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Lindsay Chepkama
And so if you start to adopt this brave mindset, it will truly change the way that you work, the way you approach your work, and I think honestly how fulfilled you feel about your work too. So it's one of those control the things you can and try to be an inspiration and influence to those around you. But at the very least, like when you can see how much of an impact your day to day and even the seemingly small things that you do have influence over really can make a big impact over time.
Claudia Tirico
The B2B Marketing Exchange brings together B2B marketing and sales practitioners from across the country to get the latest tools and tips they need to succeed.
Lindsay Chepkama
Now we're bringing the insights from the stage to your ears.
Claudia Tirico
I'm Claudia Tirico.
Lindsay Chepkama
And I'm Kelly Lindenow.
Claudia Tirico
And this is the B2B Marketing Exchange podcast. Hello everyone and welcome back to the B2BMX podcast. We have a very special finale episode for you today. Yes, it is our last episode of the season and we've got one of our rock star keynote speakers with us today. She'll be taking the stage at B2BMX in Scottsdale in literally just a few days. And that's wild to say, but I'm here with Lindsay Chepkama, founder of Human Brands Wind and A, let me just say it, a female powerhouse with two decades of experience in global B2B marketing leadership and three time brand founder. Lindsay, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your crazy busy schedule.
Lindsay Chepkama
Oh, man, I'm so excited to be here and I'm so excited to be at B2BMX and like you said, just a few days. So yeah, let's do it.
Claudia Tirico
Yeah. And you're actually, you know, I'd say you're pretty much a veteran to be to bmx. You've attended in the past and I believe you spoke on a panel recently, right?
Lindsay Chepkama
Yeah, yeah, I think it was a panel and there was a talk. Yeah, I'm a big fan. We go way back.
Claudia Tirico
I love it. Yeah. So for those who may not know. Lindsay. Lindsay, tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey in B2B marketing and how it all kind of led you to this spot in life right now and to start Human Brands win.
Lindsay Chepkama
Wonderful. Yeah. So I've been in B2B marketing forever. Like I haven't done anything else. Claudia. I've always been in B2B, so goodness. 20 plus years in B2B marketing. It's what I did right out of the gate from college. After I was one of the weirdos who actually got a marketing degree. And that's what I've done is I've been obsessed with B2B marketing ever since. I've always been on like the brand and content story, experiential side of things. But I've worked at big companies and small companies and agencies. And like you said, I've started three businesses of my own, including Casted, where I was founder and CEO for a few years. I started that company because of issues that I faced as a B2B marketer, trying to harness the power of things like this podcasts and be able to measure that.
Claudia Tirico
You guys, Acid was one of like the first ever to like really do it and do it right.
Lindsay Chepkama
Yeah. To the that I was called crazy. Like, you know that you're on something when people are like, are B2B podcasts ever really going to be a thing? And I was like, yes, they are. And look at us now.
Claudia Tirico
Yeah, look at us now.
Lindsay Chepkama
Yeah. And so did that for a few years. Did the founder, CEO thing for a while. And I actually decided to, to leave after five years and get back to my roots of brand content storytelling, which is what I'm doing now. I'm working with you guess it B2B brands to help their founders harness the power of a founder brand, personal brand, and how that works together, your business brand, all for the sake of growth on your own terms, success on your own terms, and to do that all in a way that's really rich and authentic to who you are and who you're serving.
Claudia Tirico
I love it. And of course, that is what your keynote at B2BMX will be all about. So tell me why having that right mindset to really transcend a brand, tell me why you're so passionate about this.
Lindsay Chepkama
Okay, so think of literally any brand that has. I know one of the themes of B2BMX this year is breakthroughs, breaking through and building bridges. So when we think of a breakthrough, think of any brand, literally anyone, they got to where they are by doing things differently, right? Yeah. No brand that has achieved legendary success, icon status did it by adopting and applying other people's playbooks. Not exclusively. Right? Like taking advice from others, taking processes from others to like using systems and frameworks. That's how we get to where we're going. But when we're under a lot of pressure and fear and scarcity, like we are right now, and always we kind of go to this like, what are. What's everybody else doing? What, what should I be Doing what are the playbooks? Right. But the truth is, all of those brands, whoever you were thinking of when you thought of like ultimate breakthrough success, they didn't get there by doing what everybody else did. They got there by thinking the way that the real legends think. And so that's what I'm here to share is this mindset that I call, you know, thinking brave, that will help people think differently about how they can achieve that breakthrough and allow themselves to think outside the box a little bit as they are adopting playbooks, as they are adopting frameworks, because that's great. But also saying this is a tool to help me to get to where I'm going. It's a thing. It's not. It's on the thing.
