Liftoff with Jeanniey Walden
Lana McGilvray of Purpose Worldwide on Relationships, Authentic Leadership, and Building Peace
Who’s on this episode
Hosted by Jeanniey Walden, founder and host of Liftoff with Jeanniey Walden.
What you’ll learn
- Why Lana says caring about people is what built her career.
- Why advertising is still a relationship business, even with AI in the mix.
- Her best hiring advice: always look for people smarter than you.
- How she trusts intuition but checks it against the data.
- Why being authentic and a little vulnerable is what earns trust today.
- The humanitarian trip to the Vatican with 40 teens building the future of peace.
Episode highlights
- 00:10Meet Lana McGilvray of Purpose Worldwide
- 00:40What has driven her career: caring about people
- 01:10Why advertising is still a relationship business
- 01:40Look for people smarter than you
- 02:05Trusting intuition, checking it against data
- 02:35Why sharing who you are builds trust
- 03:15The Vatican peace trip with 40 teens
- 04:20Mentorship that doesn’t end
- 04:55A thank you to close
Episode summary
At the Liftoff conference, Jeanniey sits down with someone she calls a hero of hers, Lana McGilvray, Founder and CEO of Purpose Worldwide. Lana has built one of the most respected agencies in the business, and Jeanniey’s framing is that she did it not by being a relentless taskmaster but by caring about people, the world, and the brands that matter. Asked what has driven her path, Lana’s answer is simple: caring. She loves people, and in advertising that is an advantage, not a soft skill. For all the technology and AI the industry has brought forward, she argues advertising is still a relationship business, especially when the brands she serves are about people at the end of the day. She is quick to say she could not have done any of it without her teams, and she passes along the best advice she ever got: always look for people smarter than you.
The conversation turns to how leadership has changed. The pace of business is faster now, and where the two of them once ran on intuition early in their careers, Lana says you have to check that intuition against the data, because a data-driven approach surfaces things that are important to know even when they are not what you hoped to hear. Jeanniey remembers a time when nobody in the industry knew anything about your personal life, when she was even embarrassed to be a woman in the business. Lana’s view is that the opposite is now true and for good reason: if you do not share who you are, you do not establish trust and credibility. People want to work with those who are ethical, authentic, intelligent, and who care, and part of succeeding today is being willing to be vulnerable and show that you are human.
Lana then shares what is next for her, and it is not a campaign. She describes a humanitarian trip to the Vatican, from May 31 to June 5, with about 40 teens from war-torn countries, seven American students, others from Sub-Saharan Africa, and quite a few from Ukraine, to build the future of peace together. She is traveling with her mentor, Kathleen Hessert, one of the original broadcast anchors in the United States, and with everything happening geopolitically, Lana believes the timing could not be more meaningful as a way to show a path forward. The work will not end at the Vatican: several organizations are helping the students take what they learn about peace-building and practice it back home, and Lana says these kids already hold a special place in her life. Jeanniey closes by thanking her for the time, calling her a dynamic and inspirational professional and human.
Key takeaways
- 00:40 Lana says caring is what has driven her career; she loves people, and in advertising that is an advantage.
- 01:10 Even with all the technology and AI in the industry, advertising is still a relationship business, especially for brands that are about people.
- 01:40 Her success is built on her teams, and her best hiring advice is to always look for people smarter than you.
- 02:05 Intuition still matters, but she checks it against the data, which can surface things worth knowing even when they are not positive.
- 02:35 If you do not share who you are, you do not build trust and credibility; people want to work with those who are ethical, authentic, and caring.
- 02:55 Part of succeeding today is being willing to be vulnerable and show that you are human.
- 03:15 She describes a humanitarian trip to the Vatican, May 31 to June 5, with about 40 teens from war-torn countries to build the future of peace.
- 04:20 The work continues after the trip; several organizations help the students practice peace-building back home, and Lana stays connected to them.
Questions people ask
Who is Lana McGilvray?
Lana McGilvray is the Founder and CEO of Purpose Worldwide, a purpose-driven PR and marketing agency. She is a longtime advertising and communications leader.
What is Purpose Worldwide?
Purpose Worldwide is a purpose-driven PR and marketing agency that works with B2C and B2B brands on brand strategy, communications, and growth, with a focus on organizations pioneering a better future.
Why does Lana McGilvray say advertising is a relationship business?
She argues that even with all the technology and AI in the industry, relationships still matter most, especially because the brands she serves are ultimately about people.
What is her advice on building a team?
Always look for people smarter than you. She credits her success to her teams and says the business really is all about people.
How does she balance intuition and data?
She still trusts intuition but checks it against the data, because a data-driven approach surfaces things that are important to know even when they are not what you hoped to hear.
What is the Vatican trip Lana McGilvray describes?
She describes a humanitarian trip to the Vatican, from May 31 to June 5, with about 40 teens from war-torn countries, including students from the United States, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Ukraine, to build the future of peace together, alongside her mentor Kathleen Hessert.
Full transcript
Jeanniey Walden: I am so honored to have my hero of life here, Lana McGilvray. Lana, you have built one of the most amazing, powerful, and inspirational businesses, not because you’re a “whip-cracking” hard worker, but because you care so much about people, the world, and creating positive exposure for brands that matter.
Lana McGilvray: If you can see it, you can be it. Jeanniey, you were very important to me at a very early stage of our careers. I like to think I learned a little bit of that from you; you certainly care a lot, too.
Jeanniey Walden: What has driven you in your career to take this path, and what has made you the successful entrepreneur you are today?
Lana McGilvray: Caring. I do love people, and this is a business where that comes in handy. Advertising is a relationship business despite all the technology and AI we’ve brought forward. Relationships still matter, especially since we serve B2C brands that are all about people at the end of the day.
Jeanniey Walden: Could you have done it without the teams?
Lana McGilvray: No, absolutely not. It really is all about people. I don’t know who told me to always look for people smarter than you, but it’s the best advice.
Jeanniey Walden: The pace of business is so fast now. Earlier in our careers, we acted with intuition. Do you still rely on that, or do you have to check it against the data?
Lana McGilvray: You have to check your intuition a little bit. When you’re data-driven, sometimes you find out things that are important to know, even if they aren’t positive.
Jeanniey Walden: When we were coming up, nobody knew anything about our personal lives. I was embarrassed to be a woman in the industry, which is so strange. But now, it feels like table stakes to share who you are.
Lana McGilvray: If you don’t share who you are, you don’t establish trust and credibility. People are interested in making sure they work with people who are ethical, authentic, intelligent, and who care about them. I think part of success in today’s environment is being vulnerable and showing that you’re human.
Jeanniey Walden: Let’s shift to your upcoming personal adventure. Tell us about this trip to the Vatican.
Lana McGilvray: I am going to the Vatican from May 31st through June 5th with 40 teens from war-torn countries to build the future of peace together. There are seven American students, students from Sub-Saharan Africa, and quite a few from Ukraine. I’m going with my mentor, Kathleen Hessert, who was one of the original broadcast anchors in the U.S. It’s purely humanitarian, and with everything going on geopolitically, this trip couldn’t have come at a more opportune time to show a path forward.
Jeanniey Walden: Will you be a mentor to them moving forward?
Lana McGilvray: They already have a special part in my life. We have several organizations helping these kids take what they learn around peace-building at the Vatican and practice it back home. So, it won’t end there.
Jeanniey Walden: You are a dynamic, inspirational professional and human. Thank you for spending time with us here at Liftoff.
This conversation was recorded for Liftoff with Jeanniey Walden and lightly edited for readability.
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