Jen Kavanagh (Philadelphia Eagles) | It’s All About Your Team

What's the first brand you remember making an impact on you? Is a young girl? There are a couple, but I think the one that was probably overwhelming was Barbie. I mean, Barbie was an icon when I was a kid, not only because she was beautiful, but I loved like she had this whole universe, this whole world built around her. She was a homeowner, she drove a great car, she was an entrepreneur, she owned a store, she had all these things. It's signified for me not just, I think, fun play, but this idea that the possibilities were limitless, like however my six-year-old or whatever brain processed it, it was very, very impactful, I think, in that way. Hi, I'm Jim Stangel, and I help major brands find their purpose and activate it, and the profits follow. For seven years, I was the global marketing officer for Prokker & Gamble, where I oversaw the marketing of hundreds of brands. You may not know it, but the CMOs, the chief marketing officers of all of your favorite brands, are trying to connect you with your favorite products and services through purpose, and on this show, I delve into how they do it. My guest today on the CMO podcast is Jen Cabenall, the SVP marketing and media for the Fillet of the Eagles, one of the most successful and story teams in the National Football League. The Eagles got their start way back in 1933, and this past season has been one of the greatest ever as they face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in the upcoming Super Bowl. My guest, Jen, has been head of marketing for the Eagles for the past four and a half years. She is responsible for leading the development of the Eagles' brand, original content, digital platforms, marketing, and community relations. She also oversees the Eagles' data and insights business unit, as well as the newly launched international initiatives in Ghana, Australia, and New Zealand, and we'll talk about that. Before the Eagles, Jen had a long career in media and entertainment, working at companies such as NBCUniversal, Oxygen, Beanlee, which was acquired by Cody and Brave Ventures, which Turner bought in 2016. Jen studied psychology at the University of Central Florida, and once streamed of being an FBI agent. This is my passionate conversation. I'm an Eagles fan with Eagles CMO, Jen Cabenall. Welcome to the CMO podcast, Jen. Congratulations to you and your team. What a season. And thank you for joining us in an absolutely crazy week for the Philadelphia Eagles organization. So, I'd like to start there. Could you give us a little bit of a peek inside? What's the life of a CMO like this week? What are your days like? What are your priorities? How different is this from a normal week? Yeah. Well, I can tell you it's incredibly different from a normal week. I joined the Eagles the summer after they won the Super Bowl. So, this is my first time going through this process, and it's so exciting to be doing it. And I've really been leaning on my team to sort of guide me. They learned so much the first time that I think having this kind of blueprint has really helped them teach me and me lead sort of in return. So I'm just here to make sure that everyone has what they need and get obstacles out of their way and make a lot of quick decisions in a short amount of time. But everyone seems to be doing great and the energy is phenomenal. I bet. You know, other than a winning game, you know, this coming Sunday, what else would be success for the Philadelphia Eagles from the Super Bowl? Well, we definitely like winning. I know that. So do your fans. Listen, if the alternate scenario happens, we move very quickly into sort of a period of reflection and gratitude. You know, we're always so, so thankful to our fans for the way that they show up for us, not just at Lincoln Financial Field on every single game, but on social media and in bars and tailgates all over the place. So it's really about, you know, taking that moment to thank them and our partners for what will be in either scenario a very, very successful season. I spent last Sunday at the 49er game. I went to a local bar here in San Diego called Pretzels and Pints. It's an Eagles bar. Hundreds and hundreds of people, long lines to get in. Everyone having a blast, singing the songs. It is just the best fan base. We have the most incredible fan base in the world, hands down. And I think that's going to make next Sunday even more special. So I'm excited to get out there and just see everyone and kind of party with them when I can. Where did you watch the 49er game? I was at the game. You were. Yeah. So usually on game day, prior to the game, I'm moving around. My team is in, you know, sort of works in multiple capacities on game days. So I usually like to make the rounds, make sure everyone's good. And then I'm typically back and forth either, you know, on the field or in the press box, but definitely there. And the energy was off the charts. And anyone who was there would probably say the same thing. Well, you probably don't know this. I'm sure you don't know this, but my roots with the Eagles go way back. My mom and dad met in Philadelphia in the early 50s. My dad was at Penn Law School after serving in World War II. He lived in a Catholic men's boarding house and his roommate was Chuck Bednarick. Oh, wow. One of, as you know, one of the most famous Eagles of all time, Hall of Hamer and trivia point, the last person to play offense and defense in the National Football League. Wow. I remember my dad talking about his hands and like how big and strong and gnarly they were. So, so on my roots go way back, I grew up in Lancaster. Everybody in my family is an Eagles fan. So we're, we're all in. So I thought it was only appropriate to begin this conversation by bringing one of my family members into this conversation. So I've asked my niece, Jen, who you will meet in a moment who lives in Philly and is a nurse practitioner at University of Pennsylvania to lead this off with a couple of questions to kick off our conversation. So I'm going to introduce you to my niece and she's going to lead with a couple of questions to start us off. Terrific. Here's Jen. Hi, Uncle Jim. Hi, Jen. I'm Jen and I'm Jim's niece. I'm so happy to be here today. I live and work in the best city in the world, Philadelphia. Jen, I was wondering what's your game day routine? Mm, that's a great question. So I get to the stadium usually around four hours prior to kick off. As I said, you know, I oversee a very large team that has different