Podcasts about startup marketing

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

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

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

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

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

Watch our documentary on the Future of the CMO from this link

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

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

Tim Seavey is a seasoned marketing and business development leader with a passion for helping individuals and companies find their voice. As Co-Owner of Vizolutions LLC, he specializes in organic digital marketing, leveraging data-backed strategies to enhance clients' online presence and reputation. Tim's expertise extends to competitive speech and debate coaching, reflecting his commitment to effective communication. His approach combines storytelling and strategic insight to drive meaningful engagement and growth for businesses. Website: https://vizolutionsinc.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-seavey-52444098/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vizolutions/    Spencer Traver is a seasoned marketing leader with deep experience in scaling startup and high-growth environments. After seven years with a rapidly growing Adtech company that reached a $1.5 billion valuation, he transitioned to lead marketing at Sustainment, an Austin-based SaaS startup serving the manufacturing industry. In his current role, Spencer is focused on accelerating product-market fit by establishing foundational marketing strategies and driving outreach across commercial, federal, and defense sectors. Beyond his day job, he's an active contributor to the Dallas-Fort Worth entrepreneurial ecosystem—serving on advisory boards, hosting free marketing workshops, and regularly speaking at industry events and podcasts. Website: https://www.sustainment.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencertraver/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sustainment-srm   In this episode, we explore SEO insights, AI influence, and marketing strategies with Tim and Spencer.   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

#251 Website Optimization | In this episode, Danielle is joined by Guy Yalif, Chief Evangelist at Webflow; Talia Wolf, Founder and CEO of Getuplift; and Scott Cappuzzo, Web Strategist at Webflow. Together, they dig into what actually makes a B2B website convert and why most homepages are missing the mark.This panel brings deep experience in conversion rate optimization, UX strategy, and messaging clarity, sharing practical tips and live feedback from real B2B websites submitted by Exit Five members.Danielle, Guy, Talia, and Scott cover:The #1 mistake B2B marketers make on their homepage and how to fix it with customer-driven messagingSmart ways to test and optimize (even if you don't have high traffic)How to write CTAs that meet buyers where they are in the journey (and get more clicks)Whether you're planning a homepage redesign or just want to tighten your headline and CTA copy, this session will help you make smarter website decisions grounded in expert feedback and real examples.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (02:08) - – Meet the expert panel (04:48) - – The biggest homepage mistake (07:28) - – What customers *really* want (08:08) - – The CTA copy test (09:18) - – Why A/B testing isn't always right (11:58) - – Personalization you can actually use (14:08) - – What's a “good” conversion rate? (17:28) - – CTA clarity vs. creativity (21:08) - – Why messaging must come first (23:08) - – How to do helpful personalization (30:29) - – Emotional drivers in B2B (32:29) - – Live teardown #1: ContactMonkey (39:09) - – Visuals, CTAs, and clarity (44:29) - – Live teardown #2: StreamTech (49:49) - – Outdated visuals and lost messaging (53:24) - – Chatbots: thoughtful vs. disruptive (54:39) - – Live teardown #3: CallTrackingMetrics (57:19) - – Final ratings + wrap-up Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Tim Seavey is a seasoned marketing and business development leader with a passion for helping individuals and companies find their voice. As Co-Owner of Vizolutions LLC, he specializes in organic digital marketing, leveraging data-backed strategies to enhance clients' online presence and reputation. Tim's expertise extends to competitive speech and debate coaching, reflecting his commitment to effective communication. His approach combines storytelling and strategic insight to drive meaningful engagement and growth for businesses. Website: https://vizolutionsinc.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-seavey-52444098/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vizolutions/    Spencer Traver is a seasoned marketing leader with deep experience in scaling startup and high-growth environments. After seven years with a rapidly growing Adtech company that reached a $1.5 billion valuation, he transitioned to lead marketing at Sustainment, an Austin-based SaaS startup serving the manufacturing industry. In his current role, Spencer is focused on accelerating product-market fit by establishing foundational marketing strategies and driving outreach across commercial, federal, and defense sectors. Beyond his day job, he's an active contributor to the Dallas-Fort Worth entrepreneurial ecosystem—serving on advisory boards, hosting free marketing workshops, and regularly speaking at industry events and podcasts. Website: https://www.sustainment.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencertraver/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sustainment-srm   In this episode, we explore SEO insights, AI influence, and marketing strategies with Tim and Spencer.   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

