The Emblazers Show

The Conversations That Moved Sales Forward in Season Two with Abby Kerr and Tim Riesterer

In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, hosts Abby Kerr and Tim Riesterer take listeners inside a fast-paced recap of the first half of Season Two. They revisit the conversations, insights, and research that are shaping how today’s revenue leaders think about talent, enablement, customer success, and the evolving role of the seller in an AI-driven world.
Abby and Tim walk through their discussions with standout guests, including innovators redefining sales assessments, leaders advancing the profession of revenue enablement, and researchers uncovering new ways for sellers to differentiate in crowded markets. They also highlight customer success frameworks designed to reduce churn, programs transforming SDR readiness, and executive perspectives that broaden what it means to lead the full customer experience.
Tune in to learn:
How performance-based assessments are replacing outdated self-evaluations in sales
Why a new professional certification is raising the standard for revenue enablement
What top enablement leaders are doing to improve first-call success
Episode highlights:
(00:00) Introduction
(00:33) Season two recap: Key guests and insights
(01:23) Talent and skills: Conversations with David Shacklette and more
(03:10) Revenue enablement certification with Chris Kingman and Barbara Mazziotti
(04:41) Enablement evolution with Eileen Brooker
(06:36) Training future sales leaders with Michael Colonnese
(08:48) Customer health scores with Dr. Bryan Hochstein
(11:22) Commercial overwhelm and productivity with Dr. Howard Dover
(13:40) AI and sales differentiation with Dr. Leff Bonney
(19:23) The evolving role of the CRO with Larry Shurtz
(21:55) Strategic customer listening with Betsy Westhafer
Links and Resources:
Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/
Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/ 
Episode 1: Leading Through Complexity in the CSO Role - Larry Shurtz
Episode 2: Why Strategic Customer Engagement Protects Growth - Betsy Westhafer
Episode 3: Why Sales Teams Struggle to Carry the Moment – Dr. Howard Dover
Episode 4: How Adaptive Learning Builds Sales Confidence - Eileen Brooker
Episode 5: Redefining Sales Readiness with Precision Skills Intelligence - David Shacklette
Episode 6: The Residency Model That's Rewriting Sales Hiring - Michael Colonnese
Episode 7: Why NPS Is Failing You (and What to Measure Instead) - Dr. Bryan Hochstein
Episode 8: How Sellers and Leaders Win in a World of Sameness - Dr. Leff Bonney
Episode 9: How Enablement Becomes a Strategic Growth Lever – Chris Kingman & Barbara Mazziotti
Episode 10: The Research Changing How Sales Leaders Think About Talent - Dr. Nate Hartmann & Tiffany Moceri
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers.
Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today.
 
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.
 
Learn about Abby Kerr 
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

The Research Changing How Sales Leaders Think About Talent - Dr. Nate Hartmann & Tiffany Moceri

In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, hosts Abby Kerr and Tim Riesterer sit down with Dr. Nate Hartmann, Associate Professor of Marketing and Innovation at the University of South Florida and Tiffany Moceri, Vice President of Product at Infinity. Together, they divulge a first-of-its-kind research project using Infinity’s real-world sales data to pinpoint what actually differentiates top-performing account executives.
Together, Tiffany and Nate explore a unique study where data-driven insights shine a light on how motivation, skills, and emotional intelligence combine to create elite sales performers. Tiffany shares firsthand insights from her experience in sales operations, while Nate reveals how to use data to predict success and drive performance improvements. Tune in for actionable takeaways on what truly differentiates top performers and how you can apply these findings to elevate your team.
Tune in to learn:
Why meaning and purpose, not recognition or rapid advancement, most strongly predict high performers
The two sales skills that consistently separate top reps: adaptive selling and objection handling
Why structured data tells only half the story and how unstructured data will shape the next wave of sales research
Episode highlights:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:31) Setting the stage for the research collaboration
(02:53) How the research project was structured and analyzed
(04:46) Tiffany shares preconceived notions before seeing the data
(06:00) How performance was measured using predictive modeling
(08:32) Key motivators found in top-performing account executives
(09:27) Tiffany reacts to surprising findings about motivation
(13:44) Negative drivers: recognition seeking and advancement pressure
(17:00) Insights for managers on applying findings in their own teams
(21:24) Future research exploring unstructured data for richer insights
Links and Resources:
Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/
Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/ 
Connect with Tiffany Moceri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsrose/ 
Connect with Dr. Nate Hartmann: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanielhartmann/ 
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more conversations with leading B2B thinkers.
Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership today.
Learn about Tiffany Moceri
Tiffany Moceri, VP of Product at Infinity, simplifies complex B2B sales challenges into scalable, real-world solutions. With a career spanning operations, training, and inside sales leadership, she brings a full-funnel understanding of what drives success, from business development to renewals. Leading Infinity’s innovation engines, including the Innovation Lab and BioLytics, Tiffany blends data, technology, and frontline experience to create systems that deliver measurable results. A champion of combining practitioner insight with research, she uses findings like her study with Dr. Nate Hartmann to shape hiring, coaching, and client programs, proving that data can humanize, not mechanize, performance.
Learn about Dr. Nate Hartmann
Dr. Nate Hartmann is an Associate Professor of Marketing and Innovation at the University of South Florida and senior researcher at the Center for Marketing and Sales Innovation. His work combines behavioral science, sales strategy, and analytics to explore how data and AI drive sales performance, from call activity to customer retention. In partnership with companies like Infinity, Nate builds models that go beyond quotas to uncover the motivational factors and skills, such as adaptive selling and objection handling, that set top performers apart. By analyzing both structured and unstructured data, like call notes and transcripts, his research is helping sales leaders rethink hiring, development, and team enablement.
 
