Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing

By: Cybersecurity Marketing Society | N2K Networks
Listen for free

  • Summary

  • Cybersecurity marketer, we’ve got your back! Created by the Cybersecurity Marketing Society, the Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing podcast shares the stories, successes, and failures of marketers in this fast-paced and constantly changing industry. Listen to learn, laugh, and improve your cybersecurity marketing game! New episodes every Wednesday.
    ©2024 Cybersecurity Marketing Society 706761
    Show more Show less
Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales
Show more Show less
Episodes
  • The CMO Who Runs Toward the Fire: Marc Blackmer on Messy Startups and Honest Leadership

    The CMO Who Runs Toward the Fire: Marc Blackmer on Messy Startups and Honest Leadership
    May 7 2025
    Episode Summary: From Cisco to chaos (by choice), Marc Blackmer, CMO at Corero Network Security, joins us to unpack the real talk no one warns you about when you take the top marketing job. In this episode, Gianna and Charles sit down with Marc to unpack the real, raw, and hilarious side of marketing leadership. From walking away from Cisco to jumping back into the startup chaos, Marc shares with us why he needs a mess to clean up, how he builds teams that balance his creative chaos, and why telling the truth in interviews matters more than boasting about perks. We discuss impostor syndrome, hiring to your weaknesses, and how ChatGPT became Marc’s idea dumping ground so he doesn’t drive his team crazy. And yes, there’s even a game that ends in a heartfelt tribute to Dave Grohl. If you’ve ever felt like the only marketer in the room, making it up as you go, this episode is your support group. 03:41 – Welcome to Cyber CMO Confidential with Charles and Gianna 04:14 – Meet Marc Blackmer: radio voice, CMO, AI nerd, and ex-Cisco-er 05:38 – From Cisco comfort to startup chaos: Why Marc chooses the hard path 07:33 – How CyberMarketingCon made Marc quit his job (in a good way) 08:59 – The CMO’s lonely seat: finding your “board of directors” 11:28 – Building the right team: vibes, skills, and hiring to your weaknesses 13:52 – Why Marc tells candidates why not to take the job 18:35 – Owning your strengths and learning to recognize them 19:28 – Creative CMO meets operational team: How they balance each other 21:34 – Why ideas ≠ , action items, and how to avoid overwhelming your team 22:56 – Designing psychologically safe environments for input and ownership 26:11 – Creating teams people want to be on—and knowing when they’ll leave 28:33 – “Plagiarism saves time”: Building a culture of shared wisdom 28:49 – Game time! Fictional swaps and Dave Grohl admiration 32:20 – Where to find Marc and final thanks About the guest: Marc Blackmer, Chief Marketing Officer, Corero Network Security Marc Blackmer is a veteran of the cybersecurity and tech industries, with a career spanning enterprise giants like Cisco and early-stage startups such as ShardSecure. Now serving as CMO at Corero Network Security, Marc brings a unique blend of visionary creativity and operational grounding to his role. With a background in ICS (Industrial Control Systems), AI, and sales engineering, he has been acquired more than once, held a wide array of roles, from partner marketing to channel and IT, and lived to tell the tale. 🖇 Connect with Marc: 🔗 LinkedIn 🏢 Corero Network Security 📬 Get in Touch with us: Want to be on CyberCMO Confidential? Email us at podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com 🎧 Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn. Charles Gold on LinkedIn. Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, or our podcast LinkedIn page, and keep up with us on Twitter. See you in the next episode!
    Show more Show less
    30 mins
  • How VCs Spot GTM Red Flags (and the Marketer Hires That Actually Work)

