Dive into the complete episode list for The Changemakers. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Pub. Date
Title
Duration
07 Dec 2021
Why marketing is mission critical to B2B tech firms: Ashley Stepien, Ramp
00:26:12
Ashley is Vice President of Marketing at Ramp. She started in sales which developed her superpower of creating a great relationship between the marketing and sales teams! She’s worked at some fantastic tech companies like Marketo, Oracle, Wipro, and Pendo giving her insight into marketing operations and software before joining Ramp.
Ramp is disrupting a tired space. They are building the world's first finance automation platform designed to save businesses time and money. This conversation was inspired by a LinkedIn post from Ashley that captured the essence of why it’s such a good time to be a tech marketer. We talk about her post and delve into more detail on the points made, and chat about so much more.
Listen as we discuss:
Why marketing is mission-critical in B2B tech companies
How marketing can inform the strategy of the company
The power of a creative organisation
Encouraging her team to drive MarTech exploration and adoption
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
The importance of empathy in B2B tech marketing: Lindsey Selden, Sumo Logic
00:42:35
Lindsey Selden is Creative Director, Brand at Sumo Logic - a SaaS analytics company on a mission to ensure its customers’ digital experiences are reliable and secure. Her role at the company encompasses brand, design, user experience, strategy, and marketing.
There’s one thing that links all these together: people. Human beings with needs, feelings, and emotions that B2B tech brands so often fail to acknowledge and connect with.
Listen as Dave and Lindsey discuss:
How Lindsey’s acting background influenced her approach to authentic human connection
Why empathy is so vital in brand design and communication
Building a community to engage your audience
Applying a creator-driven approach to B2B marketing
The questions to ask when hiring a creative team
Timestamps: (03:08) – Lindsey’s career journey so far (09:13) – What does Sumo Logic do? (10:14) – Lindsey’s acting background and how that influenced her approach to authentic human connection (12:44) – Storytelling in B2B marketing (15:53) - How emotion comes into play in B2B marketing (17:46) – Applying a creator-driven approach to marketing (18:41) – Cross-functional marketing teams (19:35) - The questions to ask when hiring a creative team (22:35) – Empathy in B2B marketing (24:14) – What kind of info makes personas valuable? (26:26) – Finding the balance between rational and emotional communication (28:51) – Tone of voice (31:57) – Surprise and delight in marketing (33:04) – B2B v. B2C marketing (41:19) – The project or campaign that Lindsey’s most proud of from her career to date
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Getting the most out of your agency: Wei Kee, Shaped By
00:48:29
Wei Kee is Client Services Director at…Shaped By of course! She leads our client services team (aka the beating heart of the agency) who look after the full lifecycle of our client projects. But there’s far more to client services than that. Onboarding new clients, making sure existing ones feel nurtured, supported, and valued, ensuring we deliver on all our promises to them…Wei and her team have a lot on their plates.
Originally hailing from Singapore, we talk to Wei about her journey to Bristol, the nuts and bolts of what makes a great client-agency relationship, tips for both sides to keep it running smoothly, and of course Wei’s food Instagram gets a mention.
Listen as we discuss:
What makes a good client/agency relationship?
How to choose a creative agency
The pitfalls of treating your agency as a supplier rather than a partner
The processes in place to ensure that every client feels as looked after and valued as possible How marketers can be better clients
Timestamps: (03:47) – Wei’s role at Shaped By (05:09) – Wei’s career journey so far (10:52) – What makes a good client/agency relationship? (16:14) – The pitfalls of treating your agency as a supplier rather than a partner (20:04) – How do you ensure every client feels as cared for and valued as possible? (25:42) – How can you be a better client? (29:40) – What’s a typical sticking point and how can you mitigate them? (36:59) – How different time zones can impact managing client relationships (44:16) – One project, campaign, or initiative that Wei is particularly proud of over any other
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
The B2B marketing content conundrum: Ardath Albee, Marketing Interactions
00:37:22
Ardath is CEO & B2B Marketing Strategist at Marketing Interactions. She is a titan in the B2B marketing world with over 30 years of experience in business management and marketing as well the author of two books. It’s a journey that took her from starting as a consultant for her sister's marketing tech platform to now working with enterprise tech companies like Gong, Cisco Meraki and Dell Secureworks.
Ardath helps them with the thorny issue of content marketing, specifically with the goal of creating something that resonates. She argues that technology has wrestled back the power of buyers to customers in the way they buy. You need to create deeper connections with customers and generate higher demand from qualified, sales-ready prospects thanks to highly targeted, hard-hitting, personalised communications.
In this episode, we dive into the world of content and specifically what makes it good. We discuss how multiple pieces of it weave together to form a narrative that engages people and helps to drive momentum.
Listen as we also discuss:
How to break down internal silos and get different marketing teams all pulling in the same direction
Why we need to "get out of our own way" and create content that truly solves buyers' problems
The art of connecting a specific problem to part of the buying process
How selling tech is different from selling services – a more contextual relationship
The challenges at enterprise level of layers and approvals for marketing
Why you're giving your customers "whiplash" by separating out brand and demand-gen content
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Leading a global creative team: Dmitry Shamis, HubSpot
00:30:55
Dmitry Shamis is Global Head of Creative at a company that really needs no introduction. But if you’re either from Mars or have been living under a rock for the past ten years, then HubSpot is a leading CRM platform that provides software for all kinds of businesses, from start-ups to enterprises.
In his role as HubSpot’s Global Head of Creative, Dmitry leads a global in-house creative team of over 120 people. Although he has over a decade of experience building teams and providing creative solutions in the world of B2B, Dmitry doesn’t have a typical creative leader’s career trajectory, having started out in sports management before pivoting to web development.
Listen as we discuss:
Dmitry’s journey from sports management to creative leadership
The importance of building relationships to create a strong creative team
Finding the balance between substance and flash
Setting your brand apart with emotion and storytelling
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Women in creative leadership part 1: Larissa Schneider, Noname Security
00:37:45
Welcome to the first of our three-part ‘Women in Creative Leadership’ special. This mini-series aims to gauge the temperature of gender equality and diversity within the creative and marketing sides of the B2B tech industry. Where are we in the fight for true equality? What more can be done, and how can we as an industry make sure that every talented female has the opportunity to climb the ranks into senior leadership positions?
Our first guest to discuss these crucial issues is Larissa Schneider, Head of Marketing at Noname Security - leaders in API security. We first met Larissa during her time with our client, cloud computing firm Nutanix, whom she joined after they acquired her previous firm PernixData. The PernixData/Nutanix journey was a wild ride for Larissa, encompassing stints in Silicon Valley and her native Germany, an IPO, and a fairly rapid ascent up the leadership ranks.
Now Larissa is a creatively driven leader at a company that is truly making waves achieving “unicorn” status only one year out of stealth. As you’ll hear, she is inspirational, wise and well worth listening to.
Timestamps: (08:51) – Larissa’s background and career (12:48) – What inspired Larissa to get into marketing and the tech scene (15:30) – Thoughts on where the tech industry is in terms of equality and opportunities for female marketers (18:13) – How COVID enabled more opportunities for diversity through flexibility in remote working (23:18) – The hiring process and how a change in approach can reap rewards (27:09) – The role of mentors in her career
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Women in creative leadership part 2: Jess Ellis, Slack
00:33:22
Welcome to the second of our three-part ‘Women in Creative Leadership’ special. This mini-series aims to gauge the temperature of gender equality and diversity within the creative and marketing sides of the B2B tech industry. Where are we in the fight for true equality? What more can be done, and how can we as an industry make sure that every talented female has the opportunity to climb the ranks into senior leadership positions?
