Mack McKelvey with the Blueprint for Startup Success – Insider Interviews: With Media & Marketing Experts

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Mack McKelvey, Founder and CEO of SalientMG, joins me to explain why “being uncomfortable” has been a great recipe for success throughout her award-winning career in tech and marketing.

With remarkable candor, Mack reveals how disruption propelled her from big tech brands like Lucent, Verisign, and British Telecom to the startup world, where she mastered being an “intrapreneur” before launching her own ventures.

While I almost give away what my initials (E.B.) stand for, Mack shares the fun but sobering story behind her own name change—and a realization about “what’s in a name.” It definitely ties in with how it took a name change for this powerful woman, appropriately featured during Women’s History Month, to go to game changer.

She ultimately created SalientMG in order to offer “the kind of firm I could never find when I was on the inside”—a company staffed entirely with senior practitioners who understand the daily realities of startup marketing.

This same commitment drove yet another one of her startups just last year, but this time in the form of a community appropriately called “StartUp Marketer,” that democratizes access to marketing expertise with everything from templates to live advisors.

As a fellow podcaster (host of “The Cred”), Mack generously shares both professional insights and personal stories—from her surprising celebrity encounters (think Jude Law to Dave Grohl!) to how her move from Manhattan to Vermont during the pandemic influenced her perspective on work and life.

Throughout our conversation, Mack emphasizes what she’s learned throughout her career: the importance of staying relevant and adapting to change. Read everything! She also emphasizes that successful marketing isn’t just about tactics—it’s about understanding the people behind every decision and fostering diverse teams to help drive meaningful outcomes. She’s an advocate for underrepresented voices and speaks passionately about her mission to create platforms for women, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent and people of color — evident from her work, for example, with the non-profit, Creative Spirit — and giving all people more visibility.

“I had a real challenge with representation in technology. I felt like there were a lot of people that we weren’t hearing from. But man did they have great ideas and I wanted to build a platform or a way to help these folks get out in market in a meaningful way.”

Whether you’re a startup founder, a marketing professional, or simply someone interested in authentic leadership, Mack’s journey from “accidental” tech marketer to industry game-changer offers invaluable insights about intention, representation, and the courage to create what doesn’t yet exist.

Key Moments:

01:29 The Twists and Turns to Tech In Mack’s Career Timeline
08:40 The Importance of Names and Intentional Branding
11:04 SalientMG’s Mission and How to Deliver Impact
14:52 Challenges and Opportunities in Tech Marketing
21:16 Innovative Tech Companies to Watch
22:55 The Role of Marketers in Adapting to New Technologies
26:08 The StartUp Marketer Initiative: Democratizing Marketing Expertise
29:43 Supporting Creative Spirit and Inclusion Everywhere
36:42 Personal Stories: Celebrity Encounters
42:15 Pro Advice for Aspiring Marketing Leaders

Key Links:

Connect with Mack:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackmckelvey/
Salient MG: https://salientmg.com/
StartUp Marketer: https://thestartupmarketer.com/

Connect with E.B. Moss and Insider Interviews: With Media & Marketing Experts

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mossappeal
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Blusky: https://bsky.app/profile/mossappeal.bsky.social

And, as mentioned, catch my other podcast, “It’s Quite a Living,” too!

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