Explore every episode of the podcast The Executive Brand Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Lessons from the CMO of G2, Salesloft & Drata | 21 Jan 2026 | 00:52:03 | |
Sydney Sloan was previously the CMO at G2, Drata, and Salesloft, prior to which she spent 16 years at Adobe in a variety of marketing leadership roles. She is currently an advisor at G2 and Executive in Residence at Scale Venture Partners, working with early-stage founders on go-to-market strategy. In this episode, we talk about her biggest lessons, how buyer behavior has fundamentally changed, why brand matters more than ever, and what the 2026 marketing playbook actually looks like. --- We discuss: * Why this is the biggest transformation in 30 years of B2B marketing * Buyer research shifted from 29% to 50% on AI chatbots in 4 months, and what that means for you AEO strategy * Why you probably don't need marketing automation the way you used to * “Human in the loop” vs “human in the lead” * How to build brand in 2026 - and why it matters more than ever * The Show-Up-Bigger-Than-You-Are playbook * Reorganizing GTM teams around outcomes, not functions * The advice Sydney would give herself before her first CMO role --- Connect with Sydney: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydsloan/ * G2: https://www.g2.com/ * Scale Venture Partners: https://www.scalevp.com/ --- Connect with Finn: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ * Project 33: https://www.project33.io/ --- My personal takeaways: 1. The shift to AI search is happening faster than we think. Internal G2 data showed that in April 2025, 29% of buyers said they started their research in of of the AI chatbots. By August that number hit 50%, just four months later. In 2026, every company needs to focus on their AEO strategy making sure their brand is the citation source LLMs use. 2. Marketing automation as we know it is dead. Companies need to capture high-intent signals using tools like Clay or Common Room, and immediately deploy AI agents to act on them. Speed is the new currency. 3. Show up bigger than you are. Sydney got this advice from the CMOs of Okta and Snyk, and used it to scale Drata and Salesloft. You don’t need a massive budget, you need one anchor event or one bold move. At Drata, they bought out every ad space for two blocks around Moscone Center for RSA Conference so attendees couldn’t miss them. At Salesloft, they bought a billboard on Highway 101, but the ROI didn’t come from the traffic driving by, it came from leveraging photos of it online. Big one-off events, if properly leveraged, signal momentum to investors, customers and potential employees. 4. We’re entering the “Rick Rubin Economy”, because AI lowers the barrier to entry for content and code, so the only differentiator is taste. You can’t prompt your way to good taste. We need to hire for context and judgment, or leverage advisory boards of influencers who actually understand the market. AI provides the speed, but humans provide the creative direction that determines if anyone actually cares. 5. Do we need GTM Architects? Everyone is rushing to hire GTM Engineers and build AI workflows, but in software development, you need engineers and architects. They work at different levels of abstraction. Software Engineers build and maintain software, Software Architects design the system as a whole. We need this for GTM. You need someone to map the strategy, choose the agentic platforms, and decide *what* to automate before you build it. Sydney said she sees this as a separate role, likely sitting in RevOps, not something for the CMO. 6. The biggest mistake new CMOs make is obsessing over their domain of the marketing department. Sydney’s advice for someone stepping into a C-level role for the first time: Spend your first 90 days building deep relationships with your peers - the CFO, CRO, CEO. If you don’t understand the business context and have alignment with your peers, the best marketing strategy in the world won’t save you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| How the CMO Role is Changing w/ ex-CMO of Calendly Jessica Gilmartin | 14 Jan 2026 | 00:54:52 | |
Jessica Gilmartin was previously the CMO and CRO at Calendly, Head of Revenue Marketing at Asana, and Head of Product Marketing for Wildfire at Google. Today, she works closely with founders and first-time CMOs from pre-revenue through $100M ARR, advising them on everything from hiring, org design to GTM focus and executive communication. In this episode, we talk about how AI is changing the CMO role and marketing org, where it’s wildly overhyped vs working, and many other topics. Listen on: YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcast We discuss: * Why CMO + CRO combo roles usually fail * Why companies now hire CMOs from smaller, scrappier startups * Where AI is truly useful vs pure hype * Why random acts of marketing kill momentum * How Calendly moved from viral PLG to focused enterprise ABM * The real reason CMOs only last 18 months * Why taste, courage, and focus still matter more than tools Connect with Jessica: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicagilmartin/ Connect with Finn: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ * Project 33: https://www.project33.io/ My personal takeaways: * We’re overvaluing AI right now: Jessica believes we’ll replace most of our day-to-day work with AI in 5-10 years. But right now board members are mandating AI adoption without specific use cases. The reality is AI is making teams 10-20% more efficient and that it works as an enabler, but not as a replacement. The best use cases she’s seeing are data enrichment for lead prioritization, competitive research for product marketing, and using LLMs as synthetic customer panels. * There are three paths to CMO and CEOs keep hiring wrong. 