Nicole Estebanell, CEO of Mediahub, on AI’s Role in Media and Why Leadership Is a Team Effort

The best leaders don’t just set strategy; they build cultures that can execute it. Nicole Estebanell, US CEO of Mediahub, joins Adam Katz to discuss balancing speed with strategy, the real impact of AI on creativity, and why leadership is more about influence than authority. 

From navigating global markets to shaping high-performing teams, Nicole shares what it takes to stay ahead in an industry that moves faster than ever. She breaks down the fine line between innovation and chaos, why mentorship is an overlooked superpower, and how great teams win—not by working harder, but by working smarter together.

Inside: 

• 🏀 The leadership philosophy that puts teamwork above individual stardom
• 🤖 AI’s real role in media—beyond the hype and automation
• 💡The power of mentorship—and how one conversation changed her career trajectory 
• 🌎 How working abroad (and a big leap to London) gave her an edge in global strategy 

Nicole’s take on leadership, culture, and innovation will challenge the way you think about building and leading great teams. Listen now!

PODCAST EPISODE 28 TRANSCRIPT

Adam Katz
Welcome to Breaking Through the Mayhem. We have the amazing Nicole Estebanelll here with us. And I'm super excited. You know, I'm actually, like, typically like, not nervous for a podcast. This is one that I cannot believe Nicole's here. It's amazing . We’re super excited.

Nicole Estebanell
Adam, thank you for having me. This is great.

Adam Katz
I know. So why don't you tell the audience just a little bit about yourself? And we will jump in once you're ready.

Nicole Estebanell
Great. Well, thank you so much for having me. I am five months into my role as US CEO of Media Hub, which has been a fantastic five months getting to learn the organization, our people, our clients. And I've been in the industry for over 25 years, so I've been doing this a long time.

And, I have been in a mix of national roles, global roles, have lived all over the U.S, I've lived abroad. So my path to where I am today wasn't, wasn't a straight line, for sure. And if I look back and I think about my progression, you know, it was always focused on the next challenge.

So either getting to the next level or the types of brands that I could work with, and, or learn from, different industry verticals and really push what, what media could do. And, so the idea of becoming CEO and kind of where I am today, becoming CEO kind of came about. I started to think about it maybe five years ago.

And I didn't get here because it mapped out perfectly. If I look back, I think it's because I, you know, said yes to a lot of opportunities. I took risks, I stayed curious. I was adaptable, obsessed with problem solving. And over time, I realized that my biggest impact wasn't just in the work, but also in shaping teams, in building culture.
In pushing the work and solving real business challenges for clients. And I think that's what brought me here. And the opportunity to lead an agency that, quite frankly, never settles and never stops challenging the status quo. So very excited to be here.

Adam Katz
Who were your mentors that helped you get here?

Nicole Estebanell
I've had mentors both at work and personal mentors. One specifically is, and this one really stands out.

I had a family friend, actually, my dad's best friend, that I've known since I was born. And this is around the time when I was thinking about moving to London. And this is in 2015 and wanting to move abroad. And we had a big conversation. He happened to be in Boston for work, and we went out to dinner.

My sister joined and I remember this conversation because he talks about, well, where do you want to be? You know, what's the work that you want to do? And I was focused on, but if I move, how do I come back? Like, what if I go and it's not what I wanted or, you know, I was trying to almost look for the exit route before having gone.

And he kept me focused on the opportunity and what I could learn. And, and then he just got frank with me and he said, why are you worried about coming back? You haven't even said yes or done the work yet. And he's like, you know, growth starts at the edge of your comfort zone. And that just really stood out for me.

It was that moment and it was in the fall. It was October 2015. And Memorial Day 2016 is when I moved to London.

Adam Katz
How long were you in London for?

Nicole Estebanell
I was there for three and a half years. I thought I was going to be there long enough to, maybe get local residency or just, you know, I thought a minimum of five years.

I didn't know because once I got there, I fell in love with the city, the people I was meeting, the work, all of it. And it was work that took me to London. And it was work that brought me back to the US three and a half years later.

Adam Katz
So funny that you say that, because literally today I shared one of my best friends who was a business partner, moved to London with this company.

He's now been there for a long time. Guy from the Bronx and I, when I visited him, he brought me to Shoreditch and I felt like I was in a sort of Williamsburg where I grew up. So there was this definitely

Nicole Estebanell
Very hipster. Shortage is great.

Adam Katz
Yeah, there's some great parts of London, you know, but I don't want to put too much out there. But like, the food didn't touch New York for me, so it definitely didn't get me in that way. But in terms of like the city it was super cool, I mean, you're like you're looking around the history, the people, etc. you know, it's awesome. And I think you doing that obviously gave you a competitive advantage, right? It showed you're a risk taker.

