The Dave Gerhardt Show

#308 Sales Alignment | In this session from Drive 2025 titled “Building Pipeline in the Shiny Object Era”, Jen Allen Knuth unpacks why deals stall even when your product is objectively better, how the explosion of shiny tools and AI noise is making it worse, and why most teams are unintentionally fueling the problem with me-centric messaging. Jen shares the two zero-dollar exercises every team should run to quantify how much pipeline they’re losing today, align sales and marketing around the true blocker, and rebuild outbound messaging that creates curiosity.PS. Want to join us at Drive 2026? Head over to exitfive.com/drive to join the waitlist for Drive 2026 and be the first to know when tickets go on sale. Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#307 Building Community | In this episode Dave joined Ali Orlando Wert (Director of Content Marketing & Brand at Databox) on their podcast called Move the Needle. She did an interview with Dave focused on community building. They cover how Exit Five grew 80 percent by operating more like a startup than a Slack group. Dave gets into the truth of building community, why most companies should not launch one, how to measure brand without losing your mind, and why AI has everyone simultaneously energized and spiraling. Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#306 Executive Insights | This episode was recorded live at our annual event, Drive 2025. I hosted Sylvia LePoidevin (CMO, Kandji), Trinity Nguyen (CMO, UserGems), and Natalie Taylor (Head of Marketing, Capsule) for a leadership panel breaking down what’s working in B2B marketing. They get into events that reliably create pipeline, outbound that still converts, media plays LLMs keep citing, and the tactics they’ve stopped running (like generic webinars that no one shows up for).Want to come to Drive next year? Head over to exitfive.com/drive to join the waitlist for Drive 2026 and be the first to know when tickets go on sale.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro + Drive 2025 context (02:47) - – Meet the speakers: Sylvia, Trinity, Natalie (04:39) - – The one thing each leader refuses to give up (04:50) - – How Capsule turns events into their #1 pipeline channel (08:53) - – Why outbound still works (and how UserGems does it) (13:46) - – How Kandji built a media property that LLMs actually cite (18:12) - – Plays they stopped doing (blogs, generic content, virtual thought leadership) (25:56) - – Playing offense: Shark Tank Day and GTM alignment (31:20) - – Team wide alignment strategies that drive revenue Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#305 Influencer Marketing | This episode is a live session from Drive 2025 with Brianna Doe, where she breaks down why influence is now shaping every step of the buying journey, how smart B2B brands are borrowing plays from B2C, and what it really takes to build a creator program that doesn’t flame out on day one. She gets into the messy reality of picking the right creators and measuring impact without deluding yourself with vanity numbers. Head over to exitfive.com/drive to join the waitlist for Drive 2026 and be the first to know when tickets go on sale.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (02:23) - – Why Influence Drives Modern B2B Buying (05:18) - – What B2B Can Steal From B2C Playbooks (08:13) - – The Creator Engine Framework (11:30) - – Picking the Right Creators (Without Getting Burned) (14:48) - – Building Campaigns That Don’t Feel Like Ads (18:03) - – How to Measure Real Impact (Not Vanity Metrics) (22:05) - – Running a 90-Day Pilot That Actually Works (24:50) - – Scaling From One-Off Posts to a Full Program Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#304 | AI Buying Shift | This episode is from a recent Exit Five live session where I pulled together Lindsay O'Brien (Head of Marketing & Operations, Predictiv), Tom Wentworth (CMO, incident.io), and Aditya Vempaty (VP of Marketing, MoEngage) for a real talk on how AI is completely rewiring the B2B buying journey. We got into why buyers no longer need your pretty funnel, how AI-powered research changes the sales call, and what that means for your GTM strategy.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro + Dave Sets the Stage (03:08) - – How AI Is Changing B2B Buying (10:08) - – The Big Shift: Taste, Unscalable Work, and Distribution (15:08) - – Getting Exec Buy-In for “Unmeasurable” Marketing (19:08) - – Does the Funnel Still Matter? (23:08) - – Dead Tactics: Gating, A/B Testing, Lead Score Theater (29:20) - – AI That Actually Works (Real Use Cases) (36:20) - – Team Size, Skills, and the New CMO (42:20) - – Authenticity vs AI: Creative, Video, and Brand (57:20) - – Content Attribution + Final Takeaways Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#303 Storytelling | This episode is from Drive 2025, our 2-day in-person event for B2B marketers in Burlington, VT. Harry Dry, creator of Marketing Examples and one of the best copywriters on the internet, shared a masterclass on storytelling, creativity, and writing marketing that actually connects—showing how to find great ideas, turn real stories into memorable campaigns, and make people feel something in the process.Head over to exitfive.com/drive to join the waitlist for Drive 2026 and be the first to know when tickets go on sale.