In this episode, Mike Barnes, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Selkirk Sport, takes us inside the explosive growth of pickleball, and how he positioned Selkirk as one of the most innovative brands in sports today.

Mike and his brother Rob turned an obscure game into a cultural phenomenon. From pioneering digital marketing to creating highly specific brand personas, Mike shares exactly how Selkirk Sport transformed from an under-the-radar startup into pickleball’s premium brand.

We cover:

• Why real opportunities lie in markets nobody else is chasing

• How to build a compelling brand that resonates across generations and skill levels

• Mike’s contrarian approach to marketing, product innovation, and international growth

• Insights into maintaining a drama-free, high-performance company culture at scale

If you’re building a brand, leading a team, or simply curious about the business behind the fastest-growing sport in America, don’t miss this episode.

Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts, and subscribe for more deep dives into how top entrepreneurs and leaders connect the dots.

Tom Barr, CEO of Sono Bello and former Starbucks executive, knows that innovation doesn’t always follow the numbers.

In this episode of All Dots Connected, Tom shares rare behind-the-scenes stories about how some of Starbucks’ biggest hits (including the Pumpkin Spice Latte) defied data and relied on intuition and curiosity instead.

Tom also dives deep into his experience scaling Sono Bello from under $100 million to over half a billion dollars in revenue, explaining why relentless growth and rallying your team around a higher purpose is critical to sustained success.

We cover:

• The untold story behind Starbucks’ legendary Pumpkin Spice Latte

• How customer confusion sparked Starbucks’ powerful “customization” strategy

• Why sometimes the smartest business decision is to ignore the data

• Leading your team through uncertainty and scaling during crisis

• Why relentless growth and a clear purpose beat quarterly targets every time

Whether you’re an executive, entrepreneur, or marketer, Tom’s stories will challenge how you think about innovation, growth, and leadership.

Listen and subscribe for more episodes of All Dots Connected.

In this episode of All Dots Connected, Paul Hurley sits down with marketing leader Garth Weber, whose experience spans iconic brands like Nike, Adidas, Wilson, and now Duluth Trading Company. They explore the delicate balance between brand-building and performance marketing, how to foster creativity within measurable frameworks, and the evolving art of making bold strategic bets while managing risk.

Garth shares powerful stories and tactical insights from his career—highlighting his approaches to testing and scaling, lessons in creative resilience, and how leading brands create emotional connections that drive predictable, sustainable growth.

Tune in to learn how top marketers blend vision, data, and courage to build remarkable brands.

#MarketingStrategy

#BrandBuilding

#PerformanceMarketing

#CreativeLeadership

#MarketingInsights

Zan Bennett sits down this week with digital marketing veteran Mark Friedman, who has shaped strategies for iconic brands such as Brooks Brothers and Steve Madden.

In this conversation, Mark shares invaluable insights drawn from decades of navigating digital transformation, unpacking how brands should truly measure marketing effectiveness beyond generic benchmarks like ROAS and CAC. He emphasizes why first-time buyers shouldn’t be mistaken for loyal customers, the real strategic purpose of loyalty programs, and how capturing first-party data can unlock powerful consumer insights.

Zan and Mark also dive into the rapidly evolving world of AI-driven commerce, discussing how innovations like ChatGPT could soon redefine how consumers shop and interact with brands online.

This episode is essential listening for CMOs, marketers, and founders who want to align their financial and marketing strategies for sustainable, data-driven growth.

Subscribe for more in-depth conversations with industry leaders transforming the marketing landscape.

Every entrepreneur faces cycles of boom and bust—but few manage to thrive through both. Heidi Zak, Co-founder and CEO of ThirdLove, didn’t just build a direct-to-consumer powerhouse; she kept it alive and profitable through turbulent economic swings.

In this episode, Heidi reveals how she navigated the crushing realities of fundraising drying up overnight, pivoting from aggressive growth-at-all-costs to a disciplined, profitability-driven approach. She shares critical lessons on finding (and losing) product-market fit, transitioning to omnichannel strategies, and why relentless customer obsession is the secret to lasting success.

We also explore how ThirdLove leveraged data to unlock growth, avoided decision paralysis, and why Heidi still personally reads customer reviews every morning, a decade later.

Whether you’re scaling a startup, pivoting your business model, or simply navigating tough economic headwinds, Heidi’s hard-earned insights are a masterclass in resilience.

Most founders chase rapid growth through endless fundraising—but what if your biggest growth lever is already hidden inside your own business?

In this episode of All Dots Connected, Paul Hurley sits down with entrepreneur and growth advisor Tamara Loehr to unpack her revolutionary approach to scaling businesses without relying on external capital.

Tamara shares her unique Red-Blue-Black framework—an agile, practical method for identifying cash flow inefficiencies, building lean yet high-performing teams, and reinvesting the freed-up resources into predictable, scalable growth. You’ll also learn why most companies misunderstand what “predictable revenue” really is, how mismanaged data is costing you 40% of your ad spend, and the critical difference between disciplined “Eagle” founders and distracted “Magpie” entrepreneurs.

Key insights from the episode:

• The Red-Blue-Black framework: How to identify and reallocate wasted cash flow.

• Predictable Revenue Explained: Why real predictable revenue isn’t what most founders think.

