Huddlers in the News

“Drew, I’m thinking about starting a podcast, but I don’t know if I have 500 episodes in me.” Neither did I. I could only find 5 good ones in the first 30 recordings.

When I launched Renegade Marketers Unite in 2017, I wasn’t chasing scale, sponsors, or some master content plan. I was chasing curiosity. One conversation at a time.

Nine years later, we just dropped Episode 500.

The Biggest Surprise

Here’s the biggest surprise about hosting a podcast that no one tells you. The learning sneaks up on you. Quietly. Like osmosis.

You show up week after week, ask smart people good questions, really listen, and over time your instincts sharpen. Your pattern recognition improves. Your BS detector gets stronger. And if you’re lucky, you get better at finding the insights others can learn from and going off-script when nuggets beckon.

A Few Pro Tips For The Long Haul

First, I’ll share the best advice I internalized from a world-class reporter: “Prepare to be spontaneous.” The better prepared you are, the easier it is to listen and riff on the good stuff.

Second, consistency beats perfection. Every time. You don’t need a viral moment. You need the next episode.

Third, mix it up. I started with 1:1 CMO interviews only. These days, many episodes feature two or three CMOs at a time. The dynamic is different. Easier on the guests. Better energy. They bond. It’s basically a mini huddle.

Episode Highlights

My favorite episode?

Episode 100. Interviewing my father. Hard to top that.

Second favorite?

Episode 400 with Jorge Pablo Garcia Borboroglu (Popi) García Borboroglu, founder of the Global Penguin Society. His lifelong passion turned into a global mission. So inspiring. [CMO Huddles proudly donates 1% of revenue to this terrific org.]

Most popular episode?

Chandar Pattabhiram, back when he was Marketo's CMO. I’m pretty sure the entire Marketo Nation downloaded that one.

And keep in mind, this is a niche show. No celebrities. No clickbait. Just marketing execs and related experts talking shop.

Why I’m Not Done Yet

The best part of all of this for me?

Several times a year, I’ll meet a CMO, and they’ll say, “I’ve been listening to your podcast for years. It inspired me to do...”

That’s flocking awesome.

How many more episodes will I record? Honestly, I have no idea.

But as long as there are courageous CMOs to interview, curious marketers to reach, and a mic that still works, I’m not done yet.

Special thanks to my flocking awesome guests on Episode 500, Udi Ledergor, Denise Persson, Chris Degnan and Carilu Dietrich AND our intrepid production team, Melissa Caffrey, Laura Parkyn + Ishar Cuevas.

And deep gratitude to the hundreds of CMOs who joined me in episodes 1-499.

Written by Drew Neisser

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 500: B2B Marketing Moves from the 2025 Super Huddle

Nine years in. 500 episodes later. Hundreds of CMOs on the mic. A deep well of marketing wisdom for anyone brave enough to draw from it.

This milestone episode is a celebration of the bold B2B ideas, experiments, and hard-earned lessons that have filled the show from day one. Thank-you to every marketer who has listened, shared, and dared to try something new because of what they heard here.

Recorded live at the 2025 Super Huddle, Drew’s conversations with Udi Ledergor, Denise Persson and Chris Degnan, and Carilu Dietrich anchor this milestone episode.

In this episode:

• Udi shares how Gong pulled off a Super Bowl spot on a regional budget, aimed it at VPs of Sales, and tracked impact in traffic, conversations, and pipeline.
• Denise and Chris explain how a CMO and CRO stayed aligned through four CEOs at Snowflake and evolved the story from “cloud data warehouse” to “data cloud,” all in lockstep.
• Carilu shows how Lovable is building a movement with real users as influencers, a CEO who lives on social, and a speed-first mindset tuned to the pace of AI and customer buzz.

Plus:

• Why a “crazy ideas” budget creates room for standout plays that still satisfy the CFO
• How empathy for sales and shared ownership of the number strengthen CRO-CMO alignment
• How CEO-led social, customer stories, and edutainment power modern B2B brands
• What it takes to move at AI speed while keeping product value and customer love at the center

If you want a concentrated hit of CMO-level courage, alignment, and playmaking, this milestone episode is your highlight reel.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

“Our CFO has never had to go out and get customers; he's only bought them through acquisition,” shared a CMO from a $2.5 billion services company. The other CMOs in the huddle sympathized with the challenge of explaining marketing to a neophyte; they’d all been there.

Silently, I fumed.

How can you call yourself a CFO if you don’t understand the basics of marketing?

