Author Archives: Matt Collins
Ed Castillo Is Not Your Average Strategist-Philosopher-Foreign Agent
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 a philosophy major at Amherst to 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
Big thanks to Lee Maicon for nominating Ed.
Nate Smith Missed His Exit But Found His Way
Nate Smith’s post-Amherst journey literally reads like an epic. At the age of 26, he got in his car after work one day at the school where he had been teaching and kept on driving, never to return to the job. Instead, he embarked on a life-changing, sometimes harrowing road trip all the way from Maryland to Central America, living out of his car and taking odd jobs to survive.
His journey reached a turning point when he had to sell his car and found himself homeless in Panama. With the help of the US Embassy, Nate made his way back home, bringing with him invaluable lessons about privilege and the importance of giving back.
Today, Nate is married with two kids, and he has returned to teaching with a passion. He also hasn’t lost his wanderlust; Nate works as an eighth-grade mathematics teacher in Vietnam.
Join Nate and me as we delve into the memorable moments of Nate’s life, his thoughts on humankind, and the lessons he has learned along the way. His experience is a testament to the strength of family, the importance of self-reflection, and the enduring impact of a supportive community.
Plus, learn whom Nate wants me to interview next.
You can email Nate at nathansmith.ghana@gmail.com.
Brian Shactman Finds His Voice – And Amplifies Voices All Over Connecticut And Beyond
Brian Schactman in many ways has become the voice of Connecticut. As a co-host of a morning radio talk show, he travels the state to meet residents of interest and explore the topics that animate the 169 towns and cities that call Connecticut home. Having listened to his stuff, I can tell you that he’s awfully good at what he does. Thankfully, streaming makes it possible for anyone to listen to him, so I’ll include a link to do just that in the notes below.
Our candid conversation covers his journey from ESPN, through CNBC, MSNBC, and NBC Boston, to his current role at WTIC 1080 AM in Hartford. In the process, Brian helped me imagine a life I might have had if I had stuck with broadcast journalism as a career for myself.
Plus, tune in to hear whom from the Amherst Class of 1994 Brian wants me to interview next.
You can contact Brian via email (bshactman@gmail.com) and find him X, Instagram, and Facebook. Download the Audacy app by following this link so you can listen to his morning show, “Mornings with Ray and Brian.”
Luke Ryan Comforts The Afflicted – And Sometimes Afflicts The Comfortable
Luke Ryan is a fifth-generation Northampton resident and defense attorney. In his line of work, he often finds himself shepherding clients through their lowest moments. But it also has required that he pursue people in positions of authority who have committed wrongs and attempted to cover them up.
Nowhere is this dynamic more apparent than in his work to expose crime lab misconduct in Western Massachusetts in a quest to seek justice for his clients, a quest that Netflix brought to life in the outstanding docuseries, “How To Fix A Drug Scandal.”
In this episode, he discusses his journey from Amherst College to practicing law in his hometown. Along the way, he opens up about his personal struggles, his passion for civil rights and criminal defense law, and takes us deeper into the Massachusetts crime lab malfeasance that resulted in the overturning of about 38,000 drug convictions state-wide.
In this episode, you’ll learn about:
The role of personal tragedy and substance misuse in shaping his approach to representing clients in Western Mass.
How Luke went from swearing he’d never be a defense attorney to becoming an awfully good and tenacious one.
The significant role he played in uncovering a major drug lab scandal in Massachusetts, leading to the dismissal of thousands of criminal cases.
His go-to restaurants in Northampton when Antonio’s Pizza in Amherst isn’t an option.
The Amherst classmates he wants me to interview next.
You can email Luke at lryan@strhlaw.com.
Andy Ward Shows How He Edits Some Of The Most Beloved Books Of Our Time
Josh Hamermesh asked, and boy, did Andy Ward deliver. In this episode, Andy, the Executive Vice President and Publisher of Random House, takes us deep into how he edits books written by some of our finest authors.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How Andy’s father shaped his writing and editing skills.
His intricate process of editing, emphasizing both detailed line edits and broader feedback. (Plus, the unlikely place where he does some of his best work.)
How he approaches having tough conversations with authors.
The potential impact of AI on the publishing industry, and the advice he’d give parents of young kids about how and how not to weave AI into their studies.
The Amherst classmates he wants me to interview next.
To get in touch with Andy, email him at andyward72@gmail.com.
