You're listening to Math and Magic, a production of IHeart Radio.

Welcome to Math and Magic. I'm Bob Pittman. Over the years, I've talked with dozens of guests, ranging from marketing executives to musicians to company founders.

I've asked what inspired them in their

childhoods, how they've reached and exceeded their career goals, and what tips and tricks they've

learned along the way. In today's bonus episode, I'm highlighting some of the most memorable

marketing stories. The lessons are guests learned the hard way, by trying and failing, by taking a big risk,

or maybe by getting a piece of feedback that changed everything.

Kellyn Smith-Kennie is the chief marketing and growth officer at AT&T.

And that's not the only iconic brand she's helped innovate.

On her resume, you'll

find companies like Microsoft, Hilton, Capital One, and Uber. I wanted to know what experiences

have helped her cultivate the power of a brand. Gosh, I've had such incredible opportunities

in my career. The thing I learned at Microsoft is that technology and

technology alone is not going to be the reason why somebody adopts your product. I worked at

Microsoft and the very first product I worked on was Windows Vista. It was one of the most highly

anticipated technology products of its era. I think it was Windows Vista. It was one of the most highly anticipated technology products

of its era. I think it was five years in the making. People everywhere were on the edge of their

seats waiting to see what Microsoft would release. You probably remember that when we released it

into the marketplace, it landed like a nuclear thud. Bomb, bomb.

It was a total bomb.

And what we learned in that time was that we had fallen in love with the technology

and we had forgotten about the most important person in the equation, and that was the end

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