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Elias Martinez, AVP for University Marketing at Texas State University, recently sat down with me on How The F** Did You Get That Job*. Elias gave us the real story of his wild ride from the middle of nowhere in New Mexico to the big time in higher ed marketing.
Elias' insights couldn't have come at a better time for higher ed marketers. The game is getting tougher, and students are getting pickier about where they want to spend their college years (and money). In a world where everyone's craving authenticity and relatability, Elias' approach to storytelling and brand-building is a masterclass in how universities can stand out from the crowd and actually connect with young people.
He makes it crystal clear that marketing isn't just about selling a product â it's about promoting opportunities and making a real difference. Elias is challenging higher ed marketers to take a long, hard look at what they're doing and how they can do it better. He's pushing them to think outside the box and get creative with their strategies â not just to boost enrollment numbers, but to create brands that actually mean something to students and society as a whole.
So if you're in higher ed marketing and you're not paying attention to what Elias has to say, you're missing out on some serious wisdom. This is your sign to start keeping it real, telling better stories, and making a real impact with your work. Because at the end of the day, that's what it's all about â not just selling a degree, but changing lives and making the world a little bit better, one student at a time.
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In the world of business, it's easy to assume that being the market leader is the ultimate goal. After all, who wouldn't want to dominate their industry and enjoy the spoils of success? But there's a compelling case to be made for the advantages of being a challenger brand - a company that may not be the top dog, but is hungry, agile, and ready to shake things up.
As Marissa Solis, SVP of Global Brand and Consumer Marketing for the NFL, puts it, "If you can combine both the swagger and the hunger, I think you get a perfect marketer." In other words, while market leaders may have the confidence that comes with their position, challenger brands have the drive and adaptability that can propel them to new heights.
In this episode, we'll explore the benefits of embracing the challenger mindset, from avoiding the pitfalls of complacency to connecting with underserved markets. We'll also examine real-world examples of companies that have leveraged their underdog status to achieve remarkable success. So buckle up and get ready to root for the underdogs.
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On the latest episode of "How The Fuck Did You Get That Job", we sat down with Heidi Anderson, a trailblazer who's gone from a small Danish town to the upper echelons of Silicon Valley. As the current CMO and CRO at Nextdoor, Heidi's journey includes impressive roles at Google and LinkedIn, where she played a vital part in driving these tech giants to new heights.
Heidi grew up in a tight-knit Danish community of just 100 people. But her curiosity and love for reading sparked dreams of exploring the world. Her path took her from the University of Southern Denmark to a life-changing gap year traveling the U.S., igniting a passion for the fast-paced, innovative spirit of Silicon Valley.
In this episode, Heidi discussed the ups and downs of navigating the tech world as an immigrant and a woman in leadership. She offered valuable advice for aspiring leaders, emphasizing the importance of building strong relationships, staying resilient, and constantly growing. Heidi's story is one of embracing opportunity, pushing beyond comfort zones, and harnessing the power of community to drive positive change.
You can also watch this conversation on Youtube.
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Picture this: you're a hotshot marketer, ready to take on the world. But you're faced with a tough choice â should you be a jack-of-all-trades or a master of one? It's the age-old debate between being a generalist or a specialist.To help us navigate this tricky terrain, we brought in Charlotte Mostaed, the CMO of Health-Ade Kombucha. Charlotte's got a multidisciplinary background in development studies, which has shaped her unique approach to marketing. She calls it "very general management focused." Basically, she's a boss at seeing the big picture.As Charlotte puts it, "This ability to do a very multidisciplinary major really, really spoke to me. And I would say that that's how I've now approached marketing and my brand of marketing, which is very general management focused." Her experience shows just how valuable a generalist mindset can be in marketing. But before we crown generalists the winners, weâre going to break down the merits of being a stone cold specialist in certain fields.In this article, we'll dive into the pros and cons of being a generalist or specialist in marketing, look at some real-world examples of successful marketers from both sides, and give you some actionable advice to help you navigate this complex landscape.
