The CMO Whisperer

My guest this week is back for another episode adventure. He was one of my very first guests on The CMO Whisperer—Dave Edelman. A longtime thought leader in marketing and customer experience, Dave has amassed over 1 million followers on LinkedIn. Over the past 30 years, he's led strategy and digital marketing practices at BCG, Digitas, and McKinsey, and also served as the Chief Marketing Officer at Aetna. Today, he's an executive advisor and senior fellow at Harvard Business School, where he works closely with enterprise-scale companies and AI startups. His new book, Personalized Customer Strategy in the Age of AI, debuted at number four on USA Today's Bestsellers list. And just for kicks—he was recently named an AI Trailblazer by Adweek. 

 My guest this week is Jennifer Renaud, CEO and board director at Coolhouse Botanics, where she leads corporate and portfolio strategy, operational expansion, and investor alignment for the Kradle pet wellness brand. With over 30 years of experience—including global marketing leadership at Oracle Marketing Cloud and Masonite—she excels in building enterprise value through growth strategy, brand revitalization, and cross-sector innovation. Throughout her career spanning enterprise technology, medical devices, building products, and CPG, Jen has reshaped organizations to outperform expectations, especially during periods of complexity, disruption, or scale-up. Beyond her executive acumen, Jen is a dynamic thought leader—most recently authoring a Medium series, From Brand Builder to Business Leader, on the CMO-to-CEO journey. And one last thing—Jen and I go way back to our days at Oracle, specifically Oracle Marketing Cloud. I'm proud to call her my friend, my mentor, and my confidant. 

My guest this week is DeLu Jackson, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at ADT. A seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience, DeLu has led marketing transformation at some of the world's most iconic brands, including McDonald's, Audi, Kellogg's, Nissan, Subaru, ConAgra, and now ADT. He's known for his data-driven, customer-first approach and for helping redefine what protection and connection mean in the smart home and small business security space. With an undergraduate degree in Politics from Princeton University and an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business, he brings both intellectual rigor and real-world results to the table. He's also an independent board director and a recognized thought leader in marketing, growth, and digital innovation. 

My guest this week is Evan Day. Evan is the VP of Digital Marketing at BriteCap Financial, where he's been mastering the art and science of making complex things simple for over 15 years. He's worked with giants like Comcast and global heavyweights in publishing, bringing data-driven strategy to the forefront at every stop. But that's not all. Evan is also pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology with a focus on neuroscience—because apparently having a master's in data science wasn't enough. Overachiever. He's diving deep into the fascinating intersection of brain science and marketing, figuring out what really makes people tick. When he's not being a marketing wizard, Evan is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt and a former college soccer player—who, I think, sometimes forgets that his knees have aged a bit faster than his ambition. 

My guest this week is Jenny Wall, Chief Marketing Officer at VideoAmp, a company that's transforming the world of media measurement and advertising performance. With over 30 years of experience leading marketing for some of the most iconic entertainment and tech brands—including HBO, Netflix, Hulu, and Nickelodeon—Jenny is known for creating bold, innovative campaigns that not only drive results but shape culture. She's also been recognized as one of Adweek's most influential women in advertising. 

My guest this week is making his second appearance on the CMO Whisperer podcast, and for good reason. He's a CMO who's helped Fortune 500 companies, startups, and even a scratch-made pizza shop break through the noise. He's driven $350 million in revenue from one campaign. He's sparked 45% growth in online grocery and built brands that lead with meaning and scale with precision. With over 25 years in the game, Bruce Hershey isn't just a marketer—he's a builder, a breaker, and someone who's redefining what it means to be a CMO. Bruce brings a rare mix of creative courage and operational discipline. But more than that, to me personally, he's a friend and a mentor—someone I continue to learn from every time we talk, including right now. He's back to share what's working, what's next, and how we lead with heart in an algorithmic world. And while he's never one to brag, let's just say any company looking to level up should be paying close attention—because Bruce is more than ready for whatever's next. And it's going to be big. 

