The Get: Finding And Keeping The Best Marketing Leaders in B2B SaaS

• Why Some SaaS CMOs Flourish in PE-Backed Orgs, and Others Flame Out

  How are PE-backed environments unique for SaaS CMOs? And what's the difference between the CMOs who flourish in PE-backed companies and those who flounder? This episode is required listening for any current or prospective CMO in a PE-backed company.This week on The Get, Erica Seidel dives into the nuances of marketing leadership in PE-backed B2B SaaS orgs with guest Julie Zadow, Growth Marketing Leader at The Riverside Company. They explore Julie's role in private equity as a marketing operating partner, insights into aligning marketing strategies with investment firm goals, and the impact of AI on marketing roles and operations. You will learn about:What it's like to be a marketing operating partner in a PE shop: As Julie describes it, she offers "battle scars for hire" and brings a mix of empathy, speed, and practicalityHow to speak marketing in a way that aligns with the investor's lensHow to talk about brand in a way that doesn't make your investors run screamingHow the different phases of the hold period matter for marketing – and how conversations with investors should evolve as the end of the hold period approachesCoaching junior employees in an AI+ environment, and a shortcut for contextualizing things for your most junior employees so they don't just 'do' with AI but 'learn' as well: Julie asks her interns: "Where did you feel you were parroting AI without understanding what it was saying?" and "What do you recommend that AI didn't think of?"The role that is hardest to disintermediate with AIThe line of questioning CEOs are likely to pose to CMO candidates about their AI fluencyAdvice to CEOs who have failed at hiring marketing leaders00:00 Welcome to The Get: Introduction and Overview00:58 Introducing Julie Zadow: A Marketing Leader's Journey02:10 The Role of a Marketing Operating Partner in Private Equity03:58 Aligning Marketing Strategies with Investor Expectations14:30 The Impact of AI on SaaS Marketing Organizations26:18 Advice for CMOs in Private Equity-Backed Companies34:21 Final Thoughts and ConclusionThe Get is here to drive smart decisions around recruiting and leadership in B2B SaaS marketing. We explore the trends, tribulations, and triumphs of today’s top marketing leaders in B2B SaaS.This season’s theme is how SaaS marketing organizations are changing — in both seismic and subtle ways. The Get’s host is Erica Seidel, who runs The Connective Good, an executive search practice with a hyper-focus on recruiting CMOs and VPs of Marketing, especially in B2B SaaS. If you are looking to hire a CMO or VP of Marketing of the ‘make money’ variety, rather than the ‘make it pretty’ variety, contact Erica at [email protected]. You can also follow Erica on LinkedIn or sign up for her newsletter at TheConnectiveGood.com. The Get is produced by the team at Simpler Media Productions.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

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• Inside the Great Reinvention of the SaaS Marketing Org

  In this episode of The Get, host Erica Seidel explores the changing landscape of SaaS marketing organizations with guest Jay Roxe, CMO at Inriver. You'll learn about:"Firing your tech stack" in order to re-imagine the marketing org and how marketing gets doneLeveraging AI for everything from last-mile content customization to product marketing to building authority in situations where prospects say, 'ChatGPT told me I should talk to you"The evolving structure of marketing opsWhy content is no longer king, but context is king: "Customers have done 80% of their research by the time they reach you. That number is actually going up. It's so easy for people to understand your organization."What a full-stack customer marketing org looks likeBuilding a culture of gratitude on the marketing teamAdvice for rising CMOs: You have to love the process, not just want to HAVE DONE the CMO role. Intellectual curiosity about the job is not enough.Advice to CEOs on how to identify the CMOs who are the best problem solversHiring, and how to find people who are "curious, smart, and unexpected"Quotes:"You're AI first or you're unemployed.""Adoption is the new MQL… As you put more stuff into the product, are people actually adopting and using it?"" From an org design point of view, you want to think of where you need person-to-person face-off. Your partners don't want to talk to your AI chatbot. They want to talk to a person who can help them, brainstorm with them, and give them context.""One of the things I like talking about with candidates: what have they changed over the past year? How have they changed how they work based on everything that's going on?"00:00 Welcome to The Get00:16 Introducing Jay Roxe00:40 Jay's Marketing Journey02:32 Inriver's Global Marketing Org06:24 Future of SaaS Marketing Orgs11:15 The Role of AI in Marketing14:54 Hiring for the Future19:30 Human-Centric Leadership21:53 Customer Marketing Insights24:32 Final Thoughts and Advice29:21 Closing RemarksThe Get is here to drive smart decisions around recruiting and leadership in B2B SaaS marketing. We explore the trends, tribulations, and triumphs of today’s top marketing leaders in B2B SaaS.This season’s theme is how SaaS marketing organizations are changing — in both seismic and subtle ways. The Get’s host is Erica Seidel, who runs The Connective Good, an executive search practice with a hyper-focus on recruiting CMOs and VPs of Marketing, especially in B2B SaaS. If you are looking to hire a CMO or VP of Marketing of the ‘make money’ variety, rather than the ‘make it pretty’ variety, contact Erica at [email protected]. You can also follow Erica on LinkedIn or sign up for her newsletter at TheConnectiveGood.com. The Get is produced by the team at Simpler Media Productions.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

