Stacking Growth | The B2B Go-to-Market Podcast

Check out our new partnership with Aspireship⁠⁠ Sidney Waterfall, SVP of Go-To-Market Strategy at Passetto, joins Steph Crugnola to talk about Attribution and Funnel Tracking. In this episode, Sidney goes into Hybrid Attribution - the do's and don'ts, and how to get leadership buy-in. See the video on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠⁠ Stay on top of all Refine Labs news and events by⁠⁠ subscribing to our newsletter⁠⁠.

From The Social Pulse Podcast: A statistic shared by Harvard Business Review suggested that within three years, only 50% of venture founders would still be leading their companies as CEO. And as the years go by, more and more founders transition to other roles and projects, leaving vacancies that must be filled. But stepping into the shoes of the company founder is a daunting task, to say the least. And while you’d think tapping an insider CEO - someone who potentially has been trained and groomed for years to take over, would be smooth sailing. In fact, their challenges are often of the same scope, if slightly different, than someone coming in from outside. What are some of those challenges, and what should agencies and executives preparing to transition be mindful of? That’s what Megan Bowen is here to help us with. Megan Bowen has spent 20 years working in B2B tech startups leading customer success, account management, sales, marketing and operations teams. Currently Megan is the CEO at Refine Labs, a Digital Marketing and Demand Generation Agency, after having worked there for years as the COO. Social Pulse Podcast host Mike Allton asked Megan Bowen about: ⭐ What it was like to become the CEO of an existing agency ⭐ Why such transitions can be challenging in any agency ⭐ How she overcame those challenges to become a successful agency CEO

⁠Check out our new partnership with Aspireship⁠ Sidney Waterfall, SVP of Go-To-Market Strategy at Passetto, joins Steph Crugnola to talk about Attribution and Funnel Tracking. In this episode, Sidney goes into Self Reported Attribution - why it's valuable and how it can be utilized most effectively. See the video on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠ Stay on top of all Refine Labs news and events by⁠ subscribing to our newsletter⁠. Refine Labs’ next Expert Session, featuring Chris Walker and Crissy and Charlie Saunders of CS2 Marketing, will be Wednesday April 24 at 12pm central. ⁠Register here⁠.

In this episode of Paris Talks Marketing, host Paris dives into the world of SaaS marketing strategies with guest Megan Bowen, CEO of Refine Labs, a leading B2B demand generation agency that helps B2B companies transform their marketing strategies to generate revenue. Paris and Megan discuss the importance of balancing organic and paid content distribution, Megan's journey from account manager to CEO, and the evolution of Refine Labs under her leadership. The conversation covers key insights on B2B marketing, leveraging AI, and adapting to changing buying behaviors in the digital landscape. See the full video and more on our YouTube channel Stay on top of all Refine Labs news and events by subscribing to our newsletter. Refine Labs’ next Expert Session, featuring Chris Walker and Crissy and Charlie Saunders of CS2 Marketing, will be Wednesday April 24 at 12pm central. Register here.

Check out our new partnership with Aspireship Sidney Waterfall, SVP of Go-To-Market Strategy at Passetto, joins Steph Crugnola to talk about Attribution and Funnel Tracking. In this episode, Sidney covers the foundations of Attribution in a Demand Generation strategy, how the evolution of buyer behavior has affected the way we monitor attribution, and the mindset shift you need to make to set yourself up for success. See the video on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠

Megan joined Tanner Green on the RevSpot podcast to detail her career journey. She discusses her background in sales and account management and her influence on the growth of various companies, and then explains how she transitioned into marketing with Refine Labs. Along with her own, Megan shares Refine Labs’ journey from her partnership with Chris, the growth of the company, and the work that’s been done to streamline their tools, operations, and positioning. At the end, she answers Tanner’s rapid fire questions on must-have tools and tactical advice for listeners on their own career journeys. See the video on our YouTube channel Refine Labs’ next Expert Session, featuring Chris Walker and Crissy and Charlie Saunders of CS2 Marketing, will be Wednesday April 24 at 12pm central. Register here.

