In a marketing landscape increasingly obsessed with dashboards, efficiency, and short term ROI, many organizations are unknowingly measuring themselves into slower growth. In this episode, we explore what it really means to measure what matters in marketing and why focusing too narrowly on efficiency can quietly undermine long term results.

In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, host Anthony Taylor speaks with Brook Shepard, founder of Mason Interactive and long time digital agency leader. With over a decade of experience helping businesses scale through data driven marketing, Brook shares a clear and practical perspective on how leaders should think about metrics, customer acquisition, and growth in an increasingly complex digital environment.

Brook breaks down the tension between efficiency and growth, explaining why metrics like ROAS and cost per lead can be misleading when viewed in isolation. He shares real world examples of how bottom of funnel optimization, when overemphasized, can starve future demand and slow momentum. Together, Brook and Anthony discuss how marketing works as a system, why different channels play different roles, and how leaders can make better strategic decisions by aligning metrics with intent rather than convenience.

You will also hear a candid discussion on attribution, zero click search, and the evolving role of AI in customer acquisition. Brook explains why attribution models must evolve alongside buyer behavior and how leaders can build confidence in their marketing investments by testing assumptions, involving third party expertise, and reframing how success is defined.

Enroll in our strategic thinking training today for $0!

https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Strategic-Leadership-Toolkit

If you want your team execution to be smoother, faster, and easier your team needs the right tools and coaching. Enroll in the Strategy Leadership Accelerator and level up your leadership team. https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

In this episode, you will learn:

- Why efficiency focused metrics can limit long term growth

- How to think about customer acquisition as a system, not a single channel

- Why new customers are more valuable than they often appear on paper

- How to align marketing metrics with strategic intent and business goals

- What leaders need to understand about attribution, zero click search, and AI driven behavior

Connect with Brook Shepard

Website: https://masoninteractive.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brshepard/

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO and Founder of SME Strategy and a trusted expert in organizational alignment and strategy execution. With 15 plus years of experience facilitating strategic planning and leadership development, he helps organizations align their people, accelerate execution, and achieve their biggest goals.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: www.smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com

As organizations scale, complexity increases. Systems break, communication slows, and leaders often lose sight of how the business actually works. In this episode, we explore why structure, sales discipline, and clear strategy are essential for sustainable growth in global organizations.

In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, host Anthony Taylor sits down with Pete Harris, President of Pipedrive. Pete previously led global business development and global partnerships at Intuit and spent over a decade at Deloitte, where he worked closely with hundreds of organizations across industries. Today, he leads value creation strategy at Pipedrive, supporting more than 100,000 customers across 180 countries.

Anthony and Pete discuss how an auditor’s mindset helps leaders truly understand their business, why strong systems create predictability without limiting adaptability, and how sales processes mirror leadership execution. Pete shares lessons from scaling a global SaaS platform, navigating private equity ownership, and balancing short-term performance with long-term strategic bets.

You will also hear how Pete approaches partnerships differently from traditional sales, why assumptions often derail negotiations, and how experimentation has become a core part of modern strategy. Pete introduces Pipedrive’s Artist and Scientist framework, which encourages leaders to combine data-driven discipline with creative problem-solving to adapt in uncertain environments.

Enroll in our strategic thinking training today for $0!

⁠https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Strategic-Leadership-Toolkit⁠

If you want your team execution to be smoother, faster, and easier your team needs the right tools and coaching. Enroll in the Strategy Leadership Accelerator and level up your leadership team. ⁠https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution⁠

In this episode, you will learn:

Why understanding structure and process is critical before scaling

How sales systems and leadership execution are closely connected

What differentiates partnerships from transactional sales relationships

How to balance short-term results with long-term strategic priorities

Why adaptability and experimentation are essential to modern strategy

Connect with Pete Harris

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-harris-a166665/

Website: https://www.pipedrive.com/

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO and Founder of SME Strategy and a trusted expert in organizational alignment and strategy execution. With 15+ years of experience facilitating strategic planning and leadership development, he helps organizations align their people, accelerate execution, and achieve their biggest goals.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: www.smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com

Enroll in our strategic thinking training today for $0!

https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Strategic-Leadership-Toolkit

If you want your team execution to be smoother, faster, and easier your team needs the right tools and coaching. Enroll in the Strategy Leadership Accelerator and level up your leadership team.

https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

In markets that feel more crowded and noisy every quarter, many organizations quietly slide into commodity status and do not even realize it. In this episode, we explore how to uncover the hidden magic in your business before you price and simplify your way out of what makes you great.

In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, host Anthony Taylor speaks with Barry LaBov, founder of LABOV Marketing Communications and Training, long-time agency leader, former rock musician, and author of The Power of Differentiation. Together they dig into what real differentiation looks like in practice, why it usually already exists inside your organization, and how to communicate it in a way that energizes customers and employees alike.

Barry shares stories from premium brands and industrial firms, from whisky and trucks to copper and rail, that all discovered unique value in places they had been taking for granted. He explains why leaders often erase their own competitive advantage in the name of efficiency, and offers practical questions you can use to avoid the commodity trap and keep the features and experiences your customers truly love.

You will also hear Barry and Anthony talk about the human side of differentiation. They explore how to involve employees early, why listening to customers reveals more than any internal workshop, and how leaders can use vulnerability and clear communication to avoid the void of misinformation inside their organizations.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why almost every organization has real differentiation, but it is not fully using it
  

• How to find the invisible strengths in your products, services, and customer experience
  

• The risks of decontenting and cost-cutting that quietly erode brand love
  

• Questions to ask customers and employees to reveal what you should never change
  

• How to connect differentiation, culture, and leadership transparency
  

Connect with Barry LaBov

Website: https://www.barrylabov.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-labov-6965241/

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO and Founder of SME Strategy and a trusted expert in organizational alignment and strategy execution. With 15+ years of experience facilitating strategic planning and leadership development, he helps organizations align their people, accelerate execution, and achieve their biggest goals

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.
Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com