Shows
RevOps Champions82 | The AI Mindset Shift: Why Simplicity Wins | Tom LambotteIn this episode of RevOps Champions, Brendon Dennewill sits down with Tom Lambotte, Founder of AI Simplifier, to explore how leaders can shift their mindset and simplify AI adoption within their organizations. Tom introduces his framework of eight AI mindsets, designed to help business leaders integrate AI practically and strategically—without getting overwhelmed. The conversation covers why foundational knowledge is essential, how to avoid overcomplicating tools, and the importance of A players in scaling effective teams.Key Takeaways:AI integration should be simple, purposeful, and aligned with strategic goals.Foundational understanding leads to more co...2025-08-0645 minRevOps Champions81 | Franchise Success Secrets: Capital, Leadership & Growth | Nick PowillsIn this episode of RevOps Champions, Brendon Dennewill sits down with Nick Powills, CEO of Mainland and franchise marketing veteran, to unpack why many franchise brands struggle to scale. Nick breaks down the true cost of growth, the absence of RevOps thinking in franchising, and why critical metrics like LTV and CAC are often overlooked. He shares how integrating strategic CFOs, aligning operations, and rethinking technology can drive long-term value. Drawing from 20+ years of experience and his book Sticks and Stones, Nick offers a roadmap for building resilient, scalable businesses.Key Takeaways:Why capital...2025-07-3044 minRevOps Champions80 | The Idea Economy: Vision, Collaboration, and Value Creation | Chad T. JenkinsIn this episode of RevOps Champions, Brendon Dennewill sits down with Chad T. Jenkins—entrepreneur, innovator, and founder of SEEDSPARK CoLAB Partners—for a deep dive into the evolving world of business innovation, structured growth, and the Idea Economy.Chad shares insights from his journey launching over 50 ventures and helping companies across North America scale through intentional, systematized approaches. He unpacks his proprietary icVCR Growth Method—focused on Identifying, Clarifying, and Leveraging Vision, Capability, and Reach—and introduces the ISO framework (Identify, Structure, Optimize), which transforms collaboration into a sustainable competitive advantage.Throug...2025-07-1846 minRevOps Champions79 | Scaling Smarter: Strategic Leadership in the Age of AI | Geoff WoodsIn this episode of RevOps Champions, Brendon Dennewill welcomes Geoff Woods—a dynamic leader whose career spans scaling The ONE Thing brand, driving a steel company’s market cap from $750M to $12B, and now guiding executives at the forefront of AI-powered leadership.Geoff shares how his success stems from two key drivers: surrounding himself with the right people and asking the kinds of high-leverage questions that spark real transformation. Together, he and Brendon explore how AI, when used strategically—not just tactically—can help leaders amplify their impact and focus on what truly moves the needle.2025-07-0937 minRevOps Champions78 | Breaking AI Barriers: Small Steps for Big Impact | Mike KaputIn this episode of RevOps Champions, Brendon Dennewill is joined by Mike Kaput, Chief Content Officer at Marketing AI Institute and strategic leader at SmarterX, to talk about breaking down the real-world barriers to AI adoption—and how teams can take small, practical steps that drive big results.Mike shares the evolution of the Marketing AI Institute, which launched in 2016 to help marketers build AI literacy. Today, through SmarterX, that mission has expanded to support cross-functional teams—marketing, sales, HR, legal, and beyond—in adopting AI in a way that’s grounded in strategy and education.Togeth...2025-06-2545 minRevOps Champions77 | The AI Advantage: Moving Beyond Generic Outreach to Scalable Personalization | Chris BriestIn this episode of RevOps Champions, Brendon Dennewill welcomes Chris Briest, the founder of Mile High AI and a seasoned sales enablement leader, for an engaging discussion about the transformative power of AI in sales organizations. Chris shares his journey from SaaS enablement roles to launching his own consultancy, focusing on practical applications of AI rather than just theoretical potential. The conversation centers on how revenue leaders and individual sellers can leverage AI to differentiate themselves in a competitive market, stressing that the true winners will be those who adopt and effectively use these tools.A major...2025-06-1848 minRevOps Champions76 | Navigating the Valley of Despair: Real Talk on Change Management | John PlumleyIn this episode of RevOps Champions, John Plumley, Director of Revenue Operations at Tri State HVAC, joins Brendon Dennewill to discuss the intersection of technology and process in scaling a traditional B2B business. John provides insight into Tri State HVAC’s unique position as a commercial