Marketing, AI, Thought Leadership

Hidden Realities of Creative Ops Nobody Talks About with Nicole Cobble | ML Stories

December 18, 2025 Ben Buckley

Nicole Cobble is a global marketing and creative operations leader shaping how luxury brands bring ideas to life. With experience driving creative transformation, brand image, experiential strategy, and in-house agency operations globally, she’s spent her career building the systems that make creativity work at scale.

In this ML Stories episode, we dig into the realities of creative operations; why success can be a double-edged sword, how to navigate a brand in crisis, why so many creative briefs fall apart before teams even begin, and why creatives still aren’t getting the data they need.

Ben Buckley

Marketing, AI, Thought Leadership

The Reality of Creative Ops Inside a $10B Company with Santiago Gonzalez | ML Stories

January 29, 2026 Ben Buckley

After building an internal agency and navigating a full restructure, Santiago Gonzalez is back at Wayfair — this time acting as the bridge between production, creative ops, and go-to-market teams.

Marketing, AI, Thought Leadership

Adam Akisanya on Building Brands That Last | ML Stories

December 4, 2025 Ben Buckley

In this blockbuster episode of ML Stories, we sit down with Adam Akisanya, ex–North Face Global Creative Operations Manager, to talk about what it really takes to build creative teams and brands that last. From keeping burnt-out creatives inspired, to helping brands move beyond selling products and into building communities, Adam shares a real look at what makes marketing work in 2025.

Marketing, AI, Thought Leadership

From TikTok to Meta—Rich Sica on the New Era of Brand Storytelling | ML Stories

November 13, 2025 Ben Buckley

In this episode of ML Stories, we sit down with Rich Sica, an advertising business affairs professional and music strategist whose career spans some of the biggest names in tech and entertainment, including TikTok and Meta. Rich has worked with global brands to shape campaigns that bridge advertising, music, and technology — from managing rights and talent contracts to leading creative partnerships that bring storytelling and sound together. We talk about how TikTok has become a testing ground for bold ideas, what are the most overhyped metrics, and how AI should be a co-pilot for creativity.