CMOs Unscripted

What happens when a widely recognized B2B technology company realizes its name no longer represents its future?

In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, Lisa Martin speaks with Lynn Lucas, CMO of Everpure, formerly Pure Storage, about what it took to rename and reposition a billion-dollar public company without losing the brand equity, customer trust, and market recognition it had spent years building.

Lynn explains why the company’s transformation was much bigger than a new logo, visual refresh, or marketing exercise. As the business expanded from storage into enterprise data management, the company needed a brand capable of reaching new executive buyers while preserving the trust and equity it had already earned.

Beyond the name itself, Lisa and Lynn examine the enormous operational effort required to launch a new brand across a public company. More than 100 people across the company eventually became involved, including teams responsible for employee communications, legal, IT, finance, sales enablement, partner programs, digital marketing, and investor-related activities.

This candid conversation offers a practical look at what it takes to align a company’s identity with its future. In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to know when a brand refresh is not enough

• Why rebranding must be aligned with business strategy and solve a business problem

• How Everpure researched customers, non-customers, VPs, and CIOs

• Why retaining “Pure” was essential

• How the company evaluated and selected its new name

• The psychology and emotion involved in naming

• How more than 100 employees helped execute the launch

• The role of internal communications and employee adoption

• How AI and enterprise data influenced the company’s positioning

• The SEO, AEO, domain, and social media challenges created by a company rename

• How Everpure measured brand performance during the first 90 days

• Why a rebrand launch is the starting line—not the finish line

Watch or listen to the full episode for a rare behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to rename, reposition, and relaunch a major B2B brand.

This conversation is essential viewing and listening for CMOs, founders, growth leaders, brand strategists, and executives considering a major repositioning, company rename, or enterprise-wide brand transformation.[embed code]

Subscribe to CMOs Unscripted for candid conversations with the marketing leaders shaping the future of B2B growth, brand strategy, and executive leadership.

AI is transforming how marketing operates, but not in the way most people think.

In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, Lisa Martin talks with Palo Alto Networks CMO Kelly Waldher to break down how AI is transforming marketing execution, storytelling, and strategy—especially in one of the fastest-moving industries (cybersecurity) in the world.

From managing market fragmentation to building and launching AI-generated campaigns, this conversation reveals what it really takes to operate as a modern marketing leader.

Inside this episode:

• Why cybersecurity is the fastest-moving industry in tech

• The real impact AI has on marketing workflows

• How to distill complex product portfolios into clear messaging

• What it takes to build AI-driven campaigns at scale

• Why AI is only as powerful as the data behind it

• How CMOs can adapt to constant change and pressure

AI isn’t replacing marketing.It’s forcing marketers to rethink how everything gets done—from strategy to execution.

If you’re a CMO, a prospective CMO, founder, or marketing leader navigating AI and its crazy pace, you definitely don’t want to miss this episode.

What if your biggest brand breakthrough didn’t start with marketing…but with a customer?

In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, Lisa Martin talks with NetApp CMO Gabie Boko as she breaks down how a long-time customer relationship with the NFL turned into one of the most powerful B2B brand moments in recent years.

This wasn’t a typical sponsorship. It started with a customer need and then evolved into a brand strategy. Ultimately, it became a playbook in how B2B companies can break through in an AI-saturated world.

Gabie shares:

• How customer relationships can unlock unexpected brand opportunities

• Why sports is one of the last places to capture real human attention at scale

• How to make invisible technology visible through strategic storytelling

• What it takes to align internal teams around bold brand moves

• Why authenticity is no longer a brand value, but an operational requirement

• How to turn partnerships into true business impact (not just “logo slap”)

You’ll also get a behind-the-scenes look at:

• The data complexity behind an NFL game

• What “intelligent data infrastructure” actually looks like in real life

• How NetApp approached the Super Bowl LX as a brand moment

If you’re a CMO, founder, or marketing leader trying to stand out in a crowded content landscape, this is a playbook you don’t want to miss.

Watch now on YouTube and subscribe⁠ for biweekly conversations with top industry leaders.

What does it take to join a company and find out you have 28 days to prepare for an IPO?

In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, Lisa Martin sits down with Jean English, CoreWeave’s first CMO, to unpack what it really takes to build a brand, lead through hypergrowth, and tie marketing directly to measurable business outcomes in the AI era.

