Soft Sides

Greg Portnoy: Influence Without Authority, and How to Create GTM Alignment

Guest: Greg Portnoy, CEO at Euler What does it actually take to build a Go-To-Market team that is truly aligned, and why does that matter? Greg built multi-million dollar partner ecosystems at Attentive and Hawke Media before becoming CEO and Co-Founder at Euler, an end-to-end platform to scale partner programs, accelerate revenue, and track impact. His approach combines data-driven methodology with a deep understanding of human psychology and the incentives that drive behaviors. In this conversation, we talk about building and scaling partnerships programs, but it's less about partnerships and more about thinking first principles and building a GTM strategy that works for your customers. We discuss how to have difficult conversations, drive internal alignment, reflect on lessons learned (sometimes the hard way), and explore Greg's journey from partnerships leader to founder. Connect with Greg Portnoy: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillrowley/] Connect with Laura Colagrande:LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-colagrande-0212/] Timestamps: * 00:00 Intro * 05:31 The Importance of Alignment in Go-to-Market * 15:27What inspired Greg to build Euler * 19:25 Identifying Market Gaps and Customer Needs * 21:17 Frameworks to Think about Partnerships * 23:28 How to Become More Data Driven * 26:24 Everything we Learned from Ryan Murden * 29:21 Executive Alignment and Managing Up * 31:47 Communicating Value to the C-Suite * 35:43 Influence Without Authority: Building Relationships * 39:00 Influence Shout Out and Closing In this episode, we mention Ryan Murden [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryantmurden/], one of the smartest Partnerships and Revenue leaders I know (and one of the best managers I’ve ever had!) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit softsides.substack.com [https://softsides.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Jill Rowley: Trust is the New Data. Selling Change, and the Evolution of Partnerships and B2B sales

Guest: Jill Rowley, SaaS Legend, Advisor, Board Member and so much more What does it take to go from being one of Salesforce's first employees to becoming a trusted advisor for the industry's most innovative companies? From shaping how enterprise software is sold at Salesforce to advising today's fastest-growing tech companies, Jill Rowley has been at the forefront of B2B. Through Eloqua's rise and Marketo's $4.7+ acquisition by Adobe, she's consistently redefined what's possible in go-to-market strategy. In this candid conversation, Jill shares her philosophy on continuous learning, partnerships, and why trust is the new data in enterprise sales. She also opens up about burnout, the complexities of professional identity, and her evolving definition of success. In this conversation, they explore: * Why earning attention is harder than ever in B2B sales * The shift from FOMO to FOMU (Fear of Messing Up) in enterprise buying * How to sell change by painting a vision of what's possible * Why partnerships are the next frontier of growth * The dark side of winning and lessons from burnout Connect with Jill Rowley: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillrowley/] Connect with Laura Colagrande:LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-colagrande-0212/] Timestamps: * 00:00 - Intro 03:19 - On Being an Underdog, Drive and Determination 07:02 - The Evolution of B2B Sales: from FOMO to Trust 14:53 - The power of partnerships 34:18 - Burnout, Trade-offs and Turning Points 43:00 - Sense of Identity and Redefining Success 43:54 - Influence Shout Out and Closing In this episode, Jill also mentions: * Must-Follow Partnerships Leader: Kelly Sarabyn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-sarabyn/details/experience/] * Mentioned Book: The Jolt Effect by Matt Dixon [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+jolt+effect+book&hvadid=694984259964&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9060354&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=835579125746998476&hvtargid=kwd-2221698807086&hydadcr=22167_13540978&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_2ihysebi15_e] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit softsides.substack.com [https://softsides.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Stewart Hill House, Head of Content at Mutiny | AI and The Future of Content Marketing

