Revenue Remix - Inspiring Visionary Leaders

Summer Poletti
  • 5.0 (4)
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  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The podcast where growth-stage B2B founders learn to scale without wasting money, momentum, or reputation on the wrong moves. Revenue Remix is where founders and revenue leaders get honest about the expensive mistakes nobody talks about in LinkedIn posts. What happens when founder-led sales stops working but you're not ready to hire?What breaks when marketing and sales can't agree on what "qualified" means?How do you scale revenue without betting the company on strategies built for someone else? Host Summer Poletti (Founder & CRO, Rise of Us) asks the questions most podcasts skip: What broke? What did you try that failed? What would you do differently knowing what you know now? Named a Feedspot Top Revenue Podcast of 2025, Revenue Remix features operators at $2M-$20M ARR B2B SaaS and fintech companies who've done the messy work of transitioning from founder-led chaos to repeatable revenue systems. This isn't theory. This isn't 10x growth hype. This is the operating manual for avoiding expensive mistakes. Who this show is for: B2B founders who've hit product-market fit but can't scale revenue predictablyCEOs about to make an expensive hiring decision and want a second opinionRevenue leaders blamed for problems they don't controlAnyone who's sick of "just hire SDRs" being the answer to every pipeline problem What makes us different: It's never just sales. Summer looks at the entire revenue engine—sales, marketing, customer success, and partnerships. Because the problem is rarely where you think it is. New episodes weekly. No fluff, no theory, no "believe in yourself" platitudes. Just steal-able frameworks and uncomfortable truths. For guesting inquiries, see here.

  1. 2D AGO ·  BONUS

    Why Sales and Marketing Fight: The DISC Framework Nobody Talks About

    Your sales team says marketing's leads are garbage. Marketing says sales never uses what they build. Meanwhile, everyone's working hard and nothing's landing. Before you fix the KPIs or rebuild the org chart — have you considered that your D and your S just don't speak the same language? In this bonus episode, Summer breaks down DISC — the communication and decision-making framework she brings to every client engagement — and explains why it's the missing piece in every alignment conversation she's been having lately on Revenue Remix. This one connects directly to the alignment series. If you haven't listened yet, they're right below this bonus episode. In this episode: What DISC actually is and why it matters for revenue teamsWhy sales and finance accidentally railroad each other (and nobody means to)How to spot communication styles in a room without a formal assessmentThe one thing Summer learned the hard way that changed how she works with clients Your one stealable moment: When sales and marketing fight, it might not be a lead quality problem. It might be a D talking to an S with no translation layer between them. → Free assessments exist. Start there. If you need a coach to make sure your leadership team works through it — that's work Summer does inside her engagements. Start with a diagnostic here. It's never just a sales problem. It's never just a marketing problem. It's a revenue architecture problem — and it starts with understanding how your people think.

    12 min

  2. 5D AGO

    Toxic Culture = Tanking Pipeline: What Finance & HR See That You Don't

    Toxic Culture = Tanking Pipeline: What Finance & HR See That You Don't, Alignment Part 2.5 Your GTM strategy can be perfect on paper and still fail. Not because of your market. Not because of your product. Because of what's happening underneath — in the culture, in the budget conversations, and in the silence between your executive team. This is Part 2.5 of the alignment series. If you missed Part 1, start there first, it's the episode right underneath this one. Summer is joined again by Valerie Martin, financial operations expert who builds the systems that turn "we're aligned" into numbers you can actually see on your P&L, and Raven Page, change management consultant who works the people side — because culture is where your perfect alignment strategy goes to die. In this episode: What a fear culture actually looks like (and why executives are usually the last to see it)Why budget conversations become territory battles instead of trade-off conversationsWhat happens when visionary founders chase too many ideas — and who really pays for itWhy change initiatives die after launch and what follow-through actually looks likeWhat the individual contributor can do when leadership won't fix it Connect with the guests: Raven PageValerie Martin If you're listening to this and recognizing your own organization — the infighting, the bloated pipeline, the teams that won't talk to each other — that's not a people problem. That's a revenue architecture problem, and it shows up in your numbers before most leaders are willing to admit it. That's exactly what Summer's diagnostic uncovers. Not a generic deck. A custom diagnosis of why revenue is stuck and what leadership needs to own to fix it. → Curious if this is your problem? DM Summer on LinkedIn or visit theriseofus.com Subscribe so you don't miss the insider "Too Spicy for Public" clip — your sales team is lying about pipeline, and it's not their fault.

