October 9, 2025 • 37 mins
The funnel isn’t “dead” It has just evolved. Diana Haussling, CEO of Hello Products, explains why modern brand building looks more like an infinity loop than a linear path, and how AI is reshaping everything from creative to supply chain. Having worked leading marketing across many consumer brands, she and Christian discuss her shift from CMO to CEO, the importance of change management, and how values are reflected in the thousands of micro-decisions companies make every day.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Possible Now Stories of Possibilities, the podcast where
we dive into the leadership frameworks, bold ideas, and personal
stories shaping the future of marketing, technology and leadership today.
I'm thrilled to sit down with the leader who is
reshaping the future of consumer brands and inspiring the entire
(00:26):
industry with her vision and values, Diana Housling, CEO of
Hello Products. What makes Diana stand out is not just
the scale of what she's led, but the way she
leads with bold vision, people first values, and a passion
for turning complex problems into catalytic opportunities. From transforming billion
(00:47):
dollar brands at Colgate, Campbell's, and Hershey's to serving as
Colgate's North America CEMO, Diana Housling is a trailblazer who
marries bold innovation with human centered leadership. Now CEO of
Hello Products, she continues to disrupt the oral category with
authenticity and purpose. She's been recognized as one of the
(01:09):
industry's most compelling voices, delivering keynotes at a Anda, YouTube
brand cast, Amazon, and bus. Anna is featured in Forbes, Variety,
and ad Age and many more. But what inspires me
most about Diana is not just her results, it's her
relentless drive to connect people, spark growth, and lead with
values in everything she does. In this conversation, we will
(01:32):
explore what it means to move from CMO to CEO,
how to unlock growths by breaking old models, and why
the future of marketing requires both people obsession and future
forward vision. I'm super excited and welcome a remarkable leader,
visionary and human being, Dana Housling. Dana, welcome to Possible.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Now, well, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
I don't know who can say much more glowing things
about me, either you or my mother, but it's definitely
deep competition.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Oh well, what an honor? What a not do we
mentioned with your mother to full transparency, Diana. I'm also
very proud to have you at my Board of advisors.
You know, I think for more than two years, and
I have to say I always admire the clarity and
humanity you bring into every conversation. So I wanted to
let our audience also know that you're very well connected
(02:22):
to Possible and that we have a lot of discussions
about this as well. But before we kick off, in
the first step, I would like to talk about the
person behind the profile if this is okay with you, So,
as you know, possible is built on the idea putting
the right people into the right room. What's the most
(02:42):
unexpected room you've ever found yourself? How did it change
your perspective? Maybe already some time ago, maybe just recently.
Is there anything you can share with me and my audience.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Especially growing up my family very much so typically are
in the science back grounds. So having a business major
and being in a business mindset, all of the rooms
I enter in are rooms that are unexpected for me,
and I think oftentimes when I walk into these places
and spaces, which you know, in many cases aren't always
(03:15):
designed for people who look like me to thrive, I'm
always surprised by the level of connection, the level of humanity.
We talk a lot about that, but also the willingness
for people to actually invest in other human beings. And
I spend a lot of my time looking for and
seeking the willing. That's part of how I coach my teams.
(03:35):
But for me, no matter what room I find myself in,
I look for those people of the willing, the willing
to drive, willing to think different, the willing to challenge,
including me I love to be in spaces and places
where really smart people are tackling really complex problems and
really pushing each other.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
To be better. So that's really what I seek out
in those rooms.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Every space and place I go into, I also go
into with a piece of gratitude. I did not anticipate
that I would become a CEO one day, that I
would become a CMO one day. People who have my background,
I do not have an MBA, I do not have
a traditional marketing background to become a CMO. But really
that is what inspires me and gives me the passion
(04:20):
to help develop and feel other people as well too.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
I can say, based on my own experience, as soon
as you are in the room, you opened the door
for these kind of conversations immediately, and everybody else feeded immediately.
And your career has been known for rapid acceleration. And
if I counted right, you've experienced six promotions and seven
years at Campbell's. For at Hershey's, you was CMO, at
Colgate you now CEO. Which promotion surprised you the most?
(04:45):
Which one would it be? Or was it all really
planned like this?
Speaker 3 (04:51):
I would love to say that I was more intentional,
and as I coached people today, I actually coach them
to be a lot more intentional. Early on in my
career I was very much so dependent as we all are,
on sponsorship. In order to garner sponsorship, you have to
put your head down, do the work, deliver results on
a consistent basis. But in terms of really being in
(05:12):
the driver's seat of my career, I would say some
of those things were intentional and some were not. Now
I'm a lot more intentional about the rooms that I
go into. But I would say, for me, every single
time I get a win in life, I don't care
how big or small it is. It's a moment of
celebration or reflection for me. And that's why I really
talk about gratitude quite a bit. You know, I am
(05:33):
grateful to be in the spaces that I'm in. I
also am grateful to have the ability and the backing
to be able to push have those hard conversations, say
the thing in the room, be the one that has
a seat at the table, but make space for other people.
So I would say none of them were stood out
more than the other. The things that actually excite me
(05:54):
more is the work that I do helping other people
get promoted. I would say those are the moments that
bring me them because typically for me, one of my
superpowers is my ability to see the potential in other
people and help them get there and unlock it. And
when that magic moment happens, and when that person gets
that role, that job that they didn't think they were
(06:14):
able to get, or that they didn't even realize that
they had the skill set for or that they would
excel in, that's for me, the real unlock. I had
so many people invest in fuel and me, so many
people that are part of this community which I really
thrive and love to be a part of that.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
I just love doing that with and for other people.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
That's amazing. But everybody's time is limited. So can you
do it also outside of your own organizations? I'm sure
you do it with your own team members, you know,
and colleagues, But what about are you part of a
mentorship program anything like this?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Well quite a bit.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
I mean, you know, there aren't a lot of folks
that look like me, and not just from a race standpoint,
just in general. The way that I show up in
a room. You know, I've got nails, bright lipstick, heels,
that you can't see it in this light, but the
whole gamuts. There aren't a lot of people that look
like me in some of the CpG organizations that I'm in.
So usually when I do a speaking engagement or something
like that, I tend to attract people who don't necessarily
(07:11):
see themselves within the leadership teams within their organization, or
they didn't realize that there was a different way of
approaching this type of business. So I do find that
a lot of people do reach out to me if
you do reach out to me. I keep office hours
twice a month where I will reach out to external folks.
I have quite a bit of external mentees. But I
(07:32):
am a part of a couple of really awesome organizations,
one in which is called eve. It was founded by
Sarah Hostedder and Rachel Tippograph, and it's an organization that
was really designed for the digital commerce and the e
commerce industry. At the time, there were very few women
that were in the industry, and we really created a
(07:53):
space and a place for these women to connect. We
all brought in a mentee. It started out with twenty
four women and it has expanded quite significantly. I will
tell you I get more out of it, probably than
the mentees do because there are moments in times the
world the environments are rapidly changing, and I've got a phone,
a friend right there on text that I can go
(08:15):
to and be like this vendor said this to me,
or this thing is happening. Who else has experienced this?
And it's just an energizing space. But you know, when
we talk about networking, people often think of it as
a negative with a negative connotation. But for me, it's
around collecting relationships and leveraging them throughout your career. So sorry, Christian,
(08:38):
you're stuck with me now. And there are moments of
times where I will tap into that community and I've
just found I've never found a person that's like, no,
I'm not going to help you, or no, I don't
have time for you. Even before this podcast, I called
one of our mutual friends, Seth that I was like,
I was noodling on some things.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Cold called him. I called it my Mileni cold call.
