Between2Bs

Equifax experts Erik Trusler & Michael Marino reveal how AI + alternative data is leveling the playing field for SMBs. Learn how "thin file" businesses are becoming visible through utility, telco & merchant data beyond traditional credit scores.

B2SMB partnership experts Kelly Benish & Bernhard Friedrichs break down the shift from transactional to strategic partnerships. Learn why the future is about education, implementation, and treating AI as a collaborator.

Top SMB Tech Influencer John Lawson has thoughts on AI2SMB. From his early days showing how to tie bandanas on YouTube, to today’s bestseller, The Ultimate AI Marketing Manager, John’s surfed every major tech wave since 2000, and he's talking why 77% of SMBs are still in their AI infancy.

Tech Pros from Vcita & AWeber reveal why 70% of small businesses feel "completely unprepared" for AI, but are they simply unprepared for the AI Big Enterprises are building for and selling to them? What if those same builders and sellers did the hard work for SMBs? Buckle up for the answers!

In this episode, Dave Walker speaks with Steve Prestidge from Centerfield about the evolving $2.5T B2SMB marketplace, the ever-growing challenge of winning, keeping and growing Small Business Customers at scale, and the ever-present “Death Valley” between enterprise marketing and sales. The conversation also touches on the importance of trust, the future of buying through comparison and deals, and...

90% of SMBs want AI, but only 15% implement it. Dell's Erik Day reveals why most companies get AI go-to-market wrong and shares battle-tested strategies for moving prospects from experimentation to scale. Essential listening for tech sales pros.

We’re back with this week’s Summer of AI edition of the Between2Bs podcast. I’m your host, Dave Walker of the B2SMB Institute. On this week's Between2Bs podcast, Randy Rector and Derek Peabody - Senior Directors of Product Development for Verizon Business - discuss their first AI offering for millions of Small Businesses: answering customer’s FAQs 24-7 via AI-enabled text. LISTEN NOW!

PayPal’s new SVP of Product and Technology, Raj Mukherjee, joins us to talk the transformative impact of AI on commerce. From his years at Microsoft, Google, GoDaddy and Indeed, his perspective is a rich one, as he talks challenges and opportunities of AI2SMB, and the importance of leadership in navigating these changes. Buckle up!

Brian Moran's Small Business Edge podcast reaches 100+ countries and has engaged 100,000+ SMBs. We explore AI2SMB readiness - and apparent roadblocks - with Brian, who believes: "Enterprise AI solutions don't fit small business realities. To move beyond early adopters, we need a playbook." Join us for a tour of that Playbook.

Christopher Rubin of BrandMultiplier.ai shares how to transform AI solutions into compelling stories - stories that resonate with small businesses. As a widely recognized Marketing guru, he lays out techniques to communicate AI's value, moving beyond technical jargon to create narratives that drive mass adoption and sales success.

HouseCall Pro's co-Founder Roland Ligtenberg shares how building a genuine Community of local service pros transformed their platform into an essential business tool. That tool is handier than a hammer or wrench, used an average of 7.25 hours daily by 100K+ users. His pragmatic “Community-led Growth” playbook drives success via deep user connections, multiplying the power of solo-preneurs into a v...

What’s a “Partnership Strategy Architect”? Bernhard Friedrichs shares 20 years of insights on building capital-efficient growth through smart B2B partnerships. Learn why some fail, how others thrive, and how to unlock real collaboration. A must-listen for anyone working in partnerships. LISTEN NOW! - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bfriedrichs/ - Knowledge Hub: https://pro.partnerstandard.co...

Between2Bs Podcast: WSJ Best Selling Author Sangram Vajre Join us as B2B “Top 21 Global Marketing influencer” Sangram Vajre unpacks his proven Go-To-Market (GTM) framework from his WSJ bestseller, “Move.” Drawing from his career building breakouts, including two $100M+ exits, he shares how businesses at any stage can adapt and thrive in today’s rapidly changing $2.5T B2SMB marketplace. Always a fu...

