Wonder what it's like to control millions of dollars of marketing budget? Manage hundreds of people? Make the decisions on which ideas get to market?
The CMO Confidential podcast shares how it feels to be in that chair of the shortest-tenured position on the C-suite.
We detail the long, hard road most ideas take to get to market & how challenging it is to get the best ones through.
Hosted by Mike Linton -- the former P&G Brand Manager who went on to be the Chief Marketing Officer of Best Buy, eBay, and Farmers Insurance, as well as the Chief Revenue Officer of Ancestry.com and the head marketer at Remington -- this show serves as an ongoing lesson plan for how to get, do, keep, and handle the pressures of the CMO job.
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Aarron Spinley | The Concept of Customering - Is Technology Overwhelming the Customer Experience?
Episode 183
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 • Duration 36:44
A CMO Confidential Interview With Aarron Spinley, Director at the Field Bell Institute and Author of "The Customering Method."
Aarron discusses his belief that customer management deserves its own discipline as part of marketing, that understanding customer needs is the foundation of sales, and why popular metrics can be misleading.
Key topics include:
- Why you should "learn the asset versus learn instead of the measures"
- The need to focus on "unnatural churn"
- The difference between automation and service
Tune in to hear why he's not fully on board with NPS and a story about "trendy rabbit holes."
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to CMO Confidential and Guest Aarron Spinley
01:23 - Defining Customer Experience and "Customering"
04:35 - Limitations of Marketing Concepts and Survey Data in Customer Management
06:53 - Drivers of Customer Loyalty vs. Net Promoter Score (NPS)
10:11 - The Relationship Between Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty in Banking
12:30 - The Correct Sequence of Customer Management: Asset, System, Measurement
13:59 - Market Orientation vs. Sales Orientation within a Customer Base
27:28 - What Effective Customer Interaction Looks Like
30:02 - The Role of AI and Centralized Decisioning/Orchestration
32:52 - Career Advice: Focus on Fundamentals Over Tools
34:36 - Conclusion and Closing Remarks
Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives.
Rob Ward | A Top Venture Capitalist Analyzes the AI Landscape
Episode 182
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 • Duration 40:59
This week on CMO Confidential, we are revisiting one of our favorite conversations with Rob Ward from January of 2026.
A CMO Confidential Interview with Rob Ward, co-founder and General Partner of Meritech Capital, a top Silicon Valley venture firm. Rob shares his take on what he calls a "super terrifying and exciting time" and provides perspective on AI receiving the most capital of any technology in history, the "durability of revenue" and how quickly start-ups are now reaching $100 million in revenue. Key topics include: why VC's focus on growth vs. profitability; the risks associated with massive long-term capital investment; why marketers should pick a "trusted advisor" as their AI partner; and why your data strategy needs "context. Tune in to hear how Astronomer handled the "Coldplay Concert Incident" which immediately became a PR classic and the "VC Foie Gras Effect."
What happens when a top venture capitalist pulls back the curtain on AI, valuations, hype cycles, and what’s actually working?
In this episode of CMO Confidential, host Mike Linton sits down with Rob Ward, Co-Founder and General Partner at Metech Capital, to unpack the realities behind the AI boom. Rob has spent more than 26 years investing in category-defining companies like Facebook (Meta), Snowflake, NetSuite, Zipcar, and Cloudera — and he brings a rare, grounded perspective to today’s AI frenzy.
Together, they explore:
• Why AI adoption is still early — despite explosive growth
• The real risks behind inflated valuations and “AI-washing”
• How VC decision-making changes during platform shifts
• What marketers and executives should actually look for when choosing AI partners
• Why data strategy, change management, and trust matter more than tools
Michael Treff | A Mid-Year Update From the B2B Front Lines
Episode 179
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 • Duration 36:25
A CMO Confidential Interview with Michael Treff, the CEO of Code and Theory. Michael shares his belief that the ambiguity in markets is here to stay, why traditional B2B playbooks aren't working like they used to, and why this is the "dawn of a new era for creativity."
Key topics include:
- Three key B2B questions companies are asking
- The concepts of "stacking talent" and "forward-deployed teams"
- The need to be truly honest about your organization and the marketplace
- Why the future for agencies will be driven by tech, software, and service
Tune in to hear about why you should "Keep it simple," and why the future will bring "A reckoning for the service business."
⏱️ Chapters
1:12 - Guest Introduction and Overview of the B2B Marketplace
4:35 - Technology Investments and the Changing Journey
6:16 - Evolving Roles within the C-Suite
7:20 - Culture Shifts and the Service Business Reckoning
13:12 - Walled Gardens vs. Open Data Environments
16:12 - Synthetic Data Sets
18:40 - Advice for Traditional Clients
26:35 - The Future of Creativity in B2B
31:25 - Predictions for the Future
33:37 - Closing and Final Advice
This episode is sponsored by Typeface - the agentic AI marketing platform that turns one idea into thousands of on-brand assets. Learn more: typeface.ai/cmo.
