Executive: Mike Bell, Chief Marketing Officer
Company: Everspring
Industry: Higher Education Technology
Company Snapshot: Everspring is a technology-first partner that helps universities drive enrollment and growth by connecting marketing, data, and platform infrastructure.
Format: CMO Journeys Interview
Why It Matters
Mike Bell’s path to the CMO seat did not start with marketing. It started with airplanes. His journey moves from the Air Force to consulting, CPG, startups, digital marketing, and higher education. For agencies, his perspective is useful because he brings a rare mix of structure, humility, speed, and strategic calm to a market that keeps changing.
Their Path, in Short
If you asked Mike Bell in high school whether he would become a CMO, he would have said no. So would everyone else.
From the time he could walk and talk, Bell was obsessed with planes. That obsession led him into the Air Force, where he worked in a structured, mission-driven environment. It was not marketing. But it shaped how he thinks.
The Air Force taught him to step back, see the whole board, and move toward an objective even when the path is unclear. One lesson stuck with him: “The only wrong decision is indecision.” He did not fully understand it as a young officer. Now, he thinks about it every day.
After the military, Bell moved into consulting on purpose. He wanted a role where he could wear a lot of hats. From there, he moved into CPG and had to learn how to be a marketer outright. Then came digital marketing, where the language shifted to cost per click, retargeting, conversion, and user experience.
Higher education added another layer. Bell describes it as a humbling market because the pipeline does not move like e-commerce. There are fewer easy signals. Less instant feedback. More complexity.
Across each chapter, the pattern is clear: Bell kept stepping into unfamiliar rooms, then learning how to make sense of them.
Big Themes From the Conversation
One theme in Bell’s story is comfort with discomfort. In the Air Force, he said, as soon as you got comfortable, they made you uncomfortable again. That was not always pleasant. But it helped him become a leader who does not panic when the ground shifts.
Another theme is learning how leadership changes by environment. In the military, hierarchy is built in. In business, Bell had to develop different muscles. He had to learn to sit with a team, talk through the problem, and invite more perspectives into the room. He admits he underused some people early in his corporate career. That realization made him better.
Mentorship also shaped him. Marvin Davis, his first CMO at LifeLock, taught him lessons he still carries, like putting the right players in the right positions and answering the question before it is asked. Colonel Alston, his first commander, showed him that leadership also means empathy, care, and going the extra mile for your people.
Bell also has a calm relationship with risk. When you have worked in environments with real consequences, marketing decisions look different. They still matter. But perspective helps. For Bell, the goal is not to defend a process because it exists. The goal is to remember the original intent and ask whether there is a better way.
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How They Choose the Right Agency Partners
When I asked Bell how he thinks about internal teams versus outside partners, he started with strategy.
Everspring has brought more organic and content strategy work in-house, especially where AI fluency matters. Bell said the team has turned away sharp people who were not far enough along on that front. But that does not make agencies less relevant. In his view, the right partner becomes more important when the landscape gets harder to read.
What stands out to Bell is not a broad service menu. It is the ability to see patterns across platforms, brands, and industries. He wants partners who can help a team understand what is shifting, where to place bets, and how to look at the picture holistically.
He is especially alert to whether agencies are taking AI seriously. Bell said he has been surprised to see some organic and SEO-oriented agencies still not fully engaging with it. That is a miss. He expects partners to bring useful perspective: reports worth reading, trends worth watching, and clear thinking on how the work is changing.
That is the kind of thought leadership that gets his attention. Not vague claims. Not recycled takes. Useful, specific perspective that helps him see around corners.
Bell also has a balanced view on specialist versus full-service agencies. If an agency is too specialized, it can miss the forest for the trees. If it tries to do too much, he worries about depth. The right fit sits in the middle: a partner that starts with the problem, the audience, and the message, then chooses the right tactics.
That order matters. Strategy first. Tactics second.
His view of AI is just as grounded. Bell calls it a “very brilliant intern.” It can help with briefs, blog content, and ad copy. But it has not replaced strategy. He sees it as a better co-pilot than aircraft commander.
That is also his advice to agencies. Do not use AI as a substitute for real work. Use it as a force multiplier. Bell compares it to an e-bike: you can pedal hard and feel supercharged, or you can sit still and let the machine do the work. Only one version makes you better.
What Stood Out
What stood out most was how human Bell’s leadership philosophy is beneath the systems thinking. He talks about objectives, funnels, and decision-making, but the moments that shaped him came from people who invested in him. A commander saw potential. A CMO taught him how to think ahead. Colleagues helped him become a better leader.
There is also something revealing in his reset routine. Bell likes going to the gym in the morning with his wife because, for one hour, his brain gets to turn off. No phone. No messages. No Slack. Just a quiet reset before the work begins again.
Inside Scoop
This article focuses on the journey, the leadership philosophy, and how this CMO works with agency partners.
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