He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast

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...

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 homebuyer semi...

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 recog...

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 Ba...

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 spe...

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. Sh...

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 promotions – is what separates a commun...

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 vendor into the same ro...

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...

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...

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, a...

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 al...

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 and YouTube to repurposing conten...

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 loyalis...

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 strategies for clie...

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 ta...

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 explains ho...

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 niches,” how companies strengt...

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 saying the same thing.

Together, th...

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 stakeholde...

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.

The conv...

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 reb...

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...

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 t...

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 fi...

What happens when your company does incredible work… but you can’t show half of it?

On this episode of He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, we talk with Lisa Kilwin of Midwest Machining Solutions, a full-service machining and fabrication shop she and her husband built from auction equipment… in a two-car garage… nearly 25 years ago.

Lisa shares what it’s really like to grow a custom shop (not production) where every job is different, confidentiality is real, and relationships have literally kept the business afloat. We also dig into the marketin...

Cummings Electrical isn’t the electrician you call when a breaker flips. They’re a major commercial and industrial contractor doing high-stakes electrical work for data centers, hospitals, high-rise multifamily, and massive builds across the country.

On this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, we sit down with Matthew Stephenson, VP of Marketing at Cummings Electrical, to talk about what B2B marketing looks like when your “product” is trust, your risk is labor, and your growth depends on finding the right work with the right customers—at the right time.<...

With a name like Sunshine Makarow, you expect bright energy — and she absolutely delivers. Sunshine joins us to talk about marketing in a highly technical, highly regulated healthcare environment, where your audience includes everyone from infection prevention teams and procurement to department managers and end users.

In this episode, Sunshine shares how she balances emotional connection with scientific proof, how her team makes trade shows actually worth it, and why measuring marketing is non-negotiable — especially when you’re building a brand that protects patients.

In this conversation, you’ll hear:

In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Greg Bowman of Precision Core, a leader in the corrugated manufacturing industry serving national brands—many of which you’ve seen every day without ever knowing who made the box.

Greg shares the realities of marketing in a highly confidential, IP-protected industry where showing the work isn’t always an option, and traditional advertising rarely applies. From NDAs and private labeling to fierce competition and tight timelines, this conversation dives into what it really takes to grow...

In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael talk with Meghan Marks, Chief Marketing Officer at Orca Security, about what it takes to build—and brand—a company in hypergrowth.

With 15+ years in tech marketing at companies like Palo Alto Networks, Twistlock, and Siemens, Meghan knows how to turn complex categories into clear stories that drive real results.

She breaks down:

In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael talk with Justin Davidson, Senior Marketing Manager for JE Dunn Construction’s Industrial & Manufacturing business unit — part of the company’s Advanced Facilities Group.

JE Dunn is one of the largest construction firms in the country, delivering complex industrial and advanced manufacturing projects nationwide. Justin sits at the center of that work, leading marketing strategy and pursuit efforts that help the right clients understand what JE Dunn can really do — and why it matters.

From managing RFP-heavy...

In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Linda Richardson, a values-driven marketing executive leading Blue Stream Fiber’s expansion from Florida into Texas.

Blue Stream isn’t a traditional internet provider—they partner directly with HOAs, developers, boards, and property managers through bulk fiber agreements. That means Linda isn’t marketing to everyone. She’s marketing to the right people. And when the company decided to enter Houston, she had to build brand awareness, education, and trust from the ground up.

Linda shar...

In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael talk with Jason Gough, a 25-year marketing veteran who went from supplements and nutraceuticals to stone, surfaces, and seriously big kitchens.

After decades in traditional B2C products, Jason now leads marketing for Bedrock Quartz, navigating the unique challenge of serving both homeowners and custom home builders. Bedrock lives in that space where B2C retail, B2B relationships, and big-ticket decisions all collide—and Jason’s job is to keep the brand clear, consistent, and growing across every...

In this episode of the He Said, She Said: Razor Branding™ Podcast, Jaci and Michael sit down with Andrew Burton—founder and President of Creekside Homes—who has spent decades turning custom home building into a brand of high-performance, beautifully designed homes in Northwest Oregon.

Andrew’s story begins on a carpentry crew in high school, evolves into building his first business at age 19, and leads into founding Creekside Homes in 2003—driven by a commitment not just to build houses, but to build homes that stand the test of time and deliver real value.

What do you do when your product makes people pause, laugh—or even cringe?

In this episode, Jaci and Michael talk with Rochelle Paulet, Marketing Director for Evolve Rat and Mouse Birth Control (yes, really), about the art of branding something the world didn’t know it needed.

Rochelle shares what it takes to launch a category-defining product, manage B2B and B2C messaging at once, and build collaboration between marketing and sales that actually works. From reimagining packaging to developing proof-driven storytelling, she’s rewriting what it means to market...

This week, Jaci and Michael sit down with Liz Brooks, VP of Client Services at Interview Valet, to talk about how brands can use podcasting to build credibility and connection in a crowded market.

From her roots in PR to helping hundreds of brands land on the right shows, Liz knows how to turn conversation into conversion. She shares insights on storytelling, authority marketing, and the art of being a great guest (the kind hosts actually want back).

You’ll hear:

This week, Jaci and Michael sit down with Liz Brooks, VP of Client Services at Interview Valet, to talk about how brands can use podcasting to build credibility and connection in a crowded market.

From her roots in PR to helping hundreds of brands land on the right shows, Liz knows how to turn conversation into conversion. She shares insights on storytelling, authority marketing, and the art of being a great guest (the kind hosts actually want back).

You’ll hear:

In this episode, Jaci and Michael Russo sit down with Zach Schleien, CEO and Co-Founder of Filteroff, the video speed dating app changing how people meet and connect online.

Zach shares how building authentic relationships, whether in love or in business, comes down to one thing: authenticity. From creating a more honest dating experience to building multiple successful brands, Zach’s story is a masterclass in how to earn trust in a filtered world.

They discuss what it takes to brand for connection, why human matchmaking beats algorithms, and how the same...

This week, Jaci and Michael sit down with David Feinman, Co-Founder and CEO of Viral Ideas, to talk about the art (and science) of video that actually gets watched.

From building The Zombie Run in college to leading a global video-editing agency today, David’s entrepreneurial journey is all about turning big ideas into scalable systems without losing creativity. He shares how Viral Ideas has grown from a $200 experiment into a seven-figure operation—and why the best videos don’t just look good, they make you feel something.

You’ll hear:

In this episode, Jaci and Michael Russo sit down with Charlie Grinnell, CEO of Right Metric, to unpack how marketers can stop drowning in data and start using it to make smarter decisions.

Charlie shares how Right Metric helps brands cut through the noise, focusing on what people do rather than what they say. From uncovering the hidden truths in customer behavior to leveraging AI responsibly, this conversation blends strategy, creativity, and humor (yes, even about insurance ads).

You’ll hear: