Marketing in Progress

Partner marketing gets a bad rap. But with the right funding and support from leadership, it can be the secret weapon for scaling your brand and unlocking revenue fast.

In this episode, Lucy Greenaway, Global Channel Marketing Director at XM Cyber, walks us through the real but overlooked value of partner marketing. She discusses what most people don’t know about partner marketing, why events aren’t enough to drive partner programs, and the three things partner marketers should do to get results.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Effective strategies for joint marketing efforts
• How to keep partners invested in your campaigns
• Alignment of partner marketing with broader business goals

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Lucy Greenaway

(02:11) The biggest misconception about partner marketing

(04:27) How to create successful partnerships

(06:04) The profile of an ideal partner marketer

(10:07) Why events can’t replace sales enablement and cohesive campaigns 

(11:34) Partner marketing isn’t just a support function

(13:18) The three things that make partner marketing effective

(17:47) Being the only woman in the room

(21:03) The key to success in channel and partner marketing

Resources:

Lucy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-greenaway-963253126/ 

Gayle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylekalvert/

Gayle’s website: www.gaylekalvert.com

Vicki Hall went from WNBA athlete to financial advisor at C.H. Douglas & Gray Wealth Management. Not the most obvious pivot, but when your family gets financially wrecked by bad advice, you learn fast.

As an advisor, Vicki works with successful, high-earning women who are still freaked out about money. She’s on a mission to make sure no woman ends up broke, blindsided, or stuck in a relationship because she can’t afford to leave. In this episode, she talks about all things finance that women wish they learned in school but didn’t. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The first steps to understand and gain control of your finances
• How to plan for retirement based on your lifestyle
• The money conversations every couple should have before marriage

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Vicki Hall

(02:20) The “investment” that wrecked her family’s finances

(05:00) Questions to ask before choosing a financial advisor

(07:58) Three steps to get control of your money

(13:18) How to build a realistic budget

(15:57) Financial red flags to spot in your relationship

(23:50) The risks of being a stay-at-home parent
(26:10) Keeping your finances in check during a career pivot

(28:16) Tips for people with unpredictable income

(31:33) Vicki’s biggest money lesson at 19

Resources:

Vicki’s financial advisor profile: https://chdouglas.com/team-member/vicki-hall/

Vicki’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicki-hall-72210831/ 

Gayle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylekalvert/

There are certain moments in life that change the course of everything. For Shali Reed, a personal tragedy forced her to re-evaluate what mattered most. She walked away from a high-paying tech career to bet on herself, her family, and the business she runs with her husband.

In this episode, Shali shares what it’s like to build The Reeder while raising two toddlers, balancing marriage and work simultaneously, and finding purpose and identity outside of motherhood.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why betting on yourself is worth the risk
• What it takes to run a business with your spouse
• How to set boundaries with work and family 

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Shali Reed

(02:11) Losing a child and re-evaluating priorities

(05:23) Starting a business with your spouse

(12:18) How to be fully present as a parent and entrepreneur 

(17:56) Rediscovering identity beyond motherhood

(21:32) Owning your voice to empower others

Resources:

Shali’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shali-reed/ 

Shali’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shalireed 

Shali’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shalireed/ 

Gayle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylekalvert/

Selling is a team sport, and sales and marketing teams are the star players. When they align on their revenue goals, the whole company wins.

In this episode, Andre Lachlan, Sales Director at Splunk, discusses the value of collaboration between B2B sellers and marketers. He shares practical ways for teams to break down their silos, support each other’s goals, and work together to drive effective campaigns with a human touch. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to get sales and marketing to work together
• The key to maximizing event ROI
• Why relying solely on AI for sales could hurt your business

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Andre Lachlan

(02:24) How sales and marketing can align in any org structure

(07:03) Better cross-functional collaboration 

(11:11) Planning small but strategic events

(17:32) Why the real work happens before and after the event

(21:47) Connect with your buyers even when they don’t respond

(25:07) Where AI makes an impact on the sales workflow

(30:19) Unconventional sales tactics to try

(35:56) Key qualities of a good salesperson

Resources:

Andre’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrelachlan/ 

Gayle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylekalvert/

Gayle’s website: www.gaylekalvert.com

Julie Alexandria has been a Broadway performer, a sideline sports reporter, a TV host, and now the founder of her own jewelry business. She’s lived many lives, but one thing has stayed the same: she’s always trusted her gut.

In this episode, Julie gets real about stepping away from her career, what happened when her agent dropped her, and how she turned her love of jewelry into a thriving business. She shares how she made herself memorable on a budget and how the right outfit can build real confidence.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Reinvention is possible at any age
• Tips on marketing a business without a website or ad budget
• How to build confidence through what you wear

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Julie Alexandria

(01:13) Theater roots and the pressure to perform

(04:05) Dropping out of college to chase Broadway

(06:04) Pivoting to sports TV when acting dried up

(09:08) Red carpets, celebrity interviews, and burnout

(14:55) Motherhood, career sacrifices, and losing her agent

(21:16) Starting a jewelry business with $500 and no plan

(30:10) How to look expensive on a budget

(40:57) Designing jewelry for confidence and reinvention

Resources:

Julie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-alexandria-56112b62

Julie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliesgoldcoins/ 

Gayle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylekalvert/

Got thoughts on this episode? We’d love to hear what you think. Leave a comment, and you might get some WIP swag sent your way.

Tiffany Sauder is the type of woman who wins awards, runs a company, and still finds time to pack her kids’ lunches. 

