I’ve been fortunate to meet some special leaders since launching The Courageous Podcast. One of those gems is YETI’s Head of Marketing Bill Neff. Bill is a superb human who can’t help but keep it real. He also happens to know a thing or two about Brand and Marketing from his days at Under Armour, Justin Timberlake’s Tequila brand and, now at, YETI. For this weekly dose of courage, I hand Bill the proverbial key’s to the newsletter. We go “5 Questions with Bill Neff” below. Enjoy.
1. Bill, you’re one of the good guys! Of course, no one thinks of themselves as a “bad guy,” but I’ve seen how fear can take over when a leader’s more focused on appeasing a boss rather than doing what’s right. That stress trickles down to the team and partners. So, how do you stay grounded and true to yourself, even when you’re under the pressure of those high-stakes, “must-deliver” moments?
Here’s what I learned over the years… because I used to be a person who tried to say the right things or be overly agreeable. About age 40 I realized; I know what I know. It took me years to develop that attitude and to be honest with myself. I’ve seen so many things and I’ve learned so much… As of right now, I know what I know and I’m also okay not knowing — and I’m okay with people knowing I don’t know. (Secret… I know you don’t know either). We charge forward with the knowledge we have and what we think is the right thing for the Brand. We are not right all the time, and then we learn again. Rinse and repeat, and I am constantly evolving and learning.
2. I believe it’s nearly impossible to be courageous when things feel cloudy; you can’t see the North Star on a foggy night. How do you keep your team aligned and clear on YETI’s future?
I have a clear vision for the growth of YETI and the only way to keep the team together on our vision is to talk about it. There’s no fancy plaque on the wall or brand book we made. We are just constantly talking about it. And I love when the team sees it too and even takes it further on what we can do and where we can go.That pushes me. But constantly talking about it is crucial. Being super excited about what we are doing, the journey we’re on, and the role YETI can play in people’s lives is energizing. I grew up in St. Louis and am an avid Cardinal fan. The late great Mike Shannon who was the color commentator for the Birds used to say… “You have to believe… to see it”. And that’s always stuck with me.
3. Time for a real vulnerable moment: What’s one thing you’re working on at YETI right now that absolutely terrifies you and has you shaking in your boots?
This has been with me my whole life. My degree is in Marketing, but I started my career path as a sales guy. I gravitated to Marketing literally through a change in the department name I was in. I was in Team Sales at Under Armour and as we evolved, we changed the group name to Sport Marketing. Overnight I became a Marketer.
With that sales background, I root my philosophies in relationships. I’m a believer in knowing your audience intimately through showing up and not just big data. When I get around super smart people who have cool MBAs that I admire and they throw around acronyms and fancy digital marketing jargon, I wonder if I’m worthy to be running Marketing at a $1.6B outdoor company. I’ll say this, I’m grateful to have the team I have. I’m grateful to have the support of our CEO Matt Reintjes who also believes in the way we stimulate energy for the brand. And… I know what I know…
4. With YETI generating over $1.6 billion in annual revenue, does being a company of that size make it easier or harder to stay courageous in your decisions? How do you balance bold innovation with the challenges of scale?
I think it makes it easier to do things, but it’s a little more challenging to prove you’re grounded with the audiences and communities you serve. I admire Nike so much. When I was at UA (2003 – 2009) we talked about chasing Nike and catching Nike. Nike was $13B or something at the time. I look at them at $50B now and their growth was built on the same playbook. Trust through trusted sources and rooted authenticity with athletes on field. I know they are in a precarious time up there in Portland and have some naysayers at the moment, but I know they’ll bounce back based on how deeply integrated they are with the highest level of sports. So, when I see that, I feel very optimistic about YETI as we continue to expand our geographies and the communities we serve. We’ll keep running our playbook and choosing relevance over awareness every day. Awareness will come when your relevance is solid.
5. One of my favorite things about what we’re building at Courageous is being that external partner who brings fresh perspective, inspiration, and accountability. When you think about those three areas, where do you feel your team excels the most? And where could you use a bit more support?
I think the group does a really good job of inspiring each other. Back to the first question, we talk about where we are going, and we get stoked on it. We also hold each other accountable… and aren’t afraid to have healthy disagreements. With that said, one of the greatest things our CEO decided to do in 2019 was to build our internal creative agency. The speed at which we can turn things is really fun. But, of the 3, I worry about fresh perspectives. Outside agencies can make sure we aren’t all walking blind. They often bring ideas the may or may not be right… but at least make us think. With us not using outside agencies much… I consistently am self-checking ourselves and making sure we are clear minded and not Kool-Aid drinkers.
Thank you so much for being an ally of this courage community. I so appreciate you!
You bet Ryan, anytime… keep doing what your doing, the world needs it. Appreciate you.