What happens when companies chase metrics instead of meaning? Former Nike marketing leader Lisel Welden shares powerful insights from her decade-long journey shaping iconic brands like Nike, Lyft, and Stitch Fix. Drawing from her experience leading Nike's first unified Black History Month campaign across all business units, Welden reveals how authentic leadership and cross-functional collaboration can drive both business results and social impact. She breaks down why Nike's recent shift toward b...
Jun 03, 2025•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 7
How does a tech company turn a simple sound into one of the world's most recognizable audio marks - second only to a baby crying? Former Intel Global Brand Director Merlin Kister reveals the strategic thinking behind Intel's most iconic brand elements during his nearly two-decade tenure. From simplifying product naming with the Core i3/i5/i7 system to creating Intel Gamer Days - an experiential event that expanded globally - Kister shares practical insights on aligning brand decisions with busin...
May 06, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 6
What if you could completely reinvent higher education from the ground up? While most universities still follow a centuries-old model of lectures and tests, Minerva Project has created a radical new approach to learning that's challenging the status quo of higher education. Ayo Seligman, VP of Strategy and Design at Minerva Project, shares how this innovative organization built both a university and a technology platform that's transforming how students learn. From removing tenure track position...
Apr 15, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 3Ep. 5
How do you build brand credibility in an engineering-driven company where logos on napkins seem more important than strategic narrative? After 15 years at NetApp, Emily Miller has mastered the delicate balance between education and execution in the B2B tech space. From transitioning from agency consultant to in-house brand leader, Emily shares practical approaches to portfolio narrative development, securing executive buy-in, and surviving multiple CMO changes while maintaining brand consistency...
Apr 01, 2025•56 min•Season 3Ep. 4
In this second part of our conversation with Monica Skipper, former VP of Brand at FedEx, we delve deeper into the intricacies of global brand management. Monica shares more of her invaluable insights, including: The evolution of FedEx's brand architecture and the challenges of integrating acquisitions Strategies for brand enablement and moving away from the "brand police" mentality The critical role of data in shaping brand strategies and decision-making Balancing global brand consistency with ...
Mar 11, 2025•43 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Take a peek into the world of global brand management with Monica Skipper, who spent 20 years at FedEx in various brand leadership roles. Monica shares her wealth of experience and offers valuable insights on: The evolution of brand management at FedEx, from a logo-centric approach to a comprehensive business strategy Challenges and successes in maintaining brand consistency across a large, global organization The importance of data-driven brand strategies and how FedEx leveraged customer in...
Mar 04, 2025•46 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Building a brand in a B2B environment requires patience, strategy, and sometimes an entirely different playbook. Brand Enabled kicks off its third season with co-hosts Gabriel Cohen and Holly Osborne diving into the realities of corporate brand leadership. Holly brings her wealth of experience from Google's Brand Lab, Landor, and most recently as Global Brand Leader at Ciena, where she transformed a niche tech company's brand presence to compete with industry giants. She shares candid insights a...
Feb 25, 2025•27 min•Season 3Ep. 1
In this episode, Norman Guadagno, the CMO of Mimecast , discusses the intersection of marketing, leadership, and team dynamics with Gabe Cohen. Norman emphasizes the critical role of marketing in capturing attention and fostering resonance with customers, emphasizing the pivotal moment of engagement that opens doors to new opportunities. He also dives into the significance of pattern recognition in leadership, explaining how this skill can elevate individuals into more strategic roles by identif...
May 01, 2024•56 min•Season 2Ep. 20
At some point, businesses have to make a pivot, be that through mergers and acquisitions or rebranding. Crucial to this is the ability of a branding professional to get the people aligned and march in the same direction. Engelina Jaspers found this to be true. With a 30-year experience as a corporate executive leading company-wide transformation, Engelina has seen what it takes to make pivots successful. In this episode, she joins Greg Silverman to share with us the wisdom she earned from an inc...
Apr 17, 2024•55 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Merge 'lazy' with strategic marketing brilliance – simplicity is the key to unlocking financial success. For today’s episode, Scott Bynoe reveals the art of aligning your efforts and leveraging insights for a marketing revolution. As the Vice President of Marketing at Crawford & Company , Scott shares how marketing works in the financial sector. He introduces the concept of "lazy marketing" and explains how simplicity and focus can be game-changers in reaching your audience. He also explores...
