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Sunny Side Up Podcast

Sunny Side Up Podcast

By Demandbase

A B2B podcast that brings together real-world insights to help Go-To-Market professionals evolve and stay up-to-date on the latest trends. Join us as we bring you the best practices and proven techniques from industry experts and practitioners.
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Ep. 150 | Personalized GTM intelligence system. Ft. Jeff Richardson, Accelerated Enrollment Services

Sunny Side Up PodcastJan 29, 2021

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Ep. 465 | How to Build Your Brand Through Customer Relationships

Ep. 465 | How to Build Your Brand Through Customer Relationships

Episode Summary
This episode of the Sunny Side Up podcast features Carol Holly discussing building a brand through customer relationships. As CMO of Exclaimer, Carol shares her background and interest in marketing. She emphasizes prioritizing customer experiences and aligning business processes to meet customer needs. Carol also highlights the challenges of collaboration across departments and measuring the impact of brand-building efforts. Overall, she provides valuable insights on balancing brand awareness and demand generation investments for business growth.

About the guest

Carol is the CMO at Exclaimer, an email signature software platform. She is a senior leader backed by over 15 years in the digital and technology space for established businesses and start-ups. Coming from a background in product marketing, brand development, and demand generation. Carol is hugely passionate about building strategy, storytelling, bringing products to life for consumers, and driving growth. From building the first intelligent customer journeys at a global hotel brand to scaling the business marketing function from zero to hero for a Skyscanner, managing global demand for a leading pre-IPO software giant, Carol has a proven track record in engaging with the business, developing key stakeholder relationships, managing budgets and leading teams to realize their potential.

Connect with Carol Howley

Key takeaways

- Prioritize customer experiences and align business processes to meet customer needs

- Cross-departmental alignment is key to achieving customer-centric growth

- Balance investments in brand awareness and demand generation for business growth

- Measure brand awareness impact through metrics like NPS, engagement, sentiment

- Personalization, AI, ABM, and video are areas of focus for future marketing strategy

- Building trust through the brand is important for long-term visibility and sales opportunities

Quotes
“How do we focus on what's in the market, tailor our message to those particular verticals, or those types of or groups of people, and start to be really intelligent about where we spend our money? Because if we did spend on every possible industry vertical and company size would be very, very poor very quickly. -Carol Howley

⁠Connect with Carol Howley⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mar 27, 202432:21
Ep. 464 | Women in DB: Owning Your Career & Advocating for Yourself

Ep. 464 | Women in DB: Owning Your Career & Advocating for Yourself

Episode Summary

This episode of Sunny Side Up features a discussion about women's careers in tech with Debbie Saskin and Van Hsieh from Demandbase. The speakers share their non-traditional paths into tech from fields like education and biochemistry. They discuss challenges like adapting to new skills and industries, as well as strategies for career advancement through self-advocacy, mentorship, and asking questions. The importance of flexibility, adaptability, and supportive work environments for women in tech are also highlighted.

About the guests

Van Hsieh

Van is a dynamic Sr. Software Engineer at Demandbase. With a career that’s taken her from sales to solutions engineering and finally to software development, Van's love for crafting and delivering tangible projects shines through in her work. Her path, marked by continuous learning and adaptability, showcases a deep-seated passion for exploring new horizons and mastering diverse skills.
Outside of the digital realm, Van finds solace and creativity in pottery, an art form that mirrors their professional approach—meticulous, thoughtful, and uniquely personal. Residing in San Francisco, they draw inspiration from the city's vibrant energy, blending the artistry of their hobbies with the innovation of their tech career to create a fulfilling, balanced life.

Connect with Van

Debbie Saskin

Meet Debbie, a seasoned professional in digital marketing and campaign strategy, currently serving as a Manager, Campaign Strategy at Demandbase. Her journey began in a small tech company, evolving through roles in sales assistance and publisher-side Ad Operations before thriving as a Senior Optimization Manager at PebblePost. With a background in education, Debbie seamlessly integrates learning principles into her work, fostering innovative strategies. Her diverse experience equips her for client-facing roles, consistently delivering exceptional results. Beyond work, Debbie enjoys cooking, live music, and travel, finding inspiration in diverse cuisines and cultures.


Connect with Debbie

Key takeaways

- Career paths in tech can start from non-technical backgrounds through opportunities and absorbing new skills

- Self-advocacy, asking questions and finding mentors are important for career growth

- Negotiating salary and promotions requires understanding your own worth and industry standards

- Flexibility and adaptability are valued traits for navigating an ever-changing industry

- Supportive work environments and connections help retain women in tech careers

Quotes
“You start rising up, learning a lot, facing a lot of challenges when you're first picking up the skill, everything is new, everything is challenging. So for me, the learning part is pretty much always the biggest challenge. But once you're able to adapt it for yourself, it's going to be with you forever.” -Van on building new skills and learning for growth.

"I think it's really important to have someone that you can look up to and that's advocating for you, as well as doing it for yourself." -Debbie on having a mentor.

Mar 22, 202443:56
Ep. 463 | Leveraging Technology to Drive Account-Based Growth

Ep. 463 | Leveraging Technology to Drive Account-Based Growth

Episode Summary In this episode, Uzair Dada of Iron Horse shares how professional services firms can leverage account-based growth strategies to expand beyond their traditional one-to-one sales approach. Uzair outlines opportunities in scaling thought leadership and personalizing content for target personas. The discussion also emphasizes using AI technologies to improve targeting and segmentation while bridging the gap between marketing and sales. Aligning teams through change management and focusing on customer success and adoption are highlighted as key factors for long-term success.

About the guest

Uzair Dada is the Founder and CEO of Iron Horse. Over the last 24 years, Uzair has built Iron Horse from a startup to an award-winning growth marketing agency helping global B2B companies build scalable revenue-focused integrated marketing programs. 

His areas of expertise include building B2B Marketing programs that focus on ABM, sales enablement, connected Martech, and intent data.

Connect with Uzair Dada

Key takeaways

- Professional services firms can apply account-based strategies to uncover new opportunities beyond their current relationships

- Intent data and account insights platforms can help surface these broader account opportunities  

- Focusing content strategy on targeted personas and their intent needs through clear strategy and segmentation is important

- AI-based personalization allows testing variations at scale to optimize personalization

- Bringing marketing and sales alignment through change management processes is critical

- Ensuring customer success and adoption after the sale is as important as acquiring new logos

Quotes
“I feel we over-index because of ABM on the M side. And there's a lot of stuff for account-based growth that exists on the sales side. And I think the next generation of evolution and sort of innovation really needs to happen to bring those two things together.” -Uzair Dada

Recommended Resource
Podcast

- Decoder by Nilay Patel, which discusses the history of AI and interviews with leaders in the field.
- Empire which provides insights into South Asian history, even for those from the region.

Shout-outs

-⁠ Avanish Sahai⁠, an expert on partner selling and partner go-to-market.

-⁠ Bruce Chesebrough⁠ for insights on sales, ABM, and operating as a sales leader and investor.

-⁠ Monica Behncke⁠ for her thinking and foresight around persona journeys and driving progress across the funnel.

Mar 21, 202425:26
Ep. 462 | Revenue Alignment at UserGems

Ep. 462 | Revenue Alignment at UserGems

Episode Summary This episode of Sunny Side Up discusses revenue alignment at UserGems. Christian Kletzl, CEO of UserGems, and Trinity Nguyen, VP of Marketing, discuss how they align their sales and marketing teams to work towards shared goals and metrics. They highlight challenges like differing objectives but emphasize removing ego and prioritizing company goals. Champion tracking is also discussed as a way to focus sales and marketing efforts on key accounts and individuals. Setting OKRs and transparency in goals are identified as ways to build alignment.

About the guest

Christian KletzlChristian Kletzl is CEO and co-founder of UserGems, a pipeline generation software that helps teams boost pipeline and reduce churn by monitoring job changes of your most valuable buyers and then automating the next steps. He is a software engineer turned seller, so even though most of his days are spent with customers and prospects, he still applies an engineering mindset to sales processes to optimize and achieve more with less.

Connect with Christian Kletzl

Trinity NguyenTrinity is VP of Marketing at UserGems. She has 10+ years of experience in go-to-market strategy, product marketing, demand generation, and account-based marketing. She is passionate about helping technology companies accelerate their growth and building great teams while doing it.

Connect with Trinity Nguyen

Key takeaways

- Revenue alignment is important for sales and marketing to work together toward the same customers and goals

- Shared success metrics and KPIs help align sales and marketing teams  

- Transparency in setting goals across the organization builds alignment

- Removing ego and prioritizing company goals over personal objectives is important

- Champion tracking can help align account-based marketing and sales outreach

- Setting OKRs and reviewing them regularly can help teams stay aligned

Recommended Resource

Books

- "SPIN Selling" by Neil Rackham.
- "Crossing the Chasm" by Geoffrey Moore.

- "Busting Silos" by Hillary Carpio.
- "Amp It Up" by Frank Slootman.

Shout-outs

-Hilary Headlee, Advisory Leader, Insight Partners.


⁠Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Kletzl & Trinity Nguyen | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mar 19, 202423:32
Ep. 461 | Women in Demandbase: Finding Balance in Work and Life

Ep. 461 | Women in Demandbase: Finding Balance in Work and Life

Episode Summary This episode of Sunny Side Up discusses finding balance in work and life for women in tech. The speakers share their career journeys and experiences maintaining boundaries while prioritizing demanding work. They discuss challenges like burnout and pressures to overwork without children or partnerships. The speakers appreciate Demandbase's supportive culture that values employees' well-being and personal lives. Flexibility, leading by example, and connecting with other women in the industry are suggested as helpful for work-life balance.

About the guests

Jennie McCormick

Jennie is a Senior Customer Success Manager at Demandbase serving the east coast region. She has been passionate about the customer experience and setting her customers up for success for over 15 years in various client-facing roles. From the worlds of customer service to B2C, to agency, to B2B, she has focused on being as well-rounded as she is being an expert in her fields. She took an unconventional route in life starting her career at 19 years old, beginning university at age 25, living abroad, then moving across the country by herself to NYC in her 30’s. Jennie is proud to mentor women navigating their careers and loves squashing biases around child-free and neurodiverse women in the workplace.

Connect with Jennie

Moira Van den Akker

Moira van den Akker is a seasoned revenue marketer with a passion for MarTech. Working for organizations big and small, she has over a decade of experience driving growth and building high-performance marketing teams. In her current role as Director of Enterprise and Customer Marketing at Demandbase, she enjoys partnering with Sales to build and accelerate pipeline across the entire customer lifecycle. Moira lives in sunny Denver with her partner, two toddlers, and two pugs.

Connect with Moira

Lea Brown

Lea is an Employee Communications and DE&I Specialist at Demandbase. Before transitioning into the tech industry, she spent over five years in health care, higher education, and non-profit spaces. Although Lea’s professional background is in communications, her passion is building equitable workplaces where employees of all identities are respected, valued, and empowered. She is proud to have the opportunity to cultivate such an environment at Demandbase. In her spare time, Lea enjoys travelling, reading, and sewing. She also serves on the board of directors for HEARTH, a Pittsburgh-based non-profit offering transitional housing for women.

Connect with Lea

Key takeaways

- Finding balance is an ongoing challenge, especially for ambitious career-driven women without children.

- Setting boundaries like calendar blocks and ending workdays is important to prevent burnout.

- Companies should support work-life balance through flexibility, mental health resources, and leadership that prioritizes personal well-being.

- Leading by example and respecting others' time and boundaries helps set expectations for a balanced culture.

- Connecting with other women in similar roles provides valuable perspectives on navigating work and life.

Mar 15, 202437:27
Ep. 460 | Leveraging Data for Effective ABM Strategy

Ep. 460 | Leveraging Data for Effective ABM Strategy

Episode Summary This episode of the Sunny Side Up podcast discusses strategies for unlocking B2B marketing growth through Account Based Experiences (ABX) with Jodi Lebow of Hexagon. Jodi shares her experience in B2B technology marketing and insights into how ABM strategies have evolved with the help of data and technology. She emphasizes the importance of remaining customer-centric and leveraging customer insights. Jodi also discusses challenges in aligning sales and marketing teams for ABX and strategies for success, including tailoring content, measuring the right metrics, testing and learning, and continuous optimization. She stresses the value of data-driven decision-making and ensuring roles for everyone on the ABM team through collaboration and communication.

About the guest

Jodi Lebow leads the Global Demand Center at Hexagon’s Asset Lifecycle Intelligence division. Her team focuses on brand & design, global campaigns, digital marketing, global events, and account-based marketing. Jodi is recognized as an experienced B2B marketing leader with vast experience in data-driven demand generation and account-based marketing (ABM) with a track record of creating strategic, integrated go-to-market strategies that generate pipeline, accelerate revenue creation, and enhance brand awareness.

Connect with Jodi Lebow

Key takeaways

- ABM strategies have evolved significantly with the help of data and technology.

- Remaining customer-centric and leveraging customer insights are essential for effective ABM.  

- Aligning sales and marketing teams through collaboration, communication, and data is critical.

- Tailoring content and messaging based on customer segments drives better engagement.  

- Focusing on the right metrics and continuous testing/optimization leads to improved results over time.

- Leveraging technology enables personalization, measurement, and scaling of ABM programs.

Quotes "It's a focus on customer needs over what we have to sell. So it's great that we have several solutions that I think this organization should or want or could need, but it's how do you make that pivot to really trying to understand more about your customers and prospects.”


