Growth Leap

Send us a text In this episode, we sit down with Dario Berrebi to unpack one of the most overlooked shifts in brand storytelling: becoming the guide, not the hero. Think Yoda, not Luke Skywalker. We explore why purpose-driven brands struggle with positioning, how to tell stories that resonate without sounding self-important, and why solving boring problems beats chasing cool ideas. You’ll walk away with a smarter way to communicate your value—one rooted in empathy, simplicity, and timeless storytelling structure. WE COVERED: boringtruthFOR WHO? If you’re a founder, marketer, or creative working on a mission-driven product—and you're tired of performative branding that doesn't convert—this episode gives you a more grounded, actionable playbook.Most brands position themselves as the hero. Support the show Leave me a message herestunandawe.comGrowth Marketing Coursemarketing@stunandawe.comPatreon Follow us: LinkedInTwitter

Send us a text Account-based marketing (ABM) used to be expensive, slow, and reserved for enterprise teams. But that’s changed. In this solo episode, we walk through a smarter, faster, more human approach to ABM, one that even small B2B teams can run using AI, psychology, and clear structure. We break down how to build a focused account list, how to personalize outreach without sounding robotic, and how to align sales and marketing around real signals, not wishful thinking. You’ll learn how to combine AI agents and human-first strategy to warm up leads, engage buying committees, and track what actually moves the needle. If your team is sick of spraying cold emails and hoping for the best, this one’s for you. WE COVERED: FOR WHO? If you’re a founder, GTM lead, or marketer inside a B2B startup (especially in tech, sustainability, or Web3), and you’re trying to make outbound work without burning your list or your reputation, this episode gives you the playbook. Support the show Leave me a message herestunandawe.comGrowth Marketing Coursemarketing@stunandawe.comPatreon Follow us: LinkedInTwitter

Send us a text Michael Maximoff is the co-founder of Belkins, the #1 B2B appointment-setting agency, and a leader in revenue growth strategies. In this edition of Growth Leap, Michael breaks down how he scaled Belkins to 8 figures by focusing on acquisition, retention, and revenue alignment. We dove into why traditional marketing and sales silos no longer work, how to make outbound effective in 2025, and why retention is the key to sustainable business growth. Michael also shared insights on structuring sales teams, setting up shared KPIs, and integrating marketing, sales, and customer success into a single revenue engine. Michael discussed the importance of founder-led sales in the early years, how he structured compensation to drive retention, and why the best growth teams obsess over long-term value instead of short-term wins. We also covered the role of partnerships, content-driven outbound, and how to stay financially disciplined while scaling. We covered: Whether you’re a startup founder, sales leader, or marketer looking to scale without burning cash on ineffective tactics, this episode is packed with insights on how to build a sustainable growth machine. Support the show Leave me a message herestunandawe.comGrowth Marketing Coursemarketing@stunandawe.comPatreon Follow us: LinkedInTwitter

Send us a text David Pereira is the CEO of Omoqo, and Büşra Coşkuner is a seasoned product coach, both experts in helping teams build products that actually matter. In this edition of Growth Talks, David and Büşra break down the biggest challenges in product management, from prioritization and experimentation to balancing discovery with execution. We dove into how to avoid wasting time on ideas that won’t work, test assumptions quickly, and make ruthless prioritization a habit. David and Büşra also shared insights on working with business pressures while maintaining a strong product vision and execution strategy. David discussed the importance of setting outcome-based goals instead of getting caught up in feature-building, while Büşra outlined a framework for effective assumption testing that ensures teams learn fast. We also covered how to prevent roadmaps from becoming feature factories and the common mistakes teams make when trying to scale their product development. We covered: ✅ Prioritization strategies: How to decide what’s worth building (and what’s not) ✅ Experimentation 101: How to validate assumptions before committing resources ✅ Balancing discovery vs. delivery: How to manage roadmaps without overloading teams ✅ Ruthless focus: How saying no leads to better, faster decisions ✅ Real-world case studies: Examples of what worked—and what failed—in product teams ✅ Managing business pressure: How to balance leadership expectations with product strategy Whether you’re a product manager, startup founder, or team leader trying to build high-impact products without drowning in unnecessary work, this episode is full of actionable strategies to help you focus, learn fast, and execute effectively. Follow David & Büşra on LinkedIn 🔹 David Pereira 🔹 Büşra Coşkuner Where to Find Michel: 📰 Newsletter: Stun and Awe 🔗 LinkedIn: ichel Gagnon 🐦 X (Twitter): @michelgagnon 📢 Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your team! Support the show Leave me a message herestunandawe.comGrowth Marketing Coursemarketing@stunandawe.comPatreon Follow us: LinkedInTwitter

