Growth League Podcast

Madelaine Brewer shares her unique journey from a business student passionate about food to a marketing leader driving growth across Mezza's expanding footprint from Manhattan to Charlotte, NC. She dives into the challenges of balancing first-party and third-party sales channels in the fast casual dining industry, the importance of strong team leadership, and how digital marketing and loyalty programs play a vital role in their strategy.

Jessica opens up about the importance of mentorship, continuous learning, and how she's forging her own unique leadership style focused on servant leadership and empowering her team. She also discusses the challenges of navigating AI adoption in marketing, managing shrinking budgets and resources, and the discipline required to stay focused amid the “shiny objects” of marketing trends.

Jennifer dives deep into balancing leadership at a fast-growing startup with the demands of new motherhood, emphasizing empathy, autonomy, and hands-on marketing leadership. She opens up about scaling a lean marketing team, navigating retail marketing in a tech environment, and the critical importance of saying no to prioritize high-impact projects.

Tamra shares how her background in high-performance innovation and customer-focused strategy prepared her for the challenges of leading marketing efforts. In this insightful conversation, she discusses the importance of creating a frictionless customer experience, leveraging data for innovation, and her personal evolution as a marketing leader.

Jenna opens up about how her experiences, from Disney's magic to the grit of scaling a brand from the ground up, have shaped her approach to marketing. She discusses the importance of relationship-building, storytelling, and the balance of personal growth with professional ambition. Jenna also dives into the challenges and rewards of leading a lean marketing team, navigating franchise relationships, and making a lasting impact on the company's culture and legacy.

Discover how Rob's foundational beliefs in human connection, emotional marketing, and customer experience have shaped his approach to scaling businesses. Learn about his insights from his Disney mentorship, the challenges of scaling a brand while staying connected with customers, and why he believes that the key to success lies in understanding people's emotions, not just selling products.

Janelle opens up about the challenges of transitioning from a solo marketer to managing a team, including the art of delegation, nurturing team trust, and learning to lead with empathy and self-awareness. She also offers a candid look at balancing personal tragedy with professional accountability, illustrating the importance of work-life integration over work-life balance.

Shereen takes us through her journey at Sambazon, where she has been a driving force in transitioning the brand from a CPG-focused model to expanding its presence in physical stores and franchises. From managing limited marketing budgets to overseeing an in-house marketing team, Shereen shares her insights on scaling a brand while staying authentic to its core values.

Elizabeth discusses the balance between creativity and consistency, the challenges of maintaining a strong brand identity across multiple locations, and her role in steering Mellow Mushroom through significant changes

Kelsey shares her unique journey from hospitality to leading marketing efforts in a rapidly growing tech company. We explore the strategies that have helped Marqii build a consistent, powerful brand, from aligning sales and marketing teams to scaling marketing efforts without losing touch with their target audience.

Kim shares valuable insights into managing multiple restaurant brands with a lean marketing team, staying steady under pressure, and successfully balancing both strategy and execution. She explains how she creates impactful marketing campaigns while juggling the unique needs of each restaurant brand under her care.

Sam dives into her journey from big tech to the startup world and shares invaluable insights on how to create a marketing culture where innovation thrives. Whether you're a marketing leader, manager, or just starting out, Sam's advice will inspire you to rethink how you lead and grow teams for long-term success.

Bernadette talks about how Osmos further prioritizes high-impact tasks and how she balances immediate results with long-term goals. She further emphasizes the importance of listening to both customer and team member ideas, while balancing these with the company's overall strategy.

Alicyn Emerick shares her inspiring journey through the marketing world and how she rose to a leadership position in commercial real estate marketing. From overcoming challenges in B2B marketing to leading a team with creativity and mentorship, Alicyn offers valuable insights for marketers at any stage in their careers.

Arden shares how to build a business case for marketing budgets by showing both the analytical and emotional value of campaigns. This can be especially helpful for marketing leaders dealing with budget restrictions and proving ROI.

With over 20 years of marketing experience, Laura shares her journey from advertising and PR to leading marketing in the senior living industry. We dive into her approach to balancing growth, purpose, and community while leading a marketing team of one.

Julia reveals how she transformed a lean marketing team into an entire organization of marketers, her strategy for aligning marketing with business development, and why tackling the elephant in the room is her leadership superpower.

Let's discuss the power of scrappy, high-impact marketing teams. Mac shares how he transformed a bloated marketing budget into a lean, high-performing in-house team, built a culture of fearless execution, and aligned marketing and sales to drive real business impact.

Dan shares his unconventional path into marketing, how he built a brand team from scratch, and why empathy and storytelling are critical in today's fast-moving marketing landscape.

Paige Greenhough shares her journey from sales to government to global marketing leadership. She dives into the challenges of working with technical subject matter experts, the art of distilling complex projects into digestible narratives, and how to balance strategic planning with agility.

Tanya shares her experiences leading marketing efforts in a traditional industry, her strategies for balancing innovation with lean resources, and how she's leveraging AI strategically while maintaining human creativity.

Courtney opens up about the challenges of leading a lean marketing team, the power of entrepreneurial thinking in startups, and how marketing can drive revenue in highly regulated industries.

Blair shares her incredible journey into marketing leadership, detailing how her diverse experience across all facets of marketing shaped her empathetic approach to leading high-performing teams.

Tina opens up about Beavertails' journey, from grassroots marketing to its international expansion, while maintaining its unique and authentic charm.

Jared LaMantia shares how FitLab revolutionizes fitness with a unique multi-brand approach. From relays and studios to cutting-edge home equipment, FitLab meets customers where they are and helps them achieve their goals.

