Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast

Need to win your next pitch fast? Discover how BrainLabs closes deals in a week—and how you can too. Most agencies overcomplicate pitches. BrainLabs does the opposite—and it’s winning them 84% of the time. In this episode of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, Kerry Curran sits down with Adam Potashnick, former COO of MediaCom and now CEO of one of the fastest-growing indie agencies in the U.S. Adam shares the tested strategies that are working right now to build pipeline, win trust, and close faster: Steal his “One Week to Win” pitch framework Learn how BrainLabs built deal-flow through creative, PR, and consultant partnerships Discover the one move that flips agency reviews in their favor—every time Understand why how you build the team matters more than what you pitch 🎯 Whether you're tired of being the runner-up or just need a tighter process, this episode will help you show up sharper and close smarter. Stay to the end where Adam breaks down how they won a major retail client within an hour—and why most agencies would’ve blown it. Flat or slowing revenue? Let’s fix that—fast. Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast gives you proven plays, sharp insights, and “steal-this-today” tactics to power your revenue engine. 🎧 Follow on Apple, Spotify, YouTube ⭐ Rate 5 stars if these insights move your metrics 📅 Fresh episodes drop often—don’t miss a pipeline-popping idea 👉 Visit revenuebasedmarketing.com to start your growth audit—or DM me directly. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Feeling the pressure to grow—but struggling to get above the line of power in your deals? You're not alone. In a market saturated with noise, generic emails, and product-first selling, the biggest threat to your revenue isn't bad outreach—it's a lack of real executive relationships. In this episode of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast titled “Beyond the Buyer: How Executive Engagement Drives More B2B Revenue,” host Kerry Curran is joined by Silicon Valley veteran Sarah Moody, tech entrepreneur and co-founder of SEEL (Society of Executive Engagement Leaders). Sarah has helped brands like Splunk, Palo Alto Networks, and other global enterprise players unlock growth through one powerful lever: multi-threaded executive engagement. And the cost of ignoring it? Expansion failure, revenue risk, and brand irrelevance. 🧠 Here’s what you’ll learn: Why fragmented, disjointed exec engagement efforts are silently eroding your brand trust The 5-question audit to evaluate your current strategy—and spot revenue risk before it’s too late What “above the line” relationships really look like (hint: it’s not just wining and dining) How to engage introverted leaders to show up confidently with clients and boards And why post-sale exec engagement is your new growth engine in the age of AI commoditization ✨ Who It’s For: CMOs, CROs, and GTM leaders who want to future-proof revenue by building resilient, trusted relationships in top accounts. 🎯 What You’ll Walk Away With: A playbook to align sales, marketing, and customer success around exec touchpoints—and turn brand trust into expansion, renewal, and category dominance. Stay tuned to the end, where Sarah shares the real ROI of building a proprietary research engine—and why it’s your competitive moat in a world of generic AI content. If you’ve ever lost a deal because the buyer didn’t “feel confident” in your brand, this episode is the wake-up call. Flat or slowing revenue? Let’s fix that—fast. Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast gives you proven plays, sharp insights, and “steal-this-today” tactics to power your revenue engine. 🎧 Follow on Apple, Spotify, YouTube ⭐ Rate 5 stars if these insights move your metrics 📅 Fresh episodes drop often—don’t miss a pipeline-popping idea 👉 Visit revenuebasedmarketing.com to start your growth audit—or DM me directly. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sick of trade shows that cost a fortune but never drive real pipeline? If your events strategy feels more like a brand awareness play than a revenue engine, this episode will help you flip the script. In this episode of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast titled “B2B Events That Close Deals: Strategies for Relationship-First Growth,” host Kerry Curran sits down with Meghan Lavin, VP of Marketing at Choreograph. With 15 years of experience leading events, content, and field strategy, Meghan shares how B2B marketers can drive measurable impact through smart, strategic event planning. She pulls back the curtain on what really works—beyond the booth: How to set goals and budgets that align with sales cycles and AOV What to ask for when negotiating sponsorships (and what not to sign) Creative ways to build hosted events that convert, even with limited budget How to train event staff so your booth doesn’t fumble the first impression The power of post-event follow-up and content to keep relationships warm 📌 Who It’s For: B2B marketers, field marketing leaders, and revenue execs planning events that need to do more than “get your name out there.” 🎯 What You’ll Walk Away With: A proven playbook for building trust, generating pipeline, and strengthening brand reputation through every event touchpoint. Stay to the end where Meghan shares how a niche SEO conference went viral—and what made it the most impactful hosted event of her career. If you’re ready to stop measuring foot traffic and start closing deals, this episode is for you." Flat or slowing revenue? Let’s fix that—fast. Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast gives you proven plays, sharp insights, and “steal-this-today” tactics to power your revenue engine. 🎧 Follow on Apple, Spotify, YouTube ⭐ Rate 5 stars if these insights move your metrics 📅 Fresh episodes drop often—don’t miss a pipeline-popping idea 👉 Visit revenuebasedmarketing.com to start your growth audit—or DM me directly. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trade shows and events are back!But most still miss the point. If you're not walking away with real relationships and revenue potential, you're doing it wrong.Hey there, I'm Kerry Curran—B2B Revenue Growth Executive Advisor, Industry Analyst, and host of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast.In this episode, Pipeline in Person: How Relationship-First Events Drive Real ROI, we’re diving into how the smartest B2B brands are getting off the expo floor and into curated conversations that actually convert.I'm joined by Jon Whitfield, Chief Operating Officer at MediaPost, who has spent over 20 years perfecting the art of high-impact, face-to-face marketing. Jon isn’t just running another event company—he’s building a reputation for delivering summit experiences that sponsors rebook year after year because they drive pipeline, not just visibility.And here’s the surprising truth: smaller, niche gatherings with the right ratio of buyers to sponsors consistently outperform massive trade shows—if you get the format right. Jon breaks down why most conferences fail to deliver ROI—and how to fix it.We cover:The one customer value metric sponsors should use to justify their spend How curated experiences like golf, axe throwing, and roundtables deepen buyer trust What brand-side marketers actually want from events in a post-remote world And how to build stronger sponsor-attendee matchmaking and content alignment Picture this: instead of awkward badge scans, you're having real conversations over dinner, sharing challenges in closed-door roundtables, and walking away with warm leads who already know, like, and trust you.Stay to the end, where Jon shares his one non-negotiable rule for evaluating event ROI—and how to spot a conference worth investing in before you spend a dollar.If you're investing in events this year, this episode is your edge.Hit follow, drop a rating, and share it with your field marketing or partnerships lead—because pipeline starts before the pitch.Let’s go!Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:02.296):So welcome, Jon. Please introduce yourself and share your background and expertise.Jon Whitfield (00:07.832):Well, hello, Kerry. Thanks for having me on. My name is Jon Whitfield. I'm the Chief Operating Officer over at MediaPost. I've been there for a long time—I didn’t realize you could be at a place for as long as 22 years. Apparently, there are other places you can work. I didn’t know that. No one ever told me. I just learned that you can get other jobs at other places.Yeah, I’ve been at MediaPost for 22 years. I’ve seen a lot of things change over the years, and yeah, we’re thrilled just to still be kicking and doing our thing.Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:46.176):Excellent. Well, I know you've become the expert at events, and in my own experience with MediaPost, you’ve curated a really valuable experience for both brands, attendees, and sponsors. I want to dive into your expertise and help marketers and sponsors get more out of their conferences—and really think about what that investment looks like.We’re seeing more and more value put into face-to-face relationship-building and brand-building. Conferences offer that, right? Talk about how you've seen the industry evolve and what you're seeing today.Jon Whitfield (01:38.716):Yeah, I mean, it's funny. When I first started out in this business, you had real tentpole events—like the ad:techs and the SESs of the world—that had 300 exhibitors and thousands of attendees. These were real, large gatherings that happened several times a year. If you weren’t at those—whether as an exhibitor or an attendee—you kind of didn’t exist. It was like, “We’ve got to be there.”So in the early 2000s and through the first decade of the new millennium, those large shows were really commonplace and important.We participated not only as exhibitors but also by launching our own conference series called OMMA Global, which had a couple of thousand people, 150 exhibitors, and was a two-day, multi-track content event. It was a big lift. It wasn’t easy to put together or manage.But after five or six years of doing that, we realized it was really difficult to go back to our sponsor pool and guarantee them the ROI they were looking for. Because with large events, you're not really in control of the experience. You're kind of leaving it to chance: maybe someone good stops by a booth, maybe there's a follow-up, maybe someone connects at the cocktail party, maybe someone attends the sponsored presentation.Sometimes you get four people in the room, sometimes 50—you’re just not in control. Over time, we learned that the more control you have over the experience—and the more you're involved in it—the more satisfied everyone will be: sponsors, attendees, everyone.Kerry Curran, RBMA (03:28.800):Right.Jon Whitfield (04:15.984):Exactly. And so, we just evolved. You’ve still got the big tentpole events like CES that serve a purpose. But I don’t know many people in advertising or marketing who come back from CES saying, “I got a ton of business from that.”You want to be seen there, like at Cannes. These large shows are viable, but as a business, we found we couldn’t deliver on the experience we promised. That’s why we transitioned to smaller settings, like our Summit Series.Kerry Curran, RBMA (05:15.244):Yeah, and I’ve been to a number of your events as well as the big shows. I agree—both as a sponsor and as an attendee—with the smaller, more niche, intimate events, relationship-building becomes much more organic. You’re on the bus to dinner, at happy hour, or even horseback riding. There’s so much more opportunity to build meaningful relationships.Jon Whitfield (05:46.884):Yeah, in a smaller setting, you really get to know people. It's almost like dating. They’re testing you out, seeing how you are in different environments, and you’re a direct reflection of the business you're there to represent.When the event ends, they have a pretty good sense of, “Do I want to work with this person?” Or maybe, “That didn’t really work out.” You don’t get that level of intimacy when you're just scanning badges at a big conference. You’re not getting that.So we value time spent in different environments—not just in a conference room, but also on the bus, during a golf round, throwing axes, horseback riding, whatever it is. You really see people’s true selves in those environments, and that translates into better business relationships. At least, that’s what we think.Kerry Curran, RBMA (07:04.492):Yeah, no—and again, I’ve loved it. I often describe your events as almost like destination weddings. By the end of three days, you’re best friends with everyone. You’ve cultivated a really unique culture within your events, where the sponsors all get to know each other, and everyone’s been so willing to have conversations and learn from each other.Jon Whitfield (07:43.888):Absolutely. It’s something we’ve tinkered with for years. It’s never perfect. Things happen—weather, logistics—that can muddy things up. But if you have the basic formula down and you’ve tried it enough times, you can predict, “This is going to be a good one.”We’ve been doing our Email Summit for 19 years, twice a year. We’ve been doing our Performance Marketing Summit (formerly Search & Performance) for 19 years. These are tried-and-true programs.And I always ask our sponsors: What’s a customer worth to you? What do we need to do to deliver not just one, but two, three, four customers? We want to knock it out of the park. If a customer is worth more than their investment, that’s great—I can deliver that. But if the customer value is low and the investment is high, that’s a math problem.So we work backward from that. How do we get each supporter to a place of success? That’s how we approach it.Jon Whitfield (09:11.312):That’s great—because I can deliver that. But if they’re investing a ton and their customer value is very low, then there's a math problem, right? So it’s about figuring out how we get those individuals who support our events to a place of success. That’s how we approach it. We start kind of backward and move forward—and then do our best to deliver on the promise.Kerry Curran, RBMA (09:35.087):Yeah, no, that makes so much sense. And it's smart to think of it that way. Everyone needs ROI on their investments. So when you're talking to sponsors—say a new ad tech, martech, or agency reaches out and wants to sponsor—what are they usually looking for in a conference experience?Jon Whitfield (09:58.756):Well, it kind of depends on what the product is. Some of our sponsors have a more technical platform or need more time to explain their value—they might need a visual or demo. So they might want to sponsor a presentation where they get 10 minutes to show and educate everyone on who they are, what they do, and why they matter in the overall ecosystem.Others don’t need that much time. They’re like, “Here’s what we do, here are a few of our customers, and we’d like to sponsor the brewery tour,” or “Let’s take everyone on a cool boat ride.” It’s more about creating a memorable experience and attaching your name to something we’ve built—where all boats rise. You mentioned competitors—at our events, sponsors often become frenemies. They all understand they’re there for the same reason. So we keep it positive. Let’s all try to win. There’s no reason to make it awkward.So yeah, it really depends on what the sponsor is trying to achieve. We just recommend what we know works, based on years and years of doing these.Kerry Curran, RBMA (11:28.674):Yeah, and I like what you pointed out about branding and associating your brand with the audience. Especially in B2B, that’s such a challenge. So many brands I talk to are focused on lower funnel—"I just need the sales"—but they forget their audience has to have heard of them and liked them first. The conference environment is a really effective and efficient way to do that.Jon Whitfield (11:59.534):Exactly. You also asked me earlier a

“It’s never been harder to be a CMO—and never more important to get it right.” Pressure is mounting for go-to-market leaders. Budgets are shrinking. Shortlists are tightening. AI is changing the game before most teams can even catch up. And yet, CMOs are expected to lead with confidence, deliver revenue, and evolve strategy—without burning out. If that sounds familiar, this episode is your blueprint for navigating the storm. In this episode of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, host Kerry Curran sits down with Kathleen Booth, SVP of Marketing & Growth at Pavilion, to unpack what the most resilient, high-performing marketing leaders are doing differently right now—and why peer collaboration is the competitive advantage most execs overlook. ✅ Why CMOs must stop trying to “do more with less” alone✅ The 3 GTM capabilities every modern marketing leader must build:   • Profitable, efficient growth   • AI-augmented GTM execution   • Executive resilience and personal transformation✅ How cross-functional collaboration beats siloed expertise—every time✅ What Pavilion’s GTM25 Summit is revealing about the next generation of go-to-market leadership Stay to the end where Kathleen shares the #1 strategic muscle every CMO must build this year—and how to develop it before your next board meeting. If you get value from this episode, hit follow, drop a rating, and share it with a marketing or sales leader who needs to hear it. Let’s scale smart. Flat or slowing revenue? Let’s fix that—fast.Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast gives you proven plays, sharp insights, and “steal-this-today” tactics to power your revenue engine.🎧 Follow on Apple, Spotify, YouTube⭐ Rate 5 stars if these insights move your metrics📅 Fresh episodes drop often—don’t miss a pipeline-popping idea👉 Visit revenuebasedmarketing.com to start your growth audit—or DM me directly. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“Experience equals perception. Your event is your brand in action, and every detail tells a story. If your event isn’t memorable, connected, and aligned to your goals, it’s a missed opportunity to deepen loyalty and accelerate the pipeline.” - Emily OlsonHi there, I’m Kerry Curran, B2B Revenue Growth Executive Advisor, Industry Analyst, and host of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast.In every episode, I sit down with top experts to bring you actionable strategies that drive real results. If you’re serious about growth, hit subscribe and stay ahead of your competition.In Your Brand in Real Life: Event Strategies for Lasting Brand and Revenue Impact, I sit down with Emily Olson, President and Executive Producer at Arrow Event Management. With over two decades of experience producing brand launches, executive summits, and global conferences, Emily breaks down exactly what it takes to turn a live event into a high-ROI marketing channel.Be sure to stay tuned until the end, where Emily shares how homegrown talent shows became one of the most surprising—and most effective—community-building tools in her event playbook.Let’s go!Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:01.774)So welcome, Emily. Please share your background and expertise.Emily Olson (00:06.952)Thanks, Kerry. I'm Emily Olson, President and Executive Producer at Arrow Event Management. I’ve been producing events for almost 25 years, and I think I’ve done just about everything at this point—conferences, galas, brand launches, roadshows. I’ve worked all over the U.S. and internationally, and I’m really excited to be here today to talk about events and brand strategy.Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:38.2)Well, thank you, Emily. I'm very excited to have you on today. We first met when you were producing some events for my agency many years ago, and you definitely raised the bar when it came to delivering a polished and valuable experience for guests. I’m excited to dive in and hear your recommendations.When you typically start speaking with someone who wants to do an event for their company, how do you begin ideating what it will look like or how they should approach it?Emily Olson (01:19.016)That’s a great question. We start by understanding the goal of the event. Why are they hosting it? Who are they trying to reach? How are they measuring success? What do they want their attendees to think, feel, and do? That’s always how we start the conversation. From there, my team puts together a strategy to help achieve those goals.Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:51.406)Mm-hmm. So talk about the typical audience for you and your events. How does that play into the event plan and strategy?Emily Olson (02:27.794)Many of our audiences are different—it almost feels like a unique audience for every single event. Sometimes it’s internal, sometimes B2B, sometimes B2C. I did a sports-related event this week targeting fans of women’s sports. The fan base changes for every event, so there really isn’t a template. For each one, we look at the goals and determine how to best reach that specific audience.Kerry Curran, RBMA (02:58.594)Mm-hmm. Excellent. So what research do you and your team do to understand the audience and come up with ideas?Emily Olson (03:13.084)We look at who they are and what’s been done before. Maybe the organization has hosted this event before—what worked, what didn’t, what was a mess. In many cases, we put together different personas and walk through each one. Persona A might have one experience, Persona B another. We use that approach to figure out how best to reach each audience member or category.Kerry Curran, RBMA (03:49.216)That’s great. You’ve talked before about making events feel special for each attendee. Can you give examples of how your team creates unique, memorable experiences?Emily Olson (04:13.948)Yes—walking away with memories is key. What do you want them to think, feel, and do? Post-COVID, virtual events pushed us to engage people through every step. While we've moved away from most virtual experiences, attendees still expect engagement across all touchpoints. They want unique experiences. They want something they can post on Instagram—something they haven’t seen before. Everyone wants to be first. So, if we create an experience that drives attendees to think, feel, and act in alignment with the event goals, that’s a win. That’s how we create the magic.Kerry Curran, RBMA (05:45.440)I love that. Especially in the era of Instagram, social proof becomes part of the experience. One thing I loved was your example of taking over a department store and turning it into an interactive experience. Talk about how that idea came to life.Emily Olson (06:20.540)That store was in the client’s industry, so it aligned with their audience and created a strong foundation. The event’s goal was to reinforce a sense of community, so we brought in local vendors and restaurants to provide food stations. We tapped into the existing in-store experiences and added our own to connect attendees to both the client and the experience.Kerry Curran, RBMA (07:27.628)It’s such a creative example—rather than a typical hotel ballroom, you created something immersive and aligned with the brand’s goals. I love it.Emily Olson (07:57.542)Thanks! One of my favorite things is creating a venue out of a non-traditional space. In this case, it was a retail store that wasn’t licensed to host events, so we had to figure out permitting and logistics for a private event serving alcohol. It was challenging, but also really fun—and a big part of what I love about this work.Kerry Curran, RBMA (08:37.573)Absolutely. So when you're working with more traditional B2B or networking-focused events, how do you bring in that same creative approach? Especially when you’re working with hotel ballrooms or less distinctive venues?Emily Olson (09:36.198)It’s about creating interactive moments—whether that’s with technology or between attendees. I like shared experiences: hands-on workshops, tasting stations, creative lounges. Even a small detail like a ribbon on a name badge that says “Ask me about...” helps people connect. Whether in a ballroom or a retail store, those moments help bring the human experience to life.Kerry Curran, RBMA (10:40.718)Yes, fostering conversations is so important. Branding also plays a major role—how do you help B2B clients promote their brand and values through events?Emily Olson (11:26.780)Events are more than logistics; they’re experiential brand storytelling. The experience becomes the brand. Attendees’ perceptions are shaped by every moment. Today, brands extend the event’s impact across time—pre-event content, on-site community-building, and post-event amplification. You have to think holistically and use the event as one piece of the overall brand ecosystem.Kerry Curran, RBMA (12:41.194)That’s such an important point. How do you help clients amplify their events before and after?Emily Olson (12:53.272)Often, it's about reminding them that pre- and post-event content is critical. Events aren’t standalone moments. You have to look at your full brand ecosystem—social plans, collaborations, even simple “before you go” emails. Strategy matters beyond the day-of logistics.Kerry Curran, RBMA (13:49.006)Absolutely. One thing I always appreciated when we worked together was your attention to detail. Even small misses—like lack of parking info or no name tags—can really impact the experience. That level of thoughtfulness matters so much.Emily Olson (14:54.332)Yes! I’m that person who organizes my life in Excel. It’s how my brain works, and it’s why I love this job.Kerry Curran, RBMA (15:12.366)Exactly. And when it comes to sponsorships—how do you help clients build creative, valuable sponsor packages?Emily Olson (16:04.828)Today, engagement is expected at every step. Sponsorship isn’t just logo placement anymore. It’s branded activations, speaking opportunities, curated lounges, wellness zones—even introvert spaces. The best sponsorships are interactive and 3D, not just static branding.Kerry Curran, RBMA (17:26.830)I’ve even seen booths with puppies to attract traffic! Partnering with shelters to bring rescue animals is such a smart idea.Emily Olson (18:24.198)I’m all in for puppy yoga—goats, kittens, any animal, I’ll be there.Kerry Curran, RBMA (18:39.086)Are there other creative networking ideas you’ve seen?Emily Olson (18:53.640)Yes—anything tied to values or purpose is trending. People want meaning: DEI, sustainability, mental health, community building. These aren’t side topics anymore; they’re front and center.Kerry Curran, RBMA (19:54.254)Agreed. Branding, values, and relationship-building are key in today’s buying journey. You mentioned ideas you thought might flop that actually worked. What’s an example?Emily Olson (21:06.824)Internal talent shows! I first did one for a utility company’s 100th anniversary. I thought it would be cringey—but it was amazing. Employees supported each other, showed off real talent, and it built community. We then did it at a retail brand’s leadership conference, and it killed. I’m officially a fan.Kerry Curran, RBMA (22:55.502)I love that. Community and authenticity—so powerful. I’m now thinking about what my own talent would be…Emily Olson (23:27.260)I can draft an Excel spreadsheet faster than anyone!Kerry Curran, RBMA (23:30.478)Amazing. Any final advice for people planning events?Emily Olson (23:48.708)Stick to your goals. Put them on a Post-it next to your screen and revisit them constantly. Event planning is hard—herding cats, managing chaos. But if what you’re doing doesn’t support the goal, don’t do it.Kerry Curran, RBMA (24:44.396)That’s great advice. So, for people listening who want to reach you, where can they find you?Emily Olson (26:48.052)Visit our website: arrow-events.com, or email us at experience@arrow-events.com.Kerry Curran, RBMA (27:02.528)Thank you so much, Emily. Best of luck with all your upcoming events!Emily Olson (27:11.580)Thanks, Kerry. This was so

