Podcasts about startup marketing

#242: Content Strategy | In this episode, Danielle sits down with Brendan Hufford, founder of Growth Sprints, to talk about what actually works in content and SEO today and why most B2B strategies are broken. Brendan went from high school teacher to leading content at top SaaS companies, and now helps brands move faster and build content strategies that drive real impact.They cover:Why most SEO strategies are broken - and why retainers make it worseThe content checklist that took ActiveCampaign from 200K to 240K visitors in 30 daysWhy the most lucrative SEO opportunities are hiding in plain sightBrendan's "immortal newsletter" framework that cuts production time in half while doubling engagementPlus, check out the checklist Brendan mentioned in this episode here! Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Brendan (04:56) - – Lessons from teaching that apply directly to marketing (07:56) - – Why Brendan left education and entered the B2B world (09:26) - – Early agency and in-house marketing experience (11:11) - – Building a defensible career: audience, trust, and network (13:31) - – The Growth Sprints model: why retainers don't make sense (14:41) - – Content strategy in bets, not buckets (15:56) - – Why SEO still works and where it actually drives results (17:26) - – Getting deep on audience, product, and internal dynamics (19:41) - – What marketers get wrong about internal buy-in (21:41) - – Real example: what a content sprint looks like in practice (23:11) - – The power of internal linking and content refreshes (26:19) - – How Google views internal linking and user signals (29:19) - – Why technical SEO is often overrated (32:19) - – Brendan's hot take: most SEOs aren't marketers (33:49) - – Why the “SEO takes 6 months” narrative is flawed (35:49) - – The problem with traditional retainers and content brief models (37:19) - – The immortal newsletter: how to mix evergreen + ephemeral content (40:19) - – Naming the problem, not just the category (41:49) - – Content should do 3–5 jobs at once: how to prioritize impact (44:19) - – The real value of competitor and alternatives pages (46:49) - – How to make content more useful for sales and buyer enablement (48:19) - – Brendan's final mindset shift: create content that earns its keep Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode is brought to you by Webflow.If you're a B2B marketer right now, you're probably being asked to do more with less - less budget, fewer resources, tighter timelines. And you're expected to somehow grow pipeline anyway.That's why more teams are switching to Webflow.Webflow is the website experience platform that helps you consolidate your stack, reduce program spend, and move faster. Instead of juggling a dozen tools and waiting on devs, Webflow gives marketing and design teams the power to build, launch, and optimize sites all in one place.No-code flexibility. Dev-level control. Built-in A/B testing, SEO, localization, and AI tools. It's everything you need to turn your website into your highest-performing channel.It's everything you need to turn your website into your most efficient, highest-performing channel.Check it out at webflow.com/exitfive.

From negotiating with Kevin O'Leary to helping founders avoid costly mistakes, this episode is packed with raw insights on when to sell, how to spot real traction, and why retirement is overrated when you're addicted to solving problems.

In this episode, Eric sits down with Åsa Borg, the Chief Marketing & Commercial Operations Officer at Polestar, the Swedish electric performance car brand that's challenging the automotive industry. Since launching in 2017, Polestar has rapidly expanded to 27 markets globally with their lineup of electric vehicles. Åsa brings her wealth of experience from 20 years at Volvo Cars to this challenger brand, offering unique insights on the difference between marketing for an established brand versus building one from scratch.One of the key takeaways from this conversation is how Polestar approached sustainability—making it core to their brand identity rather than just a marketing message. Åsa shares that transparency is a fundamental value for Polestar, especially in an industry that has historically hidden its environmental impact. We also dive into their decision to bring creative and media capabilities in-house, which has allowed for greater consistency, speed, and control over their brand expression across all 27 markets. Another fascinating aspect of our discussion explores how AI is being integrated into their marketing operations, from improving translation to maintaining brand tonality across markets. If you're interested in automotive marketing, sustainability branding, or building in-house creative capabilities, this episode is packed with valuable insights!Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/fSEW2Vl2Sf8  