HVAC manufacturers representative focused on large projects and key relationships within the Philadelphia region. With a mechanical engineering background and decades of sales experience, John shares how his long-standing fascination with CRMs led him to transition from sales into a full RevOps role, where he drives both digital transformation and cultural change wi...2025-06-1048 minRevOps Champions75 | The Power of Alignment and Execution in RevOps | Sean SteigerwaldIn this episode of RevOps Champions, Brendon Dennewill sits down with Sean Steigerwald, a serial entrepreneur and the CEO of CustomerIQ. Sean brings a wealth of experience from founding and growing SaaS and analytics companies, with deep expertise in business development, sales, and RevOps strategy. The conversation kicks off with Sean introducing CustomerIQ—a platform designed to automate and enrich CRM data entry while simplifying email automation for companies with complex sales cycles, particularly those using HubSpot or Salesforce.The discussion dives into the operational challenges of B2B companies, especially those in enterprise SaaS, professional services, an...2025-05-2245 minRevOps Champions74 | Uncovering Sales Growth Secrets: Data, AI, and Culture | Torben RyttIn this episode of RevOps Champions, Brendon Dennewill sits down with Torben Rytt, a leader well-known for his success at Siteimprove and now as the founder of Gainbox. Torben brings a unique background, having moved from Europe to Minneapolis driven by both personal and professional opportunities. With deep roots in building and scaling data-driven businesses, Torben’s journey reflects his ongoing commitment to leveraging technology, curiosity, and ownership as core tenets of leadership.The discussion centers around the pivotal role of data in driving organizational growth and effective sales strategies. Torben explains how, at Siteimprove, deliberate data co...2025-05-1649 min
Smart Business Revolution | Turn Relationships into Revenues | Networking | More Clients | Relationship AdviceBuild Your Niche in Tech for Explosive Growth With Brendon DennewillBrendon Dennewill is the Co-founder and CEO of Denamico, a Minneapolis-based company specializing in HubSpot CRM implementations and integrations. With a career spanning over 30 years across six countries and four languages, he has held senior management positions in the duty-free retail and commercial fishing industries, managing teams of over 200 and navigating complex international markets. He completed two years of military service in the South African Navy in 1987 and 1988. Brendon also serves on the board of Africa Classroom Connection, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit dedicated to building schools in South Africa. In this episode… Scaling a business in an...2025-02-2836 minRevOps ChampionsPodcast Flashback: A Sneak Peek at 2024’s HighlightsHere’s a sneak peek of some of the 2024 podcast highlights from RevOps Champions, hosted by Brendon Dennewill! 2024 has been packed with insightful conversations, actionable strategies, and thought-provoking discussions that resonate with leaders in the RevOps space. But this is just the beginning—stay tuned as we dive deeper and share more of our favorite highlights from a variety of topics in upcoming episodes. Don’t miss out on the inspiration and insights to come—subscribe now and join us for more!Explore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategi...2025-01-1521 minRevOps Champions60 | Embracing AI: Strategies for Growth and the Future of Work | Paul RoetzerIn this episode of RevOps Champions, Brendon Dennewill and Paul Roetzer dive into the transformative power of AI and its impact on marketing, business, and the future of work. They explore the shift from traditional software to AI-driven systems, the urgency for organizations to adapt, and how to build an effective AI roadmap. Paul shares insights on driving personalization, scaling AI initiatives, and fostering AI literacy through education and training. Plus, learn about SmarterX, a bold initiative tackling societal challenges with AI. Tune in to discover how businesses and individuals can embrace AI to innovate, grow, and thrive in...2024-12-2047 minRevOps Champions58 | Client-Centric Strategies in Commercial Brokerage | Bill HimmelsteinIn this episode of RevOps Champions, Brendon Dennewill sits down with Bill Himmelstein, CEO of Tenant Advisory Group, to explore the role of technology in commercial real estate and its impact on client relationships. Bill shares how technology has made information more accessible, enhancing customer experiences and fostering long-term, client-centric connections.The episode covers key elements of business success, including leadership, process, and culture. Bill and Brendon discuss the shift from hard work to working smarter, the lasting