Marketing Unplugged

Carla is a world-renowned storyteller, an entertaining speaker, and a prolific author. Her work with Fortune 500 brands serves as the foundation for many of her books. Her tenth and most recent book, RE: Think Innovation, busts the myth that innovation is something that requires a specific degree or special training. Consistently named one of the top influencers in her field, Carla regularly challenges conventional thinking. In this week's episode, Carla dives right into what B2B marketing is lacking when it comes to storytelling, and how to fix it.

Key Takeaways:

[2:15] What's a typical workday like for Carla?

[310] Carla shares the 90/90/1 productivity philosophy.

[7:15] How did Carla get her start in marketing?

[10:10] There's a lack of understanding when it comes to storytelling and its role in B2B marketing.

[17:20] People are hardwired for stories.

[19:35] Start with facts and figures? It releases stress in the body. Start with a story? It releases dopamine.

[20:25] You can't prove yourself into a purchase with a customer.

[22:15] How has Carla's background in engineering and history helped her become a better writer?

[27:35] When does it make sense to outsource the CMO role?

[31:15] Let's talk about innovation. Carla shares what she's seen over the years.

[34::55] What are some of the best ways marketing leaders can drive a culture of innovation?

[39:15] Saying you're innovative is one thing. Actually doing it is quite another.

[42:15] Innovation is everybody's business. 90% of innovation happens outside of product yet 75% of the budget goes to product innovation.

[44:50] Carla shares how the CDC leveraged innovation to better educate the public.

[48:35] Carla relocated her family across the globe. Why is travel important? What was that relocation experience like?

[53:35] Volunteering is a big part of Carla's life. Everyone should take a moment to give back, even if it's small.

[55:40] What's one piece of advice Carla would like to give her younger self?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Carlajohnson.co

Preorder Carla's book here

Carla on LinkedIn

Tim Washer spent 20 years at IBM, Cisco, and Accenture while moonlighting on SNL, Conan O'Brien, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and now helps brands connect empathetically through humor. Tim shares his process on how to shake up a brand and make them funny, relatable, and joyful to interact with on this week's show. Tim also opens up on some of the mental health challenges he's faced during the lockdown and why we all need connection, more than ever before.

Key Takeaways:

[3:00] Why was Tim so drawn to marketing?

[5:35] For a comedian, it can take a long time to discover your voice. How did Tim discover his?

[8:35] B2B marketing has really shifted. The world kind of woke up and realized the B2B buyer is human and has emotions!

[12:05] What was it like signing up for Tim's first improv class?

[17:30] We need joy more now than ever. We also need community and to come together, and laughter is a great entry point into that.

[19:45] After working at companies like IBM and Cisco, how easy/difficult was it to bring joy, humor, and comedy into these work environments?

[26:00] Tim shares the types of ROI he sees when you make something funny.

[31:25] Feeling stuck? Here's how Tim gets out of it.

[41:25] How do you revive a conservative brand and make it joyful and fun again?

[42:55] You not only need a comedy writer, but you also need a comedy editor. Do not use a regular editor!

[48:35] How did Tim pivot when the pandemic basically made him unemployed?

[53:00] Tim talks about how he recovered from a failure and decided to show up and parent his daughter in a better way.

[57:55] The one thing that connects all of us somehow is that we're all slightly messed up. Not one is perfect.

[1:02:00] As a man of faith, Tim shares how you can take Bible stories and make them entertaining and funny for young children.

[1:05:00] Share your failures, even with children. It helps them learn, grow, and understand no one is perfect.

[1:12:45] Want to reconnect with someone? Find a good meme and send it to them!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Timwasher.com

Tim on LinkedIn

Nick Edouard is the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at PathFactory, an intelligent content platform that removes friction by delivering delightful and customizable content experiences. Nick is a passionate problem solver and discusses the core problem PathFactory is solving in the marketplace today. He also discusses how the B2B market and marketers still don't quite know how to leverage the power of AI to do some of the heavy lifting in marketing. All of this and more, in this week's episode!

Key Takeaways:

[4:00] How do you move someone through different content channels by telling a story?

[6:45] A lot of marketing leads never turn into sales. Why?

[7:20] At the core, it's a marketer's job to connect buyers with information. We are matchmakers.

[12:15] If he had to do it all over again, Nick would, but this time slightly smarter.

[13:40] What's been the most fulfilling aspect of Path Factory?

[16:10] What lessons does Nick wish he'd learned sooner?

