Tea Time With Tech Marketing Leaders (Kerry Guard)

Alex Dunn, head of Levelset, joins to discuss the importance of building a content machine.

Alex Dunn has been a friend of MKG for a long time. He is a results-oriented business development professional in B2B and B2C marketplaces; he specializes in driving traffic through content solutions

Alex is the Head of Demand at Levelset, a payment solutions company for the construction industry. They’ve created a platform to alleviate roadblocks, get people paid.

Alex started with video content creation while getting his MBA in Massachusetts, and went on to sell his production company in 2016. That venture primarily focused on video testimonials for B2B tech companies. He honed his craft and started to replicate the success using similar content creation patterns.

As Ben Horowitz quoted in The Hard Thing About Hard Things, “There’s no silver bullet, there’s only a ton of lead bullets”.

A new company must operate and define itself around a core philosophy. There’s not going to be one quick and easy solution for all problems; most of the time, the answer will be one specific solution replicated over and over.

For Levelset, the mission and main question was ‘how do we drive the most traffic to our site?’

The solution that Alex found was to become a media company (within their niche). Levelset leverages data to create a news website for the construction industry- from news, payment disputes, trends, they seek to grow thought leadership. Rather than ABC, the sales team shifted their focus to providing quality service. Their mantra is ‘help first, sell second’; this multifaceted approach builds trust, brand recall, and expands inbound traffic. In addition to being a reliable helping hand, creating content demonstrates the human element and often forges a connection with the reader.

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Quincy Johnson is a Marketing and Technology Strategist who teaches  at the University of Texas at Dallas. He lectures primarily on how to  effectively utilize social media marketing. He started in inside sales  as has discovered the wide range of social and martech as it relates to  technology companies.

Social Selling

For Quincy, social media is the grand Truman Show: a great experiment  to observe and document the way humans form connections and present  stories. People have access to share whatever and whenever they want.  For brands, the pandemic has forced them to create an identity and ‘meet  people where they are’ but not cross the line into just selling. Many  sales reps have had to “dust off their LinkedIn” and get down to forming  connections in a remote world. Pro-tip: please don’t follow up five times on unreplied inMail message. Staying true to one’s message allows for better buy-in; for instance,  Simon Sinek sharing tid-bits and helpful information, while still having  a selection of books and content available for purchase. For Quincy, he  argues that the executives (even via ghostwriters) needs to drive  vision and the sales teams can be on the ground making connections,  create 1 to 1 relationships. C-Suites have the ability to both garner  attention and inspire internal commitment from their teams. Evangelists  have a way of captivating audiences and crafting industry-shifting  visions.

Petting the Belly of the Puppy

As discussed on previous episodes, LinkedIn and Facebook have  different superpowers and can offer various techniques on engagement.  The latter is more of the ‘softer’ side of the company, in terms of  demonstrating culture and community. Quincy mentions that TikTok has an  enormous audience and brands can have the latitude to reach a variety of  niche markets; the algorithm doesn’t discriminate on previous content.  However, it’s an ever-changing platform that some videos garner a few  hundred views and one could blow up reaching multiple millions of  screens. YouTube is another, more established platform which requires  people to build a channel; there is incredible value because millions go  to the platform for information- from learning a new skill to fixing a  sink. Demonstrating expertise on how to do what you do can garner leads  and provide value. In addition, by learning how to navigate a platform,  the future workforce can become skilled and implement those systems down  the line. He advocates an entrepreneurial mindset when learning and  implementing new technologies and strategies.

This was only a high-level overview of our conversation with Quincy.  Be sure to listen to the full episode and the rest of the season on all  streaming platforms!

Kerry spills the tea with an experienced Oracle Product Manager to chat about brand building in today's market.  Anita Moorphy, a computer engineer by trade, focuses on challenges faced by startups. 

Today's discussion highlights practical advice budget-conscious start-ups, balancing short-term performance metrics with long-term brand investment, insights on building community engagement and influence while leveraging internal SMEs to creative authentic engagement in digital social spaces, and helping you understand when to start charging customers for your new product.

This episode is sponsored by Improvado.  We've been using Improvado for several years and love how we can connect many back-end marketing systems together, view data fast and easy, while understanding the direct impact to your sales.  Take advantage of your free marketing data audit today.

Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders is created by MKG Marketing. We make every impression count.

Want to spill more marketing and brand tea with our guest? Connect with Anita Moorthy on LinkedIn.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

It's very easy to write content to check off a box whether for SEO or just because you know you're supposed to be producing it. By taking a step back, asking the right questions, instead of just checking a box you can tell a compelling story that truly creates conversation and connection.

The Content Fuel Framework

Story Fuel

LinkedIn

Kate Neuens, Marketing Manager at Beyond Identity, joins to discuss switching industries and building a cohesive skillset.

Kerry Guard, host of  @ttwtml , chats with John Connolly about  the importance of building equity in marketing, the skills developed through various experiences, and the significance of community and authenticity in business. He emphasizes that marketing should focus on creating genuine connections and trust with customers, rather than just transactional relationships. The discussion also highlights the need for patience in building these relationships and the value of investing in marketing strategies that foster long-term growth.

Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnconnolly058/

John digs deep into his personal story on Phoenix Forged Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0evYeAvLBLGY3BiSSinplz

Learn about how MKG helps gets brands seen: https://mkgmarketinginc.com/about/

Live Event and Video Production: Your Podcast Sidekick! https://yourpodcastsidekick.com/p/overview

Chapters
00:00 The Reality of Renting vs. Owning Equity
11:55 Building Skills Through Experience
17:10 The Importance of Community in Marketing
24:55 Creating Authentic Connections in Business
32:44 The Value of Trust in Marketing
39:36 The Art of Building Relationships
46:01 Investing in Marketing: Mortgage vs. Rent
#cybersecurity #digitalmarketing #b2b

Renato Agrella, Founder of 2A Consulting, joins to discuss how he helps build partnerships and utilize storytelling to communicate highly technical messaging. His firm simplifies the complex stories in ways to make it easier for an unknowing audience member to just hop in and understand the key elements. Whether they've been aware of the offer for 5 years or 5 minutes, the content needs to create an intriguing story and communicate the potential value add.

Kick off 2020 with digging deep and finding your truth. I certainly did! Erin Weed just opened Speaker School. An 8 course class on finding your truth and learning how to deliver it. Learn how Erin found her own truth and decided to start speaker school. 

To get started with Speaker School, visit www.speakerschool.com.

Connect with Erin Weed on LinkedIn. 

Bronwen Hudson, Marketing Lead at Reveal Risk, is a champion of women and queer people in the Cyber Industry.  Kerry and Bronwen chat about memorable moments from Cyber Marketing Con speakers, how intentional thought leadership is massive for ROI, why you shouldn't let AI write for you, building personal brands based on cringe, as well as the importance of connecting with people often. 

