Lisa Nirell’s Post

What on Earth is happening here? Where are they going? Emperor penguins may not give us many answers. But they make us ask questions about our own humanity. 🐧 What leaps are worth taking? 🐧 What might be waiting for us on the distant shore? 🐧 Who will we take with us? 🐧 How do we give others the confidence to follow? On this Earth Day, let's celebrate the beauty of nature, its innate wisdom, and our role in protecting its magnificence. Take 4 1/2 minutes to drink in this #NationalGeographic beauty. Video link in the comments. #mindfulmarketer #EarthDay2024 #penguins

[Question for board executives and CEOs] I'm noticing an increased number of strategic goals focused on driving efficiencies across marketing, sales, CX, etc. Some firms set pretty aggressive targets, with boards expecting 15%-20% improvements. As a result, more CEOs are seriously considering hiring a fractional versus a full time CMO. ❓ What questions should a CEO and their team consider when evaluating this option? ❓ I will reveal findings on May 17...during Episode 84 of The Mindful Marketer, 11 am ET. We have 2 dynamic panelists joining us: Michael Taylor and Scott Kabat. Message me for the (free) link! #CMO #mindfulmarketer Michael Taylor Peter Winick Scott Kabat Alan Gonsenhauser Tracey Mustacchio #linkedinlivestream

📽 JUST RELEASED 📽 I was a guest on Robert Middleton "Ordinary Visionaries" video series with "people who have put their visions into the world and taken action to make a difference." Robert's questions brought up memories I haven't pondered in years, such as "why do you do what you do...And how do you do it?" Robert is himself a visionary, having founded Action Plan Marketing over 25 years ago. That was an era when web design and marketing coaching were nascent industries. In 2007, I was certified in his planning methodologies. I taught my clients the methodology, garnering millions in additional income to their bottom line. Robert's an introspective and generous person who's passionate about jazz. Check out our discussion below to hear: * my personal growth trajectory (8:30) * how one of my CMO clients grew 3X by reducing goals from 14 to 4 (12:00) * why our idolatry of innovators and entrepreneurs needs to stop (17:30) * my $15,000 marketing mistake in my early years as a founder (18:28) * how a Ford Pinto spinout taught resilience (32:05) * a $700M B2B CMO client's journey from "marketing leader" to "customer-focused growth leader" (42:05) * my generative AI cautionary tale and advice for marketers (46:23) * how a Chief Digital Officer is leading change and overcoming team resistance (55:47) I am honored that Robert invited me. Replay link in comments. (1 hour). #CMO #entrepreneur #marketingleadership #mg100 #100coaches 📽

⏰ [Registration closes in 48 hours - CLIC '24 NYC - Digital Innovation Day] Why now? Because It's Time to Stop Digital Plate Spinning. Experimentation and a growth mindset are essentials for modern marketers. But random digital plate spinning -- disguised as "just play with the gen AI tool" -- wastes your precious creative energy. Digital innovation requires reflection, critical thinking, prioritization, and peer candor. That's what we design into our "Digital Innovation Day" - our 8th cohort May 1-2 in New York City. lisanirellDOTcom/events If you're a CMO, digital leader, growth leader, or CEO, you will walk away with: ⏰ Tangible ideas to bridge the generative AI leadership gap (with special guest Charlene Li) ⏰ "Off the record" tips to build a digitally savvy, nimble, engaged culture--even when your brand has existed for decades. ⏰ A three-part strategy to address third party cookie demise. ⏰ Clear priorities to avoid burnout and team disengagement. Our cohort members says "this is the only time of the year when I can step away from the day to day demands, and design the future." You'll be in great company with Alliance Bernstein, Blackbaud, CoStar Group, HomeServe USA, First Heritage Mortgage, and more. If you're ready to step off the marketing merry go round and refresh your digital strategy, join us! Find details and registration in the Comments. See you for our private dinner and dynamic sessions, May 1! lisanirellDOTcom/events P.S. Special thanks to our sponsors and collaborators: Pinki Mehta Peter Winick and 💫Marisa Cali Charlene Li R. Eric McCarthey Michael Taylor

I love sharing news about thought leaders who have dramatically improved my clients' lives. Steven Rogelberg 's books on leading effective meetings have transformed how our Marketing Growth Leaders peer group gets things done. He joined us during the pandemic via videoconference, when everyone was practicing "marathon meeting days." Remember those exhausting schedules? Let's not repeat them... 😫 As a result of applying his research, our CMO and CEO clients no longer attend meetings without first distributing a clear agenda (in the form of questions). Many have cut meeting times in half. As Amazon founder Jeff Bezos often says, "I want crisp documents and messy meetings." That has become our credo. Our community witnessed an instant impact on team engagement. Long term, they also witness improved profitability and meet commitments with greater ease. Steven's work is not an academic navel-gazing exercise. It's an essential management toolkit. P.S. Want to learn more about our peer groups and achieve similar results? Visit marketinggrowthleaders.com. #CMO #mindfulmarketer #leadership

