The Marketing Share

Hosted by Alec Cheung & Barb VanSomeren

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Running a marketing department requires expertise in many domains, from branding, media and positioning to demand generation, sales enablement, and much more. As a business leader or a new department head, you may be an expert in one or more marketing areas but usually not all of them. The Marketing Share aims to close this gap. Co-hosts Barb VanSomeren and Alec Cheung are experienced marketing leaders who have been down the path of learning on the fly while managing a marketing team. They interview domain experts and ask the right questions so business leaders can learn what they need to know to run marketing.

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June 16, 2026Episode 6448 min

How to Stand Out in the Sea of AI Content with David J Ebner (Ep 64)

The million-dollar question right now is this: what separates memorable content from the growing flood of AI-generated marketing? That's exactly what this episode explores.In this episode of The Marketing Share, Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren talk with David J. Ebner, founder of Content Workshop, about why human-led content is more important than ever in today's marketing landscape.Throughout the conversation, David explains why the customer should always be the hero of the story, how marketers can use AI without sacrificing quality, and why producing more content isn't the same as creating better content.He also shares practical advice on evaluating content quality, building AI workflows that actually work, adapting content strategies for AI search, and deciding what content should and shouldn't be gated.If you've been wondering how content marketing is changing in the age of AI, or how your content can stand out in an ocean of sameness, this episode is for you.Timestamps00:00 Introduction to David J. Ebner and Content Workshop 02:00 From creative writing to content marketing 04:00 Why customers should be the hero of your story 07:00 What "story first marketing" actually means 09:00 How to recognize great content 12:00 Fighting the sea of AI generated content 16:00 The ROI conversation around AI and content teams 20:00 How marketers should really use AI 24:00 Building AI workflows that improve quality 26:00 Why more content doesn't mean better results 30:00 How AI search is changing content strategy 33:00 Should marketers still gate content? 39:00 Informational vs educational content 44:00 The most important lesson for marketers today 46:00 David's final advice and where to connect🎧 Subscribe to The Marketing Share Podcast to get unfiltered conversations with marketing leaders about growth, strategy, and the future of digital.Connect with our guest: 👉David J Ebner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjebner/👉 Content Workshop: https://contentworkshop.com/Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast? Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to marketingsharepodcast@gmail.com, and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. Want to connect with Alec and Barb to talk all things marketing and how they can help you leverage the marketing wing of your organization? Connect with Alec hereConnect with Barb hereConnect with Cinthya, Podcast Manager, hereCheers.

June 2, 2026Episode 6339 min

This is What Sales Teams Actually Need From Marketing (Ep 63)

What does it actually take for marketing to earn influence inside a business?In this episode of The Marketing Share, Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren talk with Saurabh Kothari about one of the biggest challenges modern marketing leaders face: proving impact while building alignment across sales, product, and leadership teams.Drawing from his experience leading marketing across enterprise organizations, agencies, and high-growth companies, Saurabh shares why marketing cannot operate in isolation anymore and why the best CMOs know how to combine data, storytelling, and persuasion to move the business forward.The conversation explores the tension many marketers still feel with sales teams, why attribution alone rarely tells the full story, and how marketing leaders can better communicate their value internally.They also unpack the balance between creativity and analytics in modern B2B marketing, what makes certain marketing leaders more influential than others, and why strong communication is often the difference between a marketing team that gets ignored and one that drives strategic decisions.If you work in B2B marketing, lead generation, demand generation, or marketing leadership, this episode offers a practical look at how modern CMOs think about growth, influence, and business alignment.Timestamps00:00 Introduction02:17 Meet Saurabh Kothari05:12 Why marketing and sales often misalign09:46 The challenge of proving marketing impact14:03 The balance between creativity and data18:27 Why persuasion matters in marketing leadership22:41 Building stronger alignment across teams27:18 What modern CMOs need to prioritize31:54 The role of storytelling inside organizations36:22 Why attribution alone is not enough40:11 Final thoughts and advice for marketing leaders🎧 Subscribe to The Marketing Share Podcast to get unfiltered conversations with marketing leaders about growth, strategy, and the future of digital.Connect with our guest: 👉 Sourabh Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sourabhkothari/Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast? Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to marketingsharepodcast@gmail.com, and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. Want to connect with Alec and Barb to talk all things marketing and how they can help you leverage the marketing wing of your organization? Connect with Alec hereConnect with Barb hereConnect with Cinthya, Podcast Manager, hereCheers.

