Scaling a Startup and Building a High-Velocity Revenue Engine With Matt Shephard

Matt Shephard is the Chief Revenue Officer at BatchData, a property and homeowner intelligence company providing real estate data solutions. Since joining BatchData in 2023, Matt has helped propel the company from $50,000 in ARR to capturing 9% market share within two years, all with a lean team. Previously, he spent nearly a decade at ZoomInfo (formerly DiscoverOrg), where he led teams closing major enterprise deals and developed deep expertise in data-driven sales.  In this episode… Most startups don't fail because of a lack of ideas — they fail because their revenue engine never quite clicks. So what does it actually take to scale a company from near-zero revenue into a meaningful market player in just a couple of years? According to Matt Shephard, a seasoned revenue leader who has helped scale high-growth tech companies, the key lies in clarity and focus early on. He explains that the first priority is identifying the right customer, building a product that truly fits their needs, and making the buying experience simple enough that switching feels easy. In practice, that meant redefining the ICP, reshaping the product offering, and simplifying the sales conversation to focus on outcomes instead of features. The result is a revenue motion that moves faster because every part of the system is aligned around the same customer and value proposition. In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, Alex Gluz is joined by Matt Shephard, Chief Revenue Officer at BatchData, to discuss how to scale a startup and build a high-velocity revenue engine. They explore identifying the right ICP, simplifying sales for practical buyers, and aligning marketing and sales around shared accounts. Matt also shares advice on signal-based go-to-market strategies and why timing is becoming the most important advantage in modern sales.

Jenn Reichenbacher is the Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer at Stax Payments, a company that provides all‑in‑one payment technology and solutions for businesses. She leads the marketing, customer support, and account management teams to drive growth and engagement. Jenn has more than 30 years of experience in payments and performance marketing, with senior roles at companies like Paysafe, iPayment, and Cayan. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and is active in industry associations focused on payments and merchant services. In this episode… In a world where technology is reshaping nearly every industry, the payments space is undergoing a massive transformation. What happens when companies start blending cutting-edge technology with customer-focused marketing? How does that change the way they engage with their clients and drive growth? Jenn Reichenbacher, an expert in fintech marketing and the customer experience, believes that embracing tech-driven solutions is the key to unlocking a future-proof payment system. She points out that the shift from traditional systems to online and SaaS-based models not only offers businesses more options but also enhances the customer experience. According to her, the future of payments will be defined by the seamless integration of technology with human-centered marketing strategies, ensuring that businesses can scale effectively while keeping the needs of their customers front and center. In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, Alex Gluz is joined by Jenn Reichenbacher, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer at Stax Payments, to discuss how technology is revolutionizing the payments landscape. They explore the role of AI in shaping marketing strategies, how customer-centric approaches are driving business growth, and the importance of storytelling in marketing.

Rodrigo Fontes is the VP of Marketing at QuillBot, a company that develops AI-powered writing and productivity tools to help users create and communicate more effectively. With over 15 years of experience in marketing and consumer tech, Rodrigo has helped scale globally recognized brands and was instrumental in expanding Tinder's presence across Latin America and leading its global marketing team. Originally from Brazil, Rodrigo's career has spanned education, telecommunications, online dating, and now generative AI, giving him a unique perspective on both B2B and B2C marketing dynamics. In this episode… In today's crowded marketing landscape, many wonder if there's a way to blend creativity with the effectiveness of business-to-business strategies. Can B2B marketing be as engaging and memorable as its B2C counterparts, or is the approach fundamentally different? What does it take to bridge the gap between these two worlds? According to Rodrigo Fontes, a seasoned marketing leader, the key is attention. Whether it's B2B or B2C, the challenge remains the same: how do you capture and keep your target audience's focus? In his view, the emotional connections that drive B2C success aren't exclusive to consumer products. Professionals, after all, are people too, and they consume media just as actively across platforms like TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube. If B2B brands can tap into this dynamic and blend fun with professionalism, they can set themselves apart in a competitive field. In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, host Alex Gluz is joined by Rodrigo Fontes, VP of Marketing at QuillBot, to discuss the intersection of B2C creativity and B2B effectiveness. They explore the evolving role of AI in marketing, how to grab attention in a noisy market, and why B2B marketers need to experiment more. Rodrigo also shares insights on building brand awareness in the AI space and the importance of educational content.

Tara Clever is the Chief Revenue Officer at MarginEdge, a restaurant management and bill payment platform that leverages automation and AI to streamline restaurant operations. Under her leadership, MarginEdge has marked its 10-year anniversary by reaching major milestones, including onboarding its 10,000th restaurant customer and expanding its AI-powered product offerings. Tara brings a unique blend of sales, operations, and marketing experience, with a background in DTC and B2B growth, and focuses on customer-centric alignment and operational clarity to drive scalable go-to-market outcomes. In this episode… Restaurant tech is evolving fast, but building a real revenue engine in this space takes more than just clever software. It requires understanding the operators behind the businesses, the shifting market, and where growth can either leak or accelerate. So what actually separates companies that scale from those that stall? For Tara Clever, the key lies in treating marketing and sales as one unified system, not two separate worlds. Drawing from her DTC growth instincts, she explains that revenue only works when every part of the funnel stays aligned and accountable. Her perspective shows how obsessing over customer feedback, human connection, and pipeline fluency can turn restaurant technology into something that truly drives lasting business impact. In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, host Alex Gluz is joined by Tara Clever, Chief Revenue Officer at MarginEdge, to discuss building revenue engines in the restaurant technology space. They explore aligning sales and marketing, applying DTC funnel discipline to B2B growth, and creating fast customer-driven feedback loops. Tara also shares why scalable human connection matters even more in an AI-powered world.

