About Squeeze the Funnel - Digital Marketing Podcast
Squeeze the Funnel is a bi-weekly show for B2B SaaS founders and marketers who want more from their marketing.
The problem usually isn't traffic. It's what happens to it after it arrives. Most B2B companies are losing deals to a lack of clarity, not to competition. And the playbook is rarely the problem, understanding your customers and how they actually make buying decisions usually is.
Host Marc Bitanga has led marketing for 20+ years at companies including Hootsuite, EA Sports, and Ritchie Bros. These days he helps B2B companies make their products easy to understand and easy to buy.
Every other week: solo breakdowns of what's actually working, answers to listener questions, and conversations with operators who've built the thing they're talking about.
If you're spending real money on marketing and it just not clicking for your customers, this is for you.
So You Wanna Be a VP of Marketing? - Interview with Mitch Solway, Fractional CMO & VP Marketing Coach
What does it really take to go from junior marketer to marketing exec?
In this episode, Marc Bitanga and Mitch Solway pull back the curtain on what it's like to step into a VP of Marketing role—and stay there.
They talk real career paths (spoiler: there’s no one-size-fits-all), the emotional landmines most new execs stumble over, and the difference between being great at marketing and being great at leading marketing.
They also get brutally honest about:
The biggest leap in a marketing career (it’s not what you think)
Why AI isn’t a silver bullet—but you still need to know your stuff
The invisible politics and pressures that quietly kill even the best marketing plans
It’s like a behind-the-scenes tour of the exec table, with no buzzwords and no sugarcoating.
Top 3 Reasons to Listen:
You’re eyeing a VP seat—or just landed one—and want to avoid the career equivalent of stepping on a rake.
You want a candid look at what actually separates great marketers from great marketing leaders.
You’re tired of fluffy advice and want practical, battle-tested insights from people who’ve actually sat in the chair.
Resources:
Mitch Solway on LinkedIn
Marc Bitanga on LinkedIn
Are you a Marketing Director or VP of Marketing? - Then CMO Haus was made for you. It's the community of high growth marketing leaders who want to grow and succeed in their role and beyond. To learn more, visit CMOHaus.com.
Want your question to be featured on the podcast or would like to be a guest?
Visit: https://www.cmohaus.com/podcast
5 Aug 2025
How to Respond When Sales Says They're Getting "Low Quality Leads"
In this episode, we dig into a scenario that many marketing leaders know all too well: getting called out by the sales team, sometimes in front of your peers, or “low-quality” leads. Ouch.
But instead of getting defensive, what if you leaned in with curiosity?
We explore why your relationship with your head of sales is nearly as important as your relationship with the CEO—and how that connection can make or break your revenue goals. You’ll hear a real-world story of how one marketing leader built trust with a new sales leader...starting with beers and open conversation.
We unpack the right way to respond, what to dig into, and how your lead scoring criteria might be part of the problem. And if you’re dealing with public criticism or a strained dynamic between teams, stay tuned. There’s practical advice on how to reset the tone and keep everyone focused on the one shared goal: growth.
Listen in to find out how to handle the heat, keep your cool, and turn feedback into forward motion.
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Want your question to be featured on the podcast or would like to be a guest?
Visit: https://www.cmohaus.com/podcast
30 Jul 2025
How to Structure Your Marketing Team: In-House, Agencies, or Freelancer?
What do you keep in-house? What do you outsource? And when does it make sense to bring in a freelancer?
In this episode, Marc breaks down the thinking behind building a modern marketing org that actually aligns with your business goals. Because it’s not just about roles and titles. It starts with strategy. And your headcount budget. And knowing exactly what needs to be owned versus delegated.
Marc walks through a clear, no-BS framework for deciding:
What functions are too important to outsource
When to lean on agencies (and when not to)
The only two times he hires freelancers
And the hidden cost of getting the mix wrong
If you’re rethinking your org chart, trying to scale a lean team, or just wondering if you’re doing it right — this one’s for you.