Reveal your risks to drive efficient cybersecurity solutions. See why Bronwen 'lurves' working at Reveal Risk: https://www.revealrisk.com/
Connect with Bronwen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronwenhudson/

Prefer to watch this animated guest on YouTube? Do it! https://www.youtube.com/@ttwtml

Expert digital marketing agency that leverages PPC, SEO, and Analytics for B2B SaaS orgs. Kerry's been leading MKG for 13 years! Learn why MKG is the next Marketing Agency you should hire: https://mkgmarketinginc.com/

Because Kerry called out the mix-master. The Podcast Producer. BTS Podcast and Live Broadcast magic is thanks to Your Podcast Sidekick: https://yourpodcastsidekick.com/p/yps-overview

• (00:00) - Intro + AI
• (06:30) - Writing + language AI
• (07:00) - If I can’t be bothered to write then why should I be bothered to read it?
• (10:45) - Missing out; original thought - spend time
• (13:30) - Vision and how of where we want to go - LinkedIn strategy
• (18:45) - Bronwen Hudson and her Panel - Cyber Marketing Con
• (27:30) - Market research posts : targeting people that care about what she does
• (28:25) - Connecting with experts
• (30:30) - People don’t like being sold too
• (32:00) - value creation - two way street
• (33:00) - Opposite of value
• (40:00) - Best posts on an airplane
• (43:00) - Brand building story post cringe
• (44:10) - All gravy.
• (46:40) - Community creation - bring personality

This week, Paige Roderick, Demand Generation Manager at Cado Security, joins to discuss the benefits of regional trade shows with a human touch. Face-to-face interaction is important when enabling the sales teams to build relationships.

Niki Wilson is the Director of Sales and Marketing for ClickClaims. She shares how she brings new customers along through personalized customer journey via LinkedIn. From awareness, to connection, to close.

Here are the tools Niki uses:

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator
• LinkedHelper 2
• LinkMatch
• Zapier

Our Season 8 Playlist: Spotify Playlist

Emily Mireault, Marketing at Nectar, joins to discuss how a community can deliver value for internal teams and bolster employee engagement. Creating culture through living your mission, vision, & values.

This week Chris Cochran, CEO & Co-Founder of Hacker Valley Media, joins to discuss the power of storytelling and the mindset of the cybersecurity practitioner.

He has spent many years in the cybersecurity space and now tells stories for a living, including the comparison that cybersecurity practitioners are super athletes, going to battle everyday, training and pushing their craft to new horizons.

Technical Content Writing is tough to navigate. 

Aurora Starita, a Technical Product Marketing Manager,  answers critical questions to help us make a difference in the technical content writing space.  How do I balance human and AI driven content? Technical Product Marketing ManagerWhere is my impact and value?  Why can't big companies ungate for the good of the community?

Earn your free marketing data audit thanks to  @improvado5508 : https://improvado.io/tea-time

Connect with Aurora on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aurorastarita/

Discover why many people recommend MKG Marketing to help them get discovered: https://mkgmarketinginc.com/

#cybersecurity #b2bmarketing #contentstrategy 

• (00:00) - Introduction: Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders
• (02:10) - Aurora Starita's Journey and Career Path
• (06:25) - Challenges in Modern Marketing
• (09:47) - The Shift in Content Strategy
• (10:45) - Engaging Technical Audiences
• (19:58) - Understanding Technical Buyers
• (30:15) - Effective Communication with Technical Audiences
• (39:46) - The Importance of Ungating Content

Engaging with customers directly leads to better marketing outcomes. People are realizing they have problems faster.

Thereasa Roy joins Tea Time host, Kerry Guard, to explore the evolving landscape of product marketing, emphasizing the importance of customer engagement and the challenges marketers face today. Thereasa shares her journey from sales to product marketing, highlighting the significance of understanding customer needs and the market. 

They discuss the impact of AI and changing buyer dynamics, stressing the need for marketers to adapt their strategies to meet the demands of informed consumers. In this conversation, the speakers discuss the evolving landscape of marketing, particularly in the context of cybersecurity. They emphasize the importance of understanding customer needs, developing effective marketing strategies, and building trust with potential clients. The discussion covers the buyer's journey, the significance of live demos, and the necessity of targeting the right audience with clear problem-solution messaging. 

The speakers advocate for a return to basics in marketing, focusing on quality interactions and authentic relationships with customers.

Connect with Thereasa Roy on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thereasaroy/

Thanks, MKG, for sponsoring this podcast episode! Tailoring digital marketing strategies for B2B SaaS organizations are transparent and measured. Learn how MKG makes every impression count: https://mkgmarketinginc.com/

Need some love with your video content, podcast, or live event broadcasts?  Connect with Your Podcast Sidekick, ahem quirky creative, here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijah-drown/

• (00:00) - Introduction and Context Setting
• (03:53) - Journey into Product Marketing
• (11:56) - The Importance of Customer Engagement
• (18:09) - Challenges in Product Marketing Today
• (22:06) - Shifting Buyer Dynamics and Communication Strategies
• (22:49) - Identifying Customer Needs and Solutions
• (24:31) - Marketing Strategies for Problem Solving
• (26:53) - Navigating the Buyer’s Journey
• (30:06) - Building Trust and Relationships
• (32:08) - The Messy Middle of Marketing
• (35:01) - Targeting the Right Audience
• (38:40) - Leveraging Live Demos for Engagement
• (42:35) - Back to Basics: Problem-Solution Marketing

In this episode of season 13, Kerry Guard chats with Brianna Doe, Senior Demand Generation Manager at Inventables. Brianna explains the importance of the customer experience and how you should pull your audience in and take them on a journey.

Brianna Doe is a marketing leader with ten years of experience driving growth and revenue and building engagement communities. She's driven over a million and monthly revenue two times the email subscribers and grew social channels by 70% for one of her customers.

On this episode Kerry Guard chat with Joshua Kanter, CMO of Encora.

Josh and I dig into how Marketing and Product and work together. So many times organizations are set up in silos and don’t necessarily coordinate. Josh and I talk through how to work through and towards a more unified organization across departments and how to bring the customer voice to the table in doing so.

Season 9: Spotify Playlist 

In this episode of season 13, Kerry Guard chats with Anna Hrach, Senior Strategist at Convince and Convert. Anna Hrach shares how the industry has changed through the pandemic as well as how the mindset of the "Marketing Funnel" is antiquated and should be replaced with Customer Journeys.

In this episode, Kerry Guard gets to hang out with Rob Neuman where we dig into his unique approach to Account Based Marketing. Unique in his ability to personalize his marketing based on what he knows of his audience which is a unique and niche. Not what we’re used to the cyber security and data side so it’s nice to hear of other approaches outside of these industries and maybe find opportunities to apply it. This conversation is especially special because we’re talking just a week or so after Russia invaded the Ukraine and we take a moment to sit and chat through what that means and the impact it’s had on Rob and his company.

Rob is the Digital Leader of CSS Commerce. He works to create the most effective, uniquely innovative solution that will build your business, handle more traffic and transactions, move more clients to your platform and give you real insight into your business. Basically eCommerce for B2B. Rob knows the only way to make B2B transactional like ecommerce is to approach each of his clients with turn key solutions as they are all different.

This episode was brought to you by MKG Marketing - our digital marketing agency that helps cyber security and data  companies get found via transparent, measurable digital marketing.

It’s hosted by me, Kerry Guard - CEO and co-founder of MKG

Music, mix, and mastering done by Austin Ellis.

If you’d like to be a guest, please visit mkgmarketinginc.com to apply.

Jam out with this season's Spotify playlist.

In this episode Kerry Guard chats with Aileen Casmano. In Cyber Security it’s very easy to use language that strikes fear in the hearts of buyers everywhere.  But Aileen is committed to proving time and time again that you don’t need to scare your customers into buying your product. There’s a better way and she walks us through it.

Aileen Casmano is an experienced marketer in cybersecurity and technology. Her work experience and skillset spans across brand strategy, product marketing, communications, and creative strategy. Aileen is currently the Director of Marketing at Cyvatar, where she leads the brand vision, strategy, and team. Prior to Cyvatar, Aileen held various marketing roles at Owl Cyber Defense and Dynata (formerly Critical Mix). She is also a co-founder of the Cybersecurity Marketing Society. When she’s not thinking of the next big idea, she’s can be found hanging out with her Goldendoodle pup Oakley or catching a yoga class.