From the outside, her life looks “successful.” Inside her marriage? Well, Tiffany shares the details.

In this episode, she gets brutally honest about what it took to rebuild her relationship from a breaking point. It wasn’t another date night that did it.

Instead, she and her husband turned their marriage into something most people reserve for work: a system with vision, accountability, and honest conversations.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why your marriage might need a quarterly check-in
• The tools and processes that can help mend a relationship
• How to bring the element of surprise back into your marriage

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Tiffany Sauder

(04:22) It’s time we admit that marriage is hard

(09:30) Using business strategy to fix marriage

(11:15) Their annual check-in with eight questions

(16:55) Business meetings about parenting and values

(20:17) Fun still matters in marriage, too

(25:27) How to reconnect during busy seasons

Resources:

Tiffany’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanysauder/ 

Tiffany’s website: https://www.tiffanysauder.com/

Tiffany’s Podcast Episode on Marriage: https://www.tiffanysauder.com/blog/marriage-year-20-still-showing-up-still-figuring-it-out

Marriage Check-In Tool: https://www.tiffanysauder.com/Marriage-Check-In-Guide

Gayle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylekalvert/

Got thoughts on this episode? We’d love to hear what you think. Leave a comment, and you might get some WIP swag sent your way.

B2B buyers are people, too. They want to be entertained, to learn, and to feel something just like the rest of us. 

In this episode, Rachel Downey, founder of Share Your Genius, talks about the one thing that still moves the needle in B2B marketing: human connection. Forget the overhyped tools and pushy advertising. Rachel discusses the power of relationships, consistent messaging, and authentic thought leadership. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What community building can do for your pipeline
• The difference between impactful thought leaders and “thought parrots”
• The case for doing less but doing it consistently

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Rachel Downey

(06:01) B2B marketing needs to feel human again

(10:20) Community-led growth that drives revenue

(15:40) Who should really be speaking for your brand

(17:38) Two ways to get employees to post online

(19:30) B2B marketers need to stop doing this

(22:10) Consistency builds results

Resources:

Rachel’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelelstsdowney/ 

Rachel’s website: https://shareyourgenius.com/ 

Gayle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylekalvert/

Gayle’s website: www.gaylekalvert.com

Got thoughts on this episode? We’d love to hear what you think. Leave a comment, and you might get some WIP swag sent your way.

Sara Uy began cold calling from her childhood bedroom at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of boredom, she began recording those calls and posting them on TikTok. No script. No fancy setup. Just real sales calls.

Those posts took off. Now, she’s built a 90K+ following on LinkedIn, launched her own business, and is one of the most trusted voices in sales as “Selling Sara.”

In this episode, Sara shares how she built her personal brand. She gets real about the pressure to always be “on,” how to deal with content burnout, and why showing up consistently matters more than being polished.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to transition from employee to entrepreneur with grace
• What makes people actually follow and stick around
• How to find your voice without copying everyone else

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Sara Uy

(03:28) Cold calling during COVID and finding TikTok

(08:54) Leaving a job you love without burning bridges

(12:17) What happens when you post consistently

(15:22) Breaking through a mental block

(21:26) Sara’s 3 tips for building your personal brand

(25:39) Creating videos when you’re short on time

(32:31) What SellingSara does for sales teams

Resources:

Sara’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraplowman/ 

Sara’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sellingsaraa 

Sara’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sellingsaraa/ 

Gayle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylekalvert/

Got thoughts on this episode? We’d love to hear what you think. Leave a comment, and you might get some WIP swag sent your way.

Influencers are everywhere, from your Instagram feed to your LinkedIn homepage. For brands, they can be a powerful marketing tool, but what is it like to work with them?

In this episode of Marketing in Progress, Brianna Doe, founder and CEO of Verbatim, talks about the reality of influencer marketing. She discusses why follower count is not always the most important metric, how to spot creators who will deliver, and what to know about pricing and negotiations.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What brands need to know before investing in creators
• The rise of AI-generated influencers
• Why corporate employees are building their personal brands

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Brianna Doe

(02:06) Keeping up with marketing trends

(04:01) AI-generated influencers are here 

(04:56) How brands should budget for creators

(07:46) What makes a B2B influencer worth it

(09:32) The rise of employee influencers in tech

Resources:

Brianna’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianna-doe/

Brianna’s website: https://www.weareverbatim.com/ 

Gayle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylekalvert/

Gayle’s website: www.gaylekalvert.com

Kanika Chadda-Gupta has never been afraid to take risks. She switched career paths to follow her dream of becoming a broadcast journalist, moved to India to explore the international market, then took a chance on love and a new job when she returned to the US.

At every fork in the road, it was her intuition that pointed her in the right direction.

In this episode, Kanika shares how trusting her gut shaped her career, family, and personal growth, and how you can start tuning into yours when faced with your own decisions.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The reality of making bold career moves when nothing feels certain
• How trusting your gut can lead you to exactly where you’re meant to be
• How to make manifesting work for you

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Kanika Chadda-Gupta

(02:46) Switching from business to journalism

(05:33) Moving to Mumbai and finding success

(08:52) Taking a chance on love

(12:06) How Kanika’s intuition saved her life

(18:55) The power of visualization and manifesting

(23:24) Creating open communication with your kids

Resources:

Kanika’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kanikachaddagupta/ 

Kanika’s website: thatstotalmomsense.com

Gayle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylekalvert/