

Marketing Happy Hour
Marketing Happy Hour
Keeping up with marketing trends and leveling up your career doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Don’t go at it alone. Marketing Happy Hour was created to help you navigate the corporate marketing world, launch your own business, and stay sane while advancing in your career. Join host Cassie Tucker each week as she dives into real conversations with industry guests, covering everything from marketing strategies to career growth and leadership insights—all served with a mix of inspiration and support to keep you thriving.
Learn more: https://www.marketinghappyhr.com/
Learn more: https://www.marketinghappyhr.com/
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 14, 2023 • 59min
Taking Calculated Risks in Performance Marketing | Megan Toscano of charity: water
This week, Cassie and Erica chat with Megan Toscano, Performance Marketing Director at charity: water, to uncover her tips for taking calculated risks in performance marketing. Megan also shares her unique approach to ad creative, her thoughts on audience targeting, and how she measures success in ad campaigns.
Here's a peek at what we cover in this episode:
[00:04:32] - Megan shares her background in photography, her venture to the agency world that taught her how to manage clients, take calculated risks, and turn failures into successes, and how she fell in love with performance marketing while managing visual work for ads. She also walks us through her transition from the agency space to managing acquisition in house at a fitness brand, and ultimately how feeling a disconnection from her work and a desire to make a difference landed her at charity: water. She also uncovers her secrets to being "promotable" in your role!
[00:15:20] - Megan explains the key differences between agency and in house marketing work, as well as the differences between marketing nonprofit vs for profit organizations, including the unique sensitivity and transparency that messaging on the nonprofit side entails.
[00:25:56] - Megan gives us her best performance marketing insight and explains the importance of strong, compelling ad creative that answers specific questions your unique audience may have.
[00:30:32] - Megan shares how she approaches audience targeting, and how understanding your audience from a third party perspective can be helpful in testing new ads.
[00:46:40] - Megan shares her predictions for the future of performance marketing and digital paid media - including her thoughts on tracking, diversifying into new channels, and moving beyond direct response advertising.
Grab a drink and listen in to this week's Marketing Happy Hour conversation!
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Other episodes you'll enjoy if you enjoyed Megan's episode:
Content Marketing 101: Creating an Effective Social Media Presence | Elyse Estrella of Wine Enthusiast
Performance Marketing 101 | Alex Lewis of Later
Unique Growth Marketing Tactics | Kelly McGlone of Avaline Wine
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Say hi! DM us on Instagram and share your favorite moments from this episode - we can't wait to hear from you!
NEW! Join our MHH Insiders group to connect with Millennial and Gen Z marketing professionals around the world!
Get the latest from MHH, straight to your inbox: Join our email list!
Connect with Megan: Instagram | LinkedIn
Check out charity: water: charitywater.org | Instagram
Connect with Co-Host Erica: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with Co-Host Cassie: LinkedIn | Instagram
Follow MHH on Social: Instagram | LinkedIn | Threads | Twitter | TikTok | Facebook
New to Marketing Happy Hour (or just want more)? Download our Marketing Happy Hour Starter Kit
This podcast is an MHH Media production. Learn more about MHH Media!
Interested in starting your own podcast? Grab our Podcast Launch Strategy Guide here.