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Want your question to be featured on the podcast or would like to be a guest?
Visit: https://www.cmohaus.com/podcast
28 Jul 2025
How to be Your CEO's BFF: From Marketer to Strategic Partner
Every marketer wants influence. Respect. A voice in the room where the big decisions get made. But very few actually earn it.
In this episode, Marc Bitanga challenges the way most marketing leaders think about their role—and reveals what it really takes to be seen as a strategic partner to the CEO.
You’ll walk away asking yourself new questions. Harder questions. The kind that shift how you show up at the exec table—and how seriously you’re taken when you do.
If you’ve ever wondered why some marketers are treated like order-takers while others shape the future of the business, this one’s for you.
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Want your question to be featured on the podcast or would like to be a guest?
Visit: https://www.cmohaus.com/podcast
21 Jul 2025
Executive Presence: It’s Not a Vibe, It’s a Skill
You’ve heard it tossed around in boardrooms and feedback sessions—“You need to work on your executive presence.” But what the hell does that even mean?
In this episode of Funnels & Feelings, Marc Bitanga breaks down the mystical-sounding concept of executive presence into six real, practical components you can actually work on. From keeping your cool under pressure to projecting confidence without being a jerk, Marc explains why executive presence isn’t a magical “energy”—it’s a muscle built over time.
You’ll learn:
Why rambling ruins credibility (and what to do instead)
The secret power of non-verbal cues (yes, that eye-roll counts)
How to build trust, influence, and a solid rep without waiting for a promotion
Why Toastmasters might be your secret weapon
And why executive presence is less about charisma and more about character
Whether you're climbing the ladder or already in a leadership role, this episode will help you level up how you show up. No fluff. No fake-it-til-you-make-it. Just real talk, relatable examples, and tips you can use starting tomorrow.
21 Jul 2025
Help...My Boss Won't Let Me Invest in Brand
What do marketing budgets and home renovations have in common? A lot more than you think. In this episode of Funnels & Feelings, host Marc Bitanga explains why asking for brand budget when your customer acquisition engine is broken is like buying fancy curtains for a house with a leaky roof.
Marc dishes out spicy metaphors, straight talk, and a dose of tough love to help you win over your CEO, prove you're a budget-savvy boss, and finally get the green light for that brand-building campaign you've been dreaming of.
You’ll learn:
Why brand-building requests fall flat (and how to avoid it)
The KPIs that’ll actually get your CFO to nod
And why you are the only one who can fight for the brand
It’s part strategy session, part pep talk—served with a side of wisdom.
23 May 2025
Coffee Talk with Neel Singh - Zuck's AI Vision, 1-of-1 Brands and AI Pressure on CMOs
Fractional CMO Neel Singh discusses with Marc Bitanga how AI transforms marketing, impacting leadership expectations and agency survival, while emphasizing brand uniqueness and cultural integrity in an interview.
1 May 2025
Flooded with Watered Down Leads | Hey Marc Listener Question
Mitch from Austin runs a successful consumer lending business, but lately, his once-solid stream of high-quality leads has taken a hit. In this episode, Marc digs into what could be causing the shift—even when the strategy seems unchanged.
You'll learn how to investigate drop-offs in lead quality by looking at both internal marketing changes and external channel shifts. From tweaking ad targeting to understanding changes in SEO traffic, this episode is your troubleshooting guide for diagnosing lead issues fast.
⏱️ Episode Breakdown:
00:00 – IntroMark sets the stage and reads Mitch’s question about declining lead quality.
01:30 – Step 1: Audit What’s Changed Internally
Review all recent changes to your marketing strategy—even tiny ones.
Key areas: ad targeting, website copy, form fields, blog updates.
Tip: Ask your team for a detailed breakdown of recent changes.
04:15 – Step 2: Trace Bad Leads to the Source
Determine which campaign, channel, or asset is producing low-quality leads.
