Hiring is broken. Leaders know it. Recruiters feel it. Candidates live it. So what’s next?
In this conversation, we sat down with recruiting leader Desiree Goldey to dive into the current job market struggles that thousands of candidates are facing. We spoke of best practices when it comes to personal branding, building connections, and being kind to yourself during burnout phases.
This episode is powered by MKG. We manage the details, so you may capture the market.
How do you scale eight brands at once without burning out?
On the very first episode of Back on T-R-A-C-K (formerly Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders), Kerry Guard sat down with Jonathan Tasman to talk about building repeatable systems that turn content into pipeline—across LinkedIn, podcasts, and YouTube.
This episode is powered by MKG. We manage the details, so you may capture the market.
Rebekah Bradford knows how to perform when the plan shifts and the pressure spikes. In this conversation, Rebekah joins Kerry Guard to share the mindset that took her to the 2010 Winter Olympics and now powers global GTM work in the energy software space.
On this episode, we dig into customer-led innovation that actually ships, running hackathons that influence the roadmap, and using AI to speed content without losing the human voice. She walks through how her team builds a single source of truth for positioning, tests messaging with existing customers first, and keeps macro vision and micro sprints in sync.
This episode is powered by MKG. We manage the details, so you may capture the market.
What does it take to launch a cybersecurity startup from stealth, cut through market noise, and bring security and engineering into true alignment? Valerie Zargarpur, VP of Marketing at Hopper Security, joins Kerry Guard to share how she’s helping redefine open-source risk management with clarity, humility, and bold storytelling.
In this conversation, Valerie opens up about the balancing act of building brand momentum in stealth, why Hopper took an organic-first approach over traditional demand gen, and how her team turns highly technical research into messaging anyone can understand. She also highlights the culture that keeps Hopper’s engineers energized, the power of experiential marketing, and the role AI now plays in scaling content and marketing at speed.
If you are curious about aligning product, engineering, and security in a way that actually accelerates growth and how to stand out in a crowded cybersecurity market, this episode is for you.
This episode is powered by MKG. We manage the details, so you may capture the market.
Unpack honesty, transparent growth, and lessons learned while being human.
Kerry Guard, our CEO and co-founder at MKG takes the guest seat in a safe space for transparent sharing about her leadership, dreams, and vision for MKG.
We're diving into what makes our digital agency tick, from cybersecurity to B2B growth. Kerry's got some real insights on building a people-first culture and mastering SEO and digital ads.
Whether you're a founder, a marketer, or just curious about the digital scene, there's plenty of practical advice here. It's a conversation worth tuning into.
This episode is powered by MKG. We manage the details, so you may capture the market.
What happens when a front-end dev falls in love with SEO?
Nathan Stenberg shares his journey from coding to building MKG’s repeatable growth engine.
While HR's on PTO, Nathan spills some secrets about how MKG’s people-first culture and packaged, scalable service model help deliver consistent results for high-growth cybersecurity, SaaS, and B2B clients. He didn't sign an NDA, right? No? We good!
We dig into the way he leads cross-channel strategy across SEO, paid media, analytics, and ABM, and how MKG’s systems turn individual expertise into repeatable wins. Makin' it rain, all day long, babeeee!
But, wait! There's more. Nathan shares how AI's speeding up data analysis and reporting, and how the team balances technical precision with the human side of client partnerships.
While you're jonesin' for next week's episode, we've got 3 more excellent episodes pair just as well to this episode as your favorite Merlot:
Metrics to Meaning: featuring Arpine Babloyan on building revenue-driven marketing. Big Up, Threat Connect!
Tactic to Pipeline: focused on connecting marketing tactics directly to pipeline impact.
Mike Barano - GTM New Playbook for Visibility: includes some AI discussion, too.
Whoop, there it is! We are MKG Marketing. While you capture the market, we're doin' our thang managing the details. Let's be digital friends? Say hi? Maybe a little high five, or a wink from across the room? https://www.mkgmarketinginc.com
Ken Marshall, Chief Growth Officer & Managing Partner at Revenue Zen, reveals how he’s using AI not as a replacement for human strategy, but as an accelerator for it.
