distilled

Steve Wheen

4.0 (1)
Marketing
Updated Biweekly

Insights, intelligence and innovation from international creative practice distillery. Our thought leadership series covers a multitude of topics across the marketing and advertising sphere. distillery. Creativity, made to measure. Learn more about us: https://www.wearedistillery.com https://www.x.com/wearedistillery https://www.instagram.com/wearedistillery/ https://www.tiktok.com/@wearedistillery https://www.youtube.com/@wearedistillery

Sep 19

Human-Led, AI-Enabled: The Neuroscience of AI Adoption

When a leader firmly says "we value our people" and uses AI to enable them, it creates a drastically different outcome than demanding teams "use AI at all costs." If your business operations are messy, AI won't fix them—it will just scale your internal chaos faster than ever before. In this episode of distilled, distillery founder Steve Wheen sits down with Day Nova founder Travis Tallent to discuss the reality of the current AI gold rush. Travis breaks down the architecture of a "Company Brain," explains why leaders must shift from AI mandates to AI visions, and explores the fascinating neuroscience behind how employees react to the threat of AI in the workplace. Plus, hear the incredible case study of how IKEA generated $1.5 billion by re-skilling 8,500 customer service workers into design agents instead of replacing them with bots. How AI-ready are you and your team? Take the assessmentto find the gaps so you can meet the industry's AI mandate. Honest answers, no right or wrong - https://tools.daynova.ai/diagnostic/ Connect with Travis on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travistallent/ And learn more about DayNova here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/daynova/posts/ Don't forget to hit subscribe for more great content, and visit us at https://www.wearedistillery.com/ and follow us on social @wearedistillery
Sep 11

Scaling Customer Advocacy & Storytelling Across APAC

Building a unified customer marketing engine across 20+ APAC countries isn’t for the faint of heart. But when you listen closely, sweat your assets, and put human connection first, the ROI is undeniable. In this episode of distilled, distillery founder Steve Wheen sits down with Neema Okal, Head of Customer Marketing APAC at Google Cloud. Neema pulls back the curtain on how her team transformed a simple case study initiative into a powerhouse customer advocacy engine that spans 10 languages and deeply respects regional cultures. Key takeaways for time-starved marketers: The Art of "Sweating the Assets": How to maximize your budget by turning one traditional case study into a multi-channel goldmine of "snackable" content—from YouTube Shorts to LinkedIn vox pops. Navigating Regional Nuances: Adapting B2B storytelling for diverse markets, whether that means securing complex approvals in Indonesia or addressing local business challenges in Australia. AI as a Co-Pilot: Practical ways to use AI to speed up content creation (like turning transcripts into quick briefs) while keeping human relationships at the heart of your strategy. Elevating Your Customers: Why true advocacy means understanding executive motivations and helping your clients shine on bigger stages to advance their own careers. Making B2B Human: The secret to keeping complex tech stories so simple, clear, and fun that anyone—even Neema’s mom in a village in Kenya—can understand the real-world value. If you’re looking to drive community-led growth, push the boundaries of storytelling, and work smarter, this conversation is packed with actionable blueprints. Connect with Neema on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neema-okal/ Don't forget to hit subscribe for more great content, and visit us at https://www.wearedistillery.com/ follow us on social @wearedistillery Follow distillery for more content at:Main site: https://www.wearedistillery.com/LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/wearedistilleryFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearedistilleryTwitter: https://twitter.com/wearedistilleryInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearedistillery/
Sep 9