    How VCs Spot GTM Red Flags (and the Marketer Hires That Actually Work)
    Apr 30 2025
    Episode Summary: What do VCs think about your GTM strategy? This week, Gianna and Maria chat with Asad Khaliq and Mark Kraynak, two of the founding members of Acrew Capital, about what it takes to build or break a go-to-market motion at an early-stage cyber startup. Asad and Mark share how Acrew was founded, why they’re so focused on cyber and data, and what they’ve learned from backing some of the most well-known names in the industry. From hiring your first salesperson to avoiding “we stop threats” messaging, they’ve seen it all and they’re sharing the good, the bad, and the surprisingly funny. Timestamps: 01:55 – Founding Acrew: A venture firm built on thesis, collaboration, and trust. 03:59 – The "green light" test: Would founders be happy to hear from us? 04:57 – Mark’s unexpected path: From poetry to product marketing to VC. 06:36 – Storytelling, messaging, and the marketing power of poetry. 07:32 – Product positioning tips for startups: What words mean. 08:59 – Messaging ≠ intent: Why it’s about what the customer hears. 10:01 – Asad’s entry into cyber through the software infrastructure. 12:27 – Cyber + data = one GTM motion. 13:50 – The hidden magic of cybersecurity and the infrastructure we forget. 14:22 – GTM hiring tips: Why founders get the first sales—and what comes next. 15:51 – Why hiring growth too early is a recipe for failure. 16:47 – First marketing hire? Make it product, not growth. 17:53 – How to find your double unicorns: Player-coach profiles & product marketers. 19:50 – The danger of over-automating with AI in outbound. 21:04 – Standing out means going against the volume game. 22:26 – Culture of experimentation: The new GTM advantage. 24:22 – Channel deprecation: Email’s broken, ABM is back. 26:42 – In-person > inbox: Human connection is underrated. 28:49 – Advice for marketers joining early-stage startups. 31:40 – Vision and values: What to align on before joining a startup. 32:44 – Red flags: Fundraising ≠ success 34:52 – Lightning round: Best cyber website you’ve seen? 37:26 – Shout-out to the Vanta marketing team About the guest: Follow Asad on LinkedIn. Follow Mark on LinkedIn. Follow Acrew Capital on LinkedIn or the website. 💌 Feedback or Wanna Be on the Show? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com Follow your hosts on LinkedIn: 👉Gianna Whitver 👉Maria Velasquez Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, or our podcast LinkedIn page, and keep up with us on Twitter. See you in the next episode!
    Show more Show less
    45 mins
  • Coach, Cut, or Course-Correct? Manny Ataebi on Leading Through the Tough Stuff

    Coach, Cut, or Course-Correct? Manny Ataebi on Leading Through the Tough Stuff
    Apr 23 2025
    Episode Summary: There’s one part of leadership no one prepares you for: the hard conversations. Whether it’s underperformance or misplaced potential, these conversations are uncomfortable but unavoidable. In this episode, Manny Ataebi, Demostack's CMO, gets brutally honest about how to achieve clarity, empathy, and zero regrets. He drops hard truths and heart-forward advice on managing performance, coaching with empathy, and making the tough calls when attitude isn't enough. From skip levels and PIPs to founders hiring out of FOMO, we cover it all with zero sugarcoating. This one’s for the managers in the trenches. If you’ve ever wondered when to coach, when to cut, or how to protect your culture, Manny’s got answers. And stories. And probably a little tough love. Timestamps: 01:25 – Manny’s framework: When underperformance happens, what's next? 03:19 – Coaching vs. wrong role: The stress factor and impact on team morale. 04:31 – Working with founders: early hiring mistakes, and how to fix them. 06:26 – Hiring smart for startups: work ethic, street smarts, and fire in the belly. 07:05 – The year-one review and spotting growth potential. 09:25 – Transitioning team members across roles: real stories and structure. 11:36 – Difficult conversations: why surprise = manager failure. 14:31 – Role play, real scenarios, and preparing your team for exec-level readiness. 16:42 – QBRs and letting team members lead in front of leadership. 18:36 – Different styles, different focus: how Manny adjusts his management approach. 22:19 – When it’s a motivation issue: Candy Crush and the “Farmville” effect. 24:35 – Self-improvement mindset: what separates strivers from coasters. 26:07 – Managing through pivots: startup vs. scale-up realities. 27:32 – The energy vampires of the team: Eeyores, excuses, and responsibility. 29:31 – Let them fail (a little): growth through discomfort. 30:25 – Game Time! If Manny weren’t a CMO, what would he be? 32:10 – Life coach dreams, physical therapy passion, and a heart for helping others. 35:22 – Acting aspirations, fake film pitches, and final laughs. About the guest: Follow Manny Ataebi on LinkedIn. Links & Resources Mentioned: Demostack Cybersecurity Marketing Society CyberMarketingCon Upcoming Events: RSAC 2025 Marketers Party Sunday, April 27 – Vibes, wagyu, and every cybersecurity marketer you love. You know the drill. 👉 RSVP now before it’s too late. Subscribe & Show Some Love: New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe, leave a five-star review, and send this to a coworker playing Candy Crush during Zoom calls. 💌 Feedback or Wanna Be on the Show? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com Follow your hosts on LinkedIn: 👉Gianna Whitver 👉Maria Velasquez Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, or on our podcast LinkedIn page, and keep up with us on Twitter. See you in the next episode!
    Show more Show less
    35 mins
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_webcro805_stickypopup

What listeners say about Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing

Average customer ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com reviews

Amazon reviews
No Reviews are Available