⁠Connect with Jodi Lebow⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mar 14, 202426:33
Ep. 459 | How Modern Marketing Leaders Can Harness AI for Growth

Ep. 459 | How Modern Marketing Leaders Can Harness AI for Growth

Episode Summary

Don McGuire, the CMO of Qualcomm, discusses marketing strategies and AI-powered growth. Some key topics covered included McGuire's career advice on staying true to oneself and being open to opportunities. He also discussed how Qualcomm has evolved its marketing structure and is adopting AI tools like Writer and Firefly to accelerate content development. McGuire emphasized the potential of generative AI to improve work-life balance by freeing up time. He also talked about building the Snapdragon brand through visual and sonic elements. Overall, the episode provided valuable insights from McGuire on marketing, AI adoption, and career leadership.

About the guest

Don McGuire is the CMO of Qualcomm. In this role, Don leads global marketing across all Qualcomm’s businesses, as the company continues to diversify beyond mobile into new growth areas. Don joined Qualcomm in 2016 to lead the Global Product Marketing organization, where he redefined Qualcomm’s strategic approach to product marketing. 

A seasoned marketing leader with 25 years of experience, Don has worked across mobile providers, device OEM, content/developer, and semiconductor industries. Before joining Qualcomm, he was a senior leader at Intel, where he led global marketing strategy, campaigns, and messaging for their Client Computing Business.

Connect with Don McGuire

Key takeaways

- Stay true to yourself and be open to opportunities in career development

- Tie marketing objectives to business objectives to drive success 

- Build brand awareness and affinity through storytelling and partnerships

- Use sonic branding to create instant brand recognition

- Adopt AI tools like Writer and Firefly to accelerate content development

- Generative AI can improve work-life balance by freeing up time for creativity

- Experiment with AI tools in a controlled way before deploying enterprise-wide

Quotes

"It's not meant to replace people in jobs, it's meant to replace tasks." 

- Don responding to the fears about job loss due to AI.

"Sonic branding can be a very, very important and effective tool in building out an affinity for your brand."

Recommended Resource

-Young China: How the Restless Generation Will Change Their Country and the World

Shout-outs

-Carla Zakhem-Hassan, CMO at JP Morgan Chase & Co.

-Drew Panayiotou, Global CMO at Pfizer

Connect with Don McGuire⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mar 12, 202425:48
Ep. 458 | Women in DB: Overcoming Impostor Syndrome and Cultivating Inclusion

Ep. 458 | Women in DB: Overcoming Impostor Syndrome and Cultivating Inclusion

Episode Summary
This episode of the Sunny Side Up Specials discusses overcoming impostor syndrome and cultivating inclusion for women in the tech industry. The speakers shared their diverse career journeys and experiences navigating the challenges of being women in tech. They discussed ways to challenge stereotypes through representation and open conversations. Advice was given on overcoming impostor syndrome through self-confidence, seeking help, and gaining experience. The speakers also suggested ways companies can better support women, such as providing resources, encouraging innovation, and promoting women into leadership roles.

About the guests

Jennifer Hughes

Jennifer is the Principal Digital Expert at Demandbase. After a decade-long career in law and starting a family (three kids in four years), Jennifer turned her sights to writing and marketing. After years in B2C marketing, she moved to the B2B world. She started at Demandbase as the head of Digital Marketing in 2021 and is now Prinicipal Digital Expert, a client-facing role. She is delighted to be part of the Demandbase Expert Team, helping customers to succeed in all things account-based advertising. Jennifer is passionate about empowering women in technology through open conversations and efforts that drive more leadership opportunities.

Connect with Jennifer

Ashwini Majrekar

Ashwini is a tech enthusiast with over five years of dedicated experience in the ad-tech industry. Armed with a degree in Computer Engineering and a Master's in Management of Technology from NYU, Ashwini possesses a unique blend of technical prowess and strategic acumen.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Ashwini finds joy in traveling. Ashwini also likes reading books and has a knack for writing as well. With her multifaceted interests and a relentless drive for innovation, Ashwini continues to carve her path in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Connect with Ashwini

Stella Wei

Stella Wei is a Design Specialist at Demandbase where she has worked for over two years. With a background in design from art school, Stella brings creative problem-solving skills to her role. Since joining as an intern, she has taken on increasing responsibilities while advancing her knowledge of the technology industry. Stella is committed to challenging stereotypes through representation and encourages women to embrace learning experiences outside their comfort zone.

Key takeaways

- Speaking up about experiences and having open conversations can help break down stereotypes  

- Finding representation and a support network boosts confidence and combats impostor syndrome

- Companies should provide processes to encourage innovation from all employees

Quotes
"I think representation is such an important factor in fighting stereotypes. And it's not only for yourself but for other women to see that there is an example out there, there is representation out there." - Stella Wei.

"What I would love to see is companies normalizing and rewarding trying new things and taking risks. Women are taught to be so much more risk averse than men." - Jennifer Hughes.

“Companies need to start leading by example and we hear that we need more women in the tech industry, we need more women in STEM and stuff. But it’s when the companies start creating these opportunities for women, I feel, that's where it motivates these women to try out something new.” - Ashwini Manjrekar.

Recommended Resource

Stella Wei recommended the "Woman at Work" podcast from Harvard Business Review which covers topics on career, leadership, and personal growth for women.

Ashwini Manjarekar suggested the books "Atomic Habits" for implementing changes professionally and personally, and "I Am Malala" as an inspiring read about fighting for women's education.

Jennifer Hughes advised exploring TED Talks on topics like women in tech and imposter syndrome, as well as gaining perspective from listening to a diversity of speakers.

Mar 08, 202432:20
Ep. 457 | Cookieless Future, Part One: The Shift to Cohort-Based Advertising

Ep. 457 | Cookieless Future, Part One: The Shift to Cohort-Based Advertising

Episode Summary
This episode of Sunny Side Up discusses the impending deprecation of third-party cookies and its impact on digital advertising. Gareth Noonan of Demandbase explains how the industry is transitioning from individual-level targeting to cohort-based advertising using signals like topics of interest. He reassures listeners that partners like Demandbase are prepared to guide customers through the changes. Some key takeaways are the importance of building first-party data and understanding context to reach audiences in a cookieless world. The discussion provides useful insights for marketers to consider as they prepare their strategies for the future of digital marketing.

About the guest

Gareth Noonan is the GM of Advertising at Demandbase. He is a proven leader in managing cross-functional international teams and owning profitable P&Ls for business units generating $100M+ revenue. His areas of expertise include- Programmatic Strategy, Operations, Business Development & Product for mobile app and desktop video, OTT, native, and display across all screens.

Connect with Gareth Noonan


Key takeaways

- Third-party cookies will be gradually phased out of Chrome starting in 2024

- Advertising will shift from individual targeting to cohort-based using topics of interest

- B2B advertising may be more resilient due to alternative signals like IP addresses  

- Focus on building first-party data through consented lists and account-based strategies

-Understand the context of where your audiences consume information

- Partner with experts who are actively preparing for a cookieless future

Quotes
“We need to look at alternative identity identifiers and alternative identity providers. And so these can be thought of as companies that are bringing together signals and identifiers that don't depend on cookies."

⁠Connect with Gareth Noonan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mar 07, 202418:35
Ep. 456 | Strategies for Optimizing Pricing and Packaging in B2B

Ep. 456 | Strategies for Optimizing Pricing and Packaging in B2B

Episode Summary
This episode of the Sunny Side Up podcast discusses pricing and packaging strategies for business growth with guest David Vogelpohl. Key topics covered include prioritizing pricing as an iterative strategy, identifying moves for growth while navigating complexity, marketing misconceptions around pricing, optimizing free trials, ensuring sales and marketing alignment, and determining ownership of pricing decisions. David provides insights and recommends several individuals as sources to learn more about go-to-market strategies.

About the guest

David is the CMO at FastSpring, a payment & subscription platform for SaaS, software, & digital product companies offering 100% automated sales tax and VAT compliance worldwide. For 25+ years David has led teams building engines of growth & innovative software for leading brands like WP Engine, AWS, Cloudflare, and more. David is an actionable-insights style speaker focusing on tactics you can use to drive growth.

Connect with David Vogelpohl

Key takeaways

- Pricing and packaging should be prioritized as an ongoing iterative strategy for business growth, not just for new product launches

- Use a "growth mustache" framework to identify which parts of the growth equation (new ARR, upgrades, downgrades, churn) pricing moves will affect  

- Marketers may misconceive that customers won't accept price increases or that they solely control packaging decisions

- Take an iterative approach to pricing testing rather than direct A/B tests to maintain trust

- Optimize free trials by surfacing critical moments and considering paid trials for validation

- Ensure transparency, clear communication, and alignment between sales and marketing on pricing strategies

Quotes
“At the end of the day, you're operating a business that delivers value to your customers and part of your duty in that is to operate a successful business. If you don't operate a successful business, you can't fulfill your duty to deliver that value.”

David on how businesses need to make decisions that ensure long-term success.

Shout-outs

-Jason Cohen, Founder, WP Engines

-John Hessinger, VP of Demand at WP Engines

-Michael Bonfils, Managing Director at SEM International

⁠Connect with David Vogelpohl⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Feb 29, 202425:22
Ep. 455 | Leading Through Change & Building Alignment in Hybrid Teams

Ep. 455 | Leading Through Change & Building Alignment in Hybrid Teams

Episode Summary
Barry Klein of Talroo discusses leading through change and building alignment in hybrid work. He shares insights on balancing trust and accountability for remote teams through communication and addressing performance issues supportively. Klein stresses maintaining cultural alignment through in-person meetings for companies adjusting to remote work. He advocates treating people with empathy, dignity, and brevity when delivering difficult news like layoffs. Klein also fosters shared success across departments by prioritizing lifetime customer value.

About the guest

Barry Klein is Vice President of Success and Enablement at Austin-based Talroo. Barry provides leadership to Talroo’s Customer Success Analysts team who have revenue and customer service responsibilities for multiple verticals. Passionate about establishing “customers” as “partners”, he focuses on long-term relationships, lifetime value, and establishing raving fans. 

With more than 30 years of experience in customer-facing and executive roles, including Vice President of Sales Engineering for Vignette Corp, Barry also spent several years running his own small business and consultancy. As a result, he is equally comfortable with enterprise-class relationships as he is with start-ups and small businesses.

Connect with Barry Klein

Key takeaways

- Balance trust and accountability for remote teams through clear communication and addressing performance issues supportively

- Maintain cultural alignment for companies adjusting to remote work by periodically bringing teams together in person  

- Treat people with empathy, dignity, and brevity when delivering difficult news like layoffs

- Foster shared success across departments by prioritizing lifetime customer value over short-term gains

- Lead through change by building alignment in hybrid work environments through open communication and supportive leadership

Quotes

"I don't want to lose the best of what we have, which is we do get along and we do like each other. And we do learn from each other."

This quote highlights Klein's focus on maintaining the positive aspects of company culture even in remote work.

Recommended Resource

Books:

- The Infinite Game

- Books by Jon Meacham

Shout-outs

-⁠ Emilia D'Anzica, Growth Molecules⁠

⁠Connect with Barry Klein⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Feb 22, 202423:01
Ep. 454 | Future of ERP and Innovation

Ep. 454 | Future of ERP and Innovation

Episode Summary
Kerrie Jordan shares her perspective on how ERP systems are evolving from transactional systems to platforms that leverage data, analytics, and AI to drive better decision-making and insights. She discusses common challenges customers face with ERP implementation and offers best practices around change management, customization, and choosing a trusted partner. Jordan also provides examples of successful innovating companies, like the Formula One racing team Scuderia AlphaTauri. The conversation covers strategies for fostering innovation through customer involvement and looks at how ERP can position businesses for future success through integration, data platforms, and visibility. Valuable resources on automation and building are recommended for listeners.

About the guest

Kerrie is the Group Vice President of Product Management at Epicor Software. Kerrie leads the strategic direction of Epicor cloud-enabled solutions to ensure that they continue to deliver high-value innovation, security, and performance for all of their customers. She is based in Richmond, Virginia, and has over a decade of experience in ERP, supply chain, e-commerce, cloud computing, product development, and business solutions.

Connect with Kerrie Jordan

Key takeaways
- ERP is evolving from transactional systems to data-driven platforms powering insights with analytics and AI

- Top challenges for ERP implementation include data management and customization 

- Involve IT and choose a trusted partner for a successful implementation

- Foster innovation through customer involvement and crowdsourcing ideas

- ERP can future-proof businesses by integrating systems and providing visibility

- Scuderia AlphaTauri exemplifies constant innovation needs in fast-paced industries

Quotes

“ERP is the perfect place within an organization to consolidate data, to transform it, and to serve it up to really create some helpful insights in the business."
Recommended Resource

Books:

 - Build by Tony Fadell
Podcasts:

-⁠ The New Automation Mindset Podcast⁠
Shout-outs
-⁠ Markus Zirn⁠
⁠Connect with Kerrie Jordan⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Feb 15, 202421:30
Ep. 453 | Adapting B2B Healthcare Marketing to Consumer Needs

Ep. 453 | Adapting B2B Healthcare Marketing to Consumer Needs

Episode Summary
This episode features Taylor Sterling, CMO at MedBridge, discussing marketing in healthcare. Taylor shares insights on changes in the industry, like consumerization of care and the telehealth boom. MedBridge is adapting by improving the customer experience and launching new products while educating clinicians. Taylor discusses challenges like rebranding and expansion, emphasizing the importance of understanding customer needs and aligning marketing and sales. Predictions include continued consumerization and a shift towards therapy-first and home-based care models. Learn how MedBridge improves the buying journey, educates clinicians, and expands into new markets while navigating industry changes.

About the guest

Taylor has over 20 years of experience and a proven track record of success in driving growth, brand awareness, and developing breakthrough customer experiences. Before she joined MedBridge, she was the director of customer marketing for Google Workspace and SVP of marketing at Aurea, where she built teams and set and exceeded end-to-end go-to-market efforts. She is known for bringing incomparable energy, vision, and structure to marketing teams and delivering results. She is very passionate about building teams and brands through crisp, differentiated narratives and designing data-driven demand engines at scale.

Connect with Taylor Sterling

Key takeaways

- Healthcare is becoming more consumer-driven, with patients expecting convenient digital care options

- MedBridge is adapting to changes by improving the buying journey, launching new products, and educating clinicians on digital tools

- Rebranding an established healthcare company requires thought leadership, product innovation, and change management

- Understanding customer needs and aligning marketing and sales teams on shared metrics is critical for growth

- Future trends include increased consumerism, therapy-first models, and more care delivered in patients' homes

Quotes

“One of the massive trends that we've really seen, which I think sort of started in IT and has really moved everywhere, is really around consumerization. Our expectations as patients are very much similar to our expectations of how we consume any service, and we want that bar to be higher and better.”
Recommended Resource

Book:

   - Good to Great

Connect with Taylor Sterling ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Feb 09, 202436:10
Ep. 452 | Unlocking Sales Enablement with ABM

Ep. 452 | Unlocking Sales Enablement with ABM

Episode Summary

This podcast episode features an interview with ABM expert Matthew Miller. Miller discusses his career progression in marketing and shares lessons learned. He stresses the importance of cultivating relationships when running sales enablement pilots to overcome resistance to new approaches. Miller emphasizes that successful ABM requires rethinking demand generation to focus on high-value accounts. He also covers common reasons ABM strategies fail and recommends multi-channel programs aligned with customer needs and buying cycles.

About the guest

Matthew Miller is currently the Global ABX Principal at Workday, where he is focusing on scaling their ABM strategy to cover really the top 15% of their addressable market. Before joining Workday, he spent about four years at Demandbase, where he helped customers advance their ABM strategy. He resides in the Silicon Slopes of Utah and is a father of two rescue pups.

⁠Connect with Matthew Miller⁠

Key takeaways

- Building relationships is crucial for successful sales enablement pilots to incorporate feedback constructively.

- ABM requires rethinking demand gen to focus on a small number of high-value accounts through a multi-channel, multi-touch approach.

- Branding and awareness lay the foundation for consideration during customers' active buying cycles.

- Common reasons ABM fails include misapplication, lack of strategy/ROI understanding, and reliance on a single channel.

- Successful ABM programs identify customer pain points and leverage multiple data sources to gain trust and alignment.

Quotes

“What are those compelling events that would cause your prospects to say, oh, we need to make a change, we're probably going to have to buy something, who should we be talking to, you can use those and ABM to start to define little clusters of accounts that are going through that.”

Erin highlights the importance of identifying compelling trigger events that get prospects into an active buying cycle as the best starting point for ABM.

Recommended Resource

Books:

   - ⁠Strategic Selling⁠

   - ⁠The Challenger Sale⁠

People to follow on LinkedIn for insightful content:

- ⁠⁠Matt Heinz⁠⁠

   - ⁠⁠Jon Miller⁠

⁠⁠Connect with Matthew Miller⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Feb 06, 202452:50
Ep. 451 | Using AI for Personalization and Security

Ep. 451 | Using AI for Personalization and Security

Episode Summary
This Sunny Side Up podcast episode features an interview with Erin Pryor, the Chief Marketing Officer of First Horizon Bank. She discusses how AI is transforming marketing strategies in the banking industry, focusing on personalisation, content creation, and fraud protection. Pryor explains how AI can enhance customer experiences while respecting privacy. She also shares lessons learned from her background in volleyball that relate to teamwork, communication, and accountability. The interview provides insights into the challenges and opportunities AI brings to financial services.

About the guest

Erin Pryor serves as the Chief Marketing Officer for First Horizon Bank and is responsible for corporate-wide marketing, brand management, and client experience. She leads a team that creates and executes marketing and client experience strategies, supporting the bank’s brand and business objectives. With over 20 years of experience in the finance, banking, and media industries, Erin has demonstrated success in businesses of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune 100 enterprises. 

Prior to joining First Horizon, Erin led the brand and go-to-market strategy development for USAA Bank.

Connect with Erin Pryor

Key takeaways
- First Horizon Bank uses AI to increase personalisation and deliver more relevant messaging to customers.

- AI is being implemented cautiously in the financial services domain and is primarily used to enhance existing marketing and customer experiences rather than replace human interactions.

- AI helps analyse customer data and behaviours to provide predictive insights and recommend the next best actions.

- Privacy and security are top priorities when using customer data and AI due to the sensitive nature of financial information.

- AI can enhance fraud protection by detecting abnormal spending patterns or potential fraudulent activities.

- The relationship between customers and their bankers remains central, with AI aimed at providing bankers insights to serve customers' individual needs and goals better.

- Erin sees potential for AI to increase personalisation at scale while maintaining trust through responsible data practices and respecting customers' preferences around invasive marketing.

Quotes
"And so we're looking at it more to enhance what we do, like marketing. Marketing can be used in any industry, but banking specifically is highly regulated. The privacy of our clients is critical, the trust is super important."

Erin highlights how regulation impacts AI adoption in banking due to the importance of privacy and trust.

Recommended Resource
The Morning Brew newsletter for quick business news hits each day.

Fortune CEO Daily newsletter for insights on leading companies.

Bucket List-ening podcast to learn about the career path and stories of First Horizon Bank's clients.

⁠Connect with Erin Pryor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠


Jan 30, 202421:03
Ep. 450 | Martech Madness: Scaling ABM, Bridging Sales and Marketing Gaps

Ep. 450 | Martech Madness: Scaling ABM, Bridging Sales and Marketing Gaps

Episode Summary

In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Michael Malone interviews Joy Milkowski on the evolving landscape of MarTech. Joy emphasises the importance of using MarTech tools effectively and introduces the GIVE Method for content creation. She underscores the necessity of understanding and segmenting target audiences. Joy shares valuable insights on starting with user-centric goals and ensuring content is personalised and relevant. We discuss the need for collaboration between sales and marketing, focusing on practical, outcome-driven marketing strategies and the significance of segmenting accounts and salespeople in ABM efforts.

About the Guest

Joy is an experienced marketer and sales professional, currently a partner at Access Marketing Company. Her career spans roles on both the client and agency sides, covering strategic messaging, product consulting, and hands-on marketing. What sets Joy apart is her solid background in sales, which she actively engages into this day. This blend of marketing and sales experience gives her a unique perspective, especially in sales enablement, understanding not just how to make marketing efficient but also how to make it effectively drive sales. Her hands-on experience with quotas allows her to relate to and address real-world sales challenges.

Connect with Joy Milkowski

Key Takeaways

- Shift from collecting many MarTech tools to focusing on used and valuable ones.

- Always start with your end goals and work backwards to determine the necessary tools.

- Shift focus from alignment to active collaboration and coordination between sales and marketing.

- Understanding and segmenting your target audience is not just beneficial but essential. Recognise that different segments have unique needs and preferences. 

- Adopt the GIVE Method for Content Creation: Goals, Insights, Vision, and Evidence. 

- Every piece of marketing and sales activity should start with the user's perspective in mind. 

- Encourage regular and meaningful collaboration between sales and marketing. 

- While marketing teams should focus on creating broad, macro-level content that addresses general needs and trends, sales teams should personalise this content at a micro-level. 

- The impact of content is not determined by its length but by its relevance and personalisation. 

- Both sales and marketing should engage in regular discussions to validate and refine content strategies. 

- ABM success varies among salespeople; segment them based on their commitment and ability to engage in the program.

- Tier accounts for targeted outreach. Classify accounts into different tiers based on potential ROI and customise your outreach efforts for each tier.

- Encourage ongoing feedback from sales teams and adapt strategies based on this input to refine the ABM process.

Quote

"If you are not starting every marketing and sales activity with your user first in mind, not what you want to say, but what your user needs to hear, it is likely not going to make a dent, hit the mark, or cause any sort of engagement." – Joy Milkowski

Recommended Resource

Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink 

Jocko Podcast by Jocko Willink

Limitless by Jim Kwik

Radical Candor by Kim Scott

⁠Connect with Joy Milkowski⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠



Jan 22, 202437:05
Ep. 449 | Marketing Masterclass: ABM, Attribution and Leadership

Ep. 449 | Marketing Masterclass: ABM, Attribution and Leadership

Episode Summary

In today’s episode, Erik Charles emphasises the importance of understanding the difference between incentives and rewards in the workplace. His extensive experience across various companies, including his current role at Xactly Corp, has given him profound insights into effective revenue and incentive management. Erik's career journey demonstrates the value of adaptability, a keen understanding of market dynamics, and the significance of integrating sales, marketing, and engineering to drive business success. His insights are a valuable guide for professionals seeking to enhance their approach to revenue generation and employee motivation.

About the Guest

With over 30 years of experience in marketing, consulting, and solution evangelization, Erik has cultivated a deep passion for bridging the realms of sales, marketing, and engineering to propel the advancement of revenue and incentive management. As the Chief Evangelist at Xactly Corp, his role involves collaborating with partners, analysts, and academics to deliver seamlessly integrated solutions across the spectrum of revenue intelligence, sales performance management, and employee motivation. 

In addition to Erik’s substantial consulting and research background, he has honed his focus on crucial metrics for sales and marketing roles, customer acquisition and retention, and the design and communication of incentive plans. Holding certifications as a Quote-to-Cash professional, Erik is recognized as a subject-matter expert in the interconnected realms of revenue intelligence, performance, and optimization.

Connect with Erik Charles

Key Takeaways

- Understand that incentives drive behaviour changes, while rewards acknowledge contributions.

- Embrace new opportunities and challenges.

- Integrating sales, marketing, and engineering is critical to advancing revenue and incentive management. 

- Balance hands-on experience with academic research and insights.

- Deep knowledge of market trends, customer needs, and competitive landscapes is vital for developing effective marketing and sales strategies.

- Stay abreast of and utilise emerging technologies, like AI, to enhance business operations and decision-making.

- Develop the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and persuasively, both in writing and verbally, as these skills are crucial in marketing and leadership roles.

Quote

"Nobody changes their behaviour at the office because they're on a profit-sharing plan." - Erik Charles

⁠Connect with Erik Charles⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jan 19, 202451:48
Ep. 448 | Streamlining Healthcare Billing through Client Partnerships

Ep. 448 | Streamlining Healthcare Billing through Client Partnerships

Episode Summary

On today's episode, Ashley and Kyle demonstrate a deep understanding of the intersection between client needs, healthcare billing complexities, and digital solutions. She focuses on deriving product ideas from client pain points and the importance of aligning marketing strategies with these insights. She also shares how her experience at SoftTech, especially in developing and implementing comprehensive marketing strategies, is relevant as she discusses the challenges in healthcare billing and the role of technology.

About the Guests

Kyle Crow is the Regional Vice President of Sales at Softek. In his current role, Kyle works with clients to understand their challenges with Oracle Cerner Millennium and provide solutions to optimize their system and ultimately, help their bottom line.

Prior to Softek, Kyle spent seven years at Oracle Cerner as an Integration Architect, managing dozens of Oracle Cerner implementations.

Kyle knows first-hand the issues clients are facing and harnesses those experiences to drive client success in their system performance and revenue cycle initiatives.

Ashley Mitts is the Director of Marketing at Softek. In her current role, she is in charge of developing and implementing the company's overarching marketing strategy to improve brand awareness and support product offerings. She also leads Softek's integrated digital and social presence, including social strategy, content creation, and digital promotions to drive lead generation and sales.

Prior to Softek, Ashley spent seven years at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City as Marketing Manager, developing and executing marketing and communications campaigns and strategies.

Connect with Kyle Crow & Ashley Mitts

Key Takeaways

- Success in technology solutions, especially in healthcare, hinges on understanding and addressing client pain points.

- Data plays a pivotal role in streamlining processes between healthcare providers and payers, emphasising the need for efficient data management systems.

- Building strong partnerships and gaining referrals from satisfied clients can be more impactful than traditional marketing strategies in healthcare technology.

- Embracing ongoing learning through industry-specific resources or broad skill-enhancing literature is essential for growth and success.

Quote

"Our vision is really to deliver innovative solutions to help solve complex problems within the electronic medical record space." - Kyle Crow

"All of our ideas for products come from our clients and the pain points that they're having with their systems." - Ashley Mitts

Recommended Resource


How to Win Friends and Influence People

KLAS Research

Becker's Hospital Review

HubSpot

LinkedIn

Connect with ⁠Kyle Crow⁠ & ⁠Ashley Mitts⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Jan 16, 202422:23
Ep. 447 | Five "W" Framework for ABM Success

Ep. 447 | Five "W" Framework for ABM Success

Episode Summary

In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Tara Quehl interviews Harsha Chachadi on all things ABM. Harsha emphasises the role of strategy over technology in ABM, introduces the 5 “W” Framework, and shares insights from his journey with FM Global. He discusses the importance of understanding your audience, tailoring content, choosing the proper communication channels, and timing. Addressing the challenges of recent market volatility, Harsha champions a customer-centric approach in our current information-saturated era, suggesting that businesses must pivot from product promotion to genuinely addressing customer needs.

About the Guest

Harsha leads Global Marketing Campaigns and ABM at FM Global, to support retention, renewal, growth, and profitability goals. With close to 20 years of experience across ABM, large deals, digital, social, industry and product marketing, demand generation, business analysis, presales, and account management he rolls with ‘Customer is the center of our universe’, ‘focus on audience journeys and integrated experiences’ and ‘here is your cherry on the top’. 

Harsha along with his telecom engineer wife and two fast-growing kids, is based in Northern Virginia. He holds a master’s degree in management, and a bachelor’s degree in engineering.

Connect with Harsha Chachadi

Key Takeaways

- Experience in various marketing aspects can provide a holistic view and better preparedness for specialised fields like ABM.

- While technology plays a role in ABM, it should include the strategy and execution components.

- Before scaling any strategy, demonstrate its efficacy with a few significant changes to ensure it's effective.

- Applying ABM principles should evolve based on experience and market trends.

- Choosing the right company environment is pivotal for successful ABM implementation.

- The 5 “W” Framework focuses on the questions: Why, Who, What, Where, and When.

- Always prioritise the customer's perspective, ensuring your strategies are relevant and timely to their needs.

- Continuously question the purpose behind your actions, ensuring alignment with company and customer goals.

- Clearly define and understand your target audience, stakeholders, and decision-makers.

- Establish a strong value proposition and ensure your message aligns with it.

- Identify the best platforms and touchpoints to communicate your message and reach your audience effectively.

- Engage and educate the sales team to ensure a consistent approach towards customer-centricity.

- Traditional marketing methods might need to be unlearned when adopting ABM, which focuses on customer-first approaches.

Quote

“When you start with the customer's challenges; their wants, their needs and what they are trying to solve for, it becomes so much more meaningful to them." – Harsha Chachadi

Connect with Harsha Chachadi⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Jan 12, 202424:17
Ep. 446 | Thriving in the Digital Age: Mastering Transformation

Ep. 446 | Thriving in the Digital Age: Mastering Transformation

Episode Summary

In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Alex Pavia interviews Ellina Shinnick to discuss key strategies to navigate the challenges of modern marketing and leadership. Ellina shares her extensive experience in managing complex roles, emphasising the need for focus, curiosity, and discipline in today's marketing environment. She delves into her approach to omnichannel strategies, team building, customer understanding, and leveraging generative AI while maintaining a crucial human touch in content development. Ellina's insights extend across various aspects of marketing, from digital transformation in traditional industries to the nuances of content creation in complex sales environments. Her perspective offers invaluable advice for both seasoned and emerging marketers in the SaaS and B2C sectors.

About the Guest

Ellina Shinnick is the Chief Marketing Officer for HUB International. She is based in Chicago and oversees a global marketing organisation. Ellina leads the strategy for both the HUB and VIU by HUB brands that span B2C and B2B customer segments. During her tenure with HUB, Ellina built the Marketing Center of Excellence, growing the organisation from 12 employees to more than 100 contributors. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ellina led the charge to position HUB as a partner for its clients and prospects, developing a marketing strategy that provided pertinent content and virtual events to help them navigate the pandemic. She has also been instrumental in helping to advance HUB along its digital journey, investing in the latest marketing technology and skillsets that enable HUB to connect with and serve its ever-changing client base. Additionally, Ellina oversaw the design and launch of multiple HUB brand refreshes and the launch of HUB’s newest brand - VIU by HUB.

Connect with Ellina Shinnick

Key Takeaways

- Success in higher roles often hinges on the ability to strategise effectively and build strong, capable teams.

- Understand and implement an omnichannel approach to meet evolving customer expectations in a digital world.

- Develop tactics to engage new and existing customers through digital and hybrid channels.

- Embrace an omni-channel approach to meet customer expectations for seamless interactions across different platforms.

- Go beyond the surface to fully understand the customer's business and the macro dynamics impacting them.

- Focus on storytelling that is driven by performance metrics and market insights.

- Blend creativity with a solid understanding of business metrics and KPIs.

- Approach marketing strategies with empathy and curiosity about the customer as an individual.

- Utilise generative AI for content creation, but always keep human expertise in the loop, especially in regulated industries.

- Identify areas where AI can be appropriately used without compromising the depth of advice and industry-specific requirements.

- Focus equally on understanding both end consumers and internal stakeholders.

- Actively work on building culture and high performance, especially in remote settings.

- Apply the same discipline, focus, and strategic thinking to all aspects of your role, from talent strategy to technology implementation.

Quote

“Pause, listen, and be curious about your buyer as a whole individual.” – Ellina Shinnick

Recommended Resource

- Dare to Lead by Brené Brown

- Radical Candor by Kim Scott 

- Think Again by Adam Grant

- Marketing Brew

- Morning Brew

- Finance Brew

Connect with Ellina Shinnick⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jan 05, 202430:18
Ep. 445 | Navigating MarTech Product Growth: Strategies for Thriving in Challenging Business Environments

Ep. 445 | Navigating MarTech Product Growth: Strategies for Thriving in Challenging Business Environments

Episode Summary

In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Katharine Noonan interviews Erik Kostelnik on thriving in the MarTech space. Erik underscores the critical need to build customer-centric brands, carefully balance marketing investments, and prioritise hiring skilled marketers for storytelling and brand development. He highlights the importance of creating a human-first brand strategy that values customer engagement and relationships. He advises marketers to cut through the noise of the marketplace. He underscores the value of hiring skilled marketers who craft compelling stories and develop brands that listen and respond to customer needs.

About the Guest

Erik Kostelnik is a serial entrepreneur, professor, and investor with over 15 years of experience building and scaling technology companies in the B2B space. He is the founder and CEO of Postal, an offline marketing automation platform and marketplace that helps personalise, automate, and scale direct mail, internal and external events, branded company swag, and personalised gifts. 

Connect with Erik Kostelnik

Key Takeaways

- Cultivate a brand that resonates with and delights customers, encourages sharing, and integrates seamlessly with users' systems to foster organic growth and customer loyalty.

- Allocate marketing spending strategically between digital and physical outreach for balanced engagement.

- Focus on increasing conversion rates by innovating within typically underutilised channels.

- Prioritise hiring talented marketers to build a strong brand and tell compelling stories.

- Listen to customers and partners to become adept problem solvers and improve your offerings.

- Integrate customer interactions with brand-building efforts to showcase real value and foster loyalty.

- Aim to transform every product experience into a potential user acquisition channel.

- Focus on problem-solving and adding genuine customer value, which builds brand loyalty.

- In challenging economic times, selectively target a customer base with transparent, addressable needs.

- View human capital as the bedrock of your business and prioritise hiring individuals who align with your brand’s mission and values.

- Develop a human-first brand strategy that prioritises customer relationships and personal engagement.

- Prioritise direct feedback from customers to tailor the technology to their journey.

Quotes

“You’ve got to hire great marketers. We believe in brands, great marketers, and in telling good stories. Part of our development of Postal has always been to be the best storytellers out there and listen to our customers.” – Erik Kostelnik

Recommended Resource

Podcast – Taking Flight: GTM Experiments From Today's Top Leaders

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life Paperback by Walter Isaacson

Shout-Outs

Manny MedinaCEO of Outreach


Henry SchuckCEO & Founder of ZoomInfo

⁠Connect with Erik Kostelnik⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jan 05, 202421:01
Ep. 444 | Product Marketer's Journey Bringing AI Products to Market

Ep. 444 | Product Marketer's Journey Bringing AI Products to Market

Episode Summary

In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Corrine Kasman interviews Daniella Latham on the evolving landscape of product marketing. Daniella emphasises the importance of voicing customer needs from the outset of product development, advocating for oneself, and crafting compelling, data-backed narratives. Her approach to building strong, genuine relationships across departments, particularly between product marketing and sales, underscores the necessity of understanding and aligning with sales goals for mutual success. She also shares insights into the role of AI in product marketing and how marketers can utilise AI as a tool to augment human capabilities to focus on solving customer problems.

About the Guest

Daniella Latham is a curious product marketer with experience leading marketing and growth strategies at some of the fastest-growing and innovative SaaS companies in the world She is passionate about product marketing craft, product-led growth, crafting rich narratives, and AI for business. Daniella has twice been named a top 100 product marketing influencer by the Product Marketing Alliance. Daniella is currently working at Atlassian on AI features across their product portfolio.

Connect with Daniella Latham

Key Takeaways

- Voice customer needs and opinions from the beginning of the product development process.

- You need to advocate for yourself. Promote your work and achievements, ensuring visibility and recognition within your organisation.

- Develop the ability to craft compelling narratives backed by data to communicate with target audiences effectively.

- Proactively contact sales teams to offer feedback and insights, fostering solid interdepartmental relationships.

- Recognise the sales team's objectives, such as closing deals and customer satisfaction, to align marketing strategies accordingly.

- Build genuine relationships rather than viewing interactions as mere transactions.

- AI should be used to augment, not replace, human capabilities.

- Focus on how AI solves customer problems rather than just listing features.

- Listen to sales calls to identify knowledge gaps and customer concerns.

- Embrace AI for automating tasks and mining insights from various data sources.

- Shift towards more targeted, specific marketing that addresses core customer segments.

- Recognise the growing importance of community in establishing brand trust and authenticity.

- Prioritise genuine, human-centric approaches in an increasingly AI-driven world.

Quote

"Understand what the sales team’s goals are and then frame how you build relationships around that."

Recommended Resource

Wes Kao’s Newsletter

Lenny’s Newsletter 

Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career with Lenny Rachitsky

Product Marketing Alliance

Shout-Outs

Matt Hodges – Head of Product Marketing at Equals

Andrew Capland – Founder of Delivering Value

Mary SheehanHead of Lightroom Product Marketing at Adobe

⁠Connect with Daniella Latham⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Dec 22, 202325:46
Ep. 443 | AI Unleashed: Exploring Trends, Strategies, and Best Practices in Marketing

Ep. 443 | AI Unleashed: Exploring Trends, Strategies, and Best Practices in Marketing

Episode Summary

In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Chris Moody interviews Jana Eggers on explainability, trends, and tools in AI marketing. Jana emphasizes the need for transparency to identify and correct biases, urging the prioritization of user needs over technological capabilities. She argues that explainability should not be an afterthought but a fundamental aspect of AI. Chris and Jana discuss trends in AI-driven personalization in marketing, pointing out the need for more nuanced feedback mechanisms. The conversation then shifts to best practices for utilizing AI in marketing strategies. Jana advises a balanced approach, combining trust in AI with human expertise and scepticism. 

About the Guest

Jana Eggers is CEO of the neuroscience-inspired artificial intelligence platform company Nara Logics. She’s an experienced tech exec focused on inspiring teams to build great products. She’s started and grown companies and has also led large organizations at public companies. She is active in customer-inspired innovation, the artificial intelligence industry, as well as running and triathlons. She’s held technology and executive positions at Intuit, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Basis Technology, Lycos, American Airlines, Spreadshirt, and more. 

Connect with Jana Eggers

Key Takeaways

- Understanding the reasoning behind AI's decisions is crucial for practical sales, marketing, and healthcare applications.

- Transparency in AI helps identify and correct biases, ensuring fair and ethical use of technology.

- Prioritise understanding user needs over purely focusing on technological capabilities.

- Explainability in AI should be viewed not as an add-on but as a crucial element for effective and contextualised user interaction.

- Challenge the 'better results' notion to include practical usability and relevance to users' contexts.

- Engaging with LLMs helps develop a broader understanding and literacy of AI among users and organisations.

- Popular items can sometimes skew AI recommendations, leading to less relevant suggestions.

- The goal is to evolve AI systems to a point where users feel that recommendations are genuinely tailored for them.

- Don't over-trust AI; use it as a tool while maintaining critical thinking and scepticism.

- Employing AI when scaling beyond human capabilities, such as handling multiple data segments, is needed.

Quote

"Tuning these AI systems without having that explainability is really kind of like surgery with your eyes closed." – Jana Eggers

Recommended Resource 

Elements of AI: https://www.elementsofai.com

⁠Connect with Jana Eggers⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠



Dec 20, 202336:39
Ep. 442 | Building Bridges Between Sales, Marketing, and Metrics

Ep. 442 | Building Bridges Between Sales, Marketing, and Metrics

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 & IT, comfortable with driving change at global organizations.  Dora is a passionate frequent speaker on the topics of data, organizational culture, and transformational leadership. She advocates for ‘women in tech’ and was recognized on the ‘Global Data Power Women List 2023’. Dora is a sought-out mentor/coach by early to senior career professionals. She also serves on several advisory boards leveraging her domain expertise and exposure to Financial Services, Insurance, Retail, Education, and Healthcare/MedTech over her 29-year career.

Connect with Dora Boussias 

Key Takeaways

- Coupling technical expertise with a firm grasp of business operations is essential.

- Aim to rapidly access and trust your data, ensuring it meets operational needs and scalability.

- Align your team with a shared language and common goals to prioritise data initiatives effectively.

- Immediate solutions should consider potential future applications to avoid costly revisions later on.

- Build what is necessary for the present while strategically advancing toward a well-defined target state methodically.

- Design data systems that adapt to the macro economy, industry, and technology changes.

- Clear, shared goals and understanding standard success metrics are foundational for effective teamwork.

- Transparency and accountability in roles and expectations encourage a united effort towards organisational objectives.

- Asking "What can I do to help you?" rather than "What can you do for me?" shifts the focus to mutual support and expected progress.

