Purpose-Driven: How Lyft Balances Tech, Trust & Human Connection

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Speed of Culture – "Purpose-Driven: How Lyft Balances Tech, Trust & Human Connection"

Date: October 21, 2025
Host: Matt Britton (Founder & CEO, Suzy)
Guest: Brian Irving (Chief Marketing Officer, Lyft)

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Episode Overview

This episode explores how Lyft maintains its core purpose of fostering human connection, even as it faces rapid technological change and disruption—including the rise of AI and autonomous vehicles. Brian Irving, Lyft’s CMO, discusses the company's evolving brand, the delicate balance of serving drivers and riders, modern marketing strategies, and his own professional journey across top Silicon Valley firms.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Human Connection at Lyft’s Core

• Origins & Brand Evolution ([03:39]–[05:19])
  • Lyft's foundation was built on a friendly, human-centric experience (e.g., the iconic pink mustache, fist-bumping drivers).
  • While the brand has matured past its whimsical beginnings, the core belief that "how you get there" matters remains central.
    • Quote:
      “We have remained true to the belief that there’s a better journey and our purpose is rooted in that—real humans, enabling real drivers to make real money and to connect with the passengers, and passengers to connect to what’s most important to them.”
      —Brian Irving [04:41]

2. Empowering & Serving Drivers

• Two-sided Marketplace ([05:19]–[06:39])
  • Lyft focuses not just on acquiring drivers, but on supporting and maximizing their opportunities—whether driving is a primary income or a flexible side gig.
  • Driver satisfaction is notably higher at Lyft (29 points higher than competitors).
    • Quote:
      “Our driver preference... is like 29 points higher than other rideshare providers out there. Drivers prefer by far to drive with Lyft because we have a point of view to serve them.”
      —Brian Irving [06:17]

3. Consumer Shifts & Gen Z Trends

• Adapting to Lifestyle Changes ([06:39]–[08:14])
  • Gen Z is more urban, less car-owning, and more mobile-first, favoring services like Lyft.
  • Lyft’s strategy incorporates micro-mobility (Citi Bike/Bay Wheels) to meet changing transportation preferences in major cities.

4. Autonomous Vehicles: Early Days & Human Role

• Navigating Technological Disruption ([08:14]–[10:00])
  • AVs are in their infancy ("just buying tickets to go inside the stadium").
  • Lyft differentiates itself by bringing drivers into discussions about the future rather than just advancing tech for its own sake.
    • Quote:
      “The big thing for us is like, we have differentiated ourselves and our brand by supporting our drivers... We are going to continue to do that.”
      —Brian Irving [09:15]

5. AI’s Impact on Marketing & Operations

• Adoption and Upskilling ([10:00]–[15:37])
  • AI is rapidly moving from hype to tangible productivity—for marketers, it's a “force multiplier.”
  • Irving emphasizes creating psychological safety for teams to experiment with AI, viewing it as an enabler, not a threat.
    • Quote:
      “I think if you want to continue to have a job in marketing in the future, you should want to be AI native.”
      —Brian Irving [13:13]
    • Staff are encouraged to try out AI tools and share learnings openly, moving past the stigma of “cheating.”

6. Marketing to the Modern Consumer

• Brand Differentiation & Product Innovation ([18:58]–[21:39])

  • Lyft’s marketing focus is on optimizing each step of the customer journey and maturing the brand to serve new audiences (Lyft Silver for tech-insecure seniors).
  • Partnerships, like with Billie Jean King, tie marketing initiatives to relevant cultural moments using data and insight.
    • Quote:
      “For us, that means being like a purposeful rebel. We are always inspired by our purpose, but we get to challenge the status quo.”
      —Brian Irving [19:55]

• Influencer & Creator Strategy ([21:39]–[22:20])

  • Prefers working with rising creators over megastars for authenticity and brand alignment.

