Grace Taylor didn't start in marketing. She started in law.

And somehow, that might be exactly why she's one of the most interesting brand builders working right now.

Grace is the CMO of Unplugged. The brand that exists to take you off your phone. Built almost entirely on the most addictive platforms on earth.

We talk about that contradiction. A lot.

But we also talk about what it actually takes to build a slow brand in a fast world. How to say no to the things most brands say yes to automatically. What authenticity actually means when everyone is claiming it. And why over optimising your wellness brand might be the most ironic thing you can do.

Grace is funny. Honest. And has a point of view that most CMOs would never say out loud.

| Topics include:🟡 How Grace ended up at Unplugged and what she had to unlearn from traditional marketing to do the job well🟡 What it actually feels like to market an offline experience in an online world🟡 How Unplugged says no to the things most brands say yes to automatically🟡 The creative process behind some of the most genuinely human content you'll see from a brand right now🟡 Why over-optimising your wellness brand might be the most self-defeating thing you can do🟡 What Grace believes about brand building that most people in her industry would strongly disagree with🟡 And whether building a slow brand has actually slowed her down or sped her up

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction and Grace’s background in marketing and brand purpose01:21 - Building slow brands in a fast world: Unplugged’s mission02:14 - The tension between online presence and promoting offline experiences02:30 - Navigating social media and realigning brand authenticity03:48 - How Unplugged approaches trendiness without losing their core values05:05 - Grace’s perspective on marketing principles and agility07:24 - Evolving brand messaging and the importance of authenticity09:45 - The value of meaningful newsletters over transactional content14:10 - The most impactful content piece: tackling over-optimization and wellness industry critiques16:39 - The importance of simplicity and living the brand lesson18:14 - Staying committed to core principles like being offline and natural stays20:05 - Balancing social media presence with offline reality21:16 - How ideas go from team brainstorms to social posts25:31 - Creating bite-sized, niche content that resonates29:19 - Words, tone, and avoiding marketese in brand voice33:09 - Changing the industry’s online presence: staying true and brave43:33 - How building a slow brand has influenced Grace’s personal pace45:38 - Serving the audience authentically without noise46:35 - Final thoughts and gratitude for purposeful marketing47:49 - Closing remarks and future outlook

Resources & Links:

Unplugged Official Website: https://tinyurl.com/54en5d85

Unplugged Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/3n8ncpxa

Greg Hoffman - Emotion by Design: https://tinyurl.com/y6w4nfc2

Connect with Grace:

Linkedin: https://tinyurl.com/ycxyh6bz

No script. No studio. Just me sitting on the floor (again) trying to explain why SENSE exists, and why I got tired of seeing the same thing every single day. Community is not a word. It's a mindset. And this is where it starts.

Is a good product enough? Most brands think so. I don't.

Back with the voice memos, to talk about the game most brands are playing and why it's keeping them stuck in a cycle of attention without loyalty, visibility without belonging.

If you're building a brand in sports, fitness, wellness or the outdoor space and you feel like something is missing, this might be the conversation you needed to hear today.

Because there's a difference between a brand people buy from and a brand people belong to.

This is Redefine the Game. A podcast and platform for brand builders, founders and marketers who believe community is not a tactic. It's how a brand operates.

Shaun Traynor has spent 20 years in fitness and wellness: from sales manager to CEO. He’s seen every trend come and go. But now he’s building something different: KIP (Keep it Peaceful), a brand redefining how the world disconnects and prepares for sleep.

In this episode, Shaun and I get raw and honest about:

• The emotional rollercoaster of building a purpose-driven brand;

• Why sleep and disconnection matter more than ever;

• Lessons from failure (and why they teach more than the wins);

• How to balance purpose and profit without losing your soul;

• What it really feels like to start over after 20 years at the top;

This is not a highlight reel. It’s an open, no-bullshit conversation about the reality of building brands that actually matter.

If you’re a founder, CEO, brand manager, or community builder trying to create something meaningful:

You’ll want to hear this one.

We’re building brands like bots. No wonder no one feels anything.
AI is becoming a source of comfort for people. Not just for productivity, but for company.

