Advertise on podcast: Growth Talks: Growth Marketing Strategies & Insights

In this episode of Growth Talks, Brie Temple, Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Matchmaker at Tawkify, joins host Tyler Elliston, CEO and founder of Right Side Up, to share what it takes to grow a curated, closed marketplace where human judgment is the product. She explains how Tawkify balances both sides of a high-stakes match, protects its quality bar as its network grows, and uses feedback after every date to refine the process. Brie also breaks down how Tawkify markets a service people are often discreet about, why lifetime value works differently in a business built to succeed itself out of a customer, and how the team is launching a lower-touch product to make matchmaking more accessible without compromising the human element that makes it work. 🗝️ Key Takeaways: Curation is the value proposition: A closed marketplace only works if the quality bar holds. Screen everyone who enters, and be willing to refund and part ways when you can't deliver. Human feedback is a competitive advantage: Honest, loving feedback after every match is something an app can't replicate. Every iteration sharpens the next match and helps clients understand what they actually need. Rethink lifetime value: When success means a client no longer needs you, renewals matter less. Focus on adding value within the customer's journey instead of extending it. Marketing around privacy takes creativity: When happy customers stay quiet, lean on discretion, standout testimonials, and the transformation story, not just the wedding announcement. Productize without losing your core: To reach new audiences at a lower price point, pool support and streamline the experience while preserving the curation and privacy people trust you for. ⏰ Timestamps 00:03 - Introduction to Tawkify and matchmaking 01:32 - How matchmaking works and why it's resurging 03:29 - Growing the network vs. protecting the quality bar 05:53 - Defining success for members vs. matchmaker clients 08:24 - The value of honest feedback in dating 12:02 - Why a closed network beats an app model 13:14 - Core anchors in romantic matchmaking 16:54 - Where human judgment matters most 17:44 - Channel mix and customer acquisition 20:10 - Testimonials, privacy, and stigma 24:47 - The impact of helping both sides of the marketplace 26:30 - Reaching the right customer at the right moment 28:51 - The A/B Test 30:43 - Do opposites really attract? 35:00 - Launching a lower-touch product without losing the brand 41:47 - Industry trends and the future of matchmaking 🔗 Mentioned in this episode: Tawkify: https://www.tawkify.com/ We'll be dropping episodes every other week. Want to follow along and listen to new episodes when they're released? Subscribe to Growth Talks on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of Growth Talks, Michael Goodbody, a CEO, CMO, and FinTech growth leader, joins Right Side Up's Krystina Rubino to unpack more than 15 years spent scaling companies like Robinhood, Dave, and Credit Karma from early-stage startups into household names. He breaks down how to diagnose whether a growth problem is really a performance problem, a brand problem, or a trust problem, and why getting that diagnosis right determines everything that comes next. Michael also shares how he proved that brand sponsorships drive measurable revenue at Robinhood, why financial decisions require convincing both the "rational" and "irrational" brain, and how his view of marketing has evolved as he steps into the CEO seat of a new AI-era startup. 🗝️ Key Takeaways: Brand and performance aren't competing budgets, they're multipliers. Strong brand trust makes every performance dollar convert better; skipping the foundational layers just grows your competitors' demand capture.  Speak to stakeholders in their own language. Technical, data-driven leadership teams buy into brand investment when it's framed as a testable, measurable component of a larger marketing algorithm, not a creative leap of faith.  Trust can be tested like anything else. Michael's Washington Wizards sponsorship at Robinhood used a match-market test to trace a clear, laggy path from awareness to trust to subscription growth.  FinTech decisions require both brains. Rational benefits win the "monkey brain," but urgency and emotional trust are what get the "lizard brain" to actually click.  AI gets you to "okay" fast, but humans are needed for "great." The real leadership skill now is knowing which 10% of the work still demands an A+ and protecting the time to get there. ⏰ Timestamps  00:00 Michael Goodbody's Journey from Robinhood to FinTech CEO  02:10 Diagnosing Growth Constraints: Performance, Brand, or Trust?  