When you look at the CMO role across hundreds of B2B tech companies, what themes emerge these days? In this episode of The Get podcast, I talk with Matt Selheimer, VP and Research Director for B2B Marketing Executives at Forrester.  You'll hear about the top themes...

How is GTM leadership in an AI-native company different from GTM leadership in a 'typical SaaS' company? And how can we expect CMOs in the most AI-steeped companies to structure their teams? It was great to talk with the most impressive Kady Srinivasan, CMO of...

It was great to talk with Monica Ho for the latest episode of The Get podcast. Monica is CMO of SOCi, the leading AI-powered marketing platform for multi-location businesses. Monica reflects on her CMO journey as revenue has grown from ~$10MM to ~$100MM. She gets real...

How do you not only keep up with seismic changes as a SaaS marketing leader but also proactively confront them? This was the focus of my recent conversation on The Get podcast with Wanda Cadigan, SVP of Marketing for Cloudinary. Wanda shares how she delivers on the...

How are PE-backed environments unique for SaaS CMOs? And what's the difference between the CMOs who flourish in PE-backed companies and those who flounder? In the latest episode of The Get podcast, I dive into the nuances of marketing leadership in PE-backed B2B SaaS...

What's now and what's next for SaaS marketing orgs? My recent conversation with Jay Roxe, CMO of Inriver, was a great crash course in this topic. Jay is one of my favorite CMOs and I someone I go to for unexpected and well-articulated perspectives on what's going on...

Good news - the latest episode of The Get podcast is live.This season’s theme is all about how B2B SaaS marketing orgs are changing, in both seismic and subtle ways.  In this latest episode, you'll hear my conversation with Ashley Deibert, CMO of Marigold.  You'll...

Excited to share that The Get podcast is back for Season 7! This season's theme is all about how SaaS marketing orgs are changing, in both seismic and subtle ways. In this first episode to kick off the season, we hear from Claudia Lee, who has a unique background in...

For CEOs and investors hiring CMOs and VPs of Marketing these days, there's a real desire to get it right.  After all, we no longer have a good market to lift up an average marketing leader. We have a shaky market which means that we need the strongest marketing...

I love helping strong SaaS CMOs recruit their VPs.  How should SaaS CMOs be thinking about assembling their teams in today’s landscape? Based on my recent conversations with SaaS CMOs, here are key organizational factors to consider in 2025. General Observations for...

I run a retained executive search practice with a laser focus on recruiting the 'make money' type of marketing leaders, not the 'make it pretty' ones. So I've had thousands of conversations in the course of recruiting CMOs and VPs of Marketing for B2B SaaS companies....

Hiring a CMO is one of the most challenging—and risky—decisions for a CEO: Marketing is often critical to the company's growth thesis. Marketing is often misunderstood: Everyone THINKS they understand marketing, but often they don’t. Marketing ROI doesn't happen...

Excited to share with you the latest episode of The Get podcast! For this one, I talked with Gary Survis, Operating Partner with Insight Partners. we discuss how the strongest CMOs limit risk when transitioning into new marketing leadership roles: They stand out by...

What do CEOs fear most when hiring CMOs? In this episode of The Get podcast, we discuss why the CMO role is particularly tough to fill, and common concerns that bedevil CEOs and investors when they hire CMOs. My guest is Peter Mahoney, Chief Commercial Officer at GoTo...

These days, when CEOs and investors hire marketing leaders, they can have very specific wish lists. Such as: Experience scaling from point A to point B Facility with a mix of sales-led and product-led growth motions Background that spikes in demand generation...

A successful career, in my view, comes from 3 things: talent, good luck, and good decision-making. Let's assume you are talented, and let's assume luck is out of your hands. The lever you are left with is your decision-making. How can you make the strongest decisions...

I've recruited marketing leaders for 13 years. What my CEO and investor clients often mention to me in passing is that the CMO role is the hardest one to recruit for.... and the trickiest executive role to get right. In the latest episode of The Get podcast, I share...

The newest episode of The Get is live and it's a really exciting one! It's called "CMO Secrets to Maximize Recruiter & Network Relationships." I do a deep dive with my guest Tracy Eiler, CMO at OpenSesame. You’ll hear about: What's unique about today's recruiting...

Excited to share that The Get podcast is back! It's Season 6… and our theme this season is 'The Race to Reduce Risk in CMO Recruiting.' I've been thinking a lot lately, in this unique hiring market, about the role of risk in CMO recruiting. There's only so much...

I'm feeling a bit more attuned to risk than usual these last few days.  In Philadelphia last week for a reunion, I was merrily walking down the street with a friend. Suddenly I tripped on some uneven pavement and crashed down, knocking the bejesus out of not one but...

"What's the market like in executive search for SaaS CMOs now?" I'm getting this question a LOT these days. (The only question I get more is from my husband, and that's: "Will you PLEASE not start a conversation with me from three rooms away?!") Here are my latest...

One thing I've been thinking about a lot lately: How can CEOs and their CMO candidates do better 'shared due diligence' before committing to a CMO job offer? In my executive searches, I've observed that CEOs and investors often are gun-shy about CMO candidates with...

Happy fall. Here's your latest dispatch from the land of executive search for CMOs and VPs of Marketing in B2B SaaS companies. How's the market? Is recruiting different these days? Executive search is obviously not quite as gangbusters as it was the last few years,...

When recruiting CMOs for investor-backed companies, Board members are often big stakeholders.   And they certainly are big stakeholders when it comes to whether CMOs STAY in their jobs.   But the CMO and Board relationship is often fraught.   Recently,...

On this episode of The Get podcast, we hear from Sandra Lopez. She's a marketing dynamo who has been in marketing leadership and general management roles in many of the world's biggest and most influential tech companies, like Adobe, Intel, and Microsoft. She recently...

On this episode of The Get podcast, we hear from Elana Anderson. She and I overlapped at Forrester way back in the day and since then she has had an awesome career as a marketing leader, with companies including IBM, Unica, Demandware (which became Salesforce Commerce...

This episode of The Get podcast is a super one! Hear two SaaS marketing leaders from PE-backed companies discuss their hard-won learnings on working with Boards. You'll learn about: The relative importance of the 3 C's – Context, Content, and Confidence – when...

This season on The Get podcast, we've been exploring the CMO/Board relationship. Here is a particularly fun episode: you'll hear a CMO and her Board member not just talking *about* each other, but rather talking *with* each other. I had the pleasure of placing Jen...

Chris Fountain, operating partner at Frontier Growth -- and a pal of mine from several search collaborations -- joins The Get podcast and shares great advice about: What it takes to be a successful operating partner for a PE shop (Spoiler alert: Be able to be...

🎤 It's here! Excited to announce the first episode of The Get podcast this season. Kelly Ford Buckley of Edison Partners shared awesome advice about how SaaS CMOs can up their game with their Boards. You'll hear about: How to remove the intimidation factor when...

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...

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...

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...

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...

"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 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...

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.'...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

A Tale Of Two Parties My idea of a party used to be grabbing some chips and salsa and decompressing with friends. I’d spend a maximum of 30 minutes preparing. Then I met my lovely fiancé, Matthias. He has evolved our parties to an art form. He simply will not stand...