In this episode Kerry Guard chats with, Diana Morante, Marketing Director at Richo where she works in the education department helping schools get the necessary STEM equipment to keep their students on the cutting edge… I loved this conversation. I got to nerd out super hard on STEM and education which I’m super passionate about and so is Diana! It was an amazing conversation and such an honor. 

Season 9: Spotify Playlist 

This week, Tish Millsap joins to discuss how to directly connect marketing spend to revenue. For the past 6 years, she has helped dozens of companies implement and sustain effective demand-gen and revenue-boosting solutions. 

Miri Rodriguez is the Global Head of the Microsoft Internship Program. She's also a storyteller. She believes that your customer should be at the heart of your brand. To do this you have to lead with empathy. In this podcast, Miri walks me through what empathy means and how she has used storytelling and empathy on putting her customer at the heart of Microsoft and created content that did just that. 

LinkedIn 

Brand Storytelling: Put The Customer At The Heart Of Your Brand Story

In this final episode of Season 12, Kerry Guard hangs out with Tom Wedding all the way from Australia! 

Tom is committed to building digital communities on behalf of his clients. If you listened to my conversation with Sekou who talks about the power of community then consider this a perfect follow. Sekou was the why. This is the how.

Roderick Jefferson is a Leading Sales Enablement Consultant who has worked with many innovative, category-leading companies (AT&T, eBay, Oracle, Marketo, and Paypal to name a few)

His Mission- Drive growth in small and midsized businesses (SMBs) and Fortune 500 companies.

He does this by coordinating and conducting multiple units (HR, Product, Marketing, and Sales) to ensure that the sales team receives the necessary support to effectively close deals.

Resources

Website: https://roderickjefferson.com/

Twitter: @ThevoiceofRod

Sales Coaching: https://www.lessonly.com/sales-coaching/

Joel Silverstein, Director of Content at Invicti Security, joins to discuss how he leverages his background as a print journalist to thrive on the content marketing path. He talks about how long-form research-based content has elevated his cybersecurity firm as a trusted subject-matter expert and how his team takes that content and utilizes it in various marketing initiatives, from Sales to SEO & Paid Ads.

Join us for an exclusive interview with Simon Chou, Chief Marketing Officer of BC Jobs and the Host of Marketing on Mars Shares , as he provides invaluable insights from top CEOs, CMOs, VPs, and founders about the current and future trends in marketing.  Learn how these business leaders are emphasizing the importance of building a strong community and implementing effective tactics and channels to succeed in enterprise-level brands. Gain valuable insights into the strategies that are driving success in today's dynamic marketing world.

This week, Marlo Oster joins to discuss the delicate balancing act of project management. She is the entire marketing force at Work Patterns, an app that streamlines management best practices through templates and simplified user experience (UX). The firm is an extremely young, seed-funded startup (out of Beta in August 2020). While the company may be new, Marlo is a veteran of the industry, having spent ten years in client-facing roles at various martech and adtech startups. True to the fast nature of the industry, she rose from individual contributor to the executive-level in a matter of six years.

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Cameron 'Cami' Regano , joins to discuss how she identifies pain points (or use cases) and how the sales team addresses those issues smoothly. Story based frameworks helps both marketing and sales teams bolster the inbound pipeline.

Join Kerry Guard as she discusses with Anri du Toit, Head of Marketing at Zero Cybersecurity, the innovative strategy of using a book to build trust and credibility in the cybersecurity industry. Learn how this dynamic approach integrates content creation, events, and authentic engagement to elevate brand visibility and foster client relationships.

Isoflow
Anri du Toit on LinkedIn

Tal Valler is the Director of Global Marketing at Centrical. He joins us from Brooklyn New York and with the sounds of the  city as the backdrop Tal and Kerry Guard dig into why Demand Gen is the new Lead Gen and how to make a personalized impact when talking to your broader audience.

"Red flags matter."

Theresa Potratz joins Kerry Guard, Host of  @ttwtml   discuss the intricacies of job searching, particularly in the marketing field. They explore the importance of networking, the challenges faced during the job search process, and the significance of data-driven strategies. 

Building connections, spreading good professional karma, tracking your success, leveraging tech, and always network to create a pipeline in the event a need for a new opportunity happens. 

Theresa demonstrates a balances between a systematic approach to their job search with engaging in activities that bring joy and fulfillment.

Connect with Theresa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresapotratz/

Theresa Hosts Unhinged History Podcast. Nerd out on history with this epic storyteller: https://unhingedhistory.podbean.com/

Free Job search tracker and ChatGPT follow-up prompts: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1b2RRGWyVi2rU2tMSdCoqe9lMovmrdiwrSkRxOd2QKSI/edit?gid=1054033628#gid=1054033628

Work with a marketing team that "will die trying:" https://mkgmarketinginc.com/

4/5 Dentists agree that maple syrup will 10x your creativity: 
https://yourpodcastsidekick.com/p/yps-overview

#marketingstrategy #networking #jobsearch #personalbranding #career

• (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Background
• (03:03) - Career Journey and Marketing Insights
• (05:45) - Job Search Challenges and Strategies
• (08:59) - Data-Driven Job Search Process
• (12:11) - Networking and Coffee Chats
• (15:11) - Leveraging Referrals and Building Connections
• (18:06) - Navigating Recruiter Interactions
• (22:36) - Free Resources and Community Engagement
• (25:36) - The Power of Networking and Paying It Forward
• (28:40) - Effective Follow-Up Strategies
• (30:08) - Leveraging Technology in Job Applications
• (32:52) - Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in Job Applications
• (34:39) - Maintaining Momentum in Job Searches
• (36:36) - Building a Supportive Community
• (39:14) - Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Lawrence Elliot joins to discuss conversion copywriting.

Conversion Copywriting

Creating In-Depth, PILLAR Content that can be written in a way that both informs and persuades.

The best copywriters pass what Lawrence calls the ‘barstool test’; in order to put the reader at ease, imagine as if you were sitting in a restaurant with the reader. By writing in a conversational tone, you invite the reader in and avoid confusing them with complicated industry jargon.

To build this perfect storm of growth, you’ll need an irresistible offer, understanding of sales psychology that drives your ideal customers, and the writing chops to weave a story that engages that audience into making a direct response.

By following three steps, companies are able to employ content as a method of lead generation.

1. Providing valuable information
2. Positioning product/service as an industry leader
3. Drive engagement, (email opt-in, call to action)

Headlines need a solid hook and a solid graphic because people see the image first then read headline. If you don’t position your business along the way, a call to action won’t hit home. By utilizing a CHALLENGE/SOLUTION framework, companies can structure their content efficiently.

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In this episode of "Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders," host Kerry Guard sits down with Dan Sanchez, an expert in audience building and digital marketing. Dan shares his journey from graphic design to marketing, highlighting his experience in transforming a university's enrollment rates through innovative digital strategies. 

Close Mode

Dan Sanchez on LinkedIn

Full transcript on ⁠⁠⁠MKG Marketing

Adam Mendler, host of the podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, joins to discuss the importance of understanding your superpower as early as possible. 

From Los Angeles to Wall Street, Adam Mendler has learned some hard-earned lessons. 

While earning an MBA at the Anderson School of Management (UCLA), Adam interned in entertainment (Universal). Upon graduation, he returned to finance and worked in large corporate firms.

After nearly a decade, Mr. Mendler wanted to try something different, to build his own success. He founded the Velos Group in 2012 with his brother. They built three companies under the umbrella: Beverly Hills Chairs - the biggest refurbished furniture store in Los Angeles, a fully online cigar shop, and a life insurance software. He wanted to have more of an impact as it is nearly impossible to do so early on in career at older, bureaucratic companies. Adam wanted to contribute right away; building firms from scratch allowed Adam to build upon lessons from other companies.

Apply to be on Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders

Arel Moodie is a multi-talented professional speaker and bestselling author. He has spoken to over 650,000 people in 48 states and 5 countries. 

His podcast The Art of Likability was rated the Number 1 career podcast in iTunes and is listened to in 178 countries worldwide helping people build better relationships with people. Arel Moodie joins to discuss how public speaking can be utilized to generate leads and create demand.

Apply to be a guest on Tea Time With Tech Marketing Leaders 

Dave Corlett, Business Director at Shaped By, joins to discuss brand development for fast-growing tech companies and the challenges that arise in differentiating cybersecurity companies.

Ashish Malpani, Head of Global Product Marketing for DX, joins to discuss how product marketers can own the process and become the voice of the customer. They need to understand the nuances of each market & vertical particularly in global cybersecurity brands.

In this final episode of season 11, Jim Mitchell joins to discuss the pitfalls of receiving too much funding as a startup. This conversation with Jim is an eye opener. Jim has been at a few security startups over the last 5 - 10 years and he has seen somethings. Especially as it pertains to rapid growth and the pitfalls, more like craters as he describes them, of what can happen if you grow to quickly.

Jim is a complete marketing professional with years of experience to get the job done: content management, brand management, end to end project management, and the ability to communicate across departments. He leads by doing not by telling.

This episode was brought to you by MKG Marketing - our digital marketing agency that helps cyber security and data  companies get found via transparent, measurable digital marketing.

It’s hosted by me, Kerry Guard - CEO and co-founder of MKG

Music, mix, and mastering done by Austin Ellis.

If you’d like to be a guest, please visit mkgmarketinginc.com to apply.

Jam out with this season's Spotify playlist.

Kelsey, a Marketing Communications Director at Entro Security, spills the tea:
- Her unconventional path to marketing (which started in high school)
- Nailing brand position and standing out
- Working with visual creative and neurotypical learners
- Diving into her plans, thoughts, and vision on an upcoming campaign involving street interviews. 

This episode is soooo good (pinky promise). 

Sharing some links with love: 
- Learn more about Entro security: https://entro.security

- Connect with Kelsey to catch her weekly security news updates (coined as Sunday Scaries): https://www.linkedin.com/in/purcellkelsey/

- Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders is brought to you by MKG Marketing. Nerd out on PPC, SEO, and tailored strategies for B2B SaaS orgs.  https://mkgmarketinginc.com/

- Want to be a spill the tea with Kerry? Be a guest on Tea Time? Connect with Kerry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerryguard/

• (00:00) - Intro
• (02:50) - Where are you now, Kelsey?
• (05:00) - reminiscing about how Kerry and Kelsey got into Marketing
• (06:30) - Looking back (unconventional path to Marketing)
• (10:05) - Marketing is always flowing
• (14:40) - Different types of learners
• (17:00) - Deciding how and where to speak to customers?
• (19:25) - Building a marketing foundation
• (22:05) - When to park great ideas and pivot
• (24:04) - What does your marketing foundation look like?
• (26:45) - Foundation. Iterate. Create. Review. Take Risks. Expand Ideas.
• (29:30) - Nailing positioning and standing out
• (32:20) - Putting a marketing spin on internal presentations
• (36:00) - Who are the people behind the ICP?
• (38:00) - Convert tech solutions into something easy to absorb
• (42:50) - Street interviews. How will you create it?
• (48:30) - Live Q&A with viewers
• (01:02) - What brings you joy?

In today's episode, our host Kerry Guard sits down with Eric Martin, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Stack Overflow, to explore the significance of setting aspirational goals and cultivating a supportive team environment. Eric shares insights from his extensive career, including transformative experiences at SalesLoft and his current role at Stack Overflow. Together, they discuss the evolving landscape of marketing, the impact of AI on go-to-market teams, and the importance of building trust and transparency within a team. Join us for an engaging conversation filled with valuable career insights and marketing wisdom from seasoned industry professionals.

Stack Overflow

Eric Martin on LinkedIn

Full transcript on ⁠MKG Marketing

Margy Feldhuhn, CEO at InterviewConnections, joins to discuss how she helps marketers build personal brands and expansive networks through podcast appearances.

Matthew Ziegler, Director of Product Marketing at Clarity, joins to discuss the challenges of crafting a message, translating between the design team and the potential customer. He speaks to how he utilizes specific environmental knowledge as well as the emotional side, using real, not exaggerated examples to avoid potential scary scenarios. Don’t rely on F.U.D. (Fear, Uncertainty, & Doubt) to push your products.

Have you ever been in a training, where you're sitting in a room all day and someone is standing up and talking at you? I have. We all have. It's awful.  Unless I was sitting up front taking vigorous notes while my Art History professor talked a mile a minute there was no way I was staying awake. 

Joy of Professional Learning is out to disrupt professional development. It's their mission to bring back kindergarten of stations and play to adults. To bring back story and engagement. No more sit and get. Play and engage. Learn how Kurt Klynen started Joy of PL and how he uses marketing tactics to help teachers find joy in learning again.

To learn more about Joy of PL visit https://www.joyofprofessionallearning.org/

As a freebie, I put Kurt's idea of anyone can create to the test and to show you how easy it can be using the tools you already use everyday, I created a 10 minute how to video on making a Facebook Ad, which you can access here: https://www.loom.com/share/489196e6350c4a0f861136b99d24d76c

Stephanie May, Project Manager at Pacific Planning Group,  joins to discuss how she liaisons between engineers, marketers, and clients. She has constructed a library full of acronyms for the industry and different company niches. She utilizes this lexicon to successfully change messaging and communicate effectively to her various audiences.

Imagine a world where you never have to deal with CSS ever again. That world is real, and Adam Aragon talks through how his team goes from design to code seamlessly.

Illumio

Adam Aragon on LinkedIn

Full transcript at MKG Marketing

Andy Tzortzinis, Cybersecurity Messaging Mentor, joins to discuss building credibility with your target customer profile. He talks of the shift from Specialist to Generalist, Lead Generation to Demand Generation, and the rise of Product Led Growth.

It really goes to show the power of product marketers and their ability to communicate like he gives definitions that are succinct and spot on. He gives examples that tell a very clear story with a through line within less than like two minutes. He has given his communication style, we are able to get it all in here and it feels so smooth, so smooth in terms of this conversation. I can't wait for you to hear it before I get there. Just a little bit about Andy.

Andy Tzortzinis is a seasoned messaging expert with over 12 years of PR communications and marketing experience, a lover of dynamic industries, and he starts his marketing career in the food and beverage industry and made his way into cyber, just a few years back. He breeds an authentic and programmatic approach to marketing that is less dependent on industry buzzwords, and just you just focus on using empathy to understand the customer journey.

This strategy has led to success in content comms and product marketing roles across a range of security products, services and platforms. And as you will find out he is also a frequent collector of hobbies which we cannot wait to share with you.

Full Transcript

Additional episodes mentioned:

• Product Led Growth with Peter Wheeler
• Tips and tricks to make your product accessible with Josh Martin

On the Season 7 premiere, Larry Long Jr., Director of Collegiate Sales at Teamwork joins to discuss how his EPIC values (Entrepreneurial Spirit, Practice, Internal Drive, Communication) help lead high performing teams. 