Drew Pinto | Time to Think About Architecture
Episode 178
Tuesday, June 23, 2026 • Duration 34:11
A CMO Confidential Interview with Drew Pinto, EVP and Chief Revenue and Technology Officer of Marriott International. Drew discusses the concept that architecture and data should be viewed as a means to an end, methods for assessing legacy systems, and why tech is critical to customer experience.
Key topics include:
- Why he believes in "built to change”
- Ways to assess your data
- Why marketers shouldn't get "enamored by solutions
- The idea of "buying commodities" vs. building everything yourself
Tune in to hear a discussion about "data puddles," and why marketers should take their tech partners to dinner.
⏱️ Chapters
1:12 - Introduction and Guest Welcome
2:32 -Defining Data Architecture
5:00 - Evaluating Legacy Systems
12:51 - Sponsor Message: Typeface ARC Agents
13:55 - Built to Change vs. Built to Last
17:15 - Tech Sourcing: Build vs. Buy
21:11 - Customer Experience and Data Management
27:54 - Common Mistakes and Advice for Marketers
30:44 - Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts
This episode is sponsored by Typeface - the agentic AI marketing platform that turns one idea into thousands of on-brand assets. Learn more: typeface.ai/cmo.
Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives.
Dr. David Bray | Managing the Geopolitical Landscape
Episode 177
Tuesday, June 16, 2026 • Duration 37:35
A CMO Confidential Interview with Dr. David Bray, Distinguished Fellow and Chair of the Accelerator with the Alfred Lee Loomis Innovation Council and bipartisan advisor on cyber, space, AI as well as countering terrorism, inauthentic information campaigns, and bioterrorism.
David shares thoughts on why geopolitics have become so important so quickly, the universal breakdown in trust, how anxiety fuels anger, which fuels grievance, and how business leaders might adjust to all of this.
Key topics include:
- Why geopolitical and tech issues should be added to the "risk management committee"
- The need for contingency planning and directional decision-making
- How anyone is now the equivalent of a 1970's cold war spy
- Why "getting better at discernment" is critical.
Tune in to hear about "responsible heretics" and how a high school science project resulted in a South American assignment for a 17-year old.
⏱️ Chapters
1:12: Introducing Dr. David Bray
1:39: Why Business Leaders Should Care About Geopolitics
2:33: Mapping the Ripple Effects of Technological Revolutions
4:47: Historical Context: 1890s Polarization and Yellow Journalism
7:01: Societal Anxiety, Governance, and the Path to Anarchy
9:10: Impact on Global Supply Chains and Geopolitical Uncertainty
12:25: The Complexity of Microprocessors and Hardware Risks
14:10: Upgrading the Board: Risk Management for Tech and Geopolitics
Joe Gagliese | What Does Social First Even Mean & Is It Right For You?
Episode 176
Tuesday, June 9, 2026 • Duration 33:23
A CMO Confidential Interview with Joe Gagliese, Co-Founder and CEO at Viral Nation, a full-service digital and social agency.
Joe discusses the concept of social as "the people's media," details why he believes "discovery begins with social" and outlines how brands might think about becoming "social centered."
Key topics include:
Why social has become a prerequisite for certain categories
Questions to ask your social agency
Why measurement is still a bit of an Achilles heel
How to think of social as a living organism which works in concert with the rest of your marketing
Tune in to hear why social is so important for autos and thoughts on reading Marcus Aurelius.
⏱️ Chapters
01:12 - Introduction to CMO Confidential
01:42 - Introducing Joe Gagliese
02:46 - Defining "Social First"
05:40 - Social Strategy as a Behavioral System
08:03 - The Prerequisite of Radical Transparency
12:11 - Transitioning to a Social-First Organization
15:03 - Maintaining Authenticity with Creators
17:33 - Steps to Develop a Social-First Strategy
20:20 - Determining Brand Readiness
22:01 - Measuring Social Performance and Conversion
25:18 - Five Questions to Ask Social Agencies
28:28 - Common Mistakes in Social Marketing
Mike Kaput | Structuring Your Company for AI - An Update From the Front Lines
Episode 175
Tuesday, June 2, 2026 • Duration 33:00
A CMO Confidential Interview with Mike Kaput, the Chief Content Officer at SmarterX and Marketing AI Institute and co-host of "The Artificial Intelligence Show."
Mike shares research across 2000 companies regarding AI adoption and highlights the gap between what companies say they are doing and what is happening, the fact that only 25% of companies have achieved "scaling" status, and how larger companies can be slowed by complexity.
Key topics include:
- Why training and education represent the biggest obstacle to progress
- Why you should measure "tool usage"
- Why job clarity is important for agents.
Tune in to hear about rising AI pessimism and building yourself a "second brain."
This episode is sponsored by Typeface - the agentic AI marketing platform that turns one idea into thousands of on-brand assets. Learn more: typeface.ai/cmo
Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives.
⏱️ Chapters
01:12 – Intro: Meet Mike Kaput & AI topic overview
02:37 – State of AI report: how the data was gathered
05:53 – Key insight: people vs organizations gap
06:43 – What scaling AI actually looks like
08:06 – Pilot phase reality across companies
10:11 – AI hype vs real adoption
13:02 – The “say vs do” gap in execution
Tom Goodwin | If You Dropped the Best Marketers of the 1950's Into Today's Environment, How Would They Do?
