The Marketing Share: What leaders need to know to run marketing

In this episode of The Marketing Share, our co-hosts Barb VanSomeren and Alec Chung sit down with Chae O’Brien, GTM specialist and principal strategist at Thought Bakery, for a grounded conversation about what it really takes to build a modern go-to-market strategy.

Chae has worked with leading SaaS brands like Bombora, G2, and Simulogic, helping them refine how they connect with customers and scale with purpose. She brings a mix of operational insight and marketing depth that’s rare and incredibly relevant for today’s marketing leaders.

This interview covers how customer intimacy drives great GTM decisions, why understanding your ICP matters more than ever, and how AI is reshaping the way marketing teams think, work, and lead.

Whether you’re stepping into your first marketing leadership role or guiding a team through change, Chae’s practical perspective will help you think more clearly about how to adapt, differentiate, and build momentum that lasts.

🎯 Key Takeaways:

• Know your customer deeply. Understanding what a day in their life looks like is the foundation of great marketing.
• Use AI thoughtfully. It’s not about faster content — it’s about freeing time for deeper strategy and connection.
• Differentiate through value. Messaging matters, but the real edge comes from how your product creates impact.
• Community is a growth pillar. Collaboration and shared learning are essential parts of a modern GTM approach.
• Leadership drives change. Teams need space to learn, experiment, and build new skills as the market evolves.

Resources: 

Substack: Understanding Your GTM Floor

🔗 Connect with Chae O'Brian
👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaenara/

Connect with our Podcast Manager 
👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/

Connect with the hosts:
👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/
👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/

Connect with the Podcast Manager
👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/

Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube

Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast?  Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to [email protected], and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. 

What if we told you that your copy isn't the problem, but your messaging is? 

In this episode of The Marketing Share Podcast, our co-hosts Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren have an insightful conversation with message market fit expert Chris Silvestri, founder of Conversion Alchemy.

With a background that spans software engineering, UX design, and behavioral psychology, Chris brings a unique perspective to copywriting and messaging strategy that all marketing and C-suite leaders should take note of.

He dives into the idea of the “messaging gap”, which is the disconnection between what companies think they’re saying and what customers actually hear. Chris explains how to spot the gap, why clarity and differentiation matter as much as emotion, and how aligning product, sales, and marketing narratives leads to conversions.

The conversation also dives into practical frameworks, psychological principles, and how AI can supercharge (but never replace) thoughtful messaging.

Whether you’re a CMO, marketing leader, or CEO frustrated with “meh” conversions, this episode will help you sharpen your message, align your teams, and connect with customers on a deeper level.

🔑 You’ll walk away with:

How to spot the “messaging gap” inside your organization
The 3 pillars of great messaging: clarity, emotion, differentiation
Why AI is a powerful tool but never a replacement for human reasoning. 

🎧 Subscribe to The Marketing Share Podcast for more unfiltered conversations with marketing leaders on growth, AI, and what’s next.

🔗 Connect with our Podcast Manager 
👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/

🔗 Connect with Chris Silvestri
👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophersilvestri/
🌐 Website: https://christophersilvestri.com/

Connect with the hosts:
👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/
👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/

Connect with the Podcast Manager
👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/

Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube

Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast?  Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to [email protected], and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. 

How do you go from corporate law to leading one of the most innovative social media management platforms? In this episode, Emeric Ernoult, CEO of Agorapulse, shares his entrepreneurial journey, the lessons learned from pivots and challenges, and the evolution of social media strategies over the years.

Emeric dives into how Agorapulse transformed from running Facebook contests to pioneering the social media inbox, and explores the growing role of AI in creating personalized, effective content. He also shares practical insights on content strategy, platform selection, and how businesses can adapt to the rapidly changing social media landscape.

🔑 You’ll walk away with:

Why pursuing passion over comfort can redefine your career path

How Agorapulse’s innovation and adaptability fueled its success

Ways AI is reshaping social media management for efficiency and personalization

The importance of useful, engaging content to build a loyal audience

How to select the right social media platforms for your business goals

🔗 Connect with Emeric Ernoult:
👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernoult/

🎧 Subscribe to The Marketing Share Podcast to get unfiltered conversations with marketing leaders about growth, strategy, and the future of digital.

Connect with your hosts:
👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/
👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/

Connect with the hosts:
👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/
👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/

Connect with the Podcast Manager
👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/

Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube

Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast?  Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to [email protected], and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. 

How do you scale healthcare marketing without losing patient trust?