Larry has a goal to change 1,000 lives in 2021. 

Not B2B or B2C but rather P2P, people to people sales. The most successful people care about others first. For Larry, sales is playing  matchmaker; finding the right partnerships between products or services  and individual’s wants and needs. They may not know what they need but  it is a perfect opportunity for the salesperson to offer that service or  assistance.

When faced with failure or obstructions Larry allows remembers the  acronym FIDO- Forget-about It, Drive On. Try to not get bogged down with  the rough patches of work-life because they will only slow you down in  the future. When in conversation, strive for a 53-47 split. Listening is  an excellent opportunity to learn.

In this episode, host Kerry Guard sits down with Kindsey Haynes, the CMO of Kirkham Iron Tech, to delve into their innovative marketing strategies and tactics. 

Kindsey shares insights into how her team effectively targets specific industry verticals, focuses on nurturing relationships with potential clients, and utilizes a mix of traditional and digital marketing approaches, such as webinars, email marketing, and direct mail. 

Kirkham IronTech

Kindsey Haynes on LinkedIn

Full transcript at ⁠⁠MKG Marketing

Tirrah Switzer, Senior Director of Community Brands, joins Kerry Guard, CEO of MKG Marketing on this episode of Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders to spill the tea on why your competition matters, what matters, and what to do about it.

It's a delicate balancing act of not comparing and keeping focused on building your brand, and it helps to know how other brands are shaping the industry.

We can all pretend we're special snowflakes, but at the end of the day, other companies do what we do. What are they doing? How are they doing it? What waves are they making, and how does it impact the industry?

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Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders is a Livecast on LinkedIn and YouTube almost every Thursday around 3pm ET.

Kerry Guard, CEO and Co-Founder of MKG Marketing, interviews B2B marketers who work for complex tech brands and market to tough audiences who generally don't like marketing – CISOs, Developers and even us... marketers.

Join the conversation with Adrian Menstell, Senior Manager of Advertising at T-Mobile, as he unravels the possibilities of achieving personalization throughout the omni-channel funnel.

In this episode, our host Kerry Guard is joined by Miad Moussawi, the VP of Marketing at Synsaber, as they delve into the dynamic world of tech marketing.

 With over 17 years of industry experience, Miad shares insights into product alignment, the significance of flexible marketing efforts, and the pivotal role of customer feedback in shaping successful marketing strategies. From discussing the evolving cybersecurity industry to navigating the complexities of CRM systems and collaboration between marketing and sales teams, Miad's expertise offers a treasure trove of knowledge for tech marketers. 

Synsaber

Miad Moussawi on LinkedIn

Full transcript on MKG Marketing

Zack Wenthe, Senior Technical Product Marketing Manager at Treasure Data joins us to discuss the powerful connection between evangelism and personal branding. Learn how advocating for brands we believe in not only benefits companies but also shapes our own careers. This dynamic interplay unlocks opportunities and empowers individuals to thrive in today's competitive landscape.

If you're looking for immediate gains after spending some marketing cash in Taryn's world, you're doing it wrong. 

Kerry Guard, your Tea Time host, and Taryn Talley, Marketing Mastermind, nerd out on digital marketing, creating communities, GTM, hair-pulling experiences, ambitions, success, and some secrets behind their success. 

Taryn is a Data-driven marketer with over 20+ years experience ranging from executing large GTM strategies, leading a marketing teams at AAA, Roku, and JP Morgan, growing brand audiences by 40%, playing a key part in earning an NPS of 90 (and then some), and, well, the rest you'll have to connect with Taryn Talley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taryn-talley1/

Prefer to listen while you multi-task?  Listen to Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1zokLMt767ecRYov60Kn6E

Expert digital marketing agency that leverages PPC, SEO, and Analytics for B2B SaaS orgs. Kerry's been leading MKG for 13 years! Learn why MKG is the next Marketing Agency you should hire: https://mkgmarketinginc.com/

#digitalmarketing #digitalmarketingagency #b2b #brandactivation #eventmarketing #socialmarketing  #marketing

• (00:00) - Intro / Taryn is feisty! Let's go!
• (00:26) - Thanksgiving
• (00:52) - Introducing Taryn Talley
• (01:57) - Taking some time off (year end)
• (02:30) - Taryn shares her work experience
• (05:04) - Agency and Growth Marketing PoV
• (08:34) - Marrying creative + data
• (10:40) - The Lazy Susan of Marketing
• (14:17) - Always have a plan b (big networking events)
• (16:30) - Creating that memorable experience
• (18:27) - Secret sauce behind getting in top 3 tough ranking Google keywords
• (21:07) - How do you convince people to attend events?
• (23:40) - The balance act - event funding + sponsorships
• (25:47) - Sponsor package ideas
• (27:20) - Truths about event ROI.
• (29:57) - Building a community via WhatsApp
• (31:37) - Circle of Influence
• (35:53) - That event "snowball" effect
• (38:20) - Keeping your cool
• (40:32) - Go solo or work with a team?
• (42:44) - How will AI effect the industry?
• (45:11) - Outro/Ending
• (00:00) - Chapter 23

Jon-Eric Cornellier joins to discuss how to best market your company's capabilities at industry events, even when your team is small. He stresses the importance of cultivating 'buy-in' among team members and potential clients to successfully form relationships.

On this episode Kerry Guard chats with Shane Whelan, Owner of PetBidder and Carrying the fire. You might be wondering why we have Shane on our Tech Marketing Leaders Podcast. Sometimes we come across people who just catch our attention. Who has a great story. Who is out there doing something different and thoughtful and after talking to these people we realize that we all can learn from their journey… and Shane’s journey is inspiring. How he sees the world and his customers is something we all need to lean into no matter who we’re marketing for. It was an honor to connect with Shane and we hope you feel just as inspired as we did.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-whelan-13356bb5/

Spotify Playlist

Josh Martin, Technical Solutions Architect at Cyolo, joins to discuss how his team leverages curiosity in the sales process, putting the power back in the users’ hands. They allow the user to think up questions and test drive their tool Walnut.io in a controlled environment.

Leads aren't going anywhere. We must capture, nurture, and cultivate an audience to be effective marketers and sellers.

But WHEN and HOW we is anyone's game.

In this episode, Alex Titze, VP of Marketing at Blue Team Alpha joins host Kerry Guard to spill the tea on how he keeps his content ungated and cultivates qualified leads.

Through his partnership with his subject matter experts, their MBA expertise, and outgoing personalities sees how this unusual partnership has brought success to The Blue Team Alpha cyber security company, building awareness and education to conversation and conversion.

---

Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders is a Livecast on LinkedIn and YouTube almost every Thursday around 3pm ET.

Kerry Guard, CEO and Co-Founder of MKG Marketing, interviews B2B marketers who work for complex tech brands and market to tough audiences who generally don't like marketing – CISOs, Developers and even us... marketers.

In this episode of season 13, Kerry Guard chats with Matt Hathaway, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at TrueFort. Matt Hathaway shares about the changes in the cybersecurity industry and the dangers of over-promising.

Ever wonder what your customers are thinking? Why they bought your product? Why the didn't buy your product? What challenges they are facing when it comes to your industry? Who your customer is? What they care about? There is a very real solution that can answer all these questions and more. Upfront User Research. Hear from Steve Kesselman on the power of really understanding your audience.

