Growth should solve problems—not create new ones. But what happens when more customers, more employees, and more opportunity actually make your business harder to run? In this episode of B2B No Bull, Liz Brohan sits down with brand strategist Sue Kirchner, founder of Brand Strong Marketing, to expose the hidden cost of brand confusion—and why companies often don’t realize it’s happening until growth starts breaking things. From stalled hiring and inconsistent customer experiences to wasted marketing spend and failed expansion efforts, Sue explains how unclear positioning quietly creates friction across the entire business. The problem isn’t usually demand. It’s that teams stop knowing who they are, who they serve, and what they’re supposed to deliver. Sue shares behind-the-scenes stories from companies navigating rapid scale, hiring bottlenecks, mergers, acquisitions, and market expansion—and reveals the surprisingly practical role brand strategy plays in getting organizations unstuck. This conversation goes well beyond messaging and logos. You’ll hear why HR should care about brand, why culture is impossible to sustain without it, and why leadership—not marketing—ultimately owns the brand experience. If your company is growing, launching, hiring, repositioning, or preparing for what’s next, this episode will challenge how you think about branding—and show why the strongest brands aren’t built in marketing meetings. They’re built in everyday decisions. Because when everyone knows the story, growth gets a whole lot easier.

Most B2B companies think they know what makes them different. They're wrong — and that blind spot is quietly killing their growth. In this episode of B2B No Bull, Liz Brohan and guest co-host Valinda Cox, president of Sound Horizons, sit down with John Ravaris — founder of UVP Solutions and author of Define Value, Drive Growth — for a straight-talking conversation about the one question every business dreads answering honestly: Why should I choose you? John brings 35 years of founder-led business experience and a no-nonsense 4D Roadmap — Discover, Develop, Deploy, Delight — to show exactly how companies leave value on the table by building their story from the inside out, leaning on buzzwords nobody believes, and ignoring their most powerful growth asset: happy clients who've never been asked to speak up. No theory. No fluff. Just the framework that changes how you compete.

What does it really take to reinvent a company in real time? In this episode of B2B No Bull, Liz and Mark Brohan sit down with Commerce.com CMO Michelle Suzuki to unpack a rebrand that didn’t just refresh a name—it redefined an entire business. Facing rapid shifts in e-commerce and the rise of AI-driven buying, the company moved beyond its BigCommerce roots to build a unified identity that reflects a much bigger vision. Michelle shares how her team brought multiple products under one strategic umbrella, aligned leadership around a bold new direction, and launched it all at record speed. But this conversation goes deeper than process. It’s about navigating uncertainty, making high-stakes decisions quickly, and ensuring employees, partners, and customers all understand the story. If you’re thinking about rebranding—or resisting it—this episode offers a clear, unfiltered look at what it really demands today.

In this thought-provoking episode of B2B No Bull, hosts Liz Brohan and Mark Brohan sit down with marketing expert Drew Neisser to unpack the growing impact of artificial intelligence on the future of marketing careers. Drawing from conversations with hundreds of CMOs, Drew explains why AI should be viewed less as a threat and more as a powerful tool for marketers willing to adapt. The conversation explores how forward-thinking companies are using AI to improve efficiency, personalize customer experiences, streamline workflows, and rethink team structures. Drew shares practical insights on building smarter AI strategies, avoiding common mistakes, and using technology to solve meaningful business challenges instead of chasing shiny new tools. A major focus of the episode is the importance of human creativity, judgment, and critical thinking in an increasingly automated world. Listeners will also hear actionable advice on prompt strategy, leadership, team training, and how marketers can future-proof their careers in a rapidly changing landscape.

In this episode of B2B No Bull, hosts Liz Brohan and Mark Brohan explore the evolution of promotional merchandise with guest Sarah Johnston, founder of PromoSpark. Once viewed as cheap “swag,” branded merchandise has become a strategic marketing tool focused on quality, sustainability, and brand impact. Sarah explains how the industry has shifted from mass giveaways to thoughtful, high-value items that build lasting impressions and emotional connections. The conversation highlights how COVID-19 accelerated innovation, driving the rise of e-commerce, print-on-demand, and direct-to-home fulfillment. From curated employee kits to online merch stores and rewards platforms, today’s approach is more personalized and scalable than ever. They also discuss the expanding definition of sustainability and the importance of ethical sourcing and product longevity. Sarah shares insights on team-based selling models and her entrepreneurial journey, reinforcing one key takeaway: when done right, promotional merchandise delivers measurable business value.

In this episode of B2B No Bull, Liz and Mark Brohan unpack the shifting landscape of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) with transformational growth advisor Sarah Alter, former CEO of NextUp. As legal pressures and public backlash prompt some companies to retreat or reframe their DEIB efforts, Alter argues the real focus should be organizational alignment. She shares why tying culture initiatives to measurable KPIs—and leading from the CEO level down—drives sustainable business results. Featuring examples from major brands and insights on emotional intelligence and learning models, this episode makes one thing clear: alignment, not acronyms, fuels performance and long-term success.

In this episode of B2B No Bull, Liz and Mark Brohan unpack the shifting landscape of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) with transformational growth advisor Sarah Alter, former CEO of NextUp. As legal pressures and public backlash prompt some companies to retreat or reframe their DEIB efforts, Alter argues the real focus should be organizational alignment. She shares why tying culture initiatives to measurable KPIs—and leading from the CEO level down—drives sustainable business results. Featuring examples from major brands and insights on emotional intelligence and learning models, this episode makes one thing clear: alignment, not acronyms, fuels performance and long-term success.

In this episode of B2B, No Bull, hosts Liz Brohan and her brother Mark Brohan sit down with innovation veteran Richard Guha for a no-fluff look at why innovation fails in most organizations. Drawing on a 45+ year career across industries and continents, Richard argues that companies don’t lack ideas—they lack clarity on the problems worth solving. He reframes innovation as a diagnostic discipline rooted in customer insight, not technology hype or brainstorming theatrics. The conversation explores leadership, culture, and the critical difference between innovation and entrepreneurship, offering practical, human-centered guidance for B2B leaders seeking sustainable growth.

In this solo episode of B2B, No Bull, host Liz Brohan sits down with Lindsay Young, President of 3 Aspens Marketing, to explore why storytelling still matters in modern B2B marketing—especially in an AI-saturated world. Together, they unpack how SEO-first content and automation have drained the humanity from B2B, and why AI should support thinking, not replace it. Lindsay shares practical ways to bring storytelling back through customer insight, original research, and transparency around the “messy middle” of buyer journeys. The episode wraps with a rapid-fire Bull or Noble segment tackling AI, authenticity, and long-form content.

In this episode of B2B No Bull, Liz and Mark Brohan explore the “black hole of marketing” with returning guest Cindy Greenglass, President of Livingston Consulting Strategies. The conversation breaks down how AI is changing the way B2B buyers get answers—and why traditional SEO alone is no longer enough. Cindy introduces answer marketing and answer optimization, explaining how recommendations, not rankings, are shaping buyer expectations. The trio discusses using internal data, AI prompts, and emerging AI agents to anticipate buyer questions and create real differentiation. The takeaway: B2B marketers must engineer answers, not just push content.