Sarah Kennedy

Kennedy Ellis

In the series finale of Exceptions, we go inside the mind (and schedule) of one of the world's top CMOs, Sarah Kennedy Ellis of Marketo. We discuss the acquisition by Adobe, how brand affects her team's work and her own, and why the Exceptions exploration is the most important journey for modern marketers to make today.To our listeners: Thanks for your support of this series! Keep in touch with Drift at drift.com and host Jay Acunzo at marketingshowrunners.com.Like this episode? Be sure to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and share the pod with your friends! You can connect on Twitter with @jayacunzo @saykay @Drift @hypergrowth_pod.See more on this episode here.

In the series finale of Exceptions, we go inside the mind (and schedule) of one of the world's top CMOs, Sarah Kennedy Ellis of Marketo. We discuss the acquisition by Adobe, how brand affects her team's work and her own, and why the Exceptions exploration is the most important journey for modern marketers to make today. To our listeners: Thanks for your support of this series! Keep in touch with Drift at <a href="https://drift.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">drift.com</a> and host Jay Acunzo at <a href="https://www.marketingshowrunners.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">marketingshowrunners.com</a>. Like this episode? Be sure to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and share the pod with your friends! You can connect on Twitter with <a href="https://twitter.com/jayacunzo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jayacunzo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/saykay" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@saykay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Drift" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@Drift</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HYPERGROWTH_Pod" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@hypergrowth_pod</a>. See more on this episode <a href="https://drift.com/blog/inside-the-mind-of-a-global-cmo-sarah-kennedy-ellis-marketo-adobe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.

Inside the Mind of a Global CMO (Sarah Kennedy Ellis, Marketo/Adobe)

In the penultimate episode of Exceptions, we try to move storytelling back from buzzword to core component of our jobs as marketers. What does it take to tell a gripping story? What does a brand story do for a business, and how do we vet and tell stories nobody else is telling? We talk to Contently’s Editor-in-Chief Jordan Teicher to find out.Want even more on storytelling, check out the books Jordan suggested in this episode:  Anatomy of Story by John Truby  The Storytelling Edge by Shane Snow &amp; Joe Lazauskas  On Writing by Stephen King  Bird by Bird by Annie Lamott  Into the Woods: A Five-Act Journey Into Story by John Yorke  The Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell Like this episode? Be sure to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and share the pod with your friends! You can connect on Twitter with @jayacunzo @JordanTeicher@Contently @Drift @hypergrowth_pod.For more on this episode, go to: https://drift.com/blog/contently-on-what-we-really-mean-when-we-say-brand-story/

In the penultimate episode of Exceptions, we try to move storytelling back from buzzword to core component of our jobs as marketers. What does it take to tell a gripping story? What does a brand story do for a business, and how do we vet and tell stories nobody else is telling? We talk to Contently’s Editor-in-Chief Jordan Teicher to find out. Want even more on storytelling, check out the books Jordan suggested in this episode:<ul> <li> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Story-Becoming-Master-Storyteller/dp/0865479933" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Anatomy of Story</a> by John Truby</li> <li> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Storytelling-Edge-Transform-Business-Screaming/dp/1119483352" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Storytelling Edge</a> by Shane Snow &amp; Joe Lazauskas</li> <li> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writing-10th-Anniversary-Memoir-Craft/dp/1439156816" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">On Writing</a> by Stephen King</li> <li> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bird-Some-Instructions-Writing-Life/dp/0385480016" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bird by Bird</a> by Annie Lamott</li> <li> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Into-Woods-Five-Act-Journey-Story/dp/1468310941" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Into the Woods: A Five-Act Journey Into Story</a> by John Yorke</li> <li> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Faces-Collected-Joseph-Campbell/dp/1577315936" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Hero With a Thousand Faces</a> by Joseph Campbell</li> </ul>Like this episode? Be sure to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and share the pod with your friends! You can connect on Twitter with <a href="https://twitter.com/jayacunzo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jayacunzo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jordanteicher" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@JordanTeicher</a><a href="https://twitter.com/contently" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@Contently</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Drift" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@Drift</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HYPERGROWTH_Pod" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@hypergrowth_pod</a>. For more on this episode, go to: <a href="https://drift.com/blog/contently-on-what-we-really-mean-when-we-say-brand-story/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://drift.com/blog/contently-on-what-we-really-mean-when-we-say-brand-story/</a>