Ashley Lewin, Senior Director of Demand Generation, joins Steph Crugnola to talk about Demand Gen Dashboards and KPIs. In this episode, Ashley tackles one of the hardest parts in the journey towards a Demand Gen strategy: convincing leadership to make the change. She talks about the breadcrumbs you should leave, the pitch you should put together, and the data you should collect. See the video on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠

Megan Bowen was invited to speak at the Full Funnel Summit to make the case for change and present what’s required for your business to win. She starts at the time of realization that your Customer Acquisition Costs become too unsustainable to continue with a current strategy, and lays out the path to transition from Lead Generation to Demand Generation. Megan talks through the way the team at Refine Labs helps to shift mindset away from generating thousands of empty leads and MQLs which rarely convert to relative amounts of revenue into creating demand so when customers are ready to buy, they are empowered to choose and convert with your company. She suggests running a Split the Funnel Analysis for every single company every six to twelve months to show how the data mitigates some of the risk associated with making such a drastic change in strategy. Through the rest of the presentation, Megan digs deeper into metrics, attribution, a case study, and more, and takes time at the end to answer audience questions

Refine Labs is excited to announce a strategic partnership with Aspireship, offering a robust learning program that teaches the core principles and practical applications of the Refine Labs B2B Marketing Strategy. Aspireship, known for its innovative approach to skill advancement, will be launching the B2B Marketing Intensive module, leveraging Refine Labs' library of Vault Intellectual Property. Megan and Corey sat down together on Refine Labs’ Stacking Growth podcast to discuss theories behind the resurgence of partnership-based go-to-market strategies, their intrinsic challenges, and how to follow a formula for success. The Revival of Partnership Strategies in B2B Marketing To cut through the volume of digital noise, companies are starting to gravitate back towards co-marketing strategies. This resurgence correlates with the search for strategies that drive word-of-mouth referrals which are, according to Megan, the most authentic form of marketing. Corey expands on this shift, indicating economic changes as a catalyst: "It's financially motivated...Capital became expensive...companies have to be a lot more efficient." By successfully leveraging partnerships, companies aim to scale without incurring heavy upfront costs and ensure a return on every invested dollar. However, the excitement around partnerships doesn't guarantee success. Megan sheds light on the operational reality where many eager attempts at partnerships lead to a dead-end due to lack of genuine referral exchange or substantial financial motivation. They both agree that for partnerships to work, companies need to be strategic in campaigning for agreements that go above and beyond cross-posting on LinkedIn. The Three Pillars of Effective Partnership Formation Megan outlines three distinct requirements for successful partnerships: Enhance Customer Experience and Outcome At the core of any partnership should lie an improvement to the customer's experience or outcome that neither company could provide singly. Financial Benefits for All Parties Partnerships must offer clear financial advantages to both companies involved and, importantly, the customer; these financial gains must be substantial enough to incentivize action from all parties. Justification of the Investment A partnership's worth hinges on the sustained investment of time and resources, so aligning the partnership with company priorities is crucial. When partners can see the potential for significant revenue and have authentic mutual buy-in, their dedication to the partnership's success naturally escalates. As Corey’s enthusiasm for taking the Vault course himself attests, creating a partnership with shared excitement and belief in each other’s services can lead to profound implications, broadening market access while bolstering credibility and reach for both companies. “Everyone wants to be good at marketing”, Corey plainly states, and this partnership between Refine Labs and Aspireship will ensure access and opportunities for everyone to start or enhance their journey to be a good marketer.

Ashley Lewin, Senior Director of Demand Generation, joins Steph Crugnola to talk about Demand Gen Dashboards and KPIs. In this episode, Ashley walks us through the Leading Indicators to measure when you're building a Demand Gen Dashboard. She encourages paying attention to qualitative insights like website traffic on high intent pages, tracking repeat engagement on content, and reinforcing marketing fundamentals to measure success. See the video on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠

Megan joined Steven Schmidt on the Magnetic Podcast to discuss Megan's transition into her CEO title role and how personal branding affects identity in the corporate world. Megan shares her perspective on operational excellence, scaling services, and fostering innovation within the agency. With the resurgence of newsletters as a central theme, Megan provides insight into the value of long-form content and building an audience independent of social media platforms. As the dialogue progresses, Megan unpacks the strategic decisions that shaped Refine Labs’ focus, the importance of clarity in market messaging, and her own personal development goals. The episode reveals Megan's enthusiasm for scuba diving, offering a refreshing glimpse into her pursuits outside the company. Aligned with Steven’s focus on humanizing business leaders, Megan's story resonates with anyone aspiring to grow professionally without losing sight of personal aspirations and well-being.

