In this solo episode of C-Suite Strategies, Stacie Sussman breaks down the five biggest trends she’s seeing as we head into 2026—starting with a surprising pattern: CMOs at $30M companies quietly fearing their next board meeting.

Stacie shares why brilliant marketing leaders are losing confidence in the C-suite, what’s driving the rising demand for clean attribution, and why most companies are wildly overestimating their AI maturity. She also unpacks how leaner teams will depend on stronger processes, and how consulting roles will evolve as AI becomes a core operating system rather than a shiny add-on.

If you’re a CMO, CRO, founder, or executive trying to scale without chaos, this episode offers a sharp, unfiltered look at what’s coming—and what it will take to stay ahead.

You’ll learn:
• Why the CMO confidence gap is widening
• The revenue language every marketing leader must master
• Why attribution is no longer optional
• The coming AI reality check for mid-market companies
• How lean operations and process excellence will drive growth
• The new consulting model: human expertise powered by AI

If you’re ready to build real capabilities instead of patching cracks, this episode is your roadmap for 2026.

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
LinkedIn
Website

Networking isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s a leadership strategy.

In this episode, Stacie Sussman sits down with Rachel Rozen, a former hospitality executive turned connection strategist, to break down how high-performing leaders can turn authentic relationships into career-defining opportunities before they ever start job-hunting.

Rachel shares how meeting 300 people in one year reshaped her career and how you can apply the same mindset to build a future-proof professional network.

Key Topics Covered:

• How to reframe networking from transactional to transformational
• The Three I’s Framework — Introduction, Invitation, Information — that keeps your network alive
• Why your dormant connections might open your next door
• How CMOs, CROs, and Founders can strengthen internal trust across teams
• The right time to leave professional communities that no longer serve you
• Practical outreach scripts to reconnect without the awkwardness

This conversation is a masterclass in turning “icky” networking into sticky, strategic relationship-building. The kind that gets you the meeting, the opportunity, or even the next C-Suite role.

Guest Links:

• LinkedIn: Rachel Rozen
• Website: Connection Catalyst
• Apply to attend her NYC Executive & Entrepreneur Dinners

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
LinkedIn
Website

In this episode of C-Suite Strategies, host Stacie Sussman sits down with Matt Austin, a seasoned sales leader with deep expertise in B2B growth and operational excellence. Together, they unpack what it truly takes to scale a business—from navigating the transition to a recurring revenue model to ensuring alignment across leadership and sales teams.

Matt shares lessons learned from years of leading global sales organizations, highlighting the importance of validating product-market fit, implementing structured sales processes, and embedding sales training into company culture. The conversation also explores team dynamics, leadership alignment, and how understanding the context behind every sales strategy can make or break growth efforts.

Whether you’re a CRO, CMO, or founder seeking clarity on how to scale sustainably, this episode delivers practical, grounded insights for driving consistent revenue and organizational alignment.

Key Takeaways
→ B2B leaders often feel stuck in their growth journey.
→ Scaling requires a deep understanding of team dynamics.
→ Validating product-market fit is crucial before scaling.
→ Implementing structured processes enhances sales effectiveness.
→ Sales training matters—for both new and experienced sellers.
→ Context behind sales strategies drives better execution.
→ Operational challenges can hinder growth if not addressed early.
→ Leadership alignment is the backbone of successful scaling.
→ Customer feedback should guide product development.
→ Revenue goals must be grounded in realistic math.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to C-Suite Strategies
02:16 Meet Matt Austin: A Sales Leader’s Journey
04:58 Scaling a Global Company: Insights from Experience
10:09 Understanding Team Dynamics and Initial Steps
12:03 Validating Product-Market Fit
17:15 Implementing Structure and Processes
21:11 Teaching Sales Methodologies: The Importance of Training
26:03 The Context of Sales Strategies
30:51 Navigating Operational Challenges
36:07 Key Takeaways and Lessons Learned

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
LinkedIn
Website

Send us a text

What if AI isn’t failing you—your broken business foundations are?

In this solo episode of C-Suite Strategies, Stacie Sussman, founder of RevUp Advisory, shares raw stories from the boardroom about why companies struggle to see real ROI from AI.

Here’s what you’ll hear:
• The $37M company with a marketing team stuck in Excel chaos for board reporting
• The “12-step content circus” that keeps marketing in approval purgatory
• The sales shuffle—bad data, fake leads, and wasted hours in Salesforce
• Why AI is an amplifier, not a savior (and what it can never fix)
• How RevUp Advisory maps workflows, patches the pipes, and builds real operational alignment
• What it takes for agentic AI to actually accelerate sales, marketing, and growth
• Why fixing workflows is the first step to successful AI implementation

The truth? AI can’t fix bad data hygiene, broken workflows, or toxic culture. It only makes the noise louder. But when your systems are aligned, strategies are clear, and teams are working on solid foundations—that’s when AI shifts from hype to becoming a true growth engine.

RevUp Advisory is trusted by growth-stage companies who’ve outgrown “good enough.”
We’re the team you call when sales is stuck, marketing isn’t converting, and ops can’t keep up. Led by Stacie Sussman and a team of experts you wish you called six months ago, RevUp realigns your go-to-market engine so growth stops feeling like a grind—and starts feeling like momentum.

Email Stacie: stacie@revupadvisory.com

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
LinkedIn
Website

Send us a text

What’s slowing your C-Suite down? Sometimes it’s not lack of ideas—it’s friction in your systems, people, and processes.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of C-Suite Strategies, host Stacie Sussman sits down with Jen Goldman, Founder of My Virtual COO, to explore how leaders can identify and fix the friction points holding back productivity and profitability. From rethinking team structure to visualizing organizational changes, Jen shares practical, neuroscience-backed tools for creating clarity, accountability, and momentum at the top levels of business.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why most growth stalls aren’t about sales—they’re about operational cracks.
  