You're willing to jump into something new. And also think about how much it's helped you now as you look to the global stage in some of your future, how would you recommend to other people to think about making decisions like that?

Nicole Estebanell
I think everyone, if given the opportunity, should move to a different city or move abroad. Like if you have the opportunity and you're able to, you know, pack up and move it just changes your perspective and it gets you out of your comfort zone.

Specifically, if you want to work in global capacity and work with international brands and work across international markets, I think it's a must, because when you live there, you understand the culture and when you can travel abroad, you understand local nuances and ways of working. It's a different perspective. It just you're on the ground and it opens up your purview.

To how relationships work, how business dynamic dynamics work. And, and I do, I think it prepares you for what's next. So if you're given an opportunity to work with a global client, amazing. Run with that because it's a different game entirely. And then if you can layer in there living abroad, living in a different city, it just I think it rounds out the entire experience.

And I moved to London one for work because I wanted to be in a global capacity, and I wanted to do that, and London was always on my list of cities to live in. I think it's one of the most amazing cities in the world. But also, I'm Spanish. I was born in Spain. I have family that live in Barcelona.

And so there was a bit of a selfish reason to. I wanted just the proximity, to be closer to home. And if I wanted to, I could fly home on the weekend. Because that's what, you know, when you live abroad, when you live, you know, in the UK or in Europe, you just hop over.

Adam Katz
You take the train,

Nicole Estebanell
You take a train, you take a flight here and there and it's just what you do. And there was something really special to say to my dad, hey, I want to come home and, you know, have dinner with you on Saturday and, and, be able to do that. And so it was an amazing three and a half years. I traveled everywhere. And, I cannot recommend it enough if you have the opportunity.

Adam Katz
That's amazing. I've never been to Spain, which is pretty disappointing. I gotta -

Nicole Estebanell
You gotta go. It's the best.

Adam Katz
I agree, I'm going to come out of this call and -

Nicole Estebanell
Book a flight to Barcelona.

Adam Katz
Just moving to Spain. So and, and then I'll look like Rinaldo in a few weeks in terms of, like, the other stuff that I think is really interesting when I think about you. Right? You talk a lot about culture and innovation and things within an organization. Right?

Do you find that it's more challenging being at the top to make that impact, or do you find it easier? And number two, to my thought process, like knowing how much you care about everyone individually, right? How are you trying to implement that thought process throughout Mediahub?

Nicole Estebanell
I love this question. I think it's easier at the top. And I say that because it's also a little lonely at the top. But you have the ability to lead through influence and bring people along for the journey, in a way that's different than if you're part of the team. Right. And you can still, like, exercise your voice.

But as a leader, I have found that I'm trusting my leadership team. I am sharing my points of view. I've got a clear idea of where we need to go, but at the same time, I want to make sure we don't lose where we've come from. What's important to the agency, what the agency stands for as a core ethos.

And as we head into what this next chapter looks like for our clients, for our people. It's kind of understanding kind of that core, grounding of us as an agency that that's really what Media Hub was born on. But really accelerating it into a chapter of growth, of disruption, of innovation.

And so I have found that, you know, you listen to people, people start to buy in if they can feel that their voices are heard, their ideas are heard, and you start to bring something together that everyone feels like they have contributed to and they have ownership of. And there's power in that.

If you feel like you're bought into a vision and you're part of not only what's made the company successful, but where it's going and the change that needs to happen, that's where you can, you know, cover more ground and make that impact.

Adam Katz
Yeah. That's a beautiful answer. I mean, like when you think about a lot of what you're saying, it kind of leads into this next piece of the world, right? Obviously everyone's talking about how technology is moving faster than ever.

Nicole Estebanell
Yeah.

Adam Katz
How do you try to empower your team to become power users of technology? And how do you think about bridging their nerves about it versus the future of their work?

Nicole Estebanell
It's all around us. And what I'm trying to convey is that we need to balance speed with depth. So you have I mean, incredible unlocks when we're talking about AI and automation and data, all of which are making everything move faster. You know, the speed in which we get to insights and make decisions and, and can move, it's all at an increasing rate.

But if we're not careful, as the stewards of the clients we work with, of our brands, and if brands aren't careful, and our people aren't careful, you know, we're going to start to mistake speed for strategy. And that's what we're trying to balance. And that's the challenge is staying ahead without losing sight of what actually matters.

