In this episode of "Women in B2B Marketing," host Jane Serra interviews Catherine Solazzo, CMO at Syntax. Catherine shares her career journey, starting as an intern at IBM and evolving into leadership roles. She discusses the challenges and strategies involved in leading marketing transformation, emphasizing the importance of trust, data-driven decision-making, and agile methodologies. Catherine also highlights her expanded responsibilities, including inside sales and sales operations, and reflects on her aspirations beyond the CMO role.

Jane and Catherine discuss:

• Differences between public company and private equity ownership in terms of flexibility, focus, and historical processes
• Challenges and strategies in setting a marketing foundation, establishing expectations, and gaining buy-in for transformation
• Importance of trust and collaboration in leadership - and why she never misses a deadline
• Shifting from reliance on sentiment to data
• Use of agile frameworks and methodologies in marketing transformation
• Integration of technology and tools for an efficient and collaborative work environment
• The reasoning behind Catherine's expanded CMO role to include inside sales and sales ops functions
• Catherine's participation in the Marketing Academy fellowship program and the valuable experiences and learnings gained from it
• Contemplation of transitioning into a CEO role after CMO
• The importance of self-analysis and finding one's identity and purpose

Key Links:

Guest: Catherine Solazzo - https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-solazzo/

Host: Jane Serra - https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/

The Marketing Academy - https://themarketingacademy.org/us/the-fellowship/

In this episode of "Women in B2B Marketing," host Jane Serra interviews Alessandra Colaci, an AI consultant and founder of Humans Plus AI. Alessandra shares her journey from B2C to B2B marketing and her transition into AI. They discuss the practical applications of AI tools like ChatGPT, emphasizing the importance of providing context and experimenting with different approaches. Alessandra offers insights on managing AI initiatives, handling sensitive data, and integrating AI strategically into marketing efforts. She also highlights the need for continuous learning, ethical considerations, and embracing mistakes as part of the growth process in AI and marketing.

Alessandra walks us through:

• Starting with AI tools like ChatGPT and providing context for AI
• Guardrails for using AI, privacy, and handling sensitive data
• Her clients' approach to AI initiatives and guidance on leveraging AI efficiently
• Potential of AI in marketing and its impact on business relationships
• Leveraging AI for data analysis in marketing, including product marketing
• Practical advice on managing logistics for AI analysis and providing context for accurate analysis
• Use of AI tools like Midjourney, Magnifique, and Perplexity for image creation and data analysis
• Ethical considerations and biases in AI, diversity and inclusion in training data
• Continuous learning, experimentation, and embracing mistakes for growth and success in AI and marketing landscape

Key Links:

Guest: Alessandra Colaci - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessandraco/

Host: Jane Serra - https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/

Humans + AI: https://humansplus.ai/

In this episode of "Women in B2B Marketing," host Jane Serra welcomes Allyson Havener, SVP of Marketing and Community at TrustRadius. Allyson shares insights from the B2B Buying Disconnect report by TrustRadius and Pavilion. She emphasizes the value of leveraging customer reviews, original content, and proprietary research to build brand trust and influence buyer decisions. Allyson also highlights the growing role of millennials and Gen Z in the B2B buying process and the significance of balancing positive and negative feedback.

Allyson and Jane discuss:

• Leveraging customer reviews and original content in B2B marketing
• Significance of easy access to product information for buyers
• Growing influence of millennials and Gen Z in the B2B buying process
• The growth of buying committees in the enterprise and the shrinking buying groups in the mid-market and SMB segments
• The top three factors that make buyers more likely to purchase
• Building brand trust through review strategies
• Leveraging proprietary research for marketing strategy and to build brand authority
• TrustRadius' goal of driving consumption of the report to change industry perceptions
• Embracing mistakes and learning from them for personal and professional growth

Key Links:

Guest: Allyson Havener - https://www.linkedin.com/in/allyson-havener/

Host: Jane Serra - https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/

2024 B2B Buying Disconnect Report: The Year of the Brand Crisis