Podcast
Renegade Marketers Unite
Hosted by Drew Neisser · EN
Renegade Marketers Unite focuses on marketing innovators, uncovering the how, what and why behind their on-going success. Award-winning marketer, author, and entrepreneur Drew Neisser keeps these conversations interesting and inspiring, wrapping up each episode with on-the-spot analysis and insights for big marketers and those that want to be. For more information visit http://DrewNeisser.com/podcast
39episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
526: AI Velocity vs. Human Creativity
1w ago00:51:20Tap to summarizeAI just handed every marketing team a bigger gas pedal. Now CMOs have to decide what deserves the speed. Teams can now publish, prototype, adapt, and distribute at a pace that felt impossible a few years ago. The advantage comes from knowing where to accelerate, where human judgment matters most, and how to keep the creative spark intact. A strong idea can travel further than ever. A weak one can flood the market before anyone asks whether it was worth making. In this episode, Drew brings together Jakki Geiger (Arango), Dave Steer (Webflow), and Sandy Ono to sort out one of marketing's trickiest new balancing acts: What automation can handle and what still needs a human brain, a trained eye, and a little creative nerve. They keep coming back to one principle. Automation should clear the path from insight to action, while marketers set the standards for quality, protect buyer trust, and know which moments still demand original thinking. In this episode: Jakki shares how she used AI, customer validation, and agency expertise to reposition Arango in 60 days and turn "Frankenstack" into a distinctive market story Dave explains why volume is the wrong goal and how Webflow moves expert insight into market-ready content without giving up subject-matter review Sandy breaks down how decision levels and fidelity separate work AI can handle from work that still needs expert review Plus: How to scale pillar content without diluting the message Why AI-ready brand systems need more than a style guide Where AI speeds localization and where human nuance still matters How process redesign and clear human roles prepare teams for AI agents Listen in for how to put AI's speed to work, protect expert judgment, and give your strongest ideas more reach. For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/
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525: The AI-Augmented CMO: Architecting Teamwide Adoption
2w ago00:50:40Tap to summarizeAI is moving fast enough to make even the savviest CMO feel one tool, one workflow, and one "wait, you can do that now?" behind. The easy move is to delegate it. Let the eager people experiment. Let the technical folks wire things together. Let the team come back with something impressive enough to call progress. If that sounds like a plan, François Dufour would like a word. In this episode, we replay a conversation with Drew and François from April 2026 about what it takes to become an AI-augmented CMO. François makes the case that leaders need enough hands-on fluency to build, test, learn, and model the behavior they expect from their teams. Together, they push past one-off experiments and tool demos toward a more durable rhythm of teams building together, champions sharing what works, system thinkers connecting the dots, and workflows that create leverage beyond a few saved minutes. What You'll Learn: Why AI adoption needs repeated build time, not one-and-done training How to spot the champions and system thinkers who can move the team faster What context AI needs before agents and workflows become useful How to make AI progress visible without rewarding random activity You'll also hear how François used AI to manage context across clients, analyze positioning and narrative, build better customer-facing tools, and help teams see the art of the possible. Tune in to learn how AI-augmented CMOs can lead the work personally, make adoption stick across the team, and turn experimentation into leverage the business can feel. For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/
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524: The First 90 Days Just Got Faster
3w ago00:50:12Tap to summarizeThe first 90 days have always mattered. Now AI is making them faster, sharper, and a lot less forgiving. In this episode, Drew talks with Paige O'Neill (Culture Amp), Scott Gordon (HG Insights), and Ali McCarthy (Asset-Map) about what it takes to start strong in a new CMO role. They explore how to pressure-test what you heard in the interview process, align quickly with the executive team, assess the team you inherited, and decide where marketing can create the most meaningful impact. The conversation also digs into how AI is changing the first-90-days playbook, from accelerating onboarding and research to raising expectations around team productivity, experimentation, and org design. Paige, Scott, and Ali share how they're using AI, where they're still relying on old-fashioned listening, and why the best early wins are the ones that build momentum with both the team and the business. In this episode: Paige shares how she tested the interview story against reality, unlocked stalled team ideas, and used AI to speed up onboarding