Brilliantly Wrong: Marketing. Creativity. Startups.

In this episode of Brilliantly Wrong , Alex Stonehouse sits down with Tim Bradley , Founder of Pennant Video , a mid-funnel video agency behind some of the most emotionally resonant and strategically sharp videos in B2B. Tim’s story is one of clarity, craft, and conviction. From answering a Craigslist job post in 2011 to building one of the most recognizable creative brands in B2B video today, Tim...

In this episode, Alex Stonehouse sits down with Megan Whitehouse , a freelance designer and endurance athlete based in Seattle, to discuss her unconventional journey from Wisconsin to the Pacific Northwest. Megan shares how she transitioned from studying consumer behavior to pursuing design full-time The conversation explores Megan's approach to creative work, including her philosophy that gre...

In this episode, Alex Stonehouse sits down with David Somerville , Principal at Smrvl , to explore the philosophy behind great design and why the best work doesn’t just look good, it tells a story . David shares lessons from his time leading creative direction at The Atlantic , Defense One , and beyond, before building his own design studio rooted in curiosity, play, and lateral thinking. Together...

What makes a marketing partner more than just another agency? Amanda Wallman , founder of Alpine Edge Marketing , joins Alex Stonehouse to share her journey from alpine ski racing to running a founder-led consultancy helping startups and small businesses grow. We talk about: Why being founder-led creates deeper trust and stronger partnerships. How lessons from ski racing apply to marketing, growth...

In this episode of Brilliantly Wrong , Alex Stonehouse sits down with Sarah Schaffer , Founder & CEO of Bond Studios , to explore The Three Cs of Modern Marketing: Content, Communications, and Creative . Sarah brings a journalist’s eye for truth and storytelling into the marketing world, building brands rooted in trust, clarity, and authenticity. We talk about how journalistic ethics translate...

In this episode of Brilliantly Wrong , Alex Stonehouse sits down with Peyton Tackes , Director of Marketing and Communications at Ross • Scalise , to explore her journey through agency life, entrepreneurship, and in-house legal marketing. Peyton shares how she balances data-driven marketing with authentic storytelling, why educating clients can be the most powerful form of marketing, and what it’s...

In this episode of Brilliantly Wrong , I sit down with Alyssa Olerud , Founder and CEO of Fearlyss Media , to talk about how service-based entrepreneurs and leaders can build powerful personal brands without overcomplicating social media. Alyssa shares how she left her corporate career to start her own business, why she believes in “feeling the fear and doing it anyway,” and how she created her si...

What does it take to build a career around storytelling in B2B SaaS while still keeping your own creative spark alive? In this episode, I sit down with Kerri Linsenbigler — writer, editor, marketer, and self-described content chameleon . We talk about: How to balance your personal voice with brand voice. Why embracing variety across channels makes you a stronger writer. What B2B brands still get w...

What if loyalty programs weren’t about points, but about people? In this episode of Brilliantly Wrong , Alex Stonehouse sits down with Regan Jayne Plekenpol , Co-Founder of rediem , to explore how brands can transform customers into active communities that have a positive impact on the world, and why co-creation is the next frontier in brand loyalty. They dive into Regan’s transition from public p...

In this episode, I sit down with Renee Lopez-Cantera , SVP of Sales at EKN Solutions , a performance media agency specializing in multicultural audiences and programmatic strategy. We dive into what most marketers get wrong about multicultural marketing, and how to get it right. From targeting with nuance to building campaigns that reflect the complexity of real audiences, Renee shares insights on...

In this episode of  Brilliantly Wrong , Alex Stonehouse sits down with  Kathleen Lucente , CEO of  Red Fan Communications , to talk about why brand narrative is the most overlooked growth lever in B2B tech. Kathleen shares how companies can turn what feels like a marketing “sinkhole” into a  revenue engine  by crafting a compelling story that breaks through silos, builds trust, and drives real bus...

In this episode of  Brilliantly Wrong , Alex Stonehouse sits down with SEO expert  Kristan Bauer —former SEO leader at Zillow and Amazon Web Services, agency founder, and coach to freelancers and agency owners. We dive into: How she went from entry-level SEO to building (and selling) her boutique agency, Conifr. What it’s really like running SEO at enterprise scale (160M+ visits/month at Zillow)....