[21:15] Nick's advice for those who want to start a company? Make sure your marriage is rock solid and be sure you really love the problem.

[24:50] Currently 18% of marketers are using AI in their role.

[26:10] Do marketers really need to understand what AI does?

[30:00] AI is underserved in the B2B Market.

[34:25] What's lacking in B2B marketing when it comes to the use of AI? Nick shares his thoughts.

[39:35] How can content marketers best balance creativity and the data science behind it?

[46:55] Nick shares his thoughts on the differences in culture between the UK and Canada.

[51:15] Nick also gives his perspective on the differences in business culture across North America and the UK.

[57:10] What is the "doughnut" framework all about?

[1:03:45] Nick's favorite interview question is: What's one thing you think I should have asked you, but haven't?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Pathfactory.com

Nick on LinkedIn

Mark Opauszkyt on his flesh-earing disease & Sudden trip to hell

Tara O'Sullivan is the Chief Marketing Officer for Immedis, the global leader in payroll consolidation. Tara is currently based in Ireland and runs an international team. She has been consistently recognized for bringing a unique blend of strategic insight and operational execution and has over 25 years of extensive experience in B2B Technology & Marketing. On today's show, Tara discusses women in sports, what you should outsource in marketing, the relationship between demand gen and brand, and so much more!

Key Takeaways:

[2:25] When was Tara first introduced to technology?

[4:35] What is the state of the technology scene in Dublin right now?

[7:50] Tara shares why Immedis is passionate about supporting the 20x20 movement.

[9:55] When it comes to global sports, it's really down to tennis and golf.

[15:35] It's so important to have young girls see themselves in sports in the future and in order for that to happen, they need to see it to believe it.

[16:25] How did Tara get her start in her career and what drives her to further her career right now?

[20:30] People forget how much of a war zone Ireland was 25-plus years ago, which meant talented people left to find a better life elsewhere.

[21:45] How does Tara think about marketing success on an international level?

[26:00] Tara's company is competing with brands that have been around for over 10 years. How is she standing out from the competition?

[27:40] Tara shares her thoughts on how leaders can connect with their team more effectively.

[31:50] How does Tara drive digital transformation as a CMO?

[41:30] Tara shares her experience of what it was like working as a Chief Creative Officer at Skillsoft.

[43:25] Tara's dream job would be a movie producer!

[48:15] How do you break rules to advance gender equality? How should CMOs think about this differently?

[52:35] AI, as great as it is, still has biases that we need to sort out.

[54:50] What advice would Tara give to her younger self?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Immedis.com

Tara on LinkedIn

The Hidden Persuaders, by Vance Packard

20x20.ie

Michael Brenner is the CEO of Marketing Insider Group, founded on the belief that strong leaders who champion their teams are the key to unlocking massive growth. Michael is also a globally-recognized keynote speaker on leadership, culture, and marketing and author of the bestselling book, The Content Formula. Michael talks about why our marketing budgets are out of whack, why most marketers are absolutely miserable, and his latest book, Mean People Suck.

Key Takeaways:

[2:30] Why does Michael have 53 jobs under his belt?

[4:40] Michael loves jumping into something new and getting to know a new boss and work culture.

[4:50] Michael learned quickly that he needed to reach out to people when he was in a new organization.

[7:30] Michael started working when he was 11 years old and he learned quickly that the early bird does get the worm.

[10:45] Your network is really your key base when you start to venture off into your own and build a company.

[13:55] Why are marketers miserable?

[17:25] Are there a lot of mean people in marketing roles?

[21:00] Michael shares a story on what he learned about sales and selling early on in his career.

[24:00] Humans can recognize pain in others as young as two years old and, in turn, can learn empathy.

[26:40] How does Michael define content marketing?

[29:10] Executives need to stop driving their marketing team to do things that do not work, things that are just based on subjective opinion.

[29:35] Content marketing is king, but distribution is queen. Michael explains more.

[31:10] Fifty to seventy-five percent of traffic comes from organic search, 2% comes from social media, and 15% comes from paid.

[39:15] How will AI impact the content marketing world?

[42:15] How can brands create a stronger commitment with their audience this year?

[47:10] You don't have to share stuff just about your expertise. Showcase your team's personality, hobbies, and love for cats!

[49:25] Employee activation and engagement needs to become a bigger part of the marketing conversation.

[52:10] Who would Michael like to eat lunch with, dead or alive?

[55:55] How does Michael manage work/life balance?

