Uncensored CMO – "Why you need to know your e.l.f.ing numbers" with Kory Marchisotto

Podcast: Uncensored CMO
Host: Jon Evans
Guest: Kory Marchisotto, CMO of e.l.f. Beauty
Air Date: February 2, 2026

Main Theme & Purpose

This high-energy, no-nonsense episode kicks off the new Uncensored Renegades series, where Jon Evans and Kory Marchisotto dive deep into essential marketing leadership topics in a condensed, focused 20-minute format. This episode is all about the critical importance of knowing your numbers as a marketer—demystifying the role of the CMO, making the business case for marketing investment, and sharing practical frameworks for marketers aiming to increase their impact and credibility inside the boardroom.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Reputation of Marketing vs Business Reality

• Marketing’s Misconceptions: Jon shares a humorous anecdote about his daughter’s view of his job—"cutting, sticking, and coloring in"—to highlight the misconception that marketing is mere promo and creativity ([01:13]).
• The Numbers Behind the Scenes: Kory underscores that, at the CMO level, marketing is about "shaping the future P&L of the company," not just ads ([01:40]).

The CMO's Branding Problem

• Ambiguity Breeds Confusion:
  • Kory argues that marketing's branding problem comes from its amorphous nature: “Ask a thousand people what marketing is, you get a thousand different answers” ([02:15]).
• Translating Magic to Metrics:
  • Marketers must “be the decoder” between creative marketing and business measurables, especially when talking to CFOs: “Do not go in there with your magic wand talking bibbidi bobbidi boo shit. Go in there and talk about business impact.” ([02:37])

The Pragmatic Path to Invest Bigger

• Stepwise Investment & Proof:
  • Kory details how e.l.f. moved from spending 6% to 24% of net revenue on marketing—incrementally, by partnering with the CFO and proving ROI at each step ([04:11]).
  • Quote: “Incremental progress and being able to pinpoint the specific metrics and tell that story with impact is actually how you win the C suite and the boardroom.” ([05:17])

Long-Term Value vs Short-Term Metrics

• Balancing Quarters & Decades:
  • Jon references Lodish and Carmela: "If brands are built over decades, why do we manage them in quarters?" ([05:30])
• e.l.f.'s Result:
  • Kory notes 25 consecutive quarters of growth and market share, tied directly to incrementally increased marketing investment ([06:08]).
  • Quote: “Our marketing works because we’re doing community-based marketing. We’re essentially co-creating the brand with our community and that’s actually making them a stakeholder in the business.” ([06:49])

Earning the Right to be Bold

• Incremental Trust-Building:
  • Kory emphasizes, “Don’t all of a sudden wake up and think you’re going to go to the market and be hilarious if you’ve been boring for the last 20 years. You have to earn those rights incrementally.” ([07:49])
  • Cites the infamous e.l.f. campaign “so Many Dicks” as an example of having built the trust and credibility to take bold creative risks.
• Understand What You’re Bonused On:
  • Knowing which metrics (e.g., EBITDA) drive the company and executive incentives is crucial ([08:07]).

The CMO as Company Architect

• Driving Company Value:
  • Jon: “Of all the C suite roles, the CMO role probably has a bigger impact on the future value of the company than any other role because you’re…setting the future strategy, innovation, roadmap…brand building.” ([08:51])
• Know the Brand, Know the Customer:
  • Kory stresses understanding not just the brand but the audience: “It’s not my job just to be me, it’s my job to be me at the company I’m working for and understand deeply what is this brand about?... When I came into e.l.f., the first thing I did was go right into the consumer bank. I read every single letter, all of them, especially the handwritten ones…” ([10:22])
  • Her major insight: e.l.f. is not in the business of beauty, but of “democratizing access.”

Selling Internally & Winning the Board

• Pitching with Precision:
  • Jon shares a story about winning board approval by meticulously addressing all potential objections: “You gave me 26 reasons why this is going to fail and here’s my mitigation plan against every single one.” ([13:53])
• Start from Possibility, Not Negativity:
  • Kory advocates a “what if” culture over defaulting to “no,” revealing her five-step formula:

Kory’s 5-Step Formula ([14:52])

1. Tune the ELF in – Deep customer understanding
2. Head in the stars – Dream big, push the boundaries
3. Feet on the ground – Make it happen, execute
4. Do it fast – Move at the speed of culture
5. Have fun – “It’s hard to beat a team that’s having a good time”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Know your e.l.f.ing numbers." – Kory’s mantra to her team ([00:57])
• "Do not go in there with your magic wand talking bibbidi bobbidi boo shit." – Kory on presenting to finance ([02:27])
• "Incremental progress and being able to pinpoint the specific metrics and tell that story with impact is actually how you win the C suite and the boardroom." ([05:17])
• "Don’t all of a sudden wake up and think you’re going to go to the market and be hilarious if you’ve been boring for the last 20 years. You have to earn those rights incrementally." ([07:49])
• "When I came into elf, the first thing that I did was go right into the consumer bank. I read every single letter, all of them, especially the handwritten ones…We weren’t actually in the business of beauty at all. We were in the business of democratizing access." ([10:22]–[11:17])
• "You have to have all three: the what, the why, and the how. Do not go with any one of those without the others. The what, the why and the how is how you make the best pitch and sell your pitch." – Kory ([18:03])
• "Show up. Show up with a solution and a smile." – Kory quoting Sarah Blakely’s three S’s ([19:30])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:57] – Kory’s mantra: “Know your e.l.f.ing numbers.”
• [02:15–02:37] – Why marketers must become “decoders” between marketing and finance.
• [04:11–05:17] – The incremental approach to budget building and proving marketing ROI.
• [06:08–07:49] – Building the long-term investment case, earned boldness, and company-specific risk.
• [10:22–11:17] – Discovering e.l.f.’s true purpose through customer feedback.
• [14:52–16:50] – Kory’s five-step formula for bold work and company culture.
• [18:03] – Kory’s “what, why, how” pitching framework.
• [19:30] – Sarah Blakely’s “show up, with a solution, and a smile.”

Conclusion

In this punchy, practical episode, Kory Marchisotto demystifies the CMO’s real role—grounded in numbers, business impact, and relationship-building. Winning the boardroom requires not just creativity, but also fluency in financials and an incremental, proven approach to investment. Earning the right to do bold, culture-shaping work starts with insight, consistent delivery, and fun. Marketers are challenged to “know your e.l.f.ing numbers,” build the case for their work, and always bring the what, the why, and the how.