#241: Email Strategy | Email isn't dead – it's just changing fast.It's still one of the few B2B marketing channels where you can actually own your audience and reach your ideal customers with the push of a button.In this session from the Ultimate Roast of B2B Emails, Danielle hosts Beth O'Malley (Founder, astral.), Jay Schwedelson (Founder, Subjectline.com & GURU Media Hub), and Jaina Mistry (Director, Brand and Content Marketing at Litmus) for a tactical session on what's actually working in email marketing in 2025.They cover:What an effective email marketing strategy looks like todayKey elements of great emailsHow to write irresistible subject linesAll the ins and outs of deliverability and landing in the inboxPlus, they tackle a live Q&A, hot takes on open rates, resends, clickbait, personalization, and how to fix your email marketing strategy.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Beth, Jay, and Jaina (04:47) - – Why bad emails are killing results (07:19) - – How to think about email beyond lead gen (09:31) - – The real problem with how B2B measures email success (10:47) - – Open rates: Are they dead or still useful? (15:11) - – Should you resend to non-openers? The great debate (20:07) - – Deliverability basics: What B2B marketers miss (23:25) - – Personalization: What actually works (and what doesn't) (29:30) - – Why exclusion (not just segmentation) matters in email (31:45) - – AI summaries and how they're reshaping the inbox (34:30) - – Clicks vs engagement: What you should really track (36:55) - – Why structured clicks matter more than just "more clicks" (40:40) - – How to think about email length and structure in 2025 (43:51) - – Technical tips: Avoiding clipping, formatting for mobile (45:49) - – Clickbait subject lines: Where to draw the line (47:50) - – Final advice for marketers Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Grammarly.Ever have one of those weeks where you spent more time replying to Slack and email than doing actual marketing work?You're not alone. The average marketing team spends 28+ hours a week just keeping up with comms.That leads to burnout, frustration, and a whole lot of performative productivity that doesn't actually move the needle.AI-fluent marketing teams are changing that. Grammarly's 2025 Productivity Shift Report shows how they're using AI to:– Cut down on back-and-forth– Automate content, research, and reporting– Eliminate busywork– Make space for strategyWe're marketers because we love crafting campaigns, driving revenue, and proving impact – not spending all day buried in messages.Get the report and see how top teams are making AI actually useful.Visit go.grammarly.com/exitfive to grab it.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#240: Video Strategy | In this episode, Danielle sits down with Connor Lewis, founder of Studio Lewis, to talk all things B2B video - what works, what doesn't, and how to actually get started. Connor spent years building in-house video from the ground up before going solo. Now, he works with B2B brands on high-performing video ads and he's here to break down what he's learned.Danielle and Connor cover:Why production value doesn't matter as much as you thinkHow to turn existing blog posts and webinars into watchable videoWhat's working on LinkedIn video in 2025How to get started with video without hiring an agency or a full-time teamSimple formats that make video approachableTimestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Connor (04:33) - – Learning video by doing: from intern to strategist (06:33) - – What's working in B2B video on LinkedIn in 2025 (08:00) - – Three types of videos that perform best (09:21) - – Why video ads aren't the best place to start (10:14) - – How to turn top blog posts into YouTube videos that rank (12:07) - – Using video to refresh blog content and boost SEO (12:47) - – How to use video effectively for virtual and in-person events (13:41) - – Repurposing Q&A sections from webinars into high-performing short clips (15:36) - – Creating shorts from top audience questions (16:49) - – The only parts of video that really matter (17:36) - – Why “how I” beats “how to” every time (19:24) - – The “reverse Rambo” hook format and how to use it (21:23) - – How setting and authenticity improve engagement (22:52) - – Why stiff, overproduced videos are killing your reach (25:30) - – How to get started with video if you don't have a team or budget (27:36) - – Why marketers need to get comfortable on camera (27:58) - – Podcasts as a powerful entry point into video (28:55) - – How to test video with a simple 4-part limited series (30:31) - – Low-budget options that still convert (30:59) - – Why product marketers often make the best video collaborators (31:43) - – Final advice: don't wait until it's perfect, just start! Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Grammarly.Ever have one of those weeks where you spent more time replying to Slack and email than doing actual marketing work?You're not alone. The average marketing team spends 28+ hours a week just keeping up with comms.That leads to burnout, frustration, and a whole lot of performative productivity that doesn't actually move the needle.AI-fluent marketing teams are changing that. Grammarly's 2025 Productivity Shift Report shows how they're using AI to:– Cut down on back-and-forth– Automate content, research, and reporting– Eliminate busywork– Make space for strategyWe're marketers because we love crafting campaigns, driving revenue, and proving impact – not spending all day buried in messages.Get the report and see how top teams are making AI actually useful.Visit go.grammarly.com/exitfive to grab it.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#239: Measurement | In this Exit Five live session, Dave sits down with Pranav Piyush, Co-Founder & CEO of Paramark (ex-PayPal, Dropbox, Adobe, BILL), to talk about the future of B2B marketing measurement.Spoiler alert: it's not clicks.They break down why the old way of doing attribution doesn't cut it anymore and why leading B2B teams are shifting toward incrementality, experimentation, and marketing mix modeling.Dave and Pranav also cover:The gaps in the old way of doing attributionWhat the best B2B marketing teams are doing now for attributionThe key questions CMOs face from boards and execs about measurementThree things you can do this quarter to improve your measurementTimestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Pranav (04:33) - – The Purple Cow mindset: why differentiation matters more than ever (06:13) - – Pranav's background (PayPal, Dropbox, Adobe, BILL → Paramark) (07:18) - – “Measurement is Robin. Creative is Batman.” (08:33) - – Why click/touch attribution is flawed and misleading (12:03) - – The 95/5 rule: most of your audience isn't in-market…yet (14:48) - – How top brands (Asana, DoorDash, P&G) measure beyond attribution (16:13) - – What is incrementality and why it's more useful than attribution (18:33) - – Why revenue isn't always the right KPI - especially in long sales cycles (20:33) - – Intro to marketing mix modeling (MMM) and how it works (22:33) - – Visualizing baseline vs. incremental impact on pipeline (23:48) - – Geo testing: how to prove a channel's impact without attribution tools (25:48) - – The branded search trap: why you should test turning it off (28:18) - – Even Meta, Google, LinkedIn admit attribution is flawed (29:03) - – How to measure untrackable stuff (organic, content, social) (32:33) - – Why “credit” kills performance (34:23) - – Measurement for startups (37:18) - – What to do if all you track is closed-won revenue (39:03) - – Why attribution software is overkill under $100K in spend (40:18) - – Should you ask “How did you hear about us?” (43:03) - – How to carve out budget for channel testing (45:43) - – Don't skip audience research (49:03) - – Creativity is still your #1 growth lever (measurement just supports it) (50:33) - – Wrap-up and final takeaways Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Grammarly.Ever have one of those weeks where you spent more time replying to Slack and email than doing actual marketing work?You're not alone. The average marketing team spends 28+ hours a week just keeping up with comms.That leads to burnout, frustration, and a whole lot of performative productivity that doesn't actually move the needle.AI-fluent marketing teams are changing that. Grammarly's 2025 Productivity Shift Report shows how they're using AI to:– Cut down on back-and-forth– Automate content, research, and reporting– Eliminate busywork– Make space for strategyWe're marketers because we love crafting campaigns, driving revenue, and proving impact – not spending all day buried in messages.Get the report and see how top teams are making AI actually useful.Visit go.grammarly.com/exitfive to grab it.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#238: Brand | In this episode, Dave sits down with Dmitry Shamis, former Head of Brand at HubSpot and now founder of Oh Snap, to talk about what brand really means in B2B and why so many teams are stuck doing busy work instead of meaningful marketing. After leading a team of 150+ creatives and scaling HubSpot's brand across multiple products, Dmitry shares lessons on building brands that actually stand out.Dave and Dmitry cover:How to stand out in a crowded marketHow to develop and refine your point of viewWhy marketers get lost in busy work and how to stop itWhat to look for when hiring great designersThe role of AI in B2B marketing today (and what it won't replace)Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Dmitry (05:33) - – What brand actually means in B2B (07:53) - – Why your POV is the foundation of your brand (10:03) - – How to uncover a real, differentiated POV (14:02) - – How to stand out in a crowded, same-sounding market (16:37) - – Why differentiation requires alignment between product and marketing (19:27) - – Building trust with product teams (20:16) - – Busy work in marketing: how to spot it and stop it (22:58) - – Why marketers burn out and how poor prioritization is killing teams (27:02) - – Making the case for brand work when it's hard to measure (28:37) - – The “fishing” analogy: performance vs brand marketing (33:08) - – The real opportunity with AI in B2B marketing (37:07) - – How AI can eliminate bottlenecks and speed up creative execution (38:37) - – Why Dmitry's starting a creative agency (Oh Snap) and how it's different (41:45) - – How to hire great designers: what to look for beyond the portfolio Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Grammarly.Ever have one of those weeks where you spent more time replying to Slack and email than doing actual marketing work?You're not alone. The average marketing team spends 28+ hours a week just keeping up with comms.That leads to burnout, frustration, and a whole lot of performative productivity that doesn't actually move the needle.AI-fluent marketing teams are changing that. Grammarly's 2025 Productivity Shift Report shows how they're using AI to:– Cut down on back-and-forth– Automate content, research, and reporting– Eliminate busywork– Make space for strategyWe're marketers because we love crafting campaigns, driving revenue, and proving impact – not spending all day buried in messages.Get the report and see how top teams are making AI actually useful.Visit go.grammarly.com/exitfive to grab it.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#237: Strategy | Udi Ledergor (former CMO, now Chief Evangelist at Gong) helped turn Gong into one of B2B's most iconic brands—and now he's sharing how they scaled it to a multi-billion dollar valuation. In this episode, Dave sits down with Udi to unpack lessons from building Gong's category, brand, and marketing engine (and why B2B marketing needs way more courage). You'll learn:Lessons from building Gong from 0 to $100M in revenueHow to make B2B marketing not boringHow to measure and justify brand investments in marketingWhy you need to be more courageous with your marketingUdi also shares stories from his new book Courageous Marketing, featuring specific plays and strategies any B2B marketer can steal.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Udi (07:33) - – Early career lessons and building a marketing role from scratch (10:33) - – How Gong achieved early product-market fit (14:33) - – The importance of picking the right company and founder (16:33) - – Why Gong's focus, clarity, and positioning stood out from day one (18:43) - – Why Udi wrote Courageous Marketing and what it's about (19:33) - – What “courageous marketing” actually means (22:33) - – Defining brand personality before visual identity (26:17) - – Campaign breakdown: Times Square billboards, employee spotlights, and perception hacks (29:37) - – The “punching above your weight” formula for early-stage brands (33:07) - – How to measure soft ROI and prove brand impact (36:37) - – Super Bowl ad, Michael Lewis podcast, and tying brand to pipeline (41:22) - – How to budget for experiments and get CFO/CEO buy-in (42:37) - – Building a courageous team: culture, process, and psychological safety (45:37) - – Gong Labs: Turning product data into content with staying power (48:37) - – Product + marketing alignment: the real unlock (50:07) - – Where AI fits in the future of courageous marketing (52:27) - – Udi's book Courageous Marketing (and why you should go read it) Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Grammarly.Ever have one of those weeks where you spent more time replying to Slack and email than doing actual marketing work?You're not alone. The average marketing team spends 28+ hours a week just keeping up with comms.That leads to burnout, frustration, and a whole lot of performative productivity that doesn't actually move the needle.AI-fluent marketing teams are changing that. Grammarly's 2025 Productivity Shift Report shows how they're using AI to:– Cut down on back-and-forth– Automate content, research, and reporting– Eliminate busywork– Make space for strategyWe're marketers because we love crafting campaigns, driving revenue, and proving impact – not spending all day buried in messages.Get the report and see how top teams are making AI actually useful.Visit go.grammarly.com/exitfive to grab it.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#236: Product Marketing | Product marketers are no strangers to change. Whether it's navigating new responsibilities, proving impact to leadership, or balancing short-term wins with long-term strategy, the role is constantly evolving - and in 2025, that evolution is only accelerating.This Exit Five Live session is built to help you stay ahead. Dave sits down with Natalie Marcotullio (Head of Growth & Product Marketing at Navattic), Jason Oakley (Founder of Productive PMM), and Eric Holland (Senior PMM at Betterworks and Co-Founder of DemoDash) for a tactical discussion on how to sharpen your skills, adapt to a shifting landscape, and deliver measurable impact.They cover:What a successful product marketing function looks like in B2BTools, frameworks, and metrics that actually matterHow to align with sales and customer successTrends to watch in 2025 and beyondTimestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Natalie, Jason, and Eric (03:33) - – Why product marketing is the most important function in B2B marketing (05:23) - – Defining the role: What should product marketing actually own? (07:33) - – How PMM impacts revenue, growth, and pipeline (09:03) - – Differentiation: What it really takes and why most companies get it wrong (11:33) - – Real examples of effective positioning in crowded markets (16:03) - – What bad product marketing looks like (17:33) - – Why PMMs need to market the product more (and not just during launches) (20:33) - – Launch marketing, momentum, and creating "marketable moments" (22:33) - – Why PMM charters don't work - and what to do instead (24:33) - – How to measure product marketing impact (with or without KPIs) (32:07) - – Tying assets and enablement to revenue (33:37) - – Tracking usage without a big tech stack (36:37) - – Who owns positioning: PMM vs brand? (38:37) - – How to shine as a PMM in a sales-led org (43:07) - – The death of one-pagers and what to use instead (45:37) - – What to look for when hiring a great product marketer Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Grammarly.Ever have one of those weeks where you spent more time replying to Slack and email than doing actual marketing work?You're not alone. The average marketing team spends 28+ hours a week just keeping up with comms.That leads to burnout, frustration, and a whole lot of performative productivity that doesn't actually move the needle.AI-fluent marketing teams are changing that. Grammarly's 2025 Productivity Shift Report shows how they're using AI to:– Cut down on back-and-forth– Automate content, research, and reporting– Eliminate busywork– Make space for strategyWe're marketers because we love crafting campaigns, driving revenue, and proving impact – not spending all day buried in messages.Get the report and see how top teams are making AI actually useful.Visit go.grammarly.com/exitfive to grab it.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

In this episode, we sit down with Khalid El Khatib, the Chief Marketing Officer of Consumer Reports, one of America's most trusted and oldest consumer advocacy organizations. Khalid unpacks how he's transitioning Conaumer Reports from a “publisher” mindset to a platform strategy that emphasizes product-led growth, user-centric advocacy, and yes, the iconic lab testing (including a cat-hair-laden robotic vacuum test).One of the key takeaways here is how community can be a company's competitive moat, and how bringing in fresh digital tactics doesn't have to mean losing an 88-year legacy of credibility. Another recurring theme is the intergenerational aspect of CR's brand story - how do you engage a loyal but aging membership and a new crop of digitally native consumers at the same time? If you've ever wondered how to future-proof an institution while staying true to its roots, then this conversation is for you!Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/K-OrSj6ioiA          