Claudia Tirico
I love it. So can you elaborate a little more on how mindset shapes a brand's long term success? And what is this breakthrough mindset, quote unquote, look like in actual practice?
Lindsay Chepkama
Sure. Okay, so as you are approaching any decision, whether you're doing your strategic brand planning or your content planning for the year ahead, or you're literally working on something as seemingly small as a post on LinkedIn, right. Any end of the spectrum, I want you to think, and we're going to talk about this in the session, I want you to think brave. Brand B, Brand R. Relationships A, Audacity V. Values E, energy. Okay? And we're going to talk about how to do that and what that looks like and questions to ask yourself. But before you write that LinkedIn post or launch that massive strategy, I want you to say, does this align with our brand? Like, does it feel like it's on brand? Right. And there's different ways you can look at that and different questions you can ask yourself. But ultimately, does this feel like us? R, is it going to get us closer to or establish relationships or strengthen relationships with those that we really want to know us, love us, trust us long term? Or is it something that we're just trying to like, get in front of any. As people, as many people as possible? Right? So that's our A. Is it audacious? Like, are we really allowing ourselves to like, hold space for creativity? Think outside the box, be innovative, be creative? Are we making, Are we valuing creativity or are we playing it safe? Right. V. Is this thing that I'm about to do, is it in alignment with our brand values? Do you even know what your brand values are like? Do you really? Not what you want them to be, not what they are for you, but like, what is your brand? What does your business actually stand for. And then e, Are you chasing the positive energy or does this thing feel like it's an uphill grind and why? And if you can ask yourself, I mean, listen how quickly we went through those things. It's that fast. And you can go, you could spend all day doing a deep dive on it, or you can really quickly ask yourself those questions. And if it doesn't, check every single one of those boxes, I'm telling you, something's gonna be off. You're either gonna be, like, doing something really, really cool, but it's gonna be off brand, or you're gonna be pursuing some big innovative idea, but it's not gonna be for the right people, or it's going to be a grind for everyone involved and it's just not gonna hit the mark. I have found for me, building my own brands, building casted, building this company on my own, building my personal brand. Those five things, if you're missing anyone, it's not going to work. It's just not going to work. And if you do have all those boxes checked, it's so much more likely to help you get that much closer to your breakthrough. So it's, again, it's not about what you're doing, it's about how you're thinking about it. Like, is it going to reach the right people? Is it going to uphold our values? Is it going to breathe energy and life into what we're doing? Or is it going to be just like everybody else?
Claudia Tirico
Wow, that's awesome. And you know what? It got me thinking. But obviously we may be speaking about, like, one specific person on the marketing team, but obviously a lot more people have to kind of all be on board with all five of those elements, right? The brand relationships. Audacity, values alignment is obviously an issue within a lot of organizations. It's constantly a topic of interest. So how do you see that kind of working out within, like, a large group of people that have their own identities?
Lindsay Chepkama
I've been there. I have been there. Okay. So in an ideal world, yeah, this would start at the top. This is why I work most often with founders and executive teams. Because if it starts at the top and your CEO is completely bought in and this is, you know, hey, did you think brave about this? Hey, does it meet all? Does it, you know, just check all five boxes? Like, in an ideal situation, you would think top down, and it would be a way that the entire company thinks and communicates, right? Ideally. But as we know, ideal situations don't always. Don't always fit in real life. And so even if all you can control is yourself, like, even if you are a marketing manager in a very large team and all you have is this one little area of work that you are working on, you can still ask yourself before you publish that blog post, before you record that podcast, before you propose that idea, you can ask yourself those questions. Because every single individual is making decisions every single day. And you have more control over things than you think. You have control over the way that you approach your work, which is actually going to determine not only your work at that brand, but also your career, you know, and the evolution of your career. Are you going to continue to just try to ship things as fast, as quickly and as efficiently as possible, or are you going to try to pursue breakthroughs for the companies that you work with and ultimately for yourself as well? And so if you start to adopt this brave mindset, it will truly change the way that you work, the way you approach your work, and I think honestly, how fulfilled you feel about your work too. So it's one of those controls, the things you can and try to be an inspiration and influence to those around you. But at the very least, like, when you can see how much of an impact your day to day and even the seemingly small things that you do have influence over really can make a big impact over time.
Claudia Tirico
I love it. And it also, it's, it's very fitting in our personal lives as well. I believe everything that you just said is you could kind of look at it in this, you know, in the same aspect in your just personal life as well as your professional life. I love it. And so you've obviously studied a lot of iconic brands, maybe even worked with them in the past. And I wonder what are some specific traits that these brands kind of share that really will set them apart from others, like you mentioned earlier?
Lindsay Chepkama
Yeah, well, I think actually kind of building off of what we were just talking about, they know that it's not any one thing that is going to get them to where they want to go. Right. It's not one campaign, it's not one person, it's not one decision. It's not one product. Right. It is every decision. It's a mindset. It is a mindset shared across the organization that throughout, you know, the culture of a company. And sure, they may, they probably don't call it brave thinking like I do, but it is this thought process that every decision we make, every person in this company over large periods of time is actually actively contributing to the pursuit of our Breakthrough, right? Every thing that is published, everything that is shipped, every update that is made gets us closer to or farther from where we ultimately want to go. Every single person matters. And if you have one person that is just kind of looking to do the fast, free, cheap, easy way, it's going to actually detract from the rest of the work that those that are pursuing that bold breakthrough, it's going to take away from it. So I have found that businesses that share that, what I call brave thinking that where they think they hold space for creativity, they're bold. They know who they are serving and they know why they exist, and they make decisions over and over again accordingly. Those are the ones that ultimately are most likely to make it awesome.
Claudia Tirico
I want to touch on just, like, one or two elements of the framework today. I don't want to kind of reveal too much prior to your keynote, but obviously relationships are one of the key pillars of the framework. So how do you see strong relationships contributing to a brand's growth? And what strategies can a company use to kind of build more authentic and meaning relationships with their customers?
Lindsay Chepkama
Yeah. Oh, my goodness. Claudia, you know, like, you get it. Relationships are everything. They are literally everything. And that, yes, that means your network, but it's also, I mean, people have heard me say many, many times, who is it for and why are you doing it? That's where everything begins. Who is it for? Who are you serving? What is this product for? Who are you serving? Who are you trying to reach? Everything begins there. Everything. And you build relationships accordingly. You don't seek to convert people. You don't seek to sell. You seek to build relationships with the right people. And what does that mean? That means building awareness, building affinity, establishing trust, maintaining and upholding trust, staying true to your values and, like, knowing again with every single decision that you make that hopefully those that you want to build those relationships with are watching and will be continuing to watch over time, and that they will see it and they'll say, yes, that's for me. I feel seen, I feel heard, I feel valued. And now I'm going to reciprocate that empathy with my trust and my loyalty. And so everything now and always with business begins with relationships. Do you know who it's for? Do you know why you're doing it? And therefore act accordingly.
Claudia Tirico
Awesome. So how can a brand stay true to these values while also pursuing growth? And is it even possible for a brand to grow rapidly without compromising on the values that made it successful in the first place?
Lindsay Chepkama
Oh, absolutely. Okay, so the first step is just like I was saying, knowing who you serve, right there, you know, next to that is knowing why are you doing it. And a big part of your why is your values. Right. And why you exist in the first place. So once you have that clarity, then you're not thinking so tactically about. I mean, everybody's talking about AI. We've been talking about AI for a while now. It's not going anywhere. As we talk about in our businesses, how are we adopting AI? Where does AI fit in with our marketing strategy and with our brand? Those questions become a lot easier to talk through when you and your team have a shared understanding of what your business stands for and who you're serving. Right. So you can make decisions about what are we going to do, what are we going to build, what kind of technology are we going to adopt? What does creativity look like here? What does audacity look like here? What kind of mergers and acquisitions and product launches are we going to do? All of those decisions? Absolutely. Should go back to. And become a lot easier when you know who it's for and why you're doing it, when you're missing the why. And I think that people so often skip over the values because they've just so quickly become something that you put up on the wall in an office. And we don't even work in offices anymore, and so we skip over it. But when you know, like, this is why our business exists, this is what we're actually here to do, then what you adopt, what you don't adopt, how you approach things, becomes a whole lot easier because it's like. It's like a compass that guides you. So, yeah, the companies that understand and have teams that understand their values, growth actually becomes a lot easier to pursue because everybody's pointed in the same direction.