7. Career Reflections & Leadership Philosophy

• Lessons from Silicon Valley Giants ([22:20]–[25:31])

  • Irving’s background spans finance, data analytics, and brand at Apple, Google, Meta, and Airbnb.
  • Key takeaways: blend brand and performance, focus on outcomes, learn from all relationships—not just the top.
    • Quote:
      “They know that their success comes from helping unlock the success of those around them first and foremost.”
      —Brian Irving [25:50]

• Curiosity & Career Growth ([28:10]–[29:25])

  • Personal mantra: “Be driven by curiosity and say yes.” Openness to new experiences and learning opportunities fuels growth.
    • Quote:
      “Say yes to learning something new. Say yes to the lateral move. Say yes to working with someone who is incredible and inspiring... I would just continue to encourage myself and would encourage others to say yes.”
      —Brian Irving [28:10]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Lyft’s Identity:
  “It wasn’t just about getting from point A to point B, but how you got there mattered.”
  —Brian Irving [03:59 & 04:41]

• On AI in Marketing:
  “All of a sudden... you have like 100 new employees working for you who work 24 hours a day and have a vast array of skill sets... But you have to condition them, train them, talk to them to unlock that.”
  —Brian Irving [11:38]

• On Marketing Strategy:
  “We are always inspired by our purpose, but we get to challenge the status quo of how to do things. And that comes to life in things like Lyft Silver, which is a new product purely targeted towards my mom and my mom’s generation...”
  —Brian Irving [19:55]

• On Career Moves:
  “You find out it’s a very small room, but it has three other doors that you would never have had access to had you not gone through it... I’m a firm believer in being thoughtful but saying yes...”
  —Brian Irving [24:44]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Lyft’s Human-Centric Brand: [03:39]–[05:19]
• Empowering Drivers & Riders: [05:19]–[06:39]
• Gen Z & Consumer Shifts: [06:39]–[08:14]
• Autonomous Vehicles & Human Role: [08:14]–[10:00]
• AI Adoption at Lyft: [10:00]–[15:37]
• Modern Marketing & Full Funnel: [18:58]–[21:39]
• Influencer & Creator Strategy: [21:39]–[22:20]
• Career & Leadership Lessons: [22:20]–[27:06]
• Leadership Mantra: [28:10]–[29:25]

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Conclusion

Brian Irving illustrated how Lyft strives to maintain its purpose-led, human-centered ethos while embracing disruptive technologies like AI and autonomous vehicles. Leadership at Lyft is marked by psychological safety, curiosity, and a commitment to serving both drivers and riders. The conversation offers valuable lessons in balancing innovation with empathy and purposeful branding.

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Transcript

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[Brian Irving]

It really created this human connection between the rider and the driver. And it wasn't just about getting from point A to point B, but how you got there mattered. We matured past a lot of the early things, but what we have remained true to is the belief that there's a better journey and our purpose is rooted in that. It's rooted in getting real humans, enabling real drivers to make real money and to connect with the passengers and passengers to connect to what's most important to them. And that might be like something really mundane like getting to a doctor's appointment, but it might be something really sublime like going to meet your college friends that you haven't seen in five years or something. So we really believe that it comes down to who's on the journey and how we can help them get there better.

[Matt Britton]

To thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape, brands must move at an ever increasing pace. I'm Matt Britton, Founder and CEO of Suzy. Join me and key industry leaders as we dive deep into the shifting consumer trends within their industry, why it matters now, and how you can keep up. Welcome to the Speed of Culture.

[Philo Ads Advertiser]

Up.

[Matt Britton]

Today on the Speed of Culture podcast.

[Podcast Host]

We are thrilled to be joined by Brian Irving, the Chief Marketing Officer at Lyft. Brian's been the forefront of Lyft's transformation, guiding the brand through an exciting evolution focused on human connection, innovation and community. From launching Lyft Silver to leading the charge towards autonomous vehicles, Brian's vision is shaping the future of mobility. Brian, so great to see you and thanks for joining today.

[Brian Irving]

Likewise, my pleasure.

