Listen "471: Dear CEO: This Is What Marketing Actually Does"
Episode Synopsis
Most B2B CEOs never spent time in marketing. Fewer than one in five ever held the title. Which explains a lot. From undervalued budgets to misaligned expectations, marketing often gets boxed in as a support function instead of the growth driver it is. If marketing is going to lead, CEOs need to understand what it can really do and what to look for in a CMO who's built to deliver. To set the record straight, Drew taps three marketing leaders, Rebecca Stone (Cisco), Grant Johnson (Chief Outsiders), and Jan Deahl (Drake Star), to reframe how CEOs see marketing. It is a strategic engine built to shape markets, guide buyers, and drive growth. Together, they make the case for what's possible when CMOs are empowered to lead. In this episode: Rebecca on why CMOs need to think and act like a CEO Grant on how mismatched expectations set CMOs up to fail Jan on aligning marketing's role to company stage and goals Plus: The key questions every CEO should ask their CMO What to fix when marketing is stuck in order-taking mode How smart onboarding sets CMOs up to lead Why growth depends on more than just demand gen Tune in for signals that shift how your CEO sees marketing. For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/
More episodes of the podcast Renegade Marketers Unite
499: The Event ROI Reality Check
02/01/2026
496: How B2B Brands Actually Grow
16/12/2025
495: Teams Built for Growth and Grit
12/12/2025
494: Going Fractional?
05/12/2025
493: Budgeting with Conviction
02/12/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.