Growth Talks: Growth Marketing Strategies & Insights

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

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

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  

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

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