[Podcast Host]

So let's talk about the Lyft brand.

[Matt Britton]

There are some people out there who.

[Podcast Host]

Travel and ride sharing, other ride sharing products, but have never used Lyft. What is different about Lyft that you'd like the audience to know in terms of the product and the brand?

[Brian Irving]

Yeah, I mean, I think that it goes back to the genesis of it and really the founders thought that there was a better way, like a friendlier way to get around and to do that. Some of the most iconic and probably most memorable parts of the origin story of the Lyft brand had to do with the pink mustache, in that they really encouraged passengers to get in the front seat and kind of like fist bump with the driver. It really created this human connection between the rider and the driver. And it wasn't just about getting from point A to point B, but how you got there mattered. And the core of that. While we've matured past the pink mustache, that wasn't relevant for if you're waking up at 6am to go to the airport for this meeting, you know, like.

[Podcast Host]

It'S more of like leaving the club at 3am Exactly.

[Brian Irving]

So we've matured past a lot of the early things, but what we have remained true to is the belief that there's a better journey and our purpose is rooted in that. It's rooted in getting real humans, enabling real drivers to make real money and to connect with the passengers and passengers to connect to what's most important to them. And that might be like something really mundane like getting to a doctor's appointment, but it might be something really sublime like going to meet your college friends that you haven't seen in five years or something. So we really believe that it comes down to who's on the journey and how we can help them get there better.

[Podcast Host]

And of course you run a two sided marketplace, so I'd imagine part of your journey isn't just about getting more riders, but also getting more drivers to join and serve your customers.

[Brian Irving]

Yeah. What's interesting is that I think getting more drivers was part of the journey, a part of the challenge for quite some time. And now while we still onboard new drivers at a regular pace, it's really about serving them. Like again, our purpose is to serve and connect. And so when we think about serving drivers, how do we help them them maximize the time that they are spending driving and whether that's because they're doing as a full time driver and this is their primary source of income, or like a lot of folks who are doing it as a way of supplemental income for their family and whether that's like mom who has maybe dropped kids off at school and is filling like a three hour time block where she can bring in some additional income for the family or whatever. It's like how do we help them serve not only their own needs, but serve the needs of our riders? And frankly like our driver preference by the way is like 29 points higher than other rideshare providers out there. Drivers prefer by far to drive with Lyft because we have a point of view to serve them and how can we help them get the most out of their time on the road?

[Podcast Host]

So let's talk about the consumer for a second because obviously the consumer trends that impact the way that people get from one place to the other obviously have a big impact on your business. And when you look at Gen Z, who is now this year for the first time ever, average first time mother in the US is Gen Z. So Gen Z grew up with the iPhone in the household, so they are mobile first, if you will. And they're also less likely to own cars than previous generations, which I would. And also living in an increasingly urbanized culture where people are living in cities longer, there's much more. Two income households, people getting married later in life, I would imagine all those things provide tailwinds for list business versus people who move out to the suburbs, two car garage, white picket fence, when maybe they're going to be using your service a lot less.

[Brian Irving]

Yeah, I mean for sure I think that you're hitting on something which is sort of like the macro trends of the expansion of the audience of like who actually is taking rideshare. I'll also point out that in major cities like New York and San Francisco, we actually run the Bike share business as well. And so we own and run Citi Bike, we own and run Bay Wheels here in San Francisco, which is also an increasing part of how people get around in the city. And when they are connected to the bike service, they are also much more likely to be connected to us as their preferred rideshare option as well. So it really is like, how do we help people get around in the way that is both natural to them, but relevant for how they live and.

[Podcast Host]

In terms of changing how they're getting around. Obviously, autonomous vehicles is a massive topic, I'm sure, for you and the automotive industry in general. Putting Lyft aside, where are we, what inning are we in, if you will, of the evolution of autonomous vehicles? Being that the ninth inning would be everyone, including your mother, is an autonomous vehicle. Like, where are we today and how far are we away from the ninth inning?

