Podcasts about B2B

Download our “Tell a Better Story, Win Better Clients” E-book at https://working-towards.com/Bill Price is one of the most influential minds in customer experience — and he joined us to break down how AI is transforming CX, why 88 percent of customers never complain, and how companies can finally eliminate friction at scale.Bill was Amazon's first Global VP of Customer Service, where he helped build the customer-centric philosophy that powered Amazon's explosive early growth. Today he runs Driva Solutions and is the Founder & CEO of Intendra AI, a CX analytics platform that identifies intents, reduces operational drag, and uncovers the “silent sufferers” who quietly churn without ever contacting support.In this conversation, Bill shares insights on:• The real story of Amazon's early customer-centric culture• Why “the best service is no service”• How large language models are rewriting the rules of customer service• The 88 percent of customers who never complain — and how to find them• Why first-contact resolution is now misleading• How companies across hospitality, banking, ecommerce, and B2B services can proactively fix hidden friction• What Intendra AI is building today and where CX is going nextBill is also the author of four must-read books on CX:• The Best Service Is No Service• Your Customer Rules!• The Frictionless Organization• Zero Complaints⸻Guest LinksIntendra AIhttps://www.intendra.ai/Driva Solutionshttps://drivasolutions.com/Bill Price on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-price-drivasolutions/Bill's Bookshttps://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001JSHFSM/allbooks?ingress=0&visitId=a36f7561-fb02-460d-a0ea-ad2cd221d6a4&ccs_id=98438664-2c15-4575-8e8d-dfaa695e3bbd

Today's show:The race for more compute gets all the headlines, but Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch tells us the REAL danger is running out of data!On TWiST, Jason and Alex are chatting with the head of France's largest foundation AI company, Mistral AI, about how enterprises can get more out of their AI pilots, whether the West is lacking leadership on open-source, why Mistral AI isn't pursuing every possible kind of AI application, and optimizing your models for performance rather than benchmarks (aka benchmaxxing). Find out what it's like to run a huge AI company in today's intense environment!PLUS… why everyone made the wrong call on OpenAI vs. Google… Kraken's fresh $20 billion valuation… Jason's urgent message to every company thinking about M&A… and much more!Timestamps:(3:35) Why did everyone get it wrong on Google vs. OpenAI?(10:51) Why Jason thinks drone delivery will make everyone safer(9:52) SQUARESPACE: Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(11:26) Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch joins us! What's it like to run a foundation model AI company in this intense environment?(14:50) Why enterprises aren't getting enough value out of AI and how Mistral AI aims to correct this(18:45) Why Mistral AI's goal is, ultimately, to disappear…(20:19) LinkedIn Ads: Start converting your B2B audience into high quality leads today. Launch your first campaign and get $250 FREE when you spend at least $250. Go to http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups to claim your credit.(22:49) Are Europe and the US lacking leadership on open source AI?(24:53) Mistral AI doesn't need to compete in every category... how big of an advantage is focus?(27:05) The “two bottlenecks” in Machine Learning: Compute and Data(29:01) How Mistral AI works with human experts to annotate their models, and where they source them from(30:06) Nexos.ai: Stop Shadow AI in its tracks with the unified platform for secure AI adoption and productivity. Try it with a free 14-day trial at https://nexos.ai/twist.(34:24) Is optimizing your model for benchmark tests (aka benchmaxxing) like cheating?(40:08) Will we ever be able to run smaller AI models on our phones?(44:21) When does Arthur think we'll have truly helpful humanoid robots in our lives?(49:42) Suno lawsuits and why Jason says you should NEVER break the rules, ESPECIALLY with the music industry(54:28) Release the Kraken! They're now worth $20 billion.(56:48) Jason is going to F1… should he take up the offer and do a dry run?(58:30) How Meta beat the FTC and why Jason is so excited about it(1:01:37) Who should buy Crunchbase?

In this episode of Business Lunch, Roland Frasier and Ryan Deiss discuss the evolving landscape of the customer journey, emphasizing the importance of trust in modern marketing. They explore how traditional stages of the buying process are being replaced by a more fluid approach, where trust becomes the key driver of transactions. Through case studies and examples, they highlight the significance of identity trust, authenticity, and the role of founders as trust agents in building strong connections with consumers. The conversation also touches on the challenges and strategies for effectively engaging audiences in both B2B and B2C contexts.Chapters00:00 The Death of the Traditional Customer Journey02:51 The Role of Trust in Modern Marketing06:09 Case Studies: Successful and Controversial Campaigns09:05 Identity Trust: Connecting with Consumers11:57 The Power of Authenticity in Advertising14:56 Building Trust in B2B vs B2C17:59 Actionable Strategies for Trust Building20:47 The Importance of Founders as Trust AgentsSpecial AnnouncementAfter 5 years of teaching entrepreneurs how to build, buy, and sell companies, I'm retiring all Epic courses and educational content permanently. This isn't because they didn't work, thousands have built real wealth with these frameworks, but because AI, capital markets, and collaboration have changed the game. I'm shifting from teaching deals to doing deals. Want access to everything before it disappears forever? This is your last chance to grab 5 years of proven frameworks, strategies, and training materials before they're gone for good. See the full story and whats going into the vault here: Go to the vaultConnect with me on social:TikTok: Check out my TikTok HereInstagram: Check out my Instagram HereFacebook: Check out my Facebook HereLinkedIn: Check out my LinkedIn HereSubscribe to my YouTube

Send Bidemi a Text Message!In this episode, host Bidemi Ologunde spoke with Gal Borenstein—CEO and founder of The Borenstein Group—to unpack how brands earn and scale trust in a noisy, AI-driven world. They dig into the “trust deficit” in B2B/B2G, what separates branding from true trust-building, and how to keep human authenticity while using AI at speed. Gal shares playbooks for cyber and defense marketers, inside-out culture moves that make credibility durable, crisis protocols for deepfakes and breaches, and the metrics that boards actually respect.Support the show

B2B companies struggle to create content that actually drives business results. Benji Block, founder of Signature Series, has launched 50+ podcasts and generated millions of views helping brands build content strategies that work. He breaks down the three critical metrics that prove content effectiveness: meaningful comment engagement, high average view duration, and optimized click-through rates through A/B tested thumbnails. The discussion covers how to measure downstream business impact and create content that compiles engagement over time.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

B2B companies struggle to create content that actually drives business results. Benji Block, founder of Signature Series, has launched 50+ podcasts and generated millions of views helping brands build content strategies that work. He breaks down the three critical metrics that prove content effectiveness: meaningful comment engagement, high average view duration, and optimized click-through rates through A/B tested thumbnails. The discussion covers how to measure downstream business impact and create content that compiles engagement over time.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#305 Influencer Marketing | This episode is a live session from Drive 2025 with Brianna Doe, where she breaks down why influence is now shaping every step of the buying journey, how smart B2B brands are borrowing plays from B2C, and what it really takes to build a creator program that doesn't flame out on day one. She gets into the messy reality of picking the right creators and measuring impact without deluding yourself with vanity numbers. Head over to exitfive.com/drive to join the waitlist for Drive 2026 and be the first to know when tickets go on sale.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (03:22) - – Why Influence Drives Modern B2B Buying (06:17) - – What B2B Can Steal From B2C Playbooks (09:12) - – The Creator Engine Framework (12:29) - – Picking the Right Creators (Without Getting Burned) (15:47) - – Building Campaigns That Don't Feel Like Ads (19:02) - – How to Measure Real Impact (Not Vanity Metrics) (23:38) - – Running a 90-Day Pilot That Actually Works (26:23) - – Scaling From One-Off Posts to a Full Program Join 50,000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Paramark.It's November. 2026 planning is already here. And the stuff you're doing right now will decide how next year plays out. But here's the problem: most teams are still planning next year's marketing strategy based on the WRONG DATA because of broken attribution and a misleading gut feel.  And you can't make smart budget calls if you're just guessing what's working, what's not, and where to put your next dollar.That's where Paramark comes in. They help you replace the guesswork with actual insight backed by $2 billion in analyzed marketing data. They've figured out what actually drives incremental growth across every channel including LinkedIn, Meta, TikTok, Google, CTV, even OOH.And right now, they're offering a private 1:1 consultation with their CEO and CMO, Pranav and Sam, who have led marketing teams at companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Microsoft, and Shutterfly. In this 45-minute strategy session, they'll help you measure the real impact of every marketing dollar, pull insights from your current media mix, and design a 2026 roadmap that's rooted in data, not gut.This is a heck of an offer. And it's real. And will go fast. So if you want to future-proof your marketing strategy for 2026, don't miss out on this offer.Grab your spot at paramark.com/brand-consult.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Defense technology has shifted from a social liability in Silicon Valley to commanding 35-40% of venture capital allocation—up from a historical 10%. This isn't just trend-following; it reflects fundamental market dynamics as SaaS becomes hypercompetitive and AI lowers barriers to entry, pushing capital toward deep tech where moats still exist. Blacklake, a defense holdco based in Austin, helps emerging defense companies navigate government procurement and expand into Europe, Asia-Pacific, and allied markets. In this episode, Jeff Crusey, EVP of Technology & Acquisition at Blacklake, reveals the emerging defense tech playbook, explains why lobbying ROI dwarfs traditional GTM spending, and details what actually matters when hardware meets government procurement. Topics Discussed: Why VC capital is rotating from SaaS to deep tech and defense The defense tech go-to-market playbook versus enterprise SaaS mechanics SBIR grant programs as non-dilutive capital for hardware development Lobbying and appropriations as core revenue drivers, not nice-to-haves Field deployment and operator feedback as the only viable iteration strategy Investor evaluation criteria for hardware-intensive defense businesses Emerging threat vectors in Arctic defense and orbital domain awareness GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Launch lobbying concurrent with SBIR Phase 1 applications: Companies initiating lobbying and appropriations work at the moment they apply for SBIR grants hit revenue milestones materially faster than those treating government affairs as a later-stage function. This means seed-stage companies maintain Capitol Hill presence—a pattern that didn't exist five years ago. The talent profile matters: government affairs hires need proven relationships within specific congressional committees and appropriations staff. Initial engagements typically involve external lobbying advisors with established networks, transitioning in-house at Series A when contract pipeline justifies dedicated headcount. This is consistently the highest-ROI channel in defense GTM. Optimize for deployment speed over system perfection: Modern conflict operates as continuous technological adaptation where capabilities become obsolete within weeks, not years. Companies achieving persistent field presence with operators—not laboratory perfection—win iterative cycles. The tactical approach: deploy minimum viable hardware to operational environments, capture real-world performance data and failure modes, then rapidly incorporate feedback into next iterations. This contradicts traditional defense procurement assumptions about "exquisite systems" and requires founders to resist over-engineering before battlefield validation. Solve the prototype funding problem through non-dilutive capital: Defense investors require working prototypes before capital deployment due to hardware risk profiles—fundamentally different from software's low marginal cost of iteration. This creates a chicken-and-egg problem: prototypes require capital, but capital requires prototypes. The solution path combines bootstrapping to early proof-of-concept, then leveraging SBIR Phase 1 grants (tens of thousands) to reach demonstrable prototype stage. Phase 2 awards (single-digit millions) fund production validation. Strategic founders pursue direct-to-Phase-2 pathways when possible, compressing the timeline from concept to validated demand signal. Strip technical complexity from investor communications: Defense founders with deep domain expertise consistently over-index on technical sophistication during fundraising conversations, losing investor attention before reaching commercial traction narratives. VCs evaluate market timing, defensibility, and path to scale—not engineering elegance. The correction: communicate technology at middle-school comprehension levels. This isn't condescension; it's recognizing that capital allocators optimize for portfolio construction, not technical peer review. Founders often feel they're "dumbing down" their innovations, but clarity on problem-solution fit and market size matters infinitely more than technical specifications during early fundraising stages. Treat SBIR phases as progressive demand validation, not just funding: The phased SBIR structure functions as government-backed demand signaling: Phase 1 validates concept feasibility, Phase 2 confirms development viability, Phase 3 demonstrates production readiness for potential program of record status. Investors decode these phases as risk reduction milestones. Phase 1 awards indicate government interest; Phase 2 awards (especially direct-to-Phase-2 or enhanced Phase 2) signal validated customer pull; Phase 3 contracts position companies for program of record awards worth hundreds of millions annually. Beyond capital, SBIR progression provides founder-market fit evidence and customer commitment that traditional LOIs cannot match in defense contexts. // Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM

Many legacy industrial brands assume that steady sales today mean they will stay strong tomorrow. In this episode, we talk about why that belief can create blind spots for companies with long histories, loyal customers, and strong reputations.Donna welcomes Ken Spaeth from Cutting Tool Engineering Magazine (CTE) to explore how industrial brands can protect their visibility and maintain trust in a market that is always changing. Ken works directly with manufacturers every day, and he shares what he sees separating brands that stay top of mind from those that slowly fade out of view.Together, Donna and Ken discuss why marketing is not an expense. It is a relationship-building investment that keeps your company present in your industry, especially with new engineers and younger buyers entering the workforce. They also talk about the value of consistent messaging, how industry-specific publications support thought leadership, and how print, digital, and AI can all work together.This episode is especially helpful for leaders at legacy industrial brands who want to stay relevant, maintain visibility, and support long sales cycle growth through thoughtful, relationship-based marketing.In this episode, you will learn:Why legacy industrial brands cannot rely only on past relationshipsHow consistent visibility keeps your brand top of mindWhy print and digital advertising still matter for technical buyersHow AI is influencing the buying cycle and strengthening contentThe importance of face-to-face interactions in a digital worldHow relationship-based B2B marketing supports long-term growthKey Topics and Timestamps:00:00 Why legacy brands still need consistent marketing00:53 Introducing Ken Spaeth and Cutting Tool Engineering01:55 Why business still runs on relationships04:34 How AI supports visibility and faster buying cycles07:05 The role of trusted industry-specific magazines09:01 Marketing as an investment that protects future sales12:36 Why consistent advertising matters for long sales cycle companies17:38 The continued importance of in-person meetings22:57 Combining traditional and modern marketing approaches25:05 The long-term value of print and digital advertising29:09 How AI supports storytelling for industrial brands30:39 Ken's path into CTE and the manufacturing world32:33 Inside CTE's “Bourbon with the Editor” podcastConnect with our guest: Ken SpaethCutting Tool Engineering Magazine // Website: www.ctemag.comListen to their podcast: Bourbon with the Editor - https://open.spotify.com/show/0kZP6XcglHqnE6wswNzwoI?si=1671d8c15b3540a1 *** Reach out to dpeterson@worldinnovators.comif you'd like help building a marketing strategy that builds relationships and/or AI training for individuals or full teams. *** Visit www.worldinnovators.comfor more resources on building stronger marketing and leadership strategies. *** Subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast for weekly insights into marketing, leadership, and the future of AI.

Can AI have an impact on our spirituality?  That's where we started in this interview and wound up exploring the benefits and dangers of AI, as well as tips on how to use it effectively.  This podcast may change your life and your business.  *******************************************************************        Dave Kahle's goal is to provide sales leaders and small businesspeople with practical actionable ideas that can make an immediate impact on your sales performance.          Dave is a B2B sales expert, and a Christian Business thought leader.  He has authored 13 books, presented in 47 states and 11 countries and worked with over 500 sales organizations.  In these ten-minute podcasts, his unique blend of out-of-the-box thinking and practical insights will challenge and enable you to sell better, lead better and live better.        Subscribe to these ten-minute helpings of out-of-the-box inspiration, education and motivation. WWW,DaveKahle.com Dave's Substack page  Subscribe to Dave's Newsletters  

Is the increasing investment in marketing by SMBs a sign of growth and optimism, or is it masking a deeper struggle with confidence and effectiveness? Agility requires not only adapting to the rapid pace of technological change but also understanding the core challenges faced by your customers, like SMBs struggling to measure marketing ROI. It also demands a willingness to simplify complex tools and processes, empowering businesses to achieve more with less. Today, we're going to talk about the evolving landscape of marketing for small and medium-sized businesses, the challenges they face, and how B2B marketers can become essential partners in their success. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Frank Vella, CEO at Constant Contact. About Frank Vella I am the CEO of Constant Contact, a comprehensive digital and ecommerce marketing platform that makes it simple and effective for a business to market or sell their idea in today's complex online marketing world. We strive to anticipate our customers' needs and provide them with the tools and support they need to improve their businesses. Because when they succeed, we succeed.Prior to joining Constant Contact, I built best-in-class operations at various sized tech firms across the globe, including top-tier companies like Microsoft, GE Capital, HP Enterprise and Xerox. I have led companies through growth, transformation and successful exits while remaining focused on building a terrific culture and keeping a company's product and presence ahead of the crowd. I'm a proud Canadian expat now living in New York City, and in my free time I enjoy traveling with my family. Frank Vella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-vella/ Resources Constant Contact: https://www.constantcontact.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Palm Springs, Feb 23-26 in Palm Springs, CA. Go here for more details: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/ Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Allen Farrington and Harris Irfan explain that Bitcoin aligns with Islamic finance principles. They discuss riba (usury), fractional reserve banking, and why sound money naturally produces Islamic harmonious financial systems. Allen Farrington and Harris Irfa explain their seminal paper "Bitcoin, Fiat and Islamic Finance." They dive into why Islamic banking is an oxymoron, how riba (interest/usury) connects to fractional reserve banking, and why Bitcoin naturally produces Islamic-compliant financial systems. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com **NOTES:** - Global South spends half GDP on debt interest - Islamic finance industry worth $3+ trillion - Dinar used for 1000+ years in Islamic world - Fractional reserve creates money via lending - Sukuk are asset-backed Islamic bonds - Bitcoin enables prophetic economics principles 00:00 Start 01:56 Allen's backstory 03:13 Harris' background 05:09 Islamic banking is an oxymoron 08:10 Islamic finance will emerge on top of Bitcoin 12:46 Basics of Islamic finance 15:20 Riba (interest) 18:08 BTC mining in Islamic nations 24:07 managers & risk sharing 27:55 Flux 33:00 Is Bitcoin halal? 38:58 Islamic finance & a Bitcoin Standrd 41:42 Research response -

In this episode, I sit down with Emma Stallworthy, the inspiring founder behind Your Reformer.  Her story begins with a deeply personal fertility journey that led her to reevaluate how she moved, how she managed stress, and ultimately how she cared for her body. Through Pilates—specifically reformer Pilates—she found physical healing, nervous system balance, and a sense of calm that became life-changing. That experience not only transformed her health, but also sparked the idea for a more accessible, at-home Pilates solution grounded in real emotional connection and everyday life needs.  As we talk, Emma shares how the practice supported her through pregnancy, postpartum recovery, anxiety, back pain, major life transitions, and the hectic realities of parenting and entrepreneurship.   She also reveals how she and her husband grew the business from an idea into a global brand—tackling logistics, e-commerce, manufacturing, B2B expansion, and launching in the U.S. market. What comes through most is her passion for movement, her belief in carving out time for self-care, and her commitment to helping people live healthier, more balanced lives—no matter their season of life.  Key Highlights * How infertility, IVF, anxiety, and burnout led Emma to reformer Pilates—and how the practice helped her regulate her nervous system and finally conceive.  * Why reformer Pilates supports a wide range of people—from beginners to athletes, from those with injuries to those navigating postpartum recovery, back pain, mobility challenges, or stressful careers.  * The moment Emma realized there was a massive demand for at-home Pilates during lockdown, and how that insight shaped the Your Reformer concept.  * The evolution of the business: logistics, e-commerce learning curves, expansion into B2B, launching internationally, and their "Kaizen" philosophy of continuous 1% improvements.  * How Your Reformer supports beginners with orientation classes, health-professional-led programs, and a robust on-demand library that meets people in every stage of life.  If you've ever struggled to find balance, movement, or a moment of calm in your day, this conversation will resonate deeply. Emma's story is powerful, relatable, and full of insight—whether you're navigating fertility challenges, juggling parenting, looking to stay active as you age, or simply wanting to improve your mental and physical well-being. Join me, Ramon Vela, as we explore how Your Reformer is helping people reclaim their health, their calm, and their confidence—one deliberate, mindful movement at a time. Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. For more on Your Reformer, visit: https://yourreformer.com/ If you enjoyed this episode, please leave The Story of a Brand Show a rating and review.  Plus, don't forget to follow us on Apple and Spotify.  Your support helps us bring you more content like this! * Today's Sponsors:   Color More Lines: https://www.colormorelines.com/get-started Color More Lines is a team of ex-Amazonians and e-commerce operators who help brands grow faster on Amazon and Walmart. With a performance-based pricing model and flexible contracts, they've generated triple-digit year-over-year growth for established sellers with annual revenue over $5 million.   Use code "STORY OF A BRAND" and receive a complimentary market opportunity assessment of your e-commerce brand and marketplace positioning.