What does that say about us?And more importantly, what does it say about the way we’re building brands?

In a world where clean UX and fast answers dominate, many sports, wellness, and outdoor brands are losing what made them matter in the first place: emotion. Texture. Human connection.

This episode explores:
– Why AI comfort is replacing emotional risk– How most brand journeys feel optimized but soulless– What it takes to re-humanise how we build, market, and connect– Why community, movement, and memory can’t be automated

If you're a community manager, brand builder, or someone working in sports, wellness, or outdoor culture, this episode is your reminder that we don’t need better answers.We need better interactions.

Voice memo-style. No guests. Just you, me, and a few ideas worth sitting with.

Alex Eagle has been doing the work for 12 years, long before “community-led” was a slide in your brand deck.

He’s the co-founder of The Running Charity, an organization that uses running and movement to support young people experiencing homelessness. Not for hype. Not for likes. But for belonging, trust, and transformation.

In this episode, we talk about:

– Why “community” has been co-opted by brands and how to take it back
– What real community work looks like (and why most run clubs miss the point)
– What brand people get wrong when they try to “collaborate for impact”
– How sport can unlock trust, safety, and identity
– The difference between community as a concept vs. a commitment

If you’re building a brand, running a run club, leading a community, or trying to make your values mean something, this conversation is a mirror.

Why listen?Because there’s a difference between saying “we care about community” and showing up every week for 12 years.

And you’ll hear what that difference sounds like.

In this solo episode, I answer three simple but powerful questions:
| Where’s the gap in brand building today?
| What am I doing to fill it?
| And... why me?

These questions came from a conversation with Christina Garnett, and they hit me straight in the gut. So I decided to answer them honestly, without polish or performance.

This isn’t about branding theory. It’s about the emotional disconnect I see in modern brand building, especially in industries like sport, wellness, and adventure.
It’s also about what I’m trying to build with Redefine the Game, a brand-building world that feels more like a walk with a friend than a marketing campaign.

If you care about building brands with heart, intention, and connection…I hope this gives you something to reflect on.

💬 I'd love to hear your thoughts: Where do you see the gap?

——

🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter: https://bit.ly/3YcCsvX
📬 Let’s connect on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4mvSED1
🛠️ This podcast is for founders, marketers, creators & community builders who are redefining what a brand can be.

This isn’t a panel. It’s a campfire conversation.

In this episode of Redefine the Game, I sat down with Matt Trappe, Zoë Rom, Josh Rosenthal, and David Callahan to ask a simple but uncomfortable question: what the hell is happening to trail running?

From media and brand dynamics to authenticity, community, and gatekeeping, we get honest. We explore the tension between growth and soul, how most trail brands miss 99% of runners, and what it means to contribute to a sport (instead of extracting from it).

If you care about where trail running is heading, and the role brands, media, and culture play in shaping that journey...this one’s for you.

Guests:

• Matt Trappe (Photographer, Director)

• Zoë Rom (Podcast Host, Writer, Former Editor of Trail Runner)

#RedefineTheGame

In this solo “voice memo” episode, I open up about the story behind Redefine the Game.

This isn't just a podcast. It's a personal project, a long-time idea, and maybe… just maybe… the start of a Colin & Samir-style platform for purpose-led brand builders.

I talk about:

• Why I started this

• What I believe is broken in brand building today

• The movement I want to create

• And how Redefine the Game could become more than just a side project

If you're into community-led, purpose-driven, customer-obsessed brands, or you just want to hear someone figuring it out in public, this one's for you.

Let’s keep redefining.

This one’s personal.In this solo episode, I share why I decided to leave my dream job at a brand I deeply admired, and what’s next for me.

After almost three years building community at NNormal (the trail running brand co-founded by Kilian Jornet and Camper), I realized it was time to move on.

No plan B. No next job lined up. Just a vision, trust, and a drive to build something new.

In this episode, I share:

• Why I left

• What I learned

• The three paths I’m exploring next

• And why I’m betting on Redefine the Game

If you're also figuring things out, this one’s for you.