Contently on What We Really Mean When We Say Brand Story

We've talked to lots of marketers marketing to marketers in this series, but how can we as marketers build a beloved brand in an industry that isn't our own? Today, we talk to the SVP of Marketing at Toast, Kevin Hamilton, to explore what it takes to earn trust in a new community, as they've done with restaurant owners. We touch on hiring, partnerships, events, and other approaches, and we reflect on how to grow an exceptional brand given these unique challenges.Like this episode? Be sure to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and share the pod with your friends! You can connect on Twitter with @jayacunzo @ToastTab @KevinJ_Hamilton @Drift @hypergrowth_pod.For more on this episode, go to: https://www.drift.com/blog/how-toast-earned-trust-in-a-new-community/

We've talked to lots of marketers marketing to marketers in this series, but how can we as marketers build a beloved brand in an industry that isn't our own? Today, we talk to the SVP of Marketing at Toast, Kevin Hamilton, to explore what it takes to earn trust in a new community, as they've done with restaurant owners. We touch on hiring, partnerships, events, and other approaches, and we reflect on how to grow an exceptional brand given these unique challenges. Like this episode? Be sure to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and share the pod with your friends! You can connect on Twitter with <a href="https://twitter.com/jayacunzo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jayacunzo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ToastTab" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@ToastTab</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinJ_Hamilton" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@KevinJ_Hamilton</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Drift" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@Drift</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HYPERGROWTH_Pod" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@hypergrowth_pod</a>. For more on this episode, go to: <a href="https://www.drift.com/blog/how-toast-earned-trust-in-a-new-community/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.drift.com/blog/how-toast-earned-trust-in-a-new-community/</a>

Earning Trust in a New Community with Toast

Over the course of this series, we've profiled plenty of companies whose products make sense to most of us in business (not to mention the few companies who have the enviable task of marketing to other marketers -- ahh, the dream, right?). But what if your product is highly technical in nature? How do you market to technical people when your marketers are definitely not? And how do you balance the need to target enterprise decision-makers and frontline developers and technical team leads? All that and more in this episode, featuring the CMO of tech giant Twilio, Sara Varni. Before you go leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the pod with your friends! Be sure to check out more insights on the Drift blog at drift.com/blog and find us on Twitter @jayacunzo @twilio @saravarnibright@Drift @hypergrowth_pod.

Over the course of this series, we've profiled plenty of companies whose products make sense to most of us in business (not to mention the few companies who have the enviable task of marketing to other marketers -- ahh, the dream, right?). But what if your product is highly technical in nature? How do you market to technical people when your marketers are definitely not? And how do you balance the need to target enterprise decision-makers and frontline developers and technical team leads? All that and more in this episode, featuring the CMO of tech giant Twilio, Sara Varni. Before you go leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the pod with your friends! Be sure to check out more insights on the Drift blog at <a href="http://drift.com/blog" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">drift.com/blog</a> and find us on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jayacunzo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jayacunzo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/twilio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@twilio</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/saravarnibright" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@saravarnibright</a><a href="https://twitter.com/Drift" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@Drift</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HYPERGROWTH_Pod" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@hypergrowth_pod</a>.

Building a Brand for Technical Products with Twilio

It feels like we say it every day: Marketing is changing. Fast. In this episode, we talk to Workfront's CMO Heidi Melin about what the future of work entails, why we're ill-prepared at most organizations, and what to do about it.Before you go leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the pod with your friends! Be sure to check out more insights on the Drift blog at drift.com/blog and find us on Twitter @jayacunzo @workfront @heidimelin @Drift @seekingwisdomio.

It feels like we say it every day: Marketing is changing. Fast. In this episode, we talk to Workfront's CMO Heidi Melin about what the future of work entails, why we're ill-prepared at most organizations, and what to do about it. Before you go leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the pod with your friends! Be sure to check out more insights on the Drift blog at <a href="http://drift.com/blog" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">drift.com/blog</a> and find us on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jayacunzo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jayacunzo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/workfront" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@workfront</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/heidimelin" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@heidimelin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Drift" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@Drift</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/seekingwisdomio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@seekingwisdomio</a>.