May 19, 202652 min

AI, Outsourcing, and Modern Marketing Leadership with CMO Lisa Cole (Ep 62)

What happens when marketing becomes responsible for everything, but doesn’t have the systems, workflows, or structure to keep up?In this episode of The Marketing Share, Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren talk with Lisa Cole, CMO of 2X, about what modern marketing leadership actually looks like inside today’s B2B organizations.Lisa has spent her career helping marketing teams transform from overwhelmed “order takers” into revenue-driving functions. After advising CMOs for more than 16 years and leading multiple marketing transformations herself, she now helps companies rethink how marketing work gets done in the age of AI.The conversation explores why many marketing teams are still stuck in outdated operating models, how AI is changing both the buyer journey and the way campaigns are executed, and why workflows, not just tools, are becoming the real competitive advantage.Lisa also shares practical frameworks for deciding what marketing teams should own internally, what can be outsourced, and where AI can actually create meaningful impact without creating more chaos.If you’re leading marketing, building a team, or trying to figure out how AI fits into your organization beyond the hype, this episode is for you!Timestamps00:00 Introduction 02:55 Lisa’s path from sales to CMO leadership 05:45 Why marketers struggle with outsourcing 08:00 The growing complexity of modern marketing 11:10 From “order taking” to revenue-driving marketing 15:00 The hidden work consuming marketing teams 18:35 Why workflows matter more than org charts 21:15 How AI is reshaping marketing operations 24:05 The problem with “random acts of AI” 26:20 Lisa’s “Own, Outsource, Automate” framework 28:00 How AI is changing buyer behavior and search 30:45 The new importance of community and credibility 32:10 Why PR and thought leadership matter again 37:10 What companies misunderstand about AI costs 42:15 Where outsourcing and AI work best together 45:10 What 2X actually does for marketing teamsExplore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast? Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to marketingsharepodcast@gmail.com, and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. Want to connect with Alec and Barb to talk all things marketing and how they can help you leverage the marketing wing of your organization? Connect with Alec hereConnect with Barb hereConnect with Cinthya, Podcast Manager, hereCheers.

April 21, 2026Episode 6148 min

How Great CMOs Lead Marketing Today with Karl Van den Bergh (Ep. 61)

What does it actually take to succeed as a CMO today?In this episode of The Marketing Share, Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren continue with the Marketing Leader Series, and this time they are joined by Karl Van Den Bergh, CMO at Illumio, about the reality behind one of the most complex roles in the C-suite.Karl’s path into marketing wasn’t traditional. From physics and computer science to product, strategy, and eventually the CMO seat, his perspective challenges how most people think about marketing leadership.Early in the conversation, he introduces a concept that sticks: the “complexity to appreciation ratio.” Marketing sits at the top of that scale, which helps explain why the role is both powerful and often misunderstood.From there, the conversation moves into what great CMOs actually do differently.Karl breaks down how he has led his role as a Chief Market Officer in Illumio from a technical category into a clear, market-facing story. He also shares why simplicity matters more than ever in complex industries, and how marketing leaders can better connect their work to real business outcomes.If you're leading marketing, stepping into a CMO role, or working toward it, this episode will give you a clearer picture of what the job really demands.Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Karl Van Den Bergh02:30 From physicist to CMO: an unconventional path05:00 Why the CMO role is so complex (and misunderstood)08:00 Chief Marketing Officer vs Chief Market Officer10:30 Repositioning Illumio: from technical to clear storytelling15:00 Why simplicity wins in complex markets18:30 Bringing sales rigor into marketing (pipeline, forecasting, bookings)23:30 How to prove marketing’s value to the board27:00 Why brand still matters (and how to justify it)31:00 The power of storytelling inside your company34:00 A simple marketing planning framework (plan on a page)37:00 How Karl is implementing AI across his team43:30 Advice for first-time CMOs and marketing leaders🎧 Subscribe to The Marketing Share Podcast to get unfiltered conversations with marketing leaders about growth, strategy, and the future of digital.Connect with our guest: 👉Karl Van den Bergh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlvandenbergh/Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast? Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to marketingsharepodcast@gmail.com, and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. Want to connect with Alec and Barb to talk all things marketing and how they can help you leverage the marketing wing of your organization? Connect with Alec hereConnect with Barb hereConnect with Cinthya, Podcast Manager, hereCheers.

