‘We Built It Out of Cardboard on Purpose’ – Zachary Nelson on Marketing with a Small Team

Welcome to the very first episode of Landings! Camille Zyniewicz sits down with her colleague and friend Zachary Nelson, Chief Marketing Officer at Viewrail, for a deep dive into the winding career path, creative energy, and people-first culture that fuel his work—and Viewrail’s rapid growth.Zac shares how he went from making backyard miniDV films and a video game called “Cardio Cat” to leading marketing at one of the most design-forward home product companies in the U.S. – headquartered in Goshen, Indiana. He opens up about what makes Viewrail a magnet for creatively driven talent, the real day-to-day life of a CMO, and why the team swears by duct-tape processes and $10K “small bets.”In this episode, you’ll hear:- Why Zac believes great marketing starts with making things for one person.- What makes Viewrail’s company culture unique—and sometimes chaotic, but invigorating.- The “Viewrail sabbatical” and what it says about employee engagement.- How small creative ideas stack into big marketing wins.- Why South Bend and the surrounding region might be the best-kept secret for creative individuals.- If you've ever felt stuck in a job where your ideas don’t land—or you’re looking for a team that actually values innovation and iteration—this episode will give you an inside look at what it’s like to work at a company where process comes second and people come first.Brought to you by:Season One of Landings is sponsored by the University of Notre Dame’s Industry Labs—partnering with regional companies to realize a shared competitive advantage.Production assistance by Wayfare RecordingEpisode Links:Learn more about ViewrailIndustry Labs at Notre Dame: industrylabs.nd.eduLearn more about Landings