Brands are buried in data these days, but most of it doesn’t actually get them anywhere. It’s easy to get lost in all the numbers, especially when they don’t help you understand the people behind them. The trick? Using data with intention to really get your audience. Let’s be real, that means connecting with them on a human level.

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Rachel Elsts Downey sits down with Austen Clark, Co-Founder of Adatha Group, to explore how brands can use data in a more human-centered way. With over 600 events under his belt, Austen has built his career on bridging the gap between data and meaningful human connections. He shares how his deep understanding of people allows him to transform marketing strategies, showing how data, when used with intention, can drive authentic relationships that fuel long-term growth.

You’ll learn:

• Why connecting with people first makes data meaningful
• How to turn metrics into actions that drive growth
• The importance of human elements in B2B marketing

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Why we wanted to hear from Austen
(01:06) The human-first approach to data and marketing
(02:25) Connecting people through data in events
(04:05) Why empathy and connection matter more than numbers
(06:00) How inside jokes lead to stronger business relationships
(08:35) Using data to understand human behavior, not just numbers
(10:20) The power of face-to-face interactions in driving results

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 Genius Cuts for more B2B content strategy insights.

Anyone can scale up and produce content, but gaining market trust can make or break your brand’s success. Today, AI is shaping how content is created, published, and distributed at scale, and many brands are prioritizing efficiency without stopping to ask what it costs…putting their credibility at risk. The real danger is publishing faster than you can verify. AI can surface information, but it cannot validate accuracy or insight, which raises a critical question: who is accountable for what gets published? As AI becomes woven into everyday workflows, the future of content depends on whether teams can build systems that don’t just move fast, but help people trust what they’re reading.

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Rachel Elsts Downey talks with Jesse Bourgeault-Trickey, Global Deployment Manager at Happeo. Jesse shares how organizations can trust the content they publish when AI is involved, and why verification, ownership, and communication matter more than ever. Drawing from his work helping global teams deploy digital workplaces, he explains how trust is built through systems, not shortcuts.

You’ll learn:

• Build trust by pairing AI with subject matter expert ownership
• Create a system to audit and verify content over time
• Use internal feedback loops to surface content gaps

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Why we wanted to hear from Jesse

(00:09) Why speed can undermine trust

(01:06) The rise of AI in everyday content

(01:35) Trust but verify as a content framework

(02:10) The role of subject matter experts

(02:46) Finding and fixing content gaps

(03:13) What verified content looks like

(03:45) Using AI on trusted knowledge

(04:20) Keeping teams informed as content changes

(05:11) How trust is reinforced over time

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 Genius Cuts for more B2B content strategy insights.

When you enter a new market, every move hinges on one thing: whether buyers trust you enough to pay attention.

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Rachel Elsts Downey calls Christie Horsman, Head of Marketing at UpCodes, to dig into why customer trust has to be the center of any scaling strategy. Christie shares how she approaches new markets by studying the category, understanding how buyers evaluate options, and mapping where her product fits. She explains how trust is built through people, not brands, and why thought leadership, influencer partnerships, and customer proof matter more than ever in AI driven search.

You’ll learn:

• How to build trust before you build pipeline
• How to research and position yourself in a new category
• How to use voices, not brands, to shape buyer perception

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Why we wanted to hear from Christie
(00:09) Why trust decides whether your strategy works
(00:20) Why Christie understands how to scale in new markets
(01:20) The different ways to approach new markets
(01:40) How to position against incumbents
(02:16) Why trust matters more than paid ads
(03:20) How influencers and ambassadors build credibility
(04:00) Why thought leadership drives trust in AI search
(06:20) Scaling through reviews and lighthouse customers
(07:40) How trust fuels your funnel

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 Genius Cuts for more B2B content strategy insights.

These days, AI-generated content is everywhere: it's in your feed, ads, and even in real life. Businesses can now scale and create faster than ever, but does this content actually connect with audiences? At its core, great content is personal. No matter how much AI helps us scale, we can’t lose sight of the fact that humans are essential to creating content that resonates.

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Rachel Elsts Downey sits down with Jimmy Girot, Director of Marketing at Intterra. Jimmy shares his insights on why content marketing is more important than ever, even as AI continues to shape the landscape. He discusses how AI can amplify human-driven content by optimizing your operations, but emphasizes that the human touch, authenticity, and emotional connection must remain at the heart of every marketing strategy.

