Performance Delivered

Most marketing teams are using AI to produce more: more content, more campaigns, more output. But the marketers pulling ahead are using it to decide better. In this episode, host Steffen Horst talks with Ashley Bowlin, a marketing and growth executive with nearly 20 years of experience helping SaaS and professional services companies grow through smarter go-to-market strategy, about what that shif...

Growing B2B companies often have products that can do dozens, even hundreds, of things — but that doesn't mean they should market all of them. In this episode of Performance Delivered, host Steffen Horst sits down with Rob Karel, Principal of GTM Perspective and former marketing executive at Precisely, Informatica, Lattice, and Okta, to break down a repeatable framework for identifying the handful...

AI has made content creation faster than ever — but for most B2B SaaS teams, it has also made messaging more generic, not more effective . In this episode of Performance Delivered: Insider Secrets to Marketing Success , host Steffen Horst is joined by Christopher Silvestri , Founder of Conversion Alchemy, to break down how SaaS companies can use AI personas, synthetic research, and AI-assisted wor...

In this episode of Performance Delivered , host Steffen Horst speaks with Natasha Nikolaeva , founder of StretchIt , a leading wellness app and workplace platform helping people improve flexibility, mobility, and mindfulness through movement. Natasha shares her journey from practicing corporate law to becoming a wellness entrepreneur — and how she turned a personal struggle with back pain into a p...

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how audiences search, discover, and engage with information — and that means PR is evolving, too. In this episode, Jackson Wightman joins Steffen Horst to unpack how AI is reshaping media visibility, credibility, and the future of public relations. From Google’s shrinking search dominance to the rise of AI-driven “answer engines,” Jackson explains why ea...

Trust is one of the most overlooked yet powerful drivers of business growth. In this episode of Performance Delivered: Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success , host Stefan Horst speaks with Kristin Oelke , founder of Bright Rock Services and author of Trust: Unlocking B2B Growth in Today’s AI World . Kristin shares why trust erosion is the hidden growth killer, how companies can uncover bli...

AI is transforming SEO, but the skills that make great marketers remain timeless. In this episode, Steffen Horst sits down with Lindsie Nelson (Symphonic Digital) and Andreas Voniatis (Arteos) to explore how empathy, validation, and adaptability can keep SEO strategies both smart and human-first. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why chasing algorithms is the wrong approach How empathy sharpens S...

In this episode of Performance Delivered: Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success , host Steffen Horst explores the evolving challenges of the CMO role with Karl Van den Bergh, Chief Marketing Officer at Illumio . Karl shares insights from his 25+ year career leading marketing, product, and GM roles across startups and billion-dollar tech companies. Together, they unpack: Why the CMO role is...

📝 Episode Description In this episode of Performance Delivered – Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success , host Steffen Horst is joined by Lori Stout , CMO of Bigleaf Networks. Lori shares how marketers can blend AI-driven insights with customer feedback loops to sharpen positioning and messaging in a fast-changing landscape. From leveraging advisory boards and user groups to setting AI gua...

In part two of Performance Delivered: Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success , host Steffen Horst continues his conversation with marketing experts Navah Hopkins (Microsoft) and Shawn Walker (Symphonic Digital) on how AI is transforming paid search strategy. They dive into: When to use AI vs. manual campaign management How to differentiate your brand when competitors use similar AI tools Te...

AI is everywhere—predictive bidding, dynamic creative, campaign forecasting—but is it really replacing human strategy, or just enhancing it? In this episode of Performance Delivered: Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success , host Steffen Horst is joined by two industry leaders: Navah Hopkins , a seasoned strategist now at Microsoft, and Shawn Walker , Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer a...

In this episode of Performance Delivered , host Steffen Horst sits down with Kurt Uhlir , CMO at EZ Home Search and a veteran of more than 80 funding rounds and exits, to explore how AI is redefining modern marketing teams. From cutting down content production costs to empowering leaders to be more hands-on, Kurt shares how AI isn’t replacing talent—but rather multiplying its impact. Whether you’r...

