Above The Fold

This week, I sat down with Minou Clark, CEO of RealSelf, to talk about leadership, culture, and why creativity is the secret weapon in business. Minou’s journey is anything but traditional. From theater major to running digital growth at BuzzFeed, PopSugar, People, Yahoo, and Paris Hilton’s 11:11 Media, before stepping into the CEO role at RealSelf.

We cover entrepreneurship, digital strategy, and what it really means to lead with empathy. Minou shares how her theater background shaped her leadership style and built her emotional intelligence, and why she treats interns, CFOs, and board members exactly the same, holding radical transparency as her rule. She talks about rebranding RealSelf to modernize the experience while keeping its loyal community at the center, and why companies that resist change get left behind. We also dig into the gap between corporate excitement about AI and consumer distrust, and Minou’s long-term vision for RealSelf beyond aesthetics to include wellness, nutrition, and mental health.

If you’re building a brand, leading a team, or just want to understand how empathy and bold change fuel real growth, this episode is packed with insights you can use. Listen now for lessons on leadership, digital growth, and why being authentic is the best strategy.

📲 Follow Minou:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minouclark/

📲 Check out RealSelf:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/realself-com/

Website: https://www.realself.com/

👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?

Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!

Connect with Jess on:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellon

Twitter: x.com/jesscervellon

Instagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I sat down with Suze Dowling, Chief Business Officer and Co-Founder of Pattern, for a conversation about what it really takes to build brands that last. Suze has spent more than a decade helping companies launch, scale, and connect with customers in meaningful ways, and today Pattern is a family of seven home-focused brands built around one mission: making everyday life more joyful.

We cover entrepreneurship, brand strategy, and the real lessons learned from building in the DTC space. Suze shares how she and her co-founders went from running a world-class branding agency to realizing the hard truth that building an operating business is a whole different challenge. She opens up about their biggest early mistake — creating their first brand for themselves instead of their customers — and why “direct with consumer” is the only way to win.

We also get into why a brand is like a human being, with depth, layers, and personality that evolves over time, and why so many companies still get this wrong. Suze explains how product quality, customer education, and thoughtful retention strategies go hand-in-hand with building a strong brand. And she doesn’t shy away from the business side either, talking about margins, pricing, capital, and why most consumer founders should think twice before raising institutional funding.

If you’re building a consumer brand, leading a team, or just curious about how to connect with customers in ways that actually last, this episode is packed with insights you can use right away.

Listen now for lessons on brand building, customer experience, and why empathy and clarity will always beat hype.

📲 Follow Suze:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzedowling/

📲 Check out Pattern:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pattern-brands/

Website: https://www.patternbrands.com/

👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?

Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!

Connect with Jess on:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellon

Twitter: x.com/jesscervellon

Instagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week on Above The Fold, I sat down with Chef Rama Ginde to talk about building a food brand rooted in heritage, education, and flavor. Rama is a private chef, culinary educator, and co-founder of Satya Blends, a spice company created from family recipes with the goal of making Indian flavors approachable for every kitchen.

We cover entrepreneurship, food culture, and what it really means to educate customers while building a CPG brand. Rama opens up about growing up between Puerto Rican and Indian cultures and how it shaped her love of food, launching Wannabe Chef as her first business and turning cooking lessons into a career that has lasted over 16 years, and creating Satya Blends with her mom, inspired by her grandmother’s cooking classes in Bombay. She also talks about the challenges of honoring tradition while making spices mainstream and easy to use, and why packaging, sampling, and constant education are the keys to building customer loyalty in CPG.

If you’re building a food brand, leading a CPG startup, or just want to learn how heritage can shape customer experience, this episode is packed with practical insight you can actually use.

Listen now for tips on CPG marketing, customer education, and why the best food brands are built on empathy and tradition.

📲 Follow Rama:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rama-ginde-06222987/

📲 Check out Satya Blends:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/satya-blends/

Website: https://satyablends.com/

👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?

Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!

Connect with Jess on:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellon

Twitter: x.com/jesscervellon

Instagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I went live at Subs Summit with my girl Ren Fuller-Wasserman, Senior Director of CX at Tushy, the brand that made bidets cool (and fun to talk about).

We cover startup grit, customer obsession, and why CX is never just about support tickets. Ren gets real about:

• Her unlikely path into CX, starting in a call center and turning it into a career superpower
• What it was like building Tushy’s CX team from scratch (and the wild stories that came with it)
• Why humor, empathy, and product knowledge are the not-so-secret sauce of customer retention
• Subscription loyalty, cross-sell opportunities, and how to keep customers engaged after the first purchase
• The balance between automation, AI, and the very human work of talking about… well, poop 💩

If you’re scaling a brand, leading a CX team, or just want to hear how to turn taboo topics into loyal customers, this episode is full of insight you can actually use.

Listen now for tips on CX strategy, subscription retention, and why even bidets need great brand storytelling.

📲 Follow Ren:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ren-fuller-wasserman-68709a52/

📲 Check out Tushy:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tushy/

Website: https://hellotushy.com/

👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?

Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!

Connect with Jess on:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellon

Twitter: x.com/jesscervellon

Instagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I sat down with my good friend Michael Bair, founder of Bair Consulting, to unpack what really separates good CX in B2B from the DTC playbook, and why both worlds have a lot to learn from each other.

We cover B2B SaaS, enterprise customer success, DTC retention, and why too many brands still treat CX like an afterthought. Michael gets real about why B2B companies ignore brand at their own risk, what DTC can steal from SaaS (hint: product obsession), how subscription churn compares to six-figure SaaS contracts, the rise and overhype of AI in CX, and why empathy and product knowledge will always be the secret sauce of customer success.

If you’re leading a CX team, building SaaS, or trying to scale a consumer brand, this episode is packed with hard-won insights from two people who’ve lived on both sides of the table.

