This episode features Udi Ledergor, Chief Evangelist at Gong. Udi’s been along throughout Gong’s success journey, primarily as CMO. Learn why the shift to evangelism made sense for him, the company, and their community.Get insights into how Udi created the job description, how he sources 20-25 speaking engagements each quarter, how he lines up appointments with people in customer and target accounts, what his quarterly KPIs include (like influenced and impacted revenue), and more!Four top takeaways:The most important role of a Chief Evangelist is to ignite market demand and create other evangelists in order to drive a self-sustaining movement.B2B marketing, influenced by B2C practices, has adopted a more human, approachable, and communicative style, exemplified by Gong's vibrant, unbuttoned branding. The rise of evangelism is consistent with this more human approach.After years of growth, a VP or C-suite role can become slower and more operational. If this doesn’t play to your strengths, shifting to an evangelist role brings you back to the work of solving problems, acting quickly, and - in Udi’s case - doing hands-on marketing.When hiring an evangelist, consider their domain expertise, connections, and credibility. Ensure genuine alignment with your company's values. Strong communication skills, especially in public speaking, are obviously helpful, too. Look for someone who can tell a bigger story—whether your company is creating or disrupting a category. Evangelism isn't for every company, but for those with transformative ideas, it can be a powerful strategy. Quote of the Show:“I do see evangelism as an extension of marketing. More and more companies are starting to realize the importance and impact evangelism can make. And I see more companies talking to me about hiring this function for themselves.”  Links Related to This Episode:Udi Ledergor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/udiledergor Gong (Website): https://www.gong.io Gong (Blog): https://www.gong.io/blog Gong & Forrester Article: https://www.gong.io/press/gong-named-a-leader-in-revenue-operations-and-intelligence-forrester See or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute: YouTube: https://youtu.be/OJ1egx1k0fQ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tEPLXnkNSYAsjpwD3O69t Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/id1652687400 Chief Evangelist: https://www.chiefevangelist.com Chief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

In today's episode, Richie Cotton, who serves as a Data Evangelist at DataCamp, sits down with host Ethan Beute to discuss his strategic method for creating impactful content to drive top-of-funnel and customizing curriculum to achieve specific learning objectives.Richie takes us through his career journey, transitioning from course creation to a more commercially focused position in the learning solutions team. He reflects on an unexpected yet welcomed shift to his current role as a data evangelist at DataCamp. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes the crucial importance of data literacy.Takeaways:A data evangelist's key role is to boost confidence in using data, emphasizing that everyone has inherent skills. Beyond promoting products, the focus is on reducing fear (or even terror!) by guiding people to take simple steps to use data more effectively in their personal and professional lives. Strategic preparation is key to effective content creation - whether course, podcast, book, or anything else. Consider the audience's background, current knowledge, and desired outcome. Richie’s evolved from creating courses to a commercially focused role in the learning solutions team, which works closely with sales and customer success to guide business clients toward effective data training programs. His transition into the evangelist role was unexpected but embraced, highlighting the importance of demystifying the role of an evangelist by spreading awareness and understanding. DataCamp’s four-person media team, of which he’s a member, is like a band of musicians. They’re closest to - but independent from - the marketing team and their metrics generally drive top of the funnel and start of the sales process. His personal KPIs are related to content creation and output. Quote of the Show:“It’s just empathy, really. You need to put yourself in the position of the people you’re speaking to and try to understand what they care about.”  Links Related to This Episode:Richard Cotton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richierocks DataCamp: https://www.datacamp.com Richie Cotton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/richierocks The DataFramed Podcast: https://www.datacamp.com/podcast See or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute: YouTube: https://youtu.be/8h8lU2piI0M Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tEPLXnkNSYAsjpwD3O69t Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/id1652687400 Chief Evangelist: https://www.chiefevangelist.com Chief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

In this episode, our guest, Martin Schneider, Head of Research and Chief Evangelist at GTM transformation firm Annuitas, discusses the crucial role of a Chief Evangelist in crafting bigger, more persuasive narratives that instill belief in the ”'why” and “how” behind your vision.Learn his path from journalist to analyst to marketer to evangelist and his process of establishing the evangelist roles within a few different organizations. Hear the unique skills and value built at each stage of his career journey that allowed him to find success with evangelism.Takeaways:An evangelist's key role is to create believers by crafting compelling narratives that inspire confidence in the “why” and “how.” In the subscription, you’re not just selling products; you’re helping people join and stay through shared belief. An ex-analyst could be a great evangelist for you - to help you get noticed, get legitimized, gain authority, earn coverage, get quoted, get sourced and create differentiation. The AR and PR functions benefit from an evangelist. Though it’s difficult to prove efficacy, you can look for evidence like competitors stealing your language or overbid on your keywords. You’re looking for evidence all around that your language and point of view are taking hold in the market. An evangelist needs to be credible and authoritative (relative to product and best practices), to source and share great stories of your own (not just parroting product marketing), and to tell more than a company story (going beyond the pitch deck). You need to structure it well, incentivize others throughout the org, and engage them for shared belief in bigger narratives. Quote of the Show:“As we move into the subscription economy and everything is a service, you’re not just selling products anymore, you’re getting people to join and they’ve got to be believers.”  