B2B Marketing: Tomorrow's Best Practices... Today

Bravery in B2B marketing isn’t about logos or slogans—it’s about making bold choices when others play it safe. In this episode of Tomorrow’s Best Practices Today, we sit down with Lindsay Tjepkema, founder, growth advisor, and brand strategist at Human Brands Win, to explore how brand, trust, and creativity drive growth.What does it mean to be brave as a marketing leader? Lindsay shares her BRAVE framework—Brand, Relationships, Audacity, Values, and Energy—and explains how it helps leaders make smart, human-centered decisions that resonate with customers and teams alike.From downturns that spark the rise of new market leaders to the resurgence of brand as a measurable differentiator, Lindsay shows why trust and authenticity matter more than ever in B2B.-----CONNECT with us at:Website: https://leadtail.com/Leadtail TV: https://www.leadtailtv.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lead...Twitter: https://twitter.com/leadtailFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Leadtail/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadtail/----0:00 – Brand as Relationship, Not Just Logos0:49 – Introducing Lindsay Tjepkema and Her Work3:10 – Why Being Brave Matters in B2B Marketing5:00 – The BRAVE Framework Explained7:03 – Leading with Energy and Human Connection9:22 – The Comeback of Brand in B2B Strategy13:34 – Making Brand Concrete for Boards and CEOs16:00 – Using BRAVE to Align Marketing Teams19:21 – Building Balanced Teams: Brand and Demand22:37 – Bridging Sales and Marketing Through Trust26:05 – Life Outside of Work: Parenting and the Next Generation28:31 – Closing Thoughts on Bravery and Brand#b2bmarketing #b2b

Discover how AI agents are reshaping B2B marketing in this episode of Tomorrow’s Best Practices Today with guest Erin Cresta, Global VP of Digital and Demand at Sema4.ai. Erin shares what it’s like to join a startup from day one, build a marketing engine from scratch, and apply agentic AI to real-world business challenges.With a career spanning leadership roles at Palo Alto Networks, Docker, Armis, Couchbase, and now Sema4, Erin brings a unique perspective on scaling teams, crafting go-to-market strategies, and staying ahead in a competitive market. She dives into how marketing leaders can:-Build foundational brand identity and messaging at early-stage companies- Apply AI agents to content creation, research, operations, and sales enablement- Align with sales through account-based strategies instead of lead-based metrics- Balance speed, experimentation, and customer feedback in startup growth-Think differently about hiring, operations, and organizational design in AI-driven environmentsWe also explore the “work room” model Erin’s team uses to collaborate with AI agents, how generative AI supports digital ad copy and campaign prep, and why account engagement is becoming more important than traditional lead counts.-----CONNECT with us at:Website: https://leadtail.com/Leadtail TV: https://www.leadtailtv.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lead...Twitter: https://twitter.com/leadtailFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Leadtail/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadtail/----0:00 – Why Enterprise Sales Depend on Accounts, Not Just Leads0:53 – Welcome & Guest Introduction: Erin Cresta and Semaphore.ai3:16 – Returning to Startup Life: Building from the Ground Up6:41 – Early Marketing Priorities: Brand, Content, and SEO9:17 – Hiring Strategy and Using AI Agents in Daily Work11:23 – Inside the “Work Room”: How Teams Collaborate with Agents13:40 – Rethinking Funnels: From Leads to Account-Based Strategies18:01 – Sharing Signals with Sales and Building Alignment20:32 – The Semaphore Platform: Runbooks, Outcomes, and Security25:15 – Startup Lessons, Personal Insights & Closing Thoughts#b2bmarketing #b2b