50% of B2B CMOs come from product marketing, 50% from demand gen, brand CMOs are rare in B2B. CEOs want a unicorn who’s great at both strategic messaging and technical growth. Jessica’s advice: “It’s like asking a backend engineer why they can’t code mobile apps.” Hire for your actual problem right now, not the one you’ll have at $100M. * The only mistake with bad hires is keeping them. Jessica repeats this constantly to clients, that you will always make bad hires. Or you hire people who were good then but aren’t right now. The mistake afterwards is keeping them too long. When you bring the right person on board, your life gets 10-100x easier. * Attribution is broken and that’s okay. You’re getting 70-80% accuracy at best. Jessica’s approach is to use the 80-20 rule. Get directionally correct data so teams understand where they can make impact and then work from there. The bigger issue is that companies wait too long to implement basic data and reporting infrastructure. * Random acts of marketing kill focus. At Calendly, Jessica pivoted the entire team to one thing: repositioning for enterprise customers. Because their CAC was zero for casual users due to viral growth. Marketers hate focus and they want to sprinkle seeds everywhere. But the winning strategy is making big bets, being explicit about trade-offs, and ensuring no one does random acts of marketing. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Exec Comms Lessons from Salesforce, Toast and Wellhub & the Future of PR | 30 Oct 2025 | 00:40:09 | |
Joe Ciarallo led comms at Salesforce, Toast (through IPO), and now Wellhub (formerly Gympass), a $2.4 billion corporate-wellness company.He’s seen what happens when scrappy startup PR turns into an IPO-ready machine. In this episode, Joe breaks down exactly how to build that engine. From category creation at Salesforce to crisis playbooks at Toast, and how to make your founder’s voice a real strategic asset. What you’ll learn:- How Salesforce invented the “Marketing Cloud.”- The shift from scrappy PR to strategic comms.- The new PR mix: owned + earned.- Where AI fits in comms, and why thought leadership will become more valuable, not less.- How companies like Ryanair earned trust by explaining the logic behind unpopular choices.- Why separating those functions is already outdated.- How Salesforce and Toast decide who shows up, what to say, and why empathy is non-negotiable.- Joe’s rule: just start. Post, iterate, learn, repeat.Perfect for founders who:- Want to look public-ready long before the IPO- Need to balance credibility with control- Are scaling fast and can’t afford to “wing comms” anymore- Believe the founder’s voice is part of the brand- Want to build real authority on LinkedIn without sounding corporate Connect with Joe:- Joe’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeciarallo/- Wellhub: https://wellhub.com/ Connect with me: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/- Website: https://www.project33.io/- Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH Chapters00:00 – “Dress for the job you want, even as a startup.”01:20 – The Salesforce Marketing Cloud story05:50 – How owned + earned media play off each other08:30 – The rise of podcasts as the new PR11:40 – Turning scrappy PR into an IPO-ready function14:00 – How Toast prepped for IPO16:15 – AI, content, and speed18:20 – Why AI can’t create thought leadership20:30 – The new transparency: explaining the why22:00 – When journalists check your LinkedIn25:50 – Internal vs external comms is outdated30:00 – The rise of the Chief Comms Officer32:00 – Coaching founders to lead industries, not just products34:00 – Crisis playbooks and empathy36:00 – Why comms leaders should post too38:10 – CEO visibility and leading by example40:00 – Wrap-up This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| How He scaled this SaaS beyond $10M ARR in 4 Years | 27 Feb 2024 | 00:45:19 | |
Cobi Blumenfeld-Gantz is the CEO and Co-founder at Chapter, a technology-driven Medicare advisor improving how seniors choose their health coverage. How do you reduce the time spent on founder-led sales? This is one of many topics I covered in my conversation with Cobi Blumenfeld Gantz. In this episode, we are talking about: - Why the Founder Should Drive Your Marketing - How to Reduce the Time Spent on Founder-Led Sales - The Big Problem in the Medicare Industry - How 90% of Partners Get Referrals Working With Chapter Cobi Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cobibgantz/ Chapter: https://askchapter.org/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ Website: https://www.project33.io/ #linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Mike DeVries: How Enterprise SaaS Marketing and GTM Has Evolved | 23 Feb 2024 | 00:48:40 | |
