Russell Barnett, CPG Growth Operator & Advisor

If you love great design, beautiful spaces, and the stories behind them, you’re going to love this one. In this episode of Optimism Always, Matt Hofherr sits down with award-winning designer Mark D. Sikes to talk about design, creativity, inspiration and the power of having a point of view all your own. 

In this episode of Optimism Always, Matt sits down with Xanthe Wells, VP of Global Creative at Pinterest, to talk about creativity, leadership, curiosity, and the power of helping other people shine. It’s a conversation about staying hungry, staying human, and never losing the joy of making things.

In this episode, we sit down with Udi Ledergor, Chief Evangelist at Gong, to explore creativity, risk-taking, and what it really takes to build a standout brand.

What does it take to build a brand that truly connects and drives growth? We sit down with CPG brand builder, Russell Barnett, for a conversation on leadership, brand building, and driving meaningful growth.

Don't miss this episode of Optimism Always, where Stacy Fritz, Founder of FIT2Order talks about wellness, resilience, and building a life and business with purpose.

How did Emily Silver rise through 16 years at PepsiCo to now lead marketing and athlete experience at Dick’s Sporting Goods? Listen as she shares the lessons she has learned about leadership, mentorship, and finding balance and why she believes sports can inspire optimism and bring communities together?

Listen as Radhika Duggal, CMO of Major League Soccer, shares lessons from her career in marketing, how she’s shaping the future of the league, and why she believes sports can unite communities and inspire optimism.

What does it take to turn breakthrough ideas into real-world impact? Listen as Nathan Harding, CTO and Co-Founder of LUUM Precision Lash, shares his journey from pioneering robotics to reinventing beauty technology and why he stays optimistic about innovation and human potential.

From Salesforce to Twilio to Datadog, Sara Varni has built a career leading marketing at some of the most influential tech companies. Now as CMO of Datadog, she opens up about what it takes to scale brand and growth in the fast-moving world of software and why optimism is her edge in leadership and life.

What can eggs teach us about purpose, play, and optimism? Phyllis Rothschild, CMO of Pete & Gerry’s Organics, cracks open her journey from consulting to leading a mission-driven food brand. From hen jokes and Spotify playlists to big ideas about animal welfare and brand purpose, she shares how Pete & Gerry’s is keeping things fun while making a real impact.