SaaS Half Full

Maintaining employee engagement is daunting during an economic downturn when trying to balance high care and high performance. With the complexities this topic can bring, Lindsey Groepper speaks with Julia Stead, CMO at 15Five, to discuss how quickly trends in employee engagement have changed when transitioning from the Great Recession into (what some are calling) the "Great SaaSacre." This episode also details the shift in power dynamic from employee to employer, the value of transparency, and the positive trends they're seeing due to the recession.

• Connect with Julia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliastead/
• Learn more about 15Five: https://www.15five.com/
• Connect with Lindsey:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/
• Learn more about BLASTmedia: https://www.blastmedia.com/

Continuing our HR Tech series, we speak with Sharon Rusinowitz, the Director of Content Marketing at ChartHop. In this episode, Lindsey and Sharon discuss what the content team of the future looks like and how to re-shape how you think about content. Listen as Sharon discusses how to develop a B2B SaaS content strategy extending beyond the written word and how to create a cohesive narrative across mediums.

- Connect with Sharon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonrusinowitz/ - Learn more about ChartHop: https://www.charthop.com/ - Connect with Lindsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/ - Learn more about BLASTmedia: https://www.blastmedia.com/

This summer we're focusing on HR Tech and learning from the best in the business.

In this episode, Lindsey Groepper speaks with Amy Frampton, the Head of Marketing at BambooHR. She is a wealth of knowledge but in this conversation, she shares her insights on employer brand. If you don't know what employer brand is or don't know what your employer brand is, stop what you're doing. Employer brand is crucial right now, especially for growing B2B SaaS companies. Listen in as Amy shares how to go about developing it, marketing's role in executing an employer brand strategy, and how to work seamlessly with HR to do so.

SaaS acquisitions are plentiful, but what are the keys to a smooth transaction, and who is involved? Spoiler alert: it's more than the C-suite.

In this episode, Lindsey Groepper speaks with Isabelle Papoulias, the EVP of Global Expansion at Mediafly, about marketing's role in M&A. As the former CMO, Isabelle has taken the company through five acquisitions in the last four years, providing her with takeaways and insights for B2B SaaS marketers who find themselves in the throws of M&A.

Listen in as she shares what the marketing team can expect in an acquisition, what their role is, and how to align on goals with both your CEO and board.

• Connect with Isabelle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabellepapoulias/
• Learn more about Mediafly: https://www.mediafly.com/
• Connect with Lindsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/
• Learn more about BLASTmedia: https://www.blastmedia.com/

There's been a shift in the SaaS economy, and in this episode, Lindsey Groepper speaks with Mike Fitzgerald, Partner at High Alpha, a venture capital studio that specializes in funding B2B SaaS companies.

Mike joined BLASTmedia at their headquarters for a fireside chat. During that conversation he shared valuable insights on how the venture capital landscape has changed for B2B SaaS companies and what the next moves may be for companies strategizing for a slowdown.

• Connect with Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesfitzgerald/
• Learn more about High Alpha: https://highalpha.com
• Connect with Lindsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/
• Learn more about BLASTmedia: https://www.blastmedia.com/

In this episode of SaaS Half Full, Lindsey Groepper speaks with Justin Keller, VP of Revenue Marketing at Drift, about ditching your burnt-out B2B marketing strategies.

Justin has spent the majority of his career doing cool sh*t with B2B marketing and continues to do so at his new gig at Drift. If you're not thinking about how your marketing sets you apart from others in the category, you will fall behind. Listen in to hear why he believes marketers must start taking risks and thinking like consumer brands in a way that inspires, invokes a feeling, and gets the vocal minority talking.

- Connect with Justin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justindkeller/

- Learn more about Drift: https://www.drift.com/

- Connect with Lindsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/

- Learn more about BLASTmedia: https://www.blastmedia.com/

- Get your cocktail kit at www.shakerandspoon.com/halffull

In this episode of SaaS Half Full, Lindsey Groepper speaks with Gina Hortatsos, CMO at LogicGate, about the importance of the marketing organization taking an active role in risk and compliance.

Gina believes the CMO - and other departmental leaders - have equal responsibility for risk and compliance as the infosec or legal team. Listen in as she shares the different components of organizational risk (spoiler alert, it's not just cyber) that contribute to overall risk management and defining a company's risk profile. She also provides tips for creating a "risk register" for the marketing org to play its part effectively.

- Connect with Gina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginahortatsos/

- Learn more about LogicGate: https://www.logicgate.com/

- Connect with Lindsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/

- Learn more about BLASTmedia: https://www.blastmedia.com/

- Get your cocktail kit at www.shakerandspoon.com/halffull

SaaS CMOs: are you leveraging your PR-agency partnership to the fullest?

In this episode of SaaS Half Full, Lindsey Groepper speaks with Kimberly Jefferson, EVP at BLASTmedia.

Kimberly, a BLASTmedia team member for over ten years, shares what makes a fruitful client-PR agency relationship. She answers questions like who should manage the agency relationship, how to level-set expectations, and what makes a partnership go from good to great. Listen to the full episode to hear tips on how marketing teams can get the most out of their PR agency investment.

- Connect with Kimberly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffersonkimberly/

- Connect with Lindsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/

- Learn more about BLASTmedia: https://www.blastmedia.com/

- Get your cocktail kit at www.shakerandspoon.com/halffull

In this episode of SaaS Half Full, Lindsey Groepper speaks with Rashmi Vittal, CMO at Productiv.

A two-time SaaS CMO, Rashmi shares the lessons she's learned when delving into your first 30 days as a company's CMO. Whether you're looking to become a CMO for the first time or are looking for a change, Rashmi shares valuable information about what you should uncover in the interview process, who you should speak with to set expectations, and how to create alignment amongst your new marketing team. Listen to the full episode to learn more about making your first 30, 60, and 90 days successful as a SaaS CMO.

Connect with Rashmi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rashmi-vittal/

• Learn more about Productiv: https://productiv.com/
• Connect with Lindsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/
• Learn more about BLASTmedia: https://www.blastmedia.com/
• Get your cocktail kit at www.shakerandspoon.com/halffull

In this episode of SaaS Half Full, Lindsey Groepper speaks with Avnita Gulati, Senior Director of Global Marketing Strategy and Operations at Visa.

We've discussed how marketers can achieve alignment with their CEO or with the board, but in this episode, Avnita shares how to create that same alignment with your CFO. Whether you feel like you have a good relationship with finance or are looking to build a bridge for the first time, Avnita shares crucial steps to cultivating a better working relationship. Listen to hear more about the importance of having an understanding of each person's role and how to gain mutual trust.

Connect with Avnita: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avnitagulati/

Learn more about Visa: https://usa.visa.com/

Connect with Lindsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/

Learn more about BLASTmedia: https://www.blastmedia.com/

Get your cocktail kit at www.shakerandspoon.com/halffull