Send us a text Laura Erdem is a Sales Manager - Americas at DreamData and a social selling powerhouse who’s helping redefine how B2B companies connect with their audience. In this episode, Laura shares her journey from traditional outbound sales to building a multi-million-dollar pipeline through LinkedIn and social selling strategies. We dove into how Laura uses LinkedIn to create meaningful connections with buyers, track measurable revenue impact, and build trust through authentic, human-centric content. Laura also discussed the balance between structured and flexible approaches to social selling, offering practical advice for sales teams and leaders alike. Laura highlighted how DreamData aligns sales and marketing efforts to drive results, with shared reporting and insights that ensure everyone is pulling in the same direction. She also gave us a behind-the-scenes look at how DreamData is expanding into the U.S. market and adapting its sales processes to meet the demands of a fast-moving, transactional environment. We covered: Social Selling 101Metrics that MatterCold Outreach vs. Warm OutreachScaling Social SellingAligning Sales and MarketingMarket ExpansionThe Future of Social SellingWhether you’re a B2B sales pro, marketer, or founder looking to build stronger relationships with your customers and scale your pipeline, this episode is packed with actionable tips and insights to help you take your sales game to the next level. Where to Find Laura Laura Erdemdreamdata.ioWhere to find Michel: Stun and AweMichel Gagnon@michelgagnonSupport the show Leave me a message herestunandawe.comGrowth Marketing Coursemarketing@stunandawe.comPatreon Follow us: LinkedInTwitter

Send us a text Adam Boita is the Chief Marketing Officer at Ecologi and a seasoned marketing leader with over 17 years of experience across iconic brands like PlayStation and Pernod Ricard. In this episode, Adam shares his journey from consumer marketing to leading climate action initiatives, guiding businesses to embed sustainability into their operations. We discussed how Ecologi helps companies fund high-impact climate action projects, tackle the complexities of carbon credits, and leverage innovative tools to integrate sustainability seamlessly. Adam shared insights into Ecologi’s transparent approach, the importance of trust in climate action, and how his team ensures businesses achieve measurable impact. Adam also highlighted the role of creative storytelling and humor in climate messaging, showcasing how Ecologi’s campaigns inspire businesses to take their first steps toward sustainability. He provided practical advice on balancing brand-building with performance marketing, creating awareness campaigns that drive long-term results. We covered: Climate action for businessesNavigating carbon creditsEngaging messagingCampaign planningLessons for startupsPractical insightsWhether you’re a startup founder, marketer, or corporate leader looking to align your business goals with meaningful climate action, this episode will give you the insights and actionable strategies to achieve the impact you're aiming for. Where to find Adam: Adam Boitahttps://ecologi.com/Where to find Michel: Stun and AweMichel Gagnon@michelgagnon Support the show Leave me a message herestunandawe.comGrowth Marketing Coursemarketing@stunandawe.comPatreon Follow us: LinkedInTwitter

Send us a text Mariana de la Roche Wills is the founder and CEO of de la Roche W Consulting and a leading voice in the blockchain and Web3 space. Mariana shared her journey from law and public policy to becoming a prominent advocate for using blockchain technology to address global challenges. We discussed how blockchain empowers individuals by returning control of data to the people, creating opportunities for financial inclusion, and fostering transparency and accountability. Mariana highlighted the transformative potential of blockchain through projects like Ethic Hub, focused on agricultural financial inclusion, and the Demia, which leverages blockchain for carbon credits and sustainability. Mariana also explained the role of stablecoins in driving financial inclusion in underserved regions and how startups can responsibly implement blockchain technology. We explored governance models, open-source tools, and the importance of aligning blockchain solutions with real-world problems. We covered: Blockchain’s potential:Real-world applications:Financial inclusion:Best practices for startups:Governance and collaboration:Mariana’s insights:Practical advice:If your a startup, innovator, or impact-driven leader looking to use blockchain and Web3 to create meaningful change, this episode is for you. Where to find Mariana: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariana-de-la-roche-es/ - Website: De la Roche W. Consulting Where to find Michel: - Newsletter: Stun and Awe - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micheljgagnon/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/michelgagnon Support the show Leave me a message herestunandawe.comGrowth Marketing Coursemarketing@stunandawe.comPatreon Follow us: LinkedInTwitter