- Change is inevitable, and resisting it is futile. Instead, embracing change and seeking collaboration leads to shared success.

- Respecting what each person brings and approaching interactions with curiosity can drive better collaboration.

- Recognise the importance of personal development in soft skills, often overlooked in traditional education, to improve workplace dynamics.

Quote

"When we work together, we are going further together." – Dora Boussias

Recommended Resource

https://dataverse.com 

Some good people: Could you share the names of 3 inspirational people in the B2B space that you recommend we bring to the show?


George Firican – Founder of LightsOnData Consulting & Training


⁠Connect with Dora Boussias⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dec 15, 202333:28
Ep. 441 | From B2C to B2B - Navigating the Marketing Spectrum in a Digital Age

Ep. 441 | From B2C to B2B - Navigating the Marketing Spectrum in a Digital Age

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+ years in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry at PepsiCo.  Most recently, she led the product innovation team at Quaker Foods, developing a robust innovation pipeline to drive category growth.  During her time at PepsiCo, she also launched a healthy snacks portfolio for the Chinese market.

Connect with Jane Lee

Key Takeaways

- A robust and well-defined brand is a key sustainable competitive advantage in any market.

- Clearly define your brand's position and ensure alignment with the company vision.

- Prioritise building brand equity and customer connection, which is crucial for long-term success.

- Shift focus from isolated marketing tasks to strategies that align with and support overall business goals.

- Align marketing strategies with sales objectives for cohesive and effective business operations.

- Prioritise strategies and tactics that lead to specific, measurable business outcomes.

- Steer clear of metrics that do not contribute to actual revenue or business success.

- B2C digital experiences shape customer expectations in B2B environments.

- Develop self-service digital options for B2B customers, allowing for efficient and independent transactions.

- Stay attuned to changing digital preferences and behaviours, especially post-pandemic shifts in online purchasing.

- Quickly adapt marketing strategies in response to sudden industry changes or crises.

- High data quality helps you use verified information for more accurate insights.

- Prioritise hiring skilled data scientists to effectively manipulate and draw insights from the data.

- Be transparent and proactive in identifying and addressing data collection and analysis gaps.

Quote

"The only sustainable competitive advantage is your brand." – Jane Lee

Recommended Resource

Podcast: The Daily Podcast

Book: Getting More by Stuart Diamond

⁠Connect with Jane Lee⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Dec 13, 202325:58
Ep. 440 | B2B Beyond Basics

Ep. 440 | B2B Beyond Basics

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 financial services. Most recently, Meredith was Director of Enterprise and Collaborative Marketing at Walgreens, where she led B2B product and brand marketing for the company. A data-driven go-to-market strategist, Meredith is excited about identifying innovative solutions that address current and future customer needs.

Connect with Meredith Hein

Key Takeaways

- Understand and cater to the functional and emotional requirements of your B2B buyers.

- Make sure to communicate realistically about your products and services to build trust with your buyers.

- Demonstrate, don't just claim. Use tangible evidence like data, demonstrations, and customer testimonials to substantiate your claims.

- Foster genuine connections with customers by being authentic and empathetic in your marketing communications.

- Understand the full scope of customer personas. Consider both the role of the customer within their organisation and their stage in the buying process.

- Develop specific personas for important targets to tailor your approach effectively.

- Engage with sales and account management teams for direct customer feedback and insights.

- Focus on understanding what worries your customers, which can inform how to position your services to address their concerns.

- Continuously test your marketing messages with essential target buyers to ensure relevance and engagement.

- Foster genuine, conversational interactions with B2B buyers to create a more human and relatable marketing experience.

- Employ a comprehensive marketing strategy surrounding your customers with positive messages about your product.

- Focus on current and potential clients in your marketing efforts to build stronger relationships.

- Aim not just for customer retention but also for turning customers into advocates for your brand.

Quote

“The B2B buyer is supporting an entire organization, even if it is a small business, and they have emotional needs as well. As a B2B marketer, you need to think about partnering with your account and sales team to help support those emotional needs.” – Meredith Hein

Recommended Resource

Range by David Epstein

Shout-outs

Adam Terenas – CEO & Founder of Health Launchpad

Chris Rahill – Chief Strategy Officer at Yamamoto

Dawn-Marie Kerper – Executive Consultant at Ogilvy


⁠Connect with Meredith Hein⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠


Dec 11, 202328:13
Ep. 439 | Strategic Overlays and the Future of ABM

Ep. 439 | Strategic Overlays and the Future of ABM

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 teams at Zuora, Optimizely, and Cisco Meraki, but began her career in the semiconductor space at Texas Instruments in Dallas. Outside of work, Helana enjoys hiking and running around Marin County and chasing around her two-year-old daughter.

Connect with Helena Zhang

Key Takeaways

- Recognise the importance of clearly defining roles within a team, as Helena does with strategists, campaign managers, and others on the ABM team.

- Marketing efforts must be closely aligned with sales goals, as seen in the strategists' role of owning pipeline numbers and aligning with sales.

- Pay attention to specific areas like top-of-funnel and executive journey marketing to reach the right audience.

- Deepen engagement with key accounts by developing in-depth strategies for top-tier enterprise accounts.

- Target CXO and Top-of-Funnel Marketing: Allocate dedicated resources to these areas, emphasising analytics and conversion rates.

- Shift from broad marketing influence metrics to detailed milestone-based assessments.

- Consider the entire journey from deal acceleration to customer loyalty and adoption.

- Coordinate with sales teams to ensure marketing efforts complement sales strategies, particularly in competitive or coexistent environments.

- Manage the trade-offs between one-to-one and one-to-few campaigns, allocating resources effectively.

- Use events as opportunities for high-touch, personalised engagement with key decision-makers.

- Document processes and playbooks diligently to ensure clarity and accountability.

- Clearly define the goals of collaboration in initial conversations with new teams.

Quote

“We really have to start to shift that narrative around ABM to focus more deeply on the milestones that we are delivering in each campaign.” – Helana Zhang 

Recommended Resource

Morning Brew

The Hustle Daily Newsletter 

Robinhood Snacks


⁠Connect with Helena Zhang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Dec 08, 202339:50
Ep. 438 | Mastering Engagement and Measuring Success

Ep. 438 | Mastering Engagement and Measuring Success

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 leadership roles that span marketing, strategy, and partnership development. Prior to joining Spotify in 2018, Alex held several B2C marketing roles at PepsiCo, covering product innovation, channel marketing, and brand communications, working with several of the company’s most-loved trademarks. Before his time at PepsiCo, Alex spent over six years on the agency side, working in communications planning at Publicis Groupe’s Starcom Worldwide. 

Connect with Alex Donics

Key Takeaways

- Personalisation lies at the heart of Spotify's user experience, ensuring no two listener experiences are identical.

- By focusing on the needs and preferences of creators and listeners, Spotify has ensured consistent growth and user engagement. Their emphasis on discovery features enhances their value proposition to both parties.

- Spotify's reach across 184 markets and 550 million listeners is a testament to its adaptability and understanding of global music and audio content trends.

- Collaboration and open-mindedness in leadership can lead to unexpected successes, as in the evolution of the "Discover Weekly" feature.

- Personalisation isn't just a feature—it's a core philosophy that drives growth and user loyalty.

- While scale is essential, ensuring quality reach for brands is paramount for impactful advertising.

- Audio shouldn't be boxed into just upper-funnel campaigns; it has potential across various marketing funnels.

- Successful audio campaign measurement hinges on three pivotal metrics: reach, resonance, and reaction.

- Effective communication is more than just data-driven precision; it's about connecting with audiences on a deeper level.

Quote

"What drives our engagement is that we always put the creator and the listener first.” – Alex Donics 

Recommended Resource

Exit Five - B2B Marketing with Dave Gerhardt

The B2B Marketing Podcast

The Bigger Narrative with Andy Raskin

⁠Connect with Alex Donics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Dec 06, 202330:34
Ep. 437 | Full Stack Marketing and AI

Ep. 437 | Full Stack Marketing and AI

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 trends and for building strategies that connect technology with customers to solcomplexult information technology challenges.

Connect with Carolyn Crandall

Key Takeaways

- The interconnectedness of today's world demands a seamless and personalised customer experience. It's crucial to ensure that your brand resonates with the audience, making them want to engage in business with you.

- A full-stack marketer mindset focuses on the holistic customer experience.

- Amidst rapid changes, it's essential to strategise effectively, start with small steps, and move quickly in executing projects.

- Emphasise ongoing self-improvement and learning. Dedicate your day to learning and development to stay ahead of the curve.

- While AI might not replace all functions, its integration can significantly improve efficiency, enabling marketers to undertake more activities and experiments.

- Recognise AI's role beyond content and creativity, particularly in reporting, analytics, and predictive modelling.

Quotes

“So much has changed that I just encourage people to think strategically and think big but move fast and start small wherever you can to move your projects and initiatives.” –  Carolyn Crandall.

Recommended Resource

Marketing AI Institute

CMO Alliance

National Cybersecurity Society

Shout-outs

Leslie Alore – GVP, Growth Marketing at Ivanti 

Daniel Raskin – Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer at Mperativ


Melissa Turek – Integrated Marketing Strategy Director at Matter Communications

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Dec 02, 202313:58
Ep. 436 | Tales from the frontier of ABM

Ep. 436 | Tales from the frontier of ABM

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 extensively in building and growing multiple B2B startups successfully, including Sprinklr, Intercom, and Dachis Group (acquired by Sprinklr).

Connect with Brian Kotlyar

Key Takeaways

- Achieving growth targets requires revisiting and redefining strategies, especially with old playbooks proving less effective.

- Start small and specific. Initiating projects on a smaller scale allows for better risk management and paves the way for innovative solutions.

- Massive system-wide projects often fail due to their complexity and need for clear direction.

- Data warehouses can efficiently ingest and manage vast amounts of data, making them invaluable for B2B marketing.

- Tailoring marketing strategies to individual or account-specific needs can significantly improve outcomes.

- Sometimes, the most effective solutions are straightforward and don't require overly complex technological implementations.

- Innovative data utilisation can lead to impressive efficiencies and results even with limited resources.

- Properly used, data can replace the need for large teams or budgets by automating and optimising processes.

- Thoughtfully constructed advertising campaigns with a data-backed foundation can achieve remarkable cost-effectiveness.

- Don 't be confined to conventional B2B platforms; explore and leverage B2C platforms for targeted advertising when the data supports it.

- Ground all strategies and innovations in reliable data, using it as a foundation to build upon.

- Despite technological advancements, specific fundamental business and marketing skills remain crucial.

- Marketers should focus on future outcomes, understanding that today's efforts will yield results in the longer term.

Quote

"If you're not figuring out how to build up a deep well of first-party data, manipulate it, and then use it to resurrect old tactics and invent new ones, You're in some trouble." – Brian Kotlyar 



Managing Oneself by Peter F. Drucker

Wynter

Shout-outs

François Dufour – Marketing Partner and CMO in Residence at Decibel Partners

Manav Khurana – Chief Product Officer at New Relic, Inc.

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Nov 30, 202336:46
Ep. 435 | Navigating the ABM Landscape - Unveiling Expert Insights and Pitfalls to Avoid

Ep. 435 | Navigating the ABM Landscape - Unveiling Expert Insights and Pitfalls to Avoid

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 sales development. With over 25 years in strategy and marketing, Fidlon has spent the last decade scaling high-growth Enterprise B2B SaaS and technology companies. Prior to SproutLoud, Fidlon led global marketing teams at Aria Systems, Optymyze, Softmart (acquired by Connection), and Audience Partners (acquired by Altice USA). Renny holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Pennsylvania. When not immersed in data, Fidlon spends most of his free time travelling, watching movies, and playing games with his wife and three children.

⁠Connect with Renny Fidlon⁠

Key Takeaways

  • A successful ABM approach prioritises the needs of sellers and supports them in scaling their efforts strategically.

  • Do Less, Better: Concentrate resources efficiently to get the best outcomes.

  • Marketing's primary role is to support sales motions, expanding and prioritising them as needed.

  • Beware the assumption that all buying group members are synchronised in their buyer's journey.

  • For effective ABM, marketing should aim to connect with individuals that sales might overlook, often those at the top of the funnel.

  • Manual tracking, while labour-intensive, can offer insightful statistics to underscore marketing strategies.

  • Prioritise quality over quantity; it's about doing fewer things exceptionally rather than spreading oneself thin.

  • Always prioritise long-term success over immediate, potentially superficial results.

  • Sales adoption is paramount for the successful implementation of ABM platforms.

  • First impressions matter: if sales teams aren't impressed initially, winning them over later becomes challenging.

  • After the acquisition, customers should quickly see the value and be guided in measuring success over time.

  • Turn customers into advocates by consistently showcasing the value provided.

Quote

“One of the biggest things that I see all the time is people trying to align their campaigns to a buyer's journey at the account level. The problem is that not all the members of a buying group or the influences of that buying group are in the same place in their buyer's journey.” – Renny Fidlon

Recommended Resource

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Dan Pink - Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us


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Nov 28, 202341:18
Ep. 434 | Navigating the Cutting Edge: Insights and Strategies in Modern Marketing

Ep. 434 | Navigating the Cutting Edge: Insights and Strategies in Modern Marketing

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 with Siara Nazir 

Key Takeaways 

● Beyond just sales and clicks, recognising the revenue contribution of your brand's equity is crucial. 

● Mixed media modelling’s advantage – This approach goes beyond traditional attribution models, helping marketers understand the revenue implications of their brand's presence across different channels. 

