In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Lara Vandenberg, CEO and Founder of Assemble, which connects brands with senior freelance marketing talent on demand. Lara shares why traditional marketing organizational structures are breaking down, and how leading CMOs are rethinking how work actually gets done.

They explore the shift from fixed roles to flexible capabilities, the impact of overhiring and budget pressure, and why the biggest issue facing marketing teams today isn’t talent, it’s systems. Lara also unpacks the rise of new roles like marketing COOs and process improvement analysts, and what it takes to connect fragmented workflows, teams, and technologies to drive performance.

Key takeaways

• Flexible talent models are replacing traditional hiring and agency structures.
• Systems—not talent—are the biggest constraint on marketing performance.
• Winning teams align how work gets done with how consumers actually discover and shop.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Jennifer Berry, VP of Our LEGO Agency, Commerce & Digital at The LEGO Group. Jennifer shares how LEGO is rethinking its operating model—bringing creativity, commerce, and retail together under one in-house agency to deliver more connected, audience-first experiences.

They explore why consumers don’t see channels the way organizations do, how LEGO is designing seamless ecosystems across DTC, retail partners, and physical experiences, and what it takes to balance long-term brand building with real-time cultural relevance. From immersive retail to evolving PDPs and the role of AI in freeing teams to focus on higher-impact creative work, the conversation shows how leading brands are operating in a world where brand and transaction moments are no longer separate.

Key takeaways

• Most organizations are still structured around channels, but consumers aren’t. That gap is where performance is lost.
• Growth comes from orchestrating brand, media, and retail into a single performance ecosystem.
• The immediate role of AI isn’t to replace creativity—it’s to streamline processes so more time can be spent on creative and high-impact work.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Amy Luke Busker, Chief Commercial Officer at Mizkan America, about what it takes to drive growth in today’s increasingly complex commerce landscape.

Amy shares how expanding the commercial function beyond sales and marketing is reshaping how organizations operate, and why growth requires alignment across teams. She discusses silos, shared KPIs, and how teams move from fragmented ways of working to a more unified approach. She also explores how leaders can navigate rapid change—from shifting consumer behavior to more algorithm-driven discovery—while bringing entire organizations along for the journey.

Key takeaways

• Commercial growth is a team sport; success comes from aligning sales, marketing, R&D, and supply chain, not operating in silos.
• Shared KPIs matter, but impact comes from changing how teams work, not just how performance is measured.
• Breaking silos starts with shared priorities, structured planning, and bringing the full organization along.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.