How I Made it in Marketing

How many times have you read a company’s marketing and thought – they’re not talking to a customer; they’re talking to themselves.This is especially prevalent in B2B. I’ve seen this on homepages, landing pages, print ads, in press releases, and on and on.I started my career as a copywriter and then worked in sales enablement. So I – it is tempting to write for the person signing your check.But where the revenue for that check really comes from is the customer. Always write for the customer.As our latest guest put it in his podcast guest application – ‘Outside-in messaging is the important factor for success.’To hear the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories, I talked to Ralf Paschen, Chief Marketing Officer, xtype (https://www.xtype.io/).The venture-backed startup just announced $10.8 million in growth funding. Paschen uses five to 10 artificial intelligence and automation tools to run his department.Stories (with lessons) about what he made in marketingSome lessons from Paschen that emerged in our discussion:Outside-in messaging is the important factor for successTrust and learn from othersFail fast, fix fast, learn fastNothing counts more than the language of the customerUse data to make informative decisionsSell a vision by defining a strategy for the companyRelated content discussed in this episodeGet the power of 10,000 marketing experiments. Play with MECLABS AI at MECLABS.com/AI (MECLABS is the parent organization of MarketingSherpa).Customer-First Marketing: Do you put your customers’ interests first? (https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/customer-centric-marketing-2/customer-interests-first/)Customer Experience: Take risks, fail early, and learn fast (podcast episode #32) Data-Driven Marketing: 7 examples of using data as a force for the goodHow I Made It In Marketing podcast, from MarketingSherpaSubscribe to our podcastThis article is distributed through the MarketingSherpa email newsletter. Sign up for free if you’d like to get more episodes like this one.For more insights, check out...This podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages free digital marketing course.Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

Get the power of 10,000 marketing experiments. Play with MECLABS AI at MECLABS.com/AI (MECLABS is the parent organization of MarketingSherpa).Good marketing isn't just about catchy slogans or flashy ads; it's about understanding the human psyche. The psyche of our customers, yes, but our own as well.So in this episode we’ll delve into a psychological concept called ‘action bias’ – this is the idea that we, as humans, often lean towards taking action, even when standing still might be the better choice.Or as my latest guest aptly put it in his podcast guest application – Ask yourself, ‘what happens if I do nothing?’To unpack that lesson, and discuss more insights from his career journey, I spoke with Jonathan Kaufman, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Sage Dental (https://mysagedental.com/). Originally founded in 1997, Sage Dental has 100 affiliated practices, and it has a 98% three-year growth rate.Kaufman manages a team of 60, including the new patient management team.Stories (with lessons) about what he made in marketingSome lessons from Kaufman that emerged in our discussion:Everyone is faking it, no matter how smart you are, so it doesn't hurt to ask the questionBigger isn't better. What is important, however, is doing the simple things as best you can.If you don’t understand how metrics impact the overall business, you’re going to fail as a marketerAsk yourself, ‘what happens if I do nothing?’The relationship part and the art part of marketing and business is as important as the data and the financial metrics themselvesTailor the experience to that audienceRelated content discussed in this episodeThe Prospect’s Perception Gap: How to bridge the gap between the results we want and the results we have (https://meclabs.com/education/Flint-prospects-perception-gap)Evidence-based Marketing: Why you need more than just numbers to truly drive ROI (https://marketingexperiments.com/conversion-marketing/evidence-based-marketing)Marketing Webinar Optimization: Five questions to ask yourself about webinars (https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/marketing/b2b-webinars/)Marketing and Brand: Embrace healthy friction (podcast episode #48) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/marketing-and-brand)Subscribe to our podcastThis article is distributed through the MarketingSherpa email newsletter. (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters) Sign up for free if you’d like to get more episodes like this one.For more insights, check out...This podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages (https://meclabs.com/course/) free digital marketing course.Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

