The Changemakers

Being a CMO these days is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a role that is fraught with challenges. Yes, many have a seat at the top table, which certainly wasn’t the case a decade ago. But in return, the pressures on performance are enormous, even at the best of times - let alone in uncertain climates like this one.Some just aren’t cut out for it. But others thrive on those pressures because they know exactly how to inspire their teams to perform. That’s the mark of a true marketing leader - and Dillon Nugent recognised early on in her career that she had those qualities.Dave sat down with Dillon to find out how that self-awareness led her to be named the CMO of customer engagement firm Khoros last year. Where did her journey start, when did she realise she had leadership potential - and how did she turn that potential into the actions that proved she was a natural fit for the CMO role?We also chat about:Why being in sync with sales and product teams is so important for marketers at every levelThe importance of always being able to step back and see the bigger picture as a leaderHow to build a thriving team that is greater than any one individualKeeping her team focused on their goals during a year of seismic changeWhy it’s more important to fail and learn than always play it safeYou can follow Dillon on LinkedIn here, and find out more about Khoros here. Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

In the second of our cybersecurity mini-series, Dave sits down with Mike O’Malley, seasoned tech marketing executive and recently-appointed CMO of API security specialists Noname Security.Mike joined Noname in the summer of 2022 to lead its marketing team into the next phase of the company’s rapid and impressive growth. Prior to that, he was Senior VP, Global Marketing at CyberArk, another pioneering cybersecurity firm. Mike’s career has also taken in senior marketing roles at VMware, CA Technologies and a number of other leading technology firms.As Mike tells Dave, he’d been fascinated by the challenges, innovation and fast pace of cybersecurity long before he moved into it - as well as the opportunity to play a pivotal role in the fight against the scourge of cybercrime.So now he’s immersed himself into the cyber world, what are Mike’s top tips on making a positive impression on one of the most under-pressure and vendor-bombarded technology buyers of all: the cybersecurity professional?No spoilers of course, but tune in and you’ll find out:why security marketers must understand their buyers much faster than in other tech categorieshow to go beyond your customers’ basic pains and really get inside their heads on an emotional levelhow to flip cybersecurity’s obsession with fear, uncertainty and doubt into honest, positive and benefit-driven messaginghow to use data and research to highlight genuine and immediate security problems, and position your solutions as the answerthe challenges of API security, and why addressing them is so important right nowEnjoy the chat, and leave us a review if you liked it!Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

In the first episode of our cybersecurity mini-series, Dave chats with Donna Estrin, a PR and communications expert with vast experience at cyber firms large and small. After cutting her comms teeth in the PR agency world, Donna moved into tech, beginning her cybersecurity career handling analyst relations for McAfee. She then helped Neustar transform from a traditional telecommunications company to a high-tech security, data and marketing services company, before working on WhiteHat Security’s acquisition by NTT and VMware’s acquisition of Lastline.Most recently, Donna led comms for ReliaQuest when they acquired Digital Shadows, before departing to launch her new consultancy firm, Estrin Communications.From analyst, press and media relations to thought leadership, the role of communications is so vital in growing brand reputation and equity. Dave and Donna chat about:how to achieve this in a market that’s as saturated as cybersecuritywhat really matters to CISOs, and how to engage them by being helpful and adding valuewhat genuine and authentic thought leadership really meanswhy analysts are so important, and how to build successful relationships with themthe key cybersecurity trends that we need to be aware of going into 2023Not only is Donna the perfect guest to get insight into all of the above and more - but she hails from Shaped By’s home city of Bristol! We’ve invited her for one of our famous local craft beers next time she’s over from her home in California.Stay tuned for more cybersecurity specials coming very soon, as we dive deeper into this fascinating industry that’s so integral to protecting the way we all live and work.Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

We’re in the midst of volatile times right now. So who better to provide a true perspective on what really matters, and how to focus on building for long-term success, than one of tech go-to-market’s most experienced and accomplished leaders?Alan Cohen has been at the forefront of game-changing tech GTM for over 30 years.During his early days at IBM and Cisco, he was pivotal to commercialising the technology that was building the very backbone of the internet.Following a series of VP-level product and marketing roles, helping disruptive innovators successfully upset some of the biggest tech incumbents, he rejoined Cisco, leading GTM for their $25bn Enterprise portfolio.After 25 years in “big tech”, Alan became product leader and frontman for 4 iconic, industry-transforming start-ups, before turning investor as a partner at DCVC, where he currently works with entrepreneurs using AI and science to build breakthrough companies in parts of the economy not touched by the tech revolution.Join Dave and Alan as they spend nearly an hour (our longest episode by a long way, but for good reason - it’s all gold!) chatting on a range of GTM-related subjects including:Building the foundations of internet communication at IBM and CiscoWhy the psychology of why people buy and use technology is so importantThe issues that CMOs are facing at the moment, and how to navigate themTips for challengers to dethrone the incumbents in their spaceWhat makes a successful founder from a GTM perspectiveSend us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

Jessica Rosenberg is one of the most inspiring creative leaders that you’ll find in tech.Having cut her teeth as a creative in the ad agency world, she had a brief spell in startup-land before her career really took off through spells at Twitter, Cloudflare, Mural and now Webflow, where she leads the brand design team.Leading teams like Jessica’s has multiple challenges. How do you structure the team for optimum results? How do you keep them motivated? How do you get great work done remotely? How do you collaborate with other teams? And how do you create an environment where these uber-talented, uber-creative individuals feel inspired to show up and do their best work every day?Dave chats with Jessica to explore how she solves these challenges on a daily basis, using her vast experience and expertise to empower her team to deliver consistently outstanding work.Follow Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicarosenb/Enjoy!Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

It’s not every day that you get to chat with a creative leader like Melissa Rosenthal. Because there aren’t many in the business like her. Melissa cut her creative teeth at Buzzfeed, perfecting the art of building a brand around content that entertains. Then she joined Cheddar, a live media company at the intersection of news and technology, as a founding member of the executive team. It’s not often that creative attitudes and perspectives honed in those environments find their way into B2B tech. But that’s what happened when Melissa joined ClickUp. Her influence on the brand has given it a bold, playful and adventurous spirit that you rarely see in the SaaS world. So we were overjoyed when she agreed to come on the podcast and talk about her work, her influences and her steadfast belief in the value of creativity in building brands that stand out. Join us as we discuss:what inspired Melissa to swap media and entertainment for B2B SaaShow the ClickUp brand has evolved under her leadershipthe importance of doing things differently to stand out, even if they feel weird or unconventionalwhy storytelling and fun really matter when it comes to humanizing B2B marketinghow to bring internal teams on the journey with youFollow Melissa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissarosenthal5/Enjoy!Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

Demand generation is more than just a marketing function. It’s a craft. A mindset. A way of life honed and perfected by uber-talented practitioners. Not only that, but with market conditions the way they are right now, effective demand gen is in demand. It’s invaluable to current and future revenues. We touched on demand generation early in this series. But as it’s been a while, it felt right to revisit it and see what’s changed (if anything). So what better guest to find out from than one of those uber-talented practitioners, and friend of Shaped By, Katie Colbourne, Director of Global Demand Generation at Basware. Fresh from giving us her perspective on creativity for our Perspective 2022 report, Katie’s back to chat with Dave about her demand generation journey, why the fundamentals of demand gen are so important – and how to nail them within the context of your own business and audience.Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

How should marketing leaders approach the challenges of an economic downturn? It’s a big question, but one we put to Robin Daniels, our guest for this episode.If you’ve not come across Robin before, you’ll enjoy his enthusiasm and illuminating insight on marketing, leadership and growth. He’s worked at some amazing tech companies covering Salesforce, Box, LinkedIn, WeWork as well as being CMO of Matterport when they went public in 2021. There is plenty to take away from this chat that helps galvanise, improve, or reassure you. We talk about what marketing leaders and teams should be focusing on, how morale is impacted and as a leader what you can do, through to incremental gains, intelligent risks, and how to inspire yourself.  Enjoy. Timestamps: (04:20) Robin’s journey from Denmark to California and back again (09:48) What sparked his career in marketing and his role at Salesforce(13:46) Lessons learnt from the ’08 downturn – being incrementally better doesn’t cut it in a recession(17:00) Why you’ve got to market yourself like a consumer brand(20:01) How selling and marketing in a downturn changes(22:11) What marketing budgets he protects first when there are cuts on the table(26:27) Focus on things that move the needle. Do less but do it better.(34:55) Keeping people motivated during hard times and the importance of leadership(41:59) There is positivity in the market, but uncertainty can hamper your marketing (43:05) Where Robin draws inspiration from  Follow Robin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robingdaniels/Don’t forget to subscribe and rate our show! Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

This episode is pretty special. It’s a story that is truly unique, and one that hopefully isn’t going to be repeated for a long time. We talk to Michael Jeter who is the Creative Director at Zapier. For those of you who don’t know, Zapier is a product that allows you to integrate web applications and automate workflows. Michael joined the business to spearhead a major rebrand. His team got cracking and worked on it for eight months. They were about to launch when something happened. In this own words “It’s such an epic story. It’s one I’ll be telling for the rest of my career, because it’s truly unique.”It’s an inspirational story of reactivity, teamwork, leadership and the power of design.Enjoy.Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljeter/Here is a link to Zapier to check them out: https://zapier.com/ (https://zapier.com/Don’t forget to subscribe and rate our show!Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

Ever wondered what it’s like to be a creative leader at a global tech company with over 70,000 employees? Well, so did we. So to find out, Dave speaks to Jessica Bognar, Creative Director – Brand at Salesforce. Salesforce is one of those iconic B2B brands, isn’t it? Less of a company, and more of an empire.Jessica joined the business in 2015, when they had a measly 10,000 staff. She came from an agency background, having worked on some awesome consumer brands and campaigns before she joined the B2B world. But that insight set her up to have a fresh view on B2B. To ask questions, and take approaches that were viewed as perhaps less traditional. Like why you need to have fun and connect on a human level – even in B2B marketing!Come join us for her insight on how to create bonds in such a large environment, the key to producing effective creative – and how a nugget of an idea from a copywriter swelled into a partnership with Matthew McConaughy…Enjoy.Timestamps:(02:58) Jessica’s journey to Salesforce(08:10) The role of the brand group(12:39) Her job as a teacher and collaborator making things happen(14:08) How the role of creative has changed and the driving force behind it(18:09) The ability to work with the Salesforce brand(20:01) The moment that caused a shift in their creative approach(23:53) Where she draws creative inspiration from(30:30) The one project Jessica is most proud of in her careerFollow Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicabognar/I’m sure you don’t need us to link to who Salesforce are…but just in case. https://www.salesforce.com/uk/Don’t forget to subscribe and rate our show!Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️