Amazon's founder, Jeff Bezos, seldom gives meaningful media interviews.* When he joined Lex Fridman for a 2 hour podcast, he broke his own rule. And I'm glad. (interview link in comments). Here's one of the many memorable aphorisms: 💽 "When there's a disconnect between data and intuition, I pick intuition." Surprised to hear that from a former theoretical physics Princeton major and world famous CEO? Don't be. Here's how it plays out in everyday life. Last Saturday, I braved the 4100 meter Nevis to St. Kitts Channel Swim. Before the race, the organizers told the 299 swimmers (including me) to "expect currents to come from your left and adjust accordingly." I trusted the race authorities. Heck, they had successfully run 23 races and secured 46 boats and kayaks for this epic event. They have the data! 🏊♂️ The data were wrong. 🏊♂️ Currents came from the left. Then the right. When the Atlantic Ocean mixed with the Caribbean Sea, all bets were off. I had entered a cauldron of jellyfish hell. It didn't end there. As I approached the final 1000 meters, I got caught in a spin cycle and lost sight of the shore. I calculated that I added 500 more meters to my serpentine swim before I sighted a swim pod. Thankfully, I trusted my intuition and abandoned the race director's advice. And it worked. When combined with some positive self-talk and calm breathing, I landed on shore and placed 37 out of 139 women. Twenty-six swimmers got plucked out of the ocean due to exhaustion, disorientation, dehydration, or seasickness. I am not bragging. I'm a consistently average 40-year veteran open water swimmer who trusted her intuition and breath to finish the race. Bezos is a billionaire and juggernaut who places big bets, sets bold visions, and dances between intuition, experimentation and data. The lessons? 1. Schedule time intervals to re-evaluate your company's KPIs--and whether they provide one version of the CURRENT truth. Some may be ready to retire. 2. Take bold but prudent risks. I have a few swimmer friends who recently started competing in OW swimming, and showed interest in the Nevis swim. I discouraged them. Instead, they opted to join a sanctioned swim camp and learn key skills from seasoned coaches. That's a wise move before braving big waters. 3. Go deep with meditation, breathwork, and taming your saboteurs. Find what works for you: meditation apps, classes, group gatherings, or Positive Intelligence courses. During the trip, I told my swim friends that "my OW races are 90 percent mental fitness and 10% physical fitness." I talked myself out of that rough water and the widespread jellyfish sting sessions. A faster freestyle was not the answer. Where will your intuition and inner calm take you this week? 🏊♂️ #CMO #mindfulmarketer #mindfulness Scott Shute Carly Khanna R. Eric McCarthey *(IMHO, the Vanity Fair interview with Bezos and his fiance, Lauren Sanchez doesn't count. It was a puff piece).

I've seen a growing number of posts recently about the changing (and rapidly expanding) CMO roles--and how people belong in a certain leadership track or specialty. Let me be the contrarian here. The more we try to pigeonhole marketing leaders into "revenue CMO," "brand CMO," "product CMO," or "strategic CMO," buckets, the more we limit their potential and agility. When joining a new organization, we need time to pause and evaluate our surroundings. Whatever you were told before you were hired is subject to validation. The first steps to any CMO role are: a) to understand what growth stage your organization is facing, b) to build strong stakeholders across your customer and internal base; and c) to clarify how much autonomy your CEO is willing to give you to pursue further growth. It's tempting to throw people into categories. We like putting labels on people, places and things. It's human nature. Yet the sign of true intelligence, which F. Scott Fitzgerald said perfectly, is "the ability to hold two opposing ideas at once and still retain the ability to function." That's what growth-minded CMOs are expected to do right now. The pace of change is moving too quickly to dig in our heels to one single focus or single threaded KPIs. Some marketing leadership qualities remain timeless. Don't let these qualities evaporate. You'll find several in my popular LinkedIn Learning course. Check out what 6,100 other leaders have completed on LinkedIn Learning: "Become an Effective CMO." https://lnkd.in/evF5VkRW 💪 Nimble marketing leaders unite! #CMO #marketingleadership #AI +++++++++++ 💪 I'm Lisa--a consultant, executive coach, podcaster, and speaker covering marketing leadership and growth strategy. +++++++++++ 🧢 Tap the bell under the banner in my profile to catch my next post or LinkedIn livestream (84 and counting!)