From building his own custom GPT “Kenbot” to automating complex workflows with Cursor, n8n, and brand visibility monitoring software, Ken shares how to leverage AI for meaningful, measurable B2B growth without losing your brand’s human edge.
We dive into:
Connect with Ken on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenmagma/
Learn more about his work at Revenue Zen.
This podcast is brought to you by MKG Marketing.
We manage the details. You capture the market.
From debits to dinner parties, Stephen Hedlund proves you can scale finance, keep your sanity, and still crack LinkedIn jokes that drive pipeline.
Finance doesn’t have to be dry (and neither does this conversation with Stephen Hedlund, Head of Finance at Rillet, the AI-native ERP built to close the books in hours, not weeks.
Stephen spills the secret sauce, if you will, on scaling a Series-A startup’s finance stack, the “zero-day close,” and why memes belong in month-end slides.
If you’re a numbers nerd, or just trying to make financial reporting less painful, grab your mug and be ready to learn what it takes to lead and grow a company when the playbook doesn't even exist yet.
Ready to make finance fun? Smash play and let Stephen’s curiosity-first leadership style inspire your next close.
Elijah referenced an episode from the archives where a marketer specializing in scrappy startups earned a better-than-expected ROI after hosting a go-kart event for prospects. Krissy Camacho on turning a $5K test into a 10× lead surge. Learn how B2C scrappiness fuels B2B growth.
Keep the kettle boiling! Your ears may also enjoy learning from Mike and Margie next:
- Mike Moreno’s “Marketing with Machines” playbook. Discover generative engine optimization (GEO) and AI-ready messaging.
- Margie Agin on messaging sales teams actually use. Align brand stories before you launch a single campaign.
Elijah steps in for Kerry while she enjoys a month off with her family for some summer R&R, Tea Time episode is powered by MKG Marketing. We're your fractional marketing team that manages the details, so you capture the market.
Check out why Rillet will crush Netsuite in less than a decade: https://rillet.com
Hang with Stephen Hedlund on LinkedIn and have a meme-tastic time.
Forget random acts of marketing. Jeff Schaffzin reveals how intentional storytelling and cross-functional empathy drive double-digit growth in cybersecurity, SaaS, and AI.
Messaging feeling flat? Tired of tech buzzwords? Jeff Schaffzin is here to help you cut through the hype and craft Go-To-Market strategies that stick.
Jeff, a seasoned product marketing leader with deep roots in AI, cybersecurity, and SaaS, reveals how to position groundbreaking tech without falling into the "AI-washing" trap. Learn why empathy and authentic storytelling are your secret weapons for resonating with both technical buyers and executives.
Forget random acts of marketing. If you're ready for clear positioning that drives pipeline, this episode is your guide to meaningful differentiation.
Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders is powered by MKG Marketing—the fractional marketing team that manages the details, so you capture the market.
Grab your tea, hit subscribe, leave a review, and share with a fellow marketer!
Connect with Jeff Schaffzin on LinkedIn.
Discover more at Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders
Explore product marketing resources at Product Marketing Alliance.
When the old GTM playbooks stopped working, she built her own.
. This episode breaks down how she builds trust, drives pipeline, and dodges fear-mongering like a pro. Laura Kenner shares a grounded, no-BS approach to content that drives real growth in technical markets.
Did you know that Laura Kenner didn’t start in tech? She didn’t even start in marketing! As she says, "this kind of happened like accident like many things often do."
In this episode, Kerry Guard sits down with Laura to unpack how she went from medical office work to becoming a high-impact B2B content leader in cybersecurity, and how that unexpected path made her better at connecting with technical buyers.
They explore the difference between AI copywriting myths and reality, how to tailor messaging for both hands-on practitioners and business decision-makers, and why fear-mongering has no place in modern cybersecurity marketing.
Laura also shares how she measures the impact of content across LinkedIn, BootstrapsCyber.com, SEO, and social; why the real work of marketing starts with getting out of your silo and listening to sales, customer success, and your audience.
From workflows in Zapier to scrappy startup GTM strategy, this episode is packed with ideas for marketers trying to stand out in crowded, technical spaces.
