In this episode, I had a brutally honest conversation with John Gates, Lead IT Security Operations/Threat Response Analyst at a Fortune 500 company, about his challenges, goals, what vendors do that piss him off, and the alternatives.

John is currently Lead IT Security Operations/Threat Response Analyst at a Fortune 500 company.

Join 300+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/

I had the pleasure of speaking on the Market-to-Revenue Podcast with Chris Morgan.

He asked me 6 questions:

• What are 3 ways that your team converts your market into revenue?

In this episode, I’m going to dig into one specific mental model that has helped me reach my conversion and ARR goals quarter over quarter in the last 12 months.

Join 300+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/

Many ghost their customers or pop up every quarter for renewals or expansions.

And the consequences of those actions are heavy.

In this episode, I had a brutally honest conversation with Chris Elliot, Director of Corporate Security and Security Operations at SoFi, about his challenges, goals, what vendors do that piss him off, and the alternatives.

Chris previously worked in cybersecurity at the Walt Disney Company and before that, spent 23 years in the U.S. Army as a communication specialist, working on a variety of assignments from special operations to NATO, to the NSA.

He got into security while he was in the Army.

Join 300+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/

In this episode, I had a brutally honest conversation with Malia Mason, vCISO and Manager of Cybersecurity, about her challenges, goals, what vendors do that piss her off, and the alternatives.

Malia served in the United States Navy as a Sonar Technician Second Class and was also in charge of all of the secret data on the ship and of making sure that everyone did their cybersecurity training.

She continues to work with several veterans nonprofits as a mentor and career advisor for veterans leaving the military and military spouses as well.

She is a strong proponent of getting more women into cybersecurity and tech, serving as a mentor for young girls in inner-city schools.

Join 300+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/

How do you speak in terms that resonate with CISOs?

What are their goals and challenges?

Have you considered the constraints new CISOs have to undergo in their new roles?

When engaging a CISO, have you thought about the tech they have to adopt before pitching to them?

In this episode, I had a brutally honest conversation with Brent Deterding, newly appointed CISO of Afni, Inc., about what motivates him, what his challenges are, what vendors do that piss him off, and the alternatives.

Join 300+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/

Content. The fuel that drives demand today.

There is so much of it online.

Unfortunately, though, the mass majority of content in the field has left security buyers confused and distracted.

The problem that security practitioners find themselves in right now is that they’re bombarded with high quantities of content but also high quantities of higher-quality, product-centric content too.

So, how do we go back to the core and create content that focuses on the real problems we can solve for security practitioners so they have the ability to make good decisions?

In this episode, I had a candid and practical conversation with Andra Zaharia, creator and co-host of the Cyber Empathy podcast and cybersecurity marketing expert.

We discussed the challenges she faces as a content marketing professional in cybersecurity, stereotypes to battle in order to be successful in the field, questions to ask to deliver valuable content, and the framework she uses to produce content.

Join 300+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/

People will not leave you.

They will stay with you forever because they trust you.

When I listened to Evan Francen, CEO of FRSecure and SecurityStudio, chat with Ryan Cloutier on their podcast, he said one thing that stood out to me:

“I don’t want any friends.”

I called bullshit.

And so, here we are, having a down-to-earth, candid conversation, full of “F'“ bombs and the “S” word 😱, about what motivates him, what his challenges are, what vendors do that piss him off, and the alternatives.

Look how that worked out!

Here’s hoping for a continued friendship.

Join 300+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/

How do we build and develop business and communications skills, foster different ideas that allow us to think about how to be more ethical and innovative, and communicate better with our audience?

How do we get cybersecurity to be a cool industry that people want to be in?

These are questions that Joseph Carson, Chief Security Scientist and Advisory CISO at Delinea, asks himself regularly.

In this episode, I had a brutally honest conversation with Joseph on what motivates him, what his challenges are, what vendors do that piss him off, and the alternatives.

Join 300+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/

If you’re phasing into cybersecurity marketing or are already working in cybersecurity as a marketer, it may come as no surprise that you must have some thick skin for the job.

Between aggressive goals, sometimes stressful and fast-response support required, pressure to “rise above the noise”, ever-changing technology, and audiences that are sometimes hard to reach - all that can sometimes take a mental and emotional toll.

Despite the challenges we, as marketers, face, it doesn’t mean you have to suffer, lose motivation or have feelings of negativity in your personal and professional life.

There are ways to navigate fear, frustration, and imposter syndrome if you feel it like I sometimes do.

In this episode, I had a refreshing and open conversation with Nadja El Fertasi, Founder of Founder Thrive with EQ and Emotional Firewalls.

We discussed how to build emotional firewalls to become more resilient in today’s age and how to navigate fear, step out of your comfort zone, establish boundaries, and understand your audience.

Join 300+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/

When I began researching security professionals I wanted to connect with and begin building relationships with, Ryan Cloutier, President of SecurityStudio, was at the top of my list.

Why?

Because, like me, he believes in the mission before money vs. profit-at-all costs.

Part of Ryan’s motivation and the battle of things he fights against are shady marketing tactics, misleading messages, and unauthentic relationships that add more stress to his life.

In this episode, I had a brutally honest conversation with Ryan on what motivates him, what his challenges are, what vendors do that piss him off, and the alternatives.

Join 300+ cybersecurity marketers and sellers mastering security buyer research to better understand their audience and turn them into loyal customers: https://www.audience1st.fm/