About Mac

Originally from Palos Verdes, California, Mac graduated from Drake University, and is a fluent Italian speaker.

His continuing education has included conversational Italian University of Chicago, 1998-2002, italiana per stranieri,Università degli Studi di Padova, Behavioral Economics (Oxford University, 2015), and Emotional Intelligence (UC San Francisco, 2020). He can be found checking the latest jazz recordings, in search of unique wines or on a client project. Mac lives in Dallas, with his wife, Jennifer Spoonts.

Originally from Palos Verdes, California, Mac graduated from Drake University, and is a fluent Italian speaker.

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Career

Mac’s Career Journey

Mac specializes in helping clients effectively execute their professional and personal growth priorities. He built his career in consumer research with Circana (formerly NPD Foodworld), where he developed a deep understanding of market behavior and trends. By combining business intelligence and consumer insights with principles from behavioral science, he delivers tangible, meaningful results.

His experience spans companies of all sizes; from 10-unit restaurant brands to financial services firms and global food and beverage leaders.

Books & Thought Leadership

Mac is the author of Tending To Your Garden, Building and Sustaining Successful Business Relationships (2023) and Silent Selling, Listening For The Sounds of Success (2010). He’s the Founder and Host of the Brand Talk podcast.

World-Renowned Podcast Guests

Positive Reviews on "Tending To Your Garden: Building and Sustaining Business Relationships"

After a sales career with Mars, Inc., PepsiCo (Quaker Oats, Tropicana), McCain Foods (Anchor), Mac began his career in Consumer Research (NPD Foodworld), and consulting (The Hale Group), and Bellwether Food Group, where has was a Founding Partner. He’s consulted across food, beverage, chain restaurants, private equity for firms such as Nestle, Campbell Soup, Sara Lee, Foster Farms, McCain Foods, Kagome, Smithfield Foods, Brinker International, Panda, Johnny Rockets, McDonald’s, Panera Bread, Cracker Barrel, Sun Capital, Capital Spring, Centre Partners, Bank of America, UBS, and Levine, Leichtman Capital Partners, and others.