  
• How visual tools help leaders make big changes without triggering fear.
  
  
• The “parking lot” method for prioritizing initiatives without losing ideas.
  
  
• How to set boundaries and manage energy for peak performance.
  
  
• Why sustainable scaling means caring for your people through change.
  
  

Listen if you’re:

• A C-Suite leader feeling bogged down by inefficiencies.
  
  
• A founder ready to scale but facing resistance.
  
  
• A leader who wants more flow, less chaos.

Referenced Apps & Tools

• Fabulous App — habit-building app from Duke and Stanford research.
  
  
• Lucid (Lucidchart) — for visual org design, flow mapping, and brainstorming.
  
  
• Canva — for visual diagrams and creative layouts.
  
  
• Brain.fm — focus music for deep work.
  
  
• Gamma — presentation/proposal creation tool you use.
  
  

Books & Authors

• Joe Dispenza — meditations (you specifically mentioned his guided meditations).
  
  
• Robin Sharma — The 5 AM Club (mentioned as inspiration even though you’re a “6 AM-ish club” person).
  
  
• Mel Robbins — Let Them (boundaries) and general coaching influence.
  
  
• Greg McKeown — Essentialism (one focus line vs. many squiggles).
  
  
• Gino Wickman — parking lot/Traction concepts (if you want to link to Traction by Gino Wickman).
  
  
  

Connect with Jen Goldman:

• Website: My Virtual COO
  
  
• Email: jenniferg@myvirtualcoo.com

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
LinkedIn
Website

Send us a text

What if the reason your marketing isn't working... is because you're measuring the wrong things?

In this solo episode of C-Suite Strategies, Stacie Sussman, founder of RevUp Advisory, pulls back the curtain on one of the most common problems she sees in professional services, HR firms, and small businesses: spending heavily on marketing without knowing what’s actually driving results.

Most legacy companies are stuck tracking vanity metrics—likes, opens, impressions—while ignoring the micro-conversions that actually build revenue.

Stacie shares real examples from inside companies just like yours and reveals the root cause: disconnected systems, poor attribution, and siloed efforts that make scaling feel impossible.

This isn’t about more tools—it’s about better visibility.
If your funnel feels clunky, if your marketing isn’t converting, and if your sales team is stuck guessing… this episode will show you exactly where the cracks are in your foundation.

Here's what we cover:

• Why traditional marketing metrics are broken and misleading
• What micro-conversions are (and why they’re your growth unlock)
• How to stop relying on spreadsheets and gut feelings
• A real-life story of a $25M firm that transformed with simple visibility
• What attribution really means for non-SaaS companies
• Why you don’t need fancy dashboards—just the right signals
• How legacy businesses can build momentum with clarity, not chaos

RevUp Advisory is trusted by growth-stage companies who’ve outgrown “good enough.”
We’re the team you call when sales is stuck, marketing isn’t converting, and ops can’t keep up.

Led by Stacie Sussman and a team of experts you wish you called six months ago, RevUp realigns your go-to-market engine so growth stops feeling like a grind—and starts feeling like momentum.

Learn more: https://www.revupadvisory.com

Email Stacie: stacie@revupadvisory.com

Book a consult: https://calendly.com/revupadvisory/consult-call-with-revup-advisory

Follow Stacie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staciesussman/

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
LinkedIn
Website

Send us a text

What happens when a successful executive realizes his six-figure salary is slowly killing his soul—and his relationship with his kids? Greg Garunov had the perfect life on paper: a suburban house, luxury cars, and two decades of success in the media industry. But behind the polished facade, he was drowning in the "Groundhog Day" cycle that traps so many working dads.

The wake-up call came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when remote work forced him to actually spend time with his children. That's when he discovered the brutal truth: having kids doesn't automatically make you a great father. Greg made the bold decision to leave his corporate career behind and build Millennial Prime, a thriving community that helps working dads master family work-life balance while pursuing parenting with a purpose.

This isn't another feel-good story about work-life balance. This is a raw, honest conversation about the loneliness epidemic plaguing successful fathers, the "golden handcuffs" that keep high-achievers trapped, and the revolutionary mindset shifts that transform both your business leadership and your family relationships.

Grab all the links and resources mentioned in this episode at

https://www.revupadvisory.com/podcast/parenting-with-purpose-greg-garunov

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
LinkedIn
Website

Send us a text

Ready to uncover the brutal truth about why most executive hiring fails? In this explosive conversation with Conway Shui, veteran recruiter and co-founder of C&C Talent Partners, you'll discover the hidden secrets behind executive recruiting that companies don't want you to know. From Fortune 500 talent wars to startups chasing unicorn dreams, Conway reveals why "scale experience" is dangerously overrated and how a brief 60-minute cold email led to landing top leadership roles at CBS and Time Warner.

Stop waiting for the perfect opportunity to find you—start knocking on C-suite doors today. Whether you're stuck in your current role or ready to take the leap to executive leadership, remember that Conway landed at CBS through a single bold email.

Join our LinkedIn community to share your own bold career moves and discover how other leaders are navigating the real challenges of stepping into executive roles. Because in the game of executive recruiting, the boldest move is often the one that gets noticed.

Grab all the links and resources mentioned in this episode at

https://www.revupadvisory.com/podcast/executive-recruiting-with-conway-shui

Connect with Conway:
LinkedIn

Connect with Stacie:
Book a free growth consult
LinkedIn
Website