The Gutsiest Brands podcast is a show dedicated to truly understanding how bold, empathetic, and pioneering brands find their way in a hyper-competitive world.In every episode we speak to a different innovative brand leader to learn about what makes them successful, what brands they think are gutsy, and to learn a little bit about who they really are.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/3/8/16/e59ea494-2a64-49e3-bf09-e439491cb547_rob_volpe.mp3

In today’s episode GutCheck’s CRO Jess Gaedeke sits down to chat with Rob Volpe, the CEO of Ignite 360, a market research company founded on the principles of curiosity and empathy. Listen in while Jess and Rob discuss how incorporating empathy into their core offerings helped Ignite 360’s clients break through and genuinely connect with their consumers, how leaning into innovation even in uncertain economic times is essential, and how to have more than just a transactional relationship with your client partners through the art of simply asking questions. Rob’s Bio: Rob Volpe is an astute observer of life and a master storyteller who brings empathy and compassion to the human experience. As CEO of Ignite 360, he leads a team of insights, strategy, and creative professionals serving the world’s leading brands across a range of industries. He is the author of Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time. As a thought leader in the role of empathy in marketing and the workplace, he is a contributor to Entrepreneur’s Leadership Network and frequently speaks on the topic at conferences, corporations, colleges, podcasts and with the media. He is a graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and lives in San Francisco with his husband and 3 cats.

Tell Me More About That with Rob Volpe

In today’s episode GutCheck’s CRO Jess Gaedeke sits down to chat with Rob Volpe, the CEO of Ignite 360, a market research company founded on the principles of curiosity and empathy.  

Listen in while Jess and Rob discuss how incorporating empathy into their core offerings helped Ignite 360’s clients break through and genuinely connect with their consumers, how leaning into innovation even in uncertain economic times is essential, and how to have more than just a transactional relationship with your client partners through the art of simply asking questions. 

Rob’s Bio: 

Rob Volpe is an astute observer of life and a master storyteller who brings empathy and compassion to the human experience. As CEO of Ignite 360, he leads a team of insights, strategy, and creative professionals serving the world’s leading brands across a range of industries. He is the author of Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time. As a thought leader in the role of empathy in marketing and the workplace, he is a contributor to Entrepreneur’s Leadership Network and frequently speaks on the topic at conferences, corporations, colleges, podcasts and with the media.  He is a graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and lives in San Francisco with his husband and 3 cats.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/2/14/20/917a7ea8-6cc4-4533-ad28-df95fe663a0a_anouck_gotlib.mp3

In today’s episode GutCheck CEO Rob Wengel sits down with Anouk Gotlib, the CEO of Belgian boys to discuss how she went from a career in fashion design to CEO of a tasty treat and breakfast company, how one plane ride changed her life, and how truly understanding how your audience feels about your product can help change your trajectory. Anouck’s Bio Anouck Gotlib, CEO of <a href="https://www.belgianboys.com/" rel="nofollow">Belgian Boys</a>, is on a mission to turn up the happy - one sweet treat and delicious breakfast at a time. Launched in 2015, Belgian Boys is in the business of fun, offering their delicious products in 5000 stores and online. She leads a passionate team dedicated to growing more than just a revenue-driven business - creating joy for customers and spreading sweetness in people&#39;s lives. Anouck was born in Antwerp, Belgium and studied fashion design before working at fashion houses including Zac Posen and Natan. Anouck spent long nights and weekends working with her husband Greg to launch the brand before stepping away from fashion and into entrepreneurship full time. In 2019 she became the company’s CEO. Anouck was named an EY Woman in 2021 and Belgian Boys has made the INC 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list in both 2020 and 2021. Anouck and Greg live in Brooklyn, NY with their two sons who start each day with Belgian Boys mini pancakes. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>    Check out Anouck’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>. Be sure to like, follow and share!

Life is Hard, Eat a Cookie with Anouck Gotlib

In today’s episode GutCheck CEO Rob Wengel sits down with Anouk Gotlib, the CEO of Belgian boys to discuss how she went from a career in fashion design to CEO of a tasty treat and breakfast company, how one plane ride changed her life, and how truly understanding how your audience feels about your product can help change your trajectory.  

Anouck’s Bio 

Anouck Gotlib, CEO of Belgian Boys, is on a mission to turn up the happy - one sweet treat and delicious breakfast at a time. Launched in 2015, Belgian Boys is in the business of fun, offering their delicious products in 5000 stores and online. She leads a passionate team dedicated to growing more than just a revenue-driven business - creating joy for customers and spreading sweetness in people's lives. 

Anouck was born in Antwerp, Belgium and studied fashion design before working at fashion houses including Zac Posen and Natan. Anouck spent long nights and weekends working with her husband Greg to launch the brand before stepping away from fashion and into entrepreneurship full time. In 2019 she became the company’s CEO. 

Anouck was named an EY Woman in 2021 and Belgian Boys has made the INC 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list in both 2020 and 2021. Anouck and Greg live in Brooklyn, NY with their two sons who start each day with Belgian Boys mini pancakes. 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.    

Check out Anouck’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.  Be sure to like, follow and share!

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/1/25/0/b586b441-293a-4210-a4a0-1f43f4b26cc0_sudha_ranganathan.mp3

On this week’s episode, <a href="https://gutcheckit.com/" rel="nofollow">GutCheck</a>’s CRO Jess Gaedeke had the chance to speak with Sudha Ranganathan, the Director of Product Marketing on the Talent Solutions business at LinkedIn.  Listen in while Jess and Sudha discuss the importance of compassionate leadership, why making room for internal mobility is essential, and what exactly the recipe for a great leader is. Kick back and enjoy another episode of the Gutsiest Brands podcast.  Sudha’s Bio: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sudha-ranganathan/" rel="nofollow">Sudha</a> has 17+ years of experience in marketing organizations at companies like P&amp;G, Nielsen and PayPal. She is currently a Director of Product Marketing on the Talent Solutions business at LinkedIn where her team helps employers across the world hire and develop strong talent in a new world of work. She is an advocate for Customer Centric marketing thanks to her early career in Consumer Insights before she transitioned to Product Marketing. She has a strong track record as a leader who develops high performing, psychologically safe teams. She is also a trained CTI (Co-active Training Institute) coach with a passion for unlocking the highest potential within individuals and teams. Links referred to in episode: <ul><li>Stripe <a href="https://stripe.com/newsroom/news/ceo-patrick-collisons-email-to-stripe-employees" rel="nofollow">layoff email</a> </li><li>LinkedIn <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?data=05%7C01%7Cemily.eichelberger%40gutcheckit.com%7Ce529d3a8b5454eaad0d808dabe8f8f6a%7C03220ae862e3405b8576b5b450cbac73%7C0%7C0%7C638031821050048637%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&reserved=0&sdata=A3JAXe%2F6DBL7x0xYDnU4Dh%2Byi9hcefiGjr4jmp7C020%3D&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.linkedin.com%2F2021%2Fdecember%2F21%2Fredefining-what-it-means-to-be-professional%23%3A~%3Atext%3DAnd%2520we%26%2339%3Bve%2520seen%2520these%2Cwe%2520can%2520bring%2520our%2520unique" rel="nofollow">&#34;What does it mean to be professional&#34; campaign</a> </li><li>Ariel <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?data=05%7C01%7Cemily.eichelberger%40gutcheckit.com%7Ce529d3a8b5454eaad0d808dabe8f8f6a%7C03220ae862e3405b8576b5b450cbac73%7C0%7C0%7C638031821050048637%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&reserved=0&sdata=233VHRnP5QYrJe4pcef0srNirrxoq1e3JdGrjEhpyn0%3D&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DvwW0X9f0mME" rel="nofollow">&#34;Share the Load” campaign</a> with subtitles </li><li><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?data=05%7C01%7Cemily.eichelberger%40gutcheckit.com%7Ce529d3a8b5454eaad0d808dabe8f8f6a%7C03220ae862e3405b8576b5b450cbac73%7C0%7C0%7C638031821050204859%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&reserved=0&sdata=PgJk7Igsro4ATXrJtx778IAkYGm90rSW7UkDpmPpe%2F4%3D&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DHUubrI-h1ss" rel="nofollow">Jeff Weiner on Compassionate Leadership</a> </li></ul> To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>   Check out Sudha’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>. Be sure to like, follow and share!