In this episode, Matt sits down with Aditya Vempaty, VP of Marketing at MoEngage, to talk about a topic every marketing leader has wrestled with: reporting on the right metrics. Aditya has led marketing at companies like Nutanix, Amplitude, and Synthego - and he's learned how to build dashboards and reporting frameworks that actually communicate marketing's impact across leadership, sales, and finance.Matt and Aditya cover:Why marketing metrics should translate performance into a common language the business understandsThe four buckets of metrics every B2B team should trackHow often you should be reporting on metricsThe exact 7 metrics Aditya uses to report up, down, and across the orgTimestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Aditya (03:45) - – Why communicating marketing's impact is a challenge for many teams (06:21) - – The importance of using a common language when reporting to leadership (08:59) - – Breaking marketing metrics into four key buckets (12:14) - – How pipeline coverage connects marketing to revenue (14:43) - – Reporting on efficiency: CAC, cost per opportunity, and more (17:58) - – The role of awareness metrics and how to contextualize them (21:55) - – How marketing and sales alignment can be measured effectively (24:24) - – The 7 core marketing metrics Aditya reports on regularly (28:07) - – How often should marketing be reporting metrics? (30:51) - – Dashboards, recurring meetings, and what execs actually care about (33:43) - – Advice for first-time marketing leaders on building reporting habits (35:57) - – Why clarity beats complexity when it comes to data (38:39) - – Final thoughts Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Grammarly.Ever have one of those weeks where you spent more time replying to Slack and email than doing actual marketing work?You're not alone. The average marketing team spends 28+ hours a week just keeping up with comms.That leads to burnout, frustration, and a whole lot of performative productivity that doesn't actually move the needle.AI-fluent marketing teams are changing that. Grammarly's 2025 Productivity Shift Report shows how they're using AI to:– Cut down on back-and-forth– Automate content, research, and reporting– Eliminate busywork– Make space for strategyWe're marketers because we love crafting campaigns, driving revenue, and proving impact – not spending all day buried in messages.Get the report and see how top teams are making AI actually useful.Visit go.grammarly.com/exitfive to grab it.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#234: Messaging | In this episode, Dave sits down with Emma Stratton, founder of Punchy, to break down what great B2B messaging actually looks like - and how to get it right. Emma has worked with hundreds of B2B tech companies to sharpen their positioning, eliminate vague copy, and train marketing teams to write with clarity and impact. They cover what makes messaging actually resonate and how to spot and fix abstract or weak copy. They also dive into Emma's process for creating message-market fit, doing customer research, and working with execs and cross-functional teams.And BONUS: they spend the last 20 minutes talking about personal development, productivity, journaling, and managing your mental energy to be a better marketer (and human).Dave and Emma also cover:How to go from vague to punchy by writing with specificity and buyer empathyWhy most B2B messaging falls flat and how to avoid the “sea of sameness”How to use customer interviews, sales calls, and concrete language to create strong messagingWhy writing, meditation, and personal rituals are so important for creative energyTimestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Emma (04:38) - – What makes B2B messaging actually good (08:20) - – Common messaging mistakes (and why "clarity > clever") (11:18) - – Positioning vs. messaging: what's the difference? (15:31) - – Why it's hard to name great B2B marketing examples (17:55) - – How to sharpen weak messaging and fix vague positioning statements (21:03) - – Simplifying complex products without dumbing it down (25:17) - – How to write for buyers (not just execs) (28:49) - – Using customer interviews and research to build strong messaging (33:27) - – Standing out in a crowded, buzzword-filled market (36:11) - – How storytelling fits into B2B messaging (39:17) - – Messaging advice for early-stage founders and startups (42:32) - – How often should you revisit and update messaging? (44:42) - – Productivity, managing your energy, and staying focused (47:57) - – Journaling, mindfulness, and being intentional with your time (51:52) - – Final takeaways Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Grammarly.Ever have one of those weeks where you spent more time replying to Slack and email than doing actual marketing work?You're not alone. The average marketing team spends 28+ hours a week just keeping up with comms.That leads to burnout, frustration, and a whole lot of performative productivity that doesn't actually move the needle.AI-fluent marketing teams are changing that. Grammarly's 2025 Productivity Shift Report shows how they're using AI to:– Cut down on back-and-forth– Automate content, research, and reporting– Eliminate busywork– Make space for strategyWe're marketers because we love crafting campaigns, driving revenue, and proving impact – not spending all day buried in messages.Get the report and see how top teams are making AI actually useful.Visit go.grammarly.com/exitfive to grab it.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Pooja Khandelwal is a dynamic Marketing Leader with over a decade of experience driving growth in SaaS and B2B industries. She specializes in crafting data-driven strategies that boost engagement, optimize lead funnels, and deliver measurable ROI. Pooja is known for building cross-functional collaboration, fostering people-first cultures, and scaling marketing initiatives that leave a lasting impact. Website: https://www.civrobotics.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/poojakhandelwal2024/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@civrobotics  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/civrobotics/#    Lisa Bennett is a seasoned marketer with over 25 years of experience working in a range of global tech companies. Most recently, she served as CMO at Kaltura, where she oversaw everything from marketing strategy to demand generation, public relations, and brand experience. In 2021, she played a key role in preparing the company for its successful IPO on Nasdaq. Lisa is a member of Israel's Global CMO (G-CMO) community and a contributor to the Forbes Communications Council. Prior to her tenure at Kaltura, Lisa managed PR and communications at Cyota, where she contributed to its acquisition by RSA Security for $145 million. She then moved on to directing PR and marketing for RSA's consumer business arm. Lisa is passionate about balancing the art and science of marketing while enjoying time with her four kids and dedicating herself to volunteer work. Website: https://wevo.energy/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lishkee/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwBpp5pV4TJu77LRvrt0R7Q    In this episode, we explore marketing insights, AI trends, and strategic growth with Pooja and Lisa.    Apply to join our marketing mastermind group: https://notypicalmoments.typeform.com/to/hWLDNgjz Follow No Typical Moments at: Website: https://notypicalmoments.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/no-typical-moments-llc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4G7csw9j7zpjdASvpMzqUA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notypicalmoments Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NTMoments

#233: Inside Exit Five | In this episode, Matt Carnevale (Head of Community at Exit Five) joins the team at Circle to break down how we've doubled Exit Five community membership and boosted engagement—all by treating Exit Five like a product. He shares our playbook: audience growth, engagement systems, how we use member feedback to shape what we build, and why “curate, don't create” has been key to scaling. If you're running (or joining) a B2B community, this is how you make it work.Matt covers:Why we think of community like a product, not just a channelHow Exit Five grew community membership over 100% in under a yearThe systems we use to drive 40% monthly active user engagementThe power of “tripwires,” onboarding, and member matchmakingHow feedback loops shape what we buildTimestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Matt (03:49) - – Exit Five's approach to community (06:19) - – What it means to treat community like a product (10:19) - – Why audience is the foundation of community growth (13:19) - – How Exit Five builds and converts audience from LinkedIn (16:19) - – Using content tripwires to drive signups (18:19) - – Offers that work: Why we use a 7-day free trial (21:19) - – How Exit Five got started as a paid community (24:19) - – The product mindset: build, test, iterate (28:37) - – Using member feedback to drive product decisions (30:37) - – Real example: member matchmaking feature (32:37) - – Promoting new community features like product launches (35:37) - – How we drive 40% monthly active usage (37:37) - – The value of member-led events and how we do them (40:37) - – Other plays: tagging experts, matchmaking, onboarding (43:37) - – Why self-promo was hurting our community and what changed when we cut it (45:37) - – Final takeaways + advice for small communities (49:37) - – Audience Q&A: re-engagement, matchmaking, content cadence Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Customer.io.You know that feeling when you open your inbox, and it's just… noise? Bad marketing. Spam. Most companies are out here just talking at customers, not talking to them.Marketing messages should do more than just land in an inbox – they should create impact and drive real engagement.Customer.io helps companies send smarter, more personalized messages using first-party data. Their platform enables brands to reach customers at the right time, in the right place, on the right channel—whether that's email, SMS, push notifications, or beyond.And the best part is that it's all automated, so you're not just blasting campaigns and hoping for the best. You're running a machine that delivers real, human engagement at scale.7,000+ brands already trust Customer.io to make their marketing feel less like noise and more like connection. Join them by visiting Customer.io to get started. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Pooja Khandelwal is a dynamic Marketing Leader with over a decade of experience driving growth in SaaS and B2B industries. She specializes in crafting data-driven strategies that boost engagement, optimize lead funnels, and deliver measurable ROI. Pooja is known for building cross-functional collaboration, fostering people-first cultures, and scaling marketing initiatives that leave a lasting impact. Website: https://www.civrobotics.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/poojakhandelwal2024/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@civrobotics  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/civrobotics/#    Lisa Bennett is a seasoned marketer with over 25 years of experience working in a range of global tech companies. Most recently, she served as CMO at Kaltura, where she oversaw everything from marketing strategy to demand generation, public relations, and brand experience. In 2021, she played a key role in preparing the company for its successful IPO on Nasdaq. Lisa is a member of Israel's Global CMO (G-CMO) community and a contributor to the Forbes Communications Council. Prior to her tenure at Kaltura, Lisa managed PR and communications at Cyota, where she contributed to its acquisition by RSA Security for $145 million. She then moved on to directing PR and marketing for RSA's consumer business arm. Lisa is passionate about balancing the art and science of marketing while enjoying time with her four kids and dedicating herself to volunteer work. Website: https://wevo.energy/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lishkee/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwBpp5pV4TJu77LRvrt0R7Q    In this episode, we explore marketing insights, AI trends, and strategic growth with Pooja and Lisa.    Apply to join our marketing mastermind group: https://notypicalmoments.typeform.com/to/hWLDNgjz Follow No Typical Moments at: Website: https://notypicalmoments.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/no-typical-moments-llc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4G7csw9j7zpjdASvpMzqUA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notypicalmoments Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NTMoments

#232: Sales | Dave sits down with Jen Allen-Knuth, founder of DemandJen. Jen shares her insights from her 15+ years in B2B Sales, from managing a quota to building great working relationships with marketing.Jen and Dave cover:Co-creating content with Marketing and Sales that drives better customer engagement and grows your pipelineHow Jen successfully built her audience using video on LinkedIn and leveraged it to start DemandJenHow companies should focus on genuine diversity efforts rather than superficial inclusivityTimestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Jen (07:29) - – Why you should have a mentor and how to get one (09:19) - – Sales experiences and becoming a Chief Evangelist (12:50) - – Making the leap from side hustle to full-time (17:17) - – Why your career experiences should be diverse (21:59) - – The shallow impact of diversity panels (26:03) - – How Jen built her personal brand (29:24) - – Creating unscripted content that's still clear (32:56) - – Being authentic in marketing (37:51) - – Don't use templates for customer conversations (44:13) - – Strong relationships between product marketing and sales (45:00) - – Being customer-centric (50:22) - – Why you need to be a good storyteller (52:11) - – Challenges of data analysis Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Customer.io.You know that feeling when you open your inbox, and it's just… noise? Bad marketing. Spam. Most companies are out here just talking at customers, not talking to them.Marketing messages should do more than just land in an inbox – they should create impact and drive real engagement.Customer.io helps companies send smarter, more personalized messages using first-party data. Their platform enables brands to reach customers at the right time, in the right place, on the right channel—whether that's email, SMS, push notifications, or beyond.And the best part is that it's all automated, so you're not just blasting campaigns and hoping for the best. You're running a machine that delivers real, human engagement at scale.7,000+ brands already trust Customer.io to make their marketing feel less like noise and more like connection. Join them by visiting Customer.io to get started. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

We're excited to sit down with Gastón Tourn, the Chief Growth Officer of Oddbox, a subscription service rescuing produce that would otherwise go to waste. In this conversation, Gastón dives into the importance of genuine storytelling, the fascinating psychology behind “Veg Haters,” and why focusing on customer insight (rather than competitors) unlocks true growth potential.One of the key takeaways from this episode is Gastón's belief that marketers should read fiction writers—like Hemingway—to understand storytelling frameworks that connect on a deeper human level. Another recurring theme is his approach to balancing long-term brand-building with short-term performance—a common challenge for any marketer who needs to do “more with less.” If you've ever wondered how to turn customer complaints into an engaging campaign, or if you simply love the idea of “ugly” fruits and veggies saving the world, then this episode is for you!Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/DWQzGdyFj-U    

