Podcasts about marketing operations

What's up everyone, today we have the pleasure of sitting down with Joshua Kanter, Co-Founder & Chief Data & Analytics Officer at ConvertML. Summary: Joshua spent the earliest parts of his career buried in SQL, only to watch companies hand out dashboards and call it strategy. Teams skim charts to confirm hunches while ignoring what the data actually says. He believes access means nothing without translation. You need people who can turn vague business prompts into clear, interpretable answers. He built ConvertML to guide those decisions. GenAI only raises the stakes. Without structure and fluency, it becomes easier to sound confident and still be completely wrong. That risk scales fast.About JoshuaJoshua started in data analytics at First Manhattan Consulting, then co-founded two ventures; Mindswift, focused on marketing experimentation, and Novantas, a consulting firm for financial services. From there, he rose to Associate Principal at McKinsey, where he helped companies make real decisions with messy data and imperfect information. Then he crossed into operating roles, leading marketing at Caesars Entertainment as SVP of Marketing, where budgets were wild.After Caesars, he became a 3-time CMO (basically 4-time); at PetSmart, International Cruise & Excursions, and Encora. Each time walking into a different industry with new problems. He now co-leads ConvertML, where he's focused on making machine learning and measurement actually usable for the people in the trenches.Data Democratization Is Breaking More Than It's FixingData democratization has become one of those phrases people repeat without thinking. It shows up in mission statements and vendor decks, pitched like some moral imperative. Give everyone access to data, the story goes, and decision-making will become magically enlightened. But Joshua has seen what actually happens when this ideal collides with reality: chaos, confusion, and a lot of people confidently misreading the same spreadsheet in five different ways.Joshua isn't your typical out of the weeds CMO, he's lived in the guts of enterprise data for 25 years. His first job out of college was grinding SQL for 16 hours a day. He's been inside consulting rooms, behind marketing dashboards, and at the head of data science teams. Over and over, he's seen the same pattern: leaders throwing raw dashboards at people who have no training in how to interpret them, then wondering why decisions keep going sideways.There are several unspoken assumptions built into the data democratization pitch. People assume the data is clean. That it's structured in a meaningful way. That it answers the right questions. Most importantly, they assume people can actually read it. Not just glance at a chart and nod along, but dig into the nuance, understand the context, question what's missing, and resist the temptation to cherry-pick for whatever narrative they already had in mind.“People bring their own hypotheses and they're just looking for the data to confirm what they already believe.”Joshua has watched this play out inside Fortune 500 boardrooms and small startup teams alike. People interpret the same report with totally different takeaways. Sometimes they miss what's obvious. Other times they read too far into something that doesn't mean anything. They rarely stop to ask what data is not present or whether it even makes sense to draw a conclusion at all.Giving everyone access to data is great and all… but only works when people have the skills to use it responsibly. That means more than teaching Excel shortcut keys. It requires real investment in data literacy, mentorship from technical leads, and repeated, structured practice. Otherwise, what you end up with is a very expensive system that quietly fuels bias and bad decisions and just work for the sake of work.Key takeaway: Widespread access to dashboards does not make your company data-informed. People need to know how to interpret what they see, challenge their assumptions, and recognize when data is incomplete or misleading. Before scaling access, invest in skills. Make data literacy a requirement. That way you can prevent costly misreads and costly data-driven decision-making.How Confirmation Bias Corrupts Marketing Decisions at ScaleExecutives love to say they are “data-driven.” What they usually mean is “data-selective.” Joshua has seen the same story on repeat. Someone asks for a report. They already have an answer in mind. They skim the results, cherry-pick what supports their view, and ignore everything else. It is not just sloppy thinking. It's organizational malpractice that scales fast when left unchecked.To prevent that, someone needs to sit between business questions and raw data. Joshua calls for trained data translators; people who know how to turn vague executive prompts into structured queries. These translators understand the data architecture, the metrics that matter, and the business logic beneath the request. They return with a real answer, not just a number in bold font, but a sentence that says: “Here's what we found. Here's what the data does not cover. Here's the confidence range. Here's the nuance.”“You want someone who can say, ‘The data supports this conclusion, but only under these conditions.' That's what makes the difference.”Joshua has dealt with both extremes. There are instinct-heavy leaders who just want validation. There are also data purists who cannot move until the spreadsheet glows with statistical significance. At a $7 billion retailer, he once saw a merchandising exec demand 9,000 survey responses; just so he could slice and dice every subgroup imaginable later. That was not rigor. It was decision paralysis wearing a lab coat.The answer is to build maturity around data use. That means investing in operators who can navigate ambiguity, reason through incomplete information, and explain caveats clearly. Data has power, but only when paired with skill. You need fluency, not dashboards. You need interpretation and above all, you need to train teams to ask better questions before they start fishing for answers.Key takeaway: Every marketing org needs a data translation layer; real humans who understand the business problem, the structure of the data, and how to bridge the two with integrity. That way you can protect against confirmation bias, bring discipline to decision-making, and stop wasting time on reports that just echo someone's hunch. Build that capability into your operations. It is the only way to scale sound judgment.You're Thinking About Statistical Significance Completely WrongToo many marketers treat statistical significance like a ritual. Hit the 95 percent confidence threshold and it's seen as divine truth. Miss it, and the whole test gets tossed in the trash. Joshua has zero patience for that kind of checkbox math. It turns experimentation into a binary trap, where nuance gets crushed under false certainty and anything under 0.05 is labeled a failure. That mindset is lazy, expensive, and wildly limiting.95% statistical significance does not mean your result matters. It just means your result is probably not random, assuming your test is designed well and your assumptions hold up. Even then, you can be wrong 1 out of every 20 times, which no one seems to talk about in those Monday growth meetings. Joshua's real concern is how this thinking cuts off all the good stuff that lives in the grey zone; tests that come in at 90 percent confidence, show a consistent directional lift, and still get ignored because someone only trusts green checkmarks.“People believe that if it doesn't hit statistical significance, the result isn't meaningful. That's false. And danger...

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!On today's episode, we talk with Ahmad Moore, founder of Pressure Marketing, to unpack his unconventional but deeply inspiring journey into marketing operations. From IT help desk roots to sales leadership and now running his own MOps-focused agency, Ahad shares how leaning into empathy, technical curiosity, and a hunger for alignment helped shape his path.✨ Tune in to hear:Why marketing ops is “IT with better branding” — and why that mattersThe underrated power of listening deeply and building an “empathy engine”How cross-functional experience in sales, strategy, and support creates a sharper MOps perspectiveLessons learned from building systems under pressure (literally and figuratively)How Ahad is using AI and HubSpot to scale smarter, not harderEpisode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

A well-planned webinar is just the beginning — what you do with that content afterwards can make all the difference.In this episode, Hayley Evans, Head of Marketing Operations and Client Account Management at Content 10x, joins host Amy Woods in the fourth installment of our webinar miniseries. They explore how to repurpose webinar content into new formats that work across the marketing funnel – from quick-win video clips and blogs to longer-term strategies that help you get more from every minute of your webinar.Find out:Why repurposing starts with how you plan and run the webinarThe best types of content to create from a webinar recordingHow to match repurposed content with different stages of the funnelTips for making your repurposing process more efficientWhy repurposed content can extend your reach and resultsImportant links & mentions:The B2B Webinar Planning Playbook https://www.content10x.com/webinar-guide/Marketing Webinars: The Ultimate Guide to Planning, Promoting & Repurposing B2B Webinars to Drive Growth https://www.content10x.com/webinars-ultimate-guide/B2B Content Strategist Podcast https://www.content10x.com/b2b-content-strategist/Hayley on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-evans-56421826/Amy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywoods2/Amy's book: www.content10x.com/book (Content 10x: More Content, Less Time, Maximum Results)Amy Woods is the CEO and founder of Content 10x, a creative agency that provides specialist content strategy, creation and repurposing support to B2B organizations. She's also a best-selling author, hosts two content marketing podcasts (The Content 10x Podcast and B2B Content Strategist), and speaks on stages all over the world about the power of content marketing.Join hundreds of business owners, content creators and marketers and get the latest content marketing tips and advice delivered straight to your inbox every week https://www.content10x.com/newsletter

What's up everyone, today we have the pleasure of sitting down with Samia Syed, Director of Growth Marketing at Dropbox. Summary: Samia Syed treats martech like hiring. If it costs more than a headcount, it needs to prove it belongs. She scopes the problem first, tests tools on real data, and talks to people who've lived with them not just vendor reps. Then she tracks usage and outcomes from day one. If adoption stalls or no one owns it, the tool dies. She once watched a high-performing platform get orphaned after a reorg. Great tech doesn't matter if no one's accountable for making it work.Don't Buy the Tool Until You've Scoped the JobMartech buying still feels like the Wild West. Companies drop hundreds of thousands of dollars on tools after a single vendor call, while the same teams will debate for weeks over whether to hire a junior coordinator. Samia calls this out plainly. If a piece of software costs more than a person, why wouldn't it go through the same process as a headcount request?She maps it directly: recruiting rigor should apply to your tech stack. That means running a structured scoping process before you ever look at vendors. In her world, no one gets to pitch software until three things are clear:What operational problem exists right nowWhat opportunities are lost by not fixing itWhat the strategic unlock looks like if you doMost teams skip that. They hear about a product, read a teardown on LinkedIn, and spin up a trial to “explore options.” Then the feature list becomes the job description, and suddenly there's a contract in legal. At no point did anyone ask whether the team actually needed this, what it was costing them not to have it, or what they were betting on if it worked.Samia doesn't just talk theory. She has seen this pattern lead to ballooning tech stacks and stale tools that nobody uses six months after procurement. A shiny new platform feels like progress, but if no one scoped the actual need, you're not moving forward. You're burying yourself in debt, disguised as innovation.“Every new tool should be treated like a strategic hire. If you wouldn't greenlight headcount without a business case, don't greenlight tech without one either.”And it goes deeper. You can't just build a feature list and call that a justification. Samia breaks it into a tiered case: quantify what you lose without the tool, and quantify what you gain with it. How much time saved? How much revenue unlocked? What functions does it enable that your current stack can't touch? Get those answers first. That way you can decide like a team investing in long-term outcomes, not like a shopper chasing the next product demo.Key takeaway: Treat every Martech investment like a senior hire. Before you evaluate vendors, run a scoping process that defines the current gap, quantifies what it costs you to leave it open, and identifies what your team can achieve once it's solved. Build a business case with numbers, not just feature wishlists. If you start by solving real problems, you'll stop paying for shelfware.Your Martech Stack Is a Mess Because Mops Wasn't in the Room EarlyMost marketing teams get budget the same way they get unexpected leftovers at a potluck. Something shows up, no one knows where it came from, and now it's your job to make it work. You get a number handed down from finance. Then you try to retroactively justify it with people, tools, and quarterly goals like you're reverse-engineering a jigsaw puzzle from the inside out.Samia sees this happen constantly. Teams make decisions reactively because their budget arrived before their strategy. A renewal deadline pops up, someone hears about a new tool at a conference, and suddenly marketing is onboarding something no one asked for. That's how you end up with shelfware, disconnected workflows, and tech debt dressed up as innovation.This is why she pushes for a different sequence. Start with what you want to achieve. Define the real gaps that exist in your ability to get there. Then use that to build a case for people and platforms. It sounds obvious, but it rarely happens that way. In most orgs, Marketing Ops is left out of the early conversations entirely. They get handed a brief after the budget is locked. Their job becomes execution, not strategy.“If MOPS is treated like a support team, they can't help you plan. They can only help you scramble.”Samia has seen two patterns when MOPS lacks influence. Sometimes the head of MOPS is technically in the room but lacks the confidence, credibility, or political leverage to speak up. Other times, the org's workflows never gave them a shot to begin with. Everything is set up as a handoff. Business leaders define targets, finance approves the budget, then someone remembers to loop in the people who actually have to make it all run. That structure guarantees misalignment. If you want a smarter stack, you have to fix how decisions get made.Key takeaway: Build your Martech plan around strategic goals, not leftover budget. Start with what needs to be accomplished, define the capability gaps that block it, and involve MOPS from the beginning to shape how tools and workflows can solve those problems. If Marketing Ops is looped in only after the fact, you're not planning. You're cleaning up.Build Your Martech Stack Like You're Hiring a TeamMost teams buy software like they're following a recipe they've never tasted. Someone says “we need a CDP,” and suddenly everyone's firing off RFPs, demoing the usual suspects, and comparing price tiers on platforms they barely understand. Samia draws a clean line between hiring and buying here. In both cases, the smartest teams treat the process as exploration, not confirmation.Hiring isn't static. You open a rec, start meeting candidates, and quickly realize the original job description is outdated by the third interview. A standout candidate shows up, and suddenly the scope expands. You rewrite the role to fit the opportunity, not the other way around. Samia thinks buying Martech should work the same way. Instead of assuming a fixed category solves the problem, you should:Map your actual use caseTalk to vendors and real usersCompare radically different paths, not just direct competitors“You almost need to challenge yourself to zoom out and ask if this tool fits where your company is actually headed.”Samia's lived the pain of teams chasing big-budget platforms with promises of deep functionality, only to realize no one has the bandwidth to implement them properly. The tool ends up shelved or duct-taped into place while marketing burns cycles trying to retrofit workflows around something they were never ready for. That kind of misalignment doesn't show up in vendor decks or curated testimonials. You only catch it by doing your own research and talking to people who don't have a sales quota.Buying tech is easy. Building capability is hard. Samia looks for tools that match the company's maturity and provide room to grow. Not everything needs to be composable, modular, and future-proofed into infinity. Sometimes the right move is choosing what works today, then layering in complexity as your team levels up. Martech isn't one-size-fits-all, and most vendor conversations are just shiny detours away from that uncomfortable truth.Key takeaway: Treat your Martech search like a hiring process in motion. Start with a goal, not a category. Stay open to evolving the solution as new context surfaces. Talk to actual users who've implemented the tool under real constraints. Ask what broke, what surprised them, and what they'd do differently. Choose the tech that fits your team's real capabili...

