Soul & Science: Fast Forward Your Marketing Mind

In a world obsessed with specialization, Winston Warrior has never been interested in fitting neatly on a resume. This week on Soul & Science, Jason Harris sits down with Winston Warrior, Amazon Senior Global Marketing Executive, content creator, R&B artist, and “The Dope Professor,” for a conversation about reinvention, influence, and leading with humanity inside one of the biggest companies on the planet. From corporate marketing to academia, music, consulting, and culture, Winston shares how authenticity and empathy have been the throughlines connecting it all. They discuss the tension between humanity and performance, staying people-first in results-driven systems, and earning the trust that allows you to lead on your own terms. Drawing from his time at Amazon and beyond, Winston breaks down how culture, creativity, and accountability intersect when you’re building something meant to last. Key Takeaways ✅ Why empathy can be a competitive advantage, even in big corporate environments ✅ How to evolve your career without abandoning earlier versions of yourself ✅ Why impact matters more than reach when it comes to influence ✅ How delivering results gives you the freedom to lead with values Memorable Moments 💡 “When you put points on the board, it’s hard to tell you you’re too empathetic.” 💡 “I don’t deliberately use connection—it’s just who I am.” 💡 “If you change your mind, you can change your world.” 💡 “Profit matters, but culture and humanity are what make brands win long-term.” Brought to you by Mekanism.

For legacy brands, the hardest work isn’t necessarily making change—it’s choosing what to protect. In this episode of Soul & Science, Jason Harris sits down with Stacy Taffet, Chief Growth Officer at The Hershey Company, to talk about what it takes to modernize a over 130-year-old brand portfolio while protecting the meaning people already love.  They also explore how Hershey thinks about snacking moments across candy, salty snacks, and better-for-you options. Plus the role of experimentation when measurement tools don’t capture long-term brand value. And Stacy breaks down a standout example: the Reese’s x Oreo launch, built with a culture-first, fan-powered approach that outperformed traditional playbooks. Key Takeaways ✅ Why brand stewardship requires restraint, and not constant reinvention ✅ How to design platform-first creative built for modern attention ✅ Using cross-functional operating models to turn insight into growth ✅ When to trust the data, and when to invest beyond what’s easy to measure ✅ Balancing nostalgia and innovation without diluting legacy brands Memorable Moments 💡 “Restraint is harder than reinvention.” 💡 “In a world of sensory overload, people want something they can trust every time.” 💡 “We shifted from reach-first to resonance-first.” 💡 “Business is a matter of human service.” Brought to you by Mekanism.

Agencies obsess over the pitch. Clients obsess over whether you actually understand the business. In this episode, Jason Harris sits down with Robin and Stephen Boehler, founders of Mercer Island Group and authors of It’s Not About You: Winning New Business in a Crowded Agency World, to unpack why most agencies lose new business before they even walk into the room—and what the winners do differently. Key Takeaways:✅ Most clients can’t name agencies—your agency brand has to earn recognition✅ Strategy (not creative alone) is the biggest predictor of winning the business✅ “Prospect-friendly” means leading with the client’s business, not your credentials✅ Great Q&A is preparation (and skipping the gimmicks) Memorable Moments:💡 “Clients can’t name any agencies 95% of the time.”💡 “Your agency acting like a brand is critically important.”💡 “Creative without strategy turns everything into subjective opinions.”💡 “Chemistry can disqualify you if it’s bad.”💡 “It’s not ‘which one’—it’s the why.” Order a copy their book, It’s Not About You: Winning New Business in a Crowded Agency World on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-About-You-Business/dp/1965629075 Brought to you by Mekanism.

