The Kula Ring

For our final episode in the Holiday Series we are returning to our chat about creating a brand made for loyal customers. Klein Tools has been manufacturing tools made for trades people for over 165 years. In today’s episode, we sat down with Greg Palese, Vice President of Marketing at Klein Tools, to discuss how they continue to grow engaged customer relationships. By speaking directly with end u...

For our second episode in our Holiday Series we are taking a second look at when we chatted with Cynthia Kellam, Global Senior Director, Digital, Data and Customer Experience Center of Excellence at TE Connectivity, again to discuss how collecting and using digital data can create better customer experiences. She explains their journey of building a better Voice of Customer system to help all busi...

For the first episode in our 2025 Holiday Series we are looking back at our conversation with Augie Ray, Senior Research Analyst and Executive Advisor of Customer Experience at Gartner, about how CX is the most important aspect of marketing and how to focus on customers' unmet needs.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Hall of Fame keynote speaker and AI technology creator Sam Richter joins Jeff and Carman to explore how AI, search tools, and thoughtful research can help sales teams become dramatically more relevant to prospects. Sam shares why modern buyers expect sellers to arrive informed, how to use AI and search more effectively, and why “customer relevance management” shou...

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Rachel Cossette, Marketing Manager at Rogers Machinery Company, walks us through how she built a powerful, education-focused webinar program that has become a core pillar of the company’s marketing engine. Rachel explains why webinars were the perfect solution for delivering value, growing first-party data, and creating demand while strengthening relationships wit...

In this episode of The Kula Ring, sales expert, keynote speaker, and author Shawn Casemore joins Jeff and Carman to explore how sales have fundamentally changed, especially in the manufacturing sector. Shawn breaks down why today’s buyers spend far more time researching independently, how little time salespeople actually get in the buying cycle, and what both sales and marketing teams must do to e...

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jennifer McQuilken, Vice President of Corporate Communications at Enchanted Rock, joins Jeff and Carman to discuss the unique challenge of marketing a single natural-gas generator platform across numerous industries and use cases. Jennifer shares how her team builds core messaging that works across verticals, then adapts it to fit the needs of hospitals, data cent...

Carl Tolbert, author of The 10 Immutable Laws of the Industrial Distribution Specialist and head engineer at Malloy Electric, joins The Kula Ring to discuss how industrial distribution is evolving in a world of consolidation, AI, and direct-to-customer manufacturing. He shares insights from interviews with 32 industry leaders and explains why value-added specialists are key to the survival of dist...

In this episode of The Kula Ring, we sit down with Cynthia Barnes, Global Marketing Content Specialist and Community Relations Manager at Clark Material Handling. Cynthia shares Clark's unique approach to marketing, which centers on authentic community engagement and philanthropy rather than traditional product-focused advertising. She delves into the origins of their "Raising Hope" initiative, in...

In this special episode of The Kula Ring, co-hosts Carman Pirie and Jeff White flip the script as Carman interviews Jeff about his UX and accessibility POVs inspired by the 2025 Industrial Buyer Pulse research. They explore how industrial websites must evolve to support self-serve quoting, mobile accessibility, and B2B e-commerce experiences that foster trust. Jeff discusses how integrating functi...

In this episode of The Kula Ring, hosts Jeff White and Carman Pirie talk with Dan Gingiss, Chief Experience Maker at The Experience Maker, about why customer experience is the ultimate competitive differentiator. Dan breaks down his WISE framework and explains how manufacturers can apply these principles to create memorable, talk-worthy moments that drive word-of-mouth. From finding fun in everyda...

When Jackie Slaght joined E Tech Group, she didn’t expect to become the “accidental B2B marketer.” Now as Director of Marketing Communications, she’s helping unify a global team through storytelling and a newly launched podcast, Beyond Tech. In this episode, Jackie shares how the show amplifies technical voices, strengthens internal communication, and fuels eTech’s growing brand presence across mu...