● Multi-touch attribution, while popular, may not give a comprehensive picture of a brand's value and impact. Consider alternative models for a fuller perspective. 

● Achieving success in non-branded spaces, which are highly competitive and challenging, can significantly boost a brand's visibility and conversions. 

● Utilize AI tools to automate various marketing tasks, from content creation to customer engagement. These tools not only speed up processes but also enhance quality. 

● Tomorrow's Martech stack will thrive on seamless interaction between software components. Ensure interoperability with robust API connections. 

● Balance the decision between choosing best-in-breed solutions and integrated ones. The right choice can significantly impact data flow and efficiency. 

● Established tech platforms, though significant, might not always provide the most agile solutions. 

Quote
“The beauty of mixed media modelling is that the software that it sits on actually looks at many other parts of the business that influence revenue, including brand presence.” – Siara Nazir

⁠Connect with Siara Nazir⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nov 16, 202324:12
Ep. 433 | Sales as a Foundation for Successful Marketing Careers

Ep. 433 | Sales as a Foundation for Successful Marketing Careers

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 served as the Co-President to mBolden (formerly Women in Wireless) in NY.

Connect with Catherine Dummitt 

 Key Takeaways 

- Don’t overlook the transferability of your skillset. A career switch can be daunting, but a diverse career can often be your competitive advantage. 

- A carefully crafted narrative distinguishes a brand from its competition. 

- A holistic understanding of the sales process, from the first touchpoint to closing the sale, is indispensable. 

- Persuasion, negotiation, presentation skills, data-driven decisions, and understanding the complete sales process can be directly transferred and beneficial in a marketing role. 

- Broaden your focus. Transitioning from sales to marketing requires shifting from individual client focus to larger demographic targets. 

- Marketing is not just about quick wins; it's about building a lasting brand and nurturing growth over time. 

- The cornerstone of effective marketing is understanding who you're speaking to and tailoring your message accordingly. 

- Communication should not be unidirectional. Engage with your audience and build a rapport instead of pushing a product. 

- Using data as a guiding tool is crucial for decision-making and strategy formation.

 - Recognize that first attempts might not be perfect. Be prepared to pivot based on feedback and emerging trends. 

- Overemphasizing immediate KPIs can neglect essential long-term brand-building initiatives. 

- Marketing should not just push a product; it should offer value and engage customers through a consultative approach. 

- Value-based marketing is about depositing into the relationship before making withdrawals. 

Quote

“It's really important to think big picture when you're in marketing.” – Catherine Dummitt

Shout-Outs 

Christopher Hansen – Chief Client Officer at Power Digital 

John Charlesworth – Director of Marketing Operations at Narvar 

Anisa KumarChief Customer Officer at Narvar

⁠Connect with Catherine Dummitt ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠



Nov 09, 202324:12
Ep. 432 | Journeying Across Roles: Insights from Entrepreneurship to Corporate Leadership

Ep. 432 | Journeying Across Roles: Insights from Entrepreneurship to Corporate Leadership

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, pricing strategy, SaaS business models, consumer behaviour, and product positioning. Her unique career trajectory, entrepreneurial spirit, and diverse experience have established her as a formidable leader in her field. She currently is the VP of Marketing at Animoto, where she leads a team of talented and passionate marketing and customer service professionals.

Connect with Beth Forester

Key Takeaways

- Major career shifts can be daunting, but sometimes, they are necessary steps towards greater fulfilment and success.

- Clear communication and alignment become paramount in larger organisations where multiple stakeholders are involved.

- Integrating product marketing early in the development process can enhance product value and market relevance.

- Understanding and articulating the broader benefits of a change can help in gaining buy-in from various departments.

- By breaking down decisions into a series of simple questions, it becomes easier to evaluate the potential impact and value of different initiatives, leading to more informed choices.

- Regular and direct communication with customers provides valuable, real-time feedback.

- Recognise the potential of expansion revenue, especially if there's limited scope for upselling or cross-selling.

- Understand that genuine product adoption signifies real value to customers.

- Top-of-the-funnel growth is crucial; ensure initiatives align with driving this growth.

- Building trust is essential for collaboration and team success.

Quote

“Probably the most beneficial thing that you can bring as a product marketer is diplomacy and gaining trust and being able to collaborate well with your team.” – Beth Forester 

Recommended Resource

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Product Marketing Debunked by Yasmeen Turayhi

Multipliers by Liz Wiseman 

Shout-outs

Yasmeen (Roxanne) Turayhi – Co-Founder at Blood Moon Box and Author 


Patrick Campbell – Founder & CEO at  ProfitWell

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Nov 09, 202324:34
Ep. 431 | Unlocking Success: Navigating Challenges and Strategies in Modern Leadership and Organizational Growth

Ep. 431 | Unlocking Success: Navigating Challenges and Strategies in Modern Leadership and Organizational Growth

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 Radial as SVP of Technology Services. Throughout Prashant’s career, he has been focused on value selling and value creation, whether that be via Product Management, Product Marketing, or serving as an executive leader focused on go-to-market functions.

Connect with Prashant Bhatia

Key Takeaways

- Career paths are often nonlinear, and early decisions can lead to unexpected opportunities.

- Leadership in higher roles is not just about guiding company direction but also about nurturing and shaping individual careers.

- Continuous learning and adaptability are crucial to navigating the evolving demands of the professional world.

- In a remote-working world, building trust requires proactive effort and clear communication.

- When inheriting or creating a new team, trust, transparency, vision, and accountability form the foundation of strong team dynamics.

- Consistency in core values, whether working with customers, peers, or teams, ensures uniformity in approach and results.

- Scaling up should be adaptive, considering both the growth of the company and the evolving needs of the market.

- Building and nurturing direct and indirect teams is crucial for driving organisational value.

- It's essential to have a clear vision and strategy, especially in growth-oriented roles, to steer the company in the right direction.

Quote

"Be open to change and be willing to embrace it." – Prashant Bhatia

Recommended Resource

Pragmatic Institute: Expert Training for Product, Data & Design

⁠Connect with Prashant Bhatia⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠




Nov 07, 202324:04
Ep. 430 | Navigating the Path to Success - Insights into Self-Service and Outbound Strategies

Ep. 430 | Navigating the Path to Success - Insights into Self-Service and Outbound Strategies

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 empowering people and fostering value-driven conversations. He is currently serving as the Head of Digital Sales for EMEA at Verifone. 

Connect with Octavian Brezoi 

Key Takeaways 

● Customer Experience is King. Today's paramount challenge is creating a cohesive, relevant customer experience regardless of the sales method or channel. 

● In an omni-channel approach, companies retain control over customer experiences, even if sales transpire through third-party resellers. 

● When large clients interact with self-service systems, it's vital to have monitoring mechanisms to provide optimal support. 

● For a seamless omnichannel experience, aim to provide a consistent and integrated customer experience, whether they choose self-service or require assistance. 

● Despite the consistent growth of e-commerce, traditional sales channels remain dominant. This presents both challenges and opportunities for businesses. 

● The adoption of AI in corporate settings is inevitable. It's about understanding its value and managing its usage effectively. 

● Leading a sales team parallels B2B selling, demanding trust-building, expertise demonstration, and thought leadership. 

● Steer the P&L by identifying, tracking, and mitigating risks and opportunities consistently.

● Don't shy away from probing questions during the sales process. Asking prospects about potential obstacles can provide critical insights. 

Quote 

“Managing a sales team is a lot like selling in the sense that you need to be able to win the trust of your people. You need to be able to show expertise and be a leader.” – Octavian Brezoi 


Recommended Resource

Never Split the Difference by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz 

The Advice Trap by Michael Bungay Stanier


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Nov 02, 202335:57
Ep. 429 | Unlocking Business Insights: Harnessing the Power of Diverse Data Sources for Anomaly Prediction

Ep. 429 | Unlocking Business Insights: Harnessing the Power of Diverse Data Sources for Anomaly Prediction

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 leader.

⁠Connect with Gail Buffington⁠

Key Takeaways

- An ability to sell or promote is not limited to products; it can be applied to skills, teams, and contributions.

- Analytics teams should focus on quantifying their contributions to showcase their impact on the company's success.

- Not all anomalies in data are harmful; some can offer positive insights and opportunities.

- Relying solely on internal data may limit the understanding of more significant trends and influencing factors. External economic data can provide context and predictive insights.

- The value of forecasting lies not just in the data itself but in understanding the influences behind that data.

- Challenging preconceived notions and expanding data sources can lead to more accurate and insightful predictions.

- Solely focusing on primary metrics like revenue might limit the understanding of a situation.

- Approach public data broadly and avoid restricting yourself to apparent connections.

- Realise that correlations may only sometimes be apparent, requiring more profound analysis and consideration.

- Utilise the extensive directories and resources available on government websites to access many data sets.

- Embrace an exploratory attitude in analytics, allowing for brainstorming and discovery.

Quote

“Being able to see that full picture allows us to get to a spot where we can utilise data that otherwise is very interesting, but doesn't give us the tools we need to unlock any insights with it.” – Gail Buffington 

Recommended Resource

Towards Data Science

Stack Overflow

⁠⁠Connect with Gail Buffington⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Nov 02, 202324:53
Ep. 428 | Crafting Success: Navigating Diverse Landscapes in Business

Ep. 428 | Crafting Success: Navigating Diverse Landscapes in Business

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 recurring role in Maniac (Netflix), as well as guest roles on Mr. Robot (USA), The Equalizer (CBS) and Elementary (CBS). DeMarais holds an MFA in acting from NYU and a BA in Business Management and Theatre, with a Minor in Dance from Gustavus Adolphus College. 

Connect with Christian DeMarais 

Key Takeaways 

When engaging with stakeholders, immerse yourself in their perspectives, understanding their needs, concerns, and objectives. 

● Avoid Direct Objectives – Don't always lead with your end goal. Let stakeholders understand your objectives through the information you provide and the narrative you weave.

● Craft a Narrative: Whether it's a presentation, a proposal, or a report, build a story that captivates your stakeholders and takes them on a journey. 

● It's crucial to know what drives your stakeholders. Identify their priorities, financial metrics, time-saving efficiencies, or other KPIs, and cater your strategy to these.

● Empathy is key. While clear goals and KPIs matter, other aspects like ease of use and time-saving can be equally crucial. 

● Never judge. Understand the perspectives and challenges of all team members. Your internal stakeholders, often acting as your 'customers', need that understanding the most.

● Ensure your services or products cater to a broad spectrum of your customers' needs, making it easier for them to choose you over competitors. 

● Continuously seek and incorporate customer feedback to refine and improve your offerings. Centre your strategies around customer needs. Listening to and acting on their input can lead to product innovations and sustained growth. 

● Balance Macro and Micro Perspectives. Keep an eye on the broader business strategy while attending to day-to-day operations. 

Quote:

“Understanding is such a huge part of what we do. And I think understanding your customer, but a lot of times for RebLabs specifically, your customers are also internal stakeholders in the company and the business.” – Christian DeMarais 

Recommended Resource

The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg 

Shout-Outs 

Melanie Terranova – Head of RevOps at Wix 

Dhwani Dalal – Director, Sales Strategy & Operations at DocuSign

Meg Goetsch – Vice President, Global Sales Operations and Strategy at Forter 

⁠Connect with Christian DeMarais⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Oct 19, 202338:37
Ep. 427 | Empowering Business Success through Data-Driven Insights and Collaborative Marketing

Ep. 427 | Empowering Business Success through Data-Driven Insights and Collaborative Marketing

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 in learning new targeting strategies to keep Palo Alto Networks ahead of the competition. Outside of work, Paige is a mom to two very active boys, enjoys yoga and hiking.

Connect with Paige Marsin

Key Takeaways

- Imposter syndrome can be an advantage. It challenges individuals to achieve better results with fewer resources, leading them to optimise efficiency and innovation.

- Focus on what delivers the most value, not just where there's ample budget.

- Prior experience in lean environments can inform strategies in better-funded sectors.

- The “Spray and Pray” approach is broken. Precise targeting, backed by data, is more effective than a broad marketing approach.

Not every process has to be templated – When standardised tools or platforms don't cater to unique business needs, manual customisation is worth the effort.

- Continuously tracking account movement through varying funnel stages, from top to mid to lower, is vital for valuable insight.

- Metrics and data-driven insights are crucial in evaluating campaign success. Metrics like account lift, engagement rates, and impression counts are particularly significant.

- Centralising the process through a dedicated team ensures effective targeting without oversaturating shared accounts across multiple go-to-market strategies.

Quote

"We are empowered to make our own decisions. It’s very different from higher education, where you have to go through a slew of approvals to get something done.” – Paige Marsin

Recommended Resource


The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

Shout-outs

Lauren DaleyDirector, Marketing Operations at Palo Alto Networks 

Lauren BeerDigital Product Manager at Palo Alto Networks

Jeremy SchwartzSr. Manager, Global Lead Management & Strategy at Palo Alto Networks

⁠Connect with Paige Marsin⁠ | ⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠


Oct 19, 202324:32
Ep. 426 | Delivering Better Fiscal Results by Focusing on Communities and Humanity

Ep. 426 | Delivering Better Fiscal Results by Focusing on Communities and Humanity

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 engagement when engaging with social causes. She also provides insights into measuring the impact of CSR efforts using modeling, outcome-based data, and effectiveness metrics.

About the Guest

Catherine Hernandez-Blades is an award-winning corporate leader in Marketing, Communications, Government Relations, CommTech, Digital Transformation, Change Management, and Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) with more than 30 years of professional experience, including C-suite roles at three Fortune 500 companies. Currently, Catherine is the SVP of Marketing and Communications at SAIC, a company that delivers innovative and transformational solutions to the U.S. government in the civilian and defense markets.

