Gone are the days when marketing could toss leads over the wall to sales and call it a day. True organizational alignment—where sales, marketing, product, and customer experience teams share vision, goals, and KPIs—has become the critical foundation for go-to-market success.

In this candid conversation with Christie Styer, founder of the boutique go-to-market agency Athena, we explore how the most successful companies are breaking down silos and creating seamless customer journeys. Drawing from her experience leading global teams at Cisco responsible for $700 million in revenue, Christy shares both painful lessons and breakthrough strategies that transformed organizational dysfunction into powerful growth engines.

We tackle the evolution of demand generation from a marketing-owned function to a true partnership between sales and marketing teams. The old finger-pointing—"these leads are terrible" versus "they never follow up"—is giving way to shared accountability and common metrics. But this alignment doesn't happen by accident. It requires treating internal stakeholders as "customers," understanding what matters to them, and demonstrating how your initiatives support their goals.

Perhaps the most revealing moment comes when we discuss the infamous "marketing closet"—that space in every sales office stuffed with beautifully branded materials that salespeople never use. This stark reality check forces marketers to ask the essential question: are we creating what sales actually needs to succeed with customers?

Data integrity emerges as the final frontier in organizational alignment. Without a single source of truth, teams waste precious time arguing about whose reports are correct rather than solving business problems. As AI increasingly influences our data analysis, we must also grapple with when to trust and when to question these new insights.

Ready to break down silos in your organization? Listen now and discover practical strategies to align your teams, enhance customer experience, and drive sustainable growth.

Ever wondered how banks and financial institutions manage to send millions of personalized messages daily? The answer lies at the fascinating intersection of AI, data analysis, and privacy management.

Sanjay Ramchandani, Executive Vice President specializing in MarTech, pulls back the curtain on how major financial institutions build comprehensive customer profiles—transitioning from unknown prospects to fully known customers through ethical data collection and analysis. He explains how these profiles feed into AI algorithms that determine the perfect products and offers for each individual, ensuring marketing is relevant rather than generic.

The technological evolution is staggering. Where companies once employed 40 people to manually update rates and personalize financial service emails daily, Gen AI has streamlined these operations to require just 10 staff members for oversight. This efficiency enables sending 4 million customized emails daily, each with dynamic rates and tailored content. Even more fascinating is the depth of personalization possible—some companies analyze 70 different signals from your phone, including battery patterns and pre-sleep browsing habits, to determine the optimal moment to reach you.

But with great personalization comes great responsibility. Sanjay shares a cautionary tale of what happens when permission systems fail to sync properly, resulting in 500,000 emails sent contrary to privacy preferences—a potentially costly violation requiring intervention from marketing, PR, legal, compliance, and data teams to rectify.

Ready to understand the delicate balance between personalization power and privacy protection? Listen now to discover how modern MarTech is reshaping customer experiences while navigating increasingly complex ethical considerations.

Scaling personalization across 150,000 SKUs worldwide sounds impossible, but for Fabio Ranieri, Head of Go-to-Market Innovation at HP, it's exactly the challenge his team is tackling with AI. Speaking from Austin, Texas, Fabio reveals how HP has moved beyond basic automation to create truly personalized experiences that resonate across vastly different global markets.

"Content needs to be less of a seller and more of a helper," explains Fabio, highlighting the fundamental shift in how HP approaches customer communications. Rather than simply translating marketing materials, they're developing sophisticated digital twins of customer segments to understand how the exact same product might serve completely different needs across regions. A high-performance laptop marketed to gamers in the US might be the perfect tool for developers in India – requiring entirely different messaging despite being the identical product.

The conversation takes fascinating turns as Fabio explains HP's pragmatic approach to implementation: "We went bigger by going smaller." By focusing on super-narrow AI use cases rather than broad applications, his team minimizes hallucinations while maximizing impact. Equally impressive is their collaborative relationship with legal teams, built on transparency and education rather than confrontation. "It's not a fight, it's a partnership," Fabio emphasizes.

From machine-to-machine communication that knows when your printer needs ink before you do, to the careful balance between innovation and responsibility, this episode offers rare insights into how a technology giant navigates the AI revolution. As personalization moves toward true one-to-one experiences, Fabio's measured approach demonstrates how thoughtful implementation can drive remarkable results while maintaining brand integrity. Ready to rethink what's possible with AI in your marketing? Listen now and discover the strategies that could transform your customer experience.

The media landscape is transforming rapidly, leaving both journalists and PR professionals scrambling to adapt. How do you cut through a journalist's inbox that receives 1,500 pitches daily? What happens when AI-generated content floods these already overflowing channels? And most surprisingly—could the humble phone call be making a comeback?

Declan Waters, founder of Waters Agency, sits down with hosts Brian Bakstan and Richard Bliss in Austin, Texas to share insider knowledge from his 25 years in the PR industry. Fresh from conversations with reporters at Fortune, Forbes, and other major publications, Waters reveals that despite our digital-first world, personal connection remains the secret weapon in effective media relations. "What's different is I'm talking to more reporters on the phone. It's going back to where it started 25 years ago," Waters explains. This approach forces PR professionals to truly understand their stories rather than hiding behind carefully crafted emails.

The conversation explores how PR itself is evolving, with companies increasingly demanding that communications efforts directly contribute to revenue generation. Waters notes that his agency has pivoted to bring PR closer to demand generation, integrating webinars and other pipeline-building mechanisms with traditional awareness activities. As organizations navigate challenging economic waters and trendy topics like generative AI, the value of authentic, strategic media relationships becomes even more critical. Whether preparing for inevitable crises or helping clients break through the noise, Waters demonstrates why thoughtful, relationship-focused PR remains irreplaceable even as technology transforms the media landscape.

