Content Pros Podcast

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Stacey Epstein, CMO at Freshworks. As someone who has held roles as both CMO and CEO, Stacey understands the importance of choosing your own adventure along your career path. She explains how Freshworks approaches content strategy as a company with over 5,000 employees and over 400 million in recurring revenue, and why the skills you learn as a CMO often translate well into a role as CEO.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play! Key takeaways from this episode:Let go of ego. When it came time for her to jump into a new role, Stacey was wise enough to remove her ego from the equation. Although she held the coveted CEO title in her previous role, she didn’t hesitate to move back into the CMO role when she was presented with a position that checked all the most important boxes: great people, a product she was passionate about and a huge market opportunity. It’s all about the people

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Cate Lochead, CMO at JumpCloud. As a marketing executive who is on their third CMO role to date, Cate has plenty of wisdom to share about juggling product growth and the marketing machine, balancing a channel investment with your direct investment, and much more. Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Strike the right balance. Cate mentioned that as a software marketer, she fell in love with the challenge of striking a balance between the voice of the engineer and crafting messaging that will resonate with the consumer. With early-stage companies, marketers are challenged to transition the overall marketing narrative from the early positioning that’s geared towards how the product was built, into a story that will convey exactly how it’s going to change the world.Build a team you can trust. For Cate, one of her strengths as a marketer is being able t

In this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Peter Finter, CMO at CyberGRX. During our conversation, we discuss several interesting topics, including the importance of finding alignment with your finance department, and strategies for creating a predictable revenue engine.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Bigger isn’t always better. During his career, Peter has led marketing teams at large companies with upwards of 10,000 employees as well as smaller scale operations. He believes that one of the upsides of being part of a small team is that it can foster a strong sense of connectedness and collaboration. It’s also given him more opportunities to experiment with new tactics, which consistently keeps him stimulated and engaged in his role.Make friends with the finance function. As marketers, we often hear how important it is to find alignment with the sales team to optimize outcomes. However

In this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Dr. Patti Fletcher, a best-selling author, international speaker, award-winning business strategist, and CMO at Limeade. Patti shares her perspective on the employee experience, industry disruptions, content strategy, and much more.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Disrupt the status quo. Throughout the various roles she’s held during her career, Patti has consistently maintained an attitude of continuous improvement, growth, and evolution. In her words, if she’s comfortable, then she’s uncomfortable, which is a great maxim to live by if you’re hoping to make your mark as an industry disruptor and innovator.Diversity begets disruption. As a leader, Patti understands the importance of diversity in the workplace, and it’s a core principle of the topics she discusses in her speaking engagements, content and her latest book, Disrupters. She reminds

In this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Julie Knight, CMO of Unit4. Julie shares the story of how she landed her position at the software company, which has over 2,000 employees and has been around for more than 40 years now. She also explains the playbook she and her team used to modernize the company’s content strategy and weave a consistent narrative across channels.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Lead by example. As CMO of Unit4, Julie sets the tone for hundreds of people each day, so she’s conscious of the habits, behaviors and overall attitude she brings to the table. With employees working on a remote basis from various locations around the world, Julie aims to focus on keeping her team engaged through ongoing communication, team events and a welcoming open door policy.Reflect your values to the world. When Julie first came on as CMO of Unit4, she noticed a disconnect between

In this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Daniel Incandela, the CMO of Reachdesk. We discuss the importance of creating a human connection in marketing, building relationships through gifting, and the entire buyer journey as a whole.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Focus on relationship building. One of Daniel’s main strengths in his role as CMO is building relationships and helping others succeed. Throughout his career, Daniel has learned that all functions within the executive team play an essential role in the company, so building relationships founded in trust with all team members is critical.Gifting brings a human element to B2B marketing. As Daniel mentioned, gifting is something that’s present in all cultures around the world, which he learned while studying anthropology. Today, gifting has become a critical channel for marketers to rely on because it strengthens relationships

In this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Jeff Boehm, the CMO of Formlabs. We discuss the 3D printing space and some of its practical applications in areas like dentistry, the medical field and more. Jeff shares his perspective on the importance of understanding your market, especially when you’re still learning the various applications of your offering.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Keep it simple. Although working in the 3D printing space added an element of complexity to the marketing journey for Formlabs, Jeff reminds us that at the end of the day, all marketers share similar goals. No matter the product or service you’re marketing, it’s always a question of identifying pain points and connecting your customers with an easy and effective way of solving them.Focus on the people. Throughout his career as a marketing leader, Jeff has learned a few critical lessons when it comes to c

