The Traditional CMO is Dead. Long Live the Category Architect.

For years, CMOs have been stuck on a tactical treadmill:

🎯 Generate leads

📈 Prove ROI

💰 Cut ad spend

But in a noisy, AI-saturated landscape, is optimization enough?

This Wednesday on The Bliss Business Podcast’s Marketing with Purpose Kit, we unpack a better path forward:

+ What it really means to be a “Category Architect”

+ How to lead with belief, not just branding

+ Why movements matter more than metrics

+ How tools like aiCMO help brands build emotional resonance at scale

We break down iconic examples like:

⚡ Salesforce’s “No Software” revolution

⚡ Liquid Death’s punk-rock water disruption

⚡ Apple’s mission-first, category-defining playbook

Today’s best marketers aren’t just managing brands. They’re shaping worldviews.

Want to inspire customers, not just convert them?

🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach, Mike Liwski & Tullio Siragusa

A recent McKinsey study found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams are 25% more likely to have above-average profitability. Yet, many leaders still struggle with building cultures that go beyond check-the-box diversity initiatives.

Join us live for a powerful conversation with Sheree Knowles, award-winning HR executive and CEO of HR Knowledge Source and Human Capital Academy, on how to move from diversity optics to lasting, inclusive impact.

🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski

🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa

In this episode, we’ll explore:

• The difference between inclusion and performative equity

• How HR leaders can embed inclusivity into every layer of the organization

• What it takes to build trust, belonging, and psychological safety

• Why empathy and accountability are the future of leadership

  
  

Sheree brings over 25 years of leadership experience, having founded two successful HR consultancies focused on culture, talent, and transformation.

If you believe business should be a force for human connection, don’t miss this conversation.

💬 How is your company building a more inclusive culture?

Can empathy be a leadership superpower? According to McKinsey, it’s now considered a core leadership competency. Yet most companies don’t have the systems to support it.

Join us for this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast with Lyn Christian, founder of SoulSalt Inc. and master certified coach, as we explore how empathy, purpose, and confidence work together to shape powerful leadership.

🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach & Mike Liwski

In this episode, we’ll cover:

•  Why empathy belongs at the center of high-performance leadership

• How to build systems that embed emotional intelligence into your culture

• What the “SoulSalt” approach reveals about confidence and clarity

• Practical ways leaders can show up with more compassion—without losing their edge

  
  

Whether you’re leading a team or leading yourself, this conversation will help you reconnect with what makes leadership truly meaningful.

💬 What’s one act of empathy you experienced from a leader that stayed with you?

Is your marketing built on noise—or purpose?

Too many brands mistake “purpose” for philanthropy. But purpose-driven marketing isn’t about adding a donation button to your checkout page. It’s about aligning every message, campaign, and touchpoint with your reason for being.

In this week’s Marketing with Purpose Kit episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we explored:

+ The 3Cs of Purpose-Driven Marketing: Clarity, Connection, and Consistency

+ Why emotionally connected customers are worth 306% more than satisfied ones (Source: Harvard Business Review)

+ How brands like Bombas and Mailchimp lead with empathy, not just offers

+ Why AI should help you express purpose not dilute it

We also unpacked how aiCMO.io helps companies uncover emotional insights and turn them into consistent, resonant campaigns across all channels.

If your marketing feels scattered, shallow, or just like everyone else’s… this episode will help you shift from selling to serving with soul.

🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach, Mike Liwski & Tullio Siragusa

🎧 Listen now and reconnect your brand to what really matters.

Empathy in Leadership: Why It’s More Than a Soft Skill

📊 92% of employees say empathy is undervalued in the workplace, yet 76% believe it directly impacts productivity. (Source: Businessolver)

According to the APA, over 59% of workers report negative effects from work-related stress.

Clearly, leaders are missing a critical ingredient.

Join us for this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast with Liesel Mindrebo Mertes, founder of Handle with Care, as we explore how empathy can, and must become central to leadership.

🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach & Mike Liwski

In this conversation, we’ll cover:

• How to lead with empathy in moments of disruption and grief

• Practical systems that embed care into company culture

• The link between purpose-driven leadership and employee loyalty

• Why empathy isn’t a liability—it’s your next strategic advantage

  
  

Whether you’re an executive, team lead, or HR professional, this episode will challenge how you think about emotional wellness at work.

💬 What’s one way your company shows real care for employees—not just perks, but presence?

