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The Seat

The Seat

Di: Ray Erickson
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A proposito di questo titolo

The Seat is an unscripted podcast exploring the real career journeys of today’s media, marketing, and advertising revenue leaders.


Hosted by longtime ad sales industry executive Ray Erickson, each conversation goes beyond titles and resumes to reveal the early days, pivotal moments, mentors, setbacks, and mindset shifts that shaped these operators into the leaders they are today.


From VPs to CROs, Founders and CEOs, guests share honest lessons from their wins, losses, challenges, and career-defining breakthroughs.


Whether you're an aspiring sales leader, a current executive, or simply curious how people rise to the top, The Seat delivers practical insights, inspiration, and leadership tactics you can put to work right away.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ray Erickson Economia Gestione e leadership Leadership Management Ricerca del lavoro Successo personale
Episodi
  • Sean McCaffrey, President & CEO - GSTV

    Sean McCaffrey, President & CEO - GSTV
    Feb 17 2026
    Episode Summary:Sean McCaffrey, President & CEO of GSTV, joins Ray Erickson on The Seat to unpack a 25+ year career spent building at the intersection of media, marketing, and out-of-home. Starting as a young seller in the late 90s, Sean rode the wave of consolidation that shaped modern OOH, grew through 16+ years at Clear Channel, and eventually stepped into the CEO seat at GSTV to build a national video platform at fuel and convenience retail.The conversation spans Sean’s athlete mindset from his Drake football days, how early mentors shaped his leadership style, and why “focusing on what you can control and influence” became a defining principle during a high-stakes period of corporate uncertainty. Sean also shares what surprised him most as a CEO, how board service keeps him sharp, and what he looks for in future leaders; grit, curiosity, and being a perpetual student, especially as AI reshapes every function.Themes Discussed:From athlete to executive: How team sports shape leadership and cultureAccidental entry into advertising & sales and discovering OOH as a careerThe evolution of out-of-home: From static boards to audience-led digital engagementScaling through consolidation: Navigating growth from regional to global organizationsSolutions-based selling: Marketing conversations vs. “selling inventory”Leading through uncertainty: The Clear Channel go-private saga and lessons learnedControl vs. Influence mindset: Why it matters even more in the AI eraMentorship & leadership modeling: Active listening, passion, and high characterCEO realities: Decision-making, consensus-building, and moving fast without perfect infoDeveloping future leaders: Curiosity outside scope, skill gaps, and continuous learningChapters:00:00 - Intro & Sean's Background06:52 - First sales role, Universal Outdoor & “accidental” entry into OOH08:03 - What OOH looked like in the late 90s, regulation, real estate, national vs local11:16 - Consolidation era, Universal/Eller to Clear Channel & learning the full business22:01 - Leading through uncertainty - go-private chaos and the “Venn diagram” framework26:57 - Mentors & values, passion, character, playing the long game32:17 - Why GSTV & CEO lessons, decision velocity, boards, developing leadersKeywords:GSTV, Sean McCaffrey, out-of-home advertising, OOH, DOOH, retail media, convenience retail, video network, Clear Channel Outdoor, leadership, CEO, sales leadership, strategy, partnerships, change management, mentors, decision making, organizational growth, private equity, consolidation, brand safe media, measurement, audience addressability, AI in advertising, executive presence, boards, IAB, Ad Council, OAAA, DPAA, The Seat podcastSean's Bio: Sean McCaffrey is President & CEO of GSTV, the nation’s leading video network at fuel and convenience retailers, reaching over 116 million Americans each month. He previously spent 16+ years at Clear Channel Outdoor, including as EVP of Strategy & Partnerships, leading enterprise revenue strategy and global agency relationships. Sean serves on the boards of the IAB Digital Video Center of Excellence, the Ad Council, OAAA, and DPAA. A former college football player at Drake University, he brings an athlete’s mindset to leadership, culture, and long-term growth.GSTV's Website: https://www.gstv.com/Ray's Bio: Ray Erickson is the host of The Seat, a podcast featuring 1:1 conversations with revenue leaders across media, marketing, and advertising, unpacking the early days, mentors, setbacks, and pivotal moments that shaped how they lead today. Ray is a longtime ad/media sales leader with experience spanning digital ad tech, CTV, and sports media, and he created The Seat to sharpen his own leadership edge while paying it forward to the next generation of aspiring sales leaders.Social Links:Instagram: @theseat.podTikTok: @theseat.podLinkedIn: The Seat Podcast (LinkedIn Page)Host: Ray Erickson (LinkedIn)Listen:Apple Podcasts / Spotify / iHeart / SiriusXM / Acast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    51 min
  • Gabrielle Heyman, VP Global Brand Sales & Partnerships - Zynga

