In this episode, Donna Peterson walks leaders through a simple but powerful way to review the past year and plan the next one with clarity and intention. You’ll learn why slowing down to reflect actually saves time, how five pen-and-paper questions can reveal what truly moved your business forward, and how AI tools like ChatGPT can support deeper insight without replacing your judgment or voice. This is a working episode designed to help you protect your time, strengthen relationships, and build trust as you head into the new year.

As AI-generated content continues to flood the B2B landscape, many brands are asking an important question: How do we hold onto our purpose, and make sure the people we serve truly understand it? In this episode, Donna Peterson sits down with Abe Wang from Collaborative Drug Discovery (CDD) to explore how a highly technical, scientific company stays deeply purpose-driven while growing, innovating, and communicating authentically. From internal culture and humanitarian initiatives to writing a book as a marketing strategy, this conversation offers valuable insights for any B2B leader navigating growth without losing meaning.

In this episode of B2B Marketing Excellence & AI, Donna Peterson addresses one of the most common and valid concerns she hears in AI training sessions: How do I make AI sound like me without losing my voice or my brand? For relationship-driven B2B brands with long sales cycles and repeat customers, voice consistency is everything. Donna explains why rushing to use AI without intention can weaken trust, dilute your message, and stall business growth. Drawing from her experience leading a 45-year-old family business, she shares a practical, human-first framework for training AI tools to reflect your unique writing and speaking style, without sounding generic or robotic.

In this episode, Donna explores the growing question: How can AI agents truly help B2B brands? Many B2B organizations feel the pressure to adopt AI but struggle to understand where it fits or how to begin without overwhelming their teams. Using a simple concierge analogy, Donna explains how AI agents can guide prospects more intentionally, strengthen your existing marketing message, and unify internal teams. She breaks down three types of AI agents B2B companies can start using today, plus three practical steps to begin integrating AI confidently and responsibly.

In this episode, Donna Peterson talks about the real fears many B2B marketers face when thinking about using AI tools and large language models. She explains why choosing an AI tool can feel overwhelming and why many industrial brands, executive education programs, and companies with long sales cycles hesitate to get started.

Donna Peterson shares why shifting from a sales-first mindset to a give-first approach helped World Innovators grow. She explains how B2B companies can use association memberships to increase SEO, credibility, and long-term industry growth.

Many legacy industrial brands assume that steady sales today mean they will stay strong tomorrow. In this episode, we talk about why that belief can create blind spots for companies with long histories, loyal customers, and strong reputations. Donna welcomes Ken Spaeth from Cutting Tool Engineering Magazine (CTE) to explore how industrial brands can protect their visibility and maintain trust in a market that is always changing. Ken works directly with manufacturers every day, and he shares what he sees separating brands that stay top of mind from those that slowly fade out of view.

In this episode of B2B Marketing Excellence & AI, Donna Peterson shares an honest reflection on her lifelong tendency to rush, whether lifting weights or creating marketing campaigns, and what it taught her about strength, patience, and long-term results. Donna explains how slowing down helped her focus on what truly matters and how that same mindset applies to B2B marketing and sales alignment. When teams take time to understand their audience, measure what is working, and give each message more meaning, they build stronger relationships and measurable results. It is not about doing more; it is about doing what matters well.

When sales and marketing aren’t aligned, it drags out an already long B2B sales process. But when small teams connect those dots, and use AI intelligently, the results are transformational. In this episode, Donna Peterson sits down with Josh Blankenship of OuterBox to talk about: - Aligning sales & marketing without a big budget - Simple digital shifts that make a measurable impact - Practical, trustworthy ways to use AI in B2B - How small B2B teams can compete with larger brands If you lead a small marketing or sales team, this episode will show you how to simplify your digital strategy, strengthen relationships, and grow smarter — not just bigger.

