Welcome to a special summer mini-series on Growth Activated, where we’re keeping things short, actionable, and full of value for marketing leaders looking to elevate their impact.

In this kickoff episode, Mandy Walker shares one of the most memorable leadership lessons she’s ever received - something that changed the way she thinks about empathy, accountability, and what it really means to lead a high-performing team.

If you’ve ever wrestled with whether to keep an underperformer, dealt with a toxic team member, or struggled to let go of someone who “used to be great,” this episode is a must-listen. You’ll walk away with a powerful reframing to help you lead with clarity and confidence.

We cover:

• The leadership mindset shift that changed Mandy’s approach forever
• 4 common team scenarios that undermine morale and growth
• How to balance empathy with performance as a B2B marketing leader
• Reflection questions to help you assess your current team dynamics

Whether you're leading a marketing org or growing your career in B2B, this episode will challenge your thinking and help you become a stronger, more strategic leader.

🎧 Tune in for a quick hit of insight—and get back to enjoying your summer while still investing in your leadership growth.

Thanks for hanging out with us today!

Come build with us:
The CMO Operating System is a six-week live cohort where you build one connected foundation for how your function plans, decides, and reports, with AI partners running on top of it. The system is yours, and it goes with you wherever you go next. The founding cohort is small and first by design. Enrollment closes September 30 and we start October 12. 

👉 Join the CMO OS waitlist 

Come say hi on LinkedIn: Mandy Hornaday
Visit us: growthactivated.com

Keep activating growth for yourself and your company. 💪

#23 - What does it take to build a content strategy that actually drives brand, trust, and pipeline in today’s B2B landscape?

In this episode of Growth Activated, I’m joined by Erik Jacobson—founder of Hatch.fm, host of the 95% Content podcast, and content partner to B2B leaders like Chris Walker and Dave Gerhardt.

We break down what Content Strategy 2.0 really looks like—and how top B2B brands are using podcasts, LinkedIn, and YouTube to build lasting influence and stay top of mind with future buyers.

Inside, we cover:

• How to turn one 90-minute recording into a full-funnel content engine
• Why scroll-first content is outperforming traditional SEO (and what that means for your strategy)
• The ROI of long-game content marketing—and how to talk about it with execs
• Where AI fits into content creation (and where it goes wrong)
• How to build thought leadership even if your CEO won’t get on camera

If you're a B2B marketing leader looking to scale content without burning out your team—or if you’re ready to build brand equity that lasts beyond the quarter—this episode is packed with tactical insights and mindset shifts you can use right now.

🎧 Listen in, then go activate growth.

Thanks for hanging out with us today!

Come build with us:
The CMO Operating System is a six-week live cohort where you build one connected foundation for how your function plans, decides, and reports, with AI partners running on top of it. The system is yours, and it goes with you wherever you go next. The founding cohort is small and first by design. Enrollment closes September 30 and we start October 12. 

👉 Join the CMO OS waitlist 

Come say hi on LinkedIn: Mandy Hornaday
Visit us: growthactivated.com

Keep activating growth for yourself and your company. 💪

#22: The rules of SEO are changing—and if you’re a B2B marketing leader still focused only on Google, it’s time to expand your playbook.

In this episode of Growth Activated, I’m joined by Mark Goloboy, a fractional CMO and AI marketing strategist helping teams adapt to the new world of LLM Optimization—where tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity now shape how your brand shows up in search.

We’ll explore what this shift means for modern B2B marketing teams, how AI is reshaping the way buyers research, and where marketing leaders should invest to stay competitive.

Inside the episode:

✅ Why SEO as we know it is evolving—and what’s replacing it
✅ How large language models (LLMs) decide which brands to prioritize
✅ The rise of “Search Everywhere Optimization”—from PR to social to review sites
✅ How to rethink your marketing strategy for both Google and AI-powered search
✅ Where to invest when your paid media stops performing
✅ Two next-gen AI use cases—one built for content at scale, the other for customer retention

If you’re a B2B marketer navigating AI, marketing leadership, and visibility in an increasingly complex buyer journey, this episode will help you level up your strategy—and lead the conversation, not chase it.