Get the power of 10,000 marketing experiments. Play with MECLABS AI at MECLABS.com/AI (MECLABS is the parent organization of MarketingSherpa).“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.”This is from Viktor Frankl, in the book ‘Man’s Search for Meaning.’ He learned it in a very serious way, as a prisoner in Nazi concentrations camps.But he was a psychiatrist, and he used his experience in the Holocaust to write that book, one of the ten most influential books of all time according to the Library of Congress, and help us all learn to live better lives.Which includes better work lives as well. As a marketer it can feel like you’re in the eye of the storm, with so much happening to you. But as our next guest reminds us, even in the times that seem most challenging to us, “the only thing you can control is your attitude.”That’s right, when things are out of control, you are still in control of something.To hear the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories, I talked to Regina DeMars, Director of Content Marketing and Strategy, FNBO (https://www.fnbo.com/).FNBO is the First National Bank of Omaha, a subsidiary of First National of Nebraska. First opened in 1857, First National of Nebraska has $30 billion in assets and 5,000 employees.DeMars manages a team of five people, both internal and external communications.Stories (with lessons) about what she made in marketingSome lessons from DeMars that emerged in our discussion:The only thing you can control is your attitudeStep out of your comfort zoneIt’s so important to take time to build relationships with the people you work with – it builds trust in each other and team effectiveness.Live a purpose-driven lifeLearn how to be a good listener and be your authentic selfLead by example rather than micro-managingRelated content discussed in this episodeHeuristic Cheat Sheet: 10 methods for improving your marketing (https://marketingexperiments.com/conversion-marketing/10-heuristic-cheat-sheet)Team Building: Loyalty, relationships, pre-selling, and other keys to marketing management success (Podcast Episode #16) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/team-building)Servant Leadership in Marketing: We are only as good as how we handle humbling moments (podcast episode #54) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/servant-leadership)About this podcastThis podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages (https://meclabs.com/course/) free digital marketing course.This article was distributed through the MarketingSherpa email newsletter. (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters) Sign up for free if you’d like to get more episodes.Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

Get the power of 10,000 marketing experiments. Play with MECLABS AI at MECLABS.com/AI (MECLABS is the parent organization of MarketingSherpa).“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”That quote is from George Bernard Shaw, and hopefully is inspiration for anyone trying to make positive change in their organization.I thought of that quote while reading a lesson in the podcast guest application for this episode’s guest – ‘change starts here.’Different words, same sentiment. The status quo is tenacious. If you want change to happen, you need to be unreasonable. It needs to start with you.To discuss the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories, I talked to Dan Garzia, Chief Marketing Officer, Provenance Blockchain Foundation (https://provenance.io/).Provenance Blockchain Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports a public, open-source blockchain, used by 70 financial institutions, including fintechs, banks, and credit unions. More than $15 billion in financial asset transactions have been supported by Provenance Blockchain.In his career, Garzia has managed teams as large as 80, up to 12 partners, and budgets as large as $110 million.Stories (with lessons) about what he made in marketingSome lessons from Garzia that emerged in our discussion:Progress beats perfectionMake up for areas where you're not as strongCelebrate the winNetwork every dayChange starts hereWords matterRelated content discussed in this episodeMarketing Chart: How important customer-first marketing is to consumers (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/chart/customer-first-marketing-importance)The Low-Hanging Fruit: 11 specific examples of small marketing and communication changes that drove big results (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/chart/customer-first-marketing-importance)Optimization and A/B Testing: Why words matter (for more than just SEO) (https://marketingexperiments.com/conversion-marketing/optimization-and-testing-why-words-matter)Subscribe to our podcastThis article is distributed through the MarketingSherpa email newsletter (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters). Sign up for free if you’d like to get more episodes like this one.For more insights, check out...This podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages (https://meclabs.com/course/) free digital marketing course.Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

Get the power of 10,000 marketing experiments working for you. Play with MECLABS AI at MECLABS.com/AI (MECLABS is the parent organization of MarketingSherpa).It is hard to make this episode of How I Made It In Marketing and share it with you.Because you are professional marketers and entrepreneurs, many of you know marketing, business, and content creation better than I ever will. So I could work on this forever just to make it better, bulletproof to criticism, dare I say… perfect.Of course, then we wouldn’t be able to publish regularly. Instead of the other 70 episodes we’ve produced so far, there would only be this one.Which brings up a great lesson I read from in a podcast guest application – “Done is better than perfect.”A truism I know I’ve had to live with. It applies very well to my job, as someone who wants to create awesome content, yes, but also lives in the constant reality of deadlines.In this episode, Cordula Pfluegl, Marketing Director, TNW (https://thenextweb.com/), shared the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories.TNW, which stands for The Next Web, is mostly known for its annual tech conference hosted in Amsterdam but is also a media company writing about technology with 1 million monthly readers. TNW is a Financial Times company. I’m sure you’ve heard of the 130-year-old newspaper, and it probably stuck out to you if you ever saw it, as the pink newspaper. FT is owned by Nikkei, Inc., which reported 175.2 billion yen in sales last year.For the lead-up-time to the conference, Pfluegl oversaw a team of 10 people, including the event-focused marketing coordinators and the company's brand team of designers and content creators. When marketing the annual TNW Conference, they created over 2.8 million organic impressions with user-generated content on LinkedIn alone, in the two weeks around the event.Stories (with lessons) about what she made in marketingSome lessons from Pfluegl that emerged in our discussion:Working in various industries and for different brands/products (D2C/B2B) makes you a better and more versatile marketer overall.Having built a big community doesn't mean you will be able to monetize itPractice 'in-company' and 'across-team' learning togetherHaving a clear purpose will always guide the wayMarket localization is importantDone is better than perfectRelated content discussed in this episode6 Good (and 2 Bad) B2B and B2C Value Proposition Examples (https://marketingexperiments.com/value-proposition/6-good-2-bad-b2b-b2c-value-proposition-examples)Launch and Learn: How marketers can keep up in a real-time world (https://marketingexperiments.com/social-marketing/real-time-marketing)Pfluegl’s Substack (https://thisisjusthestart.substack.com/)About this podcastThis podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages (https://meclabs.com/course/) free digital marketing course.Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

