Ronda Zillner saw the senior living opportunity before most people were paying attention and built Zillner Marketing into a powerhouse by combining sharp data instincts with a deep understanding of how boomers would redefine aging. But getting there was anything but a straight line. From Illinois Bell to a dental hygiene detour, through the Valentine Radford years and a day-before-Thanksgiving leap into her own firm, Ronda built a business, and a life, entirely on her own terms. In this episode, she sits down with Sam and Mike to talk about grit, smart specialization, and what it really means to build a career with both purpose and staying power.

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Susan Spaulding built a career on a simple but powerful idea: that understanding people deeply is the most strategic thing a marketer can do. Starting in journalism and working her way through the agency world, she became Valentine Radford's de facto research engine before spinning Market Directions into its own firm. It was complete with a 60-station phone center and a client list that stretched well beyond Kansas City. Along the way she helped brands stop guessing and start knowing, turning data into decisions that moved the needle. In this episode, Susan sits down with Sam and Mike to talk about organized curiosity, what it takes to build a discipline from scratch, and why the best creative work always starts with listening.

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Steve Doyal didn't set out to become one of Kansas City's most trusted corporate voices, but Hallmark has a way of finding the right people. After serving his country and a few early career stops, Steve landed at Hallmark and never looked back, spending decades as the company's communications compass through milestones, celebrations, and even tragedy. Along the way he helped transform Crown Center from an overlooked destination into the heartbeat of downtown KC. In this episode, Steve sits down with Sam and Mike to talk about the Hallmark way, what radical hospitality looks like in practice, and why integrity, in business and in life, never goes out of style.

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Doug Ballou calls it "marketing chess.” And after 50 years of playing it, he's earned the title of a grand master. From employee #31 at F/M/A to building Yellow Freight's marketing operation from the ground up, to the iconic strategy behind "Pork. The Other White Meat,” Doug has worked every side of this business with a rigor that's rare. But perhaps his most meaningful work came last, applying those same IMC tools to behavioral health and public service through Blue Window and GRACE. In this episode, Doug sits down with Sam and Mike to talk about the full board: strategy, integration, mentorship, and what happens when marketing gets used for something bigger than a campaign.

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Eric Morgenstern was doing integrated marketing before the industry had a name for it. Splitting his days between ad accounts and PR accounts at Brewer, serving as Hallmark's national spokesperson, then founding Morningstar Communications, Eric has always operated at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, and people. He's also done it with his wife and business partner Shanny by his side for nearly three decades. It’s a partnership playbook that's as practical as it is rare. In this episode, Eric sits down with Sam and Mike to talk about building a firm, leading with ethics, and the principles that hold up across every era of this business.

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In this episode of Kansas City Marketing Legends, we sit down with Jack Schmid, a true pioneer who helped put Kansas City on the direct marketing map. From his early days at Fingerhut to launching the Halls catalog at Hallmark and eventually building his own agency, J Schmid & Associates, Jack has lived the full evolution of the industry from punch card databases and printed catalogs to the internet age and AI. He shares the story behind landing Marks & Spencer as a client (spoiler: it involved Harry Truman.) Jack tells us why the fundamentals of direct marketing — the right list, the right offer, the right creative — never go out of style, and what he’s still learning at 90. This one’s packed with wisdom, great stories, and lessons every marketer needs to hear.

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Brian Brooker didn't just write ads. He wrote campaigns that ran for years and years, helped Southwest Airlines find its voice under the legendary Herb Kelleher, and built a 100-person creative org as CCO of Garmin. From his early days at Bernstein-Rein and Barkley & Evergreen in KC to his move to GSD&M in Austin, Brian brought a deceptively simple philosophy to every room he walked into. He brought back his learnings in Austin to Barkley and helped create the memorable Two Guys campaign for Sonic. In this episode, he sits down with Sam and Mike to talk about the work, the craft, and the principles that guided it all: keep it simple, take the side door, and never forget that everything matters.

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Season Three of KC Marketing Legends kicks off the way every good conversation should, by looking back before looking forward. Sam and Mike reunite to dig into the common threads that ran through Season Two: the mentors who shaped careers, the principles that held up across decades, and the moments that proved great marketing is as much about character as craft. Then they turn the page to what's ahead. Another class of legends with stories that are just as rich, just as honest, and just as KC.

None of it happens without the people who make this show possible: Evolution Audio, Springboard Creative, Media Head, Extra Virgin, the Kansas City Ad Club, and Greater Kansas City PRSA. Pull up a chair. Season Three is just getting started.

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