[Brian Irving]

I think we're all just starting to buy tickets to go inside of a stadium where it's so early and yet super exciting. It's like, to play out your analogy there, like the anticipation, the enthusiasm is there as you're like ready to go into the stadium. Like, you know, something really great is about to happen. And you might be a spectator or you might be a participant, but it is really exciting. It's very early. And I think for us it's really thinking about from a rideshare, from an AV partner, like, where can we uniquely enable them? And we've had already a lot of really great announcements of things that we're into around like fleet management, stuff that people hadn't initially thought about, of what it takes to have AVs on the road as well as then onboarding all different types of vehicles, and that might be sort of personal vehicles through to sort of like shared ride type vehicles. And the big thing for us is like, we have differentiated ourselves and our brand by supporting our drivers, by supporting like this human first approach. And we are going to continue to do that. So we're also investing in how do we help bring drivers along the journey, not just by talking at them, but also bringing them into the discussion and helping to shape how we're thinking about our role in AV going forward.

[Podcast Host]

Right. Because I would imagine there's no world in which you're never going to want drivers and maybe when you're sending your kids somewhere, or maybe if it's for a longer journey versus a short haul journey in a city. And I think there's going to be a role for humans, obviously in transportation, but there's also Going to be an increasing. And the same analogy exists for business. You know, like I run a software company and we have people that are worried about their jobs, we have customers that are worried about their jobs. And the question is like, what does upskilling actually mean as technology as AI takes a bigger role? And I'm sure AI is a big driver of autonomous vehicles and also shorts a big driver for your seat as a CMO in terms of how you're thinking about your business. So how has AI impacted your life on a day to day basis? And where do you see that same question being in five years?

[Brian Irving]

I think we're all kind of like going through this journey of probably looking at there was a lot of overhype early maybe like a year and a half, maybe two years ago, like a lot of hype, now a lot of substance. And then to your point point, like a lot of, well, I absolutely do not believe that this should be a strategy that I will ever lead around marketing which is like fear, uncertainty and doubt. But it is absolutely has to be recognized. To your point of team members who are wondering like is AI coming to replace their job? And I think where we really are, and I just came out of a meeting with my whole team talking about this, where we're going is like we really should think about what, what AI can do to unlock the multitudes of our own individual potential.

[Podcast Host]

Be a force multiplier on our skillset 100%.

[Brian Irving]

And if you think about it as like all of a sudden, whether it's 100, whether it's 200, maybe it's 50, you have like 100 new employees working for you who work 24 hours a day and have a vast array of skill sets that are at your fingertips and you are prompting them to do their best work. And we have to think about that. Like we have to think about an employee from day one doesn't come in and do everything exactly like their best. You have to condition them, train them, talk to them to unlock that. And so I think we're now on that journey of what the possibility is. I don't even know if I can talk about five years now because I think even in six months and a year from now, all the things that we say, ah, there are limitations here, not quite there yet, I think they're going to be solved. And so like, I think even like long term planning is really like six months and a year when we're thinking.

[Podcast Host]

About AI, what are some of the challenges that you are finding? Just even though it is early days in AI with getting your team to embrace change, to accept the fact that what got us here won't get us there and how you're dealing with that as a leader.

[Brian Irving]

So I think my job is to help provide a safe space. I think first and foremost that again, like this is not about someone coming to take a job. But I think that if you want to continue to have a job in marketing in the future, you should want to be AI native. Because whether it's here at Lyft or anywhere else, I think any CMO is going to be looking for people who already have experience, like hands on. So I think really starting to create the safe space for this to be a learning journey. The second one is thinking about conditioning. So we've done things like AI challenges for folks to just like go out and explore and experiment and see what happens and comes back. And then we're building out more of the roadmap of like what are the tools that we should start with where we think we can unlock the greatest potential from our team members and then how do we do the training, change management and development with those tools to rethink how we think about processes, incentives, job descriptions and all of that stuff. So I'd say we're in the messy middle of it right now, but it's really about psychological safety in thinking like this is okay and jump in. And also like, I think the other thing we discovered is that people kind of felt like they were cheating by using AI early on. Like they were almost like hiding the fact that they were using it and saying like, no, no, no. Bring this to the forefront. Share your learning, share your insights. It's not cheating, it's again, it's enabling.

[Podcast Host]

It's interesting because students were cheating by using AI. My son actually got caught using AI very early days of the AI revolution writing a term paper. And part of me was like upset because he didn't disclose it, but the other part of me like, yeah, he's doing what we're telling the workforce to do on his own, so maybe he should be applauded for that.

[Brian Irving]

Yeah, I mean, honestly I do think that there is responsibility for us as leaders. And I have a six year old son, so I'm both. I am really terrified but also really excited for his potential in the world. But I do think it brings us back to hopefully spending a lot less time sort of like aggregating, pulling things together, organizing to critical thinking. So like, okay, so your AI agent might help you develop a go to market strategy in 30 minutes. But you still have to do the critical thinking of is this right for us? Is this right for us right now? Is this the right approach? Is it 80% right? Is it 70% right? So I hope it really brings us back to a place of like helping us do critical thinking as well.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, absolutely. Which is. I always talk about that being a huge skill set that needs to be developed sometimes things like critical thinking, creativity and problem solving, there are areas that are really hard to upskill in if somebody is just sort of like an order taker, so to speak. So do you find that for certain roles you need to look outside of Lyft to find people and if so, like if you find those people easy to find?

[Brian Irving]

Yeah, I mean we've been evolving sort of the team here over the last year and a half since I joined already. And so we do have a lot of folks who have stayed and has embraced this new journey and they're either bringing their core skills and like hey, this is stuff that we can't throw out. Like we have to keep these as core skill sets and bringing new people in. But I think that we have a great employer brand like Lyft is an amazing place to work. It always has been. And I think part of it is because it's always been a caring culture, not just about our riders and drivers, but for the people as well that work here. And so no, but I do think we're starting to look at as we interview folks is asking what experience do you have already using AI to do your job and even saying what do you wish you could do? And really again to that point helping to unlock the critical thinking part of this of well, I've used Gemini or ChatGPT or Claude or whatever to get this far. I wish I could be able to do this. To me, that helps give a signal on that desire for the thinking and being a future, building the future of what a modern marketer is versus being staid in what I used to do.

[Matt Britton]

We'll be right back with the Speed.

[Podcast Host]

Of Culture after a few words from our sponsors.

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[Podcast Host]

So talking about being a modern marketer and obviously one big role you have as a marketer is getting new customers into the fold and drive more usage from existing customers. And that comes down to capturing their attention and getting them to take action in that regard. Like what has worked for Lyft from a marketing perspective. Full funnel here in 2025.

[Brian Irving]

Yeah, I think that it's sort of like both ends of the spectrum, right? Like we have to get the foundation right. Like we have to make sure that we are managing efficiently the customer through the funnel and just helping them make sure that we are obsessed about every single point of the journey and that we are converting at a super optimal rate. And what we've gone through over the last year and a half is sort of redefining what the future of the Lyft brand is. So pulling from the core of our identity, that's always been true, but also looking at like where we want to go, whether it's av, whether it's our expansion internationally, whether it's our up leveling to help serve business travelers, it's really thinking like we have to like think about how the brand matures as well within that we are always the challenger brand or we have been. And so this is the fun part for me, I think as a marketer, like there are people that come and say like, oh, we don't have the same budgets, whatever. No, you get to think differently. Like you really get to. And for us that means being like a purposeful rebel. We are always inspired by our purpose, but we get to challenge the status quo of how to do things. And that comes to life in things like Lift Silver, which is a new product that is purely targeted towards my mom and my mom's generation, who is like a little tech insecure, who's sort of at the, towards the end of her ability to drive all the time, she's after dark, she's just not comfortable at all. In Michigan that's a 4 o' clock in the winter. So like what, she's not going to leave her house after 4 anymore? No. And so we're really serving by providing a truly unique service and custom service.