As a CFO, you have only a few investment levers to pull: acquisition, product/R&D, sales, and yes, marketing. And of these, ironically, acquisition is the riskiest. In this context, marketing is a far safer bet, consistently delivering a solid return. But how do you educate someone who doesn't realize they're ignorant?

Since the straightforward approach will probably fail, let's have some fun and sharpen your AI skills along the way. Here are five sneaky, AI-fueled ways to educate your CFO on the power of marketing:

1. Build a Financial Model Comparing Acquisition ROI to Marketing ROI Over a 5-Year Period

Turn your typical CAC-to-LTV ratios into visual storytelling. Use ChatGPT to help craft the narrative, then plug the numbers into a slick dashboard using Excel Copilot or Tableau Pulse. Nothing beats showing how $5 million in marketing can drive more value than a $50 million acquisition.

2. Build a Business Game That Can Only Be Won With Marketing Investments

Gamify the decision-making. Use AI tools like Inworld or ChatGPT+Unity plugins to create a simple simulation: players are given a fixed budget and must grow revenue over five quarters. Only those who balance brand investment, demand gen, and customer experience win. Bonus: sneak in a “CEO Mode” where the CFO sees how marketing reduces long-term CAC and improves valuation.

3. Give Them an Autographed Picture of Warren Buffett Saying, “Brand is a Moat.”

Use DALL·E to create a deepfake-y but tasteful image of Buffett with your logo in the background. Slap it in a frame and hand it over with a wink. Humor is a surprisingly effective trojan horse.

4. Create a CFO Hall of Fame Infographic That Showcases 5 CFOs Who Leveraged Marketing to Epic Success

Gemini 3 makes dynamic infographic creation easy. Prompt it to find CFOs who invested in marketing-led growth (think Salesforce, Adobe, or even P&G).

Hang it outside the CFO’s office like it’s the 1927 Yankees.

5. Create a Video of Your CFO Accepting the “CFO of the Year” Prize and Thanking The Marketing Department

Use Sora to script and render a 60-second awards speech with future-you beaming from the front row. Show it at the next leadership offsite with full Oscar-style gravitas. Who says you can’t manifest vision into reality?

Bottom Line

Educating the CFO doesn’t have to be dry decks and defensive meetings. With AI in your corner, you can reframe the marketing conversation and turn skeptics into believers, and budget-slashers into brand champions. So go ahead, get sneaky. Your brand’s future, and your budget, may depend on it.

Written by Drew Neisser

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 499: The Event ROI Reality Check

Events sit at the crossroads of joy and heartburn for B2B marketers. The magic of getting customers together in real life is real, and so is the pain when sales skips the pre-work and ROI gets fuzzy. With every dollar under scrutiny, CMOs are treating events as strategic bets that have to earn their spot on the plan.

In this episode, Drew talks with Charles Groome (Insightful), Jamie Gier, and Lorie Coulombe (Equity Shift) about how they decide which events to do, design experiences people remember, and turn field time into pipeline. They cover event portfolios, sales pre-work, and the simple tools that keep everyone aligned before, during, and after the show.

In this episode:

• Charles sorts events into three buckets, leans into a listening circuit with smaller meetups, and looks at target-account impact to decide where bigger bets belong.
• Jamie frames events around getting discovered, creating memorable experiences, and driving deals, with customers on stage and pods focused on key accounts.
• Lorie sets clear goals for each event, does deep homework on audiences and geographies, and locks in sales pre-work and follow-up expectations.

Plus:

• Build an event portfolio that blends big shows, listening trips, CABs, and customer moments.
• Use themes, news hooks, and customer voices to stand out in crowded halls and drive recall.
• Align sales and marketing via pods, shared KPIs, and simple scoreboards.
• Tighten spend with regional focus, partner co-hosting, and clear criteria.

If events are on your 2026 budget and you want them to pay in pipeline, this episode will help you pick, plan, and prove them with more confidence.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 498: Leading Teams Through the AI Learning Curve

AI is now part of the job, whether your team feels ready or not. Some folks jump in with prompts and pilots; others stay on the sidelines while the pace keeps picking up. How do you turn that mix into a team that understands AI, uses it well, and gets stronger with every experiment?

Drew talks with Jakki Geiger (Arango), Betsy Daitch (Canoe Intelligence), and Grant Johnson (Chief Outsiders) about what it takes to uplevel AI skills across marketing. They get into hiring for AI-forward talent, picking use cases that matter, and tracking progress so experiments turn into repeatable, results-focused habits.

