#199: Marketing Leadership | From Employee #4 to CMO: The Path to Marketing Leadership with Sylvia Lepoidevin, CMO at Kandji

In this episode, Dave is joined by Sylvia Lepoidevin, CMO of Kandji, a leading platform for managing and securing Apple devices in the workplace. Sylvia shares her journey from employee #4 to CMO at Kandji, driving the company’s growth to a $850M valuation. She talks about her experience building efficient marketing teams, leveraging AI, and creating impactful brand experiences.Dave and Sylvia cover:How AI is reshaping marketing roles and enabling smaller, more efficient teamsStrategies for internal marketing that align and energize cross-functional teamsProduct launches and creative campaigns for brand-driven growthTimestamps(00:00) - - Intro to Sylvia (05:07) - - From 1st Marketing Hire to CMO (09:52) - - Understanding Equity and Financial Outcomes (12:34) - - Wealth and Career Growth (15:14) - - Why It’s Important to Have a Clear Career Narrative (20:06) - - Mastering Storytelling in Team Meetings (24:42) - - How to Engage Your Team (25:18) - - Leveraging Feedback Loops to Build a Successful Team (30:49) - - AI Is Enabling Smaller, More Efficient Teams (34:32) - - AI’s Impact on Marketing (37:32) - - How Kandji Is Expanding Their Team (40:23) - - Achieving 10x Growth Through Product-Led Strategies (44:03) - - Leveraging Competitor and Apple-Specific Keywords (47:27) - - Minimizing Hiring Risk: Test Roles First 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