[Podcast Host]

For that audience that transcends marketing. Right. That's like consumer insight gets baked into the product that delivers value to the customer.

[Brian Irving]

That's right. And then the marketing is something that we then get to unlock. And so like one of the things I love, like we launched a partnership with Billie Jean King yesterday, like super timely. I mean she is like the mother, the godmother of not only tennis, but probably sport as a whole. She's already a Lyft customer. So for her she was like, when we approached her she was like, this is a no brainer for me because this is why I already use Lyft. And of course like the cultural timeliness of it being the US Open as well right now is one of these things where I think driven by data, driven by insight and then creativity is just like how do we unleash it? And so I love that.

[Podcast Host]

Has Lyft done a lot of work in the creator economy world? Given just the new age of Gen Z and how they grew up with the phone, I would imagine getting in that newsfeed consistently is an important way to maintain top of line consideration a hundred percent.

[Brian Irving]

I mean I do think like we have one of the strongest social marketing teams out there, including how we work with creators and influencers. We tend not to go for the sort of like creator, the mega influencer because it doesn't really align to our brand generally. And so we really think of those who are on the cusp and like as their story arc is starting to rise, really try to work with them and help them Break through as much as them helping us break through?

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, for sure. So I want to switch gears a little bit and talk about you and your career journey. You've worked at some of the world's greatest companies and I would put Lyft in that right now. But prior you've worked at places like Google and Meta and Airbnb along your Silicon Valley journey, which it seems like you've had. What are some of the takeaways that you've been able to gather from these companies that's made you a stronger leader and a stronger marketer to put you in the CMOC that you're in today?

[Brian Irving]

I think one serendipity has got me here. I talked about my mom being in Michigan. I grew up in Flint, Michigan, so there's no chance that I should be sitting here talking to you about me being the CMO of Lyft today. And so there's so much and so many people that have helped me get here, including just being lucky. I'll say. I think I've had these different chapters and I wish I could say that they were really intentional and they weren't. But the first chapter was really rooted in data and performance. I started in finance at Georgia, going through the financial management training program and then moved into more marketing analytics and CRM and data. That chapter got me to then an opportunity at Apple where they needed those skill sets. But when I got to Apple, then what that unlocked for me was a whole new skill set and learning opportunity around brand. And like that brand and product cannot be divorced from each other and that it is craft and attention to detail more than anything else that matters when thinking about the brand. And then sort of post that it's been different versions of bringing those two things together and informing my sort of perspective on marketing and that being really brand driven. But outcomes are what matter and that we have to actually impact the brand and what we do and not just do things for the sake of creativity.

[Podcast Host]

And when you're at a company like Apple or Google, I mean these are the world's most powerful innovative companies and you decide to take a leap and do something different. What gives you the conviction to do that when you are already working at a place that has so much potential?

[Brian Irving]

Largely again, like it has been my opportunities have come because someone who I have worked with before has gone somewhere else or introduced me to somewhere else where it became like a natural sort of opportunity for me to say like I could stay associated with this brand. I've had an amazing run and amazing experience here and what's the opportunity for me to grow and learn more in the next role versus this one. And so it's really been about that. And the analogy I use is that you might be in a room with a door ahead of you and you think that that's the only door that's available to you. So you go through it and you think it's going to be this huge room that you're going to stay in for a very long time. And you find out it's a very small room, but it has three other doors that you would never have had access to had you not gone through it. And that one of those doors is the one that gets you to the next one. And so I'm a firm believer in being thoughtful but saying yes to things that you think that are going to matter to you and matter to achieving where you want to go in life.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. And obviously you've worked at so many great companies. I'm sure you've come in touch with so many incredible people, talented people that have gone on to do great things. When you think about the most talented people you've interacted with in business and the ones who made the biggest impact, what are some of the attributes that you think are common across them?