In this episode:

• Jakki hires AI-forward talent, builds digital twins for leaders, and kicks off AI projects from SDR pilots to sales enablement knowledge bases.
• Betsy uses Gemini, an “Upleveling Marketing Efficiency” tracker, and QBR AI projects to lift adoption across product, growth, and corporate marketing.
• Grant sets AI proficiency goals, runs workshops, and assigns ownership so each marketing function keeps building capability over time.

Plus:

• How to create a safe space for AI experimentation anchored to clear business goals
• Ways to narrow use cases so pilots stay manageable and show impact
• Why documentation, ownership, and simple workflows keep AI programs alive
• How CMOs can model AI use and report progress in language the C-suite cares about

Tune in if you are serious about raising your team’s AI game and want practical ways to build confidence, capability, and momentum.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 497: AI in B2B Marketing: Wins, Misses, Next Moves

GenAI now sits inside content workflows, SDR outreach, and competitive intelligence. Marketing teams are seeing real wins and real growing pains, and the open question is where to focus next.

To answer that, Drew brings together Kelly Hopping, John McKinney (Cornerstone Licensing), and Brian Hankin (Altium Packaging) to share the AI plays they are running right now and how they’re leading the charge. Here’s how:

In this episode:

• Kelly shows how AI weaves through content, SDR workflows, web chat, product work, and SEO, plus how OKRs and certifications lift AI fluency across the team.
• John uses AI agents for competitor tracking, outbound support, and coding, and treats AI as a sparring partner for strategy before it reaches the C suite.
• Brian runs an AI campaign engine that builds multi-touch programs in minutes and tracks lifts in engagement, qualified leads, proposals, and wins.

Plus:

• How AEO connects to SEO and what needs to shift for LLM-driven discovery
• How leaders model AI use with internal knowledge bases and cross-functional pilots
• How to structure AI readiness
• Where CMOs can start

Tune in if you want AI use cases you can put to work now and a clearer view of where to point your team next.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 496: Budgeting with Conviction

When it comes to marketing, everyone has opinions—but few have proof. That’s where Professor Byron Sharp steps in.

In this episode, Drew sits down with the globally renowned marketing scientist and author of How Brands Grow to unpack what B2B marketers are getting wrong, what they should measure instead, and why focusing only on in-market buyers is a recipe for decline.

Byron drops truth bombs on:

• Why mental availability drives physical availability (not the other way around)
• How B2B marketers are shooting themselves in the foot with fluffy brand campaigns
• What to measure if you want to track real progress
• Why B2B growth takes time—and how to prove it’s working

Plus, why CMOs should stop pretending that awareness is enough and start earning a place in buyers’ brains before they’re ready to buy.

Whether you’re defending your brand budget to a CFO, fighting for longer-term investment, or just trying to grow your share of voice without blowing it all in Q1—this episode delivers the mental fuel (and science) to make your case.

To hear the rest of this CMO Huddles Bonus Huddle, visit CMO Huddles Hub on YouTube.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

“Our CEO asked me to reduce our headcount by 25% while raising our pipeline targets by 25%,” shared a CMO from a $135M tech company. The virtual huddle went silent as each CMO recognized the likelihood they’d be given the same challenge very soon.

Rather than fight this one, I asked other CMOs how they’re handling these kinds of impossible-sounding requests.

Lisa Cole, CMO of 2X, didn’t just have an answer-->she offered a framework.

And it starts by reframing the conversation.

“There are five ways that AI can deliver value to an organization in the context of marketing,” Lisa explained. “If you can frame your response in one of these five ways, rather than just responding to a 25% blanket statement, you can set yourself up for something you can actually deliver on.”

Here’s Lisa's framework:

1. Budget Efficiency & Flexibility

AI enables smarter execution—faster, cheaper, and with fewer human hours. But Lisa’s not just talking about replacing manual tasks. “Think about reducing costs of execution, replacing manual work, consolidating the random acts of duplicative agencies you might have.” It's about surgical streamlining, not reckless slashing.

2. Tech Stack Optimization

Many CMOs are sitting on a tech stack that’s more bloated than beneficial. “I know CMOs whose tech budgets rival that of CIOs,” Lisa noted, “but they die under the weight of random data manipulation across the stack.” AI can help connect those dots—bridging systems, activating data, and delivering on long-promised ROI.

3. Pipeline Acceleration

This is about more than speed—it’s about intelligent velocity. “If you can reimagine the campaign workflow itself and then apply AI to it, yes, you can get there,” Lisa said. She means faster time to impact: from idea to execution to revenue-generating result.

4. Scalability Without Headcount

Lisa offered this gem: “I may not be the strongest product marketer, but you know what? AI could address that capability gap.” In other words, AI can augment your team’s skill set without adding new headcount—allowing you to scale capabilities (like product launches or content production) without scaling costs.

