The CMO Whisperer - podcast cover

The CMO Whisperer

Steve Olenski
The CMO Whisperer, hosted by former Forbes writer Steve Olenski, is dedicated to those who keep it real in AND out of the world of marketing. From others in the C-suite to agency leaders to editors of publications to athletes to entertainsers and on and on, this show is for them and about them.
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Episodes

Rewriting the Rules of Branding with Dr. Marcus Collins

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.

Dec 06, 202439 minEp. 60

Redefining the Brand Experience With Geoff Cottrill

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.

Nov 29, 202440 minEp. 59

Building Brands That Last a Lifetime with Edithann Ramey

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...

Nov 22, 202435 minEp. 58

Lessons for Big Brands and Startups with Adam Hanft

My guest today is Adam Hanft, 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....

Nov 15, 202428 minEp. 57

Secrets of Sustainable Marketing with Amina Pasha

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 cohesiv...

Nov 08, 202441 minEp. 56

The CMO's Secret Sauce with Nic Chidiac

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 a...

Nov 01, 202434 minEp. 55

From Trendsetter to Thought Leader with Oksana Sobol

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. Links Oksana's LinkedIn Steve's LinkedIn...

Oct 25, 202438 minEp. 54

Slam Dunk Marketing Tips from NBA Champion Channing Frye

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 co...

Oct 18, 202432 minEp. 53

The Power of Emotional Marketing and Leadership with Doug Zarkin

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...

Oct 11, 202443 minEp. 52

Marketing that Moves the Needle with Lee Roth

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 dev...

Oct 04, 202427 minEp. 51

Reimagining Marketing with AI with Chris Johnson

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, soci...

Sep 27, 202427 minEp. 50

A Play-by-Play from Pepsi to the NFL with Dawn Hudson

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.

Sep 20, 202440 minEp. 49

The Marketing Mad Scientist with Duncan Smith

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 t...

Sep 13, 202430 minEp. 47

The CMO's Toolbox with Elizabeth Maxson

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. No...

Sep 06, 202431 minEp. 46

The Impact of Strong Leadership with Eric Danetz

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,...

Aug 30, 202436 minEp. 45

The Art of Being a CMO with Marisa Thalberg

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 no...

Aug 23, 202436 minEp. 44

The Role of AI in Omnichannel Marketing & More - Tim Ringel

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.

Jul 05, 202441 minEp. 43

In the pole position with Peter Jung, CMO, NASCAR

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.

Jun 28, 202430 minEp. 42

Floating Talent & Why CMOs Need To Be Aware of It - Ashley Miles

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.

Jun 14, 202424 minEp. 41

The Role of Culture in Digital Transformation - Doug Milliken

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.

Jun 07, 202434 minEp. 40

How To Rebrand An Iconic 120-Year-Old Brand

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.

May 31, 202434 minEp. 39

Podcast Takeover: a marketing deep dive with the CMO Whisperer, Steve Olenski

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. (00:00) - 038 - Steve Takeover (25:01) -

May 24, 202439 minEp. 38

How to leverage fractional support for marketing - Jess Shirra

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 Deloi...

May 17, 202429 minEp. 37

What Marketers Are Missing About AI & More - Dan Gardner

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.

May 10, 202439 minEp. 36

From Near Death To A Multi-Million Dollar Brand

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.

May 03, 202438 minEp. 35

Talking Culture, Code & Creativity With Futurist David Shing

My guest today has been described by Forbes as an artist, a globe treading speaker and market seeker, a storyteller who identifies emerging trends and inspires clients to think differently. His name is David Shing, AKA Shingy. And he is a true visionary in a digital era who closely observes the unfolding future in the vast online landscape. Following his role as AOL is European Head of Media and Marketing. He then ascended to the role of digital profit at AOL and Verizon media. And in 2019, he e...

Apr 26, 202440 minEp. 34

Marketing, Consumers and the Great Disconnect with Rose Jia and Hetal Patel

Today I'm joined by two guests, Rose Jia and Hetal Patel . Rose is an award winning marketing and product leader who currently heads up lifecycle and launch marketing for Amazon's Prime Video. She and her team drive profitable growth across the customer life cycle through original and licensed content. She's also the creator of the Renaissance Marketer Mindset, a new way for marketers to guarantee growth and innovation. And her recent book is called The Renaissance Marketers Shortcut to Get Fina...

Apr 12, 202438 minEp. 32

Building Better Comms, Content & Communities For Brands - Kyle Monson, Codeword

My guest this week is Kyle Monson, co-founder of Codeword, an agency that fuses journalism, PR, and advertising into a single field they call communication design. Over the past 12 years he's grown the agency from three people to more than a hundred people working together to shape the future of technology marketing. Kyle has worked in the tech industry for nearly 20 years. First as a journalist, then as a marker for global tech brands and a wide range of startups.

Apr 05, 202435 minEp. 31
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