No Clear Path: Making Sense of Modern Marketing

Join Molly Baker, founder of Indie Consulting, and Jessica Pierson, as they unpack the complex world of digital marketing today. From navigating complex technical challenges to leading with empathy, this episode offers a fresh perspective on the often-overlooked realities of working in digital. Whether you’re building a team or shaping a strategy, you’ll leave with thoughtful insights on what success truly looks like for marketing in today’s luxury space.

MB (Molly Baker):  What’s top of mind for you professionally?

JP (Jessica Pierson): AI is everywhere, of course, but I think about innovation and change management more broadly. In my industry, we’re not first movers on new tech. It takes real mindset work to help people adopt new tools and new ways of working. I’m always thinking about how to help teams change, innovate, and think differently.

MB:  How are people in your world feeling about AI? Fearful or excited?

JP: It started with fear. We’re a very creative field, so the first question was, “What about my job?” The framing that helped was treating AI as an efficiency tool. Use it to reduce time-consuming tasks or to jump-start problem-solving. I don’t know if everyone is using it yet, but they’re talking about it and learning. That’s progress.

MB:  When you avoid the fear, you can actually keep your role relevant.

JP: Exactly. The people who will excel are the ones who know how to use it as a tool.

MB:  Brag about yourself, what are you great at professionally?

JP: Empathy. I’ve learned I have empathy as a leader, and that matters. I listen, think about context, and consider what people need to do their best work. Good and bad leaders shaped me; seeing what not to do is powerful.

MB:  How did you cultivate that empathy?

JP: I’m naturally kind and curious, and assessments confirmed empathy as a strength. I lean into it: listen first, seek context, and remember there’s a person behind the performance.

MB:  Most pivotal moment in your career?

JP: A collection of “aha” moments ... working under a poor leader, then a great one, but a big shift came at Tom Ford. It’s a big name, but I worked with a small, hands-on team in digital marketing and e-commerce. I had to figure things out myself and partner across finance, buying, merchandising, PR, brand marketing…you name it. Seeing the whole machine made me more strategic. Early on, you stay in your lane; later, understanding how it all connects is a game changer.

MB:  What motivates you?

JP: A little fear of being left behind. I’m not the earliest tech adopter, but I want to understand what’s coming, new tools, new terms, Gen Alpha slang…at least enough to keep a pulse. I never want to be the person who can’t use the device or the platform.

MB:  Turning anxiety into forward motion.

JP: Exactly. Tools are getting smarter; we should be too.

MB:  What do you wish you knew earlier in your career?

JP: There’s no single path. I thought I had to follow a strict sequence…study marketing, join the right clubs, land the exact roles. In reality, people arrive where they want to be in a lot of different ways, picking up skills they didn’t expect. I wish I’d explored more outside my chosen lane.

MB:  Did you always know you wanted marketing?

JP: By high school I had a clear goal and stuck to it (which is great) but it also meant fewer experiments along the way. Pros and cons.

MB:  Who are you, and what do you do?

JP: I’m Jessica Chu Pearson, and I lead digital marketing at HOLLY HUNT, a luxury furnishings company that sells to the trade… interior designers and architects, not direct-to-consumer. We offer everything from sofas and textiles to wallcoverings and lighting. We have three owned brands and additional partner brands. So much of what we sell is handcrafted in the U.S.; the artistry is incredible.

MB:  You were at Tom Ford before this and Ralph Lauren prior. How was the transition from fast DTC fashion to home and trade?

JP: Very different. Fashion is fast…you see results quickly. In furnishings, decisions are slower and lead times are longer. You don’t impulse-buy a sofa. You measure, compare styles, consider spaces. KPIs shift: email might be a revenue driver in DTC; for us, it’s more about inspiration and information. Social is brand awareness and education—why our price points are what they are, why we sell to the trade—not pure conversion.

MB:  What sits under your digital remit?

JP: Email, social, paid digital media, and the analytics around them. I sit with brand marketing and creative, so I’m also close to content. For social, we use a mix: professionally shot showroom assets, client-provided imagery (with rights), and scrappier, authentic content when the moment calls for it.

MB:  How do you balance the luxury polish with social’s demand for speed and authenticity?

JP: That’s the tension. The brand aesthetic is precious…website and email need to be curated but social demands frequency and realness. One of our sub-brands, Vladimir Kagan, has been a great sandbox. The head designer is open to experimentation; we shoot quick iPhone videos, put him on camera, and share stories from his time apprenticing under Vladimir. People want a face and a voice. Those anecdotes don’t live on product pages; they thrive on social.

MB:  How do you decide where the team focuses?

JP: When I joined, there wasn’t a dedicated digital team. We built email as a foundation to communicate launches and possibilities. Lately social has taken more focus…not because it replaces email, but because it carries a heavy brand and education load. We evaluate channels differently: email is targeted storytelling; social is inspiration, community, and brand understanding.

MB:  The volume challenge is real.

JP: Totally. Asset lifespans are shorter than ever, and the first few seconds matter. We still rely on professional photographers and videographers, especially for hero assets and showrooms, and we’re growing our pipeline of authentic, in-the-moment content to complement that.

MB:  How much does trend forecasting shape your digital work?

JP: Less than you’d think. The brand leads. We’re opening minds to more organic content…thought leadership, behind-the-scenes craftsmanship, process stories. Relationships drive this industry, so highlighting our clients’ work is both on-brand and community-building.

MB:  How are you building community with interior designers?

JP: We start by celebrating client projects. If they tag us and hold the rights, we request permission to repost and they love it! We’d like to do more co-created content: send textiles to a designer and document an upholstery transformation; tour completed homes that feature our pieces. Our sales team has deep relationships, and the design community is generous and curious. They want to share and be inspired.

MB:  Most overhyped marketing trend?

JP: The obsession with viral moments. They’re rarely sustainable, and the brand risk is real if the narrative gets away from you—especially for heritage brands. I care more about consistent engagement and a steady, loyal community.

MB:  Amen. Consistency > one-off spikes.

JP: Exactly. Viral can work, but it’s not a strategy.

MB:  What would surprise people about your role?

JP: How technical it gets. Beyond content and social, there’s data architecture, integrations, tracking, and platform migrations. We recently moved to a new ESP…massive lift. You need to understand enough to define the data you want to capture and how to measure it. In furnishings, attributes are complex…brand, designer, category, multiple dimensions, so clean data matters.

MB:  Did 21-year-old you imagine this?

JP: Not the digital part. We learned the four Ps, not e-comm. But I’m glad I landed here…technology is reshaping everything, and it’s exciting to be in that mix. I’ve become more integrated with brand marketing, too; it’s all connected.

MB:  One piece of advice for someone starting in marketing?

JP: Stay open-minded and never stop learning…new tools, new platforms, new ways to work. Marketing never sits still. That’s the fun!

Find Jessica on Linkedin!

As for us, follow @namedrop.pod on Instagram & LinkedIn and@molbakes on Instagram for all future episodes and insights.