What We Cover
What SEO is — and why it’s no longer the whole game
What AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is and how it fundamentally differs from SEO
How your buyers are already using AI tools (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude) to research before ever visiting your website
Why you can have great SEO scores and still be completely invisible to an AI answer engine
The “dark funnel” problem — and how AI makes it even harder to track buyer intent
Why this is a revenue strategy conversation, not just a marketing or technical SEO conversation
Three immediate actions B2B leaders can take right now

Key Concepts Explained
SEO — Search Engine Optimization
The practice of making your website content discoverable by search engines like Google and Bing. The playbook centers on keywords, backlinks, site speed, technical structure, and domain authority — all with the goal of getting a human to click through to your website from a search results page.
AEO — Answer Engine Optimization
Optimizing your content so that AI-powered tools — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and others — pull from your content to generate direct, synthesized answers. There’s no click, no scroll, no website visit. If your brand isn’t showing up in those answers, you don’t exist in that buyer’s world.
What Answer Engines Look For
Clarity — Is your content answering questions directly and in a structured way?
Authority & Trust — Are credible sources referencing your content? Is your brand seen as a subject matter expert?
Schema Markup & Structured Data — Is your content technically formatted so AI can parse it?
Freshness — Is your content current and regularly updated?

Key Takeaways for B2B Leaders
Your buyers are already using AI to research.
Your ICP is typing questions into LLMs before they ever book a demo. If you’re not showing up there, you’re not in the consideration set.
This is an attribution problem you need to get ahead of.
The dark funnel is already hard to track. AI-assisted research makes it darker. If you’re not monitoring AI-driven brand mentions and traffic, you’re flying blind on a critical part of the buyer journey.
SEO and AEO are not either/or — they’re both/and.
Don’t abandon your SEO strategy. Build a content ecosystem that works for search engines and answer engines simultaneously.
This is a strategy conversation, not just a technical one.
AEO requires thinking about what questions your buyers are asking and whether your content answers them directly and authoritatively. A disconnected content strategy will not cut it in an AI-first research environment.

3 Things You Can Do Right Now
1. Audit your existing content for answer readiness.
Review your top content pieces. Are they answering specific questions directly? Do they have clear headers that map to what someone would actually ask an AI? Can an AI pull a clean, accurate answer from them? If not — that’s your starting point.
2. Test AI research behavior in your category.
Use ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, or Gemini to ask the questions your buyers ask. See who’s showing up, what language is being used, and where you stand. This is free competitive intelligence that will change how you think about content.
3. Get your technical foundation in order.
If your website has messy structure, outdated schema markup, or poorly organized content — fix it. Don’t scale chaos. Fix the foundation first.

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
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What does it actually take to build an Inc 5000 business without letting it eat you alive? That's exactly what we dig into with Brittany Fox. Brittany and her husband bootstrapped Focus Global Talent Solutions from their second bedroom in Miami — no outside funding, no playbook — and hit $2M in revenue their first year. Last year, they made the Inc 5000 list. But here's the thing: Brittany didn't just build a successful business. She built a sustainable one. And that distinction? It changes everything.

In this episode, we get into the real stuff. The psychology behind why high achievers burn out, what it actually took for Brittany to go from "grinding and hiding" to building a community of ambitious women who are done with surface-level conversations. We talk about morning routines that aren't just checklists, the power of doing hard things before they're trendy, and why showing up to one room can completely change the trajectory of your life.

This one's for the founders, the co-founders, the C-suite leaders who are crushing it professionally but quietly wondering: is this pace actually sustainable?

Key Takeaways:

• 80% of business is psychology. The other 20% is strategy. Brittany learned this early — and it became the foundation of how she runs everything.
• Brittany bootstrapped Focus Global from a condo in Miami with two dogs and hit $2M revenue in year one. No VC. No safety net. Just her, her husband Dave, and a whole lot of hustle — done intentionally.
• The Inc 5000 recognition in 2025 wasn't the goal. It was a byproduct of building something real, something sustainable, and something that actually worked.
• Brittany's 75 Hard story (before it was an Instagram trend) is one of the best "proof that you can do hard things" stories I've heard. She didn't think she could do it. She did it. And it rewired how she thinks about what's possible.
• Meditation isn't just a buzzword for Brittany — it's a practice she's had to actively protect. She actually stopped meditating for a while because it became a checklist item. That level of self-awareness is rare.
• She Created — her community for high-achieving women — was born from a very real frustration: the networking events that are all "tell me what you do" and zero depth. Brittany built the alternative.
• The advice that stuck with me: Don't make it so overwhelming. Start with one. One room. One book. One action. The compound effect does the rest.