Jul 11, 2023 • 37min
BONUS! Celebrating 2 YEARS of the Marketing Happy Hour Podcast!
Cheers to 2 YEARS of the Marketing Happy Hour Podcast! Listen in as Cassie and Erica celebrate by sharing what's in our glasses lately (literally and metaphorically), what we're currently up to in our careers (hint: we're totally switching some things up!), advice for marketing professionals in today's workforce, a run through of our top 10 episodes from the past two years (see below), what's next for Marketing Happy Hour, and how you can snag a FREE MHH sticker!
We're so grateful to all of you, our listeners, and appreciate every minute you take out of your day to tune in to Marketing Happy Hour! Thank you for being here, and stay tuned for more exciting things in the months ahead!
Catch up on our Top 10 episodes:
How to be a Confident Marketer in 2023 | Bari Rosenstein of Auntie Anne's and Jamba
Leaning in to Your Brand's Community | Kennedy Crichlow + Mary Ralph Lawson Bradley of Daily Drills
Product Marketing 101: Your Go-To Market Toolkit | Jaylen Adams of Rare Beauty
Content Marketing 101: Creating an Effective Social Media Presence | Elyse Estrella of Wine Enthusiast
Performance Marketing 101 | Alex Lewis of Later
PR 101: Set Yourself Apart | Alice Hampton of ACP Management
Content Creation + The Future of Digital | Ashlie Head of L'Oréal
Brand Marketing + Positioning 101 | Deven Machette of Betty Buzz
Telling a Cohesive Brand Story | Melissa Santell of FoodxFeels
Experiential / Event Marketing 101 (+ a Conversation on Thoughtful Leadership) | Amy Gaston (prev. Magnolia)
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Say hi! DM us on Instagram - we can't wait to hear from you! Please also consider rating the show and leaving a review, as that helps us tremendously as we move forward in this Marketing Happy Hour journey and create more content for all of you.
NEW! Join our MHH Insiders group to connect with Millennial and Gen Z marketing professionals around the world!
Get the latest from MHH, straight to your inbox: Join our email list!
Connect with Co-Host Erica: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with Co-Host Cassie: LinkedIn | Instagram
Follow MHH on Social: Instagram | LinkedIn | Threads | Twitter | TikTok | Facebook
New to Marketing Happy Hour (or just want more)? Download our Marketing Happy Hour Starter Kit
This podcast is an MHH Media production. Learn more about MHH Media!
Interested in starting your own podcast? Grab our Podcast Launch Strategy Guide here.

Jul 6, 2023 • 28min
Media Relations 101 | Jacob Duarte of McDonald's
This week, Erica catches up with Jacob Duarte, U.S. Media Relations Supervisor at McDonald's, to walk through career advice for communications professionals, how to build and maintain relationships with journalists and craft unique messaging, and how McDonald's continues to remain culturally relevant and speak to a variety of generations at the same time.
Here's a peek at what we cover in this episode:
[00:03:50] - Jacob shares his unique career trajectory utilizing his degree in PR in the QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) space, starting at Taco Bell and ultimately transitioning over to McDonald's.
[00:05:58] - Jacob provides advice around mentor/mentee relationships, including how to find and maintain thriving network relationships.
[00:11:52] - Jacob shares what his day to day looks like as U.S. Media Relations Supervisor at McDonald's and provides actionable tips for communications professionals attempting to share their brand story in the media today. He also explains how to curate relationships with journalists by giving them exclusivity to information they can't find on their own.
[00:17:24] - How McDonald's is maintaining cultural relevance as a long lasting legacy brand and attracting Gen Z attention by going beyond the menu to look at their passion points and infuse them into initiatives however and whenever they can.
[00:21:46] - Jacob shares some of his favorite campaigns he's been able to craft messaging around, including the Mariah Menu, the Cardi B and Offset meal, and the LTOs (limited time offers) he gets to curate messaging and press around (like the new summertime favorite Strawberry Shortcake McFlurry and Grimace's Birthday Meal).
Grab a drink and listen in to this week's Marketing Happy Hour conversation!
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Other episodes you'll enjoy if you enjoyed Jacob's episode:
PR 101: Set Yourself Apart | Alice Hampton of ACP Management
If you're looking for a sign to take that job in the big city, this is it! | Liz Dowen of Verizon
Stories with Impact: How to Land Press Placements | Emmy Liederman of Adweek
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Say hi! DM us on Instagram and share your favorite moments from this episode - we can't wait to hear from you!
NEW! Join our MHH Insiders group to connect with Millennial and Gen Z marketing professionals around the world!
Get the latest from MHH, straight to your inbox: Join our email list!
Connect with Jacob on LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with Co-Host Erica: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with Co-Host Cassie: LinkedIn | Instagram
Follow MHH on Social: Instagram | LinkedIn | Threads | Twitter | TikTok | Facebook
New to Marketing Happy Hour (or just want more)? Download our Marketing Happy Hour Starter Kit
This podcast is an MHH Media production. Learn more about MHH Media!
Interested in starting your own podcast? Grab our Podcast Launch Strategy Guide here.

Jun 29, 2023 • 28min
Creating Your Own Dream Career Path | Social Media Consultant Rachel Karten
This week, Cassie and Erica catch up with Social Media Consultant Rachel Karten, known for her Link in Bio newsletter, to chat through all things social media and what it means to create your own dream career path through consulting work.
Here's a peek at what we cover in this episode:
[00:03:13] - Rachel shares a look at her 10 years of experience in social media, from Plated to Bon Appetit, and her transition to consulting for brands like CAVA and west elm. We go over how she initially found clients, her "getting started" tips for someone who wants to break into consulting, why LinkedIn and Twitter are important in that journey, and how starting a newsletter can introduce your services to new prospective clients.
[00:08:26] - Rachel dives into her experience working with one of our favorite brands, CAVA, as a consultant, focusing on collaborations and partnerships and growing their social followings, and how she's maintained great client relationships with brands like CAVA by building trust over time.
[00:13:03] - Rachel shares the brands she believes are doing a great job on social, like NPR's Planet Money and SSENSE, and how developing a brand personality to stand out among the crowd is the key to success on social today.
[00:15:30] - Rachel shares a behind the scenes look at building her newsletter, Link In Bio, and how she's inspired to create new content each week. She also gives us her best tips for copywriting and growing her subscriber list.
Grab a drink and listen in to this week's Marketing Happy Hour conversation!
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Other episodes you'll enjoy if you enjoyed Rachel's episode:
Your Guide to Social Media, Paid Media + Influencer Marketing | Halie Soprano of Traackr
How to be a Confident Marketer in 2023 | Bari Rosenstein of Auntie Anne's and Jamba
Top Social Media Tips by Platform | Bri Reynolds of Lyft
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Say hi! DM us on Instagram and share your favorite moments from this episode - we can't wait to hear from you!
NEW! Join our MHH Insiders group to connect with Millennial and Gen Z marketing professionals around the world!
Get the latest from MHH, straight to your inbox: Join our email list!
Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn | Instagram
Subscribe to the Link in Bio newsletter: https://milkkarten.substack.com/
Follow MHH on Social: Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | TikTok
Subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter, Marketing Happy Hour Weekly: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/marketing-happy-hour-weekly-6950530577867427840/
Looking to make a career change? Download the FREE Dream Career Game Plan!

Jun 22, 2023 • 28min
Monetizing Your Online Presence | Marketing & Monetization Strategist Michelle Thames
This week, Cassie and Erica catch up with Marketing & Monetization Strategist Michelle Thames, an agency owner and fractional CMO helping creators and entrepreneurs be seen and get clients with easy organic marketing.
This episode is sponsored by Magic Mind: visit MagicMind.co/MHH to get up to 50% off your first subscription in the next 10 days with our code MHH20
Here's a peek at what we cover in this episode:
[00:02:51] - Michelle shares her journey from beauty blog and natural hair YouTube channel to launching her marketing agency, and reveals her best advice on pivoting in your career (even outside your area of education!).
[00:07:09] - Michelle dives into how she uses AI to create marketing strategies, and explains how AI can be a helpful tool in streamlining and automating your processes.
[00:12:10] - Michelle chats through how she's built her engaged following on social and shares her methods for operating on each social platform. She also gives us a bit of insight on utilizing broadcast channels on Instagram.
[00:16:09] - Michelle shares her best tips for growing a community online, including her #1 tip: show up. She also lets us in on how impactful the comment to DM feature can be and how giving your followers a quick action to take can wildly increase conversion.
[00:20:43] - Michelle shares her thoughts on digital products, services, and more monetization strategies for your online presence. She also shares her free getting started resource: 100 Digital Product Ideas
Grab a drink and listen in to this week's Marketing Happy Hour conversation!
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Other episodes you'll enjoy if you enjoyed Michelle's episode:
How to Make Your First $1K as an Influencer | Influencer Coach Kahlea Nicole
Instagram 101: Show Up Confidently | Instagram Strategist Natasha Samuel
Growing a Community on Social | Karissa Widder of Kindred
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Say hi! DM us on Instagram and share your favorite moments from this episode - we can't wait to hear from you!
Try Magic Mind: visit MagicMind.co/MHH to get up to 50% off your first subscription in the next 10 days with our code MHH20
NEW! Join our MHH Insiders group to connect with Millennial and Gen Z marketing professionals around the world!
Get the latest from MHH, straight to your inbox: Join our email list!
Connect with Michelle on Instagram | Facebook
Follow MHH on Social: Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | TikTok
Subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter, Marketing Happy Hour Weekly: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/marketing-happy-hour-weekly-6950530577867427840/
Looking to make a career change? Download the FREE Dream Career Game Plan!