In this episode, Andy Francis, Vice President of Marketing at Q-Lab, joins The Kula Ring to discuss how his team reaches new audiences for their materials-durability testing instruments. Andy explains how Q-Lab tailors content around specific industry standards to attract technical buyers, the balance between paid and organic search, and the company’s evolving approach to generative-AI search opti...

In this episode of The Kula Ring, we’re joined by Ruth Stevens, President of eMarketing Strategy and professor at NYU Stern. Ruth explains why retention, reactivation, and expansion are the most underleveraged levers in B2B marketing and how marketers can partner with sales to maximize customer lifetime value. From data-driven “reasons to call” to subscription-based models, Ruth offers tactical ad...

In this episode of The Kula Ring, we sit down with Tom Greensall, Head of Marketing at BGR, to explore how the company is shifting from a sales-led approach to a marketing-driven growth engine. Tom discusses the challenges of redefining marketing’s role in a traditionally sales-focused industry, building a new website with intent-driven design, and leveraging AI and freelancers to scale a lean mar...

In this episode of The Kula Ring, hosts and Kula Partners co-founders Carman Pirie and Jeff White introduce the Industrial Buyer Pulse, a new quarterly research initiative that uncovers how North American industrial buyers are thinking and behaving today. From buyer confidence and digital enablement to supplier research and supply chain resilience, Carman and Jeff share key findings that will help...

Defining an ideal customer and sourcing a target account list to match should be easy, but it isn't. On this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff and Carman discuss how to craft an ideal customer profile (ICP), identify tools that can help, and warn about pitfalls along the way.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff and Carman explore some unconventional but highly practical applications of artificial intelligence in marketing and sales. Far from the hype of AI replacing humans, Carman shares how he uses AI as a research intern, a sales coaching tool, and a strategic partner in uncovering hidden insights. The discussion dives into improving brand strategies, refining mar...

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff Yurek, VP of Marketing at Nanosys, discusses the unique challenges of marketing breakthrough nanotechnology. He explains quantum dots, tiny semiconductor particles that emit precise, tunable light for displays and imaging, and how he built awareness through blogging and storytelling, fostering relationships with global brands despite the technology's inherent...

In this episode of The Kula Ring, hosts Jeff White and Carman Pirie talk with Rajeev Thakur, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Silanna Semiconductor. With over 25 years in the automotive industry and a unique blend of engineering and marketing expertise, Rajeev discusses navigating long, complex sales cycles, balancing highly technical conversations with business value, and adaptin...

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff White and Carman Pirie discuss how manufacturers can adapt their web presence for 2025 and beyond. They explore the impact of AI-driven search, evolving privacy rules, the critical role of site speed, and the importance of structured data and product data governance. This conversation is a practical deep dive into what it takes to stay competitive in a changi...

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Nicole Kangos, Director of Marketing at Snaptron, shares the story of how an engineering-led manufacturer undertook a major brand refresh, without big-agency budgets or losing sight of its core values. Nicole walks us through how she built trust with leadership, leveraged internal and external insights, and strategically positioned Snaptron to maintain its market...

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Alexandra Corey, Director of Marketing at Mosaic Manufacturing, explains how her team leverages global geopolitical shifts, particularly around tariffs and supply chain volatility, to inform their B2B go-to-market strategy. From hosting panels with other innovators to offering vendor-neutral playbooks on additive manufacturing, Mosaic builds trust and drives deman...

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Elizabeth McKusick, Marketing and E-Commerce Manager at PFERD North America, shares how her team is redefining what it means to support distributors in industrial manufacturing. From building a B2B e-commerce portal with a headless frontend to deploying a robust PIM strategy, Elizabeth details how PFERD enables partners to sell more with better data, more efficien...

This week on The Kula Ring, Jay Aguilar, Global VP of Business Development and Marketing at Chance Rides, gives us an inside look at what it takes to market thrills. From classic carousels to massive rollercoasters, Jay explains how Chance Rides uses both B2B and B2C tactics to reach park owners and ride enthusiasts alike. He dives into the importance of brand legacy, how user-generated content in...