effects of COVID-19 on business strategies, and the importance of talent management. Bill also emphasizes the “giver’s gain” philos...2024-12-0455 minRevOps Champions56 | Leveraging Crisis for Innovation | David PflumIn this episode of RevOps Champions, Brendon Dennewill engage with David Pflum, an industry leader in the HVAC sector, to discuss how crises can drive innovation, the significance of robust business processes, and the role of people and technology in achieving scalable growth. Pflum highlights how market changes pushed his company, DriSteem, to develop a groundbreaking product and stresses the shift from custom to configurable products to enhance scalability. He shares valuable insights from his career in niche HVAC markets and underscores the importance of efficient, end-to-end business processes over purely custom solutions.The discussion also delves...2024-11-2044 minRevOps Champions55 | Enhancing Customer Retention and Expansion | Sangram VajreIn this episode of RevOps Champions, Brendon Dennewill engage with Sangram Vajre for an insightful discussion on critical aspects of Revenue Operations (RevOps). The conversation delves into the common challenges companies face in selling and renewals, emphasizing issues like customer retention and the need for expanding into additional personas or product lines. Sangram highlights the importance of having business coaches and frameworks, such as the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), to guide leadership teams through these challenges, ensuring organizational alignment and clarity.The discussion also brings to light the significant role that external advisors and frameworks play in...2024-11-1346 minRevOps Champions54 | Enhancing Business Operations with Focused Strategies and Technology | Marc HansIn Episode 34 of RevOps Champions, Brendon Dennewill sits down with Marc Hans from HubSpot Academy to delve into themes of business growth, technology adoption, and the critical importance of clarity and focus. Marc Hans, inspired by the podcast, speaks about a significant decision he's planning to execute, emphasizing the role of understanding your audience, identifying what makes your business unique, and maintaining a strong focus on your work and team. The discussion is rich with practical advice and anecdotes, highlighting how these principles can drive growth and effective leadership within any organization.The episode then shifts to...2024-11-0647 minRevOps Champions53 | Avoiding Data Overwhelm: AI and Effective Analysis | John AikinIn this episode of RevOps Champions, host Brendon Dennewill engages in a compelling conversation with guest John Aikin about the complexities of technology implementation in business. Aikin emphasizes that technology alone cannot solve business problems; it amplifies existing processes, whether they are effective or flawed. They discuss the crucial role of experienced service partners in this journey, stressing the importance of choosing the right partner from the start. They delve into the pitfalls of opting for cheaper solutions, which often results in clients returning for better service after encountering unsatisfactory outcomes. Furthermore, the conversation highlights the necessity of thoroughly...2024-10-3052 minRevOps Champions52 | Leadership and AI: Strategies for Modern Business Growth | Christopher NaultIn Episode 32 of "RevOps Champions," guest Christopher Nault and host Brendon Dennewill delve deep into strategies for fostering company growth, leadership, and team culture as businesses scale from 50 to 500 employees. They underscore the importance of assembling diverse and talented teams to solve problems effectively, balancing the need for specialization with the benefits of versatility. Key discussion points include how to maintain motivation and intensity after achieving initial goals, with Christopher emphasizing that leaders should continuously focus on understanding and caring about their team's motivators to ensure collective growth alongside technological advancements.The conversation also covers the critical...2024-10-2346 minRevOps Champions51 | Data, Technology, and Integration: Building a Unified RevOps Framework | Brandon WentlandIn episode 51, host Brendon Dennewill and guest Brandon Wentland delve into the nuances of technology implementation and data management, focusing on how businesses can leverage these elements for strategic growth. They emphasize the necessity of understanding and manually testing new technologies before full-scale adoption to avoid operational disruptions. The conversation highlights the dual nature of data and technology as both assets and liabilities, emphasizing the significance of unified systems and reliable integrations to maintain data integrity and avoid accumulation of technology debt.The episode underscores the importance of