119: Punching Above Your Weight Starts with Reputation - with Michelle Denogean, CMO at Mindtrip

Michelle Denogean has one of those careers that makes you stop and take notes. From dreaming of Super Bowl ads to running marketing at eHarmony and Edmunds, advising dozens of startups, writing a book, and now leading as CMO at Mindtrip—she’s lived the full spectrum of B2B and B2C.

In this conversation, we dig into what’s working in B2B marketing today, how to scale reputation and relationships, and the career lessons Michelle learned the hard way (and turned into her leadership superpower).

Here’s what we cover:

• Why “reputation” resonates more than “brand” with startup founders
• Customer-as-hero marketing and the power of relationships in B2B
• Scrappy (not crappy!) ways to build brand without big budgets
• How to “punch above your weight” as a startup and look bigger than you are
• The decline of email as a pure demand channel (and what to do instead)
• Why culture is your frontline brand asset
• How tough feedback reshaped Michelle’s leadership style
• Breaking out of the box: taking on projects beyond your role
• Networking early and outside your company to open career doors

This one is packed with practical takeaways and some real talk about the realities of leading teams, advising founders, and building reputation in 2025.

Key Links:

Guest: Michelle Denogean: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelledenogean/

Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/

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