How I Made it in Marketing

How do you stand out in a sea of competitors when margins are thin and trends shift overnight? For Jaci Volles, the answer is: serve your customer’s customer – and innovate when the budget is tight.

Jaci Volles, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Jelmar [https://www.clrbrands.com/] shared the lessons and stories from her career journey in this episode of How I Made It In Marketing.

Jelmar is a 50-year-old, third-generation family-owned business that is best known for its CLR and Tarn-X cleaning product brands. Volles leads the sales, marketing, strategy, and product development teams, a total group of 100 internal and external professionals.

Stories (with lessons) about what she made in marketing

• When innovation meets tight budgets, be creative where you look for inspiration
• Stand out in a crowded market by serving your customer’s customer
• Find your brand’s competitive advantage
• Respect the brand, history, and people when going through an acquisition
• Focus on what you can control to lead through transitions
• Be open to new possibilities while leveraging your core skills to break industry boundaries
• Concentrate resources to make the biggest impact

Discussed in this episode

AI Guild [https://join.meclabsai.com/]

Marketing Pragmatism: Embrace ‘hand-grenade math’ over false precision (podcast episode #101) [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/marketing-pragmatism]

Marketing 101: What are decoy marketing and price anchoring? [https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/consumer-marketing/marketing-101-decoy-marketing-price-anchoring/]

B2B Marketing Infographic: How are B2B marketers optimizing their funnel? [https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/b2b-marketing/infographic/]

Value Focus: Which aspect(s) of your product should your marketing emphasize? [https://marketingexperiments.com/value-proposition/value-focus-aspects-of-product-marketing]

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This podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages [https://meclabs.com/course/] free digital marketing course.

Apply to be a guest
If you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

What if collaborating with a competitor could significantly boost your revenue? That’s exactly what Sagnik Roy, SVP at Times Internet [https://timesinternet.in/], did. In this episode, he shares how listening before selling and prioritizing soft skills reshaped his career.

Times Internet has 571 million monthly users and a US audience of five million. It is owned by the Times Group, publisher of The Economic Times and The Times of India, the largest English-language newspaper by circulation. The Times Group is a private company and claims revenue exceeding a billion dollars a year.

Roy manages a team of 15 to 20 people across three customer-facing brands.

Stories (with lessons) about what he made in marketing

• Ask, or you’ll never know
• Prioritize soft skills when hiring
• Listen first, sell second
• Lead with latitude
• Precision builds trust
•  Transparency is strength

Discussed in this episode

Join us for Get Productive With AI [https://join.meclabsai.com/mec050-accelerated] on February 27th at 1 pm EST.

Strategic Delegation: Time is your most precious asset (podcast episode #96) [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/strategic-delegation]

Marketing Pragmatism: Embrace ‘hand-grenade math’ over false precision (podcast episode #101) [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/marketing-pragmatism]

Sustainable Marketing: Take the time to understand your target audience deeply and your value proposition (podcast episode #104) [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/sustainable]

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Subscribe to the MarketingSherpa email newsletter [https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters] to get more insights from your fellow marketers. Sign up for free if you’d like to get more episodes like this one.

For more insights, check out...

This podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages [https://meclabs.com/course/] free digital marketing course.

Apply to be a guest
If you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

To me, every customer touchpoint is a thing of value.

And yet, some brands will pour millions of dollars into a Super Bowl ad while at the same time cutting customer service to the bone.

Yet, both ads and customer service are valuable customer touchpoints.

So I saw a kindred spirit when I read this lesson in a recent podcast guest application that came across my desk – “Brands are built by how you show up every day.”

To hear the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories, I talked to Thea Hayden, Interim CMO at Cognizant [https://www.cognizant.com/us/en].

Cognizant reported $19.4 billion in revenue in 2023. Hayden manages a team of 350 across brand and digital marketing, global communications, events and sponsorships, field marketing, marketing operations, and technology marketing.

Hear the full episode using this embedded player or by clicking through to your preferred audio streaming service using the links below it.

Stories (with lessons) about what she made in marketing

• Communication can be hard…and it’s critical
• Always start with the end in mind
• Brands are built by how you show up every day
• The best cultures can be both positive and aggressive
• Enthusiasm and optimism can be contagious
• Pay attention to your say/do ratio

Discussed in this episode

Join us for Get Productive With AI [https://join.meclabsai.com/mec050-accelerated] on February 27th at 1 pm EST, taught by Flint McGlaughlin. There is no cost (from MarketingSherpa’s parent organization, MeclabsAI).

Corporate Communication and Marketing Innovation: The dangerous delusion of safety – playing it safe can hurt you more than you know (podcast episode #41) [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/corporate]

Using the Science of Habit Formation in Customer-First Marketing (interview with Charles Duhigg) [https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/marketing/charles-duhigg-interview-part-two/]

Marketing, Advertising and Brand Strategy and Culture: You don’t “build" community, you “facilitate” community (podcast episode #52) [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/marketing-advertising]

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Subscribe to the MarketingSherpa email newsletter [https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters] to get more insights from your fellow marketers. Sign up for free if you’d like to get more episodes like this one.