Claudia Tirico
That's great. I want to touch on one more piece of the framework. Energy. How would you define energy in the context of a brand? And why is it so essential to its success?
Lindsay Chepkama
Okay, so I'm sure you've been here before. Have you ever worked on a project that just drained you? I mean, that's a dumb question, right? Like, how many?
Claudia Tirico
Every day of my life.
Lindsay Chepkama
Right. Yeah. I mean, there's some, like, I don't like doing my expenses. Okay. But that's not like a strategic part of my brand. When you're in a position where you're making decisions. Right. This is all about every single decision you make. Big, small, everything in between. When you're making a decision about your brand that you just Know, this is the gut check where it's like, okay, oh, I have to do this thing. We have to start this podcast. Right? Like, let's use that as an example. You know that I love podcasts, obviously, but when there's a mandate that's like, we need to do a podcast or we need to be on this platform. When we skip over that energy gut check of like, yeah, but why are we doing it? Because it's the shiny thing. Are we doing it because our competitors are doing it? Are we not doing it because our competitors are doing it? That's the energy gut check. Are we going against, like, are we like, neglecting this gut check around asking ourselves, like, is this driving positive energy, like, for me, for my team, for everybody involved, for our audience? Like, does this feel right? Like, are we chasing the positive energy here? Right.
Claudia Tirico
Cause you can't, like, just start a podcast without knowing if your audience is actually going to listen to it.
Lindsay Chepkama
Right?
Claudia Tirico
Like, your audience doesn't like podcasts. They prefer video. You know what I mean? Like, yeah.
Lindsay Chepkama
And I mean, exactly. And how often you said you can't do it, but how many times have do people do it? Like, why are you doing it? Well, because my boss told me to. Well, do you even want to? No, Like, I hate it. It's totally draining my energy. And does that mean that every single time you do, you're asked to do something that drains your energy, you just say, no, no, but it means you ask questions. Because if you don't understand the why and buy into the why, or if you're leading a team and your team doesn't understand the why, or buy in to the why, if there's not this shared, like, good juju around what it is that you're doing, it's going to be a slog. And it's going to, at minimum, even if it's successful, it's not going to reach the ultimate potential that it could. If you had just paused and said, are we aligned here? Is there positive energy here? If not, let's fix that before we move forward. It's so important. And that's where we get. I mean, I've, I've run a company, I've run teams, I've been on teams. And we so often skip over this part because it's like, well, you don't have to like it, you just have to do it well.
Claudia Tirico
Right?
Lindsay Chepkama
We should at least pause and make sure that everybody's bought in so that we can make sure that we're reaching our fullest potential.
Claudia Tirico
Awesome. So what is the most exciting trend that you're currently seeing in the world of B2B branding today? And how do you think the mindset behind successful brands will evolve in the coming years?
Lindsay Chepkama
I love all of the talk about storytelling. I mean, we've seen it, that's been, it's been a, it's been building. But I think that I've seen AI came onto the scene a couple years ago. It's obviously, it's been around for a very long time, but exploded a couple years ago. And then we saw this over saturation of just like, oh, let the AI be creative for you. And that just, just crushed me and so many others. And now I think that we're starting to see the pendulum swing the other way, which is like, wait, what if instead of having AI be creative for us, we can have creative help us be. We can have AI help us be more creative? And I'm really excited about that. Where it's unlocking like I work with, with founders and some marketing leaders that have had this real or perceived just wall in front of them about like, well, I can't. I'm not a writer. I don't like public speaking because I never know what to talk about. I don't like posting to LinkedIn because I don't know what to say. And using AI not to write for them, not to create for them, but to help them get outside of, just get out of their head about that. Like staring at a blank page or staring at like that blinking cursor in, you know, any social media platform. Yeah, exactly. And so I think that it's helping more people be brave and audacious about creating and I'm really excited about that. I hope we see more people kind of get out of their own way and be more creative.
Claudia Tirico
Awesome. And obviously like we said, you founded three brands, helped scale three companies. What is one lesson that you wish you had learned earlier in your career about brand building or just as being a businesswoman in B2B marketing in general?