Mike is a veteran of the Enterprise SaaS world: - entered the software business in 1990 - was part of the internet boom as CMO of Versata, taking it public in 2000 - ran Wakesoft, Clarus Systems, and Instill Corporation as CEO - "semi-retired" to join the boards of various software companies - currently serving as President for LiftLab I will dive into how Enterprise SaaS marketing has evolved, what it takes to win in today's world, how companies need to rethink their go-to-market, how to do hand-shake-trust-based business in a virtual-first world, and many more things. Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkdevries/ LiftLab: https://www.liftlab.com/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ Website: https://www.project33.io/ #linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Steven Charlap: How to Build a B2B SaaS Company in the Healthcare Space | 19 Feb 2024 | 00:36:07 | |
How to Build a B2B SaaS in the Healthcare Space This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Chris Walker: How to Run an Executive Thought-Leadership Program | 06 Feb 2024 | 00:51:53 | |
I chatted with Chris Walker about Founder-Led Marketing and how to run a successful CEO thought leadership program on LinkedIn in 2024. In this episode we will cover:
Chris Walker:
Project 33: Website: https://www.project33.io/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Max Greenwald: 4 Steps to Go From Founder-Led Sales to a Repeatable Sales Process | 15 Jan 2024 | 00:53:57 | |
Warmly, went from 0 to 100+ paying customers in 2023. More importantly, Maximus Greenwald (founder & CEO) went from founder-led sales to a repeatable sales process. Here's how he built a repeatable sales motion this year (taken from Max's post, linked below): Q1: Founder Led Sales - Customers: 0-10- GTM Strategy: Design partners & founder friends - Key experiment: messaging Q2: Sales Leader Led, Founder Involved - Customers: 10-30- GTM Strategy: Founder friends & startups, email sequencing - Key experiment: LinkedIn sequencing Q3: Seller-Led Sales, Founder Involved - Customers: 30-60 - GTM Strategy: Omni-channel (LinkedIn/email), inbound (Warm Calling on the website with Warmly), territories - Key experiment: Conferences Q4: Seller Led, Sales Leader Run - Customers: 60-100+ - GTM Strategy: No change from Q3 (repeatability!), just optimization - Key experiment: LinkedIn social to drive inbound We'll dive into: - Key questions he asked himself at each stage - Tools he implemented at every stage - What did he hire for and when? - Tips on implementing his framework - How does he think about scaling from here on Maximus Greenwald LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-greenwald/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Peter Caputa: 7 Ways You Need to Tweak Your Marketing Strategy in 2024 | 12 Jan 2024 | 00:57:20 | |
Peter Caputa must be one of the most active software CEOs on Linkedin - and it's not for nothing. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Kevin Bobowski: How B2B Marketing is Changing in the New Era of Efficiency | 12 Jan 2024 | 00:44:34 | |
Kevin Bobowski: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-bobowski/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Finn Thormeier: How to Start a CEO Thought Leadership Program in 2024 | 08 Jan 2024 | 00:36:14 | |
Website: https://www.project33.io/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Finn Thormeier: How to Grow Your B2B SaaS Business in 2024 | 25 Dec 2023 | 00:32:01 | |
Behrad LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/behradmirafshar/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Patrick Trümpi: Why Is the CSO at Unique Posting on LinkedIn? | 18 Dec 2023 | 00:52:03 | |
Patrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-tr%C3%BCmpi/?originalSubdomain=ch
Website: https://www.project33.io/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Gong's Executive Content & LinkedIn Thought Leadership Playbook w/ Udi Ledergor | 23 Oct 2025 | 00:57:03 | |
Udi Ledergor joined Gong as their first marketer in 2016, back when “revenue intelligence” wasn’t even a thing.
Perfect For:
Connect with Udi:
Connect with Finn: 00:00 — Intro: from Gong’s first marketer to $300M+ ARR This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Kevin Indig: Is SEO the Right Lever for Your B2B SaaS Startup? | 11 Dec 2023 | 00:59:57 | |
Kevin Indig: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinindig/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Udi Ledergor: How Gong Established & Designed Their Own Category | 05 Dec 2023 | 00:57:32 | |
Gong Website: https://www.gong.io/ Gong LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gong-io/ Udi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/udiledergor/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Philipp Ströhemann: How to Bootstrap SaaS to $10M | 27 Nov 2023 | 01:04:51 | |
Website: https://www.project33.io/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Justin Rowe: How to Fuel Your LinkedIn Ads and Scale Efficiently | 23 Nov 2023 | 01:07:25 | |
Justin Rowe: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-rowe-4043339b/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCATGD6P27kWXDVuaAZeZBuQ Website: https://www.project33.io/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH?si=439e607dc707473a This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Jason Fried on Bootstrapping vs VC and Profit vs Revenue | 16 Nov 2023 | 00:48:56 | |
