In this episode of the Proteus Leader Show, host Erika Andersen interviews Adam Stotzky, president of the Esquire Network and GM of eEntertainment, about the challenges of learning in today’s fast‑changing media environment. Stotzky explains that the biggest skill he’s had to relearn is marketing, as traditional rules have been upended by shifting consumer behavior and new distribution channels. He describes moving from a specialist mindset to a generalist "conductor" role, relying on hired experts and acknowledging his own knowledge gaps. The conversation highlights the importance of leaders modeling learning behavior, making it acceptable to admit uncertainty, and creating a culture where diverse perspectives are invited. Practical tips include setting personal learning examples, involving team members in cross‑functional discussions, and fostering an environment where curiosity and open dialogue drive better products and growth. The episode wraps with a plug for Andersen’s book Be Bad First, which features Stotzky as a high‑payoff learner example.
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You're listening to the Proteus Leader Show with Erika Andersen, where you will get practical tools and insights for leading, managing, and staying ready for the future. Erika is the founding partner of Proteus, a firm that focuses uniquely on leader readiness. A nationally known executive coach and bestselling author, you may already know her as one of the most popular leadership bloggers on Forbes.com. Ready for something you can use today? Here's Erika.
Hello, everyone. So this is Erika Andersen with the Proteus Leader Show. And as always, we're thrilled you're here. My guest today is Adam Stotzky, who's president of the Esquire Network and general manager of eEntertainment. And he's also one of the high-payoff learner examples in my new book, Be Bad First. So I thought he would be a great person to talk with us about learning. So, hi, Adam. It's great to have you.
Hi, Erika. As always, not only good to talk to you, but anytime I can be referred to as a high-payoff learner, it's a good thing.
It's a good day, right? So, you know, I believe that being able to learn new skills, new knowledge, new ways of operating is key to everybody's success in this ever-accelerating world. So I wanted to ask you some questions about learning and about your own learning and how you keep moving forward. Terrific. Sounds great. Okay, cool. So the first question is, what is the most challenging new thing you've had to learn in the past couple of years, and what was it that made it tough?
You know, the media business is changing dramatically and on an hourly basis, it seems.
Yeah.
You know, what was an absolute assumption even 6 months ago, let alone a year or 2 ago, is now being dramatically called into question really across almost every aspect of the business.
Yeah.
And, you know, we as a company, we as a team, and I as a learner have had to recognize that the rules that we've learned over the course of our collective careers are probably not what's going to be necessary to stay relevant and more importantly successful and successfully growing in the future because sort of all bets are off.
Yeah.
I think for, I think for me, one of the most dramatic and challenging aspects that I've had to relearn over the past couple of years is, is marketing. I'm a marketer by trade, and I spent the first 19 or 20 years of my career on the marketing side of this and other businesses. And, you know, felt pretty confident in that line function, in that capacity.
Hmm.
But what I've had to relearn over the past year or two is an absolutely ground-zero new marketing rulebook for what's necessary in terms of building audiences for a media property like Esquire Network or like E! Entertainment in today's environment. You know, the consumer behavior is changing so radically. The dynamics under which we're operating as content producers changing so radically that the rules for marketing have been completely thrown out the window. And the challenge that I've had to deal with is being comfortable with finding a head of marketing that can position these 2 businesses in a way that, that will, you know, fuel continued growth and position us for continued success. Through means other than, uh, means and tools and tricks from a marketing perspective that, um, are completely different than the ones that I had learned throughout the entirety of my career.
Hmm.
You know, that's been very hard, uh, very challenging. But for me, I've been fortunate enough to, to find and, and work with a head of marketing who has the, um, has an ability to come at things from a completely different perspective, but in a way that is very comfortable for me. Actually, let me scratch that for a second. Actually may not have been comfortable at first, but ultimately I've come to learn and respect and understand that that different perspective is what's necessary for us to continue to grow in today's environment. And that for me was part But ultimately really gratifying because I've learned something completely new along the way.
So I love this whole, the whole direction you've gone in on the whole topic because I think the thing that you're talking about, which is how, you know, an area that, like when we get to be experts in a certain area and then we have to go back in a sense to being novices in that area, I think that is the most difficult learning challenge for most people because, you know, just exactly what you were saying, when you get to be experts in an area, you rely on and identify with expertise and to have to say marketing or thing X, whatever it is that I'm good at, is now operating in a completely different way. I have to go back to scratch. So how did you— and I think this is so helpful for people— how have you gotten yourself more comfortable with being in that state of, I don't know what the heck's going on?
