Micky Ogando’s Modern Mount Rushmore of Advertising Leaders
Micky Ogando is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of Bakery, an independent advertising agency based in Austin, Texas. Bakery is known for its collaborative approach and strong focus on brand building that balances creativity with clear business goals. Under Micky’s leadership, the agency has developed a reputation for work that is thoughtful, crafted, and rooted in human insight.
When asked who would be on his Mount Rushmore of advertising today, Micky Ogando did not simply list big names. He described mentors, role models, and creative leaders he truly respects. He shared, "People that I would probably work with, I think she's called herself kind of retired from advertising, but I'm hoping not. Kristen Cavallo. I would probably work with Kristen any day."
His choices reveal what he values most in creative leadership, agency culture, and the kind of people he would want at his side if he were starting an agency today.
What You’ll Learn
In this article, we will break down Micky Ogando’s modern Mount Rushmore of advertising, based on his conversation on the Breaking and Entering Advertising Podcast. You'll see why he chose Kristen Cavallo, Anselmo Ramos, Bianca Guimaraes, and Fernando Machado, and what their careers can teach any creative about mentorship, leadership, and staying true to your vision.
Kristen Cavallo: The Generous Mentor
Micky’s first choice was Kristen Cavallo. He credited her not only as an industry leader but also as a personal mentor. He said, "She's a mentor, honestly, she's become a mentor and still like one of the kindest human beings with her time for someone she didn't know that just reached out and said, Hey, I have questions about this thing. I don't know what I'm doing."
He praised her leadership in guiding The Martin Agency through pivotal changes, bringing clarity and visibility to the work, and championing creative that truly mattered. Kristen’s willingness to help others, even those outside her agency, was a defining trait for Micky.
Anselmo Ramos: The Relentless Builder
Micky’s next choice was Anselmo Ramos, whose creative journey he deeply respects. "You gotta include Anselmo on there. And I don't know him. That's a guy that, immigrant, immigrant, like I would love to get to know because there's just aspects of that journey that I'm sure he knows that I would just love that perspective on it."
Micky admired Anselmo’s record of founding David, then Gut, and continuing to expand even after Gut was acquired by Globant. He said, "Going from David now going to Gut, now Gut Globant, which some would think they would take their foot off the gas, and it feels the opposite. Full respect for that."
For Micky, Anselmo embodies what it means to keep building, stay creative, and protect an agency’s vision even as it grows.
Bianca Guimaraes: The Creative Conversationalist
Third on his list was Bianca Guimaraes of Mischief. Micky admitted they have never met, but he has been impressed by her work and public speaking. "Somebody who, again, I don't know her, but everything I've heard about her and everything I've seen from her work and every time I've seen her speak, it's just somebody that I'm like, whoa, this is somebody that I would love to just be in a room with and have a conversation with."
He explained his admiration for her ability to "pelotear," or bounce ideas back and forth with genuine creative improvisation. "There's a way of talking here, like Americans talk a lot about improv. I think we just speak in improv as soon as we're born in Latin America. And so for us, you're able to immediately in a conversation know if this person's a good creative or not."
Bianca, to him, represents the fearless, collaborative, idea-driven spirit he wants to see more of in the industry.
Fernando Machado: The CMO Who Gets It
Finally, Micky added Fernando Machado, describing him as "the man" who has mastered the role of client partner. "I got to put the man Fernando Machado on there. Of course you got to put him on there. He's just, he's like the real deal in every possible way."
He appreciated Fernando’s ability to simplify marketing and cut through the noise. "I think he'd be the first to say this is actually fairly simple, and we get in our way so often. But he's perfected the way to not get in your way."
Micky also noted that Fernando's leadership proves how important the CMO role is today. "That's why I had to put a CMO in there because I think right now, especially more than in the last 20 years, the CMO and the VPs you have under them, they're more important than even the agency. You could probably have a CMO and a mediocre agency, and a CMO like Fern, he's probably going to get gold out of them."
Of course, this was made with AI. It’s supposed to be Anselmo, Fern, Bianca, Kristen
Why This Matters
Asked about the Mount Rushmore of who he would start an agency with today, Micky said he would "bring Kristen Cavallo back into the trenches, build creative around Anselmo Ramos and Bianca Guimaraes, and pick Fernando Machado as the first client."
These choices reflect the qualities he believes define real creative leadership: generosity, relentless building, collaborative energy, and client partnership that empowers agencies to do their best work. For anyone in advertising, these are examples worth studying.
Listen or Watch the Full Podcast
To hear the full conversation with Micky Ogando, check out the Breaking and Entering Advertising Podcast. In the episode, Micky talks about the journey of founding an independent agency, the reality of staying independent, and his honest thoughts about the people who inspire him.
Watch on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0MJZVSDz6dkGkRbU6llIme?si=v5ncuQxKSV6PIH93f588eg
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-bakery-got-its-name/id1506434104?i=1000717298660
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