“Invaluable Verbatims: SMBs Unplugged” Talk Alignable 360 Between2Bs explores Alignable’s new “360” networking features with three small business owners. The platform helps them find quality prospects and partners within Alignable’s 9.5M-member network. Users praise its ability to create meaningful connections based on real-time data rather than random networking.

Selling SMB Tech Since 1997: Chris Shank on Between2Bs Podcast Chris Shank, Verizon Business VP with 27 years in SMB sales, shares insights on winning customers amid AI disruption—a revolution not seen since the internet’s early days. His analytical approach and “plain-speak” expertise offers valuable perspective on successful B2SMB tech sales in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace.

Between2Bs Podcast: Two Builders TalkBuilding AI2SMB Our latest Between2Bs welcomes VP of Product Marketing Rachel Nulman-Schapiro (vcita) and CPO Chris Vasquez (AWeber) to discuss AI in the B2SMB marketplace. They’ll explore SMB adoption patterns, implementation strategies, managing rapid innovation, and future product development talent needs in this “Builders’ banter” about AI2SMB.

Between2Bs Podcast: WSJ Best Selling Author Sangram Vajre Join us as B2B “Top 21 Global Marketing influencer” Sangram Vajre unpacks his proven Go-To-Market (GTM) framework from his WSJ bestseller, "Move." Drawing from his career building breakouts, including two $100M+ exits, he shares how businesses at any stage can adapt and thrive in today's rapidly changing $2.5T B2SMB marketplace. Always a fu...

InfoBip CBO Ivan Ostojic shares his 10 predictions for Next-Gen Customer Experience, from foundational data infrastructure to Agentic AI to Conversational Analytics and Rich Messaging. Based on his recent Forbes Business Council column (and experience running a Global leader in omnichannel engagement), Ivan explores how business-customer interactions are about to be reshaped.

Forbes Advisor Small Business editor Bryce Colburn talks AI's impact on SMBs, emphasizing its role as a competitive equalizer against the Big Guys. He highlights AI's evolution from buzzword to practical tool, its potential for real personalization, and how it can enhance creativity as a "tireless teacher" that helps entrepreneurs explore and develop ideas.

This week’s Between2Bs podcast features Cherie Edelson of Member Marketplace, whose building commerce hubs for small business groups, like ShopIowa.com, and Joe Brown of SMB.co, building a "Zillow for Small Business", connecting SMBs looking to sell their business, and verified Buyers. Join us for insights into their innovative marketplace solutions!

We’re talking with Augment.ai's co-Founder Jordan Ritter about The New Sell Of AI - The New Sell With AI. Learn how B2SMB sales pros can leverage AI tools for hyper-personalized outreach and dialogue, transforming how they sell to their SMB customers. An essential listen for anyone interested in the intersection of AI and modern sales. Listen now!

Best2SMB SPECIAL EDITION: Year in Review, Year to Pursue

2023 Best2SMB Hall of Fame Inductee, Constant Contact, is ubiquitous in its e-mail offering to SMBs, but they’re not resting. We talk to Sarah Jordan, the company’s Chief Marketing Officer, about the role that AI now plays in their current and future product. Citing customer surveys and feedback, Sarah talks what’s working - and what’s not - while sharing a playbook for go-to-market strategies and...

Join Dave Walker, B2SMBI Co-Founder, and Maciek “Magic” Szczesniak, newly appointed CGSO for the Institute, as they focus on “The New Sell” to SMBs. As we learned at the recent Leaders’ Forum in Sonoma, AI-based features are proliferating in the products and services sold to SMBs. But are those features being sold effectively? Citing recent research that highlights the “productivity gap” between l...

With an SMB following of 3Mil+, Melinda Emerson is an Influencer's Influencer. Her message (and best-selling book) is "Be Your Own Boss," and she is especially impactful with women entrepreneurs. She's also worked with a number of Fortune 500 Enterprises who sell at scale to Small Business, assisting in successful marketing, selling and growth initiatives. She gives a primer on how - and why - you...