#118: Marketing Leadership | How to align sales and marketing, why messaging matters over everything, and a new way to compensate marketing leaders (with Brian Kotlyar, VP of Marketing and Growth at H

This week, Dave is joined by Brian Kotlyar. Brian leads Marketing and Growth at Hightouch and previously led teams at Sprinklr, Intercom, and New Relic. He shares his perspective onAligning revenue teams toward common goalsThe importance of an effective messaging strategyPrioritizing numerous ideas from CEOsA high-reward compensation approachTimestamps(00:00) - - Performance metrics and career motivation (06:36) - - Understanding customer needs (10:00) - - Personal growth and getting recognition (12:18) - - Aligning goals and compensation (16:00) - - Higher earnings through higher risk (17:43) - - Aligning compensation to reality (20:55) - - The supply chain stages and revenue generation (29:43) - - Product marketing and brand management (31:44) - - Creative messaging (37:47) - - Understanding the managers’ mindset in crisis (41:07) - - Challenges of managing a startup (43:00) - - Managing content effectively (46:13) - - Sales enablement (48:38) - - Becoming a valued expert and resource in a business (51:47) - - The unpredictability of creative inspiration Send guest pitches and ideas to [email protected] the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Customer.io.You know that feeling when you open your inbox, and it’s just… noise? Bad marketing. Spam. Most companies are out here just talking at customers, not talking to them.Marketing messages should do more than just land in an inbox – they should create impact and drive real engagement.Customer.io helps companies send smarter, more personalized messages using first-party data. Their platform enables brands to reach customers at the right time, in the right place, on the right channel—whether that’s email, SMS, push notifications, or beyond.And the best part is that it’s all automated, so you’re not just blasting campaigns and hoping for the best. You’re running a machine that delivers real, human engagement at scale.7,000+ brands already trust Customer.io to make their marketing feel less like noise and more like connection. Join them by visiting Customer.io to get started. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more