The brands people remember rarely play it safe, and in industries where most companies follow the same path, success often comes from doing something different. So, what’s the most effective way to grow your brand?

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Amanda Smith hears from Ryan Shapiro and Rachel McDougall, President and Founder of peomg, to discuss the strategy that fueled their growth and how prioritizing authenticity has become their competitive advantage.

You’ll learn:

• How breaking industry norms can drive brand growth
• Why audience value real, human brands over synthetic marketing
• How authenticity helps B2B brands standout in a saturated market

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Setting the stage for meaningful innovation

(00:27) Meet the guests: The minds behind the conversation

(00:48) Why going against the industry playbook works
(01:17) Choosing authenticity over synthetic branding

(01:33) Inside peomg’s holiday campaign

(01:58) Key takeaways and final insights

Straight to Voicemail is for CMOs, CEOs, and Heads of Marketing in B2B tech who want insights from the people who’ve been there. Each episode centers on one big question answered like a voicemail you’ll want to play again.

Don’t miss this conversation! Follow Straight to Voicemail and explore our big little wins newsletter for more B2B content strategy insights. https://shareyourgenius.com/blog/

Follow Amanda Smith on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-alexander-smith/

Follow Ryan Shapiro and Rachel McDougall on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanshapiro/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelmcdougall1/

peomg https://www.linkedin.com/company/peomg/

Innovation without direction is a liability. Ideas alone don’t move the business forward. Sustainable companies know that to create real value, innovation must serve customers, solve meaningful problems, and drive revenue. So how do you build innovation that delivers lasting impact?

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Amanda Smith hears from Darrian Mikell, Director of Finance and Strategy at Humanly, about how companies can turn innovation into tangible business outcomes. Darrian emphasizes that it starts with listening to customers and translating insights into measurable results.

You’ll learn:
• Why innovation without a clear purpose can hurt more than it helps
• How to think about innovation differently from simply growing a business
• How innovation connects directly to revenue and cash flow

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Why we wanted to hear from Darrian Mikell
(01:13) Innovating with purpose vs. innovation for its own sake
(01:53) Using micro-experimentation and synthesizing customer feedback
(02:51) Balancing cash constraints with incremental growth

Straight to Voicemail is for CMOs, CEOs, and Heads of Marketing in B2B tech who want insights from the people who’ve been there. Each episode centers on one big question answered like a voicemail you’ll want to play again.

Don’t miss this conversation! Follow Straight to Voicemail and explore our big little wins newsletter for more B2B content strategy insights. https://shareyourgenius.com/blog/

Follow Amanda Smith on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-alexander-smith/

Follow Darrian Mikell on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/darrianmikell/

Humanly https://www.linkedin.com/company/humanlyhr/

It’s a classic story: an exciting vision and a bold team making it big with their entrepreneurial spirit… and as soon as they scale, it starts to fade. Decisions take longer, everything gets bogged down in approval processes, and the culture? It turns into a cycle of meetings, endless back-and-forth, and the dreaded “we’ll follow up next quarter.” What was once a fast, agile team now feels like it’s stuck in neutral.

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Rachel Downey hears from Nick Smarrelli, Professor and Director of Entrepreneurship at Butler University. Nick shares how to keep entrepreneurial thinking alive through growth, highlighting the importance of speed over perfection, enthusiasm as a force multiplier, and embracing risk-taking. Nick’s approach shows that scaling isn’t about avoiding mistakes but learning quickly and adapting.

You’ll learn:

• Why speed is more important than perfection when scaling
• How to use enthusiasm to drive culture and team engagement
• Why celebrating mistakes can foster innovation and growth

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Why we wanted to hear from Nick
(00:15) The importance of speed over perfection in scaling
(01:00) How enthusiasm drives team engagement and culture
(02:00) Normalizing risk-taking and celebrating failures
(03:00) Why compounding small efforts leads to bigger outcomes
(04:00) How adaptability is the key to success in scaling
(05:00) The importance of learning and adapting as you scale

Straight to Voicemail is for CMOs, CEOs, and Heads of Marketing in B2B tech who want insights from the people who’ve been there. Each episode centers on one big question answered like a voicemail you’ll want to play again.

Don’t miss this conversation! Follow Straight to Voicemail and explore our big little wins newsletter for more B2B content strategy insights.