Description:

Heather Carver’s career is a masterclass in adaptability, leadership, and long-term relationship building.

In Season 2, Episode 1 of The Seat, Heather, who JUST stepped into her new role as Chief Customer Officer at tvScientific, joins Ray Erickson to unpack her journey from early ad operations roles to her first CRO seat and beyond.

They discuss imposter syndrome, radical candor, emotional intelligence, managing through change, and why strong leadership starts with listening first. Heather also shares how to think about career pacing, mentorship, and what high-performing ICs should do before asking for a leadership role.

This conversation is packed with practical lessons for anyone navigating growth in media, ad tech, or leadership.

Chapter Breakdown:

00:27 - Welcome to The Seat & Heather’s journey (tvScientific / Freestar / Magnite / Amazon)

01:29 - Union College, early ambition, and the “law school” detour

03:49 - Startup life at BusRadio: ambiguity, pivots, and learning fast

04:49 - Snagajob: culture, KPIs, and the “human element” at work

06:49 - Programmatic’s early days: EQ training & “Ad Ops is Sexy” era

10:06 - Match/IAC & NYC network effects: relationships compound

14:01 - IC to Leader: delegation, trust, and imposter syndrome

20:01 - Hard feedback with empathy & Freestar CRO lessons (talent, attitude, systems)

36:42 - Mentorship & visibility: “do the job before the job” + lightning round

Keywords:

career journey, leadership development, ad tech, programmatic advertising, connected tv, women in leadership, mentorship, radical candor, emotional intelligence, sales leadership, customer success, executive growth

Heather's Bio:

Heather Carver is Chief Customer Officer at tvScientific, where she leads customer and partner strategy focused on measurable outcomes in connected TV and programmatic advertising. Previously, Heather served as the first Chief Revenue Officer at Freestar and held senior leadership roles at Magnite, Amazon Ads, and other leading ad tech companies. With over 15 years of experience across SSP's and DSP's, Heather is known for her customer-first approach, operational expertise, and people-centric leadership style.

She also serves on the board of the Women in Programmatic Network and actively advises emerging ad tech companies

Ray's Bio:

Ray Erickson is the creator and host of The Seat, a podcast featuring one-on-one conversations with senior revenue and business leaders across media, marketing, and advertising. A longtime ad tech and CTV media executive, Ray focuses on unpacking the real career journeys behind leadership titles, the mentors, missteps, and moments that shape how executives lead today.

Social:

Instagram: @theseat.pod

TikTok: @theseat.pod

LinkedIn: The Seat Podcast

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