What really scales a modern brand: product or performance?

From Marketingland 2025, Ari Murray sits down with growth powerhouse Stefani O’Sullivan (STAUD, Savage X Fenty, Moda Operandi, Chanel) for a deep dive into how today’s most resilient brands actually grow. Stefani breaks down the truth behind two very different paths: Product-led growth (STAUD, RHODE, category disruptors) and Marketing-led growth (DTC engines powered by paid media).

They unpack:

> The real tradeoffs between product-first and performance-first models

> How product intuition, merchandising, and customer feedback shape long-term equity

> When to expand into CTV, OOH, retail media, and how to know it’s actually working

> Why consistency matters, but context matters more

Whether you’re leading a growth team, scaling your first brand, or rethinking how product and performance should truly work together, this conversation will challenge your assumptions…and reveal why the smartest path to scale might not be the one you expect.

CallRail is the lead engagement platform built for marketers who need clean attribution, smarter insights, and zero missed leads. From AI-powered call tracking and conversation intelligence to a 24/7 AI voice agent, CallRail helps teams maximize every inbound touchpoint and convert more leads into customers.

Visit https://www.callrail.com/proveit?utm_campaign=q4_2025_marketing_millennials_podcast&utm_medium=thirdparty_advertising&utm_source=marketingmillennials to check it out. 

Follow Ari:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arimurray/

Follow Stefani:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefaniosullivan/

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Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: https://workweek.com/