Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing

Episode Summary: Most cybersecurity vendors lead with fear, gate their best features, and hide behind complexity. Bitwarden did the opposite and still won. In this episode, Gianna and Maria sit down with Gary Orenstein, the Chief Customer Officer at Bitwarden, to break down how an open-source password manager with a “free forever” product became a trusted global brand across consumers and enterprises. No gimmicks. No fear-mongering. Just a strategy built on transparency, trust, and a product that actually works. You’ll hear: Why giving your product away can actually drive enterprise growth How open source builds instant credibility and shortens sales cycles The surprising emotional side of password security What marketers should stop doing and what to try instead How Bitwarden quietly created one of the most effective PLG motions in the industry If you’re tired of the usual cybersecurity playbook, this episode is a refreshing—and useful—detour. And yes, Gary’s dream job involves tiny foxes and national parks. Stick around for that. 🔗 Links & Resources: Bitwarden Channel Islands National Park Central Park’s surprisingly excellent Instagram About Gary: Gary Orenstein is the Chief Customer Officer at Bitwarden, leading go-to-market across customer success, marketing, and sales. He’s been deep in the infrastructure and data space for years, with leadership roles at companies like Yellowbrick Data, SingleStore, and Fusion-io (which went public during his time there). Earlier, he ran marketing at Compellent, which IPO’d and was later acquired by Dell. Translation: Gary knows what it takes to build and scale trust, from scrappy startups to big exits. He’s also got the academic chops to match: a bachelor’s from Dartmouth and an MBA from Wharton. Follow Gary on LinkedIn Subscribe & Review: Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a ⭐ rating or review, it helps more marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: Tom Wentworth, CMO at Incident.io, got tired of doing the same stuff over and over, so he built AI agents to do it for him. Sales call summaries? Automated. Blog posts from discovery calls? Done in minutes. Battle cards? They update themselves. He’s wiring together Slack, Notion, Zapier, Gong, and ChatGPT in ways that help his team move faster without adding headcount or complexity. There are no big declarations, just real systems that save time and don’t annoy people. We talk about what’s working, what’s breaking, and how far you can push things without sounding like a robot. Also: cold plunges, prompt rage, and the Notion doc that’s 90 pages long. 🎧 Press play to hear how Tom stretches modern marketing ops with the right automation setup. Links & Resources Mentioned: Incident.io Gong Zapier ChatGPT Notion Slack Common Room Sanity CMS 11Labs (Voice AI) About Tom: Tom is a high-growth SaaS marketing leader with experience across enterprise GTM and product-led models. He writes occasionally about tech marketing at tomwentworth.com and previously hosted the Scaleup Marketing podcast. Follow Tom on LinkedIn Subscribe & Review: Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a ⭐ rating or review, it helps more marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Charles Gold on LinkedIn  Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: We’re back with a special episode recorded at RSAC 2025. The booths are packed up, and the leftover swag is gathering dust, but the real conversations are just getting started.  Gianna and Maria sat down with Alexandra Charikova, Growth Marketing Manager at Escape and host of The Elephant in AppSec, to talk more about what marketing feels like right now with shifting teams, budget curveballs, and more noise than ever. We got into the messy middle: navigating layoffs, budget cuts, and leadership turnover, all while still trying to show up, stand out, and connect with buyers. Alexandra shares why she’s officially anti-swag (and what’s in her expo survival kit instead), and we talk through what still works in 2025: human stories, smart content, and follow-up that doesn’t feel like a chore. Also on the table are burnout, booth chaos, and how to make it through a conference without losing your mind. If you’ve ever been asked to “do more with less” or pitch a rebrand while the leadership team is changing around you… This one’s for you Links & Resources Mentioned: Cybersecurity Marketing Society - Home of this podcast, and the community where cybersecurity marketers share ideas, swap stories, and figure things out together. Escape - Alexandra’s day job. They help folks secure modern apps, and they’re hiring smart marketers too (probably). The Elephant in AppSec - Alexandra’s podcast. Honest convos, strong opinions, and the kind of AppSec talk you want to hear. CyberMarketingCon - The Society’s yearly in-person event, where the vibes are strong, the talks are real, and the hallway convos might just change your career. About Alexandra: Alexandra isn’t just curious, she’s driven by it. That curiosity has taken her across disciplines, from marketing and sales ops to engineering, data, and project management. What ties it all together? A love of solving complex problems, especially alongside smart, collaborative