Renegade Marketers Unite

Drew Neisser
  • 5.0 (1)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Renegade Marketers Unite focuses on marketing innovators, uncovering the how, what and why behind their on-going success. Award-winning marketer, author, and entrepreneur Drew Neisser keeps these conversations interesting and inspiring, wrapping up each episode with on-the-spot analysis and insights for big marketers and those that want to be. For more information visit http://DrewNeisser.com/podcast

  1. 2D AGO

    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/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

    51 min

  2. 2025-12-26

    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/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

    50 min

  3. 2025-12-19

    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/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

    51 min

  4. 2025-12-16

    How B2B Brands Actually Grow

    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/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

    33 min

  5. 2025-12-12

    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/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

    54 min

  6. 2025-12-05

    Going Fractional?

    Plenty of CMOs reach a point where the fractional model starts to look… intriguing. A little more freedom, a little less 24/7 pressure, and a whole lot of variety. In this episode, Drew brings together three former full-time CMOs who now serve as full-time fractionals: Alan Gonsenhauser (Demand Revenue), Katrina Klier (Sage Strategy Group), and Marshall Poindexter (yorCMO). They get into what it really takes to succeed in the role, from setting expectations with CEOs and boards to choosing the right clients, managing time and scope, and knowing when the fractional model fits and when it is time to move on. In this episode:  Alan builds trust fast with structured discovery across leaders and the board, using "three magic wishes" to surface priorities before acting.  Katrina ties marketing priorities to financial and board targets so strategy supports existing growth and margin commitments.  Marshall differentiates fractional work from consulting, using a simple framework and 90-day sprints to drive execution through in-house teams or agencies. Plus:  Narrowing your niche so you attract clients where you create outsized value  How to set scope, cadence, and availability so part-time does not quietly become full-time  Using process, sprints, and metrics to stay focused when new requests pop up  Planning the transition, from mentoring the incoming full-time CMO to creating a clean off-ramp Tune in if you are considering going fractional, hiring a fractional CMO, or just trying to understand how this model fits into the modern CMO career.   For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

    51 min

  7. 2025-12-02

    Budgeting with Conviction

    If your 2026 budget is starting to feel like a no-win puzzle—flat headcount, higher growth expectations, fewer resources—this episode is for you. Craig Moore of Forrester joins Drew to reveal the budgeting mistakes too many B2B CMOs are still making—and what to do instead.  From rethinking budget architecture to organizing around business outcomes, Craig shares the frameworks that enable CMOs to go beyond justifying their spend—and start leading the strategic conversation with CEOs, CFOs, and CROs.  Get ready to challenge your assumptions, realign your org, and turn your budget into a true lever for growth.  In this episode:  The big 3 budgeting mistakes CMOs make  Why campaign-based budgeting unlocks strategy  Areas of volatility in 2026  AI's Role in Budget Planning  This is just the first half of one of CMO Huddles monthly Bonus Huddles with B2B marketing strategists. To hear the rest of the conversation with Craig, visit CMO Huddles Hub on YouTube.  For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

    33 min

  8. 2025-11-28

    Inside CMO+: Marketing, Comms, and a $10B Acquisition

    CMO+ signals a bigger remit: marketing plus another lane the business depends on. Drawing from her CMO+ tenure at Altair, Amy Messano (Thomson Reuters) talks with Drew about how unifying marketing and communications and empowering employees to carry the story from the inside out helped fuel rapid growth and a multibillion-dollar acquisition. She shows how treating earned, owned, and paid as one system and tying internal comms to go-to-market kept everyone aligned on the same promise. In this episode:  Centralizing marketing and communications in an engineering-led company  Moving from a house of brands to a branded house built around "Only Forward"  Linking a consistent brand to investor confidence and deal value Plus:  Simplifying product architecture and naming through acquisitions  Aligning marketing, PR, AR, and internal comms to tell one story  Using listening and clear brand architecture to bring cultures together  What CMO+ leadership really requires: new capabilities and a close CEO partnership If you're stepping into CMO+ or stretching beyond marketing's lane, this episode's for you!  For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

    47 min
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About

Renegade Marketers Unite focuses on marketing innovators, uncovering the how, what and why behind their on-going success. Award-winning marketer, author, and entrepreneur Drew Neisser keeps these conversations interesting and inspiring, wrapping up each episode with on-the-spot analysis and insights for big marketers and those that want to be. For more information visit http://DrewNeisser.com/podcast

Information

  • Creator
    Drew Neisser
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    600
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Renegade LLC 2023
  • Show Website
    Renegade Marketers Unite

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