#230: Messaging | In this episode, Matt sits down with Talia Wolf, founder and CEO of GetUplift, to unpack what's really wrong with most B2B websites – and how to fix it. After reviewing 100+ member-submitted sites from the Exit Five community, Talia shares what she sees over and over again: messaging that's too focused on the product, poor design flow, and a lack of real customer understanding.Matt and Talia cover:Why most B2B sites focus too much on features and not enough on buyer emotionHow to use emotional targeting and customer research to write copy that convertsThe biggest design mistakes B2B marketers are making (and how to fix them)How to get stakeholder buy-in for website changesWhy great websites start with strong product marketingTimestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Talia (03:23) - – Why most B2B websites fail to convert (05:49) - – The common thread across 100+ website reviews from Exit Five members (08:34) - – Why focusing on features instead of emotion kills conversions (11:22) - – What is emotional targeting (and how to actually use it)? (14:37) - – The power of customer research in website optimization (17:59) - – How to apply emotional triggers to your homepage copy (21:28) - – Mistakes B2B companies make with above-the-fold content (24:30) - – Why you should write copy before designing the site (29:05) - – Structuring your site around buyer intent and behavior (32:22) - – How to get internal buy-in for messaging and UX changes (35:39) - – The difference between product marketing and “just copywriting” (38:55) - – The role of hierarchy, visual flow, and CTA placement (42:21) - – When to simplify and when to educate on B2B websites (45:43) - – Final takeaways and practical steps to start improving your site Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Customer.io.You know that feeling when you open your inbox, and it's just… noise? Bad marketing. Spam. Most companies are out here just talking at customers, not talking to them.Marketing messages should do more than just land in an inbox – they should create impact and drive real engagement.Customer.io helps companies send smarter, more personalized messages using first-party data. Their platform enables brands to reach customers at the right time, in the right place, on the right channel—whether that's email, SMS, push notifications, or beyond.And the best part is that it's all automated, so you're not just blasting campaigns and hoping for the best. You're running a machine that delivers real, human engagement at scale.7,000+ brands already trust Customer.io to make their marketing feel less like noise and more like connection. Join them by visiting Customer.io to get started. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Richard Levy, founder and CEO of Sophera Marketing, joins host Nicholas Kuhne on From Startup to Wunderbrand to share how startups can thrive by using strategic marketing over big-budget tactics. From real-world case studies to practical frameworks like the Three C's of Positioning and the importance of diagnostics before tactics, this episode is packed with lessons for any founder, marketer, or brand strategist looking to build a business that scales and succeeds.Call to ActionLearn more about Richard Levy and how Sophera Marketing can help your business thrive:

In this episode, Dave sits down with Megan Lueders (CMO at Sonatype), Ido Mart (CMO at ManyChat), and Kimberly Storin (CMO at Zayo) for a live CMO panel discussion at Exit Five's Austin marketing meetup. These marketing leaders share what's working what's not in B2B marketing today and how the role of the CMO is evolving.Dave, Megan, Ido, and Kimberly cover:What every new CMO needs to know about leading a marketing orgHow to align with CEOs, CFOs, and key stakeholders to drive business impactThe biggest marketing shifts happening right now (and what's no longer working)How to prove marketing's impact in the era of efficiencyTimestamps(00:00) - – Introduction to the CMO panel (03:31) - – The evolving role of the CMO in 2025 (06:57) - – The biggest challenges marketing leaders face today (10:04) - – How to align marketing with CEOs, CFOs, and key stakeholders (13:39) - – What every new CMO needs to know when stepping into the role (17:14) - – The marketing strategies that are working right now (and what's not) (21:01) - – Why B2B marketing is more emotional than most people realize (25:45) - – How to prove marketing's impact in a data-driven, efficiency-focused era (29:27) - – The shift from demand gen to brand-led growth (32:52) - – The role of storytelling and positioning in B2B marketing success (37:07) - – Building a high-performing marketing team and the skills CMOs need today (40:47) - – Key takeaways and final advice for marketing leaders Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Customer.io.You know that feeling when you open your inbox, and it's just… noise? Bad marketing. Spam. Most companies are out here just talking at customers, not talking to them.Marketing messages should do more than just land in an inbox – they should create impact and drive real engagement.Customer.io helps companies send smarter, more personalized messages using first-party data. Their platform enables brands to reach customers at the right time, in the right place, on the right channel—whether that's email, SMS, push notifications, or beyond.And the best part is that it's all automated, so you're not just blasting campaigns and hoping for the best. You're running a machine that delivers real, human engagement at scale.7,000+ brands already trust Customer.io to make their marketing feel less like noise and more like connection. Join them by visiting Customer.io to get started. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#228: Growth | Anthony is one of the nine LinkedIn Certified Marketing Experts in North America. He's also the Managing Director of Speedwork, a B2B LinkedIn Marketing Agency, and hosts the LinkedIn Ads Radio Podcast.He and Dave discussLinkedIn Ad Creative & Consistent BrandingThought Leader Ads & Organic ReachNiche Audiences & Custom ContentNurture CampaignsExpert LinkedIn Ads TipsTimestamps(00:00) - - Intro to Anthony Blatner (08:39) - - Focusing on LinkedIn and Future Expansion (12:04) - - Effective Social Media Advertising and Organic Content (15:28) - - The Overlooked Importance of Creative Content in Advertising (17:36) - - Targeting Personas with Top-of-Funnel Ads (24:06) - - Creating Unique and Targeted Content: Pros and Cons (25:22) - - Lead Generation Strategies for Small Budgets (29:35) - - Effective Funnel Strategies for Small Budgets (33:04) - - Using Paid Advertising and Lead Magnets to Grow Your Newsletter (37:57) - - Building Long-Term Memory with Consistent Branding in Marketing (40:18) - - The Power of Narrow Focus for Audience Growth (43:25) - - Content Planning Based on Sales Cycle Length (45:14) - - Connecting with Anthony Blatner on LinkedIn Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Customer.io.You know that feeling when you open your inbox, and it's just… noise? Bad marketing. Spam. Most companies are out here just talking at customers, not talking to them.Marketing messages should do more than just land in an inbox – they should create impact and drive real engagement.Customer.io helps companies send smarter, more personalized messages using first-party data. Their platform enables brands to reach customers at the right time, in the right place, on the right channel—whether that's email, SMS, push notifications, or beyond.And the best part is that it's all automated, so you're not just blasting campaigns and hoping for the best. You're running a machine that delivers real, human engagement at scale.7,000+ brands already trust Customer.io to make their marketing feel less like noise and more like connection. Join them by visiting Customer.io to get started. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#227: Events | In this episode, Dave hosts a live Exit Five session with Zuddl and panelists Stephanie Christensen (Event Marketing Leader) and Kristina DeBrito (Director of Strategic Events at Iterable) to break down how B2B marketers should be thinking about events in 2025. From small VIP dinners to large customer conferences, events are making a big comeback—but without a solid strategy, they can be a massive waste of budget.Dave, Stephanie, and Kristina cover:The key metrics to track to prove event ROI in 2025How to get executive and stakeholder buy-in for your event strategyWhat's working in B2B events right now (and what's not)How to follow up post-event to drive engagement and pipelineTimestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Stephanie and Kristina (03:34) - – Why events are making a big comeback in B2B marketing (07:01) - – The biggest mistakes marketers make when planning events (09:49) - – How to align your event strategy with business goals (12:34) - – The key metrics to track for proving event ROI (15:46) - – How to get buy-in from executives and key stakeholders (18:59) - – What's working right now in B2B events (and what's not) (23:15) - – The role of micro-events, VIP dinners, and executive meetups (27:47) - – Sponsoring vs. hosting your own event — how to decide (32:07) - – The importance of post-event follow-up and engagement (35:49) - – Virtual events: lessons learned and how they fit into 2025 strategies (39:42) - – Live Q&A: Expert answers to audience event strategy questions (45:07) - – Final takeaways on making B2B events worth the investment Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Customer.io.You know that feeling when you open your inbox, and it's just… noise? Bad marketing. Spam. Most companies are out here just talking at customers, not talking to them.Marketing messages should do more than just land in an inbox – they should create impact and drive real engagement.Customer.io helps companies send smarter, more personalized messages using first-party data. Their platform enables brands to reach customers at the right time, in the right place, on the right channel—whether that's email, SMS, push notifications, or beyond.And the best part is that it's all automated, so you're not just blasting campaigns and hoping for the best. You're running a machine that delivers real, human engagement at scale.7,000+ brands already trust Customer.io to make their marketing feel less like noise and more like connection. Join them by visiting Customer.io to get started. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Check out our new podcast ‘Ripples' on Microcultures from the links

#226: Messaging | In this episode, Dave sits down with Diane Wiredu, messaging expert and founder of Lion Words, a consultancy that helps B2B tech and SaaS companies achieve message-market fit so they can stand out, market more effectively, and sell more. Diane breaks down why most B2B messaging falls flat, how to fix it, and why messaging is more than just copy—it's the bridge between positioning and execution.Dave and Diane cover:The difference between positioning and messaging (and why both matter)How to create a messaging strategy that actually resonatesWhy most B2B messaging sucks and how to fix itHow to structure homepage messaging for maximum impactHow to get the most value from customer research for copywritingTimestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Diane (03:29) - – What is message-market fit and why does it matter? (06:43) - – The biggest messaging mistakes B2B companies make (09:09) - – The difference between positioning and messaging (and why both matter) (12:37) - – How to create a messaging strategy that actually resonates (15:54) - – Signs your messaging isn't working and how to fix it (19:28) - – The role of customer research in B2B messaging (23:01) - – How to structure a homepage message hierarchy that converts (28:33) - – What makes a great value proposition vs. a generic one (31:07) - – How to test and validate your messaging with real customers (34:51) - – Why messaging needs to be clear, not clever (38:22) - – Common struggles B2B teams face when implementing new messaging (41:58) - – Final takeaways Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Customer.io.You know that feeling when you open your inbox, and it's just… noise? Bad marketing. Spam. Most companies are out here just talking at customers, not talking to them.Marketing messages should do more than just land in an inbox – they should create impact and drive real engagement.Customer.io helps companies send smarter, more personalized messages using first-party data. Their platform enables brands to reach customers at the right time, in the right place, on the right channel—whether that's email, SMS, push notifications, or beyond.And the best part is that it's all automated, so you're not just blasting campaigns and hoping for the best. You're running a machine that delivers real, human engagement at scale.7,000+ brands already trust Customer.io to make their marketing feel less like noise and more like connection. Join them by visiting Customer.io to get started. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

In this episode of Confessions of a B2B Entrepreneur, host Tom Hunt interviews Emily Dunlop, founder of The Good Marketing Club, about her journey from scaling a B2B brand from $2M to $45M ARR to launching her own venture. Emily shares valuable insights on brand building, the power of authenticity in business transitions, and how to stay true to your values while scaling.

