Leader Generation – Details, episodes & analysis

In a world where marketing agencies are racing to keep up with rapid change, how do you grow faster without losing your people, your culture, or your edge?

In this episode of Leader Generation, Mod Op’s new COO, Stuart Goldstein, joins Tessa Burg to share his playbook for scaling agencies. With years of experience leading firms through mergers, digital transformations, and process overhauls, Stuart reveals why the real challenge isn’t the technology or the tools—it’s bringing people along for the ride.

Listeners will get an inside look at why Mod Op is uniting specialized agencies under one platform, how to turn skeptics into champions, and the leadership moves that make change stick. From integrating AI across disciplines to avoiding the “shiny object” trap, he offers candid advice and relatable stories that apply to any leader facing transformation.

This conversation delivers practical ways to align people, processes, and platforms—to keep your team motivated and your clients happy. Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. 

About Stuart Goldstein:

As an experienced operations leader with over 20 years of success, Stuart can captain any ship. From start-up to heavyweight, Stuart has helped agencies and organizations pave their path to greatness. His expertise has been instrumental in driving growth and fame for renowned clients such as Johnson & Johnson, Oreo, Coca-Cola, American Express, Novartis, Diageo, eBay, GlaxoSmithKline, Time Warner, and Marvel, among others. And somehow, he still finds a way to drop a joke and take life one day at a time as long as it fits the brief.

About Tessa Burg:

Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.

In this episode of Leader Generation, host Tessa Burg welcomes back Patty Parobek, Mod Op’s VP of AI and ML Transformation, for a candid conversation about how marketers can thrive in the age of “zero click.” 

With Google increasingly providing AI-powered answers directly in search results, fewer people are clicking through to websites. For companies that have long depended on organic traffic, this shift raises an urgent question: What does success look like when clicks aren’t the main measure anymore?

Patty shares fresh insights inspired by Rand Fishkin’s work, breaking down why SEO isn’t dead but why marketers must rethink how they capture attention and build trust. She explains how to uncover where audiences are really being influenced, how to measure success beyond traffic and why investing in research and authenticity is more important than ever.

If you’ve been wondering how to compete when Google answers questions before people ever reach your site, this episode is a must-listen. Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. 

About Patty Parobek:

As Vice President of AI Transformation, Patty leads Mod Op’s AI practice group, spearheading initiatives to maximize the value and scalability of AI-enabled solutions. Patty collaborates with the executive team to revolutionize creative, advertising and marketing projects for clients, while ensuring responsible AI practices. She also oversees AI training programs, identifies high-value AI use cases and measures implementation impact, providing essential feedback to Mod Op’s AI Council for continuous improvement. Patty can be reached on LinkedIn or at Patty.Parobek@ModOp.com.

About Tessa Burg:

Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.

In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg chats with Matt Bretz and Gary Goodman, two seasoned veterans in the games and entertainment space. 

With decades of experience, Matt and Gary share their journeys from working in Hollywood and gaming to leading creative teams at Mod Op. They discuss the evolution of the industry, the importance of data and AI, and how both play a role in crafting emotionally resonant marketing strategies. 

If you're interested in understanding the power of combining creativity with technology to connect with audiences, this conversation offers valuable insights into how AI and data are reshaping marketing in gaming and entertainment. 

Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. 

Contributors:

Matt Bretz, EVP of Creative Innovation at Mod Op

Gary Goodman, EVP of Creative Innovation at Mod Op

About Tessa Burg:

Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.

When it comes to B2B sales and marketing, account-based marketing (ABM) is a hot topic. That’s because a buying group is typically made up of 6-10 people who must collaborate to make final enterprise decisions.

How can you use ABM to target the decision-makers on specific accounts? Can you leverage digital marketing tools for ABM? Does AMB increase the quality or quantity of leads?

In this episode, we interview ABM leader, Ryan Elmiger. He answers common questions, shares his knowledge, and talks about the relationship between ABM and lead generation. 

About Ryan Elmiger: 

Ryan Elmiger has 20+ years of marketing experience in B2B and B2C. He is Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Certified by ITSMA and currently holds the position of ABM Government Cluster Lead at ServiceNow.

Ryan works alongside the sales team to develop ABM strategies for high-value accounts. He ensures all marketing activities target the right account stakeholders. Plus, drives the strategy for hyper-personalized content that speaks to specific account needs and imperatives.

The restaurant industry has been hit the hardest during the pandemic. According to the National Restaurant Association, 110,000+ food and beverage establishments in the U.S. temporarily or permanently closed for business. 

How did local restaurants stay afloat? What creative pivots did they embrace? Were the changes temporary or here to stay? 

If you’re a marketer or salesperson in the restaurant industry, you need to know how independent operators tick. Listen to this conversation with the co-owner of a local Vietnamese restaurant to better understand the needs and challenges independents face.

