StartUp Marketing Uncut Podcast

The traditional marketing team model is breaking. In this episode of Startup Marketer Uncut, host The Kay Prince talks with Mack McKelvey, CEO of SalientMG and former SVP at Millennial Media, about how the CMO role is evolving, and why fractional CMOs, outsourced teams, and agile marketing models are taking over the startup world. Mack breaks down what early-stage founders get wrong about marketin...

What if the best marketing move you can make… is the wrong one? In this episode, we sit down with Alex Stonehouse, founder of Brilliantly Wrong and marketing strategist for early-stage startups, to talk about why playing it safe kills growth, how to build trust before traction, and why speed beats perfection every time. From crafting authentic thought leadership to balancing brand and performance,...

Most brands still treat their customers like transactions, and it’s costing them everything. In this episode of Startup Marketing Uncut, we sit down with Christina Garnett, fractional Chief Customer Officer and author of Transforming Customer Brand Relationships, to talk about how empathy, authenticity, and community can transform your bottom line. We dive into: - Why so many companies still see c...

Deadlines are looming. Budgets are tiny. And somehow, you’re expected to do it all. Welcome to  StartUp Marketing Uncut  — a new podcast built by and for startup marketers who are done pretending it’s easy, and done thinking it's impossible. Hosted by The Kay Prince, each episode cuts through the chaos with unfiltered conversations, fresh perspectives, and actionable insights from the people a...

Forget retainers and bloated decks: Dana Hork is building a better agency model from the ground up. In this episode, the Beers with Friends founder shares how productized services, sprint-based delivery, and brand clarity are reshaping the agency world. You’ll learn why mind reading is for suckers, what a “beer run” is in marketing, and how to get marketers and founders to finally speak the same l...

In this episode, Jake Goldman, Head of Public Affairs and Communications at Beta Technologies, shares how his team communicates credibility in the high-stakes world of electric aviation. “This isn’t an app,” he explains—it’s about putting people in planes, managing regulators, and proving the tech works. Jake covers how public affairs, lean teams, and political comms experience shape the strategy,...

Sabra Willner brings decades of experience across agencies, Fortune 500s, and startups into one of the most dynamic interviews of the series. She breaks down the role of marketing not just as a growth engine, but as a driver of business transformation. From customer advisory boards to brand mascots to the underutilized power of BDRs, Sabra explains how strategic creativity and close collaboration...

In this episode, Genean Jones lays down a masterclass in modern go-to-market (GTM) strategy. Drawing from her deep experience in startups and Fortune 50s alike, she defines GTM not as a marketing function or a sales plan, but as a strategic machine that unites product, sales, marketing, customer success, and finance. She emphasizes that post-sale growth is often the most overlooked opportunity in...

Wade Prince never planned on becoming a marketer. As the Chief Market Intelligence Officer at The Gormley Group, a consultancy specializing in helping companies land federal contracts, Wade found himself unexpectedly leading the marketing charge. With no formal marketing background, he bootstrapped a strategy from scratch in a traditionally marketing-averse industry. In this episode, he opens up a...

Michael Veras Mora, founder and CEO of digital agency Yellow Lion, unpacks how branding, websites, and collaboration need to function as living systems. Drawing from his roots in fashion and his experience leading branding and web projects for clients like Hello Sunshine and NYU, he challenges the static approach to web development and calls for cross-functional clarity. This episode is a crash co...

SUM Disruptors co-host, Heidi Keele, joined the podcast from the other side of the table this week.  She sat down with Mack McKelvey for a candid conversation about how her strengths and passions have shaped her career. By being true to herself she’s been able to navigate challenges throughout her journey while doing incredible, fulfilling work as a marketer and entrepreneur. Whether you are...

In this episode, Brian O’Shaughnessy, a seasoned communications strategist with roots in both massive corporations and early-stage startups, shares why storytelling is not just a marketing tool. It's a foundational element of business strategy. With decades of experience across Google, VeriSign, Skype, and startups alike, Brian emphasizes that the best storytelling begins internally. He unpacks ho...

In this episode, Kiana Pirouz breaks down how she helped scale We Are Rosie’s brand from its earliest days to a nationally recognized name—all without a dime spent on paid ads. Kiana shares her unapologetically bold approach to values-led marketing, how she prioritized community over traditional B2B tactics, and why storytelling (not selling) should drive early-stage growth. Her approach flips the...

In this episode of the SUM Disruptors Podcast, co-hosts Mack McKelvey and HK explore the ins and outs of event marketing with Beth Pyne, VP of Marketing at SalientMG. With over 15 years of experience working at both growth-stage startups and industry giants like Yahoo!, Beth shares her tips for selecting, planning, and maximizing events for every budget. Are trade shows still worth it? (It depends...

In this episode of the SUM Disruptors Podcast, hosts Mack and HK chat with Alexander Stonehouse, Marketing Director at Forj and board advisor for StartUp Marketer. As a 3x startup marketer, Alexander highlights the stark contrasts between marketing at large, established institutions like the Washington Post—where approvals can take months—and the fast-paced world of startups, where optimizations h...

In this episode of the SUM Disruptors Podcast, hosts Mack and Heidi sit down with 3x startup CMO Miriam Kendall to explore that coveted CMO role and the tough realities of startup life. Discover why Miriam left Under Armour for the startup world and why she hasn’t looked back since. With 20 years under her belt, Miriam shares her strategies for breaking down silos, managing founder expectations, a...

In this episode, Mack and Heidi sit down with Molly O’Connor, Director of Communications and Content at Aescape, a groundbreaking robotics massage company. Molly pulls back the curtain on Aescape’s highly successful launch from stealth mode, detailing how she secured high-profile media coverage in Wired , The New York Times , Forbes, Fast Company , Morning Brew, Mashable , Travel Weekly , PopSci ,...

In this episode, Mack and Heidi sit down with Jessica Baum, Chief Marketing Officer at BERA (part of The Harris Poll, a Stagwell company) to unpack her 20-year career from secretary to CMO—a rise driven by grit, resilience, and a roll-up-her-sleeves attitude. The trio discuss the critical – and often misaligned – relationship between marketing, product, and sales, and why product marketing sits at...

In Episode 2 of the SUM Disruptors Podcast, Mack and Heidi sit down with Peter Sloterdyk, a global marketing leader with a proven track record at Netflix, Grindr, and Koala. Peter pulls back the curtain on startup marketing, sharing candid insights about working with founders, navigating tough conversations, hiring top talent, and learning when to listen. From hiring 86 people in six months to lea...

In the first episode of SUM Disruptors Podcast, co-hosts Mack McKelvey and Heidi Keele discuss the inspiration behind the show, exploring the world of startup marketing and the disruptive marketers behind the scenes. This episode sets the tone for the season, offering a glimpse into the unfiltered, real-world conversations you can expect. This season, Mack and Heidi will dive into topics like the...