#250 Customer Insights | Matt sits down with Shoshana Kordova, a 3x founding product marketer and former journalist who now helps B2B tech startups craft customer-infused messaging through her consultancy, Peel Product Marketing. Shoshana recently launched a customer insights playbook for the PMM Jetpack, equipping marketers with tools and templates to run more effective customer interviews.Matt and Shoshana cover:Why a customer insights program is more than “just talking to customers” and how to turn interviews into a repeatable system that drives messaging, positioning, and case studiesHow to collaborate across teams (especially with CS and product) to get buy-in and avoid stepping on toesThe most common mistakes B2B marketers make with interviews and how to get the kind of insights you can actually useWhether you're a product marketer, content strategist, or leading a GTM team, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways to build messaging that resonates.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (02:13) - – Meet Shoshana: From Journalism to Product Marketing (03:23) - – What Is “Customer-Infused Messaging”? (05:08) - – Why Customer Insights Beat Surface-Level Deliverables (07:08) - – How to Work with CS and Sales Without Stepping on Toes (10:08) - – Navigating Competing Priorities Across Teams (12:28) - – Selling the Value of Customer Interviews Internally (16:28) - – The 6 Steps to Building a Customer Insights Program (18:23) - – Step 1: Aligning Goals with Stakeholders (20:03) - – Step 2: Building a Customer Interview Pipeline (22:08) - – Step 3: Keeping Stakeholders in the Loop (Hint: Use Slack) (27:34) - – Step 4: How to Run a Great Customer Interview (33:04) - – Focus on Problems, Not Just the Product (35:39) - – Uncovering Real ROI with Better Follow-Ups (36:49) - – Step 5: Documenting What Actually Matters (39:09) - – How to Organize Insights into a Shared Database (41:59) - – Step 6: Putting Insights to Work (Case Studies, Messaging, ICPs) (44:19) - – Should You Hire an External Interviewer? (46:34) - – What's a Realistic Interview Cadence? (48:04) - – Other Places to Find Customer Insights (When Interviews Aren't Possible) (49:39) - – Final Tips: Mining G2 Reviews, Webinars, and Internal Teams (50:53) - – Wrap-Up and Where to Find Shoshana Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Watch out documentary on the Future of the CMO from this link