Solving Marketing's Work Crisis with Workfront

Zapier

In this episode, we perform a live audit on Jay's workflow (it gets hairy) with Zapier's Head of Certified Experts Program, Jesse Parker, and we're joined by Zapier CEO and co-founder Wade Foster, who helps us uncover the one simple truth that can help solve a ton of problems encountered when scaling a brand.Before you go leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the pod with your friends! Be sure to check out more insights on the Drift blog at drift.com/blog and find us on Twitter @jayacunzo @zapier @wadefoster @JessAfterHours @Drift @seekingwisdomio.

In this episode, we perform a live audit on Jay's workflow (it gets hairy) with Zapier's Head of Certified Experts Program, Jesse Parker, and we're joined by Zapier CEO and co-founder Wade Foster, who helps us uncover the one simple truth that can help solve a ton of problems encountered when scaling a brand. Before you go leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the pod with your friends! Be sure to check out more insights on the Drift blog at <a href="http://drift.com/blog" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">drift.com/blog</a> and find us on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jayacunzo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jayacunzo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/zapier" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@zapier</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/wadefoster" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@wadefoster</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jessafterhours" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@JessAfterHours</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Drift" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@Drift</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/seekingwisdomio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@seekingwisdomio</a>.

Scaling Without Breaking with Zapier

What if you could generate more business by building a brand that fewer people were aware of, rather than more? This episode runs counter to our conventional wisdom as marketers in the most refreshing way. Tune in to learn more about powerhouse content creator, Animalz, and the story behind their success.Before you go leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the pod with your friends! Be sure to check out more insights on the Drift blog at drift.com/blog and find us on Twitter @jayacunzo @jimmy_daly @Drift @seekingwisdomio.

What if you could generate more business by building a brand that fewer people were aware of, rather than more? This episode runs counter to our conventional wisdom as marketers in the most refreshing way. Tune in to learn more about powerhouse content creator, Animalz, and the story behind their success. Before you go leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the pod with your friends! Be sure to check out more insights on the Drift blog at <a href="http://drift.com/blog" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">drift.com/blog</a> and find us on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jayacunzo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jayacunzo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jimmy_daly" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jimmy_daly</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Drift" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@Drift</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/seekingwisdomio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@seekingwisdomio</a>.

Building a Speakeasy Brand with Animalz

In this episode, hear why every brand is in the business of owning and leading a category in some way. We talk to Optimizely's CMO and their director of product marketing to understand how the company has successfully created and led their category, and we walk away with a few key pieces we can implement to do the same. Before you go leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the pod with your friends! Be sure to check out more insights on the Drift blog at drift.com/blog and find us on Twitter @jayacunzo @optimizely @Drift @seekingwisdomio.

In this episode, hear why every brand is in the business of owning and leading a category in some way. We talk to Optimizely's CMO and their director of product marketing to understand how the company has successfully created and led their category, and we walk away with a few key pieces we can implement to do the same. Before you go leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the pod with your friends! Be sure to check out more insights on the Drift blog at <a href="http://drift.com/blog" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">drift.com/blog</a> and find us on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jayacunzo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jayacunzo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Optimizely" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@optimizely</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Drift" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@Drift</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/@seekingwisdomio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@seekingwisdomio</a>.

How to Create & Own a Category with Optimizely

Dave Gerhardt

Today, we get a rare chance to go inside the process of writing a book with Conversational Marketing author and Drift VP of Marketing Dave Gerhardt. Hear why the company felt it was time to do so, how they plan to promote it (without derailing the team), and more details about the wins, frustrations, regrets, and celebrations companies rarely share publicly. You can get your copy of Conversational Marketing on Amazon here. Before you go leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the pod with your friends! Be sure to check out more insights on the Drift blog at drift.com/blog and find us on Twitter @davegerhardt @jayacunzo @seekingwisdomio. You can get more details on this episode here.