#225: Q&A with Dave | In this episode, Dave joins Ross Hudgens on Content and Conversation: Organic Growth Insights from Siege Media to break down content strategy, brand building, and why organic marketing is the foundation of great B2B marketing. Dave shares his journey from marketing leader to building Exit Five and explains why community-driven content is the key to sustainable growth.Dave and Ross cover:How organic content and SEO fit into a modern B2B marketing strategyThe power of LinkedIn, podcasts, and community for long-term brand growthHow to turn content into a flywheel that drives awareness, engagement, and revenueTimestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Dave (07:01) - – Why organic content is the foundation of a great marketing strategy (09:29) - – The role of SEO in B2B marketing (12:44) - – How brands can balance paid marketing with organic content (15:56) - – The power of LinkedIn and why marketers should prioritize personal branding (19:28) - – Why podcasts are an underrated channel for brand-building (23:09) - – How to build an audience and turn content into a long-term flywheel (29:09) - – The connection between community and content marketing (32:48) - – How Exit Five grew into a marketing community (36:42) - – The biggest mistakes B2B companies make with content marketing (40:59) - – How to measure content success beyond just traffic and rankings (44:47) - – Advice for marketers looking to build influence in their industry (48:04) - – Final thoughts Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Customer.io.You know that feeling when you open your inbox, and it's just… noise? Bad marketing. Spam. Most companies are out here just talking at customers, not talking to them.Marketing messages should do more than just land in an inbox – they should create impact and drive real engagement.Customer.io helps companies send smarter, more personalized messages using first-party data. Their platform enables brands to reach customers at the right time, in the right place, on the right channel—whether that's email, SMS, push notifications, or beyond.And the best part is that it's all automated, so you're not just blasting campaigns and hoping for the best. You're running a machine that delivers real, human engagement at scale.7,000+ brands already trust Customer.io to make their marketing feel less like noise and more like connection. Join them by visiting Customer.io to get started. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#224: Website Teardown | In this episode, Danielle (Head of Content at Exit Five) hosts a panel with top SEO and content marketing experts: Rita Cidre, Head of Academy at Semrush; Ross Simmonds, CEO at Foundation & Distribution.ai; and Tom Whatley, CEO of Grizzle.Together, they break down real B2B websites, exposing the biggest SEO mistakes and sharing data-driven strategies for improving rankings, content, and conversion rates.Danielle, Rita, Ross, and Tom cover:The most common SEO mistakes B2B marketers are making right nowWhy ranking for the wrong keywords is hurting your pipelineHow to optimize content for scanners, search intent, and conversionsTimestamps(00:00) - – Introduction to Rita, Ross, and Tom (03:50) - – Why SEO has changed and what marketers are getting wrong in 2024 (06:51) - – The impact of AI on SEO and why standing out is harder than ever (08:33) - – Case study: How Pipedrive increased signups by 33% with bottom-of-funnel SEO (10:59) - – The difference between top-of-funnel and bottom-of-funnel content strategies (13:26) - – Why glossary pages aren't enough and what to do instead (16:02) - – The biggest homepage SEO mistakes (live website teardown) (20:45) - – How to structure product and category pages for better rankings (23:39) - – The problem with keyword stuffing vs. real search intent optimization (28:42) - – Why internal linking and URL structure matter for SEO success (33:18) - – How backlinks, brand authority, and digital PR impact rankings (37:12) - – The role of content quality, readability, and formatting for scanners (40:37) - – Common mistakes in blog strategy and how to fix them (45:07) - – Why getting to the point faster improves rankings and engagement (47:43) - – Final SEO takeaways recommendations Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Customer.io.You know that feeling when you open your inbox, and it's just… noise? Bad marketing. Spam. Most companies are out here just talking at customers, not talking to them.Marketing messages should do more than just land in an inbox – they should create impact and drive real engagement.Customer.io helps companies send smarter, more personalized messages using first-party data. Their platform enables brands to reach customers at the right time, in the right place, on the right channel—whether that's email, SMS, push notifications, or beyond.And the best part is that it's all automated, so you're not just blasting campaigns and hoping for the best. You're running a machine that delivers real, human engagement at scale.7,000+ brands already trust Customer.io to make their marketing feel less like noise and more like connection. Join them by visiting Customer.io to get started. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

In this episode, Dave sits down with Melton Littlepage, CMO at 1Password, to discuss how he's transforming a well-known consumer brand into a B2B category leader in cybersecurity. With decades of experience in SaaS marketing, Melton shares insights on category creation, demand generation, and the intersection of brand and product marketing—and why being the leader in your space matters more than perfect attribution.Dave and Melton cover:Why category leadership is critical and how to position your company as #1How enterprise marketing, brand-building, and demand gen work together to drive growthHow 1Password is expanding beyond password management to create a new categoryTimestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Melton (06:15) - – The evolution of marketing from demand gen to category creation (09:24) - – The balance between data-driven marketing and brand-building (10:58) - – Why attribution alone won't make your company “hot” (11:31) - – The importance of category leadership and market perception (13:43) - – How 1Password is shifting from password management to Extended Access Management (XAM) (16:07) - – How COVID changed the cybersecurity landscape (18:20) - – Why legacy security tools aren't enough for modern businesses (20:50) - – The role of category creation in defining 1Password's future (22:05) - – Naming and positioning a new category (Extended Access Management) (23:44) - – The risks and rewards of category creation vs. competing in an existing space (25:48) - – Why CISOs are hesitant to be early adopters—and how to shift buyer perception (29:20) - – The strategy behind creating demand for a new category (31:17) - – Lightning strike moments and big brand plays for category awareness (33:56) - – Structuring a marketing team to support both enterprise and self-service growth (37:50) - – Balancing B2B and consumer marketing (41:15) - – Why 1Password invested in sports sponsorships (44:12) - – The power of emotional marketing and brand trust in enterprise sales (46:59) - – Thought leadership and analyst relations in shaping a category (48:21) - – Final takeaways Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode brought to you by Navattic.B2B websites are filled with too much story, too much narrative these days. You visit a website and you have no idea what the product does and how it works. This is why Navattic has become a popular product for B2B Marketers. They help you build interactive demos so you can give buyers a real look at the product before they ever talk to sales.And guess what - it works. They found that companies using interactive demos with Navattic have seen up to a 25% lift in website conversion rates and a 10-20% increase in inbound leads. They just released their 2025 State of the Interactive Product Demo report, and it proves just how much more control B2B buyers want over the buying process. Buyers have more access to information than ever, and companies are finally catching up by making their product front and center.Their report breaks down the top-performing demos, why ungated demos drive higher engagement and the best use cases and strategies for making them work.So if you want to learn more about using product demos on your site, go check out Navattic's State of the Interactive Product Demo report now. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Check out our new podcast ‘Ripples' on Microcultures from the links

With a career spanning decades and work with brands like AT&T and Disney, Angelo shares his insights on how businesses can maximize their marketing efforts without committing to a full-time executive.We dive deep into the role of a fractional CMO, the common mistakes businesses make in marketing, and how to effectively position and scale brands. Angelo also shares his signature "APPLES" framework for strategic marketing and gives invaluable advice for entrepreneurs, business owners, and consultants looking to refine their marketing approach.If you've ever wondered whether your company really needs a full-time CMO, or how to get the most out of a fractional marketing leader, this episode is for you!Timestamps & Key Topics[00:00:00] Introduction to Angelo Ponzi & the role of a fractional CMO[00:02:00] Why Angelo didn't change his surname despite the association with Ponzi schemes[00:05:00] What drives Angelo? The excitement of working across different industries[00:07:00] The racehorse vs. mule analogy: Why fractional CMOs are high-intensity strategic players[00:09:00] What types of companies benefit most from hiring a fractional CMO[00:12:00] Do businesses really know their marketing problems? Why external assessments are key[00:14:00] How Angelo helps companies align their leadership teams and uncover market opportunities[00:17:00] The biggest marketing mistakes businesses make & how to avoid them[00:20:00] Learning from bad experiences: Why failure can be your biggest teacher[00:23:00] The APPLES Framework: Angelo's step-by-step approach to marketing strategy[00:28:00] Finding the right clients as a consultant: Not all business is good business[00:30:00] Where to find Angelo and how to connect for fractional CMO servicesCall to Action