Purpose can fuel performance—but only when brands truly understand who they serve. In this episode, Jason Harris sits down with Carter’s CMO Sarah Crockett to explore how modern parenting is reshaping brand expectations—and what it takes to connect with one of the most values-driven and overwhelmed consumer groups today. Sarah shares how her career has been guided by purpose, and how that belief is now shaping Carter’s approach to storytelling, value, and trust. Together, they unpack the cultural shifts defining millennial and Gen Z parents—from slowing down and letting kids be kids, to demanding authenticity, affordability, and emotional connection from the brands they invite into their families’ lives. Key Takeaways:✅ Purpose creates stronger, more resilient brand connections✅ Modern parents value trust, authenticity, and emotional resonance✅ Slowing down can be a powerful cultural differentiator✅ Not every marketing investment should be measured the same way Memorable Moments:💡 “Purpose can fuel performance.”💡 “Trust is the most important value when you’re building a relationship with a child.”💡 “Let kids be kids.”💡 “Beware the lollipop of mediocrity—lick it once and you’ll suck forever.” Brought to you by Mekanism.

Marketing is being rebuilt by AI—but the most important decisions still can’t be automated. In this episode, Glassdoor CMO Eric Petitt joins Jason Harris to explore what it takes to build a resilient marketing career in an AI-shaped world. Drawing from more than two decades of experience across mission-driven companies like Mozilla and Glassdoor, Eric shares how marketers can stay adaptable, creative, and deeply human as the industry evolves. They unpack why data should define problems—but not dictate solutions—how understanding how you think matters more than mastering every new platform, and why character, conviction, and taste are becoming the true differentiators in modern marketing. The conversation also examines how organizing teams around outcomes can unlock speed, clarity, and shared ownership—and what that shift means for developing the next generation of marketers. Key Takeaways: ✅ Data defines problems—but gut shapes solutions ✅ Resilience comes from stretching skills without losing your core strength ✅ Character, taste, and conviction are marketing’s hardest skills ✅ Outcome-driven teams move faster and create clearer ownership Memorable Moments:💡 “We use data to define problems—and our gut to shape solutions.”💡 “The soft skills are becoming the hard skills.”💡 “Curiosity is a choice—and it builds resilience.”💡 “Only boring people are bored.” Brought to you by Mekanism.

Amber Balcaen didn’t just have to prove she could win races. She had to prove she was worth backing.In this episode of Soul & Science, Jason Harris sits down with Amber Balcaen, a third-generation race-car driver who made history in 2016 as the first Canadian female to win a NASCAR-sanctioned race in the United States. With a background in dirt racing, Amber became the first in her family to transition to asphalt stock cars and has since made more than 40 starts in the ARCA Menards Series.Together, Jason and Amber explore the parallels between racing and business: the discipline of consistency, the importance of feedback loops, and the mindset required to keep going when results don’t come easily. From cold-calling sponsors to refining her brand story, Amber explains how resilience becomes operational—and why the ability to assess, adapt, and implement is what separates short careers from long ones.Key Takeaways:✅ Performance earns attention, but sponsorship sustains opportunity✅ Resilience works best when it’s treated as a system, not a feeling✅ Strong brands attract partners instead of chasing them✅ Long-term success is built through consistency, feedback, and adaptationMemorable Moments:💡 “If I wanted to be a race car driver, I first had to be a businesswoman.”💡 “Resilience isn’t just emotional. It’s operational.”💡 “Racing and business are so similar: it’s always assess and implement.”💡 “Hold your vision.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

Breaking into advertising can be tough—and standing out once you’re in is even tougher. But two young creatives are showing there’s a new path. In this episode, Jack Westerkamp and Geno Schellenberger, co-founders of Breaking & Entering Media, join Jason to share how they built one of the most energetic and attention-grabbing brands in the industry by combining cultural instinct, social-first thinking, and a healthy disregard for the “traditional” career playbook.They share how a pandemic Zoom interview series turned into a movement: raising their first $50K from friends and family, moving to New York on a leap of faith, bootstrapping their first office, and building momentum through daily content like Whiteboard News, Super Bowl coverage, and agency tours. Jack and Geno also open up about learning to run a media company for the first time—from managing a team, to keeping content fresh, to navigating an industry where algorithms, attention, and expectations shift constantly.Key Takeaways: ✅ Energy is a differentiator—fun and momentum cut through a jaded industry✅ Great content wins when it’s built for the busy professional: fast, social-first, and useful✅ When the fall isn’t far, risk becomes a competitive advantage for young marketers✅ Trust, instinct, and consistency matter more than having a five-year planMemorable Moments:💡 “If someone gives you 60 seconds, you better give them something worth it.”💡 “We didn’t have a master plan—we just believed there was something there.”💡 “It’s not illegal to have energy in advertising.”💡 “Life’s not about finding yourself. It’s about creating yourself.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