He picked up, we talked for twenty minutes. I was like, Okay,
I feel good about this. I'm going to take this direction.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
But you know, I say that because oftentimes people think
once you get to a certain level, you have all
the answers, and what you realize as you grew up
in your career is you don't have all the answers,
but you don't need to because there are so many
super smart, talented people that you can tap into. And
really what makes me brilliant are the people that I
(09:27):
surround myself with, and that ability to connect with them
is so critical.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I totally agree, and I also would say this provides
the real joy right why we're doing what we're doing
in every day and in our business, which is not
always a joy, but I feel always very similar to
you when talking to people getting advice but also being
able to provide advice. You've made obviously a lot of
decisions so far in your career. What was the hardest
(09:54):
one you've ever made and what did it teach you?
Was it a decision about moving from a to be
Was it a decision maybe to say a bit longer
in a job because you felt it's not done yet?
So is there anything you can share?
Speaker 3 (10:08):
I'm so passionate about the brands and the companies I
work for. I do have a little bit of a type.
I love iconic brands. I love strong brands, which is
why I'm enjoying working on Hello, because it's a little
bit of a shift from the traditional one hundred and
fifty two hundred and nineteen year old organizations.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
That I work with.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
But typically the hardest decisions that I've made is when
to leave. And that's because I've worked at Hershey's, General Mills, Campbell's, Holgate, Hello,
and all of these organizations have brilliant individuals. I've had
awesome experiences, but making that decision to actually take the
leap is actually the hardest decision that I've had to
(10:49):
make in my career, typically because it's really about what
I personally am trying to get from a career standpoint,
but then also how I can have the most impact.
But when you love what you do and you're surrounded
by pretty awesome people every day, it makes it really
hard to walk away. But there is a time and
a space for you to drive growth and have impact
(11:11):
and being able to reflect and understand that but also
make way for new people to come in and also
have impact while you grow yourself. That can be challenging.
Letting go is really a challenging turning point for a
lot of folks as you get further up within your career.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
I totally get it. So let's talk about Helly. You've
mentioned hell in those several times, and it was a
disruptive setup, right a couple of years ago. It wasn't
a quiet when it was it four or five years ago, right.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Yeah, it was acquired five years ago.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
It's a twelve year old brand, so really exciting, expanding,
rapidly growing. But it's all about taking those mundane moments
and bringing a little magic to them. So something as
simple as brushing your teeth or putting on some deodorants
or using some mouthwash and bringing a little fun and
whimsy to the moments while also delivering a consumer experience
(12:03):
that's just you know, for our toothpaste, our mouth losh,
really yummy and different, and then doing it in a
very design forward way. You know, when we talk about
our brand, design is such a huge component of it.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Our taste profile, our flavor.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
All of those things are just paramount to the overall
consumer experience.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Would you say Hello is still a kind of startup?
Does it still have some startup DNA after all these years.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yeah, I think we definitely are.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
We have an office in Montclair, New Jersey for those
folks that know Montclaire. It definitely is very much a
departure from the park Office of Colgate.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
It definitely has that startup mentality.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
We're a small but mighty team, so everybody has to
have skin in the game. I talk a lot about
a founder mentality, so regardless of the role that you're in,
really having that founder mentality, every dollar matters for us
driving impact. We currently are around a seven percent house
hold penetration, so there's so much room to grow. So
(13:03):
it does still have that start up vibe. I would
say if you think about like, you know, we're probably
like in high school now, you know, not really no
longer in middle school. So we've matured in a lot
of ways. We're really focused, but it definitely we move quickly,
we move with agility. We're a part of what we
call the rocket ship of growth. So when you're a
(13:26):
part of the crew, everybody has to dig in. We
all sell together. So I'm right there with the team
at buyer meeting. So it does still have that vibe
and energy. But we're definitely expanding and growing with scale.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
I can imagine this, I mean not with that kind
of history and not so many years, but well when
I found it beyond ordinary three and a half years
and now needed four years ago and now being acquired
by Hive, you know, it feels a bit similar in
some way, and so I can't imagine and I totally
agree that it feels a bit like high school these days.
So you're one of the few obviously, you know, with
(13:58):
many years and to see more and now being a CEO.
What was the biggest mindset shift moving from the CMO
to CEO? Can you already say this now after a
couple of months being in that CEO chair, I actually.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Don't feel that it was that big of a mindset shift.
When you're in a CMO role, you're dealing with a
lot of detail, a lot of information, You're orchestrating quite
a bit, and you're influencing quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Like you're a conductor of an orchestra.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
So you're really trying to get all the music to
work beautifully together. You have more of a marketing focus
in a CMO lens, and then the CEO just expands that.
So in the CMO role, I would say the biggest
difference is is I spent quite a bit of time
not only developing the team and the talent, but setting
that marketing vision and really establishing how we connected with
humans and people, but influencing the CFO, influencing the president,
(14:48):
influencing leadership to really help them understand how we create
both short and long term demand and loyalty and brand building.
You know, now as the CEO, my focus is somewhat similar.
Is I'm really trying to influence and make sure I
translate my vision to all the different functions. So marketing
is a really critical role of that, But now I
(15:10):
spend a lot more time with supply chain, with innovation,
with R and D, with quality product knowledge, and really
being able to connect all the points. I think a
lot of the skill sets are transferable, and we often
talk about these roles like they're so very different, but
the skill sets that are required to do both can
be transitional. And it depends on the type of CML
role you're in. You know, there are some operational CMO
(15:33):
roles that have P and L responsibilities, which mine happen
to have some P and L responsibilities. That's where there
could be a difference if you're in a CMO role
that doesn't necessarily have P and l responsibilities. It starts
to shift how you think a little bit because you're
you are trying to manage that P and L and
get the most out of it. But I would say
the skill sets required and the understanding actually really translate beautifully.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Do you have to remind yourself sometimes, you know, not
stepping into the markeeting topics too detailed at least days.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
The great thing about the team that I work in
is they have no problem telling me that they've got it.
And I know that they do because I trust them
and where we are and the amount of innovation that
we have coming out of the pipeline. I don't have
the luxury or the privilege to go as deep even
if I wanted to, because you have to be in
so many other places.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
But it is a delight to get to see the work.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
You know.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Sometimes they do come.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
To me with the decision and I have to catch
myself and be like, actually, this is not my decision.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
This is your decision.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Yeah, you need to make it, but after you make it,
if you want to know my opinion, I have some
of those. But yes, it is a challenge of making
sure you focus on the right places and now. If
the marketing team needed me. I would be with them
day and day out in there, but you know, I'm
really focused on delivering against our overall P and L
or overall objective, So it's really challenging to even be
(16:55):
able to go that deep with them.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Looking back now, with your own experience being in the
boardroom as CMO, can you give an advice. And I
know that this is an ongoing discussion in the industry
between cmos and other c suite for some time, how
can cemos earn more trust or let's say, maybe more
power at the executive table, especially when marketing impact isn't
always immediately measurable in financial terms.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Yeah, I would say my best friend at work, we're legal,
the CFO and HR. First, you need to make sure
you get the right talent, the right SMEs.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
The right people that are in place.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Especially in the digital and algorithmic environment that we're in today,
expertise is critical, whether it's your agency team or your
in house team. Having the right people is so important
because if you have the right people, your storytelling a
bill really unlocks. You start to be able to translate
that really quickly and really easily. In my previous role,
(18:07):
I actually had the insights team and the data analytics
team also reported into me, so that was really critical.
If those roles do not report into you, those would
be the other BFFs I would add to the table,
because it's critical to make sure you have the insights
and then you're leveraging the data to help support your storytelling.
