Q2 Newsletter
The first word you find is what your career needs most right now.
Hello Young Pros!
Whatever the first word you found was, keep it in mind. It might be exactly what your career needs this summer and this issue is packed with ways to help you build it, from upcoming events and recent conversations to practical insights, inspiring spotlights, and a few things we’re currently reading and listening to along the way.
We always want your recommendations! If you have a podcast, book or career update to share with the community, reply to this email. We’d love to feature you in a future issue.
In this edition: 
  • Upcoming Young Pros events you won’t want to miss  
  • A recap of recent conversations on mentorship, connection and strategies for success 
  • Insight from the ARF Knowledge Center exploring how sports marketing drives attention and engagement  
  • Young Pros Spotlights  
  • Your summer reading and listening list 
  • “Art Break” highlighting a classic advertising campaign  
And now, a message from our Board Chair:
Summer has a way of turning up the volume. More energy, more momentum, and somehow more on your plate than ever. The questions around attention measurement are getting sharper, the conversation about what AI-driven insights actually change (and what they don’t) is heating up, and the pressure to move faster without losing rigor is real. It’s easy to default to what we know when the pace picks up, but the researchers who break through are the ones who pause to ask the uncomfortable question, push back on the assumed metric, or bring a fresh frame to a brief everyone else has stopped questioning. Momentum is good, but momentum with intention is better. 
 
The energy this community brings to that kind of thinking is what keeps me excited about this work. Let’s keep building on it and make the second half of the year one we’re proud of! 
Cheers, 

Gillian Kenah 

U.S. Customer Pod Lead, Tracksuit 

Young Pros Advisory Board Chair
Upcoming Events You Don’t Want to Miss

An evening of networking, cocktails and a mini lecture from Jordan Rutner, Lecturer at Columbia University SPS and Director of Analytics at Sports Innovation Lab, on how signals, noise and human behavior intersect in sports and lifestyle data.
LEARN MORE & RSVP
ICYMI: Key Takeaways from Past Events
Young Pros came together for virtual, salon-style conversations. Attendees rotated through breakout rooms to explore how leaders shape our thinking and why meeting your heroes can be a powerful career catalyst, the importance of soft skills, navigating difficult conversations, and how we are actually using AI in day-to-day work. 
Across the hour, the energy was open, honest and highly engaged.
Save the date for our next Mentoring Loft session on December 3.
A fireside chat on the powerful dynamic between mentor and mentee within the workforce. This session dove into the journeys of professionals, emphasizing growth, the pivotal role of mentorship and innovative networking strategies, especially in the remote work era. Attendees left with insights and inspiration to enhance industry knowledge and professional relationships. 
 
During AUDIENCExSCIENCE, the ARF Women in Analytics and Young Pros held an interactive luncheon. Board Members from both groups led dynamic, small-group conversations designed to spark connections and sharpen communication skills. Attendees had the opportunity to exchange career insights and walk away with techniques to strengthen their professional presence.
From the Knowledge Center
Did you know? Live sports continues to deliver some of the highest attention levels across media environments.
This CMO Brief, Winning Sports Marketing: How Brands Capture Attention, Engagement and Growth, explores how different sports deliver unique value for brands and why the most effective strategies go beyond media buying to create connected, cross-platform fan experiences that drive engagement and business results.
READ MORE
Spotlight on the Young Pros

Full Young Pros profiles can be found on the ARF Young Pros Spotlight page.
Your Summer Media Guide
Looking for something to add to your summer reading list, commute or workout playlist?
Here are a few recommendations for professionals looking to sharpen their thinking around marketing, strategy, creativity and consumer behavior:

Reads
How Brands Grow | If you’ve never read it, this is one of the most influential modern marketing books and will challenge assumptions about loyalty, targeting, and growth.
Made to Stick | A practical guide to why some ideas resonate and how stronger storytelling can make communication more memorable.
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Podcasts

On Strategy Showcase | Short episodes breaking down award-winning campaigns and the strategic thinking behind them.  
Lenny’s Podcast | Conversations on growth, leadership, communication, and career development from leaders across tech and business.

Industry Reading
Marketing Brew | A quick and digestible way to stay current on trends shaping media, advertising, and marketing.
Think with Google | Consumer insights, behavioral trends, and research-backed perspectives on digital strategy and decision-making.
Mini Art Break
VW: “Think Small” 
Created by the Doyle Dane Bernbach Agency in 1959
A classic worth revisiting: Volkswagen’s “Think Small” campaign helped redefine modern advertising by proving that simplicity, honesty and restraint can be more powerful than spectacle.
Why it still matters: Simplicity cuts through clutter. Constraints can improve creativity. The best ideas are often the easiest to understand.
What can you ‘think small’ about in your own work this quarter?
Meme of the Month
Your Wins, Spotlighted in Our Next Issue

We’re here to celebrate YOU! Promotions, new roles, certifications, speaking gigs, passion projects… we’re collecting highlights for the next newsletter and would love to celebrate your accomplishments.

Submit yours to: [email protected]
Quote for the Quarter
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
— Arthur Ashe
Your To-Do List Before Our Next Issue:
✓ Attend one event

✓ Reach out to one new connection

✓ Share one win with the community
We’ll see you in the fall!