Our second guest to discuss these crucial issues is Jess Ellis, Senior Director, Integrated Brand Marketing at Slack, a company that needs no introduction. We first met Jess during her time with our client, customer engagement platform firm Khoros. She has such an interesting background having held creative roles in sport, entertainment, retail and of course tech.
Now she’s moved into a new role at Slack, we had to grab her for a chat about her thoroughly inspiring views on equality, team dynamics, values and leadership in the creative world – and much more.
Timestamps: (03:24) – Jess’s background and career (06:21) – How she builds a team in today’s environment (09:42) – People are still feeling part of something when working remotely (10:50) – Leadership is an opportunity to provide opportunity, inspiration and empowerment for everyone (15:58) – How to inspire people creatively when working remotely (19:03) – If you feel there is a glass ceiling, you’re in the wrong company (22:18) – The opportunities to have a mentor and the benefits
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Women in creative leadership part 3: Ling Koay, Oneflow
00:41:18
You know when you’re scrolling through LinkedIn and someone just makes you stop? Well Ling Koay, Chief Brand Officer at Oneflow, is one of those people. She has a wonderful way of thinking and is so good at articulating her thoughts. As well as being kick-ass at her job, she’s a wonderful advocate of diversity and equality. We simply had to have her on the pod for the final instalment of our three-part ‘Women in Creative Leadership’ special.
If you don’t know Oneflow already, please check them out via the link at the bottom. Their brand isn’t ‘normal’ for a B2B tech company, but it’s brilliant, unique, attention-grabbing and suits them to the ground. All the work of Ling and her team.
Listen as Ling gives her views on what creativity is and techniques on producing new ideas. How people can find their superpowers. And how allowing them to be themselves will always make people more productive and happier.
This mini-series also aims to gauge the temperature of gender equality and diversity within the creative and marketing sides of the B2B tech industry. So we also hear Ling’s views on where we are in the fight for true equality. What more can be done, and how we as an industry can make sure that every talented female can climb the ranks into senior leadership positions.
Timestamps: (03:33) How Ling started in copywriting and honing storytelling (05:26) The role of brand at Oneflow and their unique look (08:05) How brand is a competitive strategy (10:00) Leadership is how you interpret it and the 2% (13:05) The different between inclusivity in the Scandinavian tech industry and real life (19:25) Challenges of recruiting with diversity (30:06) Creativity is simple new ways to solve a problem (36:42) The routine to allow creativity
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Gwen is VP Brand at Sinch, one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the world. In her role, Gwen helps to both implement and evolve the brand as well as working on the mergers and acquisitions part of the business, helping to integrate the new companies brought under the Sinch umbrella.
Gwen is a brand builder and B2B tech marketing leader at the top of her game. She’s dedicated her career to building strong brands, having spent a decade working in the top advertising agencies before opening an art gallery in San Francisco. She returned to marketing for B2B tech companies in Silicon Valley.
Sinch is a leading cloud communications platform that allows businesses to reach every mobile phone on the planet, in seconds or less, through mobile messaging, voice, and video. Based out of Stockholm, and with a local presence in more than 30 countries.
At a time of rapid growth for Sinch, we talk to Gwen about the challenges this brings, her career, her love for advertising, and her own podcast, the Tech Marketing Podchat.
Listen as we discuss:
What B2B marketers can learn from B2C brands
How to build a reputation for your brand
The importance of defining your company’s values
How a good brand will continue to evolve and grow over time
Building a brand that works for your team and stakeholders
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Frida Ahrenby is CMO at GetAccept, a digital sales room platform on a mission to radically redefine the way companies run sales. In her role, she’s responsible for the company’s global marketing strategy and execution in all markets.
Having grown the marketing team from three people to 25 over the past two and a half years, our chat with Frida comes at a really exciting time for GetAccept. It’s a wide-ranging chinwag, covering category creation, personal branding, and - most importantly - the power of hyper-relevant customer personas.
Listen as we discuss:
How to create detailed customer personas
Learning and evolving personas for your marketing
How brand creates demand
Encouraging employee advocacy and personal branding
What makes an effective leader in the B2B SaaS world
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Balancing brand and creativity: Kathryn Thomas, Box
00:34:28
Kathryn is Director of EMEA Marketing at Box. She has risen through the ranks in the marketing department at Box and has 10 years of experience working in tech marketing in the US and UK. Before joining Box, she worked at Dell EMC and also agency side as a B2B marketing specialist giving her a view of processes and areas she recreated at Box.
Box is a Cloud Content Management company that can call 68% of the Fortune 500 and 97,000 companies their customers. One of their values is to blow their customers’ minds every day, and this helps to create an environment of experimentation and creativity.
At a time of growth over the last few years, we talk about how you can encourage creativity while controlling it, how marketers can get too tech happy, and the fundamentals marketers need to focus on for success.
Listen as we also discuss:
How Field Marketing has evolved
The nuances, maturity, and challenges of different markets
Some of the issues that a demand gen approach and educating the market
How customer understanding is pivotal to success as a marketer, and how they launched a research team internally
The balance of experimentation and creativity while protecting the brand
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
The role of creativity in ABM: Nancy Harlan, UiPath
00:27:33
Nancy Harlan is an ABM leader with a formidable record of success. She’s currently responsible for global ABM and customer marketing at UiPath. Prior to that, she spent eight years building SaaS & data analytics firm Qlik’s ABM function from the ground up into a comprehensive global operation that delivered eye-watering year-on-year revenue growth
.Successful ABM programs today are underpinned by some mighty impressive tech. But to what extent do they also rely on creativity? Is ABM an inherently creative discipline? And how does Nancy inspire her team to take risks and try new things?
We talk to Nancy about her career so far, why she loves working in ABM and how creativity can help her team to make the most from modern ABM.
Listen as we discuss:
The role creativity can play in modern ABM
The value and impact of ABM for businesses
How to encourage your team to push boundaries and unleash their creativity
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Social media for B2B brands: Luke Brynley-Jones, OST Marketing
00:26:56
Luke is the founder and managing director of OST Marketing, a B2B social media agency. With a wealth of experience, Luke is an expert B2B social media strategist. From creating an online community for people with epilepsy to launching his own social networks and even running conferences across the US and Europe, featuring many of the early leaders in social media - Luke is a leader in his field.
OST Marketing is a multi-award-winning team behind some of the world’s most successful B2B brands on social media. Operating in eight countries and languages, their current client roster includes Salesforce, Gett, Bayer, and Infosys.
Listen as we discuss:
The differences between B2B and B2C approaches to social media
How important personal brands are on social channels
Trends that B2B marketers should be aware of
The value of community and staff advocacy
Setting a meaningful social measurement framework that works for you
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Leading marketing through tough times: Robin Daniels, Growth, Marketing & Leadership Advisor
00:48:56
How should marketing leaders approach the challenges of an economic downturn? It’s a big question, but one we put to Robin Daniels, our guest for this episode.
If you’ve not come across Robin before, you’ll enjoy his enthusiasm and illuminating insight on marketing, leadership and growth. He’s worked at some amazing tech companies covering Salesforce, Box, LinkedIn, WeWork as well as being CMO of Matterport when they went public in 2021.
There is plenty to take away from this chat that helps galvanise, improve, or reassure you. We talk about what marketing leaders and teams should be focusing on, how morale is impacted and as a leader what you can do, through to incremental gains, intelligent risks, and how to inspire yourself.
Enjoy.
Timestamps:
(04:20) Robin’s journey from Denmark to California and back again
(09:48) What sparked his career in marketing and his role at Salesforce
(13:46) Lessons learnt from the ’08 downturn – being incrementally better doesn’t cut it in a recession
(17:00) Why you’ve got to market yourself like a consumer brand
(20:01) How selling and marketing in a downturn changes
(22:11) What marketing budgets he protects first when there are cuts on the table
(26:27) Focus on things that move the needle. Do less but do it better.
