Rachel Goldflam is building something from scratch, and she's doing it in a category that doesn't quite exist yet. As CMO of Sneex, a hybrid sneaker-heel brand, Rachel is figuring out how to normalize a product people have never seen before, get it on enough feet to reach a tipping point, and do it all with a scrappy team of four. This week, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Rachel to talk about what it's really like to work at a founder-led startup after years at established fashion brands like Veronica Beard and Spanx. They dig into why fashion isn't vapid, how Rachel unlearned the rigid career rules she grew up with, and the feedback that changed everything when she was 22 and thought she had all the answers. Rachel opens up about balancing motherhood with building a brand, why enthusiasm beats credentials every time, and what she learned from taking a risk she thought she wasn't "allowed" to take. This is a conversation about scrappy ambition, learning what you don't want, and why sometimes the best move is the one that doesn't follow the rules.

Not all pivots are about moving up, some are about moving on. Dave Kersey is the Global Head of Media at SharkNinja, and his journey here includes a wrong phone number that changed everything, switching from architecture to media on a hunch, and learning the hard way when to walk away. This week, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Dave to talk about career pivots, unexpected turns, and why he didn't leave a toxic work environment sooner.  Dave opens up about staying curious, building trust by being authentic all the time, and why no one cares about your career more than you do. This is a conversation about resilience, self-awareness, and learning when to protect your own worth.

Sunni Hickman spent 20 years working with some of the biggest brands in the world: Dollywood, the Harlem Globetrotters, amongst others, before stepping into what she calls her "desert season." A brand strategist and connector, she now has her own company, B. Sunni Hickman, where she helps organizations and audiences find their voice, own their story, and ignite growth. This week, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Sunni to dig into what it's really like to start your own business and brand after years of corporate life. Sunni unpacks how she stopped hiding behind her work and started owning it, and how she's redefining success on her own terms. They dig into why women hide behind their work instead of claiming it, how Sunni's retraining herself to say "I did that," and why she believes AI will never replace marketers because it doesn't have a heartbeat.  This is a conversation about resilience, self-worth, and what happens when you finally let people see you, not just your work.

This week on Humans & Brands, we're doing something a little different and flipping the script as Courtney Johnson interviews our host Lauren Douglass on Courtney's podcast, Slay the Gatekeeper. This one's all about cheat codes. Lauren shares the cheat codes that have shaped how she shows up, builds, and creates, from reframing fear into courage, to using intuition as a business tool. The women dig into why your purpose doesn't have to stay static, how thinking like a kid unlocks creativity, and what it really takes to build a personal brand that opens doors. This crossover episode unpacks the messy parts of entrepreneurship, the power of vulnerability, and why sometimes the best move is to just start. Let's get into it. 

Am I living or am I just existing? That's the question that hit Eleni McCready at a funeral three years ago, and it changed the course of her life.  This week, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Eleni McCready, Partner and Chief Marketing Officer at PWRHOUSE Collective, who recently left the corporate world after 20 years to leap into consulting. We talk about the funeral that changed her life, what she calls her "midlife awakening," and how she found the guts to leave a stable job without knowing exactly what came next.  Eleni shares the exercise that helped her realize what really mattered, what it's like to navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, and the importantance of the spiderweb of connection. If you've ever wondered whether it's time to make a leap, felt stuck in the day-to-day grind, or questioned what legacy you want to leave behind, this conversation is your reminder that the second half of your career can look however you want it to.

What does it take to turn down a full-time offer at one of the biggest beauty brands right out of college to start your own thing? This week, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Brittany Lo, founder and CEO of Beia Beauty and Beautini, a clean beauty brand creating lifestyle skincare that keeps you clean and confident throughout the day.Brittany gets honest about what it takes to build a beauty brand at 22, how her first company became the stepping stone to building the brand she'd dreamed about since second grade, and why passion that keeps you up at night matters more than confidence. We talk about why being naive can be a blessing, learning to hear "no" over and over again, and why overnight success stories on TikTok don't show you the real work.If you've ever had an idea you can't stop thinking about but don't know where to start, this conversation will remind you that sometimes you have to be a little crazy and figure it out as you go.

What does it mean to keep the human at the center of everything you do? Host Lauren Douglass sits down with Heather Bollinger, Chief Revenue Officer at Vurvey Labs, an AI company that's built on a simple but powerful idea: AI should be powered by people, not replace them. Heather's path is anything but linear: from anti–human trafficking work overseas in her 20s, to leading revenue at an AI company, she’s built her career on empathy, grit, and keeping the human at the center of everything. She gets real about her mantra "you can do hard things," why resilience means showing up even when you don't want to, and the crooked paths we all navigate. This one's a grounded, inspiring listen for anyone navigating growth, AI, or just life itself. Let's get into it. 