B2B executives struggle to deliver quotable content in their first recording sessions. Benji Block, founder of Signature Series, shares proven techniques from launching 50+ podcasts and coaching 80+ leaders to become standout hosts. He recommends multiple takes to overcome initial nerves, identifying the strongest statement from the first attempt, then having executives lead with that hook in subsequent recordings. Block emphasizes that even expert communicators need encouragement and practice to deliver their best performance on camera.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Formula 1 Chief Commercial Officer Emily Prazer joins The Big Impression to accelerate the motorsport's hold on Americans with year-round content and venue in Las Vegas. Episode TranscriptPlease note, this transcript  may contain minor inconsistencies compared to the episode audio.Damian Fowler (00:00):I'm Damian Fowler.Ilyse Liffreing (00:01):And I'm Ilyse LiffreingDamian Fowler (00:02):And welcome to this edition of The Big Impression.Ilyse Liffreing (00:09):Today we're joined by Emily Prazer, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix and the Chief Commercial Officer of Formula One. She's helping transform F1 into one of the fastest growing sports brands in the world, leading strategy partnerships and fan engagement across markets from Miami to Melbourne.Damian Fowler (00:30):Emily's here to talk about the road to the last Vegas Grand Prix on November the 22nd. Now, in its third year, the Vegas Grand Prix turns the strip into a global stage where sport, entertainment and culture collide under the neon lights.Ilyse Liffreing (00:46):I love that. From the 100 day countdown events to new sponsorship models and digital fan experiences, formula One is redefining what a modern sports brand can look like, especially in the U.S. market.Damian Fowler (01:02):In past years, the marketing around Las Vegas, the Grand Prix has felt like a crescendo building over several months. What's been your strategy this year as you build, it's the third year, right? As you build towards those?Emily Prazer (01:14):Yeah, this third year, so I think the difference this year is we've had two years of a foundation to figure out what works and what doesn't work, but equally we've had our building open all year, so prior, well the first year we're obviously building the building for those that dunno, it's called Grand Prix Plaza. It's the length of three NFL fields, so it's not small. It's designed and built to service the Formula One Paddock Club, which is the most high-end hospitality that we offer in Formula One. Underneath that is where the garages are and where the teams hang out, so it's quite a significant building. When we first moved to Vegas, we purchased the 39 acres of land and have invested around $500 million in this infrastructure and so the difference I think is obviously the first year we were building it, the second year we were getting to grips with owning such a significant property in Las Vegas and then moving into the third year of the event, the building's been open all year and we built something called F1 Drive, which is carting.(02:10):We've had a restaurant up there called Fool and Fork, which is Formula One, themed food and beverage as you'd expect. We built an immersive Formula one experience called F1 X and so the marketing's ramped up, but that's because locally we've been able to activate since the day after the race last year all the way through to this year, and obviously how we market is very different depending on what we're trying to do, whether it's selling tickets or whether it's driving foot traffic to the building. It's all the awareness that we need in Las Vegas to continue to grow our fan base.Damian Fowler (02:41):The a hundred day countdown, that's important,Emily Prazer (02:43):Right? That was a big one. We always go big around a hundred days. We did a strip takeover, we made sure people understood that it was a hundred days ago. We did similar for 50 days, so we use those milestones to make sure, obviously Vegas is somewhat a last minute market. Some Grand Prix go on sale and sell out in 90 minutes. We see the most amount of activity from a hundred days through to November.Damian Fowler (03:04):That's very interesting. How do you decide which moments where you target your marketing strategy in that a hundred day buildup?Emily Prazer (03:12):Oh, well, we're very fortunate that the racing continues For those, again, that aren't familiar, formula One is a 24 race calendar, which spans globally, so we typically go big around the big races as you'd expect. We've just come out of Singapore where hopefully people have seen that McLaren won the Constructors Championship. We'll go big again around Austin and Mexico. They're both feeder markets to the Las Vegas Grand Prix and we'll just continue to make sure we've got major announcements, whether it be food and beverage merchandise programming all the way through between now and race day.Ilyse Liffreing (03:42):Now, can you also talk a little bit about the F1 business summits because you're also launching that during race week? Sure. How intentional is the idea of making Vegas not just a race, but a business and cultural destination?Emily Prazer (03:56):Sure. Well, if you look at what Vegas do around other major sports, it's not that we're trying to reinvent the wheel, we're taking learnings from how well the NFL have operated there with the Super Bowl, even around WWE where you see them extend from a one or two day event through to a whole week. We are very fortunate that again, for those that dunno, formula One kicks off on Thursday with free practice, we have qualifying on Friday and then on Saturday is the race. And so we are lucky that we actually have really good opportunity for shoulder programming and so it was a lot of requests coming through from multiple stakeholders saying we'd love to get the ecosystem together and talk about how we've shifted Formula One culturally into something very different. Obviously it's a sport first and foremost, but I think everyone's now seeing the change into more of a lifestyle brand and a proposition around how we're executing with some partners, which I'm sure we'll get to, but I think a lot of it has been around how we kind of talk about that strategy and how we've grown the sport over the last five years.(04:54):So it was very intentional, it's had really great uptake and as you'll see as we get closer to the race, we'll start talking about what we're doing kind of Tuesday, Wednesday all the way through.Damian Fowler (05:04):It was interesting you brought up the mention of partners and the fact that Formula One now transcends the racetrack and I for one say follow some Formula One drivers on Instagram. How do you play into that whole notion now that Formula One is this lifestyle brand and what does that mean when it comes to partnerships?Emily Prazer (05:26):Well, we've been really fortunate that we've, formula One was bought by Liberty Media in 2017 and the handcuffs were taken off per se, where social media was something that didn't really exist in the sport prior to that and the drivers have done a great job and the teams have done a great job of giving us access collectively to the drivers. They're all a lot younger than they have been before, so we've been fortunate enough to help them build their profiles through social, but obviously the pivot came with Drive to Survive. Everyone knows that that was a big leap of faith that Formula One took to be able to give behind the scenes access. It's a complicated sport that had traditionally been kept to a different type of club and we've opened up those floodgates and obviously we're reaping the rewards of that at the moment.(06:10):It hasn't been easy, but ultimately when you have the likes of Netflix wanting to display what we do, hopefully everyone's seen the Formula One movie with Brad Pitt, which is now I think the highest grossing sporting movie of all time and Brad Pitt's highest grossing movie of all time. So that again, is a great explainer if you take that concept, the strategy around all of it has to create this always on dynamic, which isn't just about the 24 race weekends, it's about how to have brand extension through partnerships 24 7, 365 days a year that's come to life through our licensing business, which I can get to and also our sponsorship business, that the thought process was we want to sign less B2B organizations more consumer brands, not because we don't appreciate, we are always going to have a B2B element Formula One lives in that space, especially on the technical side of the sport, but as it talks about how we penetrate the fan base, how we acquire new fans and how we talk to fans differently.(07:06):One of the big pieces of it was, well, how do we show up in every shopping mall, not just in North America, but globally and using the likes of Lego? You would've seen our recent announcement with Tag Hoya. You now go to these shopping malls and you see these different brands actually activating and taking some learnings from how the US sports do it, where everywhere you go you can buy a t-shirt. I think one of my proudest moments was being at the Super Bowl last year in New Orleans and seeing people in the parade wearing Formula one T-shirts.(07:32):I was like, that shows that the strategy is working. In addition to we acknowledge that pricing of Grand Prix is expensive, they're also places you typically have to travel to, and so brand extension through license partners has been really important. We have something called F1 Drive, which we'll be rolling out, which is the carting proposition I mentioned in Vegas we have F1 arcade, which is now opening up and popping up all over North America. We have F1 exhibition, which is a tribute to the history of the sport and we'll keep growing as we want to keep penetrating and explaining to those fansIlyse Liffreing (08:07):Fans. That is really interesting hearing you describe just how different the strategy here is in the US too because F1 is such a global brand. How do you I guess, keep the brand though true to its global roots at the same time as also making it feel like America's race?Emily Prazer (08:25):Definitely not trying to make it feel like America's race. I think taking the learnings of how to speak to the audience we've acquired wherever we go, the benefit of being a global sport is we're global, but in each of those destinations we act very local. So when you're there, you very much know that when you're at the British Grand Prix that you're at Silverstone and there's all of the heritage around it, Monza, there's nothing more special in global sport in my opinion, than seeing the ZI on a Sunday run onto the grid with the Ferrari flags and what have you that you can't take that passion and bottle it up and just pop it into a US race. The US market is different, but if you look at how Miami has identified itself, you for sure know where you are. Same with Austin, where it's Texas and everybody is in cowboy boots and you know that you're in Texas and then Vegas takes it to a different level because we partner with our friends at the L-B-C-V-A and other partners in Vegas to bring that kind of extreme entertainment to life. So yeah, wherever you go, you really do know where you are and that's where I think the local element comes into play.Ilyse Liffreing (09:28):Has anything changed in the sports rights context in order for Formula One to really be able to create more social and organic marketing tied to the event?Emily Prazer (09:41):Yeah, I think it's that we've got the confidence to try different things and have given different types of access. So you'll see obviously that we have lots of short form content. Now we're noticing that this generation of fandom that we're trying to continue to excite wants to look at things slightly differently, whether it be through YouTube or TikTok. I think we're launching our first TikTok store in a couple of weeks, which I never thought we would be in a place to do, but it's a testament to where the sports got to. So I don't think the rights have changed. I think our approach to it has changed where we have the confidence because of the excitement around destinations like Las Vegas to shift our mindset. Like I say, we're not going to do it everywhere. We're going to pick specific places to test it, and Vegas for us for the last three years has served as that test testbed.(10:28):You'll see the collaborations alone that we do in the merchandise space we've not been able to replicate prior and we're proud of it. What we're doing there is giving us the confidence to deliver new partnerships across the sport. American Express is a prime example where they came in as a Vegas only partner, did a year of that, a year later became a regional partner, so they activated across the Americas and then a year after that became a global partner. So it's just showing that we can bring in these more consumer led brands, but also how we've shifted our mindset to be able to deliver against it.Damian Fowler (11:00):That happened very fast. It's kind of amazing. You touched on this a little bit, but the different audiences in the different markets. What have you learned after the first two years of hosting Grand Prix in the United States about American fans specifically?Emily Prazer (11:16):Just that you need to give them variety. They aren't going to come in and behave the same way as a traditional Motorsport fan that has been or has grown up with. The heritage of the British audience is a great example where I mentioned Silverstone goes on sale and sells out. We've had to adjust the product to make sure that we're very much catering to that audience and the programming around it, like we talked about, has been super important. People don't want to come just for one session, but they want the option to come and leave and go to a casino or go to a different show and what have you. So they're looking for all round entertainment, not just coming to watch the Formula One event, which we focus specifically on making sure that we deliver against.Damian Fowler (11:59):One thing that's interesting about Vegas as well is that it's a big draw for tourism globally as well and people fly in. So maybe that fan base is also kind of a mix of international and local.Emily Prazer (12:11):Yeah, well interestingly, we've seen the majority of our fan base come from Mexico, Canada, and within the United States. I think Vegas obviously is incredibly special that they cater to everyone. I think they have something like 150,000 hotel rooms that spam from five star all the way through, and so one of the things that we had to pivot from in the first year where we expected Vegas to be this really, really high end proposition was actually that we needed to cater for all different types of ticket package and hospitality package. So we've learned those differences. We thought that it would be very, very high end and mostly international. It's actually around 80% domestic, but drive in traffic and fly in traffic from other US markets in. Like I said, Canada and Mexico have been significant buyers of the Grand Prix and Vegas.Ilyse Liffreing (12:59):Very cool. I'm very curious what kind of feedback you've gotten so far from those fans, sponsors, broadcasters, anybody watching the sport in Vegas?Emily Prazer (13:09):Well, the sponsors love it because it's something different. Like I said, we put a lot of emphasis on the production. What we were all really surprised about was the quality of the racing. I think it has the most overtakes on the Formula one calendar, so that was something we weren't going to know until you can do simulations, but until you see cars going around the track in the first year, we didn't really acknowledge or understand how great the actual racing would be. So I think that was the biggest surprise around feedback and what the broadcasters and general audience have been quite positive about shifting. The mentality and mindset has been something that we're proud of, but it's all stemming from the confidence we've gained through promoting our own event.Ilyse Liffreing (13:47):When you look at success, what KPIs are you most interested in? Is it ticket sales or,Emily Prazer (13:54):I think it's all around halo effect for the sport ticket sales and revenue is obviously my ultimate goal. I'm the chief commercial officer of Formula One, so I don't think I can sit here and say otherwise, but brand extension and growing the fandom and being engaged, giving another touch point to the US audience when again, I mentioned Liberty bought Formula One in 2017, they were very clear that they had two very strategic objectives. One was growing the sport in the United States, the other was growing the sport in Asia and obviously Asia's taken a little bit longer for obvious reasons with COVID and what have you, but we're starting to see the momentum pick up again there. The US we heavily focused on signing Miami as a starting point as a partnership with the Miami Dolphins, which we're really happy with, proud of as they have shown us how to do it. Seeing how they put their event on before we even put on Vegas meant that we could really take their learnings. But yeah, the expectations are that we continue to grow it, that the production level remains incredibly high and that it's our tempo event in the Formula one calendar.Damian Fowler (14:55):Now, you mentioned the Netflix show Drive to Survive, and obviously there's been a lot of media around the importance of that show. Could you talk a little bit about the significance of that show, how it helps or not inspire marketing strategy?Emily Prazer (15:09):Yeah, it comes back to this always on point that I mentioned before, which is Formula One needs to be accessible for the next generation of fans to truly understand it and the next generation of fans care about the competitive nature of the racing, but they also want to understand the personalities behind the sport, and I think it gave us the opportunity to open up to be able to show who we all are. The technical terminology, the filming that went into that and the movie to be honest, has given us the opportunity to use that content to be able to explain what DRS means or what is the significance of each Grand Prix, what does it actually mean? So these drivers like the NFL, when a player puts on a helmet, it's hard to understand the emotion, but being able to get to know the drivers and the team behind the drivers, which is also incredibly important, has been really helpful in our marketing strategy.(16:01):But what it inspired was how do we talk to the different audience? Like I said before, you can't talk to that audience the same way that you talk to the 75-year-old fan that's been going to Silverstone since its inception. So a lot of it has been about how we change our thoughts around short form content and how we use different platforms. To talk to a different audience in different markets has just meant that we've had to learn how to engage and pivot from just broadcast on a Sunday to every minute of every day coming up with new ideas to talk to the fan base.Damian Fowler (16:34):That's pressure for sure. You also mentioned the different channels, and we do talk about a lot about how live sports is now available across many, many different channels and tech platforms are bidding next to traditional broadcasters. I wonder in the mix of things, and especially when it comes to the show and when you broadcast it, how important has that kind of explosion as it were of channels been?Emily Prazer (17:00):I mean we have been ahead on the curve on that somewhat for we are different. Formula One owns its own broadcast capability. We have an office or a building in the UK in Big and Hill and Kent for those that have been in London, been to Kent around London and it's incredible. We own and operate again the whole thing. So every camera, every fiber optic cable, everything you see at a Grand Prix is being produced by Formula One. We have remote operations at the track that go back to Big and Hill and we have 180 broadcasters globally. So we've always been slightly different to other mainstream sports in that regard because we produce our own show, which is helpful for us around sponsorship and what have you. But generally speaking, I think obviously the world is changing and we've got to make sure we keep up with it.Ilyse Liffreing (17:47):Looking forward, which marketing innovations, there's obviously a lot right now, but ai, contextual, programmatic, what excites you the most? Is there any digital marketing innovations?Emily Prazer (18:02):Yeah, I think AI is something that we are excited but cautious. Again, with the sport that's so technologically advanced, you've got to be thoughtful about how we use it. We also don't want to lock ourselves in one direction or the other. So we're doing a lot of work without Formula One has the most unbelievable roster of tech partners. If you think about Salesforce, AWS, Lenovo globin to name a few, they're going to tell us how to use AI to benefit our sport, not just commercially, but on the tech side. So we are very excited about it, not just from a marketing point of view, but from a just general point of view. How does AI benefit the sport? We're taking a massive amount of time to think about just general activations. I know that sounds kind of immature if you think about Formula One, but how do we bring different activity to the track outside of just races? I'm not sure if either of you saw what we did in Miami with Lego, where Lego built 10 full size cars for the drivers to race Lego cars around the track.Damian Fowler (19:05):I show my son that. That'sEmily Prazer (19:06):So cool. If you think about the content that that created around marketing, that was probably the most viral thing we've done in a very, very long time. So our marketing strategy at the moment is about solidifying the brand equity, making sure that we deliver against our partnership objectives and that we continue to grow our social platforms. I'm not going to say that we're not technically as advanced, but the data capabilities is all quite new to Formula One. Loyalty programs are all quite new to us, so for us, I keep coming back to it, but it's really about figuring out how to engage with the audience and have something to sell them. Again, we're a rights holder that doesn't have tons of assets to sell ourselves. We license a lot out, and so really it's about coming up with these creative ideas to be kind of 10 steps ahead of anyone else.(19:53):And I think we are in a very unique space. We're very lean, which means we can be very nimble. So when we're making a lot of these decisions, it's me going to Stefano who's the CEO of Formula one saying, how do you feel about us trying something like this? And that's again, where we link the Vegas piece together with the broader marketing strategy to continue to keep everyone engaged rather than it just being like a technical marketing play. Obviously we do that day in, day out, but I think for us it's the confidence we've got now to really push the boundaries and be the first to do a lot of different things, whether it be what we're doing in the broadcast around all of the different types of digital advertising and what have you. I think again, if you watch the races, you'll start to see that we are trying and testing new technologies in thatIlyse Liffreing (20:37):Way. And on that note, we talked a little bit before about the timing of the race in Vegas. InEmily Prazer (20:46):Vegas. Yeah.Ilyse Liffreing (20:47):Because it's a new time for you guys thatEmily Prazer (20:49):10:00 PM Yeah, we moved it forward from 10:00 PM to 8:00 PM which is great. I think a lot of people were struggling with how that's local time, right? Local time, yeah. When we first went to Vegas, the idea was that the timing would be in line with the boxing match or the show. So it wasn't done for any other reason than 10 o'clock on a Saturday night in Vegas is when typically you start seeing things happen. The difference being is that the distance or time you need to keep between certain amounts of sessions meant that it created gaps. So if there were delays that 10:00 PM could technically be pushed. And so we had our issues in the first year. We learned from those last year operationally delivered really well, but we still felt that it was slightly too late, hence the 8:00 PM start. So everything has shifted forward. We have F1 Academy this year, which we're really excited about, so that will, I think doors now open at 2:30 PM rather than four. So it means everything will be a lot earlier, but it's all for the show.Damian Fowler (21:48):And presumably you have a kind of global viewership as well, so that all impactsEmily Prazer (21:53):The trends. Yeah, I think it obviously will be beneficial to the east coast market, not so beneficial to the rest of the world, but we still feel good about the viewership numbers and what we're seeing. SoDamian Fowler (22:03):The true fans willEmily Prazer (22:05):Watch you, right? If not next. Exactly. Hands always come through. Exactly.Damian Fowler (22:08):Alright, so we've got some kind of quick fire questions here to wrap this up. So first off, what keeps you up at night in the lead up to this?Emily Prazer (22:16):Everything in the lead up? The lead up. I'm not sleeping at all my first year as A CEO, I think last year it would've been ticket sales. This year it's probably just security and all round operations. So as my role has expanded on the Vegas race particularly, it's just we are opening and closing the track every three hours. It's not like other street races keep their roads closed for up to seven days. We are having to keep it open and close it regularly. You're in one of the busiest roads in North America, so we don't really have much of a choice and we don't want to impact the locals any further. So I think it's just being responsible for the logistics is scary.Damian Fowler (22:58):Wow. I agree. Closing the road down is like mind blowing.Emily Prazer (23:00):Yeah, it is genuinely mind blowing. If you go to Vegas now, you can see that things are still are on their way to being built and it's like, oh wow, this is happening.Ilyse Liffreing (23:10):That is scary. I'm scary for you. What would you say is missing in the US sports sponsorship marketplace that you would love to see happen?Emily Prazer (23:19):Ooh, good question. I haven't thought about the answer to that. That's a hard one. I'm going to have to sit on that one for a minute. Don't worry. Yeah, I mean I can't speak for, I can only really speak for my sport, but I'd love to have the same access to the teams that N-F-L-N-B-A have as the rights holder. We definitely don't get to just sell the team IP as we see fit. We have something in Formula One called the Concord Agreement, which means that we have some restrictions there. But yeah, let me have a think about the broader space. Sorry. I like that answer One hit me.Damian Fowler (23:52):That's a good answer there. We can circle back and do it again if you want, but I like that to be honest. Okay. So which other sports or entertainment brands do you think are nailing their brand positioning right now?Emily Prazer (24:03):I think the NBA and the NFL, they just do it so unbelievably well and they have fandom here. I've never witnessed in the UK you very much see the fandom around a specific team. Here you see genuine fandom around the NFL. And what I love as a Brit in the US obviously is I still can't believe how each of the TV channels cross-promote each other for other games. So you'll be watching Fox and they'll be like, tune into CBS to watch this game. And you're like, oh wow. They really do do it for the greater good of the league. We would obviously it's different. We don't have multiple games in Formula One, but if I think about it in comparison to the Premier League, you really do follow the team. If I'm a Chelsea fan by the way, but I would watch Chelsea, I wouldn't then flip channels to watch Man United in the us.(24:57):I find myself on a Sunday watching three or four games and I'm like, I'm not even your core audience. It has to be something to do with the marketing that it's always there telling me what to do, telling me how to watch it. And I really admire, maybe this is actually the answer to the previous question. I actually admire how good they are at getting in my head because I think about it, I'm like, what games are on a Sunday or what playoffs are happening in the NBA and I go to watch it because it's there. Whereas like I said, premier League, as much as I'm a huge Chelsea fan and grew up with it, you just don't seem to be able to follow it like that.Damian Fowler (25:35):Yeah, that's very interesting. Would you say you were an NFL fan before you came to theEmily Prazer (25:39):Us? No, not at all. Didn't know the rules and now I'm like hardcoreDamian Fowler (25:42):Because of the marketing, I guess.Emily Prazer (25:43):Wow. Must be. They just got in my head.Damian Fowler (25:46):Amazing. Yeah. And that's it for this edition of The Big Impression.Ilyse Liffreing (25:54):This show is produced by Molten Hart. Our theme is by love and caliber, and our associate producer is Sydney Cairns.Damian Fowler (26:01):And remember,Emily Prazer (26:02):We've had to learn how to engage and pivot from just kind of broadcast on a Sunday to every minute of every day coming up with new ideas to talk to the fan base.Damian Fowler (26:13):I'm Damian. Ilyse Liffreing (26:14):And I'm Ilyse.Damian Fowler (26:14):And we'll see you next time. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