⁠Connect with Catherine Blades⁠

Key Takeaways

- Purpose-driven companies achieve better fiscal outcomes by focusing on communities and humanity.

- Purpose is a crucial factor in revitalizing brands, connecting people, and driving results.

- Humanizing brands through CSR and ESG efforts fosters authentic connections and engagement.

- Engage with social issues aligned with values, stakeholders' expectations, and actual impact.

- Risk mitigation, stakeholder engagement, and curating genuine efforts are vital in avoiding pitfalls.

- Outcomes matter more than activities; measure progress through modeling, outcome-based data, and effectiveness metrics.

- RepTrack model reveals 7 reputation dimensions, with governance, citizenship, and workplace being crucial.

- Outcome-based data indicates success or failure based on ROI metrics and key performance indicators.

- Effectiveness metrics, such as engagement and click-through rates, provide real-time insights for adjustments.

- Purpose-driven strategies can be quantifiably correlated to stock price, employee engagement, and more.

- Purpose and profit are interconnected, demonstrated through data, authentic engagement, and measurable outcomes.

Quote

"When you humanize the brand, you make that human connection and you go from share of wallet to share of heart." - Catherine Blades

Recommended Resources

Book:

⁠Find Your Why by Simon Sinek⁠

Shout-outs

Jane Randel – Co-President at Karp Randel

Rochelle L. Ford – President at Dillard University


⁠Connect with Catherine Blades⁠⁠ | ⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Oct 12, 202325:44
Ep. 425 | Journey From Tech to Sales Leadership

Ep. 425 | Journey From Tech to Sales Leadership

Episode Summary

Paul Curto's career journey from a technical background to sales leadership is characterized by a strong technical foundation. He initially worked on network upgrades and designs, later transitioning into consulting with Deutsche Telekom to explore network technologies and innovation. His foray into technical marketing provided a unique blend of technology and marketing expertise. About a decade ago, he transitioned into sales with Aruba Networks, where he highlighted the importance of aligning solutions with desired outcomes and building enduring relationships. RetailNext, the company Paul discussed, specializes in retail analytics, offering e-commerce-style insights to brick-and-mortar stores. Their solutions encompass sensor-based systems for customer traffic tracking, loss prevention modules, and in-store analytics, helping retailers make data-driven decisions. Paul also shared insights into the MEDDIC and Miller Heiman sales methodologies, emphasizing understanding customer pain points, decision processes, and the role of economic buyers and champions. For those implementing MEDDIC, he recommended coaching, tracking keywords with conversation intelligence tools like Gong, and consistent use of Salesforce for reinforcement.

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. With a career marked by inspiring sellers, he emphasizes matching solutions to outcomes and fostering lasting win-win relationships. Sales strategy, enriched by customer-centric methodologies, is his forte, driven by enablement and sales technology. Paul is dedicated to helping clients achieve business success while ensuring exceptional, fact-based decision-making and unparalleled customer satisfaction.

Connect with Paul Curto

Key Takeaways

- RetailNext brings e-commerce-style analytics to brick-and-mortar stores, aiding in business growth.

- Data-driven sales involve tracking customer behavior, optimizing operations, and improving the customer experience.

- Paul highlighted the MEDDIC and Miller Heiman sales methodologies.

- Economic buyers are crucial, and champions play a pivotal role in influencing buying decisions.

- A strong action plan is created through MEDDIC, incorporating red flags and strengths.

- Reinforce MEDDIC concepts through coaching and deal reviews with the sales team.

- Utilize sales technology, like conversation intelligence tools, to track and analyze MEDDIC-related keywords.

- Implement MEDDIC opportunity review forms in Salesforce to ensure consistent adoption and reinforcement.

Quote

"People buy for personal reasons even at work, and so when the sellers try to help you look good for your boss and try to help you make the right decision and become seen as a superhero inside the buying team, that's when you start to make magic happen with MEDDIC in these deals."  – Paul Curto

Recommended Resources

Books:

- "Cracking the Sales Management Code" by Jason Jordan and Michelle Vazzana

- "The Sales Development Playbook" by Trish Bertuzzi

- "Never Split the Difference: Negotiate Like Your Life Depends on It" by Chris Voss

Newsletters:

- Charlotte Lloyd’s LinkedIn Newsletter

- Matt McNamara’s YouTube Channel

- Josh Braun’s LinkedIn Newsletter

- Becc Holland’s LinkedIn Newsletter


⁠Connect with Paul Curto⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Oct 05, 202328:03
Ep. 424| Mastering Leadership: Navigating Modern Sales Trends

Ep. 424| Mastering Leadership: Navigating Modern Sales Trends

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 the most value to customers.  When he’s done making deals at work, he is at home making deals with his daughters.
Connect with Neda Huda

Key Takeaways

- Transitioning into a leadership role involves a deep understanding of the "why" at various levels—territories, industries, and departments. 

- Effective leadership entails threading this understanding into conversations and gaining buy-in for strategic initiatives.

- Collaboration across teams requires sharing a compelling vision and fostering trust. Building relationships by investing time and supporting colleagues' efforts before asking for cooperation is essential for achieving common goals.

- Modern customer journeys involve extensive pre-engagement research. 

- Sales professionals must speak the customer's language and emphasize the business value of their offerings to effectively navigate this landscape.

- With professionals changing jobs more frequently, knowledge sharing and movement significantly influence technology choices. 

- Leadership involves understanding the "why" on a larger scale.

- Fostering collaboration across teams requires sharing the vision and building trust.

- Buyers are more informed and conduct extensive research before engaging with sales professionals.

- Successful sales now depend on speaking the customer's language and delivering business value.

Quote

“You don't just ask, you don't just take, you give before you ask... creating that trust and creating that collaborative approach, I find is the key to make sure that a large organization gets involved and advises your success.” – Neda Huda

Recommended Resources

Newsletter:

Shout-outs

Trent Dressel – Tech Sales Instructor at CourseCareers 

Brian G. Burns – Host of The Brutal Truth about Sales Podcast

Vin Mantano – Senior Account Executive at Demandbase


Connect with Neda Huda⁠ | ⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠




Oct 05, 202315:37
Ep. 423 | RevOps Unveiled: Navigating Trends, Challenges, and Innovative Synergies

Ep. 423 | RevOps Unveiled: Navigating Trends, Challenges, and Innovative Synergies

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 where he looks after all of Riva’s customer-facing sales team members. A developer by background, Ken is passionate about helping customers leverage technology to solve business problems.  Over the past 30 years, Ken has personally helped tens of thousands of customers evaluate, select and implement ERP and CRM solutions, globally. As a long-standing member of ITA, Ken has contributed to many Content Committees and has presented numerous sessions at ITA Collaboratives.

Connect with Ken Lorenz

Key Takeaways

- RevOps is a sector that has dramatically evolved from basic personal information managers to complex systems impacting sales and marketing processes over 30 years.

- Modern technology advancements, including generative AI like ChatGPT, are poised to revolutionize sales processes, changing how businesses interact and transact.

- The key differentiator in sales remains human touch and relationship-building, even as advanced AI tools gain prominence.

- Data quality is paramount; without clean, accurate data, no amount of technology can yield successful results in the RevOps field.

- Recent years have seen a proliferation of add-on technologies around CRM systems, increasing the complexity and cost of integration.

- Organizations often grapple with data "swamps" instead of efficient data "lakes," complicating the process of gaining insights and actionables.

- ABM platforms have emerged as crucial tools to aggregate, analyze, and provide actionable insights, focusing on genuinely engaged accounts for businesses.

- Integrating ChatGPT with RevOps systems presents opportunities and challenges, especially when handling sensitive, customer-specific data.

- In regulated industries like banking and insurance, there is heightened caution about introducing any customer data into AI models, ensuring strict compliance and data protection.

- Bad actors can exploit data, and with evolving large language models, there is a potential risk of data breaches or misuse, necessitating stringent safeguards.

- Regulations might become stricter, with businesses potentially needing to disclose when content is AI-generated, emphasizing transparency in communication.

Quote

"I think it's going to be very interesting to see how the next generation of salespeople leverage that technology and allow themselves to differentiate from their competitors." – Ken Lorenz

Shout-outs

Tony Hughes – CEO and Co-founder at Sales IQ Global


Justin Michael – CRO Coach & Co-Founder at Hard Skill Exchange

⁠Connect with Ken Lorenz⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Sep 28, 202316:52
Ep. 422 | Conquering Semiconductor Sales

Ep. 422 | Conquering Semiconductor Sales

Episode Summary

In this episode of Sunny Side Up, host Chris Moody interviews Andrew Peters, a seasoned marketing professional with extensive experience in the Internet of Things (IoT) industry. Andrew shares insights into transforming marketing strategies using data-driven approaches and discusses the challenges of targeting complex markets like IoT. He delves into the significance of identifying Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) and leveraging in-market intent signals to drive successful account engagement. The conversation also touches on the role of generative AI in accelerating product launches and the potential it holds for expediting complex use cases. 

About the Guest

Andrew Peters thrives at the nexus of people and processes, building global departments from the ground up, leading impactful revenue strategies, improving developer experience, and ensuring alignment across sales and marketing that’s always focused on the customer. His innovative approaches to marketing operations, customer analytics, and digital experiences have garnered numerous awards. Andrew also serves as the Chair-elect for the Austin LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, where he promotes community for all, and our ability to impact the cities we live in.
Connect with Andrew Peters

Key Takeaways

- Focusing on in-market signals aids in identifying valuable accounts in the IoT space, streamlining efforts, and improving targeting precision for effective marketing strategies.

- IoT sales cycles can be prolonged, making it vital to identify accounts showing in-market intent early to nurture relationships and capitalize on opportunities.

- Clearly defining Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) aligns marketing and sales efforts, enabling better targeting and engagement, leading to improved conversion rates and growth.

- Metrics validation helped solidify the new ICP model's success, demonstrating a 60% better likelihood of converting to new opportunities, leading to enhanced conversion rates and growth.

- Leveraging Generative AI accelerates product launches and refines complex use-case solutions, offering quicker decision-making and innovation in various domains.

- Generative AI supports efficient data gathering and analysis, empowering quicker, well-informed decisions by extracting valuable market insights for strategic advantage.

- Generative AI accelerates content creation by generating marketing materials, campaigns, and creative assets, reducing manual efforts and increasing marketing output efficiency.

- AI-driven automated email outreach acts as an efficient business development representative, identifying and engaging potential clients, and driving meaningful conversations.

- Generative AI has the potential to expedite chip development by 20-30%, reducing time-to-market, cutting costs, and ensuring faster access to improved product offerings.

- Successful individuals invest countless unseen hours of effort to achieve excellence, underscoring the significance of persistent dedication and determination in achieving success.

Quote

"I think the most important part about that journey is sometimes you need a manager or a mentor that's going to push you and put you into that uncomfortable position where you're like, 'I don't know if I'm ready for this,' but you're actually more ready than you think." 

Recommended Resources 

Podcasts:
How I Built This podcast by Guy Raz

The Huberman Lab by Andrew Huberman

Book: Grit by Angela Duckworth

Shout-outs

Deirdre Walsh – Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder at IGC

Trisha Fields – Director, Performance Marketing at Silicon Labs


Connect with Andrew Peters⁠ | ⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Sep 21, 202338:05
420 | Forging the Future of GTM: Enterprise vs. Growth ABM

420 | Forging the Future of GTM: Enterprise vs. Growth ABM

Episode Summary

In this episode of Sunny Side Up, host Tara Quehl interviews Davis Potter, diving deep into the intricate realm of Account-Based Marketing (ABM). Davis, a seasoned ABM practitioner, delineates the nuances between growth ABM and enterprise ABM strategies, spotlighting the crucial considerations of resource limitations and tiered methodologies. The discussion delves into key performance indicators, focusing on escalating contact engagement and burgeoning revenue, essential for gauging ABM effectiveness. As the conversation unfolds, the transformative potential of AI takes center stage, envisioning a future of scalable personalization and automated ad optimization. 

About the Guest

Davis currently leads the ABM function at Telesign, and the CEO of ForgeX, a B2B market research and advisory think tank specializing in Account-Based Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies and Generative AI. He has experience launching, optimizing, and scaling ABM programs within hyper-growth VC-backed startups, mid-size organizations, and some of the world's largest and most renowned enterprises.

Connect with Davis Potter

Key Takeaways

- ABM methods vary: Choose growth or enterprise based on launch speed and account coverage.

- Account engagement and revenue growth are core ABM success indicators.

- AI revolutionizes personalization at scale, elevating ad messaging and account intelligence.

- Contact engagement categorizes interactions, enabling focused actions for specific contacts.

- Deal velocity, sourced, and influenced revenue metrics measure ABM's revenue impact.

- Differentiate between tiered accounts for resource allocation and strategic alignment.

- Growth ABM adopts a tiered methodology for efficient account prioritization and faster testing.

- Personalized ad platforms driven by AI optimize and iterate messaging for better results.

- ABM evolves with AI, enhancing personalization, account intelligence, and ad optimization capabilities.

- Prioritize account engagement for both overall contact interaction and core buying group involvement.

- Growth ABM offers a streamlined approach, allowing faster testing and resource allocation within tiers.

- Enterprise ABM demands deeper one-to-one or one-to-few interactions, requiring more resources.