Are you using AI strategically in your marketing efforts, or just scratching the surface of its capabilities? In this eye-opening episode of Marketing 911, host Richard Bliss and co-host Brian Bakstran welcome AI implementation expert Ford Saeks to challenge everything you thought you knew about artificial intelligence in marketing.

Ford cuts through the AI hype to deliver a profound reality check: most marketers are treating advanced AI tools like "glorified Google" instead of engaging in meaningful dialogues that unlock their true potential. He outlines a comprehensive framework of four AI implementation levels that every organization should understand - from basic language models to sophisticated process automation - while emphasizing that mindset matters more than technology.

The conversation explores how marketing leaders can advance their AI strategy by focusing on outcomes rather than tools. Ford provides practical insights on using AI to enhance your business across three core marketing avenues: content creation, audience borrowing, and paid marketing. You'll learn how to approach AI implementation through the lens of mindset, strategy, and tactics, with specific guidance on tools like Make.com that can take your marketing automation to new heights.

What sets this episode apart is Ford's emphasis on strategic thinking over technical specifications. His advice to "treat AI as an expert, but monitor it as an intern" perfectly captures the balanced approach modern marketers need. Whether you're just starting with AI or looking to advance your implementation, you'll walk away with actionable frameworks to transform how your organization leverages these powerful tools.

Ready to move beyond basic AI usage and implement strategic automation that drives real business results? Listen now and discover how to shift your AI mindset from monologue to dialogue.

Ever wondered what happens when the mics stay hot after a podcast recording? In this special behind-the-scenes episode, we pull back the curtain on an unscripted conversation between three successful executives as they reflect on what they genuinely admire about each other.

The conversation reveals fascinating insights about what truly matters in leadership. Jon Mellon's command of language and impeccable dress sense spark a discussion about how personal presentation becomes a professional differentiator—but only when used to extend respect rather than to impress. Brian Bakstran's authenticity, loyalty, and principled approach to business demonstrate how character forms the foundation of meaningful professional relationships. Richard Bliss emerges as a renaissance man whose gift lies in pushing others beyond their comfort zones toward growth opportunities they might otherwise avoid.

What stands out most is their shared commitment to vulnerability and continuous learning despite their senior positions. As Jon poignantly observes, "You are the company that you keep," highlighting how our professional networks shape not just our opportunities but our development as leaders. The executives agree that understanding personal branding early in one's career creates a significant advantage—yet it remains valuable at any career stage. For listeners navigating their own professional journeys, this rare glimpse into executive thinking offers powerful validation that technical skills may open doors, but authentic leadership, vulnerability, and personal branding ultimately define your legacy. Connect with us on LinkedIn to continue the conversation about building your own authentic leadership approach.

What happens when a finance professional finds himself thrust into sales leadership? John Mellon, former President of Blanco Technology, takes us on a fascinating journey through his unexpected career trajectory and the lessons learned along the way.

"You've got to figure out why customers give us their money," was the advice that transformed Mellon's career path from potential CFO to sales and marketing executive. This pivotal shift revealed a timeless truth he shares with our listeners: trust, not tactics, drives successful customer relationships. Through failures and successes, Mellon discovered that building trust through empathy and insight trumps even the most meticulously planned sales campaigns.

The conversation takes a candid turn as Mellon reveals the pitfalls of broken attribution models that plague many marketing organizations. "The attribution model of the organization that I took over was desperately broken and giving off all kinds of incorrect signals," he admits, highlighting the dangers of making investment decisions based on flawed data. This revelation serves as a warning for leaders to verify their measurement systems before making strategic decisions.

Perhaps most valuable is Mellon's perspective on the natural tension between sales and marketing teams. Rather than viewing this friction as problematic, he embraces it: "I love the tension that gets created between sales and marketing." This productive conflict, when properly managed, drives innovation and better outcomes for customers. And as we transition from "the age of search to the age of answers," understanding how to optimize for AI-driven platforms becomes critical for forward-thinking organizations.

Ready to transform your thinking about sales and marketing alignment? Listen now to gain insights from someone who's closed billions in business while navigating the evolving go-to-market landscape. Subscribe to Marketing 911 for more conversations with industry leaders who share practical wisdom from the frontlines of business.

What happens when brand marketing and demand generation collide? Emily Miller, VP of Branding, reveals the powerful synergy that's reshaping B2B marketing strategy. Gone are the days when brand teams operated in ivory towers while demand teams drove business metrics - today's competitive landscape demands their seamless integration.

Miller shares a stunning statistic: 95% of B2B buyers aren't actively purchasing at any given moment. This reality transforms how we should view brand building - not as a luxury, but as essential groundwork that keeps your company relevant until prospects enter buying mode. "If somebody asks you out on a date, you do not marry them on that first date," Miller explains. "Marketing's job is to make all those touches happen so when that customer is ready for a deeper relationship, they know more about you."

The conversation explores the "messy middle" - that challenging space where high-level brand narratives must connect to specific product offerings. Drawing from her experience with major sponsorships like the NFL, Miller illustrates how brand initiatives must ultimately translate to business value that sales teams can articulate. The podcast delves into measuring brand effectiveness beyond immediate metrics, determining when messaging has grown stale, and making strategic decisions about brand refreshes.

Perhaps most fascinating is Miller's insight into using neuroscience for marketing research, revealing how sensors tracking brainwaves during ad exposure showed marketers have mere fractions of a second to capture attention. This scientific approach reinforced a fundamental truth: "At the end of the day, it's still people and that's what you need to connect to - their pain points."

Ready to transform how you think about brand and demand in your marketing strategy? Listen now and discover why these once-separate disciplines have become the essential power couple of modern B2B marketing.