In this episode of The Marketing Share Podcast, hosts Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren sit with Alex Membrillo, CEO of Cardinal Digital Marketing, to unpack the fast-changing world of healthcare marketing.

From the influence of private equity on multi-site practices to the evolving rules of digital advertising, Alex shares the challenges and opportunities healthcare marketers are facing today. 

🔑 You’ll walk away with:

• How private equity is reshaping healthcare practices at scale
• The critical role of HIPAA compliance in patient trust and marketing effectiveness
• How digital advertising in healthcare is evolving
• How technology and CRM systems improve patient engagement
• Future trends: AI, personalization, and the patient experience

🎧 Subscribe to The Marketing Share Podcast to get the unfiltered conversations marketing leaders are having about AI, growth, and the future of customer engagement.

🔗 Connect with Alex Membrillo:
👉 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexmembrillo

Connect with the hosts:
👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/
👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/

Connect with the Podcast Manager
👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/

Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube

Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast?  Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to [email protected], and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. 

In this episode of The Marketing Share Podcast, marketing experts Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren are joined by Stephanie Brooks, a seasoned marketing leader with a wealth of experience in website development. Together, they dive into the work it takes to build and maintain effective websites.

Stephanie shares her journey from journalism to marketing, highlighting her expertise in website projects, including a notable 400-page site. The discussion covers topics such as stakeholder involvement, team assembly, and the importance of owning your website's code. She also explores the evolving landscape of content management systems, with a focus on WordPress and other popular platforms.

Whether you're a marketing leader or a newcomer to website projects, this episode provides practical guidance to help you succeed in the digital realm.

👉Connect with Stephanie Brooks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sbrooksms/

Connect with the hosts:
👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/
👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/

Connect with the Podcast Manager
👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/

Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube

Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast?  Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to [email protected], and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. 

In this episode of The Marketing Share Podcast, co-hosts Alec and Barb welcome a dynamic marketing duo—Tanya and Tony Thorson, co-authors of the refreshingly bold book, Get Off Your (M)ass. 

Together, they unpack how marketing must evolve in the age of automation, AI, and customer overload.

Drawing from their combined B2C, B2B, and B2A (Business to Anyone) experiences, the Thorsons break down how to move beyond mass marketing and lean into resonance, personalization, and emotional intelligence. 

From storytelling to silo-busting, this episode is packed with actionable insights and a ton of personality.

You’ll walk away with fresh ways to think about content, organizational structure, and how to create genuine customer connections—without sounding like a robot.

Key Takeaways:

• Resonance > Reach: Ditch the mass blasts and build connections that actually land.
• B2A Is the Future: Whether B2B or B2C, marketing is human-to-human—period.
• Break the Funnel Formula: Customers don’t move in straight lines, and your strategy shouldn’t either.
• Emotional Intelligence Wins: Personalization without empathy? That’s just creepy.
• Curiosity Drives Strategy: Stay curious and your brand stays relevant.
• Omnichannel with Intention: Match message, tone, and timing to the channel.
• Marketing = Business Leadership: Marketers must demand their seat at the strategy table.
• POISE Framework: Personalization, Omnichannel, Innovation, Strategy, and EQ—modern marketing's new pillars.

👥 Connect with the Guests:

• Tanya Thorson: LinkedIn
• Tony Thorson: LinkedIn

📚 Grab their book, Get Off Your (M)ass, on Amazon.

Connect with the hosts:
👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/
👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/

Connect with the Podcast Manager
👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/

Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube

Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast?  Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to [email protected], and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. 

Is AI your teammate or just another tool?

In this episode, marketing leader and AI strategist Liza Adams joins Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren to reframe how marketing teams think about AI. With decades of experience in tech and SaaS, Liza brings a deeply strategic lens to AI’s evolving role—not just in campaigns, but in how teams collaborate, operate, and drive outcomes.

From rethinking workflows to reshaping messaging, Liza urges marketers to see AI not as a tool, but as a transformative teammate. She shares how lean teams can scale faster by working differently (not just harder), how content quality is more important than ever, and why strategy—not just speed—is what separates noise from impact.

Whether you’re leading a team, building one, or reimagining how to work smarter in the age of AI, this conversation will reshape your perspective.

🔑 You’ll walk away with:

• How to elevate your strategic voice as a marketer using AI
• Why AI should be integrated into your team—not just your tech stack
• The new playbook for lean teams: workflows, not just outputs
• Why rethinking processes must come before automation
• How AI exposes content weaknesses—and what to do about it
• The shift from silos to outcomes: a new model for the future of work
• Real talk on using AI to enhance creativity, not replace it

🔗 Connect with Liza Adams:

• 👉 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lizaadams
• 🌐 Website: growthpath.net

🎧 Subscribe to The Marketing Share Podcast and be the first to get the unfiltered conversations marketing leaders are having about AI, growth, and what's next.

