I help SaaS and high-growth companies unlock exponential ARR growth by building partner ecosystems, affiliate programs, and GTM systems that scale.

Unlike most leaders who specialize in either sales or partnerships, I bring both:
	•	Closed 7-figure enterprise deals as an AE.
	•	Built partner programs adding $10M–$40M+ ARR.
	•	Designed affiliate systems activating thousands of high-performing partners.

My approach blends direct sales experience with a playbook for recruiting, activating, and scaling partner ecosystems that deliver measurable revenue impact.

Currently applying this GTM playbook inside Instantly.ai, where I’m documenting the journey in real time — frameworks, wins, and lessons that any GTM leader can adapt to scale faster.

What I do best:
	•	Design & scale high-impact partner programs.
	•	Build integrated GTM systems combining affiliates, agencies, integrations, and brand alliances.
	•	Turn real-world results into repeatable, monetizable frameworks.

I also work with select founders, execs, and investors through consulting, advisory, and JV opportunities — helping them structure partnerships that multiply revenue and create leverage.

📌 Core Competencies:
• Partnership & Affiliate Revenue Growth
• GTM Architecture & Execution
• Enterprise Sales & Negotiation
• Strategic Alliances & Integrations
• Business Process Optimization
• Leadership & Coaching High-Growth Teams

If you’re building a partner-sourced GTM function and want to scale faster, let’s connect.

Marc Gaudett

As Head of Partnerships, I stay close to the work.

That means:
Talking directly to customers.
Listening to tech partners.
Working alongside affiliates.
Shaping what an integration should look like.
Designing the exact flow.
Hearing real objections from prospects also evaluating competitors.
Building go-to-market strategy end-to-end with partners.
Owning the operations and documentation that make scale possible.

This isn’t accidental — it’s intentional.

No matter how senior the role, some time needs to be spent here.
This is where signal lives.

And when the thought crosses my mind that I “don’t have time” for it, I’m reminded:

This is a motion that has to happen regularly — like exercising or brushing your teeth.

It doesn’t need all of your time.
But it does need to happen.

Partners are just another type of customer.
Staying close helps you pressure-test the value early
and shape something people actually want to take to market.

It keeps you honest.
It sharpens how you build.
It clarifies how you’re discovered.
And it forces your GTM story to make sense outside your own walls.

Being close is what lets you build the right things
and bring them to market faster.

Instantly.ai

Leading the Partnerships Team at Instantly | Building $100M+ Partner-Sourced ARR+ Case Study

We help b2b SaaS marketers turn their video footage into leads | Founder at A2 Media | Ex-Shopify & Affirm.

Hi, I'm Ademola 🙋🏿‍♂️ a professional magician turned video marketer. 

I know, weird combo. But here's the thing: after 20+ years of performing magic, I realized something... 

The same principles that make an audience lean in during a trick are the the same ones that make a buyer trust a brand.

That's why I built A2 Media. I wanted to help as many brands as possible use video the way it should be used: to build trust, tell great stories, and connect with audiences. 

The added benefit of content done right is that it fills pipeline, and closes deals faster 😉

Here's what I've noticed over the years:

Most B2B brands don't lose to better products. They lose to better storytelling. Not because their product is weak, but because they haven't figured out how to earn trust through content.

How it works:

You probably don't need a fancier camera or an influencer to bring in views. But what you definitely need is clearer messaging and a deeper understanding of your buyer. So we start there. What do your buyers believe? What's holding them back? What needs to click before they'll ever talk to sales? Then we turn that into multiple videos that your prospects actually want to watch. Content that positions you as the obvious choice.

The results?
→ Your sales team stops explaining the same thing 100x because the content already did it
→ Your brand shows up in the feeds of people you actually want to close
→ Your pipeline fills with pre-educated prospects who already understand your value
→ Your content drives demos and closes deals - not just brand awareness

We don’t make content for likes. We build video systems that educate buyers, create demand, and do the heavy lifting before the sales call ever happens.

