Thirty years in CPG brand management. What great consumer brands are still built from.

Marketing wasn't on my radar. My undergraduate degree is in journalism, and I was working on a small TV show called Business Forum when a woman I met inspired me to go back to business school. I went to Clark Atlanta University for my MBA and was introduced to brand management. I fell in love with it. The combination of creativity, storytelling, and strategy from a business perspective held me. I've never looked back.

My first role was at Coca-Cola on Diet Coke, still one of my all-time favourite brands because I learned so much. Coca-Cola is arguably one of the best brand-management companies in the world; it taught me an enormous amount.

I have an unwavering commitment to consumers. That's what I learned at Coke. I incorporate three simple steps: listen, learn, lead. I didn't create the phrase; I picked it up in a business class. It's been my North Star.

When I joined Gold Bond about a year and a half ago, I took the first six months just listening. Listening to current consumers and to consumers who had no idea about the brand. The signal from those who had tried Gold Bond was consistent: it works. That was a strong equity to build on.

What stays the same: the purpose never changes. It's always about improving the lives of the consumer.

What's different: in big strategics you have discipline and structure. In smaller companies you can go faster, be more agile, take more risk. At Gold Bond I have the best of both. Sanofi is a big parent company with all the insight, data, and structure. The Gold Bond team operates like a startup. We take more risk. We do things we hadn't done in the past. This is probably the most exciting time of my career.

You have to stay true to the soul of the brand and the equity that got you to the table, while taking risk without losing the core. I struggle with that every day. The core Gold Bond consumer is 40-plus. They want to age well (they don't want anti-ageing language). We recently launched Plumping Collagen (a body and face lotion serum) that plumps visibly within 15 minutes, with clinical work behind it.

We also launched a Walmart-exclusive on scented hand creams in four scents, exclusive for the next six months. That's appealing to consumers who aren't as aware of Gold Bond. We're not sacrificing performance or hydration to play in the scent game; it's performance scents rather than fragrance for its own sake.

Ask whether the strategy is working. If you're connecting with the consumer and showing growth, double down. If not, ask: how do I make this brand more relevant? What audience am I looking to engage? It starts with listening. Listen and learn from what the consumer is telling you.

We're strong in body care, and collagen was a big ingredient trend. Social listening and consumer conversations identified that prestige collagen products were priced beyond what mass consumers were willing to pay. The question: how do we bring prestige-grade innovation to the masses? Plumping Collagen is the answer. The body-and-face serum lotion is doing extremely well.

The beauty and wellness industry has made progress, and not enough. I think about the underserved and unseen community looking for answers and products. Beyond the generational and demographic cuts, I'm learning about the neurodivergent consumer looking for brands to address unique needs that brands have not done well. What consumers desire most, regardless of who they are, is to be seen, to be heard, and for brands to understand how to connect to their values.

Consumers don't only expect products that work. They deserve products that work. Beyond that, they expect brands to align with their values. With tariffs and uncertainty about the future, we made a conscious decision not to raise our prices this year, no matter what. We want to give value to the consumer and not compromise on the product. I'm proud of Gold Bond for being able to do that.

Inclusivity and representation should be in the ways of working, like the logo. Brands that win will understand that and embed it in their culture and values, rather than treating it as a tactic.

Consumers are in power more than ever. We used to think brands held the power; social media and TikTok and the rest have changed that. Consumers are more discerning about ingredients. They tell us in real time what causes matter. If you don't align with their cause and their value, this is not a product for me.

Listen and learn, and then lead to change the world. Listening means hearing the noise and addressing what you keep hearing. Consumers are discerning. They're also very forgiving if you are true to your values. Brands worry too much about being cancelled. Be true to who you are as a brand and I believe you will have staying power.

When I started in brand management, CMOs were seen as the people who didn't care about the bottom line. CMOs were about equity. I've led both sides as a GM, looking at the holistic approach to the bottom line. CMOs need to have that guide. I love a big idea; I always have. The framework: the bigger the idea, the more disciplined you need to be.

