In this episode of Frenemies - where growth meets reality, I’m joined by Adam Holgren to unpack what actually drives growth in modern B2B and where many companies still get it wrong.

We talk about the shift from product-led differentiation to brand and narrative, why “demand generation” might be misunderstood, and how attribution fits into a reality where buyer journeys are anything but linear.

From crowded markets to long sales cycles, this conversation explores the gap between how growth is planned and how it actually plays out in practice.

Topics we cover:

•  Why the best product doesn’t win in crowded markets 
•  The role of brand, narrative, and voice in modern B2B 
•  Why “demand generation” might be the wrong way to think about demand 
•  The difference between demand capture and staying top of mind 
•  Attribution in B2B: what it can (and can’t) tell you 
•  Why most companies still rely on flawed measurement models 
•  Long buyer journeys and what they mean for marketing strategy 
•  How to balance short-term results with long-term growth 

Links & Resources:

•  Connect with Adam Holgren on LinkedIn 
•  Learn more about Fibbler 
•  Follow Adam Holgren on YouTube

Community is often treated as a marketing initiative.

In reality, it’s much bigger than that.

In this episode of Frenemies, I sit down with MC Silver, Head of Community & Events at Zensai and co-lead of Women of SaaS, to unpack why community is becoming a key driver across the entire B2B go-to-market motion.

We talk about what companies are getting wrong, why community is often misunderstood, and how it connects marketing, sales, and customer success in a way most teams aren’t set up for.

From internal alignment to external impact, this conversation challenges the idea that growth is just about acquisition - and explores what it really takes to build trust, retention, and long-term value.

In this episode, we cover:

•  Why community is more than a marketing channel 
•  The shift from acquisition → retention and expansion 
•  How the community acts as the “glue” across the full customer journey 
•  Why internal community and alignment come first 
•  The role of LinkedIn, thought leadership, and influencer marketing in B2B 
•  Why smaller, curated experiences are becoming more valuable 
•  How to think about community as a long-term growth strategy

Join Women of SaaS

Follow MC Silfer on LinkedIn

Visit Zensai's Website

AI isn't just changing products - it's changing how companies build, grow, and compete. In this episode of Frenemies, Julia sits down with Michael Heiberg, CEO of Ocean.io, to explore how AI is fundamentally reshaping product development, go-to-market strategy, and company growth.

From AI-driven productivity gains in engineering to the shift toward LLMs as the new user interface, Michael shares how Ocean is navigating rapid innovation and what it takes to stay ahead in a market that’s evolving faster than ever. 

A pattern that often comes up when working with B2B teams: companies focus heavily on building and shipping, but far fewer rethink how their product, pricing, and GTM model need to evolve alongside AI.

We dive into:

•  Why AI is shifting SaaS from UI-driven products to infrastructure and APIs
• The move from seat-based to consumption-based pricing
• What it really takes to expand into the US market
• How to build brand and demand through LinkedIn and PLG
• The tension between speed, innovation, and sustainable company growth

Follow Michael Heiberg on LinkedIn

Check out ocean.io

It's time to rethink Go-to-market and put the funnel to rest. In this episode of Frenemies, Julia sits down with Jennifer Montague, Senior Director of Go-To-Market at Verdane, to unpack what truly drives sustainable growth in B2B companies. Drawing on her experience in private equity and scaling SaaS businesses, Jennifer challenges the traditional funnel mindset and introduces the “bow tie” model, where growth doesn’t stop at acquisition but extends to retention, expansion, and customer advocacy. 

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Why companies over-prioritize new customer acquisition
• How misaligned teams and poor data foundations hurt growth
• Why focusing on the right ICP is critical. 

Jennifer also shares practical insights on aligning marketing, sales, CS, and product, improving CRM discipline, and using data (not opinions) to guide decisions. 

From tackling CAC and churn to navigating leadership buy-in and organizational change, this episode is packed with actionable advice for founders and GTM leaders looking to build scalable, efficient, and truly aligned growth engines.

Follow Jennifer Montague on LinkedIn

Listen to the Marketing Corner podcast

We are close to the end of the year 2023 - time to get sh*t done! In this episode Julia talks about the facts and hacks to increase your productivity by improving your focus, prioritization, and consistency. 

The topics discussed in this episode:

• What factors influence an individual's productivity?
• How do you improve your ability to focus?
• What are the best techniques to prioritize tasks?
• How do I keep my productivity at an even pace?

Burnout - we all have heard the term, but what does it actually mean and how do you spot it? On this episode Julia Hartwig is joined by Sally Clarke, a burnout expert, author, and keynote speaker. Together they dive into the first signs of a burnout, the symptoms, and the actions you should take when you are spotting the first signs.

Find Sally Clarke on LinkedIn
Find Sally's books here

Account-based Marketing or ABM - everybody talks about, but should everybody invest in ABM? On this episode of Frenemies the Demand Generation and ABM expert Casper Rouchmann joins Julia to give his insights on when you should invest in ABM, how to get started, and what you need to know. 

The topics discussed in this episode:

• Defining the resources and personalization you can allocate to ABM
• The 3 types of ABM
• ICP mapping and account segments
• Why ABM is a long game
• How much personalization is needed to get started
• The ideal frequency of ABM campaigns
• The right metrics to measure ABM
• How to scale ABM activities
• Are ABM and ABS the same?

Check out SparkForce - Full-service, channel-agnostic digital marketing solutions
Check out the Marketing Corner podcast

Meetings - we all have them, and most likely way too many again. On this episode Julia Hartwig gives her insights on how to ensure that meetings are productive, efficient, and run just as long as needed. She goes through the 3 types of meetings (Recurring meetings, purpose meetings and brainstorms) and shares the guidelines she uses so that every participant gets the most out of meetings.

By now Julia Hartwig has recorded 25 episodes of Frenemies and interviewed 6 industry experts on the alignment between Sales and Marketing. On this episode Julia sums up what she has learned about Sales and Marketing alignment, why it is so important and the 4 building blocks of a strong alignment. She also talks about what she has personally learned in the first 25 episodes and gives an outlook on what is coming up on this season of Frenemies. 

The topics discussed in this episode:

1. Why Sales & Marketing alignment is important
   1. Spending budgets more effectively
   2. Team & employee motivation
   3. Achieving business goals
2. The 4 building blocks of Sales & Marketing alignment
   1. Communication
   2. Understanding
   3. Standardization
   4. Planning
3. What Julia has personally learned through Frenemies

You want to give feedback, have topic suggestions or would like to be a guest on Frenemies? Let us know at [email protected]

Stakeholder management - just a buzzword or a skill? 

In episode 25 of Frenemies Julia Hartwig gives insights on how to excel at stakeholder management to progress in your role and career. Stakeholder management is a skill that is often underrated and yet extremely important in any kind of job, but even more so in B2B Sales and Marketing. Julia covers how to think of your day-to-day tasks and projects in a more strategic way by outlining all stakeholders and how to engage and manage relevant stakeholders effectively. 

The topics discussed in this episode:

• How stakeholder management can help you progress in your career
• Exercise on how to view your stakeholder more strategically
• Engaging stakeholders effectively
• How to hold stakeholders accountable
• Managing stakeholder and their expectations
• Why evaluating project and stakeholder groups is important
• The skills you learn by focusing on stakeholder management