Jason Fried is the co-founder and CEO of 37signals, the company behind Basecamp and HEY. In this episode, Jason breaks down why they’ve stayed bootstrapped and profitable for 25 years, how they ship without meetings or metrics, and why the best software is always built for yourself first. He also shares why “working more” isn’t the answer and how 40-hour workweeks can lead to more creative output, not less. Topics we cover in this episode: - Why Jason never raised VC and still doesn’t regret it - How 37signals builds without north star metrics - Writing as product design: How Jason thinks about good copies - Calm growth vs. high-pressure scale: what actually works - What founders get wrong about retention, pricing, and features - When SaaS stops making sense and why Jason built Once.com - How he’s worked with the same co-founder for 25+ years - Jason’s daily routine, headspace, and rule for “enough” Perfect for: - SaaS founders tired of the VC playbook - Bootstrappers who want profit and peace of mind - Product leaders designing for real people - Writers and marketers learning to communicate clearly Connect with Jason: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-fried/ - Basecamp: https://basecamp.com/ - Hey: https://www.hey.com/ - Books: https://basecamp.com/books - REWORK Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwo5Hcps5IkBBAv1-_HPOMvC4Rn1p8lsQ&si=7tq91JJ-GS4pgY1v Connect with me: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ - Website: https://www.project33.io/ - Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH Chapters 00:00 Building Calm Companies: Jason’s Story 02:10 Why VC incentives don’t align with calm growth 05:20 What Jason learned from watching SaaS grow aggressive 08:45 Retention hacking, “traps,” and the Basecamp philosophy 10:55 Building for trust, not time spent in-app 13:20 Why Jason doesn’t use goals, OKRs, or north stars 16:30 How Basecamp makes decisions with intuition over metrics 19:10 The writing process behind high-converting copy 22:00 Why product pages are the best content marketing 24:15 SaaS fatigue and the vision for Once.com 27:05 Pricing philosophy: just charge what feels right 29:30 The role of press, story, and staying independent 32:10 How Jason avoids co-founder burnout after 25 years 34:40 Daily structure, creative headspace, and doing less 38:00 What it really means to build for yourself 41:20 Final thoughts: clarity, calm, and doing it your way #jasonfried #37signals #basecamp #linkedinads #linkedinagency #linkedinadsagency #linkedinfounderbranding #saasmarketing #b2bmarketing #b2bcontent #demandgeneration #awareness #content #linkedin #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #contentcreation #performancemarketing #videomarketing #inboundmarketing #personalbranding #founderledmarketing #contentstrategie #SMMA #contenttips This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Peter Caputa: How Databox Is Generating 6K Product Signups/Month Using LinkedIn | 23 Oct 2023 | 00:49:07 | |
Peter Caputa must be one of the most active software CEOs on Linkedin - and it's not for nothing. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| How to Repurpose Your LinkedIn Posts | 17 Oct 2023 | 00:30:22 | |
We repurpose our Linkedin posts in 9 other channels:
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Anurag Gupta: Lessons from AWS & How to get Past the $1M ARR Hurdle | 09 Oct 2023 | 00:44:00 | |
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| How to Overcome Common Problems When Implementing Founder-Led Marketing | 05 Oct 2023 | 00:34:28 | |
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| How to incorporate Founder-Led Marketing on Linkedin into your Marketing Strategy | 23 Sep 2023 | 00:43:37 | |
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| How SentinelOne’s ($1B ARR) CMO Uses LinkedIn to Drive Brand & Pipeline | 16 Oct 2025 | 00:49:25 | |
Bryan Law is the CMO at SentinelOne, an AI-powered cybersecurity company that just crossed $1B ARR. Before joining SentinelOne, Bryan led marketing at Salesforce and ZoomInfo, where he learned the power of distinctive brands and founder-led storytelling.
What you’ll learn
Perfect for Founders, CMOs, and marketing leaders who want to:
Connect with Bryan Bryan’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanbasdenlaw/ SentinelOne: https://www.sentinelone.com/ Connect with me Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
00:00 Distinct vs Different This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Aleksandr Yampolskiy: Lessons From Scaling SecurityScorecard from $1M to $10M in ARR | 19 Sep 2023 | 00:47:32 | |
“What should the CEO focus on when scaling from $1M to $10M in ARR?” Here’s what Alex Yampolskyi (Co-Founder & CEO at Security Scorecard) had to say: “There’s no playbook for being a CEO. It’s about your unique strengths. For example, I suck at financial P&L modeling, but always ensure it’s validated by my team. Your priorities as a leader constantly shift, sometimes from week to week. However, I always spent much of my time on hiring - and still do. The rest I usually spent on product development and customer support, resulting in long hours. The central advice is: Work backward. After a seed round, consider what investors expect next. When discussing Series A, reverse-engineer from the valuation. And break your revenue targets down further. Understand your average contract size to calculate the necessary customers to reach your targets. With a set revenue goal, establish your marketing pipeline. Reverse-engineer to know your lead generation needs. By reverse-engineering, you know how many leads you need to reach your target number of customers and, thus, your revenue targets. Progressing from Series A to B is all about strategizing numbers in reverse.”
