He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast

The He Said, She Said, Razor Branding™ Podcast is hosted by Jaci and Michael Russo, covering topics like entrepreneurship, B2B marketing, messaging for your target audience, and of course, building your brand. Together, they provide branding insight, tips, and best practices from their combined 40+ years of experience. Special guests from various industries are welcomed to the podcast regularly to share their stories and how branding played a pivotal role in their success.

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Episodes 275

B2C Thinking in a B2B World. It Works. W/ Erik Koenig
1mo ago
Most B2B marketers think branding is a logo and a tagline. Erik Koenig thinks it’s a line on the floor left by a robot. And that instinct is exactly what separates a trusted brand from another systems integrator in a sea of sameness. In this episode of He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™, Jaci and Michael sit down with Erik Koenig, Vice President of Business Development at Hy-Tek Intralogistics — a warehouse automation and systems integration firm helping companies connect products to customers faster through robotics, conveyors, software, and engineering-driven design. Erik came up in B2C agen
Serve First, Sell Never: Relationship Marketing w/ Chelsea Vonder Haar
1mo ago · 43:34
Most mortgage companies compete on rate. Chelsea Vonder Haar competes on relationship. In this episode of He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™, Jaci and Michael talk with Chelsea Vonder Haar, the first-ever Chief Marketing Officer at USA Mortgage, about building a national marketing engine for 200+ loan officers — without stadium naming rights or a massive ad budget. Chelsea breaks down how her team uses direct mail, video, and local partnerships to make individual loan officers more valuable to their referral partners, not to promote the corporate brand. She covers EDDM, QR tracking, first-time
Breaking Through the B2B Noise w/ Joya Scarlata
2mo ago · 43:12
In B2B marketing, the biggest challenge isn’t always budget or bandwidth – it’s standing out in a market where every competitor looks, sounds, and says the same thing. In this episode, Jaci and Michael sit down with Joya Scarlata, Director of Marketing at InterraIT, a B2B IT services firm serving clients across industries from automotive to retail to manufacturing. With over a decade of marketing experience, Joya knows firsthand how difficult it is to differentiate a service-based business in a crowded, fast-moving industry. The conversation covers what it really takes to build a recognizable
From First to Five Nine: Rebranding with Purpose w/ Jeff McCarthy
2mo ago · 51:59
What does it take to walk away from a name your organization has carried for over 160 years – and replace it with something no one has ever heard? For Jeff McCarthy, SVP and Marketing Director at Bank Five Nine, it took research, courage, a tight-knit team, and an unwavering commitment to standing out in one of the most crowded markets in the world. In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Jeff to walk through one of the most complete and compelling rebrand stories we’ve heard – from First Bank Financial Centre to Bank Five Nine. It’s a
Thought Leadership as a Growth Strategy W/ Wendy Gugora
2mo ago · 52:05
In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Wendy Gugora, Director of Marketing at Prairie Capital Advisors, to talk about what it really takes to market a boutique investment banking firm in a space where the service is deeply personal, the sales cycle is long, and most business owners do not fully understand what they are being sold. Wendy shares how Prairie has built its brand around thought leadership and education rather than traditional sales tactics, using more than 20 webinars a year, books, client storytelling, and conference speak
Strategy Before Tactics – Building Marketing That Actually Works W/ Danielle Dobbs
2mo ago · 47:30
In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Danielle Dobbs, First Vice President of Marketing and brand positioning expert, to talk about what it really takes to build marketing that works when budgets are limited, audiences are distracted, and the temptation to skip strategy and go straight to tactics is everywhere. Danielle brings over 11 years of experience working with growing businesses across the United States and draws on her work in both agency and in-house roles to make the case for process over guesswork every single time. She wal
Relationships Over Rates – Community Banking Done Right W/ Bryce McCuin
3mo ago · 51:50
In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Bryce McCuin, Director of Marketing at BankSouth, to talk about what it really takes to build an authentic brand inside a community bank competing against institutions with far bigger budgets. Bryce brings a rare perspective shaped by nearly two decades across luxury real estate, fulfillment logistics, and nearly 12 years running his own creative agency before moving in-house at BankSouth. He shares how leaning into real relationships and real customer stories – rather than stock images and rate p
From Agency Life to In-House Strategy W/ Heather Johnson
3mo ago · 49:09
In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Heather Johnson, marketing leader at TIE Industrial, to talk about what it really takes to build a performance-driven marketing function inside a multi-brand industrial company with a small team and long sales cycles. Heather shares how her background spanning agency life and in-house roles shaped the way she approaches strategy, prioritization, and vendor relationships today. She also breaks down how a website redesign delivered a 454% return on investment in just six months, why bringing every v