April 7, 202645 min

How to Turn Customer Reviews into Revenue with George Swetlitz (Ep. 60)

To all marketers leading GEO SEO:What if we told you that reviews are actually one of the most powerful marketing and conversion channels out there? In this episode of The Marketing Share Podcast, Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren talk with George Swetlitz, co-founder of Right Response AI and former CEO of a multi-location healthcare business, about how reviews really influence buying decisions, especially in B2C environments where trust is everything.George breaks down how reputation management and the key role the responses from companies play when it comes to driving revenue from reviews. You’ll also hear how personalized responses can increase conversion, why generic replies actually hurt trust, and how AI can help teams turn reviews into something far more strategic than just customer support.This interview also dives into the reality of managing reputation across multiple locations, how to think about competition at a local level, and why reviews can act as an early warning system for deeper business problems.If you’re in a B2C business, managing multiple locations, or just trying to understand how AI is changing the way customers make decisions, this episode will change how you think about reviews.Connect with George via LinkedInExplore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast? Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to marketingsharepodcast@gmail.com, and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. Want to connect with Alec and Barb to talk all things marketing and how they can help you leverage the marketing wing of your organization? Connect with Alec hereConnect with Barb hereConnect with Cinthya, Podcast Manager, hereCheers.

March 25, 202645 min

How AI Is Reshaping the Role of the CMO with Kate Johnson (Ep 59)

AI is reshaping marketing as we know it, and its impact is reaching the CMO role.In this episode of The Marketing Share, our co-hosts Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren talk with Kate Johnson, CMO at Dscout, about her transition from VP of Marketing to CMO, and why that shift looks very different today than it did even a year ago.Kate dives into her experience as a first-time CMO in the era of AI, and how this new technology is reshaping everything at once: how teams operate, how products are built, how fast companies move, and how marketing shows up in the business.If you're stepping into a leadership role or already in one, this episode offers a grounded look at what’s actually changing behind the scenes, and what it takes to keep up.Timestamps 00:00 Introduction, Alec and Barb02:00 Kate Johnson’s journey from VP of Marketing to CMO05:40 What surprised her most about becoming a CMO10:00 How AI is changing marketing, products, and customer expectations13:00 AI inside the marketing team: faster product cycles, new bottlenecks16:00 Using AI tools in real workflows (automation, research, sales enablement)20:00 Decision-making as a CMO when you’re not the expert24:00 Hiring for new roles and evaluating talent outside your experience28:00 What she had to let go of moving into the CMO role36:00 Navigating brand messaging in an AI-driven market40:00 Final thoughts and where to connect with Kate🎧 Subscribe to The Marketing Share Podcast to get unfiltered conversations with marketing leaders about growth, strategy, and the future of digital.Connect with our guest: 👉Kate Jhonson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateathmer/👉 Sign up to be a Scout and get paid to participate in research! https://www.dscout.com/participate-in-research-studiesExplore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast? Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to marketingsharepodcast@gmail.com, and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. Want to connect with Alec and Barb to talk all things marketing and how they can help you leverage the marketing wing of your organization? Connect with Alec hereConnect with Barb hereConnect with Cinthya, Podcast Manager, hereCheers.

March 10, 2026Episode 581 hr 0 min

How Startup Founders Should Think About Marketing with Mark Donnigan (Ep 58)

What happens when a company has great technology but struggles to explain why it matters?In this episode of The Marketing Share, our co-hosts Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren explore, in a conversation with Virtual CMO Mark Donnigan, what tends to break down when technical companies try to scale their marketing.In this interview, they unpack the reality many founder-led companies face: they know their product deeply, but that doesn’t always translate into a clear story for the market.Mark shares what he looks for when stepping into these environments and why the first step is often helping teams reconnect with the real problems their customers are trying to solve.Along the way, the conversation touches on why marketing execution matters more than marketing theory, how small teams can move faster than large organizations, and why many companies still rely too heavily on outdated lead generation tactics.If you're a founder, a first marketing hire, or a marketing leader working inside a technical company, this episode gives you a practical perspective on how to turn product expertise into messaging that resonates with the market.🎧 Subscribe to The Marketing Share Podcast to get unfiltered conversations with marketing leaders about growth, strategy, and the future of digital.Connect with our guest: 👉Mark Donnigan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdonnigan/Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast? Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to marketingsharepodcast@gmail.com, and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. Want to connect with Alec and Barb to talk all things marketing and how they can help you leverage the marketing wing of your organization? Connect with Alec hereConnect with Barb hereConnect with Cinthya, Podcast Manager, hereCheers.