people. Outside of her day-to-day work, Alexandra is all in on making application security more accessible and honest. She’s the host of The Elephant in AppSec, a podcast that asks tough questions and challenges how the industry talks about security. She thrives on connection and is always up for a thoughtful chat or fresh perspective, so don’t be shy about reaching out. Follow her on LinkedIn. Subscribe & Review: Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a ⭐ rating or review, it helps more marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: At RSAC 2025, most brands went sleek and high-speed: F1 cars, luxury lounges, big screens. Torq showed up with a monster truck, a firey skeleton, and a single message: “SOAR is dead.” It wasn’t a stunt; it was a fully realized creative campaign that stood out for all the right reasons. Thoughtful, bold, and totally out of left field, Torq’s RSAC Conference presence and brand philosophy drew comparisons to Wiz, widely regarded as the benchmark in cyber marketing excellence, from Forbes. In this episode, Don Jeter, Torq's CMO, joins Gianna and Maria to unpack how a toy in a Costco aisle became the catalyst for a six-city Monster Jam tour, how off-the-cuff ideas turned into strategy, and why his team operates more like a jam band than a traditional marketing organization. He also shares what it takes to build brands people care about and how that same creative-first mindset helped scale Pax8 from $5M to $1B. Love this episode? Get more Don Jeter wisdom at CyberMarketingCon 2025, where he will give a keynote: Stop Marketing. Start World-Building. Links & Resources Mentioned: Torq.io Pax8 About Don: CMO at Torq, former growth architect at Pax8, and possibly the only marketing leader to launch a six-city Monster Jam tour to prove a point. Don builds brands people don’t just notice, they remember. He’s a startup native with a strong point of view, a jam-band approach to execution, and a reputation for turning “what if” into actual pipeline. Whether burying SOAR or rethinking the RSAC booth experience, Don leads with story, trusts creative instinct, and always bets on brand. When he’s not working, he’s probably sketching sneakers, dodging longboards, or figuring out how to sneak a skeleton mascot into the next campaign. Follow Don on LinkedIn.  Subscribe & Review: Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a ⭐ rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps us grow the show and reach more cyber marketers like you! 📩 Got feedback or want to be a guest? Email us: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: This week, Gianna and Maria are joined by Brian Goldfarb, CMO at SolarWinds and a veteran of some of the biggest names in tech, including Google, Tenable, and Salesforce. But this isn’t your typical “lessons from the top” chat. Brian gets real about what it takes to lead modern marketing orgs: how to decide what’s worth fixing, why marketers need to think more like operators, and what it’s like steering GTM at a legacy brand undergoing massive transformation. We talk trust, storytelling, and the fine art of not panicking even when you lose your job and voice in the same week. About Guest: A full-stack marketing executive with deep experience across the GTM spectrum from product marketing and demand gen to PR/AR, digital, and strategy. Known for translating complex technical products into powerful, scalable marketing programs that drive real pipeline. Brian has led marketing for developer tools, cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, Google Cloud), and high-growth cybersecurity and infrastructure companies. His portfolio spans web technologies, mobility, media (codecs, DRM), and ad platforms, focusing on developer and technical audiences. He’s built and scaled global marketing engines, aligned field and digital efforts, and helped take emerging tech from concept to category leader. Whether launching a new cloud product or rebuilding a GTM motion from scratch, Brian brings sharp execution, clear narrative, and a deep understanding of what makes modern B2B marketing work. Follow him on LinkedIn.  Subscribe & Review: Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a ⭐ rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps us grow the show and reach more cyber marketers like you! Got feedback or want to join the pod? Email us: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page, and keep up with us on X. See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: We’re back from RSAC Conference 2025, and what a week it was! Gianna and Maria recap their third RSAC Conference rodeo in style in this live-recorded, post-conference edition of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. We break down the boldest, weirdest, and most wonderful marketing moments from the show floor (and the streets of San Francisco), including: CrowdStrike’s genius geo-targeted Uber ads Sweet Security’s literal singing swag truck Wiz’s cloud security toy store (!!) And Rubrik’s nostalgic retro arcade booth We also launched something big: The Cybersecurity Marketing Practice, our brand-new advisory service for cyber founders and venture capitalists (VCs). We threw a sold-out marketer party, handed out coloring books at the Marketer Oasis, and