🎧 Tune in to learn how to evolve your marketing approach in the age of AI.

Thanks for hanging out with us today!

Come build with us:
The CMO Operating System is a six-week live cohort where you build one connected foundation for how your function plans, decides, and reports, with AI partners running on top of it. The system is yours, and it goes with you wherever you go next. The founding cohort is small and first by design. Enrollment closes September 30 and we start October 12. 

👉 Join the CMO OS waitlist 

Come say hi on LinkedIn: Mandy Hornaday
Visit us: growthactivated.com

Keep activating growth for yourself and your company. 💪

#21: What does the 2025 marketing job market really look like—and how do you stay in demand as AI transforms the way B2B teams hire, operate, and grow?

In this solo episode of Growth Activated, host Mandy Walker breaks down two must-read reports—the Taligence Q1 2025 Jobs Report and the Exit Five Salary Report—to uncover what’s happening beneath the surface of the B2B marketing world.

We’ll cover:

• The highest-paying B2B marketing roles in 2025—and which ones are stalling or shrinking
• How AI is reshaping team structures, job responsibilities, and entry-level career paths
• Why executive and strategic roles are seeing the biggest gains in salary and demand
• Which roles are being commoditized—and how to pivot before your career flatlines
• Four actionable strategies to grow your salary, specialize your skillset, and future-proof your marketing career

If you’re a B2B marketing leader wondering how your comp stacks up, whether your role is future-proof, or where the biggest career opportunities are next—this episode delivers the clarity and confidence you’ve been craving.

🎧 Tune in now to discover what’s rising, what’s fading, and how to stay competitive in the shifting marketing landscape.

Thanks for hanging out with us today!

Come build with us:
The CMO Operating System is a six-week live cohort where you build one connected foundation for how your function plans, decides, and reports, with AI partners running on top of it. The system is yours, and it goes with you wherever you go next. The founding cohort is small and first by design. Enrollment closes September 30 and we start October 12. 

👉 Join the CMO OS waitlist 

Come say hi on LinkedIn: Mandy Hornaday
Visit us: growthactivated.com

Keep activating growth for yourself and your company. 💪

#20: Ever wonder how your B2B marketing team stacks up against others?
 Not just in headcount or budget—but in actual maturity, strategy, and execution?

In this episode of Growth Activated, we’re diving into the Sales and Marketing Maturity Matrix—a powerful assessment designed to help marketing leaders benchmark their teams across 9 essential pillars of go-to-market success. Whether you're leading a small but mighty team or scaling a complex org, this framework reveals exactly where you stand—and how to grow from there.

I’m joined by Jim Irving, creator of the Matrix and a veteran sales and marketing executive, and Michael Phelan, founder of Go-to-Market Pros and advisor to B2B companies transforming how they drive revenue.

If you're looking to evolve from reactive execution to proactive, revenue-aligned strategy—this episode is for you.

We’ll cover:
 ✅ What the Maturity Matrix actually measures—and how it helps you assess marketing team maturity
 ✅ Common gaps across B2B orgs—and why even high-performing teams often fall short
 ✅ How to use your results to influence stakeholders, secure investment, and align with business goals
 ✅ Why marketing maturity often varies across functions—and how to spot hidden weaknesses
 ✅ Actionable ways to level up—even if you never take the formal assessment

If you're a B2B marketing leader ready to build a more strategic, high-impact marketing function, this conversation will give you the clarity, credibility, and confidence to lead your team forward.

🎧 Tune in now to evaluate your current state—and start building the marketing leadership foundation your business needs to grow.

Thanks for hanging out with us today!

Come build with us:
The CMO Operating System is a six-week live cohort where you build one connected foundation for how your function plans, decides, and reports, with AI partners running on top of it. The system is yours, and it goes with you wherever you go next. The founding cohort is small and first by design. Enrollment closes September 30 and we start October 12. 

👉 Join the CMO OS waitlist 

Come say hi on LinkedIn: Mandy Hornaday
Visit us: growthactivated.com

Keep activating growth for yourself and your company. 💪

#19: In a time when brand silence speaks volumes, how should B2B marketers show up?