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Picture this: you're a marketing mastermind, perched atop your throne of brilliant ideas, ready to take on the world. But wait, what's that sound? It's the drumbeat of artificial intelligence, marching steadily toward your kingdom. Do you cower in fear, clutching your trusty whiteboard marker? Or do embrace your new robot overlords and use AI as your secret weapon in the battle for marketing supremacy?As Sophie Kelly, SVP of Global Tequila at Diageo, aptly put it, "Gone are the days of sitting in a room trying to think of all the possible ideas." The AI revolution is upon us, and it's not just a passing fad â it's a seismic shift in how we approach marketing. With AI tools readily accessible, we're no longer limited by the boundaries of our own imagination. We can feed the machine a few prompts and watch as it spits out a smorgasbord of ideas, each more tantalizing than the last.But here's the catch: having a vast array of options is only half the battle. The real challenge lies in navigating this sea of possibilities to uncover the true gems â the ideas that will resonate with your audience, drive engagement, and propel your brand to new heights. And that, my friends, is where the importance of creativity and fearlessness comes into play.
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In our insanely overstimulated and infinite world of social media, trying to communicate your brandâs message loudly to multiple generations simultaneously is like trying to juggle flaming chainsaws while riding a unicycle on a tightrope.As consumer decision-making becomes more collaborative and family-oriented, marketers must channel their inner circus performer and adapt their strategies to appeal to a diverse range of age groups. Each generation comes with its own quirks, preferences, and communication styles.The higher education sector is a perfect case study for this multigenerational marketing clusterf**k. As Gabriel Welsch, VP of Marketing and Communications at Duquesne University shared on the podcast this week, "In 90% of cases, the parents are a huge part of the decision, and increasingly the grandparents, because for millennial parents, whose kids are now growing and starting to look at college, the grandparents often were the caretakers. So they're very invested in their success as well." It's like a family reunion, but instead of arguing about who makes the best potato salad, they're debating which college has the most impressive dining hall.Below, we'll dive headfirst into the challenge of multigenerational marketing, using insights from the higher education sector and time spent talking with Garbiel Welsch as our guide. We'll explore each generation's unique characteristics and preferences, uncover best practices for crafting cohesive brand messages that resonate with audiences across the age spectrum, and equip you with the tools and knowledge needed to become a marketing superhero.
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In this super fun, super insightful interview (which we did on a yacht!?), we sat down with Olivia Donnan, VP of Branding Communications at YOTEL, to dive into her career journey and philosophies about how to stand out and build a world-class global brand in hospitality. From her early dreams of becoming an actress to navigating the multicultural nuances of international business, Olivia shares the lessons, challenges, and wins that have shaped her path. Like many of our guests on âHow the F**k Did You Get That Job?â, Oliviaâs education and career path are completely unrelated, and she gives practical advice for those starting out in their career and anxious make their mark early (hint: be patient!).One of our favorite parts of this interview as the candid look at what it takes to build and maintain a strong brand in the uber competitive world of hospitality, and how to maintain that brandâs consistency across continents. A great lesson for any budding global marketing executive.
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In this fascinating interview we cover:- Embracing New Platforms for Engagement: At NYC FC, Lauren harnessed the power of new platforms like TikTok for influencer marketing, highlighting the need to adapt to changing media landscapes for brand visibility and engagement.- Innovation in Agency Partnerships: Lauren discussed the evolving dynamics between brands and agencies, stressing the importance of creativity, commitment, and deep brand understanding in successful partnerships.- The Importance of Integrated Marketing: Lauren's diverse experiences taught her about taking an integrated marketing approach, where balancing various strategies effectively addresses different business challenges.- Data-Driven Creativity: She advocates for a balance between creativity and data in marketing, emphasizing that both are crucial for crafting engaging campaigns and resonating with audiences.- Future Trends in Marketing: Lauren predicts a future where marketing will be heavily influenced by the integration of new media and technology, focusing on creating personalized and engaging experiences for customers with things like AR & VR.In the disorientingly fast-changing world of marketing, itâs extremely important to make sure that you are creating a feedback loop between data and creativity. Marketing is the blend of art and science, and few people understand this as well as this weekâs podcast guest, Lauren Scrima.Lauren is the VP of Marketing at NYC FC. Her transition from studying political science to running multi-platform brand marketing departments symbolizes the necessity for marketers to be agile, adaptable, and continuously learning. Adaptability is particularly critical as this field is ever-evolving, the engagement platforms rise and fall and consumer engagement paradigms shift almost daily. âHow are we different?â is a question that must be asked and realized on a daily basis.Lauren started her career at the prestigious New Yorker Magazine as a sales associate before jumping over the brand side at Dr. Pepper Snapple, and later, the alcohol behemoth AB InBev. Each step in her journey gave her unique insights â from grappling with the emotional connections essential in marketing to the significance of data-driven strategies in sculpting compelling, unique brand narratives.Today Lauren is at NYC FC, and has been tasked with elevating the fledgling soccer brand in the highly competitive US sports market. She went gung-ho into influencer marketing and platforms like TikTok, underscoring her ability to adapt to new mediums and strategies. Her time at NYC FC has showcased her penchant for keeping creativity in marketing, while balancing it with an acute awareness of data to inform decision-making, resonate with audiences, and drive impactful brand engagement.
