Maren Hamilton, former Head of Social at The North Face and current Director of Global Brand and Community at popFly. We break down her core thesis: brand is social and social is brand. Maren shares why brands must stop treating social as a downstream channel, how to bring social thinking upstream into campaign planning and what it takes to build a social-first brand. 

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Insight Deck | Want 20 of our favorite insights shared on the show? 

Booklist | Here's our curated list of recommended books over the years.

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Guest List | Have a Guest in Mind?  Share them with us here.

 

 

Cole shares a quick reminder about respecting your audience. Ask yourself: Does this provide value? If not, don't hit publish.

About:

This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio creating video strategy + production for active brands, rooted in emotion. 

Enjoy this episode and discover other resources below:

Insight Deck | Want 20 of our favorite insights shared on the show? 

Booklist | Here's our curated list of recommended books over the years.

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Altra’s Head of Marketing, Reyna Alishio, and Backbone Media’s Senior Director of Strategy, Andy Ralston, take us behind the brand’s seasonal campaign, Experience a New High. We unpack the core insight tying mental wellbeing, social connection, and running to a younger audience; how a one-two punch of broad digital reach plus in-person activation moved awareness and consideration; and why the medium is part of the message when your pop-up is a Dopamine Dispensary. We also get into what went right, what needed rethinking, and how to decide when a big campaign makes sense versus always-on content.

 

About:

This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio creating video strategy + production for active brands, rooted in emotion. 

 

Enjoy this episode and discover other resources below:

Insight Deck | Want 20 of our favorite insights shared on the show? 

Booklist | Here's our curated list of recommended books over the years.

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Apple Podcast | Want to help us out? Leave us a review on Apple.

Guest List | Have a Guest in Mind?  Share them with us here.

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Ready to jump start your creativity? Cole Heilborn breaks down Port Side’s playbook for developing ideas that work in the wild. From setting guardrails and asking “why” three times, to building a culture of candor and using constraints, music, boredom, and flow to unlock divergent thinking, this solo episode is for marketers and creatives who want to ship better work, not just talk about it.

 

About:

 

This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio. We help brands that move, create strategy-led, emotionally charged video campaigns

 

Enjoy this episode and discover other resources below:

 

Insight Deck | Want 20 of our favorite insights shared on the show? 

Booklist | Here's our curated list of recommended books over the years.

LinkedIn | Join the conversation and share ideas with other industry peers.

Apple Podcast | Want to help us out? Leave us a review on Apple.

Guest List | Have a Guest in Mind?  Share them with us here.

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In this solo episode, Cole Heilborn unpacks the reality of digital fatigue and what it means for marketers. With endless competition for attention, from Netflix to Reddit to YouTube, your audience is already exhausted. They don’t want to be disrupted. They want content that feels valuable, entertaining, and emotionally resonant. Cole challenges brands to stop creating just to “show up” and start designing campaigns that genuinely add something to people’s lives. About:

This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio. We help brands that move, create strategy-led, emotionally charged video campaigns

Enjoy this episode and discover other resources below:

Insight Deck | Want 20 of our favorite insights shared on the show? 

Booklist | Here's our curated list of recommended books over the years.

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Guest List | Have a Guest in Mind?  Share them with us here.

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In this episode, I’m joined by Dillon Snyder, Creative Director at Vail Resorts. Dillon makes the case that much of today’s marketing output has become the equivalent of “yellow page ads.”

 

We unpack why so much creative feels homogenized, how overemphasis on bottom-funnel tactics hurts long-term brand health, and why simplicity is often harder than complexity. Dillon also shares his vision for a “reset button” on creative: more collaboration between creatives and marketers, less energy on commoditized tactics, and a greater willingness to take risks that actually give audiences a reason to care.

 

 

About:

This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio. We help brands that move, create strategy-led, emotionally charged video campaigns.

 

Enjoy this episode and discover other resources below:

Insight Deck | Want 20 of our favorite insights shared on the show? 

Booklist | Here's our curated list of recommended books over the years.

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Apple Podcast | Want to help us out? Leave us a review on Apple.

Guest List | Have a Guest in Mind?  Share them with us here.

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What happens when a legacy brand decides to go back to its roots while completely reimagining what it stands for? Mike Donnelly, VP of Marketing, at Superfeet shares the behind-the-scenes process of repositioning Superfeet from a product people don’t see to a brand people feel.

 

We talk about why “Performance Amplified” became the rallying cry, how to build emotional resonance around an invisible product, and the surprising lessons they learned when media and consumers didn’t react the way they expected.

 

About:

This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio. We help brands that move, create strategy-led, emotionally charged video campaigns

 

Enjoy this episode and discover other resources below:

Insight Deck | Want 20 of our favorite insights shared on the show? 

Booklist | Here's our curated list of recommended books over the years.

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Apple Podcast | Want to help us out? Leave us a review on Apple.

Guest List | Have a Guest in Mind?  Share them with us here.

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Is there a simple question to understand the ROI of branded content? Cole reflects on his takeaways from a panel discussion he hosted, the value of brand investments, knowing your audience, long form vs short form, and an update to the rebrand of Port Side

About:

This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio. We help brands that move, create strategy-led, emotionally charged video campaigns

Enjoy this episode and discover other resources below:

Insight Deck | Want 20 of our favorite insights shared on the show? 

Booklist | Here's our curated list of recommended books over the years.

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Guest List | Have a Guest in Mind?  Share them with us here.

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In this episode, I'm joined by Michael Minter, VP of Brand at Sorel, who shares a candid, behind-the-scenes look at the brand’s reawakening. Sorel has been everything from a Canadian work boot to a fashion-forward winter staple, and now it’s entering a bold new chapter.

We discuss what it takes to bring a heritage brand into the future, how to balance instinct and insight in a data-driven world, and why most outdoor content lacks real emotional impact. Michael also breaks down the creative strategy behind their upcoming campaign, “For Bold Steps,” and how brands can avoid the trap of mediocrity by having the courage to be polarizing.

About:

This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio. We help brands that move, create strategy-led, emotionally charged video campaigns

Enjoy this episode and discover other resources below:

• Insight Deck | Want 20 of our favorite insights shared on the show? 

• Booklist | Here's our curated list of recommended books over the years.

• LinkedIn | Join the conversation and share ideas with other industry peers.

• Apple Podcast | Want to help us out? Leave us a review on Apple.

• Guest List | Have a Guest in Mind?  Share them with us here.

• Patreon | Want to support us financially? 

 

In this episode, MJ Carroll, Brand Director at HEST, unpacks the tension every marketer faces: How much control do you keep, and how much do you let your community shape your brand? We dive into what happens when you hand over creative control, why tension between brand and performance is healthy, and how HEST has built a passionate community by focusing on comfort, connection, and consistency. MJ also shares what she’s learned about content, team dynamics, and why she believes experiential events still have a powerful role in brand building.

  About:

This podcast is produced by Port Side, a creative production studio. We help brands that move, create strategy-led, emotionally charged video campaigns

Enjoy this episode and discover other resources below:

 

Insight Deck | Want 20 of our favorite insights shared on the show? 

Booklist | Here's our curated list of recommended books over the years.

LinkedIn | Join the conversation and share ideas with other industry peers.

Apple Podcast | Want to help us out? Leave us a review on Apple.

Guest List | Have a Guest in Mind?  Share them with us here.

Patreon | Want to support us financially?