Growth Driver

Beyond the Buzz: Building an AI‑First Operating Model with Paul Gottsegen

It’s time to go beyond the AI-hype and dig into what it really is: an inflection point reshaping the foundations of how we work, compete, and create value. “Inflection point” is a term that gets throw around a lot, just like AI. But today we’re here to unpack it’s current trajectory, the undeniable transformation still to come, and how AI is moving from niche academic pursuit to a force that will touch every industry, role, and operating model.  AI is poised to create new winners and losers faster than the digital transformation wave of the 2010s. Those who wait for “the AI cavalry” to arrive risk getting left behind, as competitors rapidly reimagine processes, customer experiences, and go-to-market strategies. The risk is clear: wait too long, and you’ll be left behind.  Paul Gottsegen, President and CMO of ISG, has been in AI since the early days. He’s seen hype cycles come and go, and knows how to tell what’s real from what’s noise. In this episode, he shares what today’s leaders must do to spot big shifts, act with speed, and avoid costly mistakes: * Winners vs. losers: How AI adoption is already separating forward-thinking enterprises from those clinging to outdated models. * The “Berlin Wall” effect: How sudden shifts dismantle entrenched paradigms and open unexpected opportunities. * Operational reinvention: Why leaders should “fire” existing processes (not people) and rebuild operating models for an AI-first world. * Avoid the AI-washing trap: How to weave AI into your value proposition authentically without relying on empty buzzwords. * Empower your whole team: Making AI literacy non-optional so every function can identify and exploit its highest-value use cases. About the Guest   Meet Paul Gottsegen, the rule-breaking marketing strategist who thrives when swimming against the current. As President and Chief Marketing Officer of ISG, Paul orchestrates the firm's global marketing efforts while maintaining his role as Chair of ISG Research—a division he propelled to unprecedented success from 2019 to 2023. Paul isn't your typical executive. His upcoming book, "(Sort of) Do The Opposite: Unlocking Opportunity by Overruling Conventional Wisdom" (Manuscripts Press, 2025), reveals the contrarian mindset that has defined his remarkable career arc—from pioneering the first network servers to transforming global enterprises. While marketing remains his "center of gravity," Paul's versatility as a leader who has commanded large sales teams and shouldered full P&L responsibility sets him apart in the corporate landscape. His marketing alchemy has revitalized industry giants, including complete branding transformations at Mindtree and Infosys. Earlier, he shaped enterprise marketing strategies at technology powerhouses HP, Dell, and Compaq. Beyond the boardroom, Paul channels his leadership into meaningful causes as Board Chair of the Gastric Cancer Foundation. His unique blend of technical expertise (B.S. in Computer Science from Brandeis University) and business acumen (MBA from The Wharton School) forms the foundation of his distinctive approach to challenging business orthodoxy. Growth Driver is powered by Intelligent Demand, a 2X company. Visit 2x.marketing to learn more about how they can help your organization hit its growth goals.  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Marketing Org Transformation: How to Build a Future-Proof Operating Model with Jen Ross