#249 Cold Email | In this episode, Danielle is joined by four experts in B2B outbound: Zoe Hartsfield (Apollo), Will Allred, (Lavender), Maximus Greenwald (Warmly), and Alex Fine (Understory). Together, they dive into the good, bad, and “please don't ever send this” of cold email strategy. Each guest brings firsthand insight from scaling outbound at fast-growing B2B companies and helping clients do the same.Danielle and the crew cover:The biggest reasons cold emails flop and what great ones do differentlyHow to use personalization, targeting, and timing to get replies (not unsubscribes)The right way to blend automation and human touch in your outbound strategyIt's an inside look at how marketers and founders approach outbound messaging, across strategy, execution, and scale.Timestamps(00:00) - — Intro and guest lineup (03:38) - — Why most cold emails fall flat (05:38) - — Common copy mistakes: too much “I,” not enough “you” (07:08) - — The automation vs. personalization debate (09:23) - — When *not* to send a cold email (11:38) - — What targeting gets wrong (and how to fix it) (13:38) - — Teardown #1: Robotics email with 0% replies (15:53) - — Subject line issues, tone, and CTA feedback (18:08) - — Teardown #2: CRM campaign with profanity (19:53) - — Why this email screams “marketing,” not “outbound” (23:19) - — Teardown #3: Direct debit email repurposed from a nurture (25:49) - — Why HTML-heavy emails kill deliverability (27:34) - — Teardown #4: Founder-led cold email from Breakout (29:49) - — What worked: relevance, format, and intent (32:19) - — Teardown #5: Cybersecurity email to bank execs (34:19) - — Final takeaways on relevance, timing, and strategy Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#248 Marketing Strategy | Dave sits down with Jaleh Rezaei, founder and CEO of Mutiny, the personalization platform for B2B websites. Jaleh brings a unique blend of founder perspective and deep marketing expertise from her time building go-to-market teams at VMware, Gusto, and now Mutiny. She's on a mission to help marketers ditch the spammy, scaled playbooks of the past and refocus on what really drives pipeline today: buyer experience. Dave and Jaleh cover:Why the current use of AI is making marketing worse and how to use it to build better buying experiences insteadWhat marketers get wrong about speed (hint: it's not about doing more, it's about doing what matters)The principles of simplifying your go-to-market strategy to cut through noise and align your team around real revenue resultsMarketing is changing fast, but the teams who win will be the ones who prioritize real buyer experiences, move with speed, and stay aligned on what actually drives revenue. Jaleh breaks down how to make that shift before your strategy gets left behind.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (02:18) - – Why AI Is Backfiring in B2B (04:53) - – Outbound Is Broken (Here's the Data) (07:13) - – What Buyers Actually Want (09:38) - – Gimmicks Don't Scale (11:08) - – How to Build Marketing That Lasts (12:33) - – Why Marketing Is Harder Today (14:08) - – AI Efficiency vs. Buyer Experience (15:38) - – The Right Way to Prioritize Speed (18:34) - – Strategy First, Then Speed (20:24) - – How to Test Big Ideas Fast (22:39) - – Borrowing the YC Mindset (24:19) - – What Good Brand Marketing Looks Like (26:34) - – Best Brand Play: A Children's Book? (28:19) - – What CEOs Really Want From Marketing (29:59) - – Simplifying Your Marketing Strategy (32:29) - – The Truth About Sales-Marketing Alignment (34:19) - – Common Execution Gaps That Hurt Revenue Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#247 Lead Nurturing | In this episode, Danielle is joined by Samar Owais, founder of Emails Done Right; Sheri Otto, CEO of Growth Lane Strategies; and Sofia Silva, Marketing Manager at Reachdesk.These three email experts came together for a live roast of real B2B lead nurture emails, submitted by marketers from the Exit Five community. You'll hear the good, the bad, and the fixable, with practical insights on how to improve your own nurture sequences.Danielle, Samar, Sheri, and Sofia cover:The most common lead nurture mistakes B2B marketers make (and how to fix them)Why every email should be treated as a conversation, not just a campaignHow to write nurture emails that create connection, not clicks for clicks' sakeIf you're building (or rebuilding) your nurture strategy, this one's packed with real examples and expert feedback to guide your next send.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro: Welcome to the Lead Nurture Roast (02:36) - – Meet the Experts: Samar, Sheri, and Sofia (06:33) - – What Is **Lead Nurturing, Really? (09:26) - – The Problem with “We” Language in Emails (11:48) - – The Biggest Mistakes B2B Marketers Make (14:13) - – Why AI Isn't Your Copywriter (16:08) - – Teardown #1: Subject Line Gone Wrong (20:38) - – How to Build a Nurture Sequence Around a Whitepaper (23:18) - – CTA Overload and Why It Kills Clicks (28:23) - – Teardown #2: Great Open Rate, Low Engagement (32:17) - – The One-CTA Rule (And Why It Matters) (34:59) - – Structuring Long Emails for Skimmability (37:31) - – Teardown #3: Cold Lead, Wrong Email (40:04) - – Re-Engagement Emails That Actually Work (42:54) - – Use Social Proof Instead of Product Pitches (44:34) - – Teardown #4: The Overloaded Onboarding Email (47:29) - – What's a “Micro Conversion” in SaaS Email? (52:04) - – Time-to-Value and the First Action That Matters (54:19) - – This Email Is... a Whole Sequence in One (56:39) - – Teardown #5: Trust Email or Generic Spam? (59:34) - – Why Specificity Beats Industry Buzzwords (01:01:49) - – Final Scores and Wrap-Up Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#246 Sales Alignment | Danielle welcomes Talya Heller, founder of Down to a T, a B2B consultancy helping marketers turn competitive positioning into high-impact sales assets. With experience in engineering, product management, and product marketing, Talya knows how to bridge the gap between what marketing builds and what sales actually uses.Together they unpack:Why most sales decks and battle cards go unused and what to build insteadHow to enable your champion to sell internally with confidenceSimple frameworks for mapping competitive positioning that teams will actually useTalya also breaks down how she researches, builds, and delivers assets that align sales, marketing, and product, all rooted in buyer empathy.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro & Talya's background (02:08) - – From engineering to B2B marketing (08:53) - – What is buyer enablement? (11:08) - – Why deals stall after vendor selection (13:23) - – The problem with sales decks (15:53) - – Why battle cards don't work (18:08) - – Talya's competitive positioning map (24:19) - – Grouping competitors by approach (26:49) - – Market maps for sales (28:49) - – Where to get the best insights (31:19) - – New formats for enablement (33:34) - – Why context matters (35:19) - – Empathy for your sales team (37:04) - – Closing thoughts on empathy (38:09) - – Where to find Talya online Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Watch out documentary on the Future of the CMO from this link

