#22: The rules of SEO are changing—and if you’re a B2B marketing leader still focused only on Google, it’s time to expand your playbook.

In this episode of Growth Activated, I’m joined by Mark Goloboy, a fractional CMO and AI marketing strategist helping teams adapt to the new world of LLM Optimization—where tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity now shape how your brand shows up in search.

We’ll explore what this shift means for modern B2B marketing teams, how AI is reshaping the way buyers research, and where marketing leaders should invest to stay competitive.

Inside the episode:

✅ Why SEO as we know it is evolving—and what’s replacing it
✅ How large language models (LLMs) decide which brands to prioritize
✅ The rise of “Search Everywhere Optimization”—from PR to social to review sites
✅ How to rethink your marketing strategy for both Google and AI-powered search
✅ Where to invest when your paid media stops performing
✅ Two next-gen AI use cases—one built for content at scale, the other for customer retention

If you’re a B2B marketer navigating AI, marketing leadership, and visibility in an increasingly complex buyer journey, this episode will help you level up your strategy—and lead the conversation, not chase it.

🎧 Tune in to learn how to evolve your marketing approach in the age of AI.

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Loved this episode? Connect with me for more insights on B2B marketing leadership and strategies to grow your business.

🌐 Visit my website: growthactivated.com
🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: Mandy Walker
🔗 Get Your Free Marketing Planning Guide Today!

Don’t forget to subscribe to Growth Activated and share this episode with fellow marketing leaders. Let’s activate growth—together!

#21: What does the 2025 marketing job market really look like—and how do you stay in demand as AI transforms the way B2B teams hire, operate, and grow?

In this solo episode of Growth Activated, host Mandy Walker breaks down two must-read reports—the Taligence Q1 2025 Jobs Report and the Exit Five Salary Report—to uncover what’s happening beneath the surface of the B2B marketing world.

We’ll cover:

• The highest-paying B2B marketing roles in 2025—and which ones are stalling or shrinking
• How AI is reshaping team structures, job responsibilities, and entry-level career paths
• Why executive and strategic roles are seeing the biggest gains in salary and demand
• Which roles are being commoditized—and how to pivot before your career flatlines
• Four actionable strategies to grow your salary, specialize your skillset, and future-proof your marketing career

If you’re a B2B marketing leader wondering how your comp stacks up, whether your role is future-proof, or where the biggest career opportunities are next—this episode delivers the clarity and confidence you’ve been craving.

🎧 Tune in now to discover what’s rising, what’s fading, and how to stay competitive in the shifting marketing landscape.

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Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!
Loved this episode? Connect with me for more insights on B2B marketing leadership and strategies to grow your business.

🌐 Visit my website: growthactivated.com
🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: Mandy Walker
🔗 Get Your Free Marketing Planning Guide Today!

Don’t forget to subscribe to Growth Activated and share this episode with fellow marketing leaders. Let’s activate growth—together!

#20: Ever wonder how your B2B marketing team stacks up against others?
Not just in headcount or budget—but in actual maturity, strategy, and execution?

In this episode of Growth Activated, we’re diving into the Sales and Marketing Maturity Matrix—a powerful assessment designed to help marketing leaders benchmark their teams across 9 essential pillars of go-to-market success. Whether you're leading a small but mighty team or scaling a complex org, this framework reveals exactly where you stand—and how to grow from there.

I’m joined by Jim Irving, creator of the Matrix and a veteran sales and marketing executive, and Michael Phelan, founder of Go-to-Market Pros and advisor to B2B companies transforming how they drive revenue.

If you're looking to evolve from reactive execution to proactive, revenue-aligned strategy—this episode is for you.

We’ll cover:
✅ What the Maturity Matrix actually measures—and how it helps you assess marketing team maturity
✅ Common gaps across B2B orgs—and why even high-performing teams often fall short
✅ How to use your results to influence stakeholders, secure investment, and align with business goals
✅ Why marketing maturity often varies across functions—and how to spot hidden weaknesses
✅ Actionable ways to level up—even if you never take the formal assessment

If you're a B2B marketing leader ready to build a more strategic, high-impact marketing function, this conversation will give you the clarity, credibility, and confidence to lead your team forward.