In this episode Kerry Guard chats with Rachel Jordan, head of marketing at TeachFX. Rachel is a  purpose-driven marketing leader and change agent with more than 20 years of experience guiding brand strategy, content marketing, and marketing-sales partnership in b2b SaaS startup, b2b enterprise, and b2c nonprofit brands.

Given Rachel ran her on marketing company for many years she discovered that a strong brand strategy is the lynch pin to a sucessful business - it fuels everything from product to sales to marketing. She even has a framework to help you build one!

Grab your notebook and take a listen.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/racheljordan/

Spotify Playlist

"Attribution models need to evolve to account for AI and dark funnel dynamics." -- Anne Gotay, Growth VP and Co-Founder

Kerry Guard, host of Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders dives into show guest, Anne Gotay, from her path from a BDR in cybersecurity to a marketing leader, challenges of marketing in the cybersecurity space, and the importance of attribution in understanding the buyer journey.

Anne also shares her perspective & insights on navigating the dark funnel, the significance of building relationships with CISOs, and the need for a data-driven approach to marketing.

Kerry and Anne also delve into the complexities of marketing attribution, the importance of understanding the buyer journey, and the role of content and AI in shaping marketing strategies.

As well, the challenges of measuring success in marketing, the need for continuous iteration, and the significance of engaging with customers to enhance marketing effectiveness.

Not to mention Kerry and Anne underscoring the importance of patience and understanding in the marketing process, particularly in the context of the evolving landscape of buyer behavior and technology.

Connect with Anne Gotay on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/anne-gotay/

Explore the companies Anne leads:

• cubicsquared.ai/
• dropzone.ai/

Meet the staff behind MKG and the magic sauce behind the custom strategies making every impression count: https://mkgmarketinginc.com/about/team/

Does your content need a sweet shot of creativity?  Follow this quirky creative, and MKG's Creative Director, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijah-drown/

• (00:00) - Introduction to the Guest and Her Journey
• (01:27) - From BDR to Marketing Leader in Cybersecurity
• (04:12) - Navigating Challenges in Cybersecurity Marketing
• (08:02) - Current Challenges at Dropzone AI
• (11:47) - The Importance of Attribution in Marketing
• (12:16) - Understanding the Dark Funnel
• (20:07) - Navigating Attribution Challenges
• (25:21) - Engaging with CISOs and Building Relationships
• (26:47) - Understanding Attribution in Marketing
• (30:00) - Navigating the Buyer Journey
• (33:43) - The Role of Content in Attribution
• (39:46) - Leveraging AI for Marketing Insights
• (45:52) - Iterating on Marketing Strategies

In this episode Jada Holst joins Kerry Guard to discuss raising up the next generation of marketers. There are some clear hiring challenges in the marketing industry and it’s going to take all of us to fix it. Jada leads with her story where she grew up on a farm and had quite the journey to becoming a marketing leader.

Jada Holst is a marketing manager at an ISV focused on supporting higher ed, non-profit, and other similar industries succeed in their missions. Her background also includes cybersecurity and B2B start-up's with experience in demand, channel, field, and customer marketing.

This episode was brought to you by MKG Marketing - our digital marketing agency that helps cyber security and data  companies get found via transparent, measurable digital marketing.

It’s hosted by me, Kerry Guard - CEO and co-founder of MKG

Music, mix, and mastering done by Austin Ellis.

If you’d like to be a guest, please visit mkgmarketinginc.com to apply.

Jam out with this season's Spotify playlist.

Saren Sakurai, Senior Director of Digital Marketing at Blackberry, joins to discuss what the future holds for brand marketing in the age of ChatGPT, speed with a human touch. He envisions that the customer journey is accelerated with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In addition, he warns of the tendency for some brands, particularly in cybersecurity, to operate based on fear rather than optimism.

In this episode of Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders, Kerry Guard sits down with Heidi Joy Tretheway to discuss the evolving marketing landscape and the critical role of understanding your audience. Heidi shares her journey from journalism to marketing leadership, emphasizing the importance of product market fit, building trust with multiple decision-makers, and creating value through genuinely helpful marketing. Whether you're navigating startups or established brands, this conversation offers actionable insights to enhance your marketing strategy.

Heidi Joy Tretheway on LinkedIn

Join us for an engaging conversation with Bryan Grover, Founder & Copywriter of Grover Consulting, as he shares his insights on the significance of influencer marketing, his unique approach to it, and the outcomes he has experienced. Discover the secrets behind successful influencer marketing strategies and gain valuable knowledge from an industry expert. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn and be inspired!

Michael Sherlock, Chief Potential Officer at Shock Your Potential, at joins to discuss how to effectively use the mirror test when determining if an employee is properly trained. 

First up, we have Marguerite Yeo. This is a special conversation to me as Marguerite and MKG Marketing have a long standing relationship having worked together since Marguerite’s days at VMware back in 2014. Marguerite is now at Nutanix and has been for three months. Congratulations Marguerite! I hope all is going well.

In our conversation, Marguerite and Kerry Guard dissected what it means to work on corporate marketing verse product marketing and the pros and cons of both and why Marguerite’s heart lives with Demand Generation.

Season 9: Spotify Playlist 

On this episode Kerry Guard chats with Chris Ott, CEO of Creative Blue.  Chris and I were introduced through mutual connections. He first met my business partner, Mike Krass then Mike had the genius idea to see if Chris wanted to join us on Tea Time so here we are!

Chris and Kerry dig into Brand Marketing, especially as it relates to startups who are looking for funding so his company can help them get the funding then scale. Chris is a  big believer in story and has a very direct approach on how brand can tell their story.

Season 9: Spotify Playlist 

Marcus Cauchi, CRO at Mobile Practice & Coach at Success With Integrity, joins to discuss how we as sellers & marketers need to understand where our prospective buyers are and meet them there, rather than where we wish them to be. It relies heavily on trust, particularly in the Active-Looking and Decision-Making Phases.

“No one buys products, people pay for and rent outcomes.” 

“Selling is helping people get their needs met.”

Sign-up for his exclusive webinar if you're selling a complex, high-value solution for mid-market and enterprise clients:

Email Marcus@laughs-last.com with the subject line "Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders Webinar" and tell him why you're interested and any initial questions. He will choose 6-8 companies based on whom he feels he can help the most.

Recommended Reading:

Bob Moesta - Demand-Side Sales 101

Charles H. Green - Trust-Based Selling

Peter Wheeler,  joins to discuss how Product Led Growth can form bonds between the customer and product, allowing the features to do the heavy marketing lift. He also lays out the framework for a freemium model that enables the customer to try a product and integrate it in their daily usage prior to signing any hefty contracts.

He's launching his very own podcast soon! Be sure to subscribe: https://www.heygoodchat.org/

"How do you speak to your audience?"

Exploring the intersection of creativity, marketing, and the challenges of authenticity in content creation.

Kerry Guard, host of Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders, is joined by Alex Boyd, co-founder of Aware, to discuss the influence of feedback on creative expression, the journey through various career transitions, and the importance of understanding human behaviour in marketing.

They dive into the complexities of engagement on LinkedIn, the impact of algorithm changes on impressions, and the ongoing struggle between performance, authenticity in content creation. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the importance of authenticity in marketing, particularly on platforms like LinkedIn, as well as how they balance between performance and authenticity, emphasizing that while it's essential to engage and entertain an audience, and should not come at the cost of genuine representation.

As well, Alex flips the script and puts Kerry on the hot seat discussing the energy required for effective performance, the necessity of understanding one's subject matter, and the value of sharing knowledge without pretending to know everything.