B2B executives struggle to deliver quotable content in their first recording sessions. Benji Block, founder of Signature Series, shares proven techniques from launching 50+ podcasts and coaching 80+ leaders to become standout hosts. He recommends multiple takes to overcome initial nerves, identifying the strongest statement from the first attempt, then having executives lead with that hook in subsequent recordings. Block emphasizes that even expert communicators need encouragement and practice to deliver their best performance on camera.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Originally published on August 26, 2024This replay features the wonderful Surbhi Agarwal, 25+ year industry vet and former CMO at Applied Intuition. We talked about her path from engineering to product marketing to the CMO seat, what really changes when you leave companies like Intel and Google for a fast moving startup, and why she builds marketing around trust, clarity, and collaboration.Surbhi's story as an immigrant navigating visa setbacks, rebuilding her career across three countries, and eventually helping grow a business to 10M ARR is powerful. Her honesty about leadership, resilience, and finding your voice as a woman in B2B has stuck with me ever since.- Jane-----------In this episode of Women in B2B Marketing, host Jane Serra sits down with Surbhi Agarwal, 25+ year tech exec. Surbhi shares how she went from engineering and sales into product, then product marketing, and into the CMO role, and why she still thinks like a product marketer every single day.This episode covers:Surbhi's path from electrical engineer in India to CMO in Silicon ValleyWhat she learned moving from Intel and Google to a messy, fast paced startupWhy she believes product marketing is the strategic core of marketing, not a “support” functionHer “golden triangle” model connecting product marketing, demand generation, and brandHow she reorganized a 70 person global marketing team, broke down silos, and cut spend while improving performanceThe difference between running marketing in a hardware world where failure is not an option and in a software world where shipping at 80 percent is the normHow she uses OKRs, RACI, and skip level conversations to create clarity and psychological safetyThe early career visa setback that forced her to move back to India, then to London, Taiwan, and France, and how that built resilience and a deep customer mindsetHer “full glass of trust” philosophy and how she builds collaborative, high trust teams across cultures and time zonesWhy she tells younger women to stop assuming men and women are treated the same at work, and to find their voice and negotiate earlierSurbhi also shares the kind of honest advice we do not hear enough in leadership circles, including why waiting quietly to be rewarded rarely works, and how women can navigate ambition inside systems that are still far from equal.Key LinksGuest: Surbhi Agarwal, 25+ year Tech Executive/ CMO: https://www.linkedin.com/in/surbhiagarwal/Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/

In this Kitchen Side episode of The Long Game Podcast, the Omniscient team dives into a wide-ranging discussion on trust, research quality, and marketing visibility in an AI-driven world. They start with epistemology—what makes research “good” or “bad”—and reflect on how flawed correlations can mislead marketers. The team then unpacks their recent Winter study on how B2B buyers use LLMs like ChatGPT in the purchase journey, revealing that while LLMs are common early in research, peer feedback and brand transparency are essential in final decisions. They also explore the evolution of SEO into GEO/AEO, discuss organizational roles and feedback loops, and propose new cross-functional models for digital visibility in a world of probabilistic, AI-generated content.Key TakeawaysNot All Research Is Trustworthy: Internal/external validity and sample bias can distort marketing data—marketers need stronger research literacy.Correlation ≠ Causation: Data trends, especially in AI visibility, often include spurious relationships—interpret with caution.LLMs Are Entry Points, Not Final Decision Tools: While many B2B buyers start with AI search, they turn to peers and review sites before converting.Transparency Beats Perfection: Buyers trust brands that clearly state who they serve, what they do, and where they fall short.GEO Relies on Accuracy: Incorrect or outdated online information can mislead LLMs—fixing this improves visibility and conversions.Sentiment and Product Reality Matter: Negative perception from bad UX or old reviews isn't a marketing problem—it's a product and comms one.AEO Needs Cross-Functional Ownership: Teams like PR, content, SEO, and product marketing must collaborate to influence LLM visibility.A New Role May Be Needed: “Digital visibility lead” or a cross-team committee could help unify efforts across brand, SEO, and off-page strategy.Show LinksConnect with David Khim on LinkedIn and TwitterConnect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and TwitterConnect with Allie Decker on LinkedIn and TwitterConnect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or TwitterWhat is Kitchen Side?One big benefit of running an agency or working at one is you get to see the “kitchen side” of many different businesses; their revenue, their operations, their automations, and their culture.You understand how things look from the inside and how that differs from the outside.You understand how the sausage is made. As an agency ourselves, we're working both on growing our clients' businesses as well as our own. This podcast is one project, but we also blog, make videos, do sales, and have quite a robust portfolio of automations and hacks to run our business.We want to take you behind the curtain, to the kitchen side of our business, to witness our brainstorms, discussions, and internal dialogues behind the public works that we ship.Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more.Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEOShould You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?How Do Growth and Content Overlap?Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedin: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

This week, Jeff Clark, former Forrester Research Director, and our host Ian Truscott, Managing Partner at Velocity B, kick off predictions season and discuss some new research from MomentumABM, who predict a reset of B2B marketing in 2026, based on five forces they've identified: B2B buying dynamics shift AI moves from pilot to priority Growth bets consolidate The demand engine rebalances Capability gaps emerge Which they share in a report and a webinar (links below). As always, we welcome your feedback. If you have a hot topic you'd like us to discuss, please get in touch using the links below. Enjoy! — The Links The people: Ian Truscott on LinkedIn Jeff Clark on LinkedIn Mentioned this week: Marketing Priorities Survey 2025 - MomentumABM 2026 Marketing Reset: Why the Old Playbook Won't Win - MomentumABM Girl You Know It's True - The Latest Beat Newsletter Ian's firm - Velocity B Rockstar CMO: The Beat Newsletter that we send every Monday Rockstar CMO on the web, Twitter, and LinkedIn Previous episodes and all the show notes: Rockstar CMO FM. Track List: Stienski & Mass Media - We'll be right back Papa's Got A Brand New Bag - James Brown You can listen to this on all good podcast platforms, like Apple, Amazon, and Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Luffa is the next-gen operating system for the creator and fan economy, combining wallets, identity, communication, community, AI, and mini-programs into one seamless experience. Luffa aims to become the ultimate Web3 connector that transforms attention into ownership and connection into commerce. By enabling creators, brands, and fans to participate in a shared, transactable value-driven social network, Luffa bridges digital engagement and real-world value, empowering each stakeholder in the creator ecosystem to achieve growth, retention, and deeper relationships.Michael Liu is the chief technology officer (CTO) of Luffa. He recently joined the Bitcoin.com News Podcast to talk about the platform.In the episode, Michael Liu introduces his company's vision for transforming the creator and fan economy. Describing Luffa as the "next-generation operating system" and "ultimate Web3 connector," Michael details how the platform aims to fix the current broken model where value is captured by platforms rather than fans and creators. The core goal is a fundamental shift from attention-based platforms to ownership-based networks, turning creators, fans, and brands into aligned participants in a shared value system where every interaction can become a rewarded asset.Luffa is presented not merely as a social application but as a foundational infrastructure that combines critical Web3 components: a Decentralized ID (DID), a cross-chain wallet, communication communities, and mini-apps into one seamless, programmable layer. The platform integrates AI as its "intelligence core," using it for essential personalization of content and automated workflows based on user-controlled data. Furthermore, AI serves as a critical, multi-layered security measure alongside decentralized protocols to detect potential hacks and hijacks to users' DIDs and digital assets, ensuring a high degree of security and privacy by default, even for Web2 users.The conversation highlights Luffa's key differentiators: user ownership of identity and data, programmability that allows social interaction to trigger transactions, and composability for developers and brands to build mini-apps. The company's monetization approach focuses on working with creators rather than through them. Michael shares early validation, including B2B partners and creators using the platform for membership management and NFTs, noting significant growth with over two million downloads and plans for future fundraising and expansion into key global markets like Korea, African countries, the EU, and the US.About Our GuestMichael Liu — CTO of Luffa, is a cross-disciplinary entrepreneur and technologist with a global track record spanning AI, cybersecurity, energy, and fintech. He previously served as AI Lead at a Global Top 3 energy firm, where he led industrial AI R&D and the commercialization of smart grid intelligence systems.As the Founder of Fam Capital in Silicon Valley, Michael has driven cross-border investments bridging Asia and North America, focusing on deep tech, Bitcoin mining, Web3 infrastructure, and decentralized systems.Holding a background in Electrical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from Harvard, he combines technical depth with strategic insight. Michael is also a trusted advisor to global founders, known for his ability to align advanced technologies with scalable business outcomes.To learn more about the project visit Luffa.im, and follow the team on X.

