BRANDED Leaders

Centuries of champagne and cognac tradition don’t survive on heritage alone. Regan O’Kon , SVP of Commercial Marketing at Moët Hennessy USA, shows how iconic maisons like Dom Pérignon, Hennessy, and Belvedere evolve through cultural moments, rituals, and innovation. From U.S. Open activations to music festivals and new serves like the Henny Rita, this is how luxury brands stay relevant while prote...

In this episode of  Branded Leaders , host Ben Kaplan sits down with  Leila Woodington, CMO at VEED , to talk about marketing in one of the fastest-changing spaces in tech: AI video. Leila shares how VEED balances brand and performance in a world where competitors shift overnight, why speed of execution is everything, and how the company helps non-professionals turn ideas into videos without needi...

In this episode of  Branded Leaders , host  Ben Kaplan  sits down with  Brooke Cunningham , Chief Marketing Officer at LogicMonitor, to unpack what it takes to lead global marketing in the agentic AI era. Brooke shares how she’s scaling an AI-powered observability platform in one of the most competitive markets in tech — from launching products that cut alert noise by 70% in an hour to building pa...

What do gummy sharks, nostalgic sundaes, and spontaneous celebrity shoutouts have in common? Lauren Lumbley, VP of Marketing at Brix Holdings. She’s the creative force behind campaigns for Red Mango, Clean Juice, Orange Leaf, Friendly’s, and more. In this episode of  Branded Leaders , Lauren reveals how she crafts emotional, omni-channel campaigns that actually get attention — even from the Jonas...

On this episode of  Branded Leaders , host Ben Kaplan sits down with Mark Wheeler, Chief Marketing Officer at Storyblok, to unpack 30 years of hard-earned wisdom from the world of B2B tech. From navigating complex teams to avoiding the VP ego trap, Mark shares what it really takes to lead with authenticity. He also breaks down how “joyful headless” became more than just clever branding—it became S...

In this episode of  Branded , we sit down with Colin Fleming, Chief Marketing Officer at ServiceNow, whose journey from professional race car driver to Fortune 100 CMO is anything but conventional. Colin shares how his background in motorsport prepared him for high-stakes marketing, why bold moves like slashing content by 50% can pay off, and how ServiceNow is redefining B2B marketing by putting A...

In this episode of  Branded Leaders , Ben Kaplan sits down with Jennifer Wilson , Chief Marketing Officer at Lowe’s, to unpack her extraordinary journey from a small Amish town in Ohio to leading marketing at a Fortune 50 retailer. Jen reflects on her humble beginnings, her first job in a hardware store, and the early aspirations that almost led her to become a hairdresser. Instead, she followed h...

What do you do after helping build one of the most influential media brands in youth culture—then watching it get bought, sold, and nearly lost? If you’re Moksha Fitzgibbons , you buy it back. In this episode, Moksha shares the rise, fall, and rebuild of Complex—from launching  Hot Ones  and ComplexCon, to navigating corporate ownership under BuzzFeed and Verizon, to reclaiming the brand’s future....

In this episode of  Branded Leaders , Ryan Ellis, CEO of lifestyle apparel brand TravisMathew, shares the gritty journey of transforming a modest golf-inspired startup into a $300 million retail powerhouse. From packing orders in a garage to revolutionizing golf fashion with technical fabrics and athlete endorsements, Ryan breaks down the brand’s pivotal moments—including their game-changing partn...

In this episode of  Branded , Ben Kaplan sits down with Toral Patel, Vice President of Marketing and E-commerce at Kopari Beauty, to explore the real behind-the-scenes work of rebuilding a brand from near silence during the pandemic to viral success. Toral shares how Kopari re-entered the market by prioritizing innovation, speed, and authenticity—most notably with their viral SPF face mist. They d...

In this inspiring episode, Layla Kasha , Chief Marketing Officer at Grocery Outlet, joins Ben Kaplan to discuss how immigrant grit, entrepreneurial roots, and fearless marketing have shaped her unique leadership style. Layla dives into Grocery Outlet’s “extreme value” model, selling branded products at deep discounts, and explains the brand’s bold pivot from traditional paper ads to fully digital...

Larry Kim built a $150 million company. Then he walked away. In this episode, Larry opens up about the pressure of scaling a company from nothing, the emotional toll of success, and why he chose to start again—this time betting on AI. As the founder of WordStream, Larry helped businesses spend over $1 billion on digital ads. But behind the numbers was a founder grappling with burnout, imposter syn...

In this episode of  BRANDED , host Ben Kaplan sits down with Toby Burns , the founder and CEO of  The Silent Disco Company . What began as a premium headphone rental service for exclusive weddings has evolved into a global silent party phenomenon, shipping thousands of kits to events across the world every week. Toby shares how he built his brand from the ground up, navigated the chaos of the pand...

In this episode of  Branded , Ben Kaplan sits down with Tammy Nam , CEO of Creatopy, to explore how AI is radically transforming the world of digital advertising. From slashing campaign creation time from months to minutes to unlocking new efficiencies for enterprise brands, Tammy shares insights from the frontlines of AI innovation. They dive into how enterprises are adapting faster than expected...

When the pandemic hit, Dig, a brand known for its vegetable-focused, farm-to-table menu, faced a harsh reality: their entire business model was built around in-person dining. In this episode of  Branded , Ben Kaplan sits down with Jessica Serrano, CMO of Dig, to uncover how the company transformed its strategy to not just survive, but thrive in a post-COVID world. Jessica shares the bold moves tha...

In this episode of  Branded , Ben Kaplan sits down with Caitlin Choate , Chief Marketing Officer of Boatsetter — the platform transforming how we think about boating. Often called the “Airbnb of boats,” Boatsetter is making the luxury and lifestyle of the open water accessible to everyday people, not just yacht owners. Caitlin reveals how Boatsetter is doing more than just renting boats — they’re...

Jen Grant , CMO of Dialpad, joins Ben Kaplan to talk about the reality behind AI in business, what actually helps customers and what’s just tech for tech’s sake. She shares how Dialpad is shifting focus from shouting about AI to showing how it improves everyday conversations. They dive into the challenge of keeping messaging clear in a fast-moving market, what it really means to be customer-first,...

Joe Miller didn’t plan to work in AI translation — but he’s now at the helm of Pocketalk, one of the most trusted names in secure real-time language translation across healthcare, education, and government. In this episode of  BRANDED , Joe joins host  Jackson Carpenter  to break down what separates a novelty product from a real business, and why Pocketalk exploded when it leaned into “language fr...

In this episode of  BRANDED , host  Jackson Carpenter  sits down with  Meredith Binder , CMO of Novata, to explore her unexpected rise from technical communicator to marketing executive. Meredith shares how Novata is tackling ESG data challenges in private markets with a user-first approach inspired by TurboTax. She opens up about the power of “happy accidents” in career growth, what it takes to l...

What happens when a single trampoline park expands into a powerhouse of seven youth-focused franchises? Jessica Correa , Chief Marketing Officer at Unleashed Brands, joins Jackson Carpenter to break down the art—and science—of scaling a brand ecosystem without losing the heart of each individual identity. From legacy systems and AI-powered automation to marketing across wildly different age groups...

Dashlane started as the slick password manager we all downloaded to save ourselves from forgotten logins. But now? It's aiming much higher. In this episode of  Branded , host  Ben Kaplan  sits down with  Dhiraj Kumar , Chief Marketing Officer at  Dashlane , to unpack one of the most ambitious brand transformations in tech—evolving from a consumer app into a full-blown enterprise security platform....

In this episode of  Branded , host Jackson Carpenter sits down with David Solomon , CEO of Lightspeed, to explore how a company built around classroom audio quietly became a model for culture, trust, and transformative leadership. David shares how he guided Lightspeed through a near-shutdown during the pandemic, why he took a pay cut to join the company in the first place, and how their transition...

In this episode of  Branded , host Jackson Carpenter sits down with Brett Billick , CMO of Self Financial — the FinTech brand helping millions of Americans build credit, save money, and gain financial independence. Brett unpacks how Self Financial carved out space in a crowded, often predatory industry — not with flash or gimmicks, but with discipline, transparency, and a deep understanding of the...

In this episode of Branded, Ben Kaplan sits down with Melton Littlepage , Chief Marketing Officer at 1Password , to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of cybersecurity. Melton reveals how the modern shift toward remote work and personal devices is transforming security needs, introducing the cutting-edge concept of Extended Access Management (XAM). Discover why traditional security measures fa...

In this episode, we dive deep with  Adeela Hussain , CEO of  Beis , the travel brand co-founded by actress and entrepreneur  Shay Mitchell . Béis isn’t just another celebrity brand—it’s a  masterclass in brand building, community engagement, and scaling smart . Adeela reveals how Béis disrupted the travel space by blending  style, function, and affordability  while keeping a  relentless focus on c...