Really connecting with the CFO and not just when you're
(18:28):
asking for money or when you're getting cut.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Bringing them along for the journey.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
I'm very fortunate that the CFOs and the head of
finance in Colgate they're very bullish about marketing and they
get it. But if they don't, that's your role to
get them there. I would pull them in with meetings
with the agency. I pull them into a lot of discussions,
so when we are having those more tense discussions around
budget and funding an allocation, you're already of the same
(18:56):
mindset and you're already working very closely together, and sometimes
we forget about our legal friends.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
They are so critical. Bringing them in as early.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
As possible gets you more yeses than knows and also
helps you do things more quickly with more agility than
the most critical part of your role is really influencing
and connecting those groups so that you are able to
do the work that you need to do. And I
think the last most critical part is having the air
(19:27):
cover for your team. I think right now, lots of
the cmos there's a lot of pressure. There's a lot
of fear of taking risks or doing something different or
doing something new. So you have to be the air
cover for your team. You have to be willing to
allow them to push the envelope while you know, keeping
(19:47):
them within you know some beautiful constraints that allow the
work to be stronger. And I would say, you know,
the last thing is really pushing the business to define
those jobs to be done. We talk about that, we
throw that term out there, but then you know, as
the environment shifts, we change with the wind. Defining those
jobs to be done and sticking with them to allow
(20:07):
them to flourish is a challenge and having conviction in that,
but it will pay off dividends if you do it.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Well, let's talk about this a bit more. As we
all know, we are also heavily influenced by obviously the
tech trends and we cannot avoid having a conversation without
touching based on AI and the impact on AI, but
not necessarily having the usual conversation about that it will
become or is already of course, you know, very impactful.
(20:36):
When we talk about young people and you already mentioned
them several times just entering the workforce and maybe thinking
about also founding a new company or trying to get
into the workforce. I mean, it's a big topic, I know,
but let's try to get into this a bit in
terms of your own experience at hello using AI, developing
new benefits out of this, and also considering young people
(21:00):
who are obviously far more familiar with all this tech
then our generation potentially, but at the same time also
sometimes have concerns about this, you know, how this could
change their career decisions.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
I will say from an AI perspective, you know, whether
it's supply chain or our marketing tech stack. You know,
AI is fueling everything, and the unlock and all of
the interesting and cool things that we're able to do
with AI is really exciting. The part that I'm more
excited about is the space that it gives our teams
to be a lot more strategic, a lot more thoughtful,
(21:35):
and really be able to unlock that human power. You know,
what I have learned and what I always say about
AI is it requires that human touch at a lot
of considerable points.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
What you put in is what you get out.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
And if you're smart about training your team so they're
fluent in AI.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Your output will be that much greater.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
There are so much more that's going to come from
this that I'm just eager and excited to be, you know,
in the industry at this time. It's a pivotal point
of change. But you know, I've been focusing my team
right now on the generations that have grown up in
a digital environment and for them, as we think about
AI and just anything from a digital perspective, their view
(22:19):
and lens is very much attuned to it. So as
we think about training our marketing talent, they have to
be able to think with their hearts and their minds.
So how do you connect with consumers in an emotional
way but also understand how to make decisions that are
going to fuel and drive algorithms. You know, when you
think about developing creative, you have to think about not
only creative for humans, but creative for AI. As we
(22:42):
think about, you know, how we execute and planned logistically
from a supply chain perspective. Not only are we advancing
in that space, but our retail partners are as well,
so that connection needs to be there. So it requires
a lot of intentional change manager across the board. And
I know this is an AI conversation, but I actually
(23:04):
think the skill set of change management and the fluidity
of change that's going to happen in organization is going
to be a skill set unlock for a lot of folks,
especially as they grow up within their career and are
starting out early. Today, I actually feel more excited about
AI when I talk to people and they have any
(23:24):
type of negative feeling towards it or any type of concerns,
I just remind them of when we unlock the Internet,
you know, if you think back, and for younger folks,
so you know they don't remember that, they don't experience it,
but going back in time with us and really thinking
about how it changed the way we work for the better.
So how can you and your role in your job
every day think about how that can make your role
(23:45):
job better? And what else can you do now that
you have the power of AI fueling and backing you,
Because really, what AI is doing for me and my
teams is it's making us smarter as humans and making
us able to do more with less. So what do
we do with that? And I know that the generations
coming behind us are going to be even more creative,
(24:07):
even more inventive around what we do and how we
create jobs of the future, work of the future and
design organ around it. Even if you think about simple
things like how we structure our teams, how we structure
our agencies, how we collaborate across groups, you know, how
we think about you know, even our innovation and R
(24:28):
and D development. You know, AI is going to allow
us to unlock a lot of those things. But you
still need that human muscle and that human power to
be able to really truly connect emotionally with consumers.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Do you feel at hello that you have the knowledge
in the team already, you know, and it's more like,
you know, figuring out within the team and it's a
bit try and error. Or do we still use a
lot of external advice, you know, bring in the so
called experts you know, and tell you how to use
AI and the way.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
You know, We're lucky to be a subsidiary of Colgate,
so we have access to the best and the brightest
I am very fortunate in that, you know, Colgate has
a phenomenal AI machine strategy and execution, so we're able
to tap into that. But the team itself, they're such
an eager and passionate group. A lot of the things
(25:21):
that we're doing, you know, the teams are bringing ideas
and thoughts with us. So we do do a lot
of things in house, but we have a lot of
partners that are also in the same journey with us.
We work very closely with WPP Media, We work very
closely with some of our coman and supply chain partners.
We work extremely closely with our digital commerce partners. And
(25:42):
the beauty of it is, you know, we're all bringing
different things to the table and collaborating to come up
with new ways of looking at things. Sometimes it fails,
but oftentimes works and we're able to then scale. And
the great thing about being a subsidiary of Colgate is
we're also able to take the great work that the
Colgate team pulls together and bring it to Hello in
(26:04):
ways that are cool, what interesting.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
So I really do get the best of both worlds.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Great, that's great. As we all know, you are one
of those leaders in the industry and you've been called
a catalyst for growth for some time now, and you
walk into a business and you did it several times,
what's the first signal you look forward to spot where
the biggest opportunities lie. Is there a playbook for you
or is it really so depending on the individual situation
(26:30):
you're stepping in.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
I start with the people and I start with the teams.
The number one thing I do is build trust with
the teams, especially at a junior level, because they know
where all the bodies are buried, they know where the
roadblocks are, they know where their frustrations are. They may
not be able to connect the dots or come up
with the full solution, but really taking the time to
listen and understand how the water goes through the pipes,
(26:54):
how the teams are working in interacting together, then really
being able to ask smart questions that allows you then
to say, okay, now I can develop a plan or
a playbook on how we need to shift, move, go
forward and what we shouldn't touch. I think oftentimes leaders
come in and they start to change things based off
(27:16):
of their past. But anytime you come in your role,
you're bringing your past experience, but you have to really
think about the future. You have to plan for the future,
and you have to work within the culture and the
environment that you're in. Not every strategy is going to
work and be cookie cutter and cut and based in
every organization. It really has to be about that organization
(27:37):
in the moment in time, and then you can't be
married to it. So you have to be able to evolve.
And then you also have to listen to the team.
Oftentimes we shift things and we change them and then
the team bubbles up. You know, actually this isn't working.