Why AI Won’t Fix a Broken Sales Strategy

The most expensive line item on any B2B budget isn’t software - it’s change. In this episode of distilled, we meet Kristen Talley, a strategist and AI-powered sales enablement specialist, to discuss the "pressure cooker" environment of 2026. Many organizations are throwing money at AI tools hoping for a silver bullet, but Kristen shows us how automating a broken strategy only leads to "automated chaos." We dive deep into the human element of digital transformation, the friction between sales and marketing, and why curiosity is the ultimate competitive advantage in an AI-driven world. Book an introductory discussion with Kristen here: https://calendar.app.google/HfzBxhE7uEE2a9rt8 Key insights in this episode: The Skill Gap: Why buying tech without investing in human capital is a recipe for failure. Breaking Silos: How to align Sales and Marketing at the executive level to fix pipeline quality. The "Referee" Problem: Why Enablement should be driving strategy, not just settling disputes. Safe Spaces to Fail: Using AI to practice pitches and build confidence before ever talking to a customer. Learn more about Kristen and her consultancy, Mumura, here: https://mumura.com And connect with Kristen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenmarshalltalley/ Don't forget to hit subscribe for more great content, and visit us at https://www.wearedistillery.com follow us on social @wearedistillery and use the hashtag #WeAredistilery
Sep 5

Can AI Feel? Creating Tilly Norwood and the Future of Human-Centric Marketing | distilled

The "third genre" of entertainment has arrived, and she has a name: Tilly Norwood. In this episode of we sit down with Eline Van de Velde—physicist, filmmaker, and the visionary mind behind the world’s first AI actress. When Tilly Norwood launched in 2025, she didn't just spark a debate; she sent shockwaves through Hollywood and the global marketing landscape. But is Tilly here to take jobs, or to unlock a level of creativity we’ve never seen? What we "distill" in this conversation: The ROI of AI: Why an AI-first pipeline can reduce production budgets by 50% and carbon footprints by 99%. The Emotional Connection: How a "rebellious" AI character can actually double industry benchmarks for emotional engagement. Human-in-the-Loop: Why Eline believes every digital star needs a human heart and a team of 15 creators behind it. Strategic Impact: How brands can build "Digital Twins" and autonomous ambassadors to scale 1-to-1 customer relationships. Actionable Advice: What CMOs and Creative Directors should be doing today to start their AI-first strategy without feeling overwhelmed. At distillery, we believe AI is the ultimate enabler for human creativity—not a replacement for it. It’s about building on the "shoulders of giants" to tell stories that were once impossible. Connect with Eline and particle 6: Explore the universe of AI talent at particle six and meet Tilly Norwood - https://www.particle6.com/ Join the conversation: Is your brand ready for an autonomous ambassador? Drop a comment below—we’re reading every one. Subscribe to distillery for more insights on the future of creativity and visit us at https://www.wearedistillery.com/ Follow distillery for more content at:LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/wearedistilleryFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearedistilleryTwitter: https://twitter.com/wearedistilleryInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearedistillery/ #wearedistillery #AI #MarketingStrategy #TillyNorwood #ContentMarketing #Innovation #DigitalHumans #ROI
Aug 15

How Real-Life Stories Beat Automation in B2B Tech Marketing

Is your team focused on simply churning out more content? It's time to stop. Marketing in the age of automation requires a radical shift: leveraging AI to remove the grunt work and create space for the soulful, human stories that truly drive growth. On this episode of distilled, we're joined by former Googler and Fractional Head of Content, Cath Millman. With experience guiding 400+ brands across 18 countries, Cath brings real insight and intelligence to every conversation. Cath breaks down how modern marketers can cut through the noise by embracing authenticity and focusing on the narratives that machines can't replicate. What You'll Learn: The AI/EQ Challenge: Why your emotional intelligence and creative spark are the skills AI will never replace. Building a Customer Reference Machine: How to build a continuous, well-oiled process for capturing real-life customer stories and quotes—the most valuable content you can create. The Power of the Human Voice: Why stories about what went wrong—not just what went right—build trust and resonate deeply with B2B tech audiences. AI as an Empowering Tool: Shifting the narrative from AI taking jobs to AI helping you remove the grunt work and focus on the high-value strategic thinking you were hired for. The "Seatbelt Analogy": Cath's insightful warning on the tech industry's "duty of care" as we navigate the future of AI. Connect with Cath: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cath-millman/ Ground Media: https://www.groundmedia.io/ Don't forget to hit subscribe for more great content, and visit us at https://www.wearedistillery.com/ and follow us on social @wearedistillery
Aug 8

AI for Marketing: Why "Better" is the New "Faster"

Stop thinking about AI as just a way to do things faster. It's time to reframe it as your most powerful Perspective Teammate that fundamentally makes your marketing better. On this episode of distilled, we're joined by AI Strategist Natalie Lambert to talk about the massive shift happening in marketing and productivity. Natalie breaks down why the old way of gathering customer feedback is dead, and how you can use AI to build a synthetic, strategic team that provides high-fidelity feedback and insights before your content even goes live. What You'll Learn: The AI Teammate Framework: Learn to build Task-Based (for high-quality checks), Builder (for content creation), and Perspective (for validation) teammates. Better, Not Faster: How AI enables marketers to focus on creativity and strategy by delegating the tasks they hate and vetting ideas for maximum relevance and engagement. The Synthetic Advisory Board: Use AI to simulate a CMO/CFO discussion, allowing you to debate ideas and understand different perspectives before walking into a real meeting. The Golden Age of AI: Why NOW is the best time for companies to build this muscle and start utilizing these powerful, affordable tools. For our followers, we've special promo code for our listeners for her upcoming Mavens Marketing course. Learn how to build your AI marketing team and expand your marketing capacity without new hires. In this course, you’ll build and train AI teammates for content, reporting, and insights, ready to help you move faster and hit year-end goals. Spots fill fast - use the code: "distilled" for your discount. Enroll here: https://lnkd.in/g-V9uv82 Connect with Natalie Lambert: Subscribe to Natalie's Newsletter and join the Waitlist for Natalie's Maven Course: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/youre-expert-theyre-fix-gap-natalie-lambert-jpnme/?trackingId=yO7nH7VPS9%2BUy32CFluMkw%3D%3D Follow Natalie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalielambert/ Connect with Distillery: https://www.wearedistillery.com Subscribe to our Channel @wearedistillery
Jul 24

Customer Marketing: distilled

Your business is booming. Your products are perfect. Customers are lining up to sing your praises. Time to roll out yet another case study…? Satisfied customers are your business’s most powerful growth engine. You want them shouting from the rooftops. But case studies (and rooftops) aren’t the only ways to engage customers, build partnerships, and drive customer value. Join distillery for Customer Marketing: distilled — a 30-minute live stream with customer marketing maven Maya Avitan — to discover:- How to engage your customers and create measurable value for them and you- How to position your customers as experts in their fields and amplify their stories- How to build a thriving customer marketing programme that can run and run Connect with Maya on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mavitan/ And don't forget to hit subscribe so you don't miss our latest content.
May 9

B2B Marketing Metrics: distilled

So, your copy’s snappy, your design’s sublime, and your B2B campaign’s working its way into the wild. But if you’re not measuring the right metrics and citing the right insights, all that hard work will be in vain. But how do you say goodbye to guesswork, make sense of the data, and optimise the success of your B2B campaign in real time? And just how does your campaign measurement measure up? Join distillery for a discussion on B2B Campaign Measurement: with chief marketing officer and B2B marketing measurement guru Sara Aird-Marsh to discover:- The do’s and don’ts of measuring your B2B campaign- How to stay afloat in a sea of data- How AI is revolutionising the way businesses optimise their B2B campaigns B2B Marketing Metrics: distilled took place live, and this is the recording!

Insights, intelligence and innovation from international creative practice distillery. Our thought leadership series covers a multitude of topics across the marketing and advertising sphere. distillery. Creativity, made to measure. Learn more about us: https://www.wearedistillery.com https://www.x.com/wearedistillery https://www.instagram.com/wearedistillery/ https://www.tiktok.com/@wearedistillery https://www.youtube.com/@wearedistillery

Creator

Steve Wheen
Years Active

2020 - 2026
Episodes

39
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© distillery
Show Website

distilled