Quote

“In growth ABM, you're able to test and iterate so fast within your tactics.” – Davis Potter

Recommended Resources

Newsletter:
The Pleiss is Right by Tyler Pleiss

Shout-outs

Désirée Daniels – Head of ABM & Industry - Retail, Fashion, Beauty & Consumer at Google

Alessandra Fagone – Director, Global Revenue Marketing - Acquisition and Customer Growth at Workhuman

Akriti Gupta– Marketing Director at LinkedIn


⁠Connect with Davis Potter | ⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠



Sep 14, 202337:49
Ep. 421 | Mastering Marketing: Strategies for Success in Changing Landscapes

Ep. 421 | Mastering Marketing: Strategies for Success in Changing Landscapes

Episode Summary

In this episode of Sunny Side Up, host Michael Malone interviews Kathy Neumann, CMO of Rent., about mastering marketing strategies for success in changing landscapes. Michael welcomes Kathy to the show and delves into her extensive background in retail marketing, discussing how it has shaped her current role as CMO at Rent.. Kathy emphasizes the importance of understanding consumer motivations and solving their problems by marrying consumer insights with technology trends. She talks about the challenges of maintaining consumer-centricity and avoiding personal biases in marketing strategies. The conversation shifts towards the impact of COVID-19 on digital transformation, with Kathy highlighting how the pandemic accelerated the adoption of mobile-first and digital experiences. She shares insights about her approach to building teams, focusing on hiring for attitude and aptitude, and cultivating a culture of curiosity and adaptability. Kathy also discusses the successful rebranding of Rent. and the crucial role of engaging employees in the transformation process. She emphasizes the significance of internal engagement metrics and external client feedback in measuring the success of a rebrand.

About the Guest

Kathy joins us from Rent. where she has been CMO for the last year and a half.  During her tenure at Rent. she has led a complete relaunch of the company including branding, product architecture, and company culture, resulting in a reversal of business trends from declining business to double-digit growth.  

Kathy's background is steep in consumer, digital, and brand marketing across brands such as Chewy, Carter's, Lands' End, and Victoria's Secret.
Connect with Kathy Neumann

Key Takeaways

- Perspective shift: View industry challenges from the consumer's point of view, not just personal perspective.

- COVID-19 accelerated digital adoption and mobile-first mindset, impacting consumer expectations.

- A curious attitude is crucial when hiring for marketing roles; look for adaptability over current expertise.

- Embrace progress over precision and encourage trying new ideas within the marketing team.

- Successful rebranding involves rallying the entire organization around the "why" and fostering engagement.

- Metrics for internal success: Employee engagement, referrals, swag requests, and pride in the brand.

- External metrics include traffic, conversion rates, engagement, and feedback from customers.

- Navigating chaos: Maintain curiosity, recognize evolving industry trends, and stay adaptable.

- Rebranding isn't just about visuals; it's about transforming culture and aligning the entire organization.

- Communicate the "why" of change multiple times in different ways to ensure understanding and buy-in.

- Embrace disruption by focusing on where the industry is headed and adapting accordingly.

Quote

"You can't stretch standing still, so I applaud people on my team that try new things, and we celebrate the failures by learning what we can out of those interactions and quickly course correcting, but if you're not moving, you're not growing in today's environment.” – Kathy Neumann

Recommended Resources

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

Shout-outs

Susan Sachatello – Chief Marketing Officer at Compeer Financial


Matthew Doerrs – Vice President of B2B Marketing at Rent.


Connect with Kathy Neumann | ⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠


Sep 14, 202321:47
Ep. 419 | Unlocking ABM Success in a Resource-Constrained Landscape

Ep. 419 | Unlocking ABM Success in a Resource-Constrained Landscape

Episode Summary

In this episode of Sunny Side Up, host Devan Cohen interviews Dan Radu, the founder and president of Macro, a digital marketing partner specializing in ABM programs. Dan shares insights into the concept of Account-Based Everything (ABE), emphasizing the importance of aligning marketing, sales, and customer success teams around a common account-focused mindset. He discusses the challenges faced by organizations operating in a resource-constrained landscape and highlights key metrics like account engagement score, opportunity creation probability, and deal size that drive ABM success. Dan underscores the significance of collaboration between teams and the role of agency partners like Macro in operationalizing go-to-market strategies. He provides step-by-step guidance on effectively implementing ABM, from tiering accounts to evaluating channel performance.

About the Guest

Dan is the founder & president of Macro, a digital marketing partner helping global marketing teams run ABM programs. For the past 10 years, the team serviced enterprise-class clients working as a natural extension of their team.

Connect with Dan Radu

Key Takeaways

- Account-Based Everything (ABE) is a mindset aligning marketing, sales, and customer success around account engagement.

- Prioritize limited resources by focusing on ideal customer profiles and joint team efforts.

- Metrics: Track account engagement score, initiative impact on opportunities, deal probability, and size.

- Collaboration among teams is crucial; cross-discipline experts can bridge gaps effectively.

- Agencies like Macro help operationalize go-to-market strategies, adapting and executing with expertise.

- Ideal clients for agency support are global marketing teams needing regional assistance and tech expertise.

- Challenges include aligning diverse objectives, integrating systems, and replicating successful tactics.

- Start with understanding account-based readiness and the need for external partnership.

- Assess current account-based marketing efforts to determine readiness and approach.

- Efficient operationalization involves tiering accounts, monitoring buying signals, and defining partner roles.

- Consistent attribution models enhance performance tracking; and avoid frequent changes.

- Maintain accurate account data, ensure team alignment, and adopt an account-based everything mindset.

Quote

"Account-Based Everything (ABE) is a mindset aligning marketing, sales, and customer success around account engagement." – Dan Radu



Book:
- The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Shout-outs

Geoff Linton – Co-Chair Market Council at the Canadian Marketing Association and Founder of Connect Digital Hub

⁠Connect with Dan Radu⁠ |Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sep 07, 202312:58
Ep. 418 | Journey of a Sales Titan: Unveiling Career Insights and Leadership Secrets

Ep. 418 | Journey of a Sales Titan: Unveiling Career Insights and Leadership Secrets

Episode Summary

In this episode of Sunny Side Up, host Devan Cohen interviews Kevin Chen, VP of sales development at Pure Facts Financial Solutions. Chen shares his journey from starting as a door-to-door salesperson to becoming a sales leader. He discusses the importance of discovering one's "why" and the mindset of playing to win rather than playing not to lose. Chen emphasizes the evolving role of sales development, where reps may become content creators and thought leaders to engage prospects effectively. He delves into the role of AI and technology, advising reps to embrace them as tools to enhance their efficiency. Kevin also highlights the significance of maintaining a healthy balance to prevent burnout and the impact of mentors and continuous learning.

About the Guest

Kevin is the VP of Sales Development at Pure Facts Financial Solutions, leading strategic growth initiatives. He drives transformational WealthTech solutions across global markets, leveraging expertise in wealth management, AI, and machine learning. He started his career at 21 as a door-to-door salesperson in a 100% commission role, he was the top performer in Canada by the end of that year, and by 23 he transitioned into entrepreneurship, starting his own sales consultancy firm before joining Purefacts in his current role.
Connect with Kevin Chen

Key Takeaways

- Cultivating a strong "why" and a growth mindset are vital for motivation and success, aiding resilience and preventing burnout.

- AI, like ChatGPT, enhances sales by aiding account research, email crafting, analytics, and content personalization, improving efficiency and results. - Future SDRs may evolve into content creators and thought leaders, using various platforms to engage and resonate with audiences effectively.

- Prioritizing physical and mental well-being, like exercise, downtime, and learning, ensures sustained high performance while avoiding burnout.

- Setting clear goals and pacing oneself according to the big picture helps prevent burnout and sustain motivation on the journey to success.

- Adapting to changes, whether in technology or roles, is essential for longevity and success in the dynamic sales landscape.

- Developing a clear end goal and maintaining focus on the bigger purpose provides direction and sustains motivation over the long haul.

- Communication skills, empathy, and connection are crucial for effective sales, making emotional intelligence an invaluable asset.

- Embracing lifelong learning and seeking out challenges nurture personal growth, enabling individuals to stay relevant and excel in their careers.

Quote

"Begin with the end in mind. You always need to know where you're going before you start going somewhere." – Kevin Chen

Recommended Resources

Podcast:

- Selling Well Podcast by Mark Cox

Books:


Play to Win by Larry and Hirsch Wilson

- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey


Connect with Kevin Chen⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠



Aug 31, 202325:18
Ep. 417 | ​​Innovating Beyond Boundaries - Inside Mitel’s culture of Innovation

Ep. 417 | ​​Innovating Beyond Boundaries - Inside Mitel’s culture of Innovation

Episode Summary

In this episode of Sunny Side Up, host Tyler Gambardella interviews Tyler Haney, a marketing and operations expert, about the innovative intersection of data science, automation, and creative problem-solving. Tyler Haney shares his journey from building websites in college to becoming a pivotal force in driving data-driven decisions at his current organization. Exploring the synergy between his interest in smart home automation and his professional pursuits, Haney discusses how leveraging technology to create efficiencies in one's daily life can inspire similar creative approaches in business operations. Drawing parallels between his passion for home automation and the world of marketing, he emphasizes the importance of finding practical solutions that enhance quality of life while applying a similar mindset to solve business challenges. Haney delves into the role of predictive modeling and data-driven dashboards in optimizing sales processes, shedding light on his team's recent endeavors to predict gaps in the pipeline and strategically reallocate resources. With insightful anecdotes and a passion for utilizing technology creatively, Haney's expertise offers a compelling glimpse into the exciting future of data-driven business innovation.

About the Guest

Tyler is an experienced digital and demand generation executive who is passionate about using data and analytics to drive business results. With a deep background in marketing and information science, Tyler focuses on breaking down complex processes into simplified concepts to help teams improve efficiency and gain back time for intellectual curiosity and creativity. Tyler has led marketing teams in the technology, healthcare, and retail sectors and holds an MBA from the University of Kentucky.
Connect with Tyler Haney

Key Takeaways

- Smart home automation inspires creative problem-solving in business operations.

- Leveraging available tools creatively can solve problems effectively, improving work efficiency.

- Home automation principles apply to marketing and sales, enhancing decision-making.

- Predictive modeling and dashboards optimize sales by predicting gaps and reallocating resources.

- Balancing human input with AI-driven predictions results in actionable insights.

- Data-driven decision-making can improve accuracy and efficiency in various processes.

- Navigating automation requires understanding limitations and making thoughtful adaptations.

- Creative thinking applied to technology can lead to successful problem-solving in diverse domains.

- Strategic automation choices can boost efficiency while considering practicality and costs.

- Applying data science to marketing enhances understanding and predictions of market behavior.

- Embracing automation's potential requires embracing both successes and failures to drive growth.

- Effective automation solutions often stem from addressing real-world inconveniences and simplifying complex processes.

- Integrating historical data and predictive models can aid in resource allocation and decision-making for business growth.

- Recognizing cognitive biases and heuristics can inform more strategic communication and decision-framing.

Quote

“Automation is about what makes you more efficient or what makes your life easier or better in some way." – Tyler Haney

Recommended Resources

Blog:

- Lifehacker

Book:
- Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman


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Aug 31, 202350:16
Ep. 416 | ​​Transformational Journeys: Insights into Equisoft's Evolution and Strategies for Success

Ep. 416 | ​​Transformational Journeys: Insights into Equisoft's Evolution and Strategies for Success

Episode Summary

In this episode of Sunny Side Up, Devan Cohen interviews Vikas Kalra, a marketing professional with 15+ years of experience. With an MBA, Lean Six Sigma certification and a background in economics, Vikas discusses his journey from managing large accounts in paid search to his current role as a marketing leader at Equisoft. Based in Toronto, Canada, Vikas balances his professional life with his role as a father of two and his interests in spirituality, travel, and tea. He is a certified tea sommelier and a travel advisor in Ontario. Vikas sheds light on Equisoft's transformational journey, strategies for success, and the pivotal role of face-to-face interactions and events in their ABM space. He also discusses the synergy between sales and marketing enablement, and how they work together to nurture target accounts through effective CRM management and data-driven approaches.

About the Guest

Vikas is a seasoned marketing professional with over 15 years of expertise across diverse functions in the marketing landscape. He holds an MBA, Lean Six Sigma Certification, and a BA in Economics, which has fueled his passion for data-driven and process-oriented strategies. Currently based in Toronto, Canada, Vikas balances his professional life with his role as a father of two. Beyond the business world, Vikas has a deep interest in spirituality, travel, and tea. He is a certified tea sommelier and a travel advisor in the state of Ontario.

Connect with Vikas Kalra

Key Takeaways

- Vikas’s primary objective is to manage a healthy pipeline of prospects and nurture existing ones.

- Diverse digital marketing functions and integrated approaches have shaped Equisoft's growth.

- Face-to-face interactions are crucial for building trust in long sales cycle markets.

- Trust is essential in the insurance sector for major digital transformation projects.

- Events play a significant role in breaking through the noise and connecting with prospects.

- ABM strategy relies on data integrity, CRM management, and sales-marketing collaboration.

- Sales and marketing enablement ensures synergy for successful ABM execution.

- Successful marketing involves balancing digital efforts, event participation, and effective CRM usage.

- Strong data utilization and meaningful interactions underscore successful marketing endeavors.

Quote

 Action is key. Action is critical. CRM plays a big role in that." – Vikas Kalra

"Growth is hidden in tweaking your existing processes, starting somewhere subtle, not in completely restructuring your processes."– Vikas Kalra

Recommended Resources

Books:

⁠Connect with Vikas Kalra ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Aug 24, 202321:38