Can you build a business that does good for the world and makes a profit? Colin McIntosh has done it—twice.

📊 According to Deloitte, purpose-driven companies grow three times faster than their competitors.And 63 percent of consumers prefer to buy from companies that reflect their values (Cone Communications).

Join us for this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast with Colin McIntosh, Founder & CEO of Sheets & Giggles and SheetsResume.com, as we explore how conscious capitalism can transform not one but two brands.

 🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach & Mike Liwski

In this episode, we’ll discuss:

+ How Sheets & Giggles grew from zero to $1M/month in just two years—while donating over $250,000 to charity

+ Why SheetsResume.com is giving free resume support to laid-off government workers, helping them transition to new careers

+ The power of purpose, humor, and authenticity in building brand loyalty

+ Practical steps to balance profit with purpose—without losing your values

Whether you’re a founder, a marketer, or someone who believes in business as a force for good, this episode is for you.

💬 What’s the most purpose-driven brand you’ve ever bought from?

Marketing has lost its soul. Let’s get it back.

64% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from a brand that shares their values. (Source: Accenture)

Yet most marketing still sounds like this:

“Optimize operational workflows to drive scalable efficiencies.”

That’s not connection. That’s a keyword graveyard.

In our latest workshop, From Clicks to Connection: Reclaiming the Soul of Marketing, we explored how purpose, empathy, and emotional resonance can transform your marketing from hollow to human.

Here’s what we cover:

+ What the “Empathy Gap” is—and how to close it

+ How mirror neurons and emotional contagion drive loyalty

+ Why purpose-driven brands grow 3x faster (Deloitte)

+ Live demos of how aiCMO can turn soul into strategy—in seconds

We also brake down three campaigns that still give people goosebumps:

⚡ Dove’s Real Beauty

⚡ Apple’s Think Different

⚡ Always’ Like a Girl

Hosted by Stephen Sakach, Mike Liwski and Tullio Siragusa

Each one shows what happens when brands choose courage over convention.

Great marketing doesn’t just sell.

It inspires.

It builds love into scalable systems.

Let’s stop creating noise and start creating meaning.

Purpose isn’t a tagline—it’s a living, breathing part of your business. But as your company grows, how do you keep that purpose alive and aligned?

This week on our final Scaling with Purpose Kit Series, we explore:

✅ When and how to evolve your company’s purpose without losing its soul

✅ Why staying static can lead to irrelevance—and how to adapt with integrity

✅ Real examples of brands expanding impact by reconnecting with their essence

✅ Practical strategies for aligning purpose with your team, your customers, and your campaigns

🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa & Ash Maher

If your business is evolving, your purpose should too. Join us for this final episode in the series—designed to help leaders scale without losing what matters most.

💬 What does evolving your company’s purpose look like in your world? Drop a comment and join the conversation.

Grief in the Workplace: Are We Doing Enough?

📊 Did you know that one in nine employees in the U.S. experiences the death of a loved one each year? Yet 51 percent of those employees leave their job within 12 months of the loss (Harvard Business Review).

Join us for an episode of The Bliss Business Podcast with Justin Clifford, CEO of Bereave, as we explore how businesses can support grieving employees with compassion, clarity, and care.

🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach & Tullio Siragusa

In this episode, we’ll discuss:

 + The hidden costs of grief in the workplace (over $75 billion annually in the U.S.)

+ Why most companies fail to support grieving employees effectively

+ Practical strategies to build a grief-informed workplace

+ How Bereave is helping businesses turn compassion into action

If you’re a leader, HR professional, or someone who believes in creating a more human-centric workplace, this episode is for you.

💬 How does your company support grieving employees?

🔎 Did you know that 70% of franchise businesses fail within their first five years? (Source: Franchise Business Review)

 But it doesn't have to be that way.

Join us for an episode of The Bliss Business Podcast with Carnie Fryfogle, CEO of CR3 American Exteriors, as we explore how empathy, innovation, and purpose can transform franchise success.

🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach & Mike Liwski

In this episode, we’ll discuss:

+ How Carnie’s people-first approach has helped franchises thrive where others fail

+ The empathetic systems and support methods he uses to empower franchisees

+ Why purpose-driven businesses grow 3x faster (Source: Deloitte)

+ How love, care, and connection are the ultimate competitive advantage

Whether you’re a franchise owner, a business leader, or someone looking to build a more resilient organization, this episode is for you.

💬 What’s the most human thing you’ve ever seen a brand do?