"Most agencies are invisible—and it’s their fault. If your positioning is broken, your website forgettable, and your marketing says nothing, you’re out before the game starts. The shortlist isn’t random—it’s earned. If you can’t clearly explain who you help and why you’re different, buyers won’t take the time to figure it out. If you can’t tell a compelling story, stand for something, or look credible online, you won’t even make the list."In this episode of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, Your Agency Growth Strategy Is Broken: How to Pivot Now to Stand Out and Get Shortlisted, host Kerry Curran sits down with Stephen Boehler, Partner at Mercer Island Group and trusted agency growth advisor.Stephen delivers a blunt reality check for agencies struggling to get shortlisted, stand out, or win more pitches. The biggest problem? A broken strategy—and failure to show up like a brand. If your agency can’t articulate its value, differentiate in-market, or make a credible impression online, you’re not just behind—you’re invisible. We dig into:The 3-part growth flywheel: Be ready, be memorable, be findableWhy most agencies lose before the pitch process even beginsThe shift from reactive pitching to proactive visibility and relevanceWhat today’s clients actually look for when shortlisting agency partnersWhy clarity, consistency, and conviction in your story are your competitive edgeIf you're leading new business, driving growth, or rethinking your agency's positioning—this episode is your wake-up call.   Flat or slowing revenue? Let’s fix that—fast.Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast gives you proven plays, sharp insights, and “steal-this-today” tactics to power your revenue engine.🎧 Follow on Apple, Spotify, YouTube⭐ Rate 5 stars if these insights move your metrics📅 Fresh episodes drop often—don’t miss a pipeline-popping idea👉 Visit revenuebasedmarketing.com to start your growth audit—or DM me directly. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"Your customer is the hero not your product. The most effective marketing tells their story, not yours. When you lead with empathy and deeply understand their challenges, desires, and identities, you create content that makes them feel seen. That’s what earns attention, trust, and loyalty especially in a world flooded with generic messaging. Great marketing reflects the people it’s for.” - Melissa Moody, Founder of Wednesday Women How do you build a brand that truly resonates in today’s market? One that feels human, inclusive, and authentic? In this episode of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, Marketing That Resonates: How Empathy and Representation Build Stronger Brands, I sit down with Melissa Moody, founder of Wednesday Women and former Google exec, to explore how empathy and representation create real business impact. We dig into:   How customer-centric storytelling earns attention and trust   Why diversity and inclusion are revenue strategies, not just values   How to build visibility for underrepresented voices (including your own)   Ways to shift from promoting product features to elevating your audience’s identity and success   Melissa also shares how she’s helping female executives move from operating quietly to showing up powerfully and why that visibility benefits not just the individual, but the brand.   If you're ready to make your brand more relevant, more human, and more effective—this one’s for you. Flat or slowing revenue? Let’s fix that—fast.Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast gives you proven plays, sharp insights, and “steal-this-today” tactics to power your revenue engine.🎧 Follow on Apple, Spotify, YouTube⭐ Rate 5 stars if these insights move your metrics📅 Fresh episodes drop often—don’t miss a pipeline-popping idea👉 Visit revenuebasedmarketing.com to start your growth audit—or DM me directly. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Flat or slowing revenue? Let’s fix that—fast.Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast gives you proven plays, sharp insights, and “steal-this-today” tactics to power your revenue engine.🎧 Follow on Apple, Spotify, YouTube⭐ Rate 5 stars if these insights move your metrics📅 Fresh episodes drop often—don’t miss a pipeline-popping idea👉 Visit revenuebasedmarketing.com to start your growth audit—or DM me directly. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are you underestimating culture as a growth driver? Too many leaders still see it as “soft.” But when trust breaks, retention falls, productivity slows, and your best people quietly start planning their exits.The truth is: culture is infrastructure. It fuels resilience, engagement, and results. And in today’s climate of AI disruption, budget cuts, and constant change, a weak culture will cost you more than any missed marketing tactic.In this episode titled The Culture Multiplier: Why People-First Leadership Is Your Most Underrated Revenue Strategy, host Kerry Curran sits down with Rachel Weeks, veteran marketing executive and HR tech leader, to explore how values-driven leadership creates a competitive advantage in times of uncertainty. Rachel reveals how transparency, empathy, and recognition aren’t just “feel-good” practices—they’re levers for retention and performance.This isn’t about HR perks—it’s about protecting revenue, boosting productivity, and building a resilient growth engine.You’ll discover how to:Navigate layoffs and reorgs without breaking trustUse recognition to lift productivity by 75%+Build a culture that keeps employees engaged—even under pressureTurn people-first leadership into a durable revenue strategyStay tuned until the end, where Rachel shares practical ways to create a culture of recognition—even without a big budget or formal platform.If you want growth that lasts, this episode will change the way you lead. Flat or slowing revenue? Let’s fix that—fast.Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast gives you proven plays, sharp insights, and “steal-this-today” tactics to power your revenue engine.🎧 Follow on Apple, Spotify, YouTube⭐ Rate 5 stars if these insights move your metrics📅 Fresh episodes drop often—don’t miss a pipeline-popping idea👉 Visit revenuebasedmarketing.com to start your growth audit—or DM me directly. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you want to create content that truly resonates, start by listening. Your audience is already telling you what they care about—you just need to ask the right questions and use their answers to fuel smarter, more personalized marketing. That's a quote from Rachael Bassey and a sneak peek at today's episode.Hi there, I'm Kerry Curran—B2B revenue-growth executive advisor, industry analyst, and host of Revenue Boost, a marketing podcast. Every episode, I sit down with top experts to bring you actionable strategies that drive real results. If you're serious about growth, hit subscribe and stay ahead of the competition.In From Insight to Impact: Smarter Research for Personalization That Resonates, I sit down with Rachael Bassey. She's the research partner to SaaS companies and the founder of ContentCollab.co. We explore how small marketing teams can personalize content at scale through smarter, more targeted audience research. We dig into practical ways to uncover buyer pain points, engage prospects through collaboration, and create content that stands out—especially in a sea of generic AI overviews.If you're looking for a way to connect your content strategy to pipeline impact, you don't want to miss this conversation. Be sure to stay tuned to the end, where Rachael shares how to turn contributors into loyal brand advocates and why that's the smartest way to grow both your content and your customer base. Be sure to subscribe and leave a review so you don't miss future episodes packed with actionable advice. Let's go!Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:01.72)So welcome Rachael, please introduce yourself and share your background and expertise.Rachael Bassey (00:07.279)Hey everyone, I'm Rachael Bassey. People call me Ray—Ray of Sunshine, more like it. I work as a research partner for SaaS companies. My specialization or expertise is helping companies create original research reports. I'll dive into what these reports are and my process later, but in a nutshell, that’s it.Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:41.966)Excellent. Well, thank you. I'm very excited to have you join us today because content is so critically important—especially original content and research specific to the audience. So talk to us a bit about what you're seeing and hearing as you're talking to your prospects or clients. What are the needs in the marketplace these days when it comes to getting smarter, better content?Rachael Bassey (01:10.529)Okay, before I get into that—thank you so much, Kerry, for having me. Really, thank you. So two things: One—AI. You have small companies that are like, “Why bother hiring a writer when I can just go to ChatGPT and say, ‘Help me with my content plan, content calendar, and 50 articles for my blog’ and get it done?” But then, a lot of people can easily spot articles written by ChatGPT, and people are tired of the robotic voice—even though I use a lot of it. People want to hear things that actually sound human.People are also hungry for data—things they can benchmark their performance against.Then on the other hand, budgets are being cut everywhere—left, right, and center. So CEOs and founders are asking, “Why should I invest more in marketing? How do we tie marketing to revenue?”There’s a debate around, “Is the whole marketing funnel even relevant anymore?”You just have different arguments around whether it’s important to invest in marketing or if we should even bother right now. That’s pretty much what I’m seeing in the space.Kerry Curran, RBMA (03:01.484)Yeah, definitely. And it's so true—I can't have a conversation about marketing without AI being front and center. There's a lot of value there, but to your point, if you're putting all your creativity into the AI model, you're not going to get the quality you need.Adding to that, AI also impacts search results. If you're just producing generic content, your rankings will suffer. You have to get smarter about content structure so your expertise can rank better.So much opportunity here. Talk to me about how you're solving this—how are you helping your clients?Rachael Bassey (04:03.102)Great. Okay, so I’ll just do a bit of a rundown.I worked with a company called Databox back in 2019. I’m no longer with them, but we started what I like to call collaborative marketing before it was even a thing. Back then, people didn’t really care about talking to real people or experts and collaborating with them to create content.Now you go on LinkedIn and see a lot of people talking about original research, but before it became the trend, we were doing it. We were a small marketing team. I was employee 25 in the company, and our team had just three people: John, Bella, and me.When you have a small marketing team, you wear many hats. You might not even be an expert in the industry, yet you're expected to write 50 articles in two months. So we said, “Let’s collaborate with our customers and prospects.”At the time, agencies made up the majority of Databox’s clients. I would spend so much time on directories like Agency Spotter, HubSpot, and Pipedrive to find and connect with them.It made so much sense to involve these people in our content production process. We’d create simple surveys, ask them specific questions, collect their answers or insights, and publish blog articles based on their input.Eventually, we stepped it up to create benchmark reports. For example, if you're a Facebook advertiser, and your click-through rate is 2.4%, what’s the industry average? We could provide that kind of insight—so companies could compare and see where they stood.That’s how we scaled from publishing two articles a week to an article every day.I moved on from Databox and later worked at a company called Terkel—now known as Featured. If you know HARO, Featured is kind of a competitor.I thought, “Okay, I did this for Databox, and I know it works—how can I do this for multiple companies at once?” So at Featured, I worked with smaller teams to help them understand it’s okay not to have a big marketing budget.You can still do really good work if you focus on involving customers and prospects in your content creation process. Right now, if I were to write about civil engineering, it would be based only on what I find online. But if I talk to civil engineers who spend 8 hours a day on site, they’ll give me insights no AI model can produce.Your experience, Kerry, is unique to you. ChatGPT can’t replicate it.Then I started my own thing after Featured—but that’s the origin.Kerry Curran, RBMA (09:07.552)Excellent. So talk to me about the process though. You’re identifying the client’s target audience and interviewing them. You said you research to find the right experts—how do you even start with what to ask them?Rachael Bassey (09:26.34)Great. So it depends on the level I’m working with. For example, one current client—during our first meeting, I asked about their ideal clients, and the founder listed eight different groups. I said, “How do I even reach out to that many groups? You can’t possibly cater to eight.”Some companies aren’t even clear on their ICP, so I always say, “First, we need to get that right.”Because once you know your ICP, everything else is much easier.So, first I ask:Who are your ideal clients?Where are they based?What do they talk about?What do they write about?For this particular client, I’ve been spending 80% of my work time in Facebook groups. I don’t even know why I’m paying for LinkedIn Premium right now! I’m just listening to bloggers, creators, and entrepreneurs to understand what they’re really talking about and interested in.Especially since this client is a Shopify theme developer, I’m trying to determine if the market actually wants what they’re building—or if it’s just a nice idea that nobody asked for.Once I do enough listening, I reach out to these audiences with a basic survey I’ve created. That survey is designed to surface their pain points.If a majority of respondents don’t list monetizing their content as a pain point, for example, then that’s a sign we shouldn’t be investing in a solution for it.And sometimes people don’t even know they have a problem until you talk to them.So first, I help my clients clarify their ICP—if they haven’t already. Many clients I've worked with thought they had their ICP nailed, but after talking to customers, they ended up pivoting or refining it.Rachael Bassey (12:13.696)Next, I work with them to define what I call the "Ideal Contributor Profile" too—not just the ideal customer.For example, Kerry, if you were my ideal customer, I’d ask:Where do you live? What’s your title? What’s your industry? How many employees are at your company? Sometimes, trying to reach a VP at a 5,000-person company is a waste of time. You’ll need approval from too many layers, and it’s like going to court.So once we define who our ideal contributors are, I use LinkedIn filters—sometimes even certifications (like HubSpot Certified, for instance)—to find highly qualified individuals.It’s not just about gathering insights. We want insights from people who can also become customers down the line. That way, the work serves both marketing and sales goals.For example, one client was in influencer marketing. At first, they wanted to gather input from agencies. But I said, “Let’s focus on in-house influencer marketing professionals at eCommerce brands—because those are your buyers.”So we shifted our survey strategy. Now, instead of collecting insights just for backlinks or SEO, we’re engaging the people who might actually buy the product.That way, when the marketing manager follows up to thank them for contributing, it’s not just relationship-building—it’s lead generation.We’ve even had contributors say, “I’ve been thinking about buying a tool like this—can I get a free trial?” Of course! That’s exactly the goal.Kerry Curran, RBMA (17:10.028)No—and you're so right. And you're so smart, because I think we spend—personally, I spend—so much time researching. But to actually start intervi

“Visibility in the age of AI isn't just about ranking anymore—it's about being understood, trusted, and retrievable by the machines your buyers now rely on. These engines extract only the most relevant chunks of content to answer the query. And if your message isn't structured clearly or consistent across channels, you risk being invisible.” That's a quote from David Kirkdorffer and a sneak peek at today's episode.Hi there, I'm Kerry Curran, B2B Revenue Growth Executive Advisor, Industry Analyst, and host of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast. Every episode, I sit down with top experts to bring you actionable strategies that drive real results. If you're serious about growth, hit subscribe to stay ahead of your competition.In The New SEO Frontier: How Marketers Can Win Visibility in the Age of AI, I sit down with David Kirkdorffer. He's a B2B marketing strategist and generative SEO expert. We break down how your content, website, and messaging must evolve to be visible in LLM-powered search. We explore what's changed, what still works, and what's next—so your brand stays front and center no matter which AI engine your buyer turns to.Be sure to stay to the end, where David shares why team alignment across content, SEO, PR, and partnerships is your best defense—and greatest opportunity—in an AI-first future. Let's go.Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:01.422)So, welcome, David. Please introduce yourself and share your background and expertise.David Kirkdorffer (00:07.466)Hi, Kerry, and thank you so much for bringing me on the show. My background: I am a B2B marketer. I’ve been doing B2B marketing for—let’s say—30-plus years. I have focused most of my career on generating leads for sales teams, and that is still my focus, though the way that is done nowadays has certainly changed.I’ve worked mostly in technology companies, selling technology to technology departments—so IT tech for IT tech consumers. Over the years, that has gone from enterprise accounts, as technologies became more democratized, down to medium-sized businesses and small businesses.So that’s briefly about me.Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:00.214)Excellent. David, I know you have been deep into the research around what I’ll introduce as the evolution of SEO. Tell me: What are you hearing? What triggered your interest in diving into gaining visibility for brands within the GPTs and other AI engines?David Kirkdorffer (01:25.994)Right. OK, that’s a great question. Given my background of trying to get information into buyers’ hands—being buyer-centric—a number of years ago I focused on what we might call buyer enablement and the buyer experience: the buyer being successful in finding the information they’re looking for on our website. I realized that a lot of the great information buyers want sits behind a gate where you have to speak to a sales rep.The idea I was working with—and many people, of course, not just me—was, “Can we get this information onto our website so that when buyers come, they can find what they need and say, ‘This looks like a good fit’?” Along come these LLMs, and now all of a sudden I’m thinking, “How do I AI-enable training? How do I make sure the AIs have the information that answers buyer questions?”In a way, AI LLM tools are a disintermediating force separating my buyer from my answer. They’re turning to the ChatGPTs, the Geminis, the Perplexities, the Claudes, the Copilots, and various other tools—some specialized for particular domains. Our challenge is to make sure our answers are read, understood, and correctly represented within these LLMs so that, when a buyer goes there for an answer, our brand is visible.It’s much more effective for a buyer to ask questions with ChatGPT, and you might ask the same question to four or five tools just to validate, because they all have different information sets, models, crawlers, and licensing agreements. Therefore, you may have high visibility in one and low visibility in another. Training data differs; retrieval data differs; the models themselves differ—so they have different “brains,” just like different people. That’s what brought me into this: trying to be customer-centric and helping my salespeople so that, when buyers do find information, our brand is there.Kerry Curran, RBMA (04:27.744)That’s excellent, David, and it’s such a hot topic. I don’t think I can go through a few hours of my day without it coming up. I know you’ve been evangelizing it a lot, which I’m sure generates many questions. What are the main questions people ask you about this capability and opportunity?David Kirkdorffer (04:51.442)Everyone wants to know, “What am I supposed to do? How is this different—is it different?” Two main lines of inquiry emerge. One comes from senior marketing leaders—the CMO