Giovanna Knudsen didn't follow the playbook. She rewrote it.

After ditching a veterinary career in college, Giovanna bet on herself opening a boutique fitness studio in the middle of a pandemic with a signed lease and a world shutting down around her. Six years later, she's running two businesses, curating a 15,000 sq ft wellness hub with 12 women-owned businesses under one roof, and building one of the most community-driven fitness brands in Northeast Ohio.

In this episode, host Ashtyn Morris sits down with Giovanna to talk about:

— Why opening during COVID was the beginning, not the end

— How multimodality became her secret weapon against fitness trends and churn

— The community-first marketing strategy that turns members into lifelong brand advocates

— Why being "off the beaten path" actually made her easier to find

— How a referral system with non-expiring credits keeps members coming back on their terms

— What TikTok, local collabs, and rubber ducks hidden around the studio have to do with retention

— The moment reformer Pilates made her studio feel whole for the first time

— How she's building a brand her daughter can be proud of

Whether you're a fitness entrepreneur, a small business owner trying to grow through community, or a marketer looking for proof that word-of-mouth still wins, this one's for you.

Mike Linton didn't stumble into the C-suite. He earned his way there across five CMO roles — Best Buy, eBay, Farmers Insurance, Ancestry, and more, by treating marketing as a growth engine, not a line item, and by learning the hard lessons early.

From washing clothes in P&G training programs to negotiating with the Rolling Stones in Amsterdam (without a signed contract), Mike has seen it all. And he's built a framework along the way that has outlasted every trend, every platform shift, and every AI hype cycle.

In this episode, host Ashtyn Morris sits down with Mike, and the host of CMO Confidential to talk about:

— Why all marketing is performance marketing, just with different time horizons

— The career loss that changed how Mike interviews for every job

— Why firing your agency on day one is one of the biggest CMO mistakes

— The "averaging is killing us" principle that transforms how you think about LTV

— What a corrupted Rolling Stones disc at 11:30pm taught him about risk

— How to speak finance fluently enough to own a seat at the table

— What the future of marketing looks like in the age of AI and bot-first content.

Whether you're a new marketer building your foundation or a seasoned leader navigating the modern C-suite, this conversation is packed with the kind of real-world insight you won't find in a textbook.

https://cmoconfidential.com

Jeff didn't set out to build a viral candy brand. What started as late-night cooking sessions in college, during COVID, while working full-time, slowly became something much bigger: a real business rooted in craft, community, and genuine storytelling.

Instead of chasing trends or running ads, Jeff leaned into the process. He showed people how candy is made, shared the mistakes along the way (including the corn syrup incident that changed everything), and built an audience that actually cared. Over six years, that approach evolved into a full business, and eventually led him to a historic space he hustled his way into, one unforgettable auction story at a time.

In this episode, host Ashtyn Morris sits down with Jeff to talk about:

— What those early days of building in public actually looked like

— The craft lessons that shaped his product and his brand

— Why organic content and genuine community are his most reliable growth engine

— How he went from lemon drops in his kitchen to opening a physical location

— The auction story that landed him a historic building, and a new business partner

— How he's using storytelling to preserve a space and revitalize a community

Whether you're just starting out or grinding through year three wondering if it'll ever click, this episode is for you.

Zero Doubt Club didn’t set out to be just another fitness brand. What started as personal training and health coaching quickly evolved into a full ecosystem designed to make healthy living simple, sustainable, and actually doable.

Instead of overcomplicating fitness and nutrition, they built two complementary brands: Zero Doubt Club, focused on coaching and accountability, and Zero Doubt Kitchen, a locally sourced organic meal prep service delivering clean, ready-to-eat meals straight to your door every week. Along the way, they’ve also developed a smart, community-driven marketing strategy that’s helped them grow organically and build real relationships with their audience.

From weekly meal drops to corporate wellness programs, they’re helping individuals and companies remove friction and finally stay consistent with their health.

In this episode, host Ashtyn Morris sits down to talk about:

— How Zero Doubt Club approaches personal training and health coaching differently

— Why consistency, not intensity, is the real key to results

— The role of meal prep in eliminating decision fatigue

— How Zero Doubt Kitchen sources, prepares, and delivers clean meals weekly

— How they’re leveraging social media to connect with existing and prospective customers

— The structure behind their corporate wellness program and why businesses are investing in employee health

— Simple ways to start improving your health without overhauling your entire life

Whether you're trying to get back on track, optimize your routine, or build a healthier lifestyle that actually sticks, this episode keeps it real and practical.