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• What It Really Takes to Build a CEO-CMO Partnership That Works

  In this episode of The Get, host Erica Seidel and guest Ashley Deibert, CMO of Marigold, candidly discuss the realities of leading marketing in today's SaaS landscape.Ashley shares how she's navigated seismic shifts in marketing org structures, budget realities, and the CMO role itself, all while keeping alignment at the center of her approach. You'll learn from her perspective on:How to build alignment, not on Day 1 in the job, but during the interview processDeciding what to stop, start, and continue when taking on a new roleHandling drastic budget reductions by providing scenario-based optionsHiring fast, hiring micro-experts, and spotting 'moldable' talent through situational questionsHow to be open to others' feedback without getting mired in itAdvice to CEOs on avoiding CMO mis-hires Why 'touch more, do more, be exposed to more' should be every rising CMO's mantraStructuring product marketing and customer marketing together for impact How AI is augmenting marketing without replacing talentWhy the best GTM teams blur the lines among sales, marketing, product, and customer success into one revenue teamIf you're a marketing leader, a CEO hiring a CMO, or otherwise navigating the changing currents of SaaS go-to-market, you'll learn new insights and frameworks from this episode. Some quotes of note:"I don't believe in doing more with less. I believe in focus…. When you're a CMO, it's about alignment because you're servicing the organization's growth."" Don't just be selfish in a hiring cycle. Also, think about, is this person going to get what they need from you? Because if they don't, guess what? They leave.""The CEO needs to really think about the relationship that the organization and the culture around marketing that they desire….  I've seen and lived through many situations where it's, "we gotta have marketing", but "gotta have" versus "we need to embrace and make this core to our go-to-market" are different. Marketing is part of go-to-market. It's literally in the title."00:00 Welcome to The Get: Meet Your Host Erica Seidel00:16 Introducing Ashley Deibert: CMO at Marigold01:19 Ashley Deibert's Career Journey and Insights03:51 Mentorship Moments: Lessons Learned07:43 Marketing Org Structure at Marigold14:58 Advice for Aspiring CMOs20:13 Navigating Budget Cuts in Marketing21:08 Presenting Scenarios and Aligning with Leadership23:13 The Importance of Networking in Hiring25:24 Evaluating Candidates for Culture Fit29:18 Hiring Freelancers vs. Full-Time Employees31:40 Advice for CEOs on Hiring CMOs36:38 The Role of AI in Marketing38:21 The Future of SaaS Marketing Teams39:27 Conclusion and Podcast InformationThe Get is here to drive smart decisions around recruiting and leadership in B2B SaaS marketing. We explore the trends, tribulations, and triumphs of today’s top marketing leaders in B2B SaaS.This season’s theme is how SaaS marketing organizations are changing — in both seismic and subtle ways.The Get’s host is Erica Seidel, who runs The Connective Good, an executive search practice with a hyper-focus on recruiting CMOs and VPs of Marketing, especially in B2B SaaS. If you are looking to hire a CMO or VP of Marketing of the ‘make money’ variety, rather than the ‘make it pretty’ variety, contact Erica at [email protected]. You can also follow Erica on LinkedIn or

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• Combining Strategic Intent With Hyper-Experimentation: The CMO's Guide

