Disruptor Series

America's first restaurant is also one of the world's most disruptive. And in a world where 70% of restaurants fail, this year, Delmonico's is celebrating its 180th anniversary. Their key ingredient for success? Innovation. Delmonico's was the first to call itself a "restaurant," the first to operate as "farm to table," the first to print menus, the first to use table cloths, the first to have a wine cellar and the first restaurant to allow women to eat unaccompanied by men. Delmonico's was also the inventor of favorites like Eggs Benedict, Lobster Newberg and Baked Alaska. Listen in as Rob sits down with Delmonico's owner and managing partner Dennis Turcinovic and head of sales and marketing Carin Sarafian, to discuss why Delmonico's next 180 years will be as disruptive as the first 180.

Professor Nancy Tag is injecting new life and new blood into Madison Avenue from the heart of Harlem. From her modern classrooms at fabled City College of New York, she is spearheading the BIC (Brand + Integrated) Masters Degree Program. Her mission is to make marketing and advertising as smart, diverse and savvy as the students she's recruiting and teaching. Listen in as Rob and Nancy talk about the past, present and future of advertising -- and the people and ideas who have and will shape it.

There's Cher, there's Madonna and there is Shingy. David Shing, known to all far and wide as "Shingy," is the Digital Prophet for the newly formed media holding company, Oath. And by the way, that's his actual title, "Digital Prophet." A graphic designer by trade, Shingy has been clarifying and proselytizing the power and wonder of all things digital for well more than a decade. Listen in as Rob and Shingy unpack a variety of topics from the quality of work at Cannes Lions to the future of wearables to the nature and possibility of brand fame in our ever-connected age. Want to know more about the future? Hear Shingy today. 

 It's rare when someone who reports the news, makes the news. But that's exactly what happened this week when Fox News' Eboni K. Williams delivered her incisive and impassioned critique of President Donald Trump's handling of the incendiary events in Charlottesville. On this episode of the Disruptor Series Podcast, Rob sits down with Eboni to discuss this week's historic events, her upcoming book, "Pretty Powerful" and what it's like to be the most disruptive force on America's most right-wing cable network.

Jayanta Jenkins is the Global Group Creative Director of Twitter. Coming off his Cannes Lion Grand Prix-winning campaign, Jayanta sits down to discuss new media, old media, brand-agency relationships and the artistic and business lessons of Prince. Looking to hear from a truly disruptive and creative mind? Tune in here.

If you combined gypsies, intellectuals and a dash of a rock 'n' roll band on tour, you just might come up with Rosie and Faris Yakob. They are the disruptive masterminds of the itinerant pop culture and brand consultancy called, "Genius Steals." We took advantage of their moment in New York City to have a chat about the present and future of business, brands and a whole lot more. 

More than just a pretty face, former Miss New York, Iman Oubou, is building a media empire. As the CEO of Swaay Media, Iman is taking on the conventions of male-leaning business publications and dude-heavy business media to create relevant content and resources with a decidedly feminine and diverse edge. On this episode of the Disruptor Series, Rob Schwartz sits down with Iman and unpacks her disruptive story from Moroccan immigrant to beauty pageant winner to soon-to-be media mogul.  

Here's a Disruption: What if the most life-affirming film you will see this year is a film about death? That's the case with a wonderful new documentary called "Obit." On this podcast, Rob Schwartz sits down with Vanessa Gould, the visionary filmmaker behind "Obit." Listen in as they unearth the disruptive story behind the amazing people who write obituaries for the The New York Times -- and learn about their incredible subjects. You'll also hear how Vanessa threw away her lucrative corporate gig to pursue the wonders of storytelling and art. 

You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who is as prolific, as prescient, and as downright funny on social media as Tom Goodwin. The head of innovation for Zenith media, Tom is also a social media force of nature commenting, questioning and predicting the present and future of brands, marketing, technology, and communication. Listen in as Rob Schwartz fires up Tom and hears all about his new book that questions the very nature of books, learns how Disruption is ripe for disruption and finds out about the three types of companies in the world. Tom Goodwin has over 300,000 followers on LinkedIn and is one of Business Insiders "30 People to Follow on Twitter." This Disruptor Series Podcast will give you all the reasons why. 

Want to know about the past, present, and future of design? Look no further than this episode of the Disruptor Series Podcast. Rob Schwartz sits down with Debbie Millman -- writer, educator, artist, designer and host of the wildly successful podcast, Design Matters. Not only is Debbie a brilliant designer, she's a brilliant thinker on all things design. Listen in as she simplifies the meaning of "Design Thinking," pinpoints the exact birth date of social media and even gives the secret to getting your first job.

  When I first met Designer, Entrepreneur and Futurist, Viv Rosenthal in 2009, she seemed like she was already living in 2014. And when I chatted with her for this recent Disruptor Series Podcast, it was clear she's already hanging out in 2020. Join Viv and I as we talk about technology, communications and all kinds of things that are disrupting the world of today and life tomorrow.

Ever have a great idea but you were too afraid to say it out loud or even write it down? It's not your fault. Your internal MARV was holding you back. That's his job. Singer/Songwriter Peter Himmelman identified and named MARV. And on this podcast you'll learn how to deal with MARV, to disrupt yourself, and let your ideas out. 

If you've ever seen a Nissan truck or van or watched a certain Katy Perry video, you've seen Bryan Thomson's work. Listen in as he sits down with Rob Schwartz to talk about disruptive design thinking in everything from autonomous cars to careers and a whole lot in between. 

What if you created a clothing brand based on internet rules. Not fashion rules. That's the premise of the wildly innovative clothing brand, Betabrand. Rob sits down with Betabrand Founder and CEO Chris Lindland and learns how disruption is in the very fabric of the company. And a key factor in their success.

Have you ever heard a joke about the Holocaust? Wait, what? Exactly. Sounds utterly offensive, right? Well, that's the Disruption. Listen in as Rob talks to filmmaker Ferne Pearlstein, director of the documentary The Last Laugh. An award-winning film that takes on the Third Reich and one of the most sacred taboos -- laughing in the face of an atrocity.