With a 12-person marketing team, no established brand guidelines, and a rapidly accelerating AI infrastructure market, she had to move fast. From solidifying messaging, preparing for NVIDIA GTC, and supporting the IPO roadshow, Jean and her team launched bold campaigns and big partnerships in record time.

What followed was a masterclass in leadership, positioning, and execution.

Jean shares:

• What it was like to learn about the IPO 28 days before it happened

• How to build a marketing engine inside a high-velocity AI infrastructure company

• Why creating a category means you’re not competing, you’re educating

• How the strategic partnership with Aston Martin F1 Team is reinforcing CoreWeave’s performance-first brand

• How working alongside partners like OpenAI accelerated credibility

• The thinking behind launching a cultural brand moment with Chance the Rapper

• How to humanize AI infrastructure

• Why authenticity is today’s CMO superpower

• What “Be Bold. Be Kind.” means inside the boardroom of a public company

This conversation goes beyond buzzwords. It’s about transformation, courage, performance, and leadership at scale.

If you’re a CMO, founder, or executive navigating AI-driven change, this episode is a masterclass in leadership, positioning, and execution. Watch now on YouTube and subscribe for biweekly conversations with top industry leaders.

In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, host Lisa Martin talks with Brenda Bown, CMO of SAP Business AI, to explore one of the biggest challenges facing enterprise leaders today: turning AI experimentation into measurable business value.

Brenda shares a grounded, customer-first perspective on why so many organizations struggle to scale AI initiatives, and what CMOs can do to move beyond pilots and proofs of concept. The conversation explores how data foundations, business-process alignment, and trust are essential to achieving real ROI from AI investments.

Key topics include:

• Why AI success starts with customer problems, not technology features

• How companies get stuck in pilot mode, and how to break out of it

• The role of data harmonization and process optimization in AI ROI

• Why marketing AI is fundamentally about outcomes, not hype

• How SAP approaches AI as a trusted business transformation partner

• The importance of transparency, trust, and responsible AI adoption

• What CMOs should ask vendors to pressure-test AI claims

• How AI is reshaping marketing careers and future job opportunities

• Common AI myths, and why AI is not a “magic switch”

• Why imagination, learning, and adaptability are the new CMO essentials

This episode offers practical guidance for CMOs, senior marketers, and enterprise leaders navigating AI-driven transformation, with an emphasis on value, trust, and long-term impact.

If you’re a CMO, CRO, or senior marketer navigating AI disruption (or aspiring), this episode offers a practical, grounded roadmap for leading through change instead of reacting to it. Watch now on YouTube and subscribe for biweekly conversations with top industry leaders.

In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, host Lisa Martin sits down with Kipp Bodnar, Chief Marketing Officer of HubSpot, to unpack how AI is fundamentally reshaping modern marketing.

Kipp has helped build the modern marketing playbook—from the rise of inbound marketing to the MarTech explosion, to the emergence of RevOps, and now the AI-driven era that’s breaking long-standing KPIs and attribution models. In this candid conversation, Kipp explains why traditional top-of-funnel metrics no longer tell the full story, how conversion quality now outweighs raw traffic, and why CMOs must rethink how success is measured in an AI-first world.

Their discussion dives deep into:

• Why AI has “broken” marketing metrics that marketers relied on for years

• How personalization at scale is changing funnel shape and performance

• The growing importance of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) across tools like ChatGPT and Claude

• Why attribution is becoming more like brand measurement than direct response

• How AI is enabling smaller, faster, agent-powered marketing teams

Kipp also introduces The LOOP Framework—his four-stage AI adoption model designed to help marketing teams adapt and thrive:

• Learn: Accelerate market and customer understanding using AI-powered research

• Operate: Build workflows that blend human insight with AI execution

• Optimize: Improve conversion rates through contextual personalization

• Progress: Scale impact with agents, assistants, and iterative learning

The episode wraps with a lightning round covering marketing myths, underrated AI use cases CMOs should prioritize now, and which MarTech tools are becoming obsolete in an AI-native stack.

If you’re a CMO or senior marketer navigating AI disruption (or aspiring), this episode offers a practical, grounded roadmap for leading through change instead of reacting to it. Watch now on YouTube and subscribe for biweekly conversations with top industry leaders.

