Lead With Curiosity: Inside the Mind of a C-Suite Marketer ft. Adam Salgado | Ep. 64

This week, we sit down with Adam Salgado, Chief Experience Officer at Heritage Grocers Group and one of the early leaders in Adrian’s creative career. Adam takes us from growing up in Cuernavaca, Mexico and leaving home for Notre Dame to starting his career at Leo Burnett, managing a massive Kellogg’s media budget in his early 20s, and eventually building a decades-long career in marketing and leadership that included McDonald’s and Heritage Grocers Group. We get into imposter syndrome, career moves that don’t go according to plan, self awareness, adaptability, hiring, and what good (and bad) bosses can teach you about becoming a better leader. Adam shares his perspective on leadership, the difference between being friendly and being someone’s friend as a manager, and the pressure that comes with climbing higher in an organization. We also talk about what he’d tell his younger self, asking “Why not me?” when opportunities arise, and finding a mentor, a coach, and a champion along the way. Plus, Notre Dame football, parenting, ChatGPT at the racetrack, and what feeling genuinely fulfilled at 51 looks like.