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!On today's episode, Mike Rizzo talks with Martin Pietrzak, founder and president of Pinch Marketing, to unpack what Google and others have called “the messy middle” of today's buyer's journey.Gone are the days of the simple, linear sales funnel. Instead, buyers loop through endless cycles of exploration, evaluation, and self-education before they ever talk to sales — if they do at all. Martin shares how marketing ops pros can embrace this new reality by becoming strategic partners who help build flexible data-driven systems that enable real-time insights, better attribution, and scalable growth.You'll hear:Why the messy middle exists — and how buyers' behavior has changed forever.How technology, data, and AI are reshaping go-to-market architecture.The critical role marketing ops plays as the “marketing scientist” in modern organizations.Practical steps to capture buyer signals and turn them into actionable insights.Why marketing ops leaders must think like product managers to architect the GTM stack.Whether you're building your ops career or leading teams through complex martech stacks, this episode is packed with insights you can apply right away.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

What's up everyone, today we have the pleasure of sitting down with Ankur Kothari, Adtech and Martech Consultant who's worked with big tech names and finance/consulting firms like Salesforce, JPMorgan and McKinsey.The views and opinions expressed by Ankur in this episode are his own and do not necessarily reflect the official position of his employer.Summary: Ankur explains how most AI personalization flops cause teams ignore the basics. He helped a brand recover millions just by making the customer journey actually make sense, not by faking it with names in emails. It's all about fixing broken flows first, using real behavior, and keeping things human even when it's automated. Ankur is super sharp, he shares a practical maturity framework for AI personalization so you can assess where you currently fit and how you get to the next stage. AI Personalization That Actually Increases Retention - Practical ExampleMost AI personalization in marketing is either smoke, mirrors, or spam. People plug in a tool, slap a customer's first name on a subject line, then act surprised when the retention numbers keep tanking. The tech isn't broken. The execution is lazy. That's the part people don't want to admit.Ankur worked with a mid-sized e-commerce brand in the home goods space that was bleeding revenue; $2.3 million a year lost to customers who made one purchase and never returned. Their churn rate sat at 68 percent. Think about that. For every 10 new customers, almost 7 never came back. And they weren't leaving because the product was bad or overpriced. They were leaving because the whole experience felt like a one-size-fits-all broadcast. No signal, no care, no relevance.So he rewired their personalization from the ground up. No gimmicks. No guesswork. Just structured, behavior-based segmentation using first-party data. They looked at:Website interactionsPurchase historyEmail engagementCustomer service logsThen they fed that data into machine learning models to predict what each customer might actually want to do next. From there, they built 27 personalized customer journeys. Not slides in a strategy deck. Actual, functioning sequences that shaped content delivery across the website, emails, and mobile app.> “Effective AI personalization is only partly about the tech but more about creating genuinely helpful customer experiences that deliver value rather than just pushing products.”The results were wild. Customer retention rose 42 percent. Lifetime value jumped from $127 to $203. Repeat purchase rate grew by 38 percent. Revenue climbed by $3.7 million. ROI hit 7 to 1. One customer who previously spent $45 on a single sustainable item went on to spend more than $600 in the following year after getting dropped into a relevant, well-timed, and non-annoying flow.None of this happened because someone clicked "optimize" in a tool. It happened because someone actually gave a damn about what the customer experience felt like on the other side of the screen. The lesson isn't that AI personalization works. The lesson is that it only works if you use it to solve real customer problems.Key takeaway: AI personalization moves the needle when you stop using it as a buzzword and start using it to deliver context-aware, behavior-driven customer experiences. Focus on first-party data that shows how customers interact. Then build distinct journeys that respond to actual behavior, not imagined personas. That way you can increase retention, grow customer lifetime value, and stop lighting your acquisition budget on fire.Why AI Personalization Fails Without Fixing Basic Automation FirstSigning up for YouTube ads should have been a clean experience. A quick onboarding, maybe a personalized email congratulating you for launching your first campaign, a relevant tip about optimizing CPV. Instead, the email that landed was generic and mismatched—“Here's how to get started”—despite the fact the account had already launched its first ad. This kind of sloppiness doesn't just kill momentum. It exposes a bigger problem: teams chasing personalization before fixing basic logic.Ankur saw this exact issue on a much more expensive stage. A retail bank had sunk $2.3 million into an AI-driven loan recommendation engine. Sophisticated architecture, tons of fanfare. Meanwhile, their onboarding emails were showing up late and recommending products users already had. That oversight translated to $3.7 million in missed annual cross-sell revenue. Not because the AI was bad, but because the foundational workflows were broken.The failure came from three predictable sources:Teams operated in silos. Innovation was off in its own corner, disconnected from marketing ops and customer experience.The tech stack was split in two. Legacy systems handled core functions, but were too brittle to change. AI was layered on top, using modern platforms that didn't integrate cleanly.Leaders focused on innovation metrics, while no one owned the state of basic automation or email logic.To fix it, Ankur froze the AI rollout for 120 days and focused on repair work. The team rebuilt the essential customer journeys, cleaned up logic gaps, and restructured automation to actually respond to user behavior. This work lifted product adoption by 28 percent and generated an additional $4.2 million in revenue. Once the base was strong, they reintroduced the AI engine. Its impact increased by 41 percent, not because the algorithm improved, but because the environment finally supported it.> “The institutions that win with AI are the ones that execute flawlessly across all technology levels, from simple automation to cutting-edge applications.”That lesson applies everywhere, including in companies far smaller than Google or JPMorgan. When you skip foundational work, every AI project becomes a band-aid over a broken funnel. It might look exciting, but it can't hold.Key takeaway: Stop using AI to compensate for broken customer journeys. Fix your onboarding logic, clean up your automation triggers, and connect your systems across teams. Once the fundamentals are working, you can layer AI on top of a system that supports it. That way you can generate measurable returns, instead of just spinning up another dashboard that looks good in a QBR.Step by Step Approach to AI Personalization With a Maturity Framework - The First Steps You Can Take on The Path To AI PersonalizationMost AI personalization projects start with a 50-slide vision deck, three vendors, and zero working use cases. Then teams wonder why things stall. What actually works is starting small and surgical. One product. One journey. Clear data. Clear upside.Ankur advised a regional bank that had plenty of customer data but zero AI in play. No need for new tooling or a six-month roadmap. They focused on one friction-heavy opportunity with direct payoff: mortgage pre-approvals. Forget trying to personalize every touchpoint. They picked the one that mattered and did it well.They built a clustering algorithm using transaction patterns, savings trends, and credit utilization to detect home-buying intent. From there, they pushed pre-approvals with tailored rates and terms. The bank already had the raw data in its core systems. No scraping, no extra collection, no “data enrichment” vendor needed.That decision paid off fast:The data already existed, so implementation moved quicklyThe scope was limited to a single high-stakes journeyThe impact landed hard: mortgage application rates jumped 31 percent and approval-to-close conversions climbed 24 percent within 60 days> “Start with a high-value product journey where pers...

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!In today's episode,  we talk with Irwin Hipsman, founder of Repititos, to explore the often-overlooked world of customer marketing and the critical role of customer contact data. Irwin shares findings from his recent research report on the state of customer contact databases, revealing why so many organizations struggle with poor data quality and how it impacts customer communications, renewals, and crisis response.Together, they dive into:The definition of customer contact databases and why focusing on individuals—not accounts—is crucial.Key findings from Irwin's research, including an industry-average database health score of just 47%.The importance of cross-functional teams in maintaining healthy customer data.Actionable steps ops professionals can take to assess, clean, and maintain customer data health.Why better customer data translates directly into stronger customer relationships, higher retention, and better crisis management.Whether you're in marketing ops, customer marketing, or revenue operations, this conversation offers practical insights that can help transform your organization's approach to customer data management.Access the customer health score assessment here.Access Irwin's report here.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

Promotion doesn't stop once the webinar begins, and follow-up is just as important.In part three of our miniseries all about B2B webinars, Amy Woods and Hayley Evans, Head of Marketing Operations and Client Account Management at Content 10x, run through the full promotion cycle: before, during, and after. They share practical advice on how to get your webinar in front of the right people, keep them engaged, and follow up in a way that adds value and keeps the conversation going.It's a full-funnel approach to getting more from every webinar you run.Find out:What goes into a solid webinar promotion plan across channelsWhy your title and messaging matter more than you might thinkHow to work with guests, partners, and your own team to widen reachWhat to include in your follow-up for attendees and no-showsHow to use feedback and post-event engagement to inform future webinarsImportant links & mentions:The B2B Webinar Planning Playbook https://www.content10x.com/webinar-guide/Marketing Webinars: The Ultimate Guide to Planning, Promoting & Repurposing B2B Webinars to Drive Growth https://www.content10x.com/webinars-ultimate-guide/B2B Content Strategist Podcast https://www.content10x.com/b2b-content-strategist/Hayley on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-evans-56421826/Amy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywoods2/Amy's book: www.content10x.com/book (Content 10x: More Content, Less Time, Maximum Results)Amy Woods is the CEO and founder of Content 10x, a creative agency that provides specialist content strategy, creation and repurposing support to B2B organizations. She's also a best-selling author, hosts two content marketing podcasts (The Content 10x Podcast and B2B Content Strategist), and speaks on stages all over the world about the power of content marketing.Join hundreds of business owners, content creators and marketers and get the latest content marketing tips and advice delivered straight to your inbox every week https://www.content10x.com/newsletter