05:18 Translating Brand Value for Data-Driven Leadership Teams  09:16 Marketing as an Algorithm: Why the CFO Is Your Best Partner  14:22 Where Brand Actually Shows Up in the Funnel  16:57 Case Study: The Washington Wizards Sponsorship Test  23:29 Proving the Trust-to-Revenue Cascade  25:53 What Marketers Get Wrong About Consumer Behavior in FinTech  27:53 The "Monkey Brain" vs. the "Lizard Brain"  32:34 Balancing Brand and Acquisition  37:14 Winning Over Every Internal Stakeholder, Not Just the Loudest  38:14 The A/B Test 45:14 From CMO to CEO: Building a New Company in the AI Era  47:26 Does Every Startup Still Need a Traditional Marketing Team?  52:50 The "Okay" Trap: Where AI Falls Short of Great  58:24 Why Humans Are Starting to Tune Out AI-Sounding Content  1:07:39 Michael's Favorite Growth Non-Hack: Building and Unblocking Great Teams 🔗 Mentioned in this episode:  Robinhood: https://robinhood.com/ Dave: https://www.dave.com/  Credit Karma: https://www.creditkarma.com/  Wise: https://wise.com/  SoFi: https://www.sofi.com/   We'll be dropping episodes every other week. Want to follow along and listen to new episodes when they're released? Subscribe to Growth Talks on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of Growth Talks, Andrew Silard, fractional head of growth and advisor to companies including Maven Clinic, OpenRouter, Just AI, and Appy, joins Right Side Up Founder and host Tyler Elliston to unpack the growth lessons from his time leading growth marketing at Notion and Grove. He breaks down the critical shift from exploration to exploitation, why spreading your budget too thin across channels can quietly stall growth, and how the "spike test" can reveal whether a channel is actually worth doubling down on. Andrew also shares how AI is reshaping marketing teams in real time—from Slack-based AI agents to the risks of vibe-coded prototypes that never scale—and offers a practical framework for CMOs deciding when to build AI tools in-house versus buy point solutions. 🗝️ Key Takeaways: Exploration and exploitation require different skills. The scrappy experimentation that gets you to product-market fit can actually work against you once it's time to scale and focus. Run a spike test before you commit. Pushing 5–10x more investment into a channel for a short burst reveals whether your product-channel fit is real or illusory. Segmentation is a growth unlock, not a nice-to-have. Getting precise about who you're solving a problem for sharpens positioning and turns loose product-market fit into tight product-market fit. Marketing's job is to be the voice of the customer. Pairing quantitative data with real customer conversations builds the credibility to influence the rest of the organization. AI adoption in marketing is still early. The biggest near-term wins are Slack-based AI agents and a centralized "context brain"—not fully AI-native teams. ⏰ Timestamps 00:00 Welcome & Introducing Andrew Silard 00:50 Building Growth Across Startups: Lessons from Notion and Grove 01:20 Exploration vs. Exploitation: The Two Phases of Growth 05:09 Signs You're Stuck in Exploration Mode 07:53 The Spike Test: Validating Product-Channel Fit 16:55 Understanding Marginal CAC and Incrementality 18:13 Segmentation, Positioning, and Go-to-Market Strategy 24:49 Marketing as the Voice of the Customer 28:15 Where AI Is (and Isn't) Delivering Value in Marketing 32:16 AI Agents in Slack and the Rise of Devin 36:22 Building an AI-Native Marketing Team: Buy vs. Build 41:19 Should Growth Teams Go All-In on AI? 44:14 A/B Test 45:38 Growth Strategy in 2026: Efficiency vs. Growth 48:59 Building Early-Stage Marketing Teams in the AI Era 🔗 Mentioned in this episode: Notion: https://www.notion.com/ Grove Collaborative: https://www.grove.co/ Maven Clinic: https://www.mavenclinic.com/ OpenRouter: https://openrouter.ai/ Reforge: https://www.reforge.com/ Cognition (Devin): https://www.cognition.ai/ We'll be dropping episodes every other week. Want to follow along and listen to new episodes when they're released? Subscribe to Growth Talks on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of Growth Talks, Tatiana Birgisson, COO at Serval, the AI-native enterprise service management platform, joins host Krystina Rubino to unpack the mental models that have carried her from founding a beverage company out of her dorm room to scaling go-to-market at Rippling to building an entire function from scratch in a category that barely exists yet. Tatiana breaks down her "stacked S curves" framework for sustaining growth, explains why executional excellence is the only way to know when a channel is really fizzling out, and shares how Serval discovered it had less than 1% visibility in LLM search results—and what they did to fix it. 🗝️ Key Takeaways: Growth isn't one curve, it's many. The best growth leaders launch the next channel before the current one peaks—waiting for the metrics to soften means you're already too late. Executional excellence comes before diagnosis. You can't tell if a channel is truly maturing until you've ruled out that you're just running it poorly. LLM visibility is the new SEO. Serval found they had under 1% visibility for their core terms in AI search tools—and treated it as a wake-up call, not a footnote. Management is changing. Fewer standing meetings, fewer layers, more "super ICs"—the best managers are still doing the hardest work themselves, not just coordinating it. Judgment beats hours. In an AI-native world, the edge goes to whoever can spot the highest-priority problem and apply exceptional taste—a skill Tatiana has seen consistently in parents. ⏰ Timestamps 00:00 Introduction with Krystina Rubino 01:25 From Founder to Operator: Lessons from Mati Energy 06:58 Building Rippling's Cross-Sell Function from Scratch 14:54 The Stacked S Curve Model, Explained 17:41 Knowing When a Channel Is Really Peaking 20:37 Defending New Bets to a Skeptical CFO 22:50 Why Serval Bet on LLM Search Over Google 30:22 The A/B Test 37:24 Unlearning "Professional Management" 44:42 GTM Strategy that Cuts through the AI Noise 46:49 Why Parents Make Great Operators in the AI Era 55:09 Tatiana's Favorite Growth Non-Hack 🔗 Mentioned in this episode: Serval: https://www.getserval.com/ Rippling: https://www.rippling.com/ We'll be dropping episodes every other week. Want to follow along and listen to new episodes when they're released? Subscribe to Growth Talks on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of Growth Talks, Nikki Jackson, Head of Demand Generation at Gusto, joins host Krystina Rubino to share how she's spent the past year building AI fluency across her entire team—from scrappy, self-taught agent building to structured Learning Days and quarterly OKRs. Nikki breaks down exactly how she got a whole demand gen team comfortable experimenting, failing, and sharing in public, and why that discomfort is the real unlock.   Nikki also digs into how she measures the ROI of AI adoption, how she's using Claude as a "second brain" to move faster with data, and why staying customer-first and authentic matters more than ever in a world full of AI-generated noise. She closes with a candid take on women, AI, and marketing leadership—and why nobody actually has it all figured out.   🗝️ Key Takeaways: Lean into the uncomfortable. Real AI fluency comes from hands-on building and failing in public—not waiting until you feel ready. Structure accelerates adoption. Dedicated AI Learning Days, IT/security onboarding, and quarterly agent-building OKRs turned curiosity into consistent team-wide progress. ROI isn't as fuzzy as it feels. Time savings and efficiency gains from AI agents can be tracked concretely—don't let "it's hard to measure" become a blocker. AI is a second brain, not a replacement. Conversational access to data frees up strategic time and elevates conversations with analysts instead of eliminating them. Authenticity is the differentiator. As AI content scales, a distinct voice and point of view—especially for women in marketing—become the real competitive edge.   ⏰ Timestamps 00:00 Meet Nikki Jackson: Building AI Fluency at Gusto 01:02 How Nikki's AI Journey Started 03:34 Structuring a Team-Wide AI Rollout 07:24 Clearing IT and Security Hurdles 08:46 AI Learning Days in Action 09:56 Quarterly Agent-Building OKRs 12:07 Measuring the ROI of AI Fluency 16:10 Building a Prioritization Rubric with AI 19:04 AI as a Second Brain for Data 23:27 The A/B Test: Nikki's Quick-Fire Round 29:42 Women, AI, and Marketing Leadership 34:57 Staying Authentic Amid AI Slop 39:40 Marketing to Busy SMB Owners 44:44 Brand Storytelling at Gusto 46:16 Creating Demand Before the Search Begins 50:48 Nikki's Favorite Growth Non-Hack   🔗 Mentioned in this episode: Gusto: https://gusto.com/   We'll be dropping episodes every other week. Want to follow along and listen to new episodes when they're released? Subscribe to Growth Talks on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

As you look ahead to 2026, what's rising to the top of your marketing priorities? In this special episode of Growth Talks with Krystina Rubino, we highlight our favorite CMO insights on building brands that customers trust and love.  It's packed with insights on subjects all CMOs should be thinking about today, such as brand versus performance marketing, incorporating AI into your marketing strategy, and how to build and enable your team. 🗝️Key Takeaways: Tamara Mendelsohn, COO at Overstory and former CMO at Eventbrite, shares why brand and performance aren't competing priorities and how real growth comes from bringing both teams together. Jaleh Bisharat, former fractional CMO at Skillshare, argues that the best CMOs think like CEOs, focusing on what the business truly needs, even if that means reallocating budget away from marketing. Katelyn Watson, CMO at Talkspace, recommends that leaders step into an AI-native mindset and rethink how teams create, connect, and scale brands. Aaron Magness, CMO at Full Glass Wine Co., highlights why effective marketing leaders should stop obsessing over tactics and instead focus on hiring great talent, setting clear expectations, and deeply understanding the business and its narrative. Cate Lochead, CMO at Bentley Systems, shares how leading with empathy creates more authentic campaigns and builds deeper connections with customers. Matt Gehring, CMO & Advisor, details how clear data definitions such as clarity around LTR versus LTV keep teams aligned and focused on the metrics that matter. ⏰  Timestamps 00:42: Tamara Mendehlson 04:21: Jaleh Bisharat 06:09: Katelyn Watson 08:41: Aaron Magness 10:30: Cate Lochead 13:09: Matt Gehring 🔗  Mentioned in this episode: Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/ Skillshare: https://www.skillshare.com Talkspace: https://www.talkspace.com/ Full Glass Co: https://www.fullglass.wine/ Bentley Systems: https://www.bentley.com/ 👍 Did you enjoy this video? Don't forget to click the like button! And find more episodes of Growth Talks here: https://bit.ly/3xXGJJc 🤝 Connect with Right Side Up Right Side Up is a premium growth marketing agency that has helped more than 1,000+ companies hit their growth goals.  ‣ Check us out and send us a note at: https://bit.ly/4bfaBQt ‣ Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3HWiJYD ‣ Subscribe to our marketing newsletter: http://bit.ly/44SEjbu ‣ Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightsideup/ ‣ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RightSideUpCo/ ‣ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rightsideupco

The fastest-growing brands treat customer insight like a strategy—not just a survey. In this week's episode of Growth Talks, CMO & Advisor, Matt Gehring joins host Tyler Elliston, founder and CEO of Right Side Up, to unpack what it takes to succeed in your first 90 days as a marketing leader. Drawing from his leadership roles at Dutch Pet, Everlane, and Rothy's, Matt shares how to map the customer journey, turn post-purchase insights into smart segmentation strategies, and use real-time data to drive repeat purchases. Find out why acting on customer insights early is key to refining your product, aligning your team, and making informed decisions before you scale. 🗝️ Key Takeaways: Start with listening. In your first 90 days as CMO, forget quick wins and shiny tactics. Your real job? Uncover the real issues, gain your team's trust, and align the org around a shared understanding of success. Smart teams adjust early. When customer insights tell a different story about your product, don't rush to scale. Hit pause, review feedback, and pivot. Sometimes the smartest move is starting over. Don't confuse revenue with value. Always calculate LTV using gross margin—not top-line revenue. It's the only way to get a true LTV:CAC ratio and avoid scaling based on a false signal. Personalization is about context. It's not about crafting the perfect one-to-one offer—it's about using what you already know, like ad intent or entry point, to create the customer experience at every touchpoint. Post-purchase is a powerful growth lever. Use customer data to track what they bought and when they bought it to inform segmentation. Then test upsells, cross-sells, and timing to drive repeat purchases and increase lifetime value. Insights drive action. When Rothy's opened its first store, it created a direct feedback loop. Store associates captured what drew customers in, offering real-time insights that led to smarter product decisions and more effective marketing. Start with why. Focus groups, surveys, and AI all have value—but only when used intentionally. As you scale, tools like AI and surveys can help synthesize insights, but they're no replacement for talking to real users. ⏰  Timestamps 02:52 Navigating the First 90 Days 05:45 Building Trust with Teams 08:59 Understanding Customer Dynamics 11:57 The Importance of Data Definitions 18:01 Defining the Customer Journey 21:12 Personalization in Marketing 27:02 Segmentation and Post-Purchase Strategies 32:59 Understanding LTV and CAC Calculations 40:32 DefiningCustomer Acquisition Costs 44:44 The Importance of Consumer Insights 🔗  Mentioned in this episode: Lifeforce: https://www.mylifeforce.com/ Dutch Pet: https://www.dutch.com/ Everlane: https://www.everlane.com/ Rothy's: https://rothys.com/ Hims: https://www.hims.com/ 👍 Did you enjoy this video? Don't forget to click the like button! And find more episodes of Growth Talks here: https://bit.ly/3xXGJJc 🤝 Connect with Right Side Up Right Side Up is a premium growth marketing agency that has helped more than 1,000+ companies hit their growth goals.  ‣ Check us out and send us a note at: https://bit.ly/4bfaBQt ‣ Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3HWiJYD ‣ Subscribe to our marketing newsletter: http://bit.ly/44SEjbu ‣ Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightsideup/ ‣ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RightSideUpCo/ ‣ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rightsideupco

Every marketing leader should give their team an AI framework for rethinking how they work. In this week's episode of Growth Talks, Vanessa Hope Schneider, Head of Marketing at Decript, joins host Tyler Elliston, Founder and CEO of Right Side Up, to break down how AI is becoming core to every marketer's role and what that shift means for how modern teams operate. Drawing on her leadership experience from Airbnb, Eventbrite, and Descript, Vanessa outlines a framework for helping teams adopt AI while preserving the human element that defines great marketing.  Find out why learning AI tools and experimenting with real workflows is key to understanding where AI adds value and setting your team up for success. 🗝️ Key Takeaways: Lead with identity. Every disruptive brand starts by tapping into something deeper than function—it connects to pride, purpose, and self-expression. When people see themselves in what you're building, adoption follows. Try out this AI framework. 1) Use AI to research and synthesize insights, 2) automate repeatable workflows, and 3) connect your tools to create smarter systems that improve efficiency and decision-making. Turn personas into prompts. Build GPTs trained on real customer research to test messaging and ad creatives to sharpen your GTM strategy. One setup can boost speed and alignment across every campaign. Expand your creative options. From early brand concepts to visual patterns, use AI to help your design team explore ideas faster, gather feedback, and make more confident creative decisions. From prompt to production. Turn a single video concept into a first draft with scripted scenes and multilingual voiceovers. Use AI in creative ideation so your team spends less time setting up and more time storytelling. New AI-native marketing teams need two key roles. AI-native builders who design the workflows, and people with taste who choose the strongest creative direction. Together, they'll set your team up for future success. Take an AI vacation. Block off a week to immerse yourself in the tools. Upload strategy docs, test workflows, and explore new use cases. The best way to lead your team into AI is to experience it yourself.   