Happy Marketer Connection Ep. 12: Rachel Braun Scherl, SPARK Solutions for Growth on “Pioneer”

🅴 Note: This week’s episode contains explicit language.

Business coaches tell you one way to stand out from the crowd is to change the business conversation. When you’re a pioneer like Rachel Braun Scherl, that scenario is going to be different than you might imagine. On this week’s episode of Happy Marketer Connection podcast, learn how Rachel secured the attention and funding she needed for her business with a $100 bill and a bold statement.

Happy Marketer Connection Episode 12
Rachel Braun Scherl, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of SPARK Solutions for Growth
Theme “Pioneer”

Today Rachel, the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of SPARK Solutions for Growth, helps companies and brands forge new paths, utilizing pragmatic strategy to not only determine what needs to be done, but to help make it happen. A successful veteran of large companies and entrepreneurial ventures, she believes her diverse background is her “secret sauce.”

Hear how to pioneer a new industry, how Rachel became the Vagipreneur, the top three skills every businessperson needs, how to create a creative pitch, and the important lessons the movie Rollerball  has for all of us.

To listen on Apple Podcasts click here.
To listen on Spotify click here.

Episode Highlights

• Intro
• [0:17] Sue Frech, Happy Marketer Connection, Vesta
• [0:39] Rachel Braun Scherl, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of SPARK Solutions for Growth
• Sue Frech interviewing Rachel Braun Scherl on being a PIONEER
• [1:30] Pioneer
• [1:54] Entrepreneurship
• [2:04] What is a Vagipreneur?
• [2:14] Abby Ellen, The New York Times
• [2:23] Female Sexual Health
• [2:49] Trademark
• [3:05] Sexual Wellness, Healthcare
• [3:12] How does working in the startup world compare to Fortune 100 brands?
• [3:44] Johnson & Johnson (J&J), Tylenol
• [4:29] Mary Wallace Jaensch
• [6:04] Innovation, Growth
• [6:19] What do smaller brands look for in working with Rachel?
• [7:02] Survey, Pragmatic Strategy
• [8:07] Consultants
• [8:18] Business Plan, Marketing Plan
• [9:37] How did Rachel become the Vagipreneur?
• [10:00] Venture Capitalist
• [11:22] Shareholders
• [12:21] Marketing
• [13:00] 2008 Financial Crisis
• [13:20] Business School
• [13:28] Orgasmic Leadership by Rachel Braun Scherl
• [14:55] Pandemic
• [15:07] Women’s Health, Mental Health
• [16:01] Why is building a community such a communal effort?
• [16:42] Heather Morrison, Handi, Cerebral Palsy
• [17:13] Quarantine, COVID-19
• [17:32] Zoom Series: Quotes from Quarantine
• [17:47] FemTech
• [18:35] Podcast
• [19:12] What skills do you need to succeed and advance in the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) world?
• [19:25] P&G (Procter & Gamble), Reckitt Benckiser (RB), CMO (Chief Marketing Officer), Associate Brand Manager
• [19:47] Stanford Business School
• [21:09] Packaging, Advertising, R&D (Research & Development), Consumer Innovation
• [23:00] P&L (Profit-and-Loss Statement), Supply Chain
• [23:14] Community powered marketing delivers a new world of sales growth. Learn more at Vesta-Go.com
• [23:35] Kraft, GSK (GlaxoSmithKline)
• [23:51] What is the entrepreneurial mindset?
• [26:01] How can you survive and thrive in 2020?
• [28:08] What moment is Rachel most proud of?
• [28:52] PR (Public Relations)
• [29:12] Rachel’s Stanford Case Study
• [30:05] Question from the Smiley360 community: What advice does Rachel have for students beginning their careers?
• [30:38] Rocky
• [30:49] Rollerball
• [33:06] Internship
• [33:48] What three skills do you need to succeed in the business world?
• [34:39] Mentors, Negotiation
• [35:01] What positive story does Rachel have to share?
• [35:18] Silicon Valley
• [35:30] VIAGRA
• [36:19] Publishers Clearing House (PCH) check
• [38:15] Unembarrassable
• Outro
• [40:02] Thank you for listening! Subscribe to Happy Marketing Connection on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more
• [40:12] Connect with Sue on LinkedIn or Twitter at @SueFrech, and Vesta-Go.com
• Theme Song: Hello (Extended Version) – Paul Werner – provided by Jamendo

Get Connected
Connect with Rachel at SPARKSolutionsForGrowth.com, RachelBraunScherl.com, and on social media at @RBScherl and @RachelBraunScherl

Get More Happy Marketer Connection
Check out previous episodes and subscribe on Apple Podcasts:
Episode 1: Welcome to Happy Marketer Connection with Guest Marlea Clark, CMO of Stella Rising on “Evolution”
Episode 2: Dawn Dobras, CEO of Credo Beauty on “Champion”
Episode 3: Gina Bonafede, Director of Marketing at DAS Companies on “Connection Marketing”
Episode 4: Tom Deierlein, Co-Founder and CEO, Thundercat Technology on “Grit”
Episode 5: Michele Muhammad, CMO of DSE Healthcare on “Transformational Marketing”
Episode 6: Chris Pyne, Founder and President, Junction 37 on “Values”
Episode 7: David Rich, Founder, Palabra on “Storytelling”
Episode 8: Alex Colkitt, Content and Community Strategist, Sir Kensington’s on “Engagement”
Episode 9: Alan Sutton, VP Global Sales and Operations, Jay At Play on “Heritage”
Episode 10: Anne Candido, Co-Founder, Forthright People on “Brand Love”
Episode 11: Cathy Murphy, Co-Founder and CEO, Venus Media Group on “Balance”

About the Happy Marketer Connection Podcast
Welcome to Happy Marketer Connection. Marketers know it’s the connections we make – between ideas, people, and brands –  that make all the difference. Each week, Happy Marketer Connection invites you to connect with our Co-Founder and CEO Sue Frech, Martech pioneer, and unfailing optimist, as she and her fellow passionate marketers explore engaging and inventive marketing strategies and toast brands making impactful consumer connections.