responsibilities on game day that extend from, you know, tailgate pods, bring your entertainment teams out into the tailgates to entertain the fans to the activities happening on Pepsi Plaza. I've got a team in the control room, teams that are organizing guests and community guests and youth football teams. So I'm really there, you know, first order of business, drop my bags in the press box and make the rounds, you know, make sure that everyone's good and they have what they need on cold days. I'm carrying hand warmers around and making sure that, you know, folks who need them have them. So it's really more, I consider my role really more of a support role on game day than anything. I want your job. It sounds like so much fun. It is the best job in the world. No doubt about it. I guess it's better when it's 60 or 70 than when it's 10 or 20. Definitely, definitely. All right, I'm going to turn back to Jen for question number two. Did you listen to the Eagles Christmas album on Christmas morning this year? And what is your favorite song from the album? Oh, yes, I listened to it. In fact, I had an opportunity to hear a little bit about the project before it launched, you know, Connor works here in the building. And you know, we had a chance to get a little bit of a sneak peek of what they were working on and it's just absolutely incredible. My team helped, you know, shoot some of the behind the scenes footage that you may have seen. So I was invested in this project very, very early on. I purchased two of the albums just so I had, you know, one extra for whatever reason. And Santa Claus coming to town was a good one. You know, Kelsey's got that growly kind of, you know, riff in there. It's just so classic Jason and Lane really blew me away. Like these guys are, these guys are talented. So yes, we had a lot of fun with it on Christmas. So Jen, follow question. It's a creative idea. Where did start? What was the origin story of it? What was the catalyst for it? Yeah, that was really Connor and Jason and Lane and Jordan. They had this idea. They wanted to do something fun and have the proceeds all go to charity. So they basically created their own record label and did this whole thing from scratch. And it's really, I was very entrepreneurial of them as a group in addition to just being a fantastic idea. So all credit to them. We were just here to help support it. Good lesson in marketing. Go to your team for creative ideas. The best ideas are usually there. Sometimes. Yep. Yep. So let's go for Jen's last question. I grew up in a sports family and since an early age, I have seen sports as a great equalizer, bringing all sorts of people together. The camaraderie and the sense of being part of something is my favorite part of being a bird's fan. Since Eagles fans come from all walks of life, who are your favorite bird's fans? Is it the kids, the tailgaters, the season ticket holders, or maybe another group? Oh, um, niece Jen, that's an impossible question. No, but you know what? I can answer it in the sense that, listen, we love all of our fans and they're all different. You know, as you said, you're, you're a multi generational fan whose experience at the team is just as important as your fathers and your grandfathers, but also, you know, different in a lot of ways. I think, you know, aside from kind of loving them all and being able to work with youth in the community and have all those touch points, what's been really interesting is our expansion internationally. So we're now, you know, working in Australia and Ghana and New Zealand. And what I've really, I've found to be so rewarding, especially as of late is the, some of the touch points we've had in Ghana through, you know, youth flag and really teaching people the game and what the Eagles are all about and teaching them the chant and seeing that kind of playback culturally in a place that's, you know, far, far away from Philadelphia is so inspiring and so fun. And we are just like gangbusters ready to build on it. In fact, we're doing a watch party for the Super Bowl in Ghana that we're planning right now. So it's going to be great. So why those three countries? What was the origin story there? You know, there were, I think, several countries that were interesting. We obviously could not do all of them. Some countries already had a lot of teams that had a presence there. So I think it was both a combination of, you know, our chairman, Jeffrey Lori's passion for Africa, West Africa in particular, that led us to Ghana. The league had already initiated some efforts there. So we felt like there was just a lot of synergy and it made sense. You know, Australia, Jordan Milada is from Australia. We felt like, you know, it's an amazing country with very, very passionate sports fans in both, maybe soccer, maybe rugby, but you know, their love of sports is palpable. So we felt like, you know, that made a lot of sense for us. Now I'm not going to let you off the hook in that question. I hope they ask you another way. What kind of fans do you spend most time with? Is it fans that are deeply loyal or fans that maybe are on the edge or is it youth? So for yourself personally, you know, where do you spend the most time? For me personally, and this means, you know, we have other business units here who engage with, you know, season ticket members more regularly, for example, but, you know, given my role, I would say virtually, probably, you know, the younger fans that engage with us on social. I spend a lot of time on TikTok. We spend a lot of time on TikTok. So in that sense, those are younger fans in general, but, you know, on the ground here in the community, a lot of, you know, time is spent with our girls flag teams that are part of the league that we've been building and are in the second year of launching and working on sports bra initiatives and making sure that girls have what they need to play, you know, sports. So there's a lot of investment in time spent there. We're incredibly passionate about it. So I'd say, you know, that's probably accurate. I think we're gonna go back to my dear niece, Jen, for a closing comment. Thank you, Jen. Go birds. Amazing. Thanks, Jen. I love it. Love it. So Jen is, Jen is a sweetheart, a very dear niece. She has two brothers. Jen, who was an intern at the Eagles when he was at St. Joseph's. Oh, excellent. And he had a fabulous time on so many levels. And Jen got married in September in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She married a wonderful guy named Jake. So and my daughter is getting