This part is it's really a collaborative strategy that you
have to develop a collaborative vision. And then you have
(27:58):
to place your bets being choiceful and making decisions and
placing a bet. All of the ideas could be awesome,
but what are the bets, the three big bets you're
going to make that are going to have the most
impact that you're going to do that year. And then
shift down to the next what are the skill sets
you're going to focus on developing on the team because
they're the most critical, and then once you get them there,
you shift to the next You really have to be
(28:20):
able to think about things, not in just in terms
of what you want to have today, But how do
you help the organization get to the next five years,
the next ten years and really leave that long lasting impact.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
And it sounds for me that this is the only
way to change or to turn culture around within a company,
which is sometimes necessary right otherwise it will fail if
you do not take the people with you and understand
based on their feedback, what is the current situation is
you describe yourself as a values driven leader, how do
(28:55):
you make sure those values show up in the thousands
of my decisions a company makes every day, every week,
every month, and now as a CEO, you're responsible for
all of these micro decisions. Obviously, your team needs to
understand what your vision is, what your work style is,
and your criteria to make those decisions. What else is
(29:16):
important to make sure that this is happening over a
longer period of time.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Well, I think it's clarity on the vision. You know,
once you've established that vision, and then the measures of success,
because you can have the vision and then measure something
completely different and the team go completely off course. So
once you define that, it's really about influencing and integrating
and orchestrating that throughout the organization and that's the most
critical part. So does everyone down to the person and
(29:42):
the plant, all the way to the marketer, the person
in the sales organization at the customer to the customer,
do they understand where we're going, where we're taking this thing?
And it's really critical that if you don't have that
level of understanding and connection, then what is everybody doing
all day?
Speaker 2 (29:58):
What are we all growing against?
Speaker 3 (30:00):
So it's really important that you do that and also
that you enable your team to start to question when
other things start to come in, is this a distraction
or is this helping us get, you know, to winning?
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Which is that way? You know?
Speaker 3 (30:11):
How do we win and not keep looking backwards? I
think the change management and arming our teams with the
resilience to handle change, because as humans were not so
equipped to handle change, So how do we help them
get there? And then also how do you create frameworks
and protect your team so that they can do their
best work? You know, part of my friend, but the
(30:32):
biggest part of my job is moving the bs out
of the way so my team can do what they
do best. And I spend most of my time doing that.
And then there's a lot of the time that I spend,
you know, doing what I call therapy light, which is
just reminding people that you know what you knew what
to do, that's a good idea, go get it, you
got this, like, you don't need me, you can do this,
(30:55):
and really moving those barriers out of the way.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
So that's a huge part of it.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
And I do think that creates that culture, that founder
culture where it's not just Diana's vision. We have a
vision for Hello and where we want it to go,
and we're collectively going to do it together and being
able to challenge and raise your hand and say, hey, guys,
we're going off course, we actually need to go this way.
That's the type of culture and environment you create where
(31:21):
you can move a speed, you can have those psychologically
safe conversation, and you can have that collaboration that allows
you to unlock growth and not miss opportunities.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
I would like to focus a bit more on future
of brands because you've said the classic marketing funnel maybe dead,
and if that's true, what replace it is? I mean,
how should brands rethink the consumer journey today?
Speaker 3 (31:45):
So I don't think the funnel is dead. I think
it's reimagined so I actually think that the funnel is
more like an affinity loop. People come in and out
at different points in time. I do think that the
language is helpful, especially when you're working with this CFO
and you're planning within the organization up or funnel lower product.
It's easy for people to be able to associate and
(32:06):
work within budgets and things like that. But when we're
talking about human experience, none of us are coming down
this linear funnel and then going to purchase. We all
have these little computers in our pockets, so you could
get something on install and see it and buy it
right then and there. So I think it's more of
an infinity loop. And as you think about that infinity loop,
how are you thinking about the engaging consumers in those
(32:29):
moments in times and serving them the right message at
the right moment in time, and thinking about where they
are in that journey. So it's not necessarily that the
funnel is dead, but it's not in our control anymore, okay.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
And so as a marketer, you have.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
To really think human first, people first, not consumer because
none of us would describe ourselves as consumers or people.
And how do people want to engage with your brand,
how do they want to connect with it, and that
it's not just about media, And often times we shift
this conversation and we put it all in the media realm,
(33:03):
But it's about everything from you know, I think of
a product like a Hello, the package design and the
ability to open it, you know, the smell, the sensorial
nature of it, how you're actually leveraging it as a
consumer and playing with it, how beautiful it looks on
your countertop. All of those things are a part of
the experience. So whether or not you're in the upper
(33:26):
funnel or you're in the lower funnel, you know, are
you starting out with what your jobs to be done?
Are how you want to engage and connect with consumer
and audiences. And are you delivering them the messages that
they want, not the marketing messages that we want to
give them.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Are you giving them a product experience that they want.
Are you thinking.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
About the category as at whole and breaking some of
those cues? You know, so our tooth based for example,
is we focus on the flavor, so that's really yummy.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
In an environment.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
Where it tends to be all monolithic, how do we
stand out and give some consumer something different, something they
didn't even know that they wanted and now they crave.
Creating that pull and that loyalty and that brand love
is really the job of every single person in the organization,
but for some reason, we only put it on the
marketing teams.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
I have to check out because you make me curious.
I'm not sure if I could get it here down
in New Zealand and I I'm going to cook you up.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
I might know someone. All right, I'm going to get
you some quorant tooth based all kay.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
I would love to try it out.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
You need a little magic in the morning.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
Okay, I hear you. Now a dream comes true. You
can now put a bold conversation onto a stage of
our ten poll events in our industry. Maybe possible next April.
What would it be.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
Oh, that's a tough one. There's so many that I
would like to focus on. I actually do think it
would be really interesting to have a really hard hitting
conversation around how creative and brand experience will involved in
an AI algorithmic environment where you are having to think
(35:06):
about you know what I talked about earlier, which is
that heart in the mind, So how are we thinking
about that? And it's not just about from a media standpoint,
but it's even about the package design, all of those
elements of the consumer touch points. So what does that
look like in this new world where there's so much
coming at people?
Speaker 2 (35:25):
How do you make sure that you.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
Are found and how do you ensure consumers stay loyal
to your product in that kind of environment? You know,
how do we plan to talk to consumers and engage
them so that everything they see does not feel like
it's artificial, but it does feel human in nature? So really,
how are we bringing the humanity back to what we
do every single day while leveraging technology to fuel our
(35:50):
growth and make us even better.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
Let's make sure that this is going to happen. Then
who needs to be in the room? Then who needs
to be on stage to discuss this? We will work
on this, and of course we will have a conversation
about this in our next Board of Advisors meeting. I'm
really looking forward to this.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Yeah, looking forward to.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
It, Dana. I think everybody now better understands that you
are a true leader who shows us that growth isn't
just about bigger numbers, but about bolder ideas, stronger values,
and for sure, unlocking the potential of people and brands.
Thank you so much, and if today's episode sparked new
ideas for you, subscribe to Possible Now and shared with
(36:28):
a colleague or a friend who needs a dose of
inspiration on what's possible. Dan, Thank you so much for
your candor, for your vision and your example. You're a
truer leader in our industry and I'm really looking forward
to see you back in Miami then in April, and
hopefully to see you in the meantime somewhere else. Thank
you so much for a time.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
Thank you so much for being so generous with your platform.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
Thanks for tuning in everyone. Once again, I'm your host,
Christian Moho. If you have a question or suggestion to me,
reach out, send me the m on LinkedIn. If you're
curious to learn more about Possible, sign up for our newsletter,
or if you want to join us at the Possible
Show in Miami, visit possibleevent dot com. Possible Now is
(37:12):
a co production of iHeartMedia and Possible. Our executive producers
are Ryan Martz and Yasmin Melandez. Our supervising producer is
Meretith Barnes. Special thanks to Colleen Lawrence mac from our
programming team. Our theme music is composed by Anthony Keatacoli.