Marketing isn’t a vending machine—and Kathleen Schaub wants leaders to stop treating it like one. In this episode of Tomorrow’s Best Practices Today, host Clark Newby sits down with Kathleen Schaub, author of Marketing in the Great, Big, Messy, Real World, to unpack why deterministic thinking fails and what modern CMOs must do differently.Kathleen draws on decades of experience advising global marketing leaders and shares insights from her new book, including four key mindset shifts:- Budgeting like an investor rather than an accountant- Planning like a navigator who adapts to changing conditions- Deciding like a statistician who understands probabilities, not certainties- Leading like an ecologist who creates thriving team ecosystemsTogether, Clark and Kathleen explore why the obsession with ROI as a vending machine input-output model is misguided, how marketing metrics should spark dialogue—not dictate it—and why agility at the “edges” of the business is where real progress happens.Order Kathleen's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Great-Messy-Real-World/dp/1632999862/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3BSH939U2QNL1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QsAFE2-s7Vf4DwX3HtjKPD-5jwgkt-_m9H2efEkaqOg.YKXKMuYL6Vc-3NhSIB4d2LGEsMAmQYvPF6gzhQfuY5U&dib_tag=se&keywords=marketing+in+the+great%2C+big%2C+messy+real+world&qid=1756933798&sprefix=marketing+in+the+great+messy+%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-1-----CONNECT with us at:Website: https://leadtail.com/Leadtail TV: https://www.leadtailtv.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lead...Twitter: https://twitter.com/leadtailFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Leadtail/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadtail/----0:00 – Introduction and Guest Overview1:19 – Why Marketing Is Not a Vending Machine2:24 – Complexity and the VUCA World of Marketing3:16 – Moving Beyond Deterministic Models5:00 – Four Mindset Shifts for Marketing Leaders6:29 – Budgeting Like an Investor6:41 – Planning and Measurement: Think Like a Navigator7:47 – Decision-Making: Think Like a Statistician9:12 – People and Ecosystems: Leading Like an Ecologist17:01 – Rethinking Metrics and Board-Level Conversations22:10 – Overcoming Resistance and Gaining Executive Buy-In26:18 – The Role of Data, Analytics, and AI in Complex Systems29:26 – Structuring Teams for Agility and Integration33:01 – Kathleen’s Personal Reading List35:15 – Closing Thoughts and Book Information#b2bmarketing #b2b

How do you introduce AI into your business without automating chaos? Melissa McCready—Practice Lead - Growth Operations at HLX—joins host Clark Newby to break down what it really takes to implement AI in growth-focused organizations.In this episode of Tomorrow’s Best Practices Today, Melissa shares practical insights from the front lines of AI adoption and change management. Drawing on decades of experience across CRM, sales, and marketing ops, she walks through how AI is best used for automation, where businesses typically stumble, and why foundational data quality is non-negotiable. You’ll also hear how Melissa defines “Growth Ops” as a natural evolution of RevOps, and why it requires a broader view of business orchestration.Whether you’re a revenue leader exploring how to use AI for efficiency, or an operator wondering what’s next for your career, Melissa delivers both frameworks and mindset shifts to guide the journey. From onboarding AI in small steps to understanding the root causes behind operational misalignment, this episode is packed with insights.-----CONNECT with us at:Website: https://leadtail.com/Leadtail TV: https://www.leadtailtv.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lead...Twitter: https://twitter.com/leadtailFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Leadtail/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadtail/----00:00 – Teaching AI Like a PB&J: Why Instructions Matter01:09 – Meet HLX: Growth Ops for High-Velocity Companies02:34 – Where AI Fits in Go-to-Market Today03:55 – AI Readiness: Enhancement, Not Replacement05:23 – Start with Data: Structured, Unstructured, and Strategy06:38 – Feeding AI: Analogies, Prompts, and Planning10:32 – The Human Side of AI: Change Management and Trust13:11 – Crawl, Walk, Run: Where to Start with AI Automation16:37 – AI Metrics That Actually Matter to Business19:04 – The Problem with “Just Adding AI” to Broken Ops23:48 – What Is Growth Ops (and Why RevOps Isn’t Enough)?28:16 – Career Advice for Future Growth Ops Leaders35:25 – The Vision: RevOps Leadership Course and Certification#b2bmarketing #b2b