Most brands still publish first and pray later. In this episode, Donna shows a better path: start with the exact questions your audience is already asking, then use AI to surface, validate, and organize those questions into high-performing content across podcast, blog, email, social, and newsletters. You’ll learn simple, practical ways to capture questions from trade shows, sales calls, customer service, and transcripts, then turn them into long-tail, low-competition topics your team can rank for and build trust with- especially for high-consideration B2B offers like industrial equipment, executive education, and auctions. Donna

In this episode, host Donna Peterson sits down with David Clemen, Editor and Publisher of Global Market News, to unpack what truly drives database performance in 2025 and why the era of “bigger is better” lists is over. Together they explore how data governance, clear naming conventions, and regular list cleaning lead to more engagement, better ROI, and fewer headaches. From removing “dead wood” contacts to documenting how lead sources are named, David explains the real-world steps that keep data reliable, even as titles and roles change faster than ever.

In this episode of B2B Marketing Excellence & AI, Donna Peterson sits down with Bridgette Lehrer, the Global Audience Engagement Leader at UC Berkeley, to talk about what it really takes to build trust in higher education marketing today. They explore how to stay personal and purposeful as technology continues to evolve — and how a thoughtful balance between traditional and digital marketing can create a stronger sense of community.

Many forward-thinking CEOs and leaders are embracing AI — but struggle with one key challenge: how to get their teams on board. In this episode of the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast, host Donna Peterson shares practical strategies to inspire buy-in, align employees with AI tools, and create a culture of experimentation. Drawing from leadership principles and her own journey with ChatGPT, Donna explains why defining the “why” is critical, how transparency builds trust, and why training and one-on-one conversations are essential to long-term adoption. You’ll also hear examples of how leaders can introduce AI in simple, personal ways that reduce overwhelm and spark curiosity.

For years, Donna Peterson dreaded public speaking- sweaty palms, racing nerves, and sleepless nights before client presentations. But everything changed when she joined Toastmasters, and discovered that public speaking isn’t just a personal development skill- it’s also one of the most powerful traditional marketing channels available today. In this episode of the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast, Donna shares her journey from fear to confidence and explains how speaking engagements helped her grow the World Innovators brand, strengthen relationships, and establish trust in the age of AI.

Have you ever registered for a conference and suddenly been flooded with emails offering to sell you the attendee list? The truth is: those lists are illegal, inaccurate, and dangerous for your brand. In this episode of the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast, host Donna Peterson breaks down why attendee list offers are scams, how shady vendors scrape and fake this data, and the serious risks companies face when using unverified, non-opt-in databases.

In today’s business climate, disruption is constant — from mergers and acquisitions to supply chain challenges, global uncertainty, and emerging technologies like AI. In these moments of change, the strength of your corporate reputation and the trust you hold with employees, customers, and stakeholders determine whether your company thrives or falters. In this episode of the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast, host Donna Peterson speaks with Alfred Leach, President of Leach Advisors, about how organizations can communicate with transparency, protect stakeholder trust, and define their “why” during times of uncertainty. Drawing on decades of experience advising companies through major transitions and crises, Alfred shares strategies leaders can use to keep employees informed, build brand credibility, and adapt to disruption without losing their core identity. Listeners will discover why transparency matters, how to align communication across audiences, and why defining your company’s deeper purpose is the key to resilience and long-term reputation.

Direct mail is making a comeback — and when paired with AI, it becomes an even stronger marketing tool. In a digital-first world, a tangible piece of mail can stand out, build trust, and validate your brand. Add AI into the mix, and you can streamline the process, refine your message, and connect with prospects in smarter, more personal ways. In this episode, Donna Peterson shares how direct mail can deliver old-school impact while leveraging new-school tools like ChatGPT. She walks through her recent Fabtech promotion as a case study, highlighting how validating postal data, segmenting audiences, and integrating direct mail with digital campaigns creates measurable results.

Marketing industrial equipment is complex — long sales cycles, high-stakes investments, and the need for absolute trust. In this episode of B2B Marketing Excellence & AI, Donna Peterson sits down with Brent Fischmann, Managing Director of Wintersteiger Solutions, to explore how companies under the Wintersteiger umbrella — including Kohler Leveling North America — approach these challenges.

Industrial marketing isn’t like selling shoes or software. It takes time, trust, and a strong understanding of how real relationships drive long-term results. In this episode, I sit down with Brian Contini, VP of Sales and Marketing at Pennant Moldings, to hear what’s actually working for their team right now. We talk about how they’re combining traditional methods—like trade shows and in-person visits—with smart use of AI to support research, improve outreach, and build stronger customer connections.