Selling Yourself - A Leadership Talk with Rick Song, CEO of RAD Amplify

AI is rapidly transforming the media and entertainment industry, though the full scope of its impact is still unfolding. For leaders like Rick Song, CEO of RAD Amplify, AI represents a powerful opportunity—one that can streamline workflows, strengthen brands, and enhance creative output. At the same time, he emphasizes that AI should be viewed as a tool, not a substitute for human ingenuity.

That perspective is shaped by Song’s own creative roots. A former design major, he later graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in professional writing with concentrations in communications and marketing. 

“I thought I was going to be a creative in the advertising industry,” he shared during a recent Leadership Talk hosted by FUTURE NOW Founder & CEO, Peggy Kim. He sent his portfolio to agencies, but didn’t get much traction. Then, one day, a client encouraged him to get “on the other side of the table,” and pivot into sales. 

Song took his advice and got his break as a media buyer. A self-described “people person,” he quickly discovered his strengths on the business side, and he’s never looked back. 

“It's a role to this day that's very much about collaboration, communication, attitude, partnership… Once I hit my stride doing it… with a degree of success, I just wanted to build on it,” he explained. 

And, he has been building for over 30 years. He has held top leadership positions at Nielsen, Yahoo!, Microsoft, iHeartMedia, and Rocket Fuel, contributed to two exits, and helped grow companies from start-ups to multi-billion dollar enterprises. 

Today, Song is leading the charge at RAD Amplify, an AI-powered platform that delivers real-time audience insights by analyzing live social conversations across platforms like Reddit, TikTok, and X. It matches brands with high-performing influencers from a database of over 24.9 million creators using data on audience fit, sentiment, and engagement. The service includes end-to-end campaign management—strategy through execution—supported by a dedicated team. Its predictive analytics turn raw data into actionable signals to optimize ROI, with key features like 24-hour insight turnaround, AI-driven brand safety, and precise targeting of niche, high-impact micro-communities.

As Song explains it, the AI will identify “distinct audiences, communities, [and] creators… that are most engaged with the brand’s vertical or the brand in particular to give them the highest opportunity to create something that’s viral.” 

“We’re giving you the most insights on how to speak to those audiences—what their likes [are], what their interests are, their demographics, what communities they’re part of,” he said.

Song is excited about the possibilities and looks at himself as “chief salesperson.” He elaborated, “That means helping win new clients… [and] raising capital... for the company.” 

As CEO, Song’s goals are to “set the vision and mission of the organization,” ensure a positive culture, build a team, and “make sure people are in the right seats for the right roles.” The two things he values most about any job are “the people” and “the ability to build something.” 

To that end, Song places a high value on mentorship. “Personally,” Song said, “it's one of the things that I get kind of the most fulfillment from… being able to kind of help coach and inspire people for whatever they're… pursuing from a career perspective [and] also from a personal kind of growth perspective.” 

He emphasized that mentorship is not just top-down; mentors can be peers and might not even be in the same industry as you. “They come in many shapes and sizes, but I certainly encourage people to find mentors all around their circles and continue to grow them…throughout their careers.” 

Song believes that building a network of mentors and peers is one of the most important skills to have in business. No need to overcomplicate it, just “[treat] people with kindness at every step of your career,” Song advised. “You don’t know where you’re going to land in any type of environment, but if you're consistent and kind of always approaching everything with kindness… [in] the long run, you’re going to be better off… And you’ll continue to build your network as you… grow as a professional and a person and an individual.”

Song also encouraged listeners to “be a student of the industry.” For him, this involves talking with those working in AI, reading the trades, and listening to podcasts like Diary of a CEO, hosted by entrepreneur Steven Bartlett. AI itself can even help with learning, since with it, “you can learn about anything in seconds.” 

Still, Song also warned about the “bias and hallucinations” that sometimes occur when using large language model AIs. As he put it: “It’s a tool, right? It’s a tool. It’s not the tool.” Part of Song’s continual education involves sharpening his critical thinking skills to assess and properly apply whatever the AI might suggest. 

“Whether it’s content production, news reporting, film creation, film production, any type of content creation, it’s all going to move a lot faster and…more seamlessly.  So, the folks that are more versed in technology are going to probably have a better shot and have more choices,” Song said. 

He also reminded the audience that while AI can help individuals and brands streamline their processes, it cannot replace human passion. “When you think about the career path or the role that you’re pursuing, what excites you about it, what makes you passionate about it?” he asked attendees. “What are the things that you do when you lose track of time [because] you’re excited about doing it?”

For Song, it goes back to mentorship. “One of the… most gratifying parts of my job and gratifying parts of my career is helping others succeed… helping others kind of flourish in their roles,” he said. “It’s a sense of pride when I see a lot of the folks that I’ve helped nurture early in their careers, and now they’re running their own businesses or starting their own companies… that's very gratifying for me.”

For those seeking mentors, Song suggested a straightforward approach, such as a LinkedIn message or getting a referral. When messaging, you should give some context and mention seeing them, hearing them speak, or reading something they wrote, and then ask if they would consider having a chat with you. Even a rejection can be an opportunity, as “rejection is part of life” and handling that with grace is “a muscle you want to build early.” 

Song drew on his salesperson background to give viewers one last piece of advice on putting themselves out there. “Life is selling, right? You're applying for a job, you're selling yourself. You're applying for membership somewhere, to a club… Life is an exchange of… selling [and buying], and selling yourself should be the kind of easiest thing you can do.”