In this episode, Matt Carnevale sits down with Jessica Andrews, VP of Marketing at Copper, a CRM built specifically for agencies, consultancies, and media companies, designed to help relationship-driven businesses find ideal clients, win new business, manage projects, and nurture customer relationships. The two discuss Jessica’s journey from Senior Product Marketing Manager to VP of Marketing, how she’s navigated imposter syndrome, and her strategies for leading a successful marketing team.

Matt and Jessica cover:

Strategies for shifting from IC to a marketing leadership role
Why product marketing is the foundation of great marketing
How product marketers can position themselves for leadership

Timestamps

(00:00) - - Introduction to Jessica
(02:08) - - Transitioning from product marketing to VP of marketing
(06:05) - - Dealing with imposter syndrome and learning to trust your instincts
(08:48) - - The shift from execution to strategy in a leadership role
(10:30) - - Why taking time to think is crucial for marketing leaders
(11:53) - - The power of networking and learning from other marketing leaders
(13:54) - - How talking to agencies helped shape Copper’s marketing strategy
(15:13) - - Why product marketing is the foundation of great marketing
(16:52) - - The importance of cross-functional alignment in marketing leadership
(19:30) - - Understanding the mindset of sales teams and how to collaborate effectively
(22:24) - - The challenge of getting buy-in for product marketing initiatives
(27:41) - - Balancing being a strategic partner vs. an order taker
(30:21) - - How to respond to last-minute requests and set expectations
(32:43) - - Strategies for building strong relationships with sales and product teams
(35:55) - - How to become T-shaped and prepare for marketing leadership
(38:13) - - Learning demand gen and paid ads
(40:23) - - Why marketing leaders need to understand revenue and business impact
(42:31) - - Advice for product marketers who want to grow into leadership
(43:17) - - Closing thoughts and final takeaways

Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.com
Join the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Check 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 brought to you by Navattic.

B2B websites are filled with too much story, too much narrative these days. You visit a website and you have no idea what the product does and how it works.

This is why Navattic has become a popular product for B2B Marketers. They help you build interactive demos so you can give buyers a real look at the product before they ever talk to sales.

And guess what - it works. They found that companies using interactive demos with Navattic have seen up to a 25% lift in website conversion rates and a 10-20% increase in inbound leads.

They just released their 2025 State of the Interactive Product Demo report, and it proves just how much more control B2B buyers want over the buying process. Buyers have more access to information than ever, and companies are finally catching up by making their product front and center.

Their report breaks down the top-performing demos, why ungated demos drive higher engagement and the best use cases and strategies for making them work.

So if you want to learn more about using product demos on your site, go check out Navattic’s State of the Interactive Product Demo report now.

***

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

#217: Marketing Leadership | Why Product Marketing is the Foundation of Great Marketing Leadership with Jessica Andrews, VP of Marketing at Copper

The Exit Five CMO Podcast (Hosted by Dave Gerhardt)