Sunny Side Up

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Chris Moody interviews Dora Boussias on the nuances of developing a robust data strategy and balancing immediate data requirements with a long-term vision. She underscores the need to align teams, particularly sales and marketing, around a unified set of goals and metrics and foster an environment encouraging transparency and teamwork. Dora also stresses the critical balance between data-driven storytelling and emotional intelligence, emphasising the need for professionals to build relationships and communicate effectively in the workplace. Throughout the conversation, they discuss the importance of adapting to change, investing in soft skills, and the mutual respect required for successful collaboration. About the Guest Dora Boussias is a business data and technology strategic thought leader and practitioner with deep domain expertise in data & analytics, enterprise architecture, and digital transformation; accustomed to walking the line between Business

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Kelly Hopping interviews Jane Lee on her transition from B2C to B2B marketing. Jane discusses the significance of a strong brand as a sustainable competitive advantage, the necessity of aligning brand position with company vision, and the importance of building brand equity and customer connections. Jane emphasises adapting marketing strategies to support overall business goals, aligning them with sales objectives, and focusing on processes that lead to measurable outcomes. Jane also shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for rapidly adaptable marketing strategies in crises. Lastly, we discuss the shift from B2C to B2B marketing regarding data strategies, emphasising the value of direct customer data.  About the Guest Jane Gasparian Lee is the Managing Director of B2B Marketing at United Airlines. She leads the United for Business marketing strategy and B2B product development. Prior to joining United Airlines, Jane worked for 10+ year

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Chris Moody interviews Meredith on B2B marketing. She discusses the need to understand buyers' functional and emotional needs and stresses the importance of authenticity and empathy in marketing. Meredith greatly advocates for realistic communication and tangible evidence to support product claims. Her key strategies include developing detailed customer personas, engaging with sales teams for direct feedback, and continuously testing marketing messages to ensure relevance. Meredith highlights the effectiveness of conversational marketing and the importance of comprehensive strategies that focus on customer retention and acquisition. This conversation offers valuable takeaways for anyone in the B2B space looking to enhance their marketing strategies and build stronger customer relationships. About the Guest Meredith has an extensive career in marketing and product management with leadership roles at high-growth and Fortune 500 companies in healthcare and fi

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Corrine Kasman interviews Helana Zhang on her role in shaping Atlassian’s ABM strategy. Helena delves into her career from the semiconductor industry to leading Atlassian's global ABM team. Helena shares her key strategies, such as aligning marketing with sales goals and focusing on top-tier enterprise accounts. She highlights the significance of differentiating between one-to-one and one-to-few strategies, particularly for global accounts with complex structures. Helena emphasises the importance of detailed documentation and goal-setting for effective collaboration across teams and also discusses integrating events into ABM strategies and balancing operational and strategic roles. About the Guest Helana is a seasoned enterprise marketer and is currently the Head of Global Account-based Marketing at Atlassian. She has over a decade of experience in ABM, demand generation, and event marketing roles. Prior to Atlassian, Helana led demand gen and campaigns te

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Gareth Noonan interviews Alex Donics on Spotify’s evolution in mastering engagement and measuring success. Alex highlights the importance of personalisation, noting that Spotify prioritises individual user experiences. This focus on personalisation, coupled with an emphasis on the needs of creators and listeners, has contributed to Spotify's incredible reach across 184 markets with 550 million listeners. Podcasts, especially during COVID-19, have emerged as powerful tools for topical exploration, allowing creators and brands to connect deeply with audiences. Alex dives into how Spotify has refined its strategies to offer brands effective means of engagement and debunks common myths about audio advertising's measurability. About the Guest Alex is the Global Director of Demand Marketing at Spotify, where he leads a global B2B marketing team that is responsible for growing demand for Spotify Advertising. In his five years at Spotify, Alex has held leaders