Links Related to This Episode:Martin Schneider on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinaschneider Annuitas Website: https://www.annuitas.com  The Chief Growth Officer's Handbook (Book Link): https://lp.annuitas.com/cgo-handbook See or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute: YouTube: https://youtu.be/oGHkDz3QhWs Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tEPLXnkNSYAsjpwD3O69t Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/id1652687400 Chief Evangelist: https://www.chiefevangelist.com Chief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

In today's episode, we're thrilled to have Ton Dobbe, the founder of Value Inspiration and the author of The Remarkable Effect - The Essential Book for Tech Entrepreneurs on a Mission. Ton dives into the relationship between product marketing and evangelism with our host, Ethan Beute. Discover Ton's insights on achieving true remarkability and learn how to apply his innovative methodology to create meaningful differentiation and exceed customer expectations. He also delves into his mission at Value Inspiration and reveals the transformative role product marketing has played throughout his career journey.Takeaways:The most important role of an evangelist is to get people energized to make a transformative journey. People need to trust that there’s a different and better way and to pursue it.Be remarkable in your business; remarkability is your “magic glue.” Understand what makes you unique, identify ideal customers, and cultivate these relationships. Passionate fans spread the word. Find your niche; don't aim to please everyone.“Empathy is underrated” in both sales and marketing. Developing it requires that the meaningful difference you’re evangelizing is first and foremost. People need to see themselves in it and to feel, realize, and experience it. Revenue and profit follow.The things humans do don’t scale. Yet we can create meaningful differentiation and competitive advantage through human activities. issues, you'll stand out, even against bigger competitors. Prioritize solving highly valuable and critical problems in a way that surpasses customer expectations for lasting impact. Quote of the Show:“You’re on a mission to take a friction out of the market that’s been holding businesses back for too long. Name that. Make it specific.”Links Related to This Episode:Ton Dobbe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tondobbe Value Inspiration: https://valueinspiration.com Ton Dobbe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tondobbe The Remarkable Effect (Book Link): https://valueinspiration.com/book The Remarkable Effect (Amazon Book Link): https://a.co/d/dkeY6L0 The Tech Entrepreneur on a Mission Podcast: https://valueinspiration.com/category/podcast The ultimate guide to tuning your B2B SaaS Segmentation (Article): https://valueinspiration.com/segmentation Guy Kawasaki on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guykawasaki Donald Miller, CEO at StoryBrand on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-miller-storybrand See or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute: YouTube: https://youtu.be/Wh8yV510WFw Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tEPLXnkNSYAsjpwD3O69t Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/id1652687400 Chief Evangelist: https://www.chiefevangelist.com Chief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is Pablo Gonzalez, CEO and Co-Founder of Be The Stage and Co-Founder and Co-Host of Category Thinkers. He joins host Ethan Beute to discuss category design, evangelism, and community.Pablo shares in-depth the significance of being deeply community-oriented. He provides valuable insights on content leverage – the strategic use of messaging and communication to influence various facets of your business, spanning from HR and employee experience to biz dev and customer experience. It's not just about content creation but also includes the essential steps of planning, testing, and continuously refining and realigning your message for superior outcomesTakeaways:The most important role of an evangelist is to be the tip of the spear in championing a point of view, generating content leverage, and rallying a community around the problem you aim to address. To become a category leader, focus on evangelizing your perspective and problem, not your product or brand. This involves crafting a compelling point of view (POV) that addresses the current state, the problem, its effects, the new category solution, and its future impact with real-world use cases. Effectively spearheading market interaction involves iterating through different articulations of your POV and leveraging content to communicate your message on digital stages, podcasts, shows, and other channels. Being an evangelist means engaging people in something they care about. An evangelist serves as a “pied piper,” spreading a shared POV to build a receptive community, creating a vital flywheel for successful companies. Quote of the Show:“I want to be a person who proves that community creation is the most viable form of business development in this new era.”  Links Related to This Episode:Pablo Gonzalez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pablotheconnector Be The Stage Website: https://bethestage.live Category Thinkers Website: https://www.categorythinkers.com Mark Schaefer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markwschaefer Belonging To The Brand (Book Link): https://a.co/d/dfUVKVo See or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute: YouTube: https://youtu.be/wxycf1fM9Dc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tEPLXnkNSYAsjpwD3O69t Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/id1652687400 Chief Evangelist: https://www.chiefevangelist.com Chief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is David Ross, Principal Agile Product Evangelist at Miro. He joins host Ethan Beute as they navigate the shift from being a practitioner to assuming the role of an advocate.Dave shares three specific ways he stays sharp, up to date, and in touch with the latest in his field, how he generated demand for his expertise and evangelism, and why his background in coaching and consulting lends itself so well to his evangelist role.Takeaways:The most crucial role of an evangelist is to engage in meaningful conversations with customers, understand their needs, and learn about them to serve them better. For a product evangelist, this often involves product use, under-use, or non-use! Rather than prescribing solutions, ask powerful, open-ended questions and guide customers to find their own solutions, much like a therapist would. Communication skills, empathy, and a commitment to helping people are essential traits for this. The work of evangelism and the role of an evangelist may be for you, even if you don’t plan for it, expect it, or even know what it is. Hear the process Dave undertook to pursue, learn about, and find joy in his relatively new position – and how he explains it to family and friends! Use multiple channels to be of highest value. Dave shares how he built relationships with the sales and customer success teams to reach prospects and customers, engages in the Miro Discovery Center, attends key conference in the agile community, and teaches business agility and agile use cases internally. Quote of the Show:“You’re talking to people and trying to help solve their problems in a collaborative way.” Links Related to This Episode: David Ross on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmross  Miro: https://miro.com See or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute: YouTube: https://youtu.be/Y3XGO98CGDI Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tEPLXnkNSYAsjpwD3O69t Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/id1652687400 Chief Evangelist: https://www.chiefevangelist.com Chief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is Shaun Plant, Chief Legal Evangelist at LawVu and Community Evangelist at InView. He joins host Ethan Beute to share a better way forward for lawyers going in-house – leaving the traditional law firm model and becoming proactive business partners with deep legal expertise, supported by software and tools, to make a substantial impact on the company's operations and strategy.Watch or listen to learn how content creation, certification courses, community building, a business book, activity-based metrics, and visionary leadership come together in a unique role, opportunity, and movement.Takeaways:The most important role of an evangelist is to believe in the value and impact of their message wholeheartedly, to possess a deep understanding of their audience's needs, and to cultivate personal relationships while connecting industry stakeholders. In-house lawyers should be business partners, not just legal service providers. “There is a better way of working” - being more connected, proactive, and creative, aided by software and tools, to maximize impact on the company's success. The core of the role involves thought leadership, social media, conferences, panels, and similar. He’s also writing a book to define and empower this movement and managing an engaged, 10,000-member community. Success is measured primarily by activity metrics – along with some vision and trust. Most of the content in the community is member-created. It’s tech- and brand-agnostic; though it’s provided by LawVu, they’re careful to keep it focused on the goal of helping people embrace a new way to practice law. – through magazines, a website, a blog, conferences, and matchmatking/networking. Quote of the Show:“We knew we had a solution, but it was a solution to a problem that the industry we were talking to didn’t want to admit that it had.” Links Related to This Episode: Shaun Plant on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-plant-a6705321  LawVu: https://lawvu.com  InView: https://inview.lawvu.com  LawVu on Twitter: https://twitter.com/law_vu  Greg Stephenson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gstephensonuk See or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute: YouTube: https://youtu.be/SHUclubSMLA Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tEPLXnkNSYAsjpwD3O69t Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/id1652687400 Chief Evangelist: https://www.chiefevangelist.com Chief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is Casey Cheshire, Founder and Chief Evangelist at Ringmaster. He joins host Ethan Beute to share why every company needs an evangelist - and a podcast!Casey explains how companies can leverage podcasts to connect with their ideal customers, as well as the benefits of podcasting in terms of capturing, learning from, and sharing the literal voice of the customer.Takeaways:The most important role of an evangelist is to continuously engage with people, understand their challenges, and represent both your company and customers authentically. In our increasingly digital world, where sales and marketing tech depersonalizes and dehumanizes the experience, evangelism reprioritizes genuine connections.Center everything around the customer, even when naming your podcast. Name it for or about your target audience, shape the discussion around their interests, and focus on what you aim to discover from them. And, of course, make them the guests!Evangelism is work that needs to be done – just like sales, marketing, or finance. Paving the way and gaining a competitive edge are two results of creating an evangelist role. For Casey, a dedicated evangelist role champions the customer’s voice and advances thought leadership.Use a podcast for systematic and consistent customer engagement, providing a steady flow of valuable insights. Casey explains how podcasts offer a more effective and appreciative way to connect with customers compared to surveys and one-off projects. Sharing your podcast platform is another valuable relationship-building strategy that overcomes the hurdle of initiating conversations with prospects.Quote of the Show:“There is no more efficient and effective a way to connect with and learn from your