The lines between CMO and GM are blurring. When I started at Sanofi my title was Head of Gold Bond. As we reshaped the brand and the company, I moved to CMO, and I don't know if the role has changed drastically. I'm still very connected to the CEO. I'm making sure what we bring to the table returns. I want to drive big innovation while connecting it to the financial discipline. In the future, CMOs won't be only about equity and GMs won't be only about bottom line. They'll be more one and the same.

Get very close to the finance team. Run the brand as a business and not only as consumer-facing. Tap into cross-functional teams. Understand the CEO's priorities. Drive the bottom line. Have a great brand, and a great business of the brand, and make them work together.

Consumers are redefining health, beauty, and wellness. It's more holistic. The GLP-1 story is a clear case: brands are stepping up to address the weight-loss work like no other. Supplement brands show up to support the consumer. Fast-food restaurants now have GLP menus. During social listening for Gold Bond I saw phrases like Ozempic butt and Ozempic neck. The community was talking about Tighten and Firm and recommending it because of the results.

My own pattern: I used to go to a spa for a facial or my nails. Now I'm getting IV drips and B12 injections. It's about wellspan, rather than lifespan. We don't only want to live to 100; we want to live to 100 and be healthy. Brands need to help consumers do that.

Where there used to be a 12-month life cycle, there might now be a 30-day life cycle. Brands need to be out there, connecting with the product, with social media, with cultural events. Faster. For big companies that isn't easy, which is why founder brands connect in deeper, better, faster ways.

We launched Plumping Collagen, and this past weekend we partnered with Chelsea Handler at the Albuquerque Balloon Festival (the largest balloon festival in the world, on the bucket list of 20-and-30-somethings). We did a takeover with a Plumping Collagen air balloon. Sampling. The pictures on Instagram from Lippy Taylor (our PR team) and the brand team showed consumers connecting to the product. We love Gold Bond coming back. It's a product that works, and it has to be infused into the culture that matters to them.

I'm a servant leader. My job is to enable my team, break down barriers, and let them do their jobs better. Gone are the days of I want my boss to look good. We have to make our teams look good and feel backed. I have great relationships far beyond after I've managed someone; I can call them friends.

The empathy story: I was working for a private-equity-owned company. The team thought they were all losing their jobs. I was transparent about what I could tell them. I provided things they valued. In a PE environment half-day Fridays is a foreign concept. I had a team of women, some of whom were mothers who needed flexibility. I fought for the team to get it. They knew that when they did come to work, they were going to do their best because they knew I had their back. My team at Gold Bond knows that now.

At least three times in my life a mentor supported me without me knowing. Candace Matthews helped me land my role at Coca-Cola 25 years ago and is a dear friend today. She was able to be in rooms when I was not and speak about me to the people who mattered. We all need those people to speak on our behalf when we're not in the room. I'm here because someone believed in me.

We just hired a new associate brand manager from Clark Atlanta (my business school). I've watched this young woman's career and I'm proud of her. When the role came up, I wanted her to interview. Monday was her first day.

You are enough. Don't allow others to make you believe or limit what you can or can't do. Michelle Obama once said she'd been at a table full of supposedly intellectual people and realised they're not as smart as I would think they would be. I'm not saying people aren't smart. I'm saying to women and people of colour: you are enough.

Early in my career I was afraid to speak up. I knew, I had the instinct, I had the data, and I was afraid. Once I had my voice, I won't shut up now, with respect. My voice will be heard. If you agree, fine. If you don't, that's okay too.

The Gold Bond Touch campaign. Skin so cared for, you want to share it. A blend of heart, humanity, and science. Beautiful connection scenes (weddings, parents, people just connecting). The classic Motown track brings it to life.

A transcending brand. She uplifts culture and elevates people no matter where they are. There will be Harvard case studies on Beyoncé many moons later.