Update (10/1/25): Andy has appeared on more podcasts, not surprisingly:
Check out his two appearances on the Kelly Corrigan Wonders podcast, entitled “Deep Dive with Andy Ward” and “Thanks For Being Here – Andy Ward”
Ben Batory Gives A Master Class On Building A Winning Culture
Ben Batory, an Amherst College classmate of mine who played professional basketball in Costa Rica, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Malta, Switzerland, and Mauritius, has taken an unconventional path to Wall Street. Today, Ben is SVP and Head of Trading at Franklin Equity Group, but in this conversation, he talks mostly about his role as Boys Basketball Program Director and Varsity Head Coach at Menlo School in Atherton, California. As you’ll hear, Ben has made himself a student and practitioner of what I’ll call the pursuit of the better.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why the world needs more athletes
His approach to building a resilient, healthy, and winning culture in sports and work
How Ben connects with teenage athletes, developing durable character and life skills in the process
The Amherst classmates (and one professor!) he wants me to interview next
Resources Ben mentions:
A manual for life he wrote for his daughters
The creed he wrote that was inspired by the Holstee Manifesto
A presentation he delivered for a master’s program that leans on Chinese art for your evolution to servant leadership
The syllabus he presented to his basketball team and their parents before the start of this season
You can email Ben at benbatory@gmail.com.
Lee Maicon Sees A 1994 Revolution in Advertising
Lee Macon has worked in advertising through arguably its greatest transformations. He began at the dawn of the consumer internet, navigated the shift to social media, and now is helping clients figure out AI. As the Chief Strategy Officer at the Community, a global creative agency, Lee oversees strategic efforts for major clients like Verizon, Netflix, and Porsche. When he’s not helping his clients grow, Lee is a dedicated father, navigating the challenges of parenting across different generations.
In this interview, you’ll learn about:
Why our graduating year of 1994 represents a line of demarcation in the advertising world, separating the world of pre- and post-digital.
The importance of understanding diverse audiences.
The evolution of advertising strategies over the years.
Balancing short-term and long-term marketing goals.
Whom in the Class of 1994 he wants me to interview next.
You can email Lee at lee@leemaicon.com.
Jim Confalone Goes From Art School to Business Cool
Jim Confalone’s journey from fine arts to founding a successful B2B marketing firm is marked by tragedy and a timely eye for opportunity.
Jim, the founder of B2B marketing agency Modicum, shares the evolution of his career, from his initial passion for painting to servicing blue chip clients like Google and Qualcomm. Modicum specializes in creating powerful visual designs that help businesses make distinctive and lasting impressions on their customers, especially at big product launch events. His big breakthrough came when he solved a key problem most business people encounter at some point: Microsoft’s PowerPoint is an awful canvas for visual design.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Jim’s career evolution from a fine arts background to founding a successful B2B marketing firm – and the entrepreneurial qualities both careers require.
His marketing philosophy, which emphasizes the importance of substance and truth in marketing, avoiding unnecessary bells and whistles.
The therapeutic role art has played in his life, through painting and other creative activities that have helped him navigate tragedy.
The Amherst classmate he wants me to interview next
Note: This episode touches on suicide.
To get in touch with Jim, email him at jconfalone@gmail.com, and visit his agency’s website: http://www.modicum.agency.
Vicky Levy, Part 1: Survivor
Vicky Levy’s story is so compelling that one episode of this podcast can’t contain it all.
In Part 1 of her extraordinary story, she touches on her journey into life sciences and her current role as Global Life Sciences and Healthcare Industry Leader at Deloitte. But her reason for staying in life sciences and healthcare is even more profound than her reasons for pursuing the industry in the first place. You see, Vicky is a cancer survivor. As luck would have it, her diagnosis occurred at just about the same time that a miraculous category of drugs emerged to treat her rare condition.
In this episode, you will learn:
How Vicky – a history major at Amherst College – learned to advocate for herself with her doctors and their cutting edge medical research
Her keys to navigating a life-altering medical diagnosis
The extraordinary generosity her Amherst friends and sister-in-law demonstrated as Vicky and her husband contemplated starting a family
In Part 2, we will talk more about her work and perspective on the global healthcare industry. We also will talk about her Amherst College experience, the role that liberal arts plays in her work today, and the Amherst classmates she’d like me to interview next.
If you or someone you know is interested in learning about pharmacological clinical trials, visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/to get started.
Inger-Lise Schwab Reflects On Life, Work, And Parenting In Norway (And Some Amherst Mischief)
The Amherst Class of 1994 diaspora has expanded all over the world, including to Norway. That’s where we find Inger-Lise Schwab representing the Purple and White.
In this episode, she shares thoughts on how to combat sunlight deprivation, the distinctions between the elite colleges and universities in the United States and the more egalitarian Norwegian system of higher education, and lots and lots of Amherst College memories, many of them dripping with mischief. Oh, and she’s the only classmate I’ve interviewed (so far) to have an IMDB credit (look it up).
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The creative ways Inger-Lise and her family bring light and lightness into their world, especially when they may only get a few hours of sun a day in the wintertime
The role that the Amherst College dining halls played in creating social cohesion
The naked bike rides through campus, swimming in the nearby reservoir, “after hours” visits to the observatory, and other fond memories she has of campus life
The Amherst classmates she wants me to interview next
You can find her on Facebook. Big thanks to Susan Antebi for recommending Inger-Lise for the pod!
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