Above The Fold

This week on Above the Fold, I sat down with Daniel Schwarz, founder of Chuza, to talk about what it actually takes to build a spicy Latin snack brand from the ground up. We get into Daniel’s journey from tequila and spirits brand management to entrepreneurship, why having skin in the game matters, and how Chuza was built with one hundred percent Mexican spices and zero artificial ingredients. Daniel shares how growing up in Monterrey shaped the flavors behind the brand, why representation on the shelf matters, and how early customer feedback influenced product decisions. We also talk about launching during the pandemic, getting into stores through persistence and cold outreach, and what he learned from participating in the PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator. If you are building a consumer brand, thinking about product development, or curious how culture and flavor translate into scalable business, this episode is packed with insight you can actually use.📲 Follow Daniel:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/daniel-schwarz-2b882943📲 Check out Chuza:Website: chuza.com👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!Connect with Jess on:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellonTwitter: x.com/jesscervellonInstagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I sat down with Aniesha Jones to talk about what customer experience actually looks like when empathy, data, and revenue are all in the same room. We get into her unconventional path from opera and vocal performance to leading high-growth CX and retention teams, and why creativity is one of the most overlooked skills in business today.We cover CX leadership, retention strategy, the real ROI of empathy, and why CX deserves a seat at the executive table instead of being treated like a cost center. Aniesha breaks down how data and storytelling work together, how DEI should inform experience design from day one, and why loyalty is built through belonging, not discounts.If you’re a CX leader, founder, marketer, or operator trying to build experiences that customers actually remember, this episode is packed with insight you can use immediately. Listen now for a grounded, honest take on empathy, retention, and what sustainable growth really looks like in ecommerce today.📲 Follow Aniesha:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anieshajones/👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!Connect with Jess on:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellonTwitter: x.com/jesscervellonInstagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I sat down with the operations queen herself, Hattie Gilpin, to talk about what it really takes to keep subscribers around in one of the most competitive categories out there. If you’ve ever wondered why customers churn, what actually drives operational success, or how brands can earn long-term trust without leaning on discounts, this episode is for you.We cover subscription retention, billing cycle psychology, customer experience, and why the unsexy parts of operations matter just as much as great marketing. Hattie breaks down everything from time-to-churn analysis to warehouse partnerships, plus the real story behind HAM — the analytics platform built specifically for subscription operators who are tired of messy spreadsheets and bad data.If you’re running a subscription brand, leading a CX or ops team, or trying to understand why customers cancel in the first place, this episode is packed with actionable insights you can actually use.Listen now for tactical advice on retention, subscription analytics, operational excellence, and why great customer experience is built long before a support ticket ever gets opened.📲 Follow Hattie: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harriet-gilpin/📲 Check out Wellbel: https://www.wellbel.com/👋 Enjoying Above the Fold? Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!Connect with Jess on:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellonTwitter: x.com/jesscervellonInstagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I sat down with Alex Ferzan, co-founder of Manojo Mezcal and founder of ZADDY, creative agitator, and the definition of a career shapeshifter, from the late-90s punk scene to managing bands, to building culture-shifting brands that go way beyond hype.We get into the real story behind how someone who once toured with hardcore bands ended up helping create some of the most irreverent, unforgettable brand voices in the last decade. Alex breaks down the chaos, luck, timing, and intuition behind building businesses that actually hit, including the wild early days of BABE Wine and what it really takes to create a brand with momentum (hint: it’s not perfection, it’s punk energy).We talk scrappiness, culture-making, why marketing is “bullshit” but also the whole game, and how to know when you’ve hit that strategic moment where a brand is ready for its next level. Plus, Alex shares the story behind Manojo Mezcal; from Oaxacan lore to thoughtful design decisions, to partnering with world-renowned chef Enrique Olvera to build something that stays true to place, people, and craft.If you're building a brand, dreaming about your next product, or trying to figure out how the hell to make noise in a crowded space, this episode is stacked with insight you can actually apply.Tune in for stories about creative risk, real brand building, entrepreneurship that doesn’t look like a LinkedIn post, and why the best ideas usually start with a little chaos.