In this powerful episode of Growth Activated, host Mandy Walker sits down with Katie Martell—LinkedIn Top Voice, keynote speaker, and unapologetic marketing truth-teller—for a timely conversation on brand authenticity, performative allyship, and what it really means to lead with integrity as a B2B marketing leader.

Whether you're navigating Pride Month messaging, facing internal resistance around DEI, or wondering how to protect your role while pushing for purpose-driven marketing, this episode is a must-listen.

We dive into:
 ✅ What brand authenticity really means in B2B—and how to spot when it’s missing
✅ How to lead your brand through culturally charged moments like Pride Month
✅ The dangers of performative allyship and how to avoid it
✅ Why silence isn’t neutral—and how marketing leaders can speak up without risking their seat at the table

If you’re a marketing leader responsible for brand, messaging, or culture—or you simply want to lead your B2B marketing efforts with more intention, strategy, and impact—this episode will give you the clarity and courage to do it.

🎧 Listen now and discover how to align your brand, values, and leadership—this Pride Month and beyond.

--

Links & Resources Mentioned:
🎥 Watch Katie’s documentary-style talk: Woke and Weary
💻 Volunteer your marketing skills: Tech for Campaigns

Thanks for hanging out with us today!

Come build with us:
The CMO Operating System is a six-week live cohort where you build one connected foundation for how your function plans, decides, and reports, with AI partners running on top of it. The system is yours, and it goes with you wherever you go next. The founding cohort is small and first by design. Enrollment closes September 30 and we start October 12. 

👉 Join the CMO OS waitlist 

Come say hi on LinkedIn: Mandy Hornaday
Visit us: growthactivated.com

Keep activating growth for yourself and your company. 💪

In today's B2B world, the traditional divide between sales and marketing is holding companies back—and "growth at all costs" tactics are losing their edge.

In this episode of Growth Activated, I’m joined by Kelli Schutrop, a sales and marketing leader who’s built her own playbook for modern B2B growth—rooted in strategic alignment, thought leadership, and expert visibility.

We’ll dive into:

• Why sales and marketing alignment alone isn’t enough for today’s B2B marketing leaders
• How leading companies use thought leadership to build brand AND pipeline
• Practical ways to map your buyer journey—and align your content, sales strategies, and messaging at every stage
• Why modern marketing leaders need to drive unified go-to-market motions that are customer-centered, revenue-aligned, and built to last

Whether you're building your first integrated sales + marketing strategy or leveling up a mature GTM engine, this conversation is packed with insights to help you rethink your growth strategy for the next generation.

Hit play and get ready to activate a smarter, stronger B2B growth strategy!

Thanks for hanging out with us today!

Come build with us:
The CMO Operating System is a six-week live cohort where you build one connected foundation for how your function plans, decides, and reports, with AI partners running on top of it. The system is yours, and it goes with you wherever you go next. The founding cohort is small and first by design. Enrollment closes September 30 and we start October 12. 

👉 Join the CMO OS waitlist 

Come say hi on LinkedIn: Mandy Hornaday
Visit us: growthactivated.com

Keep activating growth for yourself and your company. 💪

#17 - If your demand gen is underperforming, the problem might not be your campaigns — it might be what was never built before them.

Product marketing is one of the most critical and most misunderstood functions in B2B marketing. It's the foundation behind your messaging, your ICP clarity, your sales enablement, and your go-to-market strategy. And most marketing teams bring it in too late — if they bring it in at all.

In this episode, Mandy sits down with Shirin Shahin, a product marketing leader and consultant with 12+ years of experience building and scaling product marketing functions across B2B SaaS startups and enterprise tech companies. Shirin makes a compelling case for why product marketing should be your first marketing hire — and what breaks when it isn't.