Get the power of 10,000 marketing experiments. Play with MECLABS AI at MECLABS.com/AI (MECLABS is the parent organization of MarketingSherpa).I wish I could just tell people what they should do. Whether it was people on my team who reported to me, potential customers, or even my own kids.But that approach has a major flaw – they will resist. Heck, I would resist, too. It reminds me of a lyric from Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, “The wisdom that the old can’t give away.”So what can you do? I love how this episode’s guest put it in his podcast guest application, “It's not just about having the right answer, but about leading people along the journey to understand why that answer is the right one.”Joining us in our latest episode to share the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories, is Michael Freeman, VP of Marketing, Airbase (https://www.airbase.com/). Airbase recently raised $60 million in mid-2021 in a Series B round of financing led by Menlo Ventures.Freeman leads a team of 28 marketers, sales development reps, and revenue operations professionals.Stories (with lessons) about what he made in marketingSome lessons from Freeman that emerged in our discussion:Continuous improvement/ABT (always be testing) over one-off campaignsHarness technology to enhance customer experienceNever forget that we are all peopleThe "how" of execution is just as important as the "what"It's not just about having the right answer, but about leading people along the journey to understand why that answer is the right one.If something is worth doing, do it well.Related content discussed in this episodeHow I Made It In Marketing podcast (https://marketingsherpa.com/podcast)MarTech Chart: Biggest technology innovation challenges (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/chart/biggest-technology-innovation-challenges)Corporate Marketing: Feedback is respect (podcast episode #44) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/corporate-marketing)About this podcastThis podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages (https://meclabs.com/course/) free digital marketing course.This article was distributed through the MarketingSherpa email newsletter (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters). Sign up for free if you’d like to get more articles like this one.Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

Get the power of 10,000 marketing experiments. Play with MECLABS AI at MECLABS.com/AI (MECLABS is the parent organization of MarketingSherpa).Perhaps you’re a key business leader and just acquired a company. Or maybe you’re starting your first job right out of college.Either way, you had to find a way to be effective with your new team. How do you do that?I love our latest guest’s description of how her CEO handled new brands after an acquisition – “he came in quietly.”Not throwing your weight around or boasting about how great you are and all the wonderful things you will do.He came in quietly.I discussed that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories, with Lauren Pasquale Bartlett, CMO, Ingenovis Health (https://www.ingenovishealth.com/).Ingenovis Health has tripled in size in two years, reporting $2 billion in annual revenue in 2022.Barlett manages a team of 30 across eight brands.Stories (with lessons) about what she made in marketingSome lessons from Bartlett that emerged in our discussion:Understand the varying needs and perspectives of the stakeholdersBuild trust and consensus cross-functionallyTrust in your knowledge and capabilitiesTake a bulldog approachPair a strong work ethic with a sense of joy in accomplishmentsStand right beside your team when they face obstaclesCome in quietlyRelated content discussed in this episodeData Poetry in Marketing, PR & Corporate Communications (Podcast Episode #17) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/data-poetry)Marketing, Advertising and Brand Strategy and Culture: You don’t “build" community, you “facilitate” community (podcast episode #52) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/marketing-advertising)Marketing: High growth can be excruciating (podcast episode #64) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/marketing-growth)Not Enough Lobster In The Ocean: Trusting their gut leads to 90,000% revenue growth at Mint Mobile (Podcast Episode #11) (https://marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/revenue-growth-podcast)Strategy: Don’t think of your customers as a ‘target’ to acquire (podcast episode #65) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/strategy)About this podcastThis podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages (https://meclabs.com/course/) free digital marketing course.This article was distributed through the MarketingSherpa email newsletter (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters). Sign up for free if you’d like to get more articles like this one.Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

