Growth Talks: Growth Marketing Strategies & Insights

Right Side Up
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Biweekly

Sit down with growth leaders and marketing executives from leading brands and companies across industries and stages. From exploring the evolution of growth marketing to walking the tightrope between brand and performance marketing to the epic saga of launching an ecommerce brand—we'll dig into it all! Our guests will 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. Growth Talks is brought to you by Right Side Up and hosted by Krystina Rubino, general manager of offline services.

  1. 3d ago

    Building AI Fluency, One Uncomfortable Step at a Time | Nikki Jackson (Gusto)

    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.

  2. 12/30/2025

    Our Favorite CMO Insights of 2025 | Krystina Rubino

    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

  3. 12/16/2025

    Rethinking Your Customer Journey Map | Matt Gehring ( Dutch Pet, Everlane, Rothy's )

    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

  4. 12/02/2025

    Building the AI-Native Marketing Team | Vanessa Hope Schneider (Descript, Airbnb, Eventbrite)

    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

  5. 11/12/2025

    Rewrite Your Marketing Playbook Using AI | Everett Butler (Lindy, Tesla, Uber)

    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

  6. 10/28/2025

    Unlocking a Product - First Mentality to Fuel Growth | Jordan Hwang (OpenPhone/Quo)

    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

  7. 10/14/2025

    How to Build a Love Brand | Tamara Mendelsohn (Eventbrite)

    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

  8. 09/30/2025

    Unlocking Smarter Attribution with Surveys | Matt Bahr (Fairing)

    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

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Sit down with growth leaders and marketing executives from leading brands and companies across industries and stages. From exploring the evolution of growth marketing to walking the tightrope between brand and performance marketing to the epic saga of launching an ecommerce brand—we'll dig into it all! Our guests will 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. Growth Talks is brought to you by Right Side Up and hosted by Krystina Rubino, general manager of offline services.

Information

  • Creator
    Right Side Up
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    41
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026