We partner best with B2B SaaS companies that have:
✅ $10M+ in annual recurring revenue
✅ A marketing and social team
✅ Camera-ready talent

A few things we’ve helped make happen:
→ Okta: Multiple video series → 20K subs + thousands of DevDay signups
→ Reveal: 4M+ organic impressions in new markets → acquisition shortly after
→ Nearbound: Cut sales time-to-close by 50% with targeted video series
→ Nice Commerce: 482% subscriber growth + multiple 5-figure deals from video
→ A2 Media: Tripled inbound leads with audience-first video edutainment

(Also trusted by teams at Chili Piper, Close, Runway, Warmly, OpenPhone, Treasury4, and Sendoso)

👉🏿 Let your content do the heavy lifting. Work with us: www.a2media.ca

📸 Ademola Adelakun, MBET

Yesterday, I was a loser and a fraud.

Today I hit 15,000 followers. 

When I was 5 years old, my dad asked me what I want to be when I grow up.

I paused for dramatic effect. 

The moment I entered this world, I knew what I wanted.

And in my heart, I knew I could have taken the easy road.

(Becoming a world leader, or the world’s first ethical billionaire.)

But I chose something more ambitious.

“Father, I say this knowing full well that it will be an arduous journey, but one day I hope to cross the threshold of 15,000 followers on the world’s sh*ttiest social media platform.”

(This is how I spoke back then. I was born in the UK)

My Dad looked at me, smiled and said:

“Son, you can be whatever you want to be.” 

(Less than a year later, my parents had Rotimi Adelakun. Apparently the traditional Nigerian meaning of his name is “backup retirement plan???”)

Today, I’ve achieved what I set out to do when I was 5 years old.

And it’s because all of you choose to continue to tune into my daily mental breakdowns and occasional video advice.

Thank you all for being here on this journey and helping me fulfill my lifelong dream.

Ademola Adelakun, MBET

Our Videos Kick Ass for SaaS. We make the videos. You close more deals. 550+ videos for teams like Shopify, Okta, and Chili Piper.

2025 recap:

- Met 4 elephants
- Worked way too much
- Made new best friends
- Travelled around SE Asia for months
- Celebrated 8 years of love with Maggie Arai  
- Made 0% progress on wedding planning
- Attended 10 weddings globally 
- Became more fluent in Japanese (悪くないね😌)
- Grew A2 Media from 4 people to 9 people
- A2 Media crossed its first $1M in revenue 
- Met some of my team in person in the Philippines

2026 goals:

- Get people to stop calling me “Ade”
- Convince more people that bidets aren’t gross
- Don’t text and drive (you’re lying if you say you don’t)
- Attend less weddings
- Convince Maggie to stay with me forever
- Make at least 6% progress on planning our wedding
- Make more travel VLOG’s
- Spend more time with family
- Finally accept that my brother is taller than me
- Know when to stop working
- Try therapy
- Find a cure for Maggie’s cat allergies
- Adopt a cat
- Play soccer weekly
- Get A2 Media to $2M in revenue
- Grow the A2 Media team to 10 people
- Work with more clients that we absolutely adore

2025 wasn’t perfect. But in a way, it kinda was. 

I expect 2026 to be perfectly imperfect too.

I owe so much of this journey to my friends, my community, and the people here on LinkedIn who’ve supported me along the way. My life wouldn’t be as fulfilling without all of you.

With love,
Ademola.

Our Videos Kick Ass for SaaS. We make the videos. You close more deals | Built for $10M+ Growth & Marketing teams. 550+ videos created for clients.

I’ve been dialing since I was in diapers.

Sales isn’t hard, you’re just lazy and stupid. Stop making excuses. 

You just have to block out all the noise and hustle.

I was on the phone 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

My meals? I cried, they appeared. No time wasted cooking.

Bathroom breaks? Nah, diapers. 

I couldn’t even TALK, but I 👏🏿 was 👏🏿 closing 👏🏿 deals.

So what the f*** is your excuse???

If your goal in 2026 is to sell more, here’s your motivation.

HANG THIS PICTURE UP ON YOUR WALL AND GET TO DIALING.

Our Videos Kick Ass for SaaS. Need content that converts? We make the videos. You close more deals. | Built for $10M+ Growth & Marketing teams. 550+ videos created for clients.

No alternative text description for this image

“I mean, we’re basically rich now right?” 

It was 2018. I’d just started my new job at Shopify making $70,000/yr.

(For my American audience, that’s like $112.87 USD/yr with the current exchange rates)

I remember telling Maggie that I couldn’t believe that I’d made it already.

How we were about to live our dream life, and how at my age I’d already found the job to fund it. 

I mean look at these numbers: 

Rent: $500
Groceries: $500
Fun budget: $500

So what was I going to do with the remaining gajillion dollars I was making every month?

It was all so exciting! I had gone from an unhappy employee at my last company, to working at my dream company, and being paid a salary I was thrilled about.

There was just one big problem that I hadn’t realized yet.

And if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that you’ve experienced this too. 

So I ask you…

What happened the last time you hit a big goal of yours? 

Something you dreamed about. Something you worked your ass off for.

You reach it and then… what?

Inner peace? Eternal fulfillment? A sense of calm that lasts for generations to come?

Pffft 😂

…Yeah so, this was my very first lesson in the fact that human beings cannot live without aspirations and goals. 

And the more we learn, the more we yearn. (That was a bar 🔥)

But the problem is, we often chase things at the expense of what matters most:

Our health. Time with loved ones. The things that make us, us.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with ambition.

Just don’t lose yourself going after shiny things for the wrong reasons.

Accomplishment feels amazing… but only for a moment.

I mean, when I joined Shopify, that high lasted two weeks, max.  

Then I was on to the next thing.

We all get caught up in the chase.

But most of the time, we’re chasing for approval, admiration, or validation from people who don’t really care about how we live our lives. 

It’s easier said than done but, choose your own happiness as much as you possibly can.

Dig deep and find what that thing is. 

I’m willing to bet that it’s not tied to the milestones you’re chasing right now.

But there’s still time to change that :).

Let joy and fulfillment guide you.

📌 P.S. To me 8 years ago: INVEST YOUR DISPOSABLE CASH IN BITCOIN, DON'T F*** THIS UP.

k, so I have to admit that this is WAY worse than I thought it would be 😭😭

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Is anyone else a huge fan of Asana?

Well, we might be bigger fans than you. How big?

Big enough to make them a video they didn’t even ASK for.

(More like a content remix)

Most people just use their product. 

We stalked them. 

Then proceeded to fall into a rabbit hole of their content across platforms…

Then we blinked, blacked out, and woke up having made them a video?

Yeah, inspiration hit us pretty hard 😂

You see, Asana’s video content is already fantastic.

On top of that, their branding is incredible.

We just added a little bit of A2 Media magic on the visual storytelling side of things.	

As a former professional magician, one of my biggest obsessions is directing attention. 

AKA knowing exactly what we want our audience to pay attention to, and when. 

That’s the lens we brought to this piece, and I hope you enjoy it.

Oh and if you’re on the Asana team and you want to use this, DM me and I’ll send you the full file.

No strings attached. 

P.S. LoMo Phillips, you crushed it in this! The way you and the team show up on YouTube is awesome. Keep it up :). 

—-

📌 P.S. Want your team to have content like this? We help teams like Shopify, Okta, and Close, make content that drives viewers to action and closes deals. Let us do the heavy lifting for you 👉🏿 www.a2media.ca

P.P.S. We're not joking about stalking you. Please don't call the police 🚨

This week, many of you told me that "bald looks good on me."

Okay, try lying to me now.

That 12-minute video with less than 200 views? 

It helped close two six-figure deals.

Because it gave the right person exactly what they needed to buy. 

That’s the power of long-form video bb 😉.

It’s the best video format for shifting beliefs, building trust, and moving buyers to action.

For us at A2 Media, we’re betting on long-form.

Because when it’s done right, it outperforms short form in the money making department.

We’ve seen it firsthand:
→ 30-second shorts with 50K–100K views… zero leads in weeks.
→ A 7-minute video with 2,000 views 5 leads in days.

The more time that people spend with you, the more likely they are to trust you.

And the more they trust you, the more likely they are to buy from you. 

