Uncooked

In this episode of Defending Depth, Jacqueline takes us inside a dinner with ten senior leaders who, within ninety seconds, were all performing their professional personas. She shares what happened when one guest put down his fork and told the truth—and why that moment is the whole reason she does this work. The episode makes the case that the most valuable customer insight doesn’t liv...

Episode Title: AI Should Attack Your Work In this episode of Defending Depth, Jacqueline explains how the true power of AI tools can be seen when you ask them to break your work. She shares how using AI as a sparring partner to stress-test and strengthen thinking produces strategy you can defend, giving you an edge over those who use AI to validate their work.  In 8 minutes, she shares: How A...

Infobip has made your life easier, you just don't know it. That bank verification code. The fraud alert. The text from your Uber driver. Infobip has powered the customer communications behind some of the world's biggest brands for over two decades.    In this episode Ben Lewis, VP of Marketing and Growth at Infobip joins Jacqueline to break down how a global B2B brand evolves from the in...

In this episode of Defending Depth, Jacqueline makes the case for a critical shift in leadership conversations around AI. She walks through how teams are producing more output than ever, but most of it sounds vaguely, uncomfortably familiar and how most leaders are actively making it worse without knowing it. In 7 minutes, she shares: Why AI isn't the problem — and the uncomfortable place le...

In this episode of Defending Depth, Jacqueline makes the case for analog tools in high-stakes thinking. She shares what happened during a seven-hour workshop with 15 bank executives, including the moment a quiet head of relationship management stood up, grabbed a marker, and changed the whole day. It's a short story about what happens when the room you're in becomes part of the thinking. In 10 min...

In this episode of Defending Depth, Jacqueline gets real about her worst business quarters in seven years and what it taught her about the difference between chasing perfection and pursuing excellence. It starts with a Christmas Eve dinner story you'll recognize. She shares how letting go of rigid thinking changed everything, and how Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy gave her the framework for pursui...

In this episode of Defending Depth, Jacqueline explores how convenience and shortcuts are slowly weakening strategic thinking. She explains why friction actually helps us think better and how removing it too quickly can dull judgment and meaning. Drawing from The Comfort Crisis and real-world experience, she challenges the idea that faster isn't always better. Instead, she shows how small amounts...

The Uncooked Podcast is where we uncover raw marketing insight. That only happens when we slow down enough to think. Defending Depth is a series of short-form Uncooked episodes that drop between full interviews. These episodes share our point of view on deep, strategic thinking for marketers working in an age of AI, speed, and constant content creation. In this episode, Jacqueline introduces Defen...

Turns out the secret to a spicy marriage isn’t a six-pack or a Ferrari - it’s a spray bottle that smells like sandalwood swagger. Meet Sean Busch, dad-preneur behind DadMode, the cleaning line that is built for modern fatherhood and finally gives guys a reason to wipe down the sink.    In this episode Jacqueline grills Sean on: Evicting artificial lavender from your pantry. H...

Warning: this episode might make you throw out half your bathroom shelf. Today, we’re talking with Seth Spears—digital marketer turned clean-ingredient crusader and founder of Wellnesse, a brand that proves your toothpaste doesn’t have to be toxic—or boring. Tune in as we dive into Seth’s journey from marketing to manufacturing, the dirty truth behind “clean&rdq...

In today’s episode of Uncooked , I’m sitting down with Gioel and Ronni Molinari, founders of Autostrada—a boutique car storage and social club in Westport, CT. It started as a simple idea: a safe, stylish spot for vehicle storage. But then… plot twist … it morphed into a buzzing social club, where car enthusiasts gather in an exceptional space that allows vehicles to be appreciated as art. In this...

In this episode, Gillian “Gilly” Stollwerk Garrett, the founder of Gilly's Organics, shares her inspiring entrepreneurial journey from her background in writing and marketing to creating a successful clean skincare line. If you're a marketer or owner navigating the challenges of building a brand in a competitive market, Gilly’s story is packed with actionable insights on marketing strategies and t...

This week we explore the intricacies of launching a small business, the power of quality ingredients, and the importance of having a clear purpose with Vikki Krinsky, Chef and Founder of VK Energy Bar. A young actress turned private chef for Hollywood celebrities, Vikki was driven by keeping her client’s energy high and nutrition balanced on grueling days on set. The idea for VK Energy Bars was bo...