Well, I think acknowledgement is always the first step to recovery. Right. Just understanding and acknowledging that the context and the world is different today than it was yesterday, I think, is always that necessary first step for me. But I think, you know, actually, it's, it's kind of one of the most liberating states of being for me.
Yeah.
You know, when you, when you, when you hire really well and you make sure that you've created an environment within which your team can do your— can do their best work, Sitting back and watching them thrive, for me, has been incredibly liberating and actually downright fun.
Yeah.
I'm measured— we all, certainly at our shop, are measured by the bottom-line performance of the businesses that we're managing. It's not up to me to be a specialist. It's up to me to be a generalist and to ensure that we're deploying the necessary resources to, you know, allow us to transcend all of this change. And so, you know, I think acknowledging that things have changed, being comfortable with folks who can bring an expertise that you can't, and, and really recognizing my role in that context, which is one of conductor rather than individual instrument player, to To borrow a musical metaphor, for me, it's been the way that I've been able to become comfortable with not having all those answers.
I love that. So then, let's dig down. I promise that in the Proteus Leader Show, we'll have specific tools and tips to help people. So, as the conductor of the orchestra, and I love that metaphor, what are some of the specific things that you found helpful in the process, in trying to help people stay open to new learning and not get stuck and not get defensive about what they know or don't know. What have you done that makes it easier for people, do you think?
I think setting the example is probably the best here. Learning itself is a learned behavior.
Yes.
And I think that we, as leaders, need to recognize— and it's like parenting, at least for me. I'm a struggling father of 8- and 9-year-old boys. And I see the habits and behaviors and attitudes and points of view that they've been developing over the last 8 and 9 years, respectively. I'm cognizant that a lot of that is informed by what they observe from me.
Yes.
I think the same can be said for what happens inside the walls of an office environment. And I think that if you're successful at being a good learner yourself, I think that can serve as some of the best, you know, the best illustration or the best example, the best steer for the folks that are working with you.
Yeah.
Making it okay to say that you actually don't know the answer and demonstrating that that's not a sign of weakness. In fact, recognizing how to tap into expertise that transcends your own is actually an absolute strength in today's environment. That's for sure.
Man, I couldn't agree with that more. In fact, I've seen you do this in meetings and I've seen other people do it in meetings When the person who's the leader in the room kind of stops the conversation and says, wait, hold up. I'm not sure I understand what you're talking about, or, can you explain that differently, or, use simpler words. I mean, it's really liberating for the rest of the people in the room.
Definitely. So, yeah, I think that's probably the strongest here. I think the other is involvement, pulling folks into the process. Not to create committees, certainly by any stretch, but exposing folks to things that fall outside of their respective areas of responsibility or expertise. I've always found that divergent points of view, especially in a creative culture like television and media, where quite honestly nobody really has the answers, right?
Yeah.
How does that— what was the phrase William Goldman said? Nobody knows anything, nobody knows nothing. Certainly in this, in this business. But I've always found that divergent points of view always helps to yield just great discussion and debate. And I think through that debate and discussion, the product ultimately becomes better. And I think that folks learn new things along the way because of it. Pulling a head of communications into a storyline discussion about a television show or a digital person about program scheduling, you know, just opens you up to looking at things with a very clear, unencumbered view. I think it's not only ultimately a great contribution to the product itself, But I think it's a great tool for exposing folks to new and different things.
I love that. So, get people with fresh perspectives in and then it helps the people to whom this is a normal thing, like I think about it every day, it helps them start to think more freshly and be more curious themselves.
Yeah, sure. I think someone said to me, you never see things as clearly as you do on those first couple of days or couple of weeks in a new job or a new position. And I think creating those kinds of unencumbered experiences for individuals is not only a learning experience in and of itself for the individuals involved, but I think can yield just a terrific contribution that you may not have had the opportunity to realize otherwise.
That's great. Okay, so Adam, I always promise people that these are going to be quick, Snackable things, and we're kind of at the 10-minute mark. So, thank you so much for doing this with me. It's just fascinating to hear how you're navigating this new world of learning, which I think is the world that everybody finds themselves in these days. So, thank you so much.
My pleasure.
And thank you, dear listeners, for being with us today. If you'd like to find out more about how to become a master learner, you can read Be Bad First: Get Good at Things Fast to Stay Ready for the Future. which features Adam as one of the examples of great learning. And it's available now at bookstores and on Amazon. So we'll talk again soon. And until then, have an excellent life.
We hope you're feeling better equipped to create the career, the business, and the life you want. For more insights and tools for leadership and management, join us at proudestleader.com. Have an excellent day. And thanks for listening.