a holistic data view across departments to gain comprehensive...2024-10-1649 minRevOps Champions50 | AI as a Competitive Edge | Barb StinnettIn this episode of "RevOps Champions", host Brendon Dennewill engages in an insightful conversation with Barb Stinnett, an experienced business leader and CEO of Timaron Group. The discussion centers around the strategic use of AI in business, emphasizing that understanding AI and integrating it into strategic goals can provide a competitive edge. Barb highlights the significance of clean, organized data for effective AI usage and discusses the transition her mid-sized company made from Salesforce to HubSpot, resulting in enhanced productivity and better integration with tools like ZoomInfo.The episode delves into the evolving nature of work-life balance...2024-10-091h 00RevOps Champions49 | The Crucial Role of Change Management in Successful CRM Implementation | Therese BrinkmanIn Episode 29 of "RevOps Champions," hosted by Brendon Dennewill and featuring guest Therese Brinkman, the discussion zeroes in on the integral role of CRM technology and change management in improving marketing-sales collaboration within B2B organizations. Therese underscores that while CRMs like HubSpot can facilitate collaborative efforts, true change is driven by people and well-defined processes, rather than technology alone. The conversation highlights the Four Pillars of RevOps—People, Process, Data, and Technology—with a particular emphasis on the human element in successful CRM implementation.The episode delves deeply into the significance of change management, distinguishing it from...2024-10-0239 minRevOps Champions48 | Empowering Teams with AI Capabilities | Emily GrotkinIn Episode 28 of the RevOps Champions podcast, Brendon Dennewill sit down with Emily Grotkin, an expert in product development and AI integration. The episode delves into the significant product announcements from HubSpot's Inbound 2024 event, focusing on Breeze AI, Breeze Intelligence, and the enhancements to Marketing Plus. Emily emphasizes the importance of these new tools in driving operational efficiency and increasing productivity for marketing and sales teams by embedding AI capabilities directly into their daily workflows. Breeze Intelligence, which leverages HubSpot's acquisition of Clearbit, aims to enrich data and provide buyer intent insights without relying on third-party integrations....2024-09-2519 minRevOps Champions47 | Challenges and Strategic Vision in Franchise Scaling | Luke CarlsonIn Episode 27 of RevOps Champions, host Brendon Dennewill welcome Luke Carlson, CEO and founder of Discover Strength, to delve into the complexities of scaling franchise businesses. Carlson underscores the necessity of viewing franchisees as partners rather than employees, given their financial stake and the imperative to uphold brand standards. Drawing from the successes of iconic franchises like McDonald's, Carlson and his team embarked on a journey to understand the franchise business thoroughly and define their own approach. Key success factors discussed include meticulous location analysis and the pivotal role of selecting suitable franchisees, though understanding this process is ongoing.2024-09-1850 minRevOps Champions45 | Scaling Business with Systems and Technology | Ryan TansomIn this episode, Brendon Dennewill and Ryan Tansom dive into the essential pillars of entrepreneurship, exploring ownership frameworks, financial KPIs, and the critical role of systems and technology in scaling businesses. They discuss the importance of understanding a business's purpose and how it delivers value to customers, emphasizing cash flow and equity growth as keys to achieving independence and freedom. The conversation also highlights the need for true ownership and leadership alignment, along with the value of revenue operations in aligning people, processes, data, and technology. Ryan Tansom shares his insights on measuring backwards, practicing gratitude, and clarifying personal...2024-09-0448 minRevOps ChampionsWhy Nurturing Real Human Connections Is A Key To Epic Business SuccessIt's safe to say that the pandemic has changed our lives, and we don't connect with each other the way we used to. But a real human connection will always remain a key part of our lives. In this episode of the RevOps Champions podcast, our host Brendon Dennewill welcomes Justin Breen, an author and entrepreneur at BrEpic & Epic Life. They talk about creating connections through content, why people don't connect in the same way, and the formula for building a successful company.2022-10-2649 minRevOps Champions14 | Organizing Customer Data with Automation Platforms | Paul PirkleRevOps is a B2B function that uses automation to help teams make decisions that grow the business. It represents the convergence of marketing, sales, and