Belly2Belly

Hosted by Bill Kenney

Business MarketingInterviews guests

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Episodes

177

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

The Belly2Belly podcast is focusing on exploring in-person B2B marketing. Our goal is to help you get the most out of your marketing and to leverage all of your business development assets.Belly2Belly is brought to you by MEET (meetroi.com) a company that specializes in helping international companies exhibit at US trade shows.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 10, 2026Episode 1213 min

Why Most Partners Never Produce: Insights from Jay McBain

Most companies still measure partner performance at or near the point of sale, but partners can influence a customer long before a transaction takes place. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Jay McBain from Omdia about why most partners never produce, the 28 measurable moments in a considered purchase, and how leading ecosystems are identifying and influencing opportunities much earlier in the buying journey.Jay McBain, Omdiahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jaymcbain/Feel free to contact us with any questions...Bill Kenney, bill@meetroi.comMEET, https://meetroi.com/⁠�

August 6, 2026Episode 1114 min

Building Partnerships at AI Speed with Cindy Zu

AI companies are moving faster than traditional SaaS businesses, and partnership strategies need to evolve just as quickly. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Cindy Zu from AirOps about how AI-native companies approach partnerships, why experimentation is essential, and how speed, accountability, and partner alignment drive better outcomes.Cindy Zu, AirOps https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthiazu/..Feel free to contact us with any questionsBill Kenney bill@meetroi.comMEET https://meetroi.com/

July 30, 202615 min

Breaking Into the U.S. Defense Market: Partnership Strategies for Dual-Use Technology Companies

Entering the U.S. defense market requires much more than a great product. Success depends on understanding the regulatory landscape, building trusted partnerships, and finding the right route into the market.In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Mathew Woodlee from MDW Trade and Tech Advisors about how dual-use technology companies can successfully enter the United States, leverage innovation ecosystems, and build strategic partnerships that support long-term growth.Mathew Woodlee, MDW Trade and Tech Advisorshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/woodlee/..Feel free to contact us with any questionsBill Kenney, bill@meetroi.comhttps://meetroi.com/

July 28, 2026Episode 1114 min

Founder-Led Sales in the U.S.: Why Hiring Too Soon Can Cost You with Dale Shephard

Many companies entering the U.S. believe hiring a local salesperson should be their first priority. According to Dale Shephard, that can become one of the most expensive mistakes founders make.In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Dale Shephard from TrinityHawk about why founder-led sales create stronger early momentum, the risks of hiring too soon, and how founders can build the right sales foundation before they scale...Feel free to contact us with any questionsBill Kenney, bill@meetroi.comhttps://meetroi.com/Dale Shephard, TrinityHawkhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/daleshephard/

June 16, 2026Episode 1014 min

Partner Networks Often Fail Long Before Anyone Realizes They're Failing

In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Chris Messina from QuarqAI about why traditional partnership models break down, why treating partners as lead-generation machines creates hidden risks, and how AI is helping organizations manage ecosystems more strategically.Chris Messina, QuarqAIhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisjmessina..Feel free to contact us with any questionsBill Kenney, bill@meetroi.comMEET, https://meetroi.com/

May 12, 2026Episode 912 min

Getting More Partners Off the Bench with Emily McLellan

Most partner ecosystems struggle with the same challenge: only a small percentage of partners actively drive revenue. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Emily McLellan from Bongo about why partner activation gaps exist, the risks of inconsistent messaging, and why verification matters just as much as training.Emily McClellan, Bongohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-mclellan/..Feel free to contact us with any questionsBill Kenney, bill@meetroi.comMEET, https://meetroi.com/

April 29, 2026Episode 814 min

Reimagining Enterprise Partner Programs: Insights from Jason W. Gallo

Enterprise partner programs are evolving as AI, SaaS, and customer expectations reshape the market. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Jason W. Gallo from Cisco about how partner programs are shifting toward value, outcomes, and ecosystem collaboration.Jason W. Gallo, Cisco..Feel free to contact us with any questionsBill Kenney, bill@meetroi.comMEET, https://meetroi.com/

March 5, 2026Episode 714 min

Partnerships for Native AI Companies with Chris Samila

Partnership ecosystems are evolving quickly as native AI companies scale at unprecedented speed. In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Chris Samila from Partnership Leaders about how AI companies are building partner programs, why distribution matters more than ever, and how service and technology partners are beginning to blend together in the AI economy.Chris Samila, Partnership Leadershttps://www.partnershipleaders.com/https://www.joincatalyst.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissamila/..Feel free to contact us with any questionsBill Kenney, bill@meetroi.comMEET, https://meetroi.com/

March 3, 2026Episode 614 min

Partnering with AI Companies: Insights from David Winter

AI partnerships are evolving quickly, but they are not yet mature.In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney speaks with David Winter of Orion Innovation about the current AI partnership landscape and what system integrators should focus on today.They cover:• Why AI partnerships currently flow through cloud ecosystems• The role of Microsoft AI Foundry and AWS Bedrock• How frontier AI partner programs may develop by 2026• The hardware layer behind AI inference• How to prepare to become a launch partnerDavid WinterOrion Innovationhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/davewinter3/---Feel free to contact us with any questionsBill Kenney, bill@meetroi.comMEET, https://meetroi.com/

February 25, 2026Episode 514 min

Avoiding the Most Common U.S. Market Entry Mistakes with Cameron Heffernan

Sales is the one lynchpin to U.S. success.In this Belly2Belly episode, Bill Kenney talks with Cameron Heffernan from Beyond Borders Marketing about the most common mistakes companies make when expanding into the U.S. market and how to avoid them.They discuss why go-to-market matters more than operations, how to approach early traction, why niche targeting works, and what realistic B2B timelines look like.Cameron Heffernanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronjh/https://www.marketingbeyondborders.com/blog-posts/expanding-to-the-us-market-avoid-these-8-most-common-missteps---Feel free to contact us with any questionsBill Kenney, bill@meetroi.comMEET, https://meetroi.com/