In this episode of Future Finance, hosts Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Hopper talk with Santiago Nestares, co-founder and CEO of DualEntry, about the reinvention of ERP systems through AI-native design. After scaling a global e-commerce business to over $100 million in revenue, Santiago experienced the frustrations of legacy finance systems firsthand. That pain sparked the vision for DualEntry: an ERP platform built from the ground up for the AI era.Santiago Nestares is the CEO and co-founder of DualEntry, an AI-native ERP platform. Before DualEntry, he co-founded Benitago, a leading Amazon brand aggregator. His experience running a multi-entity, high-growth business exposed the inefficiencies in traditional finance systems, inspiring him to build a next-gen ERP solution from scratch.In this episode, you will discover:Why legacy ERP systems are fundamentally broken, and how AI changes the gameHow DualEntry enables 24-hour ERP data migrationThe role of AI in journal entries, reporting, and reconciliationHow auditors are embracing automation and AI for compliance and accuracyWhy ERP systems must evolve beyond just being "AI-enabled" to truly AI-nativeSantiago Nestares joins Paul and Glenn to reveal how DualEntry is transforming ERP for the AI era. From eliminating painful migrations to building systems finance teams actually enjoy using, Santiago makes it clear: the future of ERP is AI-native, fast, and built with users in mind. ERP doesn't have to be a burden. With the right tools, it can become a strategic advantage.Join hosts Glenn and Paul as they unravel the complexities of AI in finance:Follow Santiago:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/santiago-nestares/Website: https://www.dualentry.com/Follow Glenn:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiiiFollow Paul:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguyFollow QFlow.AI:Website - https://bit.ly/4i1EkjgFuture Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai. Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.In Today's Episode:[01:36] - Lessons from Scaling to $100M & ERP Frustrations[03:37] - Why ERP Migrations Are So Broken[07:47] - How DualEntry Raised a $90M Series A[10:51] - AI-Native vs. AI-Enabled ERP Systems[18:23] - Challenges and Realities of 24-Hour ERP Migration[23:26] - Why Building a Mid-Market ERP Is a Bold Move[28:18] - Using AI in Audits & Real-Time Reporting[31:45] - Rapid-Fire AI Questions[35:52] - Final Reflections & Wrap-Up

In this episode the hosts dig into a $2.7 million EdTech business serving architects—$450K revenue, ~$227K profit, ~30 % growth—yet debate whether its 11.9× profit asking price makes any sense.Business Listing – https://app.acquire.com/startup/aUdw7lekR1TbMTB7h3oH00Of2KH2/9zqyExayXzwGmnlz6QWA?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-98r-wxCcPABDrP80rGNweSlNs2VkMvwGKxMByTIVyTIen9tvlCC_HRGTYrJ1hp08w7BlWcQs_9_6gkpNUKm734YYgaCg&_hsmi=386717396&utm_content=386717396&utm_source=hs_emailWelcome to Acquisitions Anonymous – the #1 podcast for small business M&A. Every week, we break down businesses for sale and talk about buying, operating, and growing them.

B2B content creators struggle to measure real impact beyond vanity metrics. Benji Block, founder of Signature Series and former host of B2B Growth podcast, shares his framework for evaluating content performance. He recommends tracking meaningful comments that spark conversations, monitoring average view duration to gauge content quality, and optimizing click-through rates through systematic thumbnail testing. The discussion covers how engagement metrics connect to business outcomes and the importance of measuring downstream effects like website visits and real-world conversations.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Starting with tech rollouts, Trimble bets big on AI to fix trucking's workflow bottlenecks. It debuted its new cloud-native, modular, AI-powered Transportation Management System (TMS), designed as a single intelligence center for enterprise operations. New AI agents, such as the Order Intake Agent, automate administrative tasks like data extraction from emails and PDFs, potentially eliminating manual review for up to 90% of standard orders. Efficiency is also the core strategy behind major network redesigns at FedEx, who is focused on prioritizing high-quality B2B business and sectors like high-tech freight and healthcare logistics, while using generative AI to predict classification codes to simplify cross-border trade execution. In contrast, global maritime operator CMA CGM profit collapses on ocean ‘slowdown'. reported a staggering 72.6% decline in net income, yet maintained volume growth (up 2.3%) due to its agility in redeploying assets to counter Red Sea disruptions and volatility. On the regulatory and legal front, a Delaware bankruptcy court approved Judge Oks Yellow Corp.'s final liquidation plan, clearing the path to distribute up to $700 million to creditors, crucially classifying employee claims for PTO and sick time as priority for payment. Meanwhile, truck safety advocates strongly oppose the FMCSA's proposed pilot program, detailed in Safety group opposes extending truckers' workday, which would allow truck drivers to pause their 14-hour on-duty window for up to three hours, arguing the agency should instead study detention time directly. Managing constant risk is essential, as evidenced by the U.S.-flag barge Brooklyn Bridge running aground in the Bahamas after a tow wire failed and subsequently being looted, highlighting the vulnerability of routine operations to external factors. The defining trait of a successful logistics operation today is agility built on automation; technology is no longer a differentiator but a necessary cost for maintaining margins and compliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the CEO Sales Strategies Podcast, Doug C. Brown sits down with Chris Sorensen, CEO of PhoneBurner, to explore how outbound sales is evolving in the age of AI—and why human trust still closes the deal.They cover:✅ Where AI can elevate your outbound process—and where it breaks connection✅ The mindset shift from rejection to feedback✅ How to build trust in the first few seconds of a cold call✅ Why compliance is no longer just a legal box to check—but a trust-building opportunityIf you're leading a sales team or still making calls yourself, this episode gives you the frameworks, mindset, and real-world insight to close high-ticket B2B deals more effectively.

Real strength isn't flashy. It's earned through quiet discipline over time. The same goes for B2B marketing: sustainable growth comes from strong foundations, not sporadic wins.That's the lesson of Dr. Peter Attia, the longevity expert who reshaped how millions think about health. In this episode, we explore his B2B marketing parallels with the help of our special guest Ashley Sturm, VP of Marketing at Opengear.Together, we uncover what B2B marketers can learn from building strong systems behind every campaign, committing to a long-term content strategy, and meeting audiences where they are with multichannel storytelling.About our guest, Ashley SturmAshley Sturm is VP of Marketing at Opengear. Ashley is a marketing and strategy leader with more than 15 years of experience developing strategic marketing initiatives to increase brand affinity, shape the customer experience, and grow market share. Before joining Opengear, she served as the Vice President of Marketing at Nautilus Data Technologies. Prior to that, she served as the Senior Director of Marketing Brand and Content for NTT Global Data Centers Americas, spearheading marketing efforts to open two out of six data center campuses.Ashley has led global marketing through the startup of Vertiv's Global Data Center Solutions business unit, where she developed the unit's foundational messaging and established global and regional marketing teams. Ashley's career experience includes extensive work with the US Navy through the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness as well as broadcast journalism. A graduate of the University of Missouri's School of Journalism, Ashley specializes in journalism and converged media.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Dr. Peter Attia:Focus on strength in the unseen work. Just like Dr. Attia emphasizes strength in the eccentric phase of movement (the part no one sees), Ashley connects that to B2B marketing fundamentals. Campaigns fail when the foundation is weak. As she puts it: “[It's] not just the big flashy campaigns or the launches, it's about the control, the discipline, and the structure behind them.” By investing in process, frameworks, and messaging systems, brands build resilience and long-term performance. The lesson: don't obsess over launch day, obsess over what holds it all together.Commit to the slow burn strategy. Dr. Attia didn't explode overnight. He showed up for years through podcasts, long-form content, and thought leadership before publishing his book, Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. Ashley calls out the power of consistency over time, saying: “He committed to the slow burn… we're in this for the long haul.” In B2B, that translates to sticking with a point of view, consistently educating your market, and building credibility brick by brick. Thought leadership is earned, not launched, and trust compounds for brands that stay the course.Meet people on their terms. Dr. Attia doesn't rely on one channel or format. He scales his ideas across podcasts, books, YouTube tutorials, social clips, and deep science blogs. Ashley ties that directly to B2B content strategy: “Where are they gonna be? How do they wanna consume it? Let's make sure we've morphed the content to fit that medium.” Your buyers consume differently at different moments. Repurpose one core message into channel-native formats to reach them everywhere they are, not where you wish they were.Quote“Strength is built in the parts we sometimes overlook — the details, the structure, the lowering motion — that's where you build resilience. Whether in health or in business.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Ashley Sturm, VP of Marketing at Opengear[01:12] Why Dr. Peter Attia?[04:02] Role of VP of Marketing at Opengear[05:03] Deep Dive into Dr. Peter Attia's Work[11:23] B2B Marketing Lessons from Dr. Peter Attia[39:48] Building Authentic Content Strategies[45:57] Advice for Marketing Leaders[48:35] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Ashley on LinkedInLearn more about OpengearAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today's episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

B2B content creators struggle to measure real impact beyond vanity metrics. Benji Block, founder of Signature Series and former host of B2B Growth podcast, shares his framework for evaluating content performance. He recommends tracking meaningful comments that spark conversations, monitoring average view duration to gauge content quality, and optimizing click-through rates through systematic thumbnail testing. The discussion covers how engagement metrics connect to business outcomes and the importance of measuring downstream effects like website visits and real-world conversations.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Scaling SaaS in 2026: AI, Talent, and the Future of People Operations is becoming a core focus for growing B2B companies as AI reshapes how teams work, how customers buy, and how leaders build the next generation of SaaS organizations. In this episode of the Grow Your B2B SaaS podcast, recorded live at SaaS Summit Benelux in Amsterdam, host Joran speaks with Hotske Wesselius about how AI will reshape scaling in 2026. With a background in marketing and a career shift into people and talent acquisition, Hotske supports SaaS companies in hiring and retaining top talent. Their discussion explores how AI is changing the buyer journey, customer success, people management, culture, team structures, search behavior, partnerships, go to market strategies, efficiency, and the overall pace of competition. The theme is consistent. AI will not remove the need for people, but it will transform how teams work, what skills matter, and how leaders manage and support their organizations. The episode also offers advice for founders at various revenue stages and the mindset shifts needed to thrive in a fast changing environment.Key Timecodes(0:00) – AI Breakthrough Intro: B2B SaaS in 2026, Scaling, Buyer Journey, Customer Success, People Leadership(0:47) – Talent Secrets: Hotske Wesselius on Marketing, Recruiting, Hiring Top SaaS Talent(1:12) – Scaling Revolution: What Will Separate Winning B2B SaaS in 2026 (AI-Driven Orgs)(1:26) – Skill Upgrade: New Capabilities for the AI Era — Agents, Enablement, Leadership(2:13) – Buyer Shift: AI Search, Findability, and Customer Support Automation(3:11) – Data Reality Check: People Analytics Built on Engagement + Results(3:33) – Automation Wave: Headcount vs AI, Cognitive Tasks, Reporting, AI “Brain” Roles(4:31) – Human-in-the-Loop: Training, Building, and Governing AI Inside SaaS Companies(4:52) – Culture Reset: Designing Strong Company Culture in the Age of AI(5:29) – AI-First Shift: Changing Mindset at Scale (Miro Example)(5:56) – Leadership Hack: Using ChatGPT for Feedback, Tone, and Empathetic Communication(7:03) – Hyper-Personalization: Tailoring Communication via Personality Types (DISC)(7:44) – Empathy Engine: How AI Improves Manager Communication & Employee Experience(8:15) – Pro Tip: Use AI as Your Personal Empathy Coach(8:29) – Sponsor Spotlight: Reditus — B2B SaaS Affiliate & Referral Growth(9:25) – Efficiency Mode: Growing Fast in 2026 with AI Automation

What if your next business breakthrough didn't come from another cold email or sales demo, but from a single, genuine conversation at the right networking event? In this episode of Predictable B2B Success, Vinay Koshy speaks with award-winning communicator, military veteran, and author of "Networking Unleashed," Michael Forman. Together, they dive deep into the secrets of transforming networking from a casual, often awkward ritual into a powerful, systemized revenue engine. Ever wondered why so many professionals dread networking, or why most companies still see it as a side activity rather than a strategic business driver? Michael Forman shares his journey from leading Air Force teams to mastering relationship-building in everything from graphic design studios to law firms, and uncovers why true networking is about giving, not getting. You'll discover actionable frameworks, the underrated art of listening, and a "secret sauce" for follow-up that nearly guarantees your efforts won't go to waste. Whether you're a sales pro, a B2B leader, or an introvert hoping to break out, tune in to learn how authentic connection and a few handwritten notes might be your biggest growth lever yet. Some topics we explore in this episode include: Networking's Impact on Business Growth: Why networking is crucial for profitability and long-term success.Networking vs. Traditional Sales/Marketing: The strategic value of networking compared to standard approaches.Core Networking Skills: Effective communication, listening, and a giving mindset.Systemizing the Networking Process: Steps to make networking a predictable revenue generator.The Power of Follow-Up: How personalized, prompt follow-ups (especially handwritten notes) make a difference.Using Technology for Networking: Leveraging CRMs and digital tools to track and manage relationships.Choosing the Right Events: Selecting networking events that attract ideal prospects and partners.Measuring Networking ROI: Different ways to evaluate the return on networking activities.Building a Networking Culture: How to embed networking into all parts of an organization.Mindset and Barriers to Networking: Overcoming resistance and fostering buy-in at all levels.And much, much more...

