Claim OwnershipSpiraling Up — Marketing For Professional Services
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Tired of dry, predictable marketing podcasts? Us too. Welcome to Spiraling Up—the show that puts a playful twist on professional services marketing.
A few times each month, you'll hear Pivotal Stories about the hottest B2B marketing research and trends before diving headfirst into interactive games and challenges with marketing leaders, Visible Experts™, and practitioners.
Whether you’re spearheading marketing and business development efforts or building your expertise in the field, this podcast is your go-to resource for actionable insights and real-world advice with a fun twist!
Hosted by Austin McNair, Joe Pope, and Mary-Blanche Kraemer.
Join us as we spiral up with the brightest minds in professional services marketing. Get ready to laugh, learn, and level up your marketing game! Subscribe Today.
28 Episodes
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If you could only choose four marketing strategies to rely on for the next year, what would make the cut? In this episode of Spiraling Up, the team is joined by Dawn Hancock, VP of Marketing at Vertex, for a practical and engaging exercise: building a “Marketing Mount Rushmore.” Each participant selects and defends the four tactics they believe deliver the greatest impact in today’s environment. The conversation explores how firms can prioritize effectively, allocate resources with intention,...
AI search has arrived—and it’s reshaping how buyers discover and evaluate companies. In this episode of Spiraling Up, the team welcomes Leah from Brandi to explore the rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and what marketers must do to stay visible in tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. Leah explains why the shift from traditional SEO to AI search changes the rules of digital marketing. Instead of simply matching keywords, AI systems evaluate intent, authority, and share of voi...
In this episode, the Hinge team explores whether the gap between thriving and struggling marketing leaders can really be traced back to four letters: C.A.R.E. Leadership strategist and bestselling author Jonathan Eldridge joins us to put his CARE framework to the test in a series of high-stakes, real-world scenarios—from boardroom imposter syndrome to marketing team meltdowns and social media crises. Along the way, we unpack: Why executives don’t want perfection—they want truthHow small, ever...
Rebrands are hard. And when they go wrong, they can be really wrong. In this episode of Spiraling Up, the Hinge team takes a playful—but deeply practical—look at Crazy, Stupid Rebrands: the most common ways professional services firms sabotage their own brand transformations. Using a game-based format inspired by classic romantic comedies, the team dissects real branding blunders—from research-free repositioning and internal power struggles to rushed launches that leave teams confused and cli...
Every year, business leaders set ambitious resolutions—delegate more, lead better, work less, grow faster. And every year, most of those goals quietly disappear. In this episode of Spiraling Up, the team sits down with Dr. Josh Elmore, organizational scientist and executive advisor, for a live coaching conversation on why leadership resolutions fail—and how high-performing executives create change that lasts. Rather than relying on motivation or willpower, Josh helps the hosts unpack the syst...
Download the executive summary of the 2026 High Growth Study: www.hingemarketing.com/hgs What marketing decisions truly drive growth in professional services firms? In this episode of Spiraling Up, the team explores findings from Hinge’s 2026 High Growth Study through a structured “This or That” conversation, examining the strategic choices that differentiate high-growth firms from their slower-growing peers. Rather than relying on opinions or industry hype, Austin McNair, Joe Pope, and Mary-...
Was launching Spiraling Up actually worth it? In this special year-end episode, the team looks back on 2025 and asks the honest question every firm-led podcast eventually faces: did this experiment deliver real value? We revisit standout clips from across the year, reflect on what worked (and what didn’t), and unpack the lessons we learned about podcasting as a strategic business tool—not just a marketing channel. From audience engagement and format experiments to internal alignment and lon...
Now that AI is inundated across everything that we do at work, what are the most important leadership skills to prioritize in your organization? In this episode of Spiraling Up, Dr. Mikah Sellers takes on our Blind Rankings challenge — and the results reveal the true skill gaps shaping the future of business leaders. From EQ and power skills to AI literacy and data fluency, this playful experiment uncovers the capabilities leaders must prioritize as technology accelerates faster than ...
In today’s episode of Spiraling Up, we explore one of the boldest moves in the accounting world: the creation of Sorren, a new Top 50 accounting firm formed through the merger of 16 independent firms. We’re joined by two of the leaders behind this remarkable merger — Tara Davis, National Marketing Director, and Heath Alloway, Growth Partner — who take us inside the real story: How five long-time peer firms planted the seed for a larger mergerHow the idea spread to 16 firms within the BDO All...
