OM DENNE EPISODE
Episode Summary:
In this episode of The Seat, Ray Erickson sits down with Brian Danzis, Global Chief Revenue Officer at Seedtag, to unpack a 25-year journey defined by building, risk-taking, and evolving leadership.
From early days at Turner and being one of the first sellers in emerging categories like in-game advertising and streaming video, to scaling global revenue organizations at Spotify and now Seedtag, Brian shares what it really takes to lead through constant industry change.
The conversation goes beyond titles, into mindset. Brian reflects on shifting from seller to operator, learning that not every deal is a good deal, and why leadership isn’t about being liked. He breaks down the importance of long-term thinking, staying calm under pressure, and building businesses with intention.
A candid, thoughtful look at growth, leadership, and what it means to earn and evolve in, The Seat.
Chapters:
02:31 - From Politics to Sales: The Unexpected Start
05:48 - Turner Broadcasting & Learning the Fundamentals
07:53 - Betting Early: Massive, Joost & First-Mover Risk
12:48 - The Reality of Startups vs. Stability
15:33 - First Leadership Role & Early Management Lessons
17:47 - Videology: Building Through Chaos
25:14 - CRO Path & Global Expansion at Virool
28:32 - Reinventing Video at Spotify (AVOC Strategy)
34:24 - Why Seedtag & The Future of Contextual
40:12 - Leadership Philosophy: Long-Term Thinking & Joy
Themes:
- First-mover advantage vs. risk
- Seller → leader transition
- Long-term vs. short-term decision making
- Building vs. scaling businesses
- Contextual vs. identity-based targeting
- Leadership evolution (ego → perspective)
- Growth mindset in sales organizations
- Calm under pressure
- Joy vs. happiness in leadership
- Mentorship and second-mountain thinking
Keywords:
Brian Danzis, Seedtag, CRO, advertising, ad tech, contextual advertising, leadership, sales leadership, programmatic, Spotify ads, video advertising, startups, career growth, media sales, revenue leadership, The Seat podcast
Brian's Bio:
Brian Danzis is the Chief Revenue Officer at Seedtag, overseeing the company's worldwiderevenue strategy and aligning operations across 16 markets. Supporting continued business acceleration and customer-first innovation, Danzis leads the integration of Seedtag’s go-to-market strategy across global teams. He maintains a steady focus on consistent client engagement, data-driven decision-making, and scalable execution. With over 25 years of experience bringing new ad technologies to market, he guides Seedtag’s global launch of new solutions, including advanced agentic tools and an expanded product portfolio. Before joining Seedtag, Brian served as EVP of Agency Solutions at VideoAmp and, prior to that, was the Global Head of Video & Live Event Sales at Spotify.
Ray's Bio:
Ray Erickson is the host of The Seat, a podcast featuring 1:1 conversations with revenue leaders across media, marketing, and advertising, unpacking the early days, mentors, setbacks, and pivotal moments that shaped how they lead today. Ray is a sales leader with over 20 years in ad-tech, CTV, and digital media, and currently serves as the first NYC sales hire at Intuit MediaLabs, where he is building out the company's east coast presence. He created The Seat to sharpen his own leadership edge while paying it forward to the next generation of aspiring sales leaders.
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LinkedIn: The Seat Podcast (LinkedIn Page)
Host: Ray Erickson (LinkedIn)
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