Episode 174
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 • Duration 41:57
This week on CMO Confidential, we're revisiting our conversation with Tom Goodwin from August of 2025 - this is one of our favorites with topics just as relevant to marketers today.
Tom discusses his belief that today's CMO's are overly focused on efficiency versus marketing principles and that the contemporary playbook has been created by tech companies focused on performance metrics.
Key topics include:
-An unhealthy focus on the speed of measurement and short-term results
-Marketers having a "feeling of vulnerability" if they haven't heard of new tech
-The fact that many of the hyped direct-to-consumer brands like Casper and Ridge Wallets aren't actually doing that well
Tune in to hear the underestimated impact of "beauty" and a story about being locked out of a self-driving car.
This episode is sponsored by Typeface - the agentic AI marketing platform that turns one idea into thousands of on-brand assets. Learn more: typeface.ai/cmo
Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives.
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – Intro: Meet Tom Goodwin
02:28 – Would 1950s Marketers Beat Today’s CMOs?
05:41 – Is Marketing Actually More Complex Today?
09:15 – Fundamentals vs Growth Hacking & Performance Tactics
11:05 – DTC vs Traditional Brands: What Actually Works
15:13 – Short-Term Metrics, AI Hype & Tech Overload
Kim Whitler | Why Are Executives Engaging in Activism That Creates Business Risk?
Episode 173
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 • Duration 45:12
A CMO Confidential Interview with Kim Whitler, professor at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, board member and former GM and CMO.
Kim shares recent research which details why the largest and best companies often get dragged into conflicts they can't win, the three main forces of pressure and how they affect different management levels, and tips on picking the right company for you.
Key discussion topics include:
- The only stance agreed on by 100% of consumers
- How to think about non-divisive activism (e.g. Dove's Real Beauty Campaign)
- The danger of in-group bias
Tune in to hear why "You don't have to get engaged," and tips for getting an unbiased view.
⏱️ Chapters
01:12 Introducing Kim Whitler
01:39 Why Corporate Activism Creates Business Risk
02:51 Inside the “Executive Flip-Flop” Study
04:11 Mapping the 3 Sources of Pressure on Leaders
06:01 Internal vs External Pressure Dynamics
11:19 The “Pressure Meter” Framework Explained
12:33 Key Insight: Pressure Varies by Level (C-Suite vs Managers)
14:18 The Myth of “You Must Take a Stand”
17:09 Flawed Research Driving Activism Decisions
21:19 When Brand Activism Works vs Backfires
27:04 Choosing the Right Company as a Marketer
Jean English | The AI Marketing Battle: A View from the Front Lines
Episode 172
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 • Duration 34:41
A CMO Confidential Interview with Jean English, CMO of CoreWeave, formerly the CMO of Juniper Networks, Armis, Palo Alto Networks and NetApp.
Jean discusses the dynamics driving the voracious demand for computing power, why cloud infrastructure matters so much, and the ongoing AI shift from training to inference.
Key topics include:
- How models are leapfrogging each other at speed
- The importance of B2B brands at a time when decisions are often made by teams of people
- Why marketing is a great use case for AI
- Creative uses for hackathons
Tune in to hear why "80% right" is okay and a story about using AI for parenting advice.
This episode is sponsored by Typeface - the agentic AI marketing platform that turns one idea into thousands of on-brand assets. Learn more: typeface.ai/cmo
Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives.
⏱️ Chapters
01:31 Guest Intro: Jean English (CMO, CoreWeave)
02:39 What CoreWeave Does (AI Cloud Explained)
04:20 AI Hype vs Reality
07:05 The AI Market & Competitive Landscape
09:40 Building an AI Brand
11:00 Buying Groups & Enterprise Complexity
13:01 Measuring AI Infrastructure Performance
• What layoffs, productivity, and the future of work really look like beneath the headlines
• A masterclass in crisis communications, featuring Ryan Reynolds, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Coldplay
If you’re a CMO, CEO, board member, founder, or agency leader trying to make sense of AI without getting swept up in the hype — this is a must-listen conversation.
33:11: Predictions for 2026: AI Pushback and Conflict De-escalation
34:03: Funniest Story: The South American Science Fair Mosh Pit
35:51: Practical Advice: Leadership vs. Management Expectations
36:07: Final Takeaways and Closing Remarks
This episode is sponsored by Typeface - the agentic AI marketing platform that turns one idea into thousands of on-brand assets. Learn more: typeface.ai/cmo.
Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives.
This episode is sponsored by Typeface - the agentic AI marketing platform that turns one idea into thousands of on-brand assets. Learn more: typeface.ai/cmo.
Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives.
38:11 Practical Advice: Avoiding In-Group Bias in Leadership
43:25 Final Takeaways for Marketers
This episode is sponsored by Typeface - the agentic AI marketing platform that turns one idea into thousands of on-brand assets. Learn more: typeface.ai/cmo
Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives.
