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.

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Zena Arnold, Chief Marketing Officer at Sephora U.S., about how one of the world’s most influential beauty retailers stays at the center of culture in an industry that moves at lightning speed.

Zena shares how Sephora discerns which trends represent fleeting moments versus real behavioral shifts, why beauty discovery has become continuous in the age of creators and social feeds, and how the company balances digital personalization with high-impact in-person experiences like SEPHORiA. She also discusses how Sephora approaches AI—from powering skin scans and product discovery to enabling more relevant personalization—while remaining thoughtful about how new technology enhances, rather than dilutes, the client experience.

Key takeaways

• Not every trend deserves a brand response; successful marketers build systems to filter signal from noise.
• Beauty discovery is now continuous, requiring brands to show up consistently across creators, culture, and community.
• The strongest brand partnerships come from clear identity and products that fill a true consumer white space.

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

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter sit down with Dipesh Patel, Senior Director, Digital Transformation & Ecommerce, Global OTC at Teva Pharmaceuticals, to discuss what it takes to drive transformation in a category where trust, accuracy, and regulation shape the pace of change. Dipesh shares how his background in mathematics and early experience in retail influence his approach to problem-solving, ambiguity, and digital transformation.

They also explore Dipesh’s move from Unilever to Teva, including the difference between operating in a mature consumer goods environment versus building capabilities in OTC. The conversation also dives into AI’s role in content creation, why speed alone isn’t enough in healthcare, and how brands can use stronger systems and guardrails to scale content while maintaining control.

Key takeaways

• AI can scale content production, but strong guardrails and human oversight remain essential.
• In healthcare and OTC, brands must balance digital speed with trust and regulatory rigor.
• Building digital capabilities from scratch requires a different mindset than optimizing mature systems.

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

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter sit down with Brian Gelb, Senior Vice President of Wine and Concierge at Total Wine & More, to unpack how a retailer is gaining share while the broader alcohol market faces headwinds. Brian shares how his military background shaped an “intent-based leadership” approach that pushes decision-making down, builds ownership, and requires teams to arrive with a recommendation, not just an issue.

They also discuss what often breaks down between suppliers and retail partners, why bringing real customer insights to the table changes the quality of joint business planning conversations, and how Total Wine stays focused on service, selection, and sharp pricing, while expanding into non-alcoholic, THC-infused, and emerging functional beverage segments.

Key takeaways

• Intent-based leadership drives accountability by empowering teams to own decisions and defend their reasoning.
• Retailer–supplier alignment improves when both sides start with customer insights and shared strategy.
• Share growth in a challenging market comes from disciplined focus on experience, assortment, and price.

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

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Toby Espinosa, VP of Ads at DoorDash. Toby shares how DoorDash built one of the fastest-growing retail media networks, and why the next phase of growth depends on making performance comparable across platforms, partners, and budgets.

They unpack the tension between local trade dollars and national media budgets, how CPG organizations split ownership between sales and marketing, and what it takes to unlock both. Toby also explores how AI can accelerate integrations, lower the cost of connecting data, and raise the bar for targeting and outcomes across commerce media.

Key takeaways

• National media budgets scale when incrementality is clear and performance is standardized.
• The biggest growth unlock comes from aligning trade and media dollars around shared outcomes.
• Consistent, comparable reporting builds trust and drives long-term investment.

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

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Michael Reda, Vice President of Omnichannel Marketing at The Marzetti Company, about driving growth in categories like refrigerated dressings and frozen bread. He shares how Marzetti approaches discovery in a digitally influenced world and how the brand reinforces storytelling with retail media and partnerships like Instacart to support basket building.

They also discuss Marzetti’s post-2020 eCommerce acceleration, including the foundational work behind scaling digital commerce, from improving content and search to strengthening ratings, reviews, and agency partnerships. Michael reflects on innovation, founder stories, and the career move he considers his bravest: stepping off the traditional brand path to build a digital role early on.

Key Takeaways

• Not being a “host food” requires a different approach to discovery and relevance
• Digitally influenced sales require proactive storytelling before the store
• Retail media and brand partnerships can drive basket-building impact
• E-commerce growth begins with strong content, search, and ratings fundamentals

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