{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Lay of The Land","title":"#257 Alec Shankman — HeartRock Partners","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3853,"description":"Alec Shankman is the founder of HeartRock Partners.\nAlec has spent more than two decades at the forefront of entertainment, talent representation, reality television, digital media, podcasting, brand-building, and the creator economy. Before launching HeartRock, he was a Senior Partner at The Gersh Agency, following its acquisition of his division from A3 Artists Agency, where he built the Alternative Programming and Digital Media Division into a nine-figure 60-person bi-coastal team.\nIn our conversation, Alec and I explore his path from Cleveland to LA and back again, how he built new lanes in Hollywood by being early to unscripted TV, digital talent, and creator-led brands, and why he returned home to launch HeartRock. We also talk about the shifting power dynamics in media, why talent is increasingly becoming the network, what separates fleeting attention from durable enterprise value, why work ethic still matters the most, and why Cleveland’s strengths in entrepreneurship, manufacturing, consumer products, and community make it a compelling place to build this next chapter.\nplease enjoy my conversation with Alec Shankman.\n00:00 Introduction and Alec's Cleveland roots\n02:18 Alec's childhood exposure to entertainment\n05:06 Seeds of a career in entertainment\n06:45 Moving to LA and industry insights\n09:59 Early waves of entertainment and Alec’s entrepreneurial approach\n12:25 Leaving agency work to pursue entrepreneurship\n14:54 Lessons from Hollywood and industry shifts\n20:41 The evolution of media and talent representation\n33:40 The vision behind HeartRock Partners\n37:26 Why Cleveland? The geographic thesis\n44:26 The creator economy and future opportunities\n58:30 Looking ahead and Alec’s excitement for Cleveland\n01:00:47 Closing thoughts and Alec’s advice for success\n-----\nLINKS:\nhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/alecshankman\nhttps://heartrockpartners.com/\n-----\nSPONSOR:\nCerity Partners\nCerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/83f-43Wz3A8u4303ZUZ8sIr3iY-45NuHaXW4rZCGBA0/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzE2MTMwLzE2Mjg3/MTAwMjUtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}