The Phygital Marketing Podcast

Fresh Clean Threads incoming Director of CX Cati Brunell-Brutman joins Host Lindsey Buxman in New York on The Phygital Marketing Podcast to talk about why the loudest customer isn’t always right, how CX can become an insight center for the entire business, and where human connection still matters in an increasingly AI-powered customer experience.

You’ll hear:

→ How to connect physical retail and digital CX to create a more consistent customer experience

→ How to turn customer feedback into insights that marketing, product, retail, and other teams can actually act on

→ Why the loudest customer feedback isn’t always the feedback brands should act on

→ How to use AI to uncover patterns across thousands of customer reviews without losing the human perspective

→ Where AI can improve the customer experience, and where brands should still rely on real people

→ Why CX should be treated as an insight center, not just a cost center

🔗 Connect with Cati Brunell-Brutman & Fresh Clean Threads:

https://freshcleantees.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/fresh-clean-threads/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cati-brunell-brutman-5355b04a/

🔗 Connect with Lindsey Buxman & Sotto:

https://www.withsotto.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/withsotto/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseybuxman/

Former Crayola EVP and CMO Vicky Lozano joins Host Lindsey Buxman in Boston on The Phygital Marketing Podcast to talk about why your brand is bigger than your product, and commercial growth strategy through a brand lens. 

You’ll hear:

→ How to think beyond the traditional marketing lens

→ How to make your message compelling

→ How to keep your eye on the prize as a brand

→ How to resonate with consumers through an authentic brand

→ How to know when a brand’s earned the right to expand beyond its core product into new categories, audiences, and revenue streams

🔗 Connect with Vicky Lozano & Crayola: 

https://www.crayola.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/crayola/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-b-lozano/

🔗 Connect with Lindsey Buxman & Sotto:

https://www.withsotto.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/withsotto/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseybuxman/

TLC Worldwide Global Loyalty Director Mike Brinn joins Host Lindsey Buxman in London on The Phygital Marketing Podcast to talk why discounts aren’t loyalty, and why emotional connection wins. 

You’ll hear:

→ How loyalty has evolved beyond transactions

→ How to make every customer feel known

→ The missing human connection in retail

→ How to make a genuine impact with your loyalty program

→ How to differentiate your brand, regardless of the markets you’re in

🔗 Connect with Mike Brinn & TLC Worldwide: 

https://www.tlc-worldwide.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tlc-worldwide/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-brinn-96890514/

🔗 Connect with Lindsey Buxman & Sotto:

https://www.withsotto.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/withsotto/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseybuxman/

SHEIN Head of U.S. Brand PR Lisa Zlotnick joins Host Lindsey Buxman on The Phygital Marketing Podcast to talk how to build your brand with Gen Z instead of marketing at them. 

You’ll hear:

→ Why listening to your customer always wins

→ How to find the balance between AI & human touch

→ How they run their SHEIN Ambassador & Affiliate programs

→ Why creator-brand alignment is key

→ Why community is so important to the work brand marketers are doing today

🔗 Connect with Lisa Zlotnick & SHEIN: 

https://www.sheingroup.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/shein-distribution-corporation/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisazlotnick/

🔗 Connect with Lindsey Buxman & Sotto:

https://www.withsotto.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/withsotto/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseybuxman/

RMG Digital Consulting Founder Randi Gladstone joins Host Lindsey Buxman on The Phygital Marketing Podcast to talk CRM, AI, and customer loyalty. 

You’ll hear:

→ Why your tech can’t be your strategy

→ Why customer experience is still more important than your use of AI

→ How to be more intentional with how you’re using AI

→ How to execute better with AI

→ How to truly know your customer

🔗 Connect with Randi Gladstone & RMG Digital Consulting: 

https://www.rmg-dc.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/randi-gladstone/

🔗 Connect with Lindsey Buxman & Sotto:

https://www.withsotto.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/withsotto/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseybuxman/

Howler Brothers VP of Business Development Rick Wittenbraker joins Host Lindsey Buxman on The Phygital Marketing Podcast - from one of their stores in Austin, TX - to talk retail experience, community, and AI. 

