Hi all,

Ready to be inspired? Us too. One chat with Carmen Graham, former Frida marketer and new CMO of Genexa, did just the thing.

This episode is about challenger energy, leadership inside regulated categories, motherhood, and how trust actually gets built when the stakes are high.

If you’re managing up, this episode has got tips for you. If you’re new to, or considering a new category, it has great advice. If you’re a leader who needs a jolt of ‘YES!’, it has that too. And if you’re a working mom, hold onto your seat. It’s thoughtful, funny, and very human.

Enjoy!

Meet Carmen Graham

Carmen Graham is the CMO of Genexa and one of the most grounded, lovely, and culture-literate marketing people you’ll have the pleasure of meeting.

Having spent the last 15 years working publisher, agency, and brand-side, Carmen’s career spans Complex, Verizon, agency life, and most recently Frida, where she helped define a new tone for modern parenthood brands.

She’s also a mom of three, outspoken about motherhood and leadership. And must-follow on LinkedIn because of it.

I can’t wait for you to meet her, truly.

Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy

01:29 — NEW ROLE, REAL MOMENT // Why Carmen took the Genexa job and what drew her to the brand.

04:01 — FROM FRIDA TO HEALTHCARE // Bringing challenger brand energy into a highly regulated category.

08:35 — SHAKING THE TREE // How Genexa’s first campaign landed internally and why that mattered more than metrics.

10:49 — TRYING AGAIN AS A CULTURE // Why being willing to experiment, even when things don’t work the first time, is a rare but wonderful instinct to build.

15:02 — GENERIC MOM ADS ARE DEAD // Why reality beats perfection. And why being polarizing is better than not speaking to anyone at all.

18:24 — THE MOM GROUP CHAT // Turning real parental behavior into insights.

22:30 — WHAT ‘CHALLENGER’ REALLY MEANS // Disrupting a 70-year-old category without losing credibility.

26:12 — MAHA AND AGENCY // We went there.

31:21 — TRUST IS THE MOAT // Why Genexa is playing the long game in healthcare.

34:35 — MOTHERHOOD ON LINKEDIN // Why visibility, honesty, and sharing logistics actually matter.

39:10 — HOW CARMEN LEADS // Transparency, calendars, and building a team culture that works and lets you be your best.

43:02 — UNCONVENTIONAL LEADERSHIP // Breaking silos and bringing teams along for the ride.

45:24 — QUICK FIRE // The rapid hits on brand, leadership, and instinct.

* 3 things every brand should do?

“They should leverage social as the first place for their insights...Care about how you look. Care about the aesthetics…And take care of your people.”

* What’s your biggest learning / what would you do differently?

“I would never sacrifice my integrity for work. And I would never sacrifice the integrity of the work for one piece of feedback. Stick to your guns.”

* If you could collaborate with one other brand on something, who would it be and why?

“I would love to collaborate with Poppi. Wash it down.”

* If there were one celebrity spokesperson for the brand, who could it be?

“The Foster Sisters.”

* One word that sums up your brand?

“Relief. Feeling better.”

Huge thanks to Carmen for chatting. And if you’re building a brand, new or established, and pushing things. Reach out! [email protected]

That’s all, folx.– Chris

If you listened/read this and liked it, that little heart is there for that. The algo and I appreciate it.

PS. If you prefer Apple, Spotify, or YouTube, you can listen there too.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ingoodco.substack.com