Uncensored Renegades

Today Jon and Kory break down why speed has become one of the biggest competitive advantages in modern marketing.

Using e.l.f.’s Super Bowl campaign, created and launched in just 11 days, they explore what allows some organisations to move incredibly quickly while others get trapped in endless approvals and bureaucracy. From legal teams and leadership trust to decision-making and culture, this episode is a practical look at how to build teams that execute with speed.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
01:12 - What Usain Bolt can teach us about speed
04:43 - Why e.l.f. made a Super Bowl ad in 11 days
09:33 - How you can work at e.l.f. speed
12:27 - How legal can help you work at speed
15:30 - What needs to be true in order for speed to happen
17:47 - Why speed is such a big competitive advantage

Since joining e.l.f., Kory has famously achieved consecutive quarters of growth, 28 at the time of recording. This is an extraordinary achievement for a CMO, so Kory breaks down exactly how they did it, and what insights you can take back to your company to achieve the same.

Today Jon and Kory break down what actually makes someone memorable in an interview, beyond rehearsed answers and polished CVs.

From body language and energy to asking better questions and avoiding corporate waffle, they share practical advice on how to stand out without sounding scripted. They also discuss how they personally hire, whether interviews are overrated, and why the best candidates treat interviews like conversations, not performances.

Whether you’re hiring, interviewing, or just trying to communicate better, this episode is packed with useful insights.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
02:10 - Kory’s advice for interviews
05:07 - The importance of non-verbal behaviour in interviews
07:31 - Why you need to ask questions at the end of an interview
09:58 - How Kory and Jon like to hire
12:22 - Do we put too much pressure on the interview?
13:52 - How to show energy in an interview
18:34 - Do prepare, don’t rehearse
20:19 - Do strategically distill, and don’t ramble on
21:36 - Do have a framework, don’t have unstructured thinking
22:44 - Do have a conversation, don’t deliver canned responses
23:42 - How personal should you get in an interview?
25:09 - Why Kory wants to do a TED Talk
26:13 - Should you follow up after an interview?

In this episode of Uncensored Renegades, Jon and Kory tackle one of the most underrated relationships in business: marketing and finance.

Too often, marketers see the CFO as a blocker. In reality, they can be your biggest ally. Jon and Kory break down how to build a strong relationship with finance, why understanding how the business really works is critical, and how to turn your marketing plan into something the CFO actually wants to champion.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
01:08 - Where the KBO$$ nickname came from
02:06 - Why the CFO relationship is so important
04:39 - Understand how the business needs to work
05:51 - How to build the relationship with your CFO
09:54 - Get finance to present your marketing plan
11:16 - How to make earnings interesting
14:31 - Are founder led companies more effective?
16:35 - How to approach risk in a business
20:52 - Translating data into insights

In this episode of Uncensored Renegades, Jon and Kory tackle something most people avoid: their own weaknesses.

From brutally honest feedback from partners and teams to self-awareness and uncomfortable truths, they explore how to identify what you’re not good at and why that might be the most important step in growing as a leader. They also ask whether weaknesses are just overused strengths, and how traits like empathy or attention to detail can become liabilities if left unchecked.

This is a candid, self-reflective conversation on turning your weaknesses into something you can actually use.

Recommended reading:

• Good to Great by Jim Collins
• Indistractible by Nir Eyal

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
00:51 - It’s ok to talk about the things you’re not good at
02:23 - How do you know what you’re not good at?
03:06 - Kory’s weaknesses according to her husband
04:22 - Jon’s weaknesses according to his team
06:19 - Kory’s weaknesses according to her
07:15 - Is a weakness an overbuilt strength?
08:54 - Can empathy be a weakness?
10:38 - Why Kory is trying to improve her punctuation marks
14:56 - Why Jon is terrible at company politics
17:36 - Why Kory wants to go to the doctors more often
18:50 - How to turn weaknesses into strengths

Today, Jon and Kory break down one of the most misunderstood relationships in marketing: working with agencies.

From treating agencies as a true force multiplier to fixing broken relationships, they share practical advice on how to get the best out of your partners, and what to do when things inevitably go wrong. This is a candid look at trust, expectations, and why the best results come when agencies feel like part of your team, not just a supplier.

Whether you’re managing an agency or working inside one, this episode will change how you think about the relationship.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
01:20 - Why agencies can be a force multiplier
02:11 - How to fix a broken agency relationship
04:12 - How to set your agency up for success
08:36 - Bringing your agency into your company
13:42 - What to do when things go wrong with your agency
18:30 - Be tough in victory and gentle in defeat
20:17 - What is the cost of changing your agency?

Today, Jon and Kory explore a simple but often overlooked skill: how to actually find inspiration.

From brands like Tony’s Chocolonely to supermarkets, subways, and even nature, they break down why the best ideas rarely come from inside your own company. Instead, inspiration comes from changing your environment, staying curious, and being open to unexpected moments.

If you’re feeling stuck, this episode is a reminder that great ideas are everywhere, if you’re willing to look for them.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
00:32 - Why Jon is inspired by Tony’s Chocolonely
06:45 - Why you need to look outside your company for inspiration
08:35 - Finding inspiration in nature
10:54 - The importance of changing your context
12:56 - Getting inspiration in a supermarket
14:33 - Getting inspiration on the metro
16:57 - Why you need to be open to be inspired

Leadership at the top level doesn't come free it costs time, energy, and often the comfort of a predictable life. In this episode, Kory and Jon get honest about what it really takes to lead as a CMO: the personal sacrifices, the travel, the pressure, and the constant balancing act between work and home. From managing time zones on the road to the surprisingly powerful concept of strategic laziness, this is a candid look at what high-performance leadership actually demands, and how to make it sustainable.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
00:39 - What sacrifices do CMOs need to make
04:37 - How to balance work with home life
06:36 - Managing time zone differences when you travel
10:41 - How to apply strategic laziness
14:15 - How to lead effectively under pressure from travelling

Getting fired is one of the most humbling experiences in business, and one of the most instructive. In this episode, Kory and Jon get candid about the times they've been let go, what went wrong, and the hard-won lessons that followed. Jon in particular has a story or two to share (including getting fired twice in 18 months), and between them they unpack what it really takes to survive and thrive in high-stakes leadership roles.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
01:22 - What Jon learned from being fired twice
03:35 - How not to get fired
08:20 - How to understand your boss (so you don’t get fired)
10:50 - Align yourself with the company, not just personal goals
13:11 - How Jon got fired for the second time in 18 months
16:12 - Are you the right person to work for a high growth company?
17:50 - Be careful where you get hired

Companies have boards of directors to make big decisions, so why don't individuals? Kory does exactly this in her life, so she breaks down why she does it, how she chose the people to be a part of her board, and the kind of decisions they helps her make.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
01:17 - What is a personal board of directors?
04:07 - When to use your board of directors
04:51 - What makes a good personal board of directors?
06:21 - How to choose your board
08:58 - The power of networking
11:41 - What not to do with your personal board of directors
12:37 - Finding people outside your industry
19:09 - Why you learn more deeper into your career