Grant Johnson, a seasoned CMO with six successful tours of duty under his belt, joins the podcast to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing marketing leaders today.

• Johnson emphasizes the relentless pressure to prove marketing's value and the need to align with C-suite stakeholders on goals and strategies. He introduces his Marketing Performance Index, a tool based on industry benchmarks that helps marketers identify areas for improvement and optimize investment.
• Drawing from his experience in fractional CMO roles, Johnson highlights the importance of quick impact projects and building relationships with existing teams. He shares an anecdote about the importance of branding and pushing for excellence, even in the face of tight deadlines. Johnson also recounts pivoting a campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic to better resonate with the changed environment.
• The conversation explores the pitfalls of account-based marketing (ABM) and the importance of disciplined sales processes. Johnson argues that while ABM technology can be helpful, execution is key, and companies should avoid getting stuck in testing mode without allowing campaigns to breathe.
• Johnson attributes his success to curiosity, resourcefulness, drive, and adaptability. He emphasizes the need for marketers to embrace ambiguity and continuously learn and evolve.
• The episode concludes with recommendations for books, podcasts, and resources that provide valuable insights for marketing leaders. Johnson encourages aspiring marketers to gain diverse experience, set goals, and be willing to take risks.

This episode offers practical advice and valuable insights for marketing leaders at all levels, making it a must-listen for anyone looking to navigate the evolving marketing landscape.

Connect With:

• Grant Johnson (Guest): LinkedIn
• Jenni DeWitt (Co-Host): Website // LinkedIn
• Mike Fazio (Co-Host): Website // LinkedIn

Want to get more Let's Be Honest content? Check out www.letsbehonestaboutmarketing.com

Jennifer Quiroz is a fractional marketing and branding expert with over 20 years of experience. She joined us to discuss the evolving landscape of marketing in a post-COVID, AI-driven world. She argues that AI and the pandemic have led to digital fatigue, making traditional performance marketing less effective.

Key takeaways from the episode include:

• The importance of human connection in marketing: Jennifer emphasizes a "new old way of doing business" that focuses on building genuine relationships, robust networks, and a connector mindset.
• Shifting from transactional to relational marketing: She believes that the sales cycle will lengthen as marketers prioritize authentic connections over quick transactions.
• The rise of ethical and value-based marketing: Consumers, especially younger generations, expect companies to "do the right thing," including demonstrating ethical sourcing, sustainability, and community engagement.
• The power of personifying companies: Jennifer suggests creating detailed personas for companies, including psychographics and personality profiles, to guide consistent and authentic interactions with customers.
• Building a network through Slack communities: Quiroz advises new marketers to leverage Slack communities to connect with experienced professionals and potential clients.

Jennifer's insights offer valuable guidance for marketers navigating the changing dynamics of the industry and highlight the enduring importance of human connection in a technology-driven world.

Connect With:

• Jennifer Quiroz (Guest): Website // LinkedIn
• Jenni DeWitt (Co-Host): Website // LinkedIn
• Mike Fazio (Co-Host): Website // LinkedIn

Want to get more Let's Be Honest content? Check out www.letsbehonestaboutmarketing.com

Kristen Moore has helped her fair share of marketing organizations and has been seeing a disturbing trend over the years, the loss of 3 of the 4 Ps of marketing: product, pricing, and place. In this episode we dig into what that means for marketing and some ways we can get them back. Kristen also shares concrete ways to lean into our human-ness for long-term success with AI.

Connect With:

• Kristen Moore (Guest): LinkedIn
• Jenni DeWitt (Co-Host): Website // LinkedIn
• Mike Fazio (Co-Host): Website // LinkedIn

Want to get more Let's Be Honest content? Check out www.letsbehonestaboutmarketing.com

Paul Kuhne, a marketing leader with over two decades of experience in a diverse range of roles and industries, talks to us about the crucial role of relationship building in marketing, both internally and externally. He argues that marketers must effectively sell the value of marketing within their organizations, building alliances with leadership, peers, and other departments.

Paul stresses tailoring communication to diverse stakeholders and fostering a culture of trust and empowerment within marketing teams. He champions a more creative approach to B2B marketing that resonates with the emotional needs of consumers. He challenges the industry's reliance on stale, formulaic messaging and encourages marketers to embrace unconventional ideas.

Connect With:

• Paul Kuhne (Guest): Website // LinkedIn
• Jenni DeWitt (Co-Host): Website // LinkedIn
• Mike Fazio (Co-Host): Website // LinkedIn

Want to get more Let's Be Honest content? Check out www.letsbehonestaboutmarketing.com

Tracy Sestili has learned a lot about collaboration from years of leading successful marketing teams and transitioning into a role that saw her also lead the sales team as the Chief Revenue Officer. Listen in as Tracy shares her experience of fostering communication between marketing and sales, and get her thoughts on how to balance leadership vision with input from your team.

Connect With:

• Tracy Sestili (Guest): CMO2CRO Substack // LinkedIn
• Jenni DeWitt (Co-Host): Website // LinkedIn
• Mike Fazio (Co-Host): Website // LinkedIn

Want to get more Let's Be Honest content? Check out www.letsbehonestaboutmarketing.com

Caitlin Allen has a history of building great marketing teams that get results. In this episode, she discusses how important it's been to work closely with her executive team members, especially during crisis times that require hard pivots (like the COVID pandemic). She also shares how she has learned to handle areas of perceived weakness, and the how and why we need to hire well.

Connect With:

• Caitlin Allen (Guest): LinkedIn
• Jenni DeWitt (Co-Host): Website // LinkedIn
• Mike Fazio (Co-Host): Website // LinkedIn

Want to get more Let's Be Honest content? Check out www.letsbehonestaboutmarketing.com

Matt Anthony has helped a number of companies start growing from zero by embracing creative evolution of his strategy while staying grounded in the marketing fundamentals. We talk about how he creates that first inbound spark through to setting up more mature functions like ABM, and how he sees the current and future of some of our favorite outreach channels.

Connect With:

• Matt Anthony (Guest): LinkedIn
• Jenni DeWitt (Co-Host): Website // LinkedIn
• Mike Fazio (Co-Host): Website // LinkedIn

Want to get more Let's Be Honest content? Check out www.letsbehonestaboutmarketing.com

Carrie Reber, a longtime SaaS marketing leader, built an engaged, loyal customer community at Veeam and saw the tremendous value it created for the company and those involved in the community. In this episode, we dig into the story of her community building days and why she thinks it's imperative that we build love and loyalty into our communities.

Connect With:

• Carrie Reber (Guest): LinkedIn
• Jenni DeWitt (Co-Host): Website // LinkedIn
• Mike Fazio (Co-Host): Website // LinkedIn

Want to get more Let's Be Honest content? Check out www.letsbehonestaboutmarketing.com