If you’re a content leader, startup founder, or cybersecurity marketer trying to break through the noise, this conversation will hit home.
While you’ve got your headphones on, queue up a few earlier Tea Time favorites that build on today’s themes:
Line these up next and you’ll walk away with a playbook that marries paid media, technical SEO, and people-first leadership—the same ingredients MKG uses every day to help brands capture the market.
This episode is powered by MKG Marketing Inc. We manage the details. You capture the market.
“You can't wait until you’re ready to launch. The PR game is not the same anymore, and if you're not feeding the LLMs now, you’re invisible later.”
Messaging that earns impressions and revenue? Carmen Harris has the blueprint. In this episode, she joins Kerry Guard to talk RSA ROI, founder pitfalls, comms vs. marketing, and how to train LLMs to ensure your brand gets seen online.
This one’s for marketers who care about impact, not just noise.
This episode is powered by MKG Marketing Inc. We Manage the Details. You Capture the Market! Experts in SEO & Digital Ads. Feel free to come for a visit: https://mkgmarketinginc.com
Unlock the secret sauce behind B2B tech growth.
In this episode of Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders, Kerry Guard sits down with brand strategist Margie Agin to understand why “lead gen” often hides a deeper messaging problem.
She shares three simple questions to uncover your ICP’s real pain. You’ll get quick-fire tactics to unite marketing and sales under one clear story. Plus, walk away with a one-sentence rewrite that moves the needle immediately.
Powered by MKG Marketing. A digital marketing agency that's radically transparent.
Ready to borrow B2C secrets to supercharge your B2B funnel in under 30 days?
Kerry Guard, host of Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders as we sit down with Krissy Camacho who is the founder and principal at Tricrest Growth Advisors LLC.
With two decades of B2B and B2C experience under her belt, Krissy shares the moment she realized that early-stage startups don’t need another hero campaign. They need scrappy, data-driven experiments. From her signature win-loss analysis framework to friction-removal tactics borrowed from consumer brands, she reveals how to turn messy customer data into a repeatable growth engine.
Want to keep crushing your demand goals? Connect with Krissy on LinkedIn to swap strategies and road-tested playbooks.
This podcast is powered by MKG Marketing Inc. Finally! A digital marketing agency you don’t have to micromanage. Besides, growth shouldn’t be hard.
What if your greatest marketing strength had nothing to do with tools, tactics, or timelines? Instead, everything to do with empathy?
In this episode of Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders, Kerry Guard sits down with Alexandra Mattiesen, a marketing executive with a passion for brand storytelling, deep technical understanding, and most importantly, emotional intelligence. Alexandra shares her non-traditional path into marketing, her early obsession with branding (think: crayons and business cards at age six), and how her love for tech fuels her approach to complex industries like cybersecurity.
But it’s not just about product launches and go-to-market strategies. This conversation explores the often-overlooked personal side of leadership: setting boundaries, prioritizing mental health, and showing up as your full self in male-dominated tech spaces.
From method-acting her way into the mindset of developers to baking chocolate tortes and carving out time for dating at 40, Alexandra proves that marketing (and life) is better when it’s built on clarity, curiosity, and care.
Whether you're building from zero to one or navigating a Series C startup, Alexandra’s insights will change how you lead teams, craft messages, and protect your peace. For real.
Pour some tea. This one’s a warm, empowering listen!
This podcast is powered by MKG Marketing. Finally!! A Digital Marketing agency you don't have to micromanage. Besides, growth shouldn't be hard.
Connect with Alexandra Mattiesen on LinkedIn (she welcomes DMs and thoughtful chats! Especially about brand building and tech)
What if sales, marketing, and product actually worked as one?
Matt Kanaskie is proving it’s possible (and, yes, even fun). In this episode of Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders, we explore how alignment, experimentation, and just the right guardrails are helping Cyber Advisors move at the speed of sales.
Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders is powered by MKG Marketing; the digital marketing agency that helps cybersecurity and B2B SaaS brands get found, get leads, and close deals.
Champions aren’t who they used to be.
Andrew Morton breaks down how the role of a "champion" in the sales process has shifted (and why your team might need to rethink what that actually means).
