In this episode, Jeremy Toeman talks with his former boss Mark Larkin, who began as an unpaid CNET intern at age 27 and rose through 15–20 different roles to become president of CNET’s portfolio under CBS. Mark lays out the exact behaviors that got him noticed early (showing up before anyone else, volunteering for extra tasks) and how he translated producer skills into leadership by learning to speak the languages of editorial, engineering, and product. He explains why he said yes to a coast-to-coast stretch running CBS News Digital (living on airplanes for three years), how he managed each promotion (from segment producer to SVP/GM of CNET), and why he ultimately chose to sell CNET back when CBS divested non-core brands. Along the way, he offers real talk on imposter syndrome, balancing “the grind” with work-life health, and what it means to leave a legacy for future teams.
If you’ve ever wondered how to turn a low-level internship into a multi-decade career or how to build cross-functional empathy in a fast-moving digital media environment, Mark’s journey is full of practical takeaways.
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