On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Bill Talbot, CMO of OpsRamp. This is an interesting episode because just before the interview, OpsRamp was acquired by the well-known brand Hewlett Packard Enterprise. We take advantage of this timing to discuss what this acquisition will mean for OpsRamp, what it means for Bill as CMO, and how he’s planning on navigating the change. 

Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts!

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Avoid getting hung up on titles. Throughout his career, Bill has held several various roles, responsibilities, and titles. Rather than getting hung up on titles, he’s always been focused on the kind of impact he can make, the company culture, and the team he’s working with—which has ultimately led him toward the right path for his own career development.
• Demonstrate success to sellers. Bill talks about why, as the team begins to navigate the post-aquisition shift, it will be crucial to grab the attention of sellers and win them over. Part of his strategy to do this is pointing to some of the joint successes OpsRamp and HP have seen in recent years in order to demonstrate their proven track record.
• Prioritize the customer. Bill also notes that when it comes to building relationships, it’s important to show the customer that you genuinely care about their concerns on a regular basis—not just when it’s getting close to renewal time. Authenticity is key, so learning to build real relationships with customers is pivotal.

Learn more about Redwood OpsRamp here: https://www.opsramp.com/ 

Learn more about Bill here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/btalbotjr/

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Wendy Steinle, CMO at Domo, a cloud software company. Wendy has worked across a variety of sectors prior to her time at Domo, including positions at Adobe, Novell, and Degreed. Throughout her career, she’s tied her love of words with data to become a well-rounded marketer and storyteller. Wendy believes strongly in needing a robust content marketing strategy that connects with people throughout the buyer's journey—and that positioning yourself in a place of trust is key to conversion. In today’s episode, we discuss the importance of having a variety of experiences to be a great CMO, the human element of marketing, and the importance of consistent messaging. 

Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify

Key takeaways from this episode:

• People buy from people they trust. Wendy stresses the importance of trust in the buyer's journey. Humanizing your marketing and anchoring your strategy in a human approach fosters trust and connection, which can ultimately lead to conversions.
• Connect your content. Your content strategy should connect a consistent message and compelling story to resonate with different buyers.
• Be a full-journey marketer. Wendy and her team look at every step of the buyer’s journey in depth, developing personas and pain points for each, and then creating strategies for reaching each persona and addressing their questions.  

Learn more about Domo here: https://www.domo.com/

Learn more about Wendy here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendysteinle

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Bryan Urioste, CMO of Redwood Software. Bryan has spent his career in the tech world, becoming an expert at building revenue acquisition strategies for long-term growth. We discussed his path to becoming a CMO and the opportunities marketers have to invest in customer marketing. Bryan shares his insights into announcing acquisitions, the role of newsletters, and finding work-life balance. 

Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts!

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Talk to your customers. Bryan believes that too many marketers don’t take advantage of the amazing resource that is their customers. By talking with customers, you can discover their pain points and solve them, and also uncover opportunities for growth you would otherwise be unaware of. 
• Invest in customer marketing. Bryan emphasizes the value of investing in tools that will help your team understand what your customers are thinking. He emphasizes the huge growth opportunity in leveraging customer marketing and giving current customers additional value. 
• Raise your hand. Bryan was able to develop a wide array of skills and advance in his career by raising his hand and taking on new projects, even when they seemed difficult. He’s a believer that every job gives you new skills and helps you grow, even if you eventually realize the role isn’t the right fit. 



Learn more about Redwood Software here: https://www.redwood.com

Learn more about Bryan here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/b2bonlinemarketing

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Stephen Gold, CMO at SparkCognition. Stephen brings a holistic view to his role, having served as CEO and President at his previous companies, Azerty and Aberdeen Group. Trained as an engineer, he later became passionate about marketing and made it his career focus. We discuss the importance of knowing what makes your product relevant, the role of AI in marketing, and why marketers need to tell relatable stories. 

Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts!

Key takeaways from this episode:

• The CMO role is about more than being a great marketer. Stephen has learned that being a great CMO comes down to much more than being an expert marketer. CMOs need to understand their product and the industry inside and out, which means learning how to effectively communicate with leaders across their company and following what's going on in the world that will keep their product relevant. 
• Segment your stories and sell solutions. Stephen emphasizes the importance of segmenting the story you tell prospective clients to fit their pain points. The value you bring each buyer will inherently be different, so aim to package the story to be relatable to them and their needs. To manage these different stories, he recommends finding a basic common thread that applies to all of them. 
• Sell solutions. Stephen knows that no one is going to raise their hand and ask to be sold to. People lean into stories they find value in and relate to, so marketers need to ensure that the top of the funnel knows what the company can do for them and what challenges they will help them solve. 
• AI will be a marketer's best friend. Stephen wants marketers to embrace AI. AI used to be about what it could do for your customers, but now it's about what it can do for you and your communications strategy. 

