The Changemakers

Shaped By

We interview leading B2B marketers and creatives from the tech world to find out the role that creativity plays in helping them market their business. Changemakers are people and brands making waves, embracing new ways of thinking, and working. Applying creativity to bring about change. Hopefully, they inspire you on your journey to more effective marketing. Hosted by Shaped By, a creative agency for the B2B tech world. Follow us on social for more creative insights, inspiration and opinions.LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/shaped-by | Twitter - https://twitter.com/shaped_by_ | Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shaped_by_/

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Top 10 The Changemakers Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Changemakers episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Changemakers for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Changemakers episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Leading marketing through tough times: Robin Daniels, Growth, Marketing & Leadership Advisor

The Changemakers

10/06/22 • 48 min

How should marketing leaders approach the challenges of an economic downturn? It’s a big question, but one we put to Robin Daniels, our guest for this episode.

If you’ve not come across Robin before, you’ll enjoy his enthusiasm and illuminating insight on marketing, leadership and growth. He’s worked at some amazing tech companies covering Salesforce, Box, LinkedIn, WeWork as well as being CMO of Matterport when they went public in 2021.

There is plenty to take away from this chat that helps galvanise, improve, or reassure you. We talk about what marketing leaders and teams should be focusing on, how morale is impacted and as a leader what you can do, through to incremental gains, intelligent risks, and how to inspire yourself.

Enjoy.

Timestamps:

(04:20) Robin’s journey from Denmark to California and back again

(09:48) What sparked his career in marketing and his role at Salesforce

(13:46) Lessons learnt from the ’08 downturn – being incrementally better doesn’t cut it in a recession

(17:00) Why you’ve got to market yourself like a consumer brand

(20:01) How selling and marketing in a downturn changes

(22:11) What marketing budgets he protects first when there are cuts on the table

(26:27) Focus on things that move the needle. Do less but do it better.

(34:55) Keeping people motivated during hard times and the importance of leadership

(41:59) There is positivity in the market, but uncertainty can hamper your marketing

(43:05) Where Robin draws inspiration from

Follow Robin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robingdaniels/

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Byte-Size: Dave & Alex discuss Building a Founder-Led B2B Brand

The Changemakers

02/27/25 • 20 min

Welcome to another byte-size episode! In this one, Dave and Alex, Shaped By's marketing director, chat about the upcoming webinar on the challenges of working with founders to build a strong brand. They cover the common roadblocks - like navigating emotional attachments, getting buy-in from disengaged founders, and aligning leadership on brand direction.

They also introduce the expert panel joining the webinar:

• Kira Klaas – VP of Corporate Marketing at Later

• Tim Bauer – Director of Brand Experience at Scale AI

• Tom Ovens – Creative Director at Shaped By

If you work with founders this session is packed with insights on turning vision into a brand that actually works in the market.

To join the conversation register here: https://shaped-by.com/building-a-founder-led-b2b-brand/

And here's the link to Kira Klass's brilliant Substack 'On Brand': https://kiraklaas.substack.com/

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Mastering enterprise tech go-to-market: Alan Cohen, DCVC

The Changemakers

12/01/22 • 48 min

We’re in the midst of volatile times right now. So who better to provide a true perspective on what really matters, and how to focus on building for long-term success, than one of tech go-to-market’s most experienced and accomplished leaders?
Alan Cohen has been at the forefront of game-changing tech GTM for over 30 years.
During his early days at IBM and Cisco, he was pivotal to commercialising the technology that was building the very backbone of the internet.
Following a series of VP-level product and marketing roles, helping disruptive innovators successfully upset some of the biggest tech incumbents, he rejoined Cisco, leading GTM for their $25bn Enterprise portfolio.
After 25 years in “big tech”, Alan became product leader and frontman for 4 iconic, industry-transforming start-ups, before turning investor as a partner at DCVC, where he currently works with entrepreneurs using AI and science to build breakthrough companies in parts of the economy not touched by the tech revolution.
Join Dave and Alan as they spend nearly an hour (our longest episode by a long way, but for good reason - it’s all gold!) chatting on a range of GTM-related subjects including:

Building the foundations of internet communication at IBM and Cisco
Why the psychology of why people buy and use technology is so important
The issues that CMOs are facing at the moment, and how to navigate them
Tips for challengers to dethrone the incumbents in their space
What makes a successful founder from a GTM perspective

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Is tech marketing more creatively brave than ever? (Live panel debate)

The Changemakers

11/25/21 • 52 min

In the first of our Changemaker roundtable events, we invited an expert panel of senior tech marketers, Gleb Brichko, VP Growth, and Global Demand Generation, Rubrik, Rebecca Clayman, Head of Brand, Cloudflare, Robin Daniels, CMO, Matterport, Shikha Saxena, Head of UK Marketing, Globant, and Jess Ellis, Senior Director of Brand Marketing, Khoros, to discuss ‘is tech marketing more creatively brave than ever?'
Shaped By co-founder Nick Farrar talks to our panel about the findings from Perspective 2021, our survey of over 200 senior marketers in SME and enterprise tech fuelled companies, and our panellists’ individual experiences in the ever-changing world of tech marketing, along with valuable advice for fellow marketers.
Listen as we discuss:

How is tech marketing creatively brave?
How to encourage bravery and create a safe space for exploration and experimentation
The importance of creating a story and emotional marketing
Shifts in marketing format and content, what’s here to stay?

