Content Pros Podcast

Working with a brand like Twitter is like a box of chocolates-- you never know what you’re going to get! To a marketer, this can be terrifying. Yet on the other side of that, it keeps you on your toes, creates an exciting atmosphere and teaches you how to get comfortable with fluid conversations and continue moving forward. On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I chat with Laura Pearce, Head of Marketing in Canada at Twitter about her exciting career journey, the many different paths of Twitter’s customer journeys and how to embrace a culture of change.  Key takeaways from this episode: If a channel like Twitter is used for multiple purposes (generating acquisition, generating pipeline, marketing, customer service, etc.), we need to think not just about how we define the channel, but more importantly, how we define who is responsible for the channel.As marketers, we always need to make sure we’re joining the conversation rather than just trying to make the conversation about us.Communicati

It has never been more important to ensure our customers have a thorough understanding of our message. We need to amplify our message with more clarity and more colourful storytelling. In this episode, I interview Sean B. Pasternak, AVP of Global External Communications at Manulife about telling a brand story for a company focused on regulatory products, in a post-COVID society. Key takeaways from this episode: It's okay to cross over “to the dark side” from working as a media professional, to working on an internal brand communications team.Telling brand stories is crucial in today’s landscape.There is still a role for traditional PR in our evolving society.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play! 

It may be the oldest cliché in the book, but if you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. In this episode I learn about Victor Lee’s career journey which, in his words, was based on passion and character. Dreaming, tinkering, dabbling and thinking of innovative new ways to do things created the launchpad that guided his career. Victor was most notably SVP at Hasbro and in this episode we discuss the skills he developed as an agency marketer, his work leading pivots to digital marketing for a wide range of companies and the importance of having the conviction to fight the fights worth fighting for, not just the ones you know you can win.  Key takeaways from this episode: Clichés are overused for a reason and many of the cheesiest have merit when considering your career: do what you love, find passion in what you do, don’t be afraid to fail and know that there is always a bit of luck involved.Marketers are often tasked with coming up with big ideas, to the point where we’re

Product and marketing have always gone hand in hand. In most cases, product exists to address pain points that your customers are feeling, and marketing helps you communicate these solutions to your market. In this episode, I interview Paul Cowan, CMO at Freshbooks about understanding your addressable market and using your marketing toolkit to refine your product strategy. Key takeaways from this episode: Growth is a mindset. You need to focus on scale, find new avenues for your business and be constantly figuring out new revenue streams in order to remain relevant.Stick to what you know and love but look for waves! If your roots are in tech, don’t be afraid to explore a wide range of tech companies in your career from startups to tech giants.Face-to-face interaction with your customers can transform the way you understand your product.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play! 

The journey may be important, but when you manage a team, it’s just as key to make sure that even when they’re taking different paths, your team members arrive at the same destination. As we navigate new waters, diverse perspectives and different approaches are more important than ever in marketing. In this episode, I interview Danielle Brown, CMO at Points about how to make space for your team to do their best work, and the value of both objective and subjective approaches to marketing. Key takeaways from this episode: Marketing generalists are immensely undervalued. We need subject matter experts but adaptability and the ability to see the world broadly are imperative marketing skills.As a manager, you don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to ask the right questions and set your team up for success, driving towards a common goal.There is a time and a place for both subjective, “go with your gut” marketing and objective, data-driven marketing. Analytics and scientific approaches are key

It’s incredibly important to meet face-to-face with customers—except that right now, we can’t.  We have to rely on messaging more than ever before. In this episode, I interview  Christophe Coutelle, VP of Marketing at Element AI, about the two strategies he’s using for messaging right now. What we talked about:Global sales in a world without international travelHow to be timely and relevant (without exhausting your clients)The relaxation benefits of spending 5-6 hours a day in the waterCheck out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  Stitcher, and Google Play!

Product message equals product strategy.It’s worth repeating: The message is the strategy. But how do you get there?In this episode, I interview Des Cahill, CMO at Oracle, about the importance of storytelling in product marketing. What we talked about:Why product messaging is so integral to strategyThree pillars of the experience economy and how to tell a customer-focused storyMaking time for frequent breaks between hours of Zoom callsCheck out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  Stitcher, and Google Play!

Today, work is cross-functional.So it’s that much more important for all departments to come onto one Project Management Solution. Getting them onto one platform, though? That’s the tough part.In this episode, I interview Saranya Babu, SVP of Marketing at Wrike, about her journey from engineer to VP of Marketing and why today’s organizational structure almost requires all departments to use the same PMS. What we talked about:How Saranya became SVP of Marketing at a 1,000-person companyWhy she made the unusual switch from engineering to marketingHow to continuously advance your careerHow to rally a whole company around one PMS Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  Stitcher, and Google Play! 

Could CMO and CPO—Chief Product Officer—ever be filled by the same person?As it turns out, yes.In this episode, I interview Chris McLaughlin, Chief Product & Marketing Officer at Nuxeo, about the importance of product marketing and how a focus on product shaped his career. What we talked about:How a background in product marketing gave him insight into customer needsThe full circle of the product-based buyer journeyBenefits of getting completely off the grid at least once a yearCheck out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  Stitcher, and Google Play!