Right. What are we trying to get to and build for our clients. And the problem is if we start to mistake speed for strategy, and then we're kind of rushing to the end goal without really taking a moment to say, great, here is how we can pivot and make the necessary changes to drive the greatest impact.

Adam Katz
So would it be fair to say then you put a lot of thought into being able to bring nuance to each brand versus thinking like an assembly line?

Nicole Estebanell
100%. If you look at our roster, our clients, I mean, we've got a roster of challenger brands that are also leaders within their respective industry vertical. But no two businesses look the same.

And so where we look to standardize is anything that's operational that can allow our teams to, like, move at speed, and get to a greater place of learning and insights and optimization. But the work itself and how that comes to life and what we're recommending for clients and the programs that we're building, it's all bespoke because their challenges are all different.

Growth will look different to the NBA than it does to a Netflix than it does, you know, to an Oura. And so it is very bespoke. But when we think about in technology and how we can use that across the board, and AI specifically I think it's an incredible accelerator. Right.

But, we need to make sure that AI serves creativity and doesn't replace it. And it allows us to move faster and smarter and more precise. And so like, that's the biggest impact, right? It can get us to greater automation and insights and optimization. But it can't replace creativity. And that's a fine line. AI can crunch the numbers, but it doesn't understand culture.

It can predict behavior, but it can't create emotion. And so we're trying to make sure as a team that we're enforcing that technology needs to amplify human ingenuity, our creativity, but it can't replace it. And so if we can use AI to work smarter, that's what we need to do. But when it comes to shaping a brand's voice, what our clients need specifically, you know, and making an unexpected creative leap or a strategic unlock, I think that's where our people, I believe, are irreplaceable.

Adam Katz
I mean, I don't want to stand up because they'll change the look and feel. But I would like to give you a standing ovation for that last minute. You should just like, store save forever. Repeat it because it's 100% correct. Right. Like I always look at, my new line lately has been like, AI is like a little league coach in the sense that, like, you could have a little, kid who's like a C player and it could get into a B minus, but you're not going to take a C player and turn him into an A+ with AI.

Nicole Estebanell
That's right.

Adam Katz
There's a little it's like, got that nuance that could take you to that next little place. But ultimately, I completely agree with you. And what I think is so cool about what you just said is like, I don't think any employee, and I know how much that means to you ,would hear that and go, wow, we're not thinking about the human element and the fact that we need to be creative per brand.

So I think that's a very, very powerful way to think in terms of like our thought process always here at Sightly, you know, it's all about speed.

Nicole Estebanell
Yeah.

Adam Katz
For a brand. And so I feel like we align in like a weird way. And ultimately when I think about the future of those things, I think you're the type of leader that can take an agency to the next level with that thought process. And that's amazing. Thank you for being a leader in the industry doing that. In terms of other -.

Nicole Estebanell
And I would say, though Adam, I think moving fast, we're talking about moving at speed, right? Moving fast is easy. The challenge is like moving fast in the right direction. And that with, you know, if we kind of take kind of the purview of our clients and what they're trying to achieve, it means that we have to have a clear point of view.

We need to understand the right signals to act on, and have been successful in building a culture that knows, you know, when to push forward, when to pull back. And so all of that has to come together to move at speed. It's not just like the technology. It's like it's multiple factors that have to come together.

Adam Katz
I'm well aware, in terms of the thought process, shifting gears a little bit when you think about yourself, right?

Nicole Estebanell
Yeah.

Adam Katz
Let's take Mediahub out of the mix for a second. I know that's your pride right now. Right. And I respect it. How do you stay great for Nicole? Like what kind of organizations do you think about being in?

What kind of people do you like to interact with, to make yourself great? And how do you always think about improving yourself?

Nicole Estebanell
I love that. So outside of work. I aVID in two things. Personally, I'm avid in fitness. That's my time to unwind, prepare to focus.

Adam Katz
Top three favorite classes right now.

nicole
I mean, I used to be a Barry's Bootcamp instructor, so there's that.

Adam Katz
Wow, okay. In London or the US?

Nicole Estebanell
in both Boston and in London.

Adam Katz
Wow.

Nicole Estebanell
How's that? Yeah. And I, I think I would have also done it when I moved back to the US, but then, Covid happened so that was the end of that.

It was a good run. Top favorite classes, big into Pilates. I love a good hit class and a good, power yoga class.

Adam Katz
Got it. So vendors ever want to get you out? It's the fitness play in the morning. Not not the dinner.

Nicole Estebanell
Well both, good food also works. So there's so.

Adam Katz
So you'll do a good class and then go crush waffles.

Nicole Estebanell
Yeah

Adam Katz
Got it.

