Baller Alert’s CMO Chloé Gibert turns faith into a marketing force

Chloe Gibert blends faith and culture, crafting stories that move both hearts and brands. As Chief Marketing Officer of Baller Alert and lead pastor of UNYTED Church, she transforms how brands tell stories while staying rooted in ministry. The Detroit native brings a unique perspective to digital marketing, emphasizing authentic connection over viral moments and community building over broad reach.

How did you become Chief Marketing Officer of Baller Alert?

I absolutely should not be here if it wasn’t for Robin Lyon, the CEO of Baller Alert. Prior to joining this team, I worked for major brands in-house and agencies like McCann, Edelman. I worked with adidas, Fear of God, and had an incredible journey mentored by people at those organizations.

I started as a project manager, became a brand manager, eventually stepped out on my own working with brands and artists. Robin saw something in me: a desire, passion and skills, and she made moves behind the scenes. I couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity and responsibility.

What was the defining moment when you realized you were built for leadership?

I think it was the first time that I was kicked out of someone else’s table. There are a lot of times, especially as Black women, you approach tables and you’re not given a seat. You take that as you’re not fit or it’s not for you.

Eventually I realized that if there weren’t tables willing to open up a seat for me, it was time that I began shaping my own. I’m blessed to have come across women in the industry who’ve given me advice, picked me up, held me accountable when I’ve made mistakes.

I found myself pacing in hallways watching God shut doors so that I stopped pacing. I can think of times where I was excited about a role, and then a year later that passion was gone. I realized I don’t just want to be part of narratives, I want to shape them. Instead of me contributing to the culture, I can actually help shape it.

How did your Detroit upbringing influence your leadership style?

Detroit is the grittiest place on Earth. My father pastored a church in Redford and Detroit, Michigan. I watched him live both his dreams. He was an exec in the automotive industry and became a pastor. Because of that, I learned to live my life with no limits. My understanding of what I could do had less to do about limitations of others and more about limitations of my discipline.

When my father passed away about eight years ago, my whole life was turned upside down. People I had known all my life suddenly were not good friends. Things my parents sacrificed for were taken from us overnight. I learned from him that a hurting heart gives you no right to act immaturely. I watched him allow his discipline, passion and purpose to drive him instead of his feelings.

What does it mean to lead a brand that reports and creates culture?

Social media and culture can be quite noisy sometimes. My mission is to make sure our stories continue to have soul, because data gets attention, but truth gets remembered. Being part of a community that has always shaped culture, I see my role as bringing impactful meaning and education.

We can build our backstory on no’s or we can build our backstory on yeses. I choose to root myself in hope and focus on the yeses. Unfortunately, we’ve told a lot of stories through trauma, not necessarily through the motivating factor of why we choose to move forward. With Baller Alert, I’m excited to continue shaping narratives and bring additional meaning to the stories we’ve already told.

How do you define modern marketing?

People really are brands. Your content is literally your commercial. Every time you post something, it’s your opportunity to build trust. You get to tell the world what you value, not just what you sell. Marketing used to be about sales and conversion. Now we live in a society where we’re inundated with marketing. People sell themselves.

It’s all about loyalty and values. Do I align with the beliefs of this thing? When I see marketing now, it’s what do you believe? How are you communicating your values? Are you staying consistent? We’re not selling products or selling yourself anymore. You’re talking about values, amplifying those and creating opportunities for people to connect.

What marketing misconceptions do you challenge?

Your first or your best. If you’re not first to do it, how do you do it the best possible way? Strip out all the noise, all the junk. What are you really trying to say? People want to feel connected to something.

One of the biggest misconceptions is broad stroke marketing, going for all men, all women, everyone. People are more multifaceted than that. I’m interested in the 18-year-old who works out and does specific things. Peloton found a niched community of stay-at-home parents who wanted to be fit but didn’t have time. If you create enough niched inspiration, people will flock to what you’re doing because most people are learners.

How do ministry and business inform each other in your leadership?

I watched my father live both dreams separately. For me, I’m not gonna wait. Having my foundation in ministry coming first is where my discipline and values come from. Just because someone doesn’t have the same belief, skin tone or sexual orientation as me doesn’t mean I treat them differently. It makes my ideation simpler because I’m not close-minded.

Anytime I get frustrated, I change seats. Let me think about this as a consumer, as a single mom, as a dad with six kids. It constantly puts me in a space thinking about other people. I haven’t seen a conflict, it’s been extremely seamless.

What does your mantra “just keep going” mean to you?

When I graduated high school, my parents bought me a book called Failing Forward. I read another called Do Hard Things. Here I am now constantly reminding myself to do the hard thing. Failure is part of the journey. Even if you’re stagnant and choose to do nothing, time is still passing.

You have to decide every single day if this really means something to you. Take that five minutes, call a friend, hold yourself accountable, find your sister circle, people that can genuinely hold you accountable for your passions and the things you say you want to do. Just keep moving, because failing is part of flying.

Follow Chloé Gibert on social media at @chloegibert and connect with UNYTED Church for more insights on faith-driven leadership.