Brent Zimmerman didn't take the typical path into craft beer. After years in finance on Wall Street, he walked away from an investment opportunity in 2013, and decided to build his own brewery instead.

What followed is one of Cleveland's most interesting brand-building stories: Saucy Brew Works, launched in Hingetown in 2017, has grown into a multi-location hospitality company through organic growth, crowdfunding, and strategic acquisitions. Brent has raised over $20 million through crowdfunding and has continued to expand the Saucy brand into new categories, including Saucy Seltzer, a premium hemp-derived THC beverage line navigating a rapidly evolving and highly regulated market.

In this episode, host Ashtyn Morris sits down with Brent to talk about:

— Why he passed on investing in a brewery to start his own

— How internal culture became the foundation for scaling across locations

— The brand architecture behind Saucy Brew Works, Saucy Seltzer, Saucy Coffee, Urban Meyer's Pint House & Cartridge Brewing

— What crowdfunding $20M actually taught him about community-building as a marketing strategy

— Navigating THC beverage marketing amid evolving regulations, including the recent Ohio hemp-derived THC legislation that has put brands like his in limbo

— Why he's still betting on Cleveland!

Whether you're building a brand, scaling a business, or just trying to figure out what's actually working in marketing right now, this one's worth your time.

How does a home services startup go from $0 to $170 million in just three years? In this episode of Marketing Moves, host Ashtyn Morris sits down with AJ Wadian and Vince Venditti of Premier Home Pros to break down the exact marketing and lead generation strategy behind one of the fastest-growing home services companies in the country.

📈 Year One: $15 Million

📈 Year Two: $86 Million

📈 Year Three: ~$170 Million

This isn't luck, it's a repeatable system built on disciplined demand generation, smart market timing, and aligning sales with marketing from day one.

What You'll Learn: Home Services Marketing at Scale — How to evolve your lead-gen mix as you grow from local contractor to national brand Operationalizing Growth — Why more leads without operational alignment creates chaos, not revenue The Renovation Over Relocation Trend — How to capitalize on the market shift driving homeowner spending right now Customer Education as a Conversion Tool — How smarter prospects convert at higher rates and lower cost

Whether you're a contractor, home services operator, or marketing professional trying to scale lead generation without breaking your business, this episode is your blueprint.

In this episode of Marketing Moves, we sat down with Josiah Myers, Founder & CEO of Spilt Social, to explore how he’s building one of the Midwest’s fastest-growing event communities. What started as a simple idea to create more authentic networking experiences has grown into a movement, with 7,500+ email subscribers, sold-out events, and expansion into new cities. Josiah shares how mentorship, referrals, and multi-touch marketing strategies are driving sustainable growth — and why listening to the market has been critical to shaping Spilt Social’s evolution.

On this episode of Marketing Moves, we sat down with Abbas Mandviwala, physician, entrepreneur, and managing partner behind Encore, a cocktail bar in the heart of Playhouse Square. Abbas shares the story behind building a hospitality concept designed for the 1.3 million people who visit the district each year, and how thoughtful design, branding, and experience came together to create something unique for Cleveland’s theater district. We also dive into his journey from medicine to entrepreneurship, launching a hospitality concept from scratch, and why creating spaces centered around human connection matters more than ever.

On this episode of Marketing Moves, we sat down with Jerry Schill, President & CEO of Schill Grounds Management, to talk about scaling a service business from a 10x20 storage unit to 37 locations across multiple states and Canada. Jerry shares what it takes to grow through acquisitions, transition into commercial maintenance, and build a people-first culture that can withstand rapid change. If you’re building a business and trying to grow without losing your culture, this one’s for you.

On this episode of Marketing Moves, we sat down with Anthony Manna Jr., President of Hello Sunray, and Vice President of M7 Ventures, to explore disciplined entrepreneurship, diversification strategy, and the rise of Hello Sunray. Anthony shares why market feedback matters more than assumptions, how M7 Ventures stabilizes growth through diversified investments, and why rising power costs are driving opportunity in commercial solar. We also discuss referral-based growth, long-term thinking, and how battery storage and microgrids will shape the future of energy.