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Welcome to another episode of How the f**k did you get that job?" This week, we're excited to sit down with Jinal Shah, the GM and CMO of Zip US, a digital financial services company making credit accessible to as many people as possible.If you've ever been part of an exhilarating, fast-paced (aka f**king crazy) startup, you know that roles are often as flexible as they are demanding. In early-stage startups, job descriptions blur, departments merge, and you're expected to roll up your sleeves to get shit done. Jinal, as a leader navigating these fluid dynamics, took to this environment like a duck in water after spending years in the agency world. In her dual role as GM and CMO, Jinal has exhibited an understanding of the art and science of marketing that really impressed us. Sheâs been instrumental in fostering an environment at Zip US that values data-driven decision making, while also championing the creative potential of her team. Jinal consciously aims to be an inspirational leader, encouraging her team to explore, innovate, and continually push the boundaries of what's possible.I loved this conversation because it reinstated my belief that startups can have top tier creative talent in their ranks and that they neednât rely on fancy agencies to tell them how to talk to their customers. It was refreshing, inspiring, engaging.
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What experiences and influences shape standout marketing leaders? Abby Eddy, Director of Brand Management at Purdue University, joins us to peel back the curtain on her winding path to directing high-profile brand strategy initiatives.âFrom entrepreneurial childhoods to lateral career stepping stones, we overturn assumptions about the trajectory toward marketing leadership. We unpack with Abby how early talents were nurtured by those around her, planting seeds that blossomed over time.âWe go back to Abbyâs Girl Scout cookie sales outreach and the sway observing family businesses firsthand. Her stories spotlights how such early exposure cultivated natural competencies around positioning brands and engaging consumers.âAbby also discusses the impact of internships cementing marketing fundamentals beyond textbook concepts. We examine her stint as an orchestra librarian, revealing transferable strengths built in unconventional roles en route to marketing direction.âThroughout our discussion, Abby credits certain mentors with recognizing abilities that outgrew opportunities. Their encouragement to embrace next-level responsibilities enabled pivotal stepping stones demonstrating capabilities beyond her current responsibilities.
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In our fractured age, crafting a brand that emotionally inspires trust and loyalty from both customers and employees can seem impossible for large organizations. However, Jeff Harris, Chief Marketing Officer of Sam Houston State University, believes that large brands orgs can still connect authentically in 2024 if they focus on amplifying internal purpose over imposing external perceptions.We got Jeff in the hot seat to break down his six critical insights for C-suite leaders to pilot a cultural marketing renaissance at organizations in 2024 by looking at how he brings them to life at Sam Houston State.Jeff has steadily elevated regional academic institutionsâ brands for over a decade by fundamentally listening and understanding audiences before building marketing strategies. He sees the marketing teamâs role as almost entirely supportive â bringing together disparate organizational voices into compelling, cohesive stories that serve others while advancing the collective mission.