Scott breaks down how he pressure-tested pipeline goals, budgets, team sentiment, and sales alignment before resetting expectations Ali explains how she brought focus to Asset-Map's many possible stories, used research to sharpen the message, and chose the first market problem to solve Plus: How AI is accelerating onboarding, research, testing, and early execution Why early wins should build credibility without disrupting what works How to gauge AI readiness across your inherited team Why the first 90 days are your best window to challenge assumptions If you're stepping into a new CMO role, or preparing for one, this episode offers a practical look at how to use your early window wisely, build trust quickly, and avoid squandering the power that comes with fresh eyes. For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/
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523: The CMO Job Search Is a Two-Way Street
4w ago00:45:08Tap to summarizeSome CMO opportunities look promising right up until you stop asking, "Can I land this?" and start asking, "Can I actually win at this company?" In a market that is warmer than it was a year ago but still unforgiving, Hugh Marshall of Heidrick & Struggles argues that CMOs need to approach the search with two-way diligence. The offer matters, but so does knowing whether the company, CEO, board, investors, and growth expectations are aligned enough to support real success. With that recruiter 's-eye view, Hugh joins Drew to get inside today's CMO search, from PE-backed pressure and growth-stage churn to comp conversations, equity tradeoffs, and the big career bets hiding inside the fine print. Call it a reality check for CMOs who want the next role to be the right one. What You'll Learn: How to spot risky CMO roles before you're in too deep Why two-way diligence is now non-negotiable How AI fluency is reshaping CMO candidacy What makes candidates stand out in the interview process Know what you're walking into before you say yes. Tune in for Hugh's candid take on today's CMO market, the hidden dynamics behind the offer, and the signs of a truly winnable role. For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/
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522: AI, SDRs, and the New GTM Engine
Jun 1200:44:19Tap to summarizeThe go-to-market model most teams are optimizing may be the very thing AI is making obsolete. Too often, the buyer experience feels like a relay race nobody asked to run. AI is already proving there's a faster, straighter path to answers, value, and outcomes, making the old model a lot harder to defend. In this episode, Drew talks with Amanda Kahlow, founder of 1mind, about why many of today's go-to-market assumptions deserve a fresh look. Using the rise of AI SDRs as a starting point, they explore human handoffs, pipeline thinking, speed to lead, and why buyer momentum matters more than the internal roles built to manage it. Best of all, you get to see it play out when Amanda brings in Mindy, 1mind's AI superhuman, for a live demonstration of what an AI-first buying experience can look like in practice. What You'll Learn: Why first-principles thinking matters in an AI-first world When AI should replace parts of the motion, not just support them Why revenue may be a better measure of success than lead volume or pipeline How smaller pilots can prove the model before broader rollout If you're a CMO questioning how much of your current go-to-market motion still makes sense, this one is worth your time. For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/
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521: Chiefs of Marketing
Jun 500:49:14Tap to summarizeThe title is Chief Marketing Officer. The CMOs who earn the most influence put Chief first. They're not in the room just to deliver a marketing update. They're there to help the executive team make sense of what matters most, navigate tough decisions, and shape where the company goes next. In this episode, Drew talks with Kathie Johnson (Nintex), Lorie Coulombe (Equity Shift), and Allyson Havener about peer leadership inside the executive team. They explore how CMOs build trust, surface business issues, and strengthen credibility across the C-suite. In this episode: Kathie shares why peer leadership starts when a CMO owns more than the marketing plan and helps surface gaps across the business Lorie gets into the trust, EQ, and one-on-one relationship building that make healthy disagreement possible at the executive level Allyson breaks down how finance fluency, customer insight, and a clear read on the sales cycle build stronger executive credibility Plus: How peer leadership starts with the issues a CMO is willing to surface Why connecting dots across functions comes with the job How strong CMOs bring customer context into business decisions For CMOs ready to lead as true executive peers, this episode shows how to earn trust, surface what matters, and lead first as a business leader. For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/
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520: AI Beyond the Sandbox
