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Lisa Grimm & E Keathley

Practical DAM

A Careers , Business and Technology podcast

#121 in Careers · 🇳🇴
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About the show

A companion podcast to the book Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and Practitioners, by Lisa Grimm and E. Keathley. Come learn the ins and outs of DAM with global content experts who have seen some things...and lived to tell the tale. Here for good metadata. Find out more at PracticalDAM.net.

Newest episodes

Episode 14: The Future of DAM with Ruben Cantu

41 min

The Future of DAM with Ruben Cantu In the last regular episode that ties in with a chapter of Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and Practitioners, hosts Lisa Grimm and Elizabeth Keathley talk with Ruben Cantu about where DAM is heading. The conversation covers building order in from the moment of creation and why AI can't replace the people who run DAM systems. It also covers bringing DAM to small businesses and community archives, and building a worker-driven DAM community. At its core, DAM is people: just not in a Soylent Green way, we hope! Resources & Links: Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and PractitionersPractical DAM2026 DAM Salary SurveyElizabeth Keathley's LinkedInLisa Grimm's LinkedInLisa Grimm's websiteRuben Cantu's LinkedInDAM Folk DiscordOriginal music for podcast by Steve Serra

Episode 13: DAM Strategy with Peter Krogh

55 min

DAM Strategy, Omnipurpose Systems, and the Future of Structured Media Lisa Grimm and Elizabeth Keathley talk with Peter Krogh about how DAM strategy has evolved from simple asset storage into something much broader: organizational memory, connected systems, and highly structured information workflows. Peter explains how his background in photography and consulting led him into DAM, and why the future of DAM is less about one giant system and more about interoperable, purpose-built instances that can share data cleanly. They discuss where DAM systems come from, why their original use case still shapes their limits, and how AI can be useful when it works on top of strong structure rather than replacing it. The conversation also touches on governance, accessibility, sustainability, and how DAM teams can prove value by creating data worth keeping. Resources & Links: Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and PractitionersPractical DAM2026 DAM Salary SurveyElizabeth Keathley's LinkedInLisa Grimm's websitePeter Krogh's websiteOriginal music for podcast by Steve Serra

Episode 12: Brand Portals with Ashantè Fray

49 min

Brand portals, DAM and the vendor side This episode introduces Ashantè Fray, onboarding manager at Air, and explores how brand portals fit into digital asset management. Lisa Grimm and Elizabeth Keathley use the conversation to unpack when a brand portal is useful, how it differs from a traditional DAM, and why the human side of vendor relationships matters as much as the software. We discuss creative workflows, governance, raw files versus finals, and the career paths available on the vendor side. It is especially useful for DAM managers, marketers, and anyone trying to understand how brand assets should be shared, controlled, and maintained over time. Also, Canada! Resources & Links: Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and PractitionersPractical DAM2026 DAM Salary SurveyElizabeth Keathley's LinkedInLisa Grimm's websiteAshantè Fray's LinkedInOriginal music for podcast by Steve Serra

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All episodes

Episode 14: The Future of DAM with Ruben Cantu

41 min

The Future of DAM with Ruben Cantu In the last regular episode that ties in with a chapter of Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and Practitioners, hosts Lisa Grimm and Elizabeth Keathley talk with Ruben Cantu about where DAM is heading. The conversation covers building order in from the moment of creation and why AI can't replace the people who run DAM systems. It also covers bringing DAM to small businesses and community archives, and building a worker-driven DAM community. At its core, DAM is people: just not in a Soylent Green way, we hope! Resources & Links: Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and PractitionersPractical DAM2026 DAM Salary SurveyElizabeth Keathley's LinkedInLisa Grimm's LinkedInLisa Grimm's websiteRuben Cantu's LinkedInDAM Folk DiscordOriginal music for podcast by Steve Serra

Episode 13: DAM Strategy with Peter Krogh

55 min

DAM Strategy, Omnipurpose Systems, and the Future of Structured Media Lisa Grimm and Elizabeth Keathley talk with Peter Krogh about how DAM strategy has evolved from simple asset storage into something much broader: organizational memory, connected systems, and highly structured information workflows. Peter explains how his background in photography and consulting led him into DAM, and why the future of DAM is less about one giant system and more about interoperable, purpose-built instances that can share data cleanly. They discuss where DAM systems come from, why their original use case still shapes their limits, and how AI can be useful when it works on top of strong structure rather than replacing it. The conversation also touches on governance, accessibility, sustainability, and how DAM teams can prove value by creating data worth keeping. Resources & Links: Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and PractitionersPractical DAM2026 DAM Salary SurveyElizabeth Keathley's LinkedInLisa Grimm's websitePeter Krogh's websiteOriginal music for podcast by Steve Serra

