Leading up to PromaxBDA’s big international conference, we are taking a look at the speakers, sessions and panels that make the event memorable. Chris Sloan, president and executive creative director at 2C Media, speaks about his upcoming session, his career and his advice to industry up-and-comers. Don’t miss Sloan’s session at this year’s conference: “Horror Stories: Nightmare Campaigns and How They Were Turned Around.”

Name: Chris Sloan

Title: President & Executive Creative Director, 2C Media

Can you summarize your session in 5 words? How to turn around nightmare campaigns

What other speaker are you most interested in seeing at PromaxBDA: The Conference this year? I would really like to check out “Managing Brand Ecosystems in a Transmedia World: A Roundtable Discussion.” This is not merely a hot-button topic, but should really be viewed as a requirement for anyone whose work involves media branding in this world.

How do you watch television content? Though I will happily consume TV content on a number of devices, I’ll defer to the old tube when I really want to relax and dig into something.

What is your greatest career achievement so far? To launch and achieve success with my own production company in Miami is a tremendous accomplishment, especially when many thought it wouldn’t work outside of LA or New York. So, not only am I enjoying the career I dreamed of as a kid, but I’m also doing it in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

What do you think is the most important trait of a leader? A good leader has the ability to recognize and encourage the best from his/her staff, culling their individual strengths to round out one hell of a team effort. Hire and motivate people much smarter than yourself!

What one piece of advice would you give to an up-and-comer in this industry? Learn to ignore the “NOs.” Let’s face it. Plenty of people are going to tell you NO throughout your career; it’s what you do with those responses that will make the difference. Don’t let the word NO shut you down, but rather use it as a healthy challenge you simply need to navigate.

How did you get your start in this industry? I actually got my first broadcasting gig as a 16-year-old editor/cameraman on a fishing show! My start in promos came while I was an editor at NBC Promo in Burbank during the NABET Union days. I wanted to produce, but producers weren’t allowed to edit and vice versa. Thankfully, NBC VP/Movies and Specials Stu Weiss (now owner of Studio City) gave me my big break, even though it meant I had to edit at night. This was 1993; I was the first network promo “preditor,” and my first promo “Laugh-In Reunion” aired during the Super Bowl. Stu kicked my creative rear, but I owe a lot of my career to him, even if I didn’t think so at the time.

And for more information for PromaxBDA: The Conference, June 18-20 in Los Angeles, check back at promaxbda.org. Speakers and sessions are being constantly updated.

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