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, host Erik Blaze interviews Carolyn Crandall on the evolving world of marketing and AI integration. She discusses the importance of personalised customer experiences and adopting a full-stack marketer mindset. Marketers should strategise effectively, embrace continuous learning, and recognise AI's diverse impact beyond content creation. Forward-thinking leaders and tools like Imperative drive innovative marketing initiatives through data correlation and sentiment analysis.   About the Guest Carolyn Crandall is a technology CMO and executive with over 30 years of experience in building emerging technology markets in security, networking and storage industries. She has a demonstrated track record of successfully taking companies from pre-IPO through to multibillion-dollar sales and has held leadership positions at Attivo Networks, Cisco, Juniper Networks, Nimble Storage, Riverbed and Seagate. Carolyn is recognized as a global thought leader on technology tren

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Chris Moody interviews Brian Kotlyar on today’s challenges and opportunities in B2B marketing. Brian emphasizes the pivotal role of data warehouses in refining marketing strategies, noting that traditional methods are waning in effectiveness. He champions smaller, targeted projects for better risk management and stresses the significance of tailoring strategies to individual needs. Even as technology advances, Brian underscores the enduring value of foundational business skills. The discussion guides B2B marketers, urging adaptability, foresight, and a data-driven approach in the modern marketing era. About the Guest Brian Kotlyar is VP of Marketing and Growth at Hightouch, a Data Activation company that helps businesses automatically get their most valuable data into the hands of their business teams. Before this, he was SVP of Marketing at New Relic, where he helped to lead a tripling in growth rate under the watchful eye of the public markets. He has worked

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Jordan Saucedo interviews Renny Fidlon on navigating challenges in ABM like a seasoned pro. Renny highlights the shift from lead-based models to strategic account approaches and emphasises aligning marketing with sales in B2B sales. He discusses common ABM pitfalls and the importance of showcasing ROI to leadership. Renny shares advice for B2B SaaS marketers, emphasising predicting client intent and providing value-added tools. He also stresses sales adoption as crucial when launching ABM platforms and suggests businesses pivot from sales enablement to buying enablement in the current unpredictable economy. Renny encapsulates the mantra "Do Less, Better" and consistently champions the need to showcase value to customers. About the Guest As VP of Marketing at SproutLoud, Renny Fidlon is responsible for building a predictable, repeatable revenue engine. He oversees SproutLoud’s branding, marketing programs, product marketing, revenue operations, and sa

Episode Summary  In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Philip Warren chats with Siara Nazir about integrating your marketing strategy with artificial intelligence and data science. Siara discusses the transformative impact of Mixed Media Modeling, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the MarTech stack's future direction in the evolving digital marketing landscape. Siara also shares her experience creating an AI chatbot powered by natural language processing that improved customer engagement and boosted non-branded keyword revenue. About the Guest  Siara Nazir is an award-winning global digital marketer and media leader who has pioneered AI-based solutions that quadrupled conversions and doubled engagement for marketing programs at Autodesk. She’s led digital transformation for two Fortune 500 companies and her strategies have been featured in Forrester and other industry publications. She speaks at many industry conferences and was recently the recipient of the Equality Impact Award for women in tech.  Connect w

Episode Summary  In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Brian Hopper chats with Catherine Dummitt to discuss success in transitioning from sales to marketing. Catherine champions the mantra: 'Engage, don't just sell your products.' Drawing from her rich sales experience, she underscores the importance of relationship-building in today's vibrant marketing world, emphasising value-driven strategies over mere transactions. Listen in to learn how Catherine merges adaptability, collaboration, and profound field insights to redefine success in marketing. About the Guest  Catherine Dummitt is the VP of Marketing at Narvar. In her role, Catherine oversees all aspects of Narvar’s marketing, generating brand awareness, driving demand, and powering customer advocacy. As a Marketing leader, Catherine is passionate about building diverse teams, who operate as organizational growth catalysts. Catherine is dedicated to advancing women in the workforce – having stood up ERCs at previous organizations and having se

