Forty years in, I still believe the only real advantage any of us has in this industry is the willingness to keep learning. That was the thread running through my Humans of Digital conversation with IAB Canada, and it is the same thread I tell every early career seller and operator I coach.
The Advice That Shaped My Career
IAB Canada asked me about the best piece of professional advice I had ever received. My answer was short:
“Only thing constant is change. A focus on personal development and lifelong learning ensures your professional relevance.”
That line has kept me sharp through radio, through early digital, through SaaS at Vendasta, and now through leading global partnerships at AdCellerant. The moment you stop learning, you stop being useful to your team and your customers.
What I Am Most Proud Of
The achievement I keep coming back to is my decade at Vendasta. I joined in 2013 as the first sales hire and helped grow the customer facing teams to more than 250 people serving thousands of partners in 20 countries, pushing past one hundred million in annual recurring revenue. That run taught me how to build teams that scale without losing the plot. If you want the longer story behind it, I unpacked it in my post on Brendan King on scaling Vendasta and the three jobs of a CEO.
What Excites Me About Digital Advertising in Canada
Technology has finally become democratized. A small business in Moose Jaw has access to the same ad tech, analytics, and AI tooling as a Fortune 500 brand. That is a profound shift. It means the winners going forward will be the ones who can actually operate the tools, not just buy them.
A few things I am watching closely:
- AI advancements that improve efficiency across business development motions
- Privacy enhancing technologies and first-party data strategies
- Programmatic and omnichannel approaches that prioritize measurable outcomes
- Short-form video and AR experiences for local brands
The Biggest Opportunity and the Biggest Challenge
The biggest opportunity is also the biggest challenge, and that is education. Our industry changes every quarter. Helping early career and experienced team members keep their skills current is the single most valuable work any leader can do right now.
If I could change one thing about this industry overnight, it would be a sharper focus on integrity. When people stop operating with that core value, trust in the entire ecosystem takes a hit. I have written more on this idea in my piece on the trust matrix and how to build trust in every sales conversation.
Why IAB Canada Matters
Collaboration through IAB Canada is one of the few places where agencies, brands, publishers, and tech providers actually sit at the same table. That matters. Shared standards, shared education, and shared advocacy lift the whole industry, not just the loudest voices in it.
Getting Human
IAB also ran me through their Getting Human quick-fire questions. A few of my answers:
- Coffee, tea, or something stronger: Coffee
- Creative boost go-to: The Topline Podcast by Pavilion
- If my career were a movie: “Wolf of Wall Street” mashed up with parts of “Up in the Air” and “The Founder”
The future of digital advertising in Canada is poised for resilient growth. AI-driven innovation, privacy-enhancing tech, and a shift toward programmatic and omnichannel strategies will drive it, but only if we keep consumer trust at the center.
If you are early in your career or rebuilding your skill set, my advice is the same advice I was given. Invest in yourself first. Everything else follows. You can read more on that idea in my post on why investing in yourself is the real turning point.
What is one skill you are actively working on this quarter? Send me a note on LinkedIn and let me know.