My guest this week is someone whose career path may not be linear, but it's been anything but boring.  Jason Chebib started out in some of London's top ad agencies, including Ogilvy, Publicis, J. Walter Thompson, and BBDO, where he worked alongside CMOs and future CMOs at brands like Shell, Unilever, Dyson, Mars, and Ford. Then came a pivot—from creating campaigns to teaching the science behind them. Jason traveled the world, training the next generation of marketers in what actually works when it comes to growing brands. Eventually, he jumped back into the deep end—this time client-side at Diageo. First in Amsterdam, working on global strategy for Johnnie Walker, and then in New York as Head of Planning for Diageo North America, where he shaped the future of brands like Smirnoff, Baileys, Guinness, and Captain Morgan. Now fully rooted in the U.S., Jason has worn many hats—from advising agencies to serving as Committee Chair of Agency Relations at the ANA and Co-Chair of the Marketing Society in New York. He brings the kind of perspective that only comes from being deep in the trenches: agency, client, strategy, research, and education. And while he's not one to chase titles, let's just say his next chapter is wide open—and any brand would be lucky to have him. I am proud to call him my friend, my confidant, my mentor: Jason Chebib. 

My guest this week is Tory Pachis, CMO of Amica Mutual Insurance Company, based in Lincoln, Rhode Island. Tory is a seasoned insurance executive with nearly 25 years of industry experience. At Amica, he oversees five core areas within the marketing department: marketing, data science, media and platform, branding and communications, operations and project management, and digital experience. He joined the company in 2020 as Vice President of Marketing and has since led a brand renaissance. That includes bringing on a new advertising agency of record and refreshing Amica's logo and brand platform. Tory has also pushed the brand to pursue larger and more impactful opportunities to build name recognition. A couple of standout examples include the now-infamous Boston Celtics jersey patch — recognizable to any sports fan — and the naming rights to Providence's 13,000-seat arena, now known as the Amica Mutual Pavilion. He holds a BA in Journalism and an MA in Marketing Communications from the University of Connecticut. Outside of work, Tory enjoys time with his wife, Stacy, and their four children: Sophia, Christian, Jayden, and Rosie. You'll often find him coaching his kids' basketball games or serving the community through his work with Foster Forward, a nonprofit that empowers lives impacted by foster care. 

My guest this week is Doug Zarkin, a transformative leader in branding and marketing, known for his quick-thinking, human approach. His career highlights are many, including co-founding breakthrough advertising, youth entertainment, and lifestyle marketing campaigns; leading the successful launch of Avon's mark. brand; and elevating Victoria's Secret PINK into a national powerhouse. He also played a key role in driving brand transformations at Kenwood and Pro Vision. Doug is currently serving as Chief Brand Officer at NPC Brands, overseeing multiple companies. His achievements are detailed in his incredibly insightful book Moving Your Brand Out of the Friend Zone, available on Amazon and other major retailers. You can learn more about Doug and his work at dougzarkin.com. And one final career highlight, Doug, that I'm going to add to your bio: you're the very first guest on CMO Whisperer. 

My guest this week is an award-winning marketer, business executive, strategist, and brand innovator. Daniel Cherry III has extensive experience across sports, CPG, lifestyle, music and entertainment, and luxury consumer categories. He's had a storied career working with some of the world's most iconic brands, including DC Comics, Activision Blizzard Esports, the New Jersey Devils, the New York Cosmos, and now Adidas.His work has earned numerous awards and recognitions, including a Grammy nomination—we've got to get into that—a spot on Sports Business Journal's Top 40 Under 40, the Adweek Vanguard Award, and several Effies for advertising effectiveness. Daniel is also a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, a husband, and a proud father of two amazing daughters. 

