Member Interview with Ahron D. Weiner

We are delighted to bring you a Member interview with Ahron D. Weiner, Chief Marketing Officer DocGo

What’s your golden rule?

Be of Maximum Service. There’s always another program to launch, another team to assist, another crisis to manage, another peak to climb, another goal to crush. Each new challenge is an opportunity to lean in, glean an insight, clarify a need, craft a solution, solve a problem, create something outstanding, help a colleague, and share a smile. This approach has served me well throughout my career, and it’s something I’ve always worked to instil in my teams.

Who has been your biggest influence and why?

Marcus Aurelius. I found a copy of Meditations a decade ago and was immediately captivated by its clarity, brevity, and timeless wisdom. Pound for pound, it’s the world heavyweight champion of self-help books, and I find its lessons endlessly inspiring. I read a bit every morning when I wake up, and it’s made me an adherent to Stoic philosophy. I keep a stack of Meditations in my home office and gift them to friends and colleagues.

What is your most hated business expression?

“AI says…” AI provides an incredibly powerful set of tools, but it’s not a replacement for critical thinking, talent, or judgment. Misuse of AI is rampant, and we’re awash in a tsunami of work slop generated by meat proxies. Sure, AI can create almost anything with a few prompts, but is it good? Is it relevant? Is it a hallucination? Did you even bother to read and improve its output? AI can 10x work output, but if one’s work is garbage in the first place, that’s just 10 times more garbage for others to wade through.

What’s the smartest business idea you’ve ever had?

Most Fun: Putting a Maurice Sendak Wild Things balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as part of an integrated brand campaign launch for Bell Atlantic.

Most Impact: Creating and leading the RFP team that generated over $1B in revenue for DocGo, and building on that success to help take the company public on NASDAQ.

Which leader do you admire most and why?

I don’t admire a particular individual—I admire people who embody the qualities of leadership: inspiration, empathy, grit, service, strategic judgment, vision, and accountability. I’ve had the good fortune to hire graduates right out of college who exhibit these qualities, and the misfortune of working for senior people who lack them. I believe these skills can be honed and improved, but they’re exceedingly difficult to teach to someone who doesn’t innately possess them.

What is on your mind the most right now as a marketing leader?

How can I do more with less? How can I leverage technology for maximum effect? How can I create enduring work that cuts through the clutter and drives results? How can I create a space for my team to have fun while we do this work?

Why is being part of The Marketing Society important for your career?

Steel sharpens steel. I joined to connect with a group of like-minded peers who are pace-setting in our rapidly changing industry. I’m looking forward to having interesting conversations that help create a broader, deeper perspective.

Why does marketing matter to you?

Marshall McLuhan said that the medium is the message. I think we’ve reached the point of inversion: message is the medium we live in today. We’re surrounded by a torrent of messages competing for our attention every waking moment—and chasing us in our dreams. These messages are created by marketers. Our work is quite literally the fabric of reality.

Marketing has the ability to build businesses, create culture, inspire movements, and drive behavioural change. In this way, I think it’s akin to a superpower—one that’s too often used for evil. I think we can do a better job here.

Tell us something that’s not on your CV

My CV is comprehensive—in addition to my professional pursuits, I’m a trained chef, fly fisherman, lapsed falconer, and fine artist whose work examines the intersection of brands, culture, and the media. My art has been exhibited in museums, galleries, and biennials in the US and abroad—you can check it out at www.ahronweiner.com