Ultimately, they highlight the joy of content creation and the importance of being true to oneself while engaging with an audience. And, for Alex, petting his one year old cat.

Check out how Aware helps grow faster on LinkedIn with 70% less effort. Get started for free: https://app.useaware.co/

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn and learn from his daily wisdom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexcboyd/

This episode is brought to you by MKG.  Want tailored digital marketing strategies for B2B SaaS organizations are transparent and measured? Want to make every impression count? Run (don't walk) to this link: https://mkgmarketinginc.com/

Looking for a podcast manager with the creative pizzazz you didn't know you needed? We know a guy: https://linkedin.com/in/elijah-drown

• (00:00) - The Influence of Feedback on Creativity
• (02:54) - Navigating Career Transitions and Discovering Passion
• (05:59) - Understanding Human Behavior in Marketing
• (08:59) - The Challenges of LinkedIn Engagement
• (12:02) - Algorithm Changes and Their Impact on Impressions
• (14:46) - The Performance vs. Authenticity Dilemma
• (17:47) - Balancing Professionalism and Authenticity in Content Creation
• (27:17) - Authenticity in Marketing
• (30:06) - The Energy of Performance
• (36:30) - Navigating Knowledge Gaps
• (43:17) - The Balance of Performance and Authenticity
• (49:05) - Finding Joy in Content Creation

In the final 2023 episode of "Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders," Kerry Guard and David Mundy, VP of Marketing at Dasera, explore the indispensability of AI in marketing. They delve into David's journey from cybersecurity startups to his role at Dasera, underscoring AI's pivotal role in content creation and competitive strategy. 

Dasera

David Mundy on LinkedIn

Full transcript on ⁠⁠⁠⁠MKG Marketing

Welcome to Season 11! Eight more episodes are here for you. Check em out and listen in whatever order you choose. We did curate them for you to serve up the best flow possible if you did decide to binge, but no worries if you’d prefer to skip around. Listen your way!

On this first episode of season 11 is Dani Woolf. Dani chimed in all the way from Israel and she and Kerry dig in to what it really means to know your audience. Not just know them, but understand them —what challenges they face, what their priorities are, and if what we’re doing as marketers is really working for them or not. Dani breaks it down on she has gotten to know her buyer and why we all need to pick up the damn phone and do the same.

Dani is the VP of Demand Gen at Cybersixgill. She’s a swimmer turned marketer and she still has the same appetite to win.

She’s been applying lessons learned as a distance freestyler to B2B organizational success for the past 10 years.

And while still get the same adrenaline rush looking at the scoreboard instead of beating personal records ⏱, she prefer racking up net new opps and revenue 💰with growth marketing strategies.

Today, she is responsible for digital marketing and demand gen programs at Cybersixgill.

Dani’s core specialty is in digital marketing with a focus on net new customer acquisition via digital channels - website optimization, SEO, SEM, social media, conversion rate optimization and marketing automation.

Connect with Dani on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniarad/

Season 11 Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6zszIevpfzAuRpJSOYvci3?si=f2fca4cd6ecf4e3a

Sandy Hawke, Cybersecurity Product Marketer at CISCO, joins to discuss what you need to do for a great product launch, combining storytelling and proper timing. Her key to great product marketing is always starting with the customer in mind, forever listening and iterating.

Sometimes, to maximize ROI, you have to reinvent what success looks like. 

This Head of Marketing is unconventional, creates her own success from nothing, and isn't afraid to go to market with 80% product polish.  

Tight budgets, limited resources, and only so many hours in the day.  Kerry chats with Vladlena about how she's leaning into slick AI tools like Claude and SOMA, being confident in making decisions on the fly, and wearing multiple hats to get products to market without a hitch.  

Connect with Vladlena on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladlenamitskaniouk/

Learn more about Kerry Guard the host of Tea Time: https://mkgmarketinginc.com/about/team/kerry-guard/

Episode Sponsor - MKG Marketing! Creative meaningful relationships with measurable results: https://mkgmarketinginc.com/

On the Season 5 Finale, Tom Martin joins to discuss how to "sell greatly" and bolster marketing efforts by making friends. The sales game has shifted; old models have faded into obscurity.  Success is more often achieved when representatives choose to "sell greatly" rather than to "always be closing", to nurture a relationship instead of extracting a prize.

*Editor's Note- Thank you so much for tuning in this year! We have some exciting plans in store for Season 6, coming 2021! Have a wonderful and safe holiday season! -Kerry & Austin

Maurina Venturelli is a Senior Director of Demand Generation at Sumo Logic and Kate Gigax is the Founder of Development Corps. Kate is Maurina's leadership coach with a mission to challenge and support high-achieving women in reaching their goals.

Gwen Lafage, Manager at Sköna - European HQ, joins to discuss how they create impactful branding for B2B tech companies, marrying brand awareness and lead generation. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gwen-lafage-9500381/

Website: https://www.skona.com

Apply to be on Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders

Lorena Morales, VP of Marketing at Go Nimbly, joins to discuss how she works directly with CEOs to help them grow their companies rapidly. She also advocates for building skills as a generalist. 

Janice Dru-Bennett joins to discuss partnership as a marketing function. In addition, we explore the phrase "Do, Delegate, Delay, Delete" in relation to prioritization and productivity.

Trevor van Woerden. Trevor, a seasoned marketer, joins host Kerry Guard to discuss his journey in creating engaging content and his experiences in the sales world. 

Tune in as Trevor shares his insights on building relationships on LinkedIn, the importance of empathy in sales, and the transformational power of the Challenger Sales approach. He also delves into his live-streaming shows, "The Early" and "The Hotness Unleasher," and how they have connected and impacted the LinkedIn community. 

Kerry and Trevor also tackle the evolving marketing and sales landscape, discussing the responsibility for revenue generation and the need for collective accountability. So please sit back, grab a cup of tea, and join us for this insightful conversation with Trevor van Woerden on Tea Time with Tech Marketers!

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Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders is a Livecast on LinkedIn and YouTube almost every Thursday around 3 pm ET.

Kerry Guard, CEO and Co-Founder of MKG Marketing, interviews B2B marketers who work for complex tech brands and market to tough audiences who generally don't like marketing – CISOs, Developers, and even us... marketers.

On this week's podcast, Anna Hrach joins to debunk a few widely-believed myths surrounding content production. Content is a piece of the puzzle that stretches over the entire marketing ecosystem. It remains the primary way in which brands communicate with their audience.

Klyn Elsbury is a keynote speaker, author, and executive trainer. Through her consulting and bestselling book, I Am___:The Untold Story of Success, she helps leaders identify their unconscious motivators and utilize them to grow both personally and professionally.

Her podcast, Elevation Nation,  offers helpful insight and bite-sized pieces of wisdom from ordinary people who have overcome incredible odds.

What an honor to kick off Season 10, with having our very first guest back with us, Amber Anderson. Be sure to check out her first episode - the very first episode of the Series. She takes Kerry to school on intersectionality and how it relates to marketing. Specifically the intersectionality of women, where they live, their ethnicity, their race, their life stage and how as marketers we need to make sure our marketing meets women where they are. It’s so good. Amber is so clear in what we need to do as marketers and how we can do better.

Which she brings us to this episode. Amber’s company, Tote and Pears has become more strategic in seeing a clear need for both women and tech companies. Given the great resignation, how real working remotely is now, and the realization for woman that the need for a true work life balance is non-negotiable, Amber and her team have identified a clear way to use their marketing and branding super powers to help tech companies, who are ready to embrace what it truly means to hire a working woman, find great talent. And to help  women find awesome careers where they can have the lifestyle they want and can lean into it without apology.

https://www.toteandpears.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ambernanderson/

Spotify Playlist

When we were children, and people asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up, not one of us said, "MARKETING LEADER!"