What happens when artificial intelligence becomes better at your job than you are? Laura sits down with Stewart Hill, Head of Content at Mutiny, whose journey from AI skeptic to innovator began when he faced a stark reality we all face: automation could outperform him at writing (and many other tasks). Now, he's testing new approaches to content creation in an AI-powered world. As someone who built his career on writing skills, Stewart shares tactical lessons learned and his vision for the future of content marketing. In this conversation, they explore: * Why content teams will become smaller but more impactful * The shift from "how" to "why" in content creation * Why tomorrow's content leaders will be more like creative directors than writers * How to build "proprietary content formats" that AI can't replicate * A practical framework for automating content workflows Connect with Stewart Hillhouse [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewarthillhouse/] 00:00 -- Intro 03:00 -- One-Person Content Team 06:13 -- Creative Campaigns: Lightning Strikes in Marketing 09:04 -- Hot Takes on Content Teams Reporting into Growth 11:55 -- Becoming More Number and Data Focused 15:16 -- Embracing AI: From Skepticism to Utilization 18:09 -- The Future of Content Creation in an AI-Driven World 25:47 -- How to Make the Most of AI 28:43 -- Rethinking all Workflows: Tactical Playbook 33:57 -- Creating Proprietary Content Formats 41:06 -- The Future of Content Creation and Distribution 42:32 -- The Importance of Taste and Creative Vision 45:14 -- Influence Shout Out and Closing This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit softsides.substack.com [https://softsides.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Kathleen Booth, SVP of Marketing and Growth at Pavilion: A Guide To Me

Tired of second-guessing every work interaction? From overthinking Slack messages to navigating C-suite dynamics, learning how to work with others is hard. Laura sits down with Kathleen Booth, who found a surprisingly effective solution: she wrote an 8-page "Guide-to-Kathleen" that transformed how her teams work together. Now SVP of Marketing at Pavilion, Kathleen shares why she sends this guide to potential employers before accepting roles (and why her CEO had a similar document). In this candid conversation, they unpack: * Why every leader needs a "Guide-to-You" * The "Two Ladders" framework for adaptive leadership * Using your guide to land executive roles * A fresh approach to performance reviews * Why being nice isn't the same as being kind Connect with ⁠Katheen⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleenslatterybooth/] and ⁠Laura⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-colagrande-0212/] In this episode Kathleen also mentions: - Must-Follow GTM leader: ⁠Andrea Kayal⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreakayal/] - ⁠Radical Candor ⁠ [https://www.radicalcandor.com/]book by Kim Scott Timestamps: * 00:00 - Intro * 02:56 - Day in the Life: Running Marketing at Pavilion * 06:12 - Creating a Guide to Work with Others * 09:01 - Managing Up and Taking Ownership * 11:52 - The Role of Performance Reviews * 15:05 - Understanding Task Relevant Maturity * 18:42 - Influencing Decisions Effectively * 24:19 - Giving and Receiving Feedback * 30:20 - How to Improve Communication with Your Team * 39:18 - Closing: Influence Shout-Out and Rapid Fire Questions This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit softsides.substack.com [https://softsides.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Jocelyn Brown, CS & Revenue Executive | From IC to People Leader, a Work In Progress Playbook

Guest: Jocelyn Brown, Revenue and Customer Success Leader How do you approach the transition from individual contributor to people manager? How do great managers build trust and influence? Why is it so hard to give and receive feedback, and how do you become better at it? Laura is joined by Jocelyn Brown, a revenue and customer success executive who has scaled teams and processes at companies like Eloqua, Oracle, and Alucadia. Jocelyn currently leads customer success and sales at Hypercontext, a B2B software company used by leaders at companies like Netflix and HubSpot to create more collaborative and productive teams. In this episode, Laura and Jocelyn discuss: * Maintaining focus and avoiding burnout during complex projects * The shift in mindset needed when transitioning to a leadership role * How great managers encourage accountability within teams * Navigating and influencing change in complex organizations * The idea of a "shared imagination" and why it is critical for driving team alignment Connect with Jocelyn Brown: * LinkedIn Connect with Laura Colagrande: * LinkedIn Timestamps: * 00:00 - Intro * 03:17 - Navigating Loss of Vision and Finding Your Why * 06:36 - The Importance of One-on-One Meetings * 09:29 - Transitioning from Individual Contributor to Manager * 12:25 - The Realities of Management as a Career Change * 15:37 - Influence and Team Dynamics * 18:51 - Understanding Customer Expectations and Project Management * 22:07 - Learning from Failure and Building Trust * 24:54 - Feedback Mechanisms in Leadership * 27:53 - The Role of Global Experience in Leadership * 32:25 - Closing: Influence Shout-Out and Rapid Fire Questions This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit softsides.substack.com [https://softsides.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]