Embrace the Tension with Sudha Ranganathan

On this week’s episode, GutCheck’s CRO Jess Gaedeke had the chance to speak with Sudha Ranganathan, the Director of Product Marketing on the Talent Solutions business at LinkedIn.  

Listen in while Jess and Sudha discuss the importance of compassionate leadership, why making room for internal mobility is essential, and what exactly the recipe for a great leader is. 

Kick back and enjoy another episode of the Gutsiest Brands podcast.  

Sudha’s Bio: 

Sudha has 17+ years of experience in marketing organizations at companies like P&G, Nielsen and PayPal. She is currently a Director of Product Marketing on the Talent Solutions business at LinkedIn where her team helps employers across the world hire and develop strong talent in a new world of work. She is an advocate for Customer Centric marketing thanks to her early career in Consumer Insights before she transitioned to Product Marketing. She has a strong track record as a leader who develops high performing, psychologically safe teams. She is also a trained CTI (Co-active Training Institute) coach with a passion for unlocking the highest potential within individuals and teams. 

Links referred to in episode: 

Stripe layoff email 

LinkedIn "What does it mean to be professional" campaign 

Ariel "Share the Load” campaign with subtitles 

Jeff Weiner on Compassionate Leadership 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.   

Check out Sudha’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.  Be sure to like, follow and share!

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/1/12/5/b99d5c8d-9e31-446d-821a-f48be7c58a58_fredreric-charles_petit__1_.mp3

In today’s episode <a href="https://gutcheckit.com/" rel="nofollow">GutCheck</a>’s CEO Rob Wengel and <a href="https://tolunacorporate.com/" rel="nofollow">Toluna</a>’s CEO Frédéric -Charles Petit discuss the history of Toluna, how Frédéric tackles innovation, and how he tells the difference between a sign and a signal.  Frédéric’s Bio: Frédéric’s mission is to revolutionize the way brands and consumers engage with one another, with the ultimate objective of transforming the market research industry into a real-time, mass market, and social experience. Today, Toluna helps companies anywhere in the world make clearer business decisions by bringing brands and people together through its end-to-end research platform, Toluna Start, and the world’s largest social voting community, Toluna.com. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>   Check out Frédéric’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>. Be sure to like, follow and share!

When Signs Become Signals with Frédéric Charles Petit

In today’s episode GutCheck’s CEO Rob Wengel and Toluna’s CEO Frédéric -Charles Petit discuss the history of Toluna, how Frédéric tackles innovation, and how he tells the difference between a sign and a signal.  

Frédéric’s Bio: 

Frédéric’s mission is to revolutionize the way brands and consumers engage with one another, with the ultimate objective of transforming the market research industry into a real-time, mass market, and social experience. Today, Toluna helps companies anywhere in the world make clearer business decisions by bringing brands and people together through its end-to-end research platform, Toluna Start, and the world’s largest social voting community, Toluna.com. 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.   

Check out Frédéric’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.  Be sure to like, follow and share!

When Signs Become Signals with Frédéric-Charles Petit

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/12/21/0/797b9c08-9e16-48ca-a60f-f83245d45b08_angie_tebbe.mp3

In today’s episode, <a href="https://gutcheckit.com/" rel="nofollow">GutCheck</a>’s CRO Jess Gaedeke speaks with Angie Tebbe (Teh-bee), the co-founder and CEO of <a href="https://raewellness.co/" rel="nofollow">Rae Wellness.</a>  Jess and Angie discuss her transition into the wellness world and why Angie thinks you could call her a “Chief Listening Officer”. Take a listen to learn all about Angie, Rae Wellness, and how Angie associates Drake with entrepreneurship. Angie’s Bio Angie Tebbe is the co-founder and CEO of Rae Wellness. A fruitful 13-year career at one of the world&#39;s most recognizable retailers, a lifelong commitment to well-being, and an endless thirst for knowledge led Angie to start Rae Wellness, a holistic wellness company that is committed to well-being for all by providing natural supplements at affordable price points. The North Dakota native grew up in a humble and holistic home. Angie&#39;s mother worked as a nurse, and her father had a deep passion for Eastern medicine. At a young age, Angie learned how to meditate and developed a curiosity for wellness. In 2018, a period of reflection sparked the idea of Rae Wellness. She gave up her title-holder role at Target, dusted off her father&#39;s books, and decided to pursue a new path.  Within a year of starting Rae, Angie launched 20 new products and orchestrated distribution in every Target location. Speaking directly to her consumer base, Angie emphasized the importance of wellness for women. Rae has reached nearly two million customers in the first two years of business, with 68% of customers falling in the 24-35 age range. Rae’s products are available at Amazon, Anthropologie, CVS Pharmacy, Target, Thrive Market, Standard Dose, Whole Foods Market, and more. Before co-founding Rae Wellness, Angie spent over a decade at Target. As a leader in merchandising, Angie spearheaded the introduction of new brands and designer collaborations while managing P&amp;L and personnel.  Outside of Rae Wellness, Angie loves traveling, cooking, and entertaining. Most importantly, she is a wife and mother of three children ranging in age from 7 years to 6 months. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>    Check out Angie’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>.  Be sure to like, follow and share!

The Anti-Silver Bullet with Angie Tebbe

In today’s episode, GutCheck’s CRO Jess Gaedeke speaks with Angie Tebbe (Teh-bee), the co-founder and CEO of Rae Wellness.  Jess and Angie discuss her transition into the wellness world and why Angie thinks you could call her a “Chief Listening Officer”. Take a listen to learn all about Angie, Rae Wellness, and how Angie associates Drake with entrepreneurship. 

Angie’s Bio 

Angie Tebbe is the co-founder and CEO of Rae Wellness. A fruitful 13-year career at one of the world's most recognizable retailers, a lifelong commitment to well-being, and an endless thirst for knowledge led Angie to start Rae Wellness, a holistic wellness company that is committed to well-being for all by providing natural supplements at affordable price points. 

The North Dakota native grew up in a humble and holistic home. Angie's mother worked as a nurse, and her father had a deep passion for Eastern medicine. At a young age, Angie learned how to meditate and developed a curiosity for wellness. In 2018, a period of reflection sparked the idea of Rae Wellness. She gave up her title-holder role at Target, dusted off her father's books, and decided to pursue a new path.  

Within a year of starting Rae, Angie launched 20 new products and orchestrated distribution in every Target location. Speaking directly to her consumer base, Angie emphasized the importance of wellness for women. Rae has reached nearly two million customers in the first two years of business, with 68% of customers falling in the 24-35 age range. Rae’s products are available at Amazon, Anthropologie, CVS Pharmacy, Target, Thrive Market, Standard Dose, Whole Foods Market, and more. 

Before co-founding Rae Wellness, Angie spent over a decade at Target. As a leader in merchandising, Angie spearheaded the introduction of new brands and designer collaborations while managing P&L and personnel.  

Outside of Rae Wellness, Angie loves traveling, cooking, and entertaining. Most importantly, she is a wife and mother of three children ranging in age from 7 years to 6 months. 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.    

Check out Angie’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.  Be sure to like, follow and share!

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/11/29/17/e796436d-8d3b-4ca3-bfe6-6cf7957e362a_todd_kaplan__1_.mp3

In today’s episode, <a href="https://gutcheckit.com/" rel="nofollow">GutCheck</a>’s CRO Jess Gaedeke chats with Todd Kaplan, the CMO of <a href="https://www.pepsico.com/" rel="nofollow">PepsiCo</a>. They discuss Pepsi’s empathetic strategy, the bold moves Pepsi has made with their initiatives, and how Todd never accepts that something can’t be done.  Todd’s Bio: Todd Kaplan is Pepsi’s Chief Marketing Officer, overseeing marketing for the Pepsi brand in North America, where he is responsible for all creative communications, brand strategy, product innovation, and commercial execution across the entire Pepsi trademark.   Recognized by Business Insider as one of the “Top 25 Most Innovative CMOs in the World”, Todd has brought a disruptive, unapologetic, and culture-forward perspective to Pepsi that has been foundational to re-energizing the brand. Since Fall of 2018, he has infused a challenger mindset into Pepsi and has brought the brand back into the cultural zeitgeist – from reinvigorating the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show platform with historic performances from JLo &amp; Shakira, Dr Dre, Snoop, Eminem, The Weeknd and many more, to developing disruptive new products like Nitro Pepsi, to putting out some of the boldest and most talked about brand creative the Pepsi brand has ever seen. Todd has also been instrumental in establishing Pepsi as an industry leader around the development of new content models, pushing the brand into new spaces including the creation of multiple television shows, long form films, and NFT projects. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>   Check out Todd’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>.  Be sure to like, follow and share!

Creativity in Constraints with Todd Kaplan

In today’s episode, GutCheck’s CRO Jess Gaedeke chats with Todd Kaplan, the CMO of PepsiCo. They discuss Pepsi’s empathetic strategy, the bold moves Pepsi has made with their initiatives, and how Todd never accepts that something can’t be done.  

Todd’s Bio: 

Todd Kaplan is Pepsi’s Chief Marketing Officer, overseeing marketing for the Pepsi brand in North America, where he is responsible for all creative communications, brand strategy, product innovation, and commercial execution across the entire Pepsi trademark.   

Recognized by Business Insider as one of the “Top 25 Most Innovative CMOs in the World”, Todd has brought a disruptive, unapologetic, and culture-forward perspective to Pepsi that has been foundational to re-energizing the brand. Since Fall of 2018, he has infused a challenger mindset into Pepsi and has brought the brand back into the cultural zeitgeist – from reinvigorating the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show platform with historic performances from JLo & Shakira, Dr Dre, Snoop, Eminem, The Weeknd and many more, to developing disruptive new products like Nitro Pepsi, to putting out some of the boldest and most talked about brand creative the Pepsi brand has ever seen. Todd has also been instrumental in establishing Pepsi as an industry leader around the development of new content models, pushing the brand into new spaces including the creation of multiple television shows, long form films, and NFT projects. 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.   

Check out Todd’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.  Be sure to like, follow and share!

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/11/15/18/6fd82816-1ed6-465e-829d-565fa83f71a4_tracey_halama.mp3

In today’s episode, Gutcheck’s CRO Jess Gaedeke speaks with Tracey Warner Halama, the CEO of Vital Proteins. Listen in as they discuss building a brand using digital tactics, how leveraging personal experience can help you keep a consumer perspective, how being in the right place at the right time helped Vital Proteins create a brand-new category and why having strong female leadership is important. Tracey’s Bio: Tracey Warner Halama currently serves as the CEO of Vital Proteins, overseeing the day-to-day business operations, and growth strategy of a high growth billion-dollar brand, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nestle Health Science who is proud to count Jennifer Aniston as their Chief Creative Officer.  Tracey has been with Vital Proteins since the inception of the company in 2014 first serving as a board member, then as Senior Vice President of Sales, Chief Revenue Officer, President and now CEO of the trendy Wellness brand that grew over 100% year on year in 2021. Prior to Vital Proteins, she spent 20 years in management in the technology industry working for Fortune 100’s like IBM, Dell, as well as several Silicon Valley startups. Tracey graduated with a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan and did post graduate work at Michigan Ross, University of Chicago Booth School of Business and recently completed Accelerated CEO Program at University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business. She is a founding member of Chief, the women’s empowerment and networking organization, is an active speaker on both leadership and consumer products topics and serves on multiple boards, including wellness/beauty brands and a Chicago based nonprofit organization.   In her free time, Tracey enjoys hiking, gardening, spending time with her two teenage daughters (the oldest is a Sophomore at the University of Michigan) and their Mini Goldendoodle and Vital Proteins Chief Puppy Officer, Ollie. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>   Check out Tracey’s song selection, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>.

Unicorn Brand with Tracey Halama

In today’s episode, Gutcheck’s CRO Jess Gaedeke speaks with Tracey Warner Halama, the CEO of Vital Proteins. Listen in as they discuss building a brand using digital tactics, how leveraging personal experience can help you keep a consumer perspective, how being in the right place at the right time helped Vital Proteins create a brand-new category and why having strong female leadership is important. 

Tracey’s Bio: 

Tracey Warner Halama currently serves as the CEO of Vital Proteins, overseeing the day-to-day business operations, and growth strategy of a high growth billion-dollar brand, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nestle Health Science who is proud to count Jennifer Aniston as their Chief Creative Officer.  

Tracey has been with Vital Proteins since the inception of the company in 2014 first serving as a board member, then as Senior Vice President of Sales, Chief Revenue Officer, President and now CEO of the trendy Wellness brand that grew over 100% year on year in 2021. Prior to Vital Proteins, she spent 20 years in management in the technology industry working for Fortune 100’s like IBM, Dell, as well as several Silicon Valley startups. 

Tracey graduated with a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan and did post graduate work at Michigan Ross, University of Chicago Booth School of Business and recently completed Accelerated CEO Program at University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business.  She is a founding member of Chief, the women’s empowerment and networking organization, is an active speaker on both leadership and consumer products topics and serves on multiple boards, including wellness/beauty brands and a Chicago based nonprofit organization.   

In her free time, Tracey enjoys hiking, gardening, spending time with her two teenage daughters (the oldest is a Sophomore at the University of Michigan) and their Mini Goldendoodle and Vital Proteins Chief Puppy Officer, Ollie. 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.   