(34:55) Keeping people motivated during hard times and the importance of leadership
(41:59) There is positivity in the market, but uncertainty can hamper your marketing
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Nailing the fundamentals of effective demand generation: Katie Colbourne, Basware
00:35:36
Demand generation is more than just a marketing function. It’s a craft. A mindset. A way of life honed and perfected by uber-talented practitioners.
Not only that, but with market conditions the way they are right now, effective demand gen is in demand. It’s invaluable to current and future revenues.
We touched on demand generation early in this series. But as it’s been a while, it felt right to revisit it and see what’s changed (if anything). So what better guest to find out from than one of those uber-talented practitioners, and friend of Shaped By, Katie Colbourne, Director of Global Demand Generation at Basware.
Fresh from giving us her perspective on creativity for our Perspective 2022 report, Katie’s back to chat with Dave about her demand generation journey, why the fundamentals of demand gen are so important – and how to nail them within the context of your own business and audience.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Growing a B2B brand through storytelling and fun: Melissa Rosenthal, ClickUp
00:38:54
It’s not every day that you get to chat with a creative leader like Melissa Rosenthal. Because there aren’t many in the business like her.
Melissa cut her creative teeth at Buzzfeed, perfecting the art of building a brand around content that entertains. Then she joined Cheddar, a live media company at the intersection of news and technology, as a founding member of the executive team.
It’s not often that creative attitudes and perspectives honed in those environments find their way into B2B tech. But that’s what happened when Melissa joined ClickUp.
Her influence on the brand has given it a bold, playful and adventurous spirit that you rarely see in the SaaS world.
So we were overjoyed when she agreed to come on the podcast and talk about her work, her influences and her steadfast belief in the value of creativity in building brands that stand out. Join us as we discuss:
what inspired Melissa to swap media and entertainment for B2B SaaS
how the ClickUp brand has evolved under her leadership
the importance of doing things differently to stand out, even if they feel weird or unconventional
why storytelling and fun really matter when it comes to humanizing B2B marketing
how to bring internal teams on the journey with you
Follow Melissa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissarosenthal5/
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
How to build a thriving creative team: Jessica Rosenberg, Webflow
00:39:40
Jessica Rosenberg is one of the most inspiring creative leaders that you’ll find in tech.
Having cut her teeth as a creative in the ad agency world, she had a brief spell in startup-land before her career really took off through spells at Twitter, Cloudflare, Mural and now Webflow, where she leads the brand design team.
Leading teams like Jessica’s has multiple challenges. How do you structure the team for optimum results? How do you keep them motivated? How do you get great work done remotely? How do you collaborate with other teams? And how do you create an environment where these uber-talented, uber-creative individuals feel inspired to show up and do their best work every day?
Dave chats with Jessica to explore how she solves these challenges on a daily basis, using her vast experience and expertise to empower her team to deliver consistently outstanding work.
Follow Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicarosenb/
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Mastering enterprise tech go-to-market: Alan Cohen, DCVC
00:48:44
We’re in the midst of volatile times right now. So who better to provide a true perspective on what really matters, and how to focus on building for long-term success, than one of tech go-to-market’s most experienced and accomplished leaders?
Alan Cohen has been at the forefront of game-changing tech GTM for over 30 years. During his early days at IBM and Cisco, he was pivotal to commercialising the technology that was building the very backbone of the internet.
Following a series of VP-level product and marketing roles, helping disruptive innovators successfully upset some of the biggest tech incumbents, he rejoined Cisco, leading GTM for their $25bn Enterprise portfolio.
After 25 years in “big tech”, Alan became product leader and frontman for 4 iconic, industry-transforming start-ups, before turning investor as a partner at DCVC, where he currently works with entrepreneurs using AI and science to build breakthrough companies in parts of the economy not touched by the tech revolution.
Join Dave and Alan as they spend nearly an hour (our longest episode by a long way, but for good reason - it’s all gold!) chatting on a range of GTM-related subjects including:
Building the foundations of internet communication at IBM and Cisco
Why the psychology of why people buy and use technology is so important
The issues that CMOs are facing at the moment, and how to navigate them
Tips for challengers to dethrone the incumbents in their space
What makes a successful founder from a GTM perspective
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Cybersecurity special: Donna Estrin, Estrin Communications
00:33:23
In the first episode of our cybersecurity mini-series, Dave chats with Donna Estrin, a PR and communications expert with vast experience at cyber firms large and small.
After cutting her comms teeth in the PR agency world, Donna moved into tech, beginning her cybersecurity career handling analyst relations for McAfee. She then helped Neustar transform from a traditional telecommunications company to a high-tech security, data and marketing services company, before working on WhiteHat Security’s acquisition by NTT and VMware’s acquisition of Lastline.
Most recently, Donna led comms for ReliaQuest when they acquired Digital Shadows, before departing to launch her new consultancy firm, Estrin Communications.
From analyst, press and media relations to thought leadership, the role of communications is so vital in growing brand reputation and equity. Dave and Donna chat about:
how to achieve this in a market that’s as saturated as cybersecurity
what really matters to CISOs, and how to engage them by being helpful and adding value
what genuine and authentic thought leadership really means
why analysts are so important, and how to build successful relationships with them
the key cybersecurity trends that we need to be aware of going into 2023
Not only is Donna the perfect guest to get insight into all of the above and more - but she hails from Shaped By’s home city of Bristol! We’ve invited her for one of our famous local craft beers next time she’s over from her home in California.
Stay tuned for more cybersecurity specials coming very soon, as we dive deeper into this fascinating industry that’s so integral to protecting the way we all live and work.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Cybersecurity special: Mike O’Malley, Noname Security
00:47:32
In the second of our cybersecurity mini-series, Dave sits down with Mike O’Malley, seasoned tech marketing executive and recently-appointed CMO of API security specialists Noname Security.
Mike joined Noname in the summer of 2022 to lead its marketing team into the next phase of the company’s rapid and impressive growth. Prior to that, he was Senior VP, Global Marketing at CyberArk, another pioneering cybersecurity firm. Mike’s career has also taken in senior marketing roles at VMware, CA Technologies and a number of other leading technology firms.
As Mike tells Dave, he’d been fascinated by the challenges, innovation and fast pace of cybersecurity long before he moved into it - as well as the opportunity to play a pivotal role in the fight against the scourge of cybercrime.
So now he’s immersed himself into the cyber world, what are Mike’s top tips on making a positive impression on one of the most under-pressure and vendor-bombarded technology buyers of all: the cybersecurity professional?
No spoilers of course, but tune in and you’ll find out:
why security marketers must understand their buyers much faster than in other tech categories
how to go beyond your customers’ basic pains and really get inside their heads on an emotional level
how to flip cybersecurity’s obsession with fear, uncertainty and doubt into honest, positive and benefit-driven messaging
how to use data and research to highlight genuine and immediate security problems, and position your solutions as the answer
the challenges of API security, and why addressing them is so important right now
Enjoy the chat, and leave us a review if you liked it!
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Being a CMO these days is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a role that is fraught with challenges. Yes, many have a seat at the top table, which certainly wasn’t the case a decade ago. But in return, the pressures on performance are enormous, even at the best of times - let alone in uncertain climates like this one.
Some just aren’t cut out for it. But others thrive on those pressures because they know exactly how to inspire their teams to perform. That’s the mark of a true marketing leader - and Dillon Nugent recognised early on in her career that she had those qualities.