You’ll hear:

→ Why the store is the brand

→ How Howler Brothers was born out of camaraderie & creativity

→ The proper way to embrace both your employees & AI

→ What to look for in your brand ambassadors

→ Why the retail experience has more to do with feel than metrics

🔗 Connect with Rick Wittenbraker & Howler Brothers: 

https://howlerbros.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/howlerbros/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wittrick/

🔗 Connect with Lindsey Buxman & Sotto:

https://www.withsotto.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/withsotto/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseybuxman/

Daps Energy Co-Founder & CMO Adam Solomon joins Host Lindsey Buxman on The Phygital Marketing Podcast to explore building a modern consumer brand designed around convenience, speed, and real-world behavior. 

You’ll hear:

→ How to know it’s time to rebuild your brand

→ Why frictionless products need frictionless marketing

→ How Daps Energy used campus sampling, social content, SMS, and our Phygital Cookie to make it easy for customers to discover the brand, try the product, and stay connected afterward

→ The style of TikTok content they’re using to appeal to Gen Z & beyond

→ What marketers often get wrong when trying to connect with younger audiences

🔗 Connect with Adam Solomon & Daps Energy: 

https://daps.shop/?variant=51705672204580

https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-solomon-042a2b1aa/

🔗 Connect with Lindsey Buxman & Sotto:

https://www.withsotto.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/withsotto/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseybuxman/

Ian Dewar joins host Lindsey Buxman on The Phygital Marketing Podcast to explore how loyalty is evolving in modern retail and why points and discounts are no longer enough to keep customers coming back for more.

In this episode, they cover:

→ Why convenience and experience are becoming the new currency of loyalty

→ How AI is changing the way customers discover products

→ What it actually means to connect digital and in-store experiences

→ How personalization and trust drive long-term customer relationships

→ What retailers need to do right now to stay ahead

🔗 Connect with Ian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iandewar/

🔗 Connect with Lindsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseybuxman/

🔗 Sotto: https://www.linkedin.com/company/withsotto/

Julio Lopez joins host Lindsey Buxman on The Phygital Marketing Podcast to explore why the future of marketing isn't about more personalization, it's about smarter personalization. Drawing on his experience leading CRM and lifecycle marketing at some of the world's most recognized brands, Julio breaks down the shift happening across retail right now and what marketers need to do to keep up.

In this episode, they cover:

→ Why intent is becoming more valuable than traditional personalization

→ How AI can help marketers create more relevant 1:1 experiences at scale

→ Why many brands still aren't using AI in a fully connected, strategic way

→ How to decide when to use email versus SMS more effectively

→ Why SMS should be treated as a relationship-building channel, not just a promo channel

→ What brands like DSW, Target, and Starbucks get right about phygital customer experience

→ Why waiting for perfect data is holding most brands back — and what to do instead

🔗 Connect with Julio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliolopez87/

🔗 Connect with Lindsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseybuxman/

🔗 Sotto: https://www.linkedin.com/company/withsotto/

Digital commerce veteran Mark Friedman joins host Lindsey Buxman to kick off The Phygital Marketing Podcast, exploring where physical and digital retail intersect, and where the gaps still exist.

In this episode, they cover:

→ How brands like Love Shack Fancy and Faherty nail the in-store experience

→ Why most marketers overvalue conversion rates

→ Why email and SMS strategies have stalled — and what "personalization" actually means to customers

→ How AI is already changing the way people shop and why it's about to reshape the in-store experience

→ What physical retail still does better than digital — and the one thing technology can't replace

About Mark Friedman: Mark is a seasoned marketing executive with decades of experience leading e-commerce and digital strategy for some of the biggest names in retail, including Steve Madden, Eddie Bauer, Calvin Klein, and Speedo. He's the Founder of Details Interactive, a digital marketing consultancy.

🔗 Connect with Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markbfriedman/

🔗 Details Interactive: https://www.linkedin.com/company/details-interactive-llc/

🔗 Connect with Lindsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseybuxman/

🔗 Sotto: https://www.linkedin.com/company/withsotto/