🎧 Tune in now to evaluate your current state—and start building the marketing leadership foundation your business needs to grow.

To enter the free giveaway, leave a podcast review and fill out this form.

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Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!
Loved this episode? Connect with me for more insights on B2B marketing leadership and strategies to grow your business.

🌐 Visit my website: growthactivated.com
🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: Mandy Walker
🔗 Get Your Free Marketing Planning Guide Today!

Don’t forget to subscribe to Growth Activated and share this episode with fellow marketing leaders. Let’s activate growth—together!

#19: In a time when brand silence speaks volumes, how should B2B marketers show up?

In this powerful episode of Growth Activated, host Mandy Walker sits down with Katie Martell—LinkedIn Top Voice, keynote speaker, and unapologetic marketing truth-teller—for a timely conversation on brand authenticity, performative allyship, and what it really means to lead with integrity as a B2B marketing leader.

Whether you're navigating Pride Month messaging, facing internal resistance around DEI, or wondering how to protect your role while pushing for purpose-driven marketing, this episode is a must-listen.

We dive into:
✅ What brand authenticity really means in B2B—and how to spot when it’s missing
✅ How to lead your brand through culturally charged moments like Pride Month
✅ The dangers of performative allyship and how to avoid it
✅ Why silence isn’t neutral—and how marketing leaders can speak up without risking their seat at the table

If you’re a marketing leader responsible for brand, messaging, or culture—or you simply want to lead your B2B marketing efforts with more intention, strategy, and impact—this episode will give you the clarity and courage to do it.

🎧 Listen now and discover how to align your brand, values, and leadership—this Pride Month and beyond.

--

Links & Resources Mentioned:
🎥 Watch Katie’s documentary-style talk: Woke and Weary
💻 Volunteer your marketing skills: Tech for Campaigns

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Free Sales & Marketing Maturity Assessment Giveaway: Enter Here

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!
Loved this episode? Connect with me for more insights on B2B marketing leadership and strategies to grow your business.

🌐 Visit my website: growthactivated.com
🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: Mandy Walker
🔗 Get Your Free Marketing Planning Guide Today!

Don’t forget to subscribe to Growth Activated and share this episode with fellow marketing leaders. Let’s activate growth—together!

#18: In today's B2B world, the traditional divide between sales and marketing is holding companies back—and "growth at all costs" tactics are losing their edge.

In this episode of Growth Activated, I’m joined by Kelli Schutrop, a sales and marketing leader who’s built her own playbook for modern B2B growth—rooted in strategic alignment, thought leadership, and expert visibility.

We’ll dive into:

• Why sales and marketing alignment alone isn’t enough for today’s B2B marketing leaders
• How leading companies use thought leadership to build brand AND pipeline
• Practical ways to map your buyer journey—and align your content, sales strategies, and messaging at every stage
• Why modern marketing leaders need to drive unified go-to-market motions that are customer-centered, revenue-aligned, and built to last

Whether you're building your first integrated sales + marketing strategy or leveling up a mature GTM engine, this conversation is packed with insights to help you rethink your growth strategy for the next generation.

Hit play and get ready to activate a smarter, stronger B2B growth strategy!

To enter the free giveaway, leave a podcast review and fill out this form.

Free Sales & Marketing Maturity Assessment Giveaway: Enter Here

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!
Loved this episode? Connect with me for more insights on B2B marketing leadership and strategies to grow your business.

🌐 Visit my website: growthactivated.com
🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: Mandy Walker
🔗 Get Your Free Marketing Planning Guide Today!

Don’t forget to subscribe to Growth Activated and share this episode with fellow marketing leaders. Let’s activate growth—together!

#17: Most B2B marketing leaders think they have product marketing covered—until growth stalls, GTM alignment breaks down, and messaging misses the mark.

In this episode of Growth Activated, I sit down with product marketing expert Shirin Shahin to unpack why product marketing is often the critical blind spot in marketing organizations—and how strategic leaders are closing the gap to drive faster, smarter growth.

