CMO Council Interview Series Features Kathleen Schaub, Author, CMO, Research

Welcome to the CMO Council / Wise Marketer Interview Series, where we feature creative and impactful people from all corners of the marketing world – Founders, C-Suite executives, and influential voices in the community.

Today’s Guest is Kathleen Schaub, marketing innovator, former CMO, and research analyst, and, most relevant for today’s conversation, the author of the newly published book Marketing in the (Great, Big, Messy) Real World: Rewire Your Marketing Organization to Navigate Anything.

As Kathleen explains in her new book, marketing leaders face an uphill battle. Their teams are expected to deliver predictable, measurable results in a world characterized by uncertainty, human behavior, and complexity. Traditional approaches attempt to treat marketing as a vending machine where input guarantees output.

But this outdated approach sets CMOs up for frustration in today’s dynamic business environment. The book reveals a radically needed shift in thinking that not only brings clarity to the whole organization but helps CMOs thrive in the chaos.

With her book already hitting the best seller listing on Amazon, I interviewed Kathleen about her inspiration for the new book and to better understand the topline thoughts that marketers should take away. Our interview follows.

You can find Kathleen Schaub here.

Find Marketing in the (Great, Big, Messy) Real World here.

Time Stamps for the Time Starved

1:59 – Marketing is Not a Vending Machine

4:34 – Resetting Expectations for Marketing Leadership

6:54 – Four Mindset Shifts for Marketing Leaders

8:53 – Unpacking the Four Mindset Shifts

13:37 – Putting Mindset Shifts into Practice

15:59 – Making Marketing Accountable

18:30 – How Do Marketers Start on This New Path?

21:25 – Marketing is the Road that Sales will Drive On

23:29 – Where to find Kathleen and Marketing in the (Great, Big, Messy) Real World