Check out Tracey’s song selection, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/10/28/21/d323d983-e350-42e2-8726-c33be0303db0_orion_brown.mp3

<a href="https://gutcheckit.com/" rel="nofollow">GutCheck’s</a> CRO Jess Gaedeke, a former Leader at Nielsen, had the chance to speak with Orion Brown, the Found and &amp; CEO <a href="https://theblacktravelbox.com/" rel="nofollow">BlackTravelBox</a>, a premium clean beauty targeting women of color. Orion is a brand strategy consultant with over fifteen years experience leading cross-functional teams across multiple industries. She combined her expansive expertise of consumer insights, brand strategy, and product and packaging innovation with her passion for travel, to create a product line that truly impacts peoples’ lives. In today’s episode, Jess learns from Orion all about the adventure of building a business, how her personal experience helped identify a huge opportunity in the personal care space, and why being “exclusive” isn’t always a bad thing. Orion’s Bio:  Orion Brown, Founder &amp; CEO of BlackTravelBox®, a premium clean beauty brand targeting women of color. She is a brand strategy consultant by day with over fifteen years’ experience dynamically leading cross-functional teams across multiple industries. Her areas of deep expertise include consumer insights, brand strategy, product and packaging innovation, operations, and portfolio management. Before becoming an entrepreneur, she led brand strategy for Oracle, led consumer brand marketing efforts for the Transformers and My Little Pony digital brands at Hasbro, and she spent the bulk of her brand career at Kraft Foods. There she led marketing, management, and operations initiatives across several beloved global brands. She received her Bachelor of Arts from The University of Chicago and holds an MBA from Duke University. Orion is a lover of travel and food, spending most of her free time outside of career pursuing the best of both. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>   Check out Orion’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>.  Be sure to like, follow and share!

She Deserves More with Orion Brown

GutCheck’s CRO Jess Gaedeke, a former Leader at Nielsen, had the chance to speak with Orion Brown, the Found and & CEO BlackTravelBox, a premium clean beauty targeting women of color. Orion is a brand strategy consultant with over fifteen years experience leading cross-functional teams across multiple industries. She combined her expansive expertise of consumer insights, brand strategy, and product and packaging innovation with her passion for travel, to create a product line that truly impacts peoples’ lives. 

In today’s episode, Jess learns from Orion all about the adventure of building a business, how her personal experience helped identify a huge opportunity in the personal care space, and why being “exclusive” isn’t always a bad thing. 

Orion’s Bio:  

Orion Brown, Founder & CEO of BlackTravelBox®, a premium clean beauty brand targeting women of color. She is a brand strategy consultant by day with over fifteen years’ experience dynamically leading cross-functional teams across multiple industries. Her areas of deep expertise include consumer insights, brand strategy, product and packaging innovation, operations, and portfolio management. 

Before becoming an entrepreneur, she led brand strategy for Oracle, led consumer brand marketing efforts for the Transformers and My Little Pony digital brands at Hasbro, and she spent the bulk of her brand career at Kraft Foods. There she led marketing, management, and operations initiatives across several beloved global brands. 

She received her Bachelor of Arts from The University of Chicago and holds an MBA from Duke University. 

Orion is a lover of travel and food, spending most of her free time outside of career pursuing the best of both. 

 To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.   

Check out Orion’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.  Be sure to like, follow and share! 




https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/10/11/15/6ecbf1f3-1bca-4836-aacd-4b5a39108f27_ellen_bradley.mp3

In today’s episode GutCheck CEO Rob Wengel sits down to chat with Ellen Bradley, the Chief Brand Officer and SVP Marketing &amp; Communications for National Marine Manufacturers Association, the leading trade association for the North American recreational boating industry. Listen in while Rob and Ellen discuss how she found her way from a degree in journalism to manning the helm in the boating industry and how she tackles selling a lifestyle versus a product. Ellen’s Bio: Ellen Bradley is the Chief Brand Officer and SVP Marketing &amp; Communications for National Marine Manufacturers Association, the leading trade association for the North American recreational boating industry. A creative strategist and brand storyteller, on behalf of NMMA’s 1,300 member companies, Bradley leads the Discover Boating brand, oversees marketing and communications for its 12 boat shows across the United States, and helps share the recreational boating industry’s voice as it engages with its many audiences – from boaters to investors to policy makers. She recently led the re-brand of Discover Boating and creation of its new campaign, “See You Out Here”, working with current boaters to invite the next generation to experience the joy of life in, on and under the water.  Bradley volunteers her time across the outdoor community and sits on the boards of directors for the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and the Water Sports Industry Association. She is the Communications Chair for the Center for Sportfishing Policy and a member of the Corporate Leadership Council for the non-profit College to Congress. Bradley holds a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two small children and can be found boating on and running along Lake Michigan. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>   Check out Ellen&#39;s song choice, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>. Be sure to like, follow and share

Sail Away with Ellen Bradley

In today’s episode GutCheck CEO Rob Wengel sits down to chat with Ellen Bradley, the Chief Brand Officer and SVP Marketing & Communications for National Marine Manufacturers Association, the leading trade association for the North American recreational boating industry. 

Listen in while Rob and Ellen discuss how she found her way from a degree in journalism to manning the helm in the boating industry and how she tackles selling a lifestyle versus a product. 

Ellen’s Bio: 

Ellen Bradley is the Chief Brand Officer and SVP Marketing & Communications for National Marine Manufacturers Association, the leading trade association for the North American recreational boating industry. A creative strategist and brand storyteller, on behalf of NMMA’s 1,300 member companies, Bradley leads the Discover Boating brand, oversees marketing and communications for its 12 boat shows across the United States, and helps share the recreational boating industry’s voice as it engages with its many audiences – from boaters to investors to policy makers. She recently led the re-brand of Discover Boating and creation of its new campaign, “See You Out Here”, working with current boaters to invite the next generation to experience the joy of life in, on and under the water.  

Bradley volunteers her time across the outdoor community and sits on the boards of directors for the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and the Water Sports Industry Association. She is the Communications Chair for the Center for Sportfishing Policy and a member of the Corporate Leadership Council for the non-profit College to Congress. Bradley holds a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two small children and can be found boating on and running along Lake Michigan. 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.   

Check out Ellen's song choice, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.  Be sure to like, follow and share

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/9/20/15/c1e43a43-6d8d-43f7-8fae-9e67ea0165f3_todd_smith.mp3

On today’s episode, GutCheck CRO Jess Gaedeke speaks with and Todd Smith, Chief Marketing Officer at Traeger Grills. Jess and Todd discuss Traeger’s fascinating campaigns that put consumers in the driver seat, how inclusivity plays a role in marketing, and why Todd feels like he can relate to Forrest Gump. Todd’s Bio Todd Smith is the Chief Marketing Officer at Traeger Grills and former Chief Marketing Officer at EXOS and Group Brand Director, vitaminwater/glaceau at The Coca-Cola Company. Traeger Grills has been revolutionizing BBQ grilling and outdoor cooking for over 30 years with one simple, all-encompassing cooking solution. Todd is a results oriented and experienced brand marketer with expertise in brand strategy/positioning, CPG, youth/lifestyle marketing, product &amp; packaging innovation, design, advertising &amp; communications, interactive/social media, field marketing, and sports &amp; entertainment marketing. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>   Check out Todd’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>. Be sure to like, follow and share!

Live the Brand with Todd Smith

On today’s episode, GutCheck CRO Jess Gaedeke speaks with and Todd Smith, Chief Marketing Officer at Traeger Grills. Jess and Todd discuss Traeger’s fascinating campaigns that put consumers in the driver seat, how inclusivity plays a role in marketing, and why Todd feels like he can relate to Forrest Gump. 

Todd’s Bio 

Todd Smith is the Chief Marketing Officer at Traeger Grills and former Chief Marketing Officer at EXOS and Group Brand Director, vitaminwater/glaceau at The Coca-Cola Company. Traeger Grills has been revolutionizing BBQ grilling and outdoor cooking for over 30 years with one simple, all-encompassing cooking solution. Todd is a results oriented and experienced brand marketer with expertise in brand strategy/positioning, CPG, youth/lifestyle marketing, product & packaging innovation, design, advertising & communications, interactive/social media, field marketing, and sports & entertainment marketing. 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.   

Check out Todd’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.  Be sure to like, follow and share!

