Inside the Mind of a Growth-Focused CMO

Inside the Mind of a Growth-Focused CMO

From Podcast Advertising Playbook by Heather Osgood

April 15, 2026 · 46 min · Episode 219

About this episode

Heather Osgood interviews Rich Smith about the perspectives of growth-focused CMOs on marketing strategies and podcast advertising.

In this episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook , host Heather Osgood sits down with Rich Smith, Founder of Rich M Smith Growth Studio, to unpack what today’s most effective marketing leaders actually care about when it comes to growth and performance. From the disconnect between marketing buzzwords and real-world execution to the increasing pressure on teams to prove results, Rich shares a candid look at how CEOs and CMOs are evaluating channels like podcast advertising. The conversation dives into what it really takes to build confidence in a medium where the path to purchase is not always linear, and why strong marketing organizations are shifting how they think about attribution, data, and decision-making. In this episode, we cover: The assumptions CEOs and CMOs still have about podcast advertising Why so much marketing advice sounds good but rarely gets implemented How AI is beginning to reshape marketing strategy and execution If you’re navigating how to prove the value of podcast advertising, or looking to better understand how top marketing leaders evaluate performance-driven channels, this episode offers a clear and practical perspective on what actually drives…

People in this episode

Host: Heather Osgood

Guest: Rich Smith

Topics covered

  • growth marketing
  • podcast advertising
  • CMO insights
  • marketing strategy
  • attribution

Keywords

  • marketing leaders
  • performance
  • AI in marketing
  • decision-making

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