In this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Carly Brantz, CMO at DigitalOcean. We discuss strategies for keeping marketers engaged and continuously evolving in their roles. Carly also shares her perspective on the changing nature of the content strategy, and why it’s an essential component of the customer journey today.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Keep it fresh. When it comes to keeping CMOs engaged and growing within their roles, Carly recommends experimenting with as many different areas of the marketing practice as possible. By keeping it fresh year after year and venturing into unknown territory, Carly has been able to gain exposure to new areas of the business and become a continuous learner. Prioritize people. For Carly, making the jump to the C level was all about prioritizing her personal connections with people across the organization. Since marketing has become even mo

In this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Kim Caldbeck, the CMO of Coursera. We discuss how Kim approached learning the business when she first came on as a director, and how she ultimately worked her way up to the role of CMO. Kim also shares her top tips for customer acquisition and her philosophy on leading a team of marketers amidst a changing landscape.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Join the mission. By the time she was on track to become CMO at Coursera, Kim had already made herself an indispensable member of the team by helping to build the company’s vision from the ground up. As a key player in the company’s strategy-shaping phase, Kim had earned respect and credibility, which ultimately allowed her to position herself as the best (and only) candidate for the CMO role.Follow your passion. Here on The Marketer’s Journey, many of our guests have highlighted the importance of fo

In this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Kevin Sellers, CMO of Ping Identity. Kevin believes strongly in using the psychology of marketing to connect with customers, and during our conversation, he shares his tips for adopting this mentality. He also explains some of the key lessons he learned during his 13 years at Intel, and how he knew Ping Identity was the right fit for him as a company.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Build credibility early on. Coming off the heels of a long stint at Intel, Kevin had to shift gears and earn the trust of a new team when he first came on as CMO of Ping Identity. To do this, he secured a few short-term wins early on in his role, established trust with his team and made his intentions as CMO clear to really hit the ground running as a leader.Learn the immutable laws of growth. Kevin mentioned that during his time at Intel, he learned from the compan

In this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Andy Jolls, CMO at FastSpring. During the episode, we discuss selecting the right CMO role for your career journey, how to know if the company you’ve joined has potential, and why it’s important to expand your view of the competition. Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Consider the growth stage of the company. When on the hunt for a new company to join, Andy emphasized the importance of identifying the company’s growth stage and determining which stage is right for you and your career goals. He recommended finding the sweet spot by experimenting with companies at various growth stages and identifying where your strengths lie.Don’t forget about the “C” in CMO. Andy mentioned that he’s had some great mentors throughout his career who have reminded him that anyone at the CMO level needs to take a holistic view of the company to consider the ful

In this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Steve Pacinelli, Chief Marketing Officer at BombBomb and The Wall Street Journal best-selling author of Rehumanize Your Business and Human-Centered Communication. During the episode, we discuss Steve’s journey to CMO, the importance of great communication and how to be a better advocate for your brand.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Believe in your product. Steve mentioned that the best way to sell your product is to truly believe in it and the benefits it can bring to your life. By getting to know BombBomb’s product and the power it had to impact his own life, Steve was ultimately led to join the company as CMO and ulatimately infuse his role with passion.Events are a microcosm of the marketing space. Steve made an insightful point about events being a microcosm for the entire marketing space because convincing customers to attend the event i

In this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Lisa Horner, SVP of Marketing at AppFolio. During our discussion, Lisa shares her approach to leadership, her perspective on the customer experience, and how to connect with customers in more meaningful ways. She also offers her thoughts on some of the core elements of great content, how to engage in valuable brand storytelling and much more.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Strategy alignment is critical. Lisa mentioned that ensuring leadership teams are aligned on the company’s annual or multi-year game plan can help to set the entire organization up for success. From a place of internal alignment, it can be much easier to determine priority areas of focus and crystallize the company’s overall goals.Understand your customer. Once you’ve done the legwork needed to truly understand your customer and get inside their head, you can gain enough tra

Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Be customer-obsessed. As a current CMO and a former CEO, Bala understands the value of taking a customer-centric approach by listening to their needs first. While many entrepreneurs may think of finding solutions first and identifying the problems second, Bala suggests taking the inverse approach to ensure your product is addressing a real pain point for customers.Appeal to psychology. Bala explained that there are two major personality types: one that will be more drawn to emotive storytelling, and one that is more swayed by facts, statistics and analysis. When creating content, it’s important to understand how to appeal to these two distinct psychological profiles by crafting a compelling story that includes elements of both.Don’t forget about product channel fit. One of the main points Bala helped to drive home during the episode was the importance of finding the

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview James Whitemore, EVP and CMO at NetApp. During the episode, we discuss sales and marketing alignment, the benefits of maintaining a startup mentality even as a 30-year-old company, and the importance of staying authentic.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Embrace a startup mentality. During his career, James has spent over a decade running startups. He says these experiences have imbued him with several applicable skills, teaching him the importance of taking a data-driven approach, staying agile and understanding the test-learn-iterate cycle. Even if you’re not working in a startup environment, this mentality can be applied in any role to ensure continuous improvement.Pick your battles. James emphasized the importance of compartmentalizing to focus on your top priorities, especially in a leadership role. In other words, pick your battles, and do

Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Pound the pavement. When you’re in the market for a new role, it’s important to do your due diligence through plenty of research, networking and informational interviews. Rebecca mentioned that she had checked out about 100 companies prior to being contacted by Loom, which shows just how committed she was to finding the right fit.Be a cross-functional leader. Rebecca is a self-proclaimed cross-functional leader, which means she has the ability to wear multiple hats and fulfill several different roles within the company. By taking on an attitude of continuous learning, Rebecca has shaped herself into an outstanding leader and fallen in love with the journey in the process.Timing is everything. When it comes to product-led growth, Rebecca stressed the importance of keeping an awareness of market readiness and taking advantage of new opportunities as the world evolves.

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Raj Sarkar, CMO at 1Password. During the episode, we discuss bringing brands to market in an efficient way, how to optimize opportunities based on audience segments, and some of the pillars he’s put in place for the marketing team as CMO at 1Password.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Get smart to market on a budget. During our discussion, Raj mentioned that he has a few tricks up his sleeve when it comes to marketing on a lean budget from past experiences. Smart marketing doesn’t always necessarily come down to having a healthy budget—creative thinking will get you far when money is tight.The gap between B2B and B2C marketing is closing. Although there is still a clear distinction to be made between B2B and B2C marketing, the gap is closing and brands are now moving closer to H2H (Human to Human marketing). Raj used the example of Dropbox, notin

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Atri Chatterjee, CMO of ForgeRock. During the episode, we discuss his path to CMO, the convergence of product and content, and the similarities between being a product manager and a product marketer. Atri also shares his perspective on the role of content in the future of marketing.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Content is key. Throughout his career, Atri has learned that content plays a key role in the customer experience. When creating content, brands need to consider the kind of experience they’re creating for customers and how they’re adding value to their lives. This will ultimately help them connect with customers in their own language and continue building their brand narrative.Consider the end goal. Throughout his career, Atri has held various product-based roles that have helped him learn valuable skills and lessons. He noted that wh

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Ashley Stepien, Vice President of Marketing at Ramp, the corporate card and spend management platform designed to help you spend less. During the episode, Ashley shares her thoughts on the importance of understanding the voice of the customer, getting “weird” creatively to stand out, and creating an amazing customer experience along the way.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Identify the common threads. Ashley noted that while working as a consultant, she noticed that almost every marketing organization faced the same common pain points. Throughout her career, she’s recognized the need to stay focused on three core issues: engaging with customers, supporting sales organizations, and building a strong organization with the ability to scale and grow over time.Hold one another accountable. When working in a team setting, holding one another accounta

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Jason McClelland, CMO at Algolia, a startup that enables developers to build next generation apps with composable APIs. During the episode, we discuss Jason’s non-traditional path to CMO, how brands can make the most of their tech, and the key processes that ensure success.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play!Key takeaways from this episode:Keep an eye out for potential. Jason took a non-linear path to the role of CMO. Part of the reason for his success was his ability to recognize potential and follow through on his interests throughout his career. When looking for a new company to join, it’s important to look at the bigger picture and visualize the highest potential of an organization from the beginning.Be intentional. As a tech advisor for major corporations like Coca-Cola and Nike, Jason noticed that it was common for CMOs to become enamored with flashy new technology without