We each have a unique story on how we found marketing or in some cases,  how Marketing found us. For David Mundy, head of marketing at Accurics, it was a symbiotic relationship.  One he is deeply passionate about. In this episode David takes us on a  journey through how he met Marketing, fell in love with Data and team  building, and how he truly believes that Marketing should be a key  pillar to the success of any organization... you build it then marketing brings them to it.

Season 8 Spotify Playlist

Jo-Anne is out to helps sales men and women be the best sales people they can be to not only win the business but build lasting relationships with their potential buyers. Here’s part 1 where she walks through how to prep and kick off an ideal sales call.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanne-jaspan/

Website: http://shift-sales.com/collective

Aileen Horgan, VP Marketing at Gremlin, joins to discuss executing fearlessness in content creation and nurturing trust among team-members. 

"People that work with you and for you don't have to like you, they just have to trust you."

Apply to be on Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders

Tracy Hansen and Kerry Guard talk about the importance of CMOs working with their executive teams in bringing them along with the importance of marketing. It’s not a world where if you build they will come and it’s up to the CMO to help the executive leadership team make space for marketing in an effort to impact everyone’s goals - especially the businesses bottom line.

Resources:

• Chief Outsiders
• Spotify Playlist

In this episode of "Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders," Kerry Guard interviews Nadia Milani, VP of Marketing at Wellness Living. They discuss the intricacies of managing multiple go-to-market strategies, the importance of segmentation and positioning, and how to layer different marketing motions effectively. Learn from Nadia's extensive experience in SaaS and tech marketing, and gain insights into optimizing your marketing approach for success.

FundThrough
Nadia Milani on LinkedIn

Join us for an engaging discussion with Steffen Hedebrandt, the founder of Dreamdata, as he shares insights on discovering and shaping your account-based timeline.

Have you ever tried to use LinkedIn as a new lead generator and failed? We have. John Bellmay, CEO of Direct MSGing walks me through how we all can be successful in turning LinkedIn from a simple digital business card to demand generator. 

If you'd like to see take a look at John's LinkedIn profile for inspiration, you can find it here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbellamy/

Be sure to check out his videos and posts on his LinkedIn profile for more inspiration.

In this episode Kerry Guard chats with Steven Shapiro, who has been a marketing leader at companies such as Qualys, Informatica, Weaveworks and more. At each company he has set the stage for how to build Generate Demand. Given his track record Kerry asked him to walk through his secrets of where he starts and then builds upon it to create a pipeline generation machine.

Demand Generation is the new Lead Generation. If you haven’t thought about your demand generation efforts, you could find yourself playing catch up in 2022 and Steven talks through exactly where to start so break out that note book and take notes. Let’s go!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenshapiro/

Spotify Playlist

"You can't just show up to sell anymore."

George Kamide joins Kerry Guard, host of  @ttwtml , to chat about memories from his journey from creative writing to the cybersecurity industry, emphasizing on the importance of understanding customer needs, and the nuances of effective marketing.

Tackling the challenges of storytelling in a saturated market, the critical role of customer success, and the need for marketers to connect with end users.

SaaS 3.0, is what George calls this era, signals a time where anthropology in marketing and the necessity of aligning messaging with business needs foster genuine connections and drive success.

George and Kerry also touch on the critical relationship between sales and marketing, advocating for a collaborative approach to drive success in a competitive environment.

No wonder he co-hosts Bare Knuckle Brass Tacks! The dude embodies his brand.  Have a listen: https://www.bareknucklespod.com/

Connect with George Kamide on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-kamide

MKG is a proud partner of  @ttwtml - We're all about meaningful relationships and measureable results. Learn how we make every impression count: https://mkgmarketinginc.com/

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to George Kameed and His Journey
02:49 The Role of Anthropology in Marketing
06:09 Bridging the Gap: Technology Providers and Buyers
09:01 The Challenge of Storytelling in Cybersecurity
12:14 Understanding Business Needs in Messaging
15:07 The Importance of Customer Success
17:54 Account-Based Marketing and Nuanced Messaging
21:10 Connecting with End Users for Effective Marketing
23:55 The Right First Hire: Customer Success
27:12 Founders' Marketing Missteps and Lessons Learned
30:14 Navigating the Changing Landscape of Marketing
35:23 The Importance of Messaging and Storytelling
42:54 Building a Customer-Centric Approach
49:48 The Shift from Traditional Content to Engaging Formats
55:06 The Role of Sales in a New Era

#cybersecurity #marketingstrategy #b2bmarketing #marketingdigital #seo

Welcome back to season 11! In this episode Kerry Guard chats with Chris Spellman. Chris is the Senior Demand Generation Manager at Offensive Security. He is a marketing leader with over a decade of experience helping organizations grow. Dedicated to leading orgs in driving brand, demand, and revenue.

Chris and Kerry talk about what it means to be a mission driven organization. To have a real message about creating a real difference in the world, then backing it up through all your marketing efforts.

This episode was brought to you by MKG Marketing - our digital marketing agency that helps cyber security and data companies get found via transparent, measurable digital marketing.

It’s hosted by me, Kerry Guard - CEO and co-founder of MKG

Music, mix, and mastering done by Austin Ellis.

If you’d like to be a guest, please visit mkgmarketinginc.com to apply.

Jam out with this season's Spotify playlist.

On this episode Kerry Guard chats with Peter Zaballos, who is a fractional CMO at Authentic Brand.  This is actually perfect timing in following Amber’s episode, because Peter is a prime example of what it means to be living the life he wants and to have a company support it.

Before we met Peter, he sent Kerry an email with something called his User Manual. We, here at MKG marketing, just started looking into this when Kerry very first met Peter and to see one in action was so cool. It really set the stage for who Peter is and the amazing conversation we knew he and Kerry would have. We’ll tell you all about what a User Manual is and how it fits into the bigger picture of how Peter leads, which is heart centered. People centered.

Let’s take a listen.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterzaballos/

Spotify Playlist

In this episode Kerry Guard chats with Siena Dixon where they discuss the power of gamification and how to introduce your customers to your product in a fun creative experience. Whoever said B2B couldn’t be fun! We’re all people after all and how we experience consumer brands can be done with B2B. At least according to Siena.

Siena Dixon is Head of Strategy & Commercial at Zebrar. She is a  relentlessly curious senior marketing executive focused on innovation where storytelling meets new and immersive technology. Exploring and refining technologies like AR, VR, AI and gamification for brands.

Kelby Johnson gets real when talking about messaging for his healthcare brand Providence Health. Creating a succinct message across 150+ hospitals, internal teams, and local caregivers is a daunting task. Not surprisingly (if you know him) Kelby rises to the occasion. See how he created real, authentic messaging, helped produce ideas and content, distributed across the company, and measured its success thus far.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelbyj/

Providence Blog: https://blog.providence.org/

Hosing is Health: https://blog.providence.org/topic-spotlight-housing-is-health

Sean Amster is the Manager for Digital Content Solutions at The Hershey Company. He also teaches digital marketing as a comprehensive subject at Pennsylvania State University.

His Mission: Oversee innovation and transformation processes to make data-driven decisions in demand generation and overall efficiency.

Join us for an enlightening conversation with Elliot Volkman, Director of Brand, Content, and Community at Drata, as we uncover the impactful combination of personal branding, positivity, and kindness in advancing your company's mission.