Content Pros Podcast

In today’s episode of the Marketer’s Journey, I interview Jessica Gilmartin, CMO of Calendly. You’ve probably used Calendly to book meetings, appointments and organize your busy schedule- but how does Jessica juggle their astounding 20 million users? We dive into that today while tracing Jessica’s nontraditional route to CMO from investment banking, and explore her two decades' worth of B2B and B2C experience. We also discuss how Jessica is redefining what Calendly can be for an organization, how she segments users, and why marketers need to understand the people, the story, and the data. Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify Key takeaways from this episode:Effective CMOs are well-rounded. Jessica stresses that effective CMOs need to understand every aspect of marketing, because every decision they make will impact the brand's image and messaging. She also says that having a well-rounded understanding of marketing allows her to be

In this episode of the Marketer’s Journey, host Randy Frisch sits down with Jennifer Ravalli, CMO of Harri. Jennifer is an award-winning executive who is passionate about HR tech. During her year at Harri, the company has been rapidly growing, which has meant that Jennifer has had to create clear frameworks for determining their best-fit market and expand their ideal customer profile. In this episode, Randi and Jennifer discuss her time at Harri, where content lives in the funnel, and how she is leveraging ABM as Harri grows. Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts!Key takeaways from this episode:Saying no is just as important as saying yes. Jennifer and her team are very clear on what they will and won’t do. She says that making sure the team is on the same page about strategy and expectations means there is room to pivot and adapt, while staying on track. Be a leader, not just a marketer. Jennifer emphasizes that at the beginning

Welcome back to The Marketer's Journey! In this episode, Randy sits down with Susan Beermann, CMO at Contentstack. As a three-time CMO and former salesperson, Susan brings years of expertise to the table and has worked to build Contentstack’s marketing team from the ground up. Today the team has over 50 people, and Susan is a leader who wants to keep her team empowered to do their jobs. Susan shares how she does just that, along with what she sees as the role of BDRs in the marketing team, the role of automation, and her predictions for the future.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts!Key takeaways from this episode:Look for leads who are qualified and ready. Contentstack is a technology that is disrupting the traditional CMS space, and Susan emphasizes that in addition to being qualified, leads also need to be ready to embrace new technology. Enable your managers to manage. As a CMO, Susan doesn’t have the time to review every single

In this episode of the Marketer's Journey, I had the pleasure of interviewing Peter Mullen, CMO of Interactions. With a background in communications and tech, including his time at Netflix during their CD-mailing era, Peter's expertise has been shaped by his journalism roots. Today's episode revolves around the central theme of communication, a vital aspect that Peter emphasizes as a CMO. Interactions specializes in developing intelligent virtual assistants that offer personalized service at every stage of the buyer's journey, so Peter has navigated balancing AI's capabilities to enhance communication, foster trust, and instill confidence, all while maintaining authentic human connections. Our conversation delves into empowering teams, finding the equilibrium between technology and human interaction, and "yelling at robots." Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify Key takeaways from this episode:Communicate the value you bring. Pete

Welcome back to The Marketer’s Journey. In this episode, I interview Caroline Goles, CMO of Pax8. With an impressive reach, Pax8 collaborates with a staggering 30,000 partners, all the while catering to the needs of a customer base totalling 500,000. Caroline manages a team of 65 marketers serving 17 markets, and uses her background in sales strategy to propel growth and manage her team efficiently. We have a great conversation about getting the right content in front of the right audience, working as a single team, and why marketing is the perfect combination of science and art. Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify Key takeaways from this episode:You have to be a learner.  Caroline stresses that the best salespeople and marketers are learners who don’t pretend to know everything. This is especially important when working across 80 product lines as they do at Pax8. A willingness to learn is what creates great marketers and s

In this episode of the Marketer’s Journey, I interview Alyssa Hall, CMO of CDI. Alyssa has never worked in the same industry twice and pivoted from roofing and manufacturing when she joined CDI. CDI is an I.T. integration company that has experienced tremendous growth, expanding from $250 million to $1 billion in revenue in the past couple years. Alyssa has navigated and managed that growth while simultaneously building a cohesive brand as CDI went through multiple acquisitions. We discuss how her career led her to become a CMO, bringing teams together after acquisitions, and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify Key takeaways from this episode:It’s ok to be a little uncomfortable. Alyssa loves the work she does, but she also stresses that she had to step outside her comfort zone to get where she is today.  As a brand marketer, she learned how to be a data-driven as she stepped into

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I’m joined by Rob Gonzalez, CMO and co-founder of Salsify.  Rob is an ‘accidental CMO,’ with a background in engineering and product management and design. He took on the role of salesperson when he and his co-founder started Salsify and from there, eventually scaled the marketing plan to keep up with Salsify’s rapid growth. As a founder, he’s stayed focused on where he can add the most value to the organization and ensuring they stay true to the tactics that drive awareness and growth. In this episode, we discuss a founder's role as a super-generalist, Rob’s path to CMO, and why running too many experiments at once can be a bad thing.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify Key takeaways from this episode:Less is more. Rob believes that many young marketers fall into the trap of trying too many things at once. This can lead to attribution problems on top of being exhausting for marketing te

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I sit down with Bryan Law, CMO of ZoomInfo. As the CMO of an organization that does over a billion dollars in revenue, Bryan brings unique insight into how to continue to achieve a high level of growth and lead a large team of marketers to success. We discuss consistently looking for new opportunities for growth and how to identify areas for improvement through leveraging both data and content. We also dive into his twelve years as a consultant and his time at other public companies including Salesforce, Google and Rackspace, and how he translates those experiences into his role as CMO. Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify Key takeaways from this episode:Create messaging pillars.  Bryan stresses the importance of creating high-level messaging pillars that ensure consistent content across channels. Once these have been established, sales and marketing messaging can both ladder into t

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Shay Howe, CMO of ActiveCampaign. He lets the audience in on his unique career journey so far, including how he’s had multiple diverse roles that have all touched go-to-market strategy, but often from more of the design or product perspective. Shay also shares how he landed his current role as CMO by sticking to what he loves, and the benefits of a product-led growth strategy.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts!Key takeaways from this episode:There’s wisdom in letting go. When he transitioned in his current role as CMO, Shay inevitably had to let go of control when it came to some of the elements he had worked so closely on for so long, including design. Shay reminded us that letting go doesn’t happen overnight—it’s all part of evolving into a leadership role.Stay engaged. With the marketing world continuing to change a mile a minute, CMOs need to constantly stay on their toes to roll

On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview John Solomon, CMO of Therabody, the well-known brand behind Theragun. John discusses how he’s helped to take the brand to the next level since joining in 2021, and how a big part of his strategy has included positioning the product as an essential component of a specific lifestyle. By making this connection, he believes that customers will be empowered to view the product as an integrated lifestyle solution that they can benefit from on an everyday basis.Check out this and other episodes of The Marketer’s Journey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts!Key takeaways from this episode:Think holistically. John’s experience working with brands like Beats by Dre taught him to integrate digital touchpoints from the beginning to create a holistic experience from start to finish. That way, he was able to act as the voice of the consumer while merging this knowledge with the expertise of his team. Ensure your influencer strategy is relatable. John me

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 t

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 i

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

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 y

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

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

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 p

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 messagin

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 c

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