Stephen Sakach
Founder and CEO of Zero Company and AICMO
Stephen Sakach is Founder and CEO of Zero Company | Visionary in Purpose-Driven Business Practices
Stephen Sakach is a transformative leader and the driving force behind Zero Company, where he is pioneering a new era of purpose-driven business. As the creator of the BLISS concept—“Build Love Into Scalable Systems”—Stephen is redefining how businesses grow, fostering empathy, connection, and sustainable impact at scale.
Under Stephen's visionary leadership, Zero Company has evolved from a traditional command-and-control structure into a thriving self-managed organization. This decentralized model has empowered teams, enhanced engagement, and fostered a culture rooted in transparency, collaboration, and shared purpose.
Stephen is also at the forefront of innovation in the AI space with the development of AI CMO, an empathy-driven, purpose-led marketing platform. Designed to make businesses more human-centric, AI CMO helps organizations build authentic connections with their audiences while aligning their strategies with core values.
Guided by the ethos of BLISS, Stephen has dedicated his career to embedding empathy and human-centered principles into every layer of business—transforming brands, systems, and cultures to prioritize care, understanding, and genuine connection from the inside out.
Oct. 22, 2026
Are Businesses Outsourcing Empathy?
What happens when businesses know more about their customers than ever before, but understand them less?
In this special episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, hosts Stephen Sakach and Tullio Siragusa explore a provocative question: Are we using AI and technology to better serve people, or simply becoming more effective at influencing their behavior?
Inspired by the phrase “Outsourcing Empathy,” Stephen and Tullio examine the growing tension between personalization, persuasion, and mani...
In this special episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, hosts Stephen Sakach and Tullio Siragusa explore a provocative question: Are we using AI and technology to better serve people, or simply becoming more effective at influencing their behavior?
Inspired by the phrase “Outsourcing Empathy,” Stephen and Tullio examine the growing tension between personalization, persuasion, and mani...
Guests: Stephen Sakach , Tullio Siragusa
June 4, 2026
Civilization Advances When Compassion Becomes Infrastructure
In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, Stephen Sakach and Tullio Siragusa argue that civilization advances when compassion becomes infrastructure, not when individual leaders occasionally act with care, and explain why AI will only amplify whatever culture a company already has.
Guests: Stephen Sakach , Tullio Siragusa
May 1, 2026
AI will Amplify Your Culture, Not Fix It
In Episode 10 of the BLISS Monologue Series, Stephen Sakach, founder and CEO of Zero Company and aiCMO.io, unpacks AI and company culture: why AI does not fix a broken culture, it amplifies whatever culture already exists, and the three questions leaders should ask before rolling it out.
Guest: Stephen Sakach
Nov. 5, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: Bringing Purpose and Empathy into Marketing
Stephen Sakach, Founder and CEO of Zero Company, joins host Michelle Brasfield on the Marketing With Purpose Kit to explore empathy and lifetime value: why emotional connection is profitable, how purpose holds under pressure, and why marketers should audit their humanity as AI scales.
Guest: Stephen Sakach
Sept. 10, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: Marketing ROI with a Long-Term Lens
Hosts Stephen Sakach of Zero Company, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski explain why long-term marketing metrics, from lifetime value to retention, advocacy, and brand equity, capture the real return on purpose for marketers, founders, and leaders, with lessons from REI, Apple, and Nike.
Sept. 3, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: Avoiding Purpose-Washing by Staying Authentic in Your Actions and Claims
In this Marketing With Purpose Kit episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, Stephen Sakach, Mike Liwski, and Tullio Siragusa break down avoiding purpose washing, the gap between what a brand claims and what it actually does, and share five practical guardrails for making purpose real, measurable, and consistent.
Aug. 27, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: Purpose in the Brand’s Tone and Voice
Hosts Stephen Sakach of Zero Company, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski explain why a purposeful tone of voice makes a brand's mission believable, using Liquid Death, Mailchimp, Tom's, and Oatly, plus a three-question purpose filter and steps for documenting the voice and training every team to use it.