Today, we get a rare chance to go inside the process of writing a book with Conversational Marketing author and Drift VP of Marketing Dave Gerhardt. Hear why the company felt it was time to do so, how they plan to promote it (without derailing the team), and more details about the wins, frustrations, regrets, and celebrations companies rarely share publicly. You can get your copy of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Conversational-Marketing-Companies-Chatbots-Generate/dp/1119541832/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1550687080&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=conversational+marketing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Conversational Marketing on Amazon here</a>. Before you go leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the pod with your friends! Be sure to check out more insights on the Drift blog at <a href="http://drift.com/blog" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">drift.com/blog</a> and find us on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/davegerhardt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@davegerhardt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jayacunzo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jayacunzo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/seekingwisdomio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@seekingwisdomio</a>. You can get more details on this episode <a href="https://drift.com/blog/how-to-write-a-book/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.

Special Edition: Why & How to Write a Book for Your Brand with Drift's Dave Gerhardt

Rand Fishkin

Casey Henry

How do we divide up our time as marketers to build a great brand? Do we know? Do we have a PLAN to do so? In the Season 2 premiere of Exceptions, host Jay Acunzo goes inside SparkToro, the audience intelligence search engine, cofounded by former Moz cofounder and CEO, Rand Fishkin, and Casey Henry, formerly of Moz, HubSpot, and Wistia. The duo explains where brand fits in the earliest days of building a company, and they expose the issues with how most marketers spend time, especially when it comes to audience development and customer research.Before you go leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the pod with your friends! Be sure to check out more insights on the Drift blog at drift.com/blog and find us on Twitter @randfish @caseyhen @jayacunzo @Drift @seekingwisdomio.

How do we divide up our time as marketers to build a great brand? Do we know? Do we have a PLAN to do so? In the Season 2 premiere of Exceptions, host Jay Acunzo goes inside SparkToro, the audience intelligence search engine, cofounded by former Moz cofounder and CEO, Rand Fishkin, and Casey Henry, formerly of Moz, HubSpot, and Wistia. The duo explains where brand fits in the earliest days of building a company, and they expose the issues with how most marketers spend time, especially when it comes to audience development and customer research. Before you go leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the pod with your friends! Be sure to check out more insights on the Drift blog at <a href="http://drift.com/blog" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">drift.com/blog</a> and find us on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/randfish" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@randfish </a><a href="https://twitter.com/caseyhen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@caseyhen</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jayacunzo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jayacunzo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Drift" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@Drift</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/@seekingwisdomio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@seekingwisdomio</a>.

Stop Marketing Blind with Rand Fishkin & Casey Henry (SparkToro)

Exceptions from Seeking Wisdom is a docuseries exploring how and why a handful of B2B companies have built brands to experience breakout success. For years, "brand" was a dirty word in B2B. But today, in an era full of choice and noise, brand has become THE go-to strategy for differentiating your company. Join Drift and your host, author and keynote speaker Jay Acunzo, as we journey around the B2B world to understand what makes these companies tick and experience for ourselves the power of brand. Learn what it take to become an exception.

Exceptions

Wistia is a company that markets a mission, not just a bunch of products.A few years ago, you might have described Wistia as a SaaS company that offers video hosting and analytics. But thanks to a major product launch this year, the company is in flux. They’re in growth mode, but they’re also in control of that growth.Like all other brands in the #Exceptions series, Wistia puts a huge emphasis on customer centricity. It’s one of the biggest reasons why more than 30,000 companies worldwide use Wistia products to create, host, and measure their videos, including companies like Mailchimp, Sephora, Zendesk, Squarespace, and Casper.Use the promo code SEEKINGWISDOM when you get your tickets to HYPERGROWTH 2018 and save $500 today (just $199 for your ticket).Visit https://hypergrowth.drift.com/ to get your tickets today and come see speakers like Jocko Willink, Molly Graham, Chaka Pilgrim, Amelia Boone, Grant Cardone, and more in September.    PS. The Seeking Wisdom Official Facebook Group is live! One place, finally, for all of us to hang out, get updates on the podcast, and share what we’re learning (plus some exclusives). Just search for the Seeking Wisdom Official group on Facebook.On Twitter: @jayacunzo and @seekingwisdomio

