Burnout, Breakthroughs & B2B Marketing Strategy: Lessons from Scaling to $750M and Back Again
April 15, 2025
If you’ve ever felt like you’re shouldering the weight of your company’s growth goals with limited resources, too little credit, and way too many hats—you’re not alone. As a B2B marketing leader, I’ve been there. I’ve felt the pressure, navigated the burnout, and come out the other side more strategic and aligned than ever.
In this special episode of Growth Activated, I’m sharing my journey—from leading marketing at a $750M B2B services company to launching Growth Activated, where I now help next-gen marketing leaders rise to the C-suite. This isn’t just a look back at my career; it’s a roadmap filled with lessons you can apply right now.
Let’s dive into the most powerful takeaways from my conversation on the Tech Success Stories podcast—straight from one B2B marketing leader to another.
At one point, I was running a 25-person team, driving marketing for a $750M company. But I was totally burnt out. I didn’t hate marketing—I hated the way it was being done: disconnected from business strategy, overly focused on tactics, and undervalued by leadership.
When I pivoted to a $1M ARR startup in a Head of Growth Strategy role, I realized something powerful:
It wasn’t that I was burnt out on marketing. I was burnt out on how marketing was being done.
Takeaway: If you're exhausted, take a step back. Are you building marketing that drives real business impact—or just checking boxes?
This is the hill I will die on: marketing has to be deeply aligned with the business. When I speak at events, I often ask a room full of marketers if they can list their CEO’s top three metrics. Most can’t.
Can you tell me what your CEO and CFO are reporting to the board? What are the numbers that actually matter?
We need to speak the language of the business. That’s why I’m such an advocate for CMO-CFO collaboration. If this resonates with you, check out my conversation with Darko Socanski on how CMOs and CFOs can partner to fuel growth.
When I was leading growth at the startup, we hired experienced sales pros—amazing on paper, but a poor fit for a company still finding product-market fit. The mistake? We didn’t hire for the stage.
You can hire top performers, but if they’re built for scale and you’re still in build mode, it’s a mismatch.
If you’re interested in how sales and marketing alignment works in practice, my chat with Sloane Barbour offers some great perspective on the CRO mindset.
As marketers, we juggle a lot. But the real issue isn’t bandwidth—it’s clarity. Too many companies fail to define their go-to-market strategy, so every department makes up their own.
Know what your growth strategy is. Get aligned across the exec team. Then go all in.
If you're mapping out next year’s roadmap, check out this blog on how to build an annual marketing plan.
Ask any CEO what marketing ROI looks like, and you’ll likely get vague answers. That’s a problem. We’ve trained leadership to equate marketing success with lead gen—ignoring product marketing, brand, and thought leadership.
I wish we had a consistent model for marketing ROI. Until we do, we have to define it ourselves.
My deep dive with Jeff Ignacio on RevOps and marketing ROI unpacks this challenge beautifully.
My sweet spot is helping B2B companies scale from $20M to $500M. Scaling isn’t about hustling harder—it’s about getting more strategic, more efficient, and more aligned.
A startup needs scrappiness. A scaling company needs operational clarity and collaboration.
If you’re at that scaling inflection point, you might enjoy my framework for marketing excellence.
One of my biggest goals right now? Helping other women marketing leaders make the leap from execution to executive.
We’re so focused on being great at our craft, we rarely learn how to be marketing executives.
This came up in my recent conversation with Leslie Vickrey, who built a thriving agency and brand. If you’re on the edge of a big transition, give it a listen.
If I could wave a magic wand, I’d fix two things:
We’re in an era of AI-generated noise and content overload. If you're trying to cut through the clutter, Zoe Hawkins’ content strategy lessons are pure gold.
After 15+ years, here’s what I’ve learned:
If you’re navigating the transition to a more strategic role, don’t miss this guide on cracking the C-suite code or how to find your next career move.
If you’re like me, you want to lead, not just execute. You want to make an impact. You want freedom, fulfillment, and influence.
The journey isn’t easy—but it’s worth it. Start by understanding your business inside and out. Build alliances across the C-suite. Prioritize what matters. And don’t forget to invest in yourself—whether it’s through mentorship, peer communities, or thought leadership.
Together, we’re shaping the future of B2B marketing leadership.
Looking ahead? Check out what’s coming for marketing leadership in 2025.
If this resonated with you, share it with a fellow marketing leader. Let’s keep raising the bar—together.
I built the CMO mentorship I wish I had—because too many marketing leaders are figuring it out alone. At Growth Activated, we help B2B marketers bridge the gap between execution and executive leadership, equipping you with the strategic mindset, frameworks, and hands-on guidance to drive impact at every stage of growth. From scaling multi-million-dollar organizations to leading SaaS startups, I’ve been in your shoes—and now, I’m here to help you step into the marketing leader you’re meant to be. Whether you need a strategic marketing plan, expert coaching, or team training, Growth Activated gives you the tools to lead with confidence and deliver measurable results.