About the Guest:

Brittany Fox is the CEO and Co-Founder of Focus Global Talent Solutions, an Inc 5000 AI and Martech staffing firm based in Miami. Before staffing, she was part of one of the top 10 real estate teams in Manhattan — her team closed $600M in sales, just the three of them. Brittany and her husband Dave bootstrapped Focus Global from scratch and built it into one of the fastest-growing private companies in the country.

In 2024, Brittany founded She Created — a community for high-achieving women who want to go deeper than business. Through curated dinners, intentional social events, and immersive retreats, She Created creates the space for women to have the real conversations that most networking events never get to.

Find Brittany:

• Website: shecreated.co
• Instagram: @BEFoxy

Resources & Links Mentioned:

Focus Global Talent Solutions

Tony Robbins Business Mastery

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
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Website

Season Two opens with a necessary reset for growth leaders.

In this episode, Stacie sits down with Jennifer Yousem, Founder of iHeartEBITDA, to unpack the financial realities behind marketing and sales performance—and why CMOs are often asked to defend results without being given the right financial context.

They explore why top-line growth is a vanity metric, how margin degradation creeps into service businesses, and why honesty in forecasting matters more than aggressive targets. This conversation bridges the gap between marketing strategy and financial truth.

If you’re a CMO expected to drive growth, justify spend, and align with finance—this episode is required listening.

Key topics covered

• Why top-line growth is a vanity metric
• What CMOs need to understand about margins
• How margin degradation happens quietly over time
• Why “not all revenue is good revenue”
• Forecasting honesty vs. hockey-stick storytelling
• Cost control as the only true lever of certainty
• How marketing, sales, and finance should align around truth

Who this episode is for

• CMOs responsible for growth and budget accountability
• CROs managing optimistic pipelines
• Founders scaling through the messy middle
• CFOs pushing for financial rigor
• Operators tired of growth theater

About the guest

Jennifer Yousem is the Founder and CEO of iHeartEBITDA, a fractional CFO, controller, and bookkeeping firm serving mid-market companies. After years leading finance inside large media organizations, she now helps founders and leadership teams turn messy numbers into clear growth decisions—without the BS.

Links & resources

• iHeartEBITDA: https://iheartibda.com
• Learn more about Stacie Sussman & RevUp Advisory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staciesussman/

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
LinkedIn
Website

In this solo episode of C-Suite Strategies, Stacie Sussman breaks down the five biggest trends she’s seeing as we head into 2026—starting with a surprising pattern: CMOs at $30M companies quietly fearing their next board meeting.

Stacie shares why brilliant marketing leaders are losing confidence in the C-suite, what’s driving the rising demand for clean attribution, and why most companies are wildly overestimating their AI maturity. She also unpacks how leaner teams will depend on stronger processes, and how consulting roles will evolve as AI becomes a core operating system rather than a shiny add-on.

If you’re a CMO, CRO, founder, or executive trying to scale without chaos, this episode offers a sharp, unfiltered look at what’s coming—and what it will take to stay ahead.

You’ll learn:
 • Why the CMO confidence gap is widening
 • The revenue language every marketing leader must master
 • Why attribution is no longer optional
 • The coming AI reality check for mid-market companies
 • How lean operations and process excellence will drive growth
 • The new consulting model: human expertise powered by AI

If you’re ready to build real capabilities instead of patching cracks, this episode is your roadmap for 2026.

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
LinkedIn
Website

Networking isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s a leadership strategy.

In this episode, Stacie Sussman sits down with Rachel Rozen, a former hospitality executive turned connection strategist, to break down how high-performing leaders can turn authentic relationships into career-defining opportunities before they ever start job-hunting.

Rachel shares how meeting 300 people in one year reshaped her career and how you can apply the same mindset to build a future-proof professional network.