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| B2B vs B2C: What BMW, Olive Garden and a Local Shoe Store in Berlin Can Teach B2B Companies About Marketing | 14 Sep 2023 | 00:28:42 | |
B2B vs B2C: What BMW, Olive Garden and a Local Shoe Store in Berlin Can Teach B2B Companies About Marketing.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Cutting Google Ads: Unlocking Loxo's $100k Google Ads Savings Strategy with Sam Kuehnle | 09 Sep 2023 | 00:58:04 | |
Cutting Google Ads: Unlocking Loxo's $100k Google Ads Savings Strategy with Sam Kuehnle Sam Kuehnle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samkuehnle/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Navigating Growth: Founder-Led Marketing vs. Founder Branding | 05 Sep 2023 | 00:53:57 | |
Navigating Growth: Founder-Led Marketing vs. Founder Branding
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| The Power of Founder-Led Marketing: Lessons From Founderpath, SaaStr & Refine Labs | 30 Aug 2023 | 00:35:11 | |
Welcome to The Founder-Led Marketing Show, the podcast that helps B2B SaaS founders and CEOs create awareness for their solutions, build trust and credibility in their market, generate inbound demos, and drive efficient growth
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| How we Generated $102K Revenue From 1 Ad | The Founder-Led Marketing Show | 23 Aug 2023 | 00:39:55 | |
Welcome to The Founder-Led Marketing Show, the podcast that helps B2B SaaS founders and CEOs create awareness for their solutions, build trust and credibility in their market, generate inbound demos, and drive efficient growth
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| How to Gain Credibility as Software Startup & Why Founders Need to Be Involved in Their Marketing | The Founder-Led Marketing Show | 19 Aug 2023 | 00:32:19 | |
Welcome to The Founder-Led Marketing Show, the podcast that helps B2B SaaS founders and CEOs create awareness for their solutions, build trust and credibility in their market, generate inbound demos, and drive efficient growth.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| How Nathan Latka is leveraging founder-led marketing, How to shorten your marketing cycles, Facebook Ads vs LinkedIn Ads | The Founder-Led Marketing Show #18 | 29 Jul 2023 | 00:31:06 | |
In this episode, we talk about Founder-led Marketing vs Demand Gen, facebook ads vs LinkedIn ads, how Founder-Led Marketing helps your salespeople, how Nathan Latka is leveraging founder-led marketing, how to shorten your marketing cycles, 3 reasons why video outweighs other content formats, CNBC interview vs LinkedIn content and 6 popular B2B marketing strategies that don’t work. Website: https://www.project33.io/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@project-33 LinkedIn (Finn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ LinkedIn (Jay): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-flores/ LinkedIn (Tobi): https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-moelenkamp/ Tags: b2b marketing, b2b content, content marketing, revenue growth, demand gen, demand generation, performance marketing, video marketing, inbound marketing, personal branding, personal brands, linkedin, linkedin marketing, content creation, content tips, content strategies, project 33, project33, finn thormeier, contentstrategie, founderledmarketing, contenttips, smma, founder-led marketing, This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Linkedin Ads Masterclass with Justin Rowe & Finn Thormeier — Live Q&A 6 | The Founder-Led Marketing Show #17 | 22 Jul 2023 | 01:03:00 | |
Justin Rowe: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-rowe-4043339b/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCATGD6P27kWXDVuaAZeZBuQ Project 33: b2b marketing, b2b content, content marketing, revenue growth, demand gen, demand generation, performance marketing, video marketing, inbound marketing, personal branding, personal brands, linkedin, linkedin marketing, content creation, content tips, content strategies, project 33, project33, finn thormeier This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| How to Implement Founder-Led Marketing, The #1 Benefit of Founder-Led Marketing, How Founder-Led Marketing Makes Sales Easier | The Founder-Led Marketing Show #16 | 18 Jun 2023 | 00:26:15 | |
In this episode, we talk about how to implement Founder-Led Marketing, 4 content pillars for a strong Founder-Led Marketing strategy, how to turn your Founder into a 24/7 salesperson, the #1 benefit of Founder-Led Marketing, how Founder-Led Marketing makes sales easier, the 3 types of trust in Founder-Led Marketing, our blueprint for successful Founder-Led Marketing. Website: https://www.project33.io/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@project-33 LinkedIn (Finn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ LinkedIn (Jay): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-flores/ LinkedIn (Tobi): https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-moelenkamp/ Tags: b2b marketing, b2b content, content marketing, revenue growth, demand gen, demand generation, performance marketing, video marketing, inbound marketing, personal branding, personal brands, linkedin, linkedin marketing, content creation, content tips, content strategies, project 33, project33, finn thormeier, contentstrategie, founderledmarketing, contenttips, smma, founder-led marketing, This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Sales, Life, and Career Lessons from Owner.com CRO Kyle Norton | 09 Oct 2025 | 00:53:52 | |