#222: Website Teardown | Do your product pages actually tell potential customers what they need to know—or are they just a list of features they'll ignore? In this session from the Ultimate Roast of B2B Websites, Madhav Bhandari, Head of Marketing at Storylane, joins Robert Kaminski, Co-Founder at Fletch PMM and Dan Murphy, COO at Exit Five to tear down real B2B product pages, exposing what works, what doesn't, and how to fix it.They also cover:The biggest mistakes B2B marketers make on product pages (and how to fix them).How to structure a product page that drives trials and conversions.The role of interactive demos, videos, and CTAs in guiding prospects to the next step.Timestamps(00:00) - - Introduction to Madhav, Robert, and Dan (02:38) - - Why most B2B product pages fail to convert (04:13) - - The five biggest mistakes companies make on product pages (06:50) - - The importance of clear messaging over a list of features (09:08) - - Should you use videos, screenshots, or interactive demos? (11:39) - - How to structure a product page that actually drives trials (13:31) - - Breaking down the role of CTAs and conversion flow (15:44) - - First product page teardown: What works and what doesn't (23:00) - - Product gifs vs. static images (25:27) - - Second product page teardown: Fixing common UX mistakes (28:45) - - When and where to use customer testimonials (32:10) - - Why gating product demos might be hurting your conversions (34:55) - - Third product page teardown: CTA placement and messaging (37:25) - - The biggest takeaway from testing hundreds of product pages (40:30) - - Quick wins to improve your product pages today (43:37) - - Final takeaways Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode brought to you by Navattic.B2B websites are filled with too much story, too much narrative these days. You visit a website and you have no idea what the product does and how it works. This is why Navattic has become a popular product for B2B Marketers. They help you build interactive demos so you can give buyers a real look at the product before they ever talk to sales.And guess what - it works. They found that companies using interactive demos with Navattic have seen up to a 25% lift in website conversion rates and a 10-20% increase in inbound leads. They just released their 2025 State of the Interactive Product Demo report, and it proves just how much more control B2B buyers want over the buying process. Buyers have more access to information than ever, and companies are finally catching up by making their product front and center.Their report breaks down the top-performing demos, why ungated demos drive higher engagement and the best use cases and strategies for making them work.So if you want to learn more about using product demos on your site, go check out Navattic's State of the Interactive Product Demo report now. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Episode #221: Strategy | In this episode, Matt Carnevale sits down with Drew Giovannoli, founder of Buried Wins, to dive deep into Win/Loss analysis and how product marketers can use it to drive better sales, positioning, and competitive strategy. Drew shares how he helps B2B companies turn customer insights into revenue-driving decisions, plus the three key changes every product marketer should make to get promoted.Matt and Drew cover:Why you shouldn't obsess over lost deals - and how to focus on winning more of the right customers instead.How competitive intelligence can shape your positioning and sales strategy.How to structure Win/Loss programs to influence product, sales, and marketing strategies.Timestamps(00:00) - - Introduction to Drew (04:13) - - What is Win/Loss analysis and why it matters (06:50) - - Why companies obsess over lost deals (and why that's a mistake) (09:08) - - The real value of analyzing won deals instead of just losses (11:39) - - How to identify your best customers and find more like them (13:31) - - The power of competitive intelligence in shaping positioning and sales (15:44) - - How to ethically gather insights from former competitor employees (18:54) - - Common mistakes companies make when running Win/Loss programs (21:09) - - How to structure a Win/Loss interview for maximum insights (25:27) - - The key questions to ask during Win/Loss interviews (28:45) - - Why sales and marketing alignment is critical for Win/Loss success (32:10) - - How Win/Loss analysis can influence product roadmap decisions (34:55) - - The best way to present Win/Loss findings to executives (37:25) - - How to turn insights into action and drive real business impact (40:30) - - A step-by-step guide to launching a Win/Loss program (43:37) - - Final takeaways and advice for product marketers Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode brought to you by Navattic.B2B websites are filled with too much story, too much narrative these days. You visit a website and you have no idea what the product does and how it works. This is why Navattic has become a popular product for B2B Marketers. They help you build interactive demos so you can give buyers a real look at the product before they ever talk to sales.And guess what - it works. They found that companies using interactive demos with Navattic have seen up to a 25% lift in website conversion rates and a 10-20% increase in inbound leads. They just released their 2025 State of the Interactive Product Demo report, and it proves just how much more control B2B buyers want over the buying process. Buyers have more access to information than ever, and companies are finally catching up by making their product front and center.Their report breaks down the top-performing demos, why ungated demos drive higher engagement and the best use cases and strategies for making them work.So if you want to learn more about using product demos on your site, go check out Navattic's State of the Interactive Product Demo report now. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Matthew Carnevale, Head of Community at Exit Five, introduces AI Playbooks, a new on-demand training program packed with expert-led tutorials and ready-to-use templates designed to help you drive better results with AI.No fluff, no theory—just real playbooks from 15 B2B marketers showing exactly how they use AI for ICP research, personalization at scale, cold email automation, marketing video creation, SEO, and more.If you're tired of the AI noise and want actionable tactics you can use immediately, this course is for you. Learn more and sign up at exitfive.com/ai-playbooks. Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode brought to you by Navattic.B2B websites are filled with too much story, too much narrative these days. You visit a website and you have no idea what the product does and how it works. This is why Navattic has become a popular product for B2B Marketers. They help you build interactive demos so you can give buyers a real look at the product before they ever talk to sales.And guess what - it works. They found that companies using interactive demos with Navattic have seen up to a 25% lift in website conversion rates and a 10-20% increase in inbound leads. They just released their 2025 State of the Interactive Product Demo report, and it proves just how much more control B2B buyers want over the buying process. Buyers have more access to information than ever, and companies are finally catching up by making their product front and center.Their report breaks down the top-performing demos, why ungated demos drive higher engagement and the best use cases and strategies for making them work.So if you want to learn more about using product demos on your site, go check out Navattic's State of the Interactive Product Demo report now. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Episode #220: Website Teardown | In this session from the Ultimate Roast of B2B Websites, Dave Gerhardt teams up with Diane Wiredu, messaging strategist and founder of Lion Words, and Lee Reshef, Head of Product Marketing & Retention at Fiverr, to break down what makes a high-converting B2B homepage. They critique real B2B homepages, analyzing messaging, design, and user experience to highlight what works, what doesn't, and how to fix it.Dave, Diane, and Lee cover:The biggest homepage mistakes B2B companies make (and how to fix them).What belongs above the fold to grab attention and drive action.How to balance messaging for multiple personas without overwhelming visitors.If your homepage isn't converting (or is the subject of endless internal debates), this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you optimize it.Timestamps(00:00) - - Intro to Diane and Lee (03:48) - - Common homepage mistakes that kill conversions (05:02) - - What belongs above the fold and why it matters (06:41) - - The role of messaging in homepage clarity and engagement (08:22) - - Balancing multiple personas without overwhelming visitors (09:36) - - Homepage copywriting do's and don'ts (14:09) - - The importance of A/B testing and user feedback (16:30) - - Homepage layout best practices for conversion (18:54) - - Homepage roast: Amplemarket (24:19) - - Homepage roast: Chattermill (31:27) - - The role of trust indicators and social proof (33:55) - - Common design mistakes that reduce homepage effectiveness (37:25) - - Homepage roast: PrimePay (42:20) - - Messaging clarity vs. overcomplicating the value prop (45:45) - - Final thoughts Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode brought to you by Navattic.B2B websites are filled with too much story, too much narrative these days. You visit a website and you have no idea what the product does and how it works. This is why Navattic has become a popular product for B2B Marketers. They help you build interactive demos so you can give buyers a real look at the product before they ever talk to sales.And guess what - it works. They found that companies using interactive demos with Navattic have seen up to a 25% lift in website conversion rates and a 10-20% increase in inbound leads. They just released their 2025 State of the Interactive Product Demo report, and it proves just how much more control B2B buyers want over the buying process. Buyers have more access to information than ever, and companies are finally catching up by making their product front and center.Their report breaks down the top-performing demos, why ungated demos drive higher engagement and the best use cases and strategies for making them work.So if you want to learn more about using product demos on your site, go check out Navattic's State of the Interactive Product Demo report now. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

In this episode, Dave sits down with Trinity Nguyen, CMO at UserGems, to discuss her journey from first business hire to CMO, the role of product marketing in B2B, and how AI is transforming outbound sales. Trinity got started at UserGems' by building their first website for free, then got hired as Head of Marketing and has shaped the company's ABM strategy and demand generation playbook.Dave and Trinity cover:Why every startup should hire a product marketerHow to develop a strong vision and align with product teamsScaling outbound with AI-driven ABM and sales engagementTimestamps(00:00) - - Intro to Trinity (07:31) - - Why product marketing is the foundation of great B2B marketing (09:08) - - The importance of positioning and messaging in a competitive market (11:17) - - How Trinity rebuilt UserGems' website for free before joining the company (12:34) - - Negotiating your role and setting the foundation for marketing (14:10) - - Why marketing should own SDRs and outbound prospecting (15:51) - - The early days of building demand gen at UserGems (17:29) - - Differentiation and positioning in a crowded market (19:34) - - Aligning marketing with product teams and company vision (23:15) - - Developing ICP and refining target accounts (26:00) - - Why outbound was the first major pipeline driver for UserGems (27:50) - - Transitioning from a startup to a growth-stage company (30:05) - - How UserGems runs ABM at scale (32:19) - - The AI shift in outbound marketing and its impact (35:31) - - AI for sales outreach and improving outbound efficiency (38:55) - - Why Trinity was initially skeptical about AI in outbound (41:38) - - Cutting spend while increasing pipeline with AI-driven outbound (44:22) - - The role of brand and inbound marketing in a demand gen playbook (46:34) - - Why traditional inbound marketing didn't work for UserGems (48:20) - - Creating engaging demand gen campaigns (50:15) - - Final takeaways Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode brought to you by Navattic.B2B websites are filled with too much story, too much narrative these days. You visit a website and you have no idea what the product does and how it works. This is why Navattic has become a popular product for B2B Marketers. They help you build interactive demos so you can give buyers a real look at the product before they ever talk to sales.And guess what - it works. They found that companies using interactive demos with Navattic have seen up to a 25% lift in website conversion rates and a 10-20% increase in inbound leads. They just released their 2025 State of the Interactive Product Demo report, and it proves just how much more control B2B buyers want over the buying process. Buyers have more access to information than ever, and companies are finally catching up by making their product front and center.Their report breaks down the top-performing demos, why ungated demos drive higher engagement and the best use cases and strategies for making them work.So if you want to learn more about using product demos on your site, go check out Navattic's State of the Interactive Product Demo report now. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Check out our new podcast ‘Ripples' on Microcultures from the links

You work hard to drive traffic to your landing pages – they're the backbone of lead generation and conversion.In this session from our Ultimate Roast of B2B Websites, Tas Bober, Founder of The Scroll Lab, Gabi Sellam, Conversion Specialist at Fiverr, and Will Hoekenga, Founder of Six Words Studio and expert copywriter, sit down to discuss how to nail your B2B landing pages. The panel breaks down real B2B landing pages, highlighting common mistakes, best practices, and live optimizations that can increase conversions and improve user experience.Danielle, Gabi, Tas, and Will cover:Why clarity, user intent, and strong CTAs are crucial for high-converting landing pages.The biggest design and messaging mistakes B2B marketers make.How to structure a landing page that captures attention and drives action.Timestamps(00:00) - - Introduction to Tas, Gabi, and Will (03:29) - - What makes a landing page high-converting? (05:17) - - The difference between landing pages, homepages, and blog posts (07:00) - - Why user intent matters in landing page optimization (08:37) - - Why you need clear headlines and strong CTAs (11:04) - - Common mistakes that kill landing page conversions (13:31) - - Why mobile optimization is critical for discovery and first impressions (16:01) - - The role of trust elements: testimonials, reviews, and credibility badges (18:36) - - Live landing page roast: VC3 (31:27) - - Live landing page roast: Mira (48:13) - - Live landing page roast: Metal 3D Printing Forming Page (50:27) - - Why B2B landing pages must prioritize clarity over creativity (53:19) - - How accessibility and contrast impact user engagement (55:30) - - Final takeaways on what makes a great B2B landing page Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode brought to you by Navattic.B2B websites are filled with too much story, too much narrative these days. You visit a website and you have no idea what the product does and how it works. This is why Navattic has become a popular product for B2B Marketers. They help you build interactive demos so you can give buyers a real look at the product before they ever talk to sales.And guess what - it works. They found that companies using interactive demos with Navattic have seen up to a 25% lift in website conversion rates and a 10-20% increase in inbound leads. They just released their 2025 State of the Interactive Product Demo report, and it proves just how much more control B2B buyers want over the buying process. Buyers have more access to information than ever, and companies are finally catching up by making their product front and center.Their report breaks down the top-performing demos, why ungated demos drive higher engagement and the best use cases and strategies for making them work.So if you want to learn more about using product demos on your site, go check out Navattic's State of the Interactive Product Demo report now. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

