From Sommelier to Sales Strategy with Haley Moore, Acquire

04/03/25 • 21 min

“People relate to people, not tasting notes,” says Haley Moore, founder of Acquire

In this episode of The Content Cocktail Hour, Jonathan Gandolf welcomes Haley Moore, founder of Acquire, to explore the intersection of hospitality and B2B marketing. From her Michelin-star sommelier roots to reimagining virtual and in-person events for top brands, Haley shares how human connection—not decks or tasting notes—is the key to unforgettable customer experiences.

She shares her belief that the best events aren’t necessarily the biggest or most expensive—they’re the most personal. Haley breaks down why surprise-and-delight isn’t just a hospitality trick, but a scalable B2B strategy, and why the smallest gestures often make the biggest impressions.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How Acquire brings Michelin-level hospitality to virtual and in-person B2B events
Why personalization at scale beats templated “event in a box” strategies
The power of follow-up: what happens after the event matters most

Resources:

Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-gandolf/

Explore AudiencePlus: https://audienceplus.com

Connect with Haley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-moore-9606711a6/

Explore Acquire: https://acquire-wine.com

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:15) Haley's journey in the restaurant business

(02:01) The birth of Acquire during the pandemic

(02:25) The evolution of virtual events

(03:13) The magic of wine and storytelling

(05:33) Jonathan's background and insights

(08:52) The power of hospitality in business

(15:44) Learnings about founding and scaling a business

(18:50) How salespeople are missing what actually matters

“People relate to people, not tasting notes,” says Haley Moore, founder of Acquire

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How Acquire brings Michelin-level hospitality to virtual and in-person B2B events
Why personalization at scale beats templated “event in a box” strategies
The power of follow-up: what happens after the event matters most

Resources:

Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-gandolf/

Explore AudiencePlus: https://audienceplus.com

Connect with Haley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-moore-9606711a6/

Explore Acquire: https://acquire-wine.com

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:15) Haley's journey in the restaurant business

(02:01) The birth of Acquire during the pandemic

(02:25) The evolution of virtual events

(03:13) The magic of wine and storytelling

(05:33) Jonathan's background and insights

(08:52) The power of hospitality in business

(15:44) Learnings about founding and scaling a business

(18:50) How salespeople are missing what actually matters

Previous Episode

Video-First Strategy and Mindshare Marketing with Drew Brucker, Goldcast

“Video is a tool for democratizing creative storytelling,” shares Drew Brucker, Director of Brand & Content at Goldcast

In this episode of The Content Cocktail Hour, Drew Brucker, Head of Brand and Content at Goldcast, shares how B2B marketing has evolved in a video-first world, and why companies can no longer afford to avoid using video as a key content strategy. Drew discusses Goldcast’s shift from being an event platform to a comprehensive B2B video content solution, and how AI is playing a huge role in making video production more accessible and scalable for marketers.

He explores the power of video for building mindshare, the importance of creating memorable content, and why marketers need to adapt to the growing trend of video-first strategies.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why video-first content strategies are the future of B2B marketing
How to leverage AI to make video production more efficient
The shift from transactional marketing to relationship-building with mindshare

Resources:

Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-gandolf/

Explore AudiencePlus: https://audienceplus.com

Connect with Drew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewbrucker/

Explore Goldcast: https://goldcast.io

Explore Content Lab: https://www.goldcast.io/contentlab

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:33) Drew’s journey and Goldcast’s evolution

(03:00) The role of AI in content creation

(06:00) Shifting to a video-first content strategy

(10:00) Building mindshare with video

(14:20) Why marketers need to rethink ROI

(17:00) The impact of video on brand awareness

(20:00) Tips for successfully integrating video in B2B marketing

Next Episode

The Evolution of Social Media and Marketing with Emeric Ernoult, Agorapulse

“The easiest and most reliable way to get amazing talent is to work with your network and your employees’ networks,” says Emeric Ernoult, co-founder and CEO of Agorapulse

In this episode of The Content Cocktail Hour, Jonathan Gandolf sits down with Emeric Ernoult, co-founder and CEO of Agorapulse, to explore the power of leveraging social media and networks to build a successful business. Emeric shares how his journey as a SaaS entrepreneur has led him to discover the critical role that social media plays in attracting top talent, driving brand awareness, and generating quality leads.

From Agorapulse’s early product-led growth to its transformation into a marketing and sales-led company, Emeric discusses how the company shifted its approach and why leveraging your employees and their networks is key to achieving greater success. He also shares his unique take on why branding is just as important as lead generation and how the right social media strategies can yield impressive results.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How to effectively leverage your employees’ networks to hire top talent
Why social media isn’t just about posting content, but about creating genuine connections
The balance between branding and lead generation in B2B marketing

Resources:

Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-gandolf/

Explore AudiencePlus: https://audienceplus.com

Connect with Emeric on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernoult/

Explore Agorapulse: https://www.agorapulse.com/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:10) Emeric’s background and entrepreneurial journey

(03:00) The evolution from product-led to marketing and sales-led at Agorapulse

(06:45) The importance of leveraging your employees’ networks for growth

(10:20) Balancing branding with lead generation

(13:30) Measuring social media success and ROI