True leadership isn't about authority — it's about connection, empathy and purpose. In this episode, Oz Rashid, Founder and CEO of MSH and Host of the “Hire Learning” podcast, dives into leadership, culture and the evolving expectations of today's workforce. Drawing from his extensive experience in talent strategy, Oz explores what it takes to build high-performing teams in a rapidly changing business landscape. The discussion centers around people-first leadership, authenticity and the power of intentional hiring.Key Takeaways:00:00 Introduction.01:39 MSH began in 2011 with the intention of making hiring smarter and more data-driven.05:25 Hiring hasn't evolved like other industries, driving a need for innovation.10:12 AI is advancing hiring, but full automation remains a long way off.15:08 Client success fueled demand for MSH's tech, Aeon, prompting a broader launch.19:59 Aeon's roadmap expands beyond hiring to support people in an AI future.25:16 The best hires often come from organic, unexpected connections.30:05 Recent layoffs haven't been a result of AI, but automation may soon change that.35:13 Adapting to change is essential. Those who resist new technology risk being left behind.Resources Mentioned: Oz Rashidhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ozrashid/MSH | LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/mshtalent/MSH Talent | Websitehttps://www.talentmsh.com/Aeon | LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/aeonhireAeon | Websitehttps://www.aeonhire.com/"Hire Learning" Podcasthttps://open.spotify.com/show/7CKt8PyliIOgm4DjcVIkVvThis episode is brought to you by Content Allies.Content Allies helps B2B tech companies launch revenue-generating podcasts and build relationships that drive revenue through podcast networking. We schedule interviews with your ideal prospects and strategic partners so that you can build relationships and grow your business. You show up and have conversations, we handle everything else. Learn more at ContentAllies.com #B2B #BusinessLeaders #Leadership

It's more about elminating the negatives then emphasizing the positives. That's Matt Sucha's premise as he presents something truely new in selling!  This interview can transform your sales results! *********************************************************************Dave Kahle is a B2B sales expert and a Christian Business thought leader.  He has authored 13 books, presented in 47 states and 11 countries and worked with over 500 sales organizations.  In these ten-minute podcasts, his unique blend of out-of-the-box thinking and practical insights will challenge and enable you to sell better, lead better and live better.        Subscribe to these ten-minute helpings of out-of-the-box inspiration, education and motivation. WWW,DaveKahle.com Dave's Substack page (PW) Subscribe to Dave's Newsletters  

In this action-packed SaaS Fuel episode, host Jeff Mains welcomes AI entrepreneur Alberto Rizzoli, co-founder and CEO of V7. They dive into the transformative power of AI in automating repetitive and complex knowledge work, discuss the accelerating pace of AI innovation, and unpack how both large enterprises and smaller teams can prioritize, implement, and benefit from next-generation “agentic” AI. Alberto Rizzoli candidly shares insights on the future of SaaS, practical applications in B2B, go-to-market challenges, the evolving demands on leadership and hiring, and what it takes to stand out in a world where technology is no longer a lasting moat.Key Takeaways00:00 AI Revolution: Transforming Technology04:00 AI Reducing Administrative Costs06:21 "Measuring AI's Impact on Knowledge"09:41 "AI as Workforce Revolution"15:53 "Startups Compete on Quality"18:27 "Tech Giants Dominate AI Future"22:27 "AI Implementation Leadership Needed"25:55 "Evaluating AI Tools Effectively"29:31 AI Adoption Requires Trust31:46 "Shift in GTM Strategies"35:48 "AI Automation Careers in Demand"37:20 "V7Labs: AI Workflow Automation"Tweetable QuotesViral Topic: The Real Value of AI in Knowledge Work: "Even if you had the money to ask a lawyer and that were not an issue, you would still first ask ChatGPT because you get an instantaneous answer and there is no friction towards that." — Alberto RizzoliAI & the Future of Work: "Keeping a human away from their family and children for five hours to do some work that AI can do in five minutes by consuming a lot less relative energy will actually be kind of the best of both worlds." — Alberto RizzoliQuote: "There is still an enormous amount of unrealized value from AI. There is still close to no AI usage at the world's largest companies." — Alberto RizzoliAI's Impact on Infrastructure Investment: "We've never seen so much investment in power generation since World War II. So it really is a paradigm shift that's happening." — Alberto RizzoliBalancing Creativity and Responsibility: "the creative side is something that we enjoy, but there's so many things that are jobs that things that we have to do, things that always." — Jeff Mains Viral Simplicity in User Interfaces: "instead of having to figure out, you know, how the watch was built, we're just asking what time it is." — Jeff Mains The Cycle of Innovation and Investment: It almost becomes self fulfilling because there's so much money pouring into it. And that drives innovation, which brings more money, which drives more innovation. And I think it does become self fulfilling to some degree. — Jeff Mains SaaS Leadership LessonsPrioritize Deep Automation: Leaders should focus AI efforts on well-documented, high-frequency processes, not just shiny new initiatives.Embrace the Player-Coach Model: Middle management is evolving. Future leaders need to be hands-on contributors who coach, not just oversee.Build for Scalability: The best AI tools get you 80% of the way—allocating resources to push to 100% is critical for lasting impact.Hire for Tech Fluency: Hiring should emphasize technical problem-solvers across all departments, especially those who can identify and implement automation.Champion Change Management: Assign a dedicated AI implementation owner to drive adoption—this role will multiply team productivity.Invest in Quality, Not Hype: In a fast-copying landscape, the long-term winners are those who create the best user...

Most teams think the answer to growth is simple. Add more. More markets, more products, more layers, more plays. The layer cake approach.It almost never works.It adds complexity, drains focus, and breaks what was already working.In this episode, Toni Holbein and Personio's Koen Stam talk about a better path. Instead of piling on new initiatives, fix the foundation. Improve the things that already drive revenue. Tighten ICP. Narrow focus. Sell better. Enable buyers. Strengthen the ecosystem around you. Document the process so the business does not depend on a few heroes.Do less. Execute better.This episode is brought to you by ZoomInfo, the Go-To-Market Intelligence Platform. ZoomInfo gives you high-quality B2B data and sales intelligence on in-market buyers across companies of all sizes, powered by AI-driven automation with integrated outreach tools to help your GTM teams build pipeline and close deals faster. Check them out at zoominfo.com/revenue-formula Want to work with us? Learn more: revformula.io(00:00) - Introduction (04:37) - Addressing the Great Pipeline Starvation (07:22) - Challenges of the Layered Approach (14:58) - Understanding Revenue Sources (19:19) - Data-Driven Decision Making (24:36) - The Parking Lot Exercise (27:43) - Vanity in Expansion (30:28) - Understanding Y our ICP (31:43) - Building a Target List (34:23) - Enabling Buyers (38:51) - Leveraging Ecosystems (43:55) - Process Over People (48:35) - Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

B2B content creators struggle to measure real impact beyond vanity metrics. Benji Block, founder of Signature Series, shares his framework for building content that drives business results. He reveals his 11-question assessment for evaluating content effectiveness, explains how to optimize YouTube thumbnails through A/B testing, and outlines three core metrics that prove content strategy success: meaningful engagement through comments, high average view duration, and improved click-through rates.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Originally from Wisconsin, Nathan Vazquez studied computer science at Yale University. He       worked for 15 years as an options trader at Citibank until he was eventually tempted by the idea of being his own boss with work that allowed him the flexiblity to spend more time with his family. In 2015, he left his job in finance to join his wife's sticker subscription company, Pipsticks. Within a year, Pipsticks had thousands of subscribers in over 50 countries. As CEO of Pipsticks, Nathan now manages the company's growing business in the subscription, E-Commerce, wholesale, and licensing markets. He lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and four kids.In This Conversation We Discuss:[00:00] Intro[01:23] Balancing creativity with business logic[05:43] Learning by doing and adapting fast[08:21] Growing an organic customer base[09:57] Stay updated with new episodes[10:06] Finding spending balance for growth[12:38] Seizing opportunities during market shifts[14:29] Sponsors: Electric Eye, Freight Right, Taboola, Next Insurance[20:00] Scaling your brand through audience feedback[24:10] Focusing on one thing at a time[26:32] Expanding a product to wholesale [28:25] Learning from early B2B mistakes[30:07] Measuring break-even for smart spending[33:04] Aligning resources with marketing strategy[34:29] Targeting break-even timelines strategicallyResources:Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube www.youtube.com/c/HonestEcommerce?sub_confirmation=1Cute stickers for kids, crafters, anyone www.pipsticks.com/Stickers + stationery that say what you wish you could www.theswearjar.com/Follow Nathaniel Vazquez www.linkedin.com/in/nathaniel-vazquez-5b663222/Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connectTurn your domestic business into an international business www.freightright.com/honestReach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest/If you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

As we are approaching the end of 2025, I am bringing back the 1st episode of 2025! From selling watches in high school to managing a fraternity of 100+ members, and ultimately launching a successful business, this week's guest shares his entrepreneurial journey filled with challenges, insights, and growth. Jake Clare, Co-Founder of EventShark, a leading B2B content agency is this week's guest on The 20% Podcast. In this week's episode, we discussed:Jake's early ventures and how childhood passions influenced his career.Leadership lessons learned as fraternity president and their application in business.The power of rejection and grit as an SDR, and how it shaped his professional resilience.Transitioning from marketing to sales, then diving into entrepreneurship.Founding EventShark with a focus on video content for B2B audiences.Jake and I also discuss the importance of curiosity, learning from failures, and the pivotal moments that defined their career paths. Whether you're navigating the early stages of your career or seeking inspiration to take the next leap, this conversation offers valuable takeaways.Enjoy this week's episode with Jake Clare. I am now in the early stages of writing my first book! It will cover my journey into sales, the lessons learned, and include stories and advice from top sales professionals around the world. I'm excited to share these interviews and bring you along on this journey!Like the show? Subscribe to the email: Subscribe HereI want your feedback! Reach out at 20percentpodcastquestions@gmail.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.If you know anyone who would benefit from this show, please share it! If you have suggestions for guests, let me know!Enjoy the show!