The Spiraling Up crew takes the show on the road to Southlake, Texas, for a special live recording with Paige Byrd and Elyssa Stephenson, co-presidents of the award-winning interior design and procurement firm Thiel & Team. Together, they dig into what it takes to grow a thriving professional services business—balancing creativity, client management, and operational excellence. Then, things take a fun turn as they play Date, Marry, Dump: Business Edition—debating which marketing strategi...
What if winning work felt a little more like dating? In this episode of Spiraling Up, Joe and Mary-Blanche sit down with marketing pros Amy Cuddy (Wilmot Sanz) and Abby Harrington (Gilbane Building Company) to unpack the parallels between proposal pursuits and modern matchmaking. From the principal in charge who “flies in and out” to the designer who just can’t stop tweaking, Amy and Abby share how to manage every personality type you’ll encounter in business development — and when it’...
Participate in the 2026 High Growth Study Today: https://hingemarketing.com/survey In this episode of Spiraling Up, the Hinge team dives into classic rom-com territory with 'How to Lose a Lead in 10 Days.' Austin McNair, Mary Blanche Kramer, and Joe Pope discuss seven surefire ways to lose a lead, from neglecting your website to giving prospects only one option. The team touches on the importance of social media, the pitfalls of responding to every RFP, and why you should never just t...
Participate in the 2026 High Growth Study today: https://hingemarketing.com/survey In this episode of Spiraling Up, the Hinge team welcomes Wayne Larson, the CRM Plumber, for a lively discussion on how to un-clog your CRM pipes. From bad data to cumbersome reports, learn how to clean up your tech issues. Finally, the team dissects common branding missteps, taking lessons from Cracker Barrel and Patron Tequila. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Welcome 06:20 Becoming a CRM Plumber 07:04 The Current Conv...
Buy or Sell? Relationships are the #1 asset to your organization. In this episode of Spiraling Up, Austin, Joe, and Mary-Blanche sit down with Dr. Ryan O'Sullivan, Global Account Manager at Introhive for a game of ‘Buy or Sell?’ This fun conversation centers on the importance of building stronger business relationships. Then, the gang cuts through the GEO vs. SEO hype in this week’s Pivotal Story inspired by a post by Jeremy Moser. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Welcome 04:26 Dr. Ryan O’Sullivan 08...
Fight back against toxic workplace cultures ✊ In this episode of Spiraling Up, the Hinge team dives into the evolving landscape of work culture, featuring an insightful discussion with John Garrett, author of 'What's Your And?' Garrett emphasizes the importance of valuing employees beyond their job titles and integrating personal passions into professional life. The conversation also explores the impact of AI on productivity, managing work-life balance, and creating a people-centric workplac...
In this episode, Matt Tait, Co-Founder of Decimal joins the show to play a game of 'Would You Rather?' with Austin, Joe, and Mary-Blanche. Spinning a digital wheel to decide the questions, Matt is given abominable choices across 5 various categories: people, growth levers, profit centers, leadership, and business killers. This fun, gameshow-style podcast interview showcases important business leadership lessons in an entertaining way. Then, the gang explores why CMOs have shifted their...
In this special Intern Takeover episode of Spiraling Up, the 2025 Summer Intern, Sabrina Alperin, hosts an exciting gameshow very similar to (but definitely different than) the popular gameshow, Jeopardy! Austin, Mary-Blanche, and Joe compete to answer questions in categories like 'Everything Sabrina,' 'Marketing Mayhem,' and 'Hinge Story.' Sabrina also shares insights from her internship at Hinge, discussing the importance of SEO, social media strategies, and the role of AI in marketing. Th...
In this episode of Spiraling Up inspired by the hit 1999 movie, "10 Things I Hate About You", Austin, Mary-Blanche, and Joe dive into the top ten things they hate about professional services websites. They discuss issues from huge navigation menus to poor SEO optimization and offer illustrative examples of websites that are doing it right. Hinge's Art Director Christian Baldo, also joins the show to share his perspective on why brands (and the world) has gone gray. And don't miss the u...
In this episode of Spiraling Up, the team dives into the implications of Google's new AI product, Veo 3, which can generate highly realistic video content from text prompts. What impact will this have on marketing? On humanity? Then, the hosts welcome Megan Battaglia, VP of Marketing at ThunderCat Technology, for a game of 'B2G Power Plays.' Megan shares valuable insights on building a government-focused marketing strategy, leveraging vendor partnerships, and ensuring event success. Do...
In this episode of Spiraling Up, the Hinge team dives into the growing trend of fractional executives in professional services. Austin, Mary-Blanche, and Joe are joined by Jen Hamilton, a fractional COO and mentor to COOs, to play a game of “Blind Rankings” in a fun exploration of on-demand work in various aspects of business operations.
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