    Gabrielle Heyman, VP Global Brand Sales & Partnerships - Zynga
    Feb 10 2026
    Summary/Description:In this episode of The Seat, Ray Erickson sits down with Gabrielle Heyman, VP of Global Brand Sales & Partnerships at Zynga, to unpack a 20+ year career built at the intersection of gaming, media, entertainment, and advertising. Gabrielle shares her origin story from early days at CBS.com, the dot-com era and in-game advertising at EA, breakout years at Yahoo, the leap to BuzzFeed, and ultimately her long-term rise at Zynga. They dig into what changes when you go from elite individual contributor to leader; response time, delegation vs. micromanagement, managing up to the C-suite, protecting your time from meetings, and how she thinks about the modern consumer as a “layman anthropologist.” Gabrielle also breaks down Zynga’s business, why mobile is the biggest gaming segment, and how her team monetizes the 95% of players who don’t pay through in-app advertising. Key takeaway...leadership isn’t just selling harder, it’s building trust, leveling up teams, and believing you belong in every room you walk into.Chapters: 00:00 – Intro01:45 – LA & Icebreaker02:24 – College & Early Days03:24 – First break into media06:26 – Selling from scratch08:06 – Mentorship: Matt Wasserlauf09:22 – Dot-com chaos11:41 – IC excellence vs leadership readiness15:44 – Career choices as a parent34:53 – Zynga todayThemes:Response time changes from salesperson → leaderCuriosity & persuasion as the real “sales training”Building a career in the satellite office (LA) vs HQResilience during chaos (dot-com crash, 9/11, personal health)The gap between sales IQ and leadership EQCalculated risk-taking (Yahoo → BuzzFeed → management track)Delegation vs. micromanagement as the make-or-break leadership skillManaging up and communicating to C-suite as a core leadership jobMobile gaming + ad monetization (monetizing the 95% non-payers)Confidence & belonging (imposter syndrome is a time-waster)Keywords:Zynga, Take-Two Interactive, mobile gaming, in-game advertising, ad monetization, brand partnerships, global sales, leadership, delegation, micromanagement, managing up, C-suite communication, sales management, sales marketing, trade marketing, Yahoo, Electronic Arts, BuzzFeed, CBS Interactive, consumer behavior, women in tech, Chief, imposter syndrome, time management, asynchronous work, meetings, AI fluency, personal brand, career growthGabrielle's Bio: Gabrielle Heyman is VP of Global Brand Sales & Partnerships at Zynga, where she oversees sales and marketing for the company’s direct advertising business across one of mobile gaming’s most engaged audiences. A digital media veteran with prior roles at Electronic Arts, Yahoo!, and BuzzFeed, she was honored in 2025 with the Chief “New Era of Leadership” Award and the IAB Service of Excellence Award for her contributions to the industry. Gabrielle is passionate about the revolution in technology and entertainment consumption and its impact on how brands connect with consumers. She’s a champion of women in tech and an innovator at the intersection of gaming and brands. She lives in Los Angeles with her two sons and her life partner.Zynga's Website: https://www.zynga.com/Ray's Bio: Ray Erickson is the host of The Seat, a podcast featuring 1:1 conversations with revenue leaders across media, marketing, and advertising — unpacking the early days, mentors, setbacks, and pivotal moments that shaped how they lead today. Ray is a longtime ad/media sales leader with experience spanning digital ad tech, CTV, and sports media, and he created The Seat to sharpen his own leadership edge while paying it forward to the next generation of aspiring sales leaders.Social Links:Instagram: @theseat.podTikTok: @theseat.podLinkedIn: The Seat Podcast (LinkedIn Page)Host: Ray Erickson (LinkedIn)Listen: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / iHeart / SiriusXM / Acast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    50 min
  • Matt Ryter, VP Video Sales - Minute Media

