Great brands are built on one big idea. And every campaign and customer touchpoint should connect back to that big idea.

In this episode of Growth Talks, Katelyn Watson, CMO of Talkspace, joins Right Side Up Founder and host Tyler Elliston to share her marketing philosophy for building brands that last.

Drawing on more than 20 years leading growth at companies like Nurx and Shutterfly, Katelyn reveals how grounding your brand in customer insights, aligning teams around shared goals, and thinking like a performance marketer can unlock stronger partnerships, faster scaling, and sustained growth.

She also shares lessons from high-impact rebrands and authentic influencer campaigns that have helped her build trust, relevance, and long-term brand equity.

🗝️ Key Takeaways:

• Nail the first 90 days. Great CMOs lead with clarity. They set priorities early, define the mission, and earn trust fast.
• Listen first, then message. The best marketers build strategy around what customers actually need.
• Brand awareness still matters. Top of funnel builds recognition, earns credibility, and fuels long-term growth.
• The affiliate advantage. Smart CMOs double down on what works, and affiliate programs consistently deliver.
• Strategic partnerships drive real impact. Growth isn't always paid. Brand partners expand reach and create lasting value.
• Authenticity wins in influencer marketing. Real stories resonate, foster community, and drive meaningful conversion.

⏰ Timestamps

01:54 Leading Brand Transformation

08:15 How to Leverage Marketing Agencies

11:30 AI’s Role in Brand and Marketing Strategy

22:55 Strategic Partnerships for Scalable Growth

29:38 Guiding Early-Stage Companies

36:23 Influencer Marketing That Drives Results

38:40 Building Successful Long-Term Partnerships

41:32 Measuring What Matters in Marketing

46:25 Rethinking Organic Social Strategy

🔗 Mentioned in this episode:

• Talkspace: https://www.talkspace.com/
• Nurx: https://www.nurx.com/
• American Express: https://www.americanexpress.com/
• Shutterfly: https://www.shutterfly.com/

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"The B2B market is constantly shifting. Your ability to innovate and pivot quickly defines your competitive edge.”

In this episode of Growth Talks, we're joined by Cate Lochead, the former CMO o Snorkel AI whose career in B2B marketing leadership spans more than 25 years. She has held high-impact executive roles at companies like JumpCloud, DataStax, and Couchbase.

Cate shares her proven strategies for scaling global marketing teams, securing venture funding, and leading a company through a successful IPO. She explains why operational rigor, financial alignment, and a deep understanding of technical buyers are critical to sustainable growth.

Building on these foundational principles, Cate also offers a clear-eyed look at how the role of the marketer is evolving with AI, along with actionable insights on how to leverage new technologies to drive business success.

🗝️ Key Takeaways:

• Culture is your edge. Teams that communicate clearly and operate with purpose will outperform, every time.
• Adaptability is a must. In B2B marketing, what works today might not work tomorrow. Stay flexible and responsive to changing landscapes.
• Know your audience—deeply. Technical buyers value substance. Speak their language and deliver insights they can use.
• Brand trust compounds. A great campaign can spark short-term wins, but lasting impact comes from consistency and credibility over time.
• Growth should be sustainable. Blitz-scaling can backfire. Long-term wins come from pacing growth with operational discipline.

Say “I don’t know” more often. Curiosity and humility make room for real alignment, better decisions, and stronger leadership.

⏰ Timestamps

03:44 Balancing Innovation and Business Operations

06:32 The Importance of Alignment with Finance

09:25 Empathy in Leadership and Communication

12:10 Messaging Strategies for Technical Audiences

17:41 Successful Campaigns and Learning from Failures

29:12 Navigating Growth and Sustainability in Tech

33:45 Marketing’s Evolving Role in the Age of AI

39:54 The Enduring Value of In-Person Events

49:50 Navigating Fundraising and Marketing Roles

🔗 Mentioned in this episode:

• Snorkel AI: https://snorkel.ai/
• JumpCloud: https://jumpcloud.com/
• DataStax: https://www.datastax.com/
• Couchbase: https://www.couchbase.com/
• Carbon Black: https://www.broadcom.com/
• Oracle: https://www.oracle.com/

👍Did you enjoy this video? Don’t forget to click the like button! And find more episodes of Growth Talks here: https://bit.ly/3xXGJJc

🤝Connect with Right Side Up

Right Side Up is a premium growth marketing agency that has helped more than 1,000+ companies hit their growth goals. Check us out and send us a note at: https://bit.ly/4bfaBQt

‣ Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3HWiJYD

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"You can’t talk your way into success, your product has to be wonderful, and customers have to love it."

In the Season 2 premiere of Growth Talks, Jaleh Bisharat, fractional CMO at Skillshare, joins Right Side Up Founder and host Tyler Elliston, to share her CMO playbook built on two decades of leadership across companies like Eventbrite and OpenTable. She breaks down how CMOs can make an impact in their first 90 days and why strategic focus is one of marketing’s most powerful levers.

Jaleh also shares how to build high-performing teams and translate customer insights into strategy—drawing on early career lessons from Amazon, where she saw how a customer first mindset fuels lasting growth.

🗝️ Key Takeaways:

• Great CMOs think like CEOs. They look beyond brand performance, empower teams, and make bold decisions that drive sustained growth.
• Culture is shaped by example. A marketing leader’s energy, focus, and integrity influence every interaction—and define how teams operate at every level.
• The first 90 days are for listening. Great CMOs lead with curiosity, taking time to understand the team, set priorities, and build trust before making decisions.
• Focus is a strategic advantage. Marketing teams often drown in ideas. The best CMOs zero in on the 20% that drives 80% of results and align teams around what matters most.
• Customer insights are your growth engine. Metrics are important, but direct conversations lead to sharper decisions and stronger product-market fit.

⏰ Timestamps

00:00 Resilience in Action: Jaleh’s Journey to CMO Leadership

02:52 Navigating the First 90 Days as a CMO

06:05 Understanding Team Dynamics and Customer Insights

09:01 The Importance of Focus in Marketing Strategy

11:51 The Role of Product in Marketing Success

14:54 The Case for Fractional vs. Full-Time CMOs

28:16 Transitioning Roles: From Interim to Full-Time CMO

30:22 The Distinction Between Fractional and Full-Time CMOs

34:30 Core Principles of Effective Leadership

44:39 Customer-Centricity: Lessons from Amazon

46:04 Advising Companies: What Matters Most

47:41 The Value of Direct Customer Conversations

🔗 Mentioned in this episode:

• Skillshare: https://www.skillshare.com
• Novi https://www.noviconnect.com/
• Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/
• Upwork: https://www.upwork.com
• OpenTable: https://www.opentable.com/
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/

👍 Did you enjoy this video? Don’t forget to click the like button! And find more episodes of Growth Talks here: https://bit.ly/3xXGJJc

🤝 Connect with Right Side Up

Right Side Up is a premium growth marketing agency that has helped more than 1,000+ companies hit their growth goals. Check us out and send us a note at: https://bit.ly/4bfaBQt

‣ Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3HWiJYD

‣ Subscribe to our marketing newsletter: https://rightsideup.com/resources/growth-marketing-newsletter/

‣ Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightsideup/

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