customer than a podcast. It’s a slow-drip espresso of customer information and connection.”Links Related to This Episode:Casey Cheshire on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseycheshire Ringmaster: https://ringmaster.com Casey Cheshire on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaseyChesh The Hard Corps Marketing Show: https://www.hardcorpsmarketing.com Creating The Greatest Show: https://www.creatingthegreatestshow.com Buyer Personas by Adele Ravella: https://buyerpersona.com/buyer-personas-book Canadian Potato Museum: https://canadianpotatomuseum.com See or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute:YouTube: https://youtu.be/kvlC1obMikQ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tEPLXnkNSYAsjpwD3O69t?si=e8743721f8954a20Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/id1652687400?i=1000627033181Chief Evangelist: https://www.chiefevangelist.com/035-casey-cheshire-ringmaster-on-podcasting-for-voice-of-the-customerChief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is Amelia Taylor, Evangelist and GTM Strategist at Regie.ai. She joins host Ethan Beute to share the story of evolving from a sales role into an evangelist role – how she did it, why she did it, and how it’s going.Amelia shares the essence of being an evangelist, a role that demands an unwavering dedication to spreading messages and ideas in the most impactful manner possible. She explains how to meet today’s and tomorrow’s buyers with both EQ and IQ, as the dynamics of human interaction, the behavior of buyers, and the role of salespeople are all shifting.Takeaways:The most important role of an evangelist is to connect with people in a genuine and helpful way. Amelia emphasizes the importance of being true to yourself and of taking on the roles of peer and friend to clients. This approach cultivates a comfortable atmosphere, leading to higher success rates. The concealed domain of dark society carries dual potentials that evangelism can unlock. Amelia believes the future of sales prioritizes IQ, EQ, and interpersonal dynamics – meeting, engaging, and serving buyers in the places they live and work. “But is this sales?” This is a question Amelia asks as she breaks out of the sales box in an effort to go to where your buyers are, leverage existing relationships (with advisors, for example), and source revenue in unorthodox ways. Adapting to changes in the buying process may drive more evangelist roles. Shifting from a sales role to an evangelist role involved selling the concept to the CEO, the CMO, and others. If you take this path, put a clear plan together – including primary areas of focus (or activity “buckets”) and revenue targets you expect to source and influence.Quote of the Show:“You have to go where your buyers live. Being present there. Being human. Being yourself. Being a peer and a friend to your buyer. That’s how buyers are buying.” Links Related to This Episode: Amelia Taylor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloramelia/  Regie.ai: https://www.regie.ai/  RevGenius: https://www.revgenius.com/  Amelia Taylor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ameliaallentaylor/ See or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute: YouTube: https://youtu.be/wUrRk70xc6M  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/73U1NzW3aAaqo03pEV2uOd?si=a0fI3azgRRSuXVGX_GkJKw  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/034-amelia-taylor-regie-ai-on-sourcing-and/id1652687400?i=1000625509670  Chief Evangelist: https://www.podpage.com/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/034-amelia-taylor-regieai-on-sourcing-and-influencing-revenue-as-an-evangelist/ Chief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is Kristi Faltorusso, Chief Customer Officer at ClientSuccess and an active evangelist of the practice of customer success (CS). She joins host Ethan Beute to share practical and meaningful insights into change management and behavioral transformation.Kristi shares her approach to advancing the discipline of CS, which is relatively new and which was lacking in voices, stories, and examples. She explains how she developed her voice and audience (including her struggles along the way) through an approach she describes as sharing selflessly.Takeaways:The most important role of an evangelist is education. Kristi identified the need for it within the domain of customer success and how she took on the challenge. The need for practical CS guidance extends beyond frontline practitioners or managerial leaders. This encompasses education for all stakeholders.When joining ClientSuccess, Kristi had already earned authority and credibility through her achievements, challenges, and honesty. Her authentic and vulnerable nature connected with a growing audience, which made her interactions with clients genuine, relatable, and human.Kristi created her audience engagement by recognizing the importance of situating herself with a larger community – of taking an “outside-in” approach. She guided her team to replicate her approach through active participation, observation, and introspection.Companies seeking evangelists should consider people within their customer base. This enables a deeper understanding and view of customer needs, wants, motivations, actions, and stories. Kristi believes that the focus should be on identifying who excels at amplifying and using their voices in innovative ways.Quote of the Show:“I want to be able to drive change in our discipline and I believe that this is the way to do it.” Links Related to This Episode: Kristi Faltorusso on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/  KristiFaltorusso.com: https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/  ClientSuccess: https://www.clientsuccess.com/ See or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute:YouTube: https://youtu.be/KUpe3_b-0iI Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4LkQCwmhoI02iH7uvRXHAH?si=tGHxvFiySOOvLxJZ5Kjp6A Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/033-kristi-faltorusso-on-customer-success-evangelism/id1652687400?i=1000624724247 Chief Evangelist: https://www.podpage.com/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/033-kristi-faltorusso-on-customer-success-evangelism-from-the-outside-in/ Chief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Our guest today is Jared