married this year. So Jen's going to be coming out to California for that and the whole family. And it's in football season. So we're going to have a Sunday party over at our place to watch the games after the morning after brunch, right? That is incredible. You'll have to send me some pictures and video when you get there. If you're ever out here, I'll take it to pretzels and pints and then we'll come back here to chill out. Love it. Love it. Sunny football games. I'm in. I'm in. It's pretty good. So listen, I want to switch into your role as as CMO of the Philadelphia Eagles. And I've heard you say that you and your team's purpose is to, and I'm quoting, inspire and serve the greatest football community in the world. That's a big ambition, a wonderful purpose. You need to tell us a bit about that, how you arrived at it, how it plays out, and you and your team's daily work. So originally the mission statement was to inspire and serve the greatest football city in the world, I believe. And you know, after the Super Bowl, it became apparent that we were, you know, leaving a lot of really passionate fans out of that statement and that mission inadvertently. You know, we have so many fans here in the US all over the country outside of just the tri-state area and our ambition and our focus and our investments go beyond even just the US in this case. So a mission statement that was more reflective, I think, of the global nature of our focus and our investment and our passion and our fans passion was crafted there in the transition from city to community in the world. How do you know you're making progress on that purpose, that ambition? Yeah, it's a great question. You know, there are some things that you can measure more easily than other things, but I would go back to social as a great way of understanding the kind of fandom at scale and where people are coming from and to what extent they're engaging with us. Social is terrific because it's this kind of boundary-less medium where everyone can get together and, you know, celebrate or critique or, you know, do what they do. So paying close attention to how that community is growing across platforms and it's interesting because you do see the shift in some cases with respect to where more people may be coming from at any given time. You know, TikTok, as I said earlier, has been such an interesting platform because it's so new but scaled so quickly and the engagement is so kind of off the charts and young and female and, you know, so we definitely track that closely. And then I would say also, you know, just the general sentiment around our brand. You know, are we doing the right thing by our fans? Are our partners still partnering with us and are they happy and are they satisfied and do people still believe that, you know, we do great things in the community and, you know, the answer's been yes, yes and yes, but those things are obviously important to us. And then the health of the business, the more, you know, good things that we're doing and the more value we're creating, the more, you know, brands want to partner with us and we want to partner with them. So I'd say those are all things we keep a close eye on. I would suspect in the four and a half years you've been there, the health of the brand and the health of the business is remarkably improved even though you were coming in on a very strong base. Yes. So is that true? And if so, what do you think the key drivers were? Well, you're absolutely right. You know, I came into the team right after they'd won the Super Bowl. Season tickets have been sold out for a very long time. There's a waiting list. You know, we are very, very fortunate to be in the position that we're in. What I think I saw as an opportunity was just to build on all of the great things that were in place and to see how we could start to, I think, amplify and double down on things that were going to be important when it came to connecting and engaging with fans in the future. Storytelling has been a big part of that, really kind of making sure that our Eagles Entertainment team is resourced to the way that they need to be resourced to tell the stories that fans care about on all the platforms we're currently on. So to me, it was just really like, you know, what are the things that we can, you know, make bigger and better and how can we tell, you know, stories that are going to connect with people? I interviewed this past summer at an industry event, the CEO of Netflix, Ted Sarando. So when I asked him, how do you judge the success of your marketing? And actually his answer was remarkably similar to yours. He said, the conversations we generate. So he said, if we have a show that's generating lots of conversations and that's very measurable, then we hit culture. We affected people. We got them interested. They'll watch the show. They'll talk about it. So I just think it's a beautiful, simple idea. Are you generating a lot of discussions, conversation, dialogue, and if so, the business will grow. Yeah, that's right. And I would add to that, in our case, as a professional sports team, you know, having the ability to transcend sports in key moments, you know, to Ted's point, you know, everybody wants to be a part of the psychiatrist and part of culture in a meaningful way. So it's great to be known in the NFL world, but how can we also be known for the great personalities we have in the building and all of the things that the players and the coaches do off the field? And how can we have some fun and how can we integrate music and moments? And so all of those things I think are really important because not everyone comes through the same door with respect to their fandoms. It's sparked by a family member who was roommates with Chuck Bednarick. And for other people, it might be, you know, a shared value in, you know, our Go Green commitment. Someone may, you know, not have an NFL team that they've committed to, but see a really compelling piece that tells the story of, you know, all the things we do around sustainability and decide, you know, my values align with their values. And therefore, I want to learn more about them and be on this, you know, quote unquote team. So we really try to account for all of those things because we do know that value alignment, particularly with younger people is really, really important. I just love the progress. I think the NFL at large has made in that space and you especially, just letting the players be themselves, express themselves to be involved in issues of the moment, you