Great brands don’t win by being faster or louder—they win by treating every customer as if they’re the only customer.That philosophy sits at the core of this week’s guest, Doug Zarkin, Chief Marketing Officer at Take 5, an award-winning brand builder known for transforming legacy companies into modern-day leaders.In this episode, Doug joins Jason to break down his “Thinking Human” approach—the method he’s used to reinvent brands like Victoria’s Secret PINK, Avon, Pearle Vision, and now Take 5. He shares what it really takes to move a brand out of the “friend zone,” build trust through emotional experience, and drive growth without racing to the bottom on price.Doug also opens up about the realities of leading transformation: overcoming fear-based resistance, elevating customer experience at scale, and why marketers must rally both consumers and employees for change to stick.Key Takeaways✅ Treat every customer like they’re the only customer—that’s the root of brand love✅ Brand reinvention succeeds when emotional experience matches business strategy✅ The frontline team is your most powerful marketing channel✅ Small, consistent improvements (“the sum of marginal gains”) outperform big swings✅ Great CMOs lead by casting the right team—not by being the smartest in the roomMemorable Moments💡 “It’s not about putting a brand on the brain—it’s putting a brand on the heart.”💡 “Think of every customer as if they’re the only customer.”💡 “You can’t lead a brand from a PowerPoint. You have to learn the business from the ground up.”💡 “Speed is a cost of entry. Experience is the differentiator.”💡 “If I’m the smartest person in the room, I don’t need to be in the room.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

Exceptional performers aren’t defined by talent alone—they’re defined by how they think. And in marketing—where uncertainty, pressure, and change are constant—the right mindset is a competitive advantage.In this episode, Dr. Bob Rotella, one of the world’s most influential sports psychologists, joins Jason to explore the mental principles that fuel greatness in sports, business, and brand leadership. Bob has coached champions like Rory McIlroy, Nick Price, and Ernie Els—but his teachings apply just as powerfully to CMOs, founders, and teams navigating high-stakes decisions every day.Key Takeaways:✅ Confidence is a leadership skill—and marketers have to choose it daily✅ Process beats outcomes: breakthrough marketing comes from consistent attitude, not periodic wins✅ Optimism fuels resilience in fast-changing markets✅ Exceptional teams maintain belief through uncertainty, noise, and shifting conditionsMemorable Moments:💡 “Fear and doubt kill more dreams than failure.”💡 “How you think about yourself has to match the dream of you—and the dream of your company.”💡 “If you want to be exceptional, you can’t think like the middle.”💡 “Blind faith is seeing success long before anyone else can.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

When you’re up against giants, speed and creativity become your superpowers.Recorded live at Advertising Week New York 2025, this conversation with Drew Panayiotou, CMO at Keurig Dr Pepper, dives into how Dr Pepper’s challenger mindset—and relentless creativity—turned an underdog into a market leader.From transforming Best Buy’s digital future to guiding Pfizer through the pandemic, Drew has built a career on driving growth through agility and purpose. He and Jason explore how to turn legacy brands into modern disruptors, why longevity beats reinvention, and what it really takes to build raving fans in a world that rewards speed over substance.Key Takeaways: ✅ Challenger energy fuels creativity, not chaos ✅ The best campaigns evolve—they don’t reset ✅ Great brands grow by deepening relationships, not widening reach ✅ Progress beats perfection in a world that never slows downMemorable Moments:💡 “The best brands don’t chase new fans—they obsess over their raving ones.”💡 “Marketers get bored faster than consumers ever will.”💡 “Agility isn’t about moving fast—it’s about moving together.”💡 “It’s not funnel thinking anymore. It’s a flywheel.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