Networking events make most people want to run for the hills, and honestly, who can blame them? Between the awkward elevator pitches, the desperate card swapping, and that sinking feeling that you're doing it all wrong, traditional networking has become something we endure rather than enjoy.  The problem is that most networking advice comes from transactional industries where you sell once and disappear, but if you're in B2B, that approach will get your teeth kicked in.  In this episode, Donnie Boivin breaks down exactly why networking is broken and shares the framework that actually works for building real business relationships. You'll learn how to walk into any room and make it valuable, even if you're an introvert who'd rather be anywhere else. Why traditional networking advice fails in B2B sales The five-word rule that stops you from accidentally pitching too early How Donnie's client tripled her business by networking with a specific business niche Why asking for introductions instead of referrals changes everything in networking The adjacent business strategy that unlocks collaboration opportunities you're missing How to identify if a networking group is worth your time in the first five minutes What happens when you force two strangers to create a collaboration in five minutes   Head to https://LeverageYourPodcastShow.com to read the blog >>>Stop leaving success to chance. Get my Crickets to Clients: 5 Shifts To Turn Podcast Interviews Into Real Results https://www.leverageyourpodcast.com/clients  >>Learn 3 Ways To  Leverage & Repurpose Your Podcast Guest Interviews To Boost Authority, Visibility, Leads & Sales - Free Guide & Checklist https://leverageyourpodcast.com/guest  

Matt Knaggs, Senior Business Value Lead at Zilliant, brings a decade of pricing insight shaped by an unexpected leap from industrial safety into commercial excellence. Known for blending analytics, AI, and practical sales enablement, he now helps B2B companies make smarter, more confident pricing decisions by pairing data science with human judgment. In this episode, Matt and Mark dive straight into the real-world intersection of pricing and AI, where deterministic models still set prices, GenAI fills in missing context, and messy CRM data finally becomes usable.  Matt shares how he built a custom GPT that builds other GPTs, why "pricer in the loop" is essential, and how AI can elevate pricing teams without replacing them. They unpack the future of pricing, the danger of outsourcing expertise, and why curiosity beats perfection in an AI-driven world.   Why You Have to Check Out Today's Episode: Learn how AI can enhance pricing (without setting prices for you) - including specific use cases where GenAI adds context, fills data gaps, and boosts pricer effectiveness. Discover the "Pricer in the Loop" model and why Matt believes humans will remain essential for trust, validation, nuance, and internal adoption. See how to use AI as a thought partner - to generate buyer problems, value drivers, competitive alternatives, and messaging frameworks that accelerate value-based pricing.   "Don't hide from all of the advancements in AI. It can be scary and intimidating, but try what you can. AI won't tattle on you for asking dumb questions." - Matt Knaggs   Topics Covered: 03:30 – How Matt Went From Safety to Pricing—and Why the Discipline Hooked Him 04:22 – The Reality of AI in Pricing: What Matt Sees Working (and Failing) Inside Companies 11:58 – Matt Reacts to Mark's Approach: Using AI to Map Buyer Context 15:34 – When a Pricing Expert Builds AI That Builds AI: Matt's Custom GPT Story 19:01– The Messy Data Problem Every Pricer Knows… and How Matt Uses AI to Fix It 24:09– Matt's Honest Take on the Future: Why AI Won't Replace Pricers Anytime Soon 27:34 – The Threat to Expertise: Matt and Mark Explore What Happens When People Outsource Thinking 31:53 – What AI Can Do for Pricing Strategy (If You Use It Intelligently) 33:15 – Matt's Final Challenge to Pricers   Key Takeaways: "AI is probabilistic, not deterministic. You can give it the same inputs and get different outputs. That's why I'm not ready for GenAI to set prices." - Matt Knaggs "You don't need to learn AI to protect your job. But if you ignore it, the person who learns how to use AI might take your job." - Matt Knaggs "The future pricer isn't replaced—it's the translator. The one who explains the 'why' behind what AI suggests." - Matt Knaggs "You can't outsource judgment. You need the pricer in the loop to validate hallucinations, nuance, and context." - Matt Knaggs "AI can scan markets, pull competitor moves, and hand-wave at things you should consider—things deterministic models miss." - Matt Knaggs   People & Resources Mentioned: Zilliant: Pricing optimization & management platform where Matt leads value initiatives Stephan Liozu: Pricing author referenced for value-based pricing frameworks Salesforce + OpenAI / Claude Connectors: For CRM automation   Connect with Matt Knaggs: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewknaggs/   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stiving Email: mark@impactpricing.com  

Join Justin Forman in Lagos, Nigeria for an inspiring conversation with Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes, founder and Managing Partner of Arura Capital. Adesuwa shares her journey from J.P. Morgan to building the first female-led private equity fund in Nigeria focused on female-founded, female-led, and female-focused businesses across Africa.Key Topics:Why Africa has the highest rate of female entrepreneurship globally (4x more than Europe) yet women receive only 2% of capitalHow Arura Capital's $20M Fund One delivered top-quartile returns above global benchmarks while creating 205,000 jobs and $150M in value chain revenueThe $150 billion capital gap facing African SMEs and the arbitrage opportunity in overlooked foundersDigital transformation as Africa's leapfrog strategy - from embedded finance to B2B commerce platforms serving 150,000 retailersWhy now is the best time to invest in Nigeria despite (and because of) recent policy reformsPowerful Quotes:"To live life where it's only about you is a very, very boring life, I think. You really wanna be able to showcase legacy. You really want to be able to showcase how has it impacted that woman who would have never had access to capital if we didn't show up.""Female founders actually generate more revenue than their male counterpart. For every dollar invested in a startup, a female founder returns 2.5 times more revenue than her male counterpart.""If you're an investor that's allocating capital, you can no longer afford to ignore or avoid the African continent, because this is really where the growth in the next 30 to 50 years is gonna come from."About Adesuwa: Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes is the founder and Managing Partner of Arura Capital, a pioneering private equity fund investing in female-founded, female-led, and female-focused businesses across Africa. After a successful career at J.P. Morgan, she launched Arura in July 2019 to address the massive funding gap facing female entrepreneurs on the continent. Her Fund One raised $20M and has delivered top-quartile returns while creating measurable social impact across Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire. Adesuwa was the first woman in Nigeria to raise over $10M for a private equity fund and is passionate about using capital redemptively to transform lives across Africa's value chains. 

Episode web page:  ----------------------- Episode summary: In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Nathan Isaacs talks with marketing powerhouse Bill Macaitis—former CMO of Slack, Zendesk, and Salesforce—about how B2B companies can scale efficiently by prioritizing customer experience, building authentic brands, and embracing new go-to-market models. Bill shares lessons from his career and dives into the importance of customer-centric cultures, long-term thinking, and the strategic use of AI in modern marketing. What you'll learn in this episode: Why capital-efficient growth beats “growth at all costs”—and how to build it The playbook for operationalizing customer centricity in a B2B environment How to align teams across marketing, product, and sales with shared metrics What most companies get wrong about attribution models How AI can empower marketers—without replacing them The secret to building a B2B brand people actually love (and talk about) Tips for individual contributors to challenge legacy playbooks and advocate for change About the guest: Bill Macaitis is an executive advisor and board member who has led marketing at some of the most iconic names in SaaS, including Slack, Zendesk, and Salesforce. Known for his customer-first approach and bold brand vision, Bill now advises AI startups on how to build scalable, loved companies from the ground up. Resources & Links: Bill Macaitis on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmacaitis/) SaaS CMO Pro website (https://www.saascmopro.com/) SaaS CMO Pro newsletter (https://saascmopro.substack.com/) Bill's YouTube videos (https://www.youtube.com/@SaaSCMOPro/videos) Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/) Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

B2B content creators struggle to measure real impact beyond vanity metrics. Benji Block, founder of Signature Series, shares his framework for building content that drives business results. He reveals his 11-question assessment for evaluating content effectiveness, explains how to optimize YouTube thumbnails through A/B testing, and outlines three core metrics that prove content strategy success: meaningful engagement through comments, high average view duration, and improved click-through rates.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we went live to discuss the current state of markets. We deep dive into what's next for crypto, Aave's app launch, the B2B model for blockchains, Pump Fun & more. Enjoy! Thanks for tuning in! As always, remember this podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely their opinions, not financial advice. -- Follow Blockworks Research: https://x.com/blockworksres Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Follow Boccaccio: https://x.com/salveboccaccio -- Katana directs chain revenue back to DeFi users for consistently higher yields. It starts with VaultBridge, which turns bridged assets into yield streams that back a perpetually funded real yield, boosting rewards for DeFi users. Katana is pioneering Productive TVL, assets actually being used in DeFi and reinforces this with Chain-owned Liquidity, permanent liquidity the chain controls. Stop sleeping on your bags: https://app.katana.network/?utm_source=BW-Pod -- Uniswap's Trading API offers plug-and-play access to deep onchain and off-chain liquidity, delivering enterprise-grade crypto trading without the complexity - from one of the most trusted teams in DeFi. Click to get started with seamless, scalable access to Uniswap's powerful onchain trading infrastructure. https://hub.uniswap.org/utm_source=blockworks&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ww_web_bw_awa_trading-api_20251117_podcast_clicks -- A yearly Blockworks Research subscription is $4,500, but now you can get our latest MetaDAO research report absolutely free. Read up on the latest funding models and what it all could mean for the future of ICOs: https://link.blockworks.co/metadaoreport -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3foDS38 Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3SNhUEt Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3NlP1hA Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: ⁠https://blockworks.co/newsletter/⁠ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:01) State of The Market (5:52) Has The DAT Bubble Burst? (14:30) Aave Launches Aave App (27:02) The Difference Between Ecosystems Growth Strategy (43:05) Ads (Katana & Uniswap) (45:52) Is B2B The Business Model For Blockchains? (52:20) Has Memecoin Trading Peaked? (57:22) Katana Ad (57:59) Pump Fun -- Check out Blockworks Research today! Research, data, governance, tokenomics, and models – now, all in one place Blockworks Research: https://www.blockworksresearch.com/ Free Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on 0xResearch is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Boccaccio, Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

#304 | AI Buying Shift | This episode is from a recent Exit Five live session where I pulled together Lindsay O'Brien (Head of Marketing & Operations, Predictiv), Tom Wentworth (CMO, incident.io), and Aditya Vempaty (VP of Marketing, MoEngage) for a real talk on how AI is completely rewiring the B2B buying journey. We got into why buyers no longer need your pretty funnel, how AI-powered research changes the sales call, and what that means for your GTM strategy.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro + Dave Sets the Stage (04:07) - – How AI Is Changing B2B Buying (11:07) - – The Big Shift: Taste, Unscalable Work, and Distribution (16:07) - – Getting Exec Buy-In for “Unmeasurable” Marketing (20:07) - – Does the Funnel Still Matter? (24:07) - – Dead Tactics: Gating, A/B Testing, Lead Score Theater (30:53) - – AI That Actually Works (Real Use Cases) (37:53) - – Team Size, Skills, and the New CMO (43:53) - – Authenticity vs AI: Creative, Video, and Brand (58:53) - – Content Attribution + Final Takeaways Join 50,000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Paramark.It's November. 2026 planning is already here. And the stuff you're doing right now will decide how next year plays out. But here's the problem: most teams are still planning next year's marketing strategy based on the WRONG DATA because of broken attribution and a misleading gut feel.  And you can't make smart budget calls if you're just guessing what's working, what's not, and where to put your next dollar.That's where Paramark comes in. They help you replace the guesswork with actual insight backed by $2 billion in analyzed marketing data. They've figured out what actually drives incremental growth across every channel including LinkedIn, Meta, TikTok, Google, CTV, even OOH.And right now, they're offering a private 1:1 consultation with their CEO and CMO, Pranav and Sam, who have led marketing teams at companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Microsoft, and Shutterfly. In this 45-minute strategy session, they'll help you measure the real impact of every marketing dollar, pull insights from your current media mix, and design a 2026 roadmap that's rooted in data, not gut.This is a heck of an offer. And it's real. And will go fast. So if you want to future-proof your marketing strategy for 2026, don't miss out on this offer.Grab your spot at paramark.com/brand-consult.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Even when everyone (including myself) thought it might be finished…could MusclePharm actually be showing signs of life again? But for those unfamiliar with the up-to-date FitLife Brands Inc. (NASDAQ: FTLF) portfolio configuration…due to the acquisition of Irwin Naturals, which officially closed on August 8, 2025, it now sells more than 500 SKUs across 16 supplement brands, each with a slightly different product portfolio and sales channel strategy. But throughout this content, you'll hear me categorize the FitLife Brands portfolio into three segments: Legacy FitLife Brands, MusclePharm, and Irwin Naturals. In the third quarter of 2025, the consolidated FitLife Brands portfolio generated revenue of $23.5 million...which was up 47% YoY. But while the consolidated FitLife Brands portfolio comparative growth rates appear extremely strong, it's important to remember that those reported results were greatly impacted by the Irwin Naturals deal. But in my latest first principles content piece, I'll share a detailed collection of segment-level updates that I believe are important when trying to understand the FitLife Brands story. These include revenue diversification strategies within the legacy FitLife Brands that has dramatically lowered "key customer risk" with the specialty retailer GNC and how even the “oldest” supplement brands can still generate revenue growth along with being the strongest contributor to companywide net profitability. But while there's strategic initiatives going on that involve the legacy FitLife Brands and Mimi's Rock segments, the most intriguing activity within FitLife Brands is also currently its smallest segment (i.e. MusclePharm). In the third quarter of 2025, MusclePharm segment revenue was just under $3.8 million...which increased 55% YoY. But you're probably hearing that…thinking to yourself “incredible results,” right? And trust me…I want nothing more than to give Dayton Judd (and the FitLife Brands leadership team) a huge virtual “pat on the back,” but there's A LOT of devilish things happening in the details! You probably think I'm being overly dramatic, especially when (in the third quarter of 2025) MusclePharm wholesale revenue more than doubled YoY…and I've stated previously “the biggest opportunities will come from B2B activity,” right? However, FitLife Brands wrongfully assuming MusclePharm still had enough distinctiveness in the marketplace to justify its current strategic gameplan (that quickly expanded product formats within the protein category) was a huge miscalculation…and undoubtedly exposed its “above- and below-the-line” weaknesses even more prominently. Though, maybe the newest FitLife Brands acquisition can indirectly help alleviate these MusclePharm challenges? FitLife Brands got a boost in human capital from Irwin Naturals possessing strength in routes-to-market that are beneficial to selling MusclePharm protein bars and RTD protein beverages. And while all of this seems ideal…don't get trapped into a state of exuberance thinking 1+1=3.