Timestamps 02:51 Balancing Culture and Performance 05:09 Disruption and Identity in Marketing 08:07 Expanding the Customer Base with AI 11.22 User Profiles and Market Education 16:51 Practical Frameworks for AI Marketing 22.54 AI's Impact on Video and Storytelling 31.43 Navigating the Future of Synthetic Media 34.28 Inside Airbnb's Superhost Success 43.31 Building AI Marketing Teams 🔗  Mentioned in this episode: Descript: https://www.descript.com/ Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/ Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/ Replit: https://replit.com/ai Lindy: https://www.lindy.ai/ Bolt: https://bolt.new/ ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/ Claude: https://claude.ai/ Zapier: https://zapier.com/ Relay: https://www.relay.app/ 👍 Did you enjoy this video? Don't forget to click the like button! And find more episodes of Growth Talks here: https://bit.ly/3xXGJJc 🤝 Connect with Right Side Up Right Side Up is a premium growth marketing agency that has helped more than 1,000+ companies hit their growth goals.  ‣ Check us out and send us a note at: https://bit.ly/4bfaBQt ‣ Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3HWiJYD ‣ Subscribe to our marketing newsletter: http://bit.ly/44SEjbu ‣ Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightsideup/ ‣ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RightSideUpCo/ ‣ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rightsideupco

When everyone can generate AI content, taste and storytelling are the new performance metrics. In this week's episode of Growth Talks, Everett Butler, Head of Marketing at Lindy, joins host Krystina Rubino to unpack what it takes to bring a brand-new product category to market when there is no roadmap, no search volume, and no shared language. With over fifteen years of experience scaling teams at Tesla, Uber, and Affirm, Everett shares how to apply first principles thinking to build a go-to-market strategy grounded in fundamentals, aligned with real customer needs, and focused on clarity over complexity. Tune in to learn the key traits Everett looks for in modern AI marketers — and why taste, product-led storytelling, and genuine curiosity are more valuable than ever. 🗝️Key Takeaways: Vision shapes strategy. When you're launching a product, don't copy a playbook. Create one. Start from first principles: know who needs you, what problem you solve, and tell that story clearly. Ship, Test, Learn. When you're defining a new category, don't get stuck on semantics. Use real language in campaigns and see what engages your audience. Go-to-market is part marketing and part anthropology. Embrace the Uncertainty. In the age of AI, no one has all the answers. The best marketers balance curiosity for new tools with a steady focus on timeless principles and solid fundamentals. Scale What Sticks. Sustainable growth starts with retention. The best teams track activation quality, prioritize lifetime value, and reward customer loyalty. Lead with Storytelling. As AI handles more of the mechanics of marketing, the edge belongs to those who can curate taste, tell meaningful stories, and create emotional connections that last. Build for Tomorrow. The teams that scale best invest early in process, shared language, and cross-functional alignment. Those foundations create leverage that lasts well beyond the next campaign. Use AI to Elevate. AI can handle the tasks, but it can't replace your creativity or intuition. The next generation of marketers will use that freedom to think strategically and lead the next wave of innovation. ⏰  Timestamps 02:12 Defining New Product Categories 05:34 How New AI Marketing Shift 10:38 Channel Selection and Sequencing  15:45 Retention in Growth Marketing 21:13 Marketing Clarity Comes From Context 30:47 Common Mistakes in Scaling Teams 35:56 Storytelling in the AI World 42:03 Challenging the Status Quo 45:31 The Quintessential Growth Non-Hack  Mentioned in this episode: Lindy: https://www.lindy.ai/ Uber: https://www.uber.com/ Affirm: https://www.affirm.com/ Tesla: https://www.tesla.com/ Thumbtack: https://www.thumbtack.com/ Elena Verna: https://www.elenaverna.com/ Rick Rubin: https://www.thewayofcode.com/ 👍 Did you enjoy this video? Don't forget to click the like button! And find more episodes of Growth Talks here: https://bit.ly/3xXGJJc 🤝 Connect with Right Side Up Right Side Up is a premium growth marketing agency that has helped more than 1,000+ companies hit their growth goals. ‣ Check us out and send us a note at: https://bit.ly/4bfaBQt ‣ Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3HWiJYD ‣ Subscribe to our marketing newsletter: http://bit.ly/44SEjbu ‣ Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightsideup/ ‣ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RightSideUpCo/ ‣ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rightsideupco