In this episode of Tomorrow's Best Practices, host Clark Newby sits down with Doug Bell, Partner and CMO at Chief Outsiders and co-host of Cannonball GTM. Doug, a seasoned CMO with extensive experience in SaaS go-to-market strategies, shares his insights on navigating the current landscape of marketing. Discover how macroeconomic shifts, the rise of AI tools, and a focus on "existential data points" are reshaping outbound and inbound marketing motions. Doug reveals how to leverage publicly available data, AI, and "vibe coding" to create highly targeted, permissionless value propositions that cut through the noise. Learn why traditional ABM is evolving, how SEO is transitioning to Geo (Generative Engine Optimization), and the critical role social media now plays in capturing buyer attention. -----CONNECT with us at:Website: https://leadtail.com/Leadtail TV: https://www.leadtailtv.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lead...Twitter: https://twitter.com/leadtailFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Leadtail/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadtail/----0:00 Introduction: Doug Bell, CMO at Chief Outsiders1:24 Current Market Focus: AI, Tariffs & SaaS Marketing3:33 The Existential Data Point: Driving Business Growth4:37 Vibe Coding & Permissionless Value Propositions7:26 Beyond Traditional Marketing Messages9:31 The Marketing Skill Gap & Data Manipulation14:48 Inbound Evolution: From SEO to Geo19:36 The Rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)23:56 The Accelerating Shift to AI for Business Research27:49 Career Advice for Marketers: Curiosity, Data & Playbook Shaking#b2bmarketing #b2b

📌 How Evan Kirstel is Rethinking B2B Influence, AI, and Media at ScaleWhat does it take to become a one-person media company? In this episode, Clark Newby sits down with Evan Kirstel—Chief Digital Evangelist at eViRa Health and host of TechImpact.tv—to unpack how B2B marketers can expand their reach, humanize their brands, and experiment across digital, live, and AI-powered platforms.Evan shares lessons from two decades at the forefront of enterprise social strategy. From LinkedIn carousels to TikTok videos, micro-events to Bloomberg TV, he’s seen firsthand what works—and what doesn’t—when it comes to modern influence. He explains how he's using AI tools to scale a daily content machine, why long-form and short-form both have a place in the B2B mix, and why the future belongs to companies that double down on employee engagement.-----CONNECT with us at:Website: https://leadtail.com/Leadtail TV: https://www.leadtailtv.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lead...Twitter: https://twitter.com/leadtailFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Leadtail/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadtail/----00:00 – Why B2B Brands Need to Put People First00:42 – Meet Evan Kirstel: Digital Evangelist and Media Creator02:28 – What’s Exciting Evan in Marketing Right Now05:01 – Rethinking Channels: Don’t Count Facebook and Instagram Out06:21 – Finding the Right Tone and Format for Your Content07:32 – Mixing Long-Form, Short-Form, and Everything In Between09:05 – Lessons from Microsoft, Salesforce, and Dell11:26 – How Evan Decides What Goes on His TV Show13:14 – Why Small, In-Person Events Are Gaining Traction17:42 – What B2B Marketers Can’t Afford to Ignore in 202520:20 – How AI Is Powering a New Era of Content Creation25:56 – What TikTok’s Algorithm Teaches Us About Distribution29:36 – The Long Game: Building an Audience with Consistency30:02 – Inside Evan’s New Show: TechImpact.tv#b2bmarketing #b2b

In part two of our conversation, Hitachi’s CMO shares how even small teams can lead in the age of AI. Whether you’re building executive events, redefining customer engagement, or grappling with your data strategy, this episode delivers clear frameworks, sharp insight, and hard-earned perspective.Arya Barirani returns to break down how to scale enterprise-level lessons into practical action. From the structure of an AI advisory board to the real-world implications of physical infrastructure, he unpacks what it takes to prepare your team—and your tech—for what’s next.📌 Whether you lead a scrappy marketing team or a global operation, this episode helps you think clearly about what matters most—and what to do next.🎧 Find Tomorrow’s Best Practices Today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and at leadtail.com.-----CONNECT with us at:Website: https://leadtail.com/Leadtail TV: https://www.leadtailtv.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lead...Twitter: https://twitter.com/leadtailFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Leadtail/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadtail/----0:00 – What You Missed in Part One1:00 – Scaling Executive Events Without Big Budgets3:01 – Why CTOs (Not Sales) Make the Best Dinner Guests5:40 – Rethinking User Conferences and Technical Engagement6:45 – Breaking Down AI: Efficiency vs. Acceleration10:51 – The Challenge of Applying AI to Physical Infrastructure13:01 – How to Build an AI Advisory Board That Actually Helps16:33 – The Hard Truth: No AI Strategy Without a Data Strategy19:29 – What Future Marketing Leaders Will Need to Succeed25:53 – The Third Third: Leadership, Legacy, and Giving Back#b2bmarketing #b2b