For more insights, check out...

This podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages [https://meclabs.com/course/] free digital marketing course.

Apply to be a guest
If you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

Your first day at a new job. Sounds exciting, right?

Now imagine it's at a major bank in crisis, fresh off a £40 billion taxpayer bailout. Oh, and you're in charge of sports sponsorships – an easy target for public outrage.

That’s exactly where Louise Johnson found herself. What did she learn from that experience? 'You must be a master of yourself during uncertain times.'

To hear the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories from throughout her career, I talked to Louise Johnson, Global CEO, Fuse [https://fuseint.com/].

Fuse is part of Omnicom, which reported $14.7 billion in revenue in 2023. Johnson is a Board Director at Omnicom Media Group UK, and manages a team of 400 at Fuse.

Stories (with lessons) about what she made in marketing

• Instill emotional discipline
• You must be a master of yourself during uncertain times
• Be restless and challenge the status quo
• “You cannot fail unless you quit” 
• Ignore purpose at your peril
• Say it how it is from the very beginning

Discussed in this episode

Join us for How to take a conversion marketing approach to Agentic AI and RAG (with zero tech skills) [https://meclabsai.com/Conversion] on February 12th at 2 pm EST

Authentic Brand Storytelling: Embed creative within your business model (podcast episode #105) [https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/authentic]

An Inspirational Guide for Uncertain Times: 7 ideas and resources for marketers and business leaders to help spark your next great success [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/inspirational-guide-in-uncertain-times-for-marketers-business-leaders]

Marketing Chart: How a customer experience #fail affects brands [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/chart/customer-experience-fails]

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Subscribe to the MarketingSherpa email newsletter [https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters] to get more insights from your fellow marketers. Sign up for free if you’d like to get more episodes like this one.

For more insights, check out...

This podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages [https://meclabs.com/course/] free digital marketing course.

Apply to be a guest
If you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

In marketing, it’s easy to become a manager and lose touch with the craft. Val Riley, VP of Marketing & Strategy at Unbounce [https://unbounce.com/], has embraced the ‘Player-Coach’ mindset, blending leadership with hands-on execution to stay relevant and drive results.

I sat down with her to discuss how she learned that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories from her career.

Stories (with lessons) about what she made in marketing

• Take risks to propel your career
• Stay a ‘Player-Coach’ as long as you can
• M & A = Opportunity
• Marketing is like a soccer team
• Reflect on the day
• Why kindness is a competitive advantage in leadership

Discussed in this episode

Join us for How to take a conversion marketing approach to Agentic AI and RAG (with zero tech skills) [https://MeclabsAI.com/Conversion] on February 12th at 2 pm EST

Entertainment Industry Marketing: Never forget the independence of your imagination (podcast episode #121) [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/entertainment]

Customer Engagement: Marketing case studies from Coors Light, a professional soccer team, and a private jet charter [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/customer-engagement]

Copywriting Contest: Write the best-performing subject line and win [https://marketingexperiments.com/copywriting/subject-line-reader-contest]

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Subscribe to the MarketingSherpa email newsletter [https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters] to get more insights from your fellow marketers. Sign up for free if you’d like to get more episodes like this one.

For more insights, check out...

This podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages [https://meclabs.com/course/] free digital marketing course.

Apply to be a guest
If you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

There’s a great Chris Rock bit where he says educational leaders lie to kids when they say kids can be anything they want. He says to – tell kids the truth, “You could be anything you’re good at. As long as they’re hiring. And even then, it helps to know somebody.”

The good-at part, hopefully we help you with that everyday on MarketingSherpa.

But the “it helps to know somebody,” that ties into one of the key lessons my next guest has learned in his career, and he uses the famous Porter Gale statement to explain it “Your network is your net worth.”

To hear the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories from throughout his career, I talked to Carlos Gil, U.S. Market Brand Evangelist, GetReponse [https://www.getresponse.com/], and author of The End of Marketing: Humanizing Your Brand in the Age of Social Media [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-end-of-marketing-carlos-gil/1138482940].

Stories (with lessons) about what he made in marketing

• Build a brand around authenticity
• Every piece of content is a stepping stone to something bigger
• Educate your executives
• Pivoting fast and recognizing opportunities is key
• Your network is your net worth
• Failure is a stepping stone to reinvention
• The right leaders can unlock your potential

Discussed in this episode

Educate yourself. Join us for How to take a conversion marketing approach to Agentic AI and RAG (with zero tech skills) [https://meclabsai.com/Conversion] on February 12th at 2 pm EST. There is no cost (from MarketingSherpa’s parent organization, MeclabsAI).

Social Media: Marketing to millennials [https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/consumer-marketing/ecommerce-eretail/social-media-millennials-2/]

Authentic Brand Storytelling: Embed creative within your business model (podcast episode #105) [https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/authentic]

Strategic Marketing Communication: Don't do something for the sake of ticking a box (podcast episode #91) [https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/strategic-marketing]

Marketing: Sometimes you have to throw the business model out (podcast episode #34) [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/marketing-business]

Strategic Marketing Communication: Don't do something for the sake of ticking a box (podcast episode #91) [https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/strategic-marketing]

Innovation Leadership and Coaching: You should almost always do less than you think (podcast episode #46) [https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/innovation]

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Subscribe to the MarketingSherpa email newsletter to get more insights from your fellow marketers. Sign up for free if you’d like to get more episodes like this one.