My guest this week is Randi Stipes, the Chief Marketing Officer at The Weather Company, one of the world's most trusted brands and most accurate forecasters. No stranger to marketing transformation, Randi challenges marketers to think differently about the weather and its business implications across every industry. With nearly three decades in media and marketing, she has served in a variety of roles across product, editorial, sales, and marketing, all of which have provided her with a unique perspective to unlock creativity and drive high performance on the teams she manages. In her previous role at IBM, she led developer marketing and brand advertising, where she was instrumental in launching IBM's brand platform "Let's Create." She has received the industry's top recognitions and awards from Cannes Lions, Drum Festival, Media Globe Awards, and many more. She is proud to have been part of the 2024 award-winning "Weather Kids" global campaign, created in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, the World Meteorological Organization, and The Weather Channel. The campaign calls for urgent climate action for future generations. As an advocate for positive industry and societal disruption, she sits on the boards of the Ad Council, BRIDGE, and the ANA Brand Council. She's also a mentor at the Marketing Academy. 

My guest this week is Brian Irving, the Chief Marketing Officer of Lyft.  Brian has over two decades of experience building and marketing iconic global brands, including Meta, Eventbrite, Apple, Google, Levi's, and Airbnb. As CMO at Lyft, Brian leads all marketing, creative, and communications efforts for the brand. This includes developing strategy and executing product and brand marketing, overseeing the creative studio, managing social media, and handling external communications. Prior to joining Lyft, Brian was responsible for "branding the metaverse"—a phrase I love—while promoting a range of new product initiatives in the sector, including Oculus, Quest goggles, Ray-Ban smart glasses, and the Horizon VR world. At Meta, he led the Quest Pro launch, bringing the first-ever integrated sports partnership to the company with a multi-year content marketing and product deal in collaboration with the NBA. Previously, Brian was the CMO of Eventbrite, where he played a key role during the company's IPO and launched its first-ever brand campaign, Made for Those Who Do. At Airbnb, he introduced a new marketing and product positioning strategy called Live There, which encouraged travelers to "travel like a local" rather than being a tourist. Brian's path into marketing was nontraditional. He started as a financial analyst and business planning manager before transitioning into account management roles at Digitas and RAPP. Eventually, he moved in-house to lead brand marketing. Currently, Brian is based in San Francisco, where he lives with his son and his dog. 

My guest this week is Christy Haskins, the VP and CMO of La-Z-Boy, leading the brand reinvigoration efforts of the nearly 100-year-old—yes, 100!—beloved brand across consumer marketing, digital commerce, consumer insights, and creative. Previously, Christy worked across brands and portfolios at Whirlpool Corporation and Nestlé Purina PetCare. Her experience spans brand management, shopper and retail marketing, innovation, and category management across well-known brands like KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Beautiful, and Veega.

My guest today is Steve Rotter, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at DeepL, a global communications platform that enables over 100,000 businesses to transform communications, reach new markets, and improve productivity. Steve is an entrepreneur, evangelist, and author, bringing over two decades of tech marketing leadership experience to his role as CMO. A two-time founder, he has had three successful exits and has been part of three unicorn companies. Steve is deeply passionate about innovative marketing, AI, and branding. Prior to DeepL, Steve served as CMO of FourKites, where he spearheaded remarkable growth and revenue increases through targeted, account-based, and product-led growth (PLG) strategies, serving industry titans like Coca-Cola, Walmart, and Ford. His expertise also extends to CMO roles at OutSystems and Acrolinx, where he drove unicorn growth, established category leadership, and facilitated successful acquisitions. He has also held leading marketing positions at Adobe. 

My guest today is Melton Littlepage, CMO of 1Password—trusted by more than 100,000 businesses to protect their data. 1Password gives you complete control over passwords and other sensitive business information. Melton has a 20-plus-year track record of innovation, category creation, and growth acceleration at technology companies. Prior to joining 1Password, he was the CMO of Outreach—the leading sales execution platform—helping individual sales reps and entire revenue organizations create more pipelines and close more deals. At Outreach, Melton led global teams responsible for strategic communications, brand, demand generation, customer expansion, product marketing, community, and sales development. 