May 2900:27:46Tap to summarizeAI experimentation created momentum. But for CMOs, it's time to move out of the sandbox and into repeatable systems. In this Drew-on-Drew episode, the conversation shifts from AI experimentation to operational discipline. Drawing on recent conversations inside CMO Huddles and insights from the Imaginarium Summit, Drew explores what it takes to turn scattered AI experiments into a scalable operating model. Along the way, Drew tackles some of the biggest questions facing marketing leaders right now: When should you buy versus build? How do you manage agent risk and governance? What should CMOs actually measure? Why might sales enablement become AI's most practical win? What does "team readiness" really look like? You'll also hear why Drew believes AI is "a mirror, not a crystal ball," exposing weak processes, disconnected data, and organizational gaps faster than ever before. If you're a B2B CMO trying to turn experimentation into a scalable operating model, this episode is a smart place to start. For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/
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519: The ICP Blueprint
May 2200:49:15Tap to summarizeIf your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) is still built on broad categories, instinct, and a little wishful thinking, it may be more aspirational than operational. An ICP like that leaves too much room for interpretation. Marketing, sales, and ops start working from different definitions of the right account, and the business keeps chasing customers that look right on paper but don't behave like winners. In this episode, Drew talks with Drake Lenhan, Sitecore's Sr. Director, Global Market Intelligence & Portfolio Strategy, about what it takes to turn ICP into a source of focus that the whole business can work from. Drake walks through the progression from validating where you actually win to building a scoring model, securing cross-functional buy-in, and creating a system that stays steady as the market shifts. What You'll Learn: How to spot gaps between assumed fit and actual fit How to turn raw account traits into a practical ranking system Why use case fit matters as much as segment fit How to keep ICP from going stale after launch If you're a B2B CMO ready to revisit your ICP with win data, sharper focus, and stronger cross-functional alignment, this episode gives you the blueprint. For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/
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518: The True AI-Driven Leader
May 1500:54:36Tap to summarizeThe AI conversation gets tactical fast. Tools. Prompts. Speed. Output. Helpful, yes. But that barely scratches the surface. Geoff Woods is looking past the tool and straight at the leader holding it. In the right hands, AI becomes a force multiplier for strategic thinking, stronger decision-making, and a completely different idea of what's possible at the top. In this episode, Drew sits down with Geoff, the author of The AI-Driven Leader to talk about what it actually means to own this moment as a leader. The best ones are using AI to think bigger, move their organizations faster, and build in ways that simply weren't possible before. Three Leadership Mistakes with AI: Treating AI like an IT job Using AI on low-value work Treating AI like an answer machine What You'll Learn: How Geoff's CRIT Framework turns AI into a stronger thought partner Why AI's first answer should be treated as a draft How to find the AI use cases that matter most What it takes to make AI a standard in the company If you're a B2B CMO looking to become a more effective AI-driven leader, this episode is worth your time! For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/
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517: The New CMO Superpower: System Design
May 800:49:57Tap to summarizeWe've spent a long time glorifying the "hero leader." The sharpest thinker. The one with all the answers. The person everyone turns to when it's time to make the call. But constant change is pushing a different kind of leader to the forefront. The system designer. A leader who puts more energy into workflows, decision paths, and team rhythm so fewer hard calls boomerang back to them. In this episode, Drew talks with Dan Lowden (Blackbird.AI), Katrina Klier (Sage Strategy Group), and Chris Pieper (ADP) about why this new model of leadership matters now. With AI reshaping marketing and the pace only getting faster, teams need more than a smart CMO in the middle of everything. They need a way of operating that can keep up. In this episode: Dan shares how his team turns expert insight into a steady stream of high-value content, helping a five-person team operate at scale. Katrina breaks down how leaders now need to think across people, tech, and AI while building systems that keep learning and improvement in motion. Chris explains how operating rhythms, sprint structures, and team health checks make strong execution more repeatable. Plus: How better operating rhythms turn learning into a team advantage Where AI should augment the system How to spot work that still depends too heavily on the leader If you're a B2B CMO whose marketing team still depends too heavily on your decisions, this episode will help you rethink leadership, system design, and how to build a team that scales. For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/
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