In this episode, Diana Springer, Group Head of Brand & Marketing at Standard Bank, talks about preserving trust while infusing fresh creativity into Africa's largest financial institution. With a heritage spanning 162 years and 15M+ customers, Standard Bank has every reason to play it safe—yet Diana reveals how her team fosters innovation, internal advocacy, and an emotive brand narrative in a typically functional category.From her agency background (Ogilvy, Saatchi) to the challenges of marketing a global, matrixed financial services group, Diana shares tactics for balancing brand consistency with the need for breakthrough creativity. Whether you're a marketer in a highly regulated industry or just want to hear what it's like taking a heritage brand forward, this conversation will both give you insight and inspiration.Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/FqizjfWSSUs  

In this episode, Matt Carnevale sits down with Jessica Andrews, VP of Marketing at Copper, a CRM built specifically for agencies, consultancies, and media companies, designed to help relationship-driven businesses find ideal clients, win new business, manage projects, and nurture customer relationships. The two discuss Jessica's journey from Senior Product Marketing Manager to VP of Marketing, how she's navigated imposter syndrome, and her strategies for leading a successful marketing team.Matt and Jessica cover:Strategies for shifting from IC to a marketing leadership roleWhy product marketing is the foundation of great marketingHow product marketers can position themselves for leadershipTimestamps(00:00) - - Introduction to Jessica (02:08) - - Transitioning from product marketing to VP of marketing (06:05) - - Dealing with imposter syndrome and learning to trust your instincts (08:48) - - The shift from execution to strategy in a leadership role (10:30) - - Why taking time to think is crucial for marketing leaders (11:53) - - The power of networking and learning from other marketing leaders (13:54) - - How talking to agencies helped shape Copper's marketing strategy (15:13) - - Why product marketing is the foundation of great marketing (16:52) - - The importance of cross-functional alignment in marketing leadership (19:30) - - Understanding the mindset of sales teams and how to collaborate effectively (22:24) - - The challenge of getting buy-in for product marketing initiatives (27:41) - - Balancing being a strategic partner vs. an order taker (30:21) - - How to respond to last-minute requests and set expectations (32:43) - - Strategies for building strong relationships with sales and product teams (35:55) - - How to become T-shaped and prepare for marketing leadership (38:13) - - Learning demand gen and paid ads (40:23) - - Why marketing leaders need to understand revenue and business impact (42:31) - - Advice for product marketers who want to grow into leadership (43:17) - - Closing thoughts and final takeaways Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode brought to you by Navattic.B2B websites are filled with too much story, too much narrative these days. You visit a website and you have no idea what the product does and how it works. This is why Navattic has become a popular product for B2B Marketers. They help you build interactive demos so you can give buyers a real look at the product before they ever talk to sales.And guess what - it works. They found that companies using interactive demos with Navattic have seen up to a 25% lift in website conversion rates and a 10-20% increase in inbound leads. They just released their 2025 State of the Interactive Product Demo report, and it proves just how much more control B2B buyers want over the buying process. Buyers have more access to information than ever, and companies are finally catching up by making their product front and center.Their report breaks down the top-performing demos, why ungated demos drive higher engagement and the best use cases and strategies for making them work.So if you want to learn more about using product demos on your site, go check out Navattic's State of the Interactive Product Demo report now. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Is there anything more terrifying for a marketer than having to work on the pricing page? How do you handle packaging, listing out features, and deciding whether to put the actual price, or “contact sales”?In this session from our Ultimate Roast of B2B Pricing Pages, Emily Kramer (Co-Founder & Advisor of MKT1), Bill Wilson (CEO & Founder of Pace Pricing), and Karan Sood (Director Sales Operations at Rakuten Kobo) share their secrets to a killer B2B pricing page. Then, they do a live teardown of real pricing pages that you can learn from.Emily, Bill, and Karan also cover:How to make your pricing page clear and transparentThe most common mistakes SaaS companies make with pricingHow to structure pricing tiers and communicate value effectivelyTimestamps(00:00) - - Introduction to Bill, Emily, and Karan (02:40) - - Why pricing pages are critical to conversions (04:53) - - The FAST framework (06:51) - - The four key functions of a pricing page (10:44) - - Common mistakes companies make with pricing page clarity (13:59) - - The role of social proof and risk reversal in building trust (16:12) - - Should B2B companies display pricing on their website? (18:46) - - How to structure pricing tiers for clarity and conversion (21:03) - - Live pricing page roast: Mention (33:53) - - Live pricing page roast: Flagsmith (42:06) - - Live pricing page roast: Contact Monkey (45:20) - - Why request pricing forms create unnecessary friction (47:41) - - Should you display pricing if your competitors don't? (49:43) - - The importance of value-based pricing in B2B (54:09) - - Final takeaways and recommendations Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode brought to you by Navattic.B2B websites are filled with too much story, too much narrative these days. You visit a website and you have no idea what the product does and how it works. This is why Navattic has become a popular product for B2B Marketers. They help you build interactive demos so you can give buyers a real look at the product before they ever talk to sales.And guess what - it works. They found that companies using interactive demos with Navattic have seen up to a 25% lift in website conversion rates and a 10-20% increase in inbound leads. They just released their 2025 State of the Interactive Product Demo report, and it proves just how much more control B2B buyers want over the buying process. Buyers have more access to information than ever, and companies are finally catching up by making their product front and center.Their report breaks down the top-performing demos, why ungated demos drive higher engagement and the best use cases and strategies for making them work.So if you want to learn more about using product demos on your site, go check out Navattic's State of the Interactive Product Demo report now. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

In this episode, Matt Carnevale sits down with Kanika Sharma, a conversion page copywriter and Founder of Copywriting Teardowns. Kanika audited over 100 LinkedIn profiles in the Exit Five community and shares her biggest takeaways on how marketers can optimize their profiles to attract the right audience and drive conversions.Matt and Kanika cover:Why your LinkedIn profile should be treated like a landing pageThe biggest mistakes B2B marketers make with their LinkedIn presenceHow to structure your profile for visibility, engagement, and inbound opportunitiesTimestamps(00:00) - - Intro to Kanika (03:27) - - Why optimizing your LinkedIn profile is so important (07:15) - - Your LinkedIn profile functions like a landing page (09:08) - - Optimizing your LinkedIn cover image (10:50) - - Common mistakes in LinkedIn profile branding and messaging (12:10) - - The role of social proof and credibility in your LinkedIn profile (13:54) - - How to craft a compelling LinkedIn headline (20:36) - - How to use personalized CTAs and custom LinkedIn buttons (32:35) - - Why business leaders should prioritize their LinkedIn presence (35:48) - - Balancing strong copy and good design for credibility (37:39) - - Optimizing the LinkedIn Featured section (44:36) - - How to turn The Experience section and About section into a conversion tool (50:08) - - How often should you update your LinkedIn profile? (52:46) - - Final takeaways Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode brought to you by Navattic.B2B websites are filled with too much story, too much narrative these days. You visit a website and you have no idea what the product does and how it works. This is why Navattic has become a popular product for B2B Marketers. They help you build interactive demos so you can give buyers a real look at the product before they ever talk to sales.And guess what - it works. They found that companies using interactive demos with Navattic have seen up to a 25% lift in website conversion rates and a 10-20% increase in inbound leads. They just released their 2025 State of the Interactive Product Demo report, and it proves just how much more control B2B buyers want over the buying process. Buyers have more access to information than ever, and companies are finally catching up by making their product front and center.Their report breaks down the top-performing demos, why ungated demos drive higher engagement and the best use cases and strategies for making them work.So if you want to learn more about using product demos on your site, go check out Navattic's State of the Interactive Product Demo report now. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

In this episode, Diana Springer, Group Head of Brand & Marketing at Standard Bank, talks about preserving trust while infusing fresh creativity into Africa's largest financial institution. With a heritage spanning 162 years and 15M+ customers, Standard Bank has every reason to play it safe—yet Diana reveals how her team fosters innovation, internal advocacy, and an emotive brand narrative in a typically functional category.From her agency background (Ogilvy, Saatchi) to the challenges of marketing a global, matrixed financial services group, Diana shares tactics for balancing brand consistency with the need for breakthrough creativity. Whether you're a marketer in a highly regulated industry or just want to hear what it's like taking a heritage brand forward, this conversation will both give you insight and inspiration.Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/0KLNVlFIxsQ  

In this solo episode, Dave shares his POV on marketing with answers to a bunch of burning questions, including:Balancing Brand vs. DemandWorking with the sales team vs. serving customersHow to inject personality into your brandThe most successful marketing campaigns Dave was a part of in his careerHow to plan and brainstorm good marketing ideasThe biggest mistake marketing teams makeHow to structure a marketing teamHow did you know it was the right time to start your own company?How to best differentiate in a crowded competitive market with similar feature offeringsTimestamps(00:00) - - Intro to Dave (04:40) - - Balancing brand, demand, and customer-centricity in marketing (07:18) - - Infusing personality into marketing (11:38) - - Most successful marketing campaigns and why they worked (19:00) - - The concept of marketable moments and creating momentum (22:53) - - Marketing at Drift and Privy (24:47) - - How to plan and brainstorm campaign ideas (27:48) - - Biggest mistakes marketing teams make (29:20) - - Structuring marketing teams for different business needs (30:07) - - The journey to starting Exit Five as a company (32:30) - - Brand marketing versus demand marketing for scaling startups (35:08) - - Differentiating positioning in a crowded market (38:34) - - Closing thoughts Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by our friends at Paramark. You've heard it before – every B2B marketer's top pain point is marketing attribution. It's complicated, messy, and too often leads to fights with your CRO over whose lead deserves credit.That's where Paramark steps in. Their platform makes it simple to understand what's driving results (and what isn't) with tools like marketing mix modeling and incremental testing. No more relying on outdated click attribution or chasing UTM links. Instead, Paramark gives you actionable insights across channels, campaigns, and geographies to help you grow.Paramark's founder & CEO Pranav has been in your shoes as a B2B marketer. He's so passionate about solving this problem, he's offering listeners a free brand assessment. Pranav will personally analyze your brand's performance and share his insights—an opportunity you don't want to miss.Slots are limited, so act fast. Head to paramark.com/brand-consult to claim your spot. Trust us, this is worth your time.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Navigating the complex landscape of startup marketing presents unique challenges, from building brand awareness to defining audience and managing budgets. By adopting strategic approaches, startups can transform their marketing hurdles into opportunities for growth and success. Inspired by the books I have written, including my recent Digital Threads and Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth, here is my definitive guide to startup marketing, including advice on:• Building brand awareness through digital channels • Defining ideal customers with data-driven decisions • Overcoming budget constraints with resourceful spending • Prioritizing quality leads for targeted engagement • Competing with established brands through creativity and agility • Strategies for scaling marketing efforts sustainablyLearn More: Buy Digital Threads: https://nealschaffer.com/digitalthreadsamazon Buy Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth: https://nealschaffer.com/maximizinglinkedinamazon Join My Digital First Mastermind: https://nealschaffer.com/membership/ Learn about My Fractional CMO Consulting Services: https://nealschaffer.com/cmo Download My Free Ebooks Here: https://nealschaffer.com/books/ Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/nealschaffer All My Podcast Show Notes: https://podcast.nealschaffer.com