Paid media and organic search are likely suspects.
Use analytics to connect the dots between traffic source and lead quality.
06:30 – Deep Dive: Paid Media Troubleshooting
Audit targeting settings: Are you reaching the wrong audience?
Reevaluate ad messaging: Has your positioning changed?
Ensure alignment between ads and what the landing page promises.
08:00 – Deep Dive: SEO Traffic Shifts
Have new blog posts outranked older, higher-converting content?
Are lower-quality keywords bringing in more traffic?
Use tools to analyze shifts in keyword rankings and top-performing pages.
10:15 – Final Thoughts: Diagnosis Before Prescription
The solution starts with clear, structured troubleshooting.
Track everything to isolate the real issue—and fix it fast.
✅ Key Takeaways:
Even subtle marketing changes can affect lead quality—review everything.
Always trace bad leads back to their origin (campaign, keyword, or ad).
Inconsistent messaging or new SEO traffic can attract the wrong audience.
You can’t fix what you can’t trace—analytics are your best friend.
🔗 Resources Mentioned:
Google Search Console (for SEO insights)
Your paid media platform (Google Ads, Meta Ads, etc.)
Website and form analytics (GA4, Hotjar, HubSpot, etc.)
💬 Have a Question?
Send a Loom video or email Marc directly at heymarc@squeezethefunnel.com and your question may be featured on the podcast.
29 Apr 2025
Coffee & Bagels Are For Closers and Content Marketers
Listener Question: Chandler from San Mateo wants to take his online investing course beyond Skillshare and grow it under his own brand. He asked for help with growth marketing—and got a full breakdown of what to do next.
Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode:
Why relying on marketplace platforms might be costing you more than you think
A simple, powerful framework to unlock your ideal customer’s attention
The truth about content vs. paid growth—and how to choose the right path
One overlooked tactic that most entrepreneurs skip (and why you shouldn’t)
And yes… the reason you should just ask for the damn sale
Plus: a San Mateo local’s guide to unbeatable coffee and bagels (don’t sleep on this combo).
📍 If you’re building a digital product and wondering how to attract (and convert) real customers—this one’s for you.
24 Apr 2025
High School Lockers and Diversifying Your Marketing Strategy | Hey Marc Listener Question
In this episode, Marc takes us back to his high school days in Seattle, where being a 90-pound sophomore surrounded by NFL-sized seniors made full-size lockers a terrifying prospect. 😅
But it’s not just nostalgia. Marc answers a thoughtful listener question from Anne in Seattle, who’s crushing it with her digital product business but wondering if she should stick with Meta and Google ads or branch out.
Marc breaks down four killer reasons why:
Paid media only gets more expensive
One channel marketing strategies are risky
Content + SEO = cheaper, compounding growth
Ads aren’t evergreen
Whether you're running a solo biz or scaling a startup, this is the wake-up call to stop relying on ads alone and start building a brand that lasts.
💌 Wanna be featured? Send your question or say hey at heymarc@growtenfold.co
24 Apr 2025
Help! Should I Fire My Paid Media Agency? | Hey Marc Listener Question
In this episode of Squeeze the Funnel, your host Marc Bitanga (yes, with that radio voice 😅) switches things up and dives into a listener question from John, a SaaS co-founder in Los Angeles spending $3M/year on paid media. Lately, John's noticing a decline in performance—and he's wondering: Is it time to switch agencies, or bring things in-house?
Marc shares his candid take on what typically happens behind the scenes with ad agencies, how to spot the signs of complacency or "team downgrades," and most importantly, how to hold your agency accountable without jumping ship prematurely.
💡 You’ll learn:
The three common pitfalls agencies fall into over time
How to diagnose paid media performance issues (and when it’s actually your fault)
Tactical advice for protecting your account—and your results
Got a marketing or growth question of your own? Email Mark at heymarc@growtenfold.co—you might just get featured in an upcoming episode.
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