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro from Dave (01:48) - – Harry’s background + Marketing Examples origin (04:08) - – What makes good marketing storytelling (07:28) - – How to find and collect great ideas (11:53) - – The power of emotion in copy (16:38) - – Why simple writing wins (21:13) - – Turning real stories into campaigns (27:35) - – The role of curiosity in great marketing (32:20) - – How to write like you talk (37:30) - – Examples of high-performing campaigns (42:40) - – Q&A: writing habits, inspiration, and burnout Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#302 Growth | Dave is joined by Priscilla Barolo, former head of comms at Zoom (for nearly 10 years, including the pandemic) and current VP of Marketing at Neat, an Oslo-based video tech company. Neat’s tech is used around the world from major enterprises like Atlassian to the White House. With a decade-long career at Zoom, including during its hypergrowth through the pandemic, Priscilla is a master in communications and B2B marketing leadership.Dave and Priscilla cover:The path from communications to marketing leadershipUnique challenges of marketing a physical product in the B2B tech spaceBuilding and scaling a global marketing team at a high-growth, remote-first company Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#310 Leadership & Strategy | I sat down with Maura Rivera, CMO at Qualified, to talk about what it’s like leading marketing at one company for six years (and why most of her team has been there just as long). We got into how product launches are the glue that hold their marketing together, what agentic marketing really means for the future, why outbound is actually working for them right now, and how events have become a huge part of their strategy. Plus, plenty of good banter along the way.Watch this episode on YouTube on my channel: https://youtu.be/4tew-Q89FmsTimestamps(00:00) - — Intro & setup: Marketing’s back in the driver seat (02:33) - — Work, life, and moving from Boston to Vermont (06:08) - — Competitors, community, and the small-world CMO circle (11:38) - — How Maura’s Salesforce roots shaped Qualified (14:08) - — Working for a CEO who actually gets marketing (18:08) - — Lessons from startup life & learning every part of marketing (21:08) - — Building the right team and hiring people smarter than you (28:08) - — Why product launches are the heartbeat of marketing (42:20) - — Agentic marketing, events, and AI at Qualified (54:20) - — The future of marketing and why it’s back on top Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#300 Drive | This episode is from Drive 2025, our 2-day in-person event for B2B marketers in Burlington, VT. It features Diane Wiredu, Founder of Lion Words and expert in B2B messaging and positioning. She shared a killer talk on “What Your Messaging Is Missing,” breaking down why most B2B copy sounds the same and how to close the meaning gap by focusing on clarity, balance, and buyer context.Head over to exitfive.com/drive to join the waitlist for Drive 2026 and be the first to know when tickets go on sale.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro from Dave (01:53) - – What “message-market fit” actually means (04:23) - – Why most B2B messaging misses (08:28) - – The “meaning gap” and why it happens (13:13) - – Balancing clarity, emotion, and differentiation (18:38) - – How to simplify complex products (25:00) - – Examples of messaging that actually resonates (30:30) - – How to pressure-test your messaging (36:45) - – Aligning teams around a clear message (42:30) - – Turning insights into copy that converts (47:40) - – Q&A: internal buy-in, testing, next steps Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#299 Drive | This episode is from Drive 2025, our 2 day in-person event for B2B marketers in Burlington, VT. Our first speaker was Sangram Vajre, Co-founder and CEO of GTM Partners and expert in GTM strategy. He shared a great session on building a repeatable GTM Operating System for sustainable growth, offering insight from 100 companies on what separates teams that scale from those that stall.Head over to exitfive.com/drive to join the waitlist for Drive 2026 and be the first to know when tickets go on sale.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro from Dave (02:08) - – Sangram’s background + setup (04:08) - – What GTM really means (11:03) - – The 3 stages of GTM maturity (11:28) - – Why NRR is the key metric (20:08) - – The “boring marketing” advantage (26:20) - – How to say no and prioritize (28:20) - – Why GTM alignment beats tactics (32:20) - – Building your GTM Operating System (34:40) - – Q&A: GTM alignment, discovery, growth Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#298 Q&A | OK I asked my team for some questions; a bit of a mailbag type of episode. So I sat down solo for this one and answered 15 questions from the Exit Five team about work, life, marketing, and everything in between. We got into everything from my daily routine and how I think about LinkedIn, to the best career advice I’ve ever gotten, what I’m reading, and a few personal stories I’ve never shared before.Watch this episode on YouTube on my channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyagkJf6xHw&t=508sTimestamps(00:00) - – Intro (02:08) - – What’s your LinkedIn content creation process? (04:53) - – How often do you check Slack and email? (05:53) - – What are you reading or listening to right now? (09:23) - – What does a perfect day look like for you? (11:23) - – Tell your life story in four minutes. (12:08) - – If you could gain any quality or ability, what would it be? (16:08) - – What’s your most embarrassing work moment? (18:20) - – What’s your favorite all-time book and why? (19:20) - – What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received? (21:40) - – What motivates you when you’re feeling unmotivated? (22:45) - – If you could transform into any animal, what would you choose? (23:20) - – What are your biggest pet peeves? (25:10) - – Which team member would you swap lives with for a day? (26:20) - – What’s your go-to karaoke song? (26:55) - – If you weren’t running Exit Five, what job would you have? (28:35) - – Wrap-up & closing Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#297 Leadership | I sat down with Kelly Cheng, CMO at Goldcast, to talk about her path from growth marketer to marketing leader, how she’s built and scaled Goldcast’s marketing org, the shift from PLG to sales-led, and why she believes great CMOs play the long game.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (03:08) - – Kelly’s path from Hong Kong to Boston (06:08) - – Joining Goldcast and the PLG pivot (09:08) - – Moving from growth marketer to CMO (12:08) - – The role of mentors in her career (20:08) - – Questions to ask before taking a CMO role (27:20) - – Inside Goldcast’s marketing org structure (33:20) - – How Kelly measures brand and mindshare (40:20) - – Why the BDR team reports to marketing (46:20) - – The link between brand, content, and pipeline (51:20) - – Leading with vulnerability and the “long game” Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Hey it's me live from the airport, LGA to be exact. Sorry for the poor audio, my AirPods make it way worse than just talking into the phone, now I know. But we cleaned it up a bit. Recapping our NYC event if you missed it, talking about the ROI of hanging out in person and what's next. Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#295 Messaging | Dave is joined by Emma Stratton, founder of Punchy, where she helps B2B tech companies sharpen their positioning and write messaging that actually connects. Emma’s worked with hundreds of teams to cut through vague, abstract copy and turn it into language buyers instantly get.Dave and Emma cover:How to go from vague to punchy using specificity and buyer empathyWhy most B2B messaging blends into the “sea of sameness” (and how to stand out)How customer research and real conversations create message–market fitThey wrap with a candid chat on journaling, focus, and how managing your mental energy can make you a better marketer and human.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro to Emma (04:13) - – What makes B2B messaging actually good (07:55) - – Common messaging mistakes (and why “clarity > clever”) (10:53) - – Positioning vs. messaging: what’s the difference? (15:06) - – Why it’s hard to name great B2B marketing examples (17:30) - – How to sharpen weak messaging and fix vague positioning statements (20:38) - – Simplifying complex products without dumbing it down (23:48) - – How to write for buyers (not just execs) (28:32) - – Using customer interviews and research to build strong messaging (33:10) - – Standing out in a crowded, buzzword-filled market (35:54) - – How storytelling fits into B2B messaging (39:00) - – Messaging advice for early-stage founders and startups (42:15) - – How often should you revisit and update messaging? (44:25) - – Productivity, managing your energy, and staying focused (47:40) - – Journaling, mindfulness, and being intentional with your time (51:35) - – Final takeaways Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#294 Event Strategy | First time podcast guest alert! I invited Allison and Anna from the Exit Five team on for a conversation post Drive 2025 - to talk about lessons learned and behind the scenes from our annual marketing conference in Vermont. Snag your tickets for next year now exitfive.com/driveTimestamps(00:00) - – Intro (02:08) - – Why events are making a comeback in B2B marketing (06:08) - – What Drive is and how it started (11:08) - – Why every event should start with the landing page (14:08) - – Lessons from year one and how feedback shaped Drive 2025 (19:08) - – Treating events like products, not projects (21:08) - – Building connection through “third spaces” and excursions (26:08) - – Why community is the real ROI of in-person events (32:20) - – The biggest Drive mishap (and what it taught us) (37:20) - – Post-event strategy: why the event isn’t over when it ends (47:20) - – Favorite moments, lessons, and shoutouts from Drive 2025 Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#293 Email Marketing | I'm trying to make my way from Vermont to New York and back with a mini episode talking about email (is email dead?), direct mail, the Dream 100, and a smart lesson from a non-B2B marketer. Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#291 In-Person Events | I decided to break the pattern with a solo podcast, just me and my phone, walking around the woods at my home in Vermont on a damp October morning before heading to NYC for the Exit Five meetup. I talk about my goals for the week, our plans, why we're hosting a dinner, the value of meeting in-person, remote vs. in office work, and other ramblings.*If you listened to this: DM me on LinkedIn or email dave@exitifve.com - tell me what you want me to cover on this podcast as it relates to marketing, business, or life. Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#290 AI Workflows | In this episode, Dave is joined by Dan Guenet, GTM Engineer at Compound Growth Marketing, and Eoin Clancy, Head of Growth at AirOps. Both guests are at the forefront of building AI workflows that make marketing more efficient and scalable, from content creation to sales enablement.Dave, Dan, and Eoin cover:How to use Clay, Zapier, and AirOps to build repeatable GTM systems that scale without burning bandwidthThe frameworks behind automating webinar production, sales transcript analysis, and content refreshes with AIWhy marketers need to bridge the gap between AI hype and real execution, and where to start with building practical workflowsTogether, they break down the exact tools, prompts, and processes they’re using to turn AI from theory into impact across B2B marketing teams.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (02:08) - – The gap between AI hype and real execution (06:08) - – Dan’s background and how GTM Engineering came to life (09:08) - – Building repeatable webinar systems with Clay (13:08) - – How to scale content and events without burning bandwidth (18:08) - – Eoin’s content creation workflow using AirOps (23:08) - – Turning sales transcripts into actionable GTM insights (33:20) - – Using Zapier Agents to automate product marketing tasks (41:20) - – Refreshing SEO content with AI for better performance (49:20) - – Where AI fits in your team and how to start small Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#289 Strategy | Dave is joined by Sydney Sloan, Chief Marketing Officer at G2, where she’s leading the charge on integrating AI into marketing, rethinking team structures, and modernizing how B2B brands build trust. Sydney brings decades of experience from companies like Adobe, Alfresco, and Salesloft, and now oversees one of the largest software marketplaces in the world.Dave and Sydney cover:How to design events that truly drive pipeline, using frameworks like “Think, Feel, Do” to plan with purposeA smarter way to measure event ROI with Sydney’s “Revenue in the Room” approachHow AI is transforming the buyer journey and reshaping what modern marketing teams look likeAn episode that will leave you rethinking your marketing strategy, from the events you run to the org you build.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (03:08) - – The return of in-person events (06:08) - – Building community through smarter event design (08:08) - – Inside G2’s “AI in Action” roadshow (11:08) - – The “Think, Feel, Do” event framework (14:08) - – Why details make or break events (17:08) - – Measuring success with “Revenue in the Room” (20:08) - – Post-event follow-up that drives results (27:20) - – How AI is reshaping the buyer journey (43:20) - – Rethinking marketing orgs for the AI era Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#288 AI in Marketing | In this episode, Dave is joined by three B2B marketing leaders: Sara Ajemian, Head of Brand & Communications at SOCi, Jennifer Delevante-Moulen, CMO at Knak, and Tara Robertson, CMO at Bitly. Together they share real-world perspectives on how AI is actually shaping marketing teams today—what’s working, what’s not, and how leaders are adapting.Dave and the panel cover:The most overhyped AI use cases in B2B marketing (and where human nuance still wins)Real success stories, including building an AI-powered content research engine, scaling global localization, and using AI to make creative teams more data-drivenHow CMOs are personally using AI as a strategic thought partner for board prep, customer insights, and team coachingWhether you’re experimenting with new tools or figuring out how to bring AI into your strategy, this conversation gives a grounded look at what B2B marketing leaders are really doing today.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (03:08) - – Meet the panel: SOCi, Knak, Bitly (07:08) - – Has AI met or missed expectations? (11:53) - – The most overhyped AI use cases (15:08) - – Why human nuance still matters in personalization (20:08) - – The imposter syndrome of AI adoption (23:08) - – The power of AI with memory (25:48) - – Best AI use cases from the panel (31:20) - – Scaling global localization with AI (34:20) - – Training brand teams to be more data-driven (38:20) - – How CMOs personally use AI in their workflow (42:20) - – Using AI as a strategic thought partner (46:20) - – Coaching teams with AI feedback loops (48:20) - – The frustrations of iteration and tool updates (52:20) - – Is leadership pushing AI adoption? (56:20) - – Budgeting and building a modern AI-enabled tech stack (59:20) - – Final takeaways and closing Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more