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/

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