🎙️ Branching Out Podcast | Episode 21

Building Big Tech for Little Humans | Dani Strong (VP of Growth at Gabb)

In this episode of Branching Out, Matt sits down with Dani Strong, recorded live at the Silicon Slopes Conference. Dani leads growth marketing, marketplace, and retail initiatives at Gabb, one of the fastest-growing companies building technology designed specifically for kids.

Over the past few years, she has helped scale the business from a strong Utah startup into a nationally recognized brand with expanding retail presence and major marketplace growth. In this conversation, Matt and Dani discuss what it really takes to grow a mission-driven company in today’s competitive tech and retail landscape.

They explore:

• The exciting and sometimes scary realities of hypergrowth

• Dani’s journey from eCommerce Director to VP of Growth

• Scaling a Utah startup into a national brand

• Expanding into marketplaces like Amazon and major retail channels

• The unique energy of the Silicon Slopes startup community

• Why building kid-safe technology matters for families This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at growth leadership, scaling retail distribution, and building products with purpose.

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Marketers love the idea that more data will finally prove marketing’s value. But what if more evidence doesn’t create more confidence or more budget protection?

In this solo episode, Matt Butler breaks down the misconception behind “premium” measurement signals like incremental conversions from major platforms and why they’re often treated as a shiny upgrade instead of the bare minimum. The real problem isn’t a lack of tracking. It’s a lack of demonstrated business outcomes.

This conversation reframes incrementality as the core proof marketers actually need: measurable, incremental sales growth. Not attribution theater. Not dashboard volume. Real lift that a CFO can trust and a leadership team can fund.

In this episode:

• Why “more data” rarely translates into more credibility
• What incremental conversions really represent (and what they don’t)
• The trap of optimizing for tracking instead of outcomes
• Why incremental sales growth is the only proof that protects budget
• How to align measurement with real business impact

If you’re responsible for performance, growth, or marketing effectiveness, this episode is a reset: stop chasing proof that looks impressive and start proving what changes the business.

What does it really take to build something that wins — not just once, but over time?

In Episode 18 of the Branching Out Podcast, host Matt Butler sits down with Caleb Sewell, Sporting Director of FC Tulsa and former professional goalkeeper, for a deep leadership case study that goes far beyond sports.

This is not a career interview. It’s a conversation about systems, standards, and truth.

Using Caleb’s journey from player to executive leadership, this episode explores what leaders should focus on beforeresults show up — and how to stay disciplined when outcomes lag good strategy.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Decision-making under uncertainty
• Building systems instead of chasing short-term wins
• Why results often lag strong strategy
• How leaders measure progress before the scoreboard changes
• Accountability, truthful measurement, and uncomfortable data
• Culture as an operating system, not a buzzword
• Why excellence requires alignment, not heroics

Caleb shares how he helped lead a long-term transformation at FC Tulsa by setting clear standards, communicating the “why” behind change, and building coalitions instead of relying on quick fixes.

The leadership lessons in this episode apply whether you’re:

• Running a football club
• Leading a marketing or growth team
• Managing performance in high-pressure environments
• Or building an organization meant to last

At its core, this episode is about refusing to be associated with average — and understanding that excellence is built collectively, over time, with clarity, patience, and accountability.

🎙️ Listen to Episode 18 of Branching Out now.