Dave Gerhardt

Hey I'm Dave Gerhardt. I created Exit Five, which has turned into the top community for B2B marketing professionals. Before starting Exit Five I had a 10 year career in marketing and grew from PR intern to CMO. I even once had hair! My wife says I'm more handsome now though, and she's quite pretty so that means a lot -- but the internet just boxes me in as the typical bald guy tech bro. So oh look, another bald tech guy writing on LinkedIn! whoopty freaking do.

Anyway. Where was I... OH. Receipts! I wanted to talk about receipts, because in a world of fluff and online influencers, I actually have some receipts and I want to tell you about them here because it signals power, credibility, and makes it seem like I'm super rich, so: I used to be pretty good at marketing, and my work as a marketer played a key role (at least I think so) in helping two software companies to successful exits: Drift for $1B+ and Privy for $100M+. I certainly helped the founders make a bunch of money, and I was able to comfortably purchase a brand new Toyota Sienna minivan for my family in 2021.

Today I spend my time working on Exit Five, and it's actually been super fun and given me a bunch of purpose. We're a team of six full-time team members now, and we have a private online community and host in-person events around the world. Plus there's a popular podcast and newsletter for marketers. We reach something like 20 MILLION marketers with our content every year, and we've got a pretty special thing going on. I hope to keep it going. You can learn more about it all at exitfive.com.

I spent most of my life in the Boston area but now live in the woods in Vermont with my wife, two kids, two cats, and one dog.

You can reach me at dave@exitfive.com if you want, but TBD if I reply. Depends on the message. But please don't send me any more swag or books. But if for whatever reason you do want to send me something, I play the ProV1x golf ball and like the low numbers.

PS. Find my podcast “The Dave Gerhardt Show” on Spotify

Founder & CEO

Exit Five is a media company focused on B2B marketing. We help B2B marketers build successful careers through our content and community. Learn more at exitfive.com

Content marketers run modern marketing.

Because almost all marketing today is shaped online.

And online marketing shows up as:

- Ads
- Videos
- Articles
- Podcasts and clips like this with Jess Cook
- Social posts
- Newsletters
- Communities
- Influencers

Different formats. But none of it works without a clear content strategy and strong content marketing.

Jess is a great example of this: she started her career as a copywriter for big CPG brands. She cut her teeth writing 200+ variations of a recipe for Rice Krispie Treats.

Then built a career in content marketing: content market manager, director, VP brand and content.

Then turned that into a Head of Marketing role at a startup and was recently promoted to VP on the heels of her success using - wait for it - content to drive revenue.

Not because Vector's content gets a lot of impressions and their podcast is unique or because their little mascot is cute.

But because it's working! Those things are driving revenue. 

I had a conversation with Jess last week (now out on my podcast) and she shared three key marketing plays that she's run over the past year:

1. Influencer Marketing - how does it work in B2B, how did she find influencers, what did it cost, how much pipeline was generated, how did they measure it

2. Podcasting - why they started a podcast, how their podcast stands out, how they record, when/where, how they prep, how they know it's working

3. LinkedIn - we talk a bit about what content types (and strategy) is working well here today

4. Career Path - her path from content to VP Marketing

Erin on my team messaged me last night and said this was the best interview we've done recently - please go listen if you need some tactical inspiration.

Founder: Exit Five | Community Builder | Former CMO

What events are you going to in Q1? We're hosting the first annual Exit Five Marketing Leadership Retreat in Arizona March 18-20.

This event is exclusively for in-house B2B marketing leaders.

It's all about who's in the room and we've pulled together a great group for this event. 

Here are the sessions we have planned:

1. How to Become the CMO Everyone Wants to Work With (with Dave Kellogg, EIR at Balderton Capital)

2. Building and Leading a High-Performing Marketing Team (led by Hillary Carpio, VP Growth at Snowflake)

3. Managing Your CFO and Board Relationship (led by Pranav Piyush, Founder at Paramark)

4. Personal Branding for B2B Marketing Leaders (led by Jane Serra, Head of Marketing at MemoryBlue)

5. Ecosystem Marketing as the Next Big Growth Lever (led by Emily Kramer, Founder of MKT1)

6. How Are You Really Using AI? At Work and Personally (led by Katie Miserany, CCO and Head of Marketing at SurveyMonkey) 

And I'm interviewing Kim Storin (CMO at Zoom) about how she does things and what's changing this year.
 
PLUS since it's a "retreat" - we have time for activities like golf, a workout, pool hang, or in-room massage; get lunch, dinner, drinks.
 
Will you join us?

Pass this on to your VP / CMO friends in B2B.

Full details here:

bit.ly/3Lxj75e

Open article: Marketing Leadership Retreat | March 18-20, 2026 by exitfive.com

Marketing Leadership Retreat | March 18-20, 2026

Revenue-focused Product Marketing Leader | GTM Pro | Mentor

👋 Hi, I'm Alex!

I'm a fractional product marketing leader with 12+ years of experience in driving growth for B2B companies across diverse sectors like healthcare, technology, SaaS, start ups, education, and HR. 

I help companies clarify their product positioning, launch with impact, and build high-performing teams. I blend strategic vision with hands-on execution, balancing quick wins with long-term success.

What I bring to the table:
✔️ Growth-driven leadership: My background in demand generation and growth marketing keeps my "product marketing eye" on generating revenue, building brand, and executing key go-to-market plays.
✔️ Brand champion: Whether it’s speaking to a packed room of execs or crafting a compelling narrative, I know how to advocate for a brand.
✔️ Team player (and builder): I thrive on creating strong connections across product, marketing, and sales, ensuring everyone’s rowing in the same direction.
✔️ Leader and mentor: I’m all about empowering teams to stay focused, motivated, and collaborative—and seeing them succeed.
✔️ Numbers-driven: I’m a pro at tracking ROI, spotting what’s working, and adjusting course when needed.

I'm always up for a chat and am currently open to both fractional roles and full-time leadership opportunities in product marketing. 

Let's connect:
https://calendly.com/alexvirden/30min

Outside of product marketing, I run Twin Thrift Vintage, a vintage glass store. 
Check it out here: instagram.com/twin.thrift.vintage

👾 Alex Virden

CLASS IN SESSION


Thank you for having me, Product Marketing Alliance, and S/O to Elena for always being the MVP event organizer!

Product Marketing & GTM Strategy | Vintage Glass Dealer

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The face you make when you realize how close the Product Marketing Alliance Product Marketing Summit is! 

I'm so pumped to be back in DC speaking on January 28. 

The best part? I'll be reunited with my homies: 
Michele Nieberding 🚀
Zach Messler 🤘👊💥😎
Elena Simou

and new friends:
Sara Morgan
Vivian Jordan
Adam Monago
Effie Calandra
Emily Wilson
Marisa Banigan
Reesha Sodha
Tasha Birdwell
Mariya Cherk

What will we be talking through (maybe even debating 👀):
- AI
- Shaping strategy
- Real world situations
- Legit outcomes

Use the code SPEAKER20 to get 20% off your pass!

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The Battle

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Engagements

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