Once Upon a Farm CMO Katie Marston on Embracing Your Authentic Leadership Style
In this episode of Women in Retail Talks, Women in Retail Leadership Circle Content and Events Strategist Sarah Hendrickson interviews Katie Marston, chief marketing officer at Once Upon a Farm, an organic childhood nutrition and food company. Listen in as Marston discusses her career journey working for purpose-driven brands, from her start at Adidas to her current C-suite role (1:25). She shares how her experiences working internationally shaped her as a leader and as a marketer (4:40), and how she drives business while building a brand and maintaining creative focus (6:30).
In addition, Marston underscores the importance of a well-built team that can keep pace, describing her approach to developing strong teams (8:40). She shares her thoughts on the impact of artificial intelligence in the marketing sphere and why it’s essential to keep the human touch at Once Upon a Farm (11:20). Lastly, Marston highlights how motherhood made her a better leader (14:00) as well as how she learned to nurture and embrace her own authentic leadership style (17:30).
Katie Marston has served as chief marketing officer at Once Upon a Farm since 2020, where she oversees both creative storytelling and commercial performance. Prior to joining the company, Ms. Marston held senior marketing roles at Brew Dr. Kombucha and Kendra Scott, where she scaled marketing organizations to match rapid growth. Earlier in her career, she spent 12 years at adidas AG, working across the U.S., Amsterdam, and Germany. Ms. Marston holds a BA in Business Administration from the University of Oregon.
Date: September 15, 2026
Credits: Katie Marston
Duration: 20:05
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