They explore Emily’s concept of the “gen marketer”, and why traditional silos and specialist-heavy teams struggle in today’s high-velocity environment.

• Marketing teams need more generalists who can connect strategy, creativity, and distribution.
• Speed to execution matters more than perfect alignment across functions.
• Big marketing wins come from coordinated campaigns, not isolated tactics.
• AI increases the value of orchestration and taste, not specialization alone.
• Marketing leaders should think in portfolios of bets, not incremental activities.
  

“Every big initiative needs to have a chance to really win — not just deliver incremental results.”

Episode Timestamps

(03:51) What the “Gen Marketer” role actually means

(10:04) Why speed matters more than perfect alignment

(16:42) Escaping random acts of marketing with big bets

(24:58) How CMOs should think like producers or VCs

(31:37) When founder-led marketing works (and when it doesn’t)

Sponsor

Pipeline Visionaries is brought to you by Qualified.com — the pipeline generation platform for revenue teams.
Turn your website into a pipeline machine with PipelineAI. Engage and convert your most valuable visitors with live chat, chatbots, meeting scheduling, and intent data.
Visit Qualified.com to learn more.

Connect with Ian on LinkedIn
Connect with Emily Kramer on LinkedIn

Dear Marketers Podcast

MKT1 Unboxing
Learn more about MKT1
Learn more about Caspian Studios

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Hear from Jill Wiltfong, CMO, Korn Ferry, Chris Bontempo, CMO, Johnson Controls, Shannon Sullivan Duffy, CMO, Asana, and Melton Littlepage, CMO, 1Password on their uncuttable budget items.

Timestamps:
(01:19) Jill Wiltfong, CMO, Korn Ferry,
(08:03) Chris Bontempo, CMO, Johnson Controls
(23:12) Shannon Sullivan Duffy, CMO, Asana
(28:10) Melton Littlepage, CMO, 1Password

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Ian sits down with Stacey Epstein, CEO of Magnetic, where she helps brands create clear positioning and go-to-market strategies that drive lasting demand. She talks about how to succeed in interacting with the board, outlining do’s and don’ts, and providing advice around defensiveness and preparation.

Key Takeaways:

• The board is there to help you succeed. Treat them like advisors and go to them with questions and issues that you are trying to solve. Don’t try to hide problems, do demonstrate your wins.
• There is an art to defending yourself without being defensive. Defensiveness often results in a board member feeling unheard and pushing harder. Take the note, even if you can’t take the proposed solution.
• Ditch the slide decks and excel spreadsheets, and tell the story for board members. A unified board letter from the leadership team is a great way to do this and increases alignment before a meeting.

Quote:

• “  We're all on the same team. We all wanna win. Like we're here together in this board meeting because we want the company to be successful and we want to win. And, . There should be no hiding of issues. In fact, that's what the board is there for. The board is there to help you get through the challenging times.”

Episode Timestamps:

00:53 The Role of the Board in Marketing

02:20 Navigating Board Interactions

03:06 Performance and Authenticity in Board Meetings

04:29 The Complexity of Marketing Roles

08:51 Aligning Marketing and Sales

16:56 The Importance of SDR Feedback

19:13 AI and Marketing Technology Decisions

21:44 Navigating Board Dynamics as a CMO

21:59 Building Relationships and Credibility

23:11 The Importance of Authenticity in Marketing

24:22 Handling Investor Feedback Tactfully

29:16 Defending Your Marketing Strategy

36:03 Effective Board Communication Strategies

39:10 The Value of Board Letters

Sponsor:

Pipeline Visionaries is brought to you by Qualified.com. Qualified helps you turn your website into a pipeline generation machine with PipelineAI. Engage and convert your most valuable website visitors with live chat, chatbots, meeting scheduling, intent data, and Piper, your AI SDR. Visit Qualified.com to learn more.

Links:

• Connect with Ian on LinkedIn
• Connect with Stacey on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Magnetic
• Learn more about Caspian Studios
• AI’ve Got Questions Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2497617/episodes

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.