Women in B2B Marketing

**Originally published on April 12, 2023**This episode features the one and only Thao Ngo - SVP of Marketing at Uptempo and a total gem of a leader. We talked about building team culture across time zones, leading through three back-to-back acquisitions, and why she ditched PR and the company podcast (and what’s actually working instead).Thao’s smart, hilarious, and brutally honest in the best way. One of my fave convos.- Jane-----------In this episode of Women in B2B Marketing, host Jane Serra interviews Thao Ngo, SVP of Marketing at Uptempo. Thao shares her unique journey from early-career marketing student to global marketing leader - and the lessons she’s learned from decades in high tech, M&A chaos, and building high-performing, human-first teams.This episode covers:Leading through three acquisitions (and merging tools, teams, and time zones)The chaos and lessons of combining CRMs, MAPs, websites, and work culturesHow to actually build team culture on Zoom (hint: not forced virtual lunches)Why they paused their podcast, PR, and newsletter, and what’s working betterThe live, no-recording MOPs huddles that build real communityHer onboarding playbook, including a slide on "how to work with the CMO"Burnout prevention tips like calendar audits, Slack boundaries, and no-meeting blocksHow Thao uses Slack photos and custom statuses to lead with personalityWhat it's like to lead as an Asian woman in tech, and how she speaks up when it countsThao also shares why building trust and being yourself is the most powerful tool a marketer can have. Key Links:Guest: Thao Ngo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thaongo/Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/––Like WIB2BM? Show us some love with a rating or review. It helps us reach more listeners. <3

In this episode of Women in B2B Marketing, Jane Serra sits down with Sheevaun Thatcher, VP of Revenue Enablement at Demandbase, to unpack what enablement really means when done right.With decades of experience spanning pre-sales, sales, and enablement leadership, Sheevaun shares the lessons learned from building programs that actually move the needle on productivity, retention, and revenue influence. Far from “just training” or “content delivery,” her approach treats enablement as a true business within a business - complete with strategy, investors, and measurable outcomes.Jane and Sheevaun dive into:Sheevaun’s career path from pre-sales into enablement and the lessons learned through each “version” of enablement she builtWhat revenue enablement really means (hint: it touches everyone who influences revenue, not just sales)The difference between being responsible to sales versus responsible for revenueThe five key questions that keep enablement focused on what matters mostThe four pillars of enablement: GTM clarity, aligned content, just-in-time training, and tribal knowledgeHow to align enablement with marketing and product to ensure content is actually adopted and useful in customer conversationsWhy “standard demos” and “budget questions” don’t work - and better approaches to bothThe role of coaching, why high performers don’t always make strong managers, and how to train managers to actually coachHow AI and just-in-time enablement are changing how sellers learn and apply skillsWhen a company is really ready for enablement (and why your first hire should be senior, not junior)Key Links:Guest: Sheevaun Thatcher – LinkedIn Host: Jane Serra – LinkedInSheevaun's LinkedIn Articles Mentioned:https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/r2n4-enablement-keystone-sheevaun-thatcher-cpc-tsqcc/https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-5-fave-enablement-questions-sheevaun-thatcher-cpc-xr7gf/––Like WIB2BM? Show us some love with a rating or review. It helps us get these amazing women in front of the bigger audience they deserve.

In this episode of Women in B2B Marketing, Jane Serra sits down with Shannon Howard, Director of Customer and Content Marketing at Intellum, to talk about the real work behind building lasting customer relationships that drive retention, advocacy, and long-term brand love.From her early days in B2C to leading customer marketing in SaaS, Shannon shares how she has learned to scale connection without losing the human touch. The conversation covers what customer marketing really owns (hint: it is not just case studies), how to enable internal teams to advocate alongside your customers, and the power of being relentlessly curious about the people you serve.Jane and Shannon get into:Why customer marketing is about more than just advocacy and what else belongs under its umbrellaHow to stay close to your customers even without a big team or budgetThe overlooked art of marketing internal programs like customer educationWhy reverse multithreading and relationship redundancy matter more than everApproaching customers for feedback in ways that feel natural, not transactionalTurning negative experiences into opportunities to create new advocatesThe value of surprising and delighting customers, including supporting causes they care aboutHow customer marketing can also play a big role in Customer Success enablementExpanding the definition of “customer” to include past, future, and even non-paying advocatesBuilding trust with customers by treating them like people, not just personas Key Links:Guest: Shannon Howard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonlagassehoward/Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/––Like WIB2BM? Show us some love with a rating or review. It helps us reach more women marketers ready to take the mic.

In this episode of Women in B2B Marketing, host Jane Serra chats with Shachar Oren, co-founder, CRO, and CMO at EX.CO—a rare triple-title leader with a journalist’s storytelling soul and a sharp eye on revenue.Shachar’s unconventional journey from writing film reviews to building a video-first adtech company is full of insight for any marketer navigating career pivots, cross-functional leadership, and the ever-blurry line between brand and revenue. She shares what it’s really like owning both sales and marketing, how it’s changed her approach as a CMO, and why she believes marketers need to stop undervaluing themselves.Jane and Shachar dig into:What it’s like to lead both marketing and sales as a co-founderHow a background in journalism led Shachar into B2B tech and startup leadershipThe power of sitting in on sales calls - and how it transformed her team’s approachWhy sales decks often fall short, and how to build enablement materials that sellers actually useWhat led EX.CO to eliminate webinars and double down on eventsHow offline tactics like in-person events and direct mail became their top growth channelsWhy marketers struggle to get internal credit - and how to start changing thatThe nuances of tying marketing roles to revenue goals and compensationWhat the lack of CMOs on corporate boards says about how marketing is perceivedHow reframing our own value as marketers can shift our influence inside the orgNavigating the balance between creativity, storytelling, and business outcomesBuilding community through thoughtful, hybrid campaigns that connect people online and off Key Links:Guest: Shachar Orren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shacharo/Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/Shachar's Article on Fast Company: https://www.fastcompany.com/91265760/numbers-and-narratives-the-strategic-advantage-of-uniting-the-cmo-and-cro-roles ––Like WIB2BM? Show us some love with a rating or review. It helps us reach more women marketers ready to take the mic.

