In this new episode of The Growth Department: Ellie and Jane sit down to talk marketing tech stacks for this quarter.

From Claude and ChatGPT to Monday.com, Notion, Trello, Slack and Microsoft Teams, they walk through what's actually earning its place in a marketing team's toolkit right now, and why relying on a single AI platform is a mistake.

They also make the case for in-person learning and conferences as the fastest way to stay ahead of an industry that moves weekly.

🎙️Listen to the full conversation on Digital Cheesecake now.

You can also find us on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-cheesecake-marketing-and-growth-podcast/id1780522616

#techstack #ai #marketingtechstack #marketingpodcast #claude #chatgpt

Nobody tells you what a recruiter actually thinks when they see a gap on your CV.
In this first episode of The Hiring Room, Jack and Sarah get into the conversations they're having right now around career breaks.

Covering whether the reason matters more than the break itself, how to turn a break into a strength, and whether some industries are more forgiving than others.
"Does the reason for the break matter more than the break itself?"
"Should candidates lead with the gap upfront, or let it surface naturally?"
If you're navigating a break, considering one, or just curious what's really happening behind the scenes in hiring this one's for you.

#careerbreaks #hiring #jobsearch #business #marketing #hiringtips #interviewtips

The future of beauty marketing isn't about repeating what worked before. Nadine Killoran, former Digital Director of Absolute Collagen, joins Digital Cheesecake to talk hiring people better than you, putting ego aside, and staying ahead in a beauty market being reshaped by dupes and Korean skincare.

In this episode:
Why looking backwards means you're already behind
Hiring people who know better than you and putting ego aside
The biggest challenges facing beauty right now
Why "infobesity" is a real threat to brand messaging
Beauty brands vs dupes and Korean skincare
The under-16 social media ban and beauty's future customers
Her 30-day playbook for quick wins
What makes a good marketer in 2026

🍰 Digital Cheesecake, the podcast for marketing leaders, growth marketers, and anyone building a career in digital marketing.

#beautymarketing #beauty #cosmetics #marketingdigital #marketingtips

Co-Founder Kareem Raslan built BrainGain from a parents' garage to 100,000 customers.

On this episode of Digital Cheesecake, he unpacks the unit economics and supply chain decisions behind scaling a DTC fitness brand, the career pivot that got him there, and where international brands are getting paid media badly wrong.
If you're DTC, a Fitness Fan or looking to start something of your own, this one is for you!

🎙️Episode now live on

YouTube: https://youtu.be/3NCozFnv1FY

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-cheesecake-marketing-and-growth-podcast/id1780522616

#DTC #fitnessbrand #fitnesslifestyle #Braingain #Marketingpodcast #Founderspodcast

In this weeks episode of Digital Cheesecake: The Growth Department, Ellie and Jane bring together digital marketing and luxury events expertise for a no-nonsense breakdown of what brands are still getting wrong with in-person events in 2026.
From briefing agencies properly and managing scope creep, to understanding what community-driven events actually look like.

This episode covers the conversations most agencies won't have with you.

Topics covered:
- What brands should actually be offering to drive attendance
- How to brief an event agency (without budget disasters)
- Budget transparency and why scope creep spirals
- The smoke and mirrors problem in experiential marketing
- Why boutique and nimble teams are winning
- Content creation as a non-negotiable budget line
- How to execute events at scale across multiple locations
Honest, practical and really relevant
🎧 Subscribe to Digital Cheesecake on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
#events #hostingevents #PR #Marketing #marketingagency #digitalmarketing #activations

This week on Digital Cheesecake, Ellie and Jane get into the unglamorous reality of running a business while raising small children.

From going back to work one week after giving birth, to juggling work time and toddler time and selling a business on an ultimatum, this episode covers it all.

Plus: outsourcing everything you can, running the house like a business, and what it actually means to have no financial backup when maternity leave isn't an option.

Raw, real and very relatable.

🎙️Stream now on:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/Pd8DzruLaA8

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-cheesecake-marketing-and-growth-podcast/id1780522616

#marketing #raisingtoddlers #mumsinmarketing #mumsinbusiness #motherhood #digitalcheesecake #marketingpodcast #podcast

Jamie Irving is SVP of Digital at Pentland Brands, home to Speedo, Canterbury, Kickers, Endura, Mitre and more. Previously Digital Director at Boden.

This episode gets into the commercial reality behind digital marketing at scale. Jamie talks through what it really meant to go from 80 agency clients to a single brand, then to a portfolio of eight.

He shares the tech investments that genuinely moved the dial at Pentland (including a CDP and ESP onboarded across seven brands in eight months), why he thinks insight teams are the most underrated function in any business, and where he's placing his bets on AI search, AEO, GEO, and Reddit.

He also gets into measurement vs. "pretty marketing," why word of mouth is built on product story not brand story, and what junior marketers should be prioritising right now to protect their careers.
Topics covered:
Agency to brand side: the commercial shift
Going from one brand to a multi-brand portfolio
The CDP and influencer platform investments that moved the dial
Insight teams: the most underrated function in marketing
AEO, GEO, Reddit and the AI search arms race
Pretty marketing vs. measurement — where brands come unstuck
Word of mouth: why it's a product story, not a brand story
What junior and mid-level marketers should be doing right now

🎙️Stream now on;

Youtube

Apple:

#marketingpodcast #digitalmarketing #marketingleader #digitalcheesecake

Peter Dudley joins Digital Cheesecake to discuss the launch of Seek, a platform designed to simplify how businesses find office space by connecting them directly with landlords.
After spending 15 years in commercial real estate, Peter saw an opportunity to modernise an industry he believes has been slow to evolve.
In this episode we discuss:
• The inspiration behind Seek
• Why office space is making a strong comeback
• The changing demands of modern workplaces
• Building a startup without a technical background
• Entrepreneurship, risk-taking and backing yourself
Whether you're a founder, business owner, property professional or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode is packed with practical insights and startup lessons.

Paul Canavan joins the Digital Cheesecake hosts at our Live Podcast Event to unpack the biggest challenges facing ecommerce brands today.

From rising acquisition costs and customer retention to, Wickes 15 minute fulfilment and the impact of AI on search.

This episode explores what separates growing brands from those standing still.

If you're responsible for ecommerce, digital growth or customer experience, this episode is packed with practical insights.

#loyalty #fulfillment #podcast #ecommerce #ecommercepodcast #marketingpodcast #marketing

Jack and Sarah break down the biggest recruitment lessons they’ve learned from 15 years working across marketing and digital hiring.

In this episode they discuss:

• What separates great employees from average ones• Signs of a high-potential candidate• Whether references still matter• Bad hire vs no hire• Why some interview questions feel outdated• Office working vs remote working in 2026• Small details that instantly stand out in interviews

A practical and honest conversation for candidates, hiring managers, and digital leaders.

🎙️Stream now on:

#hiring #jobsearch #recruiters #businesspodcast #business #careers #careerpodcast #careermotivation