Arya Bairani on Transforming a Legacy Brand and Leading Modern B2B Marketing at ScaleHitachi’s brand is globally recognized—but often for the wrong things. In this episode, Arya Bairani, CMO of both Hitachi Americas and Hitachi Digital, joins Clark Newby to break down how he’s reshaping perceptions of a 110-year-old company and applying cutting-edge marketing strategies across $16B in business.From AI transformation and brand reframing to ABM, event strategy, and small-team execution, Arya shares how a lean, modern marketing team can drive measurable business results—without relying on massive headcount or outdated tactics.📌 Arya’s frameworks and strategies aren’t just for enterprise brands. If you’re building or scaling marketing in any high-consideration B2B business, this episode is packed with practical lessons and executive-level perspective.🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen to your shows.-----CONNECT with us at:Website: https://leadtail.com/Leadtail TV: https://www.leadtailtv.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lead...Twitter: https://twitter.com/leadtailFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Leadtail/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadtail/----0:00 – What’s Old Is New Again: From Digital to AI Transformation0:57 – Introducing the Dual-CMO Role at Hitachi Americas and Hitachi Digital2:51 – The Challenge of Reframing a Global Legacy Brand5:16 – Erasing Perception: Marketing Without a Blank Slate6:11 – Brand Awareness vs. Account Engagement: The Two-Track Strategy8:55 – Marketing’s Role in Executive-Level B2B Sales10:24 – Why Brand Trust Still Wins in Enterprise Buying Decisions12:49 – How a Lean Marketing Org Powers $16B in Business18:10 – Face-to-Face Isn’t Dead: Reinventing Executive Events21:31 – No Pitches, Just Value: The One-Day MBA Event Format#b2bmarketing #b2b

In this episode of Tomorrow’s Best Practices Today, Cari Jaquet—currently CMO at Normalize (acquired by Proofpoint)—joins us to talk candidly about what it really takes to grow as a marketing leader, navigate shifting company stages, and build high-performing teams. From her early days in demand gen to driving BigPanda’s unicorn run, Cari reflects on the inflection points, missteps, and mindset shifts that shaped her career.We dive into:- The surprising power of “doing the work” in early-stage startups.- How to recognize when your company is truly ready for a CMO.- Building marketing from 2 people to 11 during a crisis—and what changed.- The underrated skill of knowing when to abandon a campaign.- Using AI as a creative partner (not a replacement).- Transitioning from VP to CMO: mentorship, scorecards, and honest reflection.- Why empathy for sales and customers still defines great marketing.Show Notes: 00:00 – Intro: Meet Cari Jaquet01:38 – Career Path: From Demand Gen to CMO05:48 – Matching Marketing Skills to Company Stage10:39 – Building a Marketing Team from Scratch15:25 – Market Timing and the BigPanda Unicorn Run18:26 – Creative Campaigns During COVID24:10 – Field Marketing and High-Touch Campaigns26:28 – When to Hire a CMO vs. Go Fractional33:54 – AI in Marketing: Hype vs. Help41:47 – Life Outside the Zoom Box-----CONNECT with us at:Website: https://leadtail.com/Leadtail TV: https://www.leadtailtv.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lead...Twitter: https://twitter.com/leadtailFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Leadtail/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadtail/----#b2bmarketing #b2b