know, cultural issues of the moment, a geopolitical at times. And that takes some courage and that has some risk, but I just feel like your best asset, of course, are your players, your fans, your coaches, the drama of the game. And you really, I think, let that really flourish at the Eagles and at the NFL at large. Thank you. Thank you. You know, we recognize that we have an incredible responsibility to our community, whether it's local or global and we take it very seriously and you're right, we look at our players as people who can help us amplify important messages. I'd say a great example of that would be our end Philly Gun Violence campaign, which we launched last year and have since continued with a fan of change. And that is really all about bringing the city together, helping, you know, everyone to understand the issues that we're facing and find solutions with nonprofit partners that are focusing on what we believe are the kind of endemic issues around, you know, prevention and poverty and financial literacy. And when you put all these things together, you know, these incredible assets, we believe we can make a difference, but not all of these endeavors are easy. That's for sure. But they are important. We're recording this, of course, right before the Super Bowl and also at the very beginning of Black History Month. Yeah. Is there anything the Eagles organization is doing to celebrate Black History within your organization and within the NFL at large? Yeah, absolutely. You know, for all of these moments, we like to think about what we can do relative to the pillars we have in place. We really like to find ways to engage staff and again, find meaningful ways to support the community. So last year, we started an initiative where fans, fans, staff had the ability to submit Black owned businesses that they frequent or were fans of, media, podcasts, really anything that had inspired them and put it into sort of a centralized directory that other fans, keeps saying fans, other staff can access and ultimately support. And that's been really great. We're continuing to build on that this year. We encourage the staff to, you know, visit the museum here locally, the Underground Railroad Museum. We allow them to take time off to do that. We pay for the ticket to attend. We encourage them to bring their family. So those are the types of things that we try to focus on, the things that are tangible will somehow lift the community up in some way and also educate. And your staff too, what a beautiful benefit. Yeah, they are the ones I would say who help best direct us. You know, we try to create as many spaces for conversation and ideas to flow when we, you know, decide ultimately which direction to go. So all of those POVs are included and they really help. Your five years in the job this summer. So I'd like you to speak a bit about how the role has changed in the five years you have been in it and how you have changed as a leader in these last five years. Well, let's see. The role has gotten bigger. So when I started, I did not have oversight of community relations or our data and insights team. And I've since taken on those business units, which has been amazing. So teams gotten bigger, which does make it different. I would say, I know a heck of a lot more about football than I did when I started. You know, I came from a media space. I was working in television. I was working in digital. And I relied very heavily on my team to sort of teach me the way. So what I know today versus what I knew when I walked in the building is dramatically different as my husband would say sometimes looks at me and says like, who are you? You know, we're watching a game, the fact that I actually understand what's going on. I would say those things are pretty substantial. Our areas of focus, you know, including international, you know, the data practice has become so sophisticated because we completely understand the importance of what data means to smart decision making as well as just better interactions with our fans. So that's been definitely a priority for us and something that was that looked slightly different when I first got here. Now, your team is bigger. You have a bigger remit than you did when you came through the door for it. Yes. A few years ago, what else about your team has changed? Are there new capabilities, are you talking about data and analytics and I'm not surprised by that? But is there anything else that if you looked at the, you know, what your team was great at four and a half years ago and what it's great at today, has that shifted? I would say we've maybe added to it a little bit or deepened some of the areas of expertise, especially in the entertainment team. We hired a TikTok manager. That wasn't a job that existed when I first got here, but is reflective of, you know, how important the platform is. You know, what has been probably the greatest thing that I've seen happen in these five seasons is how integrated the teams have become. You know, you can be really good at what you do individually as business units and see that play out. But when everyone really works together and more closely and strategizes together and they have, you know, kind of shared outcomes and interests, like the output of that is exponentially better and the teams are so integrated now, which was, you know, one of the primary goals and it's made a big, big difference. So that doesn't happen by chance and it's a challenge that many CMOs have. So, Chen, what have you learned in kind of helping establish that culture where we're all in this together, we're integrated, we're one team, one dream, one mission? Like it really does go back to the mission, right? So, you know, we are all here for the same purpose. We want to win championships and inspire and serve the greatest football community in the world and we do it in our own respective ways and we have our own contributions and our own opportunities for growth, but it's really all about bringing people back to a single vision and helping them understand how their contribution plays a meaningful role in that. And I think when you can do that effectively and come through, you know, at the end of a project and reflect back and say, you know, look how incredible it was when, you know, these two things work together, the impact that it had. Just building, you know, building case studies, building examples that you can point to that show that it really works is what I think helps, you know, maintain that momentum over time and helps team see the value of