Every brand says they want trust, but few realize how quickly the wrong content can break it.

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Rachel Downey talks with Stephanie Yoder, Director of Content at Rebrandly. Stephanie shares how thoughtful content earns trust, why salesy messaging breaks it, and how brands can use every touchpoint to prove credibility. She also explains how branded links drive 39% higher clicks by showing audiences exactly where they’re headed.

You’ll learn:

• How to write content that educates before it sells
• Why understanding your audience builds long-term trust
• How branded links strengthen credibility and increase engagement

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Why we wanted to hear from Stephanie
(00:27) Why content is a brand’s best trust-building tool
(01:00) How marketing language can break audience trust
(01:20) What people-first content looks like
(01:40) How helpful content drives stronger relationships
(02:00) The importance of giving value before promoting products
(02:20) Why branded links create trust through transparency
(02:40) How Rebrandly connects content and credibility
(02:47) Closing thoughts from Stephanie Yoder

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.

Trust usually peaks in the sales process and drops at kickoff. So, how do you stop the free fall?

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Amanda Smith connects with Mason Cosby, CEO of Scrappy ABM. As a founder leading a services business, Mason has seen firsthand where trust breaks down and shares the systems his team uses to close that gap early. From internal handoffs to client comms, this conversation is packed with clarity and practical fixes.

You’ll learn:

• How to introduce your team before the kickoff call
• What sales teams model that delivery teams should adopt
• Why daily client updates make trust easier to maintain

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

(00:45) Meet Mason Cosby and the trust drop-off point

(01:34) Why delivery teams feel like strangers after the sale

(02:12) How Scrappy ABM makes internal team members visible

(02:22) Tactics for keeping trust across the handoff

(02:34) What sales teaches us about expectation setting

(03:09) A simple format for daily client comms

(03:52) The rule Mason uses to reset expectations

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.

AI can speed you up, but it can also make your content sound the same as everyone else.

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Amanda Smith talks with Nathan Thompson, Senior Director of Product Marketing at copy.ai. Nathan shares how context, not prompts, keeps AI output on brand, how to unify voice across go-to-market, and a simple workflow that keeps humans in control.

You’ll learn:

• Train AI with product, audience, and voice to personalize at scale
• Use a four-step workflow to keep quality high
• Onboard AI like a new hire to protect brand trust

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Meet Nathan Thompson
(00:10) What real, human content sounds like
(00:34) Where AI helps and where it hurts
(00:54) Meet Nathan Thompson from copy.ai
(01:03) Why context beats clever prompts
(01:26) The voicemail question
(01:46) Unifying brand voice across GTM
(02:08) Strategy, draft, polish, publish
(02:45) The prompt myth
(03:21) Fixing context to personalize
(03:40) Onboarding AI like a new hire
(03:48) Closing thoughts and resources

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.

Board alignment is harder than ever. Budgets are tight, expectations are high, and every decision feels under a microscope.

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Rachel Downey connects with John E. Lepto IV, CRO at Clear Go-To-Market, a buyer intelligence firm serving private equity-backed SaaS companies. With deep experience across sales, healthcare tech, and private equity ops, John shares how strategic clarity helps leaders earn trust in the boardroom even without a formal board himself.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How buyer intelligence builds credibility with executive stakeholders
• What boards actually want to hear from go-to-market leaders
• Why clarity is the antidote to boardroom anxiety

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Why we wanted to talk to John
(01:40) From lending to SaaS to PE-backed GTM
(02:20) What Clear Go-To-Market actually delivers
(03:00) Why win-loss is more than “why we lose”
(04:10) Why John bets on service, not SaaS
(05:20) The two converging shifts in PE and SaaS
(07:00) What trust really means in boardroom settings
(08:40) Bringing clarity to win-loss and GTM strategy
(10:15) How Clear helps clients validate or challenge assumptions
(11:30) One piece of advice for CROs walking into the boardroom

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 your company outgrows its original narrative, how do you shift the story without losing your audience?

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Rachel Elsts Downey taps Josh Privett, Communications Strategist and Principal Copywriter at Mantra. Josh discusses what it really takes to evolve your message and earn trust in the process.

You’ll learn:

• Why clarity beats cleverness when it comes to brand trust
• How to know when it’s time to shift your story, and what happens when you wait too long
• A real-world case study of turning fear into record-breaking growth

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Why brand stories blur and how truth cuts through the noise

(00:57) Rebuilding trust by narrowing your message

(02:20) How a PT clinic won by owning their unique voice

(04:11) From “fix pain” to “better you” and a 77% growth spike

(05:21) Trusting your message is a business move

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.

The key to credibility in sales? A business case your customer believes in.

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Rachel Elsts-Downey reaches out to Mike Genstil, Co-Founder and CEO of ValueCore. Mike talks about the disconnect between how sellers present ROI and how buyers perceive it, and offers a practical path to closing that gap with trust and transparency.

You’ll learn:

• Why proving ROI isn’t just about numbers, it’s about trust
• How to turn value storytelling into a sales advantage
• The biggest mistake companies make when trying to demonstrate impact

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Why we wanted to talk to Mike about ROI, trust, and real-world impact
(00:25) Introducing Mike Genstil of ValueCore
(00:51) How to prove ROI and win customer trust
(01:59) Why skipping “cost of the problem” is a missed opportunity
(03:25) Building trust by letting customers adjust assumptions
(04:49) The three essentials of delivering credible ROI conversations

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.

Trust isn’t a soft skill, it’s a foundational asset.

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Amanda Smith connects with Dr. Denise Healy, Ph.D., CEO and Co-founder of Streets2Schools and an expert in organizational psychology. With a Ph.D. in the field and decades of executive experience, she leads with empathy and strategy, building cultures where trust isn’t just a value, but an operational tool. Her approach blends radical candor, emotional intelligence, and transformational leadership.

You’ll learn:

• How to define trust in a way that drives organizational alignment
• Why trust is essential for innovation, collaboration, and accountability
• Practical examples of “radical candor” and building reliable, transparent teams

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Why trust gets talked about but rarely operationalized in leadership
(00:24) Meet Dr. Healy: How Streets2Schools turned trust into a core business function
(01:08) Denise breaks down the definition of trust leaders must align on
(02:06) How Denise uses team feedback to steer the company
(03:13) Real examples of incentive planning and strategic retreats
(04:50) Why violating stated values kills trust fast
(05:22) Radical candor and reliability: The twin pillars of trustworthy leadership
(06:15) Denise closes with two research-backed frameworks to explore

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 change hits, teams often rush to message before they’ve earned the right to be heard. Dr. Jennie Victoriano's says slow down, build trust, then speak.

What you’ll learn:

• Why trust is non-negotiable for transformational leadership and marketing
• How transparency, empathy, and character drive brand loyalty in times of change
• What it means to “serve, not sell” when the market is uncertain

In this episode of Straight to Voicemail, Amanda Smith calls Dr. Jennie Victoriano, Director of Professional Development at Commitment2Change, to explore how trust becomes the real driver of transformation inside your org and out in the market.

Jump to the conversation:

(00:00) Why Amanda wanted to hear from Dr. Jennie Victoriano

(00:42) Dr. Jennie Victoriano explains how trust transforms both teams and messaging

(03:20) Why leading with message before trust fails

(06:05) How brands and teams build credibility

(08:15) What trust looks like in your next campaign or leadership move

(10:30) Empathy, transparency, and what consumers really want

(12:00) Dr. Jennie Victoriano's reminder that character is always revealed

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.