Confessions of a Marketer

Confessions of a Marketer

In each episode of Confessions of a Marketer, Mark Reed-Edwards talks with a marketing leader or thinker about the deepest challenges in our business. Luminaries such as Beth Comstock, Whitney Johnson, Jacques van Niekerk and more share their wisdom with Mark. The podcast is a must-listen for marketers around the world and has ranked consistently among the top-rated business and marketing shows.

On Episode 158, Naomi Liu is in to discuss marketing operations. It’s hard for me to sum up our discussion. It’s really about so much more than marketing operations. We talk about her background, how she views marketing operations, how marketing operations interacts with the rest of marketing, the key skill sets for marketing ops, and balancing the right-brain and left-brain. In addition, and here’s where we really go beyond the subject, we learn about her journey as a woman in tech--and how she has battled imposter syndrome. Plus, we explore the idea of being a “boundary spanner”--and I think it’s clear Naomi is one. This was a wonderful discussion--and it was so great to catch up with a colleague from a decade ago.Links of Interest<ul><li>Naomi Liu on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomiliu/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://www.efi.com/" target="_blank">EFI</a></li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-women/201809/the-reality-imposter-syndrome" target="_blank">Imposter Syndrome</a> (Psychology Today)</li><li><a href="https://hbr.org/2019/12/why-every-sales-and-marketing-team-needs-a-boundary-spanner" target="_blank">Why Every Sales and Marketing Team Needs a “Boundary Spanner”</a> (HBR)</li></ul>

On Episode 157, Iain Preston, chief client success officer for EMEA at Wunderman Thompson joins us. We talked as COVID was making headlines and had client success and modern marketing as the focus of the discussion. But we started off talking about the dot-com boom and bust of 20 years ago, how empathy is so important in this global health crisis. And we also talked about how your life outside of work is so important and we’re all human. Plus, we cover the needs of the modern marketer, how to consider the customer experience, collaboration inside of WPP--and of course his role in ensuring customer success. We close with a discussion about how Wunderman Thompson has been working with brands during the COVID-19 crisis. Links of Interest<ul><li>Iain Preston on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/iainpreston/?originalSubdomain=uk" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li>Wunderman Thompson Appoints Iain Preston as Chief Client Success Officer, EMEA (<a href="https://www.lbbonline.com/news/wunderman-thompson-appoints-iain-preston-as-chief-client-success-officer-emea" target="_blank">Little Black Book</a>)</li><li><a href="https://upload.latest.facebook.com/WundermanThompson/photos/a.397330496995051/2848583721869704/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">Say hello to Iain Preston</a></li></ul>

On Episode 156, Larry Ludwig is to chat about affiliate marketing, plus the early days of the web and web development. Larry has had a long career at the forefront of technology, digital marketing, and online business. It all started when he went to work for an ad agency in 1994. He helped create some of the first websites for the likes of JPMorgan Chase, LensCrafters, Minolta, T. Rowe Price, IBM, and ING Bank. We have a brief chat about the early days of the web. In December 2009, Larry created the website Investor Junkie to help satisfy his own needs and the needs of others to find unbiased investment content. From scratch, he created the leading investing review and comparison site, generating revenue only from affiliate marketing. And that is the subject we dig into, along with a bit about SEO, building an audience, and conversions. Links of Interest<ul><li>Larry Ludwig on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/larryludwig/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://larryludwig.com/" target="_blank">Ludwig Media</a></li></ul>

On Episode 155, Dave Woodward of ClickFunnels is in to talk about Traffic Secrets and the book of the same name. Dave is chief revenue officer and a partner at ClickFunnels, a company that promises that you are “just a few simple clicks away from a beautifully-designed website marketing funnel.” I wanted to get to the bottom of that--and get a view into the book the head of ClickFunnels, Russell Brunson, wrote recently--Traffic Secrets. So Dave and I chatted a while back. You’ll get a view into Dave’s background, how ClickFunnels grew to $100 million in less than five years, a little about direct response advertising, and what is happening with ClickFunnels. This was recorded before COVID-19 had started to take over the world, but it’s still brimming with great thinking.Links of Interest<ul><li>Dave Woodward on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-woodward-6726636/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://www.clickfunnels.com/" target="_blank">ClickFunnels</a></li><li>The Book: <a href="https://trafficsecrets.com/ts-free-book" target="_blank">Traffic Secrets</a></li></ul>