Dave sat down with Dillon to find out how that self-awareness led her to be named the CMO of customer engagement firm Khoros last year. Where did her journey start, when did she realise she had leadership potential - and how did she turn that potential into the actions that proved she was a natural fit for the CMO role?
We also chat about:
Why being in sync with sales and product teams is so important for marketers at every level
The importance of always being able to step back and see the bigger picture as a leader
How to build a thriving team that is greater than any one individual
Keeping her team focused on their goals during a year of seismic change
Why it’s more important to fail and learn than always play it safe
You can follow Dillon on LinkedIn here, and find out more about Khoros here.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
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Building from scratch: Heidi Joy Tretheway, Garden
00:41:14
Heidi Joy Tretheway is one of those marketing leaders who, in her words, would “rather build a ship than sail it”.
That’s why she’s always gravitated towards startups with huge growth potential. The challenge of creating a marketing function virtually from scratch, and turning that into a pipeline-building, the revenue-generating machine is one that Heidi Joy absolutely thrives on.
It’s also a challenge that we haven’t really tackled on The Changemakers until now. So Dave gets deep into it with Heidi Joy, exploring what makes a truly effective startup marketing leader, and why she gets such a buzz out of being one. They also chat about:
why Heidi Joy was drawn to her current role at Garden
how to approach your first 100 days in the role
how to build out a messaging/positioning framework
how to create a content engine from scratch
the differences between building and scaling marketing at a Series A startup vs Series C
Dave and Heidi Joy also get into the art of storytelling - which as an author of a dozen kids and adults books, Heidi Joy certainly has a valuable perspective on.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Soundbite: Alan Cohen on cutting through with cybersecurity marketing
00:11:12
In these 'soundbite' episodes, we'll be sharing moments from our Changemakers podcast that have made us stop and think, and we think will be valuable to you.
This is from Episode 24 and our chat with Alan Cohen. During our conversation, he talks about cybersecurity and gives his thoughts on what businesses can do to stand out and make an impact in a world where their target audiences are often so bombarded by vendors, salespeople, and marketing activity.
To cut through and make an impact on a very busy audience, you need to get so many things right to make a good impression.
Listen to this episode to see if it changes your approach to cybersecurity marketing.
Check out our content hub on how to stand out in a crowded cybersecurity market here.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Design leaders in tech don’t come much more visionary than this week’s Changemakers guest, Nando Costa.
Nando is a Brazilian-American designer with an extensive background in visual design, branding, digital products and animation production.
After spending the first part of his career in the agency world, Nando joined Microsoft in 2013, spending the next nine years working on projects such as the creative development of the HoloLens, various Mixed Reality projects and cross-platform versions of Office apps.
After a stint at Google Design in 2022, he returned to Microsoft, where he currently works on immersive experiences for Microsoft Mesh and explores the potential applications of generative AI.
This may well be news to you, but to our Dave it isn’t. He’s followed Nando’s career for a long time, fascinated by his incredible Microsoft and Google animation pieces and ongoing experiments with Midjourney’s AI design tool.
So, to have the chance to discuss all that with the man himself… let’s just say fanboy Dave was pretty excited.
Their wide-ranging chat covers: Nando’s early influences growing up in Rio de Janeiro, how he wound up joining Microsoft, and staying at the firm for so long, why maintaining a consistent pace of learning and progression is so important to him, how to “find your tribe” in a company of 200,000 people, why impactful design at huge global brands relies on “thoughtful rule-breaking” the future of AI-powered design.
This is one that any fan of truly world-class design and branding will really enjoy.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Building creativity into product marketing: Shobhana Viswanathan
00:35:47
How can the application of creativity enhance product marketing? If there’s one thread that’s been running consistently through the 29 previous episodes of The Changemakers, it’s that product marketing is the unsung hero of B2B tech business growth.
All of our guests who have spent time in PMM roles have said that time was invaluable to their success. Many product marketers go on to have successful leadership careers. So when the time finally came for a discussion on creativity in product marketing, we knew exactly who to call on.
Shobhana Viswanathan is a Silicon Valley-based chief marketing officer who has held numerous product marketing and B2B marketing executive roles at companies including IBM, Oracle/Sun, VMware and Automation Anywhere and startups.
Shobhana started her career as a developer but found her true calling post-MBA at advertising giant Ogilvy & Mather. That stint in advertising and persuasive copywriting paid future dividends by allowing her to translate complex technical concepts into business benefits to help companies scale.
Listen as Dave and Shobhana dive into:
Why creativity is vital to product marketing, from campaign design to human-centric copywriting and messaging
Why nailing product marketing is especially crucial for category creators
Why product marketers’ skillsets make them perfect candidates for CMO positions
How to use data to enhance your stakeholder management
…and much more besides.
Shobhana is the host of a great podcast on the future of work called The Change Alchemist, which is wonderful listening.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Evolving your brand without losing its identity: Andrea Carrillo, Drift
00:41:11
Whenever the conversation at Shaped By HQ turns to our favourite B2B brands, the same one always crops up: Drift.
This unapologetically bold SaaS startup broke all the moulds when it created the category of Revenue Acceleration, and launched a vibrant and expressive new visual identity last year. So we were stoked when Andrea Carrillo, the firm’s Associate Creative Director, agreed to jump into the Changemakers hot seat and give us the inside story on Drift’s creative ethos.
Originally from Colombia, Andrea and her family moved to New York as a child. Her parents - both engineers - landed jobs in the Big Apple, which sparked a keen interest in tech from an early age. This was matched by an equally enthusiastic passion for design when she joined a high school class that was effectively a mini creative agency for community projects.
Dave chats with Andrea about how those influences shaped Andrea’s career and led to her becoming a creative leader at one of the SaaS world’s most recognised and loved brands.
They also discuss:
why internal creatives should think more like marketers to understand business goals and objectives
the value of having a creative team that has a voice in conversations across the business
how to retain the essence of a strong brand, and still be able to evolve and progress as the company grows
the influence of Drift’s founders David Cancel and Elias Torres on the brand’s creative expression
how their background as Latinx founders is so inspirational to Andrea as a member of the Latinx community.
Find out more about Drift on their site, and follow Andrea on LinkedIn here.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
How to be an authentic thought leader: Steve Stone, Rubrik
00:47:03
It’s not every day that you get chatting with someone who, in the first five minutes, casually drops into the conversation that they “ran a couple of SWAT teams”.
But this is an episode with a difference. And if you’re involved in anything to do with cybersecurity marketing or thought leadership, then it’s one for you.
There ain’t no cybersecurity expert with more expertise than Steve Stone. From managing nuclear security and running counter-espionage operations for the US Air Force to then moving into counter-terrorism as a federal agent (including over 1200 interrogations of high-level terrorists), the early part of Steve’s career was action-packed, to say the least.
And it hasn’t slowed down since. After moving into cybersecurity as a case agent for several nation-state cyber intrusions into the US government, Steve left the military and joined the US intelligence community where he spent five years as a cyber intelligence expert, before moving into the private sector to help firms like IBM and Mandiant to convince C-suites and executive boards of the mission-critical threats that cybersecurity poses.
Today, Steve heads up Rubrik Zero Labs, the data threat research unit he helped to create inside the data security firm Rubrik (and Shaped By client). We’ve had the pleasure of working with Steve on the creative aspects of RZL, so Dave was stoked to get the chance to interrogate him about:
what led him from dusty interrogation rooms to the clean, bright corridors of a Silicon Valley tech firm
why Zero Labs is such an important resource for Rubrik’s clients and security leaders everywhere
how to engage busy CISOs and CIOs with thought leadership content
how committed thought leadership like RZL builds genuine trust and credibility
the role that storytelling plays in the RZL experience
Thought leadership in B2B is so often a badging exercise, consisting of a few hastily-trotted-out reports with a foreword from the company’s CEO. So if you want a bagful of tips on how to build a true thought leadership platform, get your ears around this episode.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Building and leading an internal newsroom: Meghan Barr, ZoomInfo
00:45:57
Until generative AI came along and took over every single conversation, one way to instantly ignite a ferocious debate in B2B marketing was to ask this question: “Should B2B companies be thinking like media companies when it comes to content marketing?”