Wistia is a company that markets a mission, not just a bunch of products. A few years ago, you might have described Wistia as a SaaS company that offers video hosting and analytics. But thanks to a major product launch this year, the company is in flux. They’re in growth mode, but they’re also in control of that growth. Like all other brands in the #Exceptions series, Wistia puts a huge emphasis on customer centricity. It’s one of the biggest reasons why more than 30,000 companies worldwide use Wistia products to create, host, and measure their videos, including companies like Mailchimp, Sephora, Zendesk, Squarespace, and Casper. Use the promo code SEEKINGWISDOM when you get your tickets to HYPERGROWTH 2018 and save $500 today (just $199 for your ticket). Visit <a href="https://hypergrowth.drift.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://hypergrowth.drift.com/</a> to get your tickets today and come see speakers like Jocko Willink, Molly Graham, Chaka Pilgrim, Amelia Boone, Grant Cardone, and more in September.     PS. The Seeking Wisdom Official Facebook Group is live! One place, finally, for all of us to hang out, get updates on the podcast, and share what we’re learning (plus some exclusives). Just search for the Seeking Wisdom Official group on Facebook. On Twitter: @jayacunzo and @seekingwisdomio

Wistia

In this episode of #Exceptions, a revelation about leadership and team happiness and retention in B2B. Indianapolis startup Lessonly teaches us about the communication principle most needed but often overlooked across the corporate world. It's one that explains why customers send Lessonly unsolicited letters praising them, and why the company's VP of Marketing spent a recent evening alone in his garage, spray painting 700 toy llamas gold.This is an #Exceptions episode unlike any other. If you like it, be sure to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and say hi on Twitter: @lessonly @kyleplacy @jayacunzo @seekingwisdomio.  In this episode:0:35 - You’re only as good as your last at bat.1:20 - Read Break the Wheel1:56 - Meet Lessonly2:56 - Jay reaches out to one of Lessonly’s happy customers.4:10 - Putting the customer at the center of it all7:17 - Jay explains Lessonly’s road map… with llamas.9:00 - Jamie advocates really knowing what conference you’re going to.10:09 - If Lessonly were a person it would be Jamie’s friend that would follow through.13:00 - Psychological Safety introduced13:17 - Employees are the best place to invest.13:54 - Most marketers are reactive and skittish.14:57 - At the core of psychological safety is trust.15:21 - Marketing successes 16:40 - Caring about the whole person on our team17:40 - Meet Kyle Lacy (Lessonly’s VP of Marketing)17:47 - Non-violent communication &amp; appreciative inquiry20:53 - Katie Brunette (Marketing Manager) talks about Lessonly’s CEO &amp; work/life integration. 23:40 - Kyle Lacy explains being too metric-heavy.24:55 - The Golden Llama trophy27:14 - The things that aren’t scalable are typically what works.27:53 - Why Yellowship?29:55 - Psychological safety while event planning for Yellowship32:15 - Lessonly’s branding and unexpected touches33:30 - Jay reads a letter from a customer.35:54 - Gut-checking as a team 37:28 - The ability to help others do better work IS the platform.

In this episode of #Exceptions, a revelation about leadership and team happiness and retention in B2B. Indianapolis startup Lessonly teaches us about the communication principle most needed but often overlooked across the corporate world. It's one that explains why customers send Lessonly unsolicited letters praising them, and why the company's VP of Marketing spent a recent evening alone in his garage, spray painting 700 toy llamas gold. This is an #Exceptions episode unlike any other. If you like it, be sure to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and say hi on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/lessonly" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@lessonly</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/kyleplacy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@kyleplacy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jayacunzo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jayacunzo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/seekingwisdomio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@seekingwisdomio</a>. In this episode: 0:35 - You’re only as good as your last at bat. 1:20 - Read <a href="http://jayacunzo.com/book/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Break the Wheel</a>1:56 - Meet Lessonly2:56 - Jay reaches out to one of Lessonly’s happy customers.4:10 - Putting the customer at the center of it all7:17 - Jay explains Lessonly’s road map… with llamas.9:00 - Jamie advocates really knowing what conference you’re going to.10:09 - If Lessonly were a person it would be Jamie’s friend that would follow through.13:00 - Psychological Safety introduced13:17 - Employees are the best place to invest.13:54 - Most marketers are reactive and skittish.14:57 - At the core of psychological safety is trust.15:21 - Marketing successes 16:40 - Caring about the whole person on our team17:40 - Meet Kyle Lacy (Lessonly’s VP of Marketing)17:47 - Non-violent communication &amp; appreciative inquiry20:53 - Katie Brunette (Marketing Manager) talks about Lessonly’s CEO &amp; work/life integration. 23:40 - Kyle Lacy explains being too metric-heavy.24:55 - The Golden Llama trophy27:14 - The things that aren’t scalable are typically what works.27:53 - Why Yellowship?29:55 - Psychological safety while event planning for Yellowship32:15 - Lessonly’s branding and unexpected touches33:30 - Jay reads a letter from a customer.35:54 - Gut-checking as a team 37:28 - The ability to help others do better work IS the platform.

