Kendra J.

Your senior leaders are talking, your middle managers are translating. 
No one's sure they're saying the same thing.

You and 2,000+ leaders I've worked with closely know this challenge well. 

The problem I've identified over the past 8 years often isn't capability. It's that senior leaders and middle managers are speaking different languages.

That gap is where I work.

I help organizations:
→ Close the communication disconnect between senior leaders and the people executing their vision
→ Turn "great doers" into managers who actually lead instead of just doing harder work
→ Build a shared operating language so teams stop working past each other

Fifteen years ago, I was that struggling leader. An IC promoted for performance, handed a team, and given no formal training on how to actually lead them. 

Great at execution, drowning in leadership, too proud to ask for help.

Seven years ago, I founded The Venned Group to solve the problem no one was naming.

How we work:

S.P.A.R.K. Method™ → Diagnostic-first development that meets your people where they actually are
Targeted Workshops → Communication, collaboration, and trust-building across levels
Executive Partnership → Senior team alignment because the disconnect starts at the top

The best time to close the gap is before it costs you your best people.

Send me a DM and let's talk.

Founder

The Venned Group specializes in cultivating the next generation of leadership. Through high-touch, cohort-based training programs, we partner with senior leaders to develop their mid-level counterparts. Our unique approach ensures that tomorrow's leaders are equipped with the necessary skills to effectively guide their teams, influence peers, and communicate seamlessly with top-tier executives.

What sets The Venned Group apart is our laser focus on personalized cohort-based training. Unlike generic, one-size-fits-all programs, we understand that each organization has its unique DNA. Our programs and workshops are adaptable, ensuring that your leadership challenges are addressed head-on, resulting in sustainable growth and improved organizational dynamics.

Head of Programmatic Media at Google | Speaker | Board Director | Startup Advisor

Ben Wise is a sales and marketing leader currently leading the programmatic business at Google Canada. Ben partners with the biggest agencies and brands across Canada to help build the future of media.

Ben is the co-founder of Captivate, helping you improve your skills of persuasion and communication by leveraging psychology and behavioural science. In addition to the monthly newsletter, Ben is a regular speaker at industry events, conferences and corporate trainings.

Ben is active in the community where he serves on the board of directors of the Daily Bread Food Bank, mentors young professionals in media and tech, and advises multiple early stage startups on sales and growth. 

If you are interested in working with Ben or looking to book him for a speaking or training engagement, please connect.

Ben Wise

Mark Carney’s speech at Davos was a proud moment for Canadians 🇨🇦 . 

And a masterclass in persuasion for me and my fellow nerds. Here are my three favourite techniques from his speech yesterday:

1️⃣ Loss Aversion Framing: He positioned middle powers as having "the most to lose from a world of fortresses" before offering the gain. Classic Elephant activation. We're wired to protect what we have before chasing what we want.

2️⃣  Temporal Landmark Creation "The old order is not coming back" draws a psychological line in the sand. It's Day One thinking. This reframes the conversation from nostalgic to forward-looking, instantly.

3️⃣  Agency Restoration After acknowledging rupture, he offered middle powers a "third path." When people feel powerless, giving them a role (not just a choice) unlocks commitment.

👉 See what he did there? Threat, reset, empowerment. A hell of a combo and a hell of a message.

Any techniques here that you could steal for your next pitch or campaign?

One of the new years resolutions for Captivate is to post more videos on YouTube. 

As we finalize our first video, we’d love the input from our LinkedIn fam. 

👉 Which of the 4 backgrounds do you prefer?

Also, be sure to catch the videos released after voting - check out our channel here: https://lnkd.in/gjdAeCNA

For my creative friends out there, this is one of the coolest jobs in the industry. 

👉 Come help build the future of Creativity + AI.

https://lnkd.in/gEr4yT2P

Today is January 12th - how are your resolutions going?

Have missed a workout or two, or snuck a drink during dry January?

The psychology behind your new years resolution holds powerful lessons for business. The 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑠ℎ 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡, as psychologists call it, can be leveraged almost anywhere.

Tomorrow’s newsletter is all about using that same boost to actually get results at work. We’ll be sharing three simple ways to tap into that fresh-start energy.

Subscribe here so you don’t miss it: https://lnkd.in/gSeWq89p

𝐹𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑌𝑜𝑢 will thank you when February rolls around and you’re actually ahead of the game.

#SalesHacks #FreshStart #MondayMotivation #BusinessTips #Newsletter

Live sports on DV360 is one of the hottest trends we're seeing in the market. 

And with 2026 hosting the Olympics and the World Cup this trend is set to accelerate 🚀

From football to tennis, fans are gearing up as the world’s top athletes arrive on the live sports stage. To help brands stay at the center of the fan experience, we’re excited to announce access to NBCUniversal’s Olympic Winter Games programmatic inventory along with new biddable live sports updates in Display & Video 360.

Capture the reach of live sports with our latest biddable CTV capabilities:

✅ Combine Google signals with NBCU’s live sports CTV inventory to re-engage fans across the big screen and YouTube.

✅ Serve personalized messaging across devices using household signals and shopping intents.

✅ Gain real-time visibility into the ROI of your Live CTV sports campaigns. 

✅ Activate curated live sports packages with ease with our newly designed Marketplace.

Unify your fan targeting today: https://goo.gle/49BKq6u

Did you catch today’s newsletter on the 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑠ℎ 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡?

Turns out, people love a fresh beginning - and it isn’t just Jan 1st. We feel it all the time - a new quarter, your birthday, or just a Monday. 

Some highlights:
✅ Focus on transformation instead of last chance
✅ Launch new projects on a Monday
✅ Time your outreach for maximum “fresh start” vibes

If you want to turn the science into real results, check out the full newsletter - https://lnkd.in/gSeWq89p

And hey - next time you’re feeling stuck, just remember: a fresh start might be all you need to make things happen.

#SalesTips #MondayMotivation #BusinessHacks #GrowthMindset #Newsletter

New video up on the Captivate YouTube channel - all about the Productivity Enjoyment Effect.

Check it and subscribe for future videos: https://lnkd.in/eXkAyBuj

This newsletter is published on Substack with the introduction shared here. Please sign up here to get the full edition direct to your inbox: https://

Open article: The Fresh Start Effect by Ben Wise • 1 min read

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The Battle

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Ben Wise

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taplio

The Battle

Kendra J.

Ben Wise

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Ben Wise's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreBen Wise's LinkedIn Performance