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Liz Simon took an unexpected route to her current role as Chief Operating Officer of premium coworking company Industrious. Early on, she had her sights set on changing the world through politics and policy. The self-proclaimed "super nerdy" teen was obsessed with civil rights and dreamed of directing impact through the law.She charged ahead to Cornell then the University of Michigan Law School, with a stint working on the Obama campaign sprinkled in between. But the "soul-crushingly slow" pace of bureaucracy left her questioning the ability to drive change from within. A pivot to the world of startups proved fateful when a happenstance referral dropped her into an associate general counsel role at the then-40-person coding bootcamp General Assembly.As Simon describes it, she proceeded to "work herself out of a job" by building a lean legal team to address regulatory snarls, then found herself migrating into broader executive leadership. After rising to CEO during a period of company growth and acquisition, she took the pandemic period to reflect on aligning impact and passion. The future of work called, landing her in operations oversight at Industrious during a post-COVID rebuilding phase.Now feeling the culture is "in one of the strongest places" after rallying during contraction, the self-proclaimed non-online person offers simple advice: "most of the stuff is just not that important." Perhaps that wisdom comes from the only other pursuit she says brings her equal meaning â being a mom. As Industrious continues to bounce back under Simon's steady leadership, sheâll surely rely on that clarity of priority.
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Imagine stepping into the world of marketing with a sociology degree in your back pocket, ready to decipher the hieroglyphs of consumer behavior like some sort of modern-day Indiana Jones, minus the whip and the fear of snakes. This is the story of Jenny Zirinsky, Global SVP, Marketing, Communications, & Media Transformation at Colgate-Palmolive, whose career trajectory makes the Golden Recordâs journey through space seem like a leisurely stroll through the park.
For those who missed the memo, Jenny is not your run-of-the-mill marketer. No, she embarked on her odyssey at Boston University, armed with nothing but a passion for sociology. Fast forward through the years, and you find her steering the ship at Colgate-Palmoliveâs marketing department. How did she get there? Well, buckle up, because this is where it gets interesting.
Her journey kicks off in the agency world. Here, Jenny worked at OMD International and Resolution Media, honing her skills in the art of digital media strategy. Think of her as the captain of the Starship Enterprise, if the Enterprise was tasked with selling shampoo and toothpaste instead of exploring strange new worlds.
Then came the leap to the brand side, a move akin to switching from tea to coffee â shocking to the system but ultimately invigorating. From EstĂ©e Lauder to Coty, Jenny didn't just walk through doors; she kicked them down with the finesse of a ballet dancer wearing steel-toed boots. Along the way, she learned the importance of work-life balance.
But what sets Jenny apart is not just her career trajectory; it's her unwavering belief in seizing opportunities and diving headfirst into the unknown. She approaches challenges with the enthusiasm of a kid in a candy store, if the kid was a marketing genius and the candy store was the global marketplace.
One of her crowning achievements? A Spider-Man campaign that made navigating Peter Parker's New York as thrilling as swinging through the city on a web. It was creative, it was innovative, and it probably made every competitor wish they had thought of it first.
So, as Jenny Zirinsky continues her voyage through the world of marketing, let her story be a beacon for all those navigating the dark waters of their careers. It's a reminder that with a bit of humor, a dash of courage, and a sociology degree (apparently), the sky's not the limit â it's just the beginning.
