Behind the Brand®

With an impressive marketing career spanning various industries including sports and entertainment, airline, and now tech, Ashley Graf brings a wealth of experience to the table. In her role as Head of North America Marketing at Squarespace, Ashley draws on her expertise to highlight Squarespace's distinctive value proposition, as aptly phrased by Adam Driver in their Super Bowl commercial, as the "website that builds websites."

In this episode, Ashley shares insights on how Squarespace has differentiated itself in a crowded market and continues to grow its customer base, as well as tips to staying ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving marketing landscape.

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With his unique ability to create excitement and tell compelling stories, Jake Karls is a driving force behind Mid-Day Squares’ growth. Right from the beginning, Jake and his co-founders made a decision to be transparent and vulnerable, showing the good, bad, and ugly of their entrepreneurial journey.

This week, Jake shares the honest truth about entrepreneurship and the road to building Mid-Day Squares including the challenges he faced along the way, and the lessons he learned. This is a must-listen episode for anyone looking to start their entrepreneurial journey or take their existing business to the next level.

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Head of BCG’s Toronto office and a key member of its Consumer practice, Kathleen Polsinello is a leading expert in consumer behaviour and retail strategy. With clients in Canada, the UK, and the US, she has successfully guided retail teams through major business transformations. Along with her work at BCG, Kathleen is a strong supporter of DE&I and women's progress in the corporate arena.

This week on Behind the Brand, Kathleen shares her predictions on the future of retail, climate and sustainability, and more in 2023. 

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P.J. Worsfold is the driving force behind some of Canada’s most successful online shoe retailers. He’s a true trailblazer in digital media and e-commerce, and in 2020, he took on an even bigger challenge by taking on the role of Director of Ecommerce at JD Sports. Known for his innovative approach to e-commerce, he’s an expert in combining technology and business strategy to drive sales.

This week on Behind the Brand, P.J. and Jeff discuss how personalization enables retailers to build better customer relationships.

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Mike Gettis is no stranger to building successful direct-to-consumer brands. In 2015, Mike co-founded Canadian mattress brand Endy, and over the next two years, grew it into a multi-million dollar brand. Seeing another opportunity to deliver top quality products at a fraction of the price, Mike and his partner Noelle started Kilne. 

This week on Behind the Brand, Mike and Jeff talk about the importance of feedback and their experiences building successful consumer brands from scratch.

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An expert on designing, optimizing, and building on top of loyalty programs, Oren Eizenman knows what it takes to foster meaningful customer loyalty. Leading the Loyalty Service Line at McKinsey, he works with clients across industries and around the world on their growth and marketing strategies.

This week on Behind the Brand, Oren and Jeff Oren talk about the evolution of loyalty in Canada — where it has been and where it’s going.

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Read more from Oren here:

• Winning in loyalty | McKinsey
• Next in loyalty: Eight levers to turn customers into fans | McKinsey
• Consumer organization and operating models for the next normal | McKinsey

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Ray Reddy is a self-proclaimed technology optimist who has a strong belief in its purpose of improving lives. That’s why he started two companies aimed at solving problems that weren’t being solved. After his first company, PushLife was acquired by Google in 2011, Ray went on to found Ritual, a social ordering app that is shaping the future of local commerce.

This week on Behind the Brand, Ray and Jeff discuss the shift in the way consumers are interacting with local businesses, choosing to transact via digital channels instead of physical.

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Eva Wong never imagined herself as a co-founder or working in tech but sometimes life surprises you. After several years working for private and not-for-profit companies worldwide, Eva took a chance and teamed up with, now co-founder, Andrew Graham to create Borrowell and make financial prosperity possible for everyone.

This week on Behind the Brand, Eva and Jeff talk about what it’s like to be a tech company founder without a technical background and the need for inclusive financial services in the Canadian market.

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Having dedicated the last 15 years to educating Canadians on personal finance, you could say Bruce Sellery is a bit of an expert. Combining his knowledge and his experience as a coach and trainer, Bruce engages people in a way that is smart, fun, and high energy—truly inspiring them to get a better handle on their money.

This week on Behind the Brand, Bruce talks with Jeff about all things personal finance including the psychology behind spending and the smart choices you can make now to achieve financial freedom in your future.

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Discover more about Credit Canada here.
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With a track record of building some of the world’s most iconic brands and customer experiences, Mary Graham is a pragmatic strategist and synthesizer. After years of successfully delivering growth for several blue chip companies, including Procter & Gamble, Yum! Brands, and Starbucks, Mary made the shift to the startup world as CEO of Mama Earth. Now, Mary is utilizing her expertise in brand strategy and marketing to grow the local food movement in Ontario, as President of Fresh City.

Fresh City was founded in 2011 after CEO, Ran Goel, left his job as a Wall Street lawyer. In just over a decade, Fresh City has grown into an award-winning urban farm and omni-channel retailer. With 8 retail locations and home delivery across the GTA, Fresh City is changing the way people think about and shop for food.

Here are some highlights from the episode:

• 
  Being a lifelong learner of yourself
• Knowing what your superpower and kryptonite are
• How to create an effective strategy
• Empowering people to make little changes that collectively add up to good
• The difference between degenerative, sustainable, and regenerative farming

Enjoy!

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