Eat In or Dine Out: Talent, Diversity and Wine with Stephanie Browne

 

Stephanie Browne is a talent and diversity leader who’s helped build marketing teams for organizations like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. She’s also a wine industry entrepreneur and cookbook author. We’d call that a perfect pairing for an Eat In or Dine Out guest.

 

Stephanie is Jen Harrington’s guest on a freshly uncorked new episode of Eat In or Dine Out — the show where top marketing leaders step into Jen’s kitchen for fresh, unprocessed conversations about how to build great internal teams and hire the right agency partners.

 

While baking German Apple Cake from Stephanie’s book Sipping Sense (get it here!), Jen and Stephanie cover …

• How to build a marketing team that reflects your brand’s customers.
• When to bring on a freelancer vs. when to hire a full-time employee.
• Why it’s time to reconsider if you think riesling wine is too sweet.

 

P.S. Don’t forget to follow HATCH on LinkedIn to catch upcoming episodes and bonus content!

 

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TRANSCRIPT 

Jen:
Hello and welcome to Eat In or Dine Out! I’m Jen Harrington, and this is my kitchen. Today, I’m joined by my very, very dear friend Stephanie Browne, who is here to talk a little bit about talent.

Now, the whole idea behind this show is simple: sometimes it makes sense to eat in—to build and nurture an in-house team. Other times, it’s better to dine out—to partner with external agencies, like mine, for the added expertise and creative power. We’ll dig into both sides today, while we sip a little wine and bake something delicious.

And I couldn’t think of a better person to have this conversation with than Stephanie.

Stephanie, I think we first met when you were at BlueCross BlueShield, right? You were leading talent acquisition, diversity, equity, and inclusion. We came in to help you create a brand for talent acquisition—an external brand.

Stephanie Browne:
That’s right. And while I was doing my day job, I was also building a completely separate business called Sipping Sense. I’ve had a wine label, worked with the wine industry in California to help them market to women and multicultural consumers, and then I opened my own store. Now, I’m also an author and podcaster.

Jen:
She really is a famous author! Which is perfect, because today we’re going to talk a little about your cookbook.

LEGACY 

Stephanie:
Yes! I wrote the book because I was trying to figure out why I love to entertain so much. It’s because of my legacy: my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. I watched them for years in the kitchen. Recipes are heirlooms, but so are the pieces and traditions that get passed down. The book even has a whole chapter about legacy.

Jen:
And today we’re making one of those recipes—your German Apple Cake. While we cook, I’ll also ask you a few talent questions.

BUILDING DIVERSE TEAMS 

Jen:
You built talent across the entire organization at BlueCross BlueShield, right?

Stephanie:
Yes. My role was to diversify the organization—across all departments, not just marketing. Everything from age to gender to race and culture. I really wanted every department to reflect the diversity of the customers we served.

Jen:
Especially marketing. What marketing department shouldn’t be diverse when your customer is diverse?

Stephanie:
Exactly. I wanted to bring people into the organization who added value and different lived experiences, and also had the ability to grow. At the end of the day, you want your organization to look like the people you serve.

Jen:
Here’s a practical question: how do you know when it’s better to hire freelance talent versus making a full-time hire?

Stephanie:
Honestly? When the hiring manager says, “I need them tomorrow.” Speed is usually the driver. Freelancers are great for big projects that won’t last forever. But marketing teams often get attached to people, and it can be hard to know when to let go.

TASTE TEST 

Jen:
Okay—cake’s going into the oven. Fingers crossed it comes out beautiful!

[Later – tasting the cake with wine]

Jen:
It better taste good… and pair well with the wine!

Stephanie:
It does! We’re drinking a sweet Riesling, which isn’t usually your thing, but it pairs perfectly with the apple cake.

Jen:
I’ll admit it—this works.

Stephanie:
That’s the brilliance of Sipping Sense!

ALL ABOUT APTITUDE

Jen:
Before we wrap up, let’s talk about creative talent sourcing. Where can companies look beyond the usual places to find great people?

Stephanie:
Community organizations are a fantastic resource, especially those with arts programs. When it comes to interns, don’t just look for those with experience—look for aptitude. For example, give a creative intern the chance to be on set, learn cameras, and see what looks good. You can teach skills if someone has potential. That builds a strong pipeline.

Jen:
I love that. Stephanie, thank you for being here—it’s been so much fun. And the only episode so far that involved wine.

Stephanie:
What’s wrong with that? Cheers!

Jen:
Cheers!

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