What's up everyone, today we have the pleasure of sitting down with Kim Hacker, Head of Business Ops at Arrows. Summary: Tool audits miss the mess. If you're trying to consolidate without talking to your team, you're probably breaking workflows that were barely holding together. The best ops folks already know this: they're in the room early, protecting momentum, not patching broken rollouts. Real adoption spreads through peer trust, not playbooks. And the people thriving right now are the generalists automating small tasks, spotting hidden friction, and connecting dots across sales, CX, and product. If that's you (or you want it to be) keep reading or hit play.About KimKim started her career in various roles like Design intern and Exhibit designer/consultantShe later became an Account exec at a Marketing AgencyShe then moved over to Sawyer in a Partnerships role and later Customer OnboardingToday Kim is Head of Business Operations at Arrows Most AI Note Takers Just Parrot Back JunkKim didn't set out to torch 19 AI vendors. She just wanted clarity.Her team at Arrows was shipping new AI features for their digital sales room, which plugs into HubSpot. Before she went all in on messaging, she decided to sanity check the market. What were other sales teams in the HubSpot ecosystem actually *doing* with AI? Over a dozen calls later, the pattern was obvious: everyone was relying on AI note takers to summarize sales calls and push those summaries into the CRM.But no one was talking about the quality. Kim realized if every downstream sales insight starts with the meeting notes, then those notes better be reliable. So she ran her own side-by-side teardown of 22 AI note takers. No configuration. No prompt tuning. Just raw, out-of-the-box usage to simulate what real teams would experience.> “If the notes are garbage, everything you build on top of them is garbage too.”She was looking for three things: accuracy, actionability, and structure. The kind of summaries that help reps do follow-ups, populate deal intelligence, or even just remember the damn call. Out of 22 tools, only *three* passed that bar. The rest ranged from shallow summaries to complete misinterpretations. Some even skipped entire sections of conversations or hallucinated action items that never came up.It's easy to assume an AI-generated summary is “good enough,” especially if it sounds coherent. But sounding clean is not the same as being useful. Most note takers aren't designed for actual sales workflows. They're just scraping audio for keywords and spitting out templated blurbs. That's fine for keeping up appearances, but not for decision-making or pipeline accuracy.Key takeaway: Before layering AI on top of your sales stack, audit your core meeting notes. Run a side-by-side test on your current tool, and look for three things: accurate recall, structured formatting, and clear next steps. If your AI notes aren't helping reps follow up faster or making your CRM smarter, they're just noise in a different font.Why Most Teams Will Miss the AI Agent Wave EntirelyThe vision is seductive. Sales reps won't write emails. Marketers won't build workflows. Customer success won't chase follow-ups. Everyone will just supervise agents that do the work for them. That future sounds polished, automated, and eerily quiet. But most teams are nowhere close. They're stuck in duplicate records, tool bloat, and a queue of Jira tickets no one's touching. AI agents might be on the roadmap, but the actual work is still being done by humans fighting chaos with spreadsheets.Kim sees the disconnect every day. AI fatigue isn't coming from overuse. It's coming from bad framing. “A lot of people talking about AI are just showing the most complex or viral workflows,” she explains. “That stuff makes regular folks feel behind.” People see demos built for likes, not for legacy systems, and it creates a false sense that they're supposed to be automating their entire job by next quarter.> “You can't rely on your ops team to AI-ify the company on their own. Everyone needs a baseline.”Most reps haven't written a good prompt, let alone tried chaining tools together. You can't go from zero to agent management without a middle step. That middle step is building a culture of experimentation. Start with small, daily use cases. Help people understand how to prompt, what clean AI output looks like, and how to tell when the tool is lying. Get the entire org to that baseline, then layer on tools like Zapier Agents or Relay App to handle the next tier of automation.Skipping the basics guarantees failure later. Flashy agents look great in demos, but they don't compensate for unclear processes or teams that don't trust automation. If the goal is to future-proof your workflows, the work starts with people, not tools.Key takeaway: If your team isn't fluent in basic AI usage, agent-powered workflows are a pipe dream. Build a shared baseline across departments by teaching prompt writing, validating outputs, and experimenting with small use cases. That way you can unlock meaningful automation later instead of chasing trends that no one has the capacity to implement.When AI Systems Meet The Chaos Of Actual Workplace ProcessesAI vendors keep shipping tools like everyone has an intern, a technical co-pilot, and five extra hours a week to configure dream workflows. The real buyers? They're just trying to fix broken Salesforce fields, write one less follow-up email, or get through the day without copy-pasting notes into Notion. Somewhere between those extremes, the user gets lost in translation.Kim has felt that gap from both sides. She was hesitant to even start with ChatGPT. “I almost gave up on it,” she said. “I felt late and overwhelmed, and I just figured maybe I wasn't going to be an AI person.” Fast forward to today, and it's one of her most-used tools. She didn't get there by wiring up agents. She started small. Simple things. Drafting ideas, summarizing content, clarifying messy thoughts. That built trust. Then momentum.“There's a lot that has to happen before your calendar is filled with calls and nothing else. AI can help, but you have to let it earn its spot.”If you're trying to build that muscle, forget the multi-tool agent orchestration for a second. Focus on everyday wins like:Turning a messy Slack thread into a clean summaryWriting a follow-up email in your toneRewriting a calendar event title so it makes sense to your future selfCleaning up action items from a sales call without hallucinationsDrafting internal documentation from bullet pointsThe pace is accelerating. People feel it. You don't need to watch keynote demos to know that change is coming fast. It's easy to feel like you're already behind. Kim doesn't disagree. She just thinks most teams are solving the wrong problem. Vendors are focused on the sprint. Most people haven't even laced up. “Everyone wants the big leap,” she said. “But most wins come from small, boring tools that actually do what they say they'll do.”That's the root issue. A lot of AI features today are solving theoretical problems. They assume workflows are tidy, perfectly tagged, and documented in Notion. Real work is messier. It happens in Slack threads, half-filled records, and follow-ups that never got logged. If your tool can't handle that, then it doesn't matter how shiny your roadmap is.Key takeaway: Stop evaluating AI features based on potential. Evaluate them based on current chaos. Ask whether the tool handles your worst-case scenario, not your ideal one. Prioritize small, boring use cases that save time immediately. That way yo...

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!On todays episode, we talk with Rick Collins, Vice President of Demand Generation at ConnectWise, to explore his unconventional yet inspiring journey from IT to marketing operations and ultimately into executive marketing leadership. Rick shares how he transitioned from managing systems to driving demand, the pivotal career moments that shaped his path, and the leadership lessons he's learned along the way. Whether you're early in your marketing ops career or looking to break into leadership, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways on navigating transitions, building trust, and expanding your influence.Tune in to hear:Rick's unique career path from IT and QA into marketing operations and eventually to a VP role in demand generation.How to leverage technical and relational skills to create career mobility within marketing.The importance of curiosity, relationship-building, and challenging assumptions—internally and externally—for leadership growth.Insights into managing through organizational change, including private equity acquisitions and team restructuring.Tips on transitioning from managing ICs to managing other managers, including the importance of communication, presentation skills, and executive alignment.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

Brain Hurt Scale = 3/10. Explore all the pros, cons of in-housing your marketing team vs outsourcing to an agency. Packed with real life examples this discussion is suitable for anyone and everyone in the industry. Including senior non-marketing executives who approve/fund the function through to the most green, juniors. We talk with in-housing consultant Chris Maxwell from Lution. Going deep into the topic - pulling countless examples from both his and John's personal experience across hundreds of firms and thousands of campaigns. You'll learn lots including:The advantages of agenciesAdvantages of in-housingWhy hybrid is increasingly becoming the norm and what that looks likeWhich parts are best kept internal vs outsourcedWhat trends are important to heed so we can all make better career decisionsAnd all the pitfalls we need to be aware ofFull episode 15 season 5 of the Champagne Strategy podcast.So you could continue shifting everything to an external agency....or.....Wake up and embrace the future of AI-disrupted marketing operations. Future-proofing your skill set and approach. The choice is yours.

What's up everyone, today we have the pleasure of sitting down with Keith Jones, Head of GTM Systems at OpenAI. Also just a quick disclaimer that Keith is joining the podcast as Keith the technologist and human, not the employee at OpenAI. The views and opinions he expresses in this episode are his own and do not represent OpenAI.Summary: The best martech buying process isn't a spreadsheet. It's a cognitive extraction exercise.Keith Jones asks stakeholders to write what they want, say it out loud, and then feeds both into GPT to surface what actually matters. That discipline applies to agents too. Most teams chase orchestration before they have stable logic, clean data, or working workflows. Keith's bet? The future of SaaS is fewer tools, built in-house, coordinated by agents not a graveyard of dashboards pretending to be automation.Why Sales Ops People Who've Actually Sold Have the Sharpest KnivesKeith Jones did not set out to work in sales operations earlier in his career. He landed in it sideways, like a lot of the best people in ops do. He was hired with the catch-all title of “Business Operations Associate,” which could mean anything or nothing, depending on the day. His job, in practice, involved forecasting bookings and revenue in Excel based on shipping data. No one told him he was in sales ops. No one even used that phrase. If someone had asked him whether he wanted a career in sales operations, he wouldn't have known what they meant.The company later shifted him into a field sales role. They were trying to grow the team internally, so they dropped him into the southeast region and told him to start talking to CIOs and chief nursing officers. He moved to Atlanta and started selling. That job was hard in a way that most people who build systems for sales teams never understand. The structure was just enough to keep things moving, but not enough to support real learning. He had a quota, a few tools, and a manager who held weekly one-on-ones. There was no real training. No consistent coaching. No safety net. If he wanted to make it work, he had to figure it out himself.That experience never left him. Now that Keith leads systems for go-to-market teams, he still thinks about what it felt like to sit in a seller's chair. Every tool that didn't work, every field in Salesforce that meant nothing, every process that made his job harder stuck with him. He builds differently because of that.> “You're given a quota, a few tools, some vague expectations, and then shoved into the wild.”The biggest disconnect he sees in GTM systems comes from people who have never sold anything. Many of the systems designed to help sales teams are built by career admins or operations specialists who've never had to ask for a purchase order or explain why a deal fell through. These people often optimize for what the business wants, not for what the seller needs to survive the quarter. Keith doesn't speak about this in abstract terms. He lived through it.After his healthcare role, he joined a startup in Atlanta as employee number eight. He came in as an account executive, but quickly became the go-to person for explaining the product. He wasn't the most technical person, but he could speak the language. That mattered. As the company grew and new reps joined, Keith found himself teaching them how to explain the product to customers. He was still selling, but he was also building shared knowledge. That part felt natural.Then his CEO pulled him into a room and told him something blunt. “You're really bad at cold calling. You don't even do it.” Keith agreed. He hated that part of the job. As an introvert, it never felt right. But the CEO followed up with something more important. “You know the product better than anyone else on the floor. I think you should be our first sales engineer.” Keith said yes immediately.There was one more thing. The Salesforce admin had just quit, and the CEO asked if he wanted to learn Salesforce too. Keith said yes to that as well. That moment when he stepped into a role that combined technical depth with operational design set the course for everything that came next.Today, he leads systems at a scale that touches thousands of sellers. He remembers what it felt like to sell without support, and he refuses to push that experience onto others. He builds tools that actually work because he knows what failure feels like.Key takeaway: Sales ops works best when it is built by people who have actually sold. If you want to build tools that sellers will use, you need someone who has lived with the friction of broken ones. Sellers do not care about elegant reporting architecture if the CRM slows them down. They care about speed, clarity, and context. Hiring operators who have carried a quota gives you an unfair advantage. They remember how it felt to lose time chasing bad leads or cleaning up messy data. That memory turns into better workflows. You can teach someone how to configure Salesforce. You cannot teach someone how it feels to miss your number because your systems were designed by someone who never had one.The Difference Between GTM Ops and GTM SystemsWhen people talk about GTM operations, most of them blend it with GTM systems like it's all one job. It's not. They share a Slack channel, maybe a budget, and definitely a few dashboards, but the actual work is completely different. Keith has lived on both sides of that line. At OpenAI and before that at Mural, he ran GTM systems. Back at Gartner, he saw how every company defines these roles differently, sometimes with intention, sometimes out of inertia. But when he breaks it down, the split is actually pretty clear.GTM ops exists to support the field directly. That means helping sellers, marketers, and customer success teams get their work done. Think enablement, process design, live troubleshooting, deal support, and training that doesn't feel like a waste of time. These teams sit next to the people they're helping and shape operations based on actual conversations and feedback.GTM systems is a whole different rhythm. These are the people writing the workflows, building automations, owning the CRM, and threading together tools that are supposed to work seamlessly but rarely do. They are not front-facing. They are deep in the guts of your tech stack. They touch code, configuration, architecture, and logic trees that determine whether your rep gets the right lead or a ghost contact from 2017.> “We rely heavily on our ops colleagues to feed us guidance from the field so we can build the right solutions. That's the balance that works.”Keith's favorite model is one where GTM ops and GTM systems are separate but inseparable. Not one inside the other. Not one reporting into the other. Two teams, side by side, solving for different parts of the same outcome. Ops listens and adapts. Systems builds and scales. When that rhythm is right, sellers feel supported without even knowing why. When it breaks, people stop trusting the process and start hacking together their own.He makes an important distinction when talking about marketing ops. Unlike sales ops, which skews toward operational execution, or systems, which skews technical, marketing ops often lands in the uncomfortable middle. It needs to speak both languages. You might be setting up nurture logic in Marketo one hour and then coaching a team through campaign QA the next. Keith sees it as a dual-mode function, one that requires:Operational discipline to support marketers with templates, briefs, budgets, and targeting logicTechnical fluency to build and maintain systems that track performance across platformsThe tension between systems and ops is real. I's not a fight. It's a rhythm. And when ...