Learn more about SparkCognition here: https://www.sparkcognition.com/

Learn more about Stephen here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephengold

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Joe Sawyer, CMO at Mirakl. Joe began his career as one of the first e-commerce analysts and witnessed the dot-com boom, then became a CMO of an e-commerce company, bringing his journey full circle. I was eager to hear how his experience as an analyst has informed his current approach, and what he thinks most CMOs misunderstand about the role of analysts. We discuss when to use an analyst and when to use your company’s own internal knowledge, and the importance of focus for a robust marketing strategy. 

Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts!

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Don’t see your relationship with analysts as transactional. Joe believes that CMOs and MarTech executives fundamentally misunderstand the role of analysts. Analysts like to engage and ask big questions about the ‘whys’ of your company, and you need to prove to them that your company or tech is the next big disruptor in the market. If you understand they are your partners, they can help you shape your organization’s story. 
• Externalize the internal. Joe believes vendors need to remember that they have a lot of value internally, which they can ultimately transform into external assets. Creating assets that are independently valuable is a key lead-generating tool, and empowering internal thought leaders with the tools they need to create these assets is something that Joe believes is often overlooked. Sometimes you don’t need an analyst paper—you have all the tools you need already. 
• Don’t create a category, redefine one. Joe believes that instead of creating a new category, organizations need to redefine a static, existing one. The way forward for many vendors is to disrupt how a category is perceived, while redefining the needs and expectations of the space. 

Learn more about Mirakl here: https://www.mirakl.com

Learn more about Joe here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-sawyer-a4255 

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Latané Conant, CMO at 6sense, who I previously interviewed more than three years ago at the tail-end of 2019. Of course, a lot has changed since we last spoke, so I was eager to hear her exciting updates about how much her team has grown over the years. We discuss how buyer expectations have shifted, how she’s managing those changes alongside her colleagues, and how she encourages everyone on her team to help move the needle. 

Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts!

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Don’t fall too far behind the wave. Latané uses an imaginative analogy to explain the importance of keeping up the momentum during stages of high-growth. When wake-surfing, it’s important that you avoid falling too far back behind the wave—otherwise, no amount of movement will help you stay afloat. The same goes for companies that are growing fast: hiring should be a top priority if you hope to keep pace. 
• Understand your employee value proposition. Latané believes that learning to hire well is one of the most important aspects of the CMO role. Part of this includes communicating your company’s value proposition clearly to candidates. For example, she mentioned that at 6sense, work/life balance isn’t a major draw for the organization, but since it offers such a high-growth experience, they can guarantee that employees will learn a lot on the job—and fast.
• Take the time to communicate effectively. Latané also reminds us of the importance of clear communication, especially as we scale. Regardless of the size of your marketing team, we live in a world that’s changing rapidly. It’s essential that leaders take the time to sit down with their teams and explain the things that people may not see on the surface.

Learn more about 6sense here: https://6sense.com/ 

Learn more about Latané here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/latane-conant/ 

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Kelly Buchanan Spillers, CMO at Infor, a large organization with over $3 billion in revenue and 7,000 customers in 70 countries. The company was acquired by Koch Industries a number of years ago for a massive sum of $13 billion. Kelly came to Infor after leading digital marketing at L’Oreal, so she has a lot of insights to share about bringing B2C strategies into a B2B organization. 

Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts!

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Always put the consumer first. Coming from a B2C background, Kelly started her role at Infor with the mindset that marketing teams should always be prioritizing the consumer’s needs. Despite not having a set B2B playbook to work from, Kelly used her B2C background from L’Oreal to communicate with Infor’s customers in a way that would resonate. 
• Position your brand as a market expert. When it comes to carving out an authoritative position in the market, Kelly says she and the team at Infor have been focused on establishing the brand as high-level experts for specific industries. By communicating their expertise in certain niche areas, Infor has been able to set themselves apart from the competition and earn customers’ trust.
• Go back to basics. Recently, Kelly and the team at Infor have been taking a more holistic approach to the brand, ensuring that their online presence is clean and consistent across the board. When she first started as CMO, one of the first tasks she and the team undertook was to clean up anything that could be diluting their brand equity, and create streamlined brand guidelines to protect the brand’s image.