Owner.com powers 10,000+ restaurants with tools to grow sales, from online ordering and loyalty programs, to marketing automation. Behind that growth is Kyle Norton, CRO and former Shopify revenue leader, who’s helped rebuild the business from zero to multi-millions ARR, twice. In this episode, Kyle opens up about the habits, frameworks, and trade-offs that drive long-term success as a leader, parent, and athlete. From rebuilding after failure to finding balance with two kids and a hyper-intense founder, this one’s packed with real talk on what high performance actually looks like. What You’ll Learn - How Owner.com rebuilt from $0 to $1M ARR in a year, twice - Why Adam Guild’s intensity sets the bar for what “founder-led” really means - How martial arts shaped Kyle’s approach to sales, discipline, and resilience - The real trade-offs between startup growth, family, and health - What separates great CROs from good ones and why “bar raising” matters - How Kyle uses AI in his revenue org (and what actually delivers ROI) - Why he doesn’t chase AI hype and how Owner’s mission keeps him grounded - Lessons from Jason Lemkin on board trust, transparency, and tough feedback Founders, sales leaders, and executives who want to: -Scale teams without burning out - Lead with discipline, not chaos - Build brand trust that compounds - Stay grounded while chasing growth Connect with Kyle: - Kyle’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylecnorton/ - Revenue Leadership Podcast: https://www.therevenueleadershippodcast.com/ - Owner.com: https://www.owner.com/ Connect with me: Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ Website: https://www.project33.io/ Chapters 00:00 Owner.com’s story and rebuilding from $0 to $1M ARR 03:00 Lessons from martial arts and disciplined practice 07:00 Physical fitness as a superpower for startup leaders 09:30 What makes founder-led intensity different 13:00 Investing early in brand and why it paid off long-term 17:30 Balancing family, health, and high performance 24:00 The truth about kids, work, and “having it all” 26:00 What separates elite CROs from good ones 31:00 Company culture, ownership, and “the numbers too high” 34:00 Why building a personal brand matters as a leader 39:00 Kyle’s favorite podcasts and why he started his own 42:00 AI in sales and what actually works 51:00 Lessons from Jason Lemkin on trust and board management 53:30 Closing thoughts and reflections #linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| When Is Founder-Led Marketing the Most Effective, Why Your Marketing Is Not Performing, Running Ads Is Not Demand Gen | The Founder-Led Marketing Show #15 | 24 May 2023 | 00:22:53 | |
In this episode, we talk about why B2B companies should consider influencer marketing, how I would setup my B2B company’s podcast, running ads is not demand gen, why LinkedIn ads is the best B2B channel in 2023, when is Founder-Led Marketing the most effective, why your marketing is not performing and Founder-Led Marketing vs Founder Branding. Website: https://www.project33.io/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@project-33 LinkedIn (Finn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ LinkedIn (Jay): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-flores/ LinkedIn (Tobi): https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-moelenkamp/ Tags: b2b marketing, b2b content, content marketing, revenue growth, demand gen, demand generation, performance marketing, video marketing, inbound marketing, personal branding, personal brands, linkedin, linkedin marketing, content creation, content tips, content strategies, project 33, project33, finn thormeier, contentstrategie, founderledmarketing, contenttips, smma, founder-led marketing, This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| How to Stand Out on LinkedIn in 2023, The Most Important Content Metric to Track, Understanding Marketing Cycles | The Founder-Led Marketing Show #14 | 13 Apr 2023 | 00:18:29 | |
In this episode, we talk about the most important content metric to track, understanding marketing cycles, how your need for tracking is destroying your content strategy, posting to LinkedIn pages vs personal profiles and how to stand out on LinkedIn in 2023. Website: https://www.project33.io/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@project-33 LinkedIn (Finn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ LinkedIn (Jay): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-flores/ LinkedIn (Tobi): https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-moelenkamp/ Tags: b2b marketing, b2b content, content marketing, revenue growth, demand gen, demand generation, performance marketing, video marketing, inbound marketing, personal branding, personal brands, linkedin, linkedin marketing, content creation, content tips, content strategies, project 33, project33, finn thormeier, contentstrategie, founderledmarketing, contenttips, smma, founder-led marketing, This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| What Is Demand Gen, Main Ingredients of a Good B2B Podcast, 4 Content Pillars for Successful Founder Branding, What Can B2B Learn From B2C? | The Founder-Led Marketing Show #13 | 20 Mar 2023 | 00:27:17 | |
In this episode, we talk about tracking the what is demand gen, the main ingredients of a good B2B podcast, 4 content pillars for successful foudner branding, how much does a 45 min podcast episode cost, how to encourage your employees to be active on LinkedIn and what B2B can learn from B2C. Website: https://www.project33.io/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@project-33 LinkedIn (Finn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ LinkedIn (Jay): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-flores/ LinkedIn (Tobi): https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-moelenkamp/ Tags: b2b marketing, b2b content, content marketing, revenue growth, demand gen, demand generation, performance marketing, video marketing, inbound marketing, personal branding, personal brands, linkedin, linkedin marketing, content creation, content tips, content strategies, project 33, project33, finn thormeier, contentstrategie, founderledmarketing, contenttips, smma, founder-led marketing, This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Tracking the ROI of Content, How We Help B2B Software Companies Grow, How to Run Cost-Effective Marketing, 5 Reasons Why B2B Content Fails | The Founder-Led Marketing Show #12 | 09 Feb 2023 | 00:35:57 | |
