The BroxtenDigital Show - Episode 22: Matty May

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/broxten-davis Follow the show on Instagram for more daily value and insights: https://www.instagram.com/thebroxtendigitalshow/ Everyone tells students that if you don't land the big internship, you're already behind. Matty May built a 20-plus year career at Paramount, and she says that idea is exactly the wrong way to think about breaking in. This episode is her real playbook for starting a career in media: she's a VP of Convergent Ad Sales, a Michigan State advertising grad, and a certified leadership coach, and she has spent decades watching what actually separates the people who make it. We get into how a marketing degree turns into a career when you stop waiting for permission and start creating your own experience. This is for students and young marketers who keep hearing that it's internship or bust and feel stuck when the "perfect" opportunity doesn't show up. Matty breaks down the mistake most people make in the job hunt, why smaller organizations can teach you more and faster than the big names, and how volunteering and freelancing (especially if you know how to work the socials) turn into the network and the resume nobody else has. She gets into her own MSU story, what ComArtSci and its professors do differently, why she pours so much back into students, and what her actual day job pitching convergent ad deals at Paramount looks like. We get into the leadership coaching angle, reframing setbacks, staying adaptable as the industry shifts around you, and why real AI fluency right now is one of the fastest ways to stand out. Here's what I keep thinking about: you start your career as a nobody, then if you keep grinding and adding wins, one day you wake up in a VP seat. You don't have to wait for the title to start building this skill. Give it a watch and let me know which piece of advice you're actually going to take action on. CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro: Two Spartans, One Show 1:30 The Biggest Job-Hunt Mistake Students Make 3:45 Why Smaller Organizations Beat the "Dream" Internship 5:10 Freelance and Volunteer Your Way to Experience 8:40 What MSU ComArtSci Does Differently 11:20 Professors Who Actually Lived the Career 13:30 Why She Pours Back Into Students 16:45 Inside Her Day Job: Convergent Ad Sales at Paramount 19:20 How to Network the Right Way 24:30 The Coaching Side and Reframing Setbacks 29:40 What Inspired Her to Start Coaching 33:30 Selling Big Deals Without Losing Yourself 40:00 Staying Adaptable as the Industry Shifts 42:40 Cannes and Learning AI on the Job 46:30 Why AI Fluency Is Your Career Edge 50:20 Rapid Fire: Pizza, People to Follow, and MSU Love 55:30 Final Thoughts and Go Green, Go White Connect with Matty May: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matty-may-pcc-3407871/ Mentioned in this episode: - Evan Shapiro, media cartographer, a great free follow to understand where the industry is headed - Matthew Belloni and The Town podcast for the business behind media and entertainment Subscribe to get more actionable advice from the best in advertising & marketing! #DigitalMarketingPodcast #AdvertisingPodcast #YoungProfessionals #MarketingPodcast