The CRO Spotlight Podcast
Are you a CRO looking for insights and ideas from your peers? Are you a Revenue Leader with aspirations to become a Chief Revenue Officer? Are you a CEO looking to appoint a CRO to scale your business? Welcome to the CRO Spotlight podcast, a weekly show featuring insights from Chief Revenue Officers, B2B Revenue Leaders, and CEOs. Hosted by Warren Zenna, Founder and CEO of The CRO Collective, the show goes deep behind the scenes with the people who have been there, done that, and have seen the results. The CRO Spotlight Podcast is an open, free-form conversation...
Simplifying Revenue Operations & Navigating PE Pressures with John E. Lepto IV
In this episode of CRO Spotlight, host Warren Zenna welcomes John E. Lepto IV for a deep dive into current revenue leadership challenges. Their insightful conversation unpacks the evolving CRO role amid aggressive market dynamics and PE pressures, revealing actionable strategies to balance growth ambitions with operational discipline.
John E. Lepto IV shares extensive experience navigating complex revenue landscapes by aligning sales, marketing, and customer success to achieve measurable outcomes. He highlights pitfalls in outdated growth tactics and misalignment within PE-backed organizations, offering clarity on practical steps that recalibrate revenue strategy for stronger performance and sustainable profitability.<...
Finding Gold in Dirty Data & Creating Consistency with Guy Rubin
On this engaging episode of CRO Spotlight, host Warren Zenna sits down with Guy Rubin, Founder and CEO at Ebsta, to dissect the evolving CRO role. They explore the challenges companies face when hiring for growth—from misaligned expectations to premature role adoption. Their conversation sparks innovative ideas on how to recalibrate commercial strategies for lasting success.
Guy delves deep into the pitfalls of early CRO hires and the impact of a 17-month turnover trend. He shares insights on how misaligned sales processes can stunt growth and emphasizes the benefits of a 360 sales strategy. Backed by research, hi...
Future of Data Automation and the Death of the CRM with Elio Narciso
Warren Zenna welcomes Elio Narciso on CRO Spotlight as they dive deep into the challenges of data overload in today’s sales environments. They explore how manual tasks and disjointed CRM systems drag down productivity while innovative integrations and AI-driven agents set the stage for a transformative approach that empowers CROs and their teams to focus on high-impact activities.
The conversation shifts to the impact of agent technology and automated research on routine tasks. Warren and Elio discuss how advanced integration and workflow systems can eliminate tedious data entry, enabling sales teams to spend more time building re...
Data Capture and AI-Driven Revenue Intelligence with Janis Zech
In this episode of the CRO Spotlight podcast host Warren Zenna connects with Janis Zech, Co-Founder and CEO at Weflow. They explore the rising significance of the Chief Revenue Officer role amid evolving market challenges. The discussion sets the stage by addressing operational inefficiencies and the need for precise revenue intelligence in today’s competitive environment.
The conversation dives deep into aligning sales, marketing, and customer success for a unified revenue strategy. Janis shares insights from his extensive experience, emphasizing the impact of early CRO integration on business performance. Key topics include data automation, pipeline management, and th...
Navigating the Spectrum of CRO Responsibilities with Rich Sutton
In this episode of CRO Spotlight, host Warren Zenna welcomes Rich Sutton, Co-Founder at DM&RS Advisory, for a deep dive into the evolving CRO role. Rich shares his unconventional journey from rock and roll DJ to strategic revenue leader, setting the stage for a conversation that challenges traditional sales-focused perspectives in today’s dynamic market.
Rich explains how the fractional CRO role can transform startups by integrating sales, marketing, and customer success. He highlights that a CRO isn’t just about closing deals but also about aligning cross-functional teams to build a cohesive revenue engine that adap...
The Long Game in Software Services with Alex Asianov and Jonathan Blessing
In this episode of CRO Spotlight, host Warren Zenna welcomes Alex Asianov and Jonathan Blessing of DOOR3 for a deep dive into their company’s 22-year journey through the ever-changing world of technology services. Alex shares how his early passion for programming led to the founding of DOOR3 and how that foundation evolved into a product-focused mindset serving real business outcomes.
Jonathan joins the conversation with reflections on his parallel path in the tech world and eventual return to DOOR3 as CEO. The two share candid stories of how their complementary skills, shared values, and a strong cu...
Navigating the Intangibles of the CRO Role with Steve Kost
In this engaging episode of CRO Spotlight, host Warren Zenna sits down with seasoned executive Steve Kost to explore the intricate world of revenue leadership. Their conversation delves into the often-overlooked intangibles that drive success, drawing on experiences from Fortune 500 giants to nimble startups. The discussion sets a thoughtful tone for tackling today’s complex business challenges.
Warren and Steve share candid insights on how empathy and transparency redefine leadership. They examine the power of open communication with CEOs, executive teams, and board members, while discussing real-life scenarios that reveal the impact of active listening and honest fe...
Enterprise Revenue Models and AI-Driven Efficient Growth with Justin Shriber
In this episode of CRO Spotlight, host Warren Zenna welcomes Justin Shriber, CEO of BoostUp.ai, for a deep dive into the evolution of sales technology and enterprise revenue strategies. Justin recounts his journey from early days at Siebel to his leadership roles at Oracle and BoostUp.ai, sharing insights on how traditional models are being reimagined for today’s dynamic market.
Justin explains how shifting customer expectations and new revenue models demand more than legacy CRM systems. He outlines how AI agents can analyze critical signals, automate follow-up actions, and streamline the sales process. This discussion em...
Musings on AI, Thermometers and Borrowed Structure
In this episode, Warren Zenna dives deep into the often-overlooked challenges of leadership, particularly for Chief Revenue Officers (CROs). He explores the immense complexity of the role, which requires managing relationships with CEOs, cross-functional teams, boards, and other stakeholders—all while making critical decisions that impact the organization. Warren emphasizes the importance of leadership skills that go beyond operational processes, such as psychological and cultural management, decision-making, and navigating political dynamics. These "intangibles," as he calls them, are essential for CROs to thrive in their roles and lead effectively.
Warren also discusses the unique pressures CROs face, fr...
AI-Enhanced Social Selling and LinkedIn Strategies with Brynne Tillman
In this episode of the CRO Spotlight Podcast, host Warren Zenna is joined by LinkedIn expert Brynne Tillman to explore how AI and LinkedIn Sales Navigator are revolutionizing the sales process. Brynne shares insights into using these tools to foster trust-based conversations, create tailored outreach, and enhance relationship-building strategies for CROs and revenue-driven professionals. Together, they discuss how modern technology can accelerate first connections while maintaining the authenticity required to build lasting professional relationships.
The conversation delves into the balance between AI and human interaction, emphasizing the importance of using AI as a tool to support—not re...