If your messaging isn't aligned with your product experience, you're just buying churn. In this week's episode of Growth Talks, Jordan Hwang, VP of Marketing at OpenPhone (now Quo) joins host Krystina Rubino to unpack how B2B marketers can adopt a smarter growth mindset; one that prioritizes product alignment, experimentation, and trust. With over 15 years of experience at fast-moving startups like Gusto andEvernote, Jordan shares how to translate product value into messaging that resonates, build buy-in for bold bets, and design experiments that create impactful insight, not just short-term results. Find out how today's most effective teams connect brand, product, and performance across every stage of the funnel. 🗝️Key Takeaways: Build small. Test often. Smart marketers experiment frequently and explore new channels with low lift and low risk. They set expectations early and invest in learning, not just outcomes. Transparency builds trust. Senior leaders don't need perfection. They need clarity. When you're upfront about the risks, you create space for real alignment and stronger team support. Change starts with alignment. Before refining product messaging, get clear on what's working, what's not, and why. Keep what resonates with customers and be willing to change what doesn't. Start with your customer. Business buyers don't want complexity; they want to know your product will work, won't waste their time, and won't put them at risk. Test to learn. A healthy experimentation culture starts with consistency and strong design. When tests are built around clear hypotheses, you generate repeatable insight, not just lucky wins. Speed beats perfection. The cost of waiting often outweighs the risk of being wrong. A test-and-roll mindset helps you outlearn the competition while they're still calculating. ⏰  Timestamps 01.42 Building Gusto's Growth Engine 05:42 Importance of Trust in Growth Strategies 08:47 Balancing Risk and Reward in Growth 11:32 Navigating Change Management  18.28 Positioning Product Marketing and Messaging 23.02 Understanding Buyers Needs and Outcomes 41.12 Lessons Learned from Scaling Growth 44.15 How to Speak Your Audiences Language 🔗  Mentioned in this episode: Quo (formerly OpenPhone): https://www.openphone.com/ Gusto: https://gusto.com/ Test & Roll Methodology: https://ron-berman.com/2020/01/26/test-and-roll/ 👍 Did you enjoy this video? Don't forget to click the like button! And find more episodes of Growth Talks here: https://bit.ly/3xXGJJc   🤝 Connect with Right Side Up Right Side Up is a premium growth marketing agency that has helped more than 1,000+ companies hit their growth goals.  ‣ Check us out and send us a note at: https://bit.ly/4bfaBQt ‣ Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3HWiJYD ‣ Subscribe to our marketing newsletter: http://bit.ly/44SEjbu ‣ Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightsideup/ ‣ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RightSideUpCo/ ‣ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rightsideupco

Brand is the promise you make to customers and the experience you deliver every time. In this week's episode of Growth Talks, Tamara Mendelsohn, former CMO of Eventbrite, joins host Krystina Rubino to share her marketing playbook for building brand value across every touchpoint. From designing scalable growth loops to tracking the metrics that actually matter, Tamara breaks down the core drivers behind Eventbrite's success and the mindset shift every marketer needs to drive long-term growth. Find out how great marketers align brand and performance teams, choose the right signals, and use curiosity and customer insight to build brands people love. 🗝️Key Takeaways: Connection drives retention. Your funnel should mirror what your customers truly care about. If people don't see themselves in your brand, you're missing the real growth opportunity. No silver bullet metric. Monitor brand health by tracking signals like search volume and traffic. When those numbers start to climb, it's a clear sign you're building both awareness and intent. Beyond the funnel. Marketers should think in loops, not just stages. Follow where customers enter, how to nurture them, and how to accelerate their path to purchase. Test your value prop. Early on, paid marketing shouldn't be about juicing growth. Use it to validate product-market fit, refine your messaging, and identify the best customer segments. Brand is the promise. It's not your logo or campaign. It's the promise you make to your customers and how well you deliver on it. The best brands win by offering real value, not by outspending the competition. Lean into AI. The best marketers use AI to help their teams move faster, test smarter, and drive customer impact. Embracing new technology is how you stay ahead of the competition. ⏰  Timestamps 01:34 Building a Scalable Marketing Strategy 05:06 Full-Funnel Marketing That Converts 10:15 Why Ads Alone Won't Build Your Brand 14:20 Brand Metrics That Actually Matter 17:52 Top Measurement Mistakes to Avoid 23:53 How to Pick the Right Channels 32:06 Avoiding Risk in Marketing Spend 34:04 Key Stages of Marketing Strategy 49.38 The Core Drivers of Brand Success 🔗  Mentioned in this episode: Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/ Casey Winters Growth Loops Simon Sinek Ted Talk 👍 Did you enjoy this video? Don't forget to click the like button! And find more episodes of Growth Talks here: https://bit.ly/3xXGJJc 🤝 Connect with Right Side Up Right Side Up is a premium growth marketing agency that has helped more than 1,000+ companies hit their growth goals.  ‣Check us out and send us a note at: https://bit.ly/4bfaBQt ‣ Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3HWiJYD ‣ Subscribe to our marketing newsletter: http://bit.ly/44SEjbu ‣ Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightsideup/ ‣ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RightSideUpCo/ ‣ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rightsideupco