[Brian Irving]

They absolutely care about individuals. They know that their success comes from helping unlock the success of those around them first and foremost. And I think that they know that, like teams and employees are human beings and not employees and teams at the core of it. And I've also had a number of not great leaders. Those experiences have been equally helpful for me because they've helped me understand what I hope to never represent in leadership of my teams. And then there have been some just incredible people who maybe were not people that I reported to or were peers. Maybe there were two or three levels below me, like reporting in. And they helped me unlock a whole new level of possibility, whether it was through a marketing capability that was emerging or whatever. So really trying to be inspired and learn from all of those around.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. And how are you keeping in touch with all the changes that are happening right now? Obviously you have to care about people. You need to be inspiring. You need to be able to be inspired. But where do you get your information in terms of. This is where I need to lean in. This is where that Silver product. I'm sure it came from an insight. Where are those insights coming from?

[Brian Irving]

I will say we're very fortunate that we have a CEO who is passionate about customer obsession drives profitable growth core to your brand. It's core to our brand. And so that is both a mantra strategy and someone who enables that and inspires that throughout the entire org is a gift. That is absolutely true. I also think, like, we're super fortunate in the Bay Area. There is an incredibly strong CMO network here across various industries, and we get together a lot. Sometimes it's because other people bring us together, sometimes it's because we bring ourselves together. But we spend a lot of time talking, learning, open. It's not about posturing and whatever. Like, it's just real authentic, like, what's going on.

[Podcast Host]

Great to have that.

[Brian Irving]

It is incredibly, no matter what your.

[Podcast Host]

Role is, to have a group of peers that you can bounce things off of. I think is critically important to identify your blind spots and making sure that you're continuing to level your game up without a doubt. So, Brian, we always end our podcast by asking our guests if there's a saying or mantra that has kind of encapsulated their professional journey to date and just wondering what comes to mind for you and why.

[Brian Irving]

I think, like, I'll come back to something I said earlier, which is like, be driven by curiosity and say yes. Say yes to learning something new. Say yes to the lateral move. Say yes to working with someone who is incredible and inspiring. But I think that it's really easy in a world where there is so much pressure, so much chaos, so much going on to just stay and try to be stable. But I think in hindsight, I always regret those moments when I do that. So I would just continue to encourage myself and would encourage others to say yes.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. And to your analogy earlier, like, sometimes you will open up a door and you'll find the room is smaller than you thought. Maybe there's other doors, but sometimes you open up a room to a door that you thought was small, and it's huge. And I think a lot of people, I was just telling my son, who's just starting in college the same thing, which is don't assume that the thing that you're going to go to is going to play out exactly how you think, because the reality is you think that this event or this thing you're going to go to is going to be something, and it's going to be something completely different, and you're going to have an experience that you never imagined you're going to have. And I think that goes along to your mantra of just saying yes and putting yourself in those positions 100%.

[Brian Irving]

You actually took mine and made it better.

[Podcast Host]

Well, you definitely have made me a better marketer and leader by just hearing about your journey at Lyft and all the great experience you have in your career. So thanks so much for joining today. I'm really excited for our audience to hear it themselves.

[Brian Irving]

Thanks Matt. I'm super appreciative.

[Podcast Host]

Absolutely. On behalf of Susie and Ivory Team, thanks again to Brian Irving, the Chief Marketing Officer at Lyft, for joining us today. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review the Speed of Culture podcast and your favorite podcast platform. Till next time. See you soon everyone.

[Brian Irving]

Take care.

[Matt Britton]

The Speed of Culture is brought to you by Suzy as part of the Adweek Podcast Network and a Guest Creator Network. You can listen subscribe to all Adweek's podcasts by visiting Adweek.com podcasts to find out more about Susie, head to Suzy.com and make sure to search for the Speed of Culture in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else podcasts are found. Click follow so you don't miss out on any future episodes. On behalf of the team here at Suzy, thanks for listening.

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