485: Scalable Acts of Marketing: Building a Repeatable Growth Engine

Joshua Leatherman, former CMO of Service Express, joins Renegade Marketers Unite to unpack his new book, *Scalable Acts of Marketing*. Over 13 years he helped the company grow from $30 million to $350 million in ARR and is now steering Sideris. Leatherman argues that marketing should move beyond isolated campaigns toward repeatable systems that act as a true revenue engine. By sharing the playbook that powered his growth, he offers B2B leaders a roadmap for turning marketing from a cost center into a predictable growth engine.

The conversation zeroes in on five foundational elements, beginning with a revenue partnership that forces marketers to speak the language of outcomes—pipeline, sales‑qualified opportunities, and win rates—rather than vanity metrics. Leatherman shows how marketing‑generated leads deliver 10 % higher close rates, double the revenue, and halve sales cycles compared with pure sales‑sourced opportunities. He stresses the need for a commercial‑ops team that unites marketing, sales, and finance, and for custom attribution models that satisfy CFOs, CROs, and private‑equity owners. When marketing is framed as an investment, capital allocation follows.

For CMOs looking to replicate this engine, Leatherman recommends three practical steps. First, institute a regular cadence with the CRO and CFO to co‑create ROI dashboards and secure board‑level buy‑in. Second, deploy intent‑data tools to isolate the 5‑7 % of addressable accounts that are truly in‑market, concentrating spend on those high‑value targets. Third, build a repeatable attribution framework—using platforms like Visible or Marketo—that ties first‑touch, opportunity creation, and closed‑deal credit across a 6‑12‑month horizon. By embedding these habits, marketers can prove their impact, attract private‑equity funding, and sustain scalable growth.