On Episode 154, Xenia Muntean is in to talk about her manifesto--important reading if you’re in the content business (aren’t we all in it?). We talked a while ago--way before COVID took over our lives, and that’s why it’s taken some time for me to get to this very valuable discussion. Xenia runs Planable--a social media collaboration and approval platform. And she has a new book, “The Manifesto on Content Marketing Teams,” which lays out how teams should work together in the new world of content marketing. In our chat, we learn about Planable, the key points of the books, the biggest hurdles content teams face, and how marketing teams can connect content and social media marketing to the results of the business. Plus, we delve into process, technology vs. phone calls and face-to-face conversations (remember, this was pre-COVID), and we get her view on where marketing is headed. Links of Interest<ul><li>Xenia Muntean on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/xeniamuntean/?originalSubdomain=uk" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://planable.io/" target="_blank">Planable</a></li><li><a href="https://planable.io/content-marketing-teams-book/" target="_blank">The Manifesto on Content Marketing Teams</a></li></ul>

On Episode 153, Henrik Becker is in to chat about SaaS and B2B marketing. Henrik’s a marketer who helps prepare companies for the next step in their growth. That involves marketing strategy, marketing automation, and laying the operational foundation for dealing with growth. It all sounds good, doesn’t it? Links of Interest<ul><li>Henrik Becker on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrikbecker1984/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li>Henrik’s <a href="https://www.henrikbecker.nl/" target="_blank">website</a></li></ul>

On Episode 152, Blair Enns is in to talk about his book “The Win Without Pitching Manifesto.” Blair’s idea challenges agencies to buck the conventional wisdom that puts the client in the driver’s seat—a scenario that makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to lead in the engagement. He lives in the wilds of rural British Columbia, so we get a taste of that lifestyle as well—and the unique point of view on business he has from his outpost. Plus, we discuss getting by when the power goes out. Blair is a fascinating guy and it was a fun discussion.Links of Interest<ul><li>Blair Enns on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairenns/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://www.winwithoutpitching.com/" target="_blank">Win Without Pitching</a></li><li><a href="https://www.winwithoutpitching.com/books/" target="_blank">Blair’s Books</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaslo" target="_blank">Kaslo, BC</a></li></ul>

On Episode 151, Lisa Nirell joins us to discuss Being a Mindful Marketer—just when we need it most. Lisa was introduced to me by my frequent guest Alex Withers. I was fascinated by her focus, spelled out in her trailblazing book The Mindful Marketer. In our discussion, we learn what prompted the book, the key tenets of being a mindful marketer—and how we can all be more mindful. Plus, of course, we touch on data, how to make the marketing organization a healthier, more sustainable organization. Links of Interest<ul><li>Lisa Nirell on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/energizegrowth/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li>More about Lisa on her <a href="https://lisanirell.com" target="_blank">website</a></li><li><a href="https://lisanirell.com/quiz-mindful-marketing-meter/" target="_blank">The Mindful Marketing Meter</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Genius-Revolutionize-Thinking-Through/dp/1605095257" target="_blank">Accidental Genius by Mark Levy</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Power-Force-David-Hawkins-M-D/dp/1401945074" target="_blank">Power vs. Force by Dr. David Hawkins</a></li></ul>

On Episode 150, Mark Truss, chief research officer at Wunderman Thompson, joins us. Mark has a long background in advertising and marketing. Mark has been running an Anxiety Index for 17 years. The latest one was run in March—and with anxiety at all-time highs, it’s a very timely study. Mark and I have a wide-ranging discussion about the index, what it all means, and what marketers should do in reaction to his data. Plus, we gaze into the future and think about the emotional state of people around the world once the crisis abates. Links of Interest<ul><li>Mark Truss on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-truss-284570/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wundermanthompson.com/insight/anxiety-index" target="_blank">The Anxiety Index</a></li><li><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/martyswant/2020/04/10/new-surveys-show-how-americans-are-anxious-about-covid-19-and-what-brands-should-do-about-it/#f474c75d14ac" target="_blank">New Surveys Show How Americans Are Anxious About COVID-19 And What Brands Should Do About It</a> (Forbes)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apophenia" target="_blank">Apophenia</a>: the tendency to mistakenly perceive connections and meaning between unrelated things</li></ul>

On Episode 149, we’re talking about managing the crisis that is COVID-19. Rich Lyons, EVP and Digital Customer Experience Leader for North America at Capgemini. He’s an expert on e-commerce and the customer experience and these days he’s specializing in crisis management. In our chat, we discuss how e-commerce is positioned in the COVID world, the trends he’s seeing, how the current environment is pushing digital transformations and habits, and we zero in on the grocery segment. Links of Interest<ul><li>Rich Lyons on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardblyons/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://www.capgemini.com" target="_blank">Capgemini</a></li></ul>

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected