Why you need a personal board of directors [Uncensored Renegades]

It’s not often you meet a CMO who helped build a unicorn from the ground up while creating an entirely new category. Steve Beckett, CMO of Zwift, joined as employee number five and played a key role in turning Zwift into the global sporting powerhouse it now is.In this episode, Steve shares how Zwift balanced performance marketing with brand building, deeply understanding the acquisition metrics while making bold brand bets, including becoming the founding sponsor of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. We also explore how the business scaled through COVID, the bold move to launch their own hardware, and the role brand played in raising capital.This is a conversation about what it really takes to build a category-defining company and why the best CMOs understand both the metrics and the magic.Sign up to our live event, The Calling, on April 21st here:<a href="https://event.uncensoredcmo.com/events/uncensoredcmo/2044861">https://event.uncensoredcmo.com/events/uncensoredcmo/2044861Subscribe to our newsletter, The One Thing:<a href="https://newsletter.uncensoredcmo.com/">https://newsletter.uncensoredcmo.com/Listen to our new podcast, Uncensored Renegades:Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/uncensored-renegades/id1868870960">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/uncensored-renegades/id1868870960Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7qnkqq0XSpgif9A5ZNgSpX?si=f181c3a0e9af480c

Carly Natalizia, Chief Commercial Officer at Gymshark, joins us to share how one of the UK’s most exciting brands continues to grow while staying close to its community. From starting her career in finance to leading commercial strategy at Gymshark, Carly offers a unique perspective on leadership, growth, and customer obsession.We discuss Gymshark’s rise as a challenger brand taking on global sportswear giants, what it’s like working alongside founder Ben Francis, and how the business balances brand and commercial priorities. Carly also shares lessons on sustainable growth, executing big ideas, and how Gymshark keeps its finger on the pulse of its customers.Sign up to our live event, The Calling, on April 21st here:<a href="https://event.uncensoredcmo.com/events/uncensoredcmo/2044861">https://event.uncensoredcmo.com/events/uncensoredcmo/2044861Subscribe to our newsletter, The One Thing:<a href="https://newsletter.uncensoredcmo.com/">https://newsletter.uncensoredcmo.com/Listen to our new podcast, Uncensored Renegades:Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/uncensored-renegades/id1868870960">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/uncensored-renegades/id1868870960Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7qnkqq0XSpgif9A5ZNgSpX?si=f181c3a0e9af480cTimstamps00:00 - Start01:08 - How Carly went from finance to marketing02:19 - Career advice to Carly’s younger self04:09 - Why Carly moved from finance to retail and the differences between them07:28 - The Gymshark story: taking on the sportswear giants09:02 - What its like working for the UK’s youngest billionaire, Ben Francis15:07 - Carly’s promotion from Chief Digital Officer to Chief Commercial Officer16:01 - How Gymshark stay close to the customer17:21 - How to be an effective leader in the c-suite at Gymshark18:44 - How the Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Brand Officer work together25:04 - How do you maintain sustainable growth26:46 - Gymshark NYC store launch29:25 - The success of Gymshark’s “We Do Gym” campaign31:24 - How to execute great ideas well

e.l.f. lives by the mission of being "a bold disruptor with a kind heart" a refreshing stance when disruption is rarely paired with kindness. Kory explains why kindness is at the core of how e.l.f. operates, what it actually looks like in practice, and what holds most people back from embracing it.Get Uncensored Renegades every week:Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/uncensored-renegades/id1868870960">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/uncensored-renegades/id1868870960Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7qnkqq0XSpgif9A5ZNgSpX?si=f181c3a0e9af480cWatch the Uncensored CMO episode with James Watt:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOp1CPZ0CNM&amp;t=6">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOp1CPZ0CNMLinks<ul><li><a href="https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/books">Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/G-T-Wisdom-Business-Founders/dp/1647829771">G.O.A.T. Wisdom by Dr Brent Ridge</li></ul>