Most founders talk about scaling their businesses — but few talk about the hidden cost their body, mind, and family pay along the way.In this episode of Founder Talk, I sit down with Magdalena Wrobel to uncover what it really takes to build a business without breaking yourself in the process.Magdalena shares her journey of stepping away from the corporate grind to design a life and career built around wellness, flexibility, and presence. She opens up about the moment she realized her pace wasn't sustainable, why she transitioned into consulting, and how moving her family to a farm in Wisconsin completely transformed their health, learning, and rhythm.We also dig deep into the founder wellness gap:why sitting is destroying your longevity, why walking is more powerful than most think, and how simple posture and movement habits can save you from years of pain, fatigue, or burnout. She breaks down the reality of modern work, from the endless Zoom calls, screen fatigue, to the poor ergonomics, and explains the small daily shifts that protect your body while keeping your business moving forward.Magdalena also talks about raising resilient kids in a hyper-digital world. She shares why her children aren't allowed to rely on AI, why foundational thinking still matters, and why she believes mental strength will be the defining skill of the next generation.You'll learn:✅ How to build a business without burning out your body✅ Why posture and movement are performance multipliers✅ How small ergonomic changes protect long-term health✅ What real-world learning on a farm teaches kids that school can't✅ How to redesign your lifestyle to support family and founder freedom✅ Why boundaries around tech and devices matter more than everIf you're trying to build a company and a life that can actually last, this episode will change how you think about success, energy, parenting, and the daily habits that keep entrepreneurs performing at their highest level.Connect with Magdalena WrobelGuest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/magdalenawrobelmontes/Guest Website: https://imindeveryday.com/If you are a B2B company that wants to build your own in-house content team instead of outsourcing your content to a marketing agency, we may be a fit for you! Everything you see in our podcast and content is a result of a scrappy, nimble, internal content team along with an AI-powered content systems and process. Check out pricing and services here: ⁠https://impaxs.com⁠Want a behind-the-scenes look at how we run the show and the chance to ask upcoming guests your questions? Join the Founder Talk Club in WhatsApp.(it's free): https://chat.whatsapp.com/KDEgJWAH5liFCiWVIU8bIa Timecodes00:00 Introduction to Magdalena Wrobel00:13 Diverse Business Ventures01:04 Corporate Wellness Journey01:59 Defining Corporate Wellness03:06 Workplace Wellness Strategies13:03 Massage Therapy Benefits20:06 Business Consulting Beginnings26:01 Crypto and Financial Insights36:03 Real Estate in El Salvador38:02 A Life-Changing Trip to El Salvador39:25 Building a Dream Home Abroad43:53 Transitioning to Farm Life45:01 Homeschooling and Family Dynamics45:29 The Realities of Farm Life56:32 Entrepreneurial Spirit and Risk-Taking01:01:19 Investing in Mental Wellness01:08:38 The Impact of AI and Technology01:12:27 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Continuum is solving the multi-party return problem in B2B supply chain—a transaction involving distributors, manufacturers, and end users that previously took 30-45 days and now completes in 30-45 seconds. In this episode of Category Visionaries, we sat down with Alex Witcpalek, CEO and Founder of Continuum, to unpack how he's building what he calls "reverse EDI" in a market of 1.5 million distribution and manufacturing companies across North America. After 13 years selling technology into this space, Alex is now growing 8x year-over-year by turning customers into the primary acquisition channel through network effects. Topics Discussed: Why multi-party returns require replicating order management, warehouse management, and procurement systems simultaneously The tactical sequencing of building network businesses: solving for independent value, achieving critical mass, then activating network effects How Continuum navigates deep ERP integrations (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Epicor) plus bespoke business logic across multiple supply chain tiers Facebook retargeting, BDR outbound, events, and customer referrals as the four channels driving growth in a non-PLG market Why business model differentiation is the only remaining moat when technical barriers collapse Building domain expertise distribution systems using AI-powered LMS fed by sales call recordings GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Choose problems where you can capture 100% of addressable market, not fractional share: Alex deliberately avoided competing in CRM, sales order automation, or accounts payable—categories where even dominant players cap at 25-30% market penetration. Instead, he targeted multi-party reverse logistics, a greenfield problem no one else was solving. This strategic choice eliminates competitive displacement risk and allows every prospect conversation to focus on change management rather than competitive differentiation. Founders should map their TAM against competitive saturation: markets where you can own the entire category create fundamentally different growth trajectories than fighting for fragments. Sequence network businesses: independent value → critical mass → network activation: Alex was told by investors 18 months in that network effects "weren't going to work." His insight: "When you don't have a network, you don't sell the network. It's just in your plans and how you're building." Continuum sold P&L impact, manual labor reduction, and customer experience improvements to early adopters while building network infrastructure invisibly. Only after achieving density in specific verticals (HVAC, electrical, plumbing) did they surface the network value proposition. This sequencing prevents the cold-start problem—founders building marketplace or network businesses must design standalone value that makes the first 100 customers successful independent of network density. Exploit high pain thresholds in legacy industries as competitive barriers: Supply chain companies accept 30-45 day return cycles, manual warranty claims on paper, and playing "guess who" by phone to find inventory across distributor branches. Alex notes they have "extremely high pain threshold" from living with broken systems for decades. While this creates longer education cycles, it also means competitors won't enter (too hard) and once you prove ROI, switching costs become prohibitive. Founders should reframe customer inertia: industries tolerating obvious inefficiencies offer category creation opportunities with built-in moats, not just sales friction. Business model architecture is the only defensible moat—technical differentiation is dead: Alex is building his own e-signature platform (Continue Sign) and AI LMS using vibe coding to prove technical moats no longer exist. Continuum's defensibility comes entirely from network lock-in: displacing them requires disconnecting manufacturers like Carrier, Daikin, and Bosch plus their entire distributor ecosystems simultaneously. He references EDI (1960s technology still dominant today) as proof that network effects create permanent advantages. Founders must architect switching costs, network density, or proprietary data advantages into their business model—technology alone provides zero protection in the AI era. Match channel strategy to actual ICP behavior, not SaaS conventions: Continuum's top lead source is customer-driven network growth—distributors recruiting manufacturers and vice versa. Facebook retargeting works because their 50+ year-old supply chain buyers "are trying to comment on their grandkids' pictures," not scrolling LinkedIn. BDR outbound still delivers high win rates in an industry where business happens on handshakes, making events critical. This channel mix would fail for PLG products but works perfectly for enterprise cycles with $40K ACVs and 90-day sales processes. Founders should ethnographically research where their specific buyers actually spend attention rather than defaulting to LinkedIn, content marketing, or PLG based on what works in adjacent categories. Use 90-day enterprise cycles and multi-stakeholder complexity as qualification, not friction: Continuum runs enterprise sales motions for $40K deals because multi-party returns touch 16 constituents across sales, customer service, fleet, supply chain, warehouse, purchasing, and finance. Rather than trying to simplify buying, Alex uses this complexity as a filter—companies willing to coordinate VP of Supply Chain, COO, and CFO alignment are serious buyers. He layers three value propositions (P&L impact, labor reduction, customer experience) knowing different stakeholders weight them differently. Founders selling into complex environments should embrace multi-threading as a qualification mechanism that improves win rates and reduces churn, not overhead to eliminate. //  Sponsors:  Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire  Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM  

Wultra provides post-quantum authentication for banks, fintechs, and governments—protecting digital identities from emerging quantum computing threats. In this episode, Peter Dvorak shares how he broke into the notoriously closed banking ecosystem by leveraging his early experience in mobile banking development. From navigating multi-stakeholder enterprise sales to positioning quantum-safe cryptography when the threat timeline remains uncertain (consensus: 2035, but could accelerate), Peter reveals the specific strategies required to sell mission-critical security infrastructure to regulated financial institutions. Topics Discussed How post-quantum cryptography runs on classical computers while protecting against quantum threats Why European banking regulation drives global authentication standards The multi-stakeholder sales process: quantum threat teams, CISOs, CTOs, and digital product owners Conference strategy and analyst relationships (Gartner, KuppingerCole) for category positioning Banking budget cycles and why June/July approaches fail Breaking the "who else is using this?" barrier with banking-specific proof points Positioning as the only post-quantum cryptography provider for digital identity in banking GTM Lessons For B2B Founders Layer future-proofing onto immediate ROI: Post-quantum cryptography doesn't require quantum computers to function—it runs on classical infrastructure while providing superior security. Peter sells banks on moving from SMS OTP to mobile app authentication (tangible, immediate benefit) while positioning quantum resistance as migration insurance: "You won't have to rip-and-replace in three years." For emerging tech, anchor value in today's operational wins, not future scenarios. Give struggling departments concrete wins: Large banks have quantum threat teams tasked with replacing every piece of software by 2030-2035. Peter gives them measurable progress: "We move you from 5% to 10% completion on authentication and digital identity." These teams need defensible projects to justify their existence. Identify which internal groups are fighting for relevance and deliver projects they can report upward. Banking references are binary gatekeepers: Every bank asks "who else is using this?" Non-banking customers (telcos, gaming, lottery) don't count—banking regulation and systems are fundamentally different. The first banking customer is the hardest barrier. Once cleared, subsequent conversations become tractable. Budget aggressively to land that first bank, even at unfavorable terms. Respect the annual budget cycle: Banks allocate resources 12 months ahead. Approaching in Q2/Q3 means budgets are locked—even free POCs fail because internal resources are committed. Peter's pipeline strategy: build relationships and maintain visibility throughout the year, then activate when budget windows open. Don't confuse market education with active pipeline. Map and sequence multi-stakeholder buys: Authentication purchases require alignment across quantum threat teams (if they exist), cybersecurity/compliance, CTO/CIO (infrastructure acceptance), and digital product owners (UX concerns affecting their KPIs). Start at director level—board executives are too removed from technical details. Research each bank's org structure before engaging, then tailor sequencing. EU regulatory leadership creates expansion vectors: European regulations like PSD2 and strong authentication requirements get replicated in Southeast Asia, MENA, and other regions. Peter benefits from solving EU compliance first, then riding regulatory diffusion. The US remains fragmented with smaller regional banks still using username/password. Founders should analyze which geographies lead regulatory adoption in their category. Maintain composure through 18+ month cycles: Peter's regret: losing his temper during negotiations cost him time. Banking doesn't buy impulsively—sales require patience through lengthy security reviews, compliance checks, and committee approvals. Incremental progress and rational positioning matter more than aggressive closing. Emotional control is operational discipline. // Sponsors:  Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role.  Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM

Cash App & Square roll out Bitcoin payments at 4M+ merchants. Jack Dorsey leverages Lightning Network to compete with Visa/credit card fees. Plus: the controversial Bitcoin denomination change that's dividing the community. We break down Jack Dorsey's massive Bitcoin rollout across Cash App and Square—4M merchants can now accept BTC payments via Lightning and mainnet. We explore how Bitcoin rails are undercutting Visa/Amex fees, the Strike-style settlement strategy, and the controversial BIP 177 denomination debate. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com **Notes:** • 4M Square merchants now accept Bitcoin payments • Credit card fees range from 2-6% per transaction • Cash App uses Lightning Network for settlements • BIP 177 proposes renaming Satoshis to Bitcoins • 100M Satoshis equal one Bitcoin • Jack Dorsey owns Block, Square, and Cash App Timestamps: 00:00 Start 00:46 CashApp & Square updates overview 03:52 Bitcoin rails 09:36 Network effects 13:59 150 features 21:08 Bits are BACK -

Chet Pipkin, former CEO and founder of the electronic goods company Belkin International, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Chet and Guy drill into why solving problems for consumers is the key to success.First, we hear from Daniel in Toronto, who's wondering how to educate customers about his company's plastic-free, dissolvable shampoo and conditioner tablets. Then Meredith in Long Island asks how to manage inventory for her booming backpack organizer business that keeps selling out to female athletes. And Ryan in San Diego asks for strategies to grow the B2B side of his therapeutic massage tool company.Thank you to the founders of EarthSuds, Sideline Bags and Rolflex for being a part of our show.If you'd like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you'd like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Belkin International's founding story as told by Chet on the show in 2019.This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.