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.