Caleb and Kate explore the intersection of marketing and personal growth, reflecting on Kate's first experience at a buzzing industry event, The Gathering. Expect a candid conversation about the evolution of marketing strategies and insights into how events can shape a marketer's perspective.

Jessie shares her insights into the ever-changing world of marketing leadership, how her background in business and sales shaped her career, and what it takes to build and execute successful marketing strategies.

Discover why Michael believes franchising is still a powerful vehicle for entrepreneurship and personal legacy. Michael also offers insights into team dynamics, the role of leadership, and how marketing and franchise sales intertwine. Whether you're curious about marketing strategies, leadership, or franchising, this conversation delivers actionable takeaways for business growth.

Tracey shares insights into her unique role, managing one of the most iconic fashion archives in the world. From preserving pieces dating back to 1873 to leveraging Levi's rich history for modern branding, Tracey discusses how storytelling through archives plays a crucial role in connecting the past with the present.

Robin shares his insights on how brands create emotional connections with consumers and explains the concept of an "emotional bank account" in branding. This discussion is packed with valuable knowledge on how to connect authentically with an audience through brand storytelling.

From global brands to professional sports, her experiences offer valuable lessons for anyone in the marketing field.

Brendon shares the unique journey from revitalizing an established name to challenging the norms in a traditionally conservative industry. From his early days in PR and sports marketing to shaping Sherwood into a top competitor, Brendon opens up about his insights on brand strategy, the importance of product excellence, and how Sherwood is striking a balance between affordability and high performance.

Advice from a marketing leader on building trust, taking bold bets, and fighting for the importance of brand investment.

Bill, the Head of Marketing at YETI, whose career spans powerhouse brands like Under Armour and SICK Gear, shares how pivotal career moments and a relentless team spirit have shaped his leadership style and marketing approach at YETI. From forging authentic connections to celebrating the founder mentality, Bill breaks down what it takes to bring a brand vision to life.

Discover how Summer Rain's experience in industries like automotive and construction has shaped her approach to driving brand awareness in the renewable energy space. From managing capacity constraints to cultivating career growth for her team, this conversation offers insights on navigating challenges, the importance of community, and what it takes to stay innovative in a fast-growing industry.

Bryan dives into key topics including the development of a growth matrix that drives impactful decision-making, the evolution of SEO in an AI-driven world, and how to build a high-performing marketing team that thrives on collaboration and results. Whether you're a marketing leader or just starting out, Bryan's insights on team dynamics, navigating digital marketing challenges, and the importance of cross-functional collaboration will inspire and inform your strategies.

Tune in to learn how Allison navigates the ever-evolving HVACR landscape, her approach to managing a lean team, and the marketing challenges that keep her up at night. Plus, Allison reveals her secret to balancing daily operations while thinking strategically and why knowing when to let go is her superpower.

You will gain key takeaways on building adaptive teams, setting clear goals, and measuring success with relevant KPIs. Aaron also explores the concept of "professional empathy" and how leaders can foster strong relationships with their teams and clients by listening and learning continuously.

Caleb Clark sits down with Ashley Safranski, VP of Marketing at uConnect, to explore her journey from higher education to leading marketing efforts in the B2B SaaS space. Ashley shares her unique path, the challenges of building a marketing team from scratch, and the parallels between recruiting students and driving sales in a tech company.

Kaitlin discusses the importance of building relationships, driving pipeline generation, and her passion for holistic go-to-market strategies. She also delves into the challenges of leading a lean team, finding the right talent, and fostering a culture of accountability and trust.

Tom shares his unique journey through the intersection of marketing and sales in the healthcare industry, highlighting the importance of relationship-building and strategic outreach in driving success.

Amber takes us through her incredible six-year journey at Damon, where she went from being the first business hire to spearheading the company's innovative product development and marketing strategies. In this episode, Amber shares her experiences and insights into leading a startup, building a brand from the ground up, and navigating the challenges of creating a product that revolutionizes motorcycling safety.

Mayssa shares her unique journey, from a passion for movies to a thriving career in marketing and technology. Discover how she seamlessly blends creativity with technical acumen to drive innovation and efficiency at Servomax.

Pedro answers tough questions about prioritizing tasks in a startup environment, dealing with sales and product challenges, and maintaining a customer-centric approach in marketing. Plus, he leaves a thought-provoking question for the next guest: "What is a marketing strategy that everyone claims works well but has never worked for you, and why?"

The role of marketing in fostering organizational cohesion and the importance of regular updates and collaboration.

Maria emphasizes the critical role of data in supporting marketing strategies and securing stakeholder approval while also acknowledging the occasional need for intuitive decision-making.

Ashley shares her journey from college to becoming a seasoned marketing leader, offering valuable insights into the world of marketing management, brand strategy, and the importance of empathy in leadership.

Discover how her intuition and holistic approach have propelled her success, and learn about the marketing challenges and triumphs.

Meagan opens up about the complexities of managing a marketing team with diverse roles and responsibilities. She reveals how her approach to communication has evolved, emphasizing the importance of aligning team efforts with overall corporate objectives through OKRs (Objectives and Key Results). Discover how Meagan balances the noise of constant feedback and maintains team morale by ensuring that team members focus on what they can control.

Explore strategies for building brand consistency, driving the firm's growth, and enhancing leadership skills. Whether you're a marketing professional or someone interested in the behind-the-scenes of a bustling department, this episode is packed with valuable insights.

- Ali's approach to strategic planning during busy periods. - The significance of brand consistency in professional services. - Insights on fostering effective team dynamics. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more insightful discussions with industry leaders!