Renegade Marketers Unite

AI is now a standing agenda item. It shows up in QBRs, board packets, and 2026 budget plans with a big expectation stamp on it. CMOs are being asked to operationalize it fast, prove value in workflows, and keep risk, governance, and tool sprawl under control. To get specific about what to prioritize next, Drew brings together Guy Yalif (Webflow), Andy Dé (Lightbeam Health Solutions), and Kevin Briody (DisruptedCMO). Together, they focus on how CMOs can move from scattered experiments to intentional AI adoption across people, process, and technology, and what it takes to make AI a trusted part of how marketing runs. In this episode: Guy shares an AI fluency maturity model and explains why the shift to operational excellence is a change management challenge. Andy breaks down agentic AI and workflow automation with examples from CI, outbound, RFPs, content, and AEO, using "why, what, how, so what." Kevin focuses on the people and platform side, from job anxiety and culture to vendor shakeouts and MarTech-level discipline. Plus: Centering AI plans on people and fluency so it feels additive, not threatening. Using councils, fast-track approvals, and guardrails to scale safely. Balancing efficiency with human experience and customer acceptance. Treating AI tools like core MarTech, with scrutiny around contracts, integrations, and vendor longevity. If you want your 2026 AI plan to feel like a strategic advantage instead of a collection of pilots, this conversation will help you decide what to run, what to scale, and what to skip. Learn more about the CMO Startegy Labs ➡️ https://cmohuddles.com/strategy-labs Check out Firebrick ➡️ https://firebrickconsulting.com/ For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

If AI is only helping you write copy, you are leaving real leverage on the table. Every marketing team is buried in invisible busywork; a trail of repetitive, manual steps hiding inside every task. So what happens when you take one of those messy workflows, map every step, and rebuild it? In this episode, Drew talks with Dave Brong (Level Agency) about how CMO Huddles transformed a messy, 10-step post-meeting grind into an automated system that transforms hundreds of conversations into structured insight, searchable intelligence, and real business value. In this episode: How a manual, repetitive workflow became an automated intelligence engine How transcripts, metadata, and semantic search unlock institutional knowledge The reality: Only ±10% of the system relies on AI (code does the heavy lifting) When to use low-code tools vs. engineers for reliability, privacy, and scale Plus: A simple method to audit workflows and spot automation opportunities How to balance build vs. buy for AI workflows How to amplify human judgment instead of replacing it If you are tired of manual follow-up, underused data, and AI hype without impact, this conversation is for you. For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

Nine years in. 500 episodes later. Hundreds of CMOs on the mic. A deep well of marketing wisdom for anyone brave enough to draw from it. This milestone episode is a celebration of the bold B2B ideas, experiments, and hard-earned lessons that have filled the show from day one. Thank-you to every marketer who has listened, shared, and dared to try something new because of what they heard here. Recorded live at the 2025 Super Huddle, Drew's conversations with Udi Ledergor, Denise Persson and Chris Degnan, and Carilu Dietrich anchor this milestone episode. In this episode: Udi shares how Gong pulled off a Super Bowl spot on a regional budget, aimed it at VPs of Sales, and tracked impact in traffic, conversations, and pipeline. Denise and Chris explain how a CMO and CRO stayed aligned through four CEOs at Snowflake and evolved the story from "cloud data warehouse" to "data cloud," all in lockstep. Carilu shows how Lovable is building a movement with real users as influencers, a CEO who lives on social, and a speed-first mindset tuned to the pace of AI and customer buzz. Plus: Why a "crazy ideas" budget creates room for standout plays that still satisfy the CFO How empathy for sales and shared ownership of the number strengthen CRO-CMO alignment How CEO-led social, customer stories, and edutainment power modern B2B brands What it takes to move at AI speed while keeping product value and customer love at the center If you want a concentrated hit of CMO-level courage, alignment, and playmaking, this milestone episode is your highlight reel. For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