ZoomInfo certainly believes so. And when the go-to-market software, data, and intelligence company’s CEO Henry Schuck decided to turn his content marketing operation into an editorial media machine, he hired Meghan Barr to lead it.
As an award-winning journalist with two decades of experience, Meghan’s editorial and storytelling skills were a perfect fit to bring Henry’s vision of building an internal newsroom at ZoomInfo to life.
So we were thrilled when Meghan agreed to sit down with Dave to discuss her experiences of moving into the B2B tech world, and how that move has signalled a shift in the way ZoomInfo builds its audience through content marketing. Dave and Meghan also discuss:
how to tell brand and product stories across multiple channels
why it’s so important to create an ownable narrative that draws audiences in
how thinking like a media company helps to build consistency and community
how her editorial skillset adds value to teams and projects right across the marketing function
The debate will rage on, no doubt. But whatever side you’re on, if you want an objective, honest and fascinating insight into what goes on inside a company that’s very much in this transition, then this one is most definitely for you.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
How to optimize your digital marketing strategy: Kerry Guard, MKG Marketing
00:43:56
This is the first of two episodes in which we’ll be stepping away from our typical guest profile of in-house marketers, creatives and brand leaders, and getting to know some of Shaped By’s fellow agency buddies.
And what a buddy to get to know. Kerry Guard is CEO and founder of MKG Marketing, a digital marketing agency that works with cybersecurity, data management and other fast-scaling tech firms to drive impactful growth. So what are the most pressing digital marketing challenges that tech firms are grappling with now? And what should marketers be doing to solve them?
Join Kerry and Dave to find out, and also discover:
why truly effective digital marketing is ultimately a long game
how to optimize your strategy to deliver consistent results over time
what “intentional” digital marketing means, and why it’s so important
why moving away from lead gen and towards demand gen makes sense in today’s world
how effective digital marketing relies on a splash of creativity to succeed
You can find MKG Marketing on the interweb here, and go follow Kerry on LinkedIn too. Also be sure to check out her podcast, Tea Time With Tech Marketing Leaders, which Dave will be featuring on very soon!
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Mastering the art of creative leadership: Matt Price, Checkout.com
00:49:39
Some people are quite happy to simply coast along, and see where the wind takes them. And others constantly push themselves, always looking to grow and develop through experiences that test their existing skills and help them to create new ones.
Matt Price falls into the latter camp. Each step in his career as a creative, whether to a boutique agency or the pristine corridors of Apple HQ, has been chosen deliberately to give him a new perspective on the craft of commercial creativity.
Now, deep into his first stint in B2B-land with fintech giants Checkout.com, Matt joins Dave to discuss how the sum of those experiences is an innate understanding of exactly what it takes to be a successful in-house creative leader.
The two of them also chat about:
how to be a collaborator rather than a blocker
how to uncover opportunities to elevate the power of creativity internally
the importance of educating audiences about your category as well as your brand and product
why creatives should look to the world of fashion, art and design for genuine inspiration
Be sure to give Matt a follow on LinkedIn. And if you enjoy the episode, why not take an extra minute out of your day and give us a lovely review?
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Aaron Poe is a man who knows a thing or two about brand design. During his time in the agency world, he gave the Beats by Dre brand the distinctive identity that helped it get acquired by Apple. He led the 2018 rebrand of fintech giant Checkout.com, and the more recent evolution of the Square brand identity.
Now, as head of Zapier’s brand studio, his esteemed talents are being put to great use in leading the roll-out of the rapidly-growing automation firm’s new visual identity.
It’s a fun job for a creative leader who loves pushing boundaries and expanding concepts into new realms. But it’s also a big job. Alongside the guidelines and principles Aaron and his team are building out around type, colour, motion and brand architecture, the company is in the process of launching a steady stream of new products - all of which must fit creatively into these newly crafted systems.
So how’s that process going? What inspired Aaron to step away from his previous role and take this on as a challenge? And crucially, as Zapier is becoming an increasingly AI-driven company, how is Aaron harnessing the latest AI tools to make that big job a little less big?
Join Dave and Aaron to find out all that and much more, including Aaron’s opinion on the future of AI-driven creative development, and where someone as experienced as he is goes to find their creative inspiration.
It’s a cracking conversation. If you agree, let us know over on our LinkedIn page. And go follow Aaron on LinkedIn for the latest out of the super-talented Zapier brand studio.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
How to scale your tech firm through great PR: Kirsty Jarvis, Luminous PR
00:39:53
It’s time for another chat with one of our fellow agency buddies - and in the hotseat this week is the wonderful Kirsty Jarvis, founder and CEO of tech-specialist communications firm Luminous PR.
We’ve recently been getting to know the Luminous team through our shared love of working with game-changing technology businesses. Their approach to building B2B brands and driving growth through tailored communications strategies is pretty impressive. So we were delighted when Kirsty agreed to take time out of her busy schedule to take us behind the scenes of how they do it.
Join Dave and Kirsty as they sit down to discuss:
why PR is so important to early-stage startups
how Luminous’ approach differs for more established firms versus startups
the key trends and developments in the world of PR right now
why it pays to be creative when devising a comms strategy that cuts through the clutter
how PR strategies are changing for tech firms in the current climate of profitability and sustainability, versus the last couple of years of free capital and growth at all costs
…and plenty more! If you like the sound of Luminous and what they do (and why wouldn’t you, they’re seriously good PR experts) follow Kirsty on LinkedIn here, and find out more about the agency on their website.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
How great collaboration builds bold brands: Kaite Rosa, Axonius
00:39:00
Following staggering revenue growth of 46,000% between 2018 and 2021, cybersecurity asset management Axonius was unsurprisingly named as the fastest-growing cybersecurity company in America by Deloitte in 2022.
That’s pretty damn awesome. But it also presented a very familiar problem that high-growth companies tend to face. They scale so quickly, with such a focus on perfecting the product and the platform, that the task of also building a cohesive brand message and narrative takes a bit of a back seat.
It’s understandable. But there comes a point where it’s a major issue. And when Kaite Rosa joined the business as Senior Director of Brand in 2020, she immediately identified that it was becoming one.
So alongside CMO Nathan Burke, she set about fixing the problem. And the way they went about it makes for quite a story. Join Dave and Kaite as they discuss:
how Kaite and her team crafted a simple, human, relatable brand message
how they landed gymnastics icon Simone Biles as a brand partner to help spread that message
why Simone and Axonius’ other athlete partners embody the spirit of Axonius’ brand
how those collaborations, plus the close collaborative spirit of Kaite and Nathan’s team, drive long-term success for Axonius
why it’s so important to build such distinct brand narratives in crowded markets like cybersecurity
This is a conversation that will inspire any brand or marketing leaders out there who are struggling to make their brand stand out in cluttered markets.
So dive in and enjoy. And go follow Kaite on LinkedIn to keep up with the latest from Axonius’ remarkable brand journey - which is certainly not slowing down any time soon.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Building an extraordinary brand from scratch: Ari Yablok, Island
00:55:41
Ari Yablok is the Head of Brand at Island, the Enterprise Browser. If that sounds like a pretty simple description of what Island does, then there’s a very deliberate reason for that. And it’s a reason that has seen Dave fall completely in love with the brand strategy, identity, narrative and messaging that Ari has created for this Israeli startup that is going global pretty rapidly.
