Rethinking Your Customer Journey Map | Matt Gehring ( Dutch Pet, Everlane, Rothy's )

The fastest-growing brands treat customer insight like a strategy—not just a survey.

In this week's episode of Growth Talks, CMO & Advisor, Matt Gehring joins host Tyler Elliston, founder and CEO of Right Side Up, to unpack what it takes to succeed in your first 90 days as a marketing leader.

Drawing from his leadership roles at Dutch Pet, Everlane, and Rothy's, Matt shares how to map the customer journey, turn post-purchase insights into smart segmentation strategies, and use real-time data to drive repeat purchases.

Find out why acting on customer insights early is key to refining your product, aligning your team, and making informed decisions before you scale.

🗝️ Key Takeaways:

• Start with listening. In your first 90 days as CMO, forget quick wins and shiny tactics. Your real job? Uncover the real issues, gain your team's trust, and align the org around a shared understanding of success.
• Smart teams adjust early. When customer insights tell a different story about your product, don't rush to scale. Hit pause, review feedback, and pivot. Sometimes the smartest move is starting over.
• Don't confuse revenue with value. Always calculate LTV using gross margin—not top-line revenue. It's the only way to get a true LTV:CAC ratio and avoid scaling based on a false signal.
• Personalization is about context. It's not about crafting the perfect one-to-one offer—it's about using what you already know, like ad intent or entry point, to create the customer experience at every touchpoint.
• Post-purchase is a powerful growth lever. Use customer data to track what they bought and when they bought it to inform segmentation. Then test upsells, cross-sells, and timing to drive repeat purchases and increase lifetime value.
• Insights drive action. When Rothy's opened its first store, it created a direct feedback loop. Store associates captured what drew customers in, offering real-time insights that led to smarter product decisions and more effective marketing.
• Start with why. Focus groups, surveys, and AI all have value—but only when used intentionally. As you scale, tools like AI and surveys can help synthesize insights, but they're no replacement for talking to real users.

⏰ Timestamps

• 02:52 Navigating the First 90 Days
• 05:45 Building Trust with Teams
• 08:59 Understanding Customer Dynamics
• 11:57 The Importance of Data Definitions
• 18:01 Defining the Customer Journey
• 21:12 Personalization in Marketing
• 27:02 Segmentation and Post-Purchase Strategies
• 32:59 Understanding LTV and CAC Calculations
• 40:32 DefiningCustomer Acquisition Costs
• 44:44 The Importance of Consumer Insights

🔗 Mentioned in this episode:

• Lifeforce: https://www.mylifeforce.com/
• Dutch Pet: https://www.dutch.com/
• Everlane: https://www.everlane.com/
• Rothy's: https://rothys.com/
• Hims: https://www.hims.com/

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