For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeart app Apple podcast,
(37:34):
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Welcome to Possible Now Stories of Possibilities, the podcast where
we dive into the leadership frameworks, bold ideas, and personal
stories shaping the future of marketing, technology and leadership today.
I'm thrilled to sit down with the leader who is
reshaping the future of consumer brands and inspiring the entire
(00:26):
industry with her vision and values, Diana Housling, CEO of
Hello Products. What makes Diana stand out is not just
the scale of what she's led, but the way she
leads with bold vision, people first values, and a passion
for turning complex problems into catalytic opportunities. From transforming billion
(00:47):
dollar brands at Colgate, Campbell's, and Hershey's to serving as
Colgate's North America CEMO, Diana Housling is a trailblazer who
marries bold innovation with human centered leadership. Now CEO of
Hello Products, she continues to disrupt the oral category with
authenticity and purpose. She's been recognized as one of the
(01:09):
industry's most compelling voices, delivering keynotes at a Anda, YouTube
brand cast, Amazon, and bus. Anna is featured in Forbes, Variety,
and ad Age and many more. But what inspires me
most about Diana is not just her results, it's her
relentless drive to connect people, spark growth, and lead with
values in everything she does. In this conversation, we will
(01:32):
explore what it means to move from CMO to CEO,
how to unlock growths by breaking old models, and why
the future of marketing requires both people obsession and future
forward vision. I'm super excited and welcome a remarkable leader,
visionary and human being, Dana Housling. Dana, welcome to Possible.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Now, well, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
I don't know who can say much more glowing things
about me, either you or my mother, but it's definitely
deep competition.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Oh well, what an honor? What a not do we
mentioned with your mother to full transparency, Diana. I'm also
very proud to have you at my Board of advisors.
You know, I think for more than two years, and
I have to say I always admire the clarity and
humanity you bring into every conversation. So I wanted to
let our audience also know that you're very well connected
(02:22):
to Possible and that we have a lot of discussions
about this as well. But before we kick off, in
the first step, I would like to talk about the
person behind the profile if this is okay with you, So,
as you know, possible is built on the idea putting
the right people into the right room. What's the most
(02:42):
unexpected room you've ever found yourself? How did it change
your perspective? Maybe already some time ago, maybe just recently.
Is there anything you can share with me and my audience.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Especially growing up my family very much so typically are
in the science back grounds. So having a business major
and being in a business mindset, all of the rooms
I enter in are rooms that are unexpected for me,
and I think oftentimes when I walk into these places
and spaces, which you know, in many cases aren't always
(03:15):
designed for people who look like me to thrive, I'm
always surprised by the level of connection, the level of humanity.
We talk a lot about that, but also the willingness
for people to actually invest in other human beings. And
I spend a lot of my time looking for and
seeking the willing. That's part of how I coach my teams.
(03:35):
But for me, no matter what room I find myself in,
I look for those people of the willing, the willing
to drive, willing to think different, the willing to challenge,
including me I love to be in spaces and places
where really smart people are tackling really complex problems and
really pushing each other.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
To be better. So that's really what I seek out
in those rooms.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Every space and place I go into, I also go
into with a piece of gratitude. I did not anticipate
that I would become a CEO one day, that I
would become a CMO one day. People who have my background,
I do not have an MBA, I do not have
a traditional marketing background to become a CMO. But really
that is what inspires me and gives me the passion
(04:20):
to help develop and feel other people as well too.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
I can say, based on my own experience, as soon
as you are in the room, you opened the door
for these kind of conversations immediately, and everybody else feeded immediately.
And your career has been known for rapid acceleration. And
if I counted right, you've experienced six promotions and seven
years at Campbell's. For at Hershey's, you was CMO, at
Colgate you now CEO. Which promotion surprised you the most?
(04:45):
Which one would it be? Or was it all really
planned like this?
Speaker 3 (04:51):
I would love to say that I was more intentional,
and as I coached people today, I actually coach them
to be a lot more intentional. Early on in my
career I was very much so dependent as we all are,
on sponsorship. In order to garner sponsorship, you have to
put your head down, do the work, deliver results on
a consistent basis. But in terms of really being in
(05:12):
the driver's seat of my career, I would say some
of those things were intentional and some were not. Now
I'm a lot more intentional about the rooms that I
go into. But I would say, for me, every single
time I get a win in life, I don't care
how big or small it is. It's a moment of
celebration or reflection for me. And that's why I really
talk about gratitude quite a bit. You know, I am
(05:33):
grateful to be in the spaces that I'm in. I
also am grateful to have the ability and the backing
to be able to push have those hard conversations, say
the thing in the room, be the one that has
a seat at the table, but make space for other people.
So I would say none of them were stood out
more than the other. The things that actually excite me
(05:54):
more is the work that I do helping other people
get promoted. I would say those are the moments that
bring me them because typically for me, one of my
superpowers is my ability to see the potential in other
people and help them get there and unlock it. And
when that magic moment happens, and when that person gets
that role, that job that they didn't think they were
(06:14):
able to get, or that they didn't even realize that
they had the skill set for or that they would
excel in, that's for me, the real unlock. I had
so many people invest in fuel and me, so many
people that are part of this community which I really
thrive and love to be a part of that.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
I just love doing that with and for other people.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
That's amazing. But everybody's time is limited. So can you
do it also outside of your own organizations? I'm sure
you do it with your own team members, you know,
and colleagues, But what about are you part of a
mentorship program anything like this?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Well quite a bit.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
I mean, you know, there aren't a lot of folks
that look like me, and not just from a race standpoint,
just in general. The way that I show up in
a room. You know, I've got nails, bright lipstick, heels,
that you can't see it in this light, but the
whole gamuts. There aren't a lot of people that look
like me in some of the CpG organizations that I'm in.
So usually when I do a speaking engagement or something
like that, I tend to attract people who don't necessarily
(07:11):
see themselves within the leadership teams within their organization, or
they didn't realize that there was a different way of
approaching this type of business. So I do find that
a lot of people do reach out to me if
you do reach out to me. I keep office hours
twice a month where I will reach out to external folks.
I have quite a bit of external mentees. But I
(07:32):
am a part of a couple of really awesome organizations,
one in which is called eve. It was founded by
Sarah Hostedder and Rachel Tippograph, and it's an organization that
was really designed for the digital commerce and the e
commerce industry. At the time, there were very few women
that were in the industry, and we really created a
(07:53):
space and a place for these women to connect. We
all brought in a mentee. It started out with twenty
four women and it has expanded quite significantly. I will
tell you I get more out of it, probably than
the mentees do because there are moments in times the
world the environments are rapidly changing, and I've got a phone,
a friend right there on text that I can go
(08:15):
to and be like this vendor said this to me,
or this thing is happening. Who else has experienced this?
And it's just an energizing space. But you know, when
we talk about networking, people often think of it as
a negative with a negative connotation. But for me, it's
around collecting relationships and leveraging them throughout your career. So sorry, Christian,
(08:38):
you're stuck with me now. And there are moments of
times where I will tap into that community and I've
just found I've never found a person that's like, no,
I'm not going to help you, or no, I don't
have time for you. Even before this podcast, I called
one of our mutual friends, Seth that I was like,
I was noodling on some things.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Cold called him. I called it my Mileni cold call.