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/8/30/23/51a1548e-83b8-4114-841f-e58a200c2b86_irena_todd.mp3

Jess Gaedeke, CRO of <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/" rel="nofollow">GutCheck,</a> a former Leader at Nielsen, speaks with Irena Todd, the CO-CEO and CO-Founder of <a href="https://freshmonster.com/" rel="nofollow">Fresh Monster</a>. Fresh Monster was born out of the belief that there shouldn’t be tradeoffs when it comes to keeping kids clean. Their natural plant-based products are designed and formulated for kids. In today’s episode, Jess and Irena dig into to exactly what it takes to build a brand, and spoiler, it takes a village, from women supporting women, to a work environment that empowers parents and promotes a work life balance that isn’t just balanced, but blended. Irena’s Bio Irena Todd is CO-CEO &amp; CO-Founder of Fresh Monster, a fast-growing personal care brand with a mission to get kids clean without toxins, tears or breaking the bank. Fresh Monster was selected for the Telluride Venture Accelerator, Burt’s Bees Launchpad, was featured in CNBC, Fast Company and The Wall Street Journal among others, and most importantly is universally loved by kids and parents.  Before diving into the entrepreneurship waters, she managed some of the world’s largest personal care brands such as Axe Hair, TRESemmé and Degree. She also spent several years in strategy consulting at Deloitte advising brands in the tech, food and personal care space.  Irena has an MBA from the University of Michigan, and a BS in Business from University of California at Berkeley. She is a symphony junky, surfing enthusiast and avid reader. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>   Check out Irena’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>. Be sure to like, follow and share!

Light Bulb Moment with Irena Todd

Jess Gaedeke, CRO of GutCheck, a former Leader at Nielsen, speaks with Irena Todd, the CO-CEO and CO-Founder of Fresh Monster. Fresh Monster was born out of the belief that there shouldn’t be tradeoffs when it comes to keeping kids clean. Their natural plant-based products are designed and formulated for kids. 

In today’s episode, Jess and Irena dig into to exactly what it takes to build a brand, and spoiler, it takes a village, from women supporting women, to a work environment that empowers parents and promotes a work life balance that isn’t just balanced, but blended. 

Irena’s Bio 

Irena Todd is CO-CEO & CO-Founder of Fresh Monster, a fast-growing personal care brand with a mission to get kids clean without toxins, tears or breaking the bank. Fresh Monster was selected for the Telluride Venture Accelerator, Burt’s Bees Launchpad, was featured in CNBC, Fast Company and The Wall Street Journal among others, and most importantly is universally loved by kids and parents.  

Before diving into the entrepreneurship waters, she managed some of the world’s largest personal care brands such as Axe Hair, TRESemmé and Degree. She also spent several years in strategy consulting at Deloitte advising brands in the tech, food and personal care space.  

Irena has an MBA from the University of Michigan, and a BS in Business from University of California at Berkeley. She is a symphony junky, surfing enthusiast and avid reader. 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.   

Check out Irena’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.  Be sure to like, follow and share!

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/8/9/21/0ac67f3f-7c19-435a-a571-18f66a556255_paul_howarth.mp3

In this episode, Rob Wengel the CEO of <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/" rel="nofollow">GutCheck,</a> sits down with Paul Howarth, CEO at Akuman &amp; <a href="https://pansensic.com/" rel="nofollow">Pansensic</a>. Paul, who one might call a “non-marketing CEO”, dives into his belief that the perseverance of personal struggle can lead to improved human understanding which can help us unlock innovation in new and exciting way. Paul’s Bio Through his company, Pansensic, Paul helps clients understand and gain insights into their qualitative information. This includes the analysis of feedback, complaints, comments, opinions, blogs, tweets and more.  Paul has spent his lifetime finding ways to do things better. He is passionate about making a difference, and not just in data analysis. Through his extreme beach cleaning project ‘Healthy Oceans’, Paul spends his spare time removing pollution from inaccessible areas of coastline. His technology aims to combine/ harness data with the physical efforts of individuals actively assisting beach clean-ups, to create a healthier world. Let’s listen in and hear a totally new perspective on what it means for a brand to have guts! Listener discretion is advised as there are a few references to suicide in today’s episode. If you or someone you know needs support, please contact the <a href="https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/" rel="nofollow">Suicide Prevention Lifeline</a> at 1-800-273-8255 or by using the Lifeline chat on their website. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>   Check out Paul’s recommended song, and other songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>. Be sure to like, follow and share the playlist!

Live Together with Paul Howarth

In this episode, Rob Wengel the CEO of GutCheck, sits down with Paul Howarth, CEO at Akuman & Pansensic. Paul, who one might call a “non-marketing CEO”, dives into his belief that the perseverance of personal struggle can lead to improved human understanding which can help us unlock innovation in new and exciting way. 

Paul’s Bio 

Through his company, Pansensic, Paul helps clients understand and gain insights into their qualitative information. This includes the analysis of feedback, complaints, comments, opinions, blogs, tweets and more.  

Paul has spent his lifetime finding ways to do things better. He is passionate about making a difference, and not just in data analysis. Through his extreme beach cleaning project ‘Healthy Oceans’, Paul spends his spare time removing pollution from inaccessible areas of coastline. His technology aims to combine/ harness data with the physical efforts of individuals actively assisting beach clean-ups, to create a healthier world. 

Let’s listen in and hear a totally new perspective on what it means for a brand to have guts! 

Listener discretion is advised as there are a few references to suicide in today’s episode. If you or someone you know needs support, please contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or by using the Lifeline chat on their website. 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.   

Check out Paul’s recommended song, and other songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.  Be sure to like, follow and share the playlist!

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/7/19/21/b18effab-74d5-48d8-96c4-41c9c9ac474b_joel_bines__1_.mp3

In today’s episode GutCheck CEO and Springsteen superfan, Rob Wengel sits down to chat with Joel Bines. Let&#39;s listen as Rob and Joel discuss The METAIL Economy, and dig into what the me-centric consumer revolution actually is. We’ll learn what kind of changes brands need to make in order to thrive in this revolution. Joel’s Bio: Joel Bines is managing director and co-head of the global Retail practice at the business consulting firm <a href="https://www.alixpartners.com/" rel="nofollow">AlixPartners</a>. He is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading operational strategists with a 30-year track record of improving performance at retailers, brands and consumer companies. Among the media that look to him for analysis are The New York Times, Business Insider, CNBC and the Wall Street Journal, among others. Joel is the author of <a href="https://metaileconomy.com/" rel="nofollow">The METAIL Economy</a>, a book on business strategies to thrive in the me-centric consumer revolution. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>   Check out Joel’s song selection, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>.

The METAIL Economy with Joel Bines

In today’s episode GutCheck CEO and Springsteen superfan, Rob Wengel sits down to chat with Joel Bines. 

Let's listen as Rob and Joel discuss The Metail Economy, and dig into what the me-centric consumer revolution actually is. We’ll learn what kind of changes brands need to make in order to thrive in this revolution. 

Joel’s Bio: 

Joel Bines is managing director and co-head of the global Retail practice at the business consulting firm AlixPartners. He is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading operational strategists with a 30-year track record of improving performance at retailers, brands and consumer companies. Among the media that look to him for analysis are The New York Times, Business Insider, CNBC and the Wall Street Journal, among others. Joel is the author of The Metail Economy, a book on business strategies to thrive in the me-centric consumer revolution. 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.   