The Most Crucial Leadership Principle Most B2B Brands Miss

On this episode of #Exceptions, we’re going inside Buffer. Buffer sells social media management tools for marketers, allowing you to schedule and analyze everything.It’s used by companies like Shopify, HelpScout, the Denver Broncos, and thousands more.The entire company is run on a platform of radical transparency. They’ve been publishing their revenues, metrics, and even employee salaries for years now. They’re truly walking the walk.Buffer doesn't just pay lip service to transparency. Buffer takes action.Buffer is creating something deeper than traffic. They’re starting conversations and then following through with their community. Through their public slack channel of over 5,000 members, they’re moving customers from traffic to audience to community.Think about your own company.Do you treat your customers as humans? Or merely as transactions? If the answer is the latter, that’s okay. These are changes that any company can make.

On this episode of #Exceptions, we’re going inside <a href="https://buffer.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buffer</a>. Buffer sells social media management tools for marketers, allowing you to schedule and analyze everything. It’s used by companies like Shopify, HelpScout, the Denver Broncos, and thousands more. The entire company is run on a platform of radical transparency. They’ve been publishing their revenues, metrics, and even employee salaries for years now. They’re truly walking the walk. Buffer doesn't just pay lip service to transparency. Buffer takes action. Buffer is creating something deeper than traffic. They’re starting conversations and then following through with their community. Through their public slack channel of over 5,000 members, they’re moving customers from traffic to audience to community. Think about your own company. Do you treat your customers as humans? Or merely as transactions? If the answer is the latter, that’s okay. These are changes that any company can make.

Moving From Traffic to Audience to Community: Why Buffer Treats Their Customers Like Humans

In the Season 1 finale of #Exceptions, host Jay Acunzo goes inside a seemingly ubiquitous brand in the business world today: Zoom. In talking to the company's CEO Eric Yuan and head of marketing Janine Pelosi, we learn why they refuse to settle for conventional wisdom and how they orient their team to push past "best practices" to build an exceptional customer experience. Plus, the heartwarming story of a second-grade teacher connecting his students to countries across the world through the Zoom platform.If you like it, be sure to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and say hi on Twitter: @jayacunzo @seekingwisdomio @zoom_us.In this episode:1:38 - Introduction of Zoom4:02 - A practical look at Zoom in action: Michael Dunley and his 2nd grade class7:10 - Using Zoom, Michael Dunley and his 2nd grade class tackled international issues and  encountered diversity9:38 - Why did Michael Dunley choose Zoom?14:46 - What is ‘reasoning from first principles’?15:12 - Elon Musk’s take on reasoning from analogies vs. reasoning from first principles15:59 - Elon Musk’s SpaceX predicament16:15 - Why first principles matter16:50 - SpaceX solution17:26 - Paths of conventional wisdom and first principles18:24 - Paths of first principles obstructed by precedent18:55 - Break the Wheel overview and how to cut through precedent19:12 - Tim Urban, “Wait but Why” blog and his take on conventional wisdom19:45 - Path of analogy and best practices are lagging indicators, not leading indicators.20:00 - Why ‘why’ is important to ask of yourself20:27 - How to start reasoning from first principles20:43 - Janine Pelosi, head of marketing for Zoom and her marketing strategy: build a    preference for the brand and pursue third party validation21:50 - What it means to build a preference for a brand22:10 - Steps to first principles23:50 - What steps Janine took to market with first principles in mind26:59 - How Janine encourages marketing decisions that are directionally correct28:56 - Why Janine chose to work with Eric Yuan and at Zoom29:59 - How Zoom sets itself apart from competitors31:24 - Most memorable project for Janine: “Put Your Dongle Away” with Tripp and Tyler33:11 - Customer experience is the new version of the word ‘brand’34:10 - The people we admire keep it simple34:30 - Recap of #Exceptions episodes and the one reason why these companies set themselves apartLinks:Purchase Jay Acunzo’s book, Break the Wheel: Question Best Practices, Hone Your Intuition, and Do Your Best Work