supported early-stage startups through the AWS Cyber Accelerator. Timestamps:00:29 – Live from the floor: our third RSAC, and it’s bigger than ever01:31 – RSAC’s rebrand: the “C” is for Community (and we’re here for it)02:25 – From live events to digital presence: how RSAC is evolving03:35 – Uber ads from CrowdStrike? B2B finally gets playful05:20 – Singing trucks & yellow cups: Sweet Security stands out06:09 – Wiz’s Toy Store & Rubrik’s retro arcade07:06 – CyberMarketingCon 2025: theme reveals–Marketing Time Machine07:50 – We launched something new: The Cybersecurity Marketing Practice09:38 – Talking to founders & VCs: our GTM strategy braintrust10:23 – Our RSAC Party for Marketers: 220+ guests and community magic13:42 – CyberMarketingCon 2025: theme reveals–Marketing Time Machine (deep dive)14:27 – Foundations + Innovations: rebuilding cyber marketing from the ground up15:44 – Speaker preview: Connor from Amnis & Don Jeter from Torq18:23 – Enter the Beautiful Booth Awards (by May 20!) 📢 What’s Next Product Marketing Workshop – Boston | July 2025 Led by Beth Barach, this half-day workshop is in-person and hands-on. Become a product marketing wiz. Reg. page will be live soon! CyberMarketingCon 2025 – Austin, TX December 7–10, 2025 Get your ticket TODAY: cybermarketingconference.com This year’s theme: Marketing Time Machine. Explore both the foundational skills and innovative tactics every cyber marketer needs now. Beautiful Booth Awards – Apply by May 20! Flashy or scrappy, we celebrate smart booths of all sizes. Apply now.  🔗 Links & Resources: Cybersecurity Marketing Society CyberMarketingCon 2025 RSAC 🎧 Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or on our podcast LinkedIn page, and keep up with us on X. See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: From Cisco to chaos (by choice), Marc Blackmer, CMO at Corero Network Security, joins us to unpack the real talk no one warns you about when you take the top marketing job. In this episode, Gianna and Charles sit down with Marc to unpack the real, raw, and hilarious side of marketing leadership. From walking away from Cisco to jumping back into the startup chaos, Marc shares with us why he needs a mess to clean up, how he builds teams that balance his creative chaos, and why telling the truth in interviews matters more than boasting about perks. We discuss impostor syndrome, hiring to your weaknesses, and how ChatGPT became Marc’s idea dumping ground so he doesn’t drive his team crazy. And yes, there’s even a game that ends in a heartfelt tribute to Dave Grohl. If you’ve ever felt like the only marketer in the room, making it up as you go, this episode is your support group. 03:41 – Welcome to Cyber CMO Confidential with Charles and Gianna 04:14 – Meet Marc Blackmer: radio voice, CMO, AI nerd, and ex-Cisco-er 05:38 – From Cisco comfort to startup chaos: Why Marc chooses the hard path 07:33 – How CyberMarketingCon made Marc quit his job (in a good way) 08:59 – The CMO’s lonely seat: finding your “board of directors” 11:28 – Building the right team: vibes, skills, and hiring to your weaknesses 13:52 – Why Marc tells candidates why not to take the job 18:35 – Owning your strengths and learning to recognize them 19:28 – Creative CMO meets operational team: How they balance each other 21:34 – Why ideas ≠ , action items, and how to avoid overwhelming your team 22:56 – Designing psychologically safe environments for input and ownership 26:11 – Creating teams people want to be on—and knowing when they’ll leave 28:33 – “Plagiarism saves time”: Building a culture of shared wisdom 28:49 – Game time! Fictional swaps and Dave Grohl admiration 32:20 – Where to find Marc and final thanks About the guest:  Marc Blackmer, Chief Marketing Officer, Corero Network Security Marc Blackmer is a veteran of the cybersecurity and tech industries, with a career spanning enterprise giants like Cisco and early-stage startups such as ShardSecure. Now serving as CMO at Corero Network Security, Marc brings a unique blend of visionary creativity and operational grounding to his role. With a background in ICS (Industrial Control Systems), AI, and sales engineering, he has been acquired more than once, held a wide array of roles, from partner marketing to channel and IT, and lived to tell the tale. 🖇 Connect with Marc: 🔗 LinkedIn 🏢 Corero Network Security 📬 Get in Touch with us: Want to be on CyberCMO Confidential? Email us at podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  🎧 Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn. Charles Gold on LinkedIn. Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, or our podcast LinkedIn page, and keep up with us on Twitter. See you in the next episode!

Asad Khaliq and Mark Kraynak are founding members of Acrew Capital, focusing on cybersecurity investments. They discuss the complexities of go-to-market strategies in early-stage cyber startups. Asad shares insights on the integration of cybersecurity within software engineering. Mark emphasizes the importance of effective storytelling in marketing, likening it to poetry. They also offer practical tips on hiring, advocating for the need to prioritize sales leadership before growth marketers. Their lighthearted conversation includes humorous takes on personal career paths.