What does it really take to create and own a category—especially when you’re competing against tech giants with 1,000x your resources?

In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, host Lisa Martin talks with five-time CMO Jason McClelland to unpack the art and science of category creation, modern repositioning, and why technical storytelling may be the most underrated superpower in B2B marketing.

From helping transform companies like Adobe and Heroku to leading DataStax through its evolution into an enterprise AI platform (and eventual acquisition by IBM), Jason shares hard-earned lessons on alignment, confidence, and navigating orchestrated chaos at scale.

The conversation also dives deep into how AI is reshaping marketing in real time—from LLM optimization and AI-driven research to the growing need for marketers who can lead through ambiguity, not just execute playbooks. Jason makes the case that while AI accelerates execution, human storytelling, emotional resonance, and C-suite trust remain irreplaceable.

If you’re a CMO, VP of Marketing, or senior leader trying to differentiate in an AI-saturated market, this episode is a premium workshop in staying relevant, fast, and credible.

Key Topics:

• Why category creation is essential for mid-market and challenger brands
  

• Lessons from Adobe’s Creative Cloud transformation (and why it was messier than it looked)
  

• How to align product, sales, and the C-suite around a single positioning narrative
  

• Why confidence—not consensus—is often the missing ingredient in category leadership
  

• How AI is accelerating marketing workflows (without eliminating the need for humans)
  

• LLM optimization, GEO, and why “Google isn’t the front door anymore”
  

• The danger of AI-generated sameness, and how storytelling prevents commoditization
  

• Why CMOs must build credible relationships with peers to succeed
  

• The underrated leadership skill most CMOs overlook
  

• Why this moment is a career-resetting opportunity, not a threat

As AI continues to accelerate the pace of change, this conversation is a powerful reminder that while tools, platforms, and tactics will evolve, the fundamentals of great marketing endure. Category creation still demands clarity, conviction, and alignment. Storytelling still shapes perception and builds trust. And leadership still requires the courage to move forward without a perfect playbook. Jason’s insights make one thing clear: the marketers who will thrive in this next era aren’t the ones chasing every new buzzword—they’re the ones who can combine technical fluency with human understanding and confidently lead their organizations through uncertainty.

No matter where you are in your marketing journey, this episode delivers valuable insights and real-world strategies you can put into action. Don’t miss out, watch now on YouTube and subscribe for biweekly conversations with top industry leaders.

#CMOsUnscripted, #MarketingLeadership, #AIinMarketing, #CMO, #categorycreation, #storytelling

What does it really take to build a resilient brand when change is constant, AI is accelerating everything, and customer trust is the ultimate currency?

In the season two premiere of CMOs Unscripted, host Lisa Martin sits down with NetApp CMO Gabie Boko for a candid, unscripted conversation about what modern enterprise marketing leadership looks like. From redefining brand resilience and navigating AI-driven transformation to reframing the CMO role as Chief Market Officer, this episode is a masterclass in leading growth at the intersection of technology, creativity, and trust.

Drawing from more than 25 years of leadership experience, Gabie shares how NetApp has approached brand evolution without losing its soul, why listening matters more than ever, and how marketers can use AI and data not just to react—but to lead.

Key Takeaways:

• Resilient brands don’t chase change—they anchor to identity. True brand resilience comes from knowing who you are at your core while staying agile enough to evolve alongside customers and markets.
  

• Trust is the most valuable currency a brand owns. Whether with customers or internal teams, trust is built through consistency, listening, and delivering real value—not performative change.
  

• AI turns marketers into growth drivers—not just support teams. When marketers harness AI and data effectively, they move from reactive execution to predictive, personalized, always-on growth leadership.
  

• Unified data beats more data. Being data-rich but insight-poor is a growth killer. The real opportunity lies in unifying, securing, and activating data across fragmented environments.
  

• Integration beats collaboration. Real impact happens when marketing, sales, and product teams are integrated from the start—sharing accountability, language, and outcomes.
  

• Customer stories outperform brand promises. You can’t buy truly authentic advocacy. The most powerful brand narratives come from customers telling their own stories in their own words.
  