Aug. 20, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: Growing Your Mission Without Losing Your Soul
Evolving your brand purpose can deepen your impact without losing what makes you, you. Hosts Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski share the signs it is time to evolve, lessons from Airbnb, Netflix, REI, and Lego, and a four-step refresh that connects old and new.
Aug. 13, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: When Your Offer Becomes Proof of Your Beliefs
Purpose-driven product marketing starts with a belief and builds the offer to prove it. Hosts Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski look at Bombas, Tony's Chocolonely, and Purina, then share four steps for making your product or service living proof of what your brand believes.
Aug. 6, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: Creating a Purpose Platform for Content Marketing
A purpose platform for content gives every blog, social caption, and campaign a reason to matter. In this Marketing With Purpose Kit, hosts Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, and Ash Maher share three ingredients of a strong platform, why a content compass beats a content calendar, and lessons from Headspace, LEGO, and Red Bull.
July 30, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: Positioning with Purpose
Positioning around a belief helps a brand claim white space competitors cannot copy. In this Marketing With Purpose Kit, hosts Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, and Ash Maher explain why features fade, how to turn a what message into a why message, and what GoodRx, Cost Plus Drugs, and Tony's Chocolonely teach about purpose.
July 23, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: Purpose-Led Customer Personas
Purpose-led customer personas look past age, income, and job title to the values and emotional drivers behind a purchase. In this Marketing With Purpose Kit, hosts Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski show how to build them with empathy maps and customer interviews, then turn them into ad copy that connects.
July 16, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: Building Your Brand Narrative Around Purpose
Building a brand narrative around purpose turns a stated mission into a story people believe. In this Marketing With Purpose Kit, hosts Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski share the four elements of a purpose-driven narrative, why honesty beats polish, and what Etsy and Liquid Death teach about community.
July 9, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: Purpose as a Strategic Filter
Purpose-driven decision making helps a brand say no to the shiny distractions that dilute it. In this Marketing With Purpose Kit, hosts Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski explain purpose as a strategic filter, share how REI and Dr. Bronner's held their ground, and offer three questions to test any opportunity.
July 2, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: How Purpose Aligns Teams, Not Just Messages
Aligning teams around purpose turns a brand promise into an experience customers can feel. In this Marketing With Purpose Kit, hosts Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski explain why purpose is an alignment tool for every department, how a purpose audit ritual works, and what Bombas and Chobani get right.
June 25, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: Finding the Human Truth Behind Your Brand
Human truth in marketing is the emotional insight that makes someone say, that's for me. In this Marketing With Purpose Kit, hosts Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski explain what a human truth is, how to find yours with customer questions and the five whys, and what Headspace and Calm get right.
June 11, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: The Concierge Fractional CMO
What if your brand had a marketing leader who didn’t just “get it done” but got you?
Join us as we explore the rise of the Concierge Fractional CMO, a high-touch, high-trust guide who aligns strategy with soul.
Discover how this model helps purpose-driven brands:
• Build emotionally resonant campaigns
• Scale with intention, not noise
• Curate the right team and tools, without hiring a huge department
• Operationalize empathy across every touchpoint
• Amplify their imp...
Join us as we explore the rise of the Concierge Fractional CMO, a high-touch, high-trust guide who aligns strategy with soul.
Discover how this model helps purpose-driven brands:
• Build emotionally resonant campaigns
• Scale with intention, not noise
• Curate the right team and tools, without hiring a huge department
• Operationalize empathy across every touchpoint
• Amplify their imp...
June 4, 2025
Marketing with Purpose Kit: Traditional CMO vs. The Category Architect
The Traditional CMO is Dead. Long Live the Category Architect.
For years, CMOs have been stuck on a tactical treadmill:
🎯 Generate leads
📈 Prove ROI
💰 Cut ad spend
But in a noisy, AI-saturated landscape, is optimization enough?