Too many startups treat brand as an afterthought. Leads first, brand later. But according to Ashley Johnston , founder of   Moonshot Marketer , that mindset is exactly why so many startups plateau. In this episode, Ashley shares why brand isn’t just a “nice-to-have," it’s the foundation that makes everything else in marketing and sales work better. We talk about: Why brand has to come  before...

When Natalie Marcotullio joined Navattic , most people had never even heard of an “interactive demo.” The category was new, the brand was unknown, and there was no giant marketing budget to buy attention. Instead of chasing competitors with splashy spend, Natalie focused on building  trust with marketers, with prospects, and with the market itself. In this episode, we unpack how she: Grew a catego...

What’s the difference between product marketing and commercialization? According to Nicole R. Ferrera , Owner and Chief Commercialization Officer of NRF Media , it’s the difference between launching a product and building a business. In this episode, Nicole shares her journey from running departments and major accounts at Paramount and OMD to launching her own consultancy, where she helps companie...

"Just because you're not a trillion-dollar company doesn't mean you don't have a great story to tell." After more than a decade in the PR trenches at Microsoft, Facebook, and Google, Pete Voss walked away from Big Tech to start his own PR firm and hasn’t looked back. In this episode of Brilliantly Wrong, Pete shares why he left the corporate world to help startups in AI and c...

Writing the Stories Only You Can Tell  with Camille Tuutti In this episode of  Brilliantly Wrong , journalist-turned-ghostwriter, Camille Tuutti , joins Alex Stonehouse for a wide-ranging conversation on writing with purpose, honoring your unique voice, and navigating between personal expression and commercial storytelling. Camille shares how she knew she wanted to be a writer from the age of five...

In a world where AI can churn out one hundred blog posts before lunch, content alone is no longer a competitive advantage. What you  say , and what you  stand for , matters more than ever. Lindsay King , Head of Integrated Marketing and Brand Strategy at Sifflet, shares insights from 14 years in marketing, spanning early-stage startups to IPOs, Uber to AI-first SaaS. In this conversation, we unpac...

Agentic AI and the End of Busywork In this episode of  Brilliantly Wrong , I sit down with Aubriana Alvarez Lopez, Co-Founder and COO of Agnitio, to talk about what it  really means to build with agentic AI, and why it might just be the operating system the media and marketing world has been missing. We get into the weeds on startup life, moving fast without breaking everything, and how Agnitio’s...

What if your industry’s most “inclusive” networking events were actually leaving people out? In this episode, I’m joined by  The Kay Prince  — Director of Growth Marketing at Extreme Reach (XR) and founder of  Buzz-Free Network (BFN)  — the first sober community for the ad tech industry. We talk about: Why so much of ad world culture revolves around alcohol The rise of the “sober-curious” Gen Z ex...

Toni Collis is on a mission to change the tech industry by building better leaders. As the host of  Leading Women in Tech and an executive coach for women in the C-suite, Toni shares what she's learned from working with hundreds of brilliant, ambitious leaders who are often the only woman in the room. In this conversation, we unpack the hidden costs of people-pleasing and the power of authenti...

What do most startup partnerships get wrong? Tim Condon, Chief Revenue Officer at Clutch, joins the show to break down what actually drives partnership success, and why the best deals are built by putting the other party first. Drawing on lessons from his time at The Washington Post and now leading the revenue and client functions at Clutch, Tim shares a no-BS look at how partnerships scale, where...

What happens when you embed a creative agency inside a private equity firm? Brian Wakabayashi , Head of Brand at CōLab , joins Alexander to explore this unique model and share hard-won insights about startup marketing. CōLab creative studio reimagined for startups and built inside WestCap , a private equity investor.  In this episode: Startup Marketing Reality Check: From seed stage to near-IPO, B...

Ever feel like you're drowning in marketing tasks as a solo marketer or small team? David Cardiel knows exactly how that feels. As a fractional marketing leader, he found himself managing everything from SDR teams to executive reporting while keeping the marketing engine running, all while still being responsible for the overall marketing strategy and execution. His solution? Building an entir...

What happens when you're crushing it on paper but feel completely disconnected from your work? Kelly Ramirez , Founder of Elemental Leadership, knows exactly what that feels like. In this transformative conversation, she shares her journey from Google executive to seven-figure agency owner to executive coach—and the pivotal moment that changed everything. Kelly's story begins in the early...