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!The rise of AI tools has dramatically changed the landscape of email marketing and sales outreach, creating both exciting opportunities and significant risks. As Mustafa Saeed, co-founder and CEO of Luella, explains in this eye-opening conversation, many revenue teams are now "scared shitless" about how their reps might abuse these powerful new technologies.When AI-powered automation tools are implemented without proper guardrails, organizations face serious threats to their brand reputation, domain health, and even compliance standing. The problem isn't AI itself, but rather "AI coupled with reckless automation" that floods inboxes with content that lacks genuine value. As email service providers like Google and Microsoft respond with increasingly aggressive spam filters, even legitimate messages from trusted senders are getting caught in the crossfire.The solution isn't abandoning AI but reimagining how we use it. While many AI tools promise to remove humans from the loop, Saeed argues for bringing them back in through thoughtful collaboration between humans and AI agents. This approach combines the best of both worlds—AI's ability to analyze vast datasets and humans' talent for building authentic relationships.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

A successful webinar starts with a smart plan.In part two of our webinars miniseries, Amy Woods is joined again by Hayley Evans, Head of Marketing Operations and Client Account Management at Content 10x, to share how B2B marketers can plan webinars that deliver real value – and set the stage for repurposing afterwards. They cover everything from choosing a topic and format, to picking the right platform and setting goals that align with your wider content strategy. It's all about being clear on what your audience wants, and building from there.Find out:How to set clear goals and pick a strong topic your audience will care aboutWhat to think about when choosing a format and platformWhy good structure and flow matters just as much as the contentHow to keep your audience engaged during the webinarWhat to plan ahead of time to make things easier on the dayImportant links & mentions:The B2B Webinar Planning Playbook https://www.content10x.com/webinar-guide/Marketing Webinars: The Ultimate Guide to Planning, Promoting & Repurposing B2B Webinars to Drive Growth https://www.content10x.com/webinars-ultimate-guide/B2B Content Strategist Podcast https://www.content10x.com/b2b-content-strategist/Hayley on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-evans-56421826/Amy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywoods2/Amy's book: www.content10x.com/book (Content 10x: More Content, Less Time, Maximum Results)Amy Woods is the CEO and founder of Content 10x, a creative agency that provides specialist content strategy, creation and repurposing support to B2B organizations. She's also a best-selling author, hosts two content marketing podcasts (The Content 10x Podcast and B2B Content Strategist), and speaks on stages all over the world about the power of content marketing.Join hundreds of business owners, content creators and marketers and get the latest content marketing tips and advice delivered straight to your inbox every week https://www.content10x.com/newsletter

Summary: Elena has done what most startup marketers only guess at; made it through multiple acquisitions and now leads global integrated marketing at Visa. In this episode, she breaks down what actually changes when you go from scrappy lead gen to enterprise brand building, why most martech tools don't survive security reviews, and how leadership without authority is the skill that really matters. We get into messy tech migrations, broken attribution dreams, and why picking up the phone still beats Slack. If you've ever wondered why your startup playbook stops working at scale, this conversation spells it out.What Startup Marketers Learn the Hard Way When They Land at a Big CorporationElena does not call herself an “acquisition master,” even though her resume might suggest otherwise. Three startups she worked at were acquired, Sivan by Refinitiv, WorkMarket by ADP, and Currencycloud by Visa, where she works today. Some might spin that track record as a strategic playbook for career navigation. Elena sees it differently. She credits great teams and good companies, not some personal Midas touch.The truth is, you cannot force an acquisition. What you can do is get really good at reading the room. Elena's career started deep in the weeds of lead generation and demand marketing, chasing performance metrics and measuring everything that moved. Early on, she dipped into other areas, event planning, employee engagement, but demand gen was where she built muscle. That was her lane at WorkMarket, where the first big learning curve hit.It turns out the skills that build the lead gen engine are not the same ones you need when a company shifts from hypergrowth to prepping for acquisition. Elena experienced firsthand the moment when leadership stops asking about lead volume and starts asking about brand perception. Suddenly the focus pivots from how many MQLs you can squeeze out of a campaign to how the company is positioned in the market, what the media is saying, and whether the brand looks credible at scale. She admitted she did not fully appreciate that switch at first.> "I came there with a mindset of if I can't track it, I'm not gonna do it," Elena said. "Every performance marketer would probably relate."That perspective doesn't fly for long in environments where brand and reputation start to outweigh click-through rates. Elena's time at Visa has only reinforced that lesson. Today, much of her work revolves around brand building and awareness, the same areas she once side-eyed for being soft and unmeasurable. It is one thing to believe in brand. It is another thing entirely to understand how hard it is to build one well.The scale jump from startup life to a company with over 30,000 employees does not just change the headcount. It rewires the entire pace and process of how work gets done. Elena described the gut-check moment that made it clear she was not at a scrappy startup anymore. It was not a high-level strategy meeting or a sweeping corporate memo. It was the moment she tried to get a simple social graphic approved.In a startup, that kind of thing takes a few minutes on Canva and the green light from whoever's closest to the Slack channel. At Visa, especially as a regulated financial institution, it involves legal reviews, vendor contracts, approval workflows, and enough compliance checks to make your head spin. Campaigns that once rolled out in days now take months. Not because anyone is slow, but because the stakes are high and the rules are different.That culture shock is where many startup marketers either adapt or tap out. What Elena figured out is that the skills that work at one stage of company life are not the ones that get you through the next. If you want to survive the jump from lean team to enterprise machine, you have to stop resenting the process and start respecting what it protects.Key takeaway: If you're coming from startup life, expect a painful adjustment when you move into a large, regulated company. The speed, autonomy, and scrappiness you are used to will collide hard with approval chains and compliance processes. The faster you stop fighting it and start learning why those systems exist, the faster you'll find your footing. Metrics-driven marketing only gets you so far. To thrive at scale, you need to understand the power and patience required to build brand trust.What Nobody Tells You About Merging Tech Stacks After an AcquisitionThe fantasy version of an acquisition is clean and celebratory. Two companies come together, the deal closes, the press release goes out, and life moves on. The reality, especially for marketing teams, is a long, often frustrating grind of systems audits, security reviews, and endless conversations about whether your beloved tools will survive the merger.Elena has lived through that grind more than once. When Visa acquired Currencycloud, she was not navigating that shift alone. Many of her teammates made the journey with her, which helped. But solidarity does not make the process move faster. It just means you have people to vent to while you wait for approvals.One of the first and hardest parts of that transition was not a debate between marketers. It was the clash between marketing teams and security teams. Every single piece of tech Currencycloud used, whether it was their website hosting, HubSpot marketing automation, or even individual add-ons, had to go under the microscope. Security teams needed to assess, vet, and approve each tool, often asking questions that made sense from a cybersecurity perspective but sounded completely out of touch to anyone in marketing.The back-and-forth was not casual. It escalated all the way up to the chief technology officer and the cybersecurity team at HubSpot sitting down with Elena's group to explain, in detail, what the platform could and could not do. None of this was about malice or incompetence. It was about two fundamentally different mindsets trying to find common ground.> "These are security people. They're not marketers. They don't always know why we need a particular tool or what it does," Elena explained.That learning curve is brutal if you're not prepared for it. The deeper into operations you sit, the more of these conversations you end up having. Elena found herself in rooms with people from multiple marketing ops teams across Visa, comparing tech stacks, workflows, and priorities. There was no easy answer to which system would win out. Sometimes the decision was clear. Other times it came down to questions like, is it really worth fighting for this tool, or is now the time to adapt to what already exists?She describes it as less like transferring from one job to another and more like moving from a Montessori school to a traditional classroom. Both systems can deliver a good education. They just teach in wildly different ways. One thrives on flexibility and autonomy. The other runs on structure and process. Neither is wrong. They are simply different environments, and surviving the switch requires a willingness to adjust.The biggest mistake marketers make in these situations is believing the process is about what *they* want. Elena was quick to point out that the companies she has worked for, especially Visa, keep customer experience at the center of these decisions. It is not about which tool is most familiar to the internal team. It is about which systems create the least friction for the end user. That mindset helps keep the process grounded, even when the day-to-day feels like a slow march through bureaucracy.Patience is not optional in these transitions. You will hit walls. You will repeat yourself. You will explain the same use case to five different people across three different teams. And eventually, you will e...

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!Ever wondered why your marketing data isn't delivering the insights you need? The answer lies in what Nicole Alvarez calls "the ugly work" – those essential but unglamorous tasks that create the foundation for beautiful marketing results.In today's episode, Nicole, a Solutions Architect at ClearPivot with a fascinating background in psychology and cognitive science, explains why field audits, permission sets, and process documentation deserve more attention. Drawing from her experience across multiple industries, she reveals how these behind-the-scenes elements enable the exciting, visible outcomes that marketing teams celebrate.We explore a powerful technique for demonstrating the value of data cleanup – building reports with bad data to show stakeholders why investment in data quality matters. When executives see inaccurate reports that don't reflect business reality, they better understand why dedicating resources to "boring" operational work is essential. Whether you're struggling to maintain clean data, communicate the value of operations work to executives, or simply looking to improve your marketing systems, this episode offers practical wisdom from seasoned professionals. Subscribe to OpsCast for more insights on the critical work that happens behind the scenes in successful marketing operations.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

Webinars have been a favorite format in B2B content marketing for years – but why do they work so well?In the first episode of our webinars miniseries, host Amy Woods is joined by Hayley Evans, Head of Marketing Operations and Client Account Management at Content 10x, to explore the benefits of webinars from both a strategic and practical point of view. Together, they break down seven clear reasons why webinars are still such an effective format for lead generation, relationship building, and content creation.Find out:Why webinars are great for lead generation and audience engagementHow they build trust and support thought leadershipWhy they're perfect for repurposing into lots of other contentThe benefits of webinars compared to in-person eventsWhat kind of data and insights they offer to help improve future contentImportant links & mentions:The B2B Webinar Planning Playbook https://www.content10x.com/webinar-guide/The Ultimate Guide to Planning, Promoting & Repurposing Webinars to Fuel Your Entire Content Strategy https://www.content10x.com/webinars-ultimate-guide/Expert Interviews Miniseries https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVwaHzx-z4d5RjYsCkPsQb2CrmIRTauIL&feature=shared/The Ultimate Guide to Planning, Recording & Repurposing Expert Interviews to Fuel Your Entire Content Strategy https://www.content10x.com/expert-interviews-ultimate-guide/The Ultimate Guide to Impactful Video Interviews https://www.content10x.com/interview-guide/B2B Content Strategist Podcast https://www.content10x.com/b2b-content-strategist/Hayley on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-evans-56421826/Amy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywoods2/Amy's book: www.content10x.com/book (Content 10x: More Content, Less Time, Maximum Results)Amy Woods is the CEO and founder of Content 10x, a creative agency that provides specialist content strategy, creation and repurposing support to B2B organizations. She's also a best-selling author, hosts two content marketing podcasts (The Content 10x Podcast and B2B Content Strategist), and speaks on stages all over the world about the power of content marketing.Join hundreds of business owners, content creators and marketers and get the latest content marketing tips and advice delivered straight to your inbox every week https://www.content10x.com/newsletter

In this special episode of Sales Pipeline Radio from the Forrester B2B Summit 2025 marketplace floor, Matt spoke with Lauren Daley, Director, Marketing Operations, and Jeremy Schwartz, Sr. Manager, Global Lead Management & Strategy at Palo Alto Networks. 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!