Topics covered in this episode:

• What product marketing actually is — and the who, what, why framework every CMO should know
• Why CMOs hire product marketing too late and what it costs them in pipeline and conversion
• Where product marketing should sit in your org — and why the answer matters for go-to-market success
• How to align product marketing with brand, demand gen, and sales enablement
• When to hire fractional vs. full-time product marketing at different company stages

Chapter Markers:

• (00:00) What Product Marketing Really Is
• (08:23) The Who, What, Why Framework
• (13:05) Where Product Marketing Should Sit
• (16:16) Why CMOs Hire Product Marketing Too Late
• (30:38) AI and the Future of Product Marketing

Connect with Shirin Shahin:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shirinshaheen
• Website: iamsirinshahin.com

If this episode resonated, follow Growth Activated on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave a review — it helps more marketing leaders find the show.

Growth Activated is hosted by Mandy Hornaday. New episodes drop weekly for B2B marketing leaders ready to lead like operators.

Thanks for hanging out with us today!

Come build with us:
The CMO Operating System is a six-week live cohort where you build one connected foundation for how your function plans, decides, and reports, with AI partners running on top of it. The system is yours, and it goes with you wherever you go next. The founding cohort is small and first by design. Enrollment closes September 30 and we start October 12. 

👉 Join the CMO OS waitlist 

Come say hi on LinkedIn: Mandy Hornaday
Visit us: growthactivated.com

Keep activating growth for yourself and your company. 💪

#16: AI is moving faster than most marketing teams can keep up—and the gap between early adopters and laggards is only getting wider.

In this episode of Growth Activated, I sit down with AI strategist Nicole Leffer to break down what B2B marketing leaders must know right now to stay competitive, scale smarter, and lead with confidence in the AI era.

We’ll cover:

• How the best B2B marketing teams are using AI for competitive intelligence, content, sales enablement, and more
• The 3 paths marketing teams are taking with AI—and why only one leads to future success
• Practical strategies to move from basic ChatGPT use to advanced, automated workflows
• Why documenting your processes is the secret weapon for scaling AI across your team
• How investing in AI skills today can future-proof your career and multiply your team's impact

If you’re serious about becoming a strategic marketing leader—not just surviving AI disruption, but thriving through it—this episode will show you how.

🎯 Learn how to scale your impact, free up your time, and lead the next generation of B2B marketing.

🎧 Hit play now—and don’t get left behind.

Thanks for hanging out with us today!

Come build with us:
The CMO Operating System is a six-week live cohort where you build one connected foundation for how your function plans, decides, and reports, with AI partners running on top of it. The system is yours, and it goes with you wherever you go next. The founding cohort is small and first by design. Enrollment closes September 30 and we start October 12. 

👉 Join the CMO OS waitlist 

Come say hi on LinkedIn: Mandy Hornaday
Visit us: growthactivated.com

Keep activating growth for yourself and your company. 💪

#15: Fractional leadership is rapidly reshaping the B2B marketing landscape, offering ambitious marketing leaders a powerful path to scale their impact, revenue, and influence—without burning out. But what separates a thriving Fractional CMO from those who struggle to gain traction?

In this episode of Growth Activated, I’m revealing game-changing insights and hard-earned lessons from successful Fractional CMOs and other fractional marketing leaders who’ve mastered the art of building profitable, fulfilling careers on their own terms.

We’ll dive deep into the three most effective fractional work models—Project-Based, Retainer, and Advisory—sharing the strategies and pitfalls you need to know to avoid burnout and maximize your revenue. From setting the right pricing structures to crafting contracts that protect your business and scaling your services for sustainable growth, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways.

Whether you’re a marketing leader looking to make the leap to Fractional CMO status or simply curious about building a flexible, high-impact career, this episode will help you fast-track your success.

If you’re ready to elevate your expertise, command higher rates, and create a thriving B2B marketing business on your own terms, grab a notebook and hit play!

Thanks for hanging out with us today!

Come build with us:
The CMO Operating System is a six-week live cohort where you build one connected foundation for how your function plans, decides, and reports, with AI partners running on top of it. The system is yours, and it goes with you wherever you go next. The founding cohort is small and first by design. Enrollment closes September 30 and we start October 12. 

👉 Join the CMO OS waitlist 

Come say hi on LinkedIn: Mandy Hornaday
Visit us: growthactivated.com

Keep activating growth for yourself and your company. 💪