Her Story
About Misti
Misti Graham is a seasoned marketing executive, brand strategist, and leadership development professional with more than 35 years of experience spanning agency environments, corporate organizations, global brands, and entrepreneurial ventures. Beginning her career in marketing immediately after high school in her home state of Oregon, she developed expertise across virtually every facet of the discipline, including brand development, customer acquisition, integrated marketing, digital strategy, and revenue growth. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a Master of Science in Psychology, a combination that enables her to blend consumer insight, behavioral understanding, and strategic marketing execution to drive measurable business outcomes.
Throughout her career, Misti has held senior leadership roles with prominent organizations, including Amazon, TerraFirma, and Harley-Davidson Motor Company. As Chief Marketing Officer for Windy City Motorcycle Company, she served as a key liaison to Harley-Davidson corporate while leading omnichannel marketing initiatives across multiple dealership locations. Her accomplishments include driving sales growth, expanding customer engagement, building high-performing teams, and aligning marketing strategy directly with organizational revenue goals. At Amazon, she further expanded her expertise by leading leadership development programs, executive coaching initiatives, and large-scale learning strategies that enhanced performance across global teams.
Today, Misti operates as an independent Fractional CMO and Marketing Strategist, partnering with entrepreneurs, small businesses, and growth-stage organizations seeking executive-level marketing leadership. She specializes in brand positioning, messaging development, marketing strategy, customer acquisition, and AI-enhanced marketing systems that help businesses scale efficiently. Known for her systems-thinking approach and commitment to developing people alongside performance, Misti combines strategic vision with hands-on execution to build sustainable growth engines for her clients. Outside of her professional work, she is passionate about lifelong learning, reading, outdoor activities, exercise, cooking, music, puzzles, and caring for her four rescue dogs.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Misti
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the combination of broad experience across both agency and corporate environments, a commitment to continuous learning, and persistence in pursuing long-term goals. Exposure to diverse brands, industries, and business challenges has helped me develop a well-rounded perspective and adaptable leadership style, while staying focused on growth and professional development ultimately enabled me to achieve a Chief Marketing Officer role.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stay on top of trends and software like AI but do not get so absorbed that you lose yourself in it. There is still a lot of good in traditional marketing like direct mail and print media. Be careful how you spend marketing dollars and do not feel everything has to be digital or AI-driven.
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