Jun 20, 2023 • 19min
BONUS! Ask MHH: Meet our Summer Intern, Lily Wittman!
Welcome back to our "Ask MHH" bonus series! This week, we're switching it up a bit - we invited our summer intern, Lily Wittman, to the show to ask us any questions she has about our experience in the marketing industry.
Tune in to hear our top tips for young professionals looking to acquire a marketing role, what we wish we would have done or known earlier on in our careers, our biggest career challenges thus far, and our favorite memories made during our almost 2 years of Marketing Happy Hour!
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Say hi! DM us on Instagram - we can't wait to hear from you! Please also consider rating the show and leaving a review, as that helps us tremendously as we move forward in this Marketing Happy Hour journey and create more content for all of you.
NEW! Join our MHH Insiders group to connect with Millennial and Gen Z marketing professionals around the world!
Get the latest from MHH, straight to your inbox: Join our email list!
Connect with our MHH Summer Intern, Lily: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with Co-Host Erica: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with Co-Host Cassie: LinkedIn | Instagram
Follow MHH on Social: Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | TikTok
Subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter, Marketing Happy Hour Weekly: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/marketing-happy-hour-weekly-6950530577867427840/
Looking to make a career change? Download the FREE Dream Career Game Plan!

Jun 15, 2023 • 42min
Unique Growth Marketing Tactics | Kelly McGlone of Avaline Wine
This week, Erica and Cassie sit down with Kelly McGlone, Growth Marketing Associate at Avaline Wine, to chat through their customer acquisition and retention strategies in email and paid media. Kelly also shares her experience as a newer young professional, and offers advice for those entering the job market today.
Here's a peek at what we cover in this episode:
[00:04:06] - Kelly details her undergrad experience with internships including a stint at QVC and Free People, starting a small business and learning how to operate and grow a company from scratch, and how the power of networking led her to her current role at Avaline Wine.
[00:11:36] - Kelly shares what her day to day looks like as Growth Marketing Associate, managing Avaline's customer acquisition strategies and retention programs, email marketing, and dabbling in events. She also gives us a peek into some of the current strategies Avaline uses to grow the brand (ie. bundles, curated sets, + subscription models).
[00:19:32] - Kelly explains how Avaline has leveraged email, including how they build their lists and bring in new subscribers, lean in to big traffic moments, deploy different flows for different parts of the customer journey, tap into Shopify and other data for replenishment flows, and overall use email to simplify the purchase process.
[00:28:20] - Kelly shares Avaline's current paid media strategies and how they're navigating the paid ad restrictions on alcohol brands. She also gives us a bit of insight around where to start in paid media if your brand is new to the ad space.
[00:36:10] - Kelly shares her advice around speaking up in your role and offering your ideas without fear.
Grab a drink and listen in to this week's Marketing Happy Hour conversation!
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Other episodes you'll enjoy if you enjoyed Kelly's episode:
Email Marketing 101: How to Increase CTR | Rondene Grinam of Microsoft
How to Build Brand Loyalty | Kara Salazar of Southwest Airlines
Performance Marketing 101 | Alex Lewis of Later
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Say hi! DM us on Instagram and share your favorite moments from this episode - we can't wait to hear from you!
NEW: Download the Dream Career Game Plan!
NEW: Check out our website!
NEW: Join our email list!
Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn
Check out Avaline and try their NEW Sauvignon Blanc: drinkavaline.com
Follow along with Avaline: Instagram | TikTok | Pinterest | Spotify
Follow MHH on Social: Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | TikTok
Subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter, Marketing Happy Hour Weekly: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/marketing-happy-hour-weekly-6950530577867427840/

Jun 13, 2023 • 28min
BONUS! Open for Hire: Emilia Halasz (prev. Walt Disney World)
Welcome back to our "Open for Hire" bonus series where we'll be chatting with marketing professionals open for hire - whether they've just graduated, were laid off, or are just looking to take the next step in their career journey - to highlight their background and skill sets and have an open Q&A around job hunting in today's market. Our next "Open for Hire" guest is Emilia Halasz, previously the Admin Assistant for Disney Parks Content Creation & Digital Integration. Listen in!
Follow Emilia on LinkedIn
Emilia's Creative "Open to Work" Graphic
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Say hi! DM us on Instagram and let us know which bonus episodes you're excited for - we can't wait to hear from you! Please also consider rating the show and leaving a review, as that helps us tremendously as we move forward in this Marketing Happy Hour journey and create more content for all of you.
NEW: Download the Dream Career Game Plan!
NEW: Check out our website!
NEW: Join our email list!
Connect with Co-Host Erica: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with Co-Host Cassie: LinkedIn | Instagram
Follow MHH: LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter
Subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter, Marketing Happy Hour Weekly
Join our Marketing Happy Hour Insiders LinkedIn Group

Jun 8, 2023 • 49min
Paid Search + Paid Social 101: Test and Learn | Andrew Harder of Cisco
This week, Cassie and Erica chat with Andrew Harder, Senior Paid Media Manager at Cisco (Webex Suite), a SaaS marketer passionate about paid media programs that drive bottom line results.
This episode is sponsored by Magic Mind: visit MagicMind.co/MHH to get up to 50% off your first subscription in the next 10 days with our code MHH20
Here's a peek at what we cover in this episode:
[00:03:17] - Andrew shares his background and experience in B2B (business to business) and SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) marketing, learning how to navigate ad platforms and manage large budgets, and details his experience going through company acquisitions (most recently Cisco's acquisition of Webex).
[00:07:07] - Andrew explains how to get started with paid media and scale your ad programs, how to master Google search ads and ensure efficient search spend, and how to formulate your indicators of success based on your business needs.
[00:19:33] - Andrew dives into his thoughts on paid social to build long term demand and unique ways to increase ad value, including his top 3 tips for getting started in paid media for beginners: optimizing for in feed consumption, segmenting your audiences, and making your content as organic to each platform as possible.
[00:31:01] - Andrew unveils his best LinkedIn ad tips and his thoughts on demand creation vs demand capture. He also shares the importance of pairing a solid organic strategy with a well thought out paid strategy, and why personal touches in both can be the key to success.
[00:39:20] - Andrew shares his thoughts on boosted posts vs ads and predictions for the future of paid media/ads/search including the impact of AI.
Grab a drink and listen in to this week's Marketing Happy Hour conversation!
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Other episodes you'll enjoy if you enjoyed Andrew's episode:
Your Guide to Social Media, Paid Media + Influencer Marketing | Halie Soprano of Traackr
Performance Marketing 101 | Alex Lewis of Later
Your Guide to B2B Marketing | Melissa Meredith of Content Creative
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Say hi! DM us on Instagram and share your favorite moments from this episode - we can't wait to hear from you!
Try Magic Mind: visit MagicMind.co/MHH to get up to 50% off your first subscription in the next 10 days with our code MHH20
NEW: Download the Dream Career Game Plan!
NEW: Check out our website!
NEW: Join our email list!
Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn
Follow MHH on Social: Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | TikTok
Subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter, Marketing Happy Hour Weekly: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/marketing-happy-hour-weekly-6950530577867427840/

Jun 6, 2023 • 21min
BONUS! Q+A Panel: Social Media Marketing
Welcome back to our Q+A Panel bonus series where we'll dive in to specific topics with experts in a bite-sized, "crash course" format. Next up: Social Media Marketing!
Meet our Social Media Marketing Q+A Panel guests:
Sarah Archer + Hannah Best are the co-founders of Firecracker Marketing, an award winning social media and marketing agency that was designed to be a modern iteration of the traditional agency model. Along with their team of 15 social media and digital experts, they offer social media, influencer marketing, digital advertising, copywriting, and marketing strategy services to hospitality clients across the country.
Arielle Berlinsky is the Social Media Marketing Coordinator at Delta Vacations, where she supports the execution of social media marketing strategy across established and emerging platforms to boost brand awareness, customer satisfaction and achieve revenue goals.
Listen in for a behind the scenes peek into Sarah, Hannah, and Arielle's latest successful campaigns, how they measure ROI, their advice on improving community engagement, and standing out above all of the noise on social!
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Say hi! DM us on Instagram and let us know which bonus episodes you're excited for - we can't wait to hear from you! Please also consider rating the show and leaving a review, as that helps us tremendously as we move forward in this Marketing Happy Hour journey and create more content for all of you.
Download the Dream Career Game Plan!
Check out our website!
Join our email list!
Connect with Co-Host Erica: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with Co-Host Cassie: LinkedIn | Instagram
Follow MHH: LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter
Subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter, Marketing Happy Hour Weekly
Join our Marketing Happy Hour Insiders LinkedIn Group