He picked up, we talked for twenty minutes. I was like, Okay,
I feel good about this. I'm going to take this direction.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
But you know, I say that because oftentimes people think
once you get to a certain level, you have all
the answers, and what you realize as you grew up
in your career is you don't have all the answers,
but you don't need to because there are so many
super smart, talented people that you can tap into. And
really what makes me brilliant are the people that I
(09:27):
surround myself with, and that ability to connect with them
is so critical.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I totally agree, and I also would say this provides
the real joy right why we're doing what we're doing
in every day and in our business, which is not
always a joy, but I feel always very similar to
you when talking to people getting advice but also being
able to provide advice. You've made obviously a lot of
decisions so far in your career. What was the hardest
(09:54):
one you've ever made and what did it teach you?
Was it a decision about moving from a to be
Was it a decision maybe to say a bit longer
in a job because you felt it's not done yet?
So is there anything you can share?
Speaker 3 (10:08):
I'm so passionate about the brands and the companies I
work for. I do have a little bit of a type.
I love iconic brands. I love strong brands, which is
why I'm enjoying working on Hello, because it's a little
bit of a shift from the traditional one hundred and
fifty two hundred and nineteen year old organizations.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
That I work with.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
But typically the hardest decisions that I've made is when
to leave. And that's because I've worked at Hershey's, General Mills, Campbell's, Holgate, Hello,
and all of these organizations have brilliant individuals. I've had
awesome experiences, but making that decision to actually take the
leap is actually the hardest decision that I've had to
(10:49):
make in my career, typically because it's really about what
I personally am trying to get from a career standpoint,
but then also how I can have the most impact.
But when you love what you do and you're surrounded
by pretty awesome people every day, it makes it really
hard to walk away. But there is a time and
a space for you to drive growth and have impact
(11:11):
and being able to reflect and understand that but also
make way for new people to come in and also
have impact while you grow yourself. That can be challenging.
Letting go is really a challenging turning point for a
lot of folks as you get further up within your career.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
I totally get it. So let's talk about Helly. You've
mentioned hell in those several times, and it was a
disruptive setup, right a couple of years ago. It wasn't
a quiet when it was it four or five years ago, right.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Yeah, it was acquired five years ago.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
It's a twelve year old brand, so really exciting, expanding,
rapidly growing. But it's all about taking those mundane moments
and bringing a little magic to them. So something as
simple as brushing your teeth or putting on some deodorants
or using some mouthwash and bringing a little fun and
whimsy to the moments while also delivering a consumer experience
(12:03):
that's just you know, for our toothpaste, our mouth losh,
really yummy and different, and then doing it in a
very design forward way. You know, when we talk about
our brand, design is such a huge component of it.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Our taste profile, our flavor.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
All of those things are just paramount to the overall
consumer experience.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Would you say Hello is still a kind of startup?
Does it still have some startup DNA after all these years.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yeah, I think we definitely are.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
We have an office in Montclair, New Jersey for those
folks that know Montclaire. It definitely is very much a
departure from the park Office of Colgate.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
It definitely has that startup mentality.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
We're a small but mighty team, so everybody has to
have skin in the game. I talk a lot about
a founder mentality, so regardless of the role that you're in,
really having that founder mentality, every dollar matters for us
driving impact. We currently are around a seven percent house
hold penetration, so there's so much room to grow. So
(13:03):
it does still have that start up vibe. I would
say if you think about like, you know, we're probably
like in high school now, you know, not really no
longer in middle school. So we've matured in a lot
of ways. We're really focused, but it definitely we move quickly,
we move with agility. We're a part of what we
call the rocket ship of growth. So when you're a
(13:26):
part of the crew, everybody has to dig in. We
all sell together. So I'm right there with the team
at buyer meeting. So it does still have that vibe
and energy. But we're definitely expanding and growing with scale.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
I can imagine this, I mean not with that kind
of history and not so many years, but well when
I found it beyond ordinary three and a half years
and now needed four years ago and now being acquired
by Hive, you know, it feels a bit similar in
some way, and so I can't imagine and I totally
agree that it feels a bit like high school these days.
So you're one of the few obviously, you know, with
(13:58):
many years and to see more and now being a CEO.
What was the biggest mindset shift moving from the CMO
to CEO? Can you already say this now after a
couple of months being in that CEO chair, I actually.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Don't feel that it was that big of a mindset shift.
When you're in a CMO role, you're dealing with a
lot of detail, a lot of information, You're orchestrating quite
a bit, and you're influencing quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Like you're a conductor of an orchestra.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
So you're really trying to get all the music to
work beautifully together. You have more of a marketing focus
in a CMO lens, and then the CEO just expands that.
So in the CMO role, I would say the biggest
difference is is I spent quite a bit of time
not only developing the team and the talent, but setting
that marketing vision and really establishing how we connected with
humans and people, but influencing the CFO, influencing the president,
(14:48):
influencing leadership to really help them understand how we create
both short and long term demand and loyalty and brand building.
You know, now as the CEO, my focus is somewhat similar.
Is I'm really trying to influence and make sure I
translate my vision to all the different functions. So marketing
is a really critical role of that, But now I
(15:10):
spend a lot more time with supply chain, with innovation,
with R and D, with quality product knowledge, and really
being able to connect all the points. I think a
lot of the skill sets are transferable, and we often
talk about these roles like they're so very different, but
the skill sets that are required to do both can
be transitional. And it depends on the type of CML
role you're in. You know, there are some operational CMO
(15:33):
roles that have P and L responsibilities, which mine happen
to have some P and L responsibilities. That's where there
could be a difference if you're in a CMO role
that doesn't necessarily have P and l responsibilities. It starts
to shift how you think a little bit because you're
you are trying to manage that P and L and
get the most out of it. But I would say
the skill sets required and the understanding actually really translate beautifully.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Do you have to remind yourself sometimes, you know, not
stepping into the markeeting topics too detailed at least days.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
The great thing about the team that I work in
is they have no problem telling me that they've got it.
And I know that they do because I trust them
and where we are and the amount of innovation that
we have coming out of the pipeline. I don't have
the luxury or the privilege to go as deep even
if I wanted to, because you have to be in
so many other places.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
But it is a delight to get to see the work.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
You know.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Sometimes they do come.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
To me with the decision and I have to catch
myself and be like, actually, this is not my decision.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
This is your decision.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Yeah, you need to make it, but after you make it,
if you want to know my opinion, I have some
of those. But yes, it is a challenge of making
sure you focus on the right places and now. If
the marketing team needed me. I would be with them
day and day out in there, but you know, I'm
really focused on delivering against our overall P and L
or overall objective, So it's really challenging to even be
(16:55):
able to go that deep with them.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Looking back now, with your own experience being in the
boardroom as CMO, can you give an advice. And I
know that this is an ongoing discussion in the industry
between cmos and other c suite for some time, how
can cemos earn more trust or let's say, maybe more
power at the executive table, especially when marketing impact isn't
always immediately measurable in financial terms.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Yeah, I would say my best friend at work, we're legal,
the CFO and HR. First, you need to make sure
you get the right talent, the right SMEs.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
The right people that are in place.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Especially in the digital and algorithmic environment that we're in today,
expertise is critical, whether it's your agency team or your
in house team. Having the right people is so important
because if you have the right people, your storytelling a
bill really unlocks. You start to be able to translate
that really quickly and really easily. In my previous role,
(18:07):
I actually had the insights team and the data analytics
team also reported into me, so that was really critical.
If those roles do not report into you, those would
be the other BFFs I would add to the table,
because it's critical to make sure you have the insights
and then you're leveraging the data to help support your storytelling.