In the Season 1 finale of #Exceptions, host Jay Acunzo goes inside a seemingly ubiquitous brand in the business world today: Zoom. In talking to the company's CEO Eric Yuan and head of marketing Janine Pelosi, we learn why they refuse to settle for conventional wisdom and how they orient their team to push past "best practices" to build an exceptional customer experience. Plus, the heartwarming story of a second-grade teacher connecting his students to countries across the world through the Zoom platform. If you like it, be sure to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and say hi on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/jayacunzo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@jayacunzo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/seekingwisdomio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@seekingwisdomio</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/zoom_us" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@zoom_us</a>. In this episode: 1:38 - Introduction of Zoom4:02 - A practical look at Zoom in action: Michael Dunley and his 2nd grade class7:10 - Using Zoom, Michael Dunley and his 2nd grade class tackled international issues and  encountered diversity9:38 - Why did Michael Dunley choose Zoom?14:46 - What is ‘reasoning from first principles’?15:12 - Elon Musk’s take on reasoning from analogies vs. reasoning from first principles15:59 - Elon Musk’s SpaceX predicament16:15 - Why first principles matter16:50 - SpaceX solution17:26 - Paths of conventional wisdom and first principles18:24 - Paths of first principles obstructed by precedent18:55 - Break the Wheel overview and how to cut through precedent19:12 - Tim Urban, “Wait but Why” blog and his take on conventional wisdom19:45 - Path of analogy and best practices are lagging indicators, not leading indicators.20:00 - Why ‘why’ is important to ask of yourself20:27 - How to start reasoning from first principles20:43 - Janine Pelosi, head of marketing for Zoom and her marketing strategy: build a    preference for the brand and pursue third party validation21:50 - What it means to build a preference for a brand22:10 - Steps to first principles23:50 - What steps Janine took to market with first principles in mind26:59 - How Janine encourages marketing decisions that are directionally correct28:56 - Why Janine chose to work with Eric Yuan and at Zoom29:59 - How Zoom sets itself apart from competitors31:24 - Most memorable project for Janine: “Put Your Dongle Away” with Tripp and Tyler33:11 - Customer experience is the new version of the word ‘brand’34:10 - The people we admire keep it simple34:30 - Recap of #Exceptions episodes and the one reason why these companies set themselves apart Links: Purchase Jay Acunzo’s book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Break-Wheel-Question-Practices-Intuition/dp/1544501056/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=&amp;sr=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Break the Wheel: Question Best Practices, Hone Your Intuition, and Do Your Best Work</a>

Zoom's Relentless Focus on Customer Experience

InVision

What if your brand could be the battle cry, the rallypoint, the symbolic meeting place for your customers? What if your brand could transform your audience into a community of participants?That’s exactly what InVision has remarkably accomplished. They’ve found and listened to their community. They haven’t just provided solutions, they’ve understood the problem. They’ve created an elevated surface for their customers to have and share a voice. The InVision brand has built a platform.Is transforming your brand into a platform difficult? Yes. Impossible? Not for a #Exception.Visit https://hypergrowth.drift.com/ to get your tickets today and come see speakers like Jocko Willink, Molly Graham, Chaka Pilgrim, Amelia Boone, Grant Cardone, and more in September.    PS. The Seeking Wisdom Official Facebook Group is live! One place, finally, for all of us to hang out, get updates on the podcast, and share what we’re learning (plus some exclusives). Just search for the Seeking Wisdom Official group on Facebook.On Twitter: @jayacunzo and @seekingwisdomio