Nicole Estebanell
But then professionally I am a member of chief which as an organization, I've enjoyed being a part of. I've been part of their cohorts, in terms of executive training, and they've had, volunteer off sites and networking events, which has been fantastic.

And they do events all around Boston. I think the Female Quotient is another organization that's just doing an incredible job, building safe spaces and communities for women to get together from all walks of life at all levels.

They do mentorships, they've got panels, they've got keynotes, which I think is incredible. I was also recently appointed to the board of the AD Club in Boston.

And they have an active, visibility and participation in the community. And that's a way for me to also to spend time with my peers, meet with people from different organizations. And so it's a mix of that just being part of different organizations that allow me to meet with as many people as possible and learn from different leaders from across different industries.

Adam Katz
That's awesome. How do you have time to, like, breathe?

Nicole Estebanell
Oh, yeah.

Adam Katz
Do you ever just sit down and, like, get away? Or is it just all in all the time?

Nicole Estebanell
I am trying to be better about balancing, but yeah, you know, typically on a Friday night, I'll just sit down and just.

Adam Katz
You're like, I don't want to talk to anyone.

Nicole Estebanell
I don't want to talk to anyone. At the end of the day.

Adam Katz
Yeah, I want to hear about how to stretch. I don't want to hear about a brand. I don't want to. I sort of sit in darkness. After all of that, I get it. So funny. What would you say, if you had a coach a sport, who would Nicole be?

Nicole Estebanell
I'd be Doc Brown.

Adam Katz
Interesting. Interesting.

Nicole Estebanell
I’d be coaching the Celtics.

Adam Katz
Wow. Interesting. So you would be Missoula. And in terms of like the way you would coach team would be as hard nosed as him.

Nicole Estebanell
I would do I and I say basketball because it's an ensemble sport. And so you need like the coach, that's the vision. But it only works if all players on the court are working together.

Right. There's got to be the we in the team. Right. The team coming together to get to the greater goal. You can have stars, all stars across the board, and that's great, but they have to be able to work for the good of the team.

Adam Katz
And who is your favorite player?

Nicole Estebanell
I mean, right now it's Jaylen Brown.

Adam Katz
Jaylen Brown. Interesting. And Tatum's not number one?

Nicole Estebanell
I love Tatum. But Jaylen, he does a lot philanthropically. He's you know like the athlete and the brains like it's just there's a whole a really interesting diverse human.

Adam Katz
Got it, got it.

Nicole Estebanell
Yeah.

Adam Katz
And in terms of your favorite hobby

Nicole Estebanell
My favorite hobby is mentoring people, mentoring men and women who I'm getting to meet across the organization and, and spending time with them and understanding what do they want to achieve?

What motivates them at work? Why are they with MediaHub? Why would they stay? All of that. And I think that goes back to more of a coach, an instructor kind of mindset.

Adam Katz
That's your whole, your whole mindset. Barry's book, like, you like to get up there, it sounds like. And show people you can do it to inspire them.

And then you give back the vision of how to do that. That's kind of what I hear when I listen.

Nicole Estebanell
Give me the mic, give me accountability. Make me responsible. Like if I'm helping people along the way, that's it. Over the years I've moved towards that direction, just focusing more on the teams and the people.

And, now it is really the most important because then those empowered teams, those people then deliver greater work for our clients, and then we've got happy clients. It's kind of all it all works. It works together. We're in advertising. We're not saving lives. We spend a lot of time at work. And if it can be an environment that people want to be a part of, to do really incredible, disruptive, changing, innovative, inspiring work, I'm all about it.

Adam Katz
We'll leave with this question for the audience. Well, when you're posed with a tough decision, how do you weigh the pros and cons?

Nicole Estebanell
It's a great question. I think about the impacts of the pros and cons. I think about what the impact would be either to the business, to that client, or to the people. And I run through the pros and cons in that scenario if, when. And then ultimately, how is the intended outcome or the intended receiver or whoever's impacted, how would they perceive the decision that I made?

And in making that decision, if I truly believe it's the right decision for the business, for our people and for our clients. If I'm doing, that integrity. And if my actions are backed by what I want us to be known for, then I know I'm in the right direction.

Adam Katz
It's amazing. Well, thank you so much for joining us today on breaking through the mayhem. We had a lot of fun

Nicole Estebanell
Thank you for having me..

Adam Katz
I think people are going to learn a lot about you. How great MediaHub is, your past, your future and where the world is going. So thanks for being here.

Nicole Estebanell
Thank you Adam, thank you for having me.

Adam Katz
Take care.