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Chris Moody interviews Beth Forester on her journey from entrepreneurship to corporate leadership. Beth talks about the challenges and rewards of transitioning from running her own business for over two decades to navigating the corporate world of SaaS at Animoto. She emphasises the importance of stakeholder buy-in and the significant role of product marketing from the early stages of development. Throughout the discussion, Beth highlights the value of learning directly from customers, prioritising core SaaS metrics, and building trust to drive collaboration. Our conversation is packed with insights for those navigating career changes or transitions between startups and established organisations. About the Guest Beth Forester is a dynamic marketer fueled by a passion for data and storytelling. From founding her first company in her early 20s to her experience as a product marketer in the tech industry, she gained a deep understanding of market dynamics, pricin

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Rory Costello interviews Prashant Bhatia, a seasoned professional with over 25 years in enterprise software, on navigating modern leadership hurdles and fostering organizational expansion. From starting in product management to transitioning into product marketing and eventually embracing executive leadership roles, Prashant highlights the importance of adaptability and continuous learning. He discusses the challenges of moving from a smaller company to a global enterprise, emphasising trust, transparency, and accountability as keys to professional networking. As he outlines his current role at SpendHQ, Prashant's vision for the high-growth SaaS company's future shines through.  About the Guest Prashant Bhatia has been in the enterprise software industry for 25+ years, most recently joining SpendHQ as Chief Marketing Officer responsible for global go-to-market strategy. Prior to SpendHQ, he was CMO at Blue Ridge Global, and prior to that, he was with R

Episode Summary  In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Tyler Gambardella chats with Octavian Brezoi of Verifone about how your brands can do more with less by optimising your sales funnels and marketing channels. They talk about navigating the challenges and opportunities of omni-channel sales approaches. While e-commerce continues to grow, most transactions still occur through traditional channels, underscoring the importance of creating consistent, integrated customer experiences. Leading effectively in such an environment, he notes, is akin to successful B2B selling, requiring trust-building, expertise, and leadership. He further dives into the intricacies of managing P&L, advocating for a vigilant approach to tracking risks and opportunities.  About the Guest  Octavian is a highly accomplished and results-oriented Sales Leader with over 14 years of experience in driving growth and building fruitful, long-term partnerships. With a "can-do" attitude and a growth mindset, he is passionate about emp

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Kieran Conway interviews Gail Buffington, a seasoned expert in analytics. Drawing from her rich background in both marketing and analytics, Gail discusses the importance of using diverse data sources to gain deeper business insights. She shares insights from her role at MilliporeSigma, emphasising the value of blending internal and external data, collaborating with third-party data providers, and the innovative use of public data sets. Gail's main message? Adopt a broad, exploratory approach to data to unlock its full potential. About the Guest Gail Buffington is the Head of Data Science and Analytics for Millipore Sigma, a global life sciences company. Previously, she worked in retail as vice president of marketing and analytics for a women's apparel company. She has over 15 years of experience across a wide breadth of data careers. Outside of her current role, she also serves as a training officer with the United States Army and is a Girl Scout troop

Episode Summary  In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Carolyn Najac interviews Christian DeMarais on crafting success and navigating landscapes in business. We discuss how engaging stakeholders successfully requires a blend of empathy, strategic narrative crafting, and in-depth understanding. He emphasises the power of understanding stakeholder perspectives and crafting a compelling narrative. Christian underscores the importance of empathy, especially towards internal stakeholders, viewing them as the real 'customers'. Finally, while discussing B2B and B2C dynamics, he emphasises the significance of listening to customers and efficiently leveraging resources across diverse teams.  About the Guest  Christian DeMarais is currently serving as Director of Revenue Operations and Strategy at Wix, where he has helped build and scale over 25 Sales and Account Management teams in 3 years. In addition to a career as a RevOps and Sales Strategy Pro, DeMarais is also an accomplished actor who recently had a recurri

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, host Chris Moody interviews Paige Marsin, a Marketing Strategy Specialist at Palo Alto Networks and Demandbase Champion on her transition from higher education to the fast-paced tech industry. Paige emphasises the unexpected advantages of imposter syndrome in driving efficiency and innovation. She underscores the value of precise, data-driven targeting over broad campaigns. Drawing from her past, Paige highlights how working with tight budgets has honed her resource optimisation skills, even in a well-funded environment. This episode dives into insights such as the significance of tracking accounts across funnel stages and the importance of critical metrics in campaign evaluation. About the Guest Paige is a seasoned marketing specialist, passionate about data-driven sales and marketing strategies. She started her career in higher education where she learned the importance of using data in her marketing campaigns. She is an expert in ABM/ABX and takes pleasure

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, host Michael Malone interviews Catherine Blades, an award-winning corporate leader with over 30 years of professional experience, including C-suite roles at three Fortune 500 companies. Catherine serves as the SVP of Marketing and Communications at SAIC, a company delivering innovative solutions to the U.S. government. They discuss the intersection of purpose and profit in corporations, highlighting how companies that prioritize communities and humanity often yield better fiscal results. Catherine shares her journey in realizing the connection between purpose and financial success, drawing from her experiences in different roles and companies. She elaborates on three key strategies: leveraging platform-based thought leadership to humanize the brand, pivoting brand icons for purpose-driven solutions, and utilizing unconventional methods for effective CSR initiatives. Catherine emphasizes the importance of authentic values, risk mitigation, and stakeholder engag

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, host Devan Cohen interviews Paul Curto, a pioneering financial advisor with over two decades of experience, to unearth effective strategies for wealth management. The dialogue unwraps a spectrum of financial concepts, delving into the intricacies of mutual funds and the dynamics of investment portfolios. Curto, renowned for his forward-thinking approaches, elaborates on the concept of "financial synergy", emphasizing the importance of amalgamating various financial instruments to optimize wealth growth and security. He illuminates listeners on the nuances of balancing risk and reward, stressing the significance of financial literacy in navigating the complex terrain of investments. About the Guest Paul Curto is passionate about enhancing sales teams and customer experiences, specializing in alleviating retail analytics challenges. His focus lies in empowering brick-and-mortar retailers with e-commerce-style analytics, driving data-driven decisions. W

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, host Devan Cohen interviews Neda Huda, a seasoned sales professional with expertise in data management and strategic leadership. Neda shares insights into his career journey, emphasizing the importance of understanding the "why" behind customer decisions and the evolving role of buyers in today's market. He discusses the challenges of transitioning from individual contributor to a leadership role and highlights the significance of collaboration and aligning with other teams within an organization. Neda also touches on current trends in buyer journeys, emphasizing the need for sellers to deliver value and understand customers' business goals. About the Guest Neda started his sales career right after university, boots on the ground knocking on doors, managing accounts to ultimately selling to enterprise organizations. Throughout his journey, he was truly focused on understanding buyer paths, as well as how to navigate large portfolios to bring

Episode Summary In this episode of Sunny Side Up, host Devan Cohen interviews Ken Lorenz, the VP of Global Sales at Riva International, where he oversees the company's customer-facing sales team members. With a developer background, Ken's passion lies in aiding customers in using technology to address business challenges. Over his extensive 30-year career, Ken has been pivotal in helping countless customers globally to select and implement ERP and CRM solutions. A seasoned member of ITA, Ken has contributed significantly to many content committees and has made numerous presentations at ITA collaboratives. Throughout the episode, Ken delves into the evolution of RevOps, the intersection of generative AI like ChatGPT in sales, and the importance of clean data in CRM. He also sheds light on the potential challenges and implications of integrating AI with customer data, emphasizing the importance of caution and privacy.  About the Guest Ken Lorenz is currently the Vice President of Global Sales at Riva wh