What Marketers Lost When AI Took Over | Belkins Podcast Episode #18

AI has changed how B2B marketers work — and how they connect.

In this episode, Dr. Amy Cook, Co-Founder and CMO at Fullcast, joins Michael to explore what happens when automation starts replacing authenticity, and how today’s most effective marketers are rebuilding the human side of their craft.

Her framework is simple: use AI for knowledge. Leave relationships to humans.

Amy brings an unusual perspective to this conversation. She has a PhD in organizational rhetoric (how companies actually persuade people), ran her own agency for 15 years, and spent her early career as a professional violinist performing with the Osmond family. That last credential matters: she learned on stage that audiences always know when something feels rehearsed instead of real.

That's exactly what's happening in B2B marketing right now.

Join us, as we explore where AI actually makes marketers better versus where it destroys the trust that drives revenue.

You'll get frameworks you can apply immediately, data from Fullcast's State of RevOps 2025 research, and the expensive lessons that come from getting this balance wrong.

What we cover

🔹 Where AI adds value, and where it breaks trust
🔹 The PASSF Framework for Campaign Planning
🔹 How Belkins spent 20% of revenue creating thousands of posts. Zero conversions. Then deleted 80% and ranked #1.
🔹 State of RevOps 2025: Companies have 3 AI tools, 13 total tools, and 100% say their data is terrible.
🔹 The metrics and roles that sustain revenue: Revenue per employee, marketing ops hiring, and how to split pipeline between marketing and sales.

Chapters
00:00- Introduction: Marketing in the Age of AI
02:52- The PASSF Framework - Marketing as Science and Art
06:24- Use AI for Research, Not Relationships
11:32- Marketing Fundamentals vs. AI Shortcuts
16:00- How AI Does Market Research in 2 Hours vs. 2 Weeks
24:10- Where AI Works in Marketing (Press Releases, Blogs, Images)
29:13- Content Quality Over Quantity: Deleting 80% to Rank Higher
38:20- Ethos, Pathos, Logos: How to Persuade in B2B Marketing
42:10- Marketing Patience: When to Wait vs. When to Move Fast
49:00- Founder-Led Marketing When You're Outfunded
56:48- What's Driving B2B Pipeline in 2025
1:07:52- Lead Scoring, Revenue Per Employee, and Marketing Ops Hiring
1:18:09- State of RevOps 2025: The Data Quality Problem

About our guest

Dr. Amy Cook is the Co-Founder and CMO at Fullcast, an AI go-to-market platform built on Salesforce. Before Fullcast, Amy helped scale and exit multiple high-growth companies, founded Stage Marketing and has guided several teams from Series A through acquisition.

She’s also the co-author of The Rev Ops Advantage, which reveals why RevOps is more than just a supporting function; it’s your organization’s ultimate competitive edge.

This book offers a step-by-step roadmap to align your teams, streamline your processes, and harness the power of automation to outpace the competition. Whether you’re a CEO, RevOps leader, sales executive, or investor, this is the RevOps guide you’ve been waiting for.

About the Show

What does it really take to grow a B2B business today? We ask the people doing it.
The Belkins Podcast dives deep into the strategies, decisions, and behind-the-scenes insights driving real growth at top B2B companies. Each episode features candid conversations with industry heavyweights—CROs, CMOs, founders, and seasoned operators—who’ve navigated market downturns, scaled teams, and mastered the realities of revenue growth.
You’ll hear hard truths, unfiltered insights, and actionable tactics directly from leaders who’ve actually done the work.

🔔 Subscribe to never miss an episode.
💬 Enjoyed the conversation? Share it with your network and help spread real insights.
⭐ Leave a review—your feedback helps us keep bringing you valuable conversations.

Connect with Amy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyosmondcook
Get your copy of "The Rev Ops Advantage" book: https://www.fullcast.com/the-revops-advantage/
Connect with Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-maximoff/