Episodes

  • Tim Davidson - Would You Walk Away From it All?

    Tim Davidson - Would You Walk Away From it All?
    Nov 13 2023

    Show Notes:

    • Guest: Tim Davidson, a marketer with a broad range of interests and ambitions.
    • Tim questions traditional career aspirations and explores the concept of living longer to achieve diverse goals.
    • Discussion on the value and impact of building a personal brand on platforms like LinkedIn.
    • Insights into the potential misalignment between sales and marketing objectives within companies.
    • The conversation ends with Tim's musings on the importance of adaptability and continuous learning.

    Key Takeaways:

    1. Ambition can take many forms, and for some, like Tim, it's about pursuing a wide array of passions over a long life.
    2. Personal branding can have significant professional benefits, but it's essential to balance self-promotion with genuine contribution.
    3. There are common pitfalls in building an audience, such as focusing on vanity metrics or adopting a broad, non-specific approach.
    4. The alignment between sales and marketing is crucial for organizational success, but it requires a clear, shared set of goals and executive support to address any misalignment.
    5. In personal branding and content sharing, ethics and transparency are important, especially when discussing strategies that may not be universally applicable.
    6. Success in marketing, as in many fields, often comes down to a combination of natural curiosity, the environment, and self-driven learning and improvement.
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Evan Patterson - The Joan Rivers of Marketing

    Evan Patterson - The Joan Rivers of Marketing
    Nov 11 2023

     

    Show Summary

    In a riveting session, Clark Barron hosts Evan Patterson, who has earned the moniker 'Joan Rivers of marketing'. The episode unfurls a candid conversation about the intrinsic value of personal branding in the marketing world. Evan delves into his marketing journey, which began with creating content for online games as an adolescent and evolved into a sophisticated approach to SaaS marketing. The dialogue pivots around the core idea that personal branding transcends humor; it's about steadfast authenticity and the "take me as I am" stance that both Joan Rivers and Evan embody.

    Show Notes

    Key Points Discussed:

    • Evan Patterson explains the parallel between his approach to marketing and Joan Rivers' indomitable spirit.
    • The podcast traces Evan's path from teenage content creation for MMO RPGs to becoming a seasoned SaaS marketer.
    • Evan emphasizes the vitality of an authentic personal brand, which should be as assertive in marketing as Joan Rivers was in comedy.
    • The conversation tackles the effectiveness of personal branding strategies in attracting suitable professional opportunities and repelling unsuitable ones.
    • Critiques on the current state of marketing content, especially on LinkedIn, where there is an overemphasis on 'how-to' content over practical demonstration.
    • Clark Barron and Evan Patterson discuss the pitfalls of the marketing echo chamber and the need for genuine, action-led marketing strategies.

    Recommended For:

    • Marketers looking to refine their personal branding strategies.
    • Professionals in the marketing sector interested in striking a balance between promotion and genuine self-representation.
    • Listeners keen on insights into marketing strategy development and personal branding.
    Key Takeaways
    1. Personal branding is a comprehensive expression of one's true self, much like Joan Rivers' approach to comedy and life.
    2. Establishing a personal brand is crucial not just in one's personal life but is also imperative to professional success, particularly in marketing and sales.
    3. Effective personal branding involves not only attracting the right professional engagements but also skillfully repelling those that don't align with one’s values.
    4. True marketing prowess is shown not through incessant instruction but through leading by example, a philosophy Evan Patterson stands by.
    5. The marketing discussions on LinkedIn often become an echo chamber; thus, there's a need for authenticity and demonstration rather than repetitive advice.
    6. Personal branding should focus on building meaningful connections and opportunities, not just accumulating followers.
    7. Evan Patterson advises marketers, especially the younger generation, to maintain a work-life balance and to ensure their job doesn't define their worth.
    8. The importance of transparency and critical questioning during job interviews is highlighted to ensure alignment with personal and company goals.
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    54 mins
  • Dani Woolf - Is Going Rogue Worth It?

