Next in Media — “Inside ATM: The People First Media Play”

Host: Mike Shields
Guest: Robert Wheeler, Founder & CEO of At the Moment Media (ATM)
Release Date: November 4, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the founding journey and mission behind At the Moment Media (ATM), a fast-growing media and technology publication with a decidedly people-first approach. Host Mike Shields sits down with Robert Wheeler, a seasoned communications executive turned first-time founder, to discuss his leap from high-profile corporate roles to launching an unconventional new media brand focused on the personalities shaping the advertising, tech, and media industries. The conversation delves into the evolution of trade journalism, the humanizing of B2B communications, branding with intent, and key lessons from Robert’s experience navigating launches and crises in his career.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Leap from Corporate to Startup Life

• Why leave big roles?
  Robert explains his transition from CMO and head of comms at major firms (WPP, WarnerMedia, AT&T, GroupM):

  “You calling me a founder, CEO sounds ridiculous to me... I always said I'm the guy behind the guy... but all of a sudden, I was like, well, screw it…I want to do it.” (02:13)

• Entrepreneurship wasn’t the plan:
  Never thought he’d run a company; felt driven by the need for a new kind of trade platform.
• Industry observations as catalyst:
  Change in media landscape and pressure on reporters led Robert to see an opening for something different:

  “I felt reporters were way more under pressure than I kind of knew or felt and that they needed to find a real angle that would drive clicks and impressions... Journalism's under attack.” (00:07, 06:07)

2. What is At the Moment Media (ATM)?

• Origin story (and name):
  The name was inspired by a text from his niece asking, “What are you doing atm?” leading to “at the moment” and the accidental acronym for Advertising, Technology, and Media. (09:44–11:35)
• ATM’s mission:
  A digitally native trades publication focused on PEOPLE first.
  • “I wanted it to always be white and black, and I wanted…all the color to come from the videos and the people on the platform. Like, I wanted to be the platform that made the people shine.” (10:43, 00:26)
• Editorial flavor:
  • “Think of it as the People magazine or the Us Weekly of advertising, tech and media. I value the person just as much as the news they’re telling me today.” (13:04)
  • Wants “the spicy stuff”—not just puff pieces, but controversial, human, and even vulnerable stories.
• Video-centric approach:
  Most interviews are cut down to engaging 5–6 minute videos, with short social snippets to maximize reach and audience engagement.

  “My long form content...is a five to six minute video...our data shows anything more than really five minutes, people start to tune out. I’m very straightforward...and then I’m cutting you down to four to five minutes.” (17:44)

3. Reinventing B2B Media & Humanizing Industry Coverage

• Differentiation from traditional trades:
  • The old trades cannot reinvent their brand deeply; ATM can be agile, authentic, and personal.
  • “This does not want to be boring, dry, stale, like meat & potatoes trade reporting...this is going to be about the people.” (13:19)
• Human-first storytelling:
  Robert highlights how authenticity and comfort encourage more open, compelling interviews—sometimes leading to unexpectedly emotional or powerful content.

  “When people are comfortable and people know that I'm...here to champion you, they kind of open up a little bit more...” (14:24)

• B2B should borrow from consumer-facing marketing:
  • The industry is great at talking to consumers but often stiff when talking to itself.

  “This industry does an amazing job from an advertising perspective on talking to consumers on behalf of brands. But to our stuff, like, there needs to be so many jargon words. We forget all the lessons we've learned from communicating to regular people.” (18:05–19:11)

4. Start-Up Playbook: Launch and Early Lessons

• Lean, network-powered launch:
  Drew upon 20 years of industry relationships, brought in globally-based editors and designers, and built a strong social and video content strategy.
  • “I was a marketer, so I knew how to launch a brand and…set a communications plan.” (16:40)
• Positive early reception:
  Surprised by how quickly the industry “got it,” attracting support from sponsors and notable personalities.

  “I was surprised at just how instantly people got it. Like, yep, got it, love it. Yes. We needed something like this. …Let me sponsor this.” (20:56)

• The founder’s challenge:
  Tasks like trademarking, hiring, and legal work were daunting; glad he didn’t know all the details before starting.

  “I'm glad I didn't know all the things that went into launching your company, because then...oh, I need to trademark my name and I need a lawyer…” (21:51)

5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On what PR can and can’t do:

  “Your comms person, your comms team, your comms agency cannot make your terrible story better. And by the way, they’re probably not fully responsible for a great piece either, because at the end of the day, no one’s telling Mike Shields what to do, right?” (25:17, 00:49)

• On favorite industry moments:
  • Tells a wild story of crisis management during 2020: launching the biggest news as CEO leaves, COVID hits, and company pivots to remote overnight. (27:50–29:59)

  “So I had my CEO leaving. I had the biggest announcement of Xander's history…And then we had to do internal comms to be like, do not come to work. You could die.” (29:05)

• On cultural coverage as business journalism:
  • ATM will cover the Latin Grammys and BravoCon from a business/culture perspective:

    “I’m actually really excited to interview some of NBCUniversal’s executives, some of their production folks, some of the talent. But also, we're going to do man on the street interviews…telling the business angle of these big cultural moments.” (23:15–24:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:07 — Why journalism needs re-invention: click-chasing and pressure on reporters.
• 02:13–04:49 — Robert's career arc and leap into entrepreneurship.
• 09:44–11:35 — ATM’s name, brand identity, and inspiration.
• 13:04–14:24 — ATM’s people-first editorial mission.
• 16:40–18:05 — How Robert launched ATM; format and editorial choices.
• 20:56 — Early industry response and surprises.
• 23:10–24:10 — Expansion into major event/cultural business coverage.
• 25:17–25:39 — The limits of PR: “You can only control so much.”
• 27:50–29:59 — Crisis comms “war stories”: COVID, mergers, and on-the-fly PR.

Standout Quotes

• On the Vision:

  “I wanted to create a real brand that shows my platform is to champion you...That doesn't mean I don't want just, like, sweet, nice content...I want the spicy stuff. I want to know your controversial opinion about the industry you work in.” (13:04)

• On the Power (and Limits) of PR:

  “Your comms person, your comms team, your comms agency cannot make your terrible story better.” (25:17) “At the end of the day, no one's telling Mike Shields what to do. Right? He's going to follow the story.” (25:18)

• On Human Storytelling:

  “When people know that like, hey, look, this is a nice friendly environment, I'm here to champion you, they kind of open up a little bit more, to be honest with you.” (14:24)

Conclusion

Robert Wheeler’s story is ultimately about bridging the gap between people and industry, and making B2B media as compelling—and as human—as the sectors it covers. ATM’s rapid embrace by the industry signals a hunger for more personal, less jargon-laden, and more celebratory coverage. As Robert puts it: “I value the person just as much as the news they’re telling me today.”

For anyone interested in the future of trade journalism, branding, or starting something new in established industries, this episode is a must-listen.