We’ll cover:

• What product marketing really is—and why it’s often misunderstood (even by seasoned CMOs)
• How to fix broken personas, positioning, and product launches before they derail your GTM
• The biggest blind spots marketing leaders have when it comes to activating product marketing
• Why hiring product marketing too late costs more than you think—and how to get it right
• How AI is reshaping product marketing workflows (and what it can't replace)

If you're serious about building a stronger marketing foundation, accelerating your GTM strategy, and leading at the next level, this episode is a must-listen.

🎯 Learn how strategic product marketing can unlock faster growth, better alignment, and a stronger leadership brand.

🎧 Hit play now and start thinking (and winning) like a next-gen marketing leader.

To enter the free giveaway, leave a podcast review and fill out this form.

Free Sales & Marketing Maturity Assessment Giveaway: Enter Here

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!
Loved this episode? Connect with me for more insights on B2B marketing leadership and strategies to grow your business.

🌐 Visit my website: growthactivated.com
🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: Mandy Walker
🔗 Get Your Free Marketing Planning Guide Today!

Don’t forget to subscribe to Growth Activated and share this episode with fellow marketing leaders. Let’s activate growth—together!

#16: AI is moving faster than most marketing teams can keep up—and the gap between early adopters and laggards is only getting wider.

In this episode of Growth Activated, I sit down with AI strategist Nicole Leffer to break down what B2B marketing leaders must know right now to stay competitive, scale smarter, and lead with confidence in the AI era.

We’ll cover:

• How the best B2B marketing teams are using AI for competitive intelligence, content, sales enablement, and more
• The 3 paths marketing teams are taking with AI—and why only one leads to future success
• Practical strategies to move from basic ChatGPT use to advanced, automated workflows
• Why documenting your processes is the secret weapon for scaling AI across your team
• How investing in AI skills today can future-proof your career and multiply your team's impact

If you’re serious about becoming a strategic marketing leader—not just surviving AI disruption, but thriving through it—this episode will show you how.

🎯 Learn how to scale your impact, free up your time, and lead the next generation of B2B marketing.

🎧 Hit play now—and don’t get left behind.

To enter the free giveaway, leave a podcast review and fill out this form.

Free Sales & Marketing Maturity Assessment Giveaway: Enter Here

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!
Loved this episode? Connect with me for more insights on B2B marketing leadership and strategies to grow your business.

🌐 Visit my website: growthactivated.com
🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: Mandy Walker
🔗 Get Your Free Marketing Planning Guide Today!

Don’t forget to subscribe to Growth Activated and share this episode with fellow marketing leaders. Let’s activate growth—together!

#15: Fractional leadership is rapidly reshaping the B2B marketing landscape, offering ambitious marketing leaders a powerful path to scale their impact, revenue, and influence—without burning out. But what separates a thriving Fractional CMO from those who struggle to gain traction?

In this episode of Growth Activated, I’m revealing game-changing insights and hard-earned lessons from successful Fractional CMOs and other fractional marketing leaders who’ve mastered the art of building profitable, fulfilling careers on their own terms.

We’ll dive deep into the three most effective fractional work models—Project-Based, Retainer, and Advisory—sharing the strategies and pitfalls you need to know to avoid burnout and maximize your revenue. From setting the right pricing structures to crafting contracts that protect your business and scaling your services for sustainable growth, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways.

Whether you’re a marketing leader looking to make the leap to Fractional CMO status or simply curious about building a flexible, high-impact career, this episode will help you fast-track your success.

If you’re ready to elevate your expertise, command higher rates, and create a thriving B2B marketing business on your own terms, grab a notebook and hit play!

To enter the free giveaway, leave a podcast review and fill out this form.

Free Sales & Marketing Maturity Assessment Giveaway: Enter Here

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!
Loved this episode? Connect with me for more insights on B2B marketing leadership and strategies to grow your business.

🌐 Visit my website: growthactivated.com
🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: Mandy Walker
🔗 Get Your Free Marketing Planning Guide Today!

Don’t forget to subscribe to Growth Activated and share this episode with fellow marketing leaders. Let’s activate growth—together!