In this episode, we talk about tracking the ROI of Content, how we help B2B software companies grow, how to run cost-effective marketing, 5 reasons why B2B content fails, why marketing is cheaper than sales, hiring a marketing agency vs doing it yourself and should you post your B2B content only on LinkedIn. Website: https://www.project33.io/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@project-33 LinkedIn (Finn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ LinkedIn (Jay): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-flores/ LinkedIn (Tobi): https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-moelenkamp/ Tags: b2b marketing, b2b content, content marketing, revenue growth, demand gen, demand generation, performance marketing, video marketing, inbound marketing, personal branding, personal brands, linkedin, linkedin marketing, content creation, content tips, content strategies, project 33, project33, finn thormeier, contentstrategie, founderledmarketing, contenttips This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| What is Founder-Led Marketing? — Live Q&A 5 | The Founder-Led Marketing Show #11 | 02 Feb 2023 | 00:50:15 | |
In this episode, we talk about Founder-led Marketing. If you can’t attend the Live Q&A, you can submit your question here. Tags: b2b marketing, b2b content, content marketing, revenue growth, demand gen, demand generation, performance marketing, video marketing, inbound marketing, personal branding, personal brands, linkedin, linkedin marketing, content creation, content tips, content strategies, project 33, project33, finn thormeier This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Content Is Networking at Scale, Why Personal Branding Matters, Why ChatGPT Will Not Take Over Copywriting, 5 Reasons Why Video Is Superior | The Founder-Led Marketing Show #10 | 22 Jan 2023 | 00:50:08 | |
In this episode, we talk about why personal branding matters, why B2B marketing takes months to deliver results, why we put all of our IP out there, content is networking at scale, self-checkout for a $100K ACV software product, how your newsletter is ruining your reputation, why ChatGPT will not take over copywriting, 5 reasons why video is superior, why we started doing live events and what I’d do as a new Head of Marketing. Our website: www.project33.io Tags: b2b marketing, b2b content, content marketing, revenue growth, demand gen, demand generation, performance marketing, video marketing, inbound marketing, personal branding, personal brands, linkedin, linkedin marketing, content creation, content tips, content strategies, project 33, project33, finn thormeier This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| The most important B2B marketing channels in 2023 — Live Q&A 4 | The Founder-Led Marketing Show #9 | 17 Jan 2023 | 00:31:24 | |
In this episode, we talk about the most important B2B marketing channels in 2023. If you can’t attend the Live Q&A, you can submit your question here. Tags: b2b marketing, b2b content, content marketing, revenue growth, demand gen, demand generation, performance marketing, video marketing, inbound marketing, personal branding, personal brands, linkedin, linkedin marketing, content creation, content tips, content strategies, project 33, project33, finn thormeier This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| What I Would Do in My First 3 Months as a New VP/Head of Marketing at a B2B Software Company — Live Q&A 3 | The Founder-Led Marketing Show #8 | 22 Dec 2022 | 00:33:09 | |
In this episode, we talk about what I would do in my first 3 months as a new VP/Head of Marketing at a B2B software company. If you can’t attend the Live Q&A, you can submit your question here. Tags: b2b marketing, b2b content, content marketing, revenue growth, demand gen, demand generation, performance marketing, video marketing, inbound marketing, personal branding, personal brands, linkedin, linkedin marketing, content creation, content tips, content strategies, project 33, project33, finn thormeier This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| B2B Marketing During a Recession, How to Cut Out Bad Marketing to Save Cost, How to Get Exponential Growth in Marketing | The Founder-Led Marketing Show #7 | 20 Dec 2022 | 00:42:36 | |
In this episode, we talk about B2B marketing during a recession, how to cut out bad marketing to save cost, live events vs. recorded content, the problem with bots and engagement pods, why B2B marketing is just sales at scale, how to 80-20 your marketing, how to get exponential growth in marketing, why posting memes and tweets won’t get you far, and solving B2B marketing. Our website: www.project33.io Tags: b2b marketing, b2b content, content marketing, revenue growth, demand gen, demand generation, performance marketing, video marketing, inbound marketing, personal branding, personal brands, linkedin, linkedin marketing, content creation, content tips, content strategies, project 33, project33, finn thormeier This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Breaking down Refine Lab's and Chris Walker's Content & Marketing Strategy — Live Q&A 2 | The Founder-Led Marketing Show #6 | 15 Dec 2022 | 00:45:12 | |
In this episode, we talk about Refine Lab's and Chris Walker's content & marketing strategy. If you can’t attend the Live Q&A, you can submit your question here. Our website: www.project33.io Tags: b2b marketing, b2b content, content marketing, revenue growth, demand gen, demand generation, performance marketing, video marketing, inbound marketing, personal branding, personal brands, linkedin, linkedin marketing, content creation, content tips, content strategies, project 33, project33, finn thormeier This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| lemlist CEO’s LinkedIn Playbook ($33M ARR, 10:1 LTV/CAC) | 07 Oct 2025 | 00:55:15 | |