being, you know, more integrated versus just individual contributors. What would surprise most people about your role? I don't know if they would be surprised, but well, yeah, they would be surprised by it. Working here is, I always say it's like working in the greatest television series ever. I mean, it is incredible how, you know, no two days are the same. The things that are happening around you are like larger than life moments. You've got like literally, you know, these players who are so huge, you know, around you all the time, but the energy, the conversations, the things that happen, it's just, you know, sometimes I wish we had cameras everywhere because I think it would be the best television series ever. Yeah. Well, I have to stay on that for a moment. In your background, you were, you were working on Glee when it was in its infancy, right? The Glee project. The Glee project. Yeah. Which became, you know, crazy interesting. What about that? And this Philadelphia Eagles run are similar. I mean, they're both very, very successful. Yeah. They both are very, very much a part of popular culture. Yeah. So what was it about the two initiatives that have, what do they have in common? It's interesting. I really thought about comparing the two, but I think if I were to compare them, it was really about how you highlight individuals, how you really find what is special and what is unique and different about each person and, you know, bring those things to life. You know, in the case of the Glee project, it was incredibly, while they were all very talented, it was incredibly diverse. So the diversity played a huge, you know, part in the storytelling, but they also, you know, had very diverse backgrounds and situations. And I would say, you know, the same thing goes for our players. They all come from different places. They have their own set of diverse stories. They are larger than life personalities with different interests that we love to kind of focus on. So in that sense, I would say, you know, the similarities are there. There's an important lesson in that, right? It's the individuals. It's the people. That's what makes the brand, right? And I think that's the case in any brand. You're a very public brand and the Glee project was, of course, very public. But even if you're at an automobile company, a consumer goods company, you know, it's about the people. When people are at their best and happiest, they do wonderful work. Yeah. I mean, they do. And every single thing that we do is guided by authenticity. I would say the Glee project was also incredibly authentic, which is what I think drew people to it. You know, our players are very authentic. Our stories are authentic. You know, if it isn't, if it doesn't feel right for us, we simply don't do it. And I think people particularly now really appreciate that. I think they want to feel like they're making a connection with their favorite, you know, celebrities or players on levels that are relatable. I think it's like coming down from the ivory tower and showing, you know, at the end of the day, we're all the same in different ways. And we're all going through a lot of the, you know, same challenges, particularly with COVID was a big level set. So I think authenticity plays a big role in all of it. You have an infamous fan base, right? We talked about it being the greatest community in the world. And I'm one of those fans in that fan base. So is Nice Jen and so on. How do you bring your fans into decision making or how just how do you, I mean, every brand tries to bring their customers, consumers into how they make decisions because at the end of the day, they are, they are, you know, they're most interested in you and they're the ones who part with their time and money to be part of your brand. So how do you bring your fans in? Yeah. Well, I'd say there's some very structured ways we do that and some unstructured ways we do that. So on the more structured side, we do surveys. We call them voice the fan surveys, which give us really valuable feedback about the game day experience and areas that are working really well and things maybe we could improve upon. So that helps us, I would say, just continue to make that experience the best one that it can be. But we're in constant listening mode. It's incredible when you, you know, just make yourself as much a part of the conversation as possible. You learn so much about where the fan base is and how they're feeling about a particular issue. You know, again, I know it always feels like it all comes back to social. But it is an incredible tool for listening at scale. You know, whatever the moment is that we might be in, our fans are, you know, very candid, not afraid to share what they think. And so we tend to know where they stand at any given moment, which is terrific and often, you know, guides our efforts and just make sure, you know, that we're not, we're not missing the mark. I think one of the most interesting aspects of your job is that in a way you're a portfolio of brands, the teams and the mega brand is the, you know, the umbrella brand is the NFL. How does that affect how you work? I mean, I come from PNG. So if you're working on pampers, you know, it's part of the PNG umbrella or tide or ole. And so, you know, there are some, I don't know, values, principles, philosophies that you adhere to. Yeah. And that becomes just part of the culture. So I'm just interested in, you know, as CMO of the Eagles, how does that affect you working with and within the NFL? Yeah, it's interesting, you know, in my past life, I'd like to say it was somewhat similar in that when I was at NBC Universal, NBC Universal was owned by Comcast. So you had this governing body in which, you know, some shared values and operational things flow down into the, the businesses. In this case, I would say, you know, it's probably that times 10. As far as, you know, how we work with the league, very, very close relationships with not even just our counterparts, but, you know, all, all of the business units that it takes to get the support that we need to be successful. And I think a lot of those values are seen, you know, through crucial catch or inspire change. You know, these things that all 32 clubs galvanize around with the support and amplification of the league to put out into the world to, you know, encourage people to get that early cancer screening or, you know, advanced social justice issues. So it's the power of 33 is what we call it with the league getting the 30th event. It's nice. What's been your greatest day so far on the four and a half years with Eagles? Oh my gosh. Okay. I think it was last, I think it was last Sunday. I mean, you know, I'm not surprised. I can't even describe what it felt like to be on the field after that win and know that we were going to the Super Bowl and just see how excited my coworkers were and, you know, being down there with the team and the media. I mean, it was just, it was incredible. It's what we work for every single day. And so to know that you've achieved that goal and you're not done, but that you've made it that far is so incredibly exciting. In fact, I have my, some of my confetti here that I picked up off the field and, you know, I'll never forget that day. And I hope to be able to say it's a different day after next Sunday, but as of right now, I'd say last Sunday was pretty incredible. Well, if it was anything like the energy at pretzels and pints of San Diego was pretty good. Yeah, I'm sure. I'm sure that's, I love to hear that. That's incredible. The Philly spirit travels well. Let's put it that way. It sure does. It sure does. So what's the worst day you've had in the four and a half years? Um, worst day. And there's definitely, you know, days that have been difficult when we were, you know, post George Floyd, all the sort of conversations that were happening. That was, that was tough. I mean, you could feel the, the gravity, the impact on the players. So it was, it was hard, but important. I think what happened with Demar Hamlin was very, very difficult for everyone. I mean, you could really feel how difficult that was. And it's incredible that he is where he is today. And you know, I can't say enough about just how happy everyone is that he's doing so well. But that was, that was a tough day. I was in Cincinnati when that happened. I was not at the stadium, but it, it's so heavy. Yeah. Yep. And so unprecedented, thankfully. And, and, and, you know, it was great to see him at the game, this family and to hear from them. So inspiring. And as you know, kudos to the trainer that was responsible for just doing all the right things on field that helped him pull through this really says a lot about the caliber of the staff. And it's just, it's incredible. Let's talk for a moment about your career path. Your, your entire career up to this was in media and entertainment. Largely with brands were women were the primary audience. So this is quite a jump. You moved to a different city, a different category, a different business model. So tell us that story. What do you think the Eagles management saw in you and why did this opportunity appeal to you so much? Well, I think I know, I should say that Jeffrey Lori values diversity of thought very, very much. So it doesn't surprise me knowing that, that he would be interested in looking outside of football and even professional sports for candidates who may be a fit for his vision. You know, and I think that's your owner for the listeners who are not aware. Correct. Correct. So I think the fact that I ended up in the mix, that had a lot to do with it. In fact, I always tell the story when they called me about the role, Mike, are you sure you meant to call me because I haven't worked today in sports in my life. I work in pop culture. And they said, no, no, no. Yeah, we, we want to talk to you. You're an out of the box candidate, but we'd love to, you know, get to know you. So I did. And I think I went into it both really, really excited and also, what's, I don't know what the word it was, the fearful, but like concerned that I could, could I do this job? You know, I had this perception that if you worked in sports, you had to have majored in sports management. You were probably a collegiate athlete and you're obsessed with sports. And that's the only way that you can be successful. And the more I had a chance to talk to Jeffrey and my boss, Don and the incredible people who are now my colleagues, I realized, and this is just my own mental framework, that it's all a reality show. It's really all a reality show. You know, you have a season, you have an off season, you have talent, you have storylines, you have fans. I mean, it's just so similar. It all puts storytelling at the center, but the minute I kind of made that mental connection, I was like, oh, yeah, you know, yeah, I've got a lot to learn. But yeah, I think I can, I think I can do this. I have to tell you it was out yesterday morning visiting with Jill Ellis at the San Diego Wave, which is, you know, the, in their second year in the NWSL. And I told them I was interviewing you tomorrow for the podcast and they were so happy to hear that there was a woman who is CMO of the Eagles and they can't wait to listen to the episode. So that's incredible. I actually had the opportunity to sit with the NWSL crew not long ago, Julie Haden, their CMO. Yeah, sure. From the NFL. To the league. She and I are very close and they're, I'm so excited about what they're doing over there. So I, yeah, I mean, it is, it's a really exciting time for women's sports. I think we're all seeing it unfold. And that includes WNBA. So I, I'm really excited to see where it goes. I've heard you say that as you got more experience as a leader, you came to realize that success is about growing other people. And it was a mindset shift for you. What was the catalyst for that mindset shift? There was definitely a moment in my career where I realized that my success was not going to just be about my individual accomplishments. And it was probably, you know, said to me in some way that clicked and helped me to realize that, you know, my accomplishments will ideally come in the form of other people's accomplishments. And once I embraced that idea, it was very easy to switch modes and, you know, understand that my leadership was about providing inspiration and support and resources and all the things that they need to be, you know, their best selves and see growth paths and really shine. And it's working so far. I mean, I have an incredible team. I don't take all the credit for them, certainly. But as a leader, you know, that mindset shift has, I think, played a big role in my career and how I show up for work every day. What's your advice to others to make that mindset shift? And I can tell you're living it because you talk about your team from the, from the beginning of this podcast till now, the team has come up multiple times. Yeah, it's kind of like a sports analogy in a way not to be corny because we're talking about sports, but I do, you do feel like a coach. I feel like a coach and you understand that without the team and without the team having what they need to perform at the highest level, you don't have much, right? Everything else sort of falls to the wayside. So how do you focus your time and your energy and your investment on ensuring that the team has what it needs to be successful? And then it was like, oh, yeah, if you take the players off the field, you know, you don't have a team and it's, you know, not totally dissimilar in the business sense. So, but I think culture plays a big part of that as well. This culture supports that idea. You know, I'm sure that there are cultures that, you know, maybe celebrate individuals more than they do teams. I don't know. And I think everyone has to decide what type of culture suits them the best. But this one is definitely about being a team. Well, Jen, Kavana, we're going to move to the creative brief. And my first question is you have a lot of interesting pictures behind you, which I can see our listeners cannot, of course. Could you tell us sort of what is decorating your office? I see Bradley Cooper for one. Yeah. So what is decorating your office and why? Sure. So everything you see here, so you've got Bradley Cooper, who's a huge fan. It comes to our games. He and Jeff are quite close. We've got, you know, President Bush, GW, when he visited for one of our salute to service games. But all of these pictures and some of the ones that you can't see are championship moment from 2018. Malcolm Jenkins engaging with a young fan and signing a ball. It was really for me when I had the opportunity to think about what I wanted to put on the walls. They were like the moments that commemorated my first season and met the most to me. So it'll be, they'll get a refresh soon. You know, COVID meant that there wasn't a lot of updating going on in here. But I try to keep what's up as reminders and reflections of just like all the incredible things that I get to be a part of or that I got to work on. Well, it's your mission on a wall, right? It is. It is. Yep. Absolutely right. What does, it's a Philly thing mean to you. What does it mean to you? Oh my gosh. To me, it's nostalgia. It's my upbringing. It's part of my soul. There you go. You know, it's, we talk about Philly stuff all the time in my family. It just is. It's just in the air. That's right. So it's life. It's life. I think that's right. And I say that because it's a Philly thing means different things to different people, but it means like literally means so, so, so, so many different things. I think that's why we love it and seeing, you know, just how people are portraying what a Philly thing is for them. It's rich. It's so, it's so great, but you're right. It can be everything from, you know, just family memories of watching games together to, you know, how you pronounce woulder. It's possibilities are endless. Or coffee. Or coffee. Yeah, exactly. Talk about it. Totally. What's the first brand you remember making an impact on you? Is a young girl? There are a couple, but I think the one that was probably overwhelming was Barbie. I mean, Barbie was an icon when I was a kid, not only because she was beautiful, but I loved like she had this whole universe, this whole world built around her. She was a homeowner. She drove a great car. She was an entrepreneur. She owned a store. She had all these things. Like it just, it's signified for me, not just, I think, fun play, but like this idea that the possibilities were limitless. Like however my six year old, you know, or whatever brain processed it, it was, it was very, very impactful, I think, in that way. Yeah, wait for the movie, right? This is the year of the movie. Oh, yeah. Yeah, definitely check it out. I had the privilege of working with Mattel for a while while I was a consultant and going into their offices and seeing like every single Barbie from the inception of Barbie was, you just see like what an impact that brand has had on so many generations, you know, even since I was young. My wife still has some old Barbies and Barbie, when my daughter was young, was a bit of a source of tension in our house because our son used to take Barbie shoes and chew on them. Yeah. And my daughter was not so keen on that. I'm sure she was not, I would not be happy about that. That's too funny. Now, my first brand, if you were to ask me that question back, Tasty Cakes, which is a Philly brand because that is what my mom put in my lunch every day in grade school with a little note, sometimes written on the packaging because back then actually it was wax paper. Tasty Cakes are a Philly thing. See? How easy? Yeah, absolutely. So, do you ever throw the football around with the players? I cannot say I have ever thrown the football around with the players. No, I haven't done that. But we're like, you know, we're a close knit organization. We all work in the same building together. We eat in the same cafeteria. You know, there's, I think that's also what is so incredibly special about this place. It isn't like that everywhere, even if just for logistical reasons, not everyone's in the same building. I think that's what's so special about the culture, like the fact that I have the ability to, you know, say hello, have a relationship, know, you know, how someone's kids doing is really, really cool. But nobody wants to see me throw up the ball. That is for sure. You are a self-described foodie. How have your food and drink rituals changed since moving to Philly? Oh my gosh. Okay. Philadelphia has the most incredible food scene. And I know everyone knows that now. But I don't think I knew that when we first got here. And you know, working in New York for so long, also so many incredible restaurants. But I just find the food, the concepts that are coming into the city, the chefs who are so passionate about this city, it really is incredible. Like I could eat my way through the city for the next, I don't know, however many years. But that was like really, you know, COVID was a bummer for obvious reasons. But it kind of happened just as I felt like I was getting to know the city better. And so I'm full force back on that plan and, you know, just visiting as many places as possible. Because yeah, it's incredible. You need to meet my, you know, Jen's brother, Bob, who was an internship at the Eagles, is getting married this summer. And his fiance has an Instagram account, Philly special, where she just started by taking pictures of food at the great restaurants of Philadelphia, and she has quite a following now. Oh, that's