Norm Yustin spent the first part of his career as a marketing executive. However, after a particularly impactful recruiting experience and some encouragement from friends and family, he made the move into leadership recruitment. Norm is widely published on the future of tech-enabled, go-to-market leadership, and he brings a unique perspective of developing self-awareness in pursuit of your passion.

In this episode, Norm and I discuss why CMOs need to be the most dynamic players in the C-suite, the danger of hyper-specialized teams and why risking leadership changes may be the right thing to do, and where the next-gen CMOs are coming from.

 In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • The state of the CMO role today
  • What should job seekers need to know from a recruiter’s perspective
  • What aspiring CMOs should be thinking about in terms of skill development

 Key Highlights

  • [03:30] Norms transition from being an executive to recruiting executives
  • [07:17] How losing out on a job shaped the way Norm thinks about recruitment now
  • [11:05] What does it mean to be a CMO today?
  • [14:00] Evaluating if a job is a right fit for you or if you just covet the role
  • [16:20] Why marketers tend to job hop more frequently
  • [18:30] Psychosomatic look into CMOs
  • [19:40] The obsession with Growth Titles and what it tells us about the state of change
  • [22:00] What to take away from the Trends of engineers turned markers
  • [23:30] Why are 80% of CMOs external hires?
  • [27:40] Wavemaker vs Waveriders
  • [31:40] Norm’s thoughts on the CMO to CEO trend
  • [37:05] How traveling shape Norms worldview and leadership style
  • [40:45] Norm’s advice to his younger self
  • [43:50] The everchanging quest of understanding consumers
  • [47:00] Positioning yourself as a “Customer-centric tech-enabled leader”

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Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.