Energy gets attention. Trust builds loyalty.In a world obsessed with virality, longevity still wins. The best brands aren’t just loud—they’re reliable, repeatable, and relentlessly consistent.With a background in digital strategy and brand storytelling, Sara Kear, Chief Marketing Officer at Condado Tacos and Tequila, has turned a regional taco spot into a fast-growing national brand built on creativity, consistency, and community.In this episode, Sara joins Jason to talk about balancing creative energy with operational discipline, rebuilding a brand after rapid growth, and how structure can actually unlock innovation. She shares lessons from Condado’s rebrand, the role of “flavor rebellion” in defining identity, and how listening—to both teams and guests—became the company’s most powerful growth strategy.Key Takeaways:✅ Consistency is the foundation of brand trust✅ Creative limits can expand, not restrict, innovation✅ Listening to your audience reveals what data can’t✅ Growth without structure risks brand identityMemorable Moments:💡 “A million small moments make up the feeling of belonging.”💡 “We outgrew our brand before we realized it—so we paused to rebuild.”💡 “Confines create creativity. When you define the sandbox, you can scale.”💡 “Fun brings people in. Trust makes them family.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

Empathy at scale isn’t easy—but it’s the heart of BetterHelp’s mission.With two decades of marketing leadership at Facebook, The RealReal, and Beyond, Sara Brooks has helped brands grow from startup to IPO and beyond. Now, as Chief Growth Officer at BetterHelp, she’s using data and storytelling to make mental health care more accessible around the world.In this episode, Sara joins Jason Harris to talk about leading with empathy in a data-driven world, the power of authentic storytelling, and how vulnerability has become one of the most effective tools in brand building. She also shares lessons from campaigns with Lewis Capaldi and college athletes that prove empathy—and humor—can coexist with rigor and scale.Key Takeaways:✅ Empathy and data aren’t opposites—they’re accelerants✅ Authenticity can’t be automated, but it can be scaled✅ Vulnerability builds affinity faster than perfection✅ Destigmatizing mental health starts with honest storytellingMemorable Moments:💡 “When you feel better, everyone in your life feels better as well.”💡 “Vulnerability isn’t a risk—it’s the whole point.”💡 “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Just get started.”💡 “If not us, then who? If not now, then when?”Brought to you by Mekanism.

Building a brand takes focus. Building a meaningful career takes range.From leading global campaigns at L’Oréal, PepsiCo, and American Express to driving purpose-driven change in accessibility, youth empowerment, and the arts, Stinson Parks III has built a career by refusing to be boxed in. After surviving a near-death experience, he redefined what success means—shifting his focus from building brands to building impact. Today, Stinson is using his marketing mindset to drive change across four pillars: accessibility, youth, community, and the arts. In this episode, he joins Jason Harris to talk about transforming professional skills into personal impact—and why the same tools that move brands can also move people.Key Takeaways:✅ The skills that build brands can also build change✅ Accessibility isn’t charity—it’s innovation and inclusion in action✅ Art and storytelling have the power to heal and connect✅ True success isn’t what you achieve—it’s who you helpMemorable Moments:💡 “I went to the school of Mattel, PepsiCo, and Amex—these were my universities.”💡 “I was literally dead for a month. Now I see my injury as the biggest blessing of my life.”💡 “Change happens one person, one conversation, one community at a time.”💡 “It’s not what you have to do—it’s what you get to do, and who you get to serve.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