Check out Joel’s song selection, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/6/29/14/f27f988f-44b9-4d59-8a56-7d434afce0a0_nick_graham___brigette_wolf.mp3

In today’s episode we learn what it really means to be a strong leader, what the “Empathy Illusion” is, and we discuss fantastic marketing campaigns such as the groundbreaking and memorable <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpfLklSG2dQ" rel="nofollow">Oreo campaign</a> and the innovative and clever way Cadbury India leveraged AI to help hundreds of local businesses. Nick’s Bio: Nick is the Global Head of Insights &amp; Analytics for <a href="https://www.mondelezinternational.com/" rel="nofollow"> Mondelēz International, Inc. </a> (makers of brands such as Oreo, Cadbury Dairy Milk, LU, Milka, Toblerone, Sour Patch Kids and Trident) where his team uses a blend of data science and deep human insight to drive better business decisions. He has over 20 years’ experience in insights &amp; analytics and prior to joining Mondelēz in 2021 spent almost a decade with PepsiCo in both global and local market leadership roles Brigette’s Bio: Brigette Wolf serves as Vice President, Global Head of <a href="https://www.snackfutures.com/" rel="nofollow">SnackFutures</a>, Mondelēz International’s innovation and venture hub which launched in 2018 as part of the global snack leader’s growth agenda. SnackFutures focuses on building and growing well-being and premium brands through a model of Invent and Venture. In her role, Brigette is responsible for fueling the company’s innovation pipeline by creating and launching SnackFutures brands as well as identifying and solidifying strategic investment opportunities. Brigette also oversees the new start-up engagement program CoLab, which launched in 2021 to discover and collaborate with emerging entrepreneurs. Brigette has been with Mondelēz International for 7 years, and in that time served as the senior director of Global Platform Innovation for the Gum &amp; Candy and Biscuits categories as well as the senior brand manager for Global belVita innovation. Prior to this Brigette was with Kraft Foods for almost 10 years having served as the Global Innovation Manager for Oreo and the Brand Manager of several of the pizza and meal brands. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>   Check out Nick and Brigette’s recommended songs, and songs picked by our previous guests, visit the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>.

A Story Behind Every Number with Nick Graham and Brigette Wolf

In today’s episode we learn what it really means to be a strong leader, what the “Empathy Illusion” is, and we discuss fantastic marketing campaigns such as the groundbreaking and memorable Oreo campaign and the innovative and clever way Cadbury India leveraged AI to help hundreds of local businesses. 

Nick’s Bio: 

Nick is the Global Head of Insights & Analytics for  Mondelēz International, Inc.  (makers of brands such as Oreo, Cadbury Dairy Milk, LU, Milka, Toblerone, Sour Patch Kids and Trident) where his team uses a blend of data science and deep human insight to drive better business decisions. He has over 20 years’ experience in insights & analytics and prior to joining Mondelēz in 2021 spent almost a decade with PepsiCo in both global and local market leadership roles 

Brigette’s Bio: 

Brigette Wolf serves as Vice President, Global Head of SnackFutures, Mondelēz International’s innovation and venture hub which launched in 2018 as part of the global snack leader’s growth agenda. 

SnackFutures focuses on building and growing well-being and premium brands through a model of Invent and Venture. In her role, Brigette is responsible for fueling the company’s innovation pipeline by creating and launching SnackFutures brands as well as identifying and solidifying strategic investment opportunities. Brigette also oversees the new start-up engagement program CoLab, which launched in 2021 to discover and collaborate with emerging entrepreneurs. 

Brigette has been with Mondelēz International for 7 years, and in that time served as the senior director of Global Platform Innovation for the Gum & Candy and Biscuits categories as well as the senior brand manager for Global belVita innovation. Prior to this Brigette was with Kraft Foods for almost 10 years having served as the Global Innovation Manager for Oreo and the Brand Manager of several of the pizza and meal brands. 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.   

Check out Nick and Brigette’s recommended songs, and songs picked by our previous guests, visit the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/6/8/4/9051c8b0-fd29-45a9-95ae-be46b2cd8fc8_denise_woodard.mp3

Jess Gaedeke, CRO of <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/" rel="nofollow">GutCheck,</a> a former Leader at Nielsen, speaks with Denise Woodard, the founder and CEO of <a href="https://partakefoods.com/" rel="nofollow">Partake Foods</a>. In this episode, Denise talks all about the non-glamorous side of starting a business, about being the first black woman to raise $1M for a food and beverage company, and the steps she’s taking to ensure the door is help open for other people of color who are interested in the food and beverage industry. Denise’s Bio Denise is the Founder and CEO of Partake Foods, a natural food company that was inspired by her daughter’s experience with food allergies. Launched in 2017, Partake’s first product — delicious, better for you, allergy-friendly cookies — can now be found in more than 8,000 retailers including Target, Trader Joe&#39;s, Kroger, and Whole Foods Market.  In 2021, Partake released a line of Baking Mixes—Brownie Mix, Blondie Mix, and a Pizza Crust Baking Mix—all available on <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?data=04%7C01%7Cemily.eichelberger%40gutcheckit.com%7C65309cb0146043c4d19508da18229b2b%7C03220ae862e3405b8576b5b450cbac73%7C0%7C0%7C637848834912220605%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&reserved=0&sdata=BcSSDVK11n6QNXZ%2BgYVCkQQNxjGaWVoxZXmKnd%2FGJzk%3D&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpartakefoods.com%2F" rel="nofollow">partakefoods.com</a>. In January 2022, Partake introduced Pancake &amp; Waffle Mixes in Classic &amp; Confetti flavors available at select Target stores nationwide. Denise is the first Black woman to raise more than $1 Million publicly for a CPG food startup. To date, the company has raised over $7.5M from investors including HER, Rihanna, CircleUp Growth Partners, FF2032 and Marcy Venture Partners.  Prior to launching Partake, Denise spent a decade in consumer packaged goods at various Fortune 100 companies, most recently as the Director of National Sales for Coca-Cola&#39;s Venturing &amp; Emerging Brands division. She lives in New York City with her husband, Jeremy, and daughter, Vivienne. She graduated with her BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Arizona State University. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>   Check out Denise’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>. Be sure to like, follow and share!

Holding the Door Wide Open with Denise Woodard

Jess Gaedeke, CRO of GutCheck, a former Leader at Nielsen, speaks with Denise Woodard, the founder and CEO of Partake Foods. In this episode, Denise talks all about the non-glamorous side of starting a business, about being the first black woman to raise $1M for a food and beverage company, and the steps she’s taking to ensure the door is help open for other people of color who are interested in the food and beverage industry. 

Denise’s Bio 

Denise is the Founder and CEO of Partake Foods, a natural food company that was inspired by her daughter’s experience with food allergies. Launched in 2017, Partake’s first product — delicious, better for you, allergy-friendly cookies — can now be found in more than 8,000 retailers including Target, Trader Joe's, Kroger, and Whole Foods Market.  

In 2021, Partake released a line of Baking Mixes—Brownie Mix, Blondie Mix, and a Pizza Crust Baking Mix—all available on partakefoods.com. In January 2022, Partake introduced Pancake & Waffle Mixes in Classic & Confetti flavors available at select Target stores nationwide. 

Denise is the first Black woman to raise more than $1 Million publicly for a CPG food startup. To date, the company has raised over $7.5M from investors including HER, Rihanna, CircleUp Growth Partners, FF2032 and Marcy Venture Partners.  

Prior to launching Partake, Denise spent a decade in consumer packaged goods at various Fortune 100 companies, most recently as the Director of National Sales for Coca-Cola's Venturing & Emerging Brands division. She lives in New York City with her husband, Jeremy, and daughter, Vivienne. She graduated with her BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Arizona State University. 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.   

Check out Denise’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.  Be sure to like, follow and share! 



https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/6/8/5/570445db-1628-442e-918b-97bb639e5816_brandon_larson__2_.mp3

In today&#39;s episode, Jess Gaedeke CRO at GutCheck, a former Leader at Nielsen, sits down with Brandon Larson, current Director of Brand Strategy and Communications at Microsoft.  Brandon’s Bio: Brandon describes his career as brand strategist as working “at the intersection of strategy, technology, and psychology” which enables him to make an impact by pairing the digital experience with an understanding of human behavior. Brandon has helped to transform some of the world’s leading companies as well as launch them. So, let&#39;s get to it and learn from Brandon why true empathy helps us develop a deeper understanding of human behavior which then allows optimum innovation, let’s also figure out why Jess ended up with a professional crush on Brandon by the end of this episode. Grab your favorite beverage and nestle in for another episode of the Gutsiest Brands podcast! To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>   Check out Brandon&#39;s recommended song, and other songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>. Be sure to like, follow and share the playlist!

Find Courage through Emotion with Brandon Larson

In today's episode, Jess Gaedeke CRO at Gutcheck, a former Leader at Nielsen, sits down with Brandon Larson, current Director of Brand Strategy and Communications at Microsoft.  

Brandon’s Bio: 

Brandon describes his career as brand strategist as working “at the intersection of strategy, technology, and psychology” which enables him to make an impact by pairing the digital experience with an understanding of human behavior. Brandon has helped to transform some of the world’s leading companies as well as launch them. 

So, let's get to it and learn from Brandon why true empathy helps us develop a deeper understanding of human behavior which then allows optimum innovation, let’s also figure out why Jess ended up with a professional crush on Brandon by the end of this episode. 

Grab your favorite beverage and nestle in for another episode of the Gutsiest Brands podcast! 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.   

Check out Brandon's recommended song, and other songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.  Be sure to like, follow and share the playlist!

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/4/25/17/124aa204-9912-4507-bf88-13955b4cd24b_ep._4_this_is_your_life_with_lauren_wang.mp3

Jess Gaedeke, CRO of <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/" rel="nofollow">GutCheck,</a> former Leader at Nielsen and Designalytics fan speaks with Lauren Wang, the founder and CEO of <a href="https://flexfits.com/" rel="nofollow">The Flex Company</a>, a company who aims to help people with periods.  After Lauren spent 15 years suffering from infections from menstrual products, she decided to change the status quo, not just for herself, but for menstruators everywhere. She set out to create period products that were more innovative, sustainable, and made for the 21st century. Lauren’s Bio  Lauren frequently speaks on women’s health and entrepreneurship, and has been featured in TechCrunch, The New Yorker, Wired, The Washington Post, and NP. Lauren is a member of YPO and a graduate of Y Combinator. She gives back to her startup roots by mentoring entrepreneurs through both organizations, as well as with the Norrsken Foundation. Prior to founding The Flex Co., Lauren spent over a decade marketing leading consumer brands for companies including Coca-Cola, Upwork, and IMB, as well as advocating for issues she’s passionate about. She was the first in her family to graduate college, working full-time to earn her business degree from Georgia State University.  Lauren embodies gutsiness. Today, she’ll talk about why her path to entrepreneurship, the obstacles success comes with, expanding from direct-toc-consumer to mainstream retail, and how she convinced people who don’t menstruate to get behind her product. Kick back and enjoy another episode of the Gutsiest Brands podcast! To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>   Check out Lauren’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>. Be sure to like, follow and share!

4. This is Your Life with Lauren Wang

Jess Gaedeke, CRO of GutCheck, former Leader at Nielsen and Designalytics fan speaks with  Lauren Wang, the founder and CEO of The Flex Company, a company who aims to help people with periods.  

After Lauren spent 15 years suffering from infections from menstrual products, she decided to change the status quo, not just for herself, but for menstruators everywhere. She set out to create period products that were more innovative, sustainable, and made for the 21st century. 

Lauren’s Bio  
Lauren frequently speaks on women’s health and entrepreneurship, and has been featured in TechCrunch, The New Yorker, Wired, The Washington Post, and NP. 

Lauren is a member of YPO and a graduate of Y Combinator. She gives back to her startup roots by mentoring entrepreneurs through both organizations, as well as with the Norrsken Foundation. 

Prior to founding The Flex Co., Lauren spent over a decade marketing leading consumer brands for companies including Coca-Cola, Upwork, and IMB, as well as advocating for issues she’s passionate about. She was the first in her family to graduate college, working full-time to earn her business degree from Georgia State University.  

Lauren embodies gutsiness. Today, she’ll talk about why her path to entrepreneurship, the obstacles success comes with, expanding from direct-toc-consumer to mainstream retail, and how she convinced people who don’t menstruate to get behind her product. 

Kick back and enjoy another episode of the Gutsiest Brands podcast! 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.   

Check out Lauren’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.

This is Your Life with Lauren Wang

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/3/25/22/db3f4fd2-5635-42fd-8717-1adecf68383b_kristin_luck_3.3.22.mp3

Jess Gaedeke, <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/" rel="nofollow">GutCheck</a> CRO and San Francisco 49ers superfan, speaks with serial entrepreneur Kristin Luck, Founder of <a href="http://www.scalehouse.consulting/" rel="nofollow">ScaleHouse</a>, President of ESOMAR, and ‘cat with 13 lives’, about scaling businesses, empathetic entrepreneurship, the benefit of female investing representation in male-dominated industries - like porn - and procuring silverware from Denny’s!You’re going to laugh a lot and learn a lot in this wild conversation with Kristin Luck, who was once fired from Dari Mart before going on to build and scale three technology companies with private equity backed exits! Listen in to discover how a now leading kombucha brand disrupted the market through an empathetic approach, why it takes guts to grow and scale a business, the importance of having a strong brand evangelist, and why, with 85% of purchase decisions being made by women, the investment community could benefit greatly from having more women in senior roles. Kristin&#39;s BioKristin Luck is known for building innovative technology led companies that scale quickly through non-traditional sales and marketing techniques.   She serves as an advisor and growth strategist to a slew of cutting-edge marketing and analytics technology and services firms through her growth strategy and M&amp;A advisory firm, ScaleHouse. She is a founder focused on helping fellow founders and executive teams scale and monetize their businesses and works frequently with firms in international markets to execute their entry into the U.S. Kristin has consistently driven triple digit YOY performance improvement to leading marketing tech and services firms including The Harris Poll, Voxpopme, CanvsAI and SightX. Her work has been recognized in both the commercial (Fast Company, Forbes) and academic press (Research World, Journal of Brand Strategy) where she explores emerging marketing and growth strategy trends. She is consistently ranked as one of the top 100 sales and branding experts to follow on social media.   Grab your favorite beverage and nestle for another episode of the Gutsiest Brands podcast. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage.</a>   Check out Kristin’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>. Be sure to like, follow and share the playlist!

How to Grow Companies with Kristin Luck

Jess Gaedeke, CRO of GutCheck, former Leader at Nielsen and Designalytics, and extreme 49ners fan speaks with Kristin Luck, the current President of ESOMAR, Founder and Managing Parter of ScaleHouse, a management consulting firm dedicated to growing, optimizing, defending, and perpetuating enterprise value for firms in the market research and marketing technology vertical. 

