From Hype to Honesty: A Better Way to Build Brands with Rachel Coburn
This week on Above the Fold, when a last-minute guest cancellation turned into a spontaneous flight-text podcast invite, I knew the universe had plans. Rachel Coburn, marketing leader, fractional consultant, and all-around badass, jumped in without hesitation. And thank god she did. Because this conversation? It’s everything I love about real marketing talk: raw, smart, and a little bit spicy.
Rachel’s built brands in the health and wellness space from the inside out, including AG1 and Happy V. She’s seen what happens when purpose meets process, and what happens when marketers lose sight of the customer behind the metrics.
Marketing That Means Something
Rachel and I bonded over one thing early on: we both care about marketing that actually helps people. It’s not about flashy campaigns or short-term acquisition wins, it’s about building trust. For Rachel, joining AG1 wasn’t just a career move; it was a chance to tell a transparent story about wellness in a world filled with buzzwords and overpromises.
That kind of honesty in marketing is rare, and it’s exactly what more brands need. As we both agreed, the DTC space has become obsessed with “growth at all costs.” Acquisition has been glorified to the point where truth sometimes gets left behind. But as Rachel said, “When brands make claims without backing, they’re not just losing customers, they’re losing equity.”
Retention Starts at Acquisition
One of my favorite parts of this conversation was digging into how growth and retention can’t exist in silos. Rachel broke it down perfectly: acquisition without intention leads to low LTV, and retention without alignment can’t fix that. Founders often get so focused on scaling fast that they forget to set up systems that actually support their customers, or their teams.
We’ve both seen it happen: a brand invests everything in paid ads and then runs customer support out of a Gmail inbox. The result? Burnout, chaos, and a very angry customer base. As Rachel put it, “You have to think about the full ecosystem, from A to Z, because that’s what drives long-term success.”
Why Process and Tech Matter More Than You Think
Rachel’s self-proclaimed “process freak” energy made me want to audit my Asana board immediately. She reminded me how underrated marketing operations are in most organizations. The truth is, the unglamorous backend, your dev team, your analytics stack, your marketing ops, is what makes scale sustainable.
Without it, brands end up duct-taping growth instead of building it. As Rachel said, “You can’t go very far if you’re single-minded. Enablement and empowerment are what keep your team, and your brand, strong.”
Building The Right Team From The Start
When we talked about what it takes to build a marketing team on a scrappy budget, Rachel’s answer was simple: start with a brand. Growth matters, but without a clear story, every dollar spent is just noise. Founders need someone who understands creative direction and someone who knows where to invest smartly in acquisition. It’s not about being everywhere; it’s about being intentional.
And if you’re launching something new? Get a CX perspective in the room early. Even if it’s just a consultant for a few hours. Map your customer journey, define how you’ll communicate at every stage, and build systems that can scale. You’ll thank yourself later.
The Human Side of Marketing
At the heart of everything Rachel said was one theme, marketing is human. It’s about honesty, process, and passion. It’s about caring enough to do it right, even when it takes longer. Whether you’re selling wellness products, software, or something in between, your job as a marketer is to connect, not just convert.
As Rachel put it best, “I don’t want to just market something. I want to market something that helps someone’s life.”
And honestly? That’s the kind of marketing worth fighting for.