Follow our expert panel on LinkedIn: Gleb Brichko: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glebbrichko/
Rebecca Clayman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-clayman-975b333/
Robin Daniels: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robingdaniels/
Shikha Saxena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shikha-technology-marketing/
Jess Ellis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jellisstudio/
Don’t forget to subscribe to our Changemaker podcast for new episodes.

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Leading a global creative team: Dmitry Shamis, HubSpot

The Changemakers

05/25/22 • 30 min

Dmitry Shamis is Global Head of Creative at a company that really needs no introduction. But if you’re either from Mars or have been living under a rock for the past ten years, then HubSpot is a leading CRM platform that provides software for all kinds of businesses, from start-ups to enterprises.
In his role as HubSpot’s Global Head of Creative, Dmitry leads a global in-house creative team of over 120 people. Although he has over a decade of experience building teams and providing creative solutions in the world of B2B, Dmitry doesn’t have a typical creative leader’s career trajectory, having started out in sports management before pivoting to web development.
Listen as we discuss:

Dmitry’s journey from sports management to creative leadership
The importance of building relationships to create a strong creative team
Finding the balance between substance and flash
Setting your brand apart with emotion and storytelling
HubSpot’s Pirates of the Caribbean ad...

Follow Dmitry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmitryshamis/
Don’t forget to subscribe to The Changemakers podcast for new episodes.

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The secret art of sound design: Adam Legg

The Changemakers

03/01/24 • 26 min

In this episode of The Changemakers, brought to you by Shaped By - our creative director Tom Ovens lifts the lid on the secret art of sound design by interviewing freelance sound designer, Adam Legg. They delve into the intricacies of sound design including the definition, the process of creation, and the difference between a ‘meh’ sound, and one that’s impactful.

Sound design in a B2B space brings so much to the table. It helps to control the pace, brings emotion, and can be a real differentiator. So we unpacked it for those of you interested in how it all works.

Adam gives insight into his creative process, balancing sound design with music, and offers a glimpse into how he keeps himself creatively driven. The conversation also veers into the symbiotic relationship between visuals and sound, and how a shift in their traditional sequence can result in a dynamic output.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to The Changemakers Series

00:14 Guest Introduction: Adam Legge, Freelance Sound Designer

01:21 Deep Dive into the Art of Sound Design

01:51 Adam's Perspective on Sound Design

03:51 The Role of Music in Sound Design

05:32 Adam's Creative Process

08:12 The Challenge of Time Management in Sound Design

10:10 The Use of Libraries and Starting from Scratch

13:05 Sound Design Inspirations and Heroes

18:16 Brands Excelling in Sound Design

20:35 The Potential of Sound Leading the Creative Process

26:11 Closing Remarks and Future Collaborations

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How great collaboration builds bold brands: Kaite Rosa, Axonius

The Changemakers

07/13/23 • 39 min

Following staggering revenue growth of 46,000% between 2018 and 2021, cybersecurity asset management Axonius was unsurprisingly named as the fastest-growing cybersecurity company in America by Deloitte in 2022.
That’s pretty damn awesome. But it also presented a very familiar problem that high-growth companies tend to face. They scale so quickly, with such a focus on perfecting the product and the platform, that the task of also building a cohesive brand message and narrative takes a bit of a back seat.
It’s understandable. But there comes a point where it’s a major issue. And when Kaite Rosa joined the business as Senior Director of Brand in 2020, she immediately identified that it was becoming one.
So alongside CMO Nathan Burke, she set about fixing the problem. And the way they went about it makes for quite a story.
Join Dave and Kaite as they discuss:

how Kaite and her team crafted a simple, human, relatable brand message
how they landed gymnastics icon Simone Biles as a brand partner to help spread that message
why Simone and Axonius’ other athlete partners embody the spirit of Axonius’ brand
how those collaborations, plus the close collaborative spirit of Kaite and Nathan’s team, drive long-term success for Axonius
why it’s so important to build such distinct brand narratives in crowded markets like cybersecurity

This is a conversation that will inspire any brand or marketing leaders out there who are struggling to make their brand stand out in cluttered markets.
So dive in and enjoy. And go follow Kaite on LinkedIn to keep up with the latest from Axonius’ remarkable brand journey - which is certainly not slowing down any time soon.

