CMOs who can scale: something I've been thinking a lot about lately. The most common thing that CEOs and investors want in their CMO candidates is scale-up cred: "We're looking to grow from 50MM to 100MM; bring us the person who has done that before and wants to do it...

"We're $30MM in revenue and we want to scale fast to $100MM. Can you find us a CMO who has done that exact scale-up before… and wants to do it again?" I hear this a LOT when I start a new CMO search. Sometimes the specific request is for scale-up experience from $10MM...

When I was looking for someone to marry, I wrote up a scorecard to vet potential partners. I called it my LIFE scorecard. I was looking for someone who was a good Listener, had some International experience or interest, was socially Flexible (able to interact with...

Recently I got a super cool search assignment – to recruit the VP of Brand Experience for Quickbase. I see many signs pointing to a rise in roles like this, leading Brand Experience -- especially in SaaS companies that are: Betting on product-led growth Realizing they...

Greetings from the front lines of executive search for CMOs and VPs of marketing! Dang, is this not the most unique hiring market we've seen in years? A lot of search processes are changing to land the best talent. But one thing that hasn't changed is the relentless...

This episode of The Get podcast is one of my favorites. I interviewed CMO scale savant Sydney Sloan. Sydney discussed her time as CMO at Salesloft, where she contributed to a huge scale-up. Sydney had so much insight to share. It was hard to pick out just a few...

This episode of The Get podcast really made me think. I interviewed Khalid El Khatib, who's the Head of Marketing and Communications for Stack Overflow. Khalid discusses his career journey, and how he has structured his organization to serve not just Stack Overflow's...

Growth and comfort do not co-exist. This was a key theme of my interview with Cynthia Gumbert, the CMO of SmartBear, for The Get podcast. SmartBear is the ~750-person PE-backed SaaS company that is on a growth tear, serving more and more software developers every day....

It’s every CMO’s complaint: “Everyone thinks they’re a marketer.” With so many people outside of marketing weighing in, this can make the CMO job challenging.... unless you learn how to actually harness the emotional investment that others in the company have.  Here's...

It's a new episode of The Get podcast! I interview Guy Weismantel, the EVP of Marketing at Ncontracts, the SaaS fintech darling based in Nashville. I had the honor of placing Guy in his role many months ago, and since then the company has doubled. Guy gives a...

A CMO in scale-up mode needs to budget like a boss! Kristin Hambelton, CMO scaleup queen now running marketing for MineralTree, takes us on a deep dive of budgeting for marketing during a scale journey. You’ll learn: How do you communicate to a CEO and CFO that you...

The CMO’s most important job when scaling? To create focus, protect focus, and seize control of the strategic planning process - not just for marketing, but for the company as a whole. Here’s how to do that.   Jay Gaines runs marketing at insurance tech scale-up...

What’s it like behind the scenes when CEOs and private equity Talent Partners recruit CMOs for PE-backed companies? Hear from a ‘talent whisperer’ from a PE firm.  Welcome to the first episode of Season 4 of The Get podcast! This season, we explore the theme 'Solving...

Happy 2022! Here are 9 trends I predict we'll be talking about lots in 2022, when it comes to the CMO role and recruiting CMOs. 1. The tight CMO hiring market continues. ICYMI, here's my recent dispatch of all the unique stuff I've been seeing in the talent market As...

This has been the most unique time for hiring that I've seen in the 11 years (gulp!) that I've been doing executive search for marketing leaders. A recap: Demand is up. There's huge demand for marketing talent, as you may have noticed! There have been several days...

"I loved the process of buying a car," said almost no one, ever. Until now. I just started a search for a chief marketer for a company that is re-imagining car ownership, and building a new type of mobility, for millions. This is a very cool one. We are talking with...

We recently looked at Why it's so absurdly hard to recruit great Product Marketing leaders. ICYMI, here's the quick run-through of why you could pull your hair out when trying to hire your product marketing leader: Because some great product marketing leaders want to...

Quick – what's the hardest role to hire for on a marketing team, in your opinion? (Even harder than hiring a CMO.) In B2B SaaS, the answer I hear consistently is – drum roll, please: Product marketing. With the right product marketing leader in place – good things...

I'm doing a fun new search for a VP of Marketing. This search is for a high-growth, PE-backed SaaS company in the Washington, DC area. This company serves the people in corporations who run government affairs. The technology is used to influence all the critical...

This time of year, I have a lot of conversations about what's up with executive search in marketing. What's the market like? How are CEO perceptions of their marketing leaders shifting? How gettable are top candidates? What new roles are emerging? Here's a collection...

I’m doing a really fun new search, for a VP of Global Solutions Marketing for a high-growth SaaS company. This role is about putting the MARKET into Marketing -- it's a bit like being a general manager, driving growth in key solutions areas. Details below.