    Matt Ryter, VP Video Sales - Minute Media
    Feb 3 2026

    Episode Summary / Description:

    Matt Ryter’s path to Vice President wasn’t linear and that’s the point. From a first job logging stats at ESPN (that actually made watching sports worse) to learning the ad business at CBS and Time Inc., Matt’s career is a story of finding the right lane, building a personal brand, and growing into leadership by being willing to learn in public. Now VP of Sales at Minute Media, Matt shares how he went from big-company structure to startup chaos at Genius Sports, what he learned building a team from scratch, and why modern leadership is less about control and more about trust, especially in a post-COVID world. Along the way, he breaks down what he looks for when hiring, a common mistake young sellers make (“saying yes” too quickly), and the mantra he lives by, "Collaboration moves at the speed of trust."


    Themes Discussed:

    • Finding your lane early (and learning what you don’t want to do)
    • Breaking into sales without the “traditional” entry path
    • Mentorship and the power of shared networks
    • Leadership lessons from both great and bad managers
    • Player-coach growing pains: teaching vs “I’ll just do it myself”
    • Building a business from zero (Genius Sports)
    • Selling tech & data vs selling media & content
    • Culture-first career moves and “kismet timing”
    • Managing hybrid/remote teams without micromanaging
    • Personal brand, networking, and staying sane in the grind


    Chapter Breakdown:

    00:00 - Intro

    02:02 - Providence College & early direction

    04:26 - ESPN stats job: dream…then burnout

    06:28 - CBS entry: ad ops & inventory grind

    07:36 - Breaking into sales via CNNMoney

    11:26 - Mentorship: Providence alum opens doors

    15:31 - Leadership begins: NFL then Genius

    17:16 - Genius Sports: build team from zero

    31:21 - Minute Media: “everything collided”

    36:14 - Trust-based leadership & hiring lessons


    Keywords:

    Minute Media, Sports Illustrated, The Players’ Tribune, FanSided, SendToNews, Genius Sports, NFL, ESPN, CBS, Time Inc., CNNMoney, digital video, sports media, ad sales, leadership, mentorship, personal brand, networking, remote leadership, CTV, FAST channels, streaming, collaboration, trust, sales management, career growth


    Matt's Bio:

    Matt Ryter is the Vice President of Sales at Minute Media, where he leads commercial video sales initiatives and supports the company’s broader monetization strategy across premium sports storytelling and distribution. Previously, Matt served as VP of Sales at Genius Sports, helping build and scale the brand advertising business in North America. He also held roles at the NFL, Time Inc. (including Sports Illustrated / Fortune ecosystem), CBS, and ESPN. Matt is a proud Providence College alum and lives in the New York metro area with his wife and two children.


    Ray's Bio:

    Ray Erickson is the host of The Seat, a podcast featuring 1:1 conversations with revenue leaders across media, marketing, and advertising — unpacking the early days, mentors, setbacks, and pivotal moments that shaped how they lead today. Ray is a longtime ad/media sales leader with experience spanning digital ad tech, CTV, and sports media, and he created The Seat to sharpen his own leadership edge while paying it forward to the next generation of aspiring sales leaders.

    

    Social Links:

    Instagram: @theseat.pod

    TikTok: @theseat.pod

    LinkedIn: The Seat Podcast (LinkedIn Page)

    Host: Ray Erickson (LinkedIn)


    Listen: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / iHeart / Acast


    Minute Media Website:

    https://www.minutemedia.com/

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    48 min
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