Why Marketing Is Back In The Driver Seat (with Maura Rivera, CMO at Qualified)

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Nov 6, 2025

Join Maura Rivera, CMO at Qualified, who has a wealth of experience in product-driven marketing. She shares her insights on how product launches energize their marketing efforts and the role of agentic marketing in shaping future strategies. Discover why outbound marketing is enjoying a revival through deep personalization and how AI technologies are enhancing their approach. Maura also discusses building a cohesive team and the importance of in-person events in strengthening community ties.

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ANECDOTE

Longstanding Salesforce Roots

Maura joined Qualified in May 2019 after working with the founders at Salesforce and Get Feedback.
She has worked for Craig for about 16 years, which built deep trust across the executive team.

ADVICE

Hire People Who Teach You

Hire people smarter than you in specific functions and let them teach you.
Admit what you don't know and ask teammates for masterclasses to build empathy and competence.

ADVICE

Prioritize Hiring Over Quick Fills

Invest time in hiring and avoid rushing hires to fill headcount quickly.
Building the right team pays off in reduced stress and more leverage for the CMO.

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#310 Leadership & Strategy | I sat down with Maura Rivera, CMO at Qualified, to talk about what it’s like leading marketing at one company for six years (and why most of her team has been there just as long). We got into how product launches are the glue that hold their marketing together, what agentic marketing really means for the future, why outbound is actually working for them right now, and how events have become a huge part of their strategy. Plus, plenty of good banter along the way.

Watch this episode on YouTube on my channel: https://youtu.be/4tew-Q89Fms

Timestamps

(00:00) - — Intro & setup: Marketing’s back in the driver seat
(03:32) - — Work, life, and moving from Boston to Vermont
(07:07) - — Competitors, community, and the small-world CMO circle
(12:37) - — How Maura’s Salesforce roots shaped Qualified
(15:07) - — Working for a CEO who actually gets marketing
(19:07) - — Lessons from startup life & learning every part of marketing
(22:07) - — Building the right team and hiring people smarter than you
(29:07) - — Why product launches are the heartbeat of marketing
(43:53) - — Agentic marketing, events, and AI at Qualified
(55:53) - — The future of marketing and why it’s back on top

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