Not everything that drives growth shows up in Google Analytics. IIn this week's episode of Growth Talks, Matt Bahr, Co-Founder of Fairing, joins host Krystina Rubino how survey data is reshaping attribution, helping brands uncover what truly influences customer decisions in today's complex media landscape. Drawing on 15 years of experience from leading global e-commerce at Master & Dynamic to building Fairing, Matt shares why PR might matter more in an AI-driven world, how post-purchase surveys complement ad pixels, and the key strategies marketers need to move beyond the last click.  Find out how Fairing is helping leading brands turn real-time insights into smarter strategies and long-term growth. 🗝️Key Takeaways: Brand is the ultimate differentiator. Launching $400 headphones against Bose and Sony, Master & Dynamic matched ad spend with PR, because in crowded markets, the brand story wins. PR is the new SEO. Every article, feature, and mention becomes searchable proof of your brand. Press today fuels AI tomorrow and drives continued visibility, trust, and growth. Surveys complement ad pixels. Post-purchase surveys drive 70–80% response rates, turning traditional research into clear, real-time customer attribution marketers can trust. Triangulation reveals the bigger picture. Perfect attribution doesn't exist, but actionable insights do. Layering surveys, promo codes, and MMM reveals a fuller view of the customer's path to purchase. Measure beyond the last click. If the final click is all that counts, podcasts, influencers, and streaming ads get erased. The customer journey is always bigger than what Google Analytics shows. Continued learning is the real growth hack. Testing without an agenda wastes data. The best teams document insights so every experiment improves sales, product, and marketing. ⏰  Timestamps 02:12 Launching Products in Competitive Markets 05:20 Brand Storytelling as a Growth Multiplier 06:55 Building a Scalable E-commerce Engine 13:27 How Fairing is Solving Market Gaps 24:05 Surveys That Map the Customer Journey 27:45 From Measurement to Customer Insight 42:03 Fixing Attribution's Biggest Blind Spots 46:24 Avoiding Survey Design Mistakes 49:48 Learning Faster with Collective Intelligence 🔗  Mentioned in this episode: Fairing: https://fairing.co/ Master & Dynamic: https://www.masterdynamic.com/ 👍 Did you enjoy this video? Don't forget to click the like button! And find more episodes of Growth Talks here: https://bit.ly/3xXGJJc

Great work happens at the intersection of enthusiasm and conviction. In this week's episode of Growth Talks, Mallory Contois, VP of Growth at Maven, joins host Krystina Rubino to discuss her marketing philosophy for building brands and communities that people love. Drawing on lessons from her time at Pinterest and Mercury, Mallory shares how a customer-first approach fosters genuine connection and lays the foundation for long-term success. At Maven, Mallory is now focused on championing adult learning, bringing more smart people together to teach and learn from one another. And as Founder of The Old Girls Club, she unpacks why and how she's built a thriving network where women in tech can connect, grow, and support one another. 🗝️Key Takeaways: Deep user empathy is a competitive edge. The best products aren't built on assumptions; they're built by teams who truly understand their users. Authenticity scales when it's real. Pinterest's early growth came from real users sharing what they loved. No incentives, no performance, just authentic enthusiasm. You can't buy community. Real community-led growth starts with showing up, listening, and earning trust—not with events, swag, or splashy budgets. The best work happens at the intersection of belief and passion. When you have both conviction that something will work and personal enthusiasm for it, you're in the sweet spot. Learning is the new currency. Great leaders don't just hire talent; they cultivate it. Teams that prioritize upskilling outperform when the market shifts. Experience is the best teacher. Setbacks aren't failures, they're feedback. The best marketers use them to adapt fast and make better decisions. ⏰  Timestamps 01:56 Lessons from Pinterest's Early Growth 05:20 How Social Platforms Shape User Behavior 10:05 Leveraging Data for Smarter Marketing 12:12 Scaling Community on a Startup Budget at Mercury 17:02 Maven and the Future of Upskilling 20:06 Balancing Enthusiasm and Conviction in Work 32:24 How Old Girls Club Helps Women Thrive 46:23 Favorite Growth Marketing Non Hack 🔗  Mentioned in this episode: Maven: https://maven.com/ Mercury: https://mercury.com/ The Old Girls Club: https://www.jointheogc.com/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ Cameo: https://www.cameo.com/ 👍Did you enjoy this video? Don't forget to click the like button! And find more episodes of Growth Talks here: https://bit.ly/3xXGJJc 🤝Connect with Right Side Up Right Side Up is a premium growth marketing agency that has helped more than 1,000+ companies hit their growth goals. Check us out and send us a note at: https://bit.ly/4bfaBQt ‣ Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3HWiJYD ‣ Subscribe to our marketing newsletter: http://bit.ly/44SEjbu ‣ Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightsideup/ ‣ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RightSideUpCo/ ‣ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rightsideupco

