Getting it: 30 Years of Staying Curious
Podcast · Season 1, Episode 3 · 29 min
Erik Fidel has spent about thirty years in media, at networks including CNN International, The Washington Post and CNBC, after coming into the industry through research and data. In this episode, Crestoria Global co-founder Kunal Bajaj talks with a friend of nearly twenty years about earning a client’s trust, the habit of staying curious, and what he would tell a student starting out today.
Key Takeaways
- A route in through research and data turned out to be an advantage. Reading a client’s financial reports and understanding their goals is what earns a second meeting, and the second meeting is where relationships begin.
- Start from the client’s problem. A large budget is no reason to put more in front of someone; the partnerships that renew are built around what the client needs.
- The quality that sets people apart is what Erik calls getting it: listening until you understand, and asking the right question when you don’t.
- Listening starts before the meeting. Read the news, study the company, and arrive knowing what matters to the person across the table.
- His one regret is staying too long in some roles. The early years of a career are for learning, and he encourages anyone starting out to treat change as a good thing.
About Our Guest
Erik Fidel is Senior Director of Client Development and Advertising at CNBC. Over about thirty years in media he has worked across television, print, digital and mobile, at USA Network, Turner, CNN International, The Washington Post and NBC, having begun his career in account management at Arbitron.
His background spans strategic sales, management consulting, research and strategy, and he has served on several boards of directors. His work centres on client partnerships that bring sales, creative, strategy and research teams together.
In This Episode
- How a route in through research and data gave him an edge in a sales career
- Earning the first meeting, and why the second one matters more
- How brands moved their message from print and linear television to digital, mobile and streaming
- What a strong partnership with a client looks like, and the mistake behind the weaker ones
- Building a personal brand by staying curious and staying close to the work
- The skills a career in media demands now, and the balance between listening and talking
- AI, what it means for jobs, and why human judgement still matters
- The one career decision he would make differently, and his advice for students
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Erik Fidel get into media?
Through research. After college he worked in account management at Arbitron, the audience measurement company, before moving to USA Network, Turner, CNN International, The Washington Post, NBC and CNBC. He says the grounding in data, spreadsheets and financial reports has been an advantage throughout his sales career.
What skills does he say matter most for a career in media?
Being comfortable with yourself and easy to work with, and what he calls getting it: listening properly and asking the right question when something is unclear. He adds humility, authenticity and curiosity, and above all adaptability, because the industry keeps changing.
What does he advise students who want to work in media?
Learn the industry first: read widely, follow its podcasts and videos, learn the terminology, and talk to people over coffee. On where to look, he suggests starting with technology companies, which are investing heavily and becoming ever more embedded in the media business.
How does he see AI changing the industry?
He expects it to cost some jobs and to open up a great many new opportunities, and his advice is to embrace it and stay at the front of it. He is equally clear that human judgement and experience remain essential.
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