How do you redesign your marketing operating model to align with modern growth strategies—without blowing up your team or budget? In this episode of Growth Driver, we dive deep into one of the most overlooked yet mission-critical challenges facing B2B marketing and revenue leaders: marketing org transformation. Host John Common and guest Jen Ross examine why even the most hard-working and well-intentioned marketing teams are falling short—not because of effort, but because their org model wasn’t built for today’s fast-changing environment. The truth? Efficient growth starts not with more tactics, but with rethinking how your team is structured, enabled, and resourced to deliver cross-functional outcomes. Jen and John walk through the signals that it's time to reevaluate your org—like skill gaps, bottlenecks, and constant fire drills—and lay out a smarter path forward. That means moving beyond reactive hiring, legacy structures, and blunt cost-cutting, and instead designing an operating model grounded in business goals, scalable capabilities, and true alignment across marketing, sales, and customer success. From pilot programs to new models like Marketing-as-a-Service, this conversation arms leaders with the tools to drive both agility and accountability across their revenue engine. Jennifer Ross brings unmatched insight to this conversation, having advised hundreds of CMOs and now helping organizations execute marketing transformation from both the strategic and operational side. As Executive VP of Marketing Strategy at 2X, she knows firsthand how to operationalize marketing for impact—bridging the gap between strategy and execution. Whether your company is navigating flat budgets, new markets, or just trying to unlock better performance from your team, Jen shares how to think differently about your org—and how to lead meaningful, lasting change. ABOUT THE GUEST  As an accomplished B2B Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Executive Advisor, Jennifer brings over three decades of expertise to the dynamic realm of business-to-business marketing. A trailblazer in innovative strategies, her journey is marked by an unwavering commitment to excellence and thought leadership, shaping transformative approaches in B2B marketing. Jennifer is an influential author, thought leader, and sought-after keynote speaker on B2B marketing best practices. With a fervor for future-proofing marketing functions, she guides teams to navigate the ever-changing, complex B2B landscape. As Fractional CMO and Executive Director of Marketing Strategy at 2X, Jennifer draws upon her extensive background to pinpoint the capabilities, competencies, strategies, and operating models essential for 2X and its valued customers. Her goal is to facilitate exceptional experiences that not only enhance customer value but also drive accelerated growth. Jennifer's leadership extends to her tenure at Forrester (formerly SiriusDecisions), where she led the B2B CMO Service. In this global research and advisory firm, she and her team served as trusted personal advisors to leading global CMOs, offering actionable intelligence, transformative frameworks, and expert industry guidance. Their collaborative efforts empowered marketing, product, and sales leaders to align with precision, accelerate growth, and execute audience-centric go-to-market strategies. Growth Driver is powered by Intelligent Demand, a 2X company. Visit intelligentdemand.com [http://intelligentdemand.com] to learn more about how they can help your organization hit its growth goals.  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How to Go From RevOps Curious to RevOps Capable with Evan Liang

The reality for most B2B organizations is that go-to-market teams—marketing, sales, customer success—are still operating in silos, creating inefficiencies that hurt pipeline conversion and customer experience. RevOps is the unlock. Today we’re digging into how RevOps has become the critical, behind-the-scenes growth driver for today’s B2B enterprises. When executed well, it transforms disconnected technology, data, and processes into a well-orchestrated system that ensures the right signals reach the right people at the right time. But implementing RevOps isn’t just about adding a new role or department—it’s about enabling your entire revenue organization to work as one. Companies that successfully move beyond RevOps curiosity to capability build what Evan Liang calls a “coalition of the willing,” aligning leaders across departments around shared goals and a unified tech and data strategy. This approach not only reduces friction between teams but also eliminates wasted effort—whether it’s lost leads, duplicated outreach, or missed opportunities to engage key decision-makers in a buying group. And the result? A smarter, more efficient revenue engine that drives better growth outcomes with less waste. To help break it all down, we’re joined by Evan Liang, CEO and co-founder of LeanData. Evan has spent over a decade helping B2B organizations master revenue orchestration, moving beyond outdated MQL-based models to a more intelligent, signal-driven approach. In this conversation, he shares the key trends shaping RevOps today, the biggest mistakes companies make when structuring their revenue teams, and why RevOps leaders are becoming the future CROs.  About the Guest  Evan Liang is the Co-founder and CEO of LeanData. Prior to launching LeanData in 2012, Evan worked in product, strategy, and business development roles at Microsoft, Ebay, Caring.com and Smart Modular Technologies as well as associate positions with venture capital firms Shasta Ventures and Battery Ventures. Evan is often credited with pioneering revenue operations. Growth Driver is powered by Intelligent Demand, a 2X company. Visit intelligentdemand.com [http://intelligentdemand.com] to learn more about how they can help your organization hit its growth goals. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