"This candidate spent a year in their last job, 18 months at the job before that, and 9 months at the role before that. Too risky. Bring me someone with longer tenures." This is the most common objection I hear from CEOs when discussing candidates for CMO roles. While...

I’m excited to announce a new search, for a VP of Global Product Marketing for a high-growth global SaaS company that recently IPOed. This is a great fit for a veteran product marketing executive who has a heritage of transforming the product marketing function,...

I've spent the better part of this past decade recruiting marketing leaders. Most of this time has been in a talent-scarce market, and the balance of power in recruiting was often on the side of candidates. Now the market is tilting and the balance of power is more on...

I'm excited to share that The Get podcast, the marketing talent podcast hosted by yours truly, has wrapped up its second season. It's ready for you to binge. If you are looking to feel productive, get inspired, and learn, tune in. The Get explores how B2B SaaS...

If the recent survey of the Revenue Collective is to be believed, the hiring scene is a bit bleak now. There is a lot of 'wait and see' on the part of hiring leaders. But the good news is there is still some hiring. If you are recruiting, count yourself lucky! Here...

Once a marketing leader is in place, that person needs to draw a straight line from overall business strategy to marketing strategy to marketing org design to hiring and leading. It sounds simple, but it can be challenging. I collaborated with my pals at Drift and The...

Here's what I foresee CEOs and CMOs talking about behind closed doors this year. Think of it as a guide to help marketing leaders situate, stay, and soar. Take a scan - let me know which is your favorite. These trends, predictions, and signals come from my searches...

Excited to share with you my newest project... Meet The Get, the new marketing talent podcast. My days are chock-full of talking to marketing leaders one-on-one. It's fun to swim around in the tribulations, trends, and triumphs of today’s top marketers. And at the end...

How have the best data-driven marketers evolved for success in 2020? I enjoyed discussing this with a panel of pals. Check it out here.

One of my clients is a guy named Kyle. He's been a CEO many times over. Every time he meets a CMO candidate, Kyle tells the candidate the same thing: "If Erica brought you to me, that means you are qualified for the role. So my job is simply to sell you on it." Kyle...

Anticipating tradeoffs when hiring your marketing leader will save you time and energy You've probably heard this before. You've probably even said it yourself. Hiring a great marketing leader is like finding a unicorn. It's elusive and challenging to find 'the one.'...

Who's the best B2B brand & marketing communications leader you know? I've just been retained to recruit a VP of Brand, Content & Communications for a human capital SaaS company with a mission of helping SMBs create great places to work. Here's an infographic...

Picture it: A search for a VP of Marketing for a growing global company in a smoking hot category. We define the role, evaluate hundreds of candidates, and emerge with a star candidate. This candidate has relevant experience in the industry. She is excited about the...

I've noticed something. When people call to ask me about doing a search for them, they are often grasping for questions to ask. It's understandable. A search partner is an unusual mix: Part brand ambassador: Your search partner will have hundreds of conversations on...

It was fun to join the hosts of the MarTech Advisor "Talking Stack" podcast to discuss executive recruiting for marketing and martech roles. Some highlights: If you want to hire a great marketing leader, you have to think like one The 5 things to align to hire a...

I am excited to announce a new placement: Lisa Conquergood joins USAFacts in Seattle to lead marketing. USAFacts is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic initiative, started by Steve Ballmer, with the goal of making government data more accessible and understandable to all...

Recently I was invited to discuss "Challenges and Realities of Recruiting Modern Marketers" on the Good Morning Marketing Podcast. Thanks to the team at Zee Jay Digital for inviting me. Some topics we discussed Fads versus fundamentals (in marketing skillsets) Why...

I just bought a new car. Whoo hoo! When I was first picturing the new wheels, I didn't realize how uncomfortable the buying process would be. After all, I regularly lead searches and negotiate deals many times this size on behalf of companies. I thought, I got this!...

  "What are the latest trends with hiring marketing leaders?" I get this question a lot. And it's one of my favorite things to discuss. (Right up there with "What makes 'This Is Us' such a good show?" and "Would getting a dog be, on balance, more of a joy or a...

Curious about what to expect when you recruit at the marketing/tech intersection, and how martech professionals can keep up-skilling? Check out this interview I did with Stensul's Sarah Linney on The State of Executive Recruiting in MarTech.

You’ve worked hard to narrow down a pool of candidates. You make an offer to 'the one.' Then the unthinkable happens. Your dream candidate says "no." Fair? No. Shocking? Yep. As disappointing as being dumped in a romantic relationship? Maybe. Six Ways to Get Back on...

I am delighted to announce The Connective Good's latest placement: Sherrill Zack Kaplan joins Zipcar as VP, Marketing & Sales. Sherrill was previously VP, Digital Marketing & Innovation, for Dunkin' Brands. The backstory: Zipcar, the leading car-sharing...