Apr 03, 2024•48 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Creating a successful brand requires vision, boldness, and a belief system that transforms challenges into opportunities. In this episode, Tom Butta talks about the importance of creating a strong brand vision, ambitious goal, and firm belief system. He shares the challenges he faced in managing the internal dynamics of crafting a compelling brand direction. He also talks about overcoming internal obstacles, getting support from important people, and balancing consensus with taking bold steps to...
Mar 21, 2024•33 min•Season 2Ep. 17
In order to hire the best people for your team, you must not only rely on their resume or credentials. To get a broader and deeper understanding of the person you are hiring, focusing on storytelling is the best way to go. In this episode, Gabriel Cohen sits down with Indeed’s Aidan McLaughlin to discuss how to break barriers to work through invigorating, inspiring, and motivational stories. He explains the importance of story discipline and the biggest benefits of accrediting storytellers. Aida...
Mar 06, 2024•47 min•Season 2Ep. 16
When Jackson Health System in South Florida was facing bankruptcy, the government-owned brand orchestrated a remarkable turnaround through a series of changes. Our host, Gabriel Cohen, along with Matthew Pinzur, Jackson Health System’s Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, discuss this inspiring story of how bringing in a new CEO, modernizing their marketing tactics, and restructuring their team proved to be the successful course correction Jackson Health System needed to thrive. Lo...
Jan 24, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Brand loyalty today is not about what you sell; it's about the authentic connection you create. Today, Slate Olson , Chief Marketing Officer at LOGE Camps , discusses the future of brand marketing. Slate explains how the definition of brand loyalty is changing and how innovative strategies can disrupt the status quo. He breaks down the essential elements of a successful brand, emphasizing the role of authenticity, community, and creating a genuine connection with the audience. Intrigued by the c...
Jan 10, 2024•55 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Sometimes, having the best product doesn’t guarantee success. It can be beaten by a superior brand. This episode’s guest has a fascinating story about this. Gabriel Cohen interviews Justin Steinman , whose career that took him from GE Healthcare Digital to Novell taught him great lessons he was able to apply to the rebranding at Definitive Healthcare as its Chief Marketing Officer. From leadership to marketing lessons, Justin takes us from the inside out of their rebrand process and how they hav...
Dec 13, 2023•47 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Companies that have been existing for a long time will inevitably undergo rebranding to keep up with the ever-changing customer and market demands. Alejandro Yu, Vice President of Marketing at Raiz Federal Credit Union , shares his most important rebrand lessons focused on moving forward while keeping heritage intact. Joining our special guest host Brian Elkins, he explains every single thing they had to consider for their rebranding process that allowed them to revamp and improve without tainti...
Dec 06, 2023•48 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Despite being an important part of our world today, the financial services industry often has subpar marketing strategies. Perhaps that is why these companies feel very similar and even lack that human connection. If you are part of this side of the world, how can you create that differentiation? For Alec Hanson , the Chief Marketing Officer at loanDepot , the opportunity for differentiation comes in branding. In this episode, he joins Gabriel Cohen to dive deep into this important part of busin...
Nov 15, 2023•36 min•Season 2Ep. 9
In the ever-shifting landscape of marketing, adaptability and innovation are key. Join us in this episode as Gabriela Henault , the Chief Marketing Officer at AlphaSights , discusses how brands can leap into a new era. With a passion for collaboration and an eye for detail, Gabriela shares how brands can navigate the complexities of client-side demands while staying true to their core identity. Discover the critical role of collaboration, the power of feedback, and the nuances of crafting the pe...
Nov 01, 2023•48 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Iconic brands are those who have become household names and dominated the market for a long time. But reaching such a point and maintaining this status is easier said than done. Gabriel Cohen sits down with Ian Stewart , CMO of Wedge Brands and Xcel Wetsuits , to discuss how the biggest brands like Nike and Converse studied the latest trends and integrated them into their marketing decisions and overall business playbook. Gabriel explains how to identify and stay in touch with your core audience...
Oct 18, 2023•51 min•Season 2Ep. 7
This episode features Max Pfennighaus , the Director of Enterprise Brand Design at Johnson & Johnson. In an insightful conversation, he brings us into the world of agency selection and brand transformation and shares a wealth of knowledge and behind-the-scenes insights from his extensive experience in working with branding agencies. Max discusses how the role of branding agencies has evolved over the past decade, emphasizing the importance of understanding the client's unique needs and the a...
