The Channel Buzz

The Channel Buzz at VIBE 2.0 — Episode 1

Guest: Christine Bongard, Founder & CEO, The WIT Network
Series: The Channel Buzz: Conversations from VIBE 2.0
Series positioning: Recorded live at VIBE 2.0 as part of The Channel Buzz’s media sponsorship, this special series captures conversations with leaders across the technology and partner ecosystem about community, connection, growth, and what’s next.

What’s the difference between having hundreds—or thousands—of LinkedIn connections and having a network that will actually show up when you need it?

Recorded live at VIBE 2.0, where The Channel Buzz joined the event as a media sponsor, Amiee Keenan sits down with Christine Bongard, Founder and CEO of The WIT Network, to talk about the relationships that shape careers, create opportunities, and build stronger communities.

After more than 30 years in the Microsoft and partner ecosystem, Christine says one thing has kept her connected: the people.

She shares how serving on Microsoft Partner Advisory Councils expanded her career globally, why meaningful networking requires giving before asking, and how conversations at Microsoft Inspire ultimately helped turn The WIT Network into a global community of 15,000 members across 89 countries.

Christine also shares her first impressions of the VIBE community—and why being surrounded by people who are supportive, authentic, engaged, and warm makes events like VIBE much more than another conference.

Because the real value of an event isn’t necessarily what’s in your notebook when you leave.

It may be who’s in your network.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Christine and her background

02:27 The impact of the Microsoft Partner Advisory Councils on her career

04:18 The importance of having mentors, supporters, and champions in your network

06:10 The community's global reach and impact

07:02 What Christine hopes to take away from Vibe beyond ideas

07:39 Describing the Vibe community in three words

Join the WIT Network

🔗 Connect with Amiee on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 

🎧 Listen & follow to get future episodes on marketing, partnerships, and channel growth.

Learn more about ⁠The ISV Society⁠

A partner program can look perfect on paper.

The incentives make sense. The numbers work. The tiers are mapped out. Leadership is happy.

Then actual humans start using it.

In this episode of The Channel Buzz, Amiee Keenan sits down with Jessica Pidgeon of Acumatica to talk about the part of partner programs that doesn’t always make the launch deck: human behavior.

Jessica shares what more than a decade of building and managing partner programs has taught her about balancing company goals with partner economics, using financial modeling to pressure-test program changes, avoiding unnecessary complexity, protecting partner mindshare, managing channel conflict, and knowing when it’s time to pivot.

They also dig into a deceptively simple question: Where does channel growth actually come from?

Because successful partner programs aren’t “set it and forget it.”

They’re living, breathing systems and the best ones keep evolving alongside the partners they’re designed to serve.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Jessica and the importance of partner programs

03:27 Starting point for designing partner programs: human behavior and needs

06:38 Balancing company needs with partner needs in program design

09:19 Common pitfalls: complexity vs simplicity in programs

10:32 Financial modeling for relationship-driven channel items

14:51 Proving the value of the channel and managing expectations

19:58 Key misconceptions about channel growth22:19Closing thoughts and key takeaways

🐝 Buzzworthy Insight: Build for Behavior, Not the Brochure.

🔗 Connect with Amiee on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 

🎧 Listen & follow to get future episodes on marketing, partnerships, and channel growth.

Learn more about ⁠The ISV Society⁠

Marketing has more tools, more data, and more AI than ever before. But are those things actually making marketing more effective?

In this episode of The Channel Buzz, Amiee Keenan sits down with Michelle Glennie of The Partner Marketing Group to dig into the latest Technology Marketing Benchmark & Trends Report and some of the findings might make you rethink where your marketing time and budget are going.

Why are referrals one of the most effective lead generation tactics, yet so few companies have a formal referral program? Why do marketers say blogging delivers results while ranking it low for lead generation? And with AI adoption at an all-time high, where is it actually helping—and where is the human perspective still essential?

Amiee and Michelle also talk about why events continue to perform, the disconnect between generating leads and converting them into opportunities, customer advocacy, content repurposing, and why showing up consistently may matter more than constantly chasing the next marketing tactic.

If you’re planning your 2027 marketing strategy, this conversation offers a data-backed look at what marketers think is working, what the numbers actually say, and where some of the biggest opportunities may be hiding.

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome & What the Marketing Data Says
03:03 – The Biggest Surprise in This Year’s Report
04:37 – Why Aren’t More Companies Using Referral Programs?
06:11 – Is Marketing Getting Harder—or Just More Complicated?
07:29 – Why Marketers Need to Repeat Themselves More
09:16 – The Lead Generation vs. Conversion Problem
12:16 – Shared Visibility & the Power of the Community
13:18 – 89% of Marketers Are Using AI—But Are We Using It Well?
17:23 – Why Events Are Still Winning
20:17 – Stop Measuring Event Success by Badge Scans
22:31 – The Surprising Data Behind Blogging
25:11 – Why Your Content Needs to Show Up in More Places
28:07 – Final Takeaways for Your 2027 Marketing Strategy

Download The Technology Marketing Benchmark & Trends Report.

