TMC Presents: The Marketing Clubhouse

In this episode of The Marketing Clubhouse, we’re joined by Kathryn Sanford, a personal brand coach for senior women professionals who helps her clients move from feeling invisible to being influential. Kathryn works with women who’ve built decades of experience - yet quietly question their relevance, confidence, or visibility. We unpack why confidence can shrink as experience grows, what’s happening in our brains when we start to reframe how we see ourselves, and why personal branding feels so uncomfortable (especially if you’ve been a long-time LinkedIn lurker). Kathryn shares practical rewires for self-doubt, how to show up authentically without turning into a “tech bro thought leader,” and why believing your story privately matters before telling it publicly. What we cover in this episode • Why many women redefine themselves by titles - and the first mindset shift required before posting online • The neuroscience behind self-reframing and how it changes how we show up • Why personal branding feels “icky” and the mental effort required to push through • How to handle workplace self-doubt when colleagues notice your visibility • The risk of outsourcing your story — and what we lose when we do • Patterns Kathryn sees in women who successfully reinvent themselves mid-career You should listen if… You’re a senior professional who feels like your experience isn’t translating into visibility, you’ve thought about showing up on LinkedIn but keep hesitating, or you’ve quietly wondered, “Who am I to talk about this?” This episode is a powerful reminder that confidence isn’t about volume - it’s about belief. And that it’s never too late to reclaim your voice.

In this episode of The Marketing Clubhouse, we’re joined by Tom Horton, Marketing Manager at Phantom Billstickers - New Zealand’s street poster powerhouse. While most brands chase screens and scrolls, Phantom Billstickers is doubling down on large-scale wall takeovers, tactile media, and creative activations that stop people in their tracks.We unpack why OOH still delivers unique value in a digital-saturated world, how sustainability is shaping Phantom’s positioning, and how physical campaigns can spark online momentum. This is a conversation about creative constraint, brand storytelling in public spaces, and why offline media might be more powerful than ever.What we cover in this episodeWhy OOH and street posters are seeing a resurgence in a digital-first eraWhat types of campaigns work best in physical public spacesHow Phantom communicates sustainability credentials without sounding performativeDesigning poster campaigns that spark UGC and social momentumTurning creative constraints into bold activation ideasHow to measure ROI and impact in outdoor mediaBalancing national scale with hyper-local cultural relevanceYou should listen if you’re a marketer who lives in dashboards and performance metrics and want to rethink the role of physical media, or you’re curious about how offline can amplify digital - not compete with it.This episode is a reminder that not everything powerful lives behind a screen.

In this episode of The Marketing Clubhouse, we’re joined by Michaela Egbers, a marketer who’s spent the last decade helping startups, scale-ups, and creative brands turn strategy and storytelling into real growth. From being the first marketing hire at Icehouse Ventures to now leading marketing at Ideally, Michaela shares what it takes to build credibility, community, and cut-through in crowded ecosystems.This conversation explores how strong storytelling scales across founders, investors, marketers, and researchers and why retention, purpose, and clarity matter just as much as acquisition. It’s a practical, thoughtful look at how modern marketing works when you’re building for the long term.What we cover in this episodeHow to balance credibility and aspiration when storytelling for founders, investors, and scale-upsWhy retention and community marketing are critical—and what CMOs can learn from ecosystem-led brandsThe role of copywriting across the full funnel, from first touch to long-term engagementHelping startups evolve from product-led pitches to purpose-driven brands without losing commercial focusThe difference between ecosystem marketing and product marketing and how to avoid diluted messagingWhich marketing metrics actually matter when scaling platforms, communities, and modern SaaS brandsYou should listen if you're a marketer, startup founder, or brand leader looking to scale your impact through storytelling, strategy, and community.

In this episode of The Marketing Clubhouse, we’re joined by Cat Emerson, Chief Customer Officer at Kernel Wealth and one of the company’s very first hires. Cat shares what it really looks like to build a brand from the ground up in a fintech startup—far beyond the glossy startup stereotypes. From moving out of big corporate marketing roles into early-stage chaos, to realising that trust (not financial products) is Kernel’s true value proposition, this conversation unpacks the realities of marketing in a highly regulated, emotionally charged category. It’s an honest look at money, trust, and what it takes to grow a brand when the stakes are high.What we cover in this episodeThe reality of being an early startup hire and how it differs from the “startup glamour” narrativeTransitioning from corporate marketing into a startup and what surprises most marketersGrowing with the business: lessons from moving from early hire to Chief Customer OfficerWhy trust—not funds or features—is Kernel’s most important productTackling money shame and deeply ingrained financial myths in New ZealandFinding creative marketing opportunities in a tightly regulated fintech environmentIf you’re a marketer navigating a high-trust, high-risk category where getting it wrong really matters, this episode is for you. From anyone working in fintech, finance, or regulated industries, or for marketers who want a realistic view of what “building from scratch” actually looks like.

In this episode of The Marketing Clubhouse, we sit down with Fiona Cortis, Head of Marketing at Blunt Umbrellas, to unpack how one of the most functional product categories has been transformed into a globally aspirational brand. From leading Blunt’s bold 2023 rebrand to balancing long-term brand equity with performance marketing, Fiona shares practical lessons from building a Kiwi brand on the world stage. The conversation dives into metrics, creativity, AI, and the habits that help marketers build brands that actually last.We unpack:How Blunt redefined umbrellas from a purely practical product into a stylish, emotionally driven brandScaling a global brand across NZ, Australia, the UK and the US - without losing Kiwi authenticityBlending long-term brand building with short-term performance marketing (and why you need both)Using metrics to track brand health and digital performance in a data-led, realistic wayWhen tactical activations like DOOH and weather-triggered ads work - and when they don’tThe role AI plays in modern marketing teams, from creative experimentation to efficiency gainsThis episode is for marketers who want to build brands that stand out in unexpected categories - without losing sight of performance. If you’re navigating the tension between long-term brand building and short-term results, scaling a brand internationally, or trying to make “boring” products feel desirable, Fiona’s insights are practical, honest, and immediately useful.You’ll walk away with clear thinking on how to balance creativity with data, experiment without gimmicks, and build resilient brands that last beyond the latest trend.

This week on The Marketing Clubhouse, we’re joined by Stu Lees - better known as The Shoestring Marketer. Stu shares how founders and small business owners can market effectively with almost no budget and very little time. From how to spend just four hours a week on marketing, to real-world week-by-week plans for tradies and market stall owners, this episode is packed with practical frameworks you can actually use.He covers: How to market effectively with almost no budget and very limited timeHow to structure just 4 hours a week of marketing for maximum impactThe biggest time and money mistakes small businesses are makingThe only metrics that actually matter when you’re on a shoestringHow to test and scale ideas quickly without wasting moneyPlus, Stu takes on The Brief and our classic Elevator Drop 0 where he’s challenged to turn a Te reo Māori daily planner into the next big thing in 60 seconds.If you’re a founder, solo operator, or marketer trying to do more with less, this episode is for you.