What's up folks, today we're diving into the AI talent crunch and exploring which marketing roles have the strongest staying power and which are most likely to be replaced by AI.Summary: Shit is changing fast. Don't wait for someone to guide you. Navigate this transition by focusing on judgment tasks while letting AI handle predictions. At risk are campaign operators, generic content creators, and report-pulling analysts. Set to thrive are resident AI implementation experts who select worthy tools, data orchestrators connecting proprietary data to AI, product/customer marketers with genuine empathy, ethics guardians preventing bias issues, and localization specialists understanding cultural nuances.Marketing Jobs AI Will Kill (And What Skills Actually Matter Now)AI tools have cut strange new patterns into the marketing job market. Pay attention and you'll spot which roles face extinction risk, which command premium salaries, and which hang precariously in the balance. We've watched marketing teams across dozens of companies scramble to realign their talent strategies around this new reality. Some roles vanish while entirely new job titles materialize almost weekly.One of the good things is that AI impacts marketing jobs based on task predictability and context, not seniority or experience. A CMO who mostly approves creative and manages schedules faces more displacement risk than a junior analyst who excels at extracting bizarre but valuable insights from data chaos. You probably feel this tension already. Half your marketing tasks could disappear next quarter, but the other half suddenly requires superpowers you're frantically trying to develop before your next performance review.This episode is meant to give you something to think about in terms of your particular role in marketing. We'll explore roles we think are at risk of vanishing and roles that are well positioned to become even more valuable. Shit is changing fast, no one is going to take your hand through this transition. You need to own it and take action.Marketing Roles Most at Risk to be Replaced by AIAI's Coming for Your Campaign Ops Job (Unless You Evolve Now)Phil and Darrell explored which campaign operations roles will vanish first and which might actually strengthen in the algorithmic storm ahead. Darrell struck first with brutal honesty about traditional campaign operations: "The role of configuring marketing automation tools to spec will be definitely at risk." He's talking about those roles where marketers simply implement predefined elements - predetermined images, pre-written text, established CTAs, and mapped-out lead routing. AI already handles this configuration work. Darrell has witnessed actual demos from startups building tools where marketers type requirements and - poof - the system builds it automatically. What seemed like science fiction months ago now exists in alpha versions across the industry.Phil slightly pushed back by referencing one of Darrell's recent posts, fracturing campaign ops into distinct categories rather than treating it as one vulnerable block. "Campaign ops encompasses way more than pressing buttons in Marketo," he insisted. He sorted these functions into two buckets:* **Highly vulnerable to AI replacement**:   * Reporting execution  * Campaign analysis and performance tracking  * Paid media bid adjustments  * Email automation and nurture flows  * Landing page and form creation* **Likely to survive the AI wave**:  * Setting strategic objectives and KPIs  * Creative decision-making requiring business understanding  * Budget planning involving cross-functional negotiation  * QA processes demanding human judgment  * Development of truly innovative best practices> "I had it in the unclear bucket because there's a box of some things under there that I feel like are still pretty likely to survive," Phil explained. "Coming up with campaign goals requires so much business understanding, strategic alignment, and political navigation."The conversation crystallized around evolution rather than extinction. Darrell sees campaign ops professionals transforming from button-pushers to strategic partners: "What it's going to evolve into is actually looking at objectives and KPIs, changing requirements, and modifying briefs." He advocated for campaign ops to shift toward continuous "always-on programs" requiring constant optimization rather than churning out repetitive one-off campaigns - a far more AI-resistant position.Key takeaway: To keep your campaign operations job when AI comes knocking, immediately shift your focus from tactical execution to strategic functions. Master business alignment skills, develop creative decision-making capabilities, and build continuous optimization programs. The marketers who survive will be those who stop configuring systems to spec and start reshaping campaign requirements based on deep business understanding and cross-functional collaboration.AI Will Eat Generic Content Creation (But Experts Will Thrive)Phil explored a pretty obvious category of marketing roles: "I think a lot of folks are really excited about Generative AI and using it to create basic posts and pages without editing any of the text." The bloodbath has already begun. Copywriters and content marketers producing unremarkable work find themselves outpaced by algorithms that can churn out mediocre content at scale, for pennies. The particularly exposed are those creating "routine content without a distinctive voice or cultural nuance," especially when working across global markets where nuance matters deeply.Darrell pulled no punches on what's coming: "Bad content is going to become obsolete." AI tools supercharge this dynamic, flooding channels with generated material that looks competent but lacks soul. The truly valuable is content that actually connects with people. Content that makes them feel something. Content that solves real problems in ways that show genuine understanding.What struck me as particularly insightful was Darrell's observation about subject matter experts potentially winning big in this new reality. These experts:* Often possess deep knowledge but lack time or writing skills* Can now leverage AI to amplify their expertise with minimal effort* Only need to provide "the spark of an idea and a few bullet points" * Create output that vastly outperforms generic content from disconnected marketers> "All it takes is like the spark of an idea and a few bullet points. And you have a full post and it's gonna be way better than someone, like a marketer for example, that doesn't really care about the product or about the industry and is writing like crappy content."This represents a fundamental power shift in content creation. The value no longer sits with those who can string sentences together but with those who bring authentic expertise, perspective, and lived experience. AI struggles with these human elements, the exact qualities that make readers stop scrolling and actually pay attention.Key takeaway: Your content survival strategy requires becoming either irreplaceably human or strategically AI-augmented. Build genuine subject matter expertise, develop a distinctive voice that reflects your unique perspective, and learn to use AI as an amplifier rather than a replacement for any kind of original thought. The future belongs to the specialized expert who can provide the strategic direction that AI can't generate on its own.Which Data Analyst Jobs Will Survive the AI Revolution?Marketing data analysts who build dashboards for a li...

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!Join us as we welcome back Garrath Robinson and first-time guest Sebastian Hidalgo from RevXcel for a deep dive into what it really takes to execute a go-to-market (GTM) strategy effectively today. Spoiler: it's not just about tactics or tools—it's about speed, trust, and team unity.Garrath and Sebastian challenge the old playbook of siloed teams and rigid strategies, and instead offer practical insights into how GTM execution needs to evolve to match buyer behavior and internal team dynamics. From sales being the true face of the brand to using frameworks like STRIKE and SWAT to stay agile, this conversation is packed with hard-earned lessons and bold takes.

This week, Ian and Jeff finalize their discussion about a CMO's first 90 days, coming to the last of the 5 F'in' Marketing Fundamentals - The Campaign. The Machine, roughly equates to Marketing Operations a role that Jeff knows well, having created several marketing operations teams before going on to advise enterprises through his work at Sirius Decisions and Forrester.  In this episode, Ian and Jeff step through the five cylinders of the machine and what the new CMO needs to pay attention to in those first few months: Data Technology Analytics Processs People As always, we welcome your feedback. If you have a suggestion for a topic that's hot for you that we should discuss, please get in touch using the links below.   Enjoy! — The Links The people: Ian Truscott on LinkedIn and Bluesky Jeff Clark on LinkedIn Mentioned this week: Rockstar CMO Presents: The 5 F'in' Marketing Fundamentals Get Your Buyers AMPED with our Customer Journey - Rockstar CMO Rockstar CMO: The Beat Newsletter that we send every Monday Rockstar CMO on the web, Twitter, and LinkedIn Previous episodes and all the show notes: Rockstar CMO FM. Track List: Stienski & Mass Media - We'll be right back Man Machine - Robbie Williams Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!Feeling swamped by marketing operations busy work?AI-powered automation can help you reclaim your time — but knowing what's real versus hype isn't easy.In this episode, Tarun Arora, a marketing tech veteran and founder of RevCrew, explains how AI goes beyond traditional rule-based automation by handling tasks that require human judgment. He shares how "agentic AI" systems act like virtual team members — making decisions, managing your tools, and only checking in when needed.You'll hear real-world examples, from inbox management and campaign optimization to audience selection, showing how AI can eliminate busy work and free you up for more strategic projects.Tarun also offers practical advice on where to start: focus on your biggest needs first, test real use cases, and remember — this is just mile one.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

In this episode of the RevOps Hero Podcast, host Chris Strom sits down with Jacqueline Freedman of Monarch Advisory Partners and former Marketing Ops leader at Grammarly and WeWork, to dive deep into the strategy, planning, and execution of in-person events as part of your marketing operations.Together, they unpack:✅ Why in-person events are regaining importance in today's remote-first world✅ How to align sales and marketing before, during, and after your event✅ What types of events (from CABs to fireside chats) work best and why✅ Tools and tech stacks for tracking attendance and engagement✅ How to define success through metrics like pipeline generation and incremental impact✅ Pro tips on campaign setup, reporting, and segmentation in systems like Salesforce and HubSpot✅ What not to do in post-event follow-up (hint: don't blast your attendee list to sales)Whether you're planning your first executive dinner or scaling a multi-city roadshow, this episode is packed with practical guidance to help your team turn in-person events into measurable marketing wins.

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!When your marketing team needs to produce thousands of content pieces each month, the operational challenges can become overwhelming. In this eye-opening conversation with Satej Sirur, founder and CEO of Rocketium, we explore the emerging field of Creative Operations and how it's transforming how enterprise brands manage their content production.Satej shares how his "pet project" evolved into a platform that now helps performance marketers and creative teams work more efficiently together. We unpack the fundamental tension between creative expression and performance optimization - a struggle familiar to anyone who's tried balancing brand guidelines with marketing results.The most fascinating insights come when we discuss what makes creative content perform well. While marketers claim to be data-driven, few have systematically analyzed which creative elements drive results. Should your logo be larger in awareness campaigns? Does showing a product outside its packaging perform better than inside? Most decisions rely on gut feelings rather than data. Rocketium changes this by extracting creative attributes and correlating them with performance metrics to identify winning patterns.For organizations producing high volumes of content (2,000+ pieces monthly) with substantial teams (10+ members) and significant ad spend ($5-10M minimum), Creative Ops solutions offer a way to eliminate repetitive tasks and focus on strategic decisions. Satej emphasizes that technology alone isn't enough - implementing these solutions requires a cultural shift toward data-informed decision-making while still respecting creative expertise.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

Bethany Prettyman is the Senior Director of Marketing Operations at Huntress, a cybersecurity company specializing in managed detection and response solutions for small and mid-sized businesses. With a robust background in strategic operations, she leads initiatives that enhance marketing efficiency and drive growth. Bethany's leadership ensures that Huntress's marketing strategies effectively communicate the company's mission to protect underserved organizations from cyber threats. In this episode… The traditional B2B marketing funnel might be doing more harm than good. In an era of complex buyer journeys and intent-driven decisions, is it still realistic, or even useful, to imagine prospects moving through neat, linear stages? What if the funnel model we've relied on for decades is actually leading marketing ops teams astray? According to Bethany Prettyman, a seasoned expert in marketing operations and data-driven strategy, the funnel is no longer linear, it's a loop. She highlights how today's B2B buyers bounce between channels, revisit research, and often re-enter the journey post-purchase, making linear tracking obsolete. The result? Misaligned attribution models and missed opportunities to optimize real engagement. Bethany explains that the obsession with MQLs is outdated and that teams should instead prioritize intent and velocity, focusing on signals that indicate purchase readiness rather than arbitrary lead scores. This mindset shift not only improves conversion but also strengthens alignment with sales. In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, host Alex Gluz speaks with Bethany Prettyman, Senior Director of Marketing Operations at Huntress, to discuss why the traditional B2B funnel is broken. They explore why loop-based models better reflect today's buyer behavior, how attribution should evolve, and the dangers of tech bloat in marketing stacks. Bethany also shares her agile approach to reporting and how to bridge gaps between sales, marketing, and finance.