[59:40] What advice does Michael have for younger marketers just getting started in their career?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Marketinginsidergroup.com

Michael on LinkedIn

Mean People Suck: How empathy leads to bigger profits and a better life, by Michael Brenner

Mark Jefferies is a Keynote Speaker, Author, Event Host, and a Communications Consultant. He has shared the stage with VP Joe Biden to Will Smith, from Serena Williams to Michael J Fox and Richard Branson, all without formal training! Mark shares his journey and offers words of wisdom on how to better communicate and show up in our digital meetings.

Key Takeaways:

[2:45] How does a keynote speaker and an MC of live events keep himself busy during a pandemic?

[3:35] In the beginning, Mark thought it was going to be the end of an industry.

[5:00] Mark is busier than ever!

[6:25] What does Mark miss about traveling?

[10:15] It was Mark's dream to get into finance. He shares how he got his foot in the door.

[17:15] Fast forward a little bit, and Mark finds himself pivoting and… on live TV! It was nerve-wracking.

[20:45] How does Mark stay true to who he is?

[26:45] Mark loves in-person events, but he also has a podcast. How does he approach these two mediums differently?

[30:25] Mark is also an author! But he completely hated the process!

[35:40] What can we do to improve our communication virtually?

[39:40] You have to get your point out a lot quicker than you did before.

[45:15] What are the six keys to influencing people around you?

[50:15] We all have imposter syndrome. Here's how you can navigate it with grace.

[52:05] What advice would Mark give to his younger self?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Markjeffries.com

Mark on LinkedIn

Jennifer Griffin Smith is the Chief Marketing Officer at Brightcove, an online video platform. Jennifer is a fast-paced executive who is passionate about discovering new technology possibilities. She shares her philosophy on how to empower her team, what was the root of her early success, her experiences at Microsoft, and how she thinks about marketing in today's world.

Key Takeaways:

[2:45] Jennifer shares why the phrase, "blossom where you are" is a saying that strongly resonates with her.

[4:10] If you can be great at what you do right now, good things will come.

[5:30] When you fully embrace the moment you are in — today — is when you're really optimizing your full potential and will see future progress in your career.

[6:00] With that being said, Jennifer is still guilty of multitasking. You have to when you're working full-time and raising two young children.

[7:50] What was Jennifer's experience like working at Microsoft when Bill Gates was still the CEO?

[12:45] Jennifer shares advice to young marketers who are looking to advance quickly in their careers.

[13:25] Find allies and mentors in your company. They don't have to be in the marketing departments.

[16:20] No matter what, have the courage and conviction to believe in yourself.

[18:05] Jennifer shares her tips on the best ways to find your company mentors/allies in this digital environment.

[21:00] How does Jennifer empower her team?

[23:55] What does it mean to be "human"?

[27:25] In so many aspects of life, you'll find that you need to fail fast and, in other times, you'll need to take a pause. The important thing here is to realize you can't be perfect.

[30:00] How has the role of the CMO evolved over the years?

[35:45] When you're asking people questions, your words are important.

[37:20] As someone who was born and raised in the UK, how does Jennifer blend both U.S. and UK cultures when she is raising her children?

[40:25] Jennifer reflects on what has happened over the past year.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Brightcove.com

Jennifer on LinkedIn

www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/chief-marketing-officer/articles/five-roles-of-the-cmo.html

Peter Mahoney is the CEO of Plannuh, a SaaS company that provides cloud-based tools to help marketers build, manage, and share their marketing budgets. Peter has over 30 years of marketing experience and has worked in a variety of CMO roles. He is also a passionate supporter of the rights of people with disabilities. Join Peter as he discusses his journey from CMO to CEO, how to embrace your nerd status, and the inner workings of building a company on your money vs. on investors' money.

Key Takeaways:

[1:45] For 30 years Peter was a CMO, now he considers himself a "recovering CMO" as he takes on a CEO role. Why has his marketing journey been like thus far?

[5:00] What makes a good CEO?

[7:55] Is there a lot of friction when it comes to a CMO taking on a CEO role?

[11:35] What were some of the surprises along the way that Peter encountered as a new CEO?

[13:05] Peter shares the differences going from a $2B company to a startup.

[16:15] Network is hugely important in both your success and your growth.

[17:25] Peter had to learn for the very first time how to raise money.

[19:15] What has Peter enjoyed the most about running his own company?

[21:00] What keeps Peter up at night?