The same is the case for our clients. 

Thoughtful long-form in the right places outperform viral shorts every time.
But the truth is, you need a healthy mix of both video formats. 

Short form grabs attention.

Long form does the convincing.

This video covers how to find a healthy balance of both.

We cover: 
→ Why short-form is burning out your audience
→ Why long-form is finally making a comeback
→ How to do both without doubling your workload

The full video is out on YouTube now. 

Watch here: https://lnkd.in/gERPd_hD

If your videos feel like they should work, but don’t...

You’re probably missing one of these 6 LinkedIn video rules. 

(The video says 5 rules, but I forgot a major one haha. Whoops!)

I’ve been there, and I used to think that the problem was our video quality. 

So I did everything you’re “supposed” to do. 

Bought all the fancy gear, spent more time editing, and really leveled up our productions.

And guess what happened?

That’s right! We didn’t get more leads 😂

I don’t want you to waste years figuring this out like I did. 

So I’m here to reveal some easy tweaks that moved the needle for us. 

Namely:
→ 3 text tips to boost comprehension
→ 3 video tips to keep people watching
→ 1 bonus rule I forgot to say out loud

3 things you should have in the text part of your post: 

1️⃣ Ask a question: Most people don’t comment because they don’t know what to say. Help them!

2️⃣ Don’t spoil the whole thing: Share most of the value in your text post, but leave at least one insight as a reward for viewers who take the time to watch. 

3️⃣ Have a CTA: Doesn’t have to be salesy. Invite them to check out another post, watch another video, or save the video for later. Anything that moves them along the buyers journey.

3 things you should have in the video part of your post:

1️⃣ Always have captions: 80% of people scroll LinkedIn without sound. No captions = No view.

2️⃣ Grab attention fast: A great visual in the first 3 seconds leads to 58% higher watch times.

3️⃣ Add an in-video text title: Viewers should instantly know what they’ll get if they stick around.

There’s a ton more I could tell you, but these 6 things are enough to help you make a noticeable difference in the number of meaningful conversations you have. 

And conversations are where deals happen :).

What did I miss? 

(Let me know in the comments, I just might build my next post around it)

—---
📌 P.S. Don’t have the time (or team) to build a video system that drives pipeline? That’s exactly what we do at A2 Media. Check out "How We Make Our Clients Money" in my featured section 👉🏿 https://lnkd.in/gCVxEcBu

Me: "I don't think we're the right agency for you"

2 years later, we're still working with Okta/Auth0.

You never know where a conversation with no agenda is going to take you.

Now, I'm sure any salesperson reading this is thinking: "Why would you disqualify yourself?" 😂

But hear me out. I didn't even realize it was a sales call.

A couple nights before, one of my best friends reached out. 

She called because I was telling her about how I was stretching myself too thin recently.

"It might help to chat with someone who has gone through the same thing. Want me to connect you?"

I took the call. 

Little did I know my new friend Greg was about to turn my world upside down.

5 minutes in, we're laughing like old friends. 

Talking about all the hard stuff that goes into being THE video person.

Then he says: "Hey, I know this isn't why we're chatting, but we're actually looking for someone to help us out. What do you think about working with us?"

I was shocked.

Someone at this crazy huge company wants to work with US!?

Before I could think, the Canadian in me replied: "I don't know if we're the right people. I mean, we're going through a lot of the same problems, right?"

He laughed.

"Don't worry, I have a feeling you're the right person to do this with."

He was wrong. This is the worst partnership that has ever exis-

I'm kidding. It's been absolutely wonderful.

We've learned a ton from Greg, and we've brought our best work to him and the team.

All because he took a chance on me.

All because of a single call with great energy.

I have to be honest, I wouldn't have a functioning business without my network.

So take those calls. Meet those people. In whatever way suits you.

Sure, you’ll find that some people aren't for you. 

But you meet a lot of incredible people along the way.

Greg, I appreciate you more than you know. Thanks for being a friend, an incredible champion, and a teacher.

And to our day 1 editor Patricio Londaits (who is also in the photo) we wouldn't still have Greg and the team as clients without your vision, and your incredible work.

Let's make 2026 just as great as the last two years.

Guys... Where even is Fort Lauderdale?

Please be nice. I'm Canadian. Btw, you coming to this or what? 

It's called Above the Fold: 
→ 2 days in Ft. Lauderdale (wherever that is)
→ No talks. No slides.
→ 100% hands-on workshops.

We've got a ton of people that I love and respect coming to talk.

People like:
Tas Bober to teach us about landing pages.
Jess Cook to teach us about content strategy.
Eric Holland 💀 to teach us about interactive demos.

Oh, and none of it will be recorded. 

Meaning, if you miss it, you miss it. 

This is the last week to get tickets my friends. 

Come hang 😁: https://lnkd.in/gZKyHuzp

P.S. Sahil Patel thanks for inviting me to this awesome event! Means a lot :)

Last month, Maggie Arai kicked me out of the house.

This month, she's finally letting me hang out with her new friends. 

You see, Maggie is a brilliant entrepreneur.

And with that, comes a ton of incredible entrepreneurs that want to be part of her circle.

I wanted to hang out with them too.

But apparently, I needed to be VETTED!?

On a serious note, Maggie is leaning back into her gift of hosting events.

Historically, she’s connected thousands of people in Toronto through friend making events. 

Her events were so good that they were covered on Global News and the Toronto Star.

And now she’s doing something similar, but new. 

Have you heard of Founders Who Give A F*ck?

Probably. But if not, it’s a community of founders who well… give a f*ck ;). 

Founders who give a f*ck about other humans, about building values-led businesses, and who are just genuinely cool people.

So I guess what I’m saying is…

If you’re a founder in Toronto, do you wanna hang out with me or not?

More importantly, do you want to be in the room with other cool, likeminded people who are just like you, and hate traditional networking because it’s too transactional? 

Good. I’ll see you there.

February 5th: 7 - 10PM
Location: 10 Dean (Waverley), Toronto
Sign up here: https://shorturl.at/wdb4F

‼️ Tickets are already 50% sold out!

P.S. I’m actually gonna cry if this announcement actually ends up tanking ticket sales LOL.

Canadians waking up today realizing that Hell might actually have frozen over.

You can focus on going viral, or you can focus on making money.

For 99% of brands, you can’t do both at the same time.

I used to think going viral was the holy grail of marketing.

Looking back, that was because I wasn’t seeing the full picture.

A lot of B2B brands we praise for big reach still struggle to understand how it ties to revenue.

Yet, going viral remains the metric everyone seems to chase.

Some of the most successful brands we’ve come across are the ones that think differently about this.

They don’t focus on massive reach. They focus on getting in front of the right people, at the right time, and positioning themselves as the only option.

I have to be honest, it still catches me off guard to see low view counts tied to record revenue months, but that’s how strong the conditioning around “reach” still is for myself and many others.

I’ve seen this play out in my own content as well. When a post has broad, mass appeal, engagement usually goes up. There are more likes, more comments, more shares.

But very few inquiries come in.

When I create content specifically for my ideal customer, the opposite happens.

The reach is smaller, but the conversations are better.

Close rates go up.

We see the same thing with our clients. The videos that perform best from a revenue standpoint are rarely flashy. 

They go deeper into the problems a specific buyer is dealing with. They take time to explain context. They give the viewer space to build trust.

Longer content often performs better here, not because length is the goal, but because trust takes time.

If you’re planning your video content, here’s a simple way to think about it:
→ Write down every problem your ideal buyer has.
→ Create content that helps them move through those problems and change their beliefs.
→ Always point to other helpful content.
→ Make it easy for them to reach out.

Bonus: Don’t be afraid to ask for the sale sometimes. If you’ve given enough value, your viewers will not be offended.

(Personally, I like to do a 95% give, 5% ask ratio).

If you take anything away from this post, let it be this:

Going viral gets eyeballs.

Targeted content gets buyers.

Which is more important to you?

I've been a professional card magician for over 20 years. 

But can I fool you? Let's see. Keep your eyes on the Jack. 