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Creativity in demand generation: Mat Harper, Palo Alto Networks

The Changemakers

12/06/21 • 45 min

Mat is a Senior Manager, EMEA Demand Generation at Palo Alto Networks. Mat has risen through the ranks at Palo Alto Networks in their demand generation hub. He started his journey with them specialising in email marketing and automation and has explored a variety of roles from Marketing Program Manager and Chief of Staff, EMEA Marketing to his current position.
Palo Alto Networks is a multinational cybersecurity company. They are an ambitious and boundary-pushing business, that continually delivers innovation to enable secure digital transformation—even as the pace of change is accelerating.
At a time when their business is growing, and the demand generation hub goes from strength to strength, we chat about the culture of innovation and so much more.
Listen as we discuss:

Creativity in demand generation
How hackers inspire his team
Why cybersecurity is a more creative industry than you might think
The challenges of creativity in a global giant vs. a start-up business

Follow Mat on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matharper
Don’t forget to subscribe to our Changemaker podcast for insights experiences and stories to help you supercharge your own creativity.

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Branding at the speed of light: Vincent Sacco, Fivetran

The Changemakers

11/21/24 • 44 min

Vincent Sacco is a brand leader who has been in the trenches and, having built brands from the ground up at multiple fast-growing tech companies, has wisdom to impart in absolute spades.

He currently leads the creative team at Fivetran, a data management platform that has seen explosive growth, expanding from around 400 to over 1100 employees during Vincent's 3.5 year tenure. Previously, he built the brand at fintech startup Blend as they underwent rapid scaling. Vincent’s unique background also includes branding San Francisco's pioneering food trucks in the early days of the food truck movement.

In this episode, Vincent shares his hard-earned wisdom on building a brand amidst hyper-growth. Some key topics covered:

How Vincent transitioned from branding bars and food trucks to tech startups
The challenges of establishing a brand when a company has found product-market fit and is scaling rapidly
Key first steps to take when you need to build a brand fast
How to get buy-in across the company and turn everyone into "brand cheerleaders"
Partnering with product marketing to align brand and product
Engaging engineers and developers who are typically harder to reach with brand
Collaborating cross-functionally and getting the C-suite aligned with the brand vision
Adapting the Fivetran brand for the enterprise market while retaining its distinctiveness
The importance of brand flexibility and rolling with unexpected sources of brand affinity
What's next for the Fivetran brand as the company continues its rapid ascent

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction and Vincent's background

03:51 - Joining Blend and Fivetran amidst hyper-growth
06:12 - First steps to building the brand foundation

09:22 - Getting company-wide brand buy-in

14:18 - Aligning brand with product marketing

17:34 - Engaging technical audiences with brand

21:35 - Cross-functional collaboration on brand

25:28 - Tailoring brand for enterprise without losing soul

30:44 - Leveraging organic sources of brand affinity

33:49 - The future of the Fivetran brand

35:36 - Conclusion

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How different cultures shape creative careers: Dave Breckon, Carta - Part 2

The Changemakers

02/06/25 • 57 min

So here it is, the first ever “Part 2” in the history of The Changemakers. And it’s nothing less than a pleasure to bestow that honour on our guest, Carta’s creative lead Dave Breckon.
In Part 1, our Dave’s (we’ll call him Dave C) conversation with Dave B explored his wonderfully diverse career path, delving into the various lessons he learnt as he wound his way from the cobbled streets of Brighton to the bright lights of London, Madrid, Copenhagen, New York and San Francisco.
Part 2 sees Dave and Dave hooking up again to discuss how those experiences have shaped Dave B’s perspectives on design and creativity.
Their conversation touches on a range of subjects including managing in-house teams, fostering a culture of kindness, the evolving role of agencies, the application of AI in the creative process, and the challenges of scaling a brand in the dynamic fintech industry. They also delve into the nuances of building brand consistency while adapting to rapid changes in the market.
If you haven't checked out Part 1, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/kpPkTFYqHRE

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FAQ

How many episodes does The Changemakers have?

The Changemakers currently has 56 episodes available.

What topics does The Changemakers cover?

The podcast is about Branding, Marketing, Creativity, Podcasts, Technology, Business and B2B Marketing.

What is the most popular episode on The Changemakers?

The episode title 'Understanding and embracing neurodiversity: Becca Chambers' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The Changemakers?

The average episode length on The Changemakers is 41 minutes.

How often are episodes of The Changemakers released?

Episodes of The Changemakers are typically released every 15 days, 6 hours.

When was the first episode of The Changemakers?

The first episode of The Changemakers was released on Nov 18, 2021.

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The Changemakers

Shaped By

Top 10 The Changemakers Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does The Changemakers have?

What topics does The Changemakers cover?

What is the most popular episode on The Changemakers?

What is the average episode length on The Changemakers?

How often are episodes of The Changemakers released?

When was the first episode of The Changemakers?

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