Author: Melissa Caffrey

Everyone wants to be in a category of one.

But until analysts acknowledge it, customers search for it, and competitors show up, it’s not quite a category—more a call you made before the market did. Creating one means walking a line between leading the story and waiting for the market to catch up. 

In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by Bernd Leger of Cornerstone OnDemand, Charles Groome of Biz2Credit, and Jakki Geiger to share their insights into building a category from scratch. 

In this episode:

• Bernd shares how Cornerstone moved beyond LMS into “workforce agility,” backed by acquisitions, analyst engagement, and full-team alignment. 

• Charles explains how Biz2Credit is carving out a new lane in FinTech by naming the problem and using familiar language to build demand. 

• Jakki outlines what separates true category creation from disruption, and why team-wide clarity is the hidden work that drives both. 

Plus: 

• Why a real customer problem should shape your category narrative 

• How to bring analysts in without losing control of the story 

• What it takes to bring your team along when the category doesn’t exist yet

Tune in to learn how category creation starts, builds, and earns its place in the market! 

Marketing org charts may look innocent, but they’re loaded with meaning. Split your team into “revenue” and “corporate” and you’re sending a message, whether you mean to or not. Structure reveals philosophy. And in B2B, that philosophy had better be built for trust, speed, and results.

In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by Kelly Hopping (Demandbase), Lesley Davis (Waggoner Engineering), and Gary Sevounts (Simpplr) to discuss how they’re shaping marketing teams that reflect clearer priorities, move in sync with the business, and operate at the pace growth demands.

In this episode:

• Kelly built her team around one goal: earning sales love. It reshaped her team’s structure, mindset, and KPIs. 

• Lesley explains how cultural clarity and cross-functional trust helped her team scale fast inside a complex org. 

• Gary shares how “Treasure Ops” became a full-funnel GTM engine, reviving stalled deals and tying ops directly to pipeline.

You’ll also learn: 

• Why your org structure should follow how your buyers engage 

• How AI is already shifting roles 

• How shared metrics and a single definition of success align marketing and sales

Tune in for a look at how marketing teams are being built to meet the moment! 

You can spend six figures on an event and still walk away with nothing but badge scans and a fuzzy sense of brand presence. But when you treat it as a full-funnel campaign, that’s when the impact starts early and lasts well beyond the event itself.

In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by Ellina Shinnick (HUB International), Kevin Ruane (Precisely), and Isabelle Papoulias (EliteOps) to explore how teams show up with intention and turn B2B events into focused, cross-functional efforts that build brand, strengthen buyer confidence, and avoid the all-too-common post-event fade.

In this episode:

• Ellina breaks down HUB’s three-part event framework: Sales alignment, rigorous ROI auditing, and one bold theme that ties it all together. 

• Kevin shares how a shift from demand gen to brand-first events, paired with sideline plays and airport branding, led to unexpected revenue wins. 

• Isabelle gives the play-by-play on how startups can show up strong with limited budgets and purposeful sequencing.

Plus: 

• Why pre-event planning is where ROI starts 

• How to audit your event calendar for strategic fit (not just attendance numbers) 

• What actually works for post-event follow-up, and what to skip 

• Why one big creative idea can carry you through a whole year of events

Tune in to steal what works and rethink how events drive brand and pipeline! 

Episode 450 is here—and the Drews are doubling up to help CMOs meet the moment.

With marketers everywhere facing a “do more with less” mandate, Drew interviews… penguin hat-Drew to unveil 10 innovative strategies to boost impact without burning out. From digital twins to synthetic research, from YouTube Shorts to GenAI-engine-optimization, this episode is packed with ideas that CMO Huddles members are already exploring—and you should be too.

Expect tactical inspiration. A little penguin talk. And a lot of alliteration.

Topics include:

• How to build your “digital double”

• Leveraging synthetic research and deep research tools

• The new rules of trust-based buying

• AI-powered content workflows and smarter chatbots

• Why you should care about LLM visibility and video virality

All ten ideas come with expert references—many of whom will be at Super Huddle 2025.

Tune in. Take notes. Then pick 2–3 ideas to test this quarter. You’ll thank yourself later.

Most companies launch a customer advisory board with good intentions. A few emails go out, a meeting gets booked, and then… not much happens. But when CABs are built with the right structure and support, they can drive some serious value for the business and the customer.

In this episode, Drew Neisser talks with Melanie Marcus (Surescripts), Marca Armstrong (Sensera Systems), and Marina Ilishaev (Boardstream AI) about what separates a one-off event from a CAB that earns ongoing attention, input, and trust. From executive alignment to post-meeting follow-through, this conversation is packed with real examples of CABs done right and lessons from the ones that nearly fell flat.

In this episode:

• How Surescripts turned a CAB into a strategic driver over six years 

• How Sensera uses CAB insights to steer product and sales direction 

• Why structure, ownership, and trust matter more than slick agendas

Plus: 

• How to get buy-in from execs, internal teams, and customers 

• Ways to keep CABs active between meetings 

• Metrics that help track engagement and impact

Tune in to learn what it takes to build a CAB your customers want to be part of, and your team can actually learn from! 

Think CMOs don’t belong in the boardroom? Think again. Today’s top marketers are stepping beyond the C-suite, bringing strategic insight, customer obsession, and data-driven decision-making to board-level conversations. But how do you actually make that leap? 

In this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite, Drew Neisser sits down with three marketing leaders who’ve done just that: Denise Vu Broady (Collibra), Peter Finter (KX), and Katrina Klier (Sage Strategy Group). They share how they earned board seats—and how you can too. 

In this episode:

• How Denise mapped her board journey five years in advance 

• Why Peter leads with risk and strategy to earn trust at the top 

• What Katrina looks for in a board-ready résumé (hint: it’s not brand metrics)

Plus: 

• Why nonprofit and advisory roles are the best launchpads 

• When to invest in certifications like NACD and PDA  

• How to talk board ambitions with your CEO (without raising red flags) 

• Why CMOs are more board-ready than they realize

Whether you’re just curious or actively pursuing a seat, this episode is your inside track to the boardroom.