Fuller, Co-Founder & CEO at Partner Hacker and Chief Ecosystem Officer at Reveal. Join Ethan Beute in this engaging conversation with Jared about his insights into three types of entrepreneurs, three distinct eras in B2B SaaS, the category of near bound, and the role of evangelism.Jared encourages evangelists to embrace their true selves, lead with genuineness and passion, navigate life authentically, and share their stories openly and honestly. This approach helps serve the emerging economy that favors “who” over “how.”Takeaways:The most important role of a chief evangelist lies in authenticity. The work must be done with passion, sincerity, and genuineness – qualities that can’t be bought or faked.Three distinct types of entrepreneurs - builders, geniuses, and pros – start and build companies in three distinct ways. The one most aligned with thoughtful, strategic evangelism is the pro.The process of crafting a manifesto helps in category creation and evangelism. With “Trust is the New Data,” Jared co-founded PartnerHacker with a well-developed and articulated point of view, foundation, and strategic direction.Trust is essential to successfully guide individuals toward their desired outcomes. Building relationships and prioritizing people supports long-term, sustainable success more than highlighting credentials or pushing products. The trend is toward “who” over “how.”Quote of the Show:“We only trust people who’ve been to places we want to go. That’s how we buy today.” Links Related to This Episode:Jared Fuller on LinkedInPartner HackerNear BoundRevealJared Fuller’s articleJared Fuller on TwitterSee or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute:YouTubeSpotifyApple Podcasts Chief Evangelist Chief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is Ami Arad, Senior Principal Product Evangelist at 6sense. Ami joins Ethan Beute to share the journey of becoming an evangelist at 6sense, a company he joined after thriving at Microsoft and Oracle and 25 years after his first evangelist roleAmi shares his insights into incorporating showmanship and creating excitement in truly unique ways.Takeaways:The most important aspect of his role is to leverage showmanship and ignite excitement around solutions. Create an objective that centers on creating a buzz and garnering interest – and align with sales and revenue. Throughout his career, Ami excelled as a showman – delivering demos and presentations as an evangelist and a sales engineer. He went above and beyond, infusing each moment with creativity and excitement. From captivating sales kickoffs to entertaining performances, Ami made it his mission to create an engaging experience for everyone involved. His efforts not only brought a sense of fun but also made events unforgettable. Ami observed that in the corporate landscape, most companies relied on a single evangelist to represent their brand. These individual evangelists became the very embodiment of their respective businesses, leaving a lasting impression on anyone they encountered. When he joined 6sense, the team already had several familiar faces and respected voices in the market, so he has even more freedom to be himself. Ami's ingenious strategy to boost engagement in their events involved the creation of extraordinary, specialized dinner and lunch experiences, carefully designed to immerse attendees in sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The production capitalizes on his unique blend of showmanship and hospitality.Quote of the Show:“We can train them over Zoom or we can do what I want to do, which will be more memorable, entertaining, educational, and even viral.” Links Related to This Episode:Ami Arad on LinkedIn6senseAmi Arad's personal websiteSee or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute:YouTubeSpotifyApple PodcastsChief EvangelistChief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is Jill Rowley, GTM Advisor & LP at Stage 2 Capital. Jill joins Ethan Beute to share how she began leveraging social networks not for direct selling, but to nurture relationships and connections that eventually lead to sales conversations. Jill was a pioneering evangelist in organizations like Salesforce, Eloqua, and Marketo and offers advice in this conversation on creating value and mutual benefit in every interaction – with individuals and within your broader ecosystem. She shares the story of being recruited for an evangelist role and reveals a mistake she made in the process.Takeaways:The most important role of an evangelist is to ignite, inspire, influence, and enlighten those around them. In essence, evangelists act as potent catalysts, driving transformative change, building trust with people, and introducing solutions they believe in. The nature of human-to-human experiences defies easy quantification. While certain tools assist in attempts to measure interactions, reliance on these instruments has become excessive. Success in fostering human relationships most often eludes measurement. With advances in technology, the challenge of quantification is bound to intensify. LinkedIn is obviously more than a mere online resume, but that wasn’t always so obvious. Jill recognized its networking power early on and adopted it as a tool alongside others she was using in a sales capacity. Her success set her up as a social selling evangelist before most people were using that language. Sales success does not hinge on the product itself, but on how effectively you contribute to your client's success. By prioritizing the success and satisfaction of your clients, you’re assuring a longer relationship and sustainable growth. Shift your mindset from selling a product to actively solving a problem for your customers. This transformation is the key to building lasting relationships and long-term success. As time progresses, the true value lies in your network—your net worth is tied to the strength and depth of your connections.Quote of the Show:“We’ve gone too far measuring the things that are easily measured and not remembering that it’s about humans, trust, and relationships, which are a lot harder to measure.” Links Related to This Episode: Jill Rowley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillrowley/   Orange Theory: https://www.orangetheory.com/en-us  Stage 2 Capital: https://www.stage2.capital/  Jill Rowley