Really connecting with the CFO and not just when you're
(18:28):
asking for money or when you're getting cut.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Bringing them along for the journey.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
I'm very fortunate that the CFOs and the head of
finance in Colgate they're very bullish about marketing and they
get it. But if they don't, that's your role to
get them there. I would pull them in with meetings
with the agency. I pull them into a lot of discussions,
so when we are having those more tense discussions around
budget and funding an allocation, you're already of the same
(18:56):
mindset and you're already working very closely together, and sometimes
we forget about our legal friends.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
They are so critical. Bringing them in as early.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
As possible gets you more yeses than knows and also
helps you do things more quickly with more agility than
the most critical part of your role is really influencing
and connecting those groups so that you are able to
do the work that you need to do. And I
think the last most critical part is having the air
(19:27):
cover for your team. I think right now, lots of
the cmos there's a lot of pressure. There's a lot
of fear of taking risks or doing something different or
doing something new. So you have to be the air
cover for your team. You have to be willing to
allow them to push the envelope while you know, keeping
(19:47):
them within you know some beautiful constraints that allow the
work to be stronger. And I would say, you know,
the last thing is really pushing the business to define
those jobs to be done. We talk about that, we
throw that term out there, but then you know, as
the environment shifts, we change with the wind. Defining those
jobs to be done and sticking with them to allow
(20:07):
them to flourish is a challenge and having conviction in that,
but it will pay off dividends if you do it.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Well, let's talk about this a bit more. As we
all know, we are also heavily influenced by obviously the
tech trends and we cannot avoid having a conversation without
touching based on AI and the impact on AI, but
not necessarily having the usual conversation about that it will
become or is already of course, you know, very impactful.
(20:36):
When we talk about young people and you already mentioned
them several times just entering the workforce and maybe thinking
about also founding a new company or trying to get
into the workforce. I mean, it's a big topic, I know,
but let's try to get into this a bit in
terms of your own experience at hello using AI, developing
new benefits out of this, and also considering young people
(21:00):
who are obviously far more familiar with all this tech
then our generation potentially, but at the same time also
sometimes have concerns about this, you know, how this could
change their career decisions.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
I will say from an AI perspective, you know, whether
it's supply chain or our marketing tech stack. You know,
AI is fueling everything, and the unlock and all of
the interesting and cool things that we're able to do
with AI is really exciting. The part that I'm more
excited about is the space that it gives our teams
to be a lot more strategic, a lot more thoughtful,
(21:35):
and really be able to unlock that human power. You know,
what I have learned and what I always say about
AI is it requires that human touch at a lot
of considerable points.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
What you put in is what you get out.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
And if you're smart about training your team so they're
fluent in AI.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Your output will be that much greater.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
There are so much more that's going to come from
this that I'm just eager and excited to be, you know,
in the industry at this time. It's a pivotal point
of change. But you know, I've been focusing my team
right now on the generations that have grown up in
a digital environment and for them, as we think about
AI and just anything from a digital perspective, their view
(22:19):
and lens is very much attuned to it. So as
we think about training our marketing talent, they have to
be able to think with their hearts and their minds.
So how do you connect with consumers in an emotional
way but also understand how to make decisions that are
going to fuel and drive algorithms. You know, when you
think about developing creative, you have to think about not
only creative for humans, but creative for AI. As we
(22:42):
think about, you know, how we execute and planned logistically
from a supply chain perspective. Not only are we advancing
in that space, but our retail partners are as well,
so that connection needs to be there. So it requires
a lot of intentional change manager across the board. And
I know this is an AI conversation, but I actually
(23:04):
think the skill set of change management and the fluidity
of change that's going to happen in organization is going
to be a skill set unlock for a lot of folks,
especially as they grow up within their career and are
starting out early. Today, I actually feel more excited about
AI when I talk to people and they have any
(23:24):
type of negative feeling towards it or any type of concerns,
I just remind them of when we unlock the Internet,
you know, if you think back, and for younger folks,
so you know they don't remember that, they don't experience it,
but going back in time with us and really thinking
about how it changed the way we work for the better.
So how can you and your role in your job
every day think about how that can make your role
(23:45):
job better? And what else can you do now that
you have the power of AI fueling and backing you,
Because really, what AI is doing for me and my
teams is it's making us smarter as humans and making
us able to do more with less. So what do
we do with that? And I know that the generations
coming behind us are going to be even more creative,
(24:07):
even more inventive around what we do and how we
create jobs of the future, work of the future and
design organ around it. Even if you think about simple
things like how we structure our teams, how we structure
our agencies, how we collaborate across groups, you know, how
we think about you know, even our innovation and R
(24:28):
and D development. You know, AI is going to allow
us to unlock a lot of those things. But you
still need that human muscle and that human power to
be able to really truly connect emotionally with consumers.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Do you feel at hello that you have the knowledge
in the team already, you know, and it's more like,
you know, figuring out within the team and it's a
bit try and error. Or do we still use a
lot of external advice, you know, bring in the so
called experts you know, and tell you how to use
AI and the way.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
You know, We're lucky to be a subsidiary of Colgate,
so we have access to the best and the brightest
I am very fortunate in that, you know, Colgate has
a phenomenal AI machine strategy and execution, so we're able
to tap into that. But the team itself, they're such
an eager and passionate group. A lot of the things
(25:21):
that we're doing, you know, the teams are bringing ideas
and thoughts with us. So we do do a lot
of things in house, but we have a lot of
partners that are also in the same journey with us.
We work very closely with WPP Media, We work very
closely with some of our coman and supply chain partners.
We work extremely closely with our digital commerce partners. And
(25:42):
the beauty of it is, you know, we're all bringing
different things to the table and collaborating to come up
with new ways of looking at things. Sometimes it fails,
but oftentimes works and we're able to then scale. And
the great thing about being a subsidiary of Colgate is
we're also able to take the great work that the
Colgate team pulls together and bring it to Hello in
(26:04):
ways that are cool, what interesting.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
So I really do get the best of both worlds.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Great, that's great. As we all know, you are one
of those leaders in the industry and you've been called
a catalyst for growth for some time now, and you
walk into a business and you did it several times,
what's the first signal you look forward to spot where
the biggest opportunities lie. Is there a playbook for you
or is it really so depending on the individual situation
(26:30):
you're stepping in.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
I start with the people and I start with the teams.
The number one thing I do is build trust with
the teams, especially at a junior level, because they know
where all the bodies are buried, they know where the
roadblocks are, they know where their frustrations are. They may
not be able to connect the dots or come up
with the full solution, but really taking the time to
listen and understand how the water goes through the pipes,
(26:54):
how the teams are working in interacting together, then really
being able to ask smart questions that allows you then
to say, okay, now I can develop a plan or
a playbook on how we need to shift, move, go
forward and what we shouldn't touch. I think oftentimes leaders
come in and they start to change things based off
(27:16):
of their past. But anytime you come in your role,
you're bringing your past experience, but you have to really
think about the future. You have to plan for the future,
and you have to work within the culture and the
environment that you're in. Not every strategy is going to
work and be cookie cutter and cut and based in
every organization. It really has to be about that organization
(27:37):
in the moment in time, and then you can't be
married to it. So you have to be able to evolve.
And then you also have to listen to the team.
Oftentimes we shift things and we change them and then
the team bubbles up. You know, actually this isn't working.