📲 Follow Alex:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderferzan/📲 Check out Manojo Mezcal:Website: https://manojomezcal.com/📲 Check out ZADDY:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zaddy-llc/Website: https://www.zaddy.net/👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!Connect with Jess on:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellonTwitter: x.com/jesscervellonInstagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I sat down with Patrick Coyne, founder and chief executive of Laoban Dumplings, for a conversation that reminds you why some brands just hit differently. From teaching English in China to running dumpling shops in D.C. to building one of the most exciting frozen food brands in the country, Patrick’s journey is proof that authenticity travels, even into the freezer aisle.We get into how Laoban went from brick and mortar to CPG during the pandemic, with Patrick and his team hand-packing dumplings and delivering them to local stores, often with the brand’s mascot, Rollie the Chief Dough Officer, riding shotgun and controlling the music.Patrick breaks down his philosophy on hospitality and why frozen food deserves the same level of care as a restaurant experience. From packaging and cooking instructions to emotional branding and clarity of communication, every detail is intentional. He also shares how the team uses kids’ reactions to Rollie, retailer feedback, and product testing to shape the future of the brand.We talked about the whitespace in frozen Asian food, why the category has not evolved in decades, and how Laoban plans to change that with items like scallion pancakes, Taiwanese popcorn chicken, bao, and of course dumplings. Patrick also opens up about hard decisions, like pulling a product launch from Whole Foods until it met their standards — a choice that led to an even stronger partnership and their successful bao rollout.If you love brand building, hospitality, food culture, or founder stories that do not take themselves too seriously, this episode is full of heart, honesty, and plenty of Rollie energy.📲 Follow Patrick:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-patrick-coyne/📲 Check out Laoban:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/laoban-dumplings/Website: https://laobandumplings.com/👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!Connect with Jess on:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellonTwitter: x.com/jesscervellonInstagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I sat down with Erin Meskers, Director of Brand at Brami, to talk about what it really means to build a food brand people feel connected to, not just buy from.We cover brand building, community, and the kind of marketing that makes people slow down and care. Erin shares how her work at Supergoop, Aviva, and Cadence shaped her approach to storytelling, and how those lessons now guide Brami’s mission to bring Italy’s food culture to the U.S.We get into everything from educating customers about lupini beans and building loyalty through authenticity, to launching at Costco and learning how to scale without losing soul. Plus, Erin opens up about her journey across brand, growth, and retail, and why empathy, curiosity, and care are at the center of every campaign she leads.If you’re in the business of brand storytelling, community, or CPG growth, this episode will remind you that real connection always wins.Listen now for insight on marketing, brand experience, and what it takes to create a lifestyle around your product, one that’s built on purpose, not pressure.Brami is currently hosting community events across the U.S., in New York, Seattle, Chicago, San Diego, and Atlanta.If you live in one of these cities, DM Erin or Brami to join one of their upcoming experiences.📲 Follow Erin:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinmeskers/📲 Check out Brami:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brami/Website: https://enjoybrami.com/👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!Connect with Jess on:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellonTwitter: x.com/jesscervellonInstagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I sat down with Sydney Chestler, Director of CX at Fresh Clean Threads, to talk about what it really takes to build trust in customer experience, not just close tickets.We get into what it means to lead CX at two wildly different brands, from helping a 25-year-old skincare fan find her first serum to supporting a 45-year-old dad buying tees for vacation. Sydney shares how she’s built a career around understanding what customers actually care about and how to design experiences that feel human, honest, and clear.We cover the shift from reactive support to proactive CX, the importance of tracking “silent wins” like low ticket-to-order ratios, and why transparency should be your brand’s default setting. Sydney breaks down why the best metric isn’t how many tickets your team closes, it’s how many you prevent by setting the right expectations.We also talk about leadership. Sydney opens up about how mentors shaped her career and how she now pays it forward by building teams that feel heard, supported, and empowered. Her approach is rooted in empathy and connection, and it shows up in everything she does, from team culture to how she thinks about the customer journey.If you care about building trust, leading with transparency, and empowering your CX teams to do their best work, this episode’s for you.Listen now for insights on leadership, trust, and how to turn every touchpoint into a relationship, not just a transaction.