Growth Driver

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.

Sales enablement has long been a buzzword in B2B, but how can organizations truly transform this concept into a strategic advantage? For companies navigating complex, multi-dimensional markets, the challenge of aligning sales and marketing efforts is especially difficult.  In this conversation, we explore how marketing can partner with sales in meaningful, measurable ways. From integrating first- and third-party data to effectively translating that data into actionable sales insights, we’re digging into the practical how-tos of enterprise-level sales enablement.  Our guest, Mike Lempko, Senior Director of Marketing Operations at Vizient, joins us to share his deep expertise across sales, marketing, and operations. With experience spanning agencies and enterprise organizations, Mike offers insights into how companies can unlock the full potential of their sales and marketing teams: * Addressing the Sales Enablement Spectrum: How marketing supports transactional, consultative, and relationship-driven sales differently. * The Role of Data in Sales Enablement: Using first- and third-party data to prioritize opportunities and build actionable insights. * Overcoming the Pain of Doing Nothing: Strategies to identify and engage decision-makers early in their buying journey. * Bridging the Sales-Marketing Gap: Building trust with seasoned sales professionals while adding strategic value to their processes. * Technology as a Unifier: Aggregating data into a single source of truth to simplify sales workflows and drive adoption. Tune in to hear how Mike and his team at Vizient are breaking down silos and aligning go-to-market functions for greater impact.  About the Guest  Mike joins Growth Driver with a deep background in sales, business growth, marketing strategy and operations. Currently, he serves as the Senior Director of Marketing Operations at Vizient, a leading healthcare performance improvement company dedicated to optimizing costs, quality, and patient outcomes. Mike and his team lead the charge on marketing operations, creative services, and omnichannel strategy, crafting dynamic customer journeys and aligning sales and marketing efforts to drive results.. With over a decade of experience under his belt, Mike has left his mark on companies like Verizon, Intelligent Demand, Techint Labs, and the Denver Post. From forging strategic partnerships to building and implementing successful sales and marketing strategies, Mike's proven track record demonstrates his ability to drive revenue growth for companies of all sizes. When he's not driving business growth, Mike enjoys exploring Colorado's outdoors through hiking, skiing, and rollerblading - even including a remarkable 3,500+ mile charity rollerblading journey from San Francisco to New York City. 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.

It’s no secret, most B2B content feels lifeless and overly cautious. And even though we have proven research that says the bolder and braver the content the better your engagement will be, it’s rare to find B2B content that isn’t bland–or another obvious statement labeled as the latest ‘hot take.’  Today we’re exploring why traditional approaches to B2B content often fail to captivate audiences, the dominance of video, podcasts, and the influence of dark social in decision-making. It’s time B2B marketers challenge the status quo of "safe" content and rethink their approach to storytelling, tone, and audience engagement…but how do you actually do that?  Tune in with us as we sit down with James Carbary, founder of Sweetfish Media, for a masterclass on how B2B brands can break free from outdated content norms. From the power of co-hosted commentary to the importance of embracing imperfection, John and James dissect the mindset shifts needed to produce not just good content, but memorable and impactful content. Whether you're a seasoned CMO or just beginning to explore content strategy, this episode delivers the inspiration and tools you need to escape mediocrity and take your content to the next level. About the Guest  James is married to the kindest human on planet Earth. His wife Lisa was a dolphin trainer at Disney World for 12 years, and is now pursuing her Master’s degree in Marine Mammal Science. Their son JJ, and foster son Zion, are currently being trained up to love God and add value to people’s lives. Team Carbary is on a mission to inspire millions of people to pursue Jesus, family, and growth.  Professionally, James is the founder of Sweet Fish (3x Inc. 5000 video podcast agency), Creator House (video podcast production studio), and B2B Growth (top 100 marketing podcast). 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.

With today’s B2B buyers, every word counts. Getting your messaging right can mean the difference between closing a deal or losing it to a competitor. Crafting messages that resonate and convert is more than just a creative exercise—it's a strategic imperative. Yet, many organizations fall into the trap of using the same messaging tactics across all stages of the customer lifecycle, missing opportunities to leverage buyer psychology effectively. This episode explores the nuances of messaging and positioning, diving into how value propositions must evolve based on where your buyer is in their journey. We break down the critical difference between "value selling" and "solution selling" and why it's essential to tailor your approach. For customer acquisition, it's all about disrupting the status quo, shaking up your prospects' thinking to show them why change is necessary. But when it comes to expansion and renewals, your messaging needs to shift gears—focusing on the value and outcomes you've already delivered to reinforce why sticking with you is the best choice. Joining us is Tim Riesterer, a seasoned expert on the intersection of messaging, psychology, and sales effectiveness. Tim brings decades of experience helping organizations understand what truly drives conversion and how to leverage buyer psychology to craft messages that align with each stage of the customer lifecycle. In this episode, he shares actionable insights into how you can transform your messaging strategy to not just communicate, but truly connect—and convert. About the Guest  Tim Riesterer, Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions, is the sought after expert on evidence-based revenue growth using counterintuitive approaches. Known for his candid thought leadership and engaging keynotes, he’s spent decades testing and refining go-to-market strategies that put buyers squarely at the center. Tim is the author of four insightful books, including Customer Message Management, Conversations that Win the Complex Sale, The Three Value Conversations, and The Expansion Sale. Growth Driver is powered by Intelligent Demand. Visit intelligentdemand.com to see how we help B2B companies grow revenue. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Theory & Practice, a special subseries within the Growth Driver podcast, is where John Common, CEO of Intelligent Demand, cuts through surface-level strategies and explores what truly drives B2B growth. Season 1 brought insights that challenged assumptions and transformed growth into more than just a metric—here are some of the standout moments! From John Common’s advice to have the CMO, CRO, CEO, and CFO at the table for strategic planning to breaking down real growth goals, every episode challenged the status quo. With a call for courageous and wise decision-making, John reminds leaders that driving growth isn’t about waiting for a crisis but about proactively instigating change for long-term success. As the industry shifts towards “efficient growth,” Theory & Practice continues to explore how many companies over-focus on short-term acquisition, ignoring the deeper fundamentals. John emphasized the power of alignment: connecting brand, demand, sales, and customer success by holding every team accountable for the unified message that speaks to customers with one voice. 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.