She was told—at one of the most personal moments of her life—“you can’t do this.”Most people would fold. She didn’t.That decision didn’t just define her—it exposed how often we let other people set our limits.And leaders do it every day with one phrase: “Yeah, but…”

IN THIS EPISODE:Marc A. Wolfe sits down with Missy Acosta, Senior Vice President of Brand Experience at Delta Dental of Tennessee, to unpack what actually holds leaders back—and it’s not lack of skill.

With more than 25 years across public relations, agency work, and enterprise leadership, Missy cuts through the noise on what actually works today: storytelling, owned media, and aligning your work with something real. But the deeper conversation goes beyond marketing—into time, identity, and the quiet excuses that stall momentum.

This isn’t about tactics. It’s about the decisions leaders avoid making.

WHAT WE COVER:

• Why “everything is marketing” is more than a slogan—it’s reality

• The shift from earned media to owned media (and why it matters now)

• The leadership trap: when ideas accidentally become directives

• Why most meetings kill creativity—and how to protect ideation

• “I don’t have time” vs. the truth about prioritization

• The hidden cost of constant interruptions on performance

• What changes when you realize high performers are just human

• How to handle being told “you can’t do this”

• Why you cannot let other people define your ceiling

• Developing thick skin without losing awareness

• Breaking silos and improving real customer experience

• Why “that’s how we’ve always done it” is a losing strategy

• The importance of connecting every role to the “why”

• Starting before you feel ready (because you won’t)

• Replacing “but” with “and” to shift mindset and language

• Why most people die with the song still in them

QUOTES:

• “Everything is marketing. It’s storytelling—and whether you like it or not, you’re in sales.”

• “You don’t have a time problem. You have a prioritization problem.”

• “I can’t let other people defeat me.”

ABOUT THE GUEST:Missy Acosta is the Senior Vice President of Brand Experience at Delta Dental of Tennessee, where she leads marketing, communications, and customer experience strategy.

With over 25 years in marketing—spanning public relations, agency work, and corporate leadership—she focuses on storytelling, cause marketing, and aligning brand purpose with real impact.

ABOUT THE HOST:Marc A. Wolfe is an Executive Coach, Strategic Advisor, and President of the Nashville Chapter of the Private Directors Association. He acts as a catalyst for high-performing leaders, helping them navigate complexity and turn conversations into outcomes.

With a unique background that spans supporting early Apple technology at Fortune 500 companies to photographing U.S. Presidents and NFL teams, Marc brings a rare perspective to high-stakes environments. He is the author of Yeah, But, a framework designed to help leaders cut through the noise to accelerate growth and innovation.

RESOURCES / CONNECT / CONTACT:

• Website: https://www.marcawolfe.com/

• Get a copy of Yeah, But: https://ybut.short.gy/yb

• Read your free chapter of ‘Yeah, But’: https://ybut.short.gy/chapter

• Suggest a guest for The Yeah, But Podcast: https://ybut.short.gy/ybguest

CONNECT WITH MISSY:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/missyacosta

CONNECT WITH MARC:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcwolfe/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcawolfe/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcAwolfe

• X (Twitter): https://x.com/marcawolfe