📲 Follow Sydney:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneychestler/📲 Check out Fresh Clean Threads:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fresh-clean-threads/ Website: https://freshcleantees.com/👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!Connect with Jess on:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellonTwitter: x.com/jesscervellonInstagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I sat down with Rachel Coburn, a fractional marketing leader who’s worked with some of the biggest names in health and wellness, including AG1 and Happy V, to talk about what it really takes to build brands that last beyond the hype.We cover growth, brand strategy, and what happens when the pursuit of “acquisition at all costs” starts eroding trust. Rachel brings the kind of honesty and experience that every marketer needs to hear, because she’s been on both sides of the equation. From running performance channels to building full marketing ecosystems, her perspective hits hard: retention starts at acquisition, and brand equity starts with truth.Rachel opens up about why the DTC space has lost some of its transparency and how brands can get it back. We talk about the balance between performance and authenticity, why marketing ops deserve way more credit than they get, and how to keep growth and retention teams working together instead of in silos. She also shares her advice for early-stage founders, from who to hire first to why you should bring a CX expert into the conversation before launch, not after.We also dig into creativity and process, two things Rachel refuses to separate. She calls herself a “process freak,” but it’s her eye for brand storytelling and love of cinematic content that makes her stand out. Whether she’s talking about AI in marketing or the art of a well-crafted ad, Rachel’s take is clear: real connection always beats shortcuts.If you’re building a brand, leading a marketing team, or rethinking what growth should look like in 2025, this episode is packed with lessons you’ll actually want to use.📲 Follow Rachel:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelecoburn/👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!Connect with Jess on:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellonTwitter: x.com/jesscervellonInstagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I sat down with Tess Awal, CX Manager at Dr. Squatch — the men’s soap brand that turned natural hygiene into a full-blown lifestyle movement. If you’ve ever seen their cheeky ads or heard about their viral Sydney Sweeney “bathwater” drop, you already know: Dr. Squatch knows how to make personality a growth strategy.We cover creativity, leadership, and what it really takes to build CX that keeps customers talking. Tess shares how her background in fashion photography and visual merchandising taught her the art of storytelling through experience, and why good CX is a lot like good design — it’s about knowing what makes people stop, look, and feel something.She talks about how Dr. Squatch keeps its humor while scaling into major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Costco, and what really went into the Sydney Sweeney campaign that broke the internet. Tess also shares why she believes “bad feedback” doesn’t exist when you care enough to listen, and how she ensures customer insights are front and center — even the company’s COO reads NPS reports every week. Finally, she explains what the Unilever acquisition means for the brand and why loyal fans have nothing to worry about.If you’re building a brand, leading a CX team, or figuring out how to stay human as you grow, this episode is packed with takeaways you can actually use. Listen now for lessons on creativity, brand voice, and why humor, empathy, and authenticity never go out of style.📲 Follow Tess:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tasnuva-awal/📲 Check out Dr. Squatch:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dr-squatch/Website: https://www.drsquatch.com/👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!Connect with Jess on:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellonTwitter: x.com/jesscervellonInstagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I sat down with Lisa Yarrow, Senior Manager of Customer Experience at Everlane, to talk about how retail instincts are shaping the next era of digital CX.We get into what it means to bring empathy into analytics, why storytelling is the secret weapon for getting buy-in, and how the best customer insights do not come from dashboards. They come from people.Lisa shares her journey from the retail floor to leading CX at one of the most values-driven brands out there, and how Everlane’s thoughtful approach to sustainability, tone, and trust is changing the way teams connect with their customers.We also unpack what it takes to make data feel human, how to translate in-store experiences to e-commerce, and why loyalty is really about connection, not points or perks.If you are building a CX team, refining your brand’s voice, or just figuring out how to make your customer experience feel more human, this episode is packed with insights you can actually use.Listen now for takeaways on empathy, data storytelling, and how to bring heart back into digital experience.📲 Follow Lisa:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisayarrow/📲 Check out Everlane:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/everlane/Website: https://www.everlane.com/👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!Connect with Jess on:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellonTwitter: x.com/jesscervellonInstagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon