344: How to Build a Growth Function That Lasts with Breanne Byrne

What happens when marketing stops chasing tactics and starts building systems that actually scale?

Nikki sits down with CMO and growth leader Breanne Byrne to unpack what it really takes to build a marketing and growth function that evolves with your business and your people.

Breanne shares her five-phase department maturity model, from reactive to intelligent, and explains why sustainable growth is never just about channels, campaigns, or tech stacks. It is about clarity, customer experience, role alignment, and servant leadership that helps people do their best work. Along the way, Nikki and Breanne explore AI, change management, team strengths, and why growth that lasts always starts with humans.

Whether you are leading a scrappy team, scaling a department, or trying to make change feel more meaningful for your people, this episode will challenge you to think bigger, lead better, and grow with intention.

 

Additional Resources:

Connect with Breanne on LinkedIn

Learn more about Syntari® AI

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

 

Nikki's Key Takeaways:

• Scalable growth starts with strong foundations, not random tactics.
• Clear goals create alignment across teams and departments.
• AI works best as a human amplifier, not replacement.
• Servant leadership unlocks stronger teams and better performance.
• Sustainable marketing requires constant iteration, learning, and adaptation.