Thermostat vs Thermometer: A CMO's Mindset for Marketing Success
by Craig Vandermaden
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What you'll discover
when watching Craig's story
- Effective branding goes beyond aesthetics, focusing on communicating the company's purpose and values to both customers and employees.
- True leadership involves prioritizing others' needs, creating a safe environment, and adapting to individual team members' perspectives.
- Viewing competitors as "worthy rivals" rather than threats can foster a healthier and more productive business outlook.
- Metrics should be seen as conversation starters to address underlying human factors, not just numbers to be optimized.
- A strong company purpose and values can drive significant business growth and employee satisfaction.
- Embracing new challenges outside your expertise can lead to unexpected career growth and success.
- Adopting an "infinite game" mindset in business helps maintain perspective during short-term setbacks.
Meet Craig Vandermaden - CMO @ Stepping Up Physical Therapy
Craig Vandermaden is the Chief Marketing Officer at Stepping Up Physical Therapy, an outpatient physical therapy company with 4 locations and over 50 therapists.
Craig’s path to marketing was unconventional. He spent 5 years in the army infantry before studying health, fitness, and physical therapy.
After working as a physical therapist for 5 years, Craig took on marketing responsibilities to help grow the business. Under his leadership, new patient volume increased by over 106%.
Craig approaches marketing with a focus on the company’s purpose of helping others. He views competitors as “worthy rivals” and emphasizes the human element behind metrics.
At Stepping Up, Craig is passionate about cultivating a positive culture and creating an environment where employees feel safe, heard, and valued. He sees leadership as putting others’ needs first and constantly learning.
Check out Craig Vandermaden's thoughts on purpose-driven growth through human-centered marketing
When it comes to his perspective on leadership in marketing, Craig shares:
"True leaders put the needs of others before themselves. They spend more time with people, sometimes giving up their sanity to listen to other people's problems. It's about going above and beyond for people."
He also shares how he handles the highs and lows of marketing:
"I try to be a thermostat rather than a thermometer. What I mean by that is a thermometer simply tells you the temperature of the room. It reacts to external factors. I want to be the thermostat."
And how he approached marketing without formal training:
"It was a lot of trial and error, but it took off. It really took off. Since I've taken over marketing, we've grown by more than 106% in new patient volume, which is crazy."
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