In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Bilal Ahmed Khan, Senior Director of Inbound Marketing at Software Finder. They explore how SaaS companies can improve software discovery, lead generation, and marketplace visibility in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.

Bilal shares how Software Finder differentiates itself from legacy review platforms through personalized software recommendations, human-centered consultations, and tailored growth models for SaaS vendors.

Bilal also explains why human guidance still matters in high-stakes software purchasing decisions, how Software Finder helps startups accelerate discoverability and rankings, and why modern SaaS companies need more than just directory listings to compete effectively.

Software Finder website: https://softwarefinder.com

In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Richard (Rick) Weithas, former product marketing leader at NAVEX.

They discuss the evolving role of product marketing in private equity-backed SaaS companies, including how product marketers drive pipeline growth, align sales and marketing teams, and balance short-term revenue pressure with long-term market positioning.

Rick shares practical insights on improving win rates through better go-to-market alignment, reducing “close-no-decision” deals, and identifying urgency within the customer journey.

The conversation also explores the growing impact of AI on modern marketing teams, why over-automation can weaken brand differentiation, and how companies can use AI more strategically for smarter targeting, customer intelligence, and personalized engagement rather than simply producing more content.

NAVEX website: https://www.navex.com/

In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Brandon Painter, Senior Director of Growth Strategy and Operations at Retrochem Inc. They explore how Retrochem is structured as a diversified consortium of service-driven divisions and why this multi-pillar model supports sustainable business growth across different market segments. Brandon breaks down the critical prerequisites for successful paid digital marketing, emphasizing that companies must first establish proven product-market fit, build conversion-ready digital experiences, and implement clean sales and marketing data infrastructure before investing in paid channels. The conversation also dives into the role of brand strategy as the foundation for scalable growth, including how clearly defining who the company is, who it serves, and how it shows up across channels directly impacts marketing efficiency, segmentation, and overall campaign performance. Together, they unpack why premature paid media investment often leads to wasted spend and how operational readiness and strategic clarity determine whether marketing becomes a growth accelerator or a costly liability.

Retrochem Inc website: http://www.retrochem.com

In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Rob Stanley, Senior Director of Growth Marketing at Miva. They explore how modern growth teams are building scalable, measurable systems that blend field marketing, AI-driven research, and tight sales alignment to drive real pipeline impact.

Rob shares how Miva supports high-growth B2B and D2C ecommerce brands at scale, and how his role focuses on testing unconventional but high-impact growth strategies such as trade shows, direct outreach, and consistent offline channels like postcards—while ensuring every initiative is tied to measurable outcomes through landing pages, scheduled follow-ups, and structured tracking.

The conversation also dives into how AI is reshaping marketing workflows, from accelerating research and prospecting to improving campaign execution, while emphasizing the importance of human validation and relationship-building in complex B2B sales cycles.

Miva website: https://www.miva.com

In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Heather Adams, Principal Strategist of Catalyst GTM.

The conversation explores how modern B2B organizations can eliminate friction between sales and marketing by aligning teams around shared revenue goals, pipeline accountability, and data-driven collaboration.

Heather breaks down the evolution from traditional MQL-focused marketing to integrated go-to-market systems built on revenue impact, ABM execution, and buyer group engagement. She also shares practical frameworks for defining ideal customer profiles, creating messaging that resonates with enterprise buyers, and building fast feedback loops between SDRs, sales teams, and marketing leaders to improve conversion and pipeline performance.

In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Christine Royston, Chief Marketing Officer of Wrike. They explore how modern marketing organizations can move beyond traditional siloed structures and redesign the way work flows to drive more cohesive growth.

Christine shares how Wrike—a leading enterprise work management platform—rethought its marketing operating model by introducing cross-functional “pods” centered around audiences and business outcomes rather than isolated functional teams.

Christine also unpacks the realities of change management, including how to secure buy-in, address concerns around shifting priorities, and ensure teams understand the “why” behind the transformation without disrupting reporting structures.

Wrike website: https://www.wrike.com

In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Will Devlin, Senior Vice President of Marketing of MessageGears, a customer engagement software platform for enterprise B2C brands.

They explore how modern enterprise companies are struggling to turn massive volumes of fragmented customer data into meaningful, personalized marketing experiences, and how MessageGears helps solve this by enabling brands to activate data directly from their data warehouses for more efficient audience building and campaign execution.

Will Devlin breaks down the realities of enterprise B2B marketing, including long 6–12 month sales cycles involving multiple stakeholders across IT, legal, and procurement teams, as well as the hidden cost inefficiencies that come from duplicating and storing customer data across multiple SaaS tools.

MessageGears website: https://www.messagegears.com

In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Katie Jones, EVP of Marketing and Operations and Chief of Staff at PathFactory. They discuss how modern B2B marketing is evolving as buyers increasingly expect personalized, self-guided digital experiences similar to Netflix or Amazon.

Katie shares how PathFactory uses AI-powered content personalization and buyer engagement analytics to help enterprise companies create scalable one-to-one and one-to-few ABM strategies that accelerate pipeline and improve customer engagement.

The conversation explores how lean marketing teams can successfully scale personalized campaigns, why today’s buyers delay conversations with sales until later in the funnel, and how organizations can create “bingeable” content experiences that educate entire buying committees.

PathFactory website: https://www.pathfactory.com/

In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Hadar Livne, Fractional CMO specializing in B2B tech marketing. They explore how growing companies can transform marketing from a support function into a true growth engine by combining data-driven decision-making with strong customer-centric messaging.

Hadar shares her approach to stepping into scaling organizations, identifying gaps in positioning, and building end-to-end marketing frameworks that connect strategy with execution.

The conversation highlights two key themes: first, why data alone is insufficient for effective marketing—emphasizing the need to interpret meaning, understand customer psychology, and craft messaging that resonates; and second, how fractional marketing leadership can help companies prioritize, structure, and scale their efforts without committing to full-time executive hires.

They also discuss common pitfalls in B2B marketing, including over-reliance on “safe” decisions, lack of proper lead tracking, and the importance of aligning internal stakeholders to support long-term growth initiatives. Hadar provides practical insights on leveraging customer conversations, sales feedback, and market positioning to create impactful campaigns that drive sustainable results.

Hadar Livne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hadarlivne

In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Kate Galligan, Director of Growth Marketing at the Appalachian Mountain Club.

They explore how a 150-year-old, mission-driven organization approaches modern growth strategy by balancing revenue generation with conservation impact.

Kate shares how her team prioritizes initiatives based on immediate revenue impact and long-term scalability, while simultaneously building systems to support sustainable growth.

Appalachian Mountain Club website: https://www.outdoors.org