The Marketing Share
Running a marketing department requires expertise in many domains, from branding, media and positioning to demand generation, sales enablement, and much more. As a business leader or a new department head, you may be an expert in one or more marketing areas but usually not all of them. The Marketing Share aims to close this gap.
Co-hosts Barb VanSomeren and Alec Cheung are experienced marketing leaders who have been down the path of learning on the fly while managing a marketing team. They interview domain experts and ask the right questions so business leaders can learn what they need to know to run marketing.
The Marketing Share
Rethinking Go-To-Market in the Age of AI with marketing expert Chaenara O'Brien (Ep 51)
In this episode of The Marketing Share, our co-hosts Barb VanSomeren and Alec Chung sit down with Chae O’Brien, GTM specialist and principal strategist at Thought Bakery, for a grounded conversation about what it really takes to build a modern go-to-market strategy.
Chae has worked with leading SaaS brands like Bombora, G2, and Simulogic, helping them refine how they connect with customers and scale with purpose. She brings a mix of operational insight and marketing depth that’s rare and incredibly relevant for today’s marketing leaders.
This interview covers how customer intimacy drives great GTM decisions, why understanding your ICP matters more than ever, and how AI is reshaping the way marketing teams think, work, and lead.
Whether you’re stepping into your first marketing leadership role or guiding a team through change, Chae’s practical perspective will help you think more clearly about how to adapt, differentiate, and build momentum that lasts.
🎯 Key Takeaways:
- Know your customer deeply. Understanding what a day in their life looks like is the foundation of great marketing.
- Use AI thoughtfully. It’s not about faster content — it’s about freeing time for deeper strategy and connection.
- Differentiate through value. Messaging matters, but the real edge comes from how your product creates impact.
- Community is a growth pillar. Collaboration and shared learning are essential parts of a modern GTM approach.
- Leadership drives change. Teams need space to learn, experiment, and build new skills as the market evolves.
Resources:
Substack: Understanding Your GTM Floor
🔗 Connect with Chae O'Brian
👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaenara/
Connect with our Podcast Manager
👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/
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Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast? Send us an email with your bio and proposed interview topic to marketingsharepodcast@gmail.com, and our podcast manager will get back to you soon.
Want to connect with Alec and Barb to talk all things marketing and how they can help you leverage the marketing wing of your organization?
Connect with Alec here
Connect with Barb here
Cheers.