5. Speed to Market as a Differentiator

“Speed to market actually is a competitive advantage,” Lisa emphasized, especially as AI-native startups outpace slower-moving enterprises. “Brand is certainly part of our moat, but in an AI-first world, speed is part of that moat too.”

So when the CEO drops the 25/25 bomb on you—cut staff by 25%, increase pipeline by 25%—don't panic. Try reframing the conversation with questions like:

• “What if I could increase speed to market by 25%?”
• “Or improve conversion rates in the pipeline?”
• “Or get more out of our existing tech investments?”

I thought this was brilliant. Would this approach work for you? If not, why not?

Written by Drew Neisser

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 495: Teams Built for Growth and Grit

Recruiting great marketers is tough work. Sustaining performance, growth, and energy over time demands deliberate choices. Those choices shape the culture, the pace, and the results your team can sustain through whatever comes next.

To see how this plays out across very different orgs, Drew talks with Dan Lowden (Blackbird.AI), Marni Puente (SAIC), and Amy King (Relias) about the teams they’ve built and the systems that keep them performing. They break down who they hire first, how they set structure and expectations, and how coaching, intelligent failure, and AI-supported workflows help people grow and stay motivated.

In this episode:

• Dan builds a lean, senior, hands-on startup team and fosters a test-and-learn culture where people move fast, try new things, and learn together.
• Marni reshapes a communications-heavy function into a modern marketing org, adding commercial and demand capabilities and aligning work to OKRs and transparent dashboards.
• Amy leads a marketing reset at Relias, rebuilding leadership and structure, positioning marketing with sales and client care, and modeling vulnerability and continuous learning through change.

Plus:

• Why AI committees, battle buddies, and shared learning loops turn hesitation into confident adoption
• How OKRs, scorecards, and focused dashboards clarify priorities and tie marketing to revenue outcomes
• Where intelligent failure helps teams stop low-value work, share lessons, and build trust
• How competency assessments, surveys, and development plans nurture top performers and future leaders

If you’re building, inheriting, or leveling up a marketing team, this episode gives you a ton of moves to help it perform, grow, and stay together.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

“How do we show that marketing is really bringing the value?” shared a CMO of a $75m SaaS company. This question stopped me in my tracks. Not because it's new. I’ve heard variations of it for years, but it was asked with such raw frustration. This CMO wasn’t lamenting vanity metrics or campaign performance. She was grappling with something more existential: the credibility of marketing in the eyes of the business.

And she wasn’t alone. During four back-to-back workshops moderated by 4X CMO Kathie Johnson at the 2025 CMO Super Huddle, this same issue popped up repeatedly.

One CMO shared, “We’ve made 150 acquisitions in 20 years. We have three Salesforce instances. And now I’m supposed to prove that marketing is driving value across all of it?” Another said, “We’re responsible for 100% of the pipeline (both PLG and SLG), but proving attribution is still nearly impossible.”

These are smart, experienced CMOs leading real businesses, and they’re still fighting for legitimacy.

Here’s the truth: If your CEO or CRO is still asking what marketing delivers to the business, that’s a red flag. But it’s also a massive opportunity. Because as painful as that question might feel, it invites a shift in how marketing is framed, measured, and aligned inside the company.

CMOs Need to Reframe Marketing as a Revenue Engine

That starts with shifting the language from activities to outcomes. One CMO described using a simple framework: feed the business, build the business, and create the future. This model helped her team communicate how marketing contributes across time horizons: short-term pipeline, mid-term growth bets, and long-term brand or category creation.

Alignment Isn’t a Buzzword; It’s a Contract

Several CMOs spoke about codifying their go-to-market plans with signed agreements between marketing, sales, and product. “We documented the plan, had the CRO co-sign it, and presented it to the ELT,” one said. Another added, “We did this quarterly, not just annually. Because plans change and so does accountability.”

Metrics Matter, but They Must Match the Impact Timeframe

Not every marketing effort leads directly to pipeline this quarter. Especially in the early stages of category creation or AI adoption, CMOs need to define and align on leading indicators. This might include engagement scores, search volume, brand lift, or even internal metrics like enablement or velocity. “We couldn’t wait for deals to close,” one CMO said.

CMOs Need to Market the Marketing

Internally. Loudly. One leader created a “marketing will/will not do” list, got it signed by the CRO, and sent it to the entire company. Another created quarterly marketing scorecards and published them internally, not just for bragging rights, but to show the strategic role marketing was playing across the funnel.

If you’re still being asked to prove marketing’s value, don’t take offense. Take control.

Written by Drew Neisser