What if your brand could be the battle cry, the rallypoint, the symbolic meeting place for your customers? What if your brand could transform your audience into a community of participants? That’s exactly what <a href="https://www.invisionapp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">InVision</a> has remarkably accomplished. They’ve found and listened to their community. They haven’t just provided solutions, they’ve understood the problem. They’ve created an elevated surface for their customers to have and share a voice. The InVision brand has built a platform. Is transforming your brand into a platform difficult? Yes. Impossible? Not for a #Exception. Visit <a href="https://hypergrowth.drift.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://hypergrowth.drift.com/</a> to get your tickets today and come see speakers like Jocko Willink, Molly Graham, Chaka Pilgrim, Amelia Boone, Grant Cardone, and more in September.     PS. The Seeking Wisdom Official Facebook Group is live! One place, finally, for all of us to hang out, get updates on the podcast, and share what we’re learning (plus some exclusives). Just search for the Seeking Wisdom Official group on Facebook. On Twitter: @jayacunzo and @seekingwisdomio

First Round Capital is one of the most widely loved venture capital firms in tech -- no small feat for a VC firm to claim. Through their platform (VC for brand marketing and value-add projects), they've built the Harvard Business Review-of-Startups, hold 80+ events per year for their portfolio companies, and even help founders pitch them through a program called Pitch Assist. Today, host Jay Acunzo talks to First Round partner Bill Trenchard and how and why FRC bets on brand (and how that changed the VC world for good). We also hear from the founder of a growth-stage startup, Lloyd Tabb of Looker, who describes his experience with Bill and the First Round brand. Before you go leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the pod with your friends! Be sure to check out more insights on the Drift blog at drift.com/blog and find us on Twitter @davegerhardt, @dcancel and @seekingwisdomio.In This Episode: 1:00 - Overview of #Exceptions 2:02 - First Round Capital 4:40 - What do entrepreneurs think of First Round Capital? 7:30 - First Round’s alignment with entrepreneurs 9:00 - First Round’s programs &amp; network of professionals 11:30 - Good behavior under stress: living out brand values  13:20 - Today’s big idea: Thinking long-term 15:11 - “What’s in it for the customer?”19:20 - Shared experience &amp; empathy 23:00 - Evaluating investment opportunities through empathy 24:33 - Companies with the best customer experience 27:28 - The ugly duckling vs. the swan 28:39 - Hacks vs. the long view 32:00 - Two tactics for handling the hard times in a VC 35:00 - Bill’s hard conversation with a founder36:00 - Key learning points from this episode

First Round Capital is one of the most widely loved venture capital firms in tech -- no small feat for a VC firm to claim. Through their platform (VC for brand marketing and value-add projects), they've built the Harvard Business Review-of-Startups, hold 80+ events per year for their portfolio companies, and even help founders pitch them through a program called Pitch Assist. Today, host Jay Acunzo talks to First Round partner Bill Trenchard and how and why FRC bets on brand (and how that changed the VC world for good). We also hear from the founder of a growth-stage startup, Lloyd Tabb of Looker, who describes his experience with Bill and the First Round brand. Before you go leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the pod with your friends! Be sure to check out more insights on the Drift blog at <a href="https://www.drift.com/blog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">drift.com/blog</a> and find us on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/davegerhardt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@davegerhardt</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/dcancel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@dcance</a>l and <a href="https://twitter.com/seekingwisdomio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@seekingwisdomio</a>. In This Episode:  1:00 - Overview of #Exceptions  2:02 - First Round Capital  4:40 - What do entrepreneurs think of First Round Capital?  7:30 - First Round’s alignment with entrepreneurs  9:00 - First Round’s programs &amp; network of professionals  11:30 - Good behavior under stress: living out brand values   13:20 - Today’s big idea: Thinking long-term  15:11 - “What’s in it for the customer?” 19:20 - Shared experience &amp; empathy  23:00 - Evaluating investment opportunities through empathy  24:33 - Companies with the best customer experience  27:28 - The ugly duckling vs. the swan  28:39 - Hacks vs. the long view  32:00 - Two tactics for handling the hard times in a VC  35:00 - Bill’s hard conversation with a founder 36:00 - Key learning points from this episode

How First Round Capital Bet on Brand to Change the VC Industry

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