Apply to be a guest
If you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

“Incorporate lessons from others' mistakes into your business strategy.”

I read this lesson in a recent podcast guest application and I thought, ‘well, that is actually a pretty good summary of what we do here on How I Made It In Marketing.’ You can tune in and learn from others’ mistakes so you don’t have to make them yourself.

And, of course, their triumphs as well. What fun would it be to only discuss the mistakes?

So I talked to the man behind that podcast guest application – AB Lieberman, CEO and Founder, Clicks Talent [https://www.clickstalent.com/] – to hear the lessons from his triumphs and mistakes, along with the stories behind those lessons. 

Stories (with lessons) about what he made in marketing

• Act Fast
• Location matters
• A $300,000 Wake-Up Call: Why your accountant matters
• Incorporate lessons from others' mistakes into your business strategy
• The customer is always right and make sure they are always happy
• Look at the person, not at the product

Discussed in this episode

Get Productive With AI [https://meclabsai.com/GetProductive] – January 8th at Noon EST

Copywriting: Every word matters in these marketing case studies from AAA, a consultant, and a real estate company [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/brand-direct-case-studies-AAA-word-marketing-examples]

Help, Don’t Hype: A guide to customer-first marketing [https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/customer-centric-marketing-2/help/]

Marketing Experimentation Strategy: Define and differentiate between experimentation and execution in marketing activities (podcast episode #93) [https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/marketing-experimentation]

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Subscribe to the MarketingSherpa email newsletter [https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters] to get more insights from your fellow marketers. Sign up for free if you’d like to get more episodes like this one.

For more insights, check out...

This podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages [https://meclabs.com/course/] free digital marketing course.

Apply to be a guest
If you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

Come with me if you will, for just a moment, to the small shtetl of Anatevka, in Tsarist Russia, the year is 1905, and we are in the barn of Tevye, a dairyman.

In his reality, he is poor. But in his imagination, ah in his imagination, he is a rich man.

I thought of that famous musical number when I read this lesson in a recent podcast guest application – “Never forget the independence of your imagination.”

A perfect explanation of Tevye. And hopefully, of you and I as well, after we listen to my latest guest…Jeffery Keilholtz, SVP of Marketing, Broadway Licensing Global [https://broadwaylicensing.com/].

Tune in to the full episode using this embedded player or by clicking through to your preferred audio streaming service using the links below it.

Stories (with lessons) about what he made in marketing

• Win the day – how daily focus leads to campaign success
• Stay nimble
• Stay cool under pressure
• “Never forget the independence of your imagination"
• Execution sets people apart
• Endurance is essential

Discussed in this episode

Get Productive With AI [https://meclabsai.com/GetProductive] – January 8th at Noon EST. There is no cost.

Enterprise Solutions Marketing: You can make a big career, and still stay human (podcast episode #99) [https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/enterprise]

Product Management & Marketing: Surround yourself with the right people (podcast episode #38) [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/product]

Get more episodes

Subscribe to the MarketingSherpa email newsletter [https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters] to get more insights from your fellow marketers. Sign up for free if you’d like to get more episodes like this one.

For more insights, check out...

This podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages [https://meclabs.com/course/] free digital marketing course.

Apply to be a guest
If you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

When this CMO's team proved her wrong about their ebook program, she didn't just accept it – she made them broadcast their victory to everyone. 

Hear that lesson – “let your team take a chance on testing it and prove you wrong” – and many more lesson-filled stories in my in-depth discussion with Susanne Rodriguez, Chief Marketing Officer, Auvik [https://www.auvik.com/].

Stories (with lessons) about what she made in marketing

• Be an uncertainty killer 
• Don't always trust your gut
• Clear is kind
• Lean in and listen on Zoom to connect and build deep relationships remotely
• Bring your best, most efficient self to the office every day to keep it moving
• Prioritize by business impact
• Let your team take a chance on testing it and prove you wrong

Discussed in this episode

Get Productive With AI [https://meclabsai.com/GetProductive] – January 8th at Noon EST. There is no cost.

Not Enough Lobster In The Ocean: Trusting their gut leads to 90,000% revenue growth at Mint Mobile (Podcast Episode #11) [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/revenue-growth-podcast]

Team Building: Loyalty, relationships, pre-selling, and other keys to marketing management success (Podcast Episode #16) [https://marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/team-building]

A/B Testing Prioritization: The surprising ROI impact of test order [https://marketingexperiments.com/a-b-testing/surprising-roi-from-test-order]

Get more episodes

Subscribe to the MarketingSherpa email newsletter [https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters] to get more insights from your fellow marketers. Sign up for free if you’d like to get more episodes like this one.

For more insights, check out...

This podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages [https://meclabs.com/course/] free digital marketing course.

Apply to be a guest
If you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application