From Launch to Lifetime Value: Rethinking Product Marketing with Sam Melnick

How can B2B organizations transform product marketing into a strategic driver for go-to-market success? Some companies have already cracked this code and realized that product marketing is no longer a handoff function—it’s the connective tissue aligning product, sales, marketing, and customer success. In this episode, we dig into the critical relationship between product marketing and a precise ICP, how to effectively align product offerings with customer needs, and optimize for pipeline generation–all while staying flexible to market shifts.  Then, we dive deep into the rising importance of product marketing in shaping pricing strategies, aligning sales enablement with buyer needs, and driving cross-functional cohesion. Sam Melnick shares how product marketing can act as the central node for gathering and synthesizing customer insights, informing product roadmaps, and fostering long-term customer success. The episode breaks down how product marketers can thrive at the intersection of strategy, execution, and stakeholder alignment.   Joining us today is Sam Melnick, VP of Product Marketing at Postscript, a leader in SMS marketing for Shopify merchants. Drawing from his wealth of experience, Sam illustrates how product marketing goes beyond launches to influence customer lifetime value, revenue efficiency, and market expansion. Whether you're a product marketer looking to amplify your impact or a business leader seeking to unlock untapped potential in your GTM strategy, this episode is a masterclass in building alignment, agility, and lasting value.  About the Guest  With a proven track record at high-growth SaaS companies, Sam and his teams have contributed to significant milestones: 400%+ revenue growth, doubling competitive win rates, 2.5Xing deal sizes, and raising renewal rates by 20%+. Currently, Sam is the VP of Product Marketing at Postscript, overseeing product marketing and enablement. At Postscript, we've expanded from 1 to 3 products and secured over triple-digit % revenue growth despite the challenging environment for SaaS companies. He began his career as a CMO Analyst at IDC, serving billion-dollar companies like Salesforce, Adobe, Intuit, and SAP. This foundational experience shaped Sam’s strategic perspective and influenced his approach to marketing and customer success leadership. With experience at startups backed by top-tier VCs such as Greylock Capital, Sequoia Capital, Battery Ventures, and Y Combinator, Sam brings expertise to drive growth in the competitive tech landscape.  Growth Driver is powered by Intelligent Demand. Visit intelligentdemand.com [http://intelligentdemand.com] to learn more about how they can help your organization hit its growth goals.  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Financial Impact of Empathetic Leadership with Helen Fanucci

When companies feel the pressure to hit revenue growth goals, leadership often finds itself at a crossroads: deliver short-term results or focus on building long-term team trust and accountability. But what if the two aren’t at odds? In today’s world of hybrid work, top talent has endless opportunities—and keeping them engaged, productive, and motivated requires more than quotas and KPIs. It requires leadership that blends accountability with empathy. Consistent, empathetic leadership isn’t about being “soft”—it’s about making the work personal, holding individuals to clear performance expectations, and building an environment where high performers thrive. Addressing underperformance, fostering trust, and connecting a team member’s personal goals to business outcomes are all part of creating a winning culture. The cost of losing top talent—financially and culturally—can be staggering, and smart leaders understand that retaining top performers and reducing friction in their roles is critical to achieving growth. Helen Fanucci, a seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience managing high-performing sales teams at tech giants like Microsoft, Apple, and IBM, joins us to share the practical strategies behind empathetic leadership. From setting outcome-based performance expectations to managing difficult conversations with underperformers and high achievers alike, Helen’s approach turns leadership theory into actionable practices. Tune in to hear how clear communication, accountability, and care can drive stronger team performance—and measurable revenue impact.  About the Guest  Helen Fanucci is the Founder and CEO of PipelinePower.AI, which helps B2B companies accelerate revenue growth utilizing AI and cutting edge B2B capabilities. Recognized internationally, she frequently speaks on AI-driven strategy, sales leadership, and building high-performance teams.   She is the best-selling author of Love Your Team, A Survival Guide for Sales Managers in a Hybrid World.  As an MIT-trained engineer she developed the Love Your Team system of management over a 25-year career on the front lines at top tech companies including Apple, Sun Microsystems, IBM, and Microsoft.  Helen has built and led high-performing sales teams responsible for billions in revenue.  As an advocate for female entrepreneurs, she invests in early-stage, female-founded companies and serves as a Limited Partner in venture firms such as Emmeline, SoGal, and Swizzle Ventures. Helen is an Associate Producer of the award-winning documentary Show Her the Money, which highlights the fact that female entrepreneurs receive only 2% of the funding despite having a stronger track record of results.   Helen serves on the board of directors of Legacy Executive Club, a membership organization focused on uplifting careers and enriching lives.  Growth Driver is powered by Intelligent Demand. Visit intelligentdemand.com [http://intelligentdemand.com] to learn more about how they can help your organization hit its growth goals.  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.