This episode is from the Direct podcast hosted by Corrina Owens (Fractional ABM consultant) and Taylor Young (Director of Strategy, Professional Services at DemandScience). Corrina and Taylor sit down with Exit Five's Head of Community, Matthew Carnevale, to discuss his journey in scaling the Exit Five community to over 5,000 members. They dive into engagement strategies, fostering connections, and creating value-driven programming for B2B marketers.Corrina, Taylor, and Matthew cover:How to seed a community with experts and drive engagementThe role of events and content in fostering member participationBalancing long-term community growth with short-term winsTimestamps(00:00) - - Intro to Matt (02:51) - - Defining community and the difference between building community and a community (04:51) - - Why Exit Five moved to a gated Circle community (06:51) - - How Exit Five engages members and drives meaningful engagement (09:51) - - Scaling community management with member contributions (13:51) - - Balancing digital and in-person community strategies (15:51) - - Advice for teams without a founder-led social presence (16:51) - - Creating audience-first media assets to build community (20:42) - - Balancing short-term wins with long-term community goals (25:42) - - Tracking engagement and measuring community success (28:42) - - First steps for starting a community (33:42) - - Closing advice Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by our friends at Paramark. You've heard it before – every B2B marketer's top pain point is marketing attribution. It's complicated, messy, and too often leads to fights with your CRO over whose lead deserves credit.That's where Paramark steps in. Their platform makes it simple to understand what's driving results (and what isn't) with tools like marketing mix modeling and incremental testing. No more relying on outdated click attribution or chasing UTM links. Instead, Paramark gives you actionable insights across channels, campaigns, and geographies to help you grow.Paramark's founder & CEO Pranav has been in your shoes as a B2B marketer. He's so passionate about solving this problem, he's offering listeners a free brand assessment. Pranav will personally analyze your brand's performance and share his insights—an opportunity you don't want to miss.Slots are limited, so act fast. Head to paramark.com/brand-consult to claim your spot. Trust us, this is worth your time.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

In this episode, Dave sits down with Michael Cole, SVP of Marketing at Everflow, a partner marketing platform that helps companies manage referral and affiliate programs. Michael discusses his journey from being Everflow's first marketing hire to leading a marketing team of 16, and shares strategies for building a marketing function from the ground up.Dave and Michael cover:How Everflow turns happy customers into referral partnersWhat it's like to be a first-time marketing leaderBuilding a marketing function from scratchTimestamps(00:00) - - Introduction to Michael (06:28) - - Michael's journey to marketing leadership (11:15) - - Understanding company growth before developing your strategy (14:19) - - Turning happy customers into referrals (18:24) - - Scaling a successful team (25:35) - - Referrals vs. paid ads (29:52) - - Organic vs. paid strategies (32:19) - - Growing organically and spreading through word-of-mouth (34:05) - - Finding complementary business partnerships (40:18) - - Enhancing content creation (43:18) - - Delegation and accountability in a strong team (44:17) - - Strategizing for growth (47:27) - - Closing remarks Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by our friends at Paramark. You've heard it before – every B2B marketer's top pain point is marketing attribution. It's complicated, messy, and too often leads to fights with your CRO over whose lead deserves credit.That's where Paramark steps in. Their platform makes it simple to understand what's driving results (and what isn't) with tools like marketing mix modeling and incremental testing. No more relying on outdated click attribution or chasing UTM links. Instead, Paramark gives you actionable insights across channels, campaigns, and geographies to help you grow.Paramark's founder & CEO Pranav has been in your shoes as a B2B marketer. He's so passionate about solving this problem, he's offering listeners a free brand assessment. Pranav will personally analyze your brand's performance and share his insights—an opportunity you don't want to miss.Slots are limited, so act fast. Head to paramark.com/brand-consult to claim your spot. Trust us, this is worth your time.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

In this episode, Dave is joined by Chris Walker, CEO of Passetto, and a prominent voice on LinkedIn, where he has been pushing the boundaries of B2B marketing for years. Chris shares actionable insights and tactics on social media strategy, what has changed in marketing over the last five years, and how to build effective feedback loops and flywheels.Dave and Chris also cover:The future of GTM and the evolving role of the CMOWhy sustainable growth is the only path forwardThe transformative role AI will play in B2B marketingTimestamps(00:53) - - Intro to Chris Walker (04:31) - - Managing different perspectives on social media (09:03) - - The ROI of podcasts and social media engagement (14:26) - - Why real-time feedback loops are valuable (20:01) - - Shifting from "growth at all costs" to sustainable growth (25:51) - - Rethinking marketing measurement and ROI (33:52) - - Splitting marketing teams: strategy vs. pipeline creation (40:57) - - How AI is reshaping B2B marketing teams (49:02) - - Chris's approach to creativity and focus (53:47) - - Predictions for the future of B2B marketing (55:25) - - Outro Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by our friends at Paramark. You've heard it before – every B2B marketer's top pain point is marketing attribution. It's complicated, messy, and too often leads to fights with your CRO over whose lead deserves credit.That's where Paramark steps in. Their platform makes it simple to understand what's driving results (and what isn't) with tools like marketing mix modeling and incremental testing. No more relying on outdated click attribution or chasing UTM links. Instead, Paramark gives you actionable insights across channels, campaigns, and geographies to help you grow.Paramark's founder & CEO Pranav has been in your shoes as a B2B marketer. He's so passionate about solving this problem, he's offering listeners a free brand assessment. Pranav will personally analyze your brand's performance and share his insights—an opportunity you don't want to miss.Slots are limited, so act fast. Head to paramark.com/brand-consult to claim your spot. Trust us, this is worth your time.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

We're back with Scratch! In this episode, we sit down with Abey Mokgwatsane, Chief Marketing Officer of Investec, an international bank and wealth manager that's celebrating its 50th anniversary—and still thinking like a challenger. Abey shares how his team keeps the brand fresh by simplifying complexity, focusing on consistent storytelling, and staying true to the heritage that first propelled Investec into the private banking space. He also explains what it's like to join a new industry as a “super sub” and how that outsider perspective drives authentic innovation.One of the big takeaways from this episode is Abey's focus on “making the complex simple and the simple exciting.” Whether it's building a brand around the iconic zebra or doubling down on Investec's legendary service culture, Abey's mindset proves that consistency doesn't have to mean boring. We also dive into what it means to remain “freshly consistent” instead of “consistently fresh,” a concept that's helped Investec maintain its challenger DNA over five decades of growth.Watch the video version of this podcast on Youtube ▶️: https://youtu.be/EGXZiOWQbsA           

In this episode, Dave is joined by the team at Tenon to go behind the scenes of B2B marketing. They talk about the marketing operating system -- specifically: how to organize your 2025 campaigns, align your team, and stay laser-focused on what matters most. You'll learn how top marketers are using work management tactics to simplify the complexity, free up time for high-value work, and boost team performance—all while showing your boss the real impact of marketing.Dave and the Tenon team cover:The importance of aligning marketing goals with overarching business objectives to drive meaningful resultsHow to create a marketing operating system that prioritizes clarity, efficiency, and flexibilityPractical frameworks and templates for planning campaigns, managing tasks, and adapting to company needs and changes Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by our friends at Paramark. You've heard it before – every B2B marketer's top pain point is marketing attribution. It's complicated, messy, and too often leads to fights with your CRO over whose lead deserves credit.That's where Paramark steps in. Their platform makes it simple to understand what's driving results (and what isn't) with tools like marketing mix modeling and incremental testing. No more relying on outdated click attribution or chasing UTM links. Instead, Paramark gives you actionable insights across channels, campaigns, and geographies to help you grow.Paramark's founder & CEO Pranav has been in your shoes as a B2B marketer. He's so passionate about solving this problem, he's offering listeners a free brand assessment. Pranav will personally analyze your brand's performance and share his insights—an opportunity you don't want to miss.Slots are limited, so act fast. Head to paramark.com/brand-consult to claim your spot. Trust us, this is worth your time.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Dave is joined by Ross Simmonds. Ross is the Founder & CEO of Foundation, a content marketing agency that strategizes, distributes, and optimizes content for some of the most successful SaaS companies in the world and works as partners for multiple publicly traded cloud companies that have redefined entire industries. They share lessons they both learned on their content journeys and discuss things like:Prioritizing search as a distribution channelWhy social followers are not a vanity metricUsing and enabling the sales team for content distributionHow to repurpose your most popular contentTimestamps(00:00) - - Intro (01:52) - - Underrated Content Strategy for B2B (02:07) - - SERP and Mindshare Domination (02:07) - - ChatGPT and Closing Thoughts (02:12) - - Search as a Distribution Channel (02:12) - - Why We're Doubling Down on X (02:27) - - Adjusting Your Tone with the Times (02:32) - - Why Followers Aren't a Vanity Metric (02:33) - - How to Repurpose Popular Organic Social Content (02:47) - - An Easy Content Distribution Tactic (02:48) - - The Sales Team as a Distribution Channel Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by our friends at Paramark. You've heard it before – every B2B marketer's top pain point is marketing attribution. It's complicated, messy, and too often leads to fights with your CRO over whose lead deserves credit.That's where Paramark steps in. Their platform makes it simple to understand what's driving results (and what isn't) with tools like marketing mix modeling and incremental testing. No more relying on outdated click attribution or chasing UTM links. Instead, Paramark gives you actionable insights across channels, campaigns, and geographies to help you grow.Paramark's founder & CEO Pranav has been in your shoes as a B2B marketer. He's so passionate about solving this problem, he's offering listeners a free brand assessment. Pranav will personally analyze your brand's performance and share his insights—an opportunity you don't want to miss.Slots are limited, so act fast. Head to paramark.com/brand-consult to claim your spot. Trust us, this is worth your time.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more