From Gen Z to AI, Racine Levy breaks down what it really takes to stay human in modern marketing. This week, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Racine Levy, Senior Director of Performance & Brand Media at Care.com and marketer, connector, and self-proclaimed “cringe enthusiast”, for a sharp, funny, and real conversation about what it means to be human at work. Racine shares how confidence, curiosity, and a strong network have shaped her career, why “cringe” can actually be a superpower, and how trusting your gut often beats chasing ROI. They dive into Gen Z, AI, burnout, and the lost art of real human connection, all with Racine’s signature humor and candor. Tune in this week for a conversation all about gut instincts, good marketing, and the power of showing up as yourself. Light, smart, and worth every minute of your commute. Let's get into it. 

What happens when you refuse to let your past define your future? This week, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Troy Alexander, the founder and CEO of T363 Skin and a motivational speaker whose story is pretty extraordinary. Troy went from a two-year prison sentence to building a business and a life rooted in unwavering self-belief.In this conversation, Troy shares the four principles that guide everything he does, why mental strength matters more than anything else, and the daily practices that keep him pushing forward, plus his incredible journey to Founder & CEO. His story will challenge you to rethink what's possible and remind you that even when the world doesn't have your back, you can still have your own. This is one you don't want to miss.

From perfume labs to Glamsquad’s CMO chair, Simona Gaudio shares how detours, setbacks, and self-belief built her nonlinear career. This week on Humans & Brands, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Simona Gaudio, CMO of Glamsquad, for an honest conversation about leadership, career detours, and staying kind in a business that often rewards the opposite. Simona shares how she went from working in a perfume lab to leading marketing at one of the most recognizable beauty brands, all while navigating the pandemic, a layoff, and a pregnancy at the same time. She opens up about what it means to rebuild from scratch, why every “no” isn’t the end, and how relationships (and not résumés) end up carrying you through the toughest seasons of your career. If you’ve ever felt behind, stuck, or unsure of your next move, this one’s a reminder that there’s no straight line to success.

This week we're flipping the script. Instead of hosting, Lauren joins Valerie Vespa and Matt Wurst on The Snarketing Podcast, and the conversation is too good not to share. We touch on some of Lauren's favorite hottakes: why B2B marketing is so bad right now, why most corporate brands are failing to break through the noise, and why the human touch is already more important than ever in an AI-centered world. We also talk about the sea of sameness in B2B, how to turn your sales team into thought leaders, and what she wishes every CEO understood about marketing. If you've attended a conference that felt pointless or wondered why B2B marketing feels so disconnected from actual humans, this conversation will resonate. It's snarky, it's honest, and it's packed with tactical advice for anyone trying to cut through the noise. There are a lot of hot topics to cover in this episode, so let's get into it.

This ones for the dreamers who are all about rejecting the traditional path. What happens when you build a company from a calling instead of a business plan? Maria Sipka, Co-Founder and EVP of Brand Strategy at Linqia, shares one of the most profound conversations about entrepreneurship you'll hear. From a 10-day silent Vipassana retreat that told her to leave everything behind, to spending two years traveling the world discovering her purpose, Maria's path has been anything but traditional. We talk about why she believes we're living in a Renaissance moment, how marketers hold the key to unlocking human emotion, and why it took five years instead of one to build what she thought would be a quick startup. Maria gets real about the power of surrender over control, how choosing a co-founder is like choosing a life partner, and her guiding principle: "It's the silence between the notes that makes the music."This episode is for the dreamers, builders, and believers who know that business can be strategy and spreadsheets, but also energy, intuition, and a little magic from the universe.

What does it really mean to be daring? This week we explore taking big swings and stepping into opportunities that feel scary but could change everything.Host Lauren Douglass sits down with Jennifer Peabody, President of Havas Edge, who knows exactly what this looks like. Jennifer made the bold decision to take a job three levels below her previous role and cut her salary by two-thirds, and it became the best decision of her life.She gets real about her 23-year journey at the same company, being the only woman in the C-suite, why she keeps a "remember who you are" note on her phone, and how emotional resilience became her superpower. If you've ever wondered whether to take that scary leap or felt like the only one in the room, this conversation will remind you that confidence is a muscle you can build, and sometimes the boldest moves are the ones that don't make sense on paper.

