We see the C-Suite in movies all the time. Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a Chief Marketing Officer? Maybe you’ve aspired to become one one day.

To some of us, these high level positions seem to be guarded with hidden pathways. At TalentID Group, we strive to serve both our candidates and our clients. In doing so, we aim for complete transparency with the intention of lowering the traditional job-seeking barriers. 

Do you want to be a Chief Marketing Officer? Let us help get you there!

A CMO’s day-to-day operations may vary depending on what company you work for and what industry you work in. We’ve interviewed Brian Hipsher, the Chief Marketing Officer of Charleys Philly Steaks to get an inside glance into his career path, in hopes of inspiring you to fulfill your career goals.

Brian Hipsher

Brian is a husband, a father and the Chief Marketing Officer at Charleys Philly Steaks. 

He studied Marketing and received his MBA at the University of Wyoming. Upon graduation, Brian became a field consultant for 7-Elevens around downtown Denver, Colorado. In this role, he found a passion for helping people. He was given a new perspective on life and how others experience it. 

“It was a great experience because I got to learn every part of a business – it taught me a lot about life too. Many of my hourly teammates struggled living paycheck to paycheck, some were new to America, and others were never taught some of the basic things we may take for granted, like how to open a bank account.  I found joy outside of work helping folks who were open to receiving it, and I learned that in every job there is an impact you can make that is bigger than ‘the job’ itself.”

I think I’ve always been curious and never afraid to ask if I can help in areas I might be helpful in (and I’m sure I’ve been unhelpful in a few of those areas as well).” 

As Brian continued in his journey, he maintained an open mindset. He changed jobs, moved across the country a few times and held many different corporate positions. He worked in different departments ranging from, “Operations to HR to Product Development to Marketing to Business Leadership. I think I’ve always been curious and never afraid to ask if I can help in areas I might be helpful in (and I’m sure I’ve been unhelpful in a few of those areas as well).” 

Working with smart individuals and leaders helped Brian become really good at strategy. Solving complex problems and helping people became his calling. He now works with his awesome team at Charleys Philly Steaks. Being the CMO is great for anyone who loves variety. Here he is able to bring happiness into people’s lives.

“The restaurant industry is looking for nice folks who enjoy bringing happiness to others. There are some really great jobs that often go overlooked for all the wrong reasons. I’d encourage anyone thinking about the restaurant space to give it a shot.”

Brian oversees all the marketing, including, “menu development, loyalty, digital promotions, guest research, new marketing technologies, new store opening and field marketing activities.” He works with other brilliant individuals to make Charleys a long-lasting brand. Brian uses his growth mindset and readiness to help others to make an impact.

“I remember that I wanted to see quick results for the work I put in.  I learned things don’t work like that – change takes time.”

When asked what career advice he would give his younger self, Brian says to be patient. Continuing on to say, “I remember that I wanted to see quick results for the work I put in.  I learned things don’t work like that – change takes time, and not everyone may see things the same way you do.  But over time, things usually work out.” He would tell readers to do more networking, “That word still makes me uneasy, but I’ve learned it’s not so scary to talk to others and learn from others across your company, your industry, and from other industries… there are many who would be happy to give some advice or lend an ear.” As far as what his younger self should do less of- “drink a lot less coffee –  I was drinking two pots a day, it got to a point where it started to impact my heart!”

It may come as a surprise, but Brian is guilty of scrolling for hours on TikTok. He mentions, “You might laugh at me, but I get a steady stream of marketing and management advice from TikTok – the algorithm has done a great job of giving me excellent content or prompts to dig deeper.  Just search marketing or management in Tiktok and like some of the content and you’ll be on your way.” In addition to TikTok, Brian goes to Google to learn more about his topics of interest.

Brian is a husband, a father and the Chief Marketing Officer of Charleys Philly Steaks. If you want to know more about Brian or being a CMO, he encourages you to connect on LinkedIn (just mention the article)! 

Brian’s experience is just one of many different CMOs in a wide variety of industries. Every career path, every journey and every experience is different. And we have no doubt in our minds that you can achieve the goals you set too! The work you put in now, will pay off later.

Are you interested in becoming a Chief Marketing Officer?  Do you need help building a career path and developing personal and professional goals? Schedule a FREE appointment with us any Thursday during our Office Hours. We would love to hear from you!