on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jill_rowley See or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute:YouTube: https://youtu.be/6aTpnfzIh8Y Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2JHy2ROvEyAMdOmcCdQ3gi?si=VnyWriAuRty89ygSvMGfCA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/030-jill-rowley-on-community-customer-centricity-and/id1652687400?i=1000621719283 Chief Evangelist: https://www.podpage.com/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/030-jill-rowley-on-community-customer-centricity-and-catalysts-for-change/ Chief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is Kevin Hartman, Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, author of “Digital Marketing Analytics: In Theory & Practice,” and former Chief Analytics Evangelist at Google. Kevin joins Ethan Beute to share how to find success while balancing an abundance amount of opportunities and responsibilities.Among the insights you’ll get from Kevin on how his team collaborated with prominent clients, providing invaluable assistance in overcoming their most formidable obstacles.Takeaways:The most important role of an evangelist is thought leadership – bringing an expert voice, expert opinion, and expert presence to help people make better decisions, make sense of complexity, and use tools more effectively. In Kevin’s experience as Chief Analytics Evangelist, the evangelist roles at Google were relevant and successful because they created so much value. As complexity grows in markets, problems, solutions, products, and services, the value of an evangelist increases. They play a unique and complementary role alongside salespeople, account managers, and CSMs. Taking on an evangelist role is inherently risky because it’s taking a step away from direct revenue attribution and direct customer relationship. Kevin shares the ways he and his team worked to capture and measure value and impact – and why it turned out not to be enough. Leveraging your expertise may include serving as an adjunct professor and textbook author. The relationship between evangelist and professor is symbiotic – the work in each role makes you better in the other. One theme is teaching in a way that’s approachable without being patronizing. Another is an unwavering commitment to stand and deliver. The job of an evangelist “is not to be right and to convince you of what’s right. It’s to get you to understand your problem in a different way so you can solve it.”Quote of the Show:“Proving that we were having an impact was the most important and still the most elusive thing we were trying to do.” Links Related to This Episode:Kevin Hartman’s on LinkedInNotre Dame - Mendoza College of BusinessNore AnalyticsKevin Hartman on Twitter Digital Marketing Analytics: In Theory and Practice BookSee or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute:YouTube Spotify  Apple Podcasts Chief EvangelistChief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is Chris Cochran, Advisory CISO & Chief Evangelist at Huntress. He’s also Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer at Hacker Valley Media. Chris joins Ethan Beute to share why successful evangelism may be measured through aided recall, then unaided recall.Among the insights you’ll get from Chris, a prolific podcaster, are tips for starting a podcast, structuring and growing a podcast, and even guesting on others’ podcasts.Takeaways:The most important role of an evangelist: It lies in their capacity to connect individuals through the power of storytelling. Conveying information in a manner that resonates emotionally enables that information to embed itself deeply in someone’s head and heart. For companies seeking a Chief Evangelist, stay patient. It’s about hiring the right person for this very unique role. Chris shares the story of Huntress finding him after searching for two years. He also explains how and why their mission is worth evangelizing. Evangelists should ask themselves: "How can we elevate storytelling to catalyze a change within our industry?" While discovering the role of Chief Evangelist, Chris immersed himself in every episode of this podcast. This experience not only validated his beliefs but opened a deep understanding of evangelism. Podcasting is a “cheat code for life” – it unlocks so much potential in you and in other people. Chris shares how and why he found himself hosting and producing a dozen shows, as well as specific tips to help you be a better podcast guest and host.Quote of the Show:“The most important job of a Chief Evangelist is connecting people to information that’s going to enable them through the story.”Links Related to This Episode:Chris Cochran’s on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishvm/  Huntress: https://www.huntress.com/ Hacker Valley Media: https://hackervalley.com/ Huntress on Twitter: https://twitter.com/huntresslabs Hacker Valley Media on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheHackerValley See or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute:YouTube: https://youtu.be/In7AZFqZInk Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6CvcSlRgrLwdciKGX8w8sy?si=lgdWRN2ASau5UaQuTeHJnw Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/028-chris-cochran-huntress-on-podcasting-as-a-cheat/id1652687400?i=1000618705981 Chief Evangelist: https://www.podpage.com/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/028-chris-cochran-huntress-on-podcasting-as-a-cheat-code-for-life/ Chief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is Leslie Greenwood, Founder & CEO at Chief Evangelist Consulting and Host of the People Powered Community Podcast. Leslie joins Ethan Beute to share ways to identify, activate, empower, and connect our best evangelists. They’re all around us. And they can help us scale our evangelism efforts.Among the many helpful strategies and tactics you’ll learn from Leslie is building community with the 90-9-1 rule in mind (90% don’t participate, 9% participate some, and 1% participate constantly).Takeaways:The most important role of an evangelist:Be a true champion of your customers. Doing this effectively requires authenticity, sincerity, passion, and wholehearted belief in both your people and your product. Anyone can be an evangelist, including your customers. Consistently providing an extraordinary customer experience that surpasses their expectations is a great way to do it.Customers are obviously the lifeblood of any business. Prioritize their needs and feedback to deliver remarkable service. Create connections with clients by making customer-centricity part of your strategic bedrock from day one.A community is a purposeful group of individuals based on value exchange and reciprocity. Members both contribute and benefit.In-person events help build community and stoke evangelism. It doesn’t have to be expensive and it should be anchored by some facilitated conversation that serves the purpose of the gathering. By curating intentional and engaging discussions, everyone gains profound insights.Quote of the Show:“Anybody can be an evangelist. If you’re talking about your community or your customers, those are the people I like to focus on.”Links Related to This Episode:Leslie Greenwood’s on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-greenwood/ Chief Evangelist Consulting: https://thechiefevangelist.com/ People Powered Community Podcast: https://www.thechiefevangelist.com/podcast Leslie Greenwood on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeslieCEC See or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute:YouTube: https://youtube.com/@chiefevangelist Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tEPLXnkNSYAsjpwD3O69t Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/id1652687400 Chief Evangelist: https://www.podpage.com/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/ Chief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is Paul Norford, VP of Global Enablement & Chief Evangelist at Ivanti. Paul joins Ethan Beute to share how crucial it is for an evangelist to have the ability to tell a compelling story with passion and enthusiasm. These narratives can effortlessly draw in the audience and foster a meaningful connection.Paul also explains the profound impact that the art of communication, customer empathy, and emotional intelligence have had on him. He urges us to ask relevant questions, which creates valuable insights.Takeaways:The most important part of being a Chief Evangelist: Connect deeply with your audience. By embodying thought leadership and tapping into current trends, you draw people in creating lasting engagements. Cultivate a persona that is not only relatable but also trustworthy. Staying true to yourself and your values, establish a solid foundation of integrity, which enhances your sphere of influence. By mastering the skill of EQ-driven active listening, we gain an understanding of someone else's perspective. Create a safe space that encourages authentic dialogue, enabling experiences, and emotions. When looking back at the lives of influential evangelists, they gained the ability to create extraordinary stories. These narratives can effortlessly draw in the audience and foster a profound connection. By following their tone, pitch, pace, and power, they transformed their words to resonate deeply with their listeners. Embracing the art of engaging storytelling, we can inspire and forge a lasting impact. With the rapid changes of technological advancements, Paul provokes introspection by asking, have humans truly changed? Despite the technological landscape evolving, human communication remains anchored in deep and long-standing truths. Through subtle nuances, Paul believes that we forge genuine connections and foster understanding. Chief Evangelists embrace the art of communicating by leaving an indelible mark on organizations and audiences. A good evangelist possesses the ability to stand out from the crowd. However, it is the exceptional evangelist who effortlessly draws people in and captivates their attention. This creates a deeper understanding of not only what lies directly in front of them but also the broader landscape of thought leadership. By immersing themselves in their surroundings, evangelists gain knowledge and insights into their customers. Evangelists can understand someone's passion, product, and solution, and then skillfully "solutionize" how it will address their challenges. It is crucial for evangelists to invest time and effort in learning about their client’s products and businesses. By immersing themselves, they not only demonstrate interest but also enhance their ability to present compelling solutions for their clients' needs. Offer valuable insights and customized solutions to turn prospects into loyal customers.Quote of the Show:“By practicing the art and the skill of communicating, that’s when a Chief Evangelist is working at their optimum.”Links Related to This Episode:Paul Norford’s on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulnorford/ Ivanti Wavelink: https://www.ivanti.com/company/history/wavelink Paul Norford on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulNorford Pocket Full of Do Book: https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Full-Do-Min-Cho/dp/0578551330 See or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute:YouTube: https://youtube.com/@chiefevangelist Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tEPLXnkNSYAsjpwD3O69t Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/id1652687400 Chief Evangelist: https://www.podpage.com/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/ Chief Evangelist is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is Joshua Burkhow, Chief Evangelist at Alteryx. Joshua joins Ethan Beute and shares insights into integrating storytelling into his role as an evangelist. Storytelling plays a pivotal role in the art of evangelism, enabling us to comprehend our client's unique perspectives and needs.Joshua also explains the process of crafting and delivering compelling narratives. Joshua emphasizes the importance of ensuring your message comes across clearly and avoids anything unnecessary. This applies to evangelizing to the market, prospects, and clients, as well as to salespeople, sales engineers, and customer success managers.Takeaways:One of the key aspects that set the Chief Evangelist role apart is its lack of uniformity. Each evangelist brings their own unique and distinct set of skills and perspectives. Two of Joshua's top responsibilities are to disseminate a message and to showcase and demonstrate product value.Even with a technical evangelist or a product evangelist, the human and emotional side of the role is key. There is an art to