Leadership isn’t about having it all figured out — it’s about staying relevant, embracing the mess, and protecting culture as you grow. In this episode, Carrie Willetts shares hard-earned lessons on leading at scale, integrating with empathy, and why confidence and community matter more than ever in healthcare.

This is Brand Story, a podcast celebrating the stories of real people who are making an impact on brands, business, and the world around them. Episodes feature guests from a variety of backgrounds who bring their own unique perspectives to the conversation.

Brand Story is created and produced by Gravity Group, a full-service brand and marketing agency, and is hosted by Gravity Group President, Steve Gilman.

Links and Information From the Episode Here: https://www.gravitygroup.com/podcast/creating-relevance/

Continue the conversation on social:

For more of Brand Story, check out our LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/gravitygroupmarketing), where we’ll post previews and highlights of shows, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, plus other marketing news you can use.

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Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/gravitygroupmarketing

(00:00) Introduction to Carrie Willetts

(02:00) The Evolution of Leadership and Culture

(05:05) The Importance of Local Presence in Healthcare

(09:44) Embracing the Messiness of Leadership

(16:09) Advice for Young Leaders

(21:11) Communication and Clarity in Leadership

(26:15) The Complexity of Integration in Healthcare

(31:30) Carrie's Leadership Purpose and Growth

(36:45) How to Find Clarity

(39:06) Defining Success in Leadership

(42:22) A Season of Community

(48:45) Working on Communication

(51:48) Advice to Your Younger Self

What happens when marketing becomes more automated, data-driven, and efficient — but less human? In episode 102 of Brand Story, we sit down with Rick Milenthal, Chairman, Founder, and CEO of The Shipyard, to explore why emotion still matters more than technology, how fear can hold brands back, and why understanding people is the key to building brands that last.

This is Brand Story, a podcast celebrating the stories of real people who are making an impact on brands, business, and the world around them. Episodes feature guests from a variety of backgrounds who bring their own unique perspectives to the conversation.

Brand Story is created and produced by Gravity Group, a full-service brand and marketing agency, and is hosted by Gravity Group President, Steve Gilman.

Links and Information From the Episode Here: gravitygroup.com/podcast/engineering-brand-love

Continue the conversation on social:

For more of Brand Story, check out our LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/gravitygroupmarketing), where we’ll post previews and highlights of shows, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, plus other marketing news you can use.

We’re also on:

Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/gravitygroup

Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/gravitygroupmarketing

Chapters:

(00:00) – Meet Rick Milenthal and The Shipyard

(03:10) – Curiosity, fear, and adapting to change

(09:01) – Building The Shipyard

(11:59) – Engineering brand love and emotional storytelling

(23:10) – Culture, leadership, and mental health in agencies

(27:21) – Client work spotlight: EVs & Visit California

(34:47) – The future of The Shipyard

(37:00) – Fear vs adventure in leadership

(40:54) – Rick's advice to his younger self

In this highlight episode, we revisit some of our favorite moments from Season Five of Brand Story. The conversation reflects on what it takes to build brands people believe in, how marketers should think beyond surface-level metrics in a zero-click landscape, and what it means to lead creative work with intention.

This is Brand Story, a podcast celebrating the stories of real people who are making an impact on brands, business, and the world around them. Episodes feature guests from a variety of backgrounds who bring their own unique perspectives to the conversation.

Brand Story is created and produced by Gravity Group, a full-service brand and marketing agency, and is hosted by Gravity Group President, Steve Gilman.

Links and Information From the Episode Here: gravitygroup.com/podcast/season-five-favorite-moments/

Continue the conversation on social:

For more of Brand Story, check out our LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/gravitygroupmarketing), where we’ll post previews and highlights of shows, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, plus other marketing news you can use.

We’re also on:

Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/gravitygroup

Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/gravitygroupmarketing

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(1:05) Happiness Advantage — Mark Lester (Ep 90)

(4:02) Zero-Click Marketing — Rand Fishkin (Ep 91)

(6:28) Collaborative Leadership — Aya Baeshean (Ep 87)

(9:55) Brand Transformation — Simon Hill (Ep 97)

(12:51) Building Brand Loyalty — Phyllis Rothschild (Ep 95)

(15:35) Keeping Creativity Alive — Brian Thibodeau (Ep 98)