The Accidental Executive
How One Woman's Refusal to Conform Created Billion-Dollar Brands and Changed Laws
In this CMO Superhero series of interviews, a precursor to writing a book on Share of Experience -- the Superhero Metric, we explore the stories of extraordinary CMOs in building their brands. Discover key takeaways from the business and measurement challenges these CMOs face and find out what Claude.ai identifies as their three top superpowers.
Meet Esi Eggleston Bracey.
Here's the uncomfortable truth about corporate success: most executives climb the ladder by becoming increasingly polished versions of everyone else. Esi Eggleston Bracey took the opposite approach -- and it made her unstoppable.
From creating billion-dollar Febreze as a barely-out-of-university marketer to making race-based hair discrimination illegal across 27 US states, she's built a movement by unleashing the one thing most leaders are terrified to show: who she actually is.
Q: You call yourself an "accidental executive." What do you mean?
A: "I never set out to be a CMO. I wanted to be an MD, PhD in biomedical engineering. But I learned I liked people more than lab work. When I stumbled into a Procter & Gamble information session, I discovered marketing was about solving people problems and business problems simultaneously. I've been in the industry nearly 35 years, all because of accidents that showed me the way."
Q: How did you discover authenticity could drive business success?
A: "Early in my P&G career, I was conforming completely -- conservative bob haircut, beige suits, getting my shoes shined with the guys. Then I attended a diversity workshop where the consultant explained that when we perpetuate conformity, the organization loses the benefit of true diversity. So I cut off my straightened hair, bought a red convertible Porsche, forced myself out of hiding. It was terrifying but liberating. I discovered there's a cost to hiding who you are."
Q: You created billion-dollar Febreze. How did you do this?
A: "I was three years out of university. When I went to bars, my blazers would collect smoke, but they weren’t really dirty. Dry cleaning was expensive. During a brainstorming session, I suggested removing odors from fabrics that aren't dirty. That became Febreze. The lesson? You can do anything at any level. I was naive, took risks, had great support."
Q: CoverGirl was declining when you took over. What did you see?
A: "CoverGirl was declining, perpetuating the constructed beauty ideal of cover models. I didn't relate to supermodels, so I shifted positioning from the more bland 'clean, fresh, natural you’ to ‘the YOU at your best’. We brought in Queen Latifah, Janelle Monáe, and Pink. Women wanted real women but also inspiration -- something attainable but aspirational. We delivered record performance while making societal impact."
Q: What's your contrarian take on marketing metrics?
A: "We have too many measurements. The biggest challenge is crystal clarity on what you want to measure -- the critical few things. Marketers suffer from measuring dozens of things without knowing priorities. You need financial metrics, brand metrics that measure outcomes, and the connection between marketing impact and sales."
This reminds me of what Javier Meza, Coca-Cola, explained, “it's better to have an approximate measurement of the right concept than a great accurate measurement of the wrong concept.'
Q: The CROWN Coalition changed laws. How do you go from brand purpose to legislation?
A: “When I was on my first sabbatical, I went on a journey to discover my own purpose. I asked people how they saw me, who I was for them.
They said I saw possibility in others and helped them achieve things they didn't think they could do. When I understood that my purpose was to break barriers and inspire greatness, it became clear that I could translate this into real change. That clarity ultimately led to the creation of the CROWN Coalition and the movement that made race‑based hair discrimination illegal in 27 states, protecting over 35 million Americans.
Q: You use "energy domains." How does this work?
A: "I have six energy domains: Passion Power (impact from passion), Ooh La (sensational experiences), Amor and Adore (close relationships), Mile High (helping my kids be confident), Impact and Legacy (lasting difference), and Heart, Soul, and Whole (being authentic). When I'm lacking energy, it's usually because I'm missing something in one of these areas."
Q: How have your frameworks held up in crisis?
A: "They were foundational during my husband's sudden aortic aneurysm in March 2024. I got a call saying 'come now, he's not going to make it' while we were about to go skiing. Those frameworks became my anchor. I focused on 'how can I help?' Most importantly, authenticity meant not losing myself -- being clear on what I needed, what I could do, what I couldn't do."
This is such a powerful example of leaning into the frameworks you have created and reminds me of my favourite saying “In disease, find ease. In discomfort, find comfort. And when you do, you are at the growing edge.”
Q: What makes experience powerful in brand building?
A: "When people are in social fatigue, it's the experience of your brand that creates desirability. It moves beyond need and want to truly desire -- that non-conscious urge to just have something. Those highly positive experiences across all touchpoints create real brand transformation."
So, what are 5 takeaways for marketing leaders?
- Stop performing success and start being successful. Authenticity isn't a soft skill -- it's a competitive weapon. While your competitors are copying each other, your unique perspective is the only thing they can't replicate.
- Your discomfort is your compass. Trust your intuition as rigorously as you trust your data. The biggest breakthroughs come from the intersection of analytical rigor and personal insight.
- Build systems for your humanity. Develop structured frameworks for what energizes versus drains you. When crisis hits -- and it will -- these become your decision-making operating system.
- Every challenge contains a competitive advantage. Stop avoiding discomfort and start mining it for insights. Your worst days often contain the seeds of your greatest victories.
- Your personal problems are market opportunities. Don't dismiss your lived experience as irrelevant to strategy. The problems you solve for yourself often represent millions of unmet consumer needs.
While most executives optimize LinkedIn profiles, Esi built energy domains. While others networked, she understood what fuels versus drains her. While the industry debated authenticity, she systematically engineered it into competitive advantage.
This is leadership insurgency. When you know exactly who you are and what drives you, you become impossible to compete against -- not because you're better at playing the game, but because you're playing a completely different game.
Most marketing leaders are afraid to do this work because they're terrified of what they might find. Esi discovered that her true self was actually her most powerful business asset.
To discover what Claude.ai thinks of Esi’s superpowers click here.
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Author: Fiona Blades: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionablades/