Podcasts about b2b marketing

Some performances fade. Others stay with you for decades.Buena Vista Social Club is one of them. It isn't just a musical—it's a masterclass in resonance, memory, and experience.In this episode, we're pulling B2B marketing lessons from that spirit of storytelling with the help of Dan Lowden, Chief Marketing Officer at Blackbird.AI.Together, we explore why content should come first, how honesty builds brand resilience, and what it takes to create live experiences your audience will talk about for years.About our guest, Dan LowdenDan is the CMO at Blackbird.AI and leads the company's strategic marketing efforts, including demand generation and brand leadership. He has over 20 years of strategic experience at the executive level. He has served as CMO at cybersecurity firm HUMAN Security (acquired by Goldman Sachs), named one of the TIME100 Most Influential Companies of 2023. Lowden also served as the CMO at Digital Shadows (acquired by Reliaquest) and, before that, CMO at Invincea (acquired by Sophos) and VP of Marketing at vArmour (acquired by Night Dragon). He has held marketing leadership positions at Wayport (acquired by AT&T), IBM ThinkPad (acquired by Lenovo), NEC Technologies, and Sharp Electronics. Lowden holds an MBA in International Business from Rutgers Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Science from Rider University.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Buena Vista Social Club:Content is the foundation—not an afterthought. Even in cybersecurity, content is king. Dan says, “My first hire was a content person. You can have the best ABM strategy or tools, but if you don't have really valuable content, you're not going to get anywhere.” His advice? Lead with education, not asks. Thoughtful reports, relevant use cases, and engaging narratives will earn your audience's attention—and their trust.Honesty builds brand resilience. When it comes to trust, marketing can't cut corners. Especially in high-stakes industries like cybersecurity. Dan says, “There's been a lot of overstatement of things by marketers and salespeople. That's when marketing takes a ding.” Instead, he urges CMOs to stay grounded: deliver real value, communicate with clarity, and show your audience you're in it for the long haul.Live experiences create a lasting impact. If you want your brand to be unforgettable, you need to create moments that move people. “People still come up to us today and say that band and that experience 10-plus years ago—they remember. There's not been anything like that,” Dan says, reflecting on a live concert his team produced. Whether it's a concert, a rooftop dinner, or a one-of-a-kind conference, remarkable experiences turn into word-of-mouth—and brand love that lingers.Quotes*“To me, in marketing—B2B or B2C—it's about creating a relationship, trust, even friendship, a community with your audience.”*"If you treat your customers well, if you serve them well, if you're honest with them… then you have a chance of being very successful as a company.”*“Music is really, really important, really powerful… as a marketer, especially in cybersecurity where there's 5,000 cybersecurity companies, you have to do something different. You have to stand out.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Dan Lowden, CMO at Blackbird.AI[03:42] The Magic of Live Theater[06:21] The Role of a CMO in Cybersecurity[10:23] Understanding Narrative Attacks[14:29] The Evolution of Narrative Intelligence[22:36] The Story Behind Buena Vista Social Club[28:31] The Power of Live Music in Marketing[30:33] Creating Remarkable Experiences[39:21] The Importance of Content in Marketing[45:05] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Dan on LinkedInLearn more about Blackbird.AIAbout 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.

In this episode of the Confessions of a B2B Entrepreneur, host Tom Hunt chats with Mehdi Tehranchi from KnowledgeNet.ai, an AI expert and seasoned entrepreneur. They discuss how AI is transforming businesses by improving efficiency , turning knowledge into actionable insights , and optimising sales processes by combining internal and external data. Mehdi also highlights the crucial role of human critical thinking when utilising AI's power. The conversation delves into AI's ability to surface the right information at the right time and its use internally within businesses to get better results and improve business outcomes.

#259 Paid Ads | In this episode, Dave is joined by Pranav Piyush, founder and CEO of Paramark, a platform helping B2B marketers run real experiments to measure ad performance. Pranav brings a sharp point of view on attribution, channel performance, and how to actually prove what's working across your paid media mix.Dave and Pranav cover:Real-world results from 7 B2B ad campaigns, including branded search, YouTube, billboards, and Performance MaxWhy most marketers are misusing the word “test” and how to run true experiments with lift, control, and causalityHow even small teams can apply experiment design (on a $10K budget or less) to make smarter spend decisionsWhether you're managing a big budget or just getting started with paid campaigns, this episode will help you think more critically, and confidently, about where and how to invest in B2B marketing.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (03:08) - – Why Paramark pulled real data from 7 B2B ad campaigns (05:38) - – Attribution vs. experimentation: what most marketers get wrong (09:08) - – Correlation vs. causation explained (with a LinkedIn example) (11:53) - – How to run a real test (hint: you need a control) (13:08) - – Branded search test results: $1M+ saved, no performance loss (18:08) - – Why strong SEO makes or breaks branded search tests (19:08) - – Billboard test: how one brand proved real lift with out-of-home (22:38) - – What “digital out-of-home” looks like in B2B (24:08) - – YouTube ad tests: one big win, one big flop (28:19) - – How to run tests with small budgets ($500–$10K) (32:49) - – Connected TV (CTV) test results from a Series F SaaS brand (34:49) - – What happens when a multichannel test works—but isn't efficient (36:49) - – Paramark's Exit Five sponsorship test (real numbers shared) (40:19) - – Why content needs to drive short-term lift, not just long-term “brand” (43:19) - – How Pranav used LinkedIn to drive inbound from day one (45:19) - – Your attribution model is lying, give your audience more credit (46:49) - – When 7 ad tests fail in a row…and the 8th one works (48:19) - – Performance Max test: why it worked for one brand (50:19) - – How long to run a test? Use data, not gut (52:19) - – Bonus: Pranav's hiring playbook for his first marketing leader (56:19) - – Wrap up and final takeaways Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***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

Trade shows are full of energy, great conversations, and promising connections — but too often, those leads go cold once the event ends. In this episode, I share a practical 3-step approach to help you turn those moments into momentum.Drawing on real-world experiences and conversations I've had with industrial teams, we'll walk through:How to pre-target the right audience so you're not just showing up — you're showing up prepared.Why onsite storytelling matters more than sales pitches.What it takes to do timely, personalized follow-up that actually moves the relationship forward.I'll also show you how tools like ChatGPT can help you and your team streamline these steps, making the post-show process faster, more consistent, and more human. Whether you're a solo marketer or part of a lean sales team, this episode will give you ideas you can use right away.Episode Breakdown:00:00 – The Trade Show Follow-Up Dilemma01:49 – Step 1: Audience Pre-Targeting05:06 – Step 2: Onsite Storytelling10:06 – Step 3: Post-Event Follow-Up11:03 – Leveraging AI for Effective Follow-Up15:51 – The Importance of Timely Follow-Up17:39 – Final Thoughts and Real-Life ExampleIf you'd like help setting up your own AI follow-up strategy, I offer 1:1 sessions and team training that's tailored to your goals. Let's make your next trade show your most productive one yet.* Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-peterson-world-innovators* Visit World Innovators: https://www.worldinnovators.com*** Watch on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WorldInnovatorsAnd don't forget to hit subscribe to stay inspired and make your marketing more meaningful.I'm thrilled to be speaking at FABTECH 2025, September 8–11 in Chicago!This is where the brightest minds in manufacturing come together. Join me for four days of learning, inspiration, and connection.Grab your 20% off conference pass now with code SPEAK20!https://i.snoball.it/p/ksiGQ/s/2

What topic would you like us to cover next?The podcast explores notable professional mistakes and what can be learned from them. B2B Marketing expert Tom Basgil shares his experience organising a New Year's Eve fireworks event at Coney Island, where instead of the expected 500 attendees, 5,000 people showed up, creating major logistical challenges with insufficient facilities.• Event was planned at iconic Coney Island amusement park district• Organizers competed with Macy's monopoly on New York fireworks• Infrastructure (porta-potties, PA system, vendors) was only prepared for 500 people• Police were upset about the unexpected crowd size and inadequate security preparations• The event happened in freezing temperatures, adding to the challenges• The experience taught Tom to "prepare for the best, just in case it happens"Is your marketing strategy ready for 2025? Book a free 15-min discovery call with Chris to get tailored insights to boost your brand's growth.

Lead Magnet Praxis-Vorlagen gratis? ➔ Hier laden: https://xhauer.com/downloads-podcastWEBINAR "Die 3 Schritte zur vollen Pipeline durch LinkedIn" ➔ Hier anmelden: https://xhauer.com/webinar-podIn dieser Folge erfährst du, wie du mit KI in wenigen Schritten einen Lead-Magneten erstellst, der nicht nach Standard-ChatGPT klingt – inklusive Titel, Untertitel und fertigem Inhaltsverzeichnis. Du erkennst die Struktur, die erfolgreiche B2B-Leadmagneten auszeichnet, und lernst anhand von Praxisbeispielen, wie du sofort mit eigenen Lead-Generierungs-Kampagnen starten kannst.Wenn du neu auf meinem Kanal bist:Mein Name ist Michael Asshauer. Ich bin Gründer und Geschäftsführer von XHAUER. Mein Team und ich helfen jeden Tag Anbietern im komplexen und technischen B2B, ihre Pipeline mit guten Verkaufsgelegenheiten zu füllen. Durch eine systematische Kombination aus Performance- und Content-Marketing. Ganz ohne Bunte-Bildchen-Marketing, sondern datengetrieben nach dem Grundsatz “Do more of what works”.Ein paar Fakten für dich, wie ich hierher gekommen bin und welche Reise ich auf diesem Kanal dokumentiere:25 Jahre: Gründung meines ersten Technologie-Unternehmens Familonet25 Jahre: Abschluss meiner Studiengänge Volkswirtschaftslehre, Betriebswirtschaftslehre und International Business (Hamburg & Melbourne)28 Jahre: Ausgründung unserer B2B-Software-Entwicklungsagentur onbyrd 30 Jahre: Übernahme unserer Unternehmen durch den Daimler-Konzern (heute Mercedes-Benz Group AG)31 Jahre: Gründung meiner Business-Content-Plattform “Machen!”32 Jahre: Gründung meines Performance-Recruiting-Unternehmens Talentmagnet (und anschließender Verkauf)34 Jahre: Gründung unserer B2B-Marketing-Agentur & Beratung XHAUER, gemeinsam mit Paula.Heute: Paula, unser Team und ich sind auf dem Weg, eine der besten B2B-Agenturen & Beratungen weltweit aufzubauen.Auf diesem Kanal teile ich alle Erkenntnisse, Learnings und Best Practices aus Tausenden Kampagnen offen mit dir, sodass du sie für euer Marketing anwenden kannst.Für B2B-Marketing, das die Pipeline füllt.Dein Michael Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Women in B2B Marketing, host Jane Serra chats with Kim Tran, a full stack marketing leader who helped take Gimmal to a successful exit as Head of Marketing and Business Development.Kim's path into marketing was anything but linear. She started in First Amendment law before building a career focused on growth, brand transformation, and operational rigor across fintech, edtech, and data governance. With a background in psychology and a clear-eyed view of how teams and businesses scale, Kim shares the mindset shifts and tactical lessons that shaped her journey.Jane and Kim explore:Why marketers need to become financial and data stewards to earn trust and influenceHow to market marketing internally and build advocates across the orgWhat it really takes to modernize a legacy brand without losing its coreHow to approach marketing during an acquisition and speak to buyers, not just customersThe importance of protecting your team's emotional and mental bandwidthHow to pitch yourself and take up space, especially as a woman in leadershipWhy failing safely is more realistic than failing fastKey Links:Guest: Kim Tran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimtrandc/Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/ ––Like WIB2BM? Show us some love with a rating or review. It helps us reach more women marketers ready to take the mic.

Some stories don't need to be loud to leave a mark. Ordinary People is one of those films—a quiet, deeply human story that lingers long after the credits roll. It's not flashy, but it's unforgettable.In this episode, we're pulling marketing lessons from Robert Redford's directorial debut with the help of our special guest Ruth Zive, CMO of Voices.Together, they explore what B2B marketers can learn from telling emotionally resonant stories, leading with creative conviction, and knowing when to step out of the spotlight to let the work speak for itself.About our guest, Ruth ZiveRuth Zive is the Chief Marketing Officer at Voices. Ruth is a skilled and metrics-driven marketing strategist who believes in evidence-based revenue growth through the coordination and alignment of marketing and sales processes. She has worked for two decades serving B2B clients in the technology, financial services, and nonprofit industries.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Ordinary People:Conviction is part of the job. Strong marketing doesn't come from consensus—it comes from clarity. Ruth says, “Marketing can sometimes devolve into a bit of a crowdsourced exercise. Everybody wants to edit your content or weigh in on the messaging… but we are the experts in marketing and we should make decisions accordingly.” Have conviction in your vision—and own the creative calls that matter.Tell the story of your customer's pain, not just the product. Emotional resonance starts with understanding your buyer's struggle. Ruth says, “The most resonant stories as a B2B marketer are the ones that start with the pain of the person that you're trying to touch. Ultimately, what you're doing is showcasing how you're going to get the prospect to the other side of that pain.” Lead with empathy, not just features.Stretch your team—and your story. Growth comes from pushing beyond the expected. Ruth says, “You never want your marketing to be a rinse and repeat proposition. You always want it to be a little bit provocative and unexpected.” Like casting Mary Tyler Moore in a dramatic role, bold choices unlock surprising results—creatively and commercially.Quotes*“Know your superpower. I talk about this a lot with my marketing colleagues. Robert Redford was the George Clooney of the day. He had very successful movies, he was a fantastic actor, but he was also a heartthrob. And that might have been a distraction in this story. I think that Robert Redford probably had some good self-awareness in that regard, and some of it might have been that he wanted to test his other skills and stretch into new domains for sure, but it might have been a distraction for him to have been the guy on the screen.”*“You don't need the biggest budget to have the biggest impact. [Robert Redford]  didn't have to hire the biggest star, and yet, look at how the movie performed.”*“I think at the end of the day, the folks behind the brand, even in B2B marketing, creating the assets, writing the story, they are humans, and the folks that we are selling to are ultimately humans. And it is our job as the B2B marketers to make those people on the other side of the transaction feel something. That's what we are trying to do is get them to feel something. And there are a lot of different ways we can do that, but I believe wholeheartedly that it starts with the story. The story speaks to their pain. The story showcases how we are going to make that pain go away. It's a simple formula. But I think that if you lead with features and functions, then you've lost the plot.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Voices CMO Ruth Zive[01:30] About 'Ordinary People' the Movie[04:26] What We Learn From Robert Redford's Directorial Debut[08:21] Analyzing Characters and Themes[13:50] Marketing Lessons from the Movie[25:18] Casting Choices and Their Impact[26:51] Marketing Lessons from Unconventional Casting[29:15] Donald Sutherland's Unique Perspective[32:08] Authenticity in Marketing and Storytelling[38:43] The Future of Voice in Branding[44:30] Content Strategy and Vision Videos[47:40] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Ruth on LinkedInLearn more about VoicesAbout 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.

In this special episode of Pipeline Visionaries, Ian Faison, CEO of Caspian Studios, breaks down the future of B2B content creation for 2025. He dives into frameworks and strategies, outlining the five methods of consumption and aiming for high quality that makes virality possible. He also dives into the difference between feeds, shows, and networks, giving case studies and examples and highlights the shift towards platform-specific content and the role of marketers as 'gardeners' in navigating walled gardens like YouTube and LinkedIn.Key Takeaways:There are five methods of consumption that marketers need to be thinking about: shorts, shows, medium form video, live entertainment and fiction.  The format matches consumption. Shorts for scrollers, shows for subscribers, limited series for binges, live events for live learners, fiction for edutainment. A feed and a show and a network are three different things. Creating a network allows audiences to self-select into the content that they like.  The optimal strategy for creating content to deliver it to your audiences, is for creators to create it and put it on the platform. Individuals, not brands.Quote: “ That's what we have to figure out - how do we maximize coverage for our target audience? And if you ignore methods of consumption or you ignore format, or you ignore hosts, you're inherently ignoring a subset of your population."  Episode Timestamps: *(00:06) The future of B2B content in 2025*(01:42) Five methods of consumption*(07:52) Framework: feeds, shows, and networks*(16:38) We're all gardeners: accessing walled gardens*(17:38) The shift to creator-first content*(24:41) The importance of distribution and creativitySponsor:Pipeline Visionaries is brought to you by Qualified.com. Qualified helps you turn your website into a pipeline generation machine with PipelineAI. Engage and convert your most valuable website visitors with live chat, chatbots, meeting scheduling, intent data, and Piper, your AI SDR. Visit Qualified.com to learn more.Links:Connect with Ian on LinkedInLearn more about Caspian Studios

Dave here. Interrupting the regular podcast feed for a 3 minute story and rant about why I love the job of marketing and what it might mean in a world where AI is advancing so rapidly and changing the role of marketing. Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***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

Der geniale Marketingtrick vom Kölsch Bier - Auch für B2B Marketing kopierbar Erst durch die Erfindung des Namen "Kölsch" und der Namenänderung, wurde das Bier im Rheinland zum Verkaufsschlager und ist in den Köpfen der Menschen. Zusätzlich wurde ein Pseudo-Rheinheitsgebot entwickelt für einen starken Frame. Dabei ist Kölsch noch sehr jung. Auch, wenn du kein Bier bzw. Kölsch magst, wirst du einige Strategien für ein B2B Business kopieren können. Verkaufspsychologie ‒ Das Geheimrezept für mehr Erfolg im Online-Marketing und Sales Direkt umsetzbare Blueprints und erprobte Akquisetaktiken Individuelles Profi-Feedback statt überfüllter Massen-Calls TÜV-Zertifizierung als Experte in Verkaufspsychologie möglich Das beste Marketing- & Sales-Framework auf dem Markt. Umsatzstark und ohne 08/15-Vorlagen – seit mehr als 10 Jahren.

LinkedIn Text Ads Praxis-Vorlagen gratis? ➔ Hier laden: https://xhauer.com/downloads-podcastWEBINAR "Die 3 Schritte zur vollen Pipeline durch LinkedIn" ➔ Hier anmelden: https://xhauer.com/webinar-podIn dieser Folge lernst du, wie ihr mit LinkedIn Text-Ads maximale Reichweite und Sichtbarkeit in eurer Zielgruppe aufbaut – fast ohne Budget. Du erfährst, wie du aus dem Best Practice KI-Tool sofort 25 performante Copy-Ideen für LinkedIn Awareness-Ads generierst, was die perfekte Text-Struktur für Text-Ads ist und wie du dabei “Underpriced Attention” in eurem B2B-Marketing strategisch nutzt.Wenn du neu auf meinem Kanal bist:Mein Name ist Michael Asshauer. Ich bin Gründer und Geschäftsführer von XHAUER. Mein Team und ich helfen jeden Tag Anbietern im komplexen und technischen B2B, ihre Pipeline mit guten Verkaufsgelegenheiten zu füllen. Durch eine systematische Kombination aus Performance- und Content-Marketing. Ganz ohne Bunte-Bildchen-Marketing, sondern datengetrieben nach dem Grundsatz “Do more of what works”.Ein paar Fakten für dich, wie ich hierher gekommen bin und welche Reise ich auf diesem Kanal dokumentiere:25 Jahre: Gründung meines ersten Technologie-Unternehmens Familonet25 Jahre: Abschluss meiner Studiengänge Volkswirtschaftslehre, Betriebswirtschaftslehre und International Business (Hamburg & Melbourne)28 Jahre: Ausgründung unserer B2B-Software-Entwicklungsagentur onbyrd 30 Jahre: Übernahme unserer Unternehmen durch den Daimler-Konzern (heute Mercedes-Benz Group AG)31 Jahre: Gründung meiner Business-Content-Plattform “Machen!”32 Jahre: Gründung meines Performance-Recruiting-Unternehmens Talentmagnet (und anschließender Verkauf)34 Jahre: Gründung unserer B2B-Marketing-Agentur & Beratung XHAUER, gemeinsam mit Paula.Heute: Paula, unser Team und ich sind auf dem Weg, eine der besten B2B-Agenturen & Beratungen weltweit aufzubauen.Auf diesem Kanal teile ich alle Erkenntnisse, Learnings und Best Practices aus Tausenden Kampagnen offen mit dir, sodass du sie für euer Marketing anwenden kannst.Für B2B-Marketing, das die Pipeline füllt.Dein Michael Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to another episode of Elite Expert Insider! This week, Jenn Foster is joined by the insightful Luis Baez, a seasoned revenue strategist and sales coach whose impressive resume includes top names like LinkedIn, Google, Uber, and Tesla. In this episode, Luis dives deep into the world of personal branding, explaining why standing out as an individual is more important than ever amid the rise of AI and automation. He shares how he accidentally stumbled into the personal branding space—helping colleagues with their LinkedIn profiles—which eventually led to a thriving coaching business. Luis breaks down the essential mindset shifts necessary for building a brand that genuinely connects with others, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, human connection, and aligning your message with the value you deliver. He offers practical advice on blending automation with real human touchpoints, as well as tips on confidently pricing your services and creating repeatable revenue through signature frameworks.

#257 AI Strategy | Dave is joined by Kieran Flanagan, SVP of Marketing at HubSpot and former CMO at Zapier. Kieran is a rare blend of technical operator, creative strategist, and team builder. He's spent his career pushing the edges of B2B marketing, most recently through his work leading AI transformation initiatives at scale.Dave and Kieran cover:How AI is reshaping B2B marketing workflows, content creation, and team structureWhy the best marketers will specialize at the “outer edges” of creativity or technical execution (and what happens if you stay stuck in the middle)Kieran's leadership philosophy: how he manages 300+ people while staying deeply involved in creative executionWhether you're leading a marketing team or sharpening your own skills, this episode offers a clear look at how AI is changing the game and how B2B marketers can stay creative, strategic, and indispensable in the process.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (02:08) - – Kieran's marketing journey (04:08) - – His 2-year mission framework (06:08) - – Advice for early-career marketers (07:38) - – Why the grind still matters (09:08) - – Ireland's SaaS and startup scene (10:08) - – Balancing operator vs. manager (12:08) - – AI-generated “How to work with me” (14:38) - – Kieran's push-and-pull leadership style (16:08) - – Giving direct creative feedback (18:08) - – Why “collaborative brainstorms” fail (19:08) - – The value of strong opinions (20:08) - – Learning through tough feedback (21:08) - – ChatGPT as a creative partner (23:08) - – Claude vs. ChatGPT vs. Gemini (25:08) - – Prompting differences in GPT-3.5 vs. 4.0 (28:19) - – Decision fatigue and AI loyalty (29:19) - – Where AI is taking B2B marketing (30:19) - – From answers to actions (32:19) - – Micro-audiences and personalization (34:19) - – The return of branded traffic (35:19) - – Why AI reignited Kieran's spark (37:19) - – Avoiding AI-induced multitasking burnout (38:49) - – Deep work vs. whack-a-mole (39:49) - – Don Draper meets ChatGPT (40:49) - – Picking a lane: tech vs. creative (42:19) - – The value of podcasting practice (43:19) - – Building a prompt muscle (45:19) - – How Kieran trains GPTs (47:19) - – Prompting tips for marketers (48:19) - – The future CMO: part IC, part leader (49:19) - – How agencies will evolve with AI (50:19) - – In-person is back (51:19) - – Overrated AI use cases (52:19) - – Favorite tool: GenSpark (54:19) - – Mistakes marketers make with AI (55:19) - – Does anyone care if it's AI? (56:19) - – Lessons from fatherhood (57:19) - – Final thoughts and wrap-up Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***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

Are your customers conservative or liberal? And does it matter? Yes!Political ideology is a key representation of someone's values, behaviour, and worldview. These are all things that influence buying decisions significantly, even in B2B. Your company exudes values that align with right or left leaning politics, and you probably don't even know it. This fascinating episode with Chris Peterson is packed with insights that will help you level up your marketing strategy. Key takeaway: Political ideology should be a key factor in your buyer persona maps. It represents your audience much more than gender, age, or sector! You can ask Chris further questions by connecting with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrispetersonsf/ Make sure to check out his marketing insights company: https://www.lifemind.ai/ And grab his book here: https://redandblue.substack.com/ The FINITE Podcast is sponsored by Clarity, a full-service digital marketing and communications agency. Through ideas, influence and impact, Clarity empowers visionary technology companies to change the world for the better.

Thought Leadership Praxis-Vorlagen gratis? ➔ Hier laden: https://xhauer.com/downloads-podcast WEBINAR "Die 3 Schritte zur vollen Pipeline durch LinkedIn" ➔ Hier anmelden: https://xhauer.com/webinar-podIn dieser Folge baust du Schritt für Schritt eine komplette B2B Marketing Kampagne, erfährst, wie du Thought Leader Content erstellst, der nicht nach generischer KI klingt, und lernst, wie ihr mit speziell trainierten KI-Apps Posts veröffentlicht, die eurer Zielgruppe wirklich auffallen. Mit echten Praxisbeispielen und sofort umsetzbaren Techniken stärkst du dein Inhouse-Marketing und löst dich von unzuverlässigen Agenturen.Wenn du neu auf meinem Kanal bist:Mein Name ist Michael Asshauer. Ich bin Gründer und Geschäftsführer von XHAUER. Mein Team und ich helfen jeden Tag Anbietern im komplexen und technischen B2B, ihre Pipeline mit guten Verkaufsgelegenheiten zu füllen. Durch eine systematische Kombination aus Performance- und Content-Marketing. Ganz ohne Bunte-Bildchen-Marketing, sondern datengetrieben nach dem Grundsatz “Do more of what works”.Ein paar Fakten für dich, wie ich hierher gekommen bin und welche Reise ich auf diesem Kanal dokumentiere:25 Jahre: Gründung meines ersten Technologie-Unternehmens Familonet25 Jahre: Abschluss meiner Studiengänge Volkswirtschaftslehre, Betriebswirtschaftslehre und International Business (Hamburg & Melbourne)28 Jahre: Ausgründung unserer B2B-Software-Entwicklungsagentur onbyrd 30 Jahre: Übernahme unserer Unternehmen durch den Daimler-Konzern (heute Mercedes-Benz Group AG)31 Jahre: Gründung meiner Business-Content-Plattform “Machen!”32 Jahre: Gründung meines Performance-Recruiting-Unternehmens Talentmagnet (und anschließender Verkauf)34 Jahre: Gründung unserer B2B-Marketing-Agentur & Beratung XHAUER, gemeinsam mit Paula.Heute: Paula, unser Team und ich sind auf dem Weg, eine der besten B2B-Agenturen & Beratungen weltweit aufzubauen.Auf diesem Kanal teile ich alle Erkenntnisse, Learnings und Best Practices aus Tausenden Kampagnen offen mit dir, sodass du sie für euer Marketing anwenden kannst.Für B2B-Marketing, das die Pipeline füllt.Dein Michael Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Polish doesn't build trust—personality does. And no one understands that better than TikTok creators, who turn raw ideas into magnetic, shareable content every day.In this episode, we're pulling marketing lessons from TikTok's creative chaos with the help of Rhonda Hughes, award-winning B2B marketing leader.Together, they explore what B2B marketers can learn from leading with authenticity, embracing low-fi experimentation, and having the courage to make something truly original.About our guest, Rhonda HughesRhonda Hughes is a storyteller and connector of people and ideas with 18 years of experience helping brands engage their customers and audiences. She believes in creating value, not noise, and she has a knack for inspiring teams to push boundaries with fresh, fun, relevant content, campaigns, and programs. Rhonda's team's work has earned recognition from Mashable, Business Insider, Hubspot, Sprout Social, KISSmetrics, Content Marketing Institute, and snagged her a spot on North Bay's 40 under 40 “Ones to Watch” list, noted among the “Top 50 Women in Content”, and awarded for "Best B2B Campaign on TikTok."What B2B Companies Can Learn From TikTok Creators:Fun is a strategy—not a distraction. Brands win when they lean into playfulness—not just performance. “The brands that, to me, the companies that feel like they win are the ones that are really always putting their audience in the center and trying to figure out a way to be useful and be human and be playful,” Rhonda says. This kind of joyful creativity builds connection—and makes your brand memorable.Imperfect content is often the most relatable. Audiences don't crave polish—they crave authenticity. “The most engaging content isn't the most polished… you can tell that this was just a creative idea and somebody with their camera and they're rallying the folks internally around how they bring the story to life,” Rhonda says. “And that's part of what makes it so relatable and likable.” Let your audience in on the process, not just the finished product.Iterate like a creator. TikTok's best creators don't get stuck in strategy mode—they test, tweak, and try again. That mindset is essential for B2B marketers too. “TikTok creators are constantly iterating… they've gotta test formats and hooks and trends and sounds, and they have to move fast and be playful with this,” Rhonda says. The takeaway? Strategy doesn't mean overthinking. It means being in motion.Quotes*“You just never know what's gonna work. So you kind of have to be okay with trying and missing and trying again.”*“You want to build content that's gonna resonate with your audience and also be something they want to share.”*“If you're not enjoying what you're making, your audience probably isn't either.”*“It's not about going viral—it's about showing up over and over again.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Rhonda Hughes, Award-Winning Marketer[03:37] The Power of Authenticity on TikTok[06:00] Engaging Content Strategies[10:34] Spotlight on Successful TikTok Campaigns[16:16] Creative Marketing Examples[27:28] The Power of Authenticity in Social Media[29:37] The Bravery of Unique Marketing Strategies[30:33] TSA's Unexpected Social Media Success[32:39] The Importance of Fun and Experimentation in Marketing[42:03] Creating Value, Not Noise[43:37] The Utility of Content and Audience Engagement[50:03] Final Thoughts and Advice for Marketing LeadersLinksConnect with Rhonda on LinkedInAbout 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.

In this episode, we're joined by Jordan Mix, partner at Late Checkout, for an in-depth discussion on how startups can build a million-dollar brand in today's hyper-competitive landscape. Jordan introduces the concept of digital gravity—a framework for creating “mass” on the internet that draws customers into your brand's orbit. The conversation explores how companies can move beyond linear funnels and embrace orbit-based growth, where repeated brand interactions across multiple channels drive purchasing decisions.Together, we break down actionable strategies for generating traction, including the smart use of AI agents, automation, and vibe marketing. Jordan shares insights on balancing transactional marketing (like paid ads and cold outreach) with long-term brand-building investments, while emphasizing the role of creators, content flywheels, and the importance of being discoverable in AI-driven search results.Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Building a million-dollar brand in 2025 00:27 - Meet Jordan Mix and overview of Late Checkout 01:10 - The idea of digital gravity and mass in the AI era 03:00 - Funnels vs. orbits: How people really buy 06:15 - Automation, AI agents, and vibe marketing explained 10:45 - AI SEO, branded search, and surviving the law of shitty click-throughs 15:20 - Building discovery flywheels and creator-driven growth 20:30 - Strategies for leveraging YouTube, Reels, and creators at scale 25:00 - Managing creator risk and internal content strategies 28:00 - How to start creating digital gravity without overwhelmKey Points: • Digital Gravity Framework — Customers enter your orbit through repeated brand interactions, not linear funnels. The goal is to create mass (content, tools, assets) that attracts and retains attention. • AI Agents + Automation — Jordan highlights practical uses of AI agents, like automating outreach campaigns, creating dynamic ad workflows, or scraping competitive data to inform marketing. • Transactional vs. Brand Marketing — Early traction often comes from transactional tactics (ads, cold outreach), but long-term success requires investment in brand and content that lowers acquisition costs over time. • SEO in the Age of AI — With LLMs scraping Google's top pages, brands need to dominate bottom-of-funnel keywords and question-based queries to appear in AI search results. • Creator-Led Growth — Partnering with creators can trigger a viral cascade where hundreds of pieces of content are generated without direct cost, building digital gravity passively.Key Takeaway: Startups should focus first on finding where their customers spend time, test 2-3 channels, and double down on what works. From there, build repeatable processes and automate intelligently. The goal: maximize digital mass where it matters most, so your brand becomes the natural choice when buyers are ready.Notable Quotes: • “Funnels create linear growth. If you want exponential growth, you need digital gravity.” — Jordan Mix • “Where are your customers? Build as much mass as possible in that space.” — Jordan Mix • “Every ring you put out is like a mini-funnel — together they form the black hole of your brand.”Guest Socials: X: @jrdnmix LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-mix1/

What's shaping the future of B2B marketing? Inspired by The Future of Commerce article on B2B trends, this episode explores the four foundational shifts that are redefining how businesses reach, convert, and retain customers in 2025.We break down the rise of AI-powered prediction and automation, the new rules of privacy-centric marketing, the pivot to meaningful content engagement, and the evolution from transactional outreach to vibrant community building. The marketing game has changed—and these are the playbook updates worth knowing.What You'll Learn in This Episode:1. AI and Automation Are Now Table StakesAI is moving from time-saving tool to strategic driverPredictive analytics helps marketers anticipate customer needs before they're expressedAutomation enhances productivity while enabling hyper-personalized campaigns at scale2. Privacy Is the New Currency of TrustFirst-party data is replacing third-party cookies as the gold standardBrands must earn the right to analyze data through clear opt-ins and transparent policiesTrust-first approaches outperform short-term data grabs3. Content Is Shifting from Volume to ValueVideo reigns in B2B—especially explainers, expert Q&As, and how-tosThought leadership now hinges on originality, relevance, and subject-matter depthGoogle rewards brands who demonstrate genuine authority—not just keyword stuffing4. Community Is the New Conversion EnginePrivate digital communities are building brand loyalty through peer engagementEmployee advocacy turns internal teams into trusted brand ambassadorsStrong communities humanize the brand and elevate credibilityKey Takeaways:AI isn't just automating B2B marketing—it's driving smarter, faster decision-makingData privacy is no longer a compliance checkbox—it's a brand differentiatorEngagement trumps exposure—content must inform, not just attractBuilding trust through community and advocacy creates long-term brand equitySubscribe to our podcast for expert insights on digital marketing, customer trust, and B2B growth strategies. Visit The Future of Commerce for in-depth trend reports and real-world examples of marketing evolution in action. Share this episode with marketing leaders, content creators, and anyone shaping the future of business engagement.

Sylvia LePoidevin is the CMO at Kandji, a B2B SaaS company that provides Apple device management and security automation for IT and security teams. She joined Kandji as its fourth employee and rose to CMO by her late twenties, leading marketing during its rapid growth to an $850 million valuation. Before Kandji, Sylvia held key product marketing roles at DataFox and Oracle AI and was the first marketing hire at FloQast, now a billion-dollar company. In this episode… Standing out in B2B marketing has never been more difficult or more essential. With noise at an all-time high and AI reshaping content at scale, how can marketing leaders create lasting brand impact and foster genuine community around their companies? According to Sylvia LePoidevin, a seasoned marketing leader who has scaled multiple brands from the ground up, the key lies in focusing on people-first branding and building content engines powered by strategic AI use. She highlights the importance of empowering internal influencers and subject matter experts to lead brand storytelling, rather than relying solely on corporate messaging. The result is a more authentic and differentiated brand presence that cuts through digital clutter. Sylvia also emphasizes the value of niche-focused communities and original content anchors as foundations for an efficient, AI-enhanced content flywheel. In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, host Alex Gluz sits down with Sylvia LePoidevin, CMO at Kandji, to talk about reinventing modern B2B marketing through branding, community, and AI. They discuss why people — not logos — build the strongest brands, how anchor content drives scalable distribution, and why marketers must continuously reinvent themselves to lead effectively. Sylvia also shares insights on navigating long buyer journeys and rising acquisition costs.

What do stand-up comedy, solo cruises, and legal marketing have in common? For Linda Orton, they're all part of a 35+ year journey of reinvention, leadership, and deep curiosity. In Part 2, Linda shares how public speaking became a professional superpower—and how it helped her navigate major life transitions with humor and heart. From TEDx-style talks on AI-powered networking to performing comedy, Linda explains why curiosity, storytelling, and adaptability are the keys to connection. She also opens up about writing on LinkedIn since its early days, the value of commenting as a form of engagement, and how personal stories can spark professional impact. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-club-by-club-colors/id1611056742 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0vqZB7gPKLTlkDHI66XxN3 If you need branded solutions for your events, giveaways and employee engagement, check out Club Colors: https://www.clubcolors.com Connect with Linda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindasedlofforton/ A big thank you from Linda to recent partners: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theplayniceagency/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/rebelpinecreative/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/vested-llc/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/passle/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/upslide/

#256 Email Deliverability | In this episode, Dan is joined by Sarah McNamara, Revenue Operations & GTM Strategy Lead at Vector, and Alex Fine, co-founder of Understory, an agency helping B2B SaaS companies scale with outbound, paid, and email. Both Sarah and Alex are experts in email strategy, specifically the behind-the-scenes mechanics that make or break your deliverability.They break down what B2B marketers often overlook when it comes to getting emails opened, read, and replied to, and share practical tactics to improve performance across newsletters, outbound, and lifecycle campaigns.Dan, Sarah, and Alex cover:Why email deliverability issues are more common than you think and how to spot them earlyThe metrics that actually matter (hint: opens and clicks aren't on the list)How to protect your domain reputation and warm up inboxes the right wayIf email is part of your GTM motion, this episode will help you reach more inboxes and stop your messages from disappearing into the void.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (03:18) - – Meet Sarah and Alex (05:23) - – Why email deliverability matters more than subject lines (07:38) - – How to tell if you have a deliverability problem (09:53) - – The most useful (and overlooked) deliverability metrics (12:13) - – Why replies matter more than opens or clicks (14:38) - – Tools Alex and Sarah use to monitor deliverability (16:53) - – Should you buy a dedicated IP? (18:48) - – How to evaluate platforms for deliverability (21:08) - – Getting sales to care about data hygiene (23:38) - – Deliverability tips for small senders and solopreneurs (27:34) - – Subdomains vs. secondary domains (30:24) - – How many inboxes per domain is too many? (32:29) - – Best practices for cold outreach (35:19) - – How security bots skew your open and click data (38:19) - – What counts as “spam” (and how filters decide) (41:34) - – How to re-engage cold or inactive lists (44:19) - – What to A/B test in subject lines (and when it's pointless) (47:29) - – How to build a healthy, opt-in list from scratch (50:19) - – When to stop emailing cold leads (52:34) - – Welcome sequence tips for engaged subscribers (55:29) - – How to warm up a new domain (58:49) - – Final takeaways and advice Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***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

If you think Hallmark is just about greeting cards and holiday movies, think again. In this first of a two-part conversation, I sit down with Patrick McCullough, President of Hallmark Business Connections, to explore how over 110 years of creating emotional connection can teach B2B brands how to build stronger, more meaningful relationships—with customers, employees, and even themselves.Patrick brings years of experience helping companies foster loyalty and purpose by focusing on what really matters: relationships. You'll hear about how trust is built over time, why meaningful interactions at work make life more fulfilling, and what B2B leaders can do today to create a culture of connection.In a world where people are tired of being treated like transactions, this episode offers real, actionable steps on how to lead with care, create trust, and build loyalty that lasts. Whether you're a marketer, a sales leader, or an executive trying to shape a more human-centered culture—there's something in here for you.We all can learn from Hallmark.

If you're a cleaning business owner or blue-collar service pro trying to stand out online, this episode is for you.James sits down with Jeremiah Dalesio, founder of INCITE Productions, to break down how content marketing actually works in B2B and how blue-collar and “non-sexy” industries can create authentic, consistent content that actually drives trust, revenue, and brand awareness.He shares the real reason most marketing fails, how to build content that fits your brand, and the lessons from youth sports that translate into stronger teams, better leadership, and long-term growth.They dive deep into:Why most companies are just blending ingredients instead of plating the full mealHow to create content that actually lands with your clientsWhy consistency and clarity win in content The biggest mistake blue-collar companies make with social mediaWhat it really means to be authentic in your brandingPlus — special shoutout to Jay, who's now leading podcast production for The Profitable Cleaner. If you've noticed our content leveling up… now you know why.Whether you're spending hours in Canva, burning out trying to go viral, or stuck wondering why your content gets no engagement — this one gives you the roadmap.

Your best marketing content creators probably aren't who you think they are.Most founders assume it has to be them. They overlook the thought leaders already inside their team. They default to safe, scripted content that feels awkward and inauthentic.But what if the future of marketing wasn't about personal branding at all…What if it was about empowering your entire team?In today's episode, I'm joined by Katie Street, founder and MD of Street Agency and host of the chart-topping podcast Marketing in the Madness.Katie works with some of the world's top marketing tech companies and believes we're at a turning point—where brands that don't show up with real, human content will get left behind. In an AI-driven world, authenticity and trust are your unfair advantage. And if you're not visible, someone louder (and less qualified) will be.Together we unpack:How to move beyond founder-led content to team-powered marketingWhy authentic, human content beats polished scripts every timeShifting from a scarcity mindset to one of empowerment when leading your teamThe rising importance of in-person events in an AI-driven world

In this episode of "Women in B2B Marketing," host Jane Serra is joined by Chaenara O'Brien - a sharp strategist who splits her time between leading digital GTM at vFunction and consulting with startups via Thought Bakery.Chaenara brings a refreshingly grounded, systems-first lens to modern marketing, shaped by a background in energy trading, operations, and engineering services. The conversation unpacks what it really takes to build future-ready go-to-market teams, avoid burnout, and lead with both curiosity and clarity in a time of constant change.Jane and Chaenara dig into:How her career in ops + energy trading led to B2B marketing leadershipWhat “scenario planning” actually means - and how to make it actionableWhy marketers need to stop reacting and start building systemsHow AI is reshaping what it means to “do more with less”Creating space for failure and curiosity on high-performing teamsWhy outdated ideas of brand control and executive presence need to goWhat GTM leadership should look like - and where it's headedOutgrowing tech and how to protect your sparkKey Links:Guest: Chaenara O'Brien: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaenara/Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/ --Like WIB2BM? Show us some love with a rating or review today!

What can a satirical HBO series teach you about building a scalable, high-impact B2B marketing engine? A lot—if you ask Manish Gupta.In this episode, 4-Time CMO Manish Gupta joins Caspian CEO Ian Faison to deconstruct the show Silicon Valley and extract lessons on marketing, storytelling, team dynamics, and startup chaos. Together, they explore how to translate complex technology to engage your audience, prioritizing content in your marketing, and including human moments to build brand trust.About our guest, Manish GuptaManish Gupta is a 4x CMO, having led marketing at companies like LaunchDarkly, Sonar and Redis. Manish brings deep experience scaling B2B technology businesses across public and private markets, including acquisitions and strategic transitions.His leadership spans category-defining companies such as Redis, Sonar, Liaison, Oracle, and Apple, where he has successfully driven both product-led and sales-led growth. With domain expertise in software infrastructure, AI, SaaS, cloud, and communications, Manish is known for navigating complex business models and delivering sustainable growth.He has also served as an advisor, board member, and investor in early-stage startups. Manish holds Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Santa Clara University.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Silicon Valley:Tech needs a translator. Technology is hard to understand—even for your audience. “Translating really complex technologies into simple-to-deliver messaging is an art form,” Manish says. “Great technology needs a great story, right? The narrative is so important, and how you deliver the narrative and how you package it is key to the success.”Content is the engine. Not the garnish. Manish makes it clear: “The whole marketing engine should be built around content.” That means investing in formats your audience truly wants—like hands-on guides and short-form videos—and making sure every asset is tailored to a specific persona and stage in the journey.Human moments build brand trust. Whether it's the "Not Hotdog" app or the team playing their bizarre “Always Blue” game, Silicon Valley nails the emotional truth of startup life. That same humanity should be visible in your marketing. Quotes*“ We as marketing leaders have to be very mindful that not everything and everybody in every marketing organization can evolve and move at an exponentially improved pace just because you have the tools. Yes, it has to move on that trajectory, but there has to be a level of reality put into the expectation. Otherwise there's gonna be burnout.”*”I think particularly in the B2B tech space, you've got almost a bifurcation of folks that use the technology but don't have any budget ownership, versus people that have the decision-making authority and the budget ownership but aren't necessarily very close to the technology. And I think marketing has to deal with that two-pronged approach in everything that it does and the channels that get activated. The messaging that has to align with the audience is certainly the content that has to be created, and that can be complicated. Balancing that is a nuanced execution for marketing teams.”*”A CMO should run the entire marketing engine around content. And this is not to invoke the old adage of ‘Content is king,' but, you know, what are you at the end of the day? Delivering or communicating to your target audience, whether it's an existing customer or a prospect you're trying to win over. It is content and how you package that content, how you position it, what story and narrative is wrapped around the technology to deliver is really, at the end of the day, what matters.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Manish Gupta, 4-Time CMO[01:05] Why Silicon Valley?[08:22] What is Silicon Valley?[16:01] B2B Marketing Takeaways from Silicon Valley[24:02] Balancing Predictability and Innovation[28:10] Targeting Practitioners vs. Decision Makers[30:26] Creating How-To Content[33:18] Importance of Content[39:33] Measuring ROI Around a Series of Content[42:13] Advice for CMOs on Content Strategy[43:25] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Manish on LinkedInAbout 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.

Tagg Hurtubise is the Director of Marketing at Benchmarkit, where he specializes in B2B SaaS growth strategy, product marketing, and user experience. He has a strong track record of driving innovation through strategic initiatives, including leading SaaS Metrics Palooza and organizing executive events that bring together top industry leaders. With expertise in UX/UI design, digital transformation, and data-driven marketing, Tagg focuses on building strong relationships and elevating brand visibility. A graduate of San Diego State University with additional studies in Luxury Brand Management from the Paris School of Business, he is passionate about scaling high-impact marketing strategies in the SaaS space. Website: https://www.benchmarkit.ai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tagghurtubise/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@benchmarkitai Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benchmarkitai    Camela Thompson is a fractional marketing advisor known for blending data-driven strategy with empathetic, collaborative leadership. Based in Seattle, she brings over 15 years of experience in Revenue Operations, having worked at successful tech startups including Qumulo, Extrahop, and CDK Global. Camela transitioned into marketing leadership as VP of Marketing at CaliberMind, where she positioned the brand as a trusted authority for data-driven marketers. Her customer-first approach and deep understanding of growth marketing make her a sought-after advisor in the B2B tech space. Website: https://www.camelathompsoncreative.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camela-thompson/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camela.thompson/    In this episode, we explore B2B SaaS marketing strategies and AI impact and dive into event highlights and AI marketing tools with experts Tagg and Camela.    Apply to join our marketing mastermind group: https://notypicalmoments.typeform.com/to/hWLDNgjz   Follow No Typical Moments at: Website: https://notypicalmoments.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/no-typical-moments-llc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4G7csw9j7zpjdASvpMzqUA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notypicalmoments Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NTMoments

#255 Leadership | In this episode, Dave is joined by Kelly Hopping, CMO of Demandbase, a B2B company known for pioneering account-based marketing. Kelly leads a 70+ person marketing org that spans brand, demand gen, product marketing, events, and SDRs, and she shares exactly how she structures and operates that team to drive results.Dave and Kelly cover:How to design and run a full-funnel marketing team that includes SDRs, content, field, and brand, and keep them aligned on pipelineThe annual planning strategy Kelly uses to balance short-term targets with long-term positioning (including what changes quarter to quarter)How her team is using AI right now and what she's doing personally to stay sharp as the pace of change acceleratesWhether you're a first-time CMO or just trying to scale your B2B marketing engine, this one is packed with insights from someone who's operating at a high level.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (03:08) - – What Demandbase actually does (05:08) - – How the Demandbase marketing team is structured (07:38) - – Who owns what: brand, content, demand, SDRs (10:08) - – Account-based marketing + broad demand gen (12:38) - – What a CMO actually does at this stage (15:08) - – Kelly's early CMO learning curve (18:08) - – Planning your first 90 days as a CMO (20:08) - – Balancing pipeline today vs. positioning for tomorrow (22:38) - – What changed between a bad Q4 and strong Q1 (27:19) - – How Kelly thinks about yearly pipeline pacing (30:19) - – Staying relevant in a fast-moving MarTech world (32:49) - – Why marketers need to work like product teams (36:19) - – “I am the ICP”: Why product marketing works better (37:49) - – Kelly's #1 job as CMO: Make sales love marketing (40:19) - – Becoming a peer to product and revenue leaders (42:49) - – Best-performing channel right now: in-person events (44:19) - – Brand, attribution, and pipeline are all connected (45:49) - – How Kelly's team is using AI today (47:19) - – The future of marketing roles in an AI-powered world (49:49) - – Why she's still learning new AI tools herself (52:19) - – Why AI is fun again for marketers (53:19) - – Closing thoughts Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***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

Tagg Hurtubise is the Director of Marketing at Benchmarkit, where he specializes in B2B SaaS growth strategy, product marketing, and user experience. He has a strong track record of driving innovation through strategic initiatives, including leading SaaS Metrics Palooza and organizing executive events that bring together top industry leaders. With expertise in UX/UI design, digital transformation, and data-driven marketing, Tagg focuses on building strong relationships and elevating brand visibility. A graduate of San Diego State University with additional studies in Luxury Brand Management from the Paris School of Business, he is passionate about scaling high-impact marketing strategies in the SaaS space. Website: https://www.benchmarkit.ai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tagghurtubise/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@benchmarkitai Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benchmarkitai    Camela Thompson is a fractional marketing advisor known for blending data-driven strategy with empathetic, collaborative leadership. Based in Seattle, she brings over 15 years of experience in Revenue Operations, having worked at successful tech startups including Qumulo, Extrahop, and CDK Global. Camela transitioned into marketing leadership as VP of Marketing at CaliberMind, where she positioned the brand as a trusted authority for data-driven marketers. Her customer-first approach and deep understanding of growth marketing make her a sought-after advisor in the B2B tech space. Website: https://www.camelathompsoncreative.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camela-thompson/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camela.thompson/    In this episode, we explore B2B SaaS marketing strategies and AI impact and dive into event highlights and AI marketing tools with experts Tagg and Camela.    Apply to join our marketing mastermind group: https://notypicalmoments.typeform.com/to/hWLDNgjz   Follow No Typical Moments at: Website: https://notypicalmoments.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/no-typical-moments-llc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4G7csw9j7zpjdASvpMzqUA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notypicalmoments Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NTMoments

Lori Turner-Wilson discusses her book “The B2B Marketing Revolution,” and ways that B2B businesses can transform their marketing efforts and drive growth. Lori is the founder and CEO of Red Rover Company, a firm that specializes in transforming B2B marketing from a cost center into a predictable growth engine. Listen for three action items you can use today.  Host, Kevin Craine Do you want to be a guest? https://Everyday-MBA.com/guest This episode is supported by the Naveen Jindal School of Management 

Going viral might get you noticed. But consistency is what makes you unforgettable. And no one proves that better than Alix Earle, a TikTok star who turned daily “Get Ready With Me” videos into a personal media empire.In this episode, we're pulling marketing lessons from Alix's rise with the help of Elizabeth Strickert, Director of Content Marketing at A-LIGN.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from staying consistent, growing with (not past) your audience, and making content that's actually fun to create.About our guest, Elizabeth StrickertElizabeth Strickert is Director of Content Marketing at tech-enabled cybersecurity and compliance company A-LIGN. There, Elizabeth is leading content, thought leadership, comms & customer marketing.She has overhauled their SEO program, resulting in top 10 ranking for high-difficulty, high-volume keywords. She also led the creation of an annual benchmark report, reaching 3 million+ impressions. She leverages internal thought leaders for social media, videos, webinars, speaking opps and written content. She previously served as Director of Communications & Content at Ekos and Marketing Communications Manager at Passport.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Alix Earle:Consistency builds credibility. Viral moments come and go, but Alix Earle's staying power lies in her relentless consistency. No shortcuts, just commitment. It's a reminder that content success isn't just about innovation; it's about endurance. Elizabeth says, “Alix, not only did she get rewarded from doing that, she was on TikTok for a long time before she really got big. But even since making it, she's still posting multiple times a day. She is just there doing it, grinding. All the time.” In B2B, the same rule applies: keep posting, keep showing up.Honor your origin story. Growth doesn't mean forgetting who got you there. Alix still makes the content that first drew her audience in, while smartly layering in new formats. In B2B, you must evolve, but stay grounded. Elizabeth reminds us, “You gotta remember who got you here. You gotta remember your core customer base. You gotta remember the people who you know are…the ones that pay the bills.” Make sure to have a balance, especially as you scale.Find the fun and show it. Audiences can feel when you're enjoying what you're creating. It's what makes content magnetic. Alix's success didn't just come from consistency, it came from joy. She leaned into the formats that were fun for her, and her audience leaned in too. Elizabeth puts it plainly: “When someone is excited about the things they're making, it automatically makes them more interesting. And we just have to lean on that.” In B2B, it's easy to default to polished, sanitized messaging. But the real key is letting your content creators tap into what actually excites them. If your team thinks it's boring, your audience will too.Quotes“ We think, B2B, it needs to be polished, it needs to be sanitized. But the story is the interesting part. That's where someone can relate to it. That's where somebody can get hooked in. That's why you care. And I think a lot of times we forget about that.”“We want B2B content to be polished. Sanitized. But the story — that's the interesting part. That's what people actually relate to. We forget that too often. The story is why people care.”“ I think it's good to be a consumer. As a marketer, you're putting content out in the world, you need to consume it. But…you don't need to be going to a B2B workshop. You can watch TikTok. You can watch people like Alix Earle and other folks and get inspiration from what their doing. You can look at what YouTubers are doing. Everything people are doing is a marketing decisions and there's things you can take away from that.”“Influencers start off because they thought, ‘Oh, it'd be kind of fun to make a video.' That's the initial nugget.  And as marketers who, for a living, have chosen to create content and do marketing. We also need to think, ‘Hey, it'd be a little fun to make a video.' That's where the start of it has to come from.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Elizabeth Strickert, Director of Content Marketing at A-LIGN[01:03] Why Alix Earle?[01:56] The Role of Director of Content Marketing at A-LIGN[02:29] The Rise of Alix Earl[13:41] Relatability and Authenticity in Influencer Marketing[21:07] The Power of Parasocial Influence[29:02] B2B Marketing Takeaways From Alix Earle[45:59] A-LIGN's Content Strategy[47:32] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Elizabeth on LinkedInLearn more about A-LIGNAbout 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.

In this episode of Confessions of a B2B Entrepreneur, Tom Hunt speaks with Gabe Lullo, CEO of Alleyoop, a leading SDR-as-a-service firm. Gabe unveils his groundbreaking employee-powered content machine, a unique strategy that remarkably drives 40% of Alleyoop's new business. Drawing from his sixteen years in sales and leadership, Gabe also shares how to overcome common cold outreach pitfalls with data-driven strategies, Alleyoop's 'plug and play' SDR teams for scalable B2B growth, and his unique journey from SDR to CEO. Essential listening for B2B founders, sales leaders, and marketing professionals looking to innovate their demand generation and future-proof their revenue engine.

** Originally published on January 18, 2023 **This episode is a favorite for anyone who's ever argued about buttons vs hyperlinks, wondered if open rates still matter, or just wants to get better at email without sounding like a spam bot.Kestrel Lemen is an email powerhouse: part strategist, part storyteller, and hands down one of the most insightful voices in email marketing. Her take on what actually drives conversions, how to balance plain text with visuals, and what marketers still get wrong about newsletters is full of gold.It's one I still reference, and if email is even remotely in your job description, you'll want to give this one a listen.Want a part two with Kestrel? Leave a review, drop a DM, or just say the word.— Jane--In this episode of Women in B2B Marketing, host Jane Serra sits down with Kestrel Lemen, email marketing expert and former Senior Strategist at Seguno Software (now Senior Manager Lifecycle Marketing at Zillow!) From her start in the art world to building Bronto's London office and becoming an email force in both B2B and B2C, Kestrel's journey is as fascinating as it is full of lessons.They get into:The difference (and surprising similarities) between B2B and B2C email strategiesVisual vs. plain text emails - and when each actually performs bestWhat's still true about email above the fold (and what's totally changed)The metrics you should be tracking now - and which ones are just vanitySpam triggers, button design, and real talk on segmentationHow privacy laws like GDPR and Apple MPP are reshaping email as we know itWhy your “free Yeti cooler” giveaway is probably not the moveBuilding emails that convert and don't annoyPlus: how to keep your resume “conversion-optimized” for your future selfIf email is part of your job - or just gives you heartburn - this episode is a goldmine.Key Links:Guest: Kestrel Lemen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kestrellemen/Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/ Community: Women of Email - https://womenofemail.org/

#254 Brand | In this episode, Dave sits down with Kira Federer, VP of SMB Marketing at Paramount Advertising, and formerly at companies like Reddit and Glassdoor. Kira shares her journey from sales to product marketing and the lessons she's learned along the way.Dave and Kira discuss:How to align marketing and sales through co-creation to ensure your sales team uses the content you createThe value of a strong messaging framework and how it drives consistency in B2B marketingWhy you need to time your product launches and ensure that marketing resonates with both your team and the market at the right momentTimestamps(00:00) - - Intro to Kira (06:02) - - Kira's Career Journey From Sales Enablement to Product Marketing (09:16) - - Challenges of Building Community / Getting Connected with Exit Five (15:32) - - How To Get Sales To Use Content from Marketing (18:07) - - How to Align Marketing and Sales Teams (25:24) - - Effective Messaging and Having a Core Company Narrative (30:32) - - Why You Should Identify What Differentiates Your Business (34:15) - - How To Create Strong Brand Positioning (37:00) - - Why You Need To Have A Clear Vision And Strong Point of View in Marketing (38:44) - - “The Risk Of Insult Is The Price Of Clarity” Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***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

What happens when a product marketer leaves the in-house grind to start her own consultancy? According to Alex Virden, it changed how she saw product marketing entirely.In this episode, Virdical founder shares why PMMs aren't traditional marketers, how consulting rewires your thinking, and what startup leaders really need when they ask for help. From messy handoffs to misaligned messaging, Alex explains the recurring pain points that surface in the go-to-market function and how external voices can reset the entire narrative.She also share knowledge on:The power dynamics that make consultants more effective than internal PMMsWhy hourly billing models can backfire (and what to do instead)How to spot when your org needs a third-party voice to fix GTM strategyTactics for commanding a room with CEOs (even if you're the outsider)How to avoid getting pulled into the basement making decks and one-pagersPractical advice for PMMs transitioning into consulting or freelance workIf you've tried to run a strategic PMM project while dodging CEO opinions and internal politics, this episode is a must-listen. Whether you're in-house and underwater or eyeing the consultant leap, Alex Virden brings receipts, real talk, and a clear lens on what modern product marketing really looks like when done right

In this episode, we walk through practical ways manufacturing companies can generate and nurture more leads. If your team isn't seeing enough opportunities coming in, it might be time to revisit your approach.You'll hear how to:• Identify the right audience based on your best customers• Increase visibility using trusted industry-specific channels• Improve lead capture on your website with clear messaging and helpful resources• Build relationships with consistent, value-based content• Leverage tools like ChatGPT to maintain consistency and stay visible, even with a lean teamWhether you're just getting started or refining your efforts, these strategies can help your brand show up in the right places and speak to the right people.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction and Personal Update00:33 The Importance of Leads01:12 Identifying the Right Audience02:47 Increasing Visibility07:35 Improving Lead Capturing on Your Website09:57 Building Relationships13:08 Leveraging AI Tools for Consistency15:15 Conclusion and RecapIf you found this episode helpful, please subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence Podcast and leave a rating so others can find it too.Visit our YouTube channel for practical How-To videos, and explore our website at https://www.worldinnovators.com for more actionable steps to help you reach your goals.We're here to inspire success in everyone around us.

In this special episode of Sales Pipeline Radio from the Forrester B2B Summit 2025 marketplace floor, Matt spoke with Helen Baptist, Chief Strategy and Market Officer at Lytho. Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to Sales Pipeline Radio or tune in live Thursdays at 11:30 PT | 12:30 MT | 1:30 CT | 2:30 ET on LinkedIn (also available on demand). In just 20 fast-paced minutes, host Matt interviews the brightest minds in sales and marketing, delivering actionable advice, best practices, and insights for B2B sales and marketing professionals. Sales Pipeline Radio was recently recognized as one of the 25 Best Sales Management Podcasts and Top 60 Sales Podcasts—don't miss out! You can subscribe right at Sales Pipeline Radio and/or listen to full recordings of past shows everywhere you listen to podcasts! You can even ask Siri, Alexa and Google or search on Audible!

Scared marketing doesn't stand out. Bold stories do. And no one knows that better than the team behind Animal, a new documentary that challenges everything you think you know about meat, health, and what drives people to change.In this episode, we're pulling lessons from the film's launch with the help of our special guest, Kevin Carter, Producer at H20 Studios.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can steal from the big screen on how to activate communities, take smart creative risks, and stop playing it safe when the goal is to stand out.About our guest, Kevin CarterKevin Carter is an experienced marketing and production executive with a track record of driving significant revenue and audience growth. Currently a Producer at H20 Studios in Los Angeles, he oversees productions, strategically optimizing budgets to achieve substantial savings while delivering high-impact content reaching millions of viewers. Previously, in Global Marketing Strategy at Lionsgate, Kevin spearheaded marketing campaigns for over 117 film and television releases, generating upwards of $100 million in revenue.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Kevin's documentary, Animal:Build evangelists, not just audiences. A film doesn't go viral because it's seen. It goes viral because people can't stop talking about it. That's how Kevin sees it. He says, “The best way is when you really create an army of people that just talk about your film without you doing anything.” For B2B marketers, that means stop chasing impressions and start sparking conversations. If your product solves a real problem, give your users the language, the emotion, and the why. They won't just use it, they'll share it.Give your team space to strike out. You can't hit home runs if you're too scared to swing. Kevin urges leaders to embrace failure in the name of breakthrough: “You have to allow your executives to have three strikeouts before a win… try some crazy things that might cause some virality.” In B2B, too many marketers are stuck playing defense. But virality, innovation, and true brand momentum come from cultures that reward experimentation, not just execution. If you want word of mouth, you have to make room for risk.Challenge the spreadsheet. When executives default to templates, creativity gets sidelined. Kevin puts it bluntly: “Do I use this templated spend calculator… or do I take a chance and try something new to break through all the noise?” Most choose safety and the result is scared content that no one talks about. In B2B, the same trap shows up in recycled campaigns and rinse-repeat strategies. But breakthrough growth doesn't come from playing it safe. It comes from marketers brave enough to break the mold. Because what limits risk often limits reach.Quotes*“The best way is when you really create an army of people that just talk about your film without you doing anything. Every one person that you market to that loves it and then tells three other people. There's so much value to that. And then you expand that out to thousands of people, and they're all sharing with other people. That is the winning formula, really.”*“You finally get that EVP role… you're just loving life, and then you have two options. Do I use this templated spend calculator that we use on films, that's probably solid… limits our downside risk? Or do I take a chance and try something new and fresh, and try to break through all the noise out there, but the downside risk is a bit higher? Most of the time, they pick the latter... I think you get stuck in. Just making scared content all the time versus making like the best content.”*“For Animal, there's been no templated spend at all, we are just doing a totally bespoke campaign. If we do another film after this, it won't be the same either. You have to look at each project and ask, what are our strengths? What are our weaknesses?... And then lean into your strengths and hopefully that carries you to the promised land.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Kevin Carter, Producer at H20 Studios[01:00] Breaking Down Kevin's Documentary, Animal[07:52] Marketing Strategies For Film and TV[14:51] Challenges and Risks in Movie Marketing[21:25] Rethinking Your Target Audience[27:14] Innovative Marketing Techniques For Film and TV[33:40] Creating the Documentary, Animal[35:26] Marketing Animal[40:02 Final Thoughts & TakeawaysLinksConnect with Kevin on LinkedInCheck out AnimalAbout 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.

In this episode, I chat with Jonathan, a rapidly rising expert on Twitter known for building and scaling AI-driven marketing automations using tools like n8n and custom API integrations. We explore the practical realities of "vibe marketing" automation beyond hype, revealing how real-world workflows are being constructed today and why true expertise in marketing is essential for effective automation. Listeners will gain insights into automating audience research, creative production, and ad performance analysis at scale, as well as actionable tips for getting started and leveraging AI tools to 10x their output.Timestamps(00:00) – Introduction to Jonathan and Marketing Automation The host introduces Jonathan and sets the stage for a discussion on modern marketing automation tools and why they're currently so powerful.(02:45) – Jonathan's Background and Automation Journey Jonathan shares how he got into marketing automation, his paid ads background, and the evolution from manual work to automation.(07:30) – Key Tools and Stack for Automation The host and Jonathan discuss their tech stacks, highlighting n8n, railway.com, and custom front-end interfaces to streamline automation.(12:15) – Top Marketing Automation Workflows Jonathan outlines his most effective workflows: audience research, creative generation, and scaling marketing insights.(18:00) – Audience Research Automation: Reddit Scraping and Analysis A deep dive into using n8n to scrape Reddit, filter and analyze discussions, and extract actionable marketing insights and customer language.(25:40) – Twitter Insights Automation How Jonathan automates scraping Twitter for popular posts, identifying top-performing content and structuring it for ongoing content creation.(31:10) – Creative Production Automation Jonathan explains workflows for bulk generating ad variations using OpenAI's Image Gen API, including reference image analysis and prompt engineering.(38:20) – Custom Front-End Interfaces for Workflows The pair discuss integrating user-friendly front-end UIs (using Lovable or Bolt) with n8n backend automations for client and team use.(44:50) – Automating Ad Performance Analysis Jonathan describes a flow for pulling and analyzing Facebook Ads data, using sub-agents for performance analysis, deep research, and new ad creation.(51:10) – Video Ad Automation and Future Trends A look at how video ad automation is evolving and the current limitations and opportunities, including upcoming tools like Google Veo 3.(56:40) – Speeding Up Workflow Creation with Perplexity and Claude The host and Jonathan discuss using AI (Perplexity, Claude 4) to generate n8n workflow JSON, streamlining the automation development process.Key PointsExpertise in Marketing is Essential for Automation: To automate marketing workflows effectively, you need a deep understanding of marketing processes themselves. Only then can you define, script, and automate successful campaigns[1].Automating Audience Research Drives Results: Bulk scraping and analyzing platforms like Reddit and Twitter allow marketers to extract pain points, trigger events, and customer language at scale, informing ad copy and creative direction.Creative Volume is Game-Changing: Automation tools like OpenAI's Image Gen API enable the generation of hundreds of ad variations, feeding algorithms for higher performance and lower costs.Custom Front-Ends Improve Workflow Accessibility: Building user-friendly interfaces (using tools like Lovable or Bolt) for complex n8n automations makes them accessible to non-technical team members and clients.AI Accelerates Workflow Development: Using AI tools like Perplexity and Claude to generate n8n workflow JSON reduces the time and technical skill required to build sophisticated automations.Human-in-the-Loop Remains Critical: While automation handles the heavy lifting, human oversight is still needed for nuanced analysis, curation, and final ad selection.Notable QuotesJonathan: “You have to be an expert at that thing to be able to go and actually build out these automations. But when you do that, you can automate 80% of the work that you previously were doing.”Jonathan: “I literally just tell Claude what I want to build, and then it maps it out for me. And then you kind of have a canvas that is like 60, 70, 80% there depending on the complexity.”Cody: “Your customers are your best advertisers, so taking their exact wording and phrases is for sure going to be an effective marketing strategy a lot of the time.”Actionable Takeaways for Founders, Marketers, and PodcastersStart with a Core Marketing Process: Identify a repeatable marketing workflow you fully understand before attempting to automate it.Invest in Audience Research Automation: Use tools to scrape and analyze discussions on Reddit, Twitter, and other platforms to extract customer pain points and language for your messaging[2].Bulk Generate and Test Creatives: Leverage AI to produce hundreds of ad variations, enabling rapid testing and optimization of creative assets.Automate Performance Analysis: Implement workflows to automatically pull and analyze campaign performance data, allowing you to focus on strategy and execution[8].Simplify Tool Accessibility: Build custom UIs for your automation tools to make them accessible for your entire team, not just engineers.Accelerate Workflow Development: Use AI-powered tools like Perplexity and Claude to generate automation scripts and reduce development time.Brought to you byTalentFiber – Hire top offshore engineers with US experience at half the cost of US hires. - talentfiber.comWhere to the find Guest: https://x.com/vibemarketer_ https://linktr.ee/vibemarketerResources Mentionedhttps://www.youtube.com/@nateherkhttps://www.youtube.com/@Mark_Kashefhttps://www.youtube.com/@AI-GPTWorkshop/videosRapidAPI – Access a wide range of third-party APIs for quick integrations. - rapidapi.comApify – Scrape websites and extract data at scale. - apify.comTwitterAPI.io – Free and affordable Twitter data scraping tool. - twitterapi.io