Episode 12: Brand Portals with Ashantè Fray

49 min

Brand portals, DAM and the vendor side This episode introduces Ashantè Fray, onboarding manager at Air, and explores how brand portals fit into digital asset management. Lisa Grimm and Elizabeth Keathley use the conversation to unpack when a brand portal is useful, how it differs from a traditional DAM, and why the human side of vendor relationships matters as much as the software. We discuss creative workflows, governance, raw files versus finals, and the career paths available on the vendor side. It is especially useful for DAM managers, marketers, and anyone trying to understand how brand assets should be shared, controlled, and maintained over time. Also, Canada! Resources & Links: Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and PractitionersPractical DAM2026 DAM Salary SurveyElizabeth Keathley's LinkedInLisa Grimm's websiteAshantè Fray's LinkedInOriginal music for podcast by Steve Serra

Episode 11: DAM Migration with Jacq Yu

58 min

  Migration, metadata, and why DAM never ends Lisa Grimm and Elizabeth Keathley are joined by Jacqueline Yu for a practical conversation about DAM migration, metadata cleanup, governance, and the realities of integrating DAM with the rest of an enterprise stack. Jack brings firsthand experience from a major move off an old OpenText system into a new SaaS environment, plus a wider perspective shaped by library science, hospitality, and opera .In this episode, the group focuses on what migration really means once you move past the slogan of “lift and shift” and into content audits, rights management, security modeling, change management, and cleanup after launch. They also dig into how DAM sits inside a broader information architecture with CMS, PIM, MDM, CDNs, and other systems. Notable quotes “There is no done. There is only next.” “It’s people. It’s the people.” “If you want to save money start unpublishing things.” Resources & Links: Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and PractitionersPractical DAM2026 DAM Salary SurveyElizabeth Keathley's LinkedInLisa Grimm's websiteJacq Yu's LinkedInOriginal music for podcast by Steve Serra

Episode 10: DAM Workflows with Celine Millinder

45 min

Workflows, governance, and maturity in DAM Lisa Grimm and E Keathley are joined by Celine Millinder to unpack how workflows actually work in digital asset management, where they break down, and why governance matters as much as the technology. The conversation moves from Celine’s career path across photography, museums, charity, and commercial DAM work into a practical discussion of workflow maturity, interoperability, and documentation. If you are setting up DAM workflows, trying to improve messy approvals, or figuring out whether a process should even be automated, this episode is a useful reality check. Resources & Links: Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and PractitionersPractical DAM2026 DAM Salary SurveyElizabeth Keathley's LinkedInLisa Grimm's websiteCeline Millender's LinkedInOriginal music for podcast by Steve Serra

Episode 9: DAM Metrics with Fred Rascoe

48 min

DAM Metrics That Work Lisa Grimm and Elizabeth Keathley are joined by Fred Rascoe to rethink what metrics should do in digital asset management (DAM) and library systems. Rather than chasing vanity numbers or default vendor reports, they focus on how to measure real use, prove value, and connect reporting to the decisions an organization actually makes. They also dig into the overlap between library land and DAM: custodial versus post-custodial collections, licensing, discovery, preservation, and why the language you use can shape both the data you collect and how leadership interprets it. Resources & Links: Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and PractitionersPractical DAM2026 DAM Salary SurveyElizabeth Keathley's LinkedInLisa Grimm's websiteFred Rascoe's LinkedInLost in the StacksOriginal music for podcast by Steve Serra

Episode 8: Finding Assets with Clemency Wright

56 min

 Finding Assets with Clemency Wright In this episode, Clemency Wright, an expert in search and metadata, shares her extensive experience with keywording, metadata strategies, and how these elements are essential to effective digital asset management. Whether you’re managing a small library or a large digital archive, her insights help demystify the process and emphasize the strategic importance of metadata.   Resources & Links: The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI by Corey DotrowPractical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and PractitionersPractical DAMElizabeth Keathley's LinkedInLisa Grimm's websiteClemency Wright's LinkedInClemency Wright's websiteOriginal music for podcast by Steve Serra

Episode 7: Making DAM Usable with Meg Morrissey

1 hr 7 min

Lisa Grimm and Elizabeth Keathley are joined by Meg Morrissey for a practical conversation about what makes a digital asset management system usable in the real world. They focus on the operational foundations behind successful DAM programs, from ownership and metadata modeling to governance, training, and change management. Meg brings a broad practitioner perspective as a librarian, taxonomist, archivist, consultant, vendor-side collaborator, and former DAM manager. The discussion stays grounded in what it takes to make a DAM work for users, leadership, and the people maintaining it.   Resources & Links: Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and PractitionersPractical DAMElizabeth Keathley's LinkedInLisa Grimm's websiteMeg Morrissey's websiteDAM Salary Survey 2024Original music for podcast by Steve Serra.