Episode Summary:There’s one part of leadership no one prepares you for: the hard conversations. Whether it’s underperformance or misplaced potential, these conversations are uncomfortable but unavoidable. In this episode, Manny Ataebi, Demostack's CMO, gets brutally honest about how to achieve clarity, empathy, and zero regrets. He drops hard truths and heart-forward advice on managing performance, coaching with empathy, and making the tough calls when attitude isn't enough. From skip levels and PIPs to founders hiring out of FOMO, we cover it all with zero sugarcoating.This one’s for the managers in the trenches. If you’ve ever wondered when to coach, when to cut, or how to protect your culture, Manny’s got answers. And stories. And probably a little tough love.Timestamps:01:25 – Manny’s framework: When underperformance happens, what's next?03:19 – Coaching vs. wrong role: The stress factor and impact on team morale.04:31 – Working with founders: early hiring mistakes, and how to fix them.06:26 – Hiring smart for startups: work ethic, street smarts, and fire in the belly.07:05 – The year-one review and spotting growth potential.09:25 – Transitioning team members across roles: real stories and structure.11:36 – Difficult conversations: why surprise = manager failure.14:31 – Role play, real scenarios, and preparing your team for exec-level readiness.16:42 – QBRs and letting team members lead in front of leadership.18:36 – Different styles, different focus: how Manny adjusts his management approach.22:19 – When it’s a motivation issue: Candy Crush and the “Farmville” effect.24:35 – Self-improvement mindset: what separates strivers from coasters.26:07 – Managing through pivots: startup vs. scale-up realities.27:32 – The energy vampires of the team: Eeyores, excuses, and responsibility.29:31 – Let them fail (a little): growth through discomfort.30:25 –  Game Time! If Manny weren’t a CMO, what would he be?32:10 – Life coach dreams, physical therapy passion, and a heart for helping others.35:22 – Acting aspirations, fake film pitches, and final laughs.About the guest: Follow Manny Ataebi on LinkedIn. Links & Resources Mentioned:DemostackCybersecurity Marketing SocietyCyberMarketingConUpcoming Events:RSAC 2025 Marketers PartySunday, April 27 – Vibes, wagyu, and every cybersecurity marketer you love. You know the drill. 👉 RSVP now before it’s too late.Subscribe & Show Some Love: New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe, leave a five-star review, and send this to a coworker playing Candy Crush during Zoom calls.💌 Feedback or Wanna Be on the Show? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com Follow your hosts on LinkedIn:👉Gianna Whitver👉Maria VelasquezThank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, or on our podcast LinkedIn page, and keep up with us on Twitter.See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary:This week, we’re going full circle with the one and only Chris Cochran, VP of Marketing at AKA Identity and Founder of Audacious GTM. Chris is a former cybersecurity practitioner, Netflix threat intel lead, Marine Corps vet, and one of the original champions behind this very podcast.Gianna and Maria sit down with Chris to trace his journey from the intelligence trenches to the marketing boardroom, blending creativity, psychology, and strategy. They talk about the unique challenges of marketing to cyber pros, bridging the gap between art and science, and the delicate dance between taste and truth in brand messaging. Chris also drops wisdom on authentic communication, building community with content, and why mutual benefit is the secret sauce of GTM.Timestamps:03:14 – From Marine Corps to NSA to Netflix: Chris’s practitioner roots08:10 – Hacker Valley origins: How podcasting sparked a creative empire12:35 – Joining the Society: The invite that changed everything15:02 – Building brand and community at aka Identity18:27 – Art + science: Chris’s marketing philosophy22:15 – Empathy between marketers and practitioners26:48 – Campaigns, AB testing, and dopamine hits31:05 – Leading marketing teams and educating across the org34:22 – Taste vs. truth: Internal feedback challenges38:45 – Wins, video campaigns, and building for conversion43:30 – Escaping cyber (briefly) and coming back home📢 Upcoming Events:CyberMarketingCon 2025 – Call for Speakers Open! 🗓️ December 7–10, 2025 – Austin, TX 📝 Submit by April 15th to share your brilliance with 700+ cyber marketing pros.RSAC 2025 Marketers Party 🎉 Sunday, April 27th – Food, friends, and fun with the Cybersecurity Marketing Society. 🎟️ Tickets: cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com/event/party-for-marketers-rsac-2024🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned: Audacious GTM Cybersecurity Marketing Society CyberMarketingCon IDPro Hacker Valley Media 🔔 Subscribe & Review:If this episode inspired you (or made you laugh), hit that subscribe button and leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on your favorite podcast app! It helps us bring you even more brilliant guests like Chris.📩 Got feedback or want to be on the show? Email us at podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com Follow our hosts on LinkedIn:👉 Gianna Whitver👉 Maria VelasquezThank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, or podcast LinkedIn page, and keep up with us on Twitter.See you in the next episode!