    25 min

  3. MAR 23

    Your Finance Team Doesn't Trust Your Pipeline. Here's Why They're Right.

    What happens when your executives swear everything is aligned — but everyone else knows it’s not? This is Part 2 of the Revenue Remix alignment series. In Part 1, we tackled go-to-market alignment across sales, marketing, and customer success — and pushed the conversation into back-office alignment with finance, HR, and service delivery. But when I was editing, I realized we hadn’t gone deep enough on what lives underneath alignment: the culture and the numbers that either make it real or expose it as theater. So I brought back two people who see this mess up close. Valerie Martin is a COO who builds the operational systems that turn “we’re totally aligned” into numbers you can actually track on a P&L. Raven Page is a Change Management Consultant who deals with the people side — because culture is where your perfectly designed alignment strategy goes to die. In this episode, we dig into: Where to actually look when leadership claims everything is fine (hint: first-line managers and people business partners)How the forecast call doubles as a diagnostic — and what it reveals about whether your org is truly aligned or just performing alignmentWhy sales and finance don’t speak the same language about pipeline — and the cost of that disconnectWhy the biggest financial cost of misalignment isn’t missed targets — it’s trustHow fear-based cultures kill accountability, and what that costs you in attrition and execution speedThe difference between transparency that builds trust and transparency that causes chaos Part 3 is already scheduled. There was too much to cover. If you’ve been watching revenue plateau and can’t figure out if the problem is strategy, systems, or something else entirely — this is the episode for you. Part 1: Your Revenue Plateau Isn’t Pipeline — It’s Misalignment Inside Your Go-To-Market Team Connect with Valerie Martin on LinkedIn Connect with Raven Page on LinkedIn Summer Poletti is a Fractional CRO and the founder of Rise of Us. She works with growth-stage B2B SaaS and fintech companies ($2M–$30M ARR) whose revenue has stalled. Learn more at theriseofus.com.

    39 min

  4. MAR 16

    Sales Onboarding That Actually Works (and Doesn’t Waste 90+ Days)

    Hiring the “right” salesperson is hard enough. Watching them flail through a vague onboarding, burn 3–6 months, and then wondering if you made a bad hire? That’s brutal. In this solo episode of Revenue Remix, Summer breaks down why most sales onboarding quietly fails—and what to put in place instead so your next rep ramps faster, feels supported, and actually contributes to pipeline (without magical thinking about a 30-day close in a 6-month sales cycle). You’ll hear: Why your anxiety about sales hiring is valid And why “they’re not closing yet, must be the wrong rep” is often an onboarding problem, not just a hiring problem.The hidden ways traditional onboarding sets reps up to failCompany-centric training instead of customer-centricData dumps with no real-world practiceNo clear ICP, messaging, or competitive positioningOnboarding that stops after week one while the real selling hasn’t even startedA practical, structured ramp-up plan (beyond ‘hit quota by month 3’) How to build realistic 30/60/90 (and beyond) milestones that reflect your actual B2B sales cycle—so you’re not expecting deals before it’s mathematically possible.Mentoring, shadowing & cross-training that actually help Why pairing new reps with top performers, letting them see good (and bad) calls, and having them shadow CS/implementation/marketing shortens the “WTF is going on here?” phase.How to use metrics without turning into a spreadsheet tyrant The small, activity-based success signals (meetings booked, pipeline built, deal stages hit) that tell you early if someone’s on track—long before full quota kicks in.Ongoing coaching vs. one-and-done training week What weekly deal reviews, 1:1s, and continuous learning should look like in the first 90–180 days so your rep isn’t quietly drowning while you assume they’re fine.Equipping reps with real sales enablement—not just a login How to align sales and marketing so your new hire knows what content exists, when to use it, and how to provide feedback when prospects consistently ask for something that doesn’t exist (yet).Teaching new reps to tap referrals & partners (beyond “use your network”) Simple, repeatable ways to build referral habits and partner motions into onboarding so they’re not relying on cold outbound alone. If you’ve ever: Let go of a rep at 90 days and later wondered if they ever had a real shotFelt nervous hiring sales because the last one “didn’t work out”Or suspected your onboarding might just be “HR paperwork + product firehose”…this episode will give you a clear, grounded blueprint for fixing it. 📌 Need help pressure-testing your current onboarding? Check out Rise of Us to learn more.

