Ops Cast

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!On today's episode, we are joined by Janelle Amos, founder and chief strategist at Elevate Growth, to explore how demand generation and marketing/revenue operations teams can thrive through better collaboration, mutual understanding, and strategic alignment. With a rich background in revenue marketing, advising, and podcasting, Janelle brings powerful perspective and practical tips on fostering cross-functional trust, communication, and shared success.Tune in to hear:How top marketing ops teams stand out by aligning tactical work with broader business goals and communicating their value effectively.The power of curiosity and shadowing—why simply asking questions and observing other teams can drastically improve cross-functional rapport.Why trust is essential and how "disagree and commit" can move collaboration forward even when there’s tension or differing opinions.Tips for building productive relationships, including when to use an internal advocate and how to handle difficult conversations with empathy and clarity.How leadership perception and initiative shape success, especially for newer hires aiming to establish credibility and connection.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!On today's episode, hosts Michael Hartmann, Naomi Liu, and Mike Rizzo come together for a candid midyear conversation about everything happening in the MO Pros community and the broader Marketing Ops landscape. From membership model updates and upcoming events to fresh research and evolving roles, this chat covers a ton of ground. Whether you're a longtime member or just tuning in, this is your go-to catch-up on where things stand in 2025 and where we’re headed.Tune in to hear: Membership Model Shift: Slack access is now a Pro-member benefit—hear the reasoning behind the change and how it’s designed to foster trust, safety, and meaningful engagement.MOps Events Update: MOps-Apalooza 2025 is coming in hot—get the dates, location (hello, Anaheim!), and behind-the-scenes insights into the planning chaos (including a $350K food & beverage minimum?!).New Research Drops: The team discusses the new State of Data-Driven Decision Making report, covering data quality, analytics gaps, and organizational maturity.Expanding Roles in MOps: Naomi shares how her role has grown to include BDR teams and sales enablement, highlighting the real-world impact of cross-functional ops leadership.Coming Soon: Cohorts & Community Building: A sneak peek at new initiatives to match members based on roles and responsibilities—connecting peers in meaningful ways.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

Ahmad Moore, founder of Pressure Marketing, shares his unconventional journey from IT to marketing operations. He emphasizes the vital role of empathy in aligning sales and marketing teams and how his diverse experiences shape a sharper MOps perspective. Ahmad discusses the importance of cross-department collaboration and learning from challenges. He also touches on leveraging AI and HubSpot for smarter scaling, illustrating how adapting practices can redefine success in marketing operations.

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!On today's episode, Mike Rizzo talks with Martin Pietrzak, founder and president of Pinch Marketing, to unpack what Google and others have called “the messy middle” of today’s buyer’s journey.Gone are the days of the simple, linear sales funnel. Instead, buyers loop through endless cycles of exploration, evaluation, and self-education before they ever talk to sales — if they do at all. Martin shares how marketing ops pros can embrace this new reality by becoming strategic partners who help build flexible data-driven systems that enable real-time insights, better attribution, and scalable growth.You’ll hear:Why the messy middle exists — and how buyers’ behavior has changed forever.How technology, data, and AI are reshaping go-to-market architecture.The critical role marketing ops plays as the “marketing scientist” in modern organizations.Practical steps to capture buyer signals and turn them into actionable insights.Why marketing ops leaders must think like product managers to architect the GTM stack.Whether you’re building your ops career or leading teams through complex martech stacks, this episode is packed with insights you can apply right away.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!In today's episode,  we talk with Irwin Hipsman, founder of Repititos, to explore the often-overlooked world of customer marketing and the critical role of customer contact data. Irwin shares findings from his recent research report on the state of customer contact databases, revealing why so many organizations struggle with poor data quality and how it impacts customer communications, renewals, and crisis response.Together, they dive into:The definition of customer contact databases and why focusing on individuals—not accounts—is crucial.Key findings from Irwin's research, including an industry-average database health score of just 47%.The importance of cross-functional teams in maintaining healthy customer data.Actionable steps ops professionals can take to assess, clean, and maintain customer data health.Why better customer data translates directly into stronger customer relationships, higher retention, and better crisis management.Whether you're in marketing ops, customer marketing, or revenue operations, this conversation offers practical insights that can help transform your organization's approach to customer data management.Access the customer health score assessment here.Access Irwin's report here.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

In this conversation with Rick Collins, Vice President of Demand Generation at ConnectWise, he details his unique journey from IT to marketing leadership. He emphasizes the importance of curiosity and relationship-building in career growth. Rick shares invaluable lessons on navigating transitions within organizations, managing change, and expanding influence. He discusses the balance between technical skills and business acumen in hiring, as well as the complexities of moving from a contributor to a leader. This dialogue is packed with insights for anyone looking to advance in marketing operations.

Mustafa Saeed, co-founder and CEO of Luella, shares insights on the evolving landscape of email marketing shaped by AI. He highlights the dangers of reckless automation, where valuable communications get caught in spam filters. Saeed urges a collaborative approach, mixing human intuition with AI's analytical prowess for genuine outreach. He also delves into strategies for email reputation management and the importance of maintaining human connection in a tech-driven world, ensuring successful and ethical marketing practices.

Nicole Alvarez, a Solutions Architect at ClearPivot with a background in psychology and cognitive science, dives into the often-overlooked "ugly work" in marketing operations. She shares insights on the importance of field audits and data cleanup, revealing how these foundational tasks lead to successful marketing initiatives. Nicole discusses using flawed data reports to persuade executives about the need for investing in operational quality. With her unique blend of skills, she emphasizes creativity in overcoming data challenges and enhancing CRM systems for better decision-making.

In this discussion, Garrath Robinson, co-founder and head of marketing for RevXL, and Sebastian Hidalgo, co-founder and head of sales at RevXcel, dive into the evolving landscape of go-to-market strategies. They emphasize the necessity for speed and trust in today’s market. The duo advocates for breaking down silos between sales and marketing and introduces frameworks like STRIKE and SWAT for effective collaboration. Their insights challenge traditional methods, stressing that better execution can dramatically reshape how teams engage with buyers.

Tarun Arora, a marketing tech veteran and founder of RevCrew, dives into the transformative power of AI in streamlining operations. He explains how 'agentic AI' can function as virtual team members, tackling tasks that require judgment. Tarun shares compelling examples, from inbox management to campaign optimization, highlighting AI's capacity to eliminate busy work. He offers pragmatic advice on starting small, emphasizing the importance of addressing significant needs and exploring real use cases for effective automation.