How’d you like to be the CMO that takes your org from 30M to 100M in less than a decade?To do that, you’ll have to drill down into content marketing.In this episode, I interview Joshua Leatherman, CMO at Service Express, about his content marketing wins. What we talked about:Hire the will, teach the skillHow to bring the buyer in to your content marketing approachGoing all in on contentNot waiting for a big vacation but making the weekends meaningfulCheck out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  Stitcher, and Google Play!

Fun is the key to engagement on social media.    Fun doesn’t mean irresponsible or irreverent—but it’s a quality that takes our responses from mediocre “like” to up to “love.”   Fun is a personality trait that also marks an effective brand. At least, that’s the mantra of one of the most successful brand builders who focuses on telling compelling stories.   In this episode, I interview Henk Campher, VP of Corporate Marketing at Hootsuite:   What we talked about: How to work for Nelson Mandela, Marc Benioff, Starbucks, and Salesforce Work should be fun, and so should brands Marketers sell their brains, so pouring back into your mind is essential   Check out this resource we mentioned during the podcast: Creating a Sustainable Brand by Henk Campher   Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play! 

Strategic selling starts with trust.And when someone chooses to work with a marketer at an agency, they’re pretty much putting their job into your hands. In this episode, I interview Andrea Lechner-Becker, CMO at LeadMD, about selling strategically vs. functionally. What we talked about:Selling strategically versus selling functionally What it’s like selling people’s brains and problem-solving abilitiesIf you write a novel about only having 60 days to live, you gain a new outlook on lifeHow Andrea stepped away from her job to work on a passion project for a year Check out this resource we mentioned during the podcast:Andrea’s debut novel, Sixty Days LeftCheck out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  Stitcher, and Google Play!

In an ideal world, when a marketer leads with the value their product or service provides, then follows up with a price that’s surprisingly good for that value, closing a deal would be easy. But in reality, it isn’t always that simple. In this episode, I interview Patrick Moorhead, Chief Marketing Officer at Price f(x): What we talked about:When to introduce the pricing conversation into the buyer journeyFormally asking someone to be your mentor (despite the awkwardness)The most overlooked component of the price discussion: feelingsFinding little quality moments with family can equal an entire vacationCheck out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  Stitcher, and Google Play!

In a mobile-first world, how do we capture engagement?Creating a buyer’s journey that feels real, authentic, and engaging is pretty much the only way to get a B2C or even a B2B consumer not to tune out. In this episode, I interview Tara Ryan, CMO at Swrve, about consumer engagement and overseeing two IPOs:What we talked about:Being demand-minded is even more important than being marketing-mindedConsumer attention is all about valueHow small startups can show authenticity at every stage in the buyer’s journeyCheck out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

The decision to cancel a 1,000+ person event isn’t an easy one, but it ultimately comes down to the health and safety of your attendees. And unfortunately, many businesses are in the same boat right now. In this episode, I interview Peter Isaacson, CMO at Demandbase, about his team’s decision to postpone the ABM Innovation Summit, and how important it is for marketers to be flexible.  What we talked about:The two essential traits in marketing team members early onPractical strategies for being flexible after a postponementWhy an annual vacation should be two weeks, not one Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on  Apple Podcasts,  Spotify,  Stitcher, and  Google Play!

Which part of the buyer’s journey is arguably most important and often the least integrated into your team? Content.I had a stellar conversation about marketing ownership over the entire customer journey with Steven Shapiro, VP of Marketing at CleverTap.What we talked about:The 4 Ds of taking a hiring chanceIntegrating content is just one example of how marketing has ownership over the whole customer journeyExercise makes 80 hour work weeks doableCheck out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

The next wave of B2B marketing has arrived.  Marketing and revenue executives are re-thinking their infrastructure, process, and approach to meet changing customer and executive expectations. What worked in the first era of modern marketing, will not deliver in the next era. In this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I check in with Scott Vaughan, Chief Growth Officer at Integrate, Inc. In addition to the new era of B2B marketing, we discuss: Mapping out a career from VP level to C levelEncouraging internal change managementBringing real innovation back to the B2B spaceCheck out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  Stitcher, and Google Play.

Success isn’t having a lot of money from VCs or investors.It’s signing on customers.In this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I catch up with the former CMO at Tableau Software turned advisor, Elissa Fink. She shares her journey through the marketing world and how she found value by helping customers get smarter.We also discuss:What the true sign of success is for startupsWorking and thriving within budget constraintsThe value of taking risks with startups who don’t have the brand recognition yetCheck out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

The sales process is broken. Nobody actually enjoys buying anymore—especially not software. And when it comes to most sales processes, the human touch has just disappeared.I recently talked with Ryan Bonnici, CMO at G2, about his approach to this problem.What we talked about:How being a mini CMO prepared him to wear all the CMO hatsHis take on how the sales process is broken (& how to streamline it)Why marketers should think like consumersFour weeks off a year is the bare minimum Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on  Apple Podcasts,  Spotify,  Stitcher, and  Google Play!

Content and thought leadership are both king. But if they had a fight, content would win. First off, content doesn’t just have to be a thought leadership exercise. Secondly, it isn’t something that just the content marketer owns. On this episode, I interview Natalie Lambert, Chief Marketing Officer at Instart, about creating content and culture: What we talked about:Natalie is highly self-taught and has a voracious passion for learningWhat the exact relationships between content and thought leadership should beWhy culture and team dynamics are everythingGo on safari to truly disconnect from work (and see big cats)Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey at Apple Podcasts,  Spotify, or our website.