Everything about Island exudes simplicity. The idea behind the product. The product itself. The experience of using it. The problem it solves. It’s easy, clear and stress-free. And this is all reflected perfectly in the simple, clean, zen-like brand experience that it’s all wrapped up in, and which entices you with its beautifully uncomplicated and supremely confident attitude.
But don’t think for a second that the process of developing it was simple. It took a serious investment of strategic work, along with a heavy dose of boldness from Island’s founders to choose a path so unlike any other company in their space.
Dave has been a long-time fan and admirer, both of Island and of Ari’s approach to crafting strategic narratives, end-to-end messaging and brand identities for tech companies in general - which he did for 50+ firms during his previous role at the B2B agency Atreo.
So join us for another episode of fanboying as he chats with Ari on:
the story of Island’s brand development, from first conversation to now
the thinking behind its distinctive ethos and visual identity
how he and the Island team bring it to life in a differentiated way at live events
the challenge of evolving the brand as the company evolves
the role of Island’s founders in the whole process
This is more than a story about an interesting brand. It’s an inspirational journey into the magic that happens when visionary founders and brand experts team up before a company has even launched, and build the brand alongside the product.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
“I don’t need much sleep. And I love to take on a good challenge.”
Take one look at Christian Flaccus’ resumé, and it’s clear to see that both of these things are very true indeed.
He founded his first business, an e-commerce startup, in 1997 - then swiftly went and set up his own agency (whilst still remaining on his startup’s board). Not content with that, at various points during his agency life Christian also started a record label (Brave & Dizzy Records), opened (and closed) one of the first global street art online shops, and co-founded an incubator and house for dedicated dev teams for cloud-based SaaS projects called co.brick.
Brave & Dizzy and co.brick are still Christian’s side-hustles. But since early 2021, his main focus has been spearheading brand design excellence at Celonis - Germany’s most valuable startup, and a pioneer in the hugely exciting and fast-growing field of process mining technology.
As the company’s Chief Design Officer, Christian has taken the Celonis brand on an epic journey of disruption. But voyages like this aren’t undertaken alone. Disruption is uncomfortable for some people, and downright scary for others. So how do you bring everyone along on the journey, in ways that don’t just help them to understand why the company needs a disruptive brand - but gets them to fully buy into it, so they carry the torch as well?
Join Dave and Christian as they go deep into why game-changing technology needs game-changing branding to match - and how to get your team to tune in and enjoy it in the same way that you enjoy crafting it.
For more info on Celonis, check them out at celonis.de. And make sure you follow Christian on LinkedIn - he’s a really top guy and well worth connecting with.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Understanding and embracing neurodiversity: Becca Chambers
00:43:59
Becca Chambers may be an award-winning technology brand-builder, storyteller, strategist and advisor.
But when it comes down to the impact that her work has on the people that it touches, her tireless work as a neurodiversity champion and advocate is up there with any of those achievements.
Becca has ADHD. She describes it as “a catalyst for my success in the creative world of brand, communications, and messaging”, and one of the driving forces behind her “scrappy get-sh*t-done attitude”.
But for every Becca in the workplace, there are countless others who know their neurodivergence is a creative superpower, but don’t have the support or tools they need to thrive in their unique way. Why? Because despite all of the great strides that companies have made around diversity awareness, neurodiversity is rarely included in these conversations.
Becca is on a mission to change all of that. As a parent of an autistic child, Changemakers host Dave Corlett is a huge admirer of what she’s doing to make workplaces more accessible to current and future neurodivergent colleagues. So join Dave and Becca as they deep dive into:
Becca’s journey to executive level as a neurodivergent individual
the strengths that neurodiverse people bring to the workplace
how Becca has personally influenced and driven positive change at the organisations she’s worked at
how the hiring process needs to change to better support neurodiverse candidates
…and much more.
You’ll love Becca’s infectious enthusiasm from the first minute. The best way to get more of it, and follow her journey as a neurodiversity champion, is to follow her on LinkedIn here.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
How Fintech firms use design to elevate their brand
00:56:56
Even just a few years back, you would naturally think of pretty much any fintech firm as a challenger brand. A digital disruptor to a financial sector that badly needed disrupting.
But today, fintech is fast becoming mainstream, if it isn’t already. And its “challenger brand” tag feels increasingly redundant, given the extent to which many established financial services firms are pivoting what they do to challenge fintech pioneers - especially when it comes to digital, UX and so on.
One guest wasn’t going to cut it for such an important discussion. So for this episode, we welcome three amazing design leaders - Aaron Robbs, Creative Director at Ramp, Michael Jeter, Executive Creative Director at Stripe, and Nick Farrar, Founder and Managing Director at Shaped By.
Between us, we delve into how great design can help differentiate fintech companies and build robust and memorable brand identities. Across the discussions, we also explore techniques to build trust, the power of design in gamification, and the importance of founder understanding and support in fintech.
And guess what? After two years of being an audio-only podcast, you can now watch on YouTube too! Each of this episode’s three discussions is available to view over there, on Shaped By’s brand new channel.
Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Changes 00:16 The Evolution of the Change Makers Podcast 01:16 The Role of Brand and Design in Fintech 02:43 Interview with Aaron Robbs, Creative Director at Ramp 03:56 The Importance of Design Principles and Team Dynamics 16:21 The Balance Between Brand and Performance Marketing 21:17 Interview with Michael Jeter, Executive Creative Director of Stripe 22:57 The Role of Craft, Beauty, and Culture in Branding 26:09 The Challenges of Building a Brand Around an Invisible Product 26:34 The Challenge of Branding in Fintech 27:54 The Role of Design in Branding 28:24 The Importance of Craft and Beauty in Branding 29:27 The Impact of Company Culture on Branding 30:28 Infusing Technology into Branding 33:22 The Power of Self-Serve Design Tools 35:25 The Role of Founders in Branding 35:57 The Future of Design in Fintech 39:03 Interview with Nick Farrar, Founder of Shaped By 40:30 Building Trust through Design 49:29 The Power of Gamification in Fintech 55:19 Final Thoughts on Design in Fintech
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
In this episode of The Changemakers, brought to you by Shaped By - our creative director Tom Ovens lifts the lid on the secret art of sound design by interviewing freelance sound designer, Adam Legg. They delve into the intricacies of sound design including the definition, the process of creation, and the difference between a ‘meh’ sound, and one that’s impactful.
Sound design in a B2B space brings so much to the table. It helps to control the pace, brings emotion, and can be a real differentiator. So we unpacked it for those of you interested in how it all works.
Adam gives insight into his creative process, balancing sound design with music, and offers a glimpse into how he keeps himself creatively driven. The conversation also veers into the symbiotic relationship between visuals and sound, and how a shift in their traditional sequence can result in a dynamic output.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to The Changemakers Series
00:14 Guest Introduction: Adam Legge, Freelance Sound Designer
01:21 Deep Dive into the Art of Sound Design
01:51 Adam's Perspective on Sound Design
03:51 The Role of Music in Sound Design
05:32 Adam's Creative Process
08:12 The Challenge of Time Management in Sound Design
10:10 The Use of Libraries and Starting from Scratch
13:05 Sound Design Inspirations and Heroes
18:16 Brands Excelling in Sound Design
20:35 The Potential of Sound Leading the Creative Process
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
How to refresh your brand expression: Nick Levesque, Asana
00:47:36
Rebrand versus brand evolution. What’s the difference, and how do you determine which is right for you?