You’ll learn:

• Why human-driven content still matters in an AI-driven world
• How AI can support content creation without replacing human connection
• The importance of starting small and being intentional with content

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Why we wanted to hear from Jimmy
(00:10) The role of content in today’s marketing strategy
(01:00) Why content marketing is essential, even in the age of AI
(02:00) How to keep content human while using AI
(03:00) The power of starting small with content marketing
(03:40) Scaling content without losing authenticity

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 Genius Cuts for more B2B content strategy insights.

As automation grows, the brands that stand out will be the ones whose content still feels written by, and for, people.

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Rachel Elsts Downey sits down with Corey Perlman, Social and Digital Marketing Speaker at Impact Social. Corey shares his approach to leveraging AI without losing authenticity in content. He talks about how AI can support content creation while emphasizing the importance of human input to maintain quality, relatability, and trust with your audience.

You’ll learn:

• How to use AI effectively without sacrificing authenticity
• Why human editing is essential for quality control
• How to create content that builds trust and connects

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Why we wanted to hear from Corey
(00:15) Why AI can't replace human touch in content creation
(01:05) Meet Corey Perlman from Impact Social
(01:35) Using AI as a tool, not a replacement
(02:10) The importance of human editing in AI content
(02:40) Creating content that resonates and builds trust
(03:10) Practical tips for using AI in social media
(03:35) How AI can help you scale your content

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 Genius Cuts for more B2B content strategy insights.

Most marketing teams struggle to prove that content drives real business results, and without that proof, it’s often the first thing cut.

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Amanda Smith talks with Chelsea Lassen, Director of Content, Comms, and Storytelling at Cority. With a background spanning industries from LED lighting to glamping, Chelsea shares how she turned social media into a demand engine, building relationships that drove measurable revenue impact.

You’ll learn:

• How to turn social media into a pipeline-driving channel
• Why building relationships matters more than attribution
• How to use feedback loops to create content that connects

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Why we wanted to hear from Chelsea
(00:10) The power of content in driving business outcomes
(00:39) Meet Chelsea Lassen from Cority
(01:25) Building a social-first demand engine
(02:00) How content created 43% of inbound leads
(02:34) When brand awareness turns into real pipeline
(03:14) Why being human builds audience trust
(03:40) Creating inside jokes and feedback loops with your audience
(04:08) How long-term brand investment pays off
(05:12) Redefining content as a relationship tool

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 Genius Cuts for more B2B content strategy insights.

Digital fatigue is real. Buyers are tuning out, skipping ads, and scrolling past the messages that once worked. Online channels feel louder yet less effective, and the cost of standing out keeps climbing.

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Rachel Elsts Downey talked with Charlie Riley, Head of Marketing at OneScreen.ai, to explore the offline strategies driving real B2B demand. Charlie shares how in-person events and out-of-home advertising help brands break through the noise, create warmer conversations, and move deals faster.

You’ll learn:

• Why events create warmer conversations that move deals faster
• How to use out-of-home to support digital
• The reason showing up offline strengthens brand recall

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Why we wanted to hear from Charlie
(00:10) How digital fatigue is changing demand
(00:30) Why events matter again
(00:51) Big industry events and niche gatherings
(01:16) What shifts when you meet buyers in person
(01:41) Using out-of-home around key events
(02:20) Why buyers notice real-world ads
(02:44) The two channels driving demand in 2025

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 Genius Cuts for more B2B content strategy insights.

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Rachel Elsts Downey connects with David Nour, CEO of Avnir, to discuss the reality behind AI’s promise: it’s only as smart as the data you feed it.

He warns CMOs that “Garbage in, garbage stays.” AI can’t clean up bad data, and most B2B orgs are swimming in it. He shares how Avnir unlocks real relationship intelligence by enriching the data that actually matters. Forget automation overload. It’s time to focus on depth, not volume.

You’ll learn:

• Why AI needs relationship context, not just clean data
• How to calculate the value of your existing network
• The danger of chasing new logos at the expense of deeper relationships

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Why Rachel wanted to talk to David

(00:41) The 3 truths about AI no one is talking about

(00:47) Why clean data is the real enabler of AI

(01:21) How Avnir scores relationships to quantify trust

(02:26) The myth of more and why chasing quantity hurts strategy

(03:18) A $10M missed opportunity rooted in hidden relationships

(04:08) Final thoughts and where to learn more

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 Genius Cuts for more B2B content strategy insights.