Send us a text In this episode, I spoke with Julia Zhou, co-founder of Tidal Impact, and President of the Sigma Squared Society. Julia shared her journey from growing up in an entrepreneurial family to co-founding Tidal Impact with a focus on shifting businesses from merely reducing harm to creating a meaningful impact. We explored how startups can play a pivotal role in building a regenerative economy and why they are uniquely positioned to adopt sustainable practices faster than larger corporations. Julia also explained the importance of redefining success beyond financial metrics, stressing the need to focus on the positive societal and environmental outcomes a company can achieve. We discussed the work of the Sigma Square Society, a network fostering connections among young entrepreneurs, and how building emotional intelligence and personal awareness are crucial for driving systems change. Julia emphasized the need for businesses to develop a theory of change to measure long-term impact and shared her thoughts on the evolving world of impact investing, where diverse funding models are necessary for different types of impact-driven companies. We covered: Where to find Julia: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-zhou-3a94a5b3/ - Website: Tidal Impact, Sigma Squared Society Where to find Michel: - Newsletter: Stun and Awe - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micheljgagnon/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/michelgagnon Support the show Leave me a message herestunandawe.comGrowth Marketing Coursemarketing@stunandawe.comPatreon Follow us: LinkedInTwitter

Send us a text Ever feel like your team has the potential to be great, but you’re stuck in slow motion? I’ve been there. In today’s episode, I’m sharing my story of leading a tech company that was bursting with talent but got bogged down by endless discussions, bureaucratic red tape, and a mountain of old tech debt. It was frustrating to watch our competitors launch products while we debated—and missed opportunities. I’ll break down the common barriers that hold teams back, like “selling” ideas instead of truly assessing them, or letting the highest-paid person’s opinion dominate (a.k.a. HiPPO Syndrome). I’ll also share my approach to getting things moving again: creating a playbook that gets everyone from marketing to engineering on the same page and speeds up execution. Tune in to hear some hard-learned lessons, real-world stories from billion-dollar corporations and nimble startups, and actionable strategies that can help turn your team into an execution powerhouse. If you want to break free from innovation paralysis and get your team’s great ideas to market faster, this episode’s for you. Let’s dive in! Check out our Fast-Track Innovation Workshop if you'd like your team to execute faster. Where to find Michel: - Newsletter: Stun and Awe - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micheljgagnon/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/michelgagnon Support the show Leave me a message herestunandawe.comGrowth Marketing Coursemarketing@stunandawe.comPatreon Follow us: LinkedInTwitter

Most OKR frameworks focus on what you want to accomplish, but not how. They’re great for setting strategy and direction, but they don’t help you identify the tactical tasks that will get those things done. The real stumbling block ain’t the strategies or the OKRs, it’s how they align with daily tasks. That’s where most OKR frameworks fall short. In this episode, I share how you can make OKRs work better for you and your team. To come up with a framework that works in real life, we borrowed some elements of Andy Grove’s OKR model and Richard Rumelt’s kernel of good strategy and then connected them to the projects and daily work. I work you through the key sections including a shared diagnosis, a clear strategy, measurable objectives, and a practical roadmap. This simple structure then syncs daily activities with overarching goals and helps your team connect the big-picture strategy with the daily grind. You can get our Notion OKR Template here: https://stunandawe.gumroad.com/l/strategy-okr-notion-template Here's what I cover: Where to find Michel: https://www.stunandawe.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/micheljgagnon/https://twitter.com/michelgagnonLeave me a message herestunandawe.comGrowth Marketing Coursemarketing@stunandawe.com ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★