In this episode of The Changemakers, Dave is joined by Nick Levesque, Creative Director at Asana, to discuss the nuances of evolving a brand expression.
As Asana nears the end of its own brand refresh, it was a timely chat about the process. Nick and Dave delve into approaches to evolving brand image, the importance of distinctive brand assets, and the balance between maintaining consistency and fostering creativity.
The conversation covers the challenges and strategies involved in refreshing a brand, the role of audience perception, and leveraging research to guide decisions. Nick also illustrates the careful considerations needed to align visual identity with company growth and evolving audience expectations.
If you want more pearls from Nick on all things brand and his journey, follow him on LinkedIn here.
00:00 Welcome to Changemakers: A Deep Dive into Brand Evolution
00:17 Introducing Nick Levesque: The Creative Mind Behind Asana's Brand Evolution
02:02 The Essence of Brand Evolution vs. Rebranding
03:01 Insider's View: Asana's Approach to Brand Evolution
03:38 Signals and Reasons for a Brand Refresh
09:25 The Strategy Behind Targeting Different Audiences
16:17 The Creative Process and Agency Collaboration in Brand Evolution
21:59 Balancing Consistency and Experimentation in Branding
24:51 Revamping Brand Imagery: A Creative Journey
25:24 The Power of In-House Creativity and Experimentation
27:04 Navigating Internal Brand Evolution: Strategies and Challenges
28:16 Collaborative Brand Audit: Engaging Teams for Insightful Feedback
30:22 Building a Business Case for Creative Projects
35:24 Distinctive Brand Assets: Balancing Innovation with Tradition
41:37 Reflecting on the Rebranding Process: Achievements and Insights
44:56 Dream Rebranding Projects: A Creative Director's Perspective
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Staying creative at a corporate giant: Omar Fahmi, Virgin Media O2 Business
00:48:38
We're stepping back into the world of big brand creativity! In this episode, Dave chats with Omar Fahmi, the creative mastermind behind Virgin Media O2 Business' in-house agency.
Ever wondered what it's like to steer creativity in a corporate giant? Omar pulls back the curtain on:
The challenge of combining two distinct consumer brands - and adapting them for a business audience
Building an agile and motivated in-house agency team
Keeping the creative spark alive in a corporate environment
The secret sauce behind his team's "family-like" culture (spoiler: it involves innovation days and breaking down silos)
Get the inside scoop on balancing short-term wins with long-term brand building, and learn how clear communication keeps this massive creative engine humming.
Whether you're a creative leader, senior marketer, or just curious about the inner workings of big tech creativity, this episode is packed with actionable insights and behind-the-scenes stories you won't want to miss.
Tune in for a dose of inspiration and a glimpse into the inner workings of in-house creative teams in the B2B tech world.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Welcome to our new byte-size episodes! These are little natters between our team at Shaped By, on.....well, anything really. Mostly related to creativity in B2B. But maybe the odd one about cake or something.
In this one, Dave and Alex, Shaped By's marketing director, chat about the agency's annual virtual summit, 'Bring Your Own Bold' (BYOB), scheduled for October. The event features back-to-back webinars and discussions centred on building bolder B2B brands. Dave and Alex discuss why they put the event on every year, who it's aimed at, and which of the sessions they're looking forward to. They also spill the beans on a couple of upcoming sessions that haven't been officially added to the agenda yet. Oops...
00:00 Introduction to the Change Makers 00:16 Introducing Bite-Sized Episodes 00:52 Bring Your Own Bold Event Overview 01:38 Why We Host BYOB 04:30 Exciting Sessions at BYOB 05:03 Exploring Weirdness in B2B 05:57 Balancing Short and Long Term Wins 10:40 Female Leadership in a Male World 11:36 Positioning Creativity as a Business Driver 12:50 Unlocking Your Creative Team's Ultimate Toolkit 06:26 Integrating AI Tools 17:50 Getting the Most Out of Your Creative Agency 20:24 Adapting to Build Brands 24:58 Conclusion and Housekeeping
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Making great work happen: Li-Anne Dias, Executive Creative Director, Handshake
00:48:31
Li-Anne Dias is a design leader who has shaped world-class brands and led high-impact design teams.
Currently she leads brand and enterprise growth design at Handshake, a software firm that enables schools, companies, and students come together to help students and recent grads make career moves. Her previous achievements include building Reddit’s first brand identity and design systems as the company’s first brand designer, and scaling Grammarly’s brand design team as the company grew revenue growth from $43M to over $250M.
In episode 46 of The Changemakers, Li-Anne sits down with Dave to share her thoughts on what goes into making great creative work.
They discuss her journey in brand design, insights on balancing creativity with strategy, and the significance of iterative processes and embracing failure. They also delve into the role of creative leaders in maintaining hands-on involvement and evolving a brand. They chat about how Leanne's experience at Handshake, including their successful rebrand, highlights the importance of perseverance and collaboration in achieving great creative outcomes.
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest 00:59 Defining Great Work 01:37 The Role of Creative Leaders 02:46 Conversation with Leanne Diaz Begins 03:20 Leanne's Journey and Experience 07:57 Making Great Work Happen 17:58 The Importance of Strategy in Creative Work 24:02 Leveraging Past Insights for New Projects 26:08 The Creative Director's Journey 27:33 Balancing Leadership and Hands-On Work 35:48 The Importance of Brand Voice 42:42 Achieving Great Work Through Team Effort 47:07 Concluding Thoughts on Great Work
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Byte-Size: When B2B Got Its Bold Back with Alex & Nick
00:29:00
Here's the second of our new Byte-Size episodes! These are little natters between our team at Shaped By, on...well, anything really. Mostly related to creativity in B2B, But maybe the odd one about cake or something.
In this one, hosts Nick Farrar, Founder and CEO, and Alex Waite, Marketing Director at Shaped By, dissect key insights from the Bring Your Own Bold (BYOB) Virtual Summit. Themes include the importance of authentic and bold branding in the B2B sector, strategies to stand out in competitive markets, and the resurgence of brand investment. They also discuss the pivotal role of AI in business, touching on both the opportunities and challenges it presents.
00:00 Introduction to the podcast 00:14 Reflecting on the BYOB Virtual Summit 01:37 Defining and Embracing Boldness 03:13 The Importance of Authenticity and Differentiation 07:18 Key Themes from the Summit 09:22 The Renaissance of Brand Focus 13:43 Aligning Brand with Audience Values 15:13 Unexpected Insights from CMOs and CFOs 16:46 Bridging the Gap: Marketing and Finance Collaboration 19:57 AI in Business: Opportunities and Challenges 22:27 The Future of AI: Navigating Rapid Changes 24:41 The Strategic Importance of Brand 26:35 Female Leadership in a Male-Dominated World 28:32 Conclusion and Where to Watch More
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Branding at the speed of light: Vincent Sacco, Creative Director, Fivetran
00:44:43
Vincent Sacco is a brand leader who has been in the trenches and, having built brands from the ground up at multiple fast-growing tech companies, has wisdom to impart in absolute spades.
He currently leads the creative team at Fivetran, a data management platform that has seen explosive growth, expanding from around 400 to over 1100 employees during Vincent's 3.5 year tenure. Previously, he built the brand at fintech startup Blend as they underwent rapid scaling. Vincent’s unique background also includes branding San Francisco's pioneering food trucks in the early days of the food truck movement.
In this episode, Vincent shares his hard-earned wisdom on building a brand amidst hyper-growth. Some key topics covered:
How Vincent transitioned from branding bars and food trucks to tech startups
The challenges of establishing a brand when a company has found product-market fit and is scaling rapidly
Key first steps to take when you need to build a brand fast
How to get buy-in across the company and turn everyone into "brand cheerleaders"
Partnering with product marketing to align brand and product
Engaging engineers and developers who are typically harder to reach with brand
Collaborating cross-functionally and getting the C-suite aligned with the brand vision
Adapting the Fivetran brand for the enterprise market while retaining its distinctiveness
The importance of brand flexibility and rolling with unexpected sources of brand affinity
What's next for the Fivetran brand as the company continues its rapid ascent
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction and Vincent's background
03:51 - Joining Blend and Fivetran amidst hyper-growth 06:12 - First steps to building the brand foundation
09:22 - Getting company-wide brand buy-in
14:18 - Aligning brand with product marketing
17:34 - Engaging technical audiences with brand
21:35 - Cross-functional collaboration on brand
25:28 - Tailoring brand for enterprise without losing soul
30:44 - Leveraging organic sources of brand affinity
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Why a culture of creativity really matters: Lee Mincy, Gong
00:37:33
Lee is Director of Brand and Creative at Gong, a revenue intelligence platform used by over 2000 companies including Paychex, PayPal, Hubspot, LinkedIn, MuleSoft, Shopify, Slack, SproutSocial, Twilio, and Zillow. Our conversation comes at an exciting time creatively for Gong, having recently undergone a rebrand and ran a Super Bowl ad!
We talk about the challenges and rewards of working in creative for a tech company, the reasoning behind Gong’s recent rebrand, and much more…
Listen as we discuss:
The importance of building a brand framework
Why Gong chose to rebrand and the rebranding process
How Gong’s creative team developed its Super Bowl ad
Using storytelling to differentiate your marketing
Why B2B marketing doesn’t have to be boring
Timestamps: (02:37) – Lee’s career to date (05:08) – The challenges of working in creative at a tech company (06:58) – What attracted Lee to his role at Gong? (08:25) – What was the reason for the Gong rebrand? (10:31) – Gong's rebranding process (11:42) - Limiting the number of rebrand decision-makers (12:22) - The evolution of logos in tech (14:26) – Gong’s Super Bowl ad (16:46) – Are B2B brands becoming more open to using humour in their marketing? (20:10) – Using LinkedIn to be provocative (24:05) – How challenging is it to create a visual identity that differentiates a brand in the marketplace? (28:32) – The importance of differentiating your brand (29:42) – Is there a set rebrand process or is every case different? (35:05) – A project or campaign Lee is more proud of than any other…
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Creativity in demand generation: Mat Harper, Palo Alto Networks
00:45:00
Mat is a Senior Manager, EMEA Demand Generation at Palo Alto Networks. Mat has risen through the ranks at Palo Alto Networks in their demand generation hub. He started his journey with them specialising in email marketing and automation and has explored a variety of roles from Marketing Program Manager and Chief of Staff, EMEA Marketing to his current position.
Palo Alto Networks is a multinational cybersecurity company. They are an ambitious and boundary-pushing business, that continually delivers innovation to enable secure digital transformation—even as the pace of change is accelerating.
At a time when their business is growing, and the demand generation hub goes from strength to strength, we chat about the culture of innovation and so much more.
Listen as we discuss:
Creativity in demand generation
How hackers inspire his team
Why cybersecurity is a more creative industry than you might think
The challenges of creativity in a global giant vs. a start-up business
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Is tech marketing more creatively brave than ever? (Live panel debate)
00:52:55
In the first of our Changemaker roundtable events, we invited an expert panel of senior tech marketers, Gleb Brichko, VP Growth, and Global Demand Generation, Rubrik, Rebecca Clayman, Head of Brand, Cloudflare, Robin Daniels, CMO, Matterport, Shikha Saxena, Head of UK Marketing, Globant, and Jess Ellis, Senior Director of Brand Marketing, Khoros, to discuss ‘is tech marketing more creatively brave than ever?'
Shaped By co-founder Nick Farrar talks to our panel about the findings from Perspective 2021, our survey of over 200 senior marketers in SME and enterprise tech fuelled companies, and our panellists’ individual experiences in the ever-changing world of tech marketing, along with valuable advice for fellow marketers.
Listen as we discuss:
How is tech marketing creatively brave?
How to encourage bravery and create a safe space for exploration and experimentation
The importance of creating a story and emotional marketing
Shifts in marketing format and content, what’s here to stay?
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Crossing the sales and marketing divide: Ben Bulpett, SailPoint
00:41:12
In this episode, we speak to a man who has bravely crossed the divide between sales and marketing. So are there similarities? What makes each department tick? How can they get on better? Ben is EMEA Marketing Director at SailPoint, a market leader in identity security for the modern enterprise.
He has over 30 years of experience in customer and partner success within the Cybersecurity and Enterprise Software arena, and his work has taken him across Europe, the Middle East, Africa & America. Having worked at enterprise companies like Oracle and Symantec, as well as start-ups, it’s safe to say he knows his stuff.
Tune in to hear Ben talk about his son wanting him to sponsor the England football team, how he bridges the gap between sales and marketing, being scared witless at accepting the role, building his knowledge, balancing intent intelligence with customer understanding, the power of un-gating your content and much more.
Timestamps (00:46) - Who is Ben Bulpett (04:15) – Selling services and consultancy vs product and licenses (05:41) – The SailPoint journey (08:36) – Involving sales leaders on the marketing journey & getting buy-in (10:21) – Making the leap from sales to marketing leadership (15:02) – How the B2B buying process has changed the relationship between sales and marketing (17:33) – Balancing intent intelligence and understanding your buyer (19:47) – Un-gating your content increases demand and rapport (30:11) – How to build those close relationships with sales (32:41) – The benefits of immersing yourself in other areas of the business (38:58) – What is one campaign or project that you are most proud of?
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Creative innovation at a global giant: Jessica Bognar, Salesforce
00:32:59
Ever wondered what it’s like to be a creative leader at a global tech company with over 70,000 employees? Well, so did we. So to find out, Dave speaks to Jessica Bognar, Creative Director – Brand at Salesforce.
Salesforce is one of those iconic B2B brands, isn’t it? Less of a company, and more of an empire.Jessica joined the business in 2015, when they had a measly 10,000 staff. She came from an agency background, having worked on some awesome consumer brands and campaigns before she joined the B2B world.
But that insight set her up to have a fresh view on B2B. To ask questions, and take approaches that were viewed as perhaps less traditional. Like why you need to have fun and connect on a human level – even in B2B marketing!
Come join us for her insight on how to create bonds in such a large environment, the key to producing effective creative – and how a nugget of an idea from a copywriter swelled into a partnership with Matthew McConaughy…Enjoy.
Timestamps: (02:58) Jessica’s journey to Salesforce (08:10) The role of the brand group (12:39) Her job as a teacher and collaborator making things happen (14:08) How the role of creative has changed and the driving force behind it (18:09) The ability to work with the Salesforce brand (20:01) The moment that caused a shift in their creative approach (23:53) Where she draws creative inspiration from (30:30) The one project Jessica is most proud of in her career
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
Creative leadership in a crisis: Michael Jeter, Zapier
00:42:08
This episode is pretty special. It’s a story that is truly unique, and one that hopefully isn’t going to be repeated for a long time. We talk to Michael Jeter who is the Creative Director at Zapier.
For those of you who don’t know, Zapier is a product that allows you to integrate web applications and automate workflows. Michael joined the business to spearhead a major rebrand. His team got cracking and worked on it for eight months.
They were about to launch when something happened. In this own words “It’s such an epic story. It’s one I’ll be telling for the rest of my career, because it’s truly unique.”It’s an inspirational story of reactivity, teamwork, leadership and the power of design.
If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.
👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration
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