    23 min

  5. MAR 9

    Zombie GTM: Old-School Sales & Marketing Moves for the AI-Driven Buyer

    If you’re still quietly running the 2021 GTM playbook, you’re probably already feeling it: inbound isn’t hitting like it used to, cold outbound is mostly noise, and AI-made content is flooding every channel. In this “zombie tactics” panel, Summer sits down with fractional CMO Rachel Johnson and independent marketing consultant David Lee to ask a simple question: If modern playbooks are stalling, which old-school moves are actually worth bringing back from the dead? Together, they dig into why the 2021 demand gen machine is breaking down—and which “zombie” tactics still work in an AI-driven, low-trust world. In this episode, you’ll hear:Why the 2021 playbook is dead (or at least undead) How AI, bot traffic, ad fatigue, and search changes have quietly kneecapped classic inbound, content treadmills, and Apollo-style cold outbound.The end of churn-and-burn content Rachel breaks down why high-volume “just ship it” content stopped moving pipeline—especially for companies going upmarket—and what she funds instead.“Stop blogging” (kinda): what Dave actually means Dave explains why blogging for traffic is a losing game now, and how to repurpose thought leadership in ways that still get you discovered and recommended by AI tools and buyers.Zombie tactic #1: in-person networking & relationship selling Why relying on “lead gen” alone is a trap for smaller companies, and how to treat coffee chats, local events, and real-life networking as a core GTM channel again—not a nice-to-have.Zombie tactic #2: smart, ABM-style direct mail Rachel walks through modern direct mail that actually works:Why you don’t blast 5,000 cheap trinketsHow to use small, high-intent account lists instead of spray-and-prayWhere in the funnel direct mail performs best (hint: not top-of-funnel)How to pair it with SDR cadences, landing pages, and nurture—not random acts of giftingZombie tactic #3: modern PR as narrative control (not vanity logos) How to think about PR as a way to shape the story in your category, build trust signals AI and buyers can see, and become a go-to source for journalists instead of begging for “features.”Why none of this works if sales and marketing are still operating on separate goals, separate metrics, and separate realities—and how these “zombie” tactics naturally force tighter alignment.This episode is for you if:You lead sales, marketing, revenue, or GTM and know your old demand gen channels are slowing downYou’re tired of vanity metrics and want activity that ties directly to revenue and real opportunitiesYou suspect “just do more content / more emails / more ads” is not the answer anymoreYou’re curious how to blend AI-era tactics with pre-2010 moves in a way that feels modern, not cringeyGuests Rachel Johnson – Fractional CMO helping early-stage companies go from no revenue to revenue with sharp, buyer-centric GTM.David Lee – Independent marketing consultant and former HubSpot agency owner who now helps teams adapt to the AI-driven buyer.You’ll walk away with concrete ideas you can test immediately—and a permission slip to finally kill a few tactics that should’ve stayed buried.