Charles Tenot is the CEO of Lemlist, the $33M bootstrapped B2B SaaS company behind LinkedIn favorites like Lemwarm, Taplio, and TweetHunter. In this episode, he walks us through the transition from COO to CEO, what it’s like to follow a founder like Guillaume Moubeche, and how Lemlist builds brand without performance marketing. He also unpacks his personal LinkedIn writing system (including how he gets post ideas on his motorbike), why repurposing content is underrated, and why shipping features again was key to breaking their $15M ARR plateau. This one’s packed with stories and tactics from internal growth challenges to building a content-first culture that attracts top hires and drives 10:1 LTV to CAC. What we cover: - Charles’ transition from COO to CEO - The honest truth about why Lemlist stopped growing and how they broke through - How they restarted product velocity after 12 months of “tech debt” - The Lemlist brand playbook: what it actually means to build trust - Why Charles doesn’t believe in performance marketing (and what works instead) - How he writes LinkedIn posts in 10 minutes - His system for idea capture (Slack voice notes + ChatGPT for hook ideation) - Why clickbait kills audience quality - Internal content pods, incentives, and how Lemlist encourages employee posting - Why he killed their SEO blog and what they replaced it with Perfect for: - B2B founders stuck at a revenue plateau - CEOs looking to activate their teams on LinkedIn - Marketing and brand leaders scaling a bootstrapped company - Anyone trying to build trust in a noisy category Connect with Charles: - Charles’ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlestenot/ - lemlist: https://lemlist.com/ Connect with me: Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ Website: https://www.project33.io/ Chapters: 00:00 – LinkedIn is a game. Play it. 01:16 – Lemlist, Lempire, and $33M ARR 03:05 – What it’s like to take over as CEO 04:45 – The power of a “clear contract” when transitioning leadership 06:40 – Biggest lesson: trust your gut (even if the founder’s still around) 08:37 – Why Charles started posting on LinkedIn (and what pissed him off) 10:44 – Why personal branding helps attract top hires 12:38 – Can you track LinkedIn ROI? Not really. Here’s what to measure instead. 13:55 – Charles’ full posting system: ideation, hooks, writing, time spent 16:15 – The difference between engagement and quality (and how to balance) 18:37 – How he gets ideas on a motorbike (and his Slack system for saving them) 20:54 – “Done is better than perfect” The mindset for scaling content 23:00 – Why Charles doesn’t repurpose content (but why you probably should) 24:23 – Guillaume’s advice, and why you need your own voice 26:40 – “Why should anyone care what you write?” (Especially if you're early) 28:40 – Why every company should think like a niche content brand 30:55 – Internal pods, incentives, and how Lemlist encourages posting 34:33 – How Guillaume helps team members write—and why some say no 36:57 – Why they stopped paying employees for impressions 38:13 – 10:1 LTV to CAC – How Lemlist drives growth with brand 40:32 – Why they killed their SEO content 42:45 – What actually builds a trustworthy brand (from sales to product) 44:48 – Breaking through the ARR plateau: what finally worked 46:47 – Why complex orgs have lagging feedback loops 48:32 – “Ship something every month that excites the customer” 50:34 – How to build a personal brand when you’re just getting started 52:38 – Use your lack of experience as your brand 54:45 – “Do cool s**t and talk about it”—Content advice for students and juniors #linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| Project 33's Founding Story, B2B Marketing for Startups, and Founder Branding — makeitwork Podcast | The Founder-Led Marketing Show #5 | 22 Nov 2022 | 00:45:43 | |
In an interview on the makeitwork podcast with Balach Hussain, Finn talks about Project 33's founding story, B2B marketing for startups, founder branding, and more. makeitwork Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3knFLfsifSyKF8v2U2RNJI?si=988a1013f1924417 Our website: www.project33.io Tags: b2b marketing, b2b content, content marketing, revenue growth, demand gen, demand generation, performance marketing, video marketing, inbound marketing, personal branding, personal brands, linkedin, linkedin marketing, content creation, content tips, content strategies, project 33, project33, finn thormeier This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| How to Start Posting on Linkedin, the 7 Hour Rule, Serving the B2B Side for a B2C Company, and More | The Founder-Led Marketing Show #4 | 17 Nov 2022 | 00:32:17 | |
In this episode, we talk about how to post on Linkedin, the problem with selling to multiple decision-makers, how to serve the B2B side for any marketplace or B2C company, the "7 Hour Rule", how to leverage your network on Linkedin, and how videos help prove the value of your offer. Our website: www.project33.io Tags: b2b marketing, b2b content, content marketing, revenue growth, demand gen, demand generation, performance marketing, video marketing, inbound marketing, personal branding, personal brands, linkedin, linkedin marketing, content creation, content tips, content strategies, project 33, project33, finn thormeier This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||
| How B2B Marketing Has Changed, Avoiding Marketing Silos, and More — Live Q&A 1 | The Founder-Led Marketing Show #3 | 09 Nov 2022 | 00:41:36 | |
In this Live Q&A, we talk about how B2B marketing has changed, how to avoid marketing silos, whether you should post personal content, when it makes sense to start a podcast, and more. Our website: project33.io Tags: b2b marketing, b2b content, content marketing, revenue growth, demand gen, demand generation, performance marketing, video marketing, inbound marketing, personal branding, personal brands, linkedin content, linkedin marketing, content creation, content tips, content strategies, project 33, project33, finn thormeier This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org | |||