This part is it's really a collaborative strategy that you
have to develop a collaborative vision. And then you have
(27:58):
to place your bets being choiceful and making decisions and
placing a bet. All of the ideas could be awesome,
but what are the bets, the three big bets you're
going to make that are going to have the most
impact that you're going to do that year. And then
shift down to the next what are the skill sets
you're going to focus on developing on the team because
they're the most critical, and then once you get them there,
you shift to the next You really have to be
(28:20):
able to think about things, not in just in terms
of what you want to have today, But how do
you help the organization get to the next five years,
the next ten years and really leave that long lasting impact.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
And it sounds for me that this is the only
way to change or to turn culture around within a company,
which is sometimes necessary right otherwise it will fail if
you do not take the people with you and understand
based on their feedback, what is the current situation is
you describe yourself as a values driven leader, how do
(28:55):
you make sure those values show up in the thousands
of my decisions a company makes every day, every week,
every month, and now as a CEO, you're responsible for
all of these micro decisions. Obviously, your team needs to
understand what your vision is, what your work style is,
and your criteria to make those decisions. What else is
(29:16):
important to make sure that this is happening over a
longer period of time.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Well, I think it's clarity on the vision. You know,
once you've established that vision, and then the measures of success,
because you can have the vision and then measure something
completely different and the team go completely off course. So
once you define that, it's really about influencing and integrating
and orchestrating that throughout the organization and that's the most
critical part. So does everyone down to the person and
(29:42):
the plant, all the way to the marketer, the person
in the sales organization at the customer to the customer,
do they understand where we're going, where we're taking this thing?
And it's really critical that if you don't have that
level of understanding and connection, then what is everybody doing
all day?
Speaker 2 (29:58):
What are we all growing against?
Speaker 3 (30:00):
So it's really important that you do that and also
that you enable your team to start to question when
other things start to come in, is this a distraction
or is this helping us get, you know, to winning?
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Which is that way? You know?
Speaker 3 (30:11):
How do we win and not keep looking backwards? I
think the change management and arming our teams with the
resilience to handle change, because as humans were not so
equipped to handle change, So how do we help them
get there? And then also how do you create frameworks
and protect your team so that they can do their
best work? You know, part of my friend, but the
(30:32):
biggest part of my job is moving the bs out
of the way so my team can do what they
do best. And I spend most of my time doing that.
And then there's a lot of the time that I spend,
you know, doing what I call therapy light, which is
just reminding people that you know what you knew what
to do, that's a good idea, go get it, you
got this, like, you don't need me, you can do this,
(30:55):
and really moving those barriers out of the way.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
So that's a huge part of it.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
And I do think that creates that culture, that founder
culture where it's not just Diana's vision. We have a
vision for Hello and where we want it to go,
and we're collectively going to do it together and being
able to challenge and raise your hand and say, hey, guys,
we're going off course, we actually need to go this way.
That's the type of culture and environment you create where
(31:21):
you can move a speed, you can have those psychologically
safe conversation, and you can have that collaboration that allows
you to unlock growth and not miss opportunities.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
I would like to focus a bit more on future
of brands because you've said the classic marketing funnel maybe dead,
and if that's true, what replace it is? I mean,
how should brands rethink the consumer journey today?
Speaker 3 (31:45):
So I don't think the funnel is dead. I think
it's reimagined so I actually think that the funnel is
more like an affinity loop. People come in and out
at different points in time. I do think that the
language is helpful, especially when you're working with this CFO
and you're planning within the organization up or funnel lower product.
It's easy for people to be able to associate and
(32:06):
work within budgets and things like that. But when we're
talking about human experience, none of us are coming down
this linear funnel and then going to purchase. We all
have these little computers in our pockets, so you could
get something on install and see it and buy it
right then and there. So I think it's more of
an infinity loop. And as you think about that infinity loop,
how are you thinking about the engaging consumers in those
(32:29):
moments in times and serving them the right message at
the right moment in time, and thinking about where they
are in that journey. So it's not necessarily that the
funnel is dead, but it's not in our control anymore, okay.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
And so as a marketer, you have.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
To really think human first, people first, not consumer because
none of us would describe ourselves as consumers or people.
And how do people want to engage with your brand,
how do they want to connect with it, and that
it's not just about media, And often times we shift
this conversation and we put it all in the media realm,
(33:03):
But it's about everything from you know, I think of
a product like a Hello, the package design and the
ability to open it, you know, the smell, the sensorial
nature of it, how you're actually leveraging it as a
consumer and playing with it, how beautiful it looks on
your countertop. All of those things are a part of
the experience. So whether or not you're in the upper
(33:26):
funnel or you're in the lower funnel, you know, are
you starting out with what your jobs to be done?
Are how you want to engage and connect with consumer
and audiences. And are you delivering them the messages that
they want, not the marketing messages that we want to
give them.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Are you giving them a product experience that they want.
Are you thinking.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
About the category as at whole and breaking some of
those cues? You know, so our tooth based for example,
is we focus on the flavor, so that's really yummy.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
In an environment.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
Where it tends to be all monolithic, how do we
stand out and give some consumer something different, something they
didn't even know that they wanted and now they crave.
Creating that pull and that loyalty and that brand love
is really the job of every single person in the organization,
but for some reason, we only put it on the
marketing teams.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
I have to check out because you make me curious.
I'm not sure if I could get it here down
in New Zealand and I I'm going to cook you up.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
I might know someone. All right, I'm going to get
you some quorant tooth based all kay.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
I would love to try it out.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
You need a little magic in the morning.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
Okay, I hear you. Now a dream comes true. You
can now put a bold conversation onto a stage of
our ten poll events in our industry. Maybe possible next April.
What would it be.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
Oh, that's a tough one. There's so many that I
would like to focus on. I actually do think it
would be really interesting to have a really hard hitting
conversation around how creative and brand experience will involved in
an AI algorithmic environment where you are having to think
(35:06):
about you know what I talked about earlier, which is
that heart in the mind, So how are we thinking
about that? And it's not just about from a media standpoint,
but it's even about the package design, all of those
elements of the consumer touch points. So what does that
look like in this new world where there's so much
coming at people?
Speaker 2 (35:25):
How do you make sure that you.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
Are found and how do you ensure consumers stay loyal
to your product in that kind of environment? You know,
how do we plan to talk to consumers and engage
them so that everything they see does not feel like
it's artificial, but it does feel human in nature? So really,
how are we bringing the humanity back to what we
do every single day while leveraging technology to fuel our
(35:50):
growth and make us even better.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
Let's make sure that this is going to happen. Then
who needs to be in the room? Then who needs
to be on stage to discuss this? We will work
on this, and of course we will have a conversation
about this in our next Board of Advisors meeting. I'm
really looking forward to this.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Yeah, looking forward to.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
It, Dana. I think everybody now better understands that you
are a true leader who shows us that growth isn't
just about bigger numbers, but about bolder ideas, stronger values,
and for sure, unlocking the potential of people and brands.
Thank you so much, and if today's episode sparked new
ideas for you, subscribe to Possible Now and shared with
(36:28):
a colleague or a friend who needs a dose of
inspiration on what's possible. Dan, Thank you so much for
your candor, for your vision and your example. You're a
truer leader in our industry and I'm really looking forward
to see you back in Miami then in April, and
hopefully to see you in the meantime somewhere else. Thank
you so much for a time.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
Thank you so much for being so generous with your platform.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
Thanks for tuning in everyone. Once again, I'm your host,
Christian Moho. If you have a question or suggestion to me,
reach out, send me the m on LinkedIn. If you're
curious to learn more about Possible, sign up for our newsletter,
or if you want to join us at the Possible
Show in Miami, visit possibleevent dot com. Possible Now is
(37:12):
a co production of iHeartMedia and Possible. Our executive producers
are Ryan Martz and Yasmin Melandez. Our supervising producer is
Meretith Barnes. Special thanks to Colleen Lawrence mac from our
programming team. Our theme music is composed by Anthony Keatacoli.
For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeart app Apple podcast,
(37:34):
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