The Founder-Led Marketing Show

David Walsh, Founder & CEO of Limelight, is one of the few people who actually knows how B2B influencer marketing actually works. His marketplace powers creator campaigns for Clay, Webflow, HubSpot, ZoomInfo, Bill.com, and dozens of high-growth B2B companies.In this episode, we break down exactly how to collaborate with creators as a repeatable growth channel and not a one-off experiment.What You’ll Learn- The stage where influencer marketing actually works- Creator-Market Fit: the only metric that matters- The campaign structure Limelight recommends to every brand- What a good budget looks like- How to measure influencer marketing without guessing- Why organic posts are step one and paid ads are step two- How Clay built the best creator program in B2B- Why employee advocacy and creators is the real cheat code- The flywheel effect that happens when executives, employees, and influencers amplify each other- Why now is the moment to start creating content- David shares how his own content now drives 90% of Limelight’s revenuePerfect For- Founders who want real distribution, not just paid impressions- Marketing leaders tired of rising CAC and declining ad performance- Teams considering influencer marketing but unsure where to start- Anyone curious how B2B creators actually drive pipeline Connect with David: - David’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dw1232/- Limelight: https://www.limelighthq.com/Connect with me: - Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/- Website: https://www.project33.io/Chapters00:00 — The 2012-Instagram moment for LinkedIn02:05 — When a company is actually ready for influencer marketing03:44 — Does ACV matter?05:33 — Why LinkedIn creators are the hardest to find06:59 — Solving the creator cold-start problem09:13 — Employees vs full-time creators11:21 — Why creator partnerships are suddenly normalized13:19 — How often creators should post15:07 — The ideal campaign structure and why going wide wins17:30 — Why niche creators outperform big ones19:01 — Budget ranges for 60-post campaigns20:32 — How to measure success the honest version22:55 — The 80/20 of engagement quality25:14 — Turning creator posts into paid ads27:30 — Why creator budgets will explode over the next 5 years31:06 — Creator-Market Fit 33:10 — The campaigns David points companies to35:02 — How Clay built the new standard37:10 — How brands should think about creative control40:38 — Why over-controlling the creator kills performance42:22 — How to think about creator fatigue + competitive overlap44:28 — The transparency rules creators follow46:12 — Employee advocacy + creators = distribution48:33 — How creators help employees grow, and vice versa50:48 — Why every company will have “personality-led marketing”52:54 — Why employee content must become measurable54:34 — David’s closing message: start creating now#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding

Kyle Lacy is the CMO of Docebo, a publicly traded enterprise learning platform used by companies like Zoom, OpenTable, Dior, and Denny’s. Before Docebo, he led marketing at Lessonly, Seismic, Salesforce, and Jellyfish, and he’s been publishing online since MySpace.In this episode, Kyle breaks down what’s still true about personal branding in 2025, how executives should think about posting online, the mistakes leaders make when they worry too much about reach, and why story is the only thing that differentiates you.We also talk about publishing as a discipline, how to turn meetings into content, the realities of being an exec at a public company, and why Ramp and Liquid Death are raising the bar for brand in B2B.What You’ll Learn- The one thing about personal branding that hasn’t changed since 2010- How to create content as a busy executive- Why reach doesn’t matter as much as people think- The biggest mistakes executives make on LinkedIn- How to use LinkedIn for internal communication- When executive thought leadership becomes a marketing motion- The best way to pick content topics Perfect for founders, CMOs, and B2B leaders who want to:- Build a real executive brand - Understand how to post confidently without fear- Turn daily work into high-performing content- Enable your leadership team to publish consistently- Use LinkedIn for recruiting, culture, and storytellingConnect with Kyle: Kyle’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylelacy/Docebo: https://www.docebo.com/ Revenue Diaries: https://www.therevenuediaries.com/Connect with Me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFHChapters00:00 Who is Kyle Lacy?01:22 Writing one of the first personal branding books (in 2010)03:30 What’s still true about personal branding05:00 Story vs. generic content07:00 How personal to get online08:58 Why specific details make you relatable10:22 How Kyle sees LinkedIn compared to other platforms12:05 The truth about reach and algorithm changes13:42 Kyle’s workflow: how he actually creates content15:38 Posting daily as an executive17:44 The Delta incident: how a single tweet almost got him fired20:37 How executives should think about posting22:38 Why building a network matters for every leader23:58 Dealing with imposter syndrome vs. publishing fear25:39 Do people assume you’re not working?27:36 Evergreen vs. timely content29:49 Using LinkedIn for internal communication31:41 When executive thought leadership becomes a real marketing motion33:54 Using audience trust for hiring35:48 Which executives should post (and why some shouldn’t)37:58 Themes and sub-themes: Kyle’s writing strategy39:22 Hooks, structure, and intuition40:49 Framework content vs. story content42:00 Commenting, community, and consistency44:38 Why Kyle wishes he started his newsletter earlier46:15 Substack vs. Beehiiv48:04 Kyle’s current tool stack49:10 Brands inspiring him: Ramp, Liquid Death50:37 Why good taste still wins