How do you turn civic engagement into a brand people actually want to join?Kyle Lierman, CEO of Civic Nation and former Obama White House staffer, joins Jason Harris to talk about leading large-scale movements—It’s On Us, When We All Vote, Made to Save—and the organizing principles that make them work.Kyle shares how his time at the White House shaped his leadership philosophy, why Gen Z is the most pivotal generation for social change, and how cause-driven campaigns can harness creativity and data to move millions without losing their humanity.Key Takeaways:✅ Organizing and branding share the same goal: building trusted relationships at scale✅ Great movements have a sprint mentality—urgency drives innovation and impact✅ Gen Z controls the culture for a 30-year block; win their trust, and you shape the future✅ Build where people want to be, not just where they already areMemorable Moments:💡 “Put your head down, do your job incredibly well for six months, and then you can do anything.”💡 “We’re making one plus one equal five—organizing power plus creative storytelling.”💡 “Gen Z has the power to bring an issue to the forefront in a way no other generation does.”💡 “Our job isn’t to give people medicine—it’s to build the kind of community they want to join.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

How do you build “America’s coffee” without getting lost in politics?Donny Jensen, CMO of Black Rifle Coffee, joins Jason Harris to share lessons from a career that’s spanned Nike, Red Bull, Beats by Dre, Spartan Race, and now one of America’s fastest-growing coffee companies. Donny explains why brand is the ultimate differentiator, how Black Rifle balances irreverent viral content with disciplined growth marketing, and what it means to stand for veterans and first responders without playing politics.Key Takeaways:✅ Below $1B, CMOs must know the growth levers themselves—not just manage from the top✅ The sweet spot is a hybrid model: in-house talent plus specialized agency partners✅ Brand is the moat—when ads shut off during COVID, Spartan’s traffic kept coming because of brand strength✅ Plan your own calendar: cultural relevance matters less than staying true to your brand momentsMemorable Moments:💡 “If you don’t know performance and growth, you’re at a massive disadvantage as a CMO.”💡 “We want to be America’s coffee, America’s energy—positive energy, every time you encounter us.”💡 “A great brand gets you the retail meeting. It makes everything easier.”💡 “My dad paid me a dollar an hour to sweep on his job sites—I still work like nothing is owed to me.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

How do you scale a wellness brand without losing the mission?Doug Sweeny, CMO of Oura, joins Jason Harris to unpack the playbook behind Oura’s evolution—from a sleep device born in Finland to a holistic health platform used by pro teams, biohackers, and everyday members. Doug shares why the internal reset comes first (“align the company, then tell the world”), how revenue ownership changes the CMO seat, and what it takes to balance brand campaigns with hard-nosed performance.Key Takeaways:✅ Revenue responsibility sharpens marketing judgment and earns a bigger seat at the table✅ Use brand at the top, precision stories in the mid/lower funnel; measure each tier with distinct KPIs✅ Prioritize ruthlessly: global expansion and product velocity require explicit tradeoffs✅ When CAC is upside-down, pause and reset—efficiency first, then scaleMemorable Moments:💡 “I was getting much different answers… we had to reset it and embed it in the company—then you can tell the story externally.”💡 “Fifty percent of new members hear about Oura from a family member, friend, or coworker.”💡 “Give Us the Finger was about longevity and empowerment—and it became some of our highest-engagement social.”💡 “We’re here to do the best work of our lives.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

How do you recognize a “super concept” before it goes mainstream?John Lowe, Managing Director at Amok Consumer Growth and former CEO of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, joins Jason Harris to share his playbook for identifying breakout food and beverage brands.During his 14 years as CEO, John scaled Jeni’s by more than 100x in revenue—while also serving on the boards of White Castle, Watershed Distillery, and more. Today, he’s bringing that experience to founders through Amok Consumer Growth, backing companies like Fox in the Snow and DOUGH.Key Takeaways:✅ Bet on founders with self-awareness—they’ll build the right team around them✅ Growth pace is determined by organizational bandwidth, not ambition alone✅ Cultural relevance (from Twitter to TikTok) is a marketing lever worth investing in✅ Copycats come fast—brands need a defensible “moat” in product, process, or communityMemorable Moments:💡 “When you’ve got people lining up every day, you know there’s some magic around it.”💡 “Private equity doesn’t make the food taste better—it’s about the founder and the product.”💡 “Jeni’s on a stick was right in front of us. I regret not pounding the table harder.”💡 “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

