"What's more important—helping someone write a cold email or paying attention to a kid who's excited to come home and tell you the score on their test?"

In this episode, I speak with Jen Allen-Knuth, founder of DemandJen, sales educator, LinkedIn powerhouse, and rescue dog evangelist. We talk about what it means to truly show up—not just in work, but in family, in grief, and in life. Jen opens up about becoming a stepmom to four kids, how that role helped her finally disconnect from hustle culture, and what losing her dad taught her about hard work, legacy, and humor.

We also cover her unexpected rise as a dog rescue advocate, the real reason she left corporate roles, and how a conversation with Amy Volas finally pushed her to bet on herself. This one’s for anyone figuring out how to find meaning outside of metrics—or just trying to stop writing cold emails long enough to live a little.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:49) Internet friendships and social anxiety

(04:24) Balancing work and personal life

(05:28) Step-parenting and personal growth

(18:34) From Dalmatian to Pit bulls

(20:20) The ferret named Ernesto DePantolano

(21:05) Discovering the world of rescue dogs

(22:33) Using social media for a cause

(24:05) Balancing work and passion

(24:39) Volunteering and making a difference

(27:36) Advice to younger self

Connect with my guest:

Jen Allen-Knuth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/demandjen1/

Explore DemandJen: https://demandjen.com

Connect with me:

Kyle Lacy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylelacy/

Explore Docebo: https://www.docebo.com/

Produced by our partner, Share Your Genius: https://shareyourgenius.com/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=pod&utm_campaign=rev-diaries

“You have to show up. Creativity doesn’t just happen—you make it happen.”

In this episode, I speak with Rob Joyner, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Centerbase and a self-taught artist who turned a garage experiment into a thriving creative career. By day, Rob helps lead a legal tech company. By early morning, he’s in his studio, pushing the boundaries of abstract art with layers, texture, and movement.

Rob shares how painting became his way to manage anxiety, why early mornings are his secret weapon, and how a simple trip to Michael’s turned into a six-figure art business. He also talks about navigating parenthood while juggling multiple passions, building a brand without relying on galleries, and why saying yes led to a $36,000 day.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:00) Discovering art and the impact on anxiety

(02:58) The journey from hobby to professional artist

(05:00) Developing a unique artistic style

(07:00) The breakthrough moment in Rob’s art career

(09:00) Navigating the art world and gallery experiences

(12:00) The benefits of early morning creativity

(15:00) Balancing career, art, and family life

(18:00) How to find a meaningful hobby

(20:00) Prioritizing family while managing a career

(24:00) The importance of setting boundaries and being present

Connect with my guest:

Rob Joyner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-joyner/

Explore Centerbase: https://centerbase.com/Rob Joyner on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paintedjoyner/

Explore Rob’s art: https://paintedjoyner.com/

Connect with me:

Kyle Lacy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylelacy/

Explore Docebo: https://www.docebo.com

Produced by our partner, Share Your Genius: https://shareyourgenius.com/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=pod&utm_campaign=rev-diaries

“I’m not dying for your cold email sins.”

In this episode, I speak with Jordan Crawford, founder of Blueprint and an advisor at Clay, who’s shaking up the world of B2B sales with a data-driven approach to outbound strategy. By day, Jordan helps revenue teams escape broken outreach models. By night (and probably early morning), he’s deep in the world of AI, segmentation, and scalable personalization.

Jordan shares why most outbound sales motions are fundamentally flawed, how AI is both the problem and the solution, and why the best revenue teams are ditching generic intent data in favor of highly specific insights. He also talks about why SDRs hold the real keys to better messaging, how “shiny object syndrome” is leading teams astray, and why being too broad is the fastest way to fail.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(02:22) Understanding the role of a Go-To-Market Engineer

(05:04) Challenges in modern marketing tools

(15:09) Crafting effective marketing messages

(19:15) The rise of shiny object syndrome in marketing

(20:08) Vertical SaaS - the key to effective outreach

(21:34) The importance of human insight in marketing

(28:03) Leveraging AI for targeted marketing campaigns

(32:28) Practical steps for implementing AI in marketing

Connect with my guest:

Jordan Crawford on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordancrawford

Explore Blueprint: https://blueprintgtm.com

Connect with me:

Kyle Lacy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylelacy/

Explore Jellyfish: https://www.jellyfish.co
Produced by our partner, Share Your Genius: https://shareyourgenius.com/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=pod&utm_campaign=rev-diaries