Connect with your hosts:
 👉 Barb VanSomeren: linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren
👉 Alec Cheung: linkedin.com/in/aleccheung

Connect with the hosts:
👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/
👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/

Connect with the Podcast Manager
👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/

Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube

Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast?  Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to [email protected], and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. 

Are LLMs your new buyers' first touchpoint? 

In this episode, B2B marketing strategist David Kirkdorffer joins Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren to unpack how AI is reshaping buyer enablement—and why your content might be invisible to large language models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.

David breaks down how marketers can adapt from traditional SEO to what he calls “AI enablement”—from restructuring site content to ensuring your messaging is consistent and crawlable across the web. He also explains why accessibility standards matter more than ever (yes, even for your image alt text and headers) and how PR is making a comeback in the AI era.

Whether you're trying to win LLM search results or just keep your brand from disappearing into digital oblivion, this conversation is packed with practical steps to future-proof your content.

You’ll walk away with:

🔑 How LLMs chunk and prioritize content (and how to optimize for it)
 🔑 Why consistent messaging across the web is more important than ever
 🔑 How to structure your website so AI actually sees your content
🔑 What PR and brand authority have to do with LLM visibility
🔑 How to future-proof your SEO strategy for AI-powered search

Connect with David:

👉 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidkirkdorffer
👉 Read David’s article: "How to Get AIs Like ChatGPT and Gemini to Mention Your B2B Solutions in Responses to Buyer Queries"

Connect with the hosts:
👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/
👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/

Connect with the Podcast Manager
👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/

Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube

Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast?  Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to [email protected], and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. 

Is the CMO role the coldest seat in the C-suite?

In this episode, Drew Neisser, founder of CMO Huddles and author of Renegade Marketing, joins Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren to unpack why today's marketing leaders are under more pressure than ever… and how to lead through the chaos with clarity, courage, and just a bit of fun.

From launching a CMO community during the height of the pandemic to advising marketing execs navigating AI and private equity pressures, Drew shares the tactics and mindset shifts that can help CMOs survive—and thrive—in the modern boardroom.

Whether you’re dealing with PE-backed expectations, AI fatigue, or sky-high performance targets, this conversation gives you a roadmap for staying relevant and resilient.

Some takeaways from this episode:
🔑 Why pipeline obsession can kill innovation, and what to do instead
🔑 How to turn AI into your "triple threat": content accelerator, workflow optimizer, and CEO whisperer.
🔑 The “CMO Plus” mindset—and why owning strategy or CX boosts your boardroom credibility.
🔑 How quick wins buy time to solve real business problems
🔑 Why fun is a leadership tactic.
🔑 The case for owning go-to-market (not just marketing) to earn your seat at the table

Connect with Drew:
👉 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drewneisser
👉 Explore CMO Huddles: cmohuddles.com

Connect with the hosts:
👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/
👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/

Connect with the Podcast Manager
👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/

Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube

Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast?  Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to [email protected], and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. 

Is SEO still SEO… in the age of AI?

In this episode, SEO strategist Noah Goldfarb from Fire and Spark joins Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren to unpack how search is shifting under the weight of AI and large language models—and what marketing leaders should actually do about it.

From the early days of backlink chasing to today’s era of AI-powered overviews, Noah’s seen the evolution firsthand. He shares how authenticity, evidence-based content, and community engagement are becoming the new SEO power moves.

Whether you're building an SEO strategy from scratch or wondering how to adapt to Google's latest AI-driven SERP changes, this conversation offers a practical lens on what matters now—and what doesn’t.

You’ll walk away with:
 🔑 Why SEO is still alive—but only if you redefine it
 🔑 How AI overviews are changing the SEO game (and what to do about it)
 🔑 Why backlinks matter… but not like they used to
 🔑 How to build content that connects across the funnel
 🔑 Real talk on measuring what actually drives growth—not just traffic
🔑 Why quality and transparency win trust (and conversions) in 2025
🔑 How to shift SEO budgets from link-building to strategic PR

Connect with Noah: Follow him on LinkedIn or explore more of his insights on LinkedIn

🎧 Subscribe to The Marketing Share Podcast to stay ahead of marketing trends with real-world advice from leaders across the industry.

Connect with the hosts:
👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/
👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/

Connect with the Podcast Manager
👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/

Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube

Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast?  Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to [email protected], and our Podcast Manager will get back to you.