MarketingProfs just published a piece I co-wrote with the illustrious Anand Thaker, called "Are You a Marketing Standout or Strikeout? Nine Tips to Help You Stand Out." Check it out for tips on how to ferret out the top candidates... or how to be that top candidate....

"I really want to switch to a smaller company." This is something I hear a lot from candidates for marketing leadership roles. Perhaps you have too. How do you know whether the person: Is really ready and could make a great hire for a smaller startup or scale-up? OR:...

I am elated to announce The Connective Good's latest placement: Diane Gordon joins BlueConic in Boston as the SVP of Customer Success. Diane was previously the Chief Customer Officer for Brainshark and the Chief Customer Officer for Bullhorn. The backstory: BlueConic,...

People often ask me what they should look for when they hire their first (or their most recent) B2B marketing leader. I recently discussed this topic with Ashley Minogue at OpenView. Check out her summary here.

Picture this: You interview a candidate named Lee for a VP of Marketing role. Lee is extroverted. Articulate. Engaging. Lee even grew up in the same town as you. You had a blast talking about which of the high school teachers are still there. You walk out, and say to...

I was talking with a chief marketer last week. He wants help recruiting a digital marketing leader. He said, "I'd like someone from outside my industry. When you do a search, how do you tell if someone can switch sectors successfully?" What I thought to myself: Sounds...

There's one thing I love to ask people. I ask it at cocktail parties. In business meetings. At the dentist's office. "What's your favorite interview question? And how can you tell if someone will be a good fit for your team?" I jot down the juiciest questions and add...

I learned an important lesson about recruiting from an Indian driver-for-hire named Ramesh. The year was 2005, and I was criss-crossing India with colleagues on a business trip, studying India's rural postal system. We set off to meet various officials, often driving...

Six months. That's how long my husband and I spent hunting this year for a condo in our fair city of Cambridge, Massachusetts. After so much waiting and hoping, we were getting downright antsy. Finally we saw a contender! It ticked all of our boxes -- a study for me...

Interview with Paul Roetzer, Founder and CEO of PR 20/20 Today we do a Q&A on applying inbound marketing approaches to recruiting. Here's an interview I did with Paul Roetzer, Founder & CEO of PR 20/20, a firm in Cleveland that specializes in inbound marketing...

"Once you've been an entrepreneur, you're pretty much unemployable." --Dharmesh Shah, Co-Founder and CTO, HubSpot, speaking at the recent MarTech conference "If you've been on your own for too long, people think you've gone feral!" --A friend of mine who is looking to...

Recently I emailed my friend Andres, who works at Meetup. A moment later, I received this out-of-office message from him: I thought, "What a great idea!" Andres is using his out of office response as a marketing tool, to: Showcase the sabbatical perk at Meetup Point...

Landing talent. Building momentum. Scaling. If you are building an analytical marketing capability, these three challenges can keep you up at night. Today I introduce you to someone who has written the book on these topics: Cesar Brea. I've interviewed Cesar about his...

Optimization is great for some things, but can cost us when selecting new talent. Please meet my purple couch. A custom-made, velvety soft, 1920s style, pucker-backed, purple couch. I went on a frustratingly long journey to find this couch. It started with me wanting...

Is your recruiting leaky? You can patch those leaks -- with either a quick fix or a full renovation -- to stand out from your competition and attract more top candidates. With a recruiting project, you start with a landscape of possible talent, and narrow it down to...

At age 18, I spent the summer scooping ice cream at a Cape Cod institution called Nick and Dick’s. Little did I know at the time that this job would be great training for my later career. My manager at Nick and Dick’s was a guy named Rick. Rick at Nick and Dick’s. Go...

Greetings from Cape Cod, where I arrived last night for Christmas. Within minutes I hopped on the couch and snuggled in next to my mom. It was time for our ritual marathon of watching HGTV – the purveyor of gems like “House Hunters” and “Love It Or List It.” Not...

My new husband, age 41, is learning how to drive. We have been practicing together every morning. Which means that I clutch the armrest in utter terror in Boston rush-hour traffic, while gritting my teeth and forcing my voice to be calm, saying, “Next time, let’s...

Over cocktails with my friend J. last week, she mentioned her challenges finding Java programmers for her team. She had tried to partner with several recruiters. But the candidate pipeline she was seeing was as thin as a rail. She needed one recruiter whom she could...

Do you remember the best conference you ever attended? My most memorable conference was a Sonoma boondoggle, er, rather, leadership retreat hosted by Monitor’s Global Business Network. (May Monitor rest in peace.)   At the conference, the organizers watched small...

Recently I awoke at 2 am to a very odd ‘whoosh’ sound in my bedroom. Whoosh, silence. Whoosh, silence. I tried to ignore it but the whoosh continued. Struggling awake, I realized that there was a bat in the bedroom!   I did the natural thing for 2013: Grabbed an...