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!What does it take to elevate marketing operations from a technical support function to a strategic business driver? AJ Driscoll reveals how understanding product marketing fundamentals transformed his career trajectory from system administrator to co-leader of an entire marketing department.The journey begins with a data-driven approach to validating and refining ideal customer profiles (ICPs). Rather than accepting conventional wisdom about target markets, AJ demonstrates how combining quantitative analysis with qualitative research creates powerful insights that sales teams can actually use. He walks us through his methodology for evaluating historical win rates, customer demographics, and industry trends to identify where businesses should focus their efforts.Most remarkably, AJ shares his unique philosophy on cross-functional collaboration. "My job is to help other people be better at their jobs," he explains, detailing how this service-oriented mindset helped him build relationships throughout his organizations. From creating automated alerts for sales teams to designing ROI tracking systems with finance, these collaborative efforts eventually earned him company-wide recognition typically reserved for top salespeople.For marketing operations professionals looking to expand their impact, AJ offers practical advice on developing business intelligence skills and becoming industry experts. He shares how new AI tools have accelerated the research process, allowing ops professionals to quickly gain domain knowledge that enhances their strategic contributions. The combination of technical expertise, product marketing understanding, and collaborative spirit creates the foundation for a marketing operations professional who can truly drive business success.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!Marketing leaders face a painful dilemma: they need to prove their impact through data, but marketing data is notoriously messy compared to the cleaner, more discrete data available to sales and finance teams. This gap creates what Eric Westerkamp, CEO of CaliberMind, calls a "data dumpster fire" that marketing operations professionals must somehow transform into credible reporting.Drawing from 20 years of executive leadership experience spanning sales and entrepreneurship, Eric offers a refreshingly practical perspective on how marketing teams can build trust in their data and storytelling. Rather than attempting to fix all data quality issues before beginning reporting initiatives, he advocates starting small with specific reports that deliver meaningful insights. This approach allows teams to identify which data elements need fixing while simultaneously delivering value.The conversation explores how marketing operations teams can effectively normalize data across systems, enabling consistent reporting even as organizations migrate between platforms or evolve their naming conventions. Eric shares a striking example where analysis of 1,800 job titles revealed that 80% were unique variations of essentially the same titles—a common challenge that undermines segmentation and reporting efforts.The episode also examines how AI is revolutionizing marketing operations. While AI tools may struggle with complex calculations, they excel at transforming buyer journey data with thousands of touchpoints into credible stories. Organizations embracing these capabilities are gaining significant efficiency advantages, with SDRs able to cover 20% more accounts and marketing teams generating insights faster than competitors.Whether you're a marketing operations professional struggling to build reporting credibility or a CMO needing to better demonstrate your team's impact, this conversation provides actionable guidance for taming your data dumpster fire and transforming it into powerful, trusted insights that drive business decisions. Connect with Eric Westerkamp on LinkedIn or visit calibermind.com to learn more about building marketing data you can trust.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!What happens when all your digital breadcrumbs—personal emails, professional accounts, device IDs, and physical addresses—get connected into a single identity? Jeremy Katz, SVP of Product Solutions, Identity and Data at Merkle, takes us deep into the fascinating world of identity resolution and first-party data.Starting with his unconventional path from English major to data analytics leader, Jeremy shares the pivotal moments that shaped his understanding of how organizations can build comprehensive customer views. He breaks down complex concepts like identity graphs, customer data platforms, and the technical challenges of defining seemingly simple terms like "customer." Through real-world examples from his experience implementing enterprise-wide customer data hubs, Jeremy illustrates how companies struggle with and ultimately solve the puzzle of connecting fragmented customer information.Looking toward the future, Jeremy identifies emerging trends that will reshape how organizations manage and leverage identity—from AI-driven audiences and synthetic data to retail media networks and data collaboration through clean rooms. Whether you're a marketing operations professional trying to implement a CDP or a business leader trying to understand the strategic value of your first-party data, this episode offers crucial insights into one of marketing's most foundational yet complex challenges.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!The modern job hunt is broken—but Ryan Murphy, Managing Partner at UpfrontOps, has cracked the code. After being forced to resign from his position during a cross-country move, Ryan found himself frantically applying to hundreds of jobs with zero responses. Through experimentation and insight from HR professionals, he developed a revolutionary approach that transformed his results from 0% to a 50% interview rate.He reveals why most job seekers fail before they begin. Your resume likely scores terribly with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), the digital gatekeepers rejecting your applications before human eyes ever see them. The solution isn't just tweaking your resume—it's understanding the psychology of hiring managers and the hidden mechanics of job platforms like LinkedIn. Ryan shares the exact strategy for optimizing your resume for ATS using JobScan.co, how to craft personalized connection messages that bypass premium LinkedIn requirements, and the precise phrase to use in interviews to discover a position's true salary range before revealing your expectations.Ready to transform your job search? Whether you're currently looking or preparing for future opportunities in marketing operations, these battle-tested techniques will give you a significant advantage in a competitive market. Connect with Ryan at UpfrontOps.com to learn more and access templates that have helped professionals secure immediate salary increases and land roles they love.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!Ever feel like your marketing data is giving you half-truths? You're not alone. In this eye-opening conversation with Dan McGaw, founder and CEO of UTM.io, we dive deep into the critical but often overlooked foundation of all marketing attribution: UTM parameters and proper data governance.We explore the real challenges marketing ops professionals face in implementing consistent UTM parameters across global organizations. Dan shares practical insights on how to transform your approach from the ubiquitous "UTM spreadsheet" to more robust systems that enforce taxonomies and ensure data quality. His advice comes with empathy for the marketing ops professionals caught between demanding VPs and busy campaign managers who "just want to get their job done."Whether you're struggling with attribution models, considering a CDP, or simply trying to bring order to chaotic UTM parameters, this episode offers practical wisdom from someone who's seen it all. Dan's parting advice? Start with a spreadsheet to solve 85% of the problem, then iterate until you're ready for specialized tools. It's a refreshing reminder that sometimes the simplest solutions lay the groundwork for sophisticated attribution strategies.Ready to bring order to your marketing attribution? Listen now and discover the power of proper data governance.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations Professionals Connect Scattered Data with AI AgentsExplore how easy AI can be with Forwrd.ai for Marketing OpsBuild AI agents that can predict, forecast, segment, and automate the entire data processing workflow -- integrating, prepping, cleaning, normalizing, analyzing, and even building and operating your models. With Forward, you can get it done 100 times faster. Support the show

Stephen Grootes talks to Tina Venter -Absa Group: Executive for Marketing Operations about the upcoming Absa Cape Epic, a premier mountain-bike stage race that promises to test the limits of world-class athletes from 16 to 23 March 2025, and explores why sponsorship is vital in sport. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape.Thank you for listening to The Money Show podcast.Listen live - The Money Show with Stephen Grootes is broadcast weekdays between 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) on 702 and CapeTalk. There’s more from the show at www.themoneyshow.co.za Subscribe to the Money Show daily and weekly newslettersThe Money Show is brought to you by Absa. Follow us on:702 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702702 on Instagram: www.instagram.com/talkradio702702 on X: www.x.com/Radio702702 on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@radio702CapeTalk on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: www.instagram.com/capetalkzaCapeTalk on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567CapeTalk on X: www.x.com/CapeTalkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the final episode of our five-part series, host Amy Woods is joined once again by Hayley Evans, Head of Marketing Operations and Client Account Management at Content 10x, to answer the most frequently asked questions about expert interviews.From how long they should be to how to keep conversations on track, Amy and Hayley share practical advice to help you get the most from your expert interviews – so you can turn in-house expertise into high-value, impactful content.Find out:The ideal interview length (and why anything over an hour is a risk)How often to run expert interviews and how to fit them into your content workflowThe biggest mistakes marketing teams make when interviewing experts – and how to avoid themWhy a relaxed, conversational approach leads to better expert interviews than a rigid Q&AHow expert interviews fit into your wider content strategyImportant links & mentions:The Ultimate Guide to Impactful Video Interviews https://www.content10x.com/interview-guide/The Ultimate Guide to Planning, Recording & Repurposing Expert Interviews to Fuel Your Entire Content Strategy https://www.content10x.com/expert-interviews-ultimate-guide/How to Build a Winning Blog Content Strategy with Andy Crestodina https://www.content10x.com/322/How to Create Content that AI Can't Create https://www.content10x.com/323/Hayley on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-evans-56421826/Amy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywoods2/Amy's book: www.content10x.com/book (Content 10x: More Content, Less Time, Maximum Results)Amy Woods is the CEO and founder of Content 10x, a creative agency that provides specialist content strategy, creation and repurposing support to B2B organizations. She's also a best-selling author, hosts two content marketing podcasts (The Content 10x Podcast and B2B Content Strategist), and speaks on stages all over the world about the power of content marketing.Join hundreds of business owners, content creators and marketers and get the latest content marketing tips and advice delivered straight to your inbox every week https://www.content10x.com/newsletter

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!The landscape of video production has undergone a seismic shift over the past decade. What was once a straightforward process of creating a single, polished piece of content has evolved into a complex ecosystem where every production must function across multiple platforms while maintaining its emotional impact.In our conversation with Christian Schu and David Siciliano, two veteran video producers working with major brands across continents, we explore how the fundamentals of video marketing have transformed. Christian, who creates content for high-end audio brands like Focal, Naim, and Bang & Olufsen, and David, who manages production for everything from performance marketing to major brand campaigns, share their perspectives on what makes modern video content effective.The most surprising revelation? Today's successful video producers think of themselves primarily as marketers rather than filmmakers. Both guests describe at length how understanding marketing strategy, target audiences, and desired outcomes has become essential to their work. As David puts it, "Your marketing budget is your video budget" – highlighting how completely these disciplines have merged. Christian adds that while technical aspects matter, ultimately "the product doesn't matter – it must be good, but anything besides that is only emotion."Whether you're a marketing professional collaborating with video teams or simply curious about how modern video content comes together, this episode offers valuable insights into the evolving relationship between storytelling, marketing strategy, and technical production. Listen now to discover why emotion trumps features and how your marketing content can benefit from a filmmaker's perspective.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations Professionals Connect Scattered Data with AI AgentsExplore how easy AI can be with Forwrd.ai for Marketing OpsBuild AI agents that can predict, forecast, segment, and automate the entire data processing workflow -- integrating, prepping, cleaning, normalizing, analyzing, and even building and operating your models. With Forward, you can get it done 100 times faster. Support the show

