive individual, and an absolute joy to chat with. However, during our long and rambling chat, he failed to mention that he wrote a *scratch & sniff book about weed* about which Ellen Degeneres said, “Smells like the bottom of Martha Stewart’s bag.” We are now adding this to our Amazon wish list!

:: THE LINKS ::

THE JWT PLANNING GUIDE

This belongs on the Mount Rushmore of planning, and is as Relevant Today As When Written in 1974. Why? Because as much has and will change, the fundamentals of human behavior, the why we will or won’t buy remain largely unchanged. Sometimes (often times) we can lose sight of what remains constant in a world of constantly shifting sands. (Slide Share)

HOW TO BE ANTI-RACIST

As obvious as it may seem to some, there’s a world of difference between “not being a racist” and being actively anti-racist. Ibram X. Kendi's How To Be An Anti-Racist is a wildly important book for all who seek to create a more equitable world. Kendi’s candid examination of his own “isms” gives room for us all to examine and come face to face with ours. As James Baldwin said, “not everything that's faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it has been faced.” (Amazon)

THE SCRATCH & SNIFF BOOK OF WEED

Sure, i co-wrote it (with my partner), but it's also one of the things I'm most proud of. Never saw that coming from a 22-page scratch &sniff book, but life is strange. It’s as packed a historical, physiological, sexual, botanical and cultural exploration of 4000 years of the history of cannabis as can be done in 22 pages. Now in its 6th edition printing, it is, to borrow a word, dope. Really. (Amazon)

Looking for more from Seth Matlins? Coming Friday, look for an interview from him in your inbox!

:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::

:: Game :: Heads Up

:: City :: New York

:: Book :: The Harry Potter series (shame what the author has shown herself to be).

:: Podcast :: People vs Algorithms Sure, it’s three guys with beards pontificating—but they pontificate well and wisely about the implications of the changes here and which may come across media, technology and culture. I don’t always agree, but I always learn something. (From Brian Morrissey, Alex Schleifer and Troy Young)

:: Album :: Barry White Can't Get Enough

:: PHOTOGRAPHER - ME ::

“A wall is a very big weapon. It's one of the nastiest things you can hit someone with.” ~ Banksy

-Seth

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