If you've ever booked a city-wide, dodged political landmines, and still closed the deal, this one’s for you. This week, Megan sits down with Julie Mullins, a 35-year hospitality veteran who’s led high-stakes sales in major metros like Chicago and now serves as Executive Director of Explore Whitefish in Montana.

From navigating union drama to managing naked customers on a fam trip (yes, really), Julie shares her unforgettable stories and sharp insights from decades in the trenches of destination sales. Plus, we play Tourism Tinder where igloo bars are hot and mascot costumes are swept left.

About the Guest:Julie Mullins is the Executive Director of Explore Whitefish, owner of Zeal Destination Consulting, and former VP of Convention Sales for Choose Chicago. With 35 years in hospitality and a reputation for high-impact sales leadership, she brings both grit and grace to the conversation.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• What it’s really like to manage sales for a billion-dollar tourism economy

• The pros and pitfalls of heavily unionized event cities like Chicago

• Why pop-up experiences can work and when they’re just a gimmick

• The importance of carving out time for yourself in a career that demands 24/7

• Why managing tourism in small towns is more complex (and critical) than people think

Head to eventaboutitpodcast.com to submit your own wild event stories and join the Squared Squad for bonus content and behind-the-scenes access.

Connect with Julie HERE

https://www.linkedin.com/in/julesmullins/

Connect with Megan HERE

https://msquareddynamics.com/

The funnel is dead, MQLs are out, and your networking events aren’t as human-centered as you think. In this After Show, Megan and Ashley go off the record and into the real stuff: AI myths, event design fails, personalization at scale, and why you should probably stop serving bagels at every conference.

What You’ll Learn in This After Show:

• Why AI isn’t replacing marketers—but marketers who ignore AI might get left behind
• How to scale personalization using content depth and intent frameworks
• The difference between busy work and uniquely human marketing tasks
• Why most networking events fail introverts (and what to do instead)
• The marketing buzzword Ashley wants permanently canceled

• About the Guest:Ashley Faus is the author of Human-Centered Marketing and Head of Lifecycle Marketing Portfolio at Atlassian. She specializes in content strategy, demand gen, and lifecycle marketing—and is a passionate advocate for designing marketing experiences that actually work for real humans.

• Ashley also shares a hilarious booth mishap involving superhero cutouts and the carpet padding lesson no event marketer should forget.

  
  

  Join the Squared Squad at eventaboutitpodcast.com to access exclusive bonus content, connect with guests, and never miss a behind-the-scenes convo like this one.

  Connect with Ashley Faus

  https://www.atlassian.com/blog/author/ashley-faus

  Connect with Megan Martin

  https://msquareddynamics.com/
  

If you think lifecycle marketing ends after your event wrap-up email, you’re doing it wrong. This week, Megan is joined by Ashley Faus, Head of Lifecycle Marketing Portfolio at Atlassian and author of Human-Centered Marketing, to explore how events power long-term strategy and trust-driven campaigns.

Ashley breaks down the difference between industry vs. user conferences, how to repurpose event content without boring your audience, and the unexpected details that make attendees feel seen, heard, and valued.

About the Guest:

Ashley Faus is the Head of Lifecycle Marketing Portfolio at Atlassian and the author of Human-Centered Marketing. She's known for connecting content, product, and demand gen strategies across every touchpoint—plus, she might just turn your next marketing framework into a musical.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The real difference between user and industry conferences (and why you need to know it)

• How to repurpose event content for lasting impact without overwhelming your audience

• The right metrics to measure depending on your event’s purpose

• Why little things, like carpet padding, make a big human-centered difference

• How your event strategy fits into the full customer lifecycle, not just the sales funnel

Head to eventaboutitpodcast.com to share YOUR “Vent of the WeeK” and join the Squared Squad for bonus content, guest Q&As, and our exclusive After Show.

👉 Want to hear more from the guest? Tune into the “After Show” HERE www.eventaboutitpodcast.com

Connect with Ashley Faus

https://www.atlassian.com/blog/author/ashley-faus

Connect with Megan Martin

https://msquareddynamics.com/