Frameworks Over Playbooks W/ Andy Weiss
3mo ago · 49:09
In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Andy Weiss, CMO and marketing strategist, to talk about why the playbooks that got us here will not get us where we need to go – and what to do instead. Andy brings a perspective shaped by decades of experience scaling B2B companies and working with brands like Sprint, Comcast, and Oscar Mayer, and a conviction that mental models and frameworks outlast any tactical script. He opens up about flaming out in his first in-house marketing role and how that failure led him to Warren Buffett, Charlie Mun
B2C Thinking in a B2B World W/ Juliana Pereira
3mo ago · 47:44
In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Juliana Pereira, marketing consultant and fractional CMO, to talk about what B2B brands are getting wrong and what they could learn from the consumer world. Juliana brings a rare perspective, having worked across both sides of the marketing divide at companies including Ralph Lauren, The Met Store at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smartling, and Ziff Davis before joining Flow Commerce post-Series A and helping drive its $500M acquisition in just three and a half years. She now works as a consultan
Building a Brand from the Inside Out w/ Michelle Herl
4mo ago · 49:51
In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Michelle Herl, Vice President of Marketing at SOR Controls Group, to talk about what it really takes to build a marketing function from the ground up inside a mid-size industrial manufacturer – and keep it growing for more than 25 years. Michelle shares how she started with no office, no budget, and catalogs hanging from wires, and turned it into a seat at the leadership table. She also breaks down how SOR manages a house of brands across three distinct product lines – SOR, SSi, and SENSOR – and w
Legal Marketing and the Art of Standing Out W/ William McLaughlin
4mo ago · 50:44
In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with William McLaughlin, Director of Marketing at McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC and founder of the BD Roundtable, to talk about what it really takes to build and market a law firm brand in one of the most complex and competitive spaces in professional services. William shares how corporate law firms require a level of intentionality that goes far beyond billboards and TV spots, and why legal marketers often find themselves acting as translators, culture builders, and change managers all at once. He also
Scaling a Brand Across Locations w/ Laurie Leer
4mo ago · 50:59
In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Laurie Leer of SingerLewak to talk about what it really takes to manage and grow a brand across multiple locations with a small but mighty team. Laurie shares how her team balances national brand consistency with local visibility, using location-specific SEO, testimonials, and content to strengthen their presence in markets across the country. She also explains how leaning into people – not just services – has helped drive stronger engagement and measurable growth. From leveraging short-form video
Niche Branding w/ Howard Kelly
4mo ago · 51:04
In this episode of He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael Russo sit down with Howard Kelly, Director of Marketing at S&S Cycle — a Wisconsin-based manufacturer that has been making Harley-Davidson motorcycles faster, louder, and more powerful since 1958. If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to build a brand so strong that customers tattoo your logo on their bodies, this is the episode for you. S&S Cycle doesn’t market to motorcycle riders. They market to Harley riders. And not just any Harley riders — they market to six distinct groups of loyalists defined by the en
Marketing from Both Sides w/ Chanelle Yarber
5mo ago · 39:21
In this episode of He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Chanelle Yarber, a marketing strategist, agency owner, and in-house marketer at First United Bank who has spent over two decades doing something most people only claim to do — actually connecting with the customer. Chanelle’s path into marketing didn’t start with a job posting. It started with journalism, speech and debate, video production, and a curiosity about what makes people tick that has never left her. From managing social media back in the MySpace-and-HTML days to building go-to-market strate
Data Driven Branding w/ Libby Cain
5mo ago
In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Libby Cain of Extraco Banks to discuss how data can strengthen marketing strategy without losing the human side of the brand. Libby shares how her team built a unified customer data approach across the organization, using insights from multiple departments to create stronger segmentation, improve conversions, and lower acquisition costs. She also talks about the challenges of leading that kind of transformation, from internal change management to developing new skills along the way. From smarter t
Branding by the Numbers w/ Cathy Bertrand
5mo ago
In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael Russo sit down with Cathy Bertrand, a marketing leader at Rittal and Eplan whose career path took an unexpected turn from mathematics to global marketing leadership. Cathy shares how her analytical background shapes her approach to marketing today. Instead of treating marketing as purely creative, she sees it as a balance of art and science, with data, strategy, and customer insights driving measurable results. From aligning marketing with sales to diversifying outreach beyond platforms like LinkedIn, Cathy exp
Branding in the Niches W/ Rob Einterz
5mo ago · 46:34
In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael Russo sit down with Rob Einterz, a marketing leader in the global chemical industry, to discuss how branding works in complex B2B markets. Rob shares how chemical companies build brand loyalty through reliability, relationships, and niche specialization. With long sales cycles, strict regulations, and highly technical buyers, success depends less on flashy marketing and more on trust, communication, and consistent performance across the entire organization. The conversation explores why “the riches are in the n
Banking, Branding, and the Power of Different Thinking w/ Camberly Gilmartin
6mo ago · 58:18
In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Camberly Gilmartin, a seasoned marketing leader who has built her career on both the agency and corporate sides of the table. Currently leading marketing within the highly regulated world of community banking in the Pacific Northwest, Camberly brings a rare perspective to the conversation. From navigating acquisitions and compliance-heavy industries to leading multi-generational teams and championing creativity within constraints, she shares what it really takes to differentiate when everyone is s
Branded in Stone w/ Sam Arcot
6mo ago · 32:01
How do you market a craft that most people don’t fully understand—and can’t buy on impulse? In this episode of He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Sam Arcot of Rugo Stone, a national natural stone contracting company that fabricates, installs, and restores everything from floors and walls to mosaics, statues, and historic stonework. Sam breaks down the real differentiator in a highly specialized industry: experience and expertise—and the humility to admit the learning never stops. With a long sales cycle and multiple stakeholders involved (architects, des
Branding That Builds Trust w/ Ann Barilleaux
6mo ago · 49:09
In this episode of He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Ann Barilleaux, SVP Marketing Director for JD Bank, Louisiana’s Community Bank™, to unpack what it really takes to market a bank—where compliance is non-negotiable and trust is everything. Ann shares how marketing in a regulated industry forces you to think differently: every message, sign, and disclaimer matters—down to FDIC rule changes that impact branch signage and product communication. But the bigger challenge? Banking is complicated for consumers, and you have to simplify without overpromising.
Branding Without a Rebrand w/ Sean Schnipper
6mo ago · 57:37
What happens when your competitor becomes your sister brand—and you’re the one responsible for marketing both? In this episode of He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, repeat guest Sean Schnipper returns with a major update: Transervice Logistics merged with Lily Transportation in summer 2023—creating two legacy brands under one umbrella, operating in the same space, with decades of brand equity on both sides. Sean breaks down the real-world decisions that come with that kind of growth: why they kept both brands intact (and didn’t rush into a forced rebrand), how they’ve worked to preser
Branding Through Acquisition w/ Ronnie Hay
7mo ago · 53:30
What happens to a brand when growth comes fast—and comes through acquisition? On this episode of He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, we sit down with Ronnie Hay of UBEO Business Services, a company that has completed 27 acquisitions since 2017. That kind of growth doesn’t just test systems and processes—it tests culture, trust, and brand integrity. Ronnie shares how UBEO approaches branding in the middle of constant change, from deciding what happens to names and logos, to communicating with customers and employees who didn’t ask to be acquired. The key theme throughout the conversatio
Branding from Above w/ Andrew Mullin
7mo ago · 47:47
What does it take to market a global tech company in an industry that still feels new to most buyers? In this episode of He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, we sit down with Andrew Mullin, who leads marketing in the Earth observation industry at Earth Daily—and (casually) also serves as the mayor of Wayzata, Minnesota. Andrew breaks down the real challenge of marketing in an early-adopter category: it’s not just building awareness for your company—it’s educating the market on why the category matters at all. From ABM targeting by named accounts and personas, to translating complex sate
Branding Beyond the Balance Sheet w/ Sunny Ricks
7mo ago · 53:18
Marketing professional services is hard. Marketing accounting might be one of the hardest versions of that challenge. On this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, we sit down with Sunny Ricks, who leads marketing for a large, multi-state CPA firm across the Southeast. Together, we unpack what it really takes to build a brand in an industry defined by confidentiality, regulation, and trust. This conversation goes far beyond taxes. Sunny shares how professional services firms can stand out when differentiation feels impossible, how personal branding fuels firm growth (witho