  This episode kicks off the 7th season of The Get podcast. Host Erica Seidel introduces this season's theme, which is about how SaaS marketing orgs are changing, in both seismic and subtle ways.We share a deep dive with guest Claudia Lee. Claudia is a CMO with a unique background in both partner marketing and product marketing. She spoke at a rare moment of reflection while transitioning from a CMO role at CertifID to a new CMO role at Celigo.You'll hear perspectives and practical advice about: How to use the theme of "enabling conversations" to frame marketing's contribution both internally and externallyHow to combine strategic intent with hyper-experimentation for smart executionBuilding a team from scratch, especially in a partner-led GTM modelThe critical soft skills that are making the difference today for SaaS marketing teamsWhat a contextually aligned marketing team is, and how it provides the best resultsNavigating the tension between short-term results and long-term impactApproaching AI as a tool, not a threatQuestions to anticipate from the CEO when exploring a new CMO role00:00 Welcome to The Get: Season 7 Kickoff00:16 Understanding Our Audience01:17 Introducing Claudia Lee02:14 Claudia's Marketing Journey04:52 The Role of Marketing in Business Growth08:07 Enabling Conversations: A Marketing Philosophy12:30 The Evolution of SaaS Marketing15:28 Partner Marketing Insights22:22 The Impact of AI on Marketing25:04 Hiring and Developing Marketing Leaders31:05 Final Thoughts and FarewellThe Get is here to drive smart decisions around recruiting and leadership in B2B SaaS marketing. We explore the trends, tribulations, and triumphs of today’s top marketing leaders in B2B SaaS.The Get’s host is Erica Seidel, who runs The Connective Good, the executive search practice with a hyper-focus on recruiting CMOs and VPs of Marketing, especially in B2B SaaS. If you are looking to hire a CMO or VP of Marketing of the ‘make money’ variety, rather than the ‘make it pretty’ variety, contact Erica at [email protected]. You can also follow Erica on LinkedIn or sign up for her newsletter at www.theconnectivegood.com. The Get is produced by the team at Simpler Media Productions.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

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• The Race to Reduce Risk in CMO Recruiting: Highlights from Season 6 of The Get

  In this episode of The Get, we highlight key insights from this season of The Get, which is all about the race to reduce risk in CMO recruiting. Host Erica Seidel and her guests delve into the intricacies of how CEOs and CMOs at B2B SaaS companies can make more-informed decisions before saying yes to each other.Whether you’re hiring a CMO or looking to step into a new CMO role, you will learn a lot from these takeaways, which range from the practical to the provocative.We discuss the challenges, fears, and risks that CEOs and investors faces when recruiting a CMO. For instance, they often worry about hiring CMOs who either misalign with the company’s growth stage or struggle to get to the right blend of short-term wins and longer-term impact. We discuss how to mitigate those risks, such as by co-creating the roles and managing expectations about timelines for marketing results.Then we turn to the candidate side: What risks and red flags do CMO candidates perceive when evaluating CMO roles, and how can candidates reduce these risks? We discuss red flags such as unclear product-market fit, inadequate resources, and misaligned leadership dynamics. We cover several practical strategies for ensuring a good match and getting off to a successful start in a new CMO role.A huge thank you to the guests this season:Andrea Kayal, CRO at Help ScoutTracy Eiler, CMO of OpenSesameJames Lamberti, Head of Go-to-Market for GeorgianMelissa Sargeant, CMO at LumaverseNorman Guadagno, former CMO at MimecastPeter Mahoney, Chief Commercial Officer at GoToGary Survis, Operating Partner with Insight Partners00:00 Introduction to The Get00:52 Understanding the High Stakes of the CMO Role03:37 De-risking CMO Recruiting07:53 Red Flags for CMO Candidates10:16 Mitigating Risks as a CMO Candidate18:53 Maximizing Success in a New CMO Role23:26 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsThe Get is here to drive smart decisions around recruiting and leadership in B2B SaaS marketing. We explore the trends, tribulations, and triumphs of today’s top marketing leaders in B2B SaaS.This season’s theme is The Race to Reduce Risk in CMO Recruiting. The Get’s host is Erica Seidel, who runs The Connective Good, an executive search practice with a hyper-focus on recruiting CMOs and VPs of Marketing, especially in B2B SaaS. If you are looking to hire a CMO or VP of Marketing of the ‘make money’ variety - rather than the ‘make it pretty’ variety, contact Erica at [email protected]. You can also follow Erica on LinkedIn or sign up for her newsletter at TheConnectiveGood.com. The Get is produced by the team at

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