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GTM News Desk

GTM News Desk

By: Mark Kilens and Nick Bennett
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Welcome to GTM News Desk, the podcast where Mark Kilens and Rachel Elsts Downey bring you real talk backed by real action. Twice a month, we cut through the noise to deliver the essential resources, news, and expert takes you need to create impactful, People-first GTM motions. From trending topics to clickbait headlines, we sift through the clutter to highlight what truly matters in the world of B2B Go-to-Market. With nearly 25 years of combined experience working with top B2B brands like Drift and HubSpot, we’re sharing our insights and advice to help you navigate the best (and worst) GTM strategies. Whether you’re a startup founder or a CMO, tune in to GTM News Desk for analysis, candid discussions, and actionable tips that prioritize people and drive real results.© 2025 Mark Kilens and Nick Bennett Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • Why Vulnerability is Key to Leading Successful Teams with Brie Aletto
    Jul 1 2025

    What’s driving the rise of fractional leadership in today’s business world?


    How is AI changing the workplace, and why do soft skills matter more than ever?

    And what does it take to create a united and high-performing executive team?

    That’s exactly what we’re exploring on this episode of GTM News Desk. Brie Aletto, CEO at Altvia, shares her experience in building a united executive team, emphasizing the role of vulnerability, transparency, and shared goals in driving team success.

    Jump into the action:

    (00:00) Welcome to GTM News Desk

    (02:16) The rise of fractional leadership in B2B

    (05:06) How AI has reshaped the workplace

    (10:48) The importance of emotional intelligence in leadership

    (16:34) Creating a high-performing, united executive team

    (21:36) Balancing vulnerability with high performance

    (26:49) What a high-performing leadership team looks like

    (33:47) The CEO’s role in cultivating an effective leadership team


    To hear Brie’s thoughts on empowering team leaders, identifying when teams are not united, and shifting her perspective on work-life balance, check out the extended conversation on TACK Insider: https://tackinsider.com/


    Connect with Brie Aletto: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brie-aletto-01bbb1b/


    Our sources from today’s headlines:

    • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.vantedgesearch.com/resources/blogs-articles/four-ways-fractional-leadership-is-redefining-leadership-in-a-resource-starved-world/

    Produced in partnership with: https://shareyourgenius.com/


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    38 mins
  • Uniting Teams Under One Customer Journey And KPI with Josh Allen
    Jun 3 2025

    Why does “alignment” fall short when GTM teams need to move as one?

    What language and behaviors actually drive unity across sales, marketing, and product?


    What does it take to operationalize a GTM strategy that every team can execute?

    Those are the three big topics we’re covering in this episode of GTM News Desk. Josh Allen, CRO at Quickbase, joins us to share what gets in the way of true team unity, how to structure your GTM motion around shared goals, and why every team, not just sales, needs to carry the same urgency and accountability.

    Jump into the action:

    (00:00) Welcome to GTM News Desk
    (13:41) Defining 'united' vs. 'aligned' in GTM
    (14:26) Why disconnected KPIs break team unity
    (15:04) The danger of one dominant GTM function
    (16:07) How short-term wins can hurt long-term customer relationships
    (20:54) Why the CEO must be the driver of GTM alignment
    (22:49) What 'people-first' GTM really means
    (24:34) What we can learn from Raycast’s 'hype team' model
    (30:24) How CarGurus became Josh Allen's best-case example of GTM unity


    To hear Josh’s perspective on RevOps maturity, system-level execution, and what it really takes to scale a united GTM motion, check out the extended conversation on TACK Insider: https://tackinsider.com/


    Connect with Josh Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-a


    Our sources from today’s headlines:

    • The Future of Revenue Report: https://www.joinpavilion.com/resource/the-future-of-revenue-report

    Produced in partnership with: https://shareyourgenius.com/

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    33 mins
  • What AI Can’t Replace in Customer Success with Kirsty O’Sullivan
    May 20 2025

    What does it take to turn customer experience into a growth engine?


    How can AI and data actually bring teams closer to their customers instead of further away?


    What gets in the way of a united go-to-market motion, and how can companies fix it?


    Those are the three big topics we’re covering in this episode of GTM News Desk. Kirsty O’Sullivan, SVP of Customer Experience at ZoomInfo, shares how her team uses AI to personalize onboarding at scale, how they measure GTM maturity across thousands of accounts, and why true customer obsession starts with listening well.


    Jump into the action:

    (00:00) Welcome to GTM News Desk

    (01:44) Why the status quo kills brand connection

    (03:38) Dell’s IT Squad campaign and the untapped power of Reddit

    (05:18) Why the messenger matters more than the message

    (07:39) How customer trust and brand meaning go hand in hand

    (09:34) Call me GPT and the reality of AI fatigue in B2B

    (12:41) How ZoomInfo uses data and AI to build trust at scale

    (17:38) What go-to-market maturity really means at ZoomInfo

    (25:01) Using onboarding as a mirror for customer obsession

    (31:36) How ZoomInfo aligns teams to personalize customer success


    To hear Kirsty’s perspective on customer-centric growth, operationalizing voice of the customer, and building a GTM strategy that connects every team, check out the extended conversation on TACK Insider: https://tackinsider.com/


    Connect with Kirsty O’Sullivan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirsty-o'sullivan/


    Our sources from today’s headlines:

    • Top 11 B2B Marketing Case Studies [2025]
    • AI Voiced audio recaps “how do we feel about this?” (Example here)
    • Chelsea Castle’s LinkedIn post

    Produced in partnership with: https://shareyourgenius.com/

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    36 mins

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