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Liz Crisafi took an unexpected route through the worlds of broadcasting, marketing, and advertising before she landed in hospitality as the Global Vice President of Integrated Marketing at InterContinental Hotels Group. But her passion for storytelling and people has been a constant driving force.After initially pursuing broadcast journalism in college and losing her Southern accent along the way, Liz realized the competitive field wasnât for her. So when a friend suggested she try marketing, mentioning the better pay and hours, she decided to pivot. As she says with a laugh, âCompared to broadcast, anything probably looked better at that point!âHer first marketing gig may not have been glamorous, selling agricultural chemicals. But Liz embraced the challenge to âmake herbicides and pesticides interestingâ with an ad campaign set in an OR trying to revive a giant dying potato. As Liz says, âIt doesn't have to be boring, even if itâs some random chem company or a B2B market.âOver the years, Liz learned to love marketing and honed her skills on iconic brands like Kodak. But it was the field of hospitality marketing that ultimately captured her heart when she joined IHG. As she puts it, âItâs hospitality. I love travel. It was a great role for me and itâs a great company. It checked all the boxes.âNow as IHGâs Global VP of Integrated Marketing, she leads marketing efforts for the companyâs 19 brands and 6000 destinations worldwide. But sheâs quick to note, âOur best product is our people that walk in and out of those hotel doors every day.â Of course, marketing such a diverse portfolio of hotel brands poses unique challenges. As Liz explains, âYou have to be relevant in the moment and make sure youâre co-creating experiences, not just relying on past data.â From road warriors staying at a Holiday Inn Express to couples celebrating at a glamorous InterContinental, IHG aims to deliver personalized and meaningful stays.And while Liz loves the creativity of marketing, sheâs learned over the years not to take things too seriously either. âTake your work seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously,â she advises. âWeâre not curing cancer here, weâre marketing.â
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When Molly Swagler was 20 years old, she had one dream â to become a broadcast journalist. But when she met with the news director, he rejected her outright. âYou look and sound too young,â he said. Molly was bummed, but took it as a challenge. She didnât let that stop her from getting what she wanted. Instead, she got creative.Rather than giving up on her goal, Molly devised an unconventional plan to change the news directorâs mind. She went home and drafted an eccentric letter stating, âI have taken up smoking and stopped sleeping...and am now looking a lot older.â Her tongue-in-cheek letter was meant to catch the directorâs attention and showcase her wit and determination.Along with the letter, she included compelling story ideas every day thereafter that could enliven their newscasts. She even sent gifts like a case of his favorite soda.The news director surely wondered when this spirited young woman would take no for an answer. But eventually Molly wore him down. Thanks to her bold antics â and her sharp journalistic skills â he saw fit to give her a shot. She landed her dream job as an on-air reporter.Mollyâs tale illustrates why marketing executives seeking to launch their careers shouldnât fear coloring outside the lines. When trying to grab the attention of potential employers, creativity and persistence matter just as much as qualifications.Rather than blending in with stacks of generic applicants, make yourself memorable. Show the hiring manager why you deserve the position â and why nobody wants it more than you. Be bold and a tad audacious in order to stand out from the crowd.Just ensure your methods align with company values. Defy norms without being inappropriate or unethical. And back up your unconventional approach with ample proof that you can excel in the role.Mollyâs route wonât be right for everyone. But her willingness to manufacture her own opportunity rather than waiting for one is admirable Marketers should feel empowered to take the road less traveled on their way to securing that dream job.When faced with initial rejection, come back stronger and find an innovative way to reverse the decision-makerâs stance. Reframe setbacks as a chance showcase your passion.So take a page from Mollyâs playbook. Pull out your proverbial typewriter and craft an eye-catching letter of your own. Start brainstorming what creative tactic could lead hiring managers to exclaim, âYouâre hired!âAnd if you know of other marketers with an intriguing career origin story, please forward this episode and article their way. We would love to learn how more determined souls turned a ânoâ into a game-changing yes â and transform those stories into future inspiration for go-getters everywhere.
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When it comes to great marketing, community colleges donât often come to mind. Yet these schools excel at outreach. How? By grasping basics other marketers forget.âSo, we grabbed a room at the Museum of Ice Cream and sat down with Juliet Hidalgo, the Director Communications and Marketing for the Los Angeles Community College District. Hereâs what she had to say.__HTFDYGTJ is presented by OpenFortune
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Remember playing with Barbies for hours of fun? If youâre a parent now, you probably hard passed on buying your kid the doll you enjoyed years ago. âLame,â ânot with it,â and âgives girls wrong ideasâ are feelings about the 60-year-old toy. And, if you saw the Barbie movie last year, you know exactly what weâre talking about. But letâs dial back the clock a bit to break down what marketers can learn from Matt Repickyâs transformation at Barbie years before the movie was even an idea. Matt faced those blah views about Barbie when he rejoined as the toyâs marketing leader in 2014. Moms especially saw Barbie as dusting off odd messages about how girls should look and what they should want. They didnât want their daughters anywhere near her, and Matt had his work cut out for himself. Something big needed to change to update Barbieâs image but keep her specialness. Matt took on restarting the brandâs purpose and meaning to both girls and parents. His winning rallying cry was âInspiring the limitless potential in every girl.â That motivation focused everything going forward.Matt leaned on 3 main mindset shifts for injecting new life into tired brands, which we covered in today's episode.