Ashley Lewin, Senior Director of Demand Generation, joins Steph Crugnola to talk about Demand Gen Dashboards and KPIs. In this episode, Ashley walks us through the metrics needed to create an efficient and comprehensive Demand Gen Dashboard. She gives an overview of the monthly and quarterly metrics to keep an eye on, and how to keep all of that information organized. See the video on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠

Ashley Lewin, Senior Director of Demand Generation, joins Steph Crugnola to talk about Demand Gen Dashboards and KPIs. In this episode, Ashley talks through the philosophical standpoint of zooming out to look at Demand Gen as a holistic business outcome vs a highly segmented channel specific outcome. She also covers the differences between a traditional lead gen reporting and Refine Lab's unique approach See the video on our ⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠

Evan Hughes, VP of Marketing, joins Steph Crugnola to talk about the Refine Labs Demand Philosophy. In this episode, Evan talks through the Refine Labs Paid Media Strategy, and how it uses Create, Capture, and Convert Demand to make a smooth transition. He also discusses budgeting and how to implement the change in real time. See the video on our ⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠

Evan Hughes, VP of Marketing, joins Steph Crugnola to talk about the Refine Labs Demand Philosophy. In this third episode, he covers results he has observed in companies that make the shift from Lead to Demand Gen and the fasibility of a mixed approach. See the video on our YouTube Channel

Refine Labs CEO Megan Bowen hosts Adam Robinson, CEO of Retention.com, to discuss R! B2B: a revolutionary new tool that's changing the game for outbound marketing. R! B2B goes beyond the typical account-level data provided by competitors and delivers personal-level website visitor identification. The tool captures invaluable intent signals by reporting which key decision-makers are visiting your site. Megan discusses how this cutting-edge technology aligns with Refine Labs' own philosophies and strategies, sharing her firsthand experience with the tool after just a few days of implementation. The episode dives into practical strategies on how to leverage these intent signals to foster genuine connections and drive effective sales outreach. With Adam's insights and Megan's keen interest in integrating the tool into Refine Labs' go-to-market strategy, listeners will gain a deep understanding of how to transform medium-intent website visits into high-intent business opportunities.

Evan Hughes, VP of Marketing, joins Steph Crugnola to talk about the Refine Labs Demand Philosophy. In the second episode, Evan talks about the way the buyer journey has evolved into a more independent process, and defines Dark Social. See the video on our ⁠YouTube channel

Evan Hughes, VP of Marketing, joins Steph Crugnola to talk about the Refine Labs Demand Philosophy. In this first episode, he covers Demand Generation as it's defined right now, including Create, Capture, and Convert Demand. See the video on our YouTube channel

Sidney Waterfall hosts today, joined by Sydney Sloan, CMO of Drata, to talk about timing in your career - how to know the right time to step away and finding the next right opportunity. She discusses her own experience of taking time off to recharge and reflect before starting her new role at Drata. Sydney also talks about her favorite stage of growth and the importance of finding a company with a strong product-market fit. She emphasizes the need for balance in life and the value of building relationships and connections. Sydney shares her approach to measuring the impact of marketing and the importance of focusing on revenue and efficiency. She also discusses the changing landscape of marketing, including the role of AI and the need for digital sophistication.

Kaylee is back in the host seat today, joined by Lane Scott Jones, Head of Content at Zapier to follow her journey from agency to in-house content marketing roles. She discusses the importance of understanding the mechanics behind the business and mapping content to business goals. Lane also talks about the challenges she faced in transitioning from an agency to an in-house role and how she navigated those waters. She emphasizes the need for content to be seen as a strategic function and the importance of collaboration between content and other marketing teams. Lane also shares insights into Zapier's content team structure and the impact of content on the company's ROI. Link to the Corporate Jargon Translator