🔗 Connect with Amiee on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 

🎧 Listen & follow to get future episodes on marketing, partnerships, and channel growth.

Learn more about ⁠The ISV Society⁠

You say you have a great relationship with that partner.

But does the partner know you—or does one person know you?

That’s a bigger difference than we sometimes realize.

In this solo episode of The Channel Buzz Podcast, Amiee Keenan looks at an overlooked part of partner growth: becoming better known inside the partners you already have.

Because one great champion can open a lot of doors. But if that person changes roles, leaves the company, or shifts priorities… what happens to the partnership?

Amiee introduces The Sarah Test, a simple way to find out just how deep your partner relationships really go. She also explores why sales, consulting, marketing, and leadership can each create different opportunities—and how ISVs can build those relationships naturally without blasting an entire partner organization with “just checking in” emails. 😂

You’ll walk away with a practical Partner Visibility Audit you can use with your five most important partners—and one question that might change how you think about partner growth:

Do we actually need more partners… or do we need more relationships inside the right partners?

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the partner visibility gap

01:58 The importance of internal relationships within partners

04:00 The limitations of relying on a single contact

05:48 Introducing the Sarah test for partner relationships

07:46 Deepening relationships inside existing partners

09:56 Creative ways to build partner relationships

12:05 Balancing new partner acquisition with relationship depth

13:50 Practical steps for a partner visibility audit

16:05 Key insights and closing thoughts

🐝 Buzzworthy Insight: Your next partner opportunity may be inside a partner you already have.

🔗 Connect with Amiee on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 

🎧 Listen & follow to get future episodes on marketing, partnerships, and channel growth.

Learn more about ⁠The ISV Society⁠

How big is your audience?

It's one of the first questions marketers ask before deciding whether an opportunity is worth pursuing.

But it may be the wrong place to stop.

In this episode of The Channel Buzz, Amiee Keenan explores why your company's email list, followers, and website visitors represent only part of your potential reach.

When ISVs collaborate with partners, communities, other ISVs, podcasts, events, and industry organizations, their audiences begin to overlap — and expand.

That creates something Amiee calls shared visibility.

And that visibility matters because most buyers don't discover a company and immediately request a demo. They see it. Then recognize it. Then remember it. Eventually, when the right problem appears, they investigate.

Amiee breaks down why marketers should think beyond registrations and last-touch attribution and start asking a different question:

Whose audience could this opportunity put us in front of?

If you're an ISV trying to increase awareness without building every audience from scratch, this episode will change how you evaluate partnerships, webinars, podcasts, events, and collaborative marketing.

🐝 Buzzworthy Insight: Borrowed Audiences Build Shared Visibility.

🔗 Connect with Amiee on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 

🎧 Listen & follow to get future episodes on marketing, partnerships, and channel growth.

Learn more about ⁠The ISV Society⁠

You signed the partner. 🎉

Great!

Now what? 👀

In this episode of The Channel Buzz, Amiee Keenan sits down with Ienura Whitener, Chief Delivery Officer at Crimson Stark, to talk about the part of partnerships that doesn't get nearly enough attention: what happens AFTER the agreement is signed.

Because having 50, 100, or even 200 partners might look impressive…but how many are actually active?

Amiee and Ienura get into why partner programs lose momentum, why alignment across sales, marketing, leadership, and partnerships matters, and why sometimes the answer isn't recruiting more partners—it's doing more with the partners you already have.

They also tackle the classic: “We built the integration…now go build us an ecosystem!” 😬

Plus, Ienura shares why the best partnerships aren't win-win.

They're win-win-win.

If you work with partners, manage a channel, or are trying to break into a new ERP ecosystem, grab your headphones.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the importance of partner ecosystems

02:02 What makes a successful partner ecosystem

04:22 The role of alignment across teams

05:15 What does an intentional partnership look like

06:28 Why many partnerships fail after recruitment

11:18 Common mistakes when entering new ecosystems

14:33 When to seek help from experts like Crimson Stark

16:55 Final thoughts on collaboration and continuous learning

Learn more about Crimson Stark

🔗 Connect with Amiee on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 

🎧 Listen & follow to get future episodes on marketing, partnerships, and channel growth.

Learn more about ⁠The ISV Society⁠

Every software company dreams of landing a Global System Integrator (GSI), but very few are truly prepared for what comes next.

In this episode of The Channel Buzz, Amiee Keenan sits down with partnerships leader Rainie, who has experienced both sides of the equation—nearly eight years inside Accenture before leading GSI partnerships for a software company.