In this episode of Women in B2B Marketing, host Jane Serra chats with Kim Tran, a full stack marketing leader who helped take Gimmal to a successful exit as Head of Marketing and Business Development.Kim's path into marketing was anything but linear. She started in First Amendment law before building a career focused on growth, brand transformation, and operational rigor across fintech, edtech, and data governance. With a background in psychology and a clear-eyed view of how teams and businesses scale, Kim shares the mindset shifts and tactical lessons that shaped her journey.Jane and Kim explore:Why marketers need to become financial and data stewards to earn trust and influenceHow to market marketing internally and build advocates across the orgWhat it really takes to modernize a legacy brand without losing its coreHow to approach marketing during an acquisition and speak to buyers, not just customersThe importance of protecting your team’s emotional and mental bandwidthHow to pitch yourself and take up space, especially as a woman in leadershipWhy failing safely is more realistic than failing fast Key Links:Guest: Kim Tran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimtrandc/Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/ ––Like WIB2BM? Show us some love with a rating or review. It helps us reach more women marketers ready to take the mic.

** Originally published on January 18, 2023 **This episode is a favorite for anyone who's ever argued about buttons vs hyperlinks, wondered if open rates still matter, or just wants to get better at email without sounding like a spam bot.Kestrel Lemen is an email powerhouse: part strategist, part storyteller, and hands down one of the most insightful voices in email marketing. Her take on what actually drives conversions, how to balance plain text with visuals, and what marketers still get wrong about newsletters is full of gold.It’s one I still reference, and if email is even remotely in your job description, you’ll want to give this one a listen.Want a part two with Kestrel? Leave a review, drop a DM, or just say the word.— Jane--In this episode of Women in B2B Marketing, host Jane Serra sits down with Kestrel Lemen, email marketing expert and former Senior Strategist at Seguno Software (now Senior Manager Lifecycle Marketing at Zillow!) From her start in the art world to building Bronto’s London office and becoming an email force in both B2B and B2C, Kestrel’s journey is as fascinating as it is full of lessons.They get into:The difference (and surprising similarities) between B2B and B2C email strategiesVisual vs. plain text emails - and when each actually performs bestWhat’s still true about email above the fold (and what’s totally changed)The metrics you should be tracking now - and which ones are just vanitySpam triggers, button design, and real talk on segmentationHow privacy laws like GDPR and Apple MPP are reshaping email as we know itWhy your “free Yeti cooler” giveaway is probably not the moveBuilding emails that convert and don’t annoyPlus: how to keep your resume “conversion-optimized” for your future selfIf email is part of your job - or just gives you heartburn - this episode is a goldmine. Key Links:Guest: Kestrel Lemen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kestrellemen/Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/ Community: Women of Email - https://womenofemail.org/

In this episode of "Women in B2B Marketing," host Jane Serra chats with Leanna Adeola, VP of Marketing and Chief Brand Strategist at Black Onyx Management. Leanna, recognized as one of the "Top 40 Under 40" by the Indianapolis Business Journal, shares her journey through various marketing roles, from agency work to in-house positions. They discuss the challenges of integrating management consultants, emphasizing transparency and collaboration. Leanna highlights the evolving nature of B2B marketing, stressing the importance of authenticity, relationship-building, and balancing value with sales. Leanna and Jane talk through:Leanna’s career path from agency to in-house to consultancy leadershipWhy her agency background helps her empathize with brand-side complexityHow she balances in-house marketing with client-facing consultingTactics for making brand messaging stick internallyHow Canva and quick videos help reinforce brand standardsAdvice for building trust when bringing in external consultantsThe 3Fs framework for managing up: Framing, Frequency, For OthersHow to communicate effectively with boards, CEOs, and CFOsThe human side of B2B: building relationships, not just pipelineWhy outdated ideas of executive presence are holding us backThe power of thought leadership and long-term brand affinityHer advice: remember what drew you to marketing and protect that spark Key Links:Guest: Leanna Adeola: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ladeola/^^ And follow her on IG: https://www.instagram.com/leannaadeolaHost: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/ --Like WIB2BM? Show us some love with a rating or review today! <3

In this episode of "Women in B2B Marketing," host Jane Serra speaks with Rissy La Touche, a seasoned marketer, advisor, speaker, and founder of Dimple Studio. Rissy shares her journey from B2C/B2B marketing to business owner, discussing the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship. The episode delves into the importance of clear communication, self-promotion, and public speaking in B2B marketing. Rissy emphasizes the value of understanding customer insights and tailoring value messaging. She also shares her experiences managing multiple marketing channels and offers advice to young marketers on trusting their instincts. Rissy and Jane discuss:How Rissy moved from NYC to Amsterdam and launched her consultancy, Dimple StudioThe mindset shift from freelancer to business ownerLearning to promote yourself without feeling cringeLeveraging buyer ego in B2B messaging while keeping your own in checkWhat it really means to not gatekeep in marketingWhy most B2B messaging misses the markHow to build value messaging that drives sales enablementThe story of a value prop that unlocked new revenueGetting speaking gigs and lessons from her first keynoteWhy helping your buyer look good is the ultimate marketing strategy Key Links:Guest: Rissy La Touche: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rissylatouche/Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/ --Like WIB2BM? Show us some love with a rating or review today! <3