Lindsay Chepkama
Well, yeah, and as I mentioned, yeah, I've having been in B2B for a very, very, very long time and especially on the creative side of things, brand, content, story, we all buy into and in some degree fuel this, this myth that this inaccurate thought that brand and content and story are somehow the arts and crafts of marketing and that they are extra or that they are nice to haves and that the real meat, the real muscle is in demand and anything that can be measured in pipeline attribution or revenue and the Fact of the matter is they go hand in hand. And it's fun because they rhyme. Brand and demand go hand in hand. And I've known that for a while now. I've seen that for a while now. But especially like you asked, going way, way back in my career. I wish that I had stood up for that more. Because the talking about brands that break through and the ones that become legends, the ones. And I think we all, I think we all actually know that, Claudia. I think we actually know that the ones that break through are the ones that get it, that say, nope, it's not just brand. Brand on its own is not enough. But it's also not just about these demand, you know, go to market strategy. It's both. You have to be so strong in who it's for, why it's doing it and how you tell your story, the stories that only you can tell. And then you have to have the entire infrastructure about how you turn that into a money making model of a business. You have to have both. And so if you are on the demand side of things, awesome, the world needs you. But if you're also on the creative story brand side of things, that matters every bit as much. And I hope that we see more businesses giving like equal opportunity, equal resourcing, equal leadership opportunities to both because they matter so much.
Claudia Tirico
I love it. This is such a. Even just the way you're speaking, it's very therapeutic. I feel like this is a very. I love it, I love it.
Lindsay Chepkama
I get fired up, you know, that's great.
Claudia Tirico
If you had to choose one emerging brand or any brand today that could actually. No, let's say one emerging brand today that could potentially become the next like iconic brand. And it doesn't even have to be a B2B brand. It could literally be any kind of brand. Which one would it be and why?
Lindsay Chepkama
Oh, man, that's one. Just one.
Claudia Tirico
You can name a few. We've got time.
Lindsay Chepkama
Oh, goodness. Let's see. I love. It's so funny. One of these days she's going to realize that I keep calling her out. Christina Brady is so amazing at Luster. She's CEO of Lester and what she.
Claudia Tirico
Did, you know she's speaking at B2BMX.
Lindsay Chepkama
I did.
Claudia Tirico
Okay. Okay, good.
Lindsay Chepkama
And she's so great, so excited. I'm such a fan girl.
Claudia Tirico
I just met her literally, just like literally over the phone on Zoom when I first wanted to bring her on. And yeah.
Lindsay Chepkama
Oh my God, she's awesome. She's so great. And here's why I Say her. So Luster is very cool. Luster as a product is very, very cool. It's what she's doing matters. The way that she's approaching it matters. They understand their why their team is very great. Christina in particular. And I talked to her on my podcast too, about, like, her story. I've got this show called actually I Can, and it's founders talking about times that they were told they couldn't do something and they do it anyway. And she's got this great backstory where she brings improv comedy like training and experience into her role as a CEO. And like, it's just, again, your story matters. How you show up matters. And how you authentically show up as a human when you are leading a business, that's where there is magic. And I think because of the way that she's approaching her role as CEO and co founder of this company, she's thinking brave and she doesn't even know it.
Claudia Tirico
I love it. I'm so excited for her session and just to have her be a part of our B2BMX community now, that's awesome. All right. I think you might have alluded to it a little bit earlier, but you've built multiple successful brands. So how do you approach your own personal brand and how much of your own personal values and mindset play into the brands that you've created?
Lindsay Chepkama
Well, it. This whole thinking brave thing came together when I started, when I left Casted, and I knew more than anything else that I wanted to take all the highs and lows, the lessons Learned as a CEO and founder of a SaaS startup. And I wanted to turn around and help other founders and other, like, brand leaders. And as I did that, I was like, okay, but what does that look like? How do I actually take all these lessons learned and turn around and say, here's how I can help you in a way that makes sense to other people. And I started to think about, I was like, well, I've built a lot of brands, everything from years and years ago as a marketing manager and as marketing director and as VP of marketing. Like, what was different? What did I do differently? And I started to think about it. I was like, well, it was always, who is it for? And why are we doing it? And then I always made sure, like, being on brand with things was really important to me and not just going and abiding by trends. And so I started to break it down and, you know, values are really important until I got to some bullet points. And then because marketing and I like, acrostics I was like, well, I think brave. I think I can use the word brave here because being brave is what it's all about. And then that comes together as the acrostic that it is. Brand relationships, audacity, values, energy. And honestly, that's how I've done it since before I knew that what I was doing and why my approach was different as a marketer and then as a founder and CEO, this is what I did differently. It was very much about building a brand from day one, using my own personal brand. What we know now is like personal brands and founder brands and using those two together to build a brand and build a business. That's how I've done it and now how I'm turning around and teaching others to do it as well. And I'm using it every day like I'm. I'm building my own little startup all over again. And I'm doing the exact same things that I've done for 20 years and that I'm helping my clients today do also. So I'm right there with my clients.
