MAPPED OUT
Ever feel like your marketing strategy and business plan is a maze of endless to-dos? MAPPED OUT is your GPS to breakthrough growth, minus the headaches. Think of us as your savvy road trip companions who've not only survived the marketing wilderness—we've mastered it.
Lauren and Aurrie here, battle-tested marketers who've built businesses from the ground up. We're ditching the fluff and corporate-speak to give you the real deal: strategies that actually work, stories from the trenches, and those "why didn't I think of that?" moments that'll transform your approach.
Every episode is like having coffee (or a stiff and needed drink) with that marketing friend who tells it straight, shares their secret weapons, and genuinely wants you to win. Whether you're dreaming up your next campaign or feeling stuck in the daily grind, consider this your official permission slip to simplify, amplify, and enjoy the ride. Buckle up—your marketing journey just got a whole lot more interesting.
MAPPED OUT
Stop #19: Ari Murray on Building Go-To-Millions, Making Media Human Again, and the Power of Personality in Marketing
Every brand story has a turning point—and Ari Murray’s begins with dropping out of law school. From customer service agent to VP of Growth at Sharma Brands, Ari’s career has been a masterclass in turning setbacks into strategy. Now, as the creator of Go-To-Millions, one of the most-loved newsletters in marketing, she’s redefining how founders build audiences—with honesty, humor, and a healthy dose of exclamation marks.
✈️ GET THE FLIGHT DECK BREAKDOWN: www.mappedoutpod.com/newsletter
In this episode, Ari shares how she:
- Went from answering customer service emails to leading growth for iconic DTC brands.
- Built Go-To-Millions from 400 early subscribers to 50,000+ loyal readers—without ever “playing the algorithm.”
- Turns humor and humility into her biggest brand differentiators.
- Balances honesty and hype in sponsored content (and what brands often get wrong about trust).
- Learned the real cost of inflexibility in e-commerce marketing—and how to pivot when things go off-script.
- Keeps her content consistent while juggling motherhood, a career in growth, and one very viral marketing household.
If you’ve ever wondered how to build an audience around authenticity—or how to stay relevant when the internet moves faster than your strategy—this episode maps out the playbook.
⏰ TIMESTAMPS
3:45 – What customer service teaches you about human behavior
7:20 – Branding, tone, and what “thank you!” says about your company
10:24 – The voice behind Go-To-Millions: how Ari found her tone
15:50 – Building audience momentum from scratch
20:00 – Sponsorships, transparency, and what makes readers actually trust you
25:10 – How to grow a newsletter when you don’t have a million followers
38:40 – What most DTC brands get wrong about flexibility
45:10 – Why “newness” is the most underrated Black Friday strategy
49:10 – Life with The Marketing Millennials (and how their creative partnership works)
51:15 – What’s next for Go-To-Millions
52:20 – Ari’s High / Low / Stow
🔗 CONNECT WITH ARI MURRAY
- Website: gotomillions.co
- LinkedIn: Ari Murray
👩✈️ MEET YOUR CO-PILOTS
Lauren Loreto
- Founder of Brand Good Time
- Instagram: @brandgoodtime
- LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/laurenloreto
Aurrie Hicks
- Founder of Hopson Rae
- Instagram: @hopsonrae
- LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/aurriehicks
🎧 Listen & Subscribe
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