[28:45] Peter learned an important lesson as a CEO about how his team sees him.

[30:20] Why should more people unleash their inner nerd?

[32:40] Why did Peter decide to write a book for CMOs?

[39:05] People often confuse goals with strategy.

[40:35] Without getting alignment with your peers and CEO, you're always going to have to be justifying budget spend.

[43:15] No matter who you are, your marketing plan has changed dramatically.

[45:25] What investments are people making in their technologies right now?

[46:25] As a board member, Peter shares what he has been up to in this arena.

[50:25] How does Peter structure his day and get the most out of his time?

[54:00] The pandemic has changed the way Peter works, and for the better. They're a remote company right now.

[57:05] What advice would Peter give to his younger self?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Plannuh.com

Peter on LinkedIn

The Next CMO: A Guide to Operational Marketing Excellence, by Peter Mahoney, Scott Todaro, and Dan Faulkner

Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters, by Richard Rumelt

Duane Schulz is a Digital Marketing Consultant and was the former Chief Marketing Technologist and Head of Digital at Xerox until January 2017. He has had roles ranging from Brand and Marketing Intelligence to acting CMO over the last 17 years and has held executive roles at Apple and HP. Duane shares what it was like working for Apple during the 90s, his time at Xerox, how he sees brand image, and what it means to "do no evil," marketing through the use of lean surveillance.

Key Takeaways:

[2:20] How did Duane get his start in marketing?

[4:45] Who were Duane's early influences/mentors in marketing?

[8:35] Duane shares what it was like working for Apple in the mid-'90s.

[10:00] When Duane first got to Apple, they were adamant about not doing market research. Well, he had a background in market research, what was he doing there?

[13:00] When Duane left Apple, what were his thoughts on Apple as a company back then and their longevity as a brand?

[18:45] How was marketing ops defined back then?

[20:00] Duane shares when he was first exposed to brand image and why he fell in love with the rebranding process.

[24:20] We are navigating new territory when it comes to marketing.

[26:45] If you can't think of the purpose of the company and express it in your work, then you're failing at marketing.

[32:15] How should marketers begin looking at marketing ops today?

[37:10] What does Duane mean by lean surveillance marketing?

[40:45] Look at the words marketers use: track, capture, and nurture. Our tools track our customers. It's not just the big companies contributing to the surveillance problem.

[47:00] C-suite executives argue that we need this additional data, but Duane wants to push back on that. Reexamine your practices, do you need this additional data? Are you actually using it?

[48:35] Can you measure the brand value of your company?

[51:00] Privacy is always down on the list when it comes to marketing.

[57:15] At HP, you would work with product managers and engineers in the same group. It was insightful to have these two teams work together.

[59:15] How should marketers be thinking about their performance metrics?

[1:03:55] It can be hard to find good teachers in the space. Duane weighs in on how to find a good teacher, and be a good teacher.

[1:10:00] What advice would Duane give to his younger self?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Duane on LinkedIn

Ashley Botting and James Gangl are both professional actors, improvists, writers, and comedians. What do these two have to do with marketing? Improv, stepping out of your comfort zone, finding creativity, and the art of taking risks are all essential qualities every marketer needs to have and our two guests today have some insights on how to develop these key skills.

Key Takeaways:

[2:00] How do Ashley and James describe the work that they do?

[4:00] Improv is a great team-building exercise and it helps build the fundamentals of communication. How did Ashley get into this space?

[7:30] How did James get into improv?

[10:15] What lessons has improv taught James and how can marketers benefit from this skill?

[12:45] Create a product that makes it easy to market. It's a lot easier to sell an amazing product than a bad one.

[14:00] What makes something a bad production/bad product?

[16:40] How do actors find work in a pandemic? Ashley weighs in.

[21:00] Take a risk. Step outside of the safe ideas and get comfortable with rejection.

[24:30] James shares the power of journaling and how it helps him source and find creative ideas.

[30:00] You want to perform for the masses, not just for your peers. Ashley explains further what she means.

[38:25] If your product comes across as disingenuous, people aren't going to buy it. Role-play the personas you're trying to target to really feel what it's like to be in their shoes.

[41:45] Do Ashley and James think of themselves as personal brands?

[46:40] Ashley shares what her experience was like working on the set of Schitt's Creek.

[50:15] Why does James want to cook in Chile?

[53:20] What would Ashely and James like their legacy to be?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Ashleybotting.com

Ashley on IMDb

Jamesgangl.com

James on IMDb