Jean Batthany is one of the most accomplished creative leaders in advertising, marketing & brand building. Our conversation with her was so good that we split it into two parts.
She was the first Chief Creative Officer at Walmart & the creative leader who transformed Disney's in-house team into an award-winning agency. She's the founder of The Art of the Pause & the pioneer of Regenerative Creativity: a new operating system for how we create, lead & work without burning out. For over 30 years, she's led award-winning creative at DDB Chicago, BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi, Merkley + Partners, and she was named one of Business Insider's 30 Most Creative Women in Advertising.
Her message moves past burnout & toxic productivity toward something more radical & more human, psychologically safe cultures brave enough for big ideas & failing forward. She has shared it on stages including TEDx, Cannes Lions, ThinkLA & NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
At Walmart, Jean led the creative mission to build a 160,000 square foot studio for creativity at the speed of retail. At Disney, she transformed the creative services team & built a culture of curiosity, learning & innovation. Today she works as a Fractional CCO, partnering with mission-driven leaders and brands to build a more sustainable, equitable, beautiful world.
Off the clock, Jean is the proud mother of two daughters, a former Advertising Working Mother of the Year & a past board member of Girls Inc. of LA. She's happiest on, in, or near the water, food is her love language & she still gets high on ideas.
Episode Chapters:
0:00 | Welcome — "Teach Me to Be a Girl Dad"
4:27 | 24-Year-Old Jean: Saatchi & The First Job
8:19 | The Myth of Doing It All
9:36 | Mom Guilt & Parenting From Guilt
11:49 | Feminism
16:22 | Anger Might Save Us
19:42 | Hustle Culture, Boundaries, & Hell Yes or F*ck No
27:09 | From Creative Maker to Creative Leader
28:21 | The Susan Cradle Moment: Breaking the Glass Ceiling
33:02 | The Personal Brand Revelation
40:57 | Disney: First Six Months in Fetal Position
48:46 | Servant Leadership at the Mouse House
52:48 | Closing: The Hottest Fires
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A DANG World Studios Production
Our People:
Karan Dang - Co-Host & Chief Creative Officer
Shruti Dang - Co-Host & Chief Operating Officer
Utsav Dang - VP Strategic Operations
Missy Hauser - Podcast Producer
Sydney Dutton - Program Executive
Jolie Orban - Social Creative
Josh Lara - Executive Assistant
Shitanshu Tyagi & Garima Pradhan - Long Form Editors
Fahd Sukarno P. Mantukay - Short Form Editor
Nadzmin Lackua - Social Media Graphic Designer
Zaidell Aparejo - Graphic Designer
John Mark Galamay - Social Writer
Noah Kugell - Lead AV Technician
Santiago Sanchez - AV Technician
Will Mazzola - Original Lighting & Camera Design
Estrella Trejo - Hair and Makeup
Trina Duarte - Hair and Makeup
German Belkin - Original Soundtrack
Jassi Aunty - Head Chef
Special Thanks:
Late Sidharth Raj Dang, Amrita Dang, Shashi Shukla, Praveen Shukla , Aria Dang, Blue Vir Dang
+ Advisors, Mentors, Friends & Family