customer service and has four components: people, process, data, and technology.But companies often do not take into account the alignment of all these components. They only invest in technology, thinking that it will fix data, processes, and people.Paul Pirkle, the president of Mid-America Paper Recycling, points out that technology can make people, processes, and data better, faster, and cheaper, but only if you understand these three components.2022-07-2648 minRevOps Champions13 | Aligning Your People, Processes, and Technology for Growth | Scott SannesRevOps is all about maximizing the business's revenue potential. And technology is one of its most important components.But there's more to RevOps than just tech — it is actually more about aligning people, processes, and technology to grow your business. In this episode of the RevOps Champions podcast, our host Brendon Dennewill welcomes Scott Sannes, the principal & director of strategic growth at SEH (Short Elliott Hendrickson). They talk about the importance of user experience, what is the client lifecycle, and why alignment is everything in an organization.Explore the show at revopschampions.com. ...2022-07-1247 minRevOps Champions12 | Aligning Technology with Business Objectives | Mark HokansonEmployee satisfaction and customer experience depend on the company’s tech stack. However, few organizations see innovation as necessary for business growth rather than as another box they need to check like everyone else.Therefore, if you want to help your team to work smarter, not just harder, and meet the clients' needs, you need to ensure that your formula for success is complete and comprises people, process, data, and technology.In this episode of RevOps Champions, Mark Hokanson, the CTO of Bridgewater Bank, joins host Brendon Dennewill. The two discuss RevOps, how technology brings de...2022-06-2045 minRevOps Champions11 | RevOps for Sales and Marketing Alignment | Troy ThibodeauTechnology has developed over the years. Its impact can be seen in the rise of new business models that have been successful. More recently, high-growth companies have adopted Revenue Operations (RevOps) as the main strategy in their go-to-market plans. RevOps is meant to bring together all customer-facing operations, people, and teams to drive growth and make operations more efficient. But many companies have a problem of misalignment between marketing and sales, which is why they are unable to generate revenue.In this episode of RevOps Champions, our host Brendon Dennewill welcomes Troy Thibodeau. They get i...2022-04-0646 minRevOps Champions10 | The Importance of an Employee-First Approach | Mark LachanceRunning a business and being an entrepreneur can be pretty rewarding. But it comes with many challenges. Therefore, every business owner aspiring to become a successful leader must be open to new perspectives, use an employee-first approach, constantly learn, and make fast, informed decisions. In this episode of RevOps Champions, our host Brendon Dennewill welcomes Mark Lachance, the CEO of Maxy Media. Aside from being a successful business owner, Mark is also an author. His book 'The Lucky Formula: How to Stack the Odds in Your Favor and Cash in on Success' is a valuable resource that e...2022-03-2941 minRevOps Champions9 | Revenue Growth through Strategy & Systems | Rob WeberWithout a doubt, the lifeblood of every company is sales. And that's why RevOps is such a critical function of a go-to-market strategy for scaling revenue and driving business growth.But RevOps goes beyond sales teams and extends into other business functions; as our guest says, RevOps is both sales and operational execution.In this episode of the RevOps Champions podcast, host Brendon Dennewill welcomes Rob Weber, the Managing Partner of Great North Ventures. They discuss the key pillars of RevOps, why product-driven growth is not strictly reserved for software companies, the importance of nurturing...2022-03-2149 minRevOps Champions8 | Driving Company Growth with RevOps | Bob GardnerRevOps is the building block of an organization as it unifies different departments around the same goal — revenue generation. But it all starts with people and how you make them feel. If you give your people what they need to thrive, revenue and profitability will follow.In this episode of the RevOps Champions podcast, our host Brendon Dennewill introduces Bob Gardner, the CEO of Gardner Builders. They talk about the importance of RevOps, the challenges of growing a business, and the power of people management. Explore the show at revopschampions.com...2022-03-0732 minRevOps Champions7 | Achieve Alignment with RevOps | Adam StewartThere is no RevOps playbook. However, understanding the essence of the RevOps framework can significantly help companies align their teams, improve their sales, and provide exceptional