February 10, 2026Episode 5744 min

Becoming a CMO: What You Learn in Your First Year as a Marketing Leader (Ep 57)

Welcome back to The Marketing Share Podcast.In this kickoff interview episode of 2026, hosts Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren are joined by Michael Barber, CMO at StarTech, to talk about what it’s really like stepping into a CMO role for the first time.Michael brings a unique perspective shaped by an entire career on the agency side, with experience across creative, media, and account strategy.After years of advising brands from the outside and working early in his career alongside Jay Baer, Michael recently made the transition into an in-house executive role and is now navigating the realities of leading marketing from the inside.This episode unpacks the real challenges of marketing leadership, especially for those newly stepping into the CMO seat. You’ll hear:What changes when you move from agency partner to internal marketing leaderHow broad agency experience across creative, media, and strategy shows up in a CMO roleThe mindset shift required when you go from advising to owning outcomesEarly reflections from Michael’s first year as a CMOWhy more marketing leaders are navigating similar transitions todayThis episode is a must-listen if you’re a first-time CMO or considering a move in-house as the next stage of your career as a marketing leader.Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast? Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to marketingsharepodcast@gmail.com, and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. Want to connect with Alec and Barb to talk all things marketing and how they can help you leverage the marketing wing of your organization? Connect with Alec hereConnect with Barb hereConnect with Cinthya, Podcast Manager, hereCheers.

January 13, 2026Episode 5629 min

The Future of Marketing Leadership Explained | Trends for 2026 (Ep 56)

As we kick off 2026, co-hosts Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren take the stage to reflect on the biggest lessons from 2025 and what those lessons are telling us about the year ahead.This episode has been shaped by dozens of interviews with CMOs, business founders, marketing experts, strategists, and growth leaders over the past year.In this half an hour of value-packed content, Alec and Barb share with us why the most effective leaders in 2026 won’t be the ones who claim to have everything figured out, but the ones who know how to learn in public, adapt in real time, and make thoughtful trade-offs as the landscape keeps shifting.You’ll hear their perspective on:• The continued rise of fractional, interim, and advisory CMOs and why this model is expanding beyond marketing into the broader C-suite• Why sizing marketing investments correctly is becoming one of the most valuable leadership skills• Why the CMO CFO relationship is no longer optional and how it elevates marketing’s influence• What’s really happening with AI in marketing, from search behavior to internal team adoption• Why 2026 will reward leaders who embrace continuous learning over chasing expertiseWhether you’re a CMO, a VP of Marketing, a founder, or a growth leader navigating change, this conversation will help you think more clearly about what matters most in 2026.Timestamps00:00 Welcome to 2026 and why this episode is different01:30 Reflecting on 2025 and the themes that kept coming up02:05 The rise of fractional, interim, and advisory CMOs06:00 Why sizing marketing investment is now a critical skill08:20 Building a portfolio of marketing leadership skills09:05 Marketing inside PE and VC owned companies12:30 The growing importance of the CMO CFO relationship15:45 Why CMOs still have the shortest C-suite tenure17:20 AI in marketing: search impact vs internal adoption19:00 Writing for humans again in an AI-driven world21:45 From AI hype to measured evaluation24:00 Creating a culture of continuous learning26:40 Tool sprawl, ROI, and smarter tech adoption28:40 Final thoughts and what excites us about 2026Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast? Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to marketingsharepodcast@gmail.com, and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. Want to connect with Alec and Barb to talk all things marketing and how they can help you leverage the marketing wing of your organization? Connect with Alec hereConnect with Barb hereConnect with Cinthya, Podcast Manager, hereCheers.

December 30, 2025Episode 5551 min

How AI Is Reshaping SEO in Digital Health with Noah Goldfarb (Ep 55)

In this episode of The Marketing Share, Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren have a conversation with returning guest Noah Goldfarb, Head of SEO at Fire and Spark, to unpack what’s actually happening to SEO in an AI-driven world, especially in digital health and B2C-heavy industries.Noah shares insights from two recent studies: The Telehealth 20 and Fire and Spark’s AI Search in Digital Health report. With this wealth of data, he explores why many fast-growing telehealth brands are still over-invested in traffic-driven SEO, under-invested in conversion-focused pages, and increasingly exposed to AI-powered search results that satisfy intent without sending clicks.This conversation reframes SEO around a core shift:websites are moving away from being information hubs and toward becoming decision-making environments.You’ll hear why:Traffic from Google is declining, while conversions are holding steadyAI and LLM-driven traffic converts at a significantly higher rateInformational content alone is no longer a sustainable growth strategyDiversification across SEO, AI search, brand, and conversion paths matters more than everNoah also breaks down what winning teams are doing differently, from fundamentals like UX, internal linking, and expert-led content, to more advanced strategies like programmatic SEO, branded AI search monitoring, and aligning marketing content with real sales and enrollment questions.If you’re a CMO or growth leader navigating declining traffic, rising AI summaries, and pressure to prove business impact, this episode offers a grounded, data-backed framework for where SEO is headed — and how to adapt without chasing hype.Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast? Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to marketingsharepodcast@gmail.com, and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. Want to connect with Alec and Barb to talk all things marketing and how they can help you leverage the marketing wing of your organization? Connect with Alec hereConnect with Barb hereConnect with Cinthya, Podcast Manager, hereCheers.