Selling Soccer, Building GUT, & Why Bravery Still Wins with Carmen Rodriguez (Chief Growth Officer)

Carmen Rodriguez didn’t get her first job in advertising by talking about advertising.

She got it by talking about soccer.

In this episode of Second Wind, Gully Flowers and Kerrie Finch sit down with Carmen Rodriguez, Global Chief Growth Officer at GUT, to unpack a career built on passion, trust, and a deep belief in the power of creativity.

Born in São Paulo and now based in Amsterdam, Carmen shares how growing up in Brazil shaped her view of advertising as part of popular culture, why bravery isn’t a personality trait but a practice, and how GUT has grown from a bold idea into one of the most talked-about agencies in the world.

They cover:

• The interview that launched her career at Leo Burnett at age 17
• Why GUT “interviews” clients before pitching
• The “bravery gap” between people and brands
• How long-term client relationships outperform short-term wins
• Why “the best advertising for an agency is still the work”
• What hybrid work, diversity, and trust actually look like inside a modern creative company
• And why Carmen’s definition of success is simple: work that works, and work your aunt would share on WhatsApp

A conversation about growth without cynicism, creativity without ego, and why conviction still compounds.