Graciela Del Toro—now VP of Creative Operations & Resourcing at Bond and formerly Creative Ops Lead at Netflix (plus a stint at Apple)—joins Creative Leadership with Heart to unpack her non-linear path from music major to entertainment marketing to creative operations leader.

We dig into:

• The “Napster moment” that blew up her original plan—and the pivot into film & trailers

• Agency vs. entertainment marketing: what’s actually different (and what isn’t)

• Small shop vs. big machine: how your growth changes with team size

• Pre-COVID → Post-COVID → Post-strike realities (“survive till ’25”)

• What great Creative Ops really does: efficiency and creative health

• Transparent leadership, mentoring, and the advice she’d give her younger self (“get out of your own way”)

🎙 Host: Rico
👤 Guest: Graciela Del Toro, VP Creative Ops & Resourcing @ Bond (ex-Netflix, Apple)

What does it take to pivot across industries — from alcohol marketing to Disney, and then to Netflix — while leading global creative teams?

In this episode of Creative Leadership with Heart, Rico sits down with Gavin Quirk, Head of Innovation Operations at Netflix (and formerly of Disney & Diageo), to explore a career path filled with bold pivots, setbacks, and growth.

💬 Gavin shares:

• His journey from aspiring footballer ⚽️ to brand manager at Diageo (Guinness, Jose Cuervo)

• What it was like marketing Hannah Montana at Disney after Guinness 🍺

• The massive culture shift moving from Disney to Netflix

• Lessons in authentic leadership across three very different industries

• How to lead distributed global teams with empathy and flexibility

• Why career paths are rarely linear — and why that’s a good thing

This conversation is packed with insights for anyone navigating career transitions, leadership challenges, or just wondering if they’re “on the right path.”

📌 Don’t forget to subscribe for more inspiring stories on creativity, culture, and leadership.

#Netflix #CreativeLeadership #CareerPivots #Leadership #Disney #Diageo

Welcome back to Creative Leadership with Heart!In this episode, we sit down with Ali Lindsay, marketing leader and founder of the Cocoon Collective, to dive deep into her career journey—from her start in media agencies to leading marketing teams for innovative K–12 schools, and ultimately creating her own consulting practice.Ali shares:Her early days at NYU and how she pivoted from performing arts aspirations to marketing.Lessons learned in agency life that shaped her foundation in analytics, consumer insights, and brand strategy.How she navigated ed tech during the pandemic and scaled consulting opportunities.Insights on product-market fit, working with schools, and telling compelling stories without overselling.Her tips for anyone considering launching a consulting business or taking a career risk.If you’ve ever wondered how to turn uncertainty into opportunity or build a consulting business that aligns with your mission, this episode is packed with actionable insights.📌 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations with creative leaders shaping the future of work, education, and innovation!Connect w/ Ali here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-hancock/