“Often, brands forget that they’re not just speaking to ‘customers’—they’re talking to real people, like their own friends.”  Preston Rutherford, co-founder of Chubbies and Loop Returns joins Krystina Rubino on Growth Talks to share how his journey from tech startups to building a standout D2C brand was driven by a deep focus on authenticity and community. In this episode, Preston explores the balancing act between brand-building and immediate sales goals, how humor and relatability helped...

► About this Video Jason Ing, Chief Marketing Officer at Gusto, joins Krystina Rubino on Growth Talks to share his journey from B2C marketing with global tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon to leading B2B marketing strategies at Gusto. He explores the balance between brand and demand generation and highlights how storytelling and emotion shape decision-making in the B2B space. Jason also offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Gusto builds trust and brand consistency while providing HR and...

In this episode of Growth Talks, Simon Vishnevskiy, Chief Growth Officer at Credit Genie, sits down with Krystina Rubino to share his experiences and strategies in growth marketing for fintech. With a background that spans gaming, ridesharing, and finance, Simon dives into the unique challenges of marketing within a highly regulated and competitive space.  He discusses the parallels between marketing and gaming, the importance of cross-functional collaboration between product, compliance, and...

"Curiosity paired with tenacity is a killer combination." Tyler Elliston, the founder of Right Side Up, discusses the ins and outs of marketing leadership and the nuances of building effective marketing teams.  From early-stage startups to late-stage enterprises, Tyler shares insights on the unique challenges and strategies for success at each level. The conversation covers everything from building a marketing team from scratch to balancing in-house talent with external resources like...

In this episode of Growth Talks, Chiyong Jones, the VP of Brand Marketing at Kajabi, discusses his approach to building and evolving brand identities for startups and established companies alike.  To build a brand identity that lasts, it’s incredibly important to understand the customer, create a cohesive brand system that remains flexible, and balance creativity with constraints like budget and team size. Chiyong also explores the role of brand in long-term business success, the value of...

In this episode of Growth Talks, Krystina Rubino interviews Ty Conner, the Senior Director of Growth Marketing Offline at Rocket Money. Ty shares his journey from being a geologist in remote Alaska to becoming a key player in Rocket Money's marketing team. He discusses the foundational decisions and strategies that have propelled Rocket Money to the top of the app store charts, including their rebrand from Truebill.   Ty discusses the importance of data-driven decision-making, explaining how...

► About this Video In this episode of Growth Talks, Krystina Rubino sits down with Mike Lackman, former CEO of Trade Coffee and PetFlow and current board member, advisor, and investor at various ecommerce brands. Mike shares his journey through various C-suite roles, the importance of creating and maintaining a vision, and how to balance growth with profitability. He also provides insights into effective marketing strategies for the ever-evolving landscape of DTC and subscription...

In this episode of Growth Talks, host Krystina Rubino interviews Patrick Moran, Head of Growth Marketing at Robinhood. Patrick dives into the distinctions between brand marketing and brand advertising, highlighting the crucial integration of data and storytelling for establishing successful growth strategies. He shares practical insights on optimizing channel performance, identifying diminishing returns, and diversifying spend—and explores when and how you should use sophisticated...

In this episode of Growth Talks, Krystina Rubino chats with Mark Fiske, Operating Partner for marketing and digital transformation at H.I.G. Capital. They dive into key aspects of growth marketing, the impact of generative AI, and strategies for effective digital transformation. 🗝️ Key Takeaways: In the short term, generative AI enhances tactical operations by creating more marketing content variations and increasing testing velocity; long term, it will revolutionize personalized marketing by...

In this episode of Growth Talks, Krystina Rubino chats with Chelsea Cramer, Marketing Analytics Lead at Credit Karma. They dive into the world of marketing analytics, discussing the evolution of marketing tools, the impact of data privacy changes on attribution, and strategies for effective marketing measurement in a privacy-first world.    ⏰ Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Chelsea Cramer, marketing analytics lead at Credit Karma 01:28 Evolution of marketing analytics landscape with new...

In this episode of Growth Talks, Krystina Rubino chats with Laura Brooks, the co-founder of The Foundation Collective and previously led marketing at CPG brands Solid Gold Pet and Boom Chicka Pop. Laura shares her expertise in balancing the growing world of ecommerce with traditional brick-and-mortar stores and dives deep into the importance of having a strong product, the complexities of shelf placement, and the advantages and disadvantages of different sales channels. Laura also discusses...

In this episode, your host Krystina Rubino chats with Ben Starmer, CEO and co-founder of Dad Grass, a Hemp and CBD brand. Ben shares his journey from being the Global Marketing Director at Levi Strauss to founding a bootstrapped e-commerce business in the challenging cannabis industry.  Discover what inspired Ben to start Dad Grass, how he navigated the transition from corporate marketing to entrepreneurship, and the innovative strategies that have driven Dad Grass’s growth despite the...

Ever wondered when you should hire your first product marketer? 🤔 In this episode, Krystina Rubino sits down with Deanna Dong, Head of Product Marketing at Writer, a generative AI company. Formerly the VP of Marketing at Wealthfront, Deanna’s experience in early to late stage companies across AI, SaaS, healthcare, FinTech, and crypto gives her a unique perspective on the role of product marketing at any company. Deanna dives deep into why product marketing is crucial for startups and what it...

In this episode of Growth Talks, Krystina Rubino chats with Doug Hoggatt, VP of Marketing at Elfster, to explore the past, present, and future of growth marketing. Doug shares his extensive experience and insights from over 25 years in the industry, discussing the shift from early digital marketing strategies to today's complex landscape, the impact of cookie deprecation on the future of digital marketing, and the importance of leveraging offline channels earlier.   ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00:00 -...

In this episode of Growth Talks, Krystina Rubino chats with Manbir Sodhia, SVP of Marketing at Whisker, the brand behind the innovative products including Litter-Robot, Feeder-Robot, and Litterbox. Manbir discusses how to build the foundation needed for sustainable DTC acquisition strategies, the importance of diversifying beyond Meta and Google, and how he leverages his secret weapon, a growth matrix, to build an experimentation mindset on his teams.   ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction and...

Welcome to Growth Talks, Right Side Up’s new sit down series. Join us as we chat with growth leaders and marketing executives from leading brands and companies across industries and stages including Credit Karma, Coinbase, Whisker, and many more. Our guests will spill the tea, share their wins and war stories, and arm you with actionable insights on how to craft best-in-class strategies, execute with efficiency, and build your dream team. From exploring the evolution of growth marketing over...