    39 min

  6. MAR 2

    Trade Show ROI: A Modern Strategy to Turn Booth Traffic into Pipeline

    Trade shows can be a powerful revenue channel… or a very expensive field trip with swag. In this classic Revenue Remix replay, Summer breaks down how to stop “showing up and dazzling” and start treating conferences like a structured growth channel. At the time of this recording, Amy Silberman was a content marketing specialist and client success manager with Do What Works, a firm I still collaborate with today. Dave Lee and the DWW team now focus on fractional CMO work and AI-powered website audits, but the trade show strategy we walk through here is just as relevant for your next event season. In this episode, we cover: Why “just getting leads” isn’t a real goal And what to track instead if you want to prove ROI to finance (and justify next year’s budget).How to plan 6–12 months ahead so your booth isn’t doing all the work Including what marketing assets you actually need before, during, and after the show.Designing clear, measurable conference goals From “grow our email list by 10%” to “increase trade-show-sourced pipeline vs. last year” — and how to instrument it.Building a dedicated trade show landing page that converts What to put on it (and what not to), how to align it with your website, and how to use it pre-show and post-show.Making your website and content actually support the booth Quick website audit ideas so prospects don’t bounce the second they click through from the conference app.Real-time conference tactics that compound your efforts Daily “thank you” emails, photos, and simple workflows that keep you top of mind while everyone else is just handing out pens.Post-show follow-up that doesn’t die in a spreadsheet How to tag contacts, drip on “not yet” leads, and plug everything into a defined sales process instead of hoping reps remember. If you’re signing off on big booth and travel budgets this year, this episode will help you turn trade shows from a gamble into a repeatable, measurable pipeline engine. Do What Works has since committed to a laser-focused AI Shortlist Audit service, find out more here. Rise of Us has just opened up Revenue Diagnostics for 2Q. Perfect for a B2B SaaS, Fintech or professional service org that has growth aspirations for 2026 and knows that they shouldn't wait until 4Q to make adjustments. Find out more here.

    34 min

  7. FEB 23

    Hiring Your First Salesperson, Part 2: How to Avoid an Expensive Lesson

    When founders decide “it’s time to grow,” the default move is still: “We need a salesperson.” In Part 1, we talked about why that logic goes wrong so often. In this bonus follow-up episode, we get practical. Host Summer Poletti and returning VIP David Lee (founder of Do What Works, AI Shortlist Architect, and fractional CMO) unpack two real sales-hiring horror stories from David’s agency days — and use them to build a simple readiness framework you can apply before you post that job. You’ll hear: The two mistakes that cost David time, money, and sanityWhy “I’ll just hire a salesperson and let them do their thing” almost always backfiresWhat happens when you hire a part-time BDR with no onboarding, no metrics, and no defined “what good looks like”How a virtual BDR team did everything “by the book” — booked meetings, got past gatekeepers — and still closed nothing because there was no follow-up processWhy “they have a great network” is not a strategySummer breaks down the myth of the well-connected rep whose Rolodex magically convertsWhy intros and curiosity calls don’t turn into revenue without a sharp ICP, clear differentiation, and a reason to switchThe foundations you need before your first sales hireSummer walks through what she looks for with founders who say “we’re ready for sales”: 👉 In the episode, Summer shares a lightweight qualification framework and readiness checklist founders can adapt to their own business. What to do when leads don’t buy right awayWhy most owner-led sales orgs bleed opportunity simply because no one has time to follow upHow an email nurture engine can quietly become your highest-converting channelThe difference between “just checking in” and value-add follow-ups that build trust over 24+ touchesMarketing + sales: how to stop making each other look badDavid’s perspective as a marketer who refuses to run demand gen into a broken sales processWhy your salesperson can’t be purely an “order taker” or the only source of leadsHow marketing can arm sales with content that gives them a real reason to call back (not just “me again!”)A healthier way to think about your first hireWhy throwing an “experienced closer” into chaos is really setting them up to failHow to think about your first sales hire more like training for a marathon: prep, structure, and pacingWhen it makes more sense to bring in a sales consultant first, build the engine, then hire into itIf you’re a founder who’s: Thinking about your first salespersonStill feeling burned from a past hire that “should have worked”Or wondering what to fix before you scale sales…this bonus episode gives you relatable horror stories and actionable steps to set your next hire up for success instead of disappointment. 👉 Connect with David on LinkedIn

    33 min

  8. FEB 16

    Your First Global Step: The Right Way To Do Business Across the US–Canada Border

    Your first global step probably isn’t opening an office in London or Singapore. For most North American growth-stage companies, it’s something simpler: 👉 A fantastic candidate in Toronto 👉 A customer in New York who wants local support 👉 A test market just across the border In this panel, I’m joined by Toronto-based leaders Eric Hachmer and Komal to unpack what it really takes to operate across the US–Canada border — beyond “just add a worker” in your payroll platform. We talk about why Canada is often the first global footprint for US businesses (and vice versa), and how to do it in a way that supports long-term growth instead of creating messy cleanup work for future you. We cover:Why “just hire someone in Canada/the U.S.” is not a global strategy We start with the common story: a key employee moves to Toronto, or a US founder decides “Canada seems easy enough.” Eric and Komal walk through the gap between employing someone cross-border and actually doing business in another country. Structure before headcount: what to decide before you hire Eric shares why hiring is the easy part — and why your go-to-market model, sales design, and leadership attention matter far more than how quickly you can add someone in your payroll tool. Incorporation, tax, and comp 101 (without putting you to sleep) Komal breaks down: Why you should think about incorporation in CanadaHow federal vs provincial tax structures workWhy Canadian taxes and cost of living factors into comp strategyBenefits aren’t “copy/paste” across the border We talk through subtle but important differences, including: Maternity/parental leave expectationsHow stock options are taxed and perceived in each countryWhy your benefits need to be right-sized for each countryCulture, trust, and risk tolerance: the stuff the setup guide doesn’t tell you This is the part you won’t get from your EOR or payroll provider: Importance and challenge of building trustWhy Canadian teams often put more emphasis on relationship and intention before diving into numbersHow risk appetite differsTech, fintech, and cross-border payments We touch on the reality of: Why data residency, AML, and server location matter if you’re a SaaS or fintech selling into CanadaHow upcoming open banking in Canada (2026) could unlock new ways to move money and serve customers cross-borderA more hopeful take on “messy times” We close on why business leaders are often the ones quietly building bridges while politics gets loud — and how thoughtful, generous leadership and clear decision-making can make cross-border work a growth engine, not a headache. If you’re a founder, CRO, CMO, or finance/ops leader thinking: “Canada feels like the logical first place to go global… but I don’t want to step on a landmine.” …this episode will help you see what’s really involved, what’s easier than you think, and where it pays to slow down and set things up right. 👉 Connect with Eric 👉 Connect with Komal

    34 min
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About

The podcast where growth-stage B2B founders learn to scale without wasting money, momentum, or reputation on the wrong moves. Revenue Remix is where founders and revenue leaders get honest about the expensive mistakes nobody talks about in LinkedIn posts. What happens when founder-led sales stops working but you're not ready to hire?What breaks when marketing and sales can't agree on what "qualified" means?How do you scale revenue without betting the company on strategies built for someone else? Host Summer Poletti (Founder & CRO, Rise of Us) asks the questions most podcasts skip: What broke? What did you try that failed? What would you do differently knowing what you know now? Named a Feedspot Top Revenue Podcast of 2025, Revenue Remix features operators at $2M-$20M ARR B2B SaaS and fintech companies who've done the messy work of transitioning from founder-led chaos to repeatable revenue systems. This isn't theory. This isn't 10x growth hype. This is the operating manual for avoiding expensive mistakes. Who this show is for: B2B founders who've hit product-market fit but can't scale revenue predictablyCEOs about to make an expensive hiring decision and want a second opinionRevenue leaders blamed for problems they don't controlAnyone who's sick of "just hire SDRs" being the answer to every pipeline problem What makes us different: It's never just sales. Summer looks at the entire revenue engine—sales, marketing, customer success, and partnerships. Because the problem is rarely where you think it is. New episodes weekly. No fluff, no theory, no "believe in yourself" platitudes. Just steal-able frameworks and uncomfortable truths. For guesting inquiries, see here.

Information

  • Creator
    Summer Poletti
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    91
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Summer Poletti