Podcast
CMO Journeys
Hosted by Christian Banach · EN
CMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin featuring conversations with the marketing leaders behind today’s most recognizable brands, including Princess Cruises, White Castle, and Ruby Tuesday.
Hosted by Christian Banach, Founder and Chief Growth Officer of NextBigWin, each episode explores the personal and professional journeys that brought today’s CMOs to the C-suite — from the pivotal career decisions and mentors that shaped them to the lessons learned along the way.
The conversation then turns to the realities of leading modern marketing organizations, including the mandates CMOs are driving inside their companies and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.
Through candid discussions, CMO Journeys gives agency leaders, marketers, and industry professionals a behind-the-scenes look at how modern CMOs build teams, shape brands, drive growth, and partner with the organizations helping bring their strategies to life.
29episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Andrea Schwenk, CMO of Egglife Foods: Scaling a Challenger Brand With Focus and Discipline
4d ago00:33:38Tap to summarizeAndrea Schwenk, Chief Marketing Officer at Egglife Foods, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how she helped shape the brand from an early-stage challenger into a growing CPG platform. Her perspective is valuable for marketers and agency leaders because she brings experience across agencies, restaurants, spirits, retail, hospitality, and better-for-you food innovation.What the Conversation Covers• Andrea’s early interest in architecture, journalism, and advertising, and how those experiences shaped her balance of creativity and business discipline.• Her path from agency roles to brand-side leadership, including what agency experience taught her about building stronger client-agency partnerships.• How Egglife built its brand around one core product line before expanding into pasta, grab-and-go breakfast products, and new retail channels.• Why focus, discipline, and prioritization are essential as a challenger brand balances awareness, innovation, retail velocity, and budget constraints.• Andrea’s approach to agency partnerships, including how specialized partners, clear roles, transparency, and curiosity help support a fast-evolving business.Guest BioAndrea Schwenk is Chief Marketing Officer at Egglife Foods, a protein-forward food company reimagining flour-based staples with eggs as the foundation. She first joined the company as VP of Marketing and has helped guide its evolution from a focused wrap brand into a broader food platform. Her background includes agency work, restaurant marketing, spirits, hospitality, CPG, and challenger brand growth.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.
Transcribe →Dan Eisenberg, CMO of Blue Chip: Why Agency Growth Starts With Trust
2w ago00:33:39Tap to summarizeDan Eisenberg, CMO and Partner at Blue Chip, joins CMO Journeys to discuss agency growth, client relationships, and the connection between brand building and business development. His perspective is especially valuable for agency leaders because he has spent his career helping agencies grow through trust, thought leadership, and stronger client partnerships.What the Conversation Covers• Dan’s early path from Los Angeles to Michigan and how studying history shaped his interest in human behavior, consumers, and brands.• How his account service background gave him a foundation in client leadership, integrated campaigns, retail operations, and business problem-solving.• Why agency marketing and business development need to work together instead of relying on referrals, reputation, or the CEO’s network alone.• How Blue Chip approaches growth through positioning, thought leadership, relationship mapping, events, PR, and a focused ideal client profile.• Why trust is the foundation of strong agency-client relationships, especially as agencies help clients connect marketing investment to business impact.Guest BioDan Eisenberg is CMO and Partner at Blue Chip, an independent brand commerce agency that helps brands connect long-term brand building with near-term sales performance. His career spans account service, experiential marketing, client leadership, agency growth, and business development. At Blue Chip, he leads marketing and growth strategy with a focus on positioning, thought leadership, new business, and building trusted relationships with clients and prospects.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.
Transcribe →Karen Craven, CMO of the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer: Turning Programs Into Public Trust
3w ago00:39:17Tap to summarizeKaren Craven, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how public-sector marketing can build awareness, credibility, and trust. Her perspective is shaped by a career spanning journalism, government, public affairs, associations, education, and consumer-facing financial programs.What the Conversation Covers• Karen’s early career in journalism and how reporting shaped her approach to education, transparency, and public accountability.• The career pivots that moved her from journalism into government affairs, marketing, communications, and public-sector leadership.• How the Treasurer’s Office uses marketing to help residents understand programs tied to unclaimed property, college savings, retirement, disability savings, and community investment.• Why public programs require clear communication, ethical marketing, multilingual outreach, and trusted community channels.• How agencies can better understand government procurement, RFPs, partner selection, and the need to communicate complex programs clearly and responsibly.Guest BioKaren Craven is Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer. In her role, she helps lead marketing and communications for public-facing financial programs that serve Illinois residents, families, local governments, nonprofits, and communities. Her background includes journalism, public affairs, government, association leadership, marketing, and communications strategy.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.
