This week on Humans & Brands, we're doing someting a little different and flipping the script as Courtney Johnson interviews our host Lauren Douglass on Courtney's podcast, Slay the Gatekeeper. This one's all about cheat codes. Lauren shares the cheat codes that have shaped how she shows up, builds, and creates, from reframing fear into courage, to using intuition as a business tool. The women dig into why your purpose doesn't have to stay static, how thinking like a kid unlocks creativity, and what it really takes to build a personal brand that opens doors. This crossover episode unpacks the messy parts of entrepreneurship, the power of vulnerability, and why sometimes the best move is to just start. Let's get into it.

Am I living or am I just existing? That's the question that hit Eleni McCready at a funeral three years ago, and it changed the course of her life.

This week, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Eleni McCready, Partner and Chief Marketing Officer at PWRHOUSE Collective, who recently left the corporate world after 20 years to leap into consulting. We talk about the funeral that changed her life, what she calls her "midlife awakening," and how she found the guts to leave a stable job without knowing exactly what came next.

Eleni shares the exercise that helped her realize what really mattered, what it's like to navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, and the importantance of the spiderweb of connection.

If you've ever wondered whether it's time to make a leap, felt stuck in the day-to-day grind, or questioned what legacy you want to leave behind, this conversation is your reminder that the second half of your career can look however you want it to.

What does it take to turn down a full-time offer at one of the biggest beauty brands right out of college to start your own company? This week, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Brittany Lo, founder and CEO of Beia Beauty and Beautini, a clean beauty brand creating lifestyle skincare that keeps you clean and confident throughout the day. Brittany gets honest about what it takes to build a beauty brand at 22, how her first company became the stepping stone to building the brand she'd dreamed about since second grade, and why passion that keeps you up at night matters more than confidence. We talk about why being naive can be a blessing, learning to hear "no" over and over again, and why overnight success stories on TikTok don't show you the real work. If you've ever had an idea you can't stop thinking about but don't know where to start, this conversation will remind you that sometimes you have to be a little crazy and figure it out as you go.

What does it mean to keep the human at the center of everything you do? Host Lauren Douglass sits down with Heather Bollinger, Chief Revenue Officer at Vurvey Labs, an AI company that's built on a simple but powerful idea: AI should be powered by people, not replace them.

Heather's path is anything but linear: from anti–human trafficking work overseas in her 20s, to leading revenue at an AI company, she’s built her career on empathy, grit, and keeping the human at the center of everything. She gets real about her mantra "you can do hard things," why resilience means showing up even when you don't want to, and the crooked paths we all navigate.

This one's a grounded, inspiring listen for anyone navigating growth, AI, or just life itself. Let's get into it.

From Gen Z to AI, Racine Levy breaks down what it really takes to stay human in modern marketing.

This week, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Racine Levy, marketer, connector, and self-proclaimed “cringe enthusiast”, for a sharp, funny, and real conversation about what it means to be human at work.

Racine shares how confidence, curiosity, and a strong network have shaped her career, why “cringe” can actually be a superpower, and how trusting your gut often beats chasing ROI. They dive into Gen Z, AI, burnout, and the lost art of real human connection, all with Racine’s signature humor and candor.

Tune in this week for a conversation all about gut instincts, good marketing, and the power of showing up as yourself. Light, smart, and worth every minute of your commute. Let's get into it.

What happens when you refuse to let your past define your future? This week, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Troy Alexander, the founder and CEO of T363 Skin and a motivational speaker whose story is pretty extraordinary. Troy went from a two-year prison sentence to building a business and a life rooted in unwavering self-belief. In this conversation, Troy shares the four principles that guide everything he does, why mental strength matters more than anything else, and the daily practices that keep him pushing forward, plus his incredible journey to Founder & CEO. His story will challenge you to rethink what's possible and remind you that even when the world doesn't have your back, you can still have your own. This is one you don't want to miss.

From perfume labs to Glamsquad’s CMO chair, Simona Gaudio shares how detours, setbacks, and self-belief built her nonlinear career.

This week on Humans & Brands, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Simona Gaudio, CMO of Glamsquad, for an honest conversation about leadership, career detours, and staying kind in a business that often rewards the opposite. Simona shares how she went from working in a perfume lab to leading marketing at one of the most recognizable beauty brands, all while navigating the pandemic, a layoff, and a pregnancy at the same time. She opens up about what it means to rebuild from scratch, why every “no” isn’t the end, and how relationships (and not résumés) end up carrying you through the toughest seasons of your career.

If you’ve ever felt behind, stuck, or unsure of your next move, this one’s a reminder that there’s no straight line to success.

This week we're flipping the script. Instead of hosting, Lauren joins Valerie Vespa and Matt Wurst on The Snarketing Podcast, and the conversation is too good not to share.

We touch on some of Lauren's favorite hottakes: why B2B marketing is so bad right now, why most corporate brands are failing to break through the noise, and why the human touch is already more important than ever in an AI-centered world.

We also talk about the sea of sameness in B2B, how to turn your sales team into thought leaders, and what she wishes every CEO understood about marketing.

If you've attended a conference that felt pointless or wondered why B2B marketing feels so disconnected from actual humans, this conversation will resonate. It's snarky, it's honest, and it's packed with tactical advice for anyone trying to cut through the noise. There are a lot of hot topics to cover in this episode, so let's get into it.