You may or may not have seen Vogue's video series, 73 Questions. This series asks celebrities a sting of rapid fire questions, all filmed in a single shot. (My personal favorites include Blake Lively and Emma Stone, but beware - these videos are highly addicting.)
Seeing that Traackr is essentially the Vogue of the MarTech world, I only found it appropriate to follow suit and create a similar video series of our own. Knowing that I wanted to interview the best marketing thought leaders, I reached out to Jay Acunzo.
I’ve been a fan of Jay Acunzo since I started listening to his podcast, Unthinkable, a few years ago. Being in the early years of my career, his advice to ignore best practices and creatively solve marketing problems really resonates with me. The best part? I’m not alone. Over tens of thousands marketers have listened and subscribed to Jay’s podcast. Jay also keynoted Content Marketing World last year and runs his blog Sorry for Marketing. But alas, I’ll stop fangirling.
Watch the video below to get to know Jay Acunzo from a different point of view. With slightly less questions and slightly more marketing advice, I present to you: 23 Questions with Jay Acunzo.
- You keynoted Content Marketing World yesterday, how did that feel?
Jay Acunzo: Do you ever have to sneeze really badly for a little while then you finally let it out and it just feels so good? Ah - not really like that, but something like that.
- If you could keynote any conference in the world, which would you choose?
JA: Oh man, I’ve never given a Ted Talk.
- Truthfully, do you like the color orange?
JA: So I grew up a Knicks fan, I’m a huge basketball fan, and it actually was my favorite color, until every marketing company ever decided it was their color too.
- Hey, could you hand me that?
JA: Oh yeah, this? (Hands me a copy of The Guide to Influencer Marketing.) No problem.
- Who’s the number one person you’d love to interview on your podcast, Unthinkable?
JA: Oh man, I think a great guest for Unthinkable would be Anthony Bourdain.
- How’s the move to NYC going?
JA: Let’s see, moved in July to Queens, to Astoria, and I still (somehow) have multiple boxes I haven’t unpacked, but I love New York.
- If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
JA: I’d probably live in Rome. I think they do have some of the best wine on the planet and I actually studies abroad there and I really miss it.
- [Asked by Justin Dorfman] What’s your biggest source of inspiration?
JA: Well bourbon really helps sometimes. But I think my favorite source of inspiration is actually just finding random, weird sports montages on YouTube, the cheesier--the better.
- What’s your walk on song?
JA: Young Blood by the Naked and Famous. It’s like this classic millennial jam, so it works.
- Name one book that made a lasting impression on you.
JA: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I read it in college and it just really emotionally struck me. It’s a little bit of a weird choice, but I really liked it.
- What’s one marketing regret that still haunts you today?
JA: Oh man, whatever line I messed up on during my latest speech. Until I get up and do the next one then it’s out of my brain, and it has to be.
- What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in marketing?
JA: Probably to resonate instead of reach. There’s enough people focused on vanity metrics, like make people care.
- Who gave you the best piece of career advice? And what was it?
JA: It was my Dad. And he told me, ah - I gotta do him justice here. Do what you love and figure out a way to make money doing it.
- Do you ever get nervous?
JA: Does anxious count? I get really excited for speeches, I can’t wait to get up there. To the point I just want everyone else to just finish so I can leap up there and start shouting at people.
- Have you ever been recognized?
JA: Yeah, a few times. It’s actually really weird. The weirdest one was in New York. Someone said they like my podcast as they were just like sprinting by, and I was like “oh - ok thanks!” but I loved it, it was cool.
- What’s your spirit animal?
JA: If I could have an eagle with the head of a lion, and maybe the tail of a snake or something like that. I would just pick apart different animals. When I was a kid I used to actually draw stuff like that, so it would be weird.
- Who’s your biggest brand crush right now?
JA: Oh my gosh, so many to talk about. I’m a huge fan of dumb ways to die, I don’t know if you’ve heard of them, but they are an incredible-actually non-profit-that spun out of a viral video.
- If you weren’t a marketer, what would you want to be?
JA: Oh man, I really love what I do though. A sports journalist, that’s where I got my start and I gave it up when, you know, that whole print thing didn’t really work out.
- What’s your influencer marketing pet peeve?
JA: Caring about follower count too much. That’s not influence, you’re talking about influencers and you are trying to buy it like a media buy, it’s different!
- What’s your hidden talent?
JA: I’m really good at analogies and metaphors. I was an english lit major. It’s kind of like how in Harry Potter when he actually discovers he has magical powers, but doesn’t know how he’s controlling them and he’s messing with the Dursleys. You know, I don’t know how I’m doing it, but I really enjoy it.
- Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?
JA: My wife tells me once in a while, when she’s being nice, that she thinks I look like Jake Gyllenhaal, so I will take that.
- If you were a superhero what would your name be?
JA: That’s a really great question. I would be Sarcasmo. And my superpower? I’m soooo good at flying.
- Where do you want to be in 10 years?
JA: Doing what I’m doing but for more people.
We’d like to sincerely thank Jay Acunzo for his time, and encourage you to listen to his podcast. Is there any other question that you would have liked us to ask Jay? Leave your questions in the comments.