• The modern CMO is a business leader first. Today’s CMOs are expected to lead growth, guide pivots, take smart risks, and shape strategy—not just manage campaigns.

This episode is a must-listen for CMOs, marketing leaders, and growth-focused executives navigating AI disruption, data complexity, and rising expectations. Gabie Boko offers a grounded, experience-driven perspective on how to lead through uncertainty, build brands that last, and step confidently into the CMO’s evolving role as a strategic business leader.

If you’re looking to move beyond tactics and into true market leadership, this conversation delivers clarity, conviction, and actionable insight. Don’t miss out, watch now on YouTube and subscribe for biweekly conversations with top industry leaders.

Chapters

00:00 Season 2 Begins: The Future of Marketing Leadership

01:13 Meet NetApp CMO Gabe Bocko

02:10 How to Build a Resilient Enterprise Brand

03:52 Evolving Your Brand Without Losing Its Soul

05:12 Why Listening Is a Competitive Advantage

06:37 Intelligent Data Infrastructure, Explained Simply

07:34 Story First, Product Second, Tagline Last

08:54 Why the CMO Role Is No Longer Scripted

10:01 How AI Is Changing Marketing Right Now

11:06 Why Data Movement Matters More Than Storage

12:25 How AI Turns Marketers into Growth Leaders

12:51 Data-Rich but Insight-Poor: The Real Problem

14:15 AI, Data Security, and Trust at Scale

15:41 What Formula 1 Teaches Us About Speed & Data

17:00 Collaboration vs. Integration Across Teams

18:55 Why Marketing Can’t Be a Request Machine

19:49 How the CMO Role Is Evolving

21:37 Why Embracing Chaos Is a Competitive Edge

22:18 Using Sponsorships to Tell Customer Stories

25:06 Why Customer Voices Beat Brand Messaging

26:07 The One Strategy Every CMO Needs Today

27:39 Be a Business Leader, Not Just a Marketer

28:47 Final Leadership Lessons for Modern CMOs

In this powerhouse episode of CMOs Unscripted, host Lisa Martin sits down with Chandar Pattabhiram, one of LinkedIn’s Top 5 CMOs to Follow and now Chief Go-to-Market Officer (GTM Officer) at Workato. Together, they unpack the evolution of modern marketing leadership — from mastering the fundamentals of the C, M, and O to orchestrating full go-to-market strategy across marketing, alliances, enablement, and operations. Chandar shares candid lessons from his journey across startups, scale-ups, and global enterprises, explains how failure fuels growth, and reveals why board experience is now a strategic must for CMOs. The conversation concludes with actionable insights into how AI is reshaping marketing execution — and how to separate hype from high impact.

Key Takeaways:

• Failure is a Feature, Not a Bug: Chandar emphasizes that the most valuable leadership lessons come from failure. Each setback refines decision-making, resilience, and innovation capacity.

  
  

• The CMO Breakdown — C, M, O:

• C = Chief: Leadership that creates leaders, absorbs ambiguity, and fosters clarity.

• M = Marketing: Domain mastery that’s continually evolving with technology and AI.

• O = Orchestrator: Bringing harmony across product, demand, and brand teams for unified execution.
  

• From CMO to Chief GTM Officer: The evolution isn’t just a title change — it’s an expansion of scope. The Chief GTM Officer oversees marketing, alliances, enablement, rev ops, and incubation sales — all aimed at setting sales up to win more, win faster, and win bigger.
  

• “From Harm to Harmony”: Chandar’s mantra for go-to-market alignment. Great organizations eliminate silos, aligning every function under shared goals and unified messaging.
  

• Engine Room vs. Alignment Room: CMOs must evolve from tracking vanity metrics (impressions, clicks) to alignment metrics (pipeline, win rates, ASPs). Board-level credibility comes from focusing on revenue outcomes.
  

• Board Experience as a Growth Multiplier: Serving on boards gives CMOs a panoramic view of enterprise strategy, financial oversight, and CEO succession — transforming them from function leaders to enterprise strategists.
  

• AI: From Experimental to Actionable: Workato’s Campaign Genie showcases how trigger-driven AI workflows can automate outreach, eliminate latency, and generate millions in incremental pipeline — without adding headcount.
  

• Why 95% of AI Projects Fail: Chandar attributes this to a lack of trust and predictability in models. Success comes from balancing AI’s creative power with structured “skills” and contextual grounding.
  