In the fourth episode of our five-part miniseries, host Amy Woods and Hayley Evans, Head of Marketing Operations and Client Account Management at Content 10x, discuss ways you can repurpose expert interviews effectively. They discuss how to reuse and reshape interviews for podcasts, blog posts, social media, and more, covering how to pick out key moments and keep things engaging across different formats.Whether it's short clips, written content, or a whole series, they talk through how to plan ahead and make repurposing simple, so you're always getting the best return from your expert conversations that fuels your strategy for months. Find out:How to turn expert interviews into multiple content formatsWhy they recommend short-form videoHow to make the most of platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube ShortsHow distribution plays a role in maximizing reach and engagementThe importance of engagement – and why posting isn't enoughImportant links & mentions:The Ultimate Guide to Impactful Video Interviews https://www.content10x.com/interview-guide/The Ultimate Guide to Planning, Recording & Repurposing Expert Interviews to Fuel Your Entire Content Strategy https://www.content10x.com/expert-interviews-ultimate-guide/How to Build a Winning Blog Content Strategy with Andy Crestodina https://www.content10x.com/322/How to Create Content that AI Can't Create https://www.content10x.com/323/Hayley on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-evans-56421826/Amy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywoods2/Amy's book: www.content10x.com/book (Content 10x: More Content, Less Time, Maximum Results)Amy Woods is the CEO and founder of Content 10x, a creative agency that provides specialist content strategy, creation and repurposing support to B2B organizations. She's also a best-selling author, hosts two content marketing podcasts (The Content 10x Podcast and B2B Content Strategist), and speaks on stages all over the world about the power of content marketing.Join hundreds of business owners, content creators and marketers and get the latest content marketing tips and advice delivered straight to your inbox every week https://www.content10x.com/newsletter

"Search is no longer just about Google, it's a behavior happening everywhere, from TikTok and Amazon to ChatGPT and Perplexity. To win in this new era, brands need to understand their audience deeply and align their SEO, social strategy, and authenticity across every platform where discovery happens." – Melíssa Harden In this episode titled, Mastering Search Intelligence: Ranking Strategies Across Social, AI, Voice, and Video, Kerry Curran dives into the dynamic world of search intelligence with Melíssa Harden, VP of Search Intelligence at Digitas. From TikTok to Amazon, ChatGPT to Perplexity, Melíssa explores how search behavior has shifted beyond Google, requiring brands to master ranking strategies across social platforms, AI tools, voice search, and video content. With actionable insights on breaking silos, integrating cross-platform SEO, and embracing authenticity to connect with audiences, this episode offers a forward-looking guide for marketers to thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape while driving revenue growth.

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!In a dynamic exploration of the intersection between sales and marketing operations, we dive deep into the journey of Kanwal Ibrahim, a seasoned Marketing Operations Manager at OffSec. Her background in sales armed her with unique insights that many marketing professionals may overlook. Kanwal shares pivotal lessons she learned as she transitioned into operations, emphasizing the importance of understanding the sales funnel and the customer journey.Listeners will discover how data transparency informs better strategic decisions, highlighting the vital connection between sales and marketing. With her experience, Kanwal illustrates the necessity of fostering collaborative relationships across teams, ensuring effective communication that leads to aligned objectives. By unpacking her approach to process optimization and structure, Kanwal offers a roadmap for those aiming to enhance their marketing efforts.Moreover, she illustrates the significance of being open to feedback, a lesson that transcends the boundaries of sales and marketing. Whether navigating through CRM systems or understanding metrics, her perspective serves as a guide to help listeners refine their operations strategy. This episode is a must-listen for professionals at all levels looking to bridge the gap between sales and marketing operations. Share your thoughts with us on social media or subscribe for more insider insights!Connect with Kanwal Ibrahim on LinkedIn hereEpisode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations Professionals Connect Scattered Data with AI AgentsExplore how easy AI can be with Forwrd.ai for Marketing OpsBuild AI agents that can predict, forecast, segment, and automate the entire data processing workflow -- integrating, prepping, cleaning, normalizing, analyzing, and even building and operating your models. With Forward, you can get it done 100 times faster. Support the show

You've done the prep, set the strategy, and picked the experts. Now it's time to hit record!But a great interview isn't just about asking the right questions – it's about creating the right environment for insightful conversations to happen. In part three of this five-part series, host Amy Woods and Hayley Evans, Head of Marketing Operations and Client Account Management at Content 10x, walk through what it takes to run a smooth, engaging expert interview. They cover the key steps to help everyone involved feel at ease, manage the technical side of recording, and ensure you walk away with content you can actually use. Find out:Why pre-interview warm-ups make a big differenceThe best way to handle tech checks (and why you shouldn't skip them)How to keep the conversation flowing while making sure you capture the right contentThe key to getting content that doesn't feel scriptedThe role of a facilitator – and when to consider having oneHow to wrap up effectively and get feedback that makes future interviews even betterImportant links & mentions:The Ultimate Guide to Impactful Video Interviews https://www.content10x.com/video10x-exec/How to Build a Winning Blog Content Strategy with Andy Crestodina https://www.content10x.com/322/How to Create Content that AI Can't Create https://www.content10x.com/323/Hayley on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-evans-56421826/Amy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywoods2/Amy's book: www.content10x.com/book (Content 10x: More Content, Less Time, Maximum Results)Amy Woods is the CEO and founder of Content 10x, a creative agency that provides specialist content strategy, creation and repurposing support to B2B organizations. She's also a best-selling author, hosts two content marketing podcasts (The Content 10x Podcast and B2B Content Strategist), and speaks on stages all over the world about the power of content marketing.Join hundreds of business owners, content creators and marketers and get the latest content marketing tips and advice delivered straight to your inbox every week https://www.content10x.com/newsletter

This week our host Brandi Starr is joined by Tracey Fudge, the visionary behind AI by Thrive.  Meet Tracey Fudge, a dynamic leader revolutionizing the intersection of marketing and artificial intelligence. With a career dedicated to untangling the complexities of marketing operations, data analytics, and AI, Tracey bridges gaps that stagnate revenue growth, making her consultancy a catalyst for marketing success.  In this episode of Revenue Rehab, Brandi and Tracey dive into the transformative potential of AI in marketing operations. As the world grapples with the rapid evolution of AI, they explore actionable insights to dispel fears and effectively harness AI for predictive analytics, lead routing, and much more. This engaging conversation offers strategies for aligning marketing and revenue operations to drive unprecedented revenue breakthroughs.   Bullet Points of Key Topics + Chapter Markers:   Topic #1 Embracing AI in Marketing Operations [03:24] "Everyone's talking about AI and it's almost like everyone's having an existential moment with it," Tracey elaborates, addressing the looming anxiety among leaders about AI's impact. She reassures them, "We've had AI for a long time and it's just doing things faster now with AI," emphasizing the steady and strategic integration of AI into marketing strategies without fear of job loss.  Topic #2 The Importance of Clean Data for AI [05:00] Tracey underscores a critical point: "AI is useless if the data does not make sense." She suggests companies should “clean your data and make sure that it is centralized in one place,” highlighting the necessity of organized and accurate data to leverage AI effectively, with tools ready to act on real-time, reliable information.  Topic #3 Overcoming Territorial Data Silos [10:55] Brandi highlights a common organizational challenge, "I just never understand that my data, your data sort of mentality," while advocating for integration. Tracey adds, "AI is leveling the field...lean on each other a little bit more as one cohesive team," pointing out that AI can serve as a catalyst for breaking down silos and fostering collaboration across different departments.  What's One Thing You Can Do Today  Tracey's ‘One Thing' is to identify and automate repetitive tasks within your organization. “Look at the few tasks that people do that are mundane and repetitive and outline those and then figure out how to automate those to make things faster. Look at the things that people don't want to do and see if you could automate that. That's kind of a fun exercise too.” By tackling these types of tasks, you can enhance efficiency and free up your team to focus on strategic initiatives that drive growth.  Buzzword Banishment  Tracey's Buzzword to Banish is ‘collaborate'. Tracey wants to banish it because she feels it's just so overused. Although she acknowledges that she loves a good collaboration, the frequency of its usage has made it a bit of a cliché in industry conversations.    Subscribe, listen, and rate/review Revenue Rehab Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts , Amazon Music, or iHeart Radio and find more episodes on our website RevenueRehab.live    

AI-driven email outreach is more than just automation—it's a game-changer for sales and marketing teams. But how do you deploy AI agents effectively while maintaining compliance, preserving inbox health, and ensuring human alignment?In this episode, Chris Dutton, VP of Marketing Operations at 6sense, breaks down how his team has scaled AI email agents over the past three years, long before AI became mainstream. He shares the key lessons learned, the crawl-walk-run approach to implementation, and how AI enhances rather than replaces BDRs.Chris unpacks the metrics that matter beyond vanity stats, the campaigns that work (and those that don't), and the impact of AI on pipeline generation and team efficiency. From reducing BDR workload by 59% to achieving record-breaking pipeline months, this episode is packed with actionable insights on integrating AI into your outbound strategy.In this episode, you'll learn:How 6sense successfully scaled AI email agents without compromising complianceWhy AI email agents complement BDR efforts instead of replacing themThe key metrics that matter when measuring AI-driven outreachBest practices for inbox warming, campaign selection, and maintaining email healthJump into the conversation:(00:00) Introducing Chris Dutton and the AI email revolution(02:16) The importance of AI agents in scaling outreach(04:48) How 6sense started with AI email agents—cautiously(07:24) Key metrics for success beyond open and click rates(10:29) The three most effective AI email agent campaigns(12:48) Common pitfalls and when not to use AI for outreach(15:42) How 6sense centralizes AI ownership and ensures compliance(18:20) The technical crawl-walk-run approach to AI email implementation(22:03) Surprising AI interactions: empathy, engagement, and success stories

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!Join us for an enlightening conversation with Anna Tumanova, the Events Marketing Lead at Gorgias, as we unravel the complexities of managing large-scale events. With her impressive track record of orchestrating over a thousand events, Anna offers a unique perspective on how to elevate brand presence through strategic event marketing. From the grandeur of Gorgias Connect to small-scale dinners designed to test new markets, Anna reveals the secrets behind Gorgias's diverse event portfolio and their pivotal role in market expansion.Explore the meticulous details that go into making each event a success, from choosing the perfect venue in an unfamiliar city to the surprising impact of comfortable flooring on booth foot traffic. Anna shares her insights on how the goals of these events—be it lead generation, customer engagement, or brand enhancement—have evolved over time. Discover the financial wizardry behind budget allocations and how Gorgias tailors events to cater to various stakeholders, ensuring not just customer acquisition but also solidifying existing relationships.Peek behind the curtain to see how Anna and her team keep their event operations seamless and efficient. Learn about their process of using dedicated Slack channels for event requests, Asana for logistical management, and how tools like HubSpot and lemlist optimize marketing operations. This episode is a treasure trove of insights for marketing and MarTech professionals eager to automate and personalize event communications, drive engagement, and precisely measure success. Anna's expertise is sure to inspire and equip you with strategies to take your event marketing to the next level.RSVP for Anna's upcoming webinar series hereFind Anna on LinkedIn hereEpisode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations Professionals Connect Scattered Data with AI AgentsExplore how easy AI can be with Forwrd.ai for Marketing OpsBuild AI agents that can predict, forecast, segment, and automate the entire data processing workflow -- integrating, prepping, cleaning, normalizing, analyzing, and even building and operating your models. With Forward, you can get it done 100 times faster. Support the show