He gets into the real talk around:
The convo digs into what makes or breaks buy-in, the weight of social proof, and why trust is your brand’s strongest currency right now.
Also: AI in content creation, measuring brand momentum through search volume, and why ignoring branded search terms might be costing you more than you think.
Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ammorton/
Understand how User Voice drives customer satisfaction through the roof.
Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders is brought to you by MKG Marketing Inc. Our tailored digital marketing strategies for B2B SaaS organizations are transparent and measured - making every impression count. Work with us: https://mkgmarketinginc.com/
Kerry Guard welcomes Bill Macaitis, a seasoned marketing leader with experience at some of the fastest-growing SaaS companies, to explore the evolution of go-to-market strategies. They break down the misconceptions surrounding GTM, the importance of integrating sales, marketing, and product teams, and how AI reshapes the landscape. Bill emphasizes the role of customer-centric metrics, such as Net Promoter Score (NPS) and time-to-value, in driving long-term success. The conversation also touches on the impact of PLG, the power of freemium models, and how companies can use content marketing to engage and educate their audience effectively. Tune in to gain valuable insights from a GTM expert and learn how to optimize your growth strategy.
Host Kerry Guard interviews Arpine, VP of Global Demand Gen at ThreatConnect, about waterfall metrics, data-driven marketing, and sober networking at conventions.
Learn how clear marketing goals and tracking KPIs measure meaningful success. Arpine also discusses when adjusting marketing strategies and goals is actually effective throughout the year (versus changing goals to boost leaders' egos).
Connect with Arpine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arpine/ to dive into any of these topics discussed in this episode.
This podcast is powered by MKG Marketing, a digital agency helping cybersecurity and data-driven brands grow revenue without wasting spend. Want to learn more about all of our guests featured? Feel free! https://mkgmarketinginc.com/podcasts/marketing-leaders/#episodes
Want to grow faster on LinkedIn with 70 percent less effort? Check out Aware using our affiliate link: https://useaware.co?via=mkg
On this episode of Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders, guest host Elijah Drown fills in for Kerry Guard (temporarily voiceless but still producing from the sidelines) and chats with Mark Bliss, VP of Marketing at Sutra AI. The topic? All things go-to-market: aligning sales and marketing, building smarter ABM campaigns, and using AI without losing your mind—or your budget.
Mark shares hard-won lessons from his journey as a five-time GTM leader, including what most teams get wrong about attribution, why “Wake the Dead” campaigns are his go-to ABM move, and how to stop chasing perfect and start shipping. He also drops tips for building stronger marketing teams, pushing back on unrealistic KPIs, and staying creative in an AI-first world.
If you’re curious how podcasting fits into ABM (spoiler: it works), Mark breaks down how his own show, GTM After Hours, opens doors, starts real conversations, and even helps guests land jobs. He also shares why marketers and sales teams need to celebrate wins together—and how a quarterly bonus and a well-timed compliment can go a long way.
This show is powered by MKG Marketing, a digital agency helping cybersecurity and data-driven brands grow revenue without wasting spend.
Want to grow faster on LinkedIn with 70 percent less effort? Check out Aware using our affiliate link: https://useaware.co?via=mkg
Come for the GTM talk, stay for the fake webinars, 8-track tapes, and rapid-fire theme song questions. Whether you're leading a team or just getting your footing, this episode is stuffed with insight and personality.
Kerry Guard, host of Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders, is joined by Alina Timofeeva who's a strategic advisor in technology and data.
Story of what immigrating to the UK and becoming a recognized expert in her field.
We dive into challenges of building a personal brand, the importance of public speaking, and how organizations can support their employees in developing their own brands. Alina emphasizes the need for diversity in marketing and the role of storytelling in effective presentations - especially for those who are introverted.
Connect with Alina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atimofeeva/
Thanks, MKG, for sponsoring this podcast episode! Tailoring digital marketing strategies for B2B SaaS organizations are transparent and measured. Learn how MKG makes every impression count: https://mkgmarketinginc.com/
Need some love with your video content, podcast, or live event broadcasts? Connect with Your Podcast Sidekick, ahem quirky creative, here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijah-drown/
