At CPX Interactive, perhaps our greatest assets as a company are our people. We are blessed with a fantastic team chemistry that makes working here a real pleasure for everyone from account managers to our exec team. We thought we would introduce a series that would convey the kind of company we have created by letting these assets speak (and laugh) for themselves.

Enjoy ‘On the Couch’ with CPXers – Vol. 1 in which you will meet Business Analyst – TJ Bramblett, Manager of Business Analytics – Erin McCay, Account Executive – Stephen Kelly and Publisher Development Manager – Nick Colletti.

(We apologize for the less than terrific sound on this one, but if it catches on, perhaps we will invest in lavaliere mic…)

Nina Disi is one of the newest members to the CPX Interactive family, joining us in January, 2012.  Find out more about where she’s from, where she’s been and what she’ll be doing here at CPX.

What is your title and what do you do here at CPX?

I joined CPX Interactive as the Director of Sales for the Eastern Region.  I partner with agencies and brands to help scale digital with the plethora of media solutions that our company has to offers.   I welcome the ever changing media environment and enjoy translating new offerings into simple yet successful solutions for my client’s.

What did you do prior to coming to CPX?

Prior to joining CPX Interactive I assisted agencies and brands in streamlining their digital planning and buying process so they can devote more resources to strategic thinking and maximize their potential revenue growth.

Where are you from and where did you go to school?

I am originally from New York receiving my Bachelors Degree in Media Studies from Queens College.  I enjoyed living in Cambridge, MA for a few years and when I returned to NYC I settled in the Upper Westside of Manhattan.

We know you recently visited a far off destination over the holiday. Can you tell us more about that and why you traveled so far?

I have a passion for traveling.  The best way to learn about a country and its culture is to submerge yourself into it.  My most recent trip took me to Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Bhutan, India and Bangladesh.

What is your favorite piece of technology?

At the fear of sounding cliché…the iphone.  I’ve got to have my Words with Friends and Spotify apps.  I also like to check my weather app before I leave the house in the morning…making sure I’m prepared for whatever the day may bring.

What is one website that you constantly find yourself visiting?

I constantly find myself visiting Linkedin.com.  I enjoy networking and keeping up with the projects my colleagues in the industry are working on.

Connect with Nina on LinkedIn.

A special thank you to our Marketing Manager, Dana Posner, for the contribution.

CPX Interactive employees at the 4th Annual Softball Game and BBQ

On Wednesday, October 12^th 2011, the CPX Interactive staff gathered at Eisenhower Park in Westbury, NY, for the company’s 4^th annual softball game & BBQ. With the fear of Mother Nature rearing its ugly head, predictions of thunderstorms nearly canceled the game. However, CPXers decided that a few measly raindrops wouldn’t allow them to miss a fun-filled day of festivities.

Mike Seiman, Founder & CEO, checks his phone in between games to make sure he didn't miss any important emails.

CPX Interactive holds true value to its employees’ team spirit in addition to supporting some healthy competition. After all of the hard work and dedication that these employees put in day-after-day, throughout the year, the annual company softball game & BBQ is one small way that the CPX Interactive executive team likes to say, ‘break-time everyone’! Since family and friends were also invited to join, dodgeball, Frisbee and a piñata were available in addition to the softball game.

Mike Seiman, Founder and CEO; Mike Weissman, Publisher Development Manager; and Jeffrey Reitzen, VP of Sales, CPA Division, all playing little dodgeball in between softball games.

All departments, regardless of responsibility and rank, gathered together for one afternoon and left all thoughts of business behind. Even Blackberries and iPhones were turned off…well MOST of them anyway. I did happen to catch our CEO, Mike Seiman, at one point checking in on a few things, but notably with Frisbee in-hand, so kudos on the multi-tasking skills. Aside from that, the only conversations which ensued were those of sports and games.

Sal Castelli, Director of Creative Development, gets ready to hit a home run.

While folks in the stands listened to the crack of a bat, gazed as their coworkers slid into first and, on occasion, ducked from a foul ball or two, they happily dined on some tasty grub. Catering consisted of finger-licking BBQ ribs, pulled-pork sandwiches, spicy green-bean casserole, delicious mac-n-cheese, sweet corn bread – and what’s a BBQ without some freshly-made potato salad!? 

With minimal bruising, scrapes, face-dives and trip-ups, the CPX staff clearly “had a ball” at this year’s annual event. Feel free to visit our CPX Interactive Facebook page to view our softball photo album.

A special thanks to our guest contributor, Brie Thomas, Director of Sales, West Coast.

My name is Brie Thomas and even though I started just a couple of months ago at CPX, I can’t believe how much I’ve already learned as a part of the Sales Team. In early May, I started out getting situated in the beautiful LA office.  Then I was off to New York for the New Employee Orientation, also known as N.E.O., where I got the chance to put faces to the names I had been hearing, and meet the other new hires. Polly Payne, our Brand Sales Product Planner, led in depth N.E.O. training sessions where I learned about CPX, its history, tools and products. At the end of each session, the other new hires and I were able to verbalize what we learned in our own words – it was a great opportunity for team building and sharing our best individual strengths in order to better succeed as a group.

Francisco Lozano, Dir. of Sales, Adometry; Brie Thomas, Director of Sales, CPX Interactive; Max Germain, Media Dir., Levelwing Media

Next, I was off to iMedia with Natalie Lambert, nother new CPX Sales Director, down in Bonita Springs, Florida. This was a perfect opportunity to reflect on what we had just learned at N.E.O. and to expand our networks.

Luckily, timing worked out and I got back to LA just in time to celebrate the long Memorial Day weekend with family and friends. Then it was back to work!

The following Wednesday I attended Interactive Day San Diego with Gary Bembridge, our EVP of Sales. CPX sponsored the Twitter-Wall which gave us some great branding throughout the entire event while we were able to mingle with agencies and industry leaders.

Up next for me, and what I am getting very excited about, is having the opportunity to attend OMMA Adnets in LA on July, 18, 2011.  Jamie Gutterman, Director of Sales, Sharone Hadari, VP of West Coast Operations and myself will attending the the CPX Interactive sponsored event in hopes of gaining insight from their “Targeting 2.o” discussions.

After getting back from N.E.O., iMedia, and Interactive Day San Diego, and now preparing for OMMA Adnets, I feel energized and educated, and I’m developing a real routine. I have started organizing my prospects, and I’ve been putting a lot of focus on setting up daily meetings and calls. And I’m proud to report that I have closed my first deals! It was great to be able to go through the sales cycle from a lead to a Customer, working in conjunction with our Account Management team.

For just about 2 months, I feel like I’ve done and learned so much. I’ve taken this time to get a handle on the ropes and I absolutely love being a part of the CPX team!

VIDEO: Meet the CPXer: Ashwin Surajbali, CPX Interactive Sr. Programmer Analyst, and find out more about his interests inside and outside the office.

VIDEO Meet the CPXer: Mario Cazenueve, CPX Interactive AP Coordinator, and find out more about what sparks his interests inside and outside of the office.

VIDEO Meet the CPXer: Emily Seiman

CPX Interactive recently interviewed their VP of Creative Development, Emily Seiman, to find out more about what goes on and the ‘who’s who’ of the department.  Meet Emily Seiman and learn more about the CPX in-house creative team.

Interview with Emily Seiman from CPX Interactive on Vimeo.

Jimi Smoot is a self proclaimed tech geek who works as Director of Sales in CPX’s LA office. Find out more about Jimi, including his past work experience, and why he loves the online advertising industry.

1. Who are you, and what do you do here at CPX?

I’m Jimi, and I am a West Coast Director of Sales, which means that I have the great job of meeting new people every day and making sure they know the ins and outs of CPX.

2. You were just in New York City for sales training with the rest of the CPX Sales team. What did you get out of that experience?

The understanding that, as service providers, we can never do enough to understand the goals of our clients and work tirelessly to help bring those goals into reality.

3. What did you do before you came to CPX?

Before CPX, I spent some time at MySpace, packaging offline and online programs for brands. Prior to that, I worked on the agency side of the business. There, I developed strategic media plans aimed at solving marketing problems.

4. You’ve worked with a lot of different brands. What is one of the most memorable experiences you’ve had?

While I was at MySpace, we put together a concert series with Adidas (through an amazing partnership with my friends over at Carat) which included major talent such as Flo Rida and Method Man/Red Man. The catch was, to get tickets for the concerts, people would need to pick them up from Adidas’ original stores in their respective markets. We had folks driving from Orange County to the Hollywood Adidas store for the LA concerts. Overall, we drove hundreds of people from online to brick and mortar adidas locations. The client was extremely happy, and the program was so much fun to work on.

5. What is your favorite thing about working in the online advertising industry?

Hands down, the people. Where else would you find such a friendly group of smart people who are looking to work hard and know how to have a good time?

Connect with Jimi on Twitter!

Meet Alex Andreyev, Account Manager with the Brand Sales team at CPX Interactive, and find out what sparked his interest in business when he was just a teenager.

1. Who are you and what do you do here at CPX Interactive?

My name is Alex, and I am East Coast Brand Sales Account Manager.

2. You started in a different role here. How did you make the transition to Account Manager?

I began working as a business analyst, but wasn’t finding enough opportunities to utilize my time and my skills, so I worked with Rob (Rasko, COO & President) to find a better role for me in the company.

3. What did you do prior to coming to CPX?

After graduating college, I worked a variety of jobs. From running a soup store in Midtown, to managing a wholesale bridal business, to selling Christmas trees.

4. What is your favorite thing about working here?

CPX is a great company in a vibrant market where I can make a difference. However, the people are the best thing about CPX.

5. You’ve referred to yourself as a “serial entrepreneur.” What originally sparked this interest in business?

My parents both had/have their own businesses, so partially, it’s in my blood. After reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad with my best friend at 15, we decided that we would be business partners. By 18, we had tried a few small business ventures, and hit it big with Christmas trees. I’ve also managed an ice cream store, a soup store, and helped out a few other small businesses.