Together they unpack what it really takes to build a successful GSI relationship, why signing the agreement is only the beginning, how to know if your company is actually ready, and why AI is changing the way GSIs evaluate technology partners.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to GSI Partnerships and Episode Overview

02:27 Rainie's Background and Unique Perspective on GSI Partnerships

04:06 Understanding the Organizational Maturity for GSI Readiness

07:02 Key Internal Factors for GSI Partnership Success

09:00 The Reality of Activating GSI Partnerships

10:31 Common Misconceptions About GSI Opportunities

13:58 Impact of AI on GSI Models and Future Trends

17:29 Advice for Companies Seeking Their First GSI Partnership

19:29 Closing Remarks and Next Steps for Partnership Building

If you're building a partner program or thinking about enterprise alliances, this conversation will help you avoid costly mistakes before they happen.

🔗 Connect with Amiee on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 

🎧 Listen & follow to get future episodes on marketing, partnerships, and channel growth.

Learn more about ⁠The ISV Society⁠

Marketing campaigns come and go. Visibility stays with you.

Every ERP software company wants more leads, referrals, and partnerships, but many focus on launching campaigns instead of building long-term visibility. In this episode, Amiee explains why the companies that consistently show up are the ones that people remember, recommend, and trust.

In this solo episode, Amiee shares one of the biggest lessons she's learned after years of hosting Demo Days, interviewing ERP leaders, and speaking with ISVs across the ecosystem.

The companies everyone recognizes didn't become well-known overnight. They earned recognition through hundreds of small moments—podcasts, webinars, customer stories, LinkedIn conversations, events, and consistent education.

Chapters:

00:00 – Why Visibility Matters More Than Marketing Campaigns

00:53 – Why Most Companies Wait Too Long to Build Visibility

02:35 – The Myth of Overnight Success

04:20 – Why Visibility Compounds Like a Garden

06:50 – Creating Buzz Without a Big Marketing Budget

09:20 – Your Visibility Challenge

Takeaways:

• Visibility is a long-term game, not a quick fix.
• Consistent participation and helpful content build recognition.
• Creating buzz is about giving opportunities to discover you.
• Small efforts compound over time to build momentum.
• Engagement on social media and content sharing are key.

If you're wondering why some companies seem to attract opportunities effortlessly, this episode explains why consistency creates momentum—and momentum creates opportunity.

🔗 Connect with Amiee on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 

🎧 Listen & follow to get future episodes on marketing, partnerships, and channel growth.

Learn more about ⁠The ISV Society⁠

Partner growth often starts with the same response: recruit more partners.

But what happens after those partners sign?

In this episode, Amiee Keenan talks with partner enablement leader Alissa Amundson about why recruitment alone rarely creates sustainable channel growth.

They explore what meaningful enablement looks like beyond training, how to help partners recognize and position opportunities, and why services enablement may be one of the biggest missed revenue opportunities in the ecosystem.

Alissa also shares practical ways to measure enablement, build partner confidence, improve implementation quality, and keep your solution top of mind—even when partners represent competing vendors.

You will also hear why a jeweler protected his Rolodex more carefully than his inventory, how a branded mug can become an enablement tool, and why partners should never be surprised during a QBR.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Partner Enablement and Its Impact

01:01 Alyssa's Background and Passion for Education

03:39 Common Misconceptions About Enablement

05:23 The Role of Structured Enablement Programs

07:14 Top of Mind Messaging and Visual Cues

09:30 The Value of Swag and Visual Reminders

11:13 Partner Relationship as a Critical Asset

14:17 Metrics to Prove Enablement Impact

18:24 Tracking and Communication in Enablement

22:06 The Biggest Revenue Opportunities Missed by Partners

26:40 The Entire Lifecycle of Partner Enablement

🔗 Connect with Amiee on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 

🎧 Listen & follow to get future episodes on marketing, partnerships, and channel growth.

Learn more about ⁠The ISV Society⁠

Why booth scans aren't the metric that matters anymore.

One thing I've noticed is that most companies still judge event success by one number:

Booth scans.

But the best events create something much bigger than leads.

They create conversations.

Relationships.

Visibility.

Momentum.

In this episode, event marketing strategist Megan Martin shares why it's time to rethink how we measure conferences, trade shows, and community events and what ERP ISVs should focus on instead.

If you're sponsoring events this year, this conversation may change how you define success.

Chapters:

00:00 Rethinking Event Success Metrics

04:46 Understanding Buyer Intent at Events

09:31 Post-Event Follow-Up Strategies

14:22 Creative Event Participation Ideas

19:28 Maximizing Event ROI Before, During, and After

Check out Megan's podcast: Event About It

🔗 Connect with Amiee on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 

🎧 Listen & follow to get future episodes on marketing, partnerships, and channel growth

Download The CVCC Checklist today!

Learn more about ⁠The ISV Society⁠