This Wednesday on The Bliss Business Podcast’s Marketing with Purpose Kit, we unpack a better path forward:
+ What it really means to be a “Category Architect”
+ How to lead with belief, not just branding
+ Why movements matter more ...
For years, CMOs have been stuck on a tactical treadmill:
🎯 Generate leads
📈 Prove ROI
💰 Cut ad spend
But in a noisy, AI-saturated landscape, is optimization enough?
This Wednesday on The Bliss Business Podcast’s Marketing with Purpose Kit, we unpack a better path forward:
+ What it really means to be a “Category Architect”
+ How to lead with belief, not just branding
+ Why movements matter more ...
May 28, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: What Is Purpose-Driven Marketing - Really?
Is your marketing built on noise—or purpose?
Too many brands mistake “purpose” for philanthropy. But purpose-driven marketing isn’t about adding a donation button to your checkout page. It’s about aligning every message, campaign, and touchpoint with your reason for being.
In this week’s Marketing with Purpose Kit episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we explored:
+ The 3Cs of Purpose-Driven Marketing: Clarity, Connection, and Consistency
+ Why emotionally connected custome...
Too many brands mistake “purpose” for philanthropy. But purpose-driven marketing isn’t about adding a donation button to your checkout page. It’s about aligning every message, campaign, and touchpoint with your reason for being.
In this week’s Marketing with Purpose Kit episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we explored:
+ The 3Cs of Purpose-Driven Marketing: Clarity, Connection, and Consistency
+ Why emotionally connected custome...
May 21, 2025
Reclaiming the Soul of Marketing: The Workshop
Marketing has lost its soul. Let’s get it back.
64% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from a brand that shares their values. (Source: Accenture)
Yet most marketing still sounds like this:
“Optimize operational workflows to drive scalable efficiencies.”
That’s not connection. That’s a keyword graveyard.
In our latest workshop, From Clicks to Connection: Reclaiming the Soul of Marketing, we explored how purpose, empathy, and emotional resonance can transform yo...
64% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from a brand that shares their values. (Source: Accenture)
Yet most marketing still sounds like this:
“Optimize operational workflows to drive scalable efficiencies.”
That’s not connection. That’s a keyword graveyard.
In our latest workshop, From Clicks to Connection: Reclaiming the Soul of Marketing, we explored how purpose, empathy, and emotional resonance can transform yo...
April 30, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: Beyond Transactions—How to Create Customers Who Evangelize Your Brand
What makes someone rave about a brand—unprompted?
It’s not features. It’s not price.
It’s meaning.
It’s emotional connection.
In this third episode of our Marketing with Purpose Series, we explore how the best brands go beyond sales to build movements. They turn customers into evangelists by aligning with their values, telling compelling stories, and delivering experiences that make people feel something.
In this episode:
+ Learn why emotionally connected customers have 306% hi...
It’s not features. It’s not price.
It’s meaning.
It’s emotional connection.
In this third episode of our Marketing with Purpose Series, we explore how the best brands go beyond sales to build movements. They turn customers into evangelists by aligning with their values, telling compelling stories, and delivering experiences that make people feel something.
In this episode:
+ Learn why emotionally connected customers have 306% hi...
April 29, 2025
The BLISS Roundtable: Generosity & Animosity in Times of Change
Change is inevitable—but how we lead through it determines whether we build trust or spark resistance.
Join us on The Bliss Business Podcast for a powerful roundtable conversation with some of the most forward-thinking minds in business and leadership:
🔹 Doug Kirkpatrick – Self-management expert
🔹 Lisa M. Brazelton – Organizational transformation strategist
🔹 Jose Leal – Purpose-driven systems designer
🎧 Hosted by Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, Michael Liwski
In this round table...