• The Next Big Challenge — Agent Sprawl: Just as “app sprawl” fragmented workflows, AI agents risk multiplying inefficiencies. The key is orchestration — creating cohesion between human and machine collaboration.

This episode is a masterclass in marketing leadership evolution. Chandar doesn’t just talk about adapting to change — he models it. From redefining the CMO role to embracing boardroom influence and harnessing AI for measurable outcomes, his insights provide a roadmap for every marketing leader seeking to elevate their impact. Whether you’re a current CMO, aspiring GTM officer, or simply passionate about the future of marketing, this conversation is your blueprint for growth, alignment, and orchestration in the age of AI.

No matter where you are in your marketing journey, this episode delivers valuable insights and real-world strategies you can put into action. Don’t miss out, watch now on YouTube and subscribe for biweekly conversations with top industry leaders.

In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, host Lisa Martin sits down with Rena Fallstrom, Head of Communications at Glean and member of the Forbes Communications Council, for a masterclass on the evolving art and science of global communications. With over 25 years in tech—from deep storage to AI—Rena shares hard-earned lessons on how CMOs and marketing leaders can build trust, credibility, and influence through authentic relationships with analysts, influencers, and media.

Together, they explore why vulnerability and honesty—not perfection—create stronger analyst partnerships, how to tailor global comms strategies with cultural sensitivity, and how AI is transforming the way marketing teams craft and distribute their messages worldwide.

Key Takeaways:

• Analyst Engagement Equals Analyst Love: Analysts shape buying decisions more than most marketers realize. Building consistent, transparent relationships directly impacts pipeline and revenue.

• Authenticity Over Perfection: Analysts and influencers value candor. Share both wins and challenges—transparency fosters trust and stronger advocacy.

• Bring Analysts Along the Journey: Don’t wait until your product is perfect; involve analysts early so they can help shape market messaging and feel invested in your success.

• Influencers Are Modern Amplifiers: Partner with credible experts who have authentic voices in your space. Prioritize their subject-matter expertise over vanity metrics.

• Global Comms Require Localization: Combine universal brand messages with local insights. Regional nuance is crucial, especially when marketing emerging technologies like AI.

• Empathy is a CMO Superpower: Vulnerability and open feedback loops create more human and effective leadership cultures.

• “Don’t Market to Them”—Understand CIO and CMO pain points, show empathy, and provide value. The most authentic conversations outperform traditional pitches.

• Measure What Matters: Move beyond share of voice—focus on message resonance, tonality, and true influence reach.

• Follow the People, Not the Platforms: The media landscape is shifting fast. Track where your audience actually consumes information, not just where it used to be.

• Embrace AI Without Losing Your Voice: AI is a creative partner, not a replacement. Use it to work smarter while staying true to your authentic message.

Rena reminds CMOs and marketing leaders that credibility is built on consistency, candor, and connection. In a world of shrinking attention spans and skyrocketing expectations, success in analyst and influencer relations comes down to meeting audiences where they are—with empathy, truth, and a willingness to evolve. As AI accelerates the pace of communication, Rena’s message is clear: the most human brands will always stand out.

No matter where you are in your marketing journey, this episode delivers valuable insights and real-world strategies you can put into action. Don’t miss out, watch now on YouTube and subscribe for biweekly conversations with top industry leaders.

Chapters00:00 – Intro | Welcome to CMOs Unscripted00:55 – Lisa Martin introduces guest Rena Fallstrom, Head of Comms at Glean03:03 – Why analyst relations matter for buying decisions and pipeline growth05:35 – The power of third-party endorsement and trust in the sales cycle06:27 – Bringing analysts in early to shape market messaging and success10:47 – Balancing analyst, influencer & media engagement strategies12:31 – Localization and cultural nuance in global communications14:08 – Regional AI adoption differences and privacy considerations15:38 – Empathy and balance: the mark of modern CMO leadership17:24 – Meeting buyers where they are and speaking their language21:01 – KPIs that matter: message resonance, tonality & influence reach23:01 – The future of analyst and influencer relations in the AI age24:19 – Embracing AI without losing your authentic voice25:04 – Closing thoughts | Balancing authenticity and innovation