Dani Woolf (She/Her)

User Experience Specialist

Founder & CEO @ Audience 1st | Content @ Nucleus Security | Customer Research Certified

Five years ago, I pissed off a CISO so badly in front of my CMO, he helped me build a $1M+ cybersecurity buyer intelligence business. That humiliating moment during a website messaging feedback session? Best career move I ever made. Here's the uncomfortable truth about B2B tech marketing most won't tell you:

Most marketers create buyer personas in echo chambers instead of interviewing real buyers to get direct buyer insights. They're selling to fictional characters while their actual prospects choose competitors.

I learned this the hard way when a CISO, my customer, publicly destroyed me for using a buzzword out of context. At that time, I'd never actually talked to a single security leader about their real problems.

Instead of defending my approach, I asked him for coffee to learn why I upset him. That conversation led to thousands of conversations with CISOs, security architects, and IT leaders who taught me what B2B marketers get dangerously wrong about technical and business buyers.

What I discovered:
→ IT buyers don't trust marketing because marketers don't understand them and their environments
→ The best "research" comes from actual conversations, not survey data
→ Skeptical IT buyers will tell you exactly what they need - if you ask the right questions
→ Authentic relationships beat aggressive outreach every time

Today I help B2B cybersecurity companies understand their skeptical buyers through:

🎯 CyberSynapse - Direct access to vetted IT decision-makers for buyer intelligence that actually drives revenue

🍳 Cooking with CISOs - A TV show that builds real relationships with technical leaders (yes, over actual food)

📺 YouTube/Content - Sharing what 1000+ technical buyers taught me about effective B2B marketing

Some of the most skeptical and hard-to-reach cybersecurity buyers have dubbed me the marketer they actually trust - and I teach other B2B marketers how to earn that same trust and credibility.

Ready to stop operating in the dark and start growing with confidence?

Visit the links in my Featured section to see how I can help.

Founder and CEO

I'm removing the barrier to customer insights for go-to-market teams in growth-stage cybersecurity companies so they can scale growth and retain loyal customers.

Dani Woolf

Cribl

Cribl, the Data Engine for IT and Security, empowers organizations to transform their data strategy. Customers use Cribl to analyze, collect, process, and route all IT and security data, delivering the choice, control, and flexibility required to adapt to their ever-changing needs.

Alliances, Channel & Program Marketing, EMEA

Acquired by F5. (NASDAQ: FFIV)

Focused on building a strategic marketing function as the company’s growth engine, including brand differentiation, market positioning, demand creation and pipeline growth

Chief Marketing Officer

Exclusive Networks

Leading the global Marketing team for the exclusive group overseeing the execution and operation of 100 field marketers operating in over 50 countries WW, I was responsible for Exclusive Networks ‘marketing machine’ including global brand, go-to-market strategy execution and in-country field marketing performance. With a broad scope of KPIs focused on global marketing operation optimization, the role focused on driving demand for vendor partners globally,  defining and accelerating brand growth and ensuring brand exposure within the media, customers and all digital channels is efficiently optimized while adhering to budget restrictions

VP Global Marketing & Comms

The role included the responsibility for creating and implementing marketing programmes to support business growth. Overseeing the entire marketing process from idea conception, collateral building, planning timescales, budget and finally programme analytics and ROI reporting. 
With a channel-focused track record of high achievement and rapid success, Exclusive Group brings all the essential elements of a winning strategy for market entry and growth. Value-added distribution is at the heart of the Exclusive Group proposition, complemented by full global services capabilities for project deployment and support, and comprehensive, integrated commercial leasing offerings.

Fuelled by a strong culture of ambition, entrepreneurialism and sustainable growth, Exclusive Group is a business success story set to achieve phenomenal growth target by 2017.

Global Director, Marketing & Comms

Aerohive Networks

Focused on  development and execution of all Channel plans and programmes for the International Market including EMEA, APAC, Australia/NZ to maximize channel-driven revenue, resulting in the International region dominating WW channel revenue (40%)

Intl Marketing Channel Manager

Cohesive

A highly experienced marketer who has spent much of the last 15 years conducting a broad range of tactical and strategic marketing activities for global technology and banking organizations. 

Hadas joined Cohesive in 2003, having spent around five years working as a Marketing Manager within Alcatel, and formerly Newbridge Networks.  In other roles, she has also managed campaigns for Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Lloyds TSB.

Marketing Consultant

HBOS

Planning and delivery of HBOS in-branch marketing  customer acquisition campaigns for the Credit Card division

Acquisition Marketing manager, Credit Cards

Alcatel-Lucent

Marcomms Manager

Newbridge Networks

Marcomms Executive

As the Head of Marketing at Wib, a leading API Security platform, I am responsible for developing and executing the global marketing & communication strategy, driving new business development, and enhancing the brand awareness and reputation of the company. With over 15 years of experience in marketing and communications, I have a proven track record of delivering multi-channel marketing campaigns, building strategic partnerships, and leading high-performing teams. I have also successfully launched and scaled Exclusive Group, a value-added distributor for Cybersecurity and SaaS solutions, into a global market leader, serving as the VP and Global Director of Marketing and Comms for more than seven years. My core competencies cover the full marketing stack, communications, new business development, and leadership. I am passionate about creating and delivering innovative and impactful solutions and marketing programmes that empower customers and channel partners, to support business growth. I am always committed to fostering a culture of diversity, inclusion, and collaboration within and across the team that I lead.

taplio

The Battle

Dani Woolf

Hadas Hughes

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