In this special two-for-one episode of The CMO Whisperer Podcast, host Steve Olenski welcomes two distinguished guests – John Kearon, Founder, System1 Group, and Joel Weinberger, Professor of Psychology, Derner School of Psychology.Together, they dive deep into the fascinating intersection of advertising, emotions, and decision-making, exploring how feelings drive actions and the role of familiarity and fear in marketing. From thought-provoking insights on the power of nostalgia to the balance between positivity and negativity in advertising, this conversation unpacks the science behind what makes campaigns truly resonate.Tune in to discover why "the more you feel, the more you do" and how brands can tap into human psychology to build stronger connections with their audiences.

 My guest today is Steven Fuld, the former Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Corporate Marketing at Sony Corporation of America. Steven led U.S. marketing efforts in collaboration with Sony's Tokyo headquarters and operating companies such as PlayStation, Sony Pictures, and Sony Electronics. His leadership spanned brand strategy and communications, enterprise marketing, technology, and loyalty program design. His team defined Sony's brand positioning, managed paid and organic channels, and created compelling content to strengthen market relevance.He spearheaded the development of an enterprise-wide martech stack that unified customer data, enabling deeper insights, predictive modeling, and targeted audience activation. Additionally, he oversaw a cross-company loyalty program, including co-branded credit cards like the Sony Card and PlayStation Card, all designed to drive engagement and sales.Before Sony, Steven was Managing Director at The Kessler Group, specializing in loyalty program design and co-branded credit cards. He also held roles in marketing and finance at Citigroup.He earned a B.A. in Political Science from Emory University. After leaving Sony, Steven took a few months off to recharge and reset. He is now actively pursuing roles that build on his experience leading marketing teams, enabling transitions, and rolling up his sleeves to get involved in the practice of marketing. 

 My guest today is Tim McDermott. Tim is the President of the Philadelphia Union and Union Sports and Entertainment, overseeing all club business operations. Since joining the Union in 2016, his efforts have focused on increasing brand strength, expanding the fan base, and enhancing revenue opportunities, while maintaining a commitment to growing soccer and positively impacting the community.Under his leadership, the Union have achieved significant milestones, including record partnership revenues, the largest season ticket base to date, and historical highs in television ratings, social media engagement, and media coverage. Previously, Tim served as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), the Philadelphia Eagles (NFL), and the Washington Capitals (NHL).During his tenure with the Eagles, the team was recognized by Forbes as the fastest-growing brand in sports. In 2011, Tim was named to the '40 Under 40' by the Philadelphia Business Journal, and in 2014, he received the CMO Club Programmatic Marketing Award. His brother, Sean McDermott, is the head coach of the Buffalo Bills. 

 My guest this week is Jenn Ogden-Reese, Chief Marketing Officer at On Location, a leading premium experiences company providing access to ticket packages with enhanced hospitality and premier end-to-end travel for bucket-list events. She has more than 25 years of experience building businesses and leading multi-platform marketing and strategy.Before joining On Location, she served as CMO at several high-growth companies, including 2U, an ed-tech company serving over 44 million registered learners, and SeatGeek, a leading mobile-first live event ticketing platform. Jenn launched her career at Time Inc., marketing brands from Sports Illustrated Kids to InStyle to People, holding various leadership positions, including SVP of Consumer Marketing.Jenn also serves as the Board Chair of Global Glimpse, a nonprofit organization providing international travel and leadership experiences to high school students. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Jenn lives in Westchester County, New York. In her spare time, she enjoys attending live events, skiing, and being a dedicated sports mom to her three sons. 