The key to great expert interviews? It all starts with the right preparation.In part two of our five-part series, host Amy Woods and Hayley Evans, Head of Marketing Operations and Client Account Management at Content 10x, break down how to plan, structure, and set-up expert interviews. From selecting the right experts (and interviewers) to asking open-ended questions that lead to real insights, they share what it takes to set your interviews up for success – before you even hit record. Amy and Hayley also explore how expert interviews fit into your content strategy and how upfront planning makes the whole process run smoother. Find out:How to align expert interviews with your content pillars and business goalsThe two key ‘whos' – who to interview and who should run the interviewWhy choosing the right questions is just as important as choosing the right expertHow to help your interviewee feel prepared and confident with pre-interview prepThe must-do technical checklist: lighting, audio, internet speed, and moreImportant links & mentions:The Ultimate Guide to Impactful Video Interviews https://www.content10x.com/video10x-exec/How to Build a Winning Blog Content Strategy with Andy Crestodina https://www.content10x.com/322/How to Create Content that AI Can't Create https://www.content10x.com/323/Hayley on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-evans-56421826/Amy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywoods2/Amy's book: www.content10x.com/book (Content 10x: More Content, Less Time, Maximum Results)Amy Woods is the CEO and founder of Content 10x, a creative agency that provides specialist content strategy, creation and repurposing support to B2B organizations. She's also a best-selling author, hosts two content marketing podcasts (The Content 10x Podcast and B2B Content Strategist), and speaks on stages all over the world about the power of content marketing.Join hundreds of business owners, content creators and marketers and get the latest content marketing tips and advice delivered straight to your inbox every week https://www.content10x.com/newsletter

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!Unlock the secrets of harnessing energy for personal and professional success with our special guest, Carrie Fabris, founder and Chief Reframer of CareerFrame. Together, we redefine the concept of Return on Energy (ROE), offering a fresh perspective on how to evaluate the energy we invest in our daily tasks. Discover Carrie's insightful four-step approach to ROE, which will help you verify feelings, pinpoint impact, balance costs, and make decisive actions about whether to continue or drop certain tasks. By embracing tools like Clifton StrengthsFinder and Myers-Briggs, Carrie highlights the profound effect energy levels can have on decision-making and team dynamics.Shift your focus away from immediate satisfaction toward long-term achievements. Through engaging discussions, we explore the growth mindset, resilience, and courage required to tackle tasks that demand energy without quick rewards. Our conversation delves into the cultural penchant for instant gratification and offers strategies to maintain focus on long-term objectives. Learn how the RPM framework—result, purpose, and massive action—can guide you toward patience and steady advancement, ensuring your energy is well-invested for future gains.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations Professionals Connect Scattered Data with AI AgentsExplore how easy AI can be with Forwrd.ai for Marketing OpsBuild AI agents that can predict, forecast, segment, and automate the entire data processing workflow -- integrating, prepping, cleaning, normalizing, analyzing, and even building and operating your models. With Forward, you can get it done 100 times faster. Support the show

What if your best content is already within your team, waiting to be uncovered?In this first episode of our five-part series, host Amy Woods is joined by Hayley Evans, Head of Marketing Operations and Client Account Management at Content 10x, to discuss the power of expert interviews and how they unlock high-value content that AI can't replicate.Amy and Hayley break down what expert interviews are, why they work, and how they help B2B companies create truly authentic, people-focused content straight from the voices of their in-house experts. Find out:What expert interviews are and how they add depth to your contentWho is considered an ‘expert' in an organization – and why it goes beyond the C-suiteHow they bring authentic, people-focused stories to lifeThe many content opportunities expert interviews create (beyond just the interview itself)Important links & mentions:The Ultimate Guide to Impactful Video Interviews https://www.content10x.com/video10x-exec/How to Build a Winning Blog Content Strategy with Andy Crestodina https://www.content10x.com/322/How to Create Content that AI Can't Create https://www.content10x.com/323/Hayley on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-evans-56421826/Amy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywoods2/Amy's book: www.content10x.com/book (Content 10x: More Content, Less Time, Maximum Results)Amy Woods is the CEO and founder of Content 10x, a creative agency that provides specialist content strategy, creation and repurposing support to B2B organizations. She's also a best-selling author, hosts two content marketing podcasts (The Content 10x Podcast and B2B Content Strategist), and speaks on stages all over the world about the power of content marketing.Join hundreds of business owners, content creators and marketers and get the latest content marketing tips and advice delivered straight to your inbox every week https://www.content10x.com/newsletter

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!Join us as we unravel the transformative power of AI in business with Kobi Stok, the visionary entrepreneur behind Forwrd.ai. Discover how his journey from WalkMe to launching Forwrd.ai is reshaping the landscape of data science automation. This episode promises insights into how AI can act as a team of data scientists, empowering businesses to turn complex data into clear, actionable strategies and enhanced performance. Kobi provides an insider's view into current challenges and solutions, highlighting the need for accessible tools that revolutionize decision-making processes.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations Professionals Connect Scattered Data with AI AgentsExplore how easy AI can be with Forwrd.ai for Marketing OpsBuild AI agents that can predict, forecast, segment, and automate the entire data processing workflow -- integrating, prepping, cleaning, normalizing, analyzing, and even building and operating your models. With Forward, you can get it done 100 times faster. Support the show

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!Unlock the secrets to building a formidable marketing operations function with insights from our expert guest, Deirdre Mahon. Deirdre, a trusted advisor in product marketing and growth, reveals the essential steps early-stage companies must take to set up their marketing operations for success. From selecting the right marketing automation system to establishing clear KPIs and fostering cross-departmental collaboration, she provides invaluable guidance to ensure your organization is on track. Deirdre also highlights the often-overlooked aspects like budgeting for tools and processes alongside campaigns, ensuring a well-rounded approach.As organizations expand, the transition from a generalist to a specialist model becomes crucial. Explore strategies for creating specialized teams to manage different stages of the sales funnel efficiently while avoiding potential pitfalls like inefficiencies and misalignment. Deirdre emphasizes the importance of clear communication and strategy alignment to maintain seamless operations and sustainable growth. Regular performance reviews become your best ally in deciding which strategies to pursue or discard, enhancing overall efficiency.The episode takes a transformative turn as we discuss the role of AI in modern marketing. AI tools like ChatGPT and MarkovMLcom are changing the game, automating repetitive tasks and enabling marketers to focus on strategic and creative endeavors. Discover how balancing AI capabilities with human intelligence can unlock new levels of innovation and productivity. With AI handling mundane tasks, marketers can shift from mass messaging to creating personalized, impactful campaigns. Join us in exploring these exciting possibilities and transform your marketing operations for the future.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations Professionals Find your next great hire in the MarketingOps.com community. Reach specific members seeking new opportunities by region, years of experience, platform experience, and more. Support the show

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!What if your marketing strategy could be supercharged by AI? Clemens Diemann, a leading AI growth consultant from Algomarketing, joins us to share his expertise on navigating the complex world of marketing operations. He brings to light the struggles marketers endure when relying on historical data and intuition, revealing how this pressure can lead to strategic decisions based more on hope than certainty. Clemens discusses the often daunting task of meeting ever-increasing targets and how running ad hoc campaigns without thorough analysis can strain marketing teams and lead to incomplete data-driven decisions.Clemens dives deep into the transformative role of predictive analytics and AI in marketing. He challenges traditional models like the MQL to SAIL to pipeline approach, which can flatten conversion rates when not integrated with a broader revenue operations strategy. By encouraging collaboration across teams and employing predictive analytics, marketing professionals can unlock significant improvements in campaign performance and sales funnels. Clemens illustrates this with a compelling case study from Cisco, showing how AI-driven insights can elevate sales team performance and foster better decision-making.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations Professionals Find your next great hire in the MarketingOps.com community. Reach specific members seeking new opportunities by region, years of experience, platform experience, and more. Support the show

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!Curious about how a fitness instructor transitions into a marketing ops powerhouse? Join us for a fascinating conversation with Jannelle Roscoe, the Associate Director of Digital Marketing and Marketing Systems at Lonza. Jannelle shares her unique journey from the world of fitness to mastering marketing operations, all while sticking to a budget. Her experience highlights the importance of customer-centric thinking, not only when engaging with external clients but also within internal teams. Her insights into customer journeys and motivations are must-hear lessons for anyone navigating the complex realm of marketing operations.In our discussion, you'll discover the power of continuous learning and humility in professional growth. Jannelle opens up about embracing new challenges and overcoming the fear of not knowing everything, striking a perfect balance between confidence and humility. We explore the importance of creating nurturing environments where newcomers can freely ask questions, seek guidance, and grow without unnecessary struggles. This approach not only fosters personal growth but also strengthens the marketing operations community by encouraging collaboration and shared experiences.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations Professionals Find your next great hire in the MarketingOps.com community. Reach specific members seeking new opportunities by region, years of experience, platform experience, and more. Support the show

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!Unlock the secrets to transforming your marketing strategies with the power of AI, featuring insights from Luke Crickmore of Algomarketing. Learn how artificial intelligence is not just a tool but a game-changer that elevates data analysis and campaign strategy to new heights. Luke shares his expertise on automating the mundane, freeing up time for creativity, and crafting more personalized marketing experiences that cut through the noise. Discover how AI empowers marketers to concentrate on what truly matters: interpreting data to make informed decisions and fostering innovation in their campaigns.Imagine a world where entire marketing campaigns are nearly complete with AI-driven insights, needing only the human touch to refine and finalize. That's the future we discuss, exploring AI's role in generating dynamic hypotheses for campaigns, moving beyond basic multivariant tests, and ensuring brand alignment through finely-tuned models. We delve into the crucial topics of intellectual property and data security, explaining how AI can enhance content creation while safeguarding brands' unique voices. Through our conversation, we paint a vision of a more efficient and effective marketing process, driven by AI yet validated by human expertise.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations Professionals Find your next great hire in the MarketingOps.com community. Reach specific members seeking new opportunities by region, years of experience, platform experience, and more. Support the show

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!Explore the journey from stage acting to marketing operations with Cory Huff, Marketing Operations Manager at Discogs, as he shares insights on storytelling, personalization, and emotional intelligence in marketing. The episode highlights collaboration and the nuances between B2C and B2B marketing environments.• Investigation of storytelling as a powerful marketing tool • Discussion on personalizing marketing messages • Examination of the transition from B2C to B2B marketing • Insights on data challenges within marketing operations • Importance of team collaboration in marketing execution • Role of emotional intelligence for marketers • Strategies for implementing change within organizationsLink to the book Team Habits: How Small Actions Lead to Extraordinary Results hereEpisode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations Professionals Find your next great hire in the MarketingOps.com community. Reach specific members seeking new opportunities by region, years of experience, platform experience, and more. Support the show

AI itself isn't a goal. In the enterprise, marketers that effectively integrate artificial intelligence into their operations in meaningful ways will start to see the tangible returns that leaders in the space are already realizing. Today we're going to talk about the reality of AI adoption in the enterprise, and how marketers should be thinking about a workplace where humans and AI agents are working together. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Adam Brotman, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Forum3. Adam Brotman is co-founder and co-CEO of Forum3. Previously, he was president, chief experience officer, and co-CEO at J.Crew, where he launched the widely successful J.Crew Rewards program. At Starbucks, he was the inaugural chief digital officer and evp, global retail operations, developing the payment, ordering, and loyalty platform which amassed 60 million members. He has been recognized as one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People and CDO Club's CDO of the Year. He serves on the boards of Ruby Tuesday and Cabi, and has held board positions at Neiman Marcus Group and Brooks Running. He is the co-author of AI First, in collaboration with Harvard Business Review, and received his bachelor's degree from UCLA and JD from The University of Washington School of Law. RESOURCES Forum3 website: https://www.forum3.com/ Spok website: https://www.spok.app/ Wix Studio is the ultimate web platform for creative, fast-paced teams at agencies and enterprises—with smart design tools, flexible dev capabilities, full-stack business solutions, multi-site management, advanced AI and fully managed infrastructure. https://www.wix.com/studio Attend the Mid-Atlantic MarCom Summit, the region's largest marketing communications conference. Register with the code "Agile" and get 15% off. Register now for HumanX 2025. This AI-focused event which brings some of the most forward-thinking minds in technology together. Register now with the code "HX25p_tab" for $250 off the regular price. Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company