In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron Schwartz sits down with Kate MacCabe and Alexis Hurewitz of Flywheel Strategy for a behind-the-scenes look at how real customer-centric brands operationalize marketing, make AI useful (not scary), and actually get things done. From billion-dollar fashion houses to fast-growing DTC brands, Kate and Alexis break down what separates teams that ship great work on time from the ones drowning in Slack messages, last-minute “quick asks,” and AI buzzwords.

They unpack:

• Ops before AI, why messy workflows, scattered briefs, and unclear owners make AI less effective (and how to fix that first)

• How great teams really work, the operating rhythms, intake systems, and “pace-setters” that keep marketing, creative, and product moving in sync

• Creative + AI, not creative vs. AI, where AI can safely write, summarize, or structure content… and where human taste and storytelling are still non-negotiable

• Flows vs. campaigns, why most brands over-invest in campaigns, under-invest in lifecycle flows, and what a healthier balance looks like

• Risk without drama, how to build a culture where anyone can flag risks, without blame, and how to turn that into better decisions instead of bottlenecks

• Alignment as a performance lever, the questions Flywheel asks in the first hour with a brand to surface real goals, pain points, and systemic issues

• Preparing for 2026, how to plan headcount, tools, and AI usage so you don’t “get too lean” and accidentally lose your brand’s soul If you’re a CMO, VP, or marketing/creative ops leader trying to scale campaigns, adopt AI without chaos, and keep your team sane while you do it, this episode is a blueprint.

👥 Meet the guests

Kate MacCabe: Founder of Flywheel Strategy | Kate helps growth-stage and enterprise brands design the operating systems, cross-functional structures, and tech strategies that actually unlock “magic” between data, design, and engineering.

Alexis Hurewitz: Marketing & Creative Operations leader at Flywheel Strategy | Alexis specializes in request intake, trafficking, timelines, and campaign execution across print, digital, and in-store, so big ideas turn into on-time launches instead of burnout and chaos.

🎙 Hosted by Aaron Schwartz, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Orita.ai

🎧 Chapters [00:00] From Big Brands to Flywheel: Why This Team Exists [02:45] Before AI, Fix This: The Hidden Power of Ops Foundations [05:35] Silo Wars: Getting Marketing, Creative & Product to Play Nice [08:19] Stuck or Scaling? How to Spot Real Bottlenecks in Your Business [11:07] AI Hype vs. Reality: Where It Actually Belongs in Your Marketing [13:59] No Blame, Just Better: Building a Culture Where Risks Are Safe to Surface [16:39] Do More With Less: Using AI to Kill Busywork (Not Creativity) [19:29] Everyone Rowing the Same Way: Aligning Goals, Teams & Timelines [22:26] Email & SMS That Don’t Annoy People: Smarter Sending, Bigger LTV [25:21] Don’t Lose the Soul of Your Brand: Using AI Without Becoming Generic

🌐 Check out Orita.ai for more episodes of The Orita Podcast, where we sit down with the most interesting operators, marketers, and founders in e-commerce to talk about what’s working right now. Hosted by the Orita team. Orita uses machine learning to help brands send smarter, more profitable marketing, by figuring out who actually wants to hear from you and when.

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