Join us on The Bliss Business Podcast for a powerful roundtable conversation with some of the most forward-thinking minds in business and leadership:
🔹 Doug Kirkpatrick – Self-management expert
🔹 Lisa M. Brazelton – Organizational transformation strategist
🔹 Jose Leal – Purpose-driven systems designer
🎧 Hosted by Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, Michael Liwski
In this round table...
Guests: Jose Leal , Doug Kirkpatrick , Lisa M. Brazelton , Stephen Sakach , Tullio Siragusa , Michael Liwski
April 23, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: The Paradigm Shift—Marketing with Purpose
Marketing isn’t just about being seen—it’s about being felt.
In Episode 2 of our Purpose-Driven Marketing series, we explore a powerful truth:
People aren’t just looking for products. They’re looking for meaning. And the brands that win? They don’t just sell—they stand for something.
73% of consumers say they’re willing to pay more for products that align with purpose and sustainability. (Nielsen, 2023)
Purpose-driven brands grow 2.5x faster than competitors. (The Purpose Study)
T...
In Episode 2 of our Purpose-Driven Marketing series, we explore a powerful truth:
People aren’t just looking for products. They’re looking for meaning. And the brands that win? They don’t just sell—they stand for something.
73% of consumers say they’re willing to pay more for products that align with purpose and sustainability. (Nielsen, 2023)
Purpose-driven brands grow 2.5x faster than competitors. (The Purpose Study)
T...
April 22, 2025
Marketing With Purpose Kit: The Problem—Why Marketing Is Broken
Why Marketing Feels Broken—And How to Fix It
Marketing today is louder than ever. But is anyone actually listening?
In the first episode of our 3-part series leading up to the aiCMO webinar, we unpack a hard truth: marketing has lost its way. We’ve traded emotional connection for conversion tactics, storytelling for shouting, resonance for reach.
The result? People are tuning out. Trust is fading. And brands are becoming forgettable.
Here’s what we cover:
+ Why most marketing is b...
Marketing today is louder than ever. But is anyone actually listening?
In the first episode of our 3-part series leading up to the aiCMO webinar, we unpack a hard truth: marketing has lost its way. We’ve traded emotional connection for conversion tactics, storytelling for shouting, resonance for reach.
The result? People are tuning out. Trust is fading. And brands are becoming forgettable.
Here’s what we cover:
+ Why most marketing is b...
April 3, 2025
The Importance of Emotional Connection in Marketing
Emotional connection isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the core of effective marketing.
In our 50th Producer Series episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we dive deep into how brands can stop chasing clicks and start building real relationships.
Hosted by Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski
In this episode, we unpack:
+ Why purpose and emotional resonance outperform transactional tactics
+ How tools like aiCMO are helping marketers craft campaigns that feel more human
...
In our 50th Producer Series episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we dive deep into how brands can stop chasing clicks and start building real relationships.
Hosted by Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski
In this episode, we unpack:
+ Why purpose and emotional resonance outperform transactional tactics
+ How tools like aiCMO are helping marketers craft campaigns that feel more human
...
Nov. 21, 2024
Leading with Purpose and Empathy with Stephen Sakach
What happens when leadership shifts from command and control to purpose and empathy?
Join us on The Bliss Business Podcast to find out!
🎙️ Hosts Tullio Siragusa and Michael Liwski will sit down with Stephen Sakach, founder of Zero Company Performance Marketing and creator of the BLISS concept—Build Love Into Scalable Systems—to discuss:
✅ The journey from centralized authority to self-management.
✅ Using OKRs to empower teams and align with purpose.
✅ How Zero Company’s tran...
Join us on The Bliss Business Podcast to find out!
🎙️ Hosts Tullio Siragusa and Michael Liwski will sit down with Stephen Sakach, founder of Zero Company Performance Marketing and creator of the BLISS concept—Build Love Into Scalable Systems—to discuss:
✅ The journey from centralized authority to self-management.
✅ Using OKRs to empower teams and align with purpose.
✅ How Zero Company’s tran...
Guest: Stephen Sakach