In this episode, we’re introduced to the next generation of virtual shopping with Samantha Lerner, the VP of Marketing at Obsess. Obsess builds stunning virtual storefronts that are revolutionizing online shopping experiences for brands such as Coach, Ferragamo, Dyson and Ralph Lauren for example. Samantha shares a mini masterclass on how audience shopping behavior differs in virtual reality and h...

This week I’m discussing the power of community with the CMO of Podium Nutrition, Dylan Jones. Podium began by formulating pre and post workout powders born within the CrossFit community. My conversation with Dylan is mini masterclass for how to use audience understanding to make product decisions, develop a marketing strategy and forge like-minded partnerships . Dylan shares insights into how Pod...

Today’s unfiltered truth comes from my guest, Ian Stewart, the CMO of Wedge Brands. Wedge Brands is a Private Equity firm run by surfers, who manages a portfolio of outdoor brands that includes Xcel Wetsuits. Wedge Brands has a unique model, focusing on providing back-office support to share across the brand portfolio, so owners can focus on growth, not logistics. This episode is a masterclass in...

We’re ringing in episode 50 with leadership and marketing insights from Global President of Kenneth Cole, Jed Berger. Listen in as Jed breaks down the multi-decade evolution of Kenneth Cole and how he’s using his entrepreneurial mindset to help the legacy brand continue to evolve with the changing demands of the young professional. Jed also shares how he’s focused on supporting the culture of Kenn...

High quality products demand a perfect environment to thrive. Chief Marketing Officer of Grove Bags, Lance Lambert says that perfection can be obtained with a little bit of science, a keen eye for details, and a lot of handshakes. This week Lance and I are discussing how Grove Bags is showcasing the passion of the cannabis community with the perfect storage system that outperforms stereotypical ja...

How can a crazy amount of horseradish be the key to creating an unforgettable brand experience? According to St. Elmo Steak House, they’re just giving people what they want. This week my guest is St. Elmo’s VP of Marketing and self-proclaimed “Shrimp Cocktail Hype Man,” Bryn Jones. St. Elmo’s Steak House is legendary in Indianapolis, attracting the NFL elite and celebrity drop ins. We dig into how...

Look in your pocket or bag right now. Go, on…we’ll wait. Ryan Coulter from The James Brand believes what we carry every day says something about who we are. Do you need to be professional helicopter pilot or a mountaineer for permission to carry a pocketknife? We say, ‘heck no’! The James Brand is challenging traditional ideas of who is part of the modern knife community and why you might want to...

In part 2, Ryan returns to discuss how The James Brand balances the needs of the knife community, with new audiences, as they reimagine the traditional pocketknife. Today we cover how sweating the details is key to creating a beloved brand. We discuss Ryan’s vision for his products to help people be a little more in the moment. And how the true role of a business is to generate value and distribut...

Have you ever brought home a new purchase, only to realize the product designers really missed the mark? We might even say aloud, “what were they THINKING?” My latest guest has created tools and practices every business can employ to avoid these disastrous experiences. The tool is empathy. On this week’s episode Michael Ventura an author, speaker, and empathy facilitator, joins me to discuss how h...

On our last episode Michael Ventura shared how his methodology of marketing helped organizations navigate change, improve customer experience, and generate revenue. But as Uncle Ben famously said, “with great power, comes great responsibility.” Listen in as Michael returns to discuss the social responsibility of marketing with empathy and how you can maintain your moral code while gaining powerful...

To start a BBQ restaurant, do you need a passion for food or a passion for opportunity? Restaurateur Thomas Ward has both. He grew up immersed in the food industry and honed his skill for entrepreneurship with his flagship bbq joint called Pig Floyd’s Urban BBQ. In this episode we explore how he cultivated his passion for building businesses and assessing risks – both in business and on the menu....

Anyone can create something to sell, but will someone actually buy it? That’s the golden question for VC co-founder Drew Leahy and his team at Hawke Ventures. On today’s episode of Uncooked, we’re diving into how this marketing-savvy firm finds great businesses to invest in and how having a marketing team on your side from day one can make or break a startup’s success. If you’re in the early stage...