What you can measure drives growth, but what you can’t often drives breakthroughs.Alex Schultz, Chief Marketing Officer and VP of Analytics at Meta (and author of the upcoming book Click Here), joins Jason Harris to unpack the soul and science behind decisions that move billions of people: the rebrand from Facebook to Meta, launching Threads to 400M MAU, the retention curve that signaled Ray-Ban Meta glasses were a hit, and why a great creative brief is the beating heart of iconic work.Key Takeaways:✅ Retention is the clearest signal of product-market fit—and the metric that decides whether to scale✅ Separate goals from metrics to avoid chasing numbers at the expense of strategy✅ Measure the measurable with rigor to earn credibility for the initiatives you can’t perfectly track✅ AI will transform marketing in three ways: making current work cheaper, unlocking previously uneconomical tactics, and enabling entirely new formatsMemorable Moments:💡 “The decision to change the brand was science. Everything else was art.”💡 “We couldn’t test the Meta rebrand—we had to keep it secret.”💡 “A metric can never perfectly describe a goal.”💡 “Incrementality is everything. If I do something, I want it to make a difference.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

In a world obsessed with instant results, Jackie Jantos makes the case for brand building that lasts.From Coca-Cola to Spotify to Hinge, Jackie has spent two decades shaping brands that endure by focusing on cultural insights, inclusive teams, and work that actually serves audiences. Now, as President and CMO at Hinge—the dating app “designed to be deleted”—she’s proving that long-term growth comes from products that deliver real outcomes.In this episode of Soul & Science, Jason Harris sits down with Jackie to explore why usefulness beats flash, how empathy and courage guide her leadership, and why staying patient pays off in brand building.Key Takeaways:✅ Design for outcomes, not vanity metrics—Hinge optimizes for “great dates,” not swipes✅ Big insights upstream fuel creative ideas that can scale globally✅ Credibility-rich programs compound more than week-long activations✅ Empathy and courage work best as operating systems inside the company✅ Long-term brand consistency beats short-term distraction every timeMemorable Moments:💡 “What better way to encourage people to try your product than to be a product that really works?”💡 “I get most excited upstream—at the insight—when it feels unique and true.”💡 “Not every brand needs another stunty activation. Put resources where they’re genuinely useful.”💡 “Empathy and courage mean saying the hard thing, even if you botch it the first time.”Brought to you by Mekanism.

What do basketball, brand reviews, and $400M in agency wins have in common? Michael Palma.From being a Parade All-American athlete to coaching under Jim Valvano, Michael Palma pivoted into advertising recruitment—eventually placing more than 1,300 top talents and helping agencies win over $400 million in revenue. Today, as founder of The Palma Group, he manages reviews for global brands like Coca-Cola, Heineken, Peugeot, and Zaxby’s.In this episode of Soul & Science, Jason Harris sits down with Michael to unpack what makes partnerships last, how to spot red flags before they sink a pitch, and why true leaders walk with a “humble swagger.”Key Takeaways:✅ Clients don’t want collaborators—they want leadership that listens✅ There’s no “perfect” agency, only the ideal fit for the moment✅ Good agencies get comfortable; great ones never stop bringing ideas✅ A pitch is won or lost in the first five minutes of emotional connection✅ Agency culture—not case studies—ultimately drives client choiceMemorable Moments:💡 “Clients want leadership that listens. They don’t want collaborators.”💡 “If you’re gonna lose, lose as you. Don’t lose pretending to be someone else.”💡 “There is no perfect agency—only the best possible fit.”💡 “The mortal enemy of good agencies is efficiency. Great ones never stop caring.”Brought to you by Mekanism.