Meet Colleen Stauffer, the Chief Marketing Officer at HoneyBook, where she’s shaking up the world of marketing like a cocktail mixer at a bar where all the drinks are on fire. With over 15 years of experience under her belt, she’s navigated an industry that has transformed so dramatically that even staying in the same field for decades feels like changing jobs every few years. If you don’t believe me, just ask her about the positions that didn’t exist when she started as an intern at a Chicago ad agency!
Colleen’s journey began at ABC in Washington, D.C., during her college days. “My manager taught me how to be a thoughtful and direct leader,” she recalls, “like trying to steer a ship through a storm, only this storm came with a side of spreadsheets and no rum.” After this initiation, she plunged into the vibrant world of advertising at Cramer-Krasselt, her hometown agency in Chicago. There, she launched the first dedicated social media team—a milestone she proudly touts as one of her early career achievements. “It was like being the first person to introduce kale to a BBQ. Everyone was skeptical, but look who’s winning now!” she quips.
From Chicago, Colleen ventured to Clorox, where she learned the ropes of brand management while selling everything from garbage bags to salad dressing. “Who knew packaging design could be so thrilling? It’s like dressing up for a date, but that date involves a lot of people throwing away their trash,” she jokes, flexing her marketing muscles while crafting campaigns for iconic brands like Brita, Burt’s Bees, and Hidden Valley.
Her next leap brought her to Pinterest as the Global Head of Business Marketing, right in the thick of a major reinvention. “Joining Pinterest felt like being handed the keys to a candy store—if that candy store was filled with DIY projects and endless inspiration,” she recalls. Scaling the Creator Marketing team from one person to a whopping 70 globally, Colleen spearheaded the largest product marketing campaign the platform had ever seen, tackling the complex task of aligning multiple product teams for a unified marketing front. “Negotiating with product teams was like herding cats, if those cats had a sizable Instagram following,” she reflects.
After Pinterest, Colleen jumped into the fintech arena with Creative Juice, where she and her team battled the skepticism of creatives wary of new companies. “We had to establish credibility, like trying to convince your grandma that the latest tech is worth her time,” she notes. Their strategy involved partnering with well-known creators to tell their story, ensuring the message resonated with the audience they aimed to empower.
Fast forward to 2024, and Colleen now finds herself at HoneyBook, the leading client-flow platform for independent professionals like photographers and graphic designers. “After 15 years of building brands and scaling marketing teams, I’m thrilled to apply my experience and passion to empower independent business growth,” she declares, enthusiasm practically radiating from her words. “It’s like giving the little guys the tools they need to throw a party—without burning the place down.”
As she surveys the marketing landscape today, Colleen emphasizes the necessity for CMOs to adopt a full-funnel marketing approach. “Today’s CMOs have to be part analyst, part artist—like a Picasso with a calculator,” she says. “We’re juggling data and creativity like circus performers, but without the clowns.”
But wait—there’s more! Colleen firmly believes in the power of human-to-human marketing. “At the end of the day, if marketing were a dinner party, we’d all want to be the host that keeps the conversations flowing,” she muses. “People are at the core of what we do, and if you’re not connecting with them, you’re just shouting into the void. And trust me, that void doesn’t need another ad about why you should switch toilet paper brands.”
Colleen Stauffer is not just a CMO; she’s a vibrant force in the marketing world, proving that success isn’t just about selling products—it’s about connecting with people and building communities while having a good laugh. With her irreverent humor and a treasure trove of experience, Colleen is ready to tackle whatever challenges the marketing world throws her way, ensuring that HoneyBook continues to thrive in a landscape filled with uncertainty.
In her words, “Marketing today is like a game of chess, only you’re also trying to sell the board to the audience while explaining the rules to the pieces.” With this cheeky perspective, Colleen Stauffer is leading the charge in redefining marketing for the modern age.