Melissa Rosenthal is the Co-Founder of Outlever, the company helping B2B brands build their own media properties, full newsrooms, daily publishing, real interviews, and journalism that companies actually own.Before Outlever, Melissa scaled BuzzFeed’s creative team, helped build Cheddar into a modern media brand, and later became Chief Creative Officer at ClickUp, where she helped turn the company into one of the most recognizable names in SaaS.In this episode, Melissa gives a behind-the-scenes look at how company-owned newsrooms work, why traditional PR is broken, how Outlever produces journalism at scale, and why the future belongs to brands that control their own distribution.We also talk about B2B storytelling that people actually want to read, the new rules of thought leadership, and how AI is reshaping content creation from the inside.What You’ll LearnWhy traditional PR doesn’t work anymoreHow to build a company-owned newsroomThe system Outlever uses to create journalism at scaleWhy founders should own their audience, not rent itHow AI fits into modern editorial workflowsThe ClickUp lessons: brand, creative, and B2C thinking in B2BHow to use interviews to build trust at scaleWhat happens when every company becomes a media companyPerfect for founders, CMOs, and B2B marketers who want to:Build a real moat around their brandEscape the limitations of traditional PRUse interviews to drive trust, authority, and distributionUnderstand the future of B2B mediaBlend AI + human storytelling effectivelyConnect with Melissa:Melissa’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissarosenthal5/Outlever: https://www.outlever.com/Connect with me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFHChapters00:00 Who is Melissa Rosenthal? From BuzzFeed to ClickUp to Outlever02:00 Why traditional PR is broken (and what replaces it)05:06 The reality behind earned media and pay-to-play06:46 Why companies should build their own newsroom08:37 What it takes to launch a media entity from scratch10:47 How Outlever produces journalism at scale12:50 The companies doing this best today14:14 Should every company build a newsroom?16:07 AI search, AEO, and why third-party content wins17:25 How Outlever does its own marketing19:20 How direct the brand to newsroom link should be20:40 Why this model is a moat for companies22:20 Will new “gatekeepers” emerge?24:30 How Melissa explains this to CMOs26:20 Distribution: LinkedIn, newsletters, and peer networks28:21 Quality vs. quantity in content publishing29:55 How AI assists interviews and drafting31:18 Why humans will always run the interview34:07 AI-assisted interviewer workflow, explained35:38 The rise of thought leadership and personal brand building37:46 The hardest part: going from 0 to 139:23 Why POV comes from your ICP, not your boardroom41:06 What media companies can’t do anymore44:35 Forbes 30 Under 30, and what it meant at 2546:28 What makes a truly great interview

Alex Josephson, VP of Brand & Content Strategy at LinkedIn, shares insights on how the platform is reshaping B2B marketing. He highlights the surge in vertical video and its appeal to younger decision-makers. Executives can connect better with audiences by adopting a natural, lo-fi content style. Alex also outlines three core advertising principles: demonstrate, be contextual, and think beyond channels. He delves into the power of Thought Leader Ads and emphasizes the importance of authentic storytelling to build brand trust—featuring success stories from Ramp and American Express.

In this discussion, Joe Ciarallo, VP of Global Communications at Wellhub, draws on his experience with Toast and Salesforce to reveal the evolution of executive communications. He highlights the shift from scrappy PR to a strategic approach, emphasizing category creation and the need for a unified messaging strategy. Joe discusses the growing importance of thought leadership, the integration of AI in communications, and the benefits of transparency, using Ryanair as a case study. He encourages founders to actively build their online presence and prioritize empathy in messaging.

Udi Ledergor, former CMO and Chief Evangelist at Gong, transformed the company from a startup into a B2B powerhouse. He discusses why conventional best practices often lead to mediocrity, pushing instead for unique perspectives in marketing. Udi shares insights on bold content strategies, valuable lessons from Gong's Super Bowl ads, and the importance of employee-led distribution on LinkedIn. He emphasizes building a courageous marketing culture while balancing personal and corporate branding, offering essential advice for startups aiming to scale.