Episode 6: Assets to Manage with Eric Reber

1 hr 5 min

Episode 6: Assets to Manage Lisa Grimm and E Keathley are joined by Eric Reber, whose background spans libraries, archives, media, and corporate DAM implementations. This episode breaks down what “assets to manage” really means when your content includes physical objects, layered design files, decades of legacy media, and systems that were never built to talk to each other. In this episode, the conversation gets practical fast: what makes an asset “complex,” why metadata choices matter, and why timelines for DAM implementations are usually fantasy. Eric shares hard-earned lessons from CNN, Carter’s, and his current work helping a company stand up Adobe Experience Manager while sorting through massive content sprawl. Resources & Links: Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and PractitionersPractical DAMElizabeth Keathley's LinkedInLisa Grimm's websiteEric Reber's LinkedInDAM Salary Survey 2024Original music for podcast by Steve Serra.

Episode 5: DAM Jobs with Alison King

45 min

Lisa Grimm and Elizabeth Keathley are joined by Alison King for a practical conversation about career pivots, transferable skills, and how librarians and other information professionals can move into digital asset management and related fields. They break down what counts as relevant experience, why so many people underestimate their own value, and how to spot job postings that are badly written, underpaid, or just plain unrealistic. In this episode, they explore the real language of DAM hiring, the impact of vocational awe on career decisions, and the keywords that can help candidates find roles that fit their experience.   Resources & Links: Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and PractitionersPractical DAMElizabeth Keathley's LinkedInLisa Grimm's websiteAlison King's LinkedInOriginal music for podcast by Steve Serra.

Episode 4: DAM Hosting with Mary Katherine Barnes

43 min

DAM Storage, Hosting, and What Really Shapes DAM Decisions Lisa Grimm and Elizabeth Keathley are joined by Mary Katherine Barnes for a conversation that starts with career paths into digital asset management and moves into the practical realities of hosting, storage, security, and governance. Also, some DAM gossip. Resources & Links Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and PractitionersPractical DAM websiteElizabeth Keathley's LinkedInLisa Grimm's websiteMary Katherine's LinkedInOriginal music for podcast by Steve Serra

Episode 3: Choosing a DAM with Ralph Windsor

37 min

Choosing a DAM with Ralph Windsor In this episode of Practical DAM, Lisa and Elizabeth are joined by DAM veteran Ralph Windsor to explore how organizations can select the right DAM system, avoid common pitfalls, and build lasting vendor relationships. Whether you're implementing your first DAM or upgrading, Ralph’s expertise sheds light on strategic decision-making and vendor management. Key Topics: Ralph Windsor’s journey in digital asset management since 1995, from coding to consultingThe importance of auditing existing systems before choosing a new DAMCommon mistakes in DAM selection and how to avoid themThe role of demos versus RFPs in vendor evaluationManaging vendor relationships and sales cultureHow to transition smoothly after DAM procurementThe myth of "enterprise" vs "small vendor" and the value of smaller, honest firmsLong-term contract considerations and avoiding lock-insThe impact of industry maturity and AI advancements on DAM systemsTips for handling vendor negotiations and setting realistic expectations  Resources & Links: Practical Digital Asset Management: A Guide for Students and PractitionersPractical DAMElizabeth Keithley's LinkedInLisa Grimm's websiteActivo - Ralph's employerOpen Specification for DAM - Ralph Windsor's resource for DAM questions  Connect with Ralph Windsor: LinkedIn  Additional notes: Be wary of long-term contracts; Ralph advises sticking to a maximum of three years initially.Smaller vendors often provide more personalized service and greater honesty about their capabilities.Always align vendor expectations with contractual commitments and know who your vendor team will be post-deployment. Original music for podcast by Steve Serra.

Episode 2: Time for DAM with Seema Caron

45 min

Episode 2: Time for DAM with Seema Caron Main Topics: The role of DAM consultants in system launch, migration, and optimizationIdentifying key inflection points for bringing in DAM expertiseStrategies for building a successful DAM consulting practiceThe importance of education, advocacy, and community support in DAMChallenges and rewards of working independently versus in-house DAM rolesLeveraging AI and LLMs within DAM platformsBuilding trust and effective communication with clients and vendorsBusiness development, pipeline management, and realistic expectations in consulting Lisa Grimm's websiteElizabeth Keathley's LinkedInSeema Caron's WebsiteDAM DiscordPractical DAM bookPractical DAM website Original music for podcast by Steve Serra.

Episode 1: Intro to DAM with Henrik de Gyor

46 min

Episode 1: Introduction to DAM, with Henrik De Gyor   In this episode of Practical DAM, Lisa Grimm and co-host Elizabeth Keathley welcome Henrik De Gyor to explore the fundamentals of digital asset management (DAM). Whether you're new to DAM or looking to deepen your understanding, this discussion covers the evolution, core characteristics, and practical insights essential for effective DAM implementation. Lisa Grimm's websiteElizabeth Keathley's LinkedInHenrik de Gyor's LinkedInPractical DAM bookPractical DAM website Original music for podcast by Steve Serra.

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