The Marketing Share

Hosted by Alec Cheung & Barb VanSomeren

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Aug 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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September 1, 2026Episode 6846 min

How Sales and Marketing Can Actually Work Together and Avoid Friction with Chief Revenue Officer Paul Huffman

Sales and marketing alignment sounds like an intuitive thing to have in place in a business, but in practice, it can be one of the hardest things for a growing company to get right. In this episode of The Marketing Share, Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren talk with Paul Huffman, Chief Revenue Officer at EMP Claims, about what happens when sales and marketing stop working as separate functions and start operating toward the same goals. Paul shares what marketers need to understand about the sales side of the business, why constant feedback matters, how to identify where the funnel is actually breaking, and why metrics and messaging are two of the most important pieces of the puzzle. The conversation also explores how AI is changing the way lean teams approach marketing and sales, why you shouldn't try to automate everything, and how Paul is using AI to build more efficient workflows while keeping humans involved where strategic judgment matters most. If you're a marketing leader or a founder, working to improve sales and marketing alignment, build a leaner team, or create a more effective revenue engine, this episode has plenty to take away. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction: Aligning Sales and Marketing CRO perspective 02:55 Why sales and marketing struggle to work together 04:06 Why companies often build sales and marketing at different times 07:31 Should sales and marketing report to the same leader? 10:05 What marketers need to understand about sales 18:34 Building the right foundation before using AI 20:19 Using AI to understand customers and manage workflows 24:04 Why sales and marketing need shared definitions and metrics 26:05 Where the sales and marketing funnel actually breaks 27:26 Getting a real feedback loop between sales and marketing 31:53 Why you shouldn't automate everything 39:39 How to diagnose a broken sales and marketing engine 41:08 Metrics + messaging: the key to alignment 41:38 The mistake founders make with their first sales hire 43:16 When fractional and outsourced leadership makes sense Loved this episode? 🎧 Subscribe to The Marketing Share Podcast to get unfiltered conversations with marketing leaders about growth, strategy, and the future of digital. Connect with Paul 👉 Paul Huffman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-huffman-healthcare/ Connect with the hosts: 👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/ 👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/ Connect with the Podcast Manager 👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/ 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.

August 18, 2026Episode 6742 min

How CMOs Should Present Marketing Results to the Board

CMOs spend a lot of time talking about marketing performance, but what happens when it’s time to present those results to the board? In this episode of The Marketing Share, Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren talk with Casey Carey about what CMOs need to keep in mind before they walk into a board meeting. Casey shares the lessons, the mistakes, and his best approach to presenting marketing results and forecasts to the board successfully. And he doesn't gatekeep! He also walks through his four-box framework for presenting marketing performance, his six rules for building a board presentation, and why every marketing story should have a clear line of sight to revenue and growth. If you're a CMO or marketing leader preparing for your next board meeting, there is a lot to take away from this one. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro: board presentations can determine the course of your career 03:00 The biggest mistake CMOs make when presenting to the board 08:30 Understanding your board: financial leaders, operators, and marketers 09:30 Casey’s four box framework for presenting marketing results 14:10 Turning marketing initiatives into a strategic story 15:50 Casey’s six rules for presenting to the board 18:20 How to prepare for a board meeting without making it a quarterly fire drill 21:30 Presenting bad news, attribution, and building credibility with the board 29:30 What boards actually care about: bookings, ARR, and free cash flow 30:55 Which marketing metrics belong in the board conversation? 33:15 Managing aggressive growth expectations with realistic marketing investment 41:00 How AI is changing marketing teams and their economics 43:30 Casey’s advice for marketers: learning, earning, and giving Loved this episode? 🎧 Subscribe to The Marketing Share Podcast to get unfiltered conversations with marketing leaders about growth, strategy, and the future of digital. Connect with Casey Carey: 👉LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseykcarey/ 👉 Email: CCAREY@TCPsoftware.com Connect with the hosts: 👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/ 👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/ Connect with the Podcast Manager 👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/ 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.

August 4, 2026Episode 6647 min

What Great Performance Marketing Actually Looks

How do you know where to put your budget, which channels are actually working, and whether you're measuring the right things in the first place? In this episode of The Marketing Share, Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren talk with Matthew Simpson, founder of Pitch Blend, about what it really takes to build a performance marketing strategy that connects to the bigger picture of the business. Matthew has spent his career on both sides of the table, working in-house and at agencies. He brings that perspective to a conversation about what agencies often misunderstand about marketing leaders, why performance marketing needs a strong foundation behind it, and why "set it and forget it" is a myth. The conversation gets into some of the questions marketers are constantly trying to answer: How much should you actually spend on paid media? Which channels make sense for B2B? How do you know when a campaign isn't working? If you're responsible for paid media, performance marketing, demand generation, or marketing strategy, this episode is packed with ideas for making better decisions with your budget, your data, and your channels. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Meet Matthew Simpson 02:15 What agencies misunderstand about marketing leaders 07:05 Can paid media actually work for B2B? 11:44 How Matthew approaches paid media 13:36 What to do when your paid media isn't working 16:13 Three ways to find the right marketing insight 21:48 Why “set it and forget it” is a myth 28:21 Smarter decisions with a limited media budget 34:14 The problem with multi-channel attribution 42:08 Performance marketing can increase business value Loved this episode? 🎧 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: 👉Matthew Simpson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/directmarketing/ 👉 Pitchblende: https://www.pitchblende.net/ Connect with the hosts: 👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/ 👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/ Connect with the Podcast Manager 👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/ 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.

June 30, 2026Episode 6548 min

How Great CMOs Lead Through Change with Lauren Esposito (Ep 65)

Sooner or later, every marketing leader will have to guide their organization through a major change. Whether it's repositioning a brand, launching a new product, or helping a company navigate growth, those moments require much more than a solid marketing strategy. They demand alignment, trust, and the ability to bring the entire organization along for the journey. In this episode of The Marketing Share , Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren are joined by Lauren Esposito, CMO at Asymbl and former marketing leader at Salesforce, to explore what it really takes to lead marketing during periods of transformation. Lauren has an incredible track record of leading product and brand initiatives at one of the world's most recognizable technology companies. From that experience, she shares how successful CMOs balance long-term brand building with business outcomes, communicate change internally, and help customers understand why change matters in the first place. Throughout the conversation, Lauren also covers other important topics to keep in mind: The importance of customer centricity Cross-functional leadership Building trust across the organization If you're a CMO, VP of Marketing, or an aspiring marketing executive leading a company through growth or transformation, this episode is a must-listen. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:15 Meet Lauren Esposito and her journey from Salesforce to Asymbl 06:40 Why brand transformation is never just a marketing project 11:20 Leading brand changes inside large organizations 16:45 Building alignment across marketing, product, sales, and leadership 21:35 Keeping customers at the center during periods of change 26:50 Balancing long term brand building with short term business goals 31:40 How marketing leaders earn credibility inside the executive team 36:55 Lessons Lauren brought from Salesforce into her CMO role 42:10 Advice for marketers preparing for executive leadership Loved this episode? Connect with Lauren over LinkedIn and tell her you came from The Marketing Share Podcast! Connect with the hosts: 👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/ 👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/ Connect with the Podcast Manager 👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/ 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.

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. Timestamps 00:00 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/ Connect with the hosts: 👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/ 👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/ Connect with the Podcast Manager 👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/ 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.

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. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 02:17 Meet Saurabh Kothari 05:12 Why marketing and sales often misalign 09:46 The challenge of proving marketing impact 14:03 The balance between creativity and data 18:27 Why persuasion matters in marketing leadership 22:41 Building stronger alignment across teams 27:18 What modern CMOs need to prioritize 31:54 The role of storytelling inside organizations 36:22 Why attribution alone is not enough 40:11 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/ Connect with the hosts: 👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/ 👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/ Connect with the Podcast Manager 👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/ 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.

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! Timestamps 00:00 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 teams Connect with the hosts: 👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/ 👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/ Connect with the Podcast Manager 👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/ 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.

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. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Karl Van Den Bergh 02:30 From physicist to CMO: an unconventional path 05:00 Why the CMO role is so complex (and misunderstood) 08:00 Chief Marketing Officer vs Chief Market Officer 10:30 Repositioning Illumio: from technical to clear storytelling 15:00 Why simplicity wins in complex markets 18:30 Bringing sales rigor into marketing (pipeline, forecasting, bookings) 23:30 How to prove marketing’s value to the board 27:00 Why brand still matters (and how to justify it) 31:00 The power of storytelling inside your company 34:00 A simple marketing planning framework (plan on a page) 37:00 How Karl is implementing AI across his team 43:30 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/ Connect with the hosts: 👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/ 👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/ Connect with the Podcast Manager 👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/ 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.

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 LinkedIn Connect with the hosts: 👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/ 👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/ Connect with the Podcast Manager 👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/ 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.

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 Barb 02:00 Kate Johnson’s journey from VP of Marketing to CMO 05:40 What surprised her most about becoming a CMO 10:00 How AI is changing marketing, products, and customer expectations 13:00 AI inside the marketing team: faster product cycles, new bottlenecks 16:00 Using AI tools in real workflows (automation, research, sales enablement) 20:00 Decision-making as a CMO when you’re not the expert 24:00 Hiring for new roles and evaluating talent outside your experience 28:00 What she had to let go of moving into the CMO role 36:00 Navigating brand messaging in an AI-driven market 40:00 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-studies Connect with the hosts: 👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/ 👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/ Connect with the Podcast Manager 👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/ 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.