About Chris Nguyen 

Chris Nguyen is the co-owner of Superior Pho Vietnamese Restaurant. Under his leadership, the small, ethnic, mom-and-pop restaurant has become a local household name. In fact, Superior Pho has received accolades and recognition from national media outlets such as Food Network Magazine, The Travel Channel, Esquire Magazine, Buzzfeed and more.

Chris is dedicated to serving under-resourced and underrepresented communities. He’s used his position at Superior Pho to employ and empower a variety of underrepresented people from various communities and teach leadership through service. 

Independent restaurant owners face many challenges that are unique to those of large chains. If you work in sales or marketing for the food service industry, you must understand these differences to successfully communicate with Independents. 

The best way to learn? Hear the struggles and needs of restaurant owners first-hand. Listen to industry veteran, Laurie Torres, share the ups and downs of restaurant ownership on this episode of the Lead(er) Generation podcast.

About Laurie Torres:

Laurie Torres is the Owner of Mallorca, a fine-dining experience in Cleveland, Ohio. She manages the operational and strategic vision of the restaurant, which has been serving Spanish and Portuguese cuisine for 20+ years. 

Laurie is instrumental in identifying emerging trends in the food industry. She serves as the President of Cleveland Independents. Plus, she’s won multiple industry accolades, including the 2021 Rising Star Award by the Ohio Restaurant Association.

Independent restaurants offer unique dining experiences, such as farm-to-table meals or craft cocktails. But they also face unique challenges that are far different than those of large restaurant chains.

Offering solutions to the difficulties that independents face, may mean the difference between a win or loss for both sales and marketers in the food service industry.

What are the biggest challenges of independent restaurant operators? How has the pandemic changed their business? How can suppliers, sales and marketers deliver better support? 

Hear the answers to these questions—and more—from Jess Edmonds, Catering Director & Partner at Spice Hospitality Group, on this episode of Lead(er) Generation.

About Jess Edmonds:

Jess Edmonds is the Catering Director & Partner at Spice Hospitality Group. She has nearly two decades of experience in the food and beverage industry. Jess honed her service talents in high-traffic Cleveland hot spots before joining Spice Catering Co. in 2008. 

In 2015 she moved into the Catering Director role and manages an incredible team of Event Planners that create exceptional dining experiences all over town. Jess also lends her hand to general operations of The Spice Companies, planning the annual Plated Landscape Calendar and fostering business relationships throughout Cleveland, OH. 

Market research helps marketers gain insights into consumer behavior, attitudes, opinions, and preferences.

But how important is it in B2B lead generation and marketing communication? Can market research help you develop more effective strategies and campaigns?

Explore this topic with expert market researcher, Lauren Schmidt from the full-service marketing research and consulting company NSRC.

About Lauren Schmidt:

Lauren Schmidt is the Senior Director of Client Services & Strategy at NSRC. She has 20+ years of quantitative research experience with clients in a wide range of industries. While Lauren has an extensive skill set, she’s most passionate about B2B and Voice of Customer (VoC) research as well as driving ROI. Lauren’s philosophy is that market research is a necessity—not a luxury.

Are you struggling to get leads? Are you looking for ways to improve your sales funnel? If yes, then you should definitely join us to explore the role of marketing technology in lead generation.

Marketing technology has become a crucial part of every company’s strategy. From CRM software and email marketing platforms to analytics and automation tools, technology plays a vital role in improving the efficiency and performance of your marketing campaigns.

Technical demand generation marketer and returning guest, Hana Jacover, joins Tessa Burg on this episode of Lead(er) Generation. She answers questions and provides tips on how marketers can leverage the power of marketing technology to generate leads.

About Hana Jacover:

Hana Jacover is the Chief Hype Officer at Hype House Consulting & Coaching. She is a technical demand generation marketer with a proven track record of strategies and programs that accelerate revenue. 

Hana has deep experience in the optimization of high-performance tactics and marketing automation technologies that build and measure the pipeline. She also has a thorough understanding of marketing strategy as well as data, attribution and execution.

Salespeople have long been considered the face of a company. They sell products or services, negotiate deals and close the sale. In recent years, however, companies have begun replacing salespeople with marketers.

Today, marketing is often seen as the primary way to generate leads and increase sales. As a result, companies are investing heavily in marketing departments. And they’re also hiring more marketers than ever before.

How did this trend begin? What are the pros and cons? Is marketing really becoming the new sales? Join us as we explore a topic that’s continuing to change modern marketing.

About Tessa Burg:

Tessa Burg is Chief Technology Officer at Tenlo. She’s been leading data-driven marketing and technology teams for 15+ years. Tessa has deep skills in many areas, including digital marketing, user experience, technology strategy and application architecture. 

Tessa believes in taking a tech-agnostic approach to marketing development. It maximizes a client’s existing technology investment. Plus, empowers clients to easily use, manage, measure and scale their platforms on their own.