or someone at a higher level—who wants to understand what they and their teams can do holistically. The other is very tactical: people approach it from their domain expertise—website, SEO, content—and ask, “What do I do within my lane that makes an impact?”The truth is, it’s a bit of both. In my view, it’s a holistic problem to solve. You can operate in just one tactical lane—website, SEO, or content—and it will have an impact. When you combine them, the impact is amplified, and it should also involve your PR, partner, and demand-gen teams; their work can help or hurt how your brand is recognized and surfaces in answers. So those two lanes—holistic and tactical—intertwine, and where you start depends on team size and resources.Kerry Curran, RBMA (06:48.354)If the main question is “How do I do this?” what do you think people should be asking first? What’s the right starting point?David Kirkdorffer (07:01.140)I think you need a big-picture view of how this is different and what drives it—how GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) actually differs from SEO. It even has many acronyms: generative engine optimization, AI optimization, LLM optimization, and more.Kerry Curran, RBMA (07:38.732)Based on your work, which term do you prefer?David Kirkdorffer (07:44.744)I like “generative engine optimization.” Unfortunately, “GEO” means other things in other domains, which is part of the problem—both technically and from a brand standpoint. When we use shortcuts like acronyms, we know what they mean; the LLM doesn’t. It could interpret “MRO,” for example, as any of 50 different things until you spell it out first.Kerry Curran, RBMA (08:24.150)Earlier you said it starts with a mindset. What mindset should people adopt to lean into improving their strategies here?David Kirkdorffer (08:46.292)At the highest level, LLMs and GEO replace the short keyword query box with a large window where users add lots of context. Through vectorization—turning language into math—the LLM finds little chunks of information, the “needles,” rather than presenting a haystack of links. It compares those chunks, validates them against other sources, and synthesizes an answer.We often don’t know or care where the answer came from, as long as it’s accurate. But that means the LLM isn’t reading your whole page; it’s reading segments. So this isn’t just a technical SEO challenge—it’s about the words themselves: how we phrase them, how we make them easy to understand, and how we avoid letting brand personality cloud clarity.Because of “chunking,” answers often come from two or three sentences—maybe 200–300 words—not entire pages. So we need to optimize those chunks.Kerry Curran, RBMA (13:06.506)Before we dive deeper into tactics, explain how these platforms differ from Google’s traditional search engines and why that demands a different strategy.David Kirkdorffer (13:41.514)Think of GEO as standing on the shoulders of SEO. If your SEO is weak, the shoulders aren’t strong. Some say, “This is just a new kind of SEO,” and there’s truth in that. Others think, “We just need to do good marketing,” and that’s also true. But with GEO, some shortcuts we’ve taken—like heavy JavaScript or hidden tab content—now have new impacts because LLMs don’t execute JavaScript or click tabs.For example, if your page uses tabs for five benefits, the LLM sees only the first one; it can’t click the others. It forces us to reevaluate design choices, because GEO cares about different things.Kerry Curran, RBMA (16:11.054)So SEO is shifting from technical crawlability to a content-first approach—almost back to the early days of SEO. When you talk about chunking content, best practices seem to be resurfacing. What should we consider when writing content now?David Kirkdorffer (17:34.914)The best practice is simply doing what we’ve always known: write clearly for the reader. LLMs struggle with poetic or highly stylized language; they understand literal, structured information. Our challenge is to provide that clarity without becoming too dry. In the future, LLMs may understand nuance better, but for now, literal clarity wins.Kerry Curran, RBMA (21:09.686)There’s still a technical aspect—different from technical SEO a few years ago—like tagging. Why is that more important than ever?David Kirkdorffer (21:09.686)We have semantic tags—H1, H2, H3, etc.—but many treat them as visual elements. You might find an H6 above an H2 because it looks good, but that confuses the LLM. Ideally, one H1 states what the page is about, multiple H2s mark subtopics, H3s detail components, and so on. When that hierarchy is broken, the LLM can’t map ideas correctly, and your content may be excluded from answers.Kerry Curran, RBMA (25:57.034)Old is new again: off-site SEO also matters. Why is consistency off-site so critical, and what should brands do?David Kirkdorffer (25:57.034)B2B marketers want their message on as many authoritative sites as possible. A small brand’s site may have little traffic, so its signal is weak. Getting listed in directories or partner sites amplifies that signal. In the old days, “brand police” ensured consistent boilerplates—25-, 50-, 100-word descriptions—so customers weren’t confused. LLMs work the same

“Digital out-of-home is where attention lives. It's unskippable, brand-safe, and contextually relevant—right when and where people are most engaged. If your brand isn't showing up in high-dwell environments, you're missing a powerful and measurable way to connect.” That's a quote from Peter Schofield, VP of Partnerships at Atmosphere TV, and a sneak peek at today's episode.Hi there, I'm Kerry Curran, B2B Revenue Growth Executive Advisor, Industry Analyst, and host of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast. Every episode, I sit down with top experts to bring you actionable strategies that drive real results. If you're serious about growth, hit subscribe and stay ahead of your competition today.In The Last Untapped Channel: Driving Precision, Attention, and Revenue with Smart Digital Out-of-Home, I sit down with Peter Schofield. He's the VP of Brand Partnerships at Atmosphere TV. We explore how digital out-of-home advertising has evolved into one of the most targeted, high-impact channels in modern media. From smart targeting and unskippable content to real-world attribution and creative flexibility, Peter breaks down how brands are turning physical spaces into revenue-generating media environments.Be sure to stay tuned until the end, where Peter shares how top brands are using API-powered digital out-of-home to personalize in-the-moment engagement at scale. Let's go!Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:01.698)So welcome, Peter. Please introduce yourself and share your background and expertise.Peter Schofield (00:07.960)Thanks, Kerry. I'm excited to be here today. I'm Peter Schofield, VP of Brand Partnerships with Atmosphere TV. I've been in the marketing and advertising space for the better part of 30 years. I've always been curious about human behavior, social sciences, marketing, and advertising—connecting brands with people and people with people. That always puts you at the front of technology and innovation. So I've always been excited about that, and that's where I've spent most of my adult career.Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:41.112)Excellent, great. I'm excited to dive into your area of expertise. When we first met and dove into Atmosphere TV and your capabilities, I got really excited about the unique aspect of connecting consumers with brands and helping brands with their narrative and storytelling. So, excited to dive in. Talk about out-of-home—what trends are you seeing and hearing today?Peter Schofield (01:18.670)Sure. The out-of-home market, specifically the digital out-of-home market, is certainly thriving. The extraordinary reach, context, and impact of digital out-of-home are literally reshaping consumer engagement. Brands and agencies looking to move the needle are tapping into screens and spaces that have been previously overlooked, undervalued, or underutilized.Peter Schofield (01:48.192)Three key elements that are a consistent part of the narrative—what folks are looking for in their investment—are efficacy, deliverability, and accountability. Out-of-home provides all of those.Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:59.448)Definitely. I think the advent and growth of digital out-of-home really revamped and breathed new life into what we knew as traditional billboards, bus stops, etc. It’s very cool to see the evolution and the more advanced targeting capabilities.Peter Schofield (02:26.644)It is sophisticated now. It’s not your father’s billboards, as they say, right? It's the optimal blend of scale, mass reach, and local precision. Brand-safe channels are really making this a distinguished place to market, for sure.Kerry Curran, RBMA (02:45.142)Yeah. How are you seeing that increased interest in out-of-home as part of the media mix?Peter Schofield (02:51.706)I think folks are recognizing it as a real opportunity to align messaging with not only what people are doing, but why they're doing it. At the neighborhood level, we can connect with what people are doing, how they’re feeling, and what they’re experiencing in real time—where they live, work, and play. It’s inherently location-based and enhanced significantly by contextual targeting. That’s where companies like Atmosphere really come into play.Kerry Curran, RBMA (03:26.784)Definitely. There are so many stats that prove the engagement and growth opportunity. I know you had some from eMarketer. Want to dive into those?Peter Schofield (03:40.846)Yes. In 2024, out-of-home revenue in the U.S. was just over $9 billion—a 4.5% increase from 2023. More notably, digital out-of-home, where I focus, represented about 34% or $3 billion of that market, also growing 4.5% year-over-year.Kerry Curran, RBMA (04:30.104)Definitely. With location targeting and dynamic creative, it’s a perfect blend of niche targeting and visual storytelling.Peter Schofield (04:56.696)Absolutely. One person described it as, “Out-of-home is where attention lives.” It lets marketers deliver the right message at the right moment—contextually relevant, unskippable, and effective.Kerry Curran, RBMA (05:11.700)Right—and you can’t skip an ad when it’s in a waiting room or gym. It captures attention in a way digital often can’t.Peter Schofield (05:25.230)Exactly. It’s never been more measurable, creative, or smarter. The relevance and flexibility are a huge appeal. With tools like audience data, dayparting, mobile IDs, and foot traffic studies, we now provide insights that were previously out of reach in traditional out-of-home.Thanks for tuning in to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast. If today’s episode sparked ideas, gave you new tools, or made you think differently, don’t keep it to yourself—share it with your team or your LinkedIn network. And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a future episode. For more growth insights, visit revenuebasedmarketing.com, and keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in marketing. See you next time. Flat or slowing revenue? Let’s fix that—fast.Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast gives you proven plays, sharp insights, and “steal-this-today” tactics to power your revenue engine.🎧 Follow on Apple, Spotify, YouTube⭐ Rate 5 stars if these insights move your metrics📅 Fresh episodes drop often—don’t miss a pipeline-popping idea👉 Visit revenuebasedmarketing.com to start your growth audit—or DM me directly. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fractional leaders aren’t here for job security—we’re here to build legacies. We remove the internal angst that clouds big decisions. We’re not protecting titles or playing politics. We’re focused on what drives transformation, growth, and lasting impact.Hi there, I’m Kerry Curran, B2B Revenue Growth Executive Advisor, Industry Analyst, and host of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast.In every episode, I sit down with top experts to bring you actionable strategies that drive real results. If you’re serious about growth, hit subscribe and stay ahead of the competition.In The Rise of the Fractional CMO: How to Accelerate Revenue Growth Without the Overhead, I sit down with Virginie Glaenzer, a fractional CMO, tech entrepreneur, and community builder.We explore how fractional marketing leaders are reshaping go-to-market execution, AI adoption, and executive alignment across today’s most innovative organizations.Be sure to stay tuned until the end, where Virginie shares her advice on how to scope your first fractional engagement and make an immediate impact, without the overhead.Let’s go!Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:02.148)So, welcome, Virginie. Please introduce yourself and share your background and expertise.Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (00:09.086)Thank you so much, Kerry, for having me on your podcast. I’m really excited—I think the work you’re doing is amazing. My name is Virginie—Virginie Glaenzer. I’m originally from France and am your typical immigrant. I’ve had quite an interesting journey: I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1998, started a couple of software businesses, and had my fair share of successes and failures.After 17 years in Silicon Valley, I moved to New York for about 12 years, where I served as VP of Marketing and CMO for mid-size organizations. I’ve been in D.C. for the last year and a half. Over the past 30 years, most of my career has been in B2B SaaS tech, helping organizations. Today, as a fractional CMO, I enjoy supporting small- to mid-size companies that are trying to disrupt their industries—mostly in tech, where technology is part of their offering. That’s just a little bit about me.Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:21.594)Thank you. I’m very excited to speak with you today. You have a wealth of experience, but I want to start by diving into fractional CMOs and the evolution of fractional executives. I know you serve both as a fractional CMO and as the leader of Acorn Oak, so I’d love to hear what you’ve seen regarding this evolution and why you find it so valuable.Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (01:54.804)That’s a great question. I actually fell into the fractional model—I never thought I would become a consultant—but it has changed my life, and I love it. I chose the fractional path because I wanted to make real, lasting change. When I was a VP of Marketing, I found that people wanted me to make them feel comfortable instead of guiding them through change. As a fractional CMO, I offer an unbiased outside perspective, removing the anxiety and internal angst that often accompany big decisions—something I couldn’t do as a full-time employee.My focus isn’t on protecting a title or playing politics; it’s about building a legacy, not job security. As a result, I avoid the “drink-the-Kool-Aid” syndrome that can cloud judgment. The fractional model really works, and I think it took off after COVID because companies realized they could hire talent anywhere. When you hire people remotely, you don’t see the hours; you see the output. A fractional executive who works two days a week can deliver the equivalent of four days from a traditional employee—and often, that’s all a company needs.AI is also disrupting organizations. Internal employees may hesitate to rock the boat, but a fractional executive will do whatever is necessary to drive change.Kerry Curran, RBMA (04:01.762)I love that example—doing in two days what others might do in four—because when you can focus solely on the initiative, you avoid the distractions of full-time employment and get more done. Another benefit is that fractional CMOs must stay on top of trends—from AI to strategy—and can apply learnings from one client to another, an opportunity full-time employees don’t always have.Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (04:59.680)Absolutely. Working with multiple clients gives you a different view of each market. You come in with broad experience, fresh perspectives, and numerous frameworks. It’s a win–win—deeply satisfying for the individual and invaluable for the organization.Kerry Curran, RBMA (05:28.266)I’m seeing a trend: six years ago, most engagements were project-based—solving urgent challenges over three to six months. Now, clients hire me as a fractional CMO for assignments that can last a couple of years. As long as you’re helping the company reach its next growth stage, why not?Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (05:57.428)Exactly. Hiring a fractional CMO can be a smart way to secure expert support without the full-time cost. When should a company consider a fractional CMO? I’ve seen three common scenarios:The company is growing, but marketing isn’t scaling with it. You’re facing a market shift—a funding round, product pivot, or another fundamental change. You’re tired of disconnected campaigns and need integrated strategy and execution. For companies without a CMO, a fractional CMO brings strategic guidance, makes marketing proactive instead of reactive, and prevents wasting money on tactics that don’t drive growth.If you already have a CMO, a fractional CMO can augment and elevate the internal team by:Playing “bad cop” when needed, helping leaders stay aligned during tough decisions. Providing strategic pressure relief without stepping on toes—I take the anxiety out of the organization. Rolling up sleeves and owning delivery when necessary. Kerry Curran, RBMA (08:41.024)Those are excellent examples—for companies without a CMO and for those with one. CMO turnover is high, often because a CMO fits one stage but not the next. Removing them isn’t always best; sometimes they lack performance-marketing depth or AI expertise. A fractional CMO lets you keep institutional knowledge while adding new skills.Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (10:01.952)Absolutely. In today’s uncertain economy, the fractional model makes even more sense. It’s a cost-effective way to keep driving the company without paying for a full-time executive. I expect more organizations will take this path.Kerry Curran, RBMA (10:31.994)I agree. Startups and scale-ups may go sales-led and stall. Bringing in a fractional CMO to establish strategic foundations can be crucial. You talk a lot about AI. What services and strategies do you provide around transformation and AI?Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (11:31.222)Sure. AI is a major focus. I help clients with several business challenges. For example, tariffs are front and center; they’re an opportunity to revisit every part of the business and optimize. From a marketing perspective, we need to adapt to GEO—Generative Engine Optimization—to stay visible as algorithms evolve. Some call it AIO, but the point is visibility.AI has changed how we work. Initially, it saved time; next, it improved quality; now, it changes how we think about our work. Resistance exists: in a recent webinar, 0 % of attendees had an AI policy, yet 60 % used AI professionally. That’s a risk we must address.Kerry Curran, RBMA (14:29.272)Wow.Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (14:51.318)Exactly. Another area is AI chatbots. Customer experience can’t be an afterthought—if users don’t like the experience, they go elsewhere. Leadership resistance also exists: many engineers resist AI, yet Google reports that 25 % of its code is now AI-generated, expected to reach 50 % within a year. Marketers sit between innovation and legal risk; we must work closely with legal to use AI responsibly.Kerry Curran, RBMA (17:03.492)That’s smart. An experienced fractional CMO can guide organizations through those challenges. We’ve focused on fractional CMOs, but tell us about Acorn Oak and the community of fractional C-suite advisors you’ve built.Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (17:46.540)Absolutely. If you’re hiring a fractional executive, choose someone who belongs to a community. At Acorn Oak—and other networks like TechCXO—we’re a trusted group of fractional executives. When you hire one of us, you gain cultural fit, synergy, and faster results. We already know one another, so alignment is immediate, and there’s no ego.Kerry Curran, RBMA (19:17.262)That’s great. What advice would you give a company considering a fractional CMO or other executive?Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (19:43.406)First, define the pain. I always ask: What’s the priority? A clear understanding of the challenge leads to a clear scope and a successful partnership. Second, work with someone in a community; they bring broader resources. Finally, don’t wait—hiring a full-time CMO can take a year; hiring a fractional CMO can take two to three weeks from the initial call to weekly execution.Kerry Curran, RBMA (21:26.318)Definitely. Thank you for sharing your expertise. How can listeners find you?Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (21:47.764)I’m an open book. If you Google my name, you’ll find me. I’m on LinkedIn and, less frequently, on Twitter. You can also visit acornoak.net or techcxo.com.Kerry Curran, RBMA (22:09.494)Excellent. I’ll include those links in the show notes. Virginie, thank you so much for sharing your story. We’ve all learned a lot today.Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (22:18.764)Thank you, Kerry. I appreciate the opportunity.Thanks for tuning in to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast. If this episode sparked a new idea or perspective, be sure to follow the show and leave us a quick review. It helps us grow and keeps the insights coming.And if you’re ready to explore what fractional leadership could look like inside your business, head to revenuebasedmarketing.com for more expert strategies, CMO resources, and growth frameworks

“If your team's still selling features, your packaging is broken. Most CEOs focus on scaling sales, but they overlook pricing and packaging as core revenue levers. When your pricing aligns with the value you deliver, value-based selling becomes second nature, discounting drops, and revenue growth accelerates. You don't need a new product—you need a smarter way to package what you already have.” That's a quote from Roee Hartuv and a sneak peek at today's episode.Hi there, I'm Kerry Curran—revenue growth strategist, go-to-market advisor, and host of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast. Every week, I sit down with the sharpest minds in marketing, sales, and strategy to unpack real-world tactics that drive measurable revenue growth. No fluff—just bold, actionable insights to help you outpace your competition. If you're serious about scaling smarter, hit subscribe and let's boost your bottom line together.Today's episode: Packaging and Pricing—the Key Revenue Strategy Most CEOs Miss. I'm joined by Roee Hartuv, a pricing and packaging expert helping B2B companies unlock hidden revenue and tie pricing to ROI. In this episode, we discuss the critical growth lever most CEOs miss—and how that lever leads to faster expansion, stronger retention, and more confident salespeople.Stay tuned until the end, where Roee shares a practical action you can take today and where to find free resources to help you get smarter about pricing and start driving revenue growth now. Let's go!Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:01.155)Welcome, Roee. Please introduce yourself and share your background and expertise.Roee Hartuv (00:06.326)Hello, and thanks for having me. My name is Roee Hartuv. I currently focus on pricing and packaging as an advisor. Over the past five years, I’ve worked in the broader area of go-to-market excellence, helping transform go-to-market strategies and operations. Before that, I was a SaaS—or software—seller.Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:35.745)Excellent. Thank you, Roee. We’re excited to have you back. This is actually your second time with us. Last time, we covered different stages of go-to-market with a focus on customer success and the importance of net and gross recurring revenue. Today, I want to dive into what you’re focusing on now. Let’s talk about willingness to pay and your specialty at your new company.Roee Hartuv (01:12.236)In the past five years, I’ve helped companies generate more revenue—everyone’s top priority. Most conversations revolve around process improvements, automation, or AI-enabled productivity, all aimed at increasing win rates and reducing churn. I’ve done all that, but I realized one lever delivers the best ROI and is often the quickest and simplest to pull: pricing and packaging.Once I understood that, I decided to spend most of my time there—helping companies increase revenue by getting pricing and packaging right. You don’t necessarily need a new product; you need a smarter way to package what you already have. That’s what we do at Willingness to Pay: pricing and packaging, and we’ve seen great results.Kerry Curran, RBMA (03:02.094)I agree. Companies spend a lot of effort cutting costs and increasing efficiency, yet overlook pricing. When prospects contact you, what business challenges are they trying to solve?Roee Hartuv (03:43.564)When they come to us, they already sense a pricing or packaging issue—and most companies have one. Early on, no single person truly owns pricing. Is it finance, the CRO, product, or product marketing? Because no one owns it, pricing often stays untouched for years while products, features, and value grow. For example, a client recently added a fantastic AI feature but decided to charge only $5,000 a year—far below the value it delivers.The main problem is that companies don’t adapt pricing and packaging to market dynamics. As a result, they leave money on the table. The most common pain we hear: “Our sellers keep talking features instead of value. They give big discounts, and we know we’re underpricing.” That’s the core challenge: enabling value-based selling through better packaging.Kerry Curran, RBMA (05:12.399)Beyond revenue growth, pricing can boost average contract value and reduce churn. Still, many leaders hesitate to raise prices. What objections do you hear most, and how do you address them?Roee Hartuv (05:38.68)Two big fears: First, customer success worries that price increases will trigger churn. Second, sales fears that higher list prices will tank win rates—“We’re already discounting!” We mitigate these with a four-step process:Internal validation—get input from sellers and stakeholders. Customer interviews—talk to 5–20 close customers using a structured methodology. We start with value proposition, then packaging, then pricing model, and only last reveal price levels. Controlled sales test—roll the new model to a small “demo” team and watch results. Phased rollout—once it works, deploy to the full sales org, then migrate existing customers in waves, starting with low-risk accounts. The full cycle takes 12–18 months. Some customers may leave, but the revenue uplift from others outweighs the loss. It’s also a chance to offboard underpaying, resource-draining customers.Kerry Curran, RBMA (07:02.094)Your approach blends qualitative and quantitative research. How do you determine new price points?Roee Hartuv (07:39.884)We start with existing customer data: what each segment pays today, usage patterns, and realized value. We also benchmark competitors’ pricing to gauge market tolerance. Then we model scenarios, aligning them with objectives—doubling revenue, raising ACV, reducing churn, etc. Packaging is a separate exercise: instead of “good-better-best” by feature, we bundle around jobs-to-be-done or business outcomes. That naturally steers sales conversations toward impact, not features.Kerry Curran, RBMA (18:12.129)For leaders listening today, what’s the very first step you’d suggest?Roee Hartuv (18:33.323)If you haven’t raised prices in years, start by increasing everything 5 %. Inflation is real, and you’re likely undercharging. That simple move captures low-hanging fruit before a full pricing project. When you’re ready for a deeper overhaul, there’s plenty of free DIY material on our site, WillingnessToPay.com, or you can reach me on LinkedIn. If you need hands-on help, we’re here.Kerry Curran, RBMA (24:19.619)Excellent. I’ll include those links in the show notes. Roee, thank you for joining us again—I always learn so much from you.Roee Hartuv (24:55.916)Thank you, Kerry. It was my pleasure.Thank you, Roey, for another incredible conversation. His insights on packaging and pricing are a must-listen for any CEO or go-to-market leader looking to scale smarter. If you found this episode valuable, please leave a review and hit subscribe to Revenue Boost. And check the show notes for links to Roey’s work at willingnesstopay.com and his LinkedIn profile.For more tools and frameworks to fuel marketing-driven revenue growth, visit revenuebasedmarketing.com. Until next time. Flat or slowing revenue? Let’s fix that—fast.Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast gives you proven plays, sharp insights, and “steal-this-today” tactics to power your revenue engine.🎧 Follow on Apple, Spotify, YouTube⭐ Rate 5 stars if these insights move your metrics📅 Fresh episodes drop often—don’t miss a pipeline-popping idea👉 Visit revenuebasedmarketing.com to start your growth audit—or DM me directly. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.