P.S. I'm still reminiscing because I haven't accepted that 2025 is over. That said, allow me to live in the past for a few more days and share my most watched videos from last year! 

If you figure out how it's done, DM me and I'll tell you if you're right 😉.

Our Videos Kick Ass for SaaS. We make the videos. You close more deals | 550+ videos created for clients.

CTAs don’t always belong at the end of your video.

And if that’s where yours live, you’re leaving money on the table.

(📌 Scroll to the comments for a guide for the best places to put your CTA. Then go thank Wistia).

I know what you’re thinking:
→ “I don’t want to be salesy.”
→ “ I just want to educate my customers and not pressure them.”

Well, same. 

I’m a huge believer in educating your audience and solving real problems.

But if you don’t give your viewers any direction after you’ve earned their attention, you’ve missed an opportunity to build trust with them.

This can be done in so many ways:

Encouraging people to watch another video, linking out to a helpful PDF or resource, or even just letting them know straight up that the solution they’re looking for is YOU.

(Just make sure if you’re pitching, it’s not painful to watch. SaaS can be so stiff sometimes lol)

The simple fact of the matter is, education without direction makes it excruciatingly difficult to convert your viewers.

All great content creators know this, which is why all of their videos are designed to take you further down the rabbit hole.

Eventually you consume enough of their content to go “wait a sec… I should work with these people!”

Yes. Yes you should.

That is what a well-designed video content strategy is all about. 

If you look at our website, every single video has a CTA in the first 5 seconds. Not at the end. 

And our conversion rate from viewer to action? 30%.

All from a seemingly harmless button that pops up and quietly encourages people to click if they want to learn more about what they’re watching.

If you don’t explicitly tell people what to do next, they move on.

Or worse, they’ll take all the lessons you’ve given them and buy from someone else who wasn’t afraid to ask.

Don’t waste the attention that you earned. Make sure you do something with it. 

Hot Tip: Use tools like Wistia, Tolstoy: AI Commerce Platform, or VideoAsk to place CTA’s throughout your content. Most people don’t know this, but you can also put CTA's known as "cards" on YouTube!

📌 Want to see CTA’s in action? Check out literally any video on our website: www.a2media.ca.

Me: "If I was invited to a game show, I'd definitely win."

Mom: "That's nice, honey."

Turns out my mom was right. 

Because I was on a game show recently, and I got absolutely decimated.

...I know I'm not supposed to spoil the ending but Sahil Patel made crushing me look easy on this episode of CRO crimes.

(Even though he was given 50% less time to make his decisions 😭)

For those of you that are new, CRO crimes is the best game show in B2B.

7 lightning rounds. 

Winner gets $100 for the charity of their choice.

But what are the rules, and how do we compete? 

You’ll have to watch to find out 😉

Just know that it was fun, stressful, and hilarious all at once.

And it showed me just how good Sahil is at what he does. 

Sahil, you haven't seen the last of me 😭

P.S. I cannot read Arabic. That's called lying. I'm a liar. 

P.P.S. That chef's knife that you got me is my favourite knife of all time. Thanks man :).

P.P.P.S Ollie Whitfield and Sydney Godfrey, thanks for being great game show hosts!

How do people like Max Pete even exist? 

Here are 5 reasons that I’m his biggest fan:

1. He makes it his mission to spread positivity, love, and joy, wherever he shows up online.

2. He’s exactly the same person in real life as he is online. 

3. He celebrates other people, lifts them up, and makes them feel seen.

4. He always finds a way to make me (and many others) laugh.

5. He’s one of the most introspective writers that I’ve seen on Substack and LinkedIn.

I’m sure many of you would agree with me when I say that he’s a blessing.

Max, I love you man! The dinner that we had was among one of the best times I had last year.

I hope I get to spend more time with you in 2026.

Thanks for being a beacon of positivity, a thoughtful teacher, and a generous leader to so many of us.

Is this AI, or is Dom Odoguardi really in Toronto right now?

does anyone else keep getting spam calls on facetime from this guy?

taplio

The Battle

Marc Gaudett

📸 Ademola Adelakun, MBET

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The Battle

Marc Gaudett

📸 Ademola Adelakun, MBET

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