customer and employee experience. And that's not even the beginning of what RevOps can do.But is RevOps only about technology and tools? While software solutions can undoubtedly maximize the company's business operations and increase revenue, the key to success lies beyond technology. In most cases, companies pay for several programs they don't even use. So, how does that impact their revenue?In this episode of RevOps Champions, Brendon...2022-02-0440 minRevOps Champions6 | Mastering the Three Pillars of RevOps | Alison ElworthyUnlike marketing and sales, RevOps is a relatively new player in the field. And that's the main reason why marketers and people in general usually don't understand it completely.While RevOps is often described as a method that helps businesses generate more revenue, other RevOps masterminds have a broader perspective on its significance. But no single definition can encompass the real essence of RevOps — it's like a three-layered cake where the taste of each layer is equally dominant.In the latest episode of RevOps Champions, our host Brendon Dennewill welcomes Alison Elworthy, the EVP of Re...2021-12-2833 minRevOps Champions5 | Overcoming Common Tech Company Challenges | Brian McLaughlinMoving from hardware to software and focusing on automation is what most companies — both tech and traditional ones — aim for. But, that transition is far from easy and not without its challenges. That's why every company needs to answer a few questions before diving into it. The most critical ones are: a) What is the purpose of our business? b) Do we have a skilled team? c) Is our leadership prepared for such a shift?In this episode of RevOps Champions, Brian McLaughlin, the CEO of Alula, joins our host Brendon Dennewill to discuss the most...2021-12-081h 03RevOps Champions4 | Alignment and Data: The Two Vital Aspects of RevOps | Channing FerrerRevOps is a fairly complex business function and data and alignment are its two most vital parts. When companies leverage data to achieve more and combine it with great marketing, sales, and service alignment, they can expect tremendous success.But other aspects, including sales comp, territory structuring, headcount planning, target setting, and change management, also play a vital role in a company's success. They are an essential part of thorough planning, and companies shouldn't rush with it.In this episode of RevOps Champions, Brendon Dennewill introduces the listeners to Channing Ferrer, the VP of Sales...2021-11-1747 minRevOps Champions3 | Applying Abraham Lincoln's Leadership to Modern Business | Chris HeimA robust strategy is not the only secret ingredient for the success of any business. While strategy plays a vital role in achieving business goals, it's important to have the right people on your team and focus on them primarily. That way, entrepreneurs have the opportunity to "fill up the whole circle" and grow their companies.But what challenges does this process bring? How do entrepreneurs use the idea of "right person, right seat" to identify which people are right for their business? And what happens if the person is sitting on the wrong seat? By focusing...2021-11-1046 minRevOps Champions2 | Solving the Problem of Child Hunger | Rob WilliamsChild hunger has always been a problem. Although schools provide food for all kids on weekdays, it doesn’t solve the problem of children going hungry over the weekend if their families cannot afford enough food during weekends. As a result, students feel sluggish and moody when Monday comes.Some students even sneak some food into their pockets to take home so they don’t go hungry over the weekend. Clearly, child hunger is a huge problem that requires immediate solutions. Luckily, two young gentlemen came up with an idea that's changed both their and the hungry chil...2021-10-2946 minRevOps Champions1 | Capturing Data Isn't Enough | Scott Litman & Dan MallinThere’s no shortage of data to tap into as a business leader. When used properly, data can propel the company to new heights. But there’s also the possibility of disorganized data or data overwhelm. Departments that don’t necessarily talk to one another don’t share data resources, especially if those resources are in a format like a PowerPoint or a PDF. Even when those resources are shared, they aren’t easily searchable. Did you know the average knowledge worker spends 20-25% of their time simply looking for answers? That’s the problem that inspired this week’s R...2021-10-0545 min
Owning the OutcomeDigital Transformations Through TechnologyBrendon Dennewill, CEO of Denamico, has made a key distinction in their flywheel model: they put customer experience in the center. Learn how to leverage data, systems, processes, and technology to help your clients succeed with a true digital transformation of their customer experience.2020-06-0322 min