_____________________________________________________________________________________Join us in the AI Guild. Chat with MECLABS AI to learn more – MECLABS.com/AI (MECLABS is the parent organization of MarketingSherpa) _____________________________________________________________________________________We all know that if we run a marketing experiment, we can get a loss.But here’s a topic that is discussed less often.Sometimes you just didn’t get that win…yet. You need to make sure to let your test run its course.Or as this episode’s guest describes it in her podcast guest application, “Everything is expensive until it starts working.”Here to share the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories, is Colleen O’Brien, Chief Communications Officer and Head of Strategy, Armoire (https://www.armoire.style/).Armoire has raised $13 million in funding so far, and investors include Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Its customer base has grown more than 100% year over year.Over the past year, O’Brien has earned 15 top-tier press mentions for Armoire, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Condé Nast Traveler (and now, the How I Made It In Marketing podcast).Stories (with lessons) about what she made in marketingSome lessons from O’Brien that emerged in our discussion:Brand affinity isn’t staticDo something right, onceFind your partner in crime.Give people something to react toGo back to the briefEverything is expensive until it starts workingRelated content discussed in this episodeWhat is Data? A discussion about getting value from your marketing analytics (https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/marketing/value-from-marketing-analytics/)Creative Marketing: Does it all make sense? (Podcast Episode #19) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/creative)About this podcastThis podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages (https://meclabs.com/course/) free digital marketing course.This article was distributed through the MarketingSherpa email newsletter (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters). Sign up for free if you’d like to get more articles like this one.Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

The How I Made It In Marketing podcast is underwritten by MECLABS Institute, the parent organization of MarketingSherpa. Join us for an AI Guild session Wednesdays at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Learn more at MECLABS.com/AI-BriefingI use one word all smooshed together to describe the time I spend on the job – worklife.I’m not talking about balance. I’m simply saying, ‘Yes we have a homelife. But we have a worklife, too.’ Every hour, every minute you spend working rolls up into that grand big, mysterious number of time you have on this planet.Which means what we do at work matters. The decisions we make are part of who we are. And it’s why I love a lesson in the guest application for my this episode’s guest, “Find ways to live your company's values in everything you do.”Rah Mahtani, Head of Buyer Marketing for North America, Alibaba.com, joined me to share the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories.Alibaba.com serves buyers and suppliers from 190 countries and regions around the world.Mahtani has managed marketing budgets ranging from ~ $8m to as high as $110m. He currently manages a team of six.Stories (with lessons) about what he made in marketingSome lessons from Mahtani that emerged in our discussion:It's OK to flip the script sometimes Let data inform, don't let it dictateFind ways to live your company's values in everything you doDig into human behavior to create people-first messagingRespect the power of the rabbitYou can have piles and piles of data, but unless you know how to use the data correctly, it won’t get you very farRelated content discussed in this episodeCustomer Theory: How to leverage empathy in your marketing (with free tool) (https://marketingexperiments.com/conversion-marketing/customer-theory-leverage-empathy-free-tool)About this podcastThis podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages (https://meclabs.com/course/) free digital marketing course.This article was distributed through the MarketingSherpa email newsletter (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters). Sign up for free if you’d like to get more articles like this one.Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application

The How I Made It In Marketing podcast is underwritten by MECLABS Institute, the parent organization of MarketingSherpa. Join us for an AI Guild session Wednesdays at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Learn more at MECLABS.com/AI-BriefingWe often talk about product-market fit. But what about marketer-role fit?You could be an amazing marketer in many ways, but in the wrong role, you will be constantly swimming upstream, expending all your energy on the inconsequential.However, in the right role…ahh, it’s just gliding along, putting your strongest skills to your highest and best use.Which is why a lesson from this episode’s guest is so important, “stay true to yourself in your career.”You’ll hear the story behind that lesson, along with many more lesson-filled stories from Avi Bhagtani, CMO, Digitate (https://digitate.com/).Bhagtani manages a global team of 18.Digitate is a startup of 800 people that has been in business for eight years. The company leverages AI and automation to transform digital operations.Stories (with lessons) about what he made in marketingSome lessons from Bhagtani that emerged in our discussion:Stay true to yourself in your careerMake yourself uncomfortableMove fast and take risksBest your best and own the role you are in“As the environment changes, so must your strategy.”Patience.Related content discussed in this episodeCustomer Experience: Take risks, fail early, and learn fast (podcast episode #32) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/customer-experience)Marketing: It’s not about you, and when you make it about you, you are never going to succeed (podcast episode #53) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/marketing-not-about-you)Public Sector Marketing and Communication Leadership: Multi-directional learners, multi-colored spiky hair, and wearing multiple hats (podcast episode #31) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/public-sector-marketing)About this podcastThis podcast is not about marketing – it is about the marketer. It draws its inspiration from the Flint McGlaughlin quote, “The key to transformative marketing is a transformed marketer” from the Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages (https://meclabs.com/course/) free digital marketing course.This article was distributed through the MarketingSherpa email newsletter (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/newsletters). Sign up for free if you’d like to get more articles like this one.Apply to be a guestIf you would like to apply to be a guest on How I Made It In Marketing, here is the podcast guest application – https://www.marketingsherpa.com/page/podcast-guest-application