 My guest today is Suzanne Darmory, the Chief Marketing Officer at Profundo, the only minority-owned fintech platform in the tax industry, committed to fostering inclusivity in the communities they serve. In addition to founding her own boutique agency, The Agency That Sold Agnesi, she has spent her career on both the client side—working with companies like IBM, L'Oréal, and Jackson Hewitt—and the agency side in New York (Arnold Deutsch, Gray, JWT) and London (Bates UK, Euro KG, Ogilvy Mather).Suzanne brings over 25 years of international experience championing Fortune 500 brands and articulating their visions through innovative marketing and advertising initiatives. Her track record of driving transformative change, paired with a relentless focus on results, has solidified her reputation as a renowned industry leader.She has been recognized by Mars as one of the Top 100 Influencers in Marketing and Advertising, by Business Leaders Magazine as one of the Top 100 Business Leaders, and by Refinery29 as one of the 29 Most Powerful Women in Digital. She has also been featured on the Where Are the Boss Ladies list. 

My guest this week is Dara Treseder, the Chief Marketing Officer at Autodesk, a leading technology and software company that is transforming how the world is designed and made.She oversees global marketing, brand, communications, demand generation, e-commerce, and education business teams.As a veteran CMO, Dara has held key leadership roles, including Global Head of Marketing, Communications, and Membership at Peloton, CMO of Carbon, and CMO of GE Business Innovations and GE Ventures.Earlier in her career, she led marketing growth efforts at Apple and Goldman Sachs.She has been recognized by Forbes as the world's most influential CMO—let me say that again—recognized by Forbes as the world's most influential CMO. She was also the first Black person to be inducted into the Forbes CMO Hall of Fame.Beyond her professional achievements, Dara is a champion of public health, women's issues, and diversity and belonging.If that wasn't enough, she also serves on the boards of the Public Health Institute and Robin Hood.Finally, Dara graduated from Harvard with highest honors and holds an MBA from Stanford University. 

 My guest this week is Thomas Prather, the Chief Marketing Officer at Smashburger.Thomas brings over 30 years of marketing expertise, beginning in automotive advertising, where he managed Cadillac's resurgence in 1995. He transitioned to the food and beverage industry in 2003, joining Starbucks and eventually becoming VP of U.S. Retail Marketing.At Starbucks, he drove growth across more than 17,000 U.S. locations, notably overseeing the brand's third-party delivery partnerships with UberEats and DoorDash, while leading the brand's most successful fall season with the 20th anniversary of the Pumpkin Spice Latte.As Smashburger's CMO, Thomas now applies his extensive experience to drive the brand's growth through innovative global strategies focused on elevating Smashburger's brand presence. He aims to attract a broader audience by aligning the company's offerings with emerging trends and consumer expectations, all while ensuring the brand remains relevant and committed to delivering an exceptional guest experience. 

 My guest this week is Andy Rebhun. Andy joined as Chief Experience Officer in 2023. From 2019 to 2023, he held several senior leadership positions at El Pollo Loco, including Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Digital. Prior to that, he served in various marketing and digital leadership roles at McDonald's Corporation in Boston, Chicago, and Atlanta. Andy began his career in the Accelerated Marketing Development Program at Ford Motor Company. He holds a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. 

 My guest today is David Edelman. David's the former CMO of Aetna, and he's currently a senior lecturer in marketing at Harvard Business School. I've known David well over 10 years and we had an absolutely fascinating conversation focussing initially on AI and and the customer experience.One of David's recent HBR articles was "Customer Experience in the Age of AI" which are two topics that are very near and dear, at least they should be, for every marketer of the world. I hope you enjoy my conversation. 

 My guest today is Jeanniey Walden. Jeanniey is the senior vice president and CMO of Rite Aid and Thrifty Ice Cream. Her decades of experience span Fortune 500 companies and startups across a whole host of industries, including retail, health and wellness, consulting, ad agencies, fintech. Everything. If that weren't enough, she's also the host of her own network TV show called Liftoff. 

 My guest this week is a good friend who also happens to be one of the most influential marketers in the world, Raja Rajamannar, the CMO of Mastercard. Over his 10 years with the brand, he has transformed Mastercard into one of the top 10 most valuable brands in the world.At the helm of the iconic priceless platform, he and his team are on the cutting edge of experiential multi sensory marketing for consumers and customers alike. He has extended the reach and impact of the brand by embracing AI and Web3 technologies, while also pioneering new standards in inclusive design. 

 My guest this week is Dr. Marcus Collins, an award winning marketer, best selling author and former chief strategy officer at Wieden+Kennedy, and currently a marketing professor at the university of Michigan. Part marketing professor, part chief strategy officer, Dr. Marcus prescribes lots of advice for brand health. 

 My guest this week has been everywhere, man—or seemingly everywhere—from Converse to Starbucks to Procter & Gamble, to Coca-Cola, to his current role as Chief Brand Officer at Topgolf. I met Jeff Cottrill many moons ago during my days at Forbes. What an amazing conversation we had! We touched on so many different topics. You're really going to enjoy it. 

My guest this week is Edithann Ramey, the Chief Marketing Officer at Six Flags Entertainment, where she oversees marketing strategy, consumer experience, CRM, group sales, and revenue management for North America's largest regional theme and water park company.Before joining Six Flags, Edith Ann was CMO at On the Border, a Mexican casual dining chain where she developed the brand's global marketing strategy, elevating its presence through innovative menu promotions and guest-focused experiences.She also served as Senior Director of Brand Extensions at Topgolf, where she launched and marketed new brand properties including Top Tracer and Swing Suites, achieving double-digit growth for the company. Early in her career, Edith Ann held various roles at Chili's, including VP of Marketing, where she oversaw advertising, promotions, media planning, and PR across the U.S. She has also worked with Brinker International's Maggiano's Little Italy and held marketing positions at Nokia, Yum! Brands, and Cadbury Schweppes, contributing to brand and product innovation efforts.Edith Ann holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and an MSC in Corporate Communications from Boston University. Originally from Puerto Rico and raised in Mexico City, she now lives in Coppell, Texas with her husband Jason, their teenage twins, and two dogs, Nacho and Lulu. 

My guest today is Adam Haft, one of the few strategic and creative brands who has achieved success with Fortune 500 companies and startups.He sits on the boards of Scotts Miracle-Gro and 1-800 Flowers, and works with dozens of entrepreneurial founders to tell their essential stories across all channels.From a jolly and nimbleness to stripping away layers of bureaucracy to putting action and accountability together, there are shared learnings that can make big and small stronger.

My guest this week is Amina Pasha, CMO of Thrive Market. With more than a decade of experience in CPG marketing at P&G, followed by a pivotal role at The Honest Company, Pasha serves as the guardian of Thrive Market's mission-driven, e-commerce powerhouse. Thrive Market is now celebrating its 10th anniversary this November 10th by humanizing the online grocery mission—making healthy and sustainable living easy and affordable for everyone. She is leading the marketing team to create a cohesive story across every member touchpoint and encouraging her team to focus on impactful advertising strategies.Under her leadership, Thrive Market reached over 1 million members in 2020, became the largest grocer ever to receive B Corp certification, and provided more than $16 million in healthy groceries to those affected by food inequality. Now, in its 10th year, Thrive Market has more than 1.5 million paying members.Pasha was listed in Forbes' third annual CMO Next 2021 list as one of the country's top marketing chiefs, recognizing her success in leading Thrive Market's transformative, mission-driven marketing. She has also been honored as 'One to Watch' by Brand Innovators and recognized by Adweek for her notable career achievements. In 2022, she spoke at the Forbes CMO Summit on the importance of sustainable marketing at Thrive Market.Pasha has revitalized the brand by refocusing on its core mission of promoting healthy, accessible, and affordable living. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, she began her career at PNC and later joined The Honest Company. Outside of Thrive, she mentors female leaders and has lived in over 13 countries. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her family and embraces an active, health-conscious lifestyle.

My guest this week is Nic Chidiac, Chief Strategy Officer for Razorfish, where he oversees brand and experience strategy. He's worked with CMOs from the biggest brands in the world across a wider range of categories, including QSR, travel, tech, automotive and government. Formerly with Leo Burnett, Nic brings a global lens to his CMO perspective as well, having spent his career working across markets in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. We talk about everything you need to know about working with an agency, how to effectively use AI and what the changing role of the CMO means.

My guest this week is Oksana Sobol. Oksana leads the insights function at The Clorox Company, where she's implementing an agile, fast, and consumer centric insights model. Her global career spans everything from brand marketing and market research in her native Ukraine, and then the Czech Republic. She's worked for big companies like Nielsen, Kraft Foods, Unilever, J&J, and Mondelez.LinksOksana's LinkedInSteve's LinkedIn

My guest this week is former NBA player, Channing Frye. After an illustrious 14 year career, which included winning a championship in Cleveland with none other than LeBron James. Channing is now lead analyst for Warner Brothers Discovery, where he hosts the multitude of shows, including handles on NBA TV and his cohost of a very popular podcast with another NBA player, Richard Jefferson. Channing also started his own private wine label called Chosen Family Wines. Here's my highly entertaining conversation with Channing Frye.

My guest today is Doug Zarkin, former CMO of Pearle Vision and current Chief Brand Officer of Good Feet Worldwide. Doug's won Effie Awards and Cleo Awards and countless other awards that I can't even think of. I've known Doug for well over 10 years, and he is absolutely one of the brightest minds in all of marketing that I've ever met. Our conversation ranges from his thoughts on why emotions are so important when it comes to advertising, to what he deemed his most successful failure, to what it was like to be an Avon lady. I am beyond honored, beyond humbled to a call him my friend, and to have him a guest on my show.

Lee Roth is the co-founder of The Actionists, a platform designed to make marketing more actionable for businesses. He is an experienced marketer, entrepreneur, and agency leader. Driven by solving global, industry, and company problems, Lee founded the Action List with his co-founder, Pio Schunker. Lee has a diverse background in marketing, having worked at various levels in organizations such as Coca-Cola, PayPal, Been There, Done That, Ogilvy, and Kennedy. His experiences have shaped the development of the Action List, addressing the pain points of marketers at every stage. Throughout his career, Lee has had the opportunity to work with some of the most iconic brands, including Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nike, Starbucks, Disney, Gatorade, Apple, and Google. His diverse experience, combined with his ability to empathize, enables him to provide valuable insights and leadership to businesses facing complex challenges.

 My guest today is Chris Johnson. Chris is the managing partner of Tomorrow Today, a leading AI consulting firm that helps companies harness the transformative power of AI through strategic AI roadmaps and advanced AI implementations. He is also the founder and CEO of ELT, a full-service marketing agency focused on creating meaningful customer experiences based on strategic insights. With 30 years of experience leading clients through technological shifts, including the internet, e-commerce, social media, and digital marketing. 

My guest this week is Dawn Hudson from CEO to CMO, the chairman of the board, her career has spanned high level posts in media, retail, consumer goods, and on and on and on at brands like the NFL, Pepsi, Loews, P.F. Chang's, Nvidia, the LPGA.

My guest this week is Duncan Smith. Duncan is a seasoned media and communications strategist with over two decades of experience in media planning, buying, and agency leadership roles across London, Europe, and New York. Throughout his career, he has led top-tier agencies, spearheading the launch of connection planning departments, managing global multinational clients, and leading winning pitches for well over $4 billion in new business. Duncan's strategic vision, media expertise, and ability to construct communication strategies that deliver against business objectives have been instrumental in rebuilding agencies from the ground up. Currently, he is the Global Chief Product Officer at Journey Further, one of the most admired and culture-focused performance brand agencies in the world.

This week's guest is Elizabeth Maxson, or "Emax," a seasoned marketing professional with over 18 years of experience across industries such as nonprofit, automotive, and high tech. As the SVP and CMO of Tableau, a Salesforce company, she drives global go-to-market strategies. Throughout her career at Salesforce, Elizabeth has held various roles, including leading strategic partnerships with industry giants like AWS, Google, and Apple. She also led marketing for Quip, a Salesforce acquisition. Notably, during the COVID pandemic, she helped distribute over 50 million units of PPE to healthcare workers globally in partnership with UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, a career highlight she takes immense pride in. 