Angela Earl is the Head of Marketing at Darrow AI, a B2B SaaS company specializing in leveraging artificial intelligence to deliver actionable insights and drive revenue growth for technology organizations. With over 20 years of experience in the tech sector, Angela is a seasoned go-to-market leader who has built high-performing teams and contributed to the success of multiple high-growth software companies. As an author and advisor, she focuses on culture, transparency, and revenue performance, and often emphasizes the importance of communication and trust in achieving organizational goals. In this episode… Revenue issues rarely begin with the numbers themselves. They usually show up earlier as misalignment, cautious conversations, or teams operating from entirely different assumptions. Does predictable growth depend less on new tools or processes and more on a culture of trust and communication? According to Angela Earl, a seasoned go-to-market leader, the answer lies in transparency. She believes revenue performance improves when teams feel safe being honest about risks, gaps, and what's actually happening in the pipeline, rather than presenting overly optimistic forecasts. When transparency becomes the norm, pressure turns productive, decisions get clearer, and revenue stops breaking down at handoffs. In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, host Alex Gluz is joined by Angela Earl, Head of Marketing at Darrow AI, to discuss building a revenue culture rooted in transparency and alignment. They explore how culture directly impacts forecasting accuracy, why trust matters more than polish in pipeline reviews, and where revenue breakdowns really occur between teams. Angela also shares advice on using technology as an accelerator, not a fix, for culture and strategy gaps.

Alex Gluz is the Founder and CEO of Digital Marketing at T.A. Monroe Digital, an agency that specializes in helping B2B and SaaS companies perfect every step of their sales funnel. With years of experience in the industry, Alex creates systems and frameworks for scalable, profit-driving B2B digital marketing strategies, frameworks, and executions to drive ROI. Alex is also the host of the Revenue Engine Podcast, a show highlighting the top leaders in technology and marketing. In this episode… Businesses today face the challenge of balancing rapid growth with the increasing demands of trust-building, personal branding, and AI-driven innovation. While these elements have the potential to significantly accelerate business success, missteps can hinder progress, especially when companies fail to effectively integrate them into their strategy. So how can businesses harness these powerful tools to drive long-term growth and success? From building authentic relationships to embracing AI technology, leaders in this episode share invaluable insights on how to navigate these challenges. Mark Stiltner explains how AI can optimize marketing strategies, particularly in account-based marketing (ABM), making campaigns more efficient and impactful. Patrick Ferdig emphasizes the importance of trust in business relationships, highlighting how consistency and reliability build the foundation for long-term partnerships. Sylvia LePoidevin discusses the shift in branding, where individual employees are becoming the face of companies, using their personal influence to elevate the brand's message and connect more authentically with audiences. Kristin Oelke highlights how combining financial insights with a strong customer base provides a clearer picture of a business's future trajectory. Meanwhile, Usman Sheikh dives into the world of agentive AI, exploring how intelligent bots can transform sales processes by automating key tasks and generating measurable outcomes. In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, Alex Gluz reflects on his insightful conversations with Mark Stiltner, Patrick Ferdig, Sylvia LePoidevin, Kristin Oelke, and Usman Sheikh. These industry leaders uncover the power of trust, personal branding, and AI in driving business growth. Together, they offer practical strategies for leveraging these tools to create scalable, sustainable success in today's competitive market.

Steven Peltzman is the CEO of FeedbackNow, a company that provides real-time customer experience monitoring solutions using physical sensors and digital platforms for spaces like airports, hospitals, and retail locations. Under Steven's leadership, FeedbackNow has deployed its technology in major US airports and leading healthcare facilities, helping organizations move from traditional surveys to actionable, real-time feedback, with proven impact on both customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. Steven's diverse career spans roles as an Air Force officer in stealth technology, CTO at the Museum of Modern Art, and Chief Business Technology Officer at Forrester Research. In this episode… Real-time customer feedback has become one of those ideas that everyone claims to value, yet few organizations truly know how to use. It's easy to gather opinions after the fact, but far harder to understand what's really happening while an experience is unfolding. What if companies could see issues the moment they emerge and fix them before customers even complain? According to Steven Peltzman, a longtime leader in technology-driven customer experience innovation, the answer starts with capturing what people feel in the exact moment they feel it. Drawing from his experience building systems that merge digital intelligence with physical-world interactions, Steven explains that real-time signals reveal patterns surveys will never catch. He shares how airports, hospitals, and convenience stores are transforming operations by reacting instantly to sentiment shifts and predicting problems before they escalate. And with multiple data streams working together, he believes companies can finally bridge the gap between insight and action. In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, host Alex Gluz is joined by Steven Peltzman, CEO of FeedbackNow, to discuss how real-time customer feedback is reshaping operations. They explore how sensor-driven insights outperform traditional surveys, how organizations can react and predict issues in the moment, and why certain industries are primed for transformation. Steven also shares how tying feedback to outcomes like revenue unlocks true operational change.