it. And, of course, the approach needs to be balanced with a depth of product understanding and technical aptitude.Joshua discovered the art of setting the stage, illuminating the value proposition, and wholeheartedly evangelizing. Joshua dedicated himself to perfecting his communication skills, presentation abilities, and structuring arguments. This enabled him to not only excel in his role but to pursue impactful evangelism.Joshua advises that exploring the levers in your company can assist in the extent of impact and obtaining valuable feedback. Evaluating these, you can gain insights into the effectiveness of your data and analytics practices, specifically to your organization's needs and circumstances. Quote of the Show:“That combination of technical aptitude and communication skills is the ‘demanded foundation’ for a good evangelist.”Links Related to This Episode:Joshua Burkhow’s on LinkedIn Alteryx Joshua Burkhow’s bookJoshua Burkhow on TwitterSee or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute:YouTubeSpotifyApple PodcastsChief EvangelistChief Evangelist is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is Ari Kaplan, Head Evangelist at Databricks. Ari joins Ethan Beute and breaks down AI, machine learning, and LLMs – and shares the unique and powerful role of lakehouses. Ari delivers a brief history of AI and predictive.Ari also explains how the evangelism role was co-created and shaped within Databricks, as well as his priorities in his first six months in the role. Ari saw success evangelizing data science and AI at DataRobot so, he took a lot of his successes and failures and applied them at a larger scale at his current company.Takeaways:The most important job of a Head Evangelist is:Thought leadership (innovation, unique value, speaking, social, blogs).Analysts (getting the word out to an audience that doesn’t know you, influencers, industry analysts).Partnerships (partner network, getting others to talk about you jointly or solely, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta).Customer engagement (non-sales approach, the art of the possible). Ari and his teams created the innovation of the lakehouse, revolutionizing the way data is managed. This company allows the use of both structured in data warehouses and unstructured data in data lakes, seamlessly consolidating them under a single and cohesive structure. The founders also developed an array of open-source solutions that attracted millions of downloads each month.An evangelist in a relatively new role may do well focusing internally for the first few months before shifting attention and energy externally to the ecosystem and market at large. This allows your internal stakeholders to understand the role and you to get your head and heart around the concepts and innovations you’ll be evangelizing. Ari believes that a human evangelist plays an important role in simplifying tasks, saving company resources, advancing technology, developing processes, and delivering superior outcomes. Being an evangelist lies in meaningful connections with people. Prioritizing the clients becomes crucial in this people-centered role. Quote of the Show:“I’m not selling. I’m not putting a price point on. But I have to educate people on what is something, why should they do it, why should they look at it now?”Links Related to This Episode:Ari Kaplan’s on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arikaplan/   Databricks: https://www.databricks.com/ Ari Kaplan’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/arikaplan1 See or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute:YouTube: https://youtube.com/@chiefevangelist Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tEPLXnkNSYAsjpwD3O69t Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/id1652687400 Chief Evangelist: https://www.podpage.com/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/ Chief Evangelist is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is Mark Gilham, Evangelist at Enable. Mark joins Ethan Beute and shares his experiences and expertise – in both accounting and evangelism! For him, genuine self-expression and staying true to yourself are key to success in this dynamic role.Mark explains why having integrity in your values and beliefs draws people toward your message and makes them more inclined to embrace your product or service. Though an evangelist needs both, the skills of communication may be more easily taught than the skills of authentic connection. Takeaways:Through experience, Mark has realized that your evangelist role needs to be shaped and made. He believes that there is no standard job description when it comes to adding value to the organization. Through it all, evangelists must be themselves.Being genuine with your clients makes them feel comfortable. That’s how people buy into you and your message. And that’s when you find yourself starting to evangelize without even realizing you're doing it.A key aspect of Mark’s work involves helping businesses establish precise rebate structures. That’s what his company’s software enables, but Mark – a long-time practitioner and customer – adds this service and value layer around the software experience. He’s helping people and teams get more from the product.What people don’t realize is that the role of accountancy goes far beyond number-crunching. The majority of the time, the work involves influencing decision-making based on the numbers people see. Mark believes that being an accountant is all about evangelizing and advocating for others. This role centers around engaging with people. Quote of the Show:“Let go a little bit and trust ‘I was put into this role not just for what I said I’m capable of, but because the business trusts me.’”Links Related to This Episode:Mark Gilham’s on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markgilham/  Enable: https://enable.com/ Enable on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EnableSoftware See or Hear More Conversations on Chief Evangelist with Ethan Beute:YouTube: https://youtube.com/@chiefevangelist Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tEPLXnkNSYAsjpwD3O69t Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/id1652687400 Chief Evangelist: https://www.podpage.com/chief-evangelist-with-ethan-beute/  Chief Evangelist is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/