Oct 04, 2023•48 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Effective branding goes beyond logos and slogans; it's about crafting an immersive experience that resonates deeply with your audience. Welcome to an exciting episode featuring a true branding expert, John McIndoe , the former CMO of IRI . John discusses the world of branding, exploring the pivotal moments that shaped his journey and honed his brand strategy expertise. From working on positioning and architecture to crafting captivating creative designs, John walks us through his brand strategy ...
Sep 20, 2023•39 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Transforming the brand into a commoditized category requires strategic thinking, innovation, and a deep understanding of the market and consumer dynamics. To discuss this topic, Rich Kylberg , a former Arrow Electronics CMO, joins the podcast to explore some key insights and strategies that can help reshape the brand's role. Rich emphasizes the value of empowering others to do something great. You can help empower others by getting them into their goal without imposing the presumption of your go...
Sep 13, 2023•42 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Brand mergers lead to more lucrative business opportunities, a wider audience reach, and a bigger growth potential. However, it also means going through a challenging time bringing together different brands with their own identities and cultures. Joining Gabriel Cohen is Amy Barzdukas , who shares her contribution to the brand merger between Polycom and Plantronics. She talks about her experiences in choosing a brand name, the things to consider when creating a business logo, and the right way t...
Sep 06, 2023•42 min•Season 2Ep. 3
A true mark of a successful product is when it becomes an important part of people’s lives. This is especially true in the world of CPG, where you really need to be in people’s homes. So how do you achieve that? In this episode, we have award-winning Global Marketing mentor Drew Deering to enlighten us. Drew emphasizes the importance of getting external as we think about our brand and marketing. That is, by actually going out and spending time with people. Only then can you fully understand your...
Aug 30, 2023•51 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Transamerica expresses its purpose as “helping people live their best lives.” How does it deliver on that brand promise? It’s something that Jamie Poston has spent a lot of effort thinking about as Head of Enterprise Marketing and Brand at this major player in the financial services industry. What he and his team came up with was nothing short of ingenious. It seamlessly addresses the paradox of longevity in America through innovative customer centric solutions. It’s quite intriguing how the tho...
Aug 23, 2023•43 min•Season 2Ep. 1
With all the tools available, it is easy to validate claims that brands make. When a promise is made, it is impossible to get out of it. People are now more empowered in following through and holding brands accountable for what they put on the label. Emmanuel Probst , the Global Lead: Brand Thought-Leadership at Ipsos and the author of Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller, Brand Hacks , shares insights into the new era of marketing and how sustainability, transparency, and authenticity p...
Oct 26, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Digital strategy is an essential part of marketing. Leveraging the tools available and executing the right strategies helps a lot for your company’s success in the digital age. In this episode, Simon Kingsnorth , the author of Digital Marketing Strategy and Digital Marketing Handbook , discusses the importance of understanding digital strategy. He explains his love-hate relationship with social media. On the one hand, it can be a fantastic tool because it has a massive benefit in terms of conver...
Oct 19, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 17
When Daniel Incandela joined ReachDesk, he was tasked with revamping the entire operation and designing a competitive brand in a digital environment. He chats with Greg Silverman to share how he accomplished the company's rebranding and relaunching process. Daniel explains how he focused not just on digital innovations but also on actively involving every team member throughout the process. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://www.monigle.com/
Oct 12, 2022•12 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Does experience really change how consumers behave? Today’s guest is Jonathan Yaffe , co-founder and CEO of AnyRoad , the first ERM (experience relationship management) platform that focuses on delivering and measuring experiences that transform consumer behavior. Jonathan joins Greg Silverman to explain this cultural shift in the market and why thriving brands are now transforming into experiential businesses. Learn about how you can transform consumer behavior, elevate brand perception, and ac...
Sep 28, 2022•13 min•Season 1Ep. 15
With everything and everyone going digital, how can you separate your brand from the pack and stand out? Vivian Chen , the Founder and CEO of Rise , is helping brands do that and more! In this episode, she joins Greg Silverman to talk about how to digitally enable your personal brand. At the heart of it, Vivian highlights the importance of identifying your ‘why’ and telling your story to humanize your brand. So tune in to this conversation and find out how you can thrive in this digitally forwar...
Sep 21, 2022•13 min•Season 1Ep. 14
