In this episode of the Omnichannel Marketer, host Kait Stephens interviews Heather Wood, SVP of Marketing at GOODLES.

Heather shares her journey from the organic produce and craft coffee industries to leading marketing at GOODLES, a better-for-you mac and cheese brand taking on the biggest incumbents in the category. She discusses what it takes to build a brand people genuinely love, how GOODLES made the bold leap from D2C into nationwide retail with Target before they even officially launched, and why packaging is still their number one point of discovery.

The conversation explores how GOODLES uses community — not scale — as their north star for engagement, the bold decision to turn off all paid media when transitioning to retail, and why keeping creative entirely in-house has been central to the brand's authentic voice.

TAKEAWAYS:

• GOODLES is a better-for-you mac and cheese and pasta brand built on the principle of maximizing nutrition without compromising on taste.
• Going up against major incumbents requires being nimble, creative, and authentic — and getting the product and brand right before launch, not after.
• GOODLES launched into Target nationwide before their official launch, making a bold go-or-no-go decision that set the trajectory for the brand.
• D2C is used primarily as a community and education channel, not a primary revenue driver, with the GOODLES Clubhouse serving as a hub for their most passionate brand promoters.
• Word of mouth is the second-biggest point of discovery for GOODLES, right behind on-shelf packaging, and investing in quality community engagement is what drives it.
• Packaging is the brand's biggest billboard; GOODLES built it with a timeless strategy to outlast fleeting dietary trends.
• GOODLES keeps all creative in-house and uses AI very sparingly, believing that authentic, passion-driven creative cannot be outsourced or replicated.
• Turning off all paid media when transitioning to retail was a scary but ultimately successful bet that forced full commitment to the retail channel.
• Celebrating wins and expressing gratitude to your team is one of the most underrated and important things a startup leader can do.

Where to find Heather Wood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherwoodsc/

Website: https://www.goodles.com/

Where to find Kait Stephens:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kait-margraf-stephens/

Website: www.brij.it

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In this episode of the Omnichannel Marketer, host Kait Stephens interviews Jared Grawrock, Head of Lifecycle & Retention Marketing at goodr.

Jared shares his journey from dabbling in early social media and email marketing to leading retention strategy at one of the most beloved sunglass brands in the country. He discusses what it truly means to be "customer obsessed," how goodr balances DTC and omnichannel growth, and why building deep brand loyalty from day one is the single most powerful growth lever a brand can have.

The conversation dives into how goodr uses data, AI, and a relentless focus on the "why" behind customer behavior to build lifecycle programs that actually resonate, and why word-of-mouth still reigns as their number one acquisition channel after a decade in business.

TAKEAWAYS:

• Good lifecycle and retention marketing starts with asking "why" – why did they buy, why did they come back, and why does one cohort outperform another.
• Retention and acquisition are not competing priorities; they are complementary levers that must be balanced together.
• goodr actively embraces omnichannel growth, building strategies to serve customers wherever they want to shop, whether DTC, Amazon, or retail partners like REI.
• Using Brij inserts in Amazon orders has been a key tactic for identifying anonymous customers and bringing them into goodr's owned ecosystem.
• The brand's highest-retention cohort traces back to its earliest days, when the CEO handed out sunglasses from the trunk of his car.
• Word-of-mouth remains goodr's number one acquisition channel, even after ten years of growth across paid and owned channels.
• AI is accelerating Jared's ability to analyze data and surface insights, including parsing nearly 10,000 open-ended loyalty survey responses in a fraction of the time.
• AI will improve product recommendations and shorten the consideration phase, but it cannot replicate the emotional experience of a purchase that just feels right.
• SMS is one of the most underrated lifecycle channels: powerful when done right, but easy to get wrong.
• The biggest mistake brands make in retention is treating customers as generic segments.

Where to find Jared Grawrock:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-grawrock-57124a7/

Website: https://goodr.com/

Where to find Kait Stephens:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kait-margraf-stephens/

Website: www.brij.it

SUBSCRIBE TO THE OMNICHANNEL MARKETER

www.theomnichannelmarketer.com

In this episode of the Omnichannel Marketer, host Kait Stephens interviews Danielle Nicoll, SVP of Marketing at Cann.

Danielle shares her journey from the entertainment industry to leading marketing for Cann, a pioneer in the THC microdose beverage category. She discusses the challenges and strategies of marketing a highly regulated product, the importance of building a strong community, and how Cann leverages creator partnerships and omnichannel distribution to drive trial and brand awareness.

The conversation highlights the power of word-of-mouth marketing, the role of AI in understanding customer demographics, and the value of trusting your instincts when making bold marketing bets.

TAKEAWAYS:

- Cann is a THC microdose beverage positioned as an alcohol alternative for social drinking.

- Marketing, regardless of the product, is fundamentally about capturing attention and creating FOMO.

- Driving trial is crucial for new categories; sampling and word-of-mouth are strong growth levers for Cann.

- Cann utilizes a strategic omnichannel approach, pushing D2C customers to retail locations to boost velocity.

- Navigating a highly regulated industry requires creative marketing, heavily relying on creators, influencers, and local events.

- Building a brand that feels like a friend fosters strong community engagement and loyalty.

- AI tools are valuable for analyzing customer demographics and tailoring creative content to specific audiences.

- Trusting your instincts over over-analyzing data can lead to successful, bold marketing moments, like Cann's viral collaboration with Bethany Frankel.

- The future of the THC beverage category points toward mainstream availability, pending legislation.

- Affiliate marketing platforms, like ShopMy, are powerful tools for driving growth and monetizing creator content.

Where to find Danielle Nicoll:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielleanicoll/

​Website: https://drinkcann.com/

Where to find Kait Stephens:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kait-margraf-stephens/

Website: www.brij.it

SUBSCRIBE TO THE OMNICHANNEL MARKETER

www.theomnichannelmarketer.com