Brandon Rhoten is the Chief Marketing Officer at GroundTruth, an advertising platform that uses real-world location and purchase data to show how media drives store visits and revenue. As the former CMO at Wendy's, Papa John's, and Potbelly, Brandon was instrumental in building Wendy's groundbreaking digital and social marketing programs, contributing to 40 consecutive quarters of growth for the brand. In addition to his executive experience, he is a tech investor, advisor, and recognized trailblazer in blending art and science to drive marketing ROI. In this episode… Marketing was supposed to get easier once everything went digital, yet many teams feel more overwhelmed than ever. With endless dashboards and touchpoints to untangle, proving what actually drives revenue has become its own full-time job. So in a world where every impression is technically "trackable," why are so many companies still flying blind? According to Brandon Rhoten, a longtime marketing leader known for marrying creativity with accountability, the real issue isn't a lack of data; it's that most organizations still treat marketing like a black box instead of a measurable driver of business results. He explains that the shift begins with embracing both sides of the craft — the art that earns attention and the science that proves impact. He points to everything from funnel complexity to outdated buying habits as reasons leaders still struggle with attribution. But when companies learn to connect media exposure to real-world behavior, the fog lifts. The bigger payoff, Brandon says, is a marketing function that's finally seen as an investment rather than a cost. In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, host Alex Gluz is joined by Brandon Rhoten, Chief Marketing Officer at GroundTruth, to discuss how modern marketers can finally link advertising to tangible business outcomes. You'll hear why attribution is still broken, how to rethink media through an omnichannel lens, and what it takes to align marketing with the CFO's expectations. Brandon also shares practical advice on using AI to sharpen both strategy and creative execution.

Jona Youdeem is a Senior Product Marketer at Xero, a global platform that helps small businesses manage their finances more efficiently. He focuses on helping entrepreneurs leverage AI to reduce inefficiencies and eliminate what he calls the "coordination tax." With over a decade of experience in product marketing, Jona has specialized in positioning, messaging, and go-to-market strategy across SaaS and AI-driven products. Jona blends customer insight, data, and creativity to build products that solve real-world business challenges. In this episode… Product marketing often sits at the crossroads of strategy, storytelling, and sales. But it's also one of the most misunderstood roles in B2B SaaS. Too often, it's boxed in as "launch support" or a "content engine," missing its deeper, strategic influence on growth. Does the real impact of product marketing come from how it connects insights, people, and processes across the entire business? According to Jona Youdeem, a product marketing leader focused on B2B SaaS and AI-powered go-to-market strategies, product marketing is a full-system discipline, not a single function. He believes its strength lies in connecting intelligence, positioning, launch execution, and enablement into one continuous loop that evolves with the product and market. Drawing from over a decade in SaaS and AI-driven products, Jona explains how real success comes from synthesizing signals to uncover insights others miss. He cautions against quick-fix consulting approaches that treat positioning as a one-time deliverable rather than a living process. In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, host Alex Gluz is joined by Jona Youdeem, Senior Product Marketer at Xero, to discuss the real impact of product marketing in B2B SaaS. They explore why the discipline is so often misunderstood, how demand generation acts as a reality check for messaging, and why consultants often miss the bigger picture of positioning. Jona also shares his perspective on the future of marketing, explaining why human skills will matter even more in the age of AI.

Alex Tinsley is the Director of North America Field Marketing at SUSE, a global leader in open-source enterprise software solutions. Under his marketing leadership, SUSE has driven significant revenue growth and deepened collaboration between sales and marketing teams, bolstering their position in the enterprise software market. Alex's career spans roles in both software vendors and resellers, and he is known for championing innovative segmentation strategies and uniting cross-functional teams to accelerate business outcomes. In this episode… Bridging the divide between sales and marketing remains one of the toughest challenges in B2B organizations. Too often, these two departments operate in silos — each chasing different goals, using different metrics, and misunderstanding what truly drives the other. But what if aligning them could unlock faster revenue growth, deeper trust, and a more predictable sales pipeline? According to Alex Tinsley, a marketing leader with deep experience across sales, operations, and field marketing, the key lies in empathy and shared understanding. He highlights that misalignment often stems from false assumptions: sales thinking marketing just plans events, and marketing assuming sales ignores their leads. Alex emphasizes that when both teams take the time to learn each other's motivations and constraints, they realize they're chasing the same outcome: revenue. In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, host Alex Gluz speaks with Alex Tinsley, Director of North America Field Marketing at SUSE, to discuss how uniting sales and marketing can supercharge B2B revenue. They explore the impact of removing internal silos, improving the sales-to-marketing handoff, and aligning goals around shared outcomes. Alex also shares how empathy, structure, and data transparency build trust that drives long-term growth.