Kristin Luck has a remarkable track record of entrepreneurial success. She has started, scaled and sold three successful market research and marketing technology firms, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for several industry-leading firms. She is a founder focused on helping fellow founders and executive teams scale and monetize their businesses and works frequently with firms in international markets to execute their entry into the U.S. Kristin is also a licensed investment banker with Oberon Securities where her deal expertise comes from participating in both mid-market acquisitions and exits valued from $30M to $225M. 

We’re excited to dig in to understand what makes Kristin tick, what brands she thinks are gutsy, the advice she has for other entrepreneurs, and uncover her family’s darkest secret. 

Grab your favorite beverage and nestle for another episode of the Gutsiest Brands podcast. 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.   

Check out Kristin’s recommended song, and songs picked by our previous guests, by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.  Be sure to like, follow and share the playlist!

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/2/3/18/9bb5feaa-6b5b-41ce-8430-eeeb07c1a590_karen_howland_1.29.22.mp3

Jess Gaedeke, CRO of <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/" rel="nofollow">GutCheck,</a> former Leader at Nielsen and Designalytics, and current turtleneck aficionado, speaks with Karen Howland, the Managing Director at <a href="https://circleup.com/" rel="nofollow">CircleUp Equity</a> , an investment platform powered by technology, to discuss what it takes to have guts in business. In this unique episode we take a look at how an innovative investment firm is using a blend of technology and human experience to help entrepreneurs stand behind their bold ideas and pioneer new paths. Jess and Karen show how being grounded in empathy and creating highly personalized experiences lead brands to sustainable growth, and how Circle Up invests in companies that have traditionally been denied access to capital.Karen&#39;s BioKaren joined CircleUp in 2018 and serves as Managing Director. Before joining CircleUp, she served as an independent consultant providing financial services to small-to-mid sized consumer-centric companies. Prior to that, she spent over 15 years at top-tier international investment firms, including Citadel, Barclays Capital, and UBS where she held positions in the Investment Banking and Equity Research divisions focusing on the consumer and retail sectors. Mrs. Howland received her B.S. from Tulane University. Let’s listen in and see what brands Karen believes have guts, which she feels a special connection to, and why we should have irrational expectations in business. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Podcast webpage</a>.Check out Karen’s recommended song by visiting the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a>. We’ll regularly be adding our guest’s recommended songs, so be sure to like and share the list!

Irrational Expectations with Karen Howland

Jess Gaedeke, CRO of GutCheck, former Leader at Nielsen and Designalytics, and current turtleneck aficionado, speaks with Karen Howland, the Managing Director at CircleUp Equity , an investment platform powered by technology, to discuss what it takes to have guts in business. 

In this unique episode we take a look at how an innovative investment firm is using a blend of technology and human experience to help entrepreneurs stand behind their bold ideas and pioneer new paths. 

Jess and Karen show how being grounded in empathy and creating highly personalized experiences lead brands to sustainable growth, and how Circle Up invests in companies that have traditionally been denied access to capital.

Karen's Bio
Karen joined CircleUp in 2018 and serves as Managing Director. Before joining CircleUp, she served as an independent consultant providing financial services to small-to-mid sized consumer-centric companies. Prior to that, she spent over 15 years at top-tier international investment firms, including Citadel, Barclays Capital, and UBS where she held positions in the Investment Banking and Equity Research divisions focusing on the consumer and retail sectors. Mrs. Howland received her B.S. from Tulane University. 

Let’s listen in and see what brands Karen believes have guts, which she feels a special connection to, and why we should have irrational expectations in business. 

To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Podcast webpage. 

Check out Karen’s recommended song by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist.  We’ll regularly be adding our guest’s recommended songs, so be sure to like and share the list!

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/1/28/23/ba7155d1-d721-4dab-9d03-f3b2a527e081_pose_and_provenance_w._craig_dubitsky__1.23.22.mp3

Rob Wengel the CEO of <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/" rel="nofollow">GutCheck,</a> founder of Experience Innovation, and iced tea drinker extraordinaire sits down with Craig Dubitsky, Chief Innovation Strategist at <a href="https://www.colgatepalmolive.com/en-us" rel="nofollow">Colgate-Palmolive,</a> the founder of <a href="https://www.hello-products.com/" rel="nofollow">Hello Products</a> and likely the friendliest guy you’ll ever meet. In this inaugural episode, Craig and Rob take a spirited and fast-paced look at the importance of being human-centric in designing and marketing everyday products.From how Method soap was launched through to the reason why his favorite book is an anthology of design patents, Craig reveals why every touch point between a brand and its audience matters, why being rooted in empathy is so important, and why you should reject those who tell you can’t do something.Craig&#39;s BioCraig is obsessed with design, transformational brands, and elevating the everyday things around us. He was an early investor and board member in method, the co-founder and creative lead at eos Products, the CMO of Popcorn, Indiana, and a board member of the Art Directors Club. He is Chairman of Lexicon’s Advisory Board because he digs names and was named to Advertising Age’s Creativity 50 as one of the Most Influential and Innovative Creative Thinkers and Doers. Craig’s a lover, not a fighter, and started Hello Brands because he was tired of hearing about a war in his mouth. So, let’s dig in and see what makes Craig Dubitsky tick, why he’s so darn successful, and why GutCheck thinks he and the brands he leads are gutsy. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the <a href="https://www.gutcheckit.com/gutsiest-brands/" rel="nofollow">Gutsiest Brands webpage</a>.Check out Craig’s recommended song by visiting the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vgwGTJ7lODuxooWOOcA9q?nd=1&si=871badb1a9614bee" rel="nofollow">Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist</a> . Don’t forget to like and share it! We’ll regularly be adding our guest’s recommended songs.

People, Purpose, and Provenance with Craig Dubitsky

Rob Wengel the CEO of GutCheck, founder of Experience Innovation, and iced tea drinker extraordinaire sits down with Craig Dubitsky, Chief Innovation Strategist at Colgate-Palmolive, the founder of  Hello Products and likely the friendliest guy you’ll ever meet. 

Craig's Bio
Craig is obsessed with design, transformational brands, and elevating the everyday things around us. He was an early investor and board member in method, the co-founder and creative lead at eos Products, the CMO of Popcorn, Indiana, and a board member of the Art Directors Club. He is Chairman of Lexicon’s Advisory Board because he digs names and was named to Advertising Age’s Creativity 50 as one of the Most Influential and Innovative Creative Thinkers and Doers. Craig’s a lover, not a fighter, and started Hello Brands because he was tired of hearing about a war in his mouth. 

Craig is obsessed with design, transformational brands, and elevating the everyday things around us. He was an early investor and board member in method, the co-founder and creative lead at eos Products, the CMO of Popcorn, Indiana, and a board member of the Art Directors Club. He is Chairman of Lexicon’s Advisory Board because he digs names and was named to Advertising Age’s Creativity 50 as one of the Most Influential and Innovative Creative Thinkers and Doers. Craig’s a lover, not a fighter, and started Hello Brands because he was tired of hearing about a war in his mouth. 

So, let’s dig in and see what makes Craig Dubitsky tick, why he’s so darn successful, and why GutCheck thinks he and the brands he leads are gutsy. 

Check out Craig’s recommended song by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist . Don’t forget to like and share it! We’ll regularly be adding our guest’s recommended songs.

Gutsiest Brands

The Gutsiest Brands podcast is a show dedicated to truly understanding how bold, empathetic, and pioneering brands find their way in a hyper-competitive world.

In every episode we speak to a different innovative brand leader to learn about what makes them successful, what brands they think are gutsy, and to learn a little bit about who they really are.