Listen now for the truth about B2B vs DTC CX, retention that actually works, and what “fractional” really means when you’re in the trenches with founders.

📲 Follow Michael:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljbair/

📲 Check out Bair Consulting:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bairconsulting/

Website: bairconsulting.co

👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?

Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!

Connect with Jess on:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellon

Twitter: x.com/jesscervellon

Instagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I sat down with my mentee, Mackenzie Lukas, to talk about what it really means to put people first in customer experience. 💬✨

We get into her unexpected career pivot from commercial real estate to CX, what she’s learned as Sr. Director of Customer & People Experience at Hormbles Chormbles 🍫, and why empathy will always beat efficiency 💛.

Mackenzie shares how her team is building trust with customers through human interactions, why sampling is more than just a marketing play 🎁, and the lessons she’s carried from workplace culture into CX. We also talk about what it’s like to launch a brand in CPG without any prior industry experience, and why that can actually be a superpower 🚀.

If you’re building a brand, leading a CX team, or just curious about what makes people feel truly cared for, this episode is packed with insights you can use right away. 🔑

🎧 Listen now for takeaways on empathy, brand trust, and why CX deserves a seat at the table.

📲 Follow Mackenzie:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackenzielukas/

📲 Check out Hormbles Chormbles:

Instagram: @hormbles

Website: hormbles.com

👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?

Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!

Connect with Jess on:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellon

Twitter: x.com/jesscervellon

Instagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week on Above the Fold, I sat down with Max Wallace, Director of CX at Tommy John, and Kara Randle, CX manager, to talk about what it really takes to scale a customer experience team without losing the human touch.

We get into career pivots, building long-term team culture, and why “first response time” is not the CX metric you should be obsessing over. Max shares how he has kept Tommy John’s CX standards high through outsourcing and team growth, while Kara talks about the ongoing training and empowerment strategies that keep agents confident and customers loyal.

We also cover the role of automation (and when it goes too far), how to make customer feedback actually influence product and marketing, and the hot take both of them have on CX as a driver of retention, not a cost center.

If you lead a team, work in customer experience, or want to understand how brands keep customers coming back, this episode is full of insights you can use right now.

🎧 Listen now for real talk on CX metrics, team building, and why great service is about more than speed.

📲 Follow Max:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/max-wallace

📲 Follow Kara:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/kara-randle 

📲 Check out Tommy John:

Instagram: @tommyjohnwear

Website: tommyjohn.com  

👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?

Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!

Connect with Jess on:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellon

Twitter: x.com/jesscervellon

Instagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I sat down with Berk Bahceci, founder of Heraclea, to talk about what it actually looks like to build a product-led brand from scratch, without cutting corners.

We talk about what it means to invest early (like, before a single sale), why he built a full production facility in Turkey instead of outsourcing, and how customer feedback led to one of Heraclea’s most important programs.

Berk also shares why he’s not interested in being in 5,000 stores, how he’s onboarding farmers into his supply chain without sacrificing quality, and what it looks like to grow with intention when most CPG brands are sprinting to exit.

If you’re building a product brand, growing DTC, or trying to stay values-aligned as you scale, this episode’s packed with takeaways you can actually use.

🎧 Listen now to hear how Berk’s building Heraclea brick by brick and why Turkish olive oil is having its moment.

📲 Follow Berk:

Instagram: @mberkbahceci

Website: linkedin.com/in/mberkbahceci/ 

📲 Check out Heraclea:

Instagram: @weareheraclea

Website: heraclea.co 

👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?

Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!

Connect with Jess on:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellon

Twitter: x.com/jesscervellon

Instagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I sat down with Lisa Nielsen, Senior Digital Marketing Manager at Victoria Beckham, to talk about what brand building looks like behind the scenes at a luxury fashion house and why customer experience is more than a post-purchase email.

We get into the real impact of handwritten notes (yes, real ink and paper), how to bring humanity into high-pressure digital roles, and why text marketing isn’t just for scrappy DTC brands anymore.

Lisa also shares her take on lifecycle strategy in luxury, why empathy matters in leadership, and how VB is experimenting with resale, sustainability, and segmented CX all without losing brand integrity.

If you’ve ever wondered how to scale without losing soul, or how to make your retention strategy feel more personal than automated, this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now for insights on loyalty, lifecycle, and building brands with staying power.

📲 Follow Lisa:

Instagram: @lisaroonielsen

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lisanielsen414/ 

📲 Check out Victoria Beckham:

Website: international.victoriabeckham.com/

Instagram: instagram.com/victoriabeckham/ 

This episode is brought to you by Attentive 💛

📲 Check out Attentive:

Website: attentive.com

Instagram: @attentivehq

👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?

Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!

Connect with Jess on:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellon

Twitter: x.com/jesscervellon

Instagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I sat down with Liz Ahern, former CMO of Chamberlain Coffee and current Founder of Brand 555 Marketing to talk about what actually drives brand longevity in a world full of creator launches and fast-moving CPG hype.

We talk about why most brands lose sight of their customer, what “community” actually means (hint: it’s not just comments), and why a retail strategy needs a lot more than shelf space to work.

Liz also breaks down the real role of a fractional CMO, what makes great packaging at retail, and why brands are getting community management completely wrong.

If you’re building, scaling, or just wondering how to turn attention into long-term love, this episode’s got you.

🎧 Listen now for insights on retail, retention, and building brands that stick around.

📲 Follow Liz:

Instagram: @lizaaaaay

Website: linkedin.com/in/ecahern/

📲 Check out Brand 555:

Instagram: @brand555_marketing

Website: brand555.com

👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?

Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!

Connect with Jess on:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellon

Twitter: x.com/jesscervellon

Instagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon