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The CMO Whisperer

Steve Olenski
Artificial Intelligence
Marketing
Leadership
Claritas
AI In Marketing
Customer Experience
DNA Vibe
Measurement
Advertising
BNI
Relationship Marketing
Christopher Wallace
Attribution
Global Marketing
Zen Business
Kwieri
CES
Personalization
J.crew
Adidas North America

The CMO Whisperer, hosted by former Forbes writer Steve Olenski, is a curated executive platform and marketing leadership podcast where CMOs, brand leaders, and senior operators share candid insights on leadership, brand strategy, and growth. Spanning business, sports, and media, it goes beyond marketing to reveal how top leaders make decisions and perform at the highest levels.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes168Founded3 years ago
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Latest Episodes

My guest today is Frank 'MF' Hamlin, former EVP and Chief Customer Officer at GameStop, where he was in the C-suite during a pandemic-era short squeeze. Before GameStop, Frank built an impressive career across retail, e-commerce, and music, holding s... more

YouTube

My guest today has spent her career at the intersection of marketing, media, education, and ideas. Ruth Mortimer is the Global President at Advertising Week, where she helps shape the brand's thought leadership agenda and education business. Now, bef... more

YouTube

My guest today is Sarah Evans, partner and head of PR at Zen Media. Sarah is a true pioneer in digital communications, having helped create the hashtag JournChat in 2008, founded Sevans PR, and spent the last two decades helping brands see around the... more

YouTube

My guest today is Nicole Rex, Vice President of Global Marketing Campaigns and Core Content at Dell Technologies. A journalist by training and a marketer by trade, Nicole has spent more than 25 years demonstrating that great storytelling isn't just c... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Ruth Mortimer
Global President at Advertising Week
Advertising Week
Episode: Creators Are Becoming the New Media - Ruth Mortimer
Sarah Evans
Partner and Head of PR at Zen Media
Zen Media
Episode: AI Is Changing PR - Sarah Evans
Nicole Rex
Vice President of Global Marketing Campaigns and Core Content at Dell Technologies
Dell Technologies
Episode: Scaling Content Without Losing What Matters - Nicole Rex
Carly Crittenden
Chief Revenue Officer at Vidmob
Vidmob
Episode: Creative Still Needs Humans - Carly Crittenden
Aniket Deosthali
CEO and co-founder of Envive AI
Envive AI
Episode: Stop Building Better Chatbots - Aniket Deosthali
Michael Stich
Partner at CourtAvenue
CourtAvenue
Episode: The AI Growth Problem - Michael Stich
Dave Neville
Senior Vice President of Marketing at Johnnie-O
Johnnie-O
Episode: Stop Chasing Celebrity Influencers - Dave Neville
Phil Auerbach
CMO of Custom Ink
Custom Ink
Episode: Why Smart Marketers Overcomplicate - Philip Auerbach
Will Leach
Founder of Mindstate Group; former head of PepsiCo's Behavioral Science Lab
Mindstate Group; PepsiCo
Episode: AI Is Scaling Mediocrity - Will Leach

Host

Steve Olenski
Host of The CMO Whisperer Show; former Forbes contributor; leads executive marketing leadership conversations across business, sports, and media.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 23 ratings
  • Insightful and Actionable Branding Wisdom

    Steve Olenski’s podcast is a standout for anyone exploring branding and marketing. In just one episode, I gained so many actionable takeaways—from understanding the role of culture to connecting authentically with an audience. Steve’s thoughtful hosting style allows guests like Dr. Marcus Collins to dive deep without interruption, creating conversations that are both insightful and practical. Highly recommend giving it a listen!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Portrait Queen
    United States2 years ago
  • the best

    there’s no one better then Steve! Great content, questions and guests.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    angryddcustomer
    United States2 years ago
  • One of the best marketing podcasts

    Loved my time with Steve. He puts you at ease and keep the conversation organic, informal and always fun and entertaining. Will highly recommend his podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JawadBis
    United States3 years ago
  • Solid content and insights

    Solid content and insights from an expert in the marketing realm.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    cjweb
    United States3 years ago
  • Whisperer Magic

    I’ve know Steve for years. He inspires me as a friend and his podcast inspires the CMO in me. His straight forward consumer centric point of view is spot on.

    #TheCMOWhisperer

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Michele Barbone
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests consistently highlight strategic thinking over purely tactical tips.
Host keeps conversations relaxed, insightful, and focused on leadership.
The show attracts top-tier marketing executives and offers in-depth, candid discussions.
Guests deliver practical, actionable marketing takeaways that translate to real-world results.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

AI Is Changing PR - Sarah Evans
Q: What should a CEO or CMO expect from their PR teams in this AI era that they might not have anticipated before?
Expect a shift toward building infrastructure for AI visibility, integrating owned content with earned and syndicated content, and ensuring the human element remains intact to add credibility and journalistic rigor in an increasingly automated landscape.
AI Is Changing PR - Sarah Evans
Q: How should a modern PR team measure AI visibility without vanity metrics?
Move beyond impressions to metrics that reflect real impact, such as AI citation reports, baseline prompt landscape, and downstream effects like web traffic and referral sources from AI-driven content, including whether transcripts are indexed and used as authority signals.
AI Is Changing PR - Sarah Evans
Q: So what are some things leaders are still getting wrong right now, or maybe misunderstanding about AI or misconceptions?
Leaders are overly focused on AI visibility as a standalone goal and need to remember to tie AI initiatives to fundamental PR skills—clear messaging, audience targeting, and durable content strategies that work across channels, including owned sites.
Creative Still Needs Humans - Carly Crittenden
Q: What is Carly's belief about the future of advertising and marketing that leaders should hear?
Two core beliefs: first, this work isn't about saving lives but solving meaningful business problems and building thoughtful organizations; second, history tends to repeat itself, so leaders should remain thoughtful and intentional with AI, avoiding laziness and overcomplication while pursuing speed.
Scaling Content Without Losing What Matters - Nicole Rex
Q: How do you measure whether content drives business outcomes beyond engagement?
They rely on a full set of KPIs across the buyer journey, including awareness, engagement, conversion, retention, and pipeline impact, not just vanity metrics.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The CMO Whisperer

What is The CMO Whisperer about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show spotlights senior marketing leaders and operators who share candid perspectives on leadership, brand strategy, and growth across business, sports, and media. Episodes frequently tackle how to align marketing with finance and revenue, the evolving role of CMOs, data-driven decision making, and the human elements behind B2B partnerships and customer experiences. A recurring strength is drawing practical, boardroom-relevant insights from guests who lead with vision—covering topics from AI governance and revenue operations to brand transformation and sponsorship models. The format tends to blend strategic theory with real-world anecdotes, making it useful for listeners seeking actionable guidance on scaling marketing initiatives and l... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The CMO Whisperer?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The CMO Whisperer:

1. Pivot
2. The Daily
3. Morning Brew Daily
4. Up First from NPR
5. SmartLess

How many episodes of The CMO Whisperer are there?

The CMO Whisperer launched 3 years ago and published 168 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The CMO Whisperer?

Recent guests on The CMO Whisperer include:

1. Ruth Mortimer
2. Sarah Evans
3. Nicole Rex
4. Carly Crittenden
5. Aniket Deosthali
6. Michael Stich
7. Dave Neville
8. Phil Auerbach

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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