Marketing today should be a team sport. The companies that thrive are the ones who align product and brand around a shared mission. In this week's episode of Growth Talks, Pranav Piyush, CEO of Paramark, joins host Krystina Rubino to share leadership strategies for aligning product, marketing, and finance to drive business success. As a former marketing leader at companies like BILL and Adobe,  Pranav unpacks how to recognize growth plateaus, lead change with clarity, and foster high-trust relationships with finance. From refining your brand-performance connection to activating your community as a true growth engine, this episode provides sharp insights for building a company that lasts. 🗝️Key Takeaways: Product-market fit is everything. Great marketing teams solve a real problem first, then build strategy and messaging around it. Stakeholders matter. CMOs don't just lead marketing; they manage up, down, and across the organization. Influence is as critical as strategy and execution. Plateaus test your strategy. The best leaders lean in, dig into the data, recalibrate fast, and unlock new levers for growth others miss. Finance is your growth partner. CMOs who win long-term build trust with finance early. They connect brand marketing to revenue and sell the vision with numbers. Think like your customer. Great marketers walk in their buyer's shoes. They ask better questions, speak the customer's language, and build experiences that resonate. Test with intention. Smart teams don't just run experiments—they learn from each one. Clear hypotheses and expectations drive better outcomes. Community is a growth engine. Top brands turn their audience into advocates. Community builds loyalty, word-of-mouth, and lasting momentum. ⏰  Timestamps 01:45 Importance of Product Market Fit 03:33 Navigating Organizational Shifts 08:26 Leading Through Growth Plateaus 13:25 Stakeholder Management as a CMO 20:33 Partnering with Finance for Success 29:45 Bridging Marketing and Data Teams 37:08 Knowing When to Pivot in Marketing 41:08 Why the Best Marketers Learn From Every Test 44:05 Step Into the Buyer's Journey 46:23 Community as a Growth Non-Hack 🔗  Mentioned in this episode: Paramark: https://paramark.com/ PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/ Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/ BILL: https://www.bill.com/ 👍Did you enjoy this video? Don't forget to click the like button! And find more episodes of Growth Talks here: https://bit.ly/3xXGJJc 🤝Connect with Right Side Up Right Side Up is a premium growth marketing agency that has helped more than 1,000+ companies hit their growth goals. Check us out and send us a note at: https://bit.ly/4bfaBQt ‣ Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3HWiJYD ‣ Subscribe to our marketing newsletter: http://bit.ly/44SEjbu ‣ Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightsideup/ ‣ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RightSideUpCo/ ‣ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rightsideupco

Great brands are built on one big idea. And every campaign and customer touchpoint should connect back to that big idea. In this episode of Growth Talks, Katelyn Watson, CMO of Talkspace, joins Right Side Up Founder and host Tyler Elliston to share her marketing philosophy for building brands that last. Drawing on more than 20 years leading growth at companies like Nurx and Shutterfly, Katelyn reveals how grounding your brand in customer insights, aligning teams around shared goals, and thinking like a performance marketer can unlock stronger partnerships, faster scaling, and sustained growth. She also shares lessons from high-impact rebrands and authentic influencer campaigns that have helped her build trust, relevance, and long-term brand equity. 🗝️ Key Takeaways: Nail the first 90 days. Great CMOs lead with clarity. They set priorities early, define the mission, and earn trust fast. Listen first, then message. The best marketers build strategy around what customers actually need. Brand awareness still matters. Top of funnel builds recognition, earns credibility, and fuels long-term growth. The affiliate advantage. Smart CMOs double down on what works, and affiliate programs consistently deliver. Strategic partnerships drive real impact. Growth isn't always paid. Brand partners expand reach and create lasting value. Authenticity wins in influencer marketing. Real stories resonate, foster community, and drive meaningful conversion. ⏰  Timestamps 01:54 Leading Brand Transformation  08:15 How to Leverage Marketing Agencies  11:30  AI's Role in Brand and Marketing Strategy  22:55 Strategic Partnerships for Scalable Growth  29:38 Guiding Early-Stage Companies  36:23 Influencer Marketing That Drives Results 38:40 Building Successful Long-Term Partnerships   41:32  Measuring What Matters in Marketing  46:25 Rethinking Organic Social Strategy       🔗  Mentioned in this episode: Talkspace: https://www.talkspace.com/ Nurx: https://www.nurx.com/ American Express: https://www.americanexpress.com/ Shutterfly: https://www.shutterfly.com/ 👍Did you enjoy this video? Don't forget to click the like button! And find more episodes of Growth Talks here: https://bit.ly/3xXGJJc   🤝 Connect with Right Side Up Right Side Up is a premium growth marketing agency that has helped more than 1,000+ companies hit their growth goals. Check us out and send us a note at: https://bit.ly/4bfaBQt ‣ Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3HWiJYD ‣ Subscribe to our marketing newsletter: http://bit.ly/44SEjbu ‣ Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightsideup/ ‣ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RightSideUpCo/ ‣ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rightsideupco