My guest this week is Eric Danetz. He's the president and founder of Spencer Grace Advisors, a consultancy helping organizations navigate change and achieve growth. Previously, he was the Global Chief Revenue Officer at Reuters, overseeing global sales and customer success. He's also served as the Chief Business Officer at AccuWeather and SBP, and GM at Time Inc. International, where he managed a portfolio of 90 brands in 170 countries. He's held executive roles at Fortune, Money, Alloy Digital, Newsweek, Daily Beast, CBS Interactive, CNET, and more. He's been a board member for the IAB Video, Bite the Block, and Silicon Alley Sports. Finally, he's a proud father of two, one of whom I just learned is a new driver—congratulations! He's an avid traveler, animal lover, and racket sports enthusiast. 

Marisa Thalberg is a globally recognized business strategist and brand-building innovator, known for leading brands like The Estée Lauder Companies, Taco Bell, and Lowe's Home Improvement to new heights of consumer resonance, cultural relevance, and business performance. Inducted into the Forbes CMO Hall of Fame, she also founded Executive Moms, an organization supporting professional women who are mothers. Marisa co-hosts the podcast Brand New Produce with iHeart Media and serves on multiple nonprofit boards, including the Blumenthal Center for the Performing Arts and the MMA Global Board. 

My guest this week is Tim Ringel, a serial entrepreneur with a passion and drive to push past that stubborn status quo. He's the global CEO of next gen advertising group called Meet the People. We talked about all sorts of things, including the role of AI in and omni channel marketing. Here's my conversation with Tim Ringel. 

My guest this week is Peter Jung, the CMO of NASCAR. We talked about how the brand is engaging younger audiences, what they're doing to engage audiences around the world, and who the competition for NASCAR.

My guest this week is Ashley Miles, the CEO of Franklin West, a new era business growth advisory and execution firm that is shaping the future of work in the growing on demand economy.  The firm was recently awarded by Inc. Magazine and Globee awards for its impact on Fortune 500 companies. Ashley's had an amazing career with stops at many different big brands.

My guest this week is Doug Milliken, former VP of Marketing Transformation at The Clorox Company. When he was there, he was responsible for the company's brand building and growth capabilities. His experience led to one inescapable conclusion; the performance of an organization is driven largely by its culture.

My guest this week is Shani Seidman, the CMO of Kayco Kosher Foods, the parent company of Manischewitz the 120 year old brand that she was just entrusted with the rebranding of. It was an incredible challenge that she met head on. She shares insights and tips for other CMOs going through rebrands.

In an unexpected twist, previous guest Oksana Sobol (and Insights Lead at Clorox), puts the CMO Whisperer in the hot seat for a podcast takeover. Oksana asks Steve about some of the key things he's learnt from doing this show, including insights on AI, data and the CMO tenure.

My Guest this week is Jess Shirra, a fractional CMO and the founder of the Fractional CMO School. Her days are spent supporting her seven figure clients, helping them grow their membership and core businesses. Additionally, she mentors other marketers to help them launch and grow their own fractional CMO business.With more than 15 years in the field, she's led marketing for both high growth startups, plus well known global brands such as Lululemon, Pottery Barn, Jenna Kutcher, Strava, and Deloitte to name just a few. Jess' philosophy is rooted in customer first marketing, which she believes makes marketing and sales effortless and cultivates fiercely loyal brand advocates.

My guest this week is Dan Gardner, the co founder and executive chairman of the technology first network Code and Theory. They work with brands like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, JP Morgan, Chase and more. We kick of talking about the eerie similarity between 2001 and 2024, and what marketers are missing about AI.

My guest this week is Ashley Black, the founder and CEO of Ashley Black Inc, Fashion Blaster and Advanced Regenerative Research Technologies and Associates. She's a multiple Stevie award winner for woman of the year, lifetime achievement and entrepreneur of the year.