Barbara Riley, President & CEO of The AD Club of New England, on Redefining Mentorship and Building Community

In this episode of Breaking Through the Mayhem, host Danielle Calciano, Senior Director of Sales at Sightly, sits down with Barbara Riley, President & CEO (and fractional CMO) of The AD Club of New England, to trace her path from Boston radio and early agency roles to leading a regional marketing community and advising brands. Barb shares how detours shaped her career—trading broadcast dreams for media and marketing, building client- and agency-side experience (Arnold Worldwide; CMO stints including Kaplan University and PopCorners), and why “showing up” changed her leadership style, from weekly New York runs to an 18-month Fort Lauderdale assignment. The conversation dives deep into: Community as advantage: Why Boston’s unique mix of youth, heritage, and cross-industry depth powers creativity—and why in-person energy matters again. Mentorship redefined: Barb’s “Fusion Hour” and “Walkie Talkie” formats that replace top-down mentoring with cross-learning (junior↔senior, peer, cross-functional) and intentional, small-group connections. Authenticity vs. automation: A practical AI stance—use tech for speed and scale, preserve human empathy and trust at key moments across service, sales, and marketing funnels. Brand values & consumers: How two-way dialogue and value alignment (employees and audiences) make brands better—and how partners help audit options and move faster. Culture by design: Create spaces people want to return to; avoid punitive “must return” narratives; build respect and flexibility for real lives. Barb closes with a call to action: help The AD Club be a “master connector and fueler” for marketers in New England—share what’s missing so the organization delivers real, measurable value.