Ed Castillo’s post-Amherst path might be one of the most uniquely purposeful stories you’ll hear from our classmates. In this episode, we follow his journey from majoring in philosophy at Amherst College to an advertising Chief Strategy Officer – and registering and acting as a foreign agent. He may not drive an Aston Martin and pack a Walther PPK, but the man loves words and has a very spicey take on reading that will get you thinking.

Highlights from our conversation:

🧠 Why Ed pursued philosophy not despite, but because of his desire to work in advertising

🛑 His early career “failure” that helped him find the field where overthinking is a superpower

📊 The limitation inherent in marketing degrees—and what he’s actually looking for when hiring

📚 His provocative argument against reading as the best vehicle for knowledge

🎯 How multicultural marketing needs to evolve beyond identity clichés

💜 The Amherst classmates he wants me to interview next

To get in touch with Ed, email him at xandnotx@gmail.com and find him on his website at http://www.menudoblanco.com.

Big thanks to Lee Maicon for nominating Ed.