Megan Bowen and Matt Sciannella from Refine Labs, team up with Wynter's Peep Laja to discuss the importance of brand in B2B Marketing. They explore the nuances of brand visibility, drawing on their extensive experiences to highlight how foundational brand awareness has become in competitive markets. Exploring the intricate balance between brand and demand generation, the discussion underscores why brand perception and awareness can no longer be sidelined in favor of immediate revenue-driven tactics.They share actionable insights on overcoming common pitfalls associated with B2B brand marketing, from misconceptions about ROI to the undervaluation of sustained marketing efforts. Matt emphasizes the importance of setting the right expectations with leadership teams about brand-building timelines, while Peep advocates for consistent messaging and memorable brand experiences. They unpack strategies to measure brand success effectively, bridging the gap between qualitative insights and quantitative data, and underscore the fact that modern businesses must invest in their brand story to achieve meaningful, long-term market penetrationEpisode topics: #marketing, #leadgen, #demandgeneration, #brand, #B2BSaaS, #digitalmarketing #ads #brandmarketing______Subscribe to Stacking Growth on Spotify and YouTubeLearn More About Refine LabsSign Up For Our NewsletterConnect with the guests:Matt SciannellaPeep LajaConnect with the host:Megan Bowen

#253 Lifecycle Marketing | In this episode, we're joined by two expert lifecycle marketers: Charlotte Hardin, Lifecycle Marketing Manager at Rebuy Engine, and Naomi West, Senior Product Manager at Customer.io. Charlotte and Naomi bring years of hands-on experience running email, onboarding, and retention programs inside B2B SaaS companies.They break down how B2B teams can use lifecycle marketing to drive more revenue, boost product engagement, and strengthen customer relationships, without needing a massive team.Charlotte and Naomi cover:How top B2B teams build high-performing welcome sequences, and why they're constantly worth revisitingThe role of experimentation and how to prioritize AB tests that deliver learnings (even with small audiences)Strategic ways to keep users engaged post-onboarding, including behavior-based triggers and surprise-and-delight momentsTimestamps(00:00) - – Intro (02:38) - – Meet Charlotte and Naomi (04:23) - – How they define lifecycle marketing (06:08) - – What they've changed their minds about recently (09:18) - – Plain text vs. designed emails (11:08) - – Their frameworks for experimentation (13:38) - – How to test in low-volume environments (15:58) - – Common mistakes in A/B testing (17:08) - – What a day in lifecycle marketing looks like (19:18) - – How they (actually) use AI in their workflows (23:08) - – Building a reporting foundation for lifecycle (27:19) - – Naomi's example of measuring aha moments (29:19) - – Quick definitions of lifecycle marketing (30:49) - – Tips for writing lifecycle campaigns that actually matter (31:19) - – Favorite lifecycle campaigns they've run (33:19) - – Why revamping welcome flows is always worth it (35:19) - - Frameworks they use for building new flows (38:19) - – What to do *after* onboarding ends (39:49) - – Using behavior-based triggers and milestones (41:49) - – Surprise and delight moments in B2B (43:19) - – Creating assets with a lean team (46:19) - – Systems and templates that save time (48:19) - – Navigating multi-year sales cycles with lifecycle content (51:19) - – Why benchmarks are often misleading (53:19) - – Final advice: audit often, talk to your team, and keep learning (55:19) - – Wrap-up and where to find Naomi and Charlotte Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***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

In this Jordan Calderon Interview, we dive deep into the real-world journey of building and scaling a successful digital marketing agency that's defied the odds—and the need for venture capital.If you're searching for B2B marketing strategies, how to run a bootstrapped startup, or looking for an entrepreneur success story that mirrors your own business challenges, this episode is your blueprint. Jordan Calderon, founder of StratDev Digital Marketing, has scaled multiple businesses, rejected 11 acquisition offers, and built a reputation for delivering results most firms only promise.You'll walk away with real answers to questions like:“How do I grow my B2B startup without outside funding?”“What makes a good marketing agency case study stand out?”“How do I avoid getting burned by another digital marketing agency?”“Where does AI in marketing actually work—and where doesn't it?”“How do I stay in control while scaling a startup?”Jordan's founder journey includes building from the ground up, staying true to his vision, and proving that staying lean doesn't mean thinking small. Whether you're scaling your team, managing client expectations, or figuring out when (or if) you should be selling your business, Jordan brings clarity, strategies, and inspiration.If you're a founder, startup operator, or marketer searching for sustainable growth and smarter execution—this is the episode you can't afford to miss.0:00 – Intro & Jordan's entrepreneurial background1:20 – Starting StratDev Digital Marketing3:10 – Bootstrapping vs VC: Why Jordan said no to funding5:45 – Rejecting 11 acquisition offers7:55 – Southend Pharmacy case study10:50 – How AI is changing digital marketing agencies13:00 – Managing multiple businesses with time blocking15:15 – Failures, lessons, and founder resilience17:10 – Inspiring his father to leave corporate & start a business18:35 – Connect with Jordan & learn about My Virtual DeskTo check out the YouTube (video podcast), visit: https://www.youtube.com/@drchrisloomdphdDisclaimer: Not advice. Educational purposes only. Not an endorsement for or against. Results not vetted. Views of the guests do not represent those of the host or show.  Click here to join PodMatch (the "AirBNB" of Podcasting): https://www.joinpodmatch.com/drchrisloomdphdWe couldn't do it without the support of our listeners. To help support the show:CashApp- https://cash.app/$drchrisloomdphdVenmo- https://account.venmo.com/u/Chris-Loo-4Spotify- https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/christopher-loo/supportBuy Me a Coffee- https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chrisJxClick here to schedule a 1-on-1 private coaching call: https://www.drchrisloomdphd.com/book-onlineClick here to check out our bookstore, e-courses, and workshops: https://www.drchrisloomdphd.com/shopClick here to purchase my books on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2PaQn4pFor audiobooks, visit: https://www.audible.com/author/Christopher-H-Loo-MD-PhD/B07WFKBG1FFollow our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/chL1357Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/drchrisloomdphdFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereal_drchrislooFollow us on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thereal_drchrislooFollow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drchrisloomddphdFollow our Blog: https://www.drchrisloomdphd.com/blogFollow the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NkM6US7cjsiAYTBjWGdx6?si=1da9d0a17be14d18Subscribe to our Substack newsletter: https://substack.com/@drchrisloomdphd1Subscribe to our Medium newsletter: https://medium.com/@drchrisloomdphdSubscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6992935013231071233Subscribe to our email list: https://financial-freedom-podcast-with-dr-loo.kit.com/Thank you to all of our sponsors and advertisers that help support the show!Financial Freedom for Physicians, Copyright 2025

Show Resources Connect with Gina Kleiner on LinkedIn Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics community and get access to our 4 courses to take you from beginner to expert Rate/Review Contact us with any questions, suggestions, or corrections Summary AJ Wilcox interviews Gina Kleiner, the lead PMM of LinkedIn Ads from LinkedIn, to unveil the newly upgraded Live Event Ads format on LinkedIn—a dynamic and powerful tool for B2B marketers.  They explore exciting updates offered to combine the storytelling power of video with detailed performance metrics—ideal for B2B campaigns. Show Transcript For the full show transcript, see the show notes page here: Episode 161

Have you ever poured time and money into marketing only to feel like you're spinning your wheels? You're not alone. Talked to plenty of people in this boat. The truth is, most B2B marketing doesn't fall flat because of bad tactics. It fails because there's no marketing strategy fueling the engine. Today, I'm going to break down the strategy gap, what it is, why it's costing you big, and what to do about it. >>> Here are 4 ways we can help you reach your revenue goals faster...#1 Unlock the full potential of your marketing engine. We'll provide you and your team with the direction, insights, and tools necessary to excel in the complex landscape of modern marketing. - Marketing Advisor On Call#2 Discover the marketing strategies & tactics that will guide your next quarter and unlock explosive growth in 90 minutes. - Quick-Start Marketing Strategy Game Plan#3 Discover a tailor-made strategy for unprecedented growth to transform your marketing in 30 days. - Unlock Your Growth Opportunities#4 If you need guidance on the most effective direction for your marketing, then schedule a call with us today! - 

AI-powered video tools have made glossy production values a commodity, so what's left to set your brand apart? In this punchy episode, host Guy Bauer (founder & creative director of Umault) serves up a hard truth: entertaining your audience is now non-negotiable. Guy unpacks how next-gen platforms like Veo 3, Kling 2.1, and a flood of other text-to-video engines have leveled the playing field. Anybody can crank out a slick 30-second spot with “people laughing at sinks” (listen to the episode for this to make sense), holographic dashboards, and a generic voice-over. The result? Those once-premium visuals are just table stakes. Drawing on a tongue-in-cheek cybersecurity ad he generated in seconds, Guy illustrates why story, and genuine viewer delight, are the new differentiators. Whether you're an in-house B2B marketer, agency lead, or brand storyteller, you'll leave with a clear mandate: stop blending in and start delivering value within the ad itself. Listen for a dose of reality, a spark of inspiration, and a challenge to make your next video ad impossible to ignore.