Are your SEO metrics stuck in the past? In part two of our AI + SEO series, guest host Ximena Cordon (Head of Marketing at Symphonic Digital) is joined once again by Lindsie Nelson (Head of SEO at Symphonic) and Andreas Voniatis (Founder of Artios) to challenge the way we think about measuring SEO success in an AI-powered world. With the rise of zero-click search and tools like ChatGPT and Google...

Grant Johnson on How to Measure Marketing Effectiveness and Align on KPIs Episode of Performance Delivered – Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success In this episode, Steffen Horst chats with Grant Johnson , Chief Marketing Officer at Chief Outsiders , about how companies—especially mid-market B2B SaaS brands—can better define, measure, and optimize their marketing performance. Grant shares h...

In this episode of Performance Delivered , Steffen Horst is joined by Elizabeth Eberle, SVP of Marketing at Spoiler Alert—a CPG tech company helping brands turn excess inventory into revenue. Elizabeth shares how understanding your customer at a deeper level can transform not only your messaging, but your product and go-to-market strategy. Whether you’re building a mission-driven brand, launching...

In this episode of Performance Delivered, Steffen Horst speaks with Daphne Johnson, CEO and Growth Advisor at Daphne, about how legacy brands can successfully conquer new markets. Daphne shares her extensive experience working with Fortune 100 brands like Verizon, American Express, and Yahoo, and discusses foundational strategies such as understanding customer needs, identifying problems worth sol...

In this episode of Performance Delivered, host Steffen Horst welcomes Janet Jaiswal, Global VP of Marketing at BlueShift, to unpack what it truly takes to engage customers in today’s competitive B2B SaaS market. With a wealth of experience in senior marketing roles, Janet dives into the strategies that move the needle—from the first interaction to long-term retention. They explore how AI can proac...

In this episode of Performance Delivered, Steffen Horst sits down with Lindsie Nelson and Andreas Voniatis to explore how AI is reshaping the way people discover information—and what it means for marketers. They break down the real impact of AI on search behavior, why users are shifting from keywords to conversations, and which industries are feeling the change most. From client sentiment to the r...

In this episode of Performance Delivered: Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success , host Steffen Horst talks with Colin Clark, Global CMO at Dunlop Protective Footwear. Colin shares his journey from working with brands like the Chicago Cubs and Under Armour to scaling Dunlop’s marketing initiatives globally. He discusses the unique challenges of marketing across 75 countries with a small tea...

In this episode, Doug Zarkin shares insights on how brands can deepen their relationship with consumers, moving beyond mere friendship to foster true brand love. He discusses the importance of human empathy in customer service, the brand value equation, and the significance of storytelling in marketing. Doug emphasizes the need for consistency in customer interactions and how understanding consume...

Title: Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success Part 3 In this episode, we dive into the critical aspects of business operations and advertising strategies. Discover why jumping straight into campaign management can be a costly mistake and learn the essential questions you need to answer before spending your marketing budget. Our guest shares insights on customer value, conversion rates, and...

Title: Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success Part 2 In this episode, join Steffen Horst and digital marketing expert Navar Hopkins in Part 2 of their insightful series on how small businesses can thrive through digital advertising. Discover the essential strategies for effective advertising, explore the latest ad channels like local service ads and DemandGen, and learn how to avoid common...

Show Notes: In this episode, we kick off the first part of a special three-part series on how small businesses can grow through digital advertising. In today’s discussion, we dive into Google Search and Performance Max (PMAX) campaigns, exploring how small businesses can maximize their advertising efforts with the power of automation and AI-driven insights. Joining Steffen, is Navah Hopkins, a bra...

In this Performance Delivered episode, Steffen Horst interviews Dawn Muller, CMO at Vitech, about the vital role of inter-functional coordination in achieving digital marketing success. Dawn shares her marketing journey, extensive experience in B2B marketing within the tech and professional services sectors, and her position at Vitech. The conversation explores the concept of market orientation, e...

In this episode of Performance Delivered , Steffen Horst sits down with Peter Mahoney, CMO at Goto, to explore the intricacies of marketing investments. Peter shares his expert tips on how to determine the right amount to spend on growth and how to prove it’s worth the investment. From understanding essential metrics and the hidden costs of customer acquisition to practical steps for measuring and...