Bryan Law is the CMO at SentinelOne, an AI-powered cybersecurity company that just crossed $1B ARR.Before joining SentinelOne, Bryan led marketing at Salesforce and ZoomInfo, where he learned the power of distinctive brands and founder-led storytelling.In this episode, Bryan breaks down how he helped SentinelOne become the fastest-growing cybersecurity brand on LinkedIn (up 61% YoY) — and how he’s rethinking executive content, AI, and brand-building in enterprise SaaS.What you’ll learnThe difference between being different and being distinct and why it matters more for B2B brandsHow SentinelOne doubled its LinkedIn followers in 12 monthsWhy follower growth isn’t vanity when it drives top-of-funnel awarenessHow to get executives posting consistently without forcing itBryan’s 4 stages of adopting AI in marketing teamsHow synthetic audiences and agentic AI are changing customer researchThe “Day 1 Buyer List” every marketer needs to understandWhy every brand investment should have a measurable impact on demandPerfect for Founders, CMOs, and marketing leaders who want to:Build distinctive brands that dominate the buyer’s “Day 1” listTurn executive teams into LinkedIn thought leadersBlend AI, content, and brand for measurable pipeline impactConnect with BryanBryan’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanbasdenlaw/SentinelOne: https://www.sentinelone.com/ Connect with mePodcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ Website: https://www.project33.io/ Chapters00:00 Distinct vs Different02:00 Why distinctiveness beats differentiation05:30 Brand assets that make you recognizable08:30 Using AI and synthetic audiences for messaging10:45 Why SentinelOne made LinkedIn a top priority13:00 Metrics that actually matter beyond follower count16:00 The 3 levers that drove 100K+ new followers18:00 Getting executives active on LinkedIn19:45 The Henry Schuck story on building a personal brand21:30 How executives should approach LinkedIn posting25:00 Balancing personal content vs company relevance27:00 Why CEOs should post on LinkedIn (and how to convince them)30:00 The CEO as a distinctive brand asset32:00 Inside SentinelOne’s internal brand ambassador program35:00 The “Day 1 Buyer List” and marketing to the 95%38:45 Brand investments that actually drive demand42:30 What every CMO should still do in the AI era46:00 How SentinelOne uses GenAI operationally47:30 Favorite AI tools in Bryan’s stack49:00 Closing thoughts

Owner.com powers 10,000+ restaurants with tools to grow sales, from online ordering and loyalty programs, to marketing automation.Behind that growth is Kyle Norton, CRO and former Shopify revenue leader, who’s helped rebuild the business from zero to multi-millions ARR, twice.In this episode, Kyle opens up about the habits, frameworks, and trade-offs that drive long-term success as a leader, parent, and athlete.From rebuilding after failure to finding balance with two kids and a hyper-intense founder, this one’s packed with real talk on what high performance actually looks like.What You’ll Learn- How Owner.com rebuilt from $0 to $1M ARR in a year, twice- Why Adam Guild’s intensity sets the bar for what “founder-led” really means- How martial arts shaped Kyle’s approach to sales, discipline, and resilience- The real trade-offs between startup growth, family, and health- What separates great CROs from good ones and why “bar raising” matters- How Kyle uses AI in his revenue org (and what actually delivers ROI)- Why he doesn’t chase AI hype and how Owner’s mission keeps him grounded- Lessons from Jason Lemkin on board trust, transparency, and tough feedbackFounders, sales leaders, and executives who want to:-Scale teams without burning out- Lead with discipline, not chaos- Build brand trust that compounds- Stay grounded while chasing growthConnect with Kyle:- Kyle’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylecnorton/- Revenue Leadership Podcast: https://www.therevenueleadershippodcast.com/- Owner.com: https://www.owner.com/ Connect with me:Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFHLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/Chapters00:00 Owner.com’s story and rebuilding from $0 to $1M ARR03:00 Lessons from martial arts and disciplined practice07:00 Physical fitness as a superpower for startup leaders09:30 What makes founder-led intensity different13:00 Investing early in brand and why it paid off long-term17:30 Balancing family, health, and high performance24:00 The truth about kids, work, and “having it all”26:00 What separates elite CROs from good ones31:00 Company culture, ownership, and “the numbers too high”34:00 Why building a personal brand matters as a leader39:00 Kyle’s favorite podcasts and why he started his own42:00 AI in sales and what actually works51:00 Lessons from Jason Lemkin on trust and board management53:30 Closing thoughts and reflections#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding

In this engaging discussion, Charles Tenot, CEO of Lemlist and Lempire, shares his journey transitioning from COO to CEO of a thriving $33M bootstrapped SaaS company. He reveals effective strategies for leveraging LinkedIn, emphasizing a personal writing system that enables him to create posts in just 10 minutes. Charles tackles the importance of authentic content over clickbait, the challenges of tech debt, and how Lemlist's strong brand trust allows for impressive 10:1 LTV to CAC. He also highlights the shift away from SEO blogs to a more impactful content strategy.

David Heinemeier Hansson, co-founder of Basecamp and creator of Ruby on Rails, shares insights on achieving wealth without following Silicon Valley trends. He discusses the true meaning of 'fuck you money' and why it's often misunderstood. DHH emphasizes the importance of authenticity and consistency over luck and advocates for early pursuit of passions. He critiques the label 'content creator' and encourages genuine craftsmanship. Plus, he highlights cultural differences between Europe and the U.S. regarding work and entrepreneurship.