    Dani Woolf - Is Going Rogue Worth It?
    Oct 22 2023
    About The Guest(s):Dani Woolf is a marketer with a background in security. She is passionate about understanding customers deeply and using that knowledge to drive meaningful change in the industry. Dani has extensive experience in conducting qualitative research and leveraging customer insights to inform marketing strategies.Summary:Dani Woolf discusses the challenges and disillusionment faced by B2B marketers today. She emphasizes the importance of deep introspection and understanding customers on a qualitative level. Dani shares her own experience of circumventing internal obstacles to gather the information she needed to improve her marketing efforts. She highlights the need for marketers to have a clear objective and align their research questions accordingly. Dani also explores the concept of marketing to personas versus human beings and the need for marketers to break away from the status quo.Key Takeaways:B2B marketers often face an existential crisis and disillusionment due to unrealistic metrics and goals.Deep introspection and understanding customers on a qualitative level is crucial for overcoming these challenges.Marketers should be willing to circumvent obstacles and gather the information they need to improve their efforts.It is important to have a clear objective and align research questions accordingly.Marketing should focus on understanding individual human beings rather than relying on personas.Quotes:"Nobody likes to recognize that they're flawed, right? Nobody likes to go to therapy." - Dani Woolf"You need to understand things about yourself and what you're doing wrong and how to alleviate that or mitigate it." - Dani Woolf"Take a deep look at what you're doing. Am I spending my time on the right things that are moving the needle?" - Dani Woolf"You have to say, well, there's they're speaking in absolutes when they're unaware of the fact that it's a very nuanced conversation." - Dani Woolf"If you can move the needle by 1%, that is infinitely better." - Dani WoolfChapters:TimestampSummary00:00:00Introduction to the mass existential crisis in B2B marketing00:00:45Marketers being measured on irrelevant metrics and facing burnout00:02:06Recognizing the need for deep introspection and change00:03:01Importance of capturing customer feedback and data00:04:00Decision to circumvent obstacles in research for better results00:06:39Taking a deep look at tactics and time management00:07:26Accessing data internally and externally for insights00:08:50Reaching out to ideal customers for feedback and conversations00:09:30Successful outreach strategies through LinkedIn00:10:39Overcoming potential objections by presenting customer evidence00:11:40Wondering about the sustainability of a job in marketing.00:12:13Realizing the need to understand the audience and questioning past tactics.00:13:07Facing resistance when pushing back with evidence-based arguments.00:13:27Feeling uncertain about the role and the need for change.00:14:18Reflecting on past experiences and the need for a shift.00:15:29Considering different perspectives on marketing roles.00:16:39Questioning the purpose and structure of marketing roles.00:17:17Exploring the mindset of passionate marketers.00:18:57Recognizing the diversity in motivations and approaches to marketing.00:19:58Emphasizing the willingness to adapt and learn in marketing.00:24:49Advice for marketers: have grit and understand customers deeply00:25:13Marketers need to be obsessed with understanding their customers00:26:10Importance of having qualitative and behavioral data for ideal customer profiles00:27:08Going beyond demographic data and understanding buyer's journey behavior00:28:30The need to find evidence and go beyond absolutes00:29:19Beware of getting marketing advice from non-industry experts00:30:24Aligning research questions to marketing objectives00:32:59Triviality of generic research questions for larger marketing teams00:34:09The importance of knowing what you need to know00:35:28Taking a deeper qualitative look at metrics and KPIs00:38:01Marketer's journey is like playing a video game with no map.00:39:07Qualitative research provides more confidence and clarity for marketers.00:40:18Qualitative research requires smaller datasets and provides valuable insights.00:41:31Discussion on the claustrophobic feeling of not being able to do what you know is right.00:42:36Assessing the risk of working in an organization that won't work out.00:44:48Nuances in decision-making lead to marketing to personas instead of individuals.00:46:07Trying to navigate the complexity of changing B2B marketing.00:47:29Moving the needle by 1% can make a significant impact.00:48:27Memorable marketing creates an emotional response.00:49:44Examples of memorable B2C campaigns.00:50:38Virality of B2C companies and deep audience research00:51:03Difficulty in understanding B2B buyer emotions00:51:32Unpacking the conversation and its takeaways00:51:58Danny's information in the video ...
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    52 mins