Claudia Tirico
I love it. You practice what you preach and that's awesome. All right, so you've attended B2BMX many times in the past. So what keeps you wanting to come back? What keeps you coming back and what are you looking forward to at this specific event coming up this year?
Lindsay Chepkama
Well, you and your style. Because I like seeing what you're wearing.
Claudia Tirico
Oh, God. It's always. The pressure is on.
Lindsay Chepkama
I love it. And I, I'm trying because when I come see you, I have to dress for the occasion. So.
Claudia Tirico
Yeah, you know, you kind of gotta like change the vibe. You know what I mean? Like, we're in a professional setting and I get it. And we know we obviously want to dress professionally, but why not have a little fun? Why not stand out? You know, see so many, you know, just very suited up and simple situation. So you gotta have a little fun with it. B2B doesn't have to be boring.
Lindsay Chepkama
That's. B2B does not mean boring. That's right. If I'm gonna see you and I'm gonna see people in real life and I'm gonna lead a talk that brave. I feel like I need to show up with like an outfit, so.
Claudia Tirico
Oh, I can't wait to see it.
Lindsay Chepkama
That'll be fun. And then. Yeah, I think just, I feel like it's such a cop out answer. But it's. The truth is the people, the people and the learnings, you know, having been in B2B for decades. More than two decades. I know a lot of people. And being able to see people in real life and. And learn from them, it's what keeps us sharp. It's what keeps us open to new and different ideas. And, you know, we talked a lot about relationships in this conversation. It's. It's a way to keep the relationships strong.
Claudia Tirico
Yeah, totally. And only so much networking you could do on LinkedIn and virtually. Right. We're all craving that in person connection. So I'm really excited for that as well. All right, final question for you, Lindsay. Any final thoughts? And go for it. Give me. Not that this episode wasn't an amazing elevator pitch for your session, but give us a little elevator pitch for your session and any final thoughts before we head out.
Lindsay Chepkama
Okay. No matter what your role is, whether you are. I've been there. Whether you're a CEO, whether you are an intern, everything in between, whether you're in sales, whether you're in product, regardless of your role, you are making decisions every single day. Every day. Each one, you have a choice. You can do the thing that is cheap, fast, easy. You can do the things that you're under pressure to do, that feel safe, or you can take a hot minute and you can run through this brave framework that you just learned and that you're gonna learn more. In my session, I even have a little note card you can use that will help you, I guarantee, be more fulfilled and will help you get closer and closer with each and every decision to that ultimate breakthrough that you're looking for.
Claudia Tirico
That's wonderful. Well, I'll make that the mic drop moment of the day. Lindsay, thank you so much for joining me today. I'm so excited to see you in Scottsdale in just a few days. And of course, everyone, thank you all for tuning in today and all season long. This is our final episode of the season and we'll obviously be in touch about next season's kickoff. We've got a lot of fun things in store. Sure. I'm going to be recording plenty of great interviews at the Phoenician and Scottsdale during B2BMX as well. So please stay in touch on LinkedIn and be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any of those new episodes coming up. And of course, everyone, it is not too late to register for B2BMX and join us in sunny Scottsdale. So take advantage of our discount code in the show notes so you could save a little bit of money on your ticket and come hang out with Lindsay and I in Scottsdale. All right, that is a wrap. Lindsay. Thanks again. And thank you again, everyone. Please take care and see you soon.
Summary of "Why B2B Marketing Teams Need To Think BRAVE" - B2B Marketing Exchange
Release Date: February 19, 2025
In this compelling episode of the B2B Marketing Exchange podcast, host Claudia Tirico engages in an insightful conversation with Lindsay Chepkama, the founder of Human Brands Win. The discussion revolves around the BRAVE framework—a strategic mindset designed to propel B2B marketing teams toward breakthrough success. Below is a detailed summary capturing the key points, discussions, insights, and conclusions from their interaction.