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Marketers these days are constantly spinning their wheels with ad platforms and algorithms that seem impossible to tame. But what if I told you true marketing magic stems from understanding human emotions?âIn this episode of âHow The F**k Did You Get That Jobâ, we sat down with Erin Levzow, CMO of the dazzling Museum of Ice Cream and 25 year veteran driving digital marketing strategy for iconic brands. When she says she markets joy, she isn't kidding. But as Erin's journey from community theater kid to heading up teams at the likes of Wingstop and Del Taco shows, keeping your pulse on customer cravings takes some grit too.âFrom leveraging in-real-life moments to hype social chatter, to choosing optimism and imagination in the face of trauma, Erin gives us the inside scoop on infusing marketing with more heart and memory-making. Our inner child felt seen. â
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Picture this: you're scrolling through the Miami Dolphins' social feeds. You expect to see the usual suspects - the star quarterback, the lightning-fast wide receiver. But wait, what's this? A long snapper getting the spotlight? That's right. In a bold move that might seem like a social media sin, the Dolphins focus on the team rather than the stars. It's all about the collective, not the individual. Why? Because according to VP of Brand Marketing Michael Shaw, the team ethos is king.This isn't your run-of-the-mill strategy. The Dolphins' approach challenges the norm. In a world where individual branding often takes center stage, they're flipping the script. They're highlighting every player, from the one making the game-winning catch to the one who, well, snapped the ball perfectly. It's like giving every actor in the movie, including the guy who delivered the pizza in scene three, their moment in the Oscars acceptance speech.Why should you care? Because this strategy is more than just nice â it's smart. For starters, it builds a stronger team culture. Everyone feels valued, from the star player to the one in the trenches. This isn't just feel-good stuff; it translates to on-field performance and fan engagement. Fans love to root for a team that feels like a family. And from a marketing standpoint, this approach creates a diverse content stream that appeals to a wider audience.___HTFDYGTJ is presented by OpenFortune
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In this episode of "How The F**k Did You Get That Job?" hosted by David Jaffin, Amanda Rassi, a seasoned marketing professional, shares her career insights, tracing her path from Procter & Gamble to Michaels. Amanda delves into the challenges and triumphs of driving change at a massive corporation like Kroger, highlighting the significance of a dynamic data science team and building a unique brand marketing strategy. The conversation shifts to her role at Michaels, a creative retail giant, exploring the nuances of modernizing the in-store experience and expanding into growth initiatives. Engaging in light-hearted moments, including a fortune cookie revelation and a rapid-fire Q&A, Amanda imparts valuable wisdom on loyalty programs, the evolving retail landscape, and the essence of staying agile in marketing. Tune in to unravel Amanda Rassi's journey, offering a compelling narrative on the transformative power of marketing and the art of navigating change in the industry.
Episode Highlights:
0:00 Intro
01:49 College decision
03:48 First job out of college
06:02 Example of a first project where you were stumped but figured it out
08:29 Marketing strategy when it comes to laundry business
10:17 What does switching between brands at P&G look like to you
13:11 How did you see P&G change over your 14 years there
14:32 When did you know it was the right time to move on to a new job
17:10 What was expectation versus reality taking that gig
18:42 How did your time at P&G help you understand consumer to consumer strategy at Kroger
20:20 How do you convey messages to such a large team in a way that they understand and believe
22:46 How do you make groceries cool
24:11 How do you explain what a Kroger employee should stand for
26:30 What made Michael's the right call for you
28:36 How do you define change and evolution at Michael's
30:41 How did you go about modernizing stores
32:05 How do you go about rewarding customers for having brand affinity
34:11 How do you manage the pros and cons of online buying and brick and mortar stores and how do market them differently
35:55 How much crossover do you have with learning from other CMOs who might have a similar audience
37:41 What advice would you give to a 21 year old woman who wants to get involved in marketing
39:36 OpenFortune sponsorship
41:20 Quick question round
43:59 Outro
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