Learn more about Infor here: https://www.infor.com/ 

Learn more about Kelly here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellybuchanan/

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Sandeep Singh Kohli, CMO at Venafi. Coming from a product marketing background, Sandeep has a strong passion for the technology space, and his impressive career reflects that. During our conversation, we discuss concepts like embracing the voice of the customer, as well as realizing the responsibility we have as marketers at every stage of the buyer journey.

Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts!

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Do your homework. Venafi is a company that’s growing exponentially because so many brands are in need of their solution, so I was curious to know how Sandeep and the team strategized to achieve this. He mentioned that a part of the company’s success was just honest luck, but they also committed to doing their homework by really understanding the market, talking to the right people and researching the different buyer personas within the landscape. 
• Keep messaging consistent. Sandeep mentioned that there are two aspects of customer marketing: marketing to customers, which relies on demand gen and growth marketing, and leveraging the customer's voice and advocacy for marketing, which tends to rely on content strategy. As an organization matures and there’s a steady flow of opportunities, Sandeep says it’s essential that the team remains consistent with its messaging to maintain momentum.
• The responsibilities of a CMO have shifted. Sandeep noted that over the years, we’ve witnessed several different generations of marketing, and as the industry has evolved, so have the expectations surrounding the CMO role. Now, CMOs are considered responsible for driving revenue throughout the various stages of the funnel like closing, retention and cross-selling.

Learn more about Venafi here: https://venafi.com/ 

Learn more about Sandeep here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skohli1/

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Ashley Kramer, CMO and CSO at GitLab—a company that’s a true force in the DevOps space. Having previously held roles as Chief Product Officer at Sisense and GM at Tableau Software, Ashley has plenty of wisdom to share about taking an unconventional route to the CMO role. She also offers her perspective on how to make all customers feel welcome and connect with them through a smart content strategy. 

Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts!

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Create a consistent experience. During her time at Tableau Software, Ashley learned the importance of creating a consistent experience for customers despite any major differences among the company’s various business units. In Ashley’s words, “no matter what you're talking about, no matter what you're promoting, no matter what you're trying to get customers to understand about the company, it has to feel like the same company.” 
• Passion comes in threes. For Ashley, when it comes to choosing a company for her next position, she needs to feel strongly passionate about three things: the product, the space, and the people on the team. She emphasized the importance of finding a position that feels like a fit culture-wise since it very often sets the tone for your entire role and tenure with the company.
• Empower your team to think outside the box. When it comes to content, Ashley is always thinking of new ways to encourage her team to think creatively and find fresh ideas to keep audiences engaged. For example, she’s keen on keeping a finger on the pulse of the community to seek inspiration and gain new insights daily.

Learn more about GitLab here: https://about.gitlab.com/ 

Learn more about Ashley here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyekramer/

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Tom Butta, CMO and Chief Strategy  Officer (CSO) at Airship. As someone who’s held almost 10 different CMO roles throughout his career, Tom’s learned a thing or two about positioning a brand in the market along the way. Tom shares his tricks of the trade from a leadership perspective and explains what it takes to be an effective CSO.

Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts!

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Being a great CSO means taking a strategic approach to marketing. For Tom, the CSO role begins with positioning the company effectively within the market and clearly articulating its vision. The role of the CSO and the CMO, then, is to find alignment behind the company strategy, bringing it to life through each interaction within the ecosystem.
• Work with challenger brands. Since the beginning of his career, Tom has been drawn to working with what he calls “challenger brands,” companies that are shaking up the status quo and disrupting a space by thinking outside of the box. By doing this, he’s been able to carve his own unique career path and gain experience that sets him apart from the crowd.
• Walk your talk. Tom argues that excellent marketing really begins within the organization. Companies need to first ensure they’re truly delivering on their value proposition before they focus on marketing efforts because, otherwise, it’s just “fake news,” as Tom says. This is one reason why he spends so much time with the product team at Airship—so he can develop a solid understanding of the product and the value it brings to customers.

Learn more about Airship here: https://www.airship.com/ 

Learn more about Tom here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tombutta/