Claudia Tirico welcomes Lindsay Chepkama, highlighting her extensive background in B2B marketing. Lindsay is recognized as a female powerhouse with over two decades of experience in global B2B marketing leadership and three-time brand founder. She has been instrumental in founding companies like Casted, a pioneering B2B podcast platform.
Lindsay introduces the BRAVE framework, an acronym representing five critical elements essential for B2B marketing success:
Key Quote:
Lindsay Chepkama [05:43]: "Brand and demand go hand in hand. [...] It's about how you're thinking about it."
Lindsay emphasizes that adopting a brave mindset transforms how teams approach their work, leading to greater fulfillment and impactful outcomes.
Key Quote:
Lindsay Chepkama [00:00]: "If you start to adopt this brave mindset, it will truly change the way that you work [...] how fulfilled you feel about your work too."
Key Quote:
Lindsay Chepkama [05:43]: "Is this align with our brand? Like, does it feel like it's on brand?"
Key Quote:
Lindsay Chepkama [13:13]: "You build relationships accordingly. You don't seek to convert people. You seek to build relationships with the right people."
Key Quote:
Lindsay Chepkama [05:43]: "Are we really allowing ourselves to hold space for creativity?"
Key Quote:
Lindsay Chepkama [05:43]: "What does your business actually stand for?"
Key Quote:
Lindsay Chepkama [16:36]: "Chasing the positive energy here."
Lindsay discusses the challenges of instilling the BRAVE mindset within large teams and underscores the importance of leadership buy-in. She advocates for a top-down approach where founders and executives embody the BRAVE principles, thereby influencing the entire organization.
Key Quote:
Lindsay Chepkama [08:55]: "In an ideal situation, you would think top down, and it would be a way that the entire company thinks and communicates."
Lindsay highlights that authentic relationships are foundational to brand growth. She advises focusing on building trust and maintaining it through consistent, value-driven interactions.
Key Quote:
Lindsay Chepkama [13:13]: "Do you know who it's for? Do you know why you're doing it? And therefore act accordingly."
Maintaining brand values during growth is achievable through clarity in the brand’s mission and target audience. This alignment acts as a compass, guiding strategic decisions and ensuring cohesive expansion.
Key Quote:
Lindsay Chepkama [14:44]: "Once you have that clarity, then you're not thinking so tactically about [...] making decisions becomes a whole lot easier."
Energy refers to the positive enthusiasm and drive behind brand initiatives. Ensuring projects align with positive energy prevents team burnout and enhances overall effectiveness.
Key Quote:
Lindsay Chepkama [17:55]: "Is it driving positive energy, for me, for my team, for everybody involved, for our audience?"
Lindsay observes a shift in the use of AI within B2B marketing. Initially viewed as a tool to replace human creativity, AI is now being leveraged to enhance and support creative processes, empowering marketers to be more audacious and innovative.
Key Quote:
Lindsay Chepkama [19:23]: "We can have AI help us be more creative."
Lindsay reflects on the integration of branding and demand generation. She stresses that both elements are crucial and interdependent, debunking the myth that they operate in silos.
Key Quote:
Lindsay Chepkama [21:15]: "Brand and demand go hand in hand."
Lindsay shares how her personal brand and values have been instrumental in building her businesses. The BRAVE framework is not only a professional tool but also a personal philosophy that guides her decision-making and leadership style.
Key Quote:
Lindsay Chepkama [25:23]: "This whole thinking brave thing came together when I started, when I left Casted."
Lindsay encourages individuals at all organizational levels to adopt the BRAVE framework in their daily decisions. She emphasizes that this mindset leads to greater fulfillment and steers teams closer to their breakthrough goals.
Key Quote:
Lindsay Chepkama [29:04]: "You have a choice. You can do the thing that is cheap, fast, easy. [...] get closer and closer with each and every decision to that ultimate breakthrough."
This episode provides a comprehensive exploration of the BRAVE framework, advocating for a mindset that integrates brand alignment, relationship building, audacity, values adherence, and positive energy. Lindsay Chepkama’s extensive experience and practical insights offer B2B marketing professionals actionable strategies to achieve significant and authentic growth. Her emphasis on thinking brave serves as a call to action for teams to transcend conventional playbooks and foster innovative, value-driven marketing practices.
Notable Quotes with Timestamps:
This structured summary encapsulates the essence of the podcast episode, providing valuable insights for listeners and those who might not have had the chance to tune in.