Key Topics Covered:

• How to reframe networking from transactional to transformational
• The Three I’s Framework — Introduction, Invitation, Information — that keeps your network alive
• Why your dormant connections might open your next door
• How CMOs, CROs, and Founders can strengthen internal trust across teams
• The right time to leave professional communities that no longer serve you
• Practical outreach scripts to reconnect without the awkwardness

This conversation is a masterclass in turning “icky” networking into sticky, strategic relationship-building. The kind that gets you the meeting, the opportunity, or even the next C-Suite role.

Guest Links:

• LinkedIn: Rachel Rozen
• Website: Connection Catalyst
• Apply to attend her NYC Executive & Entrepreneur Dinners

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
LinkedIn
Website

In this episode of C-Suite Strategies, host Stacie Sussman sits down with Matt Austin, a seasoned sales leader with deep expertise in B2B growth and operational excellence. Together, they unpack what it truly takes to scale a business—from navigating the transition to a recurring revenue model to ensuring alignment across leadership and sales teams.

Matt shares lessons learned from years of leading global sales organizations, highlighting the importance of validating product-market fit, implementing structured sales processes, and embedding sales training into company culture. The conversation also explores team dynamics, leadership alignment, and how understanding the context behind every sales strategy can make or break growth efforts.

Whether you’re a CRO, CMO, or founder seeking clarity on how to scale sustainably, this episode delivers practical, grounded insights for driving consistent revenue and organizational alignment.

Key Takeaways
 → B2B leaders often feel stuck in their growth journey.
 → Scaling requires a deep understanding of team dynamics.
 → Validating product-market fit is crucial before scaling.
 → Implementing structured processes enhances sales effectiveness.
 → Sales training matters—for both new and experienced sellers.
 → Context behind sales strategies drives better execution.
 → Operational challenges can hinder growth if not addressed early.
 → Leadership alignment is the backbone of successful scaling.
 → Customer feedback should guide product development.
 → Revenue goals must be grounded in realistic math.

Chapters
 00:00 Introduction to C-Suite Strategies
 02:16 Meet Matt Austin: A Sales Leader’s Journey
 04:58 Scaling a Global Company: Insights from Experience
 10:09 Understanding Team Dynamics and Initial Steps
 12:03 Validating Product-Market Fit
 17:15 Implementing Structure and Processes
 21:11 Teaching Sales Methodologies: The Importance of Training
 26:03 The Context of Sales Strategies
 30:51 Navigating Operational Challenges
 36:07 Key Takeaways and Lessons Learned

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
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Website

What if AI isn’t failing you—your broken business foundations are?

In this solo episode of C-Suite Strategies, Stacie Sussman, founder of RevUp Advisory, shares raw stories from the boardroom about why companies struggle to see real ROI from AI.

Here’s what you’ll hear:
 • The $37M company with a marketing team stuck in Excel chaos for board reporting
 • The “12-step content circus” that keeps marketing in approval purgatory
 • The sales shuffle—bad data, fake leads, and wasted hours in Salesforce
 • Why AI is an amplifier, not a savior (and what it can never fix)
 • How RevUp Advisory maps workflows, patches the pipes, and builds real operational alignment
 • What it takes for agentic AI to actually accelerate sales, marketing, and growth
 • Why fixing workflows is the first step to successful AI implementation

The truth? AI can’t fix bad data hygiene, broken workflows, or toxic culture. It only makes the noise louder. But when your systems are aligned, strategies are clear, and teams are working on solid foundations—that’s when AI shifts from hype to becoming a true growth engine.

RevUp Advisory is trusted by growth-stage companies who’ve outgrown “good enough.”
 We’re the team you call when sales is stuck, marketing isn’t converting, and ops can’t keep up. Led by Stacie Sussman and a team of experts you wish you called six months ago, RevUp realigns your go-to-market engine so growth stops feeling like a grind—and starts feeling like momentum.

 Email Stacie: [email protected]
 

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
LinkedIn
Website

What’s slowing your C-Suite down? Sometimes it’s not lack of ideas—it’s friction in your systems, people, and processes.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of C-Suite Strategies, host Stacie Sussman sits down with Jen Goldman, Founder of My Virtual COO, to explore how leaders can identify and fix the friction points holding back productivity and profitability. From rethinking team structure to visualizing organizational changes, Jen shares practical, neuroscience-backed tools for creating clarity, accountability, and momentum at the top levels of business.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why most growth stalls aren’t about sales—they’re about operational cracks.
  
