Show Notes
When Drew Neisser walked on stage at the CMO Huddles SuperHuddle dressed head to toe in a penguin suit, the room erupted. It wasn’t just comic relief - it was a perfect metaphor for everything the CMO Huddles community stands for: boldness, courage, and the power of the flock. As Drew puts it, “A group of penguins is called a huddle. That’s what we’re about - caring, sharing, and daring together.” From Crisis to Community The origin story of CMO Huddles goes back to April 1, 2020. The world was in lockdown. Marketing leaders were isolated, events were canceled, and uncertainty was everywhere. Drew gathered 18 CMOs on a Zoom call. They met 55 times in six months. What began as a survival mechanism quickly became a thriving peer community - and a business built on purpose. Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Fast forward to 2025, and the SuperHuddle in Palo Alto brought together over a hundred CMOs from some of the most admired B2B brands on the planet - Snowflake, Gong, Lovable, and more. The energy was palpable as leaders leaned into one another for ideas, strategies, and perspective. A Culture of Flocking Awesomeness What makes the Huddles unique is how they combine structure with spontaneity. Each session puts CMOs in table groups of eight to ten to tackle real-world problems together - live, in the room. These “mini-huddles” simulate the virtual peer huddles that define the community, bringing them to life in an immersive, high-energy format. And yes, there’s the penguin. “It’s part of our brand,” Drew says. “Because a group of penguins is a huddle. We try to be bold, courageous, and have fun. I wore the penguin suit to inspire CMOs to lead with a little more courage.” Authentic Differentiation One of the major themes that emerged from the event was the idea that true differentiation starts with culture, not campaigns. Drew noted that the top CMOs from companies like Snowflake, Gong, and Lovable all shared a similar insight: culture drives brand, and authenticity drives trust. “What would work for Lovable won’t necessarily work for Snowflake,” Drew explained. “It’s not just about marketing - it’s about who you are as an organization. The culture is the difference.” That theme resonated across sessions - whether CMOs were discussing AI, storytelling, or customer experience, it all came back to authenticity. Alignment as the Superpower Another major takeaway was alignment. CMOs face constant pressure to balance relationships in three directions: upward to the CEO and board, sideways with peers like the CRO and CFO, and downward to their teams. “Peer alignment was probably the most profound theme of the day,” Drew shared. “The partnership between Denise Persson and Chris Degnan at Snowflake is a perfect example - nine years together, four CEOs, and they built a scalable, repeatable revenue engine.” Their story, from $3 million to over a billion in revenue, is a masterclass in partnership and trust between marketing and sales. As Drew put it, “There’s not one size fits all in marketing - and that’s why it’s so damn hard.” Beyond Best Practices A recurring phrase throughout the day was that “best practices are boring.” True innovation comes from judgment and creativity. One CMO shared how they use AI to generate campaign ideas - not to copy them, but to identify what not to do. “We put the AI-generated ideas on the wall and say, ‘That’s the obvious stuff. Let’s skip it,’” Drew laughed. “That’s where judgment comes in. Great marketing leadership is about developing judgment in your people.” Care, Share, Dare At its heart, the CMO Huddles mantra - Care. Share. Dare. - is about building a culture of generosity and courage. Care deeply about your peers. Share knowledge freely. Dare to lead differently. For Drew, the penguin suit wasn’t just a gag - it was a statement. Leadership today requires both boldness and empathy. And if y
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