Welcome to The Lighthouse Collective podcast series Keep Shining with Stuart MacMillan. In this episode, Stuart sits down with Kathleen Ross, a fractional CMO, creative AI educator, and speaker, to talk about leading by influence, keeping the human touch in an AI-driven world, and how creativity, risk, and authenticity shape leadership in marketing.

What you will hear

• How to handle clients or leaders who say no, when to stay and when to walk away, and the danger of half-baked ideas.
• Career risk, mulligans, and what Kathleen learned from early failures that shaped her path.
• Leadership principles for the creative age - relationships, curiosity, and serving through clarity.
• Practical ways to give feedback to creative teams without killing their spark, and how to decide if an edit moves the needle.
• Why authenticity matters with AI, how to train AI on your voice, and using AI as an amplifier not a replacement.

Memorable lines

“Train the AI on your voice, then let it edit — you still need to be the drafter.”

“Half an idea is usually twice as bad, not half as good.”

About Kathleen Ross

Kathleen Ross is a seasoned marketing executive with over a decade of experience building category-leading brands across beauty, wellness, and fashion. Today she works as a fractional CMO, speaker, and creative AI educator who helps companies and creators adopt AI without losing the human touch. Kathleen chairs the Fashion and Communications Advisory Board at Saint Thomas University and serves on the Impact Circle Committee for Big Brothers Big Sisters Miami. She blends creative leadership, strategic rigor, and a people-first approach to help teams and leaders thrive.

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, like, and leave a review. Share this episode with a colleague or creator who needs a little practical perspective on leadership, creativity, and AI.

Resources & links

Follow Kathleen Ross and learn more:

• Website / Speaking / Consulting: https://www.kathleenrosscreative.com/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KathleenRossCreative
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenrosscreative/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosskathleen/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kathleenross

Book Kathleen Ross for keynotes and workshops: www.TheLighthouseCollective.Global

• 📩 Contact: Debbie@ImpactThisDay.com

Follow Stuart on Social Media:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/macmillanstuart/

https://www.instagram.com/macmillanstuart/

Follow The Lighthouse Collective on Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/lighthousecollectiveglobal/

Connect with Stuart MacMillan at www.TheLighthouseCollective.Global

Subscribe to The Lighthouse Collective on YouTube and watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLighthouseCollective

Thanks for listening. Keep Shining, Be A Light