James Coughlan knows that the stakes are high when marketing in a private equity environment.

As CMO of Astrak, he shares lessons from navigating brand strategy, commercial pressure, and leadership accountability, all at once.

📌 What you’ll learn:

– The mindset that helps CMOs stay relevant

– What founders expect in PE environments

– Career advice James would give — and take back

🕒 Timestamps:

00:00 Career story

03:45 Commercial leadership

06:20 Personal development & missteps

10:50 Brand building in high-stakes environments

Dirtea didn’t just grow, it educated, impacted and scaled with precision.

Jessica Salmanpour, now CEO, shares the story of how Dirtea became the UK’s No.1 mushroom tea brand. She unpacks the critical decisions that shaped their growth — from rethinking team structure to anchoring brand around education and customer outcomes.

📌 You’ll learn:

– Why early team structures don’t scale

– How to turn wellness education into brand power

– How Jessica balanced operations, marketing, and growth as CEO

🕒 Timestamps:

00:00 - 01:50 Introduction to Dirty's Success
01:50 - 03:02 Core Values Driving Growth
03:02 - 04:22 Personal Journey into Mushrooms
04:22 - 05:59 Customer Impact Stories
05:59 - 07:58 Importance of Product Integrity
07:58 - 09:44 Social Media's Role in Education
09:44 - 11:01 Navigating Competition in the Market
11:01 - 12:40 Challenges of Scaling the Business
12:40 - 14:05 Building Strong Supplier Relationships
14:05 - 15:25 Future Plans for Expansion

A CMO who drives growth is more than a marketing expert, they’re a strategic partner in scale.

In this episode, Jack Johnson, Ellie Farrugia, and Sarah Balch walk through how to identify, assess, and hire senior marketing talent who create lasting impact across the company. Whether you're hiring now or preparing for growth, this is essential listening.

📌 What you’ll learn:

The traits of CMOs who grow companies, not just channels

The interview questions that reveal real capability

The cost of hiring too late — or the wrong person

Lessons from real-world success and missteps

🕒 Timestamps:

00:00 Backgrounds

03:10 What defines a growth-driving CMO

06:40 Hiring frameworks

12:50 Red flags and breakthroughs

🔗 Resources:

Kinsman & Co – https://shorturl.at/h0mnT

Blu Digital – https://shorturl.at/u45kT

🛠️ Tools:

Opus – https://www.opus.pro/?via=e53fa5

Community – https://shorturl.at/RAbNc