Growing up with big dreams written on a whiteboard (own Manchester United, start a media company, buy a yacht), Michelle Turnbull Reeves, three-time founder and Founder & CEO of Zipline AI, meant writing her own rules from day one.From a small suburb in Brisbane to building multiple successful companies, Michelle's story is about the power of beautiful naivety and never waiting for permission. Host Lauren Douglass sits down with Michelle to talk about how being an outsider became her superpower, why she's an "annoying optimist", and her mantra borrowed from Nike's Phil Knight.We unpack why waiting for permission is just wasting time and how to approach every door like it's open. If you're brave enough to articulate an idea, you're brave enough to take the next step.This conversation will leave you questioning what you're waiting for and remind you that sometimes the best thing about not fitting in is the freedom to create your own path.

Many careers follow a straight line. Evin Shutt, CEO and Partner of 72andSunny, took the opposite approach. From middle school teacher to the first employee (and now CEO & Partner!) at one of the most creative agencies in the world, her story is about having the courage to pivot when something doesn't feel right. Host Lauren Douglass sits down with Evin to explore her "pendulum" approach to work-life balance, what 94% of C-suite women have in common, and how Evin realized she was chasing what she thought she should do instead of what made her happy.Evin gets real about sitting with discomfort, optimism as a core value, and why women's sports are having their moment. At the core: be patient, it's okay to start over, and sometimes the best decisions don't make sense on paper. Let's get into it. 

What happens when you refuse to let corporate politics kill your creativity? This week, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Drew Train, Co-Founder and CEO of Oberland, who left it behind to start his own shop, and hasn't looked back since. Drew gets brutally honest about why independence matters and the creative process that doesn't happen at a desk. He doesn't hold back on what's broken in advertising - from AI copy flooding LinkedIn, to holding companies strip-mining creative agencies for media margins. His take on independence isn't just about business freedom; it's about having the guts to say what needs to be said when everyone else is staying quiet. If you're tired of sanitized takes on the creative industry, this conversation delivers.

What happens when you stop fighting who you are and start using it as your superpower? Tune in with Lauren Douglass this week as she interviews Karen Riley-Grant, Chief Marketing Officer of Vuori, to unpack this. From starting on the Gap sales floor in Daytona Beach to leading marketing at one of the biggest apparel brands, Karen's journey is proof that your authentic self is your biggest asset. We talk about her obsession with staying close to customers, why she had to accept that she just doesn't do "slow," and how being told to dial it down early in her career almost made her lose what makes her great.Karen gets real about the failures that shaped her, why she takes strategic pit stops instead of changing her natural speed, and how to stay connected to your gut in a data-driven world. If you've ever been told you're "too much," this one's for you. 

In a world increasingly going digital and looking towards AI, why are in-person experiences more powerful than ever? Carley Faircloth-Kilmurray, Global CMO at Spiro, argues that IRL experience aren't just fun events to attend - they're business critical. Hosted by Lauren Douglass, they talk about why leaders are quick to cut experiential budgets (hint: measuring ROI wrong), how AI has made human connection more valuable, and what most people get completely wrong about events. Carley shares her "why not" philosophy and why she believes live experiences are the secret weapon brands are undervaluing.  If you've ever wondered whether that company event is worth it, or you're curious about the real ROI of human connection, this one's essential.

What's it really like to be president of one of the biggest agencies in the world? Melissa Levy, President of Digitas, pulls back the curtain on her 20-year journey from finance to the C-suite. In this conversation, Melissa gets real about the myth of work-life balance (spoiler: doesn't exist), why she compartmentalizes everything, and her "flush it and move forward" philosophy that's gotten her through two decades in this chaotic industry. Together with host Lauren Douglass, they talk about why she wishes she'd been more assertive earlier in her career, the advice she gives to young women starting off in their career, and why in-person connections are more critical than ever in our remote world. If you've ever wondered how to stay grounded in an industry that never slows down, or you're looking for straight talk about navigating leadership as a woman, this one's worth your time.

What happens when you decide to stop wearing a corporate mask and just be yourself at work? On this episode, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Nadalie Dias, CMO of Hearts & Science, to find out. After years of being told to be less direct and less dominant, Nadalie hit a breaking point and chose authenticity over acceptance. We talk about the gendered feedback that shaped her career, why she values honor above all else, and her hot take on marketing jargon.  This isn't your typical career advice. It's a real conversation about what it costs to conform and what you gain when you stop trying to be everyone's cup of tea. If you've ever felt like you're performing a version of yourself at work, this one's for you. By the way! You might have noticed the intro to this one is a bit different. We have rebranded! We wanted to find something closer to what the podcast is actually about: humans, brands, & the humans behind the brands.