Quick Wins: How CMOs Build Momentum Fast

In the first 90 days, perception outruns reality. So where will you find the quick, visible wins that turn “new CMO” into “trusted change agent”? 

In this episode, Drew sits down with Laura MacGregor (Savvy Marketing Works), Julie Kaplan (Higher Logic), and Julia Goebel to unpack how CMOs convert early pressure into progress, spot quick, visible wins to bank now, and use that goodwill to earn the mandate for bigger changes.

How Three CMOs Win the First 90 Days: 

• Laura listens first, learns the business, and picks intentional early moves that build trust. 

• Julie starts before Day 1, using interviews to find a wish list and deliver one visible win fast. 

• Julia anchors early success in data and customer calls to sharpen focus and reveal opportunities.

Plus: 

• How to align expectations with a marketing maturity matrix and shared success metrics. 

• Why small conversion gains build credibility while foundational work ramps up. 

• How to partner with sales, learn from top performers, and scale what works. 

• Why customer conversations beat inherited assumptions every time.

Stepping into a new CMO role? This episode shows how to turn early pressure into wins that build lasting momentum. 

Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 487 on YouTube 

Resources Mentioned 

• CMO Huddles 

• CMO Super Huddle 

• The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins 

• Past episodes mentioned 

• • Laura MacGregor 

• • • Cybersecurity for CMOs 

• • • Marketing & Comms Alignment 

• • Julie Kaplan 

• • • B2B Marketing Metrics 

• • • Introverted CMOs 

• • • ABM on the Cheap 

• • Julia Goebel 

• • • The CMO as Chief Collaboration Officer 

• • • Decoding B2B Marketing Success Metrics 

Highlights

• [3:27] Laura MacGregor: Quick wins start with people 

• [4:54] Earn trust before transformation 

• [8:21] Small tweaks, big wins: message and process 

• [10:09] Julie Kaplan: Your 90-day plan starts in the interview 

• [11:32] Turning wishlists into strategy 

• [14:05] Progress buys you time 

• [20:13] Julia Goebel: Come in with a point of view 

• [23:29] The 30-call crash course for CMOs 

• [27:10] The 90-day credibility playbook 

• [32:17] CMO Huddles: Learning what’s next, from each other 

• [34:33] Thriving under the 90-day microscope 

• [37:45] Simplify before you amplify 

• [39:09] Turn win-loss calls into gold 

• [43:00] Don’t skip Gong, but call anyway 

• [45:13] Win fast by listening first 

• [48:22] Quick wins for new CMOs

Highlighted Quotes  

“Take the time to meet people, understand what's going on with them, what's working and what's not, and try to distill that information down into some common things that really align with the business objectives."— Laura MacGregor, Savvy Marketing Works 

“A lot of the listening can begin before day one. In the interview process, there are an awful lot of hints that are given as to processes that need to be updated or an activity that's never been done."— Julie Kaplan, Higher Logic

“I want to call 10 most recent wins, 10 most recent losses and 10 lapsed customers. So right away you've got 30 data points that can bring your perspective."— Julia Goebel

Full Transcript: Drew Neisser in conversation with Laura MacGregor, Julie Kaplan, & Julia Goebel