• Single Source of Truth: How data clarity directly impacts profitability and reduces wasteful spending.

• The Eagle vs. Magpie Approach: Why focus, discipline, and repeatability drive sustainable success.

• Why Growth-Stage Businesses Are Fragile: How operational streamlining is crucial to survival and profitable scale.

Filled with actionable advice, real-world stories, and clear strategies, this episode is a must-watch for founders and executives determined to unlock the next stage of profitable, predictable growth.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 – Introduction to Tamara Loehr & Episode Overview

• 4:30 – The 3 Pillars Every Business Must Master (Profit, Predictable Revenue, Growth Rate)

• 11:41 – Why Limited Capital Can Be a Strategic Advantage

• 16:18 – Introducing Tamara’s Red-Blue-Black Framework

• 27:44 – Case Study: Freeing Millions in Hidden Cash Flow

• 31:29 – Example: Cutting CPA by 64%, Dramatically Increasing Leads

• 46:42 – How Poor Data Management Eats Up 40% of Ad Spend

• 48:11 – Eagle vs. Magpie: What Type of Founder Are You?

• 49:54 – Final Advice: De-risking Your Growth Strategy

How do the world’s most successful omni-channel retail and D2C brands scale from startup to $200M and beyond? In this episode of All Dots Connected, Zan Bennett and David Manela explore the concept of a Growth Operating System—a structured approach that defines key performance indicators (KPIs), aligns cross-functional teams, and accelerates business growth.

David breaks down his proven framework that top companies use to set the right strategic KPIs, balance short-term results with long-term goals, and leverage data to make smarter decisions. You’ll learn:

• What exactly is a Growth Operating System, and why is it essential for scaling?

• How high-performing brands structure their KPIs to drive alignment between marketing, finance, sales, and operations.

• The importance of the “70-30 Rule”—allocating resources effectively to balance proven strategies with innovative experiments.

• Practical ways to operationalize KPIs across diverse teams and departments.

• How to use structured data and AI-driven insights to make rapid, high-quality decisions.

If you’re a growth-focused executive, founder, or marketer looking to scale your business efficiently and sustainably, this episode is for you.

In this episode, Paul Hurley interviews LinkedIn ads expert AJ Wilcox to uncover strategies for optimizing LinkedIn advertising campaigns. With over $200 million in LinkedIn ad spend experience, AJ shares practical insights for B2B marketers looking to get better results from this challenging platform.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to LinkedIn's unique challenges

01:52 Why LinkedIn is hard but valuable—best targeting with high costs

05:19 The three-stage funnel approach for LinkedIn success

07:17 Creating thought leadership content that drives engagement

10:22 LinkedIn vs. Google: opposite sides of the same coin

14:19 Account-based targeting and list building strategies

20:35 Attribution and tracking across multiple touchpoints

24:09 Personal posts vs. company posts (10-15x higher engagement)

31:01 Budget recommendations for starting with LinkedIn ads

38:46 Case study: How AJ helped a client reduce cost per lead

47:11 The human touch: Why authentic content beats AI-generated content

56:21 The 2025 LinkedIn playbook: personal content first, then nurture

In this episode of All That's Connected, host Paul Hurley sits down with Lydia Rudy, Chief Development Officer at ERC Pathlight. Lydia shares her journey from social worker to compliance officer to her current role, discussing the unique challenges of scaling behavioral healthcare organizations while maintaining clinical excellence. She offers insights on using data to drive growth decisions, regional marketing strategies, and the importance of measuring ROI in healthcare marketing. The conversation explores the complexities of providing mental health services within regulatory frameworks and the future of behavioral healthcare in America.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction and Lydia's background in behavioral healthcare

2:26 Lydia's journey from social worker to Head of Development at ERC Pathlight

5:43 Navigating regulatory compliance in healthcare marketing

8:32 Using data to develop region-specific strategies vs. one-size-fits-all approaches

13:05 Creating alignment through common data frameworks across departments

17:20 Balancing growth with clinical excellence and patient needs

25:33 The importance of data integrity in making investment decisions

32:21 Partnering with data platforms to enhance marketing effectiveness

40:10 Coordinating marketing efforts to optimize facility utilization

43:38 The future of behavioral healthcare and the need for mental health parity

In this episode of All Dots Connected, Paul Hurley interviews Michael Flores, an education marketing expert with extensive experience in various roles at Education Dynamics. They discuss the complexities of student acquisition in higher education, from understanding ROI to optimizing marketing strategies. Michael shares insights on the economics of online program advertising, the importance of data-driven decision making, and practical advice for institutions looking to improve their enrollment efforts.TIMESTAMPS:1:22 - Michael's background in the education space

2:50 - The importance of defining your "finish line" before starting marketing

4:45 - Why advertising generic online MBA programs often fails

9:21 - Breaking down the economics of education marketing keywords

14:45 - How blended metrics can hide poor performance

17:21 - The competitive advantage of exceptional marketing execution

19:18 - The critical importance of "speed to lead" in enrollment

22:52 - Why understanding the full marketing funnel matters

31:17 - The disconnect between targeting demographics and actual student conversion

37:39 - A napkin math story: how transparency won business from a 7-year incumbent