so cool. So check her out. Check her out for something. You probably don't need any more ideas. If somebody asked me what I'd be doing if I wasn't doing this, I might be a food blogger, but I wasn't sure I would know how to answer that question until you just said that. That sounds like a dream job. Yeah. Yeah, well, you shouldn't beat her and I can arrange that. Okay, I'd love to. That'd be great. Who has been your most influential mentor thus far in your career? I am incredibly fortunate to have very strong, successful women in my family who have guided me from a young age and sort of impressed upon me. I think the basics of what it means to be professional, what it means to work hard, what it means to keep promises, what it means to have a reputation and a personal brand. So that, and they continue to inspire me and are people that I lean on. But I also, I've had so many, I call them like micromentors along the way. These people that I leaned on at specific moments in time for help on a specific issue that I knew they could really help me with. Maybe it was considering a new role or a salary negotiation or a tough conversation with a staff member or a boss. That was really, really important and I think sometimes we have a tendency to believe that mentorship looks only one way when in fact building and maintaining relationships with lots of people is so important because you can lean on them in those specific moments and benefit from really, really valuable mentorship. So we said we are obviously in Super Bowl month for Black History Month. We're also in Valentine's Day month. So I'd sort of like to wrap up the podcast with what relationships in your life are you most grateful for? Oh my gosh. So many. My husband, first and foremost, he is just incredible. We're married this year but next year for 20 years. He's been just so supportive of everything that I've wanted to do professionally. Yeah, he's amazing. My mom who lives with us, she's incredible and so important but there's so many people. I'm very lucky. I'm an only child so I don't have a lot of siblings but I have just tremendously amazing friends and family so I care about them all very much. So I assume your mom has become an Eagles fan, right? She is an Eagles fan through and through. There is no question. It's been really funny to watch because she too really wasn't invested in sports prior but now she's got that competitive fire for sure. I've asked you lots of mind opening questions. I hope anything for me before we sign off. I'm a super fan. Who's your favorite player on the roster? Who's got you excited? Well, I have to say Myles Sanders because I met my wife at Penn State and Penn State kind of got me to PNG so we both have a lot of affection for the Nittany nation and we're very proud of Myles Sanders and I follow them and I'll obviously sequan at the Giants as well but yeah, I'm rooting for Myles all the time but there are a lot of players on your team who I love and yeah, but I'd have to say Myles. So what I love about that answer is you sort of proved my point earlier which is not everyone connects with players based on the X's and O's. You connected with Myles based on a shared passion for Penn State and that's what I love about this. There's so many things that could be the thing that connects you to the team or a player. That's cool. And he's about the team and he brings it every week and he's just great. Wonderful. Yeah, yeah, he's great. But you have an exciting team. It's a Philadelphia team. It's full of heart. It's full of grit. It's full of teamwork. It's full of energy. It's full of spirit. So they're going to win. You can't say that but I can say that. What are you going to be doing on Super Bowl Sunday? What is your game day look like? Oh, golly, it's really good. I'm out in California now and I'm going skiing this week with my daughter who is getting married this year. So we're doing a father daughter ski trip up to Canada. Great. And we're coming back next Saturday. So and we're going to have a bunch of her friends and her fiance's friends over at the house and we're just going to all get together and watch the game and have a blast. And obviously I also watch the ads. So I'll be watching the ads carefully. My team and I will be tweeting and sharing stuff and it's a big day for us on Twitter. A lot of people are interested in what we had to say about what's going on in the ad. So I'll be really all in for about four hours on the game and the ads. Love it. Love it. Yeah, for some people it's the Super Bowl. Other people it's the Rihanna concert. Just depends. Great. I love it all. That's right. Well Jen, this has been wonderful. Just a wonderful conversation. Hope to see you sometime. Share a tasty cake, a coffee or something in Philadelphia. I get by there a lot because I have lots of family still there. So hopefully we can meet in person one of these days and celebrate the victory. I would love to have you here at NovaCare for lunch. So you let me know when you're next in town and we'll make that happen. And thanks so much for having me and their special. It was really fun. So birds. Alright, go birds. That was my conversation with Jen Cavanaugh. Three takeaways from this one for your business brand and life. The first one is I love how Jen thinks about herself as a coach. Her success is the success of others. It's a sports metaphor, the coach player, but she really lives it. She's all about her team. She talked about her team several times on the show. Second takeaway, I love the concept of constant listening. When I asked Jen how she stays close to her fans. She said in structured and unstructured ways, we really tap into social and we're following the conversation and their passions and their ideas all the time. Third takeaway, I love their mission, winning championships and serving their great community. And they live them both. It's on Jen's walls. It's what they talk about every day. It's what unites the team. She talked about her team being highly integrated around the mission and purpose. And last bonus takeaway, go birds, beat the chiefs. That's it for this episode of the CMO Podcast. If you found this helpful and entertaining, I would be so grateful if you could share our show with your friends. And I would be super happy if you subscribed so you can be updated as we publish new episodes. And if you really want to help, leave us a five star rating and a positive review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. The CMO Podcast is a gallery media group original production.