Above The Fold

Mar 06 2025 50 ep. 43 mins 41

Above The Fold Podcast artwork

Tune in every Thursday as Jess chats with operators and founders across CX, marketing, and everything in between to discuss what creates a killer brand experience. In each episode, we’ll dive into the nitty-gritty like acquisition and retention tactics and zoom out to discuss the big things like AI, brand experience and why customer experience is at the center of it all.

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Episode 50 | Jaxxon's Approach To Building A CX Team That Drives Brand Loyalty

Mar 06 2025 46 mins

This week, I sat down with Caela Castillo, Director of CX at Jaxxon, to talk about what it really takes to build a CX team that customers actually want to engage with.We’re chatting all things hiring for personality over process, using AI without making your brand sound like a robot, and why CX should always have a seat at the strategy table. Caela breaks down the strategy behind

Episode 49 | Living, Leading, and Learning CX

Feb 27 2025 52 mins

This week, I brought the CX girl gang out of the group chat and into the podcast for a conversation about careers, leadership, and the reality of running CX teams.Ashley Harris (CXM @ Caraway), Cati Brunell-Brutman (CXM @ Glossier), Molly Meetz (Director of CX @ Corso), Leanna Nazzizi (Senior Director of CX at Victoria Beckham Beauty), Nancy Gurd (Director of CX at Caraway), and La

Episode 48 | How Equip is Shaking Things Up in the Protein Market

Feb 20 2025 60 mins

This week on Above the Fold, I sat down with Kieran Mathew, GM and partner at Equip Foods, to talk about what it really takes to build a brand that lasts.We get into his journey from running a marketing agency at 19 years old to scaling a multi-million dollar eCommerce business. Kieran breaks down why transparency, trust, and real customer relationships have been the backbone of Eq

Episode 47 | Changing the Narrative Behind Cannabis with MixMix

Feb 13 2025 63 mins

This week on Above the Fold, we’ve got a BONUS EPISODE coming in hot! Once a month, I go on LinkedIn for AfterHours LIVE—a no-BS breakdown of the biggest DTC moves, plus the kind of raw, unfiltered brand marketing advice you won’t get anywhere else. And this time, the convo was too good not to share.I sat down with the legends behind MixMix—Allison Disney, Katelin Randall,

Episode 46 | How Nomadica is Making Wine Less Pretentious

Feb 06 2025 38 mins

What happens when you walk away from Harvard Med School, dive into Michelin-star restaurants, and set out to change the wine industry? You get Nomadica—a wine brand that’s rewriting the rules and making fine wine fun, accessible, and cool again.In this inspiring episode, Kristin Olszewski, the founder of Nomadica, shares her incredible journey from dropping out of med school to

Episode 45 | From Viral Content to Brand Building with Josh & Mark of Taste Salud

Jan 30 2025 39 mins

This week, I sat down with my brothers from another mother to talk about what it really takes to build a brand that lasts, beyond social media hype.We cover entrepreneurship, content marketing, Latino representation in business, and why customer experience is more than just good service. Plus, Josh shares how he’s handled doubt along the way (was it the content or just the a

Episode 44 | How Top of The Mornin' Coffee Built a Loyal Community

Jan 23 2025 37 mins

What happens when you mix a YouTube star, startup chaos, and a coffee bean-shaped soap? You get this week’s episode of Above the Fold!Jess Cervellon sits down with Kenzie McAndrew, the powerhouse marketer behind Akira Coffee and Top of the Mornin'. Kenzie shares how her love for branding—and a college hustle redesigning logos—sparked a career that’s equal parts creativity a

Episode 43 | Building A Brand One Shot At A Time With Chaser

Jan 09 2025 36 mins

What happens when two best friends, a shot of tequila, and stale ginger ale collide? You get Chaser, the ultimate party companion.In this laugh-out-loud episode, Jess Carroll and Jess Moran, the dynamic duo behind Chaser, share how a college friendship and one too many gross shots led to their game-changing beverage brand. From 8 a.m. “shots for science” in a lab to designing a

JUV's Secret to Turning a Problem into Pure Gold with Founder Jai Patel

Dec 19 2024 54 mins

What happens when a juicer meets a French press and says, “Hold my pulp?” You get JUV, the brainchild of Jai Patel, who’s here to spill the juice (literally and metaphorically) on how he turned a personal juicing nightmare into a game-changing product.In this chaotic and juice-soaked episode, we channel our inner QVC hosts with a live JUV press demo—yes, things got messy. J

From Concept to Can: Henry Rathjen's Can-Tini Journey

Dec 12 2024 36 mins

This week, we’re diving into the world of Can-Tini, the beautifully branded, ready-to-drink espresso martini, with its founder, Henry Rathjen. 🍸✨Henry shares the inspiring founder story of Can-Tini, how it all started with a holiday bar conversation, and the journey of creating a standout product in Austin’s competitive beverage scene. From branding strategies and overcomi