AI is now part of the job, whether your team feels ready or not. Some folks jump in with prompts and pilots; others stay on the sidelines while the pace keeps picking up. How do you turn that mix into a team that understands AI, uses it well, and gets stronger with every experiment? Drew talks with Jakki Geiger (Arango), Betsy Daitch (Canoe Intelligence), and Grant Johnson (Chief Outsiders) about what it takes to uplevel AI skills across marketing. They get into hiring for AI-forward talent, picking use cases that matter, and tracking progress so experiments turn into repeatable, results-focused habits. In this episode: Jakki hires AI-forward talent, builds digital twins for leaders, and kicks off AI projects from SDR pilots to sales enablement knowledge bases. Betsy uses Gemini, an "Upleveling Marketing Efficiency" tracker, and QBR AI projects to lift adoption across product, growth, and corporate marketing. Grant sets AI proficiency goals, runs workshops, and assigns ownership so each marketing function keeps building capability over time. Plus: How to create a safe space for AI experimentation anchored to clear business goals Ways to narrow use cases so pilots stay manageable and show impact Why documentation, ownership, and simple workflows keep AI programs alive How CMOs can model AI use and report progress in language the C-suite cares about Tune in if you are serious about raising your team's AI game and want practical ways to build confidence, capability, and momentum. For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

When it comes to marketing, everyone has opinions—but few have proof. That's where Professor Byron Sharp steps in. In this episode, Drew sits down with the globally renowned marketing scientist and author of How Brands Grow to unpack what B2B marketers are getting wrong, what they should measure instead, and why focusing only on in-market buyers is a recipe for decline. Byron drops truth bombs on: Why mental availability drives physical availability (not the other way around) How B2B marketers are shooting themselves in the foot with fluffy brand campaigns What to measure if you want to track real progress Why B2B growth takes time—and how to prove it's working Plus, why CMOs should stop pretending that awareness is enough and start earning a place in buyers' brains before they're ready to buy. Whether you're defending your brand budget to a CFO, fighting for longer-term investment, or just trying to grow your share of voice without blowing it all in Q1—this episode delivers the mental fuel (and science) to make your case. To hear the rest of this CMO Huddles Bonus Huddle, visit CMO Huddles Hub on YouTube. For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

Plenty of CMOs reach a point where the fractional model starts to look… intriguing. A little more freedom, a little less 24/7 pressure, and a whole lot of variety. In this episode, Drew brings together three former full-time CMOs who now serve as full-time fractionals: Alan Gonsenhauser (Demand Revenue), Katrina Klier (Sage Strategy Group), and Marshall Poindexter (yorCMO). They get into what it really takes to succeed in the role, from setting expectations with CEOs and boards to choosing the right clients, managing time and scope, and knowing when the fractional model fits and when it is time to move on. In this episode: Alan builds trust fast with structured discovery across leaders and the board, using "three magic wishes" to surface priorities before acting. Katrina ties marketing priorities to financial and board targets so strategy supports existing growth and margin commitments. Marshall differentiates fractional work from consulting, using a simple framework and 90-day sprints to drive execution through in-house teams or agencies. Plus: Narrowing your niche so you attract clients where you create outsized value How to set scope, cadence, and availability so part-time does not quietly become full-time Using process, sprints, and metrics to stay focused when new requests pop up Planning the transition, from mentoring the incoming full-time CMO to creating a clean off-ramp Tune in if you are considering going fractional, hiring a fractional CMO, or just trying to understand how this model fits into the modern CMO career. For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

CMO+ signals a bigger remit: marketing plus another lane the business depends on. Drawing from her CMO+ tenure at Altair, Amy Messano (Thomson Reuters) talks with Drew about how unifying marketing and communications and empowering employees to carry the story from the inside out helped fuel rapid growth and a multibillion-dollar acquisition. She shows how treating earned, owned, and paid as one system and tying internal comms to go-to-market kept everyone aligned on the same promise. In this episode: Centralizing marketing and communications in an engineering-led company Moving from a house of brands to a branded house built around "Only Forward" Linking a consistent brand to investor confidence and deal value Plus: Simplifying product architecture and naming through acquisitions Aligning marketing, PR, AR, and internal comms to tell one story Using listening and clear brand architecture to bring cultures together What CMO+ leadership really requires: new capabilities and a close CEO partnership If you're stepping into CMO+ or stretching beyond marketing's lane, this episode's for you! For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/