#245: Cold Email | Danielle Messler sits down with Alex Fine, co-founder of Understory, the agency behind some of the most effective outbound and paid strategies in B2B right now. Alex is leading the charge on a smarter approach to outbound called “Allbound”, a tightly integrated blend of outbound, paid media, and LinkedIn tactics that actually convert.If you're tired of cold emails that go nowhere or ad campaigns that burn cash without ROI, this one's for you.Danielle and Alex cover:Why most B2B outbound strategies fail and how Allbound fixes the disconnect between ads, email, and LinkedInThe cold email deliverability tactics that actually work in 2025 (including tools like Instantly, Smartlead, and Clay)Real-world examples of hyper-personalized, AI-powered outreach that book meetings with high-ACV prospectsTimestamps(00:00) - – Intro (03:08) - – What Is “Allbound”? (05:08) - – Cold Email Isn't Dead (But It's Evolved) (07:38) - – Tools to Improve Deliverability (09:53) - – Personalization That Actually Works (11:23) - – Real Example: Fraud Detection SaaS Cold Email Strategy (13:08) - – How to Keep Messaging Consistent Across Channels (15:08) - – Treating Each Channel Differently (18:19) - – Ads as a “Cheat Code” in B2B (20:49) - – Building Genuinely Personalized Emails at Scale (23:49) - – From Swiffer to SaaS (27:19) - – What Sales Teaches Marketers (36:04) - – Where to Find Alex + Upcoming Exit Five Event Plug Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#244: Professional Growth | Dave is joined by Amanda Goetz, a 2x founder, 3x CMO, and the author behind the popular weekly newsletter, Life's A Game. Amanda shares her expertise in personal and professional growth, brand building, and content creation.Amanda and Dave cover:How Amanda transformed her LinkedIn strategy to grow her following and engagementThe impact of personal branding on social media and its role in business growthCreating a feedback loop to refine and improve content strategyTimestamps(00:00) - - Intro (08:18) - - How to Use LinkedIn Video (11:46) - - Shifting from Twitter to LinkedIn (15:32) - - Developing a Clearer Target Market and Products (16:15) - - Building Sustainable Momentum Amid Burnout: A CMO's Perspective (20:36) - - Why Your Content Strategy Must Be Focused (27:17) - - The Brand Pyramid (28:12) - - The Emotion Behind Branding (31:42) - - People Are What Matter In Branding Success (37:20) - - The Growing Creator Economy vs. Traditional Corporations (38:38) - - Creating Emotional Brand Connections for Growth Marketing (43:10) - - How Amanda Became a Fractional CMO (45:44) - - Why Amanda Looks to Alex Lieberman for Inspiration Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#243 Linkedin Ads | In this episode, Danielle Messler sits down with Anthony Blatner (LinkedIn ads expert and certified instructor) and Tagg Bozied (Head of Brand Awareness at Docebo and award-winning B2B campaign strategist) to dig into what actually works with B2B LinkedIn ads in 2025. These two have spent years in the trenches, building campaigns for some of the most niche, high-intent B2B audiences, and they've got the data and real stories to back up what works (and what definitely doesn't).Danielle, Anthony, and Tagg cover:The biggest mistakes B2B marketers make on LinkedIn and how to fix them fastWhy “thought leader ads” are crushing right now and how to set them up the right way (even if you're not Dave Gerhardt)How to measure success in brand awareness campaigns (including smart ways to use dwell time, frequency, and Google Analytics)Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro from Dave (01:56) - – Why This Isn't Just a “Webinar” (03:24) - – Meet the Experts: Tagg Bozied and Anthony Blatner (05:35) - – Biggest Mistakes in LinkedIn Ads (08:06) - – How to Make LinkedIn Ads Stand Out (10:18) - – What to Know About Thought Leader Ads (14:39) - – What Does Success Look Like? Metrics That Matter (17:36) - – What's a CTV Ad and Should You Try It? (20:40) - – Budgeting Tips for Niche Audiences (26:54) - – LinkedIn Lead Forms vs. Landing Pages (32:52) - – Proving ROI on Brand Awareness Campaigns (38:53) - – Reporting Tools and Stack Recommendations (41:35) - – Targeting Secrets and Retargeting Best Practices (44:57) - – How to Think About A/B Testing on LinkedIn (48:55) - – Wrap-Up + Where to Connect Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak. Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#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