# #291: Mark Smucker, Chair and CEO, The J.M. Smucker Company – Understand the soul of your brand

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-leaders-lead-with-david-novak-223023/291-mark-smucker-chair-and-ceo-the-j-m-smucker-company-understand-the-soul-of-your-brand
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-leaders-lead-with-david-novak-223023/291-mark-smucker-chair-and-ceo-the-j-m-smucker-company-understand-the-soul-of-your-brand.md
Podcast: [How Leaders Lead with David Novak](https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-leaders-lead-with-david-novak-223023)
Published: 2026-05-14T05:00:00+00:00
Episode link: http://howleaderslead.com/podcast/
Audio file: https://chtbl.com/track/DCB44F/traffic.megaphone.fm/DVL6591166702.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/how-leaders-lead-with-david-novak-223023/episodes/291-mark-smucker-chair-and-ceo-the-j-m-smucker-company-understand-the-soul-of-your-brand
Duration seconds: 3350

## Resource

What’s the soul of your brand? And why might it be the secret to unlocking a new chapter of growth for your company? Today, David sits down with Mark Smucker. He’s the CEO and Chair of The J.M. Smucker Company, which is home to iconic brands like Smucker’s, Folgers, Uncrustables, Hostess, and Milk Bone. And he’s obsessed with understanding the soul of a brand. By knowing what his brands truly stand for, he and his team can make smarter creative decisions, take the right risks, and keep growing even when consumer tastes shift. If you want a brand that’s relevant, authentic, and successful, don’t miss this episode. You’ll also learn: The question Mark asks before making any creative decision How to make your core values more than just a list of ideals Why it took 10 years to scale Uncrustables (hint: it involves bread bubbles) The marketing principle that put Ludacris in a JIF commercial Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The How Leaders Lead App⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Daily Insight Emails⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: One small (but powerful!) leadership principle to focus on each day Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/how-leaders-lead-with-david-novak-223023/episodes/291-mark-smucker-chair-and-ceo-the-j-m-smucker-company-understand-the-soul-of-your-brand/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-leaders-lead-with-david-novak-223023/291-mark-smucker-chair-and-ceo-the-j-m-smucker-company-understand-the-soul-of-your-brand.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.