Episodes

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He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast

Episodes 275

B2C Thinking in a B2B World. It Works. W/ Erik Koenig

Serve First, Sell Never: Relationship Marketing w/ Chelsea Vonder Haar

Breaking Through the B2B Noise w/ Joya Scarlata

From First to Five Nine: Rebranding with Purpose w/ Jeff McCarthy

Thought Leadership as a Growth Strategy W/ Wendy Gugora

Strategy Before Tactics – Building Marketing That Actually Works W/ Danielle Dobbs

Relationships Over Rates – Community Banking Done Right W/ Bryce McCuin

From Agency Life to In-House Strategy W/ Heather Johnson

Frameworks Over Playbooks W/ Andy Weiss

B2C Thinking in a B2B World W/ Juliana Pereira

Building a Brand from the Inside Out w/ Michelle Herl

Legal Marketing and the Art of Standing Out W/ William McLaughlin

Scaling a Brand Across Locations w/ Laurie Leer

Niche Branding w/ Howard Kelly

Marketing from Both Sides w/ Chanelle Yarber

Data Driven Branding w/ Libby Cain

Branding by the Numbers w/ Cathy Bertrand

Branding in the Niches W/ Rob Einterz

Banking, Branding, and the Power of Different Thinking w/ Camberly Gilmartin

Branded in Stone w/ Sam Arcot

Branding That Builds Trust w/ Ann Barilleaux

Branding Without a Rebrand w/ Sean Schnipper

Branding Through Acquisition w/ Ronnie Hay

Branding from Above w/ Andrew Mullin

Branding Beyond the Balance Sheet w/ Sunny Ricks

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Episodes 275

B2C Thinking in a B2B World. It Works. W/ Erik Koenig

Serve First, Sell Never: Relationship Marketing w/ Chelsea Vonder Haar

Breaking Through the B2B Noise w/ Joya Scarlata

From First to Five Nine: Rebranding with Purpose w/ Jeff McCarthy

Thought Leadership as a Growth Strategy W/ Wendy Gugora

Strategy Before Tactics – Building Marketing That Actually Works W/ Danielle Dobbs

Relationships Over Rates – Community Banking Done Right W/ Bryce McCuin

From Agency Life to In-House Strategy W/ Heather Johnson

Frameworks Over Playbooks W/ Andy Weiss

B2C Thinking in a B2B World W/ Juliana Pereira

Building a Brand from the Inside Out w/ Michelle Herl

Legal Marketing and the Art of Standing Out W/ William McLaughlin

Scaling a Brand Across Locations w/ Laurie Leer

Niche Branding w/ Howard Kelly

Marketing from Both Sides w/ Chanelle Yarber

Data Driven Branding w/ Libby Cain

Branding by the Numbers w/ Cathy Bertrand

Branding in the Niches W/ Rob Einterz

Banking, Branding, and the Power of Different Thinking w/ Camberly Gilmartin

Branded in Stone w/ Sam Arcot

Branding That Builds Trust w/ Ann Barilleaux

Branding Without a Rebrand w/ Sean Schnipper

Branding Through Acquisition w/ Ronnie Hay

Branding from Above w/ Andrew Mullin

Branding Beyond the Balance Sheet w/ Sunny Ricks

Podcast 森辺一樹のグローバル・マーケティング〜すべてはアジアで売るために〜