Whether you're a CMO, startup founder, creative director, or someone rethinking your brand, this episode is full of actionable insights to help you thrive in the future of work.Follow Eric martinez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericmartinez/Follow Us for more Future Human + episodes:Spotify:open.spotify.com/show/0ktGwHk5PsTVSGdEyseeglIiinstagram: instagram.com/futurehumanplus/?hl=enFacebook:facebook.com/futurehumanplusSponsors: www.rizewell.io#FutureHumanPodcast #EricMartinez #Marketing2024 #BrandStrategy #AIinMarketing #EmpathyInLeadership #FutureOfWork #CMOTalks #StorytellingMatters #PodcastLaunch #MarketingPodcast #HealthcareBranding #Rizewell #FutureOfMarketing #Season2Premiere #BusinessPodcast #contentstrategy

Cool features don't make a story. Emotional stakes do. And no one knew that better than Knight Rider, a show where a talking car and a lone hero made 80s TV unforgettable.In this episode, we're pulling lessons from that retro icon with the help of our special guest, Ashley Sasnett, Senior Director of Content Strategy at EquifaxTogether, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from classic archetypes, character-driven branding, and the power of giving your product a little personality (or maybe even a voice of its own).About our guest, Ashley SasnettAshley Sasnett is the Senior Director of Content Strategy at Equifax. She is an award-winning, dynamic, and energetic digital marketing strategist with an extensive background in content, social media, mobile, campaign design and execution, and audience development. Ashley is a data-driven leader who embraces social listening and digital analytics to glean insights to solve business problems.Ashley is a marketer who humanizes Brands with social media, digital content, and influencers, creating connections with clients and prospects.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Knight Rider:Storytelling makes the features matter. Knight Rider didn't win fans because KITT had voice activation or turbo boost. It won fans because those features served a bigger story. A story about a hero resurrected to right wrongs with his talking car by his side. Ashley urges marketers to take the same approach. Don't just list functionality. Show how it fits into a compelling narrative. Ashley says, “That's a story. And so I think for me, when I'm thinking about how do you create marketing that really sticks with people is... you need to really pull 'em away from like brochureware.” When tech serves emotion, people remember it. So build the story before you build the spec sheet.Embrace the buddy system. At its heart, Knight Rider was a buddy story—man and machine. That relationship brought emotional grounding to an otherwise tech-heavy premise. Ashley points out how powerful that dynamic is in marketing, too. Even the most advanced products need a human emotion. Ashley explains, “You gotta give him a friend… give them a buddy to keep their humanity, keep them connected so they can go out and be the hero they're supposed to be.” Your product might be brilliant. But it's the companion—the story, the use case, the customer—that brings it to life.Make it iconic, not just informative. KITT wasn't just a car. It had a voice, a silhouette, and a sound you could recognize anywhere. It was branding genius and completely unforgettable. Ashley sees this as a blueprint for marketers: features don't stick unless they're wrapped in a sensory identity people can latch onto. Ashley says, “When the car is driving up…that sound is like Darth Vader's voice. Everyone knows that sound. It's so ownable to the show.” Don't just inform. Design your marketing to be remembered. Own your marketing.Quotes*“When I'm thinking about how do you create marketing that really sticks with people is it's, yeah, you gotta give 'em the AI and the voice of recognition and the bulletproof and the hot car thing. You gotta give them features and functionality, but you need to really pull them away from like brochureware, right? Don't take a product sheet and turn it into a webpage. We're so past that. Because a lot of the time, people are going through and checking boxes for that stuff, but they're not getting the use case, the value prop, the differentiation that's wrapped around those features and functionality. And when you do have something that's different, doubling down on that, so you can stand out, you're gonna do that in storytelling, and you always have these big story arcs.”*“ Market your marketing. The challenge that you've got is throughout your organization, people are seeing your marketing, but they're seeing it more as users. They're seeing the end product, they're not always understanding the strategies behind it. And I love a good dashboard. I love a good metric, I love a good deck, but you don't wanna turn them into crutches. You need to have that elevator pitch…And I think marketers, internally, we get so caught up in the bits and bobs and the how it's made, and we like to geek out on that stuff. We forget that really everybody just needs three or four bullet points… I think that's where it's funny 'cause we don't do for ourselves as we should do for our company or for our customers. Which is market your marketing, make sure people are understanding why you're doing what you're doing and how.”*“Stories are  pretty basic…Things were cranking along, and then you hit a stormy patch, and now things are better because you use this product. The stories  that you unearth in there is how they've used that product, but you've got that big story arc that kind of pulls it all together….  What is the conflict? Who's the protagonist? And then what does that or resolution look like? And when you're able to do that, you're gonna have a fuller, clearer picture for the audience to really glom onto. Because unless you're in the room with them telling that story, you've gotta let your digital content do a lot of work.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Ashley Sasnett, Sr. Director, Content Strategy at Equifax[01:15] Why Knight Rider?[03:13] The Role of Sr. Director of Content Strategy at Equifax[05:21] Origins of Knight Rider[10:37] B2B Marketing Lessons from Knight Rider[37:42] Equifax's Content Strategy[41:26] Creating Memorable Content[43:15] Great Current Marketing Campaigns[47:37] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Ashley on LinkedInLearn more about EquifaxAbout 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.

#252 Category Creation | Dave is joined by Josh Lowman, Founder and Creative Director of Gold Front, a category design studio that's worked with brands like Uber, Notion, and Qualtrics. Josh is a leading voice in strategic brand positioning and category creation. He's spent over a decade helping high-growth B2B companies define what makes them irreplaceable in crowded markets.Dave and Josh cover:Why most category creation efforts fail (and what to do instead)The four real paths to category leadership: create, transform, niche, or go soloHow B2B marketers can align product, brand, and messaging around a single strategy to stand out and scaleWhether you're launching a new product or repositioning an existing one, this episode is a masterclass in strategic clarity.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (02:38) - – Josh's backstory and founding Gold Front (05:53) - – How Gold Front became a category design studio (08:08) - – What “category creation” really means (11:23) - – Why being irreplaceable is the real goal (14:28) - – The four paths to category leadership (18:13) - – Why Drift didn't succeed in creating a true category (22:08) - – Clay and Notion as category-of-one examples (24:58) - – Marketing vs. actual customer perception (29:34) - – Can Exit Five be more than the “Dave Gerhardt community”? (32:29) - – How to scale brand DNA beyond the founder (35:19) - – Defining Exit Five's ethos as a company (37:39) - – Strategy as a company-wide unifier (40:29) - – Advice for CMOs on driving strategy with CEOs (43:04) - – Why strategy is always the root cause (44:34) - – Vibe marketing and the rise of right-brain thinking (47:19) - – Josh's mental health journey and long-term therapy (50:49) - – LinkedIn, self-worth, and staying grounded (53:19) - – Weightlifting, discipline, and mental clarity (56:19) - – Daily habits that improve mindset (59:34) - – What 30 days of silent meditation does to your brain (01:04:19) - – Final thoughts on presence, self-work, and leadership Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***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

Rational thinking might drive economics, but emotional behavior drives decisions. And no one understands that better than Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational, a book that's reshaped our assumptions about how people make decisions.In this episode, we're unpacking key lessons from Dan Ariely's work with the help of our special guest, Leslie Alore, SVP of Marketing at Flexera.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from setting the right expectations, why fewer choices close more deals, and how the power of “free” and fear of loss can drive serious retention.About our guest, Leslie AloreAs the SVP of Marketing, Leslie Alore leads Flexera's marketing strategy with an aim to create great experiences and outcomes for our customers.Her passion for people and technology—combined with more than 15 years of marketing leadership in the tech space—has established her as a successful, results-driven executive who enables teams to do their best work.Prior to joining Flexera, Leslie served as the Global SVP of Lifecycle Marketing at Ivanti. Before that, she held various marketing, operations and GTM strategy roles at Iron Mountain. Leslie is an active speaker and mentor in the GTM community, and has been recognized among “Top Women in Marketing” by Ragan Communications and “Women of the Channel” by CRN.Leslie holds a BBA in Management, and an MBA with a concentration in Strategic Leadership from Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Predictably Irrational:Set expectations to shape reality. Great marketing doesn't just reflect value, it creates the conditions for it. Leslie highlights how expectations shape reality. When buyers believe something is good, they interpret every detail through that lens. This isn't about manipulation, it's about clarity and consistency. Leslie says, “The effect of expectations… believing beforehand something is good, therefore it will be or the reverse.” So stop hoping your audience connects the dots. Tell them what to expect, then deliver on it. Perception isn't a bonus, it's the foundation.Shrink your options to speed the decision. Too many options stall progress. The paradox of choice tells us more isn't better, it's paralyzing. Leslie urges marketers to curate the path forward: “You actually want to give people fewer options and take control of the options that they see.” Don't just join the shortlist, define it. When you narrow the frame, you speed up the decision for your customers. Turn “free” into staying power with loss aversion. There's magic in “free,” but the real power lies in what people fear losing. Once someone uses your product, whether it's a freemium tool or an ungated resource, they've invested. Now there's skin in the game. Leslie puts it simply, “People will overvalue something that's free and ignore kind of the trade-off costs associated. And loss is psychologically painful. We don't want to lose that, which we already have.” Whether you offer software, content, or services, create early wins. Then make the cost of leaving feel higher than the cost of staying.Quotes*“ There's many organizations that lean into that power of positivity…What's very interesting is that consumer brands do this a lot very, very well. B2B organizations tend to do almost the opposite. They tend to lean more into FUD. And that's a harder road to tread.”*“ If you're an organization that is selling software, the software is designed to provide a business outcome. It's designed to solve a business problem. Instead of focusing on, here's the business problem. Doesn't that suck for you? You can say, ‘here's the solution.*“You have the power, you can feel confident about your ability to achieve X, Y, Z because you've solved this problem.' It's saying the same thing, but orienting it in a positive way and being very, very, very consistent in that message. Beat that drum over and over and over again.”*“ Narrow down the competitive options for them. Your sales process will move faster. You will be able to take better control of the narrative if you say, ‘this is us and these are the two other vendors that look like us. And here's why we are different and better, and here's what you can expect from these guys.' And that doesn't mean saying negative things about them.  It's just highlighting your strengths and your virtues.”*“People are willing to accept trade-offs for something that is perceived to be free…This is the exact reason that PLG, product-led growth, is so powerful. Because if you can get people in the door with some sort of freemium offering, people will actually work harder to do the legwork to get a free product to work and interact with it, than they might be willing to put in for something that they have to go pay for. And then once they have it and they've put in the work, they don't wanna lose it.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Leslie Alore, SVP of Marketing at Flexera[00:56] Why Predictably Irrational?[02:20] The Role of SVP of Marketing at Flexera[02:47] Understanding Predictably Irrational[09:56] B2B Marketing Lessons from Predictably Irrational[37:49] Cognitive Dissonance in Buying Behavior[42:17] Emotional Marketing in B2B[46:18] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Leslie on LinkedInLearn more about FlexeraAbout 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.