Transcribe →Michael Klozotsky, CMO of IMO Health: Weird Thinkers Build Stronger Marketing Teams
3w ago00:35:51Tap to summarizeIn this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Michael Klozotsky, Chief Marketing Officer of IMO Health, about how unconventional career paths can create stronger marketing leaders and better teams. Michael shares how his background across academia, bartending, and enterprise healthcare marketing shaped a leadership style grounded in curiosity, simplification, and a deep belief that different ways of thinking lead to better business outcomes.What the Conversation Covers• Michael’s unconventional path from teaching and academia into marketing leadership, and how that journey shaped the way he thinks about talent and leadership• Why simplifying complex healthcare and enterprise technology stories is one of the most important jobs marketing can do• How IMO Health is evolving beyond its legacy position and explaining its value across a broader healthcare and technology ecosystem• Why Michael believes the best marketing teams include “weird thinkers” who challenge assumptions and approach problems from unexpected angles• How he thinks about building teams, using agencies, and balancing human judgment with AI in a fast-changing marketing environmentGuest BioMichael Klozotsky is Chief Marketing Officer at IMO Health, where he leads marketing for a company focused on improving the quality and integrity of clinical data across the healthcare ecosystem. His career path has been anything but traditional, spanning academia, teaching, bartending, and leadership roles in complex healthcare and enterprise technology organizations, giving him a distinctive perspective on team building, storytelling, and strategic marketing.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.
Transcribe →Dil Fernando, CMO of Freeosk: Connecting Shopper Experience, Data, and Brand Growth
4w ago00:28:06Tap to summarizeDil Fernando, CMO of Freeosk, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how in-store product discovery is evolving into a more measurable retail media experience. Her perspective is valuable because she brings together experience in radio, music, entrepreneurship, CPG innovation, brand strategy, shopper engagement, and experiential retail media.What the Conversation Covers• Dil’s early career in radio and music, and how being on air taught her that attention is earned through timing, relevance, and storytelling.• What entrepreneurship taught her about resilience, scrappiness, and understanding business from multiple angles.• How her work in CPG innovation at MillerCoors shaped her view of experimentation, emerging technology, and scaling new ideas inside large companies.• How Freeosk is evolving from a sampling business into a broader experiential retail media platform connecting sampling, media, shopper engagement, and data.• Dil’s approach to agency partnerships, including why market understanding, strategic thinking, functional expertise, and useful insights matter.Guest BioDilini “Dil” Fernando is Chief Marketing Officer at Freeosk, a company helping brands and retailers create measurable in-store product discovery experiences. In her role, she leads brand, communications, positioning, partnership marketing, insights, and media analytics. Her background includes radio, music, entrepreneurship, business school, CPG brand management, innovation, and shopper marketing.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.
Transcribe →Monica Lopez Gonzalez, CMO of Feeding America: Why Authentic Narratives Matter More Than Ever
4w ago00:32:03Tap to summarizeIn this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Monica Lopez Gonzalez, Chief Marketing Officer of Feeding America, about leading marketing and communications at a time when trust, dignity, and public narrative are central to the organization’s mission. Monica shares how her background in consumer insight and storytelling now helps her connect authentic human experiences to a broader movement around hunger relief in America.What the Conversation Covers• Monica’s path from market research in Mexico to senior marketing leadership, and how early field work shaped her belief in human connection and authentic storytelling• Why marketing in a nonprofit requires a different mindset, with success measured not by selling more products but by increasing impact, awareness, and support• How Feeding America is working to tell more authentic, respectful, and dignified stories about neighbors facing hunger• Why cultural moments, donor understanding, and smarter segmentation matter in building stronger long-term relationships with supporters• How Monica is thinking about scale, innovation, AI, and agency partnerships while keeping human truth at the center of the workGuest BioMonica Lopez Gonzalez is Chief Marketing Officer at Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization. She brings a background in market research, consumer insight, and marketing leadership, and now focuses on helping Feeding America strengthen its public narrative, deepen donor engagement, and connect authentic community stories to broader action and support.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.
Transcribe →Natasha Phillips, CMO of GE Healthcare: Bringing Science and Strategy Together
4w ago00:34:35Tap to summarizeNatasha Phillips, who leads marketing for Pharmaceutical Diagnostics in the U.S. and Canada at GE Healthcare, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how science, strategy, and customer insight come together in healthcare marketing. Her perspective is shaped by experience across consulting, research, healthcare, consumer marketing, and global commercial leadership.What the Conversation Covers• Natasha’s early interest in math, science, and healthcare, and how that foundation shaped her path into marketing leadership.• Her transition from consulting and research into commercial healthcare roles, including the mentor who encouraged her to pursue an MBA.• What she learned from moving into consumer marketing at McDonald’s and how those lessons apply back to healthcare.• How GE Healthcare markets to a complex mix of stakeholders, including clinicians, procurement teams, health systems, and institutions.• Natasha’s approach to agency partnerships, including the balance between strategic brand support, specialized execution, and healthcare regulatory expertise.Guest BioNatasha Phillips leads marketing for Pharmaceutical Diagnostics in the U.S. and Canada at GE Healthcare, a global healthcare company focused on medical technology, diagnostics, and AI-driven solutions. Her work sits at the intersection of science, innovation, commercialization, and customer experience in a highly regulated healthcare category. Her background includes healthcare consulting, research, commercial leadership at Abbott, consumer marketing at McDonald’s, and global brand experience.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.
Transcribe →Kristin Agnelli, CMO of ESO: Building a Career Between Sales and Story
Jun 800:34:15Tap to summarizeKristin Agnelli, Chief Marketing Officer and SVP of Communications at ESO, joins CMO Journeys to discuss her path from sales development and demand generation into broader marketing leadership. Her perspective is especially valuable for marketers and agency leaders because she has built her career at the intersection of revenue, brand, product marketing, and customer storytelling.What the Conversation Covers• Kristin’s early path from pre-law ambitions to marketing leadership, including the internship experience that changed her direction.• How her background in sales development, demand generation, field marketing, and revenue alignment shaped the way she leads marketing today.• Why product marketing, brand, and customer storytelling need to work together to create a strong foundation for growth.• How ESO is building a clearer company-level story around emergency response, healthcare technology, data, and better outcomes.• Kristin’s approach to agency partnerships, including where outside expertise helps most and how agencies can show they truly understand a complex business.Guest BioKristin Agnelli is Chief Marketing Officer and SVP of Communications at ESO, a healthcare and emergency response technology company serving EMS, fire departments, hospitals, and government agencies. She leads marketing and communications for the company, with a focus on brand clarity, category education, customer storytelling, and go-to-market alignment. Her career includes leadership across sales development, demand generation, field marketing, product marketing, and broader revenue-focused marketing roles.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.
Transcribe →Colette Dill-Lerner, CMO of Growth Channel: Leading Marketing in the Era of the CFO
May 3100:34:43Tap to summarizeColette Dill-Lerner, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Growth Channel, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how marketing leaders are navigating pressure, complexity, and financial accountability. Her perspective is shaped by a career across direct response marketing, consulting, private equity-backed companies, and ad tech.What the Conversation Covers• Colette’s unconventional path into marketing, from political science and early startup exposure to senior marketing leadership.• How her direct response background shaped her focus on customer acquisition, revenue, LTV, CAC, and business fundamentals.• Why today’s marketing environment is increasingly shaped by CFO scrutiny, tighter budgets, and the need to prove financial impact.• How Growth Channel is approaching go-to-market through relationships, in-person events, useful content, and strategic client support.• Colette’s perspective on agencies, including why they may become more valuable as companies face smaller teams, more pressure, and growing complexity.Guest BioColette Dill-Lerner is Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Growth Channel, a platform helping agencies and in-house teams simplify programmatic advertising across channels including CTV, audio, display, and retail media. In her role, she leads marketing, strategy, client success, and client advisory work, helping brands and agencies connect campaign execution to broader business goals. Her background includes direct response marketing, consulting, healthcare, private equity-backed companies, and ad tech.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.
Transcribe →Linda Bethea, Former CMO of Danone North America: Balancing Brand Building and Business Pressure
May 2500:32:36Tap to summarizeIn this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Linda Bethea, former Chief Marketing Officer of Danone North America, about what it takes to balance long-term brand building with the short-term business pressures facing modern CMOs. Drawing on leadership roles at PepsiCo, Diageo, and Danone, Linda shares a practical perspective on portfolio strategy, creative risk, consumer insight, and why marketing needs a real seat at the business table.What the Conversation Covers• Linda’s path from studying psychology into a marketing career shaped by curiosity about consumer behavior and brand growth• The leadership lessons she learned across PepsiCo, Diageo, and Danone, including how to move from being a doer to leading through teams• How to manage a large and complex portfolio by clarifying the role of each brand and aligning resources to long-term strategy• Why strong brand building can come under pressure in short-term, financially driven environments and how CMOs can defend marketing investment• How Linda thinks about agency partnerships, bold creative ideas, media fragmentation, AI, and measuring marketing’s impact more effectivelyGuest BioLinda Bethea is a former Chief Marketing Officer of Danone North America and has held senior marketing leadership roles at companies including PepsiCo and Diageo. Her career has focused on brand building, portfolio strategy, media and marketing effectiveness, and leading teams across some of the world’s most complex consumer organizations.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.
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