  
• How visual tools help leaders make big changes without triggering fear.
  
  
• The “parking lot” method for prioritizing initiatives without losing ideas.
  
  
• How to set boundaries and manage energy for peak performance.
  
  
• Why sustainable scaling means caring for your people through change.
  
  

Listen if you’re:

• A C-Suite leader feeling bogged down by inefficiencies.
  
  
• A founder ready to scale but facing resistance.
  
  
• A leader who wants more flow, less chaos.

Referenced Apps & Tools

• Fabulous App — habit-building app from Duke and Stanford research.
  
  
• Lucid (Lucidchart) — for visual org design, flow mapping, and brainstorming.
  
  
• Canva — for visual diagrams and creative layouts.
  
  
• Brain.fm — focus music for deep work.
  
  
• Gamma — presentation/proposal creation tool you use.
  
  

Books & Authors

• Joe Dispenza — meditations (you specifically mentioned his guided meditations).
  
  
• Robin Sharma — The 5 AM Club (mentioned as inspiration even though you’re a “6 AM-ish club” person).
  
  
• Mel Robbins — Let Them (boundaries) and general coaching influence.
  
  
• Greg McKeown — Essentialism (one focus line vs. many squiggles).
  
  
• Gino Wickman — parking lot/Traction concepts (if you want to link to Traction by Gino Wickman).
  
  
  

Connect with Jen Goldman:

• Website: My Virtual COO
  
  
• Email: [email protected]

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
LinkedIn
Website

What if the reason your marketing isn't working... is because you're measuring the wrong things?

In this solo episode of C-Suite Strategies, Stacie Sussman, founder of RevUp Advisory, pulls back the curtain on one of the most common problems she sees in professional services, HR firms, and small businesses: spending heavily on marketing without knowing what’s actually driving results.

Most legacy companies are stuck tracking vanity metrics—likes, opens, impressions—while ignoring the micro-conversions that actually build revenue.

Stacie shares real examples from inside companies just like yours and reveals the root cause: disconnected systems, poor attribution, and siloed efforts that make scaling feel impossible.

This isn’t about more tools—it’s about better visibility.
 If your funnel feels clunky, if your marketing isn’t converting, and if your sales team is stuck guessing… this episode will show you exactly where the cracks are in your foundation.

Here's what we cover:

• Why traditional marketing metrics are broken and misleading
 • What micro-conversions are (and why they’re your growth unlock)
 • How to stop relying on spreadsheets and gut feelings
 • A real-life story of a $25M firm that transformed with simple visibility
 • What attribution really means for non-SaaS companies
 • Why you don’t need fancy dashboards—just the right signals
 • How legacy businesses can build momentum with clarity, not chaos

RevUp Advisory is trusted by growth-stage companies who’ve outgrown “good enough.”
 We’re the team you call when sales is stuck, marketing isn’t converting, and ops can’t keep up.

Led by Stacie Sussman and a team of experts you wish you called six months ago, RevUp realigns your go-to-market engine so growth stops feeling like a grind—and starts feeling like momentum.

Learn more: https://www.revupadvisory.com

Email Stacie: [email protected]

Book a consult: https://calendly.com/revupadvisory/consult-call-with-revup-advisory

Follow Stacie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staciesussman/

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
LinkedIn
Website

What happens when a successful executive realizes his six-figure salary is slowly killing his soul—and his relationship with his kids? Greg Garunov had the perfect life on paper: a suburban house, luxury cars, and two decades of success in the media industry. But behind the polished facade, he was drowning in the "Groundhog Day" cycle that traps so many working dads.

The wake-up call came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when remote work forced him to actually spend time with his children. That's when he discovered the brutal truth: having kids doesn't automatically make you a great father. Greg made the bold decision to leave his corporate career behind and build Millennial Prime, a thriving community that helps working dads master family work-life balance while pursuing parenting with a purpose.

This isn't another feel-good story about work-life balance. This is a raw, honest conversation about the loneliness epidemic plaguing successful fathers, the "golden handcuffs" that keep high-achievers trapped, and the revolutionary mindset shifts that transform both your business leadership and your family relationships.

Grab all the links and resources mentioned in this episode at 

https://www.revupadvisory.com/podcast/parenting-with-purpose-greg-garunov

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
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Website