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.
 
Learn about Abby Kerr 
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.

How Enablement Becomes a Strategic Growth Lever – Chris Kingman & Barbara Mazziotti

In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, Abby Kerr and Tim Riesterer talk with Chris Kingman (VP of Sales Transformation at NielsenIQ) and Barbara Mazziotti (Senior Director of Global Sales Enablement at Cloudera), two of the driving forces behind the new Certified Revenue Enablement Professional program from the Revenue Enablement Society.
Chris and Barbara walk through the four-year journey behind the certification, how the Revenue Enablement Society partnered with Florida State University, and what it means for practitioners and companies across the B2B landscape.
From defining the scope of modern enablement to building maturity models, competency models, and strategic planning frameworks, this episode shows how enablement is evolving from “training and content” to a true business within the business—one that connects strategy to execution and accelerates revenue outcomes.
Tune in to learn:
How the certification was built, validated, and field-tested
Why revenue enablement now spans the entire revenue engine, not just sales
What enablement leaders must master: maturity models, competency models, tech stack assessments, executive communication, and strategic planning
How to align enablement with corporate goals, including measurable revenue targets
How VC firms are already using the certification to uplevel portfolio companies
Why the profession is entering a new era of credibility, clarity, and strategic impact
Links and Resources
Connect with Abby Kerr 
Connect with Tim Riesterer
Connect with Chris Kingman
Connect with Barbara Mazziotti
Connect with Revenue Enablement Society (RES)
Learn more about the Certified Revenue Enablement Professional program
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more episodes with top thought leaders 
Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership 
Learn about Chris Kingman
Chris is VP of Sales Transformation at NielsenIQ, where he’s leading the evolution of a global sales organization through enablement, effectiveness, and culture. A founding board member of the Revenue Enablement Society, Chris has helped shape the profession’s standards and practices for nearly a decade.
Before joining NielsenIQ, he spent more than 13 years at TransUnion, building enablement functions from the ground up and driving digital transformation across tools, analytics, and process. Known for bringing structure to complexity, Chris helps organizations align quickly, execute with clarity, and translate strategy into measurable outcomes.
His expertise spans strategic enablement leadership, cross-functional change management, and the intersection of sales technology, data, and human performance.
Learn about Barbara Mazziotti
Barbara Mazziotti is Senior Director of Global Sales Enablement at Cloudera and is a new Board Member of the Revenue Enablement Society - responsible for driving the Academic Council for the Certified Revenue Enablement Professional program. At Cloudera, she has led enablement for all sales roles worldwide—driving onboarding, product readiness, sales play execution and SKO programming for 4 years, and will be stepping into a new role to bridge Enablement and Revenue Operations.
Barbara brings 25 years of Enablement leadership experience to bear.  Prior to Cloudera, Barbara held Global head of Sales Enablement roles at Waters Corporation, GE Digital, and Pitney Bowes, as well as Director roles at Cognos/IBM Software and i2 Technologies.  Barbara was one of the original 100 founders of the Revenue Enablement Society, and was the founder and president of the greater NYC RES Chapter.  Barbara has built and scaled enablement organizations from the ground up, designed outcome-based sales methodologies, and led multi-region go-to-market transformations supported by world-class Salesforce implementations.Learn about Abby Kerr
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.

How Sellers and Leaders Win in a World of Sameness - Dr. Leff Bonney

In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, host Tim Riesterer talks with Dr. Leff Bonney, behavioral scientist, researcher, and Founder and Research Director at the Florida State University Sales Institute, one of Emblaze’s primary research partners. 
Leff brings a rare mix of academic and real-world sales experience, with a decade in frontline sales leadership before earning his Ph.D. and becoming one of today’s most influential sales researchers. 
In this fast-moving and thought-provoking conversation, Tim and Leff unpack two major studies: 
Differentiation in the Age of AI — and how sellers can “sell past the stalemate” by breaking patterns and creating truly distinct buying experiences. 
Levers of Leadership — a data-backed, counterintuitive approach to aligning sales managers with rep types for higher team performance. 
Tune in to learn: 
Why AI is training sellers to sound the same—and how to stand out 
Two sales behaviors that create real differentiation: seeding and surprising 
How creative sales approaches create a halo effect on your product 
Why great managers shouldn’t manage all rep types, and what to do instead 
How one company tripled its growth by assigning managers based on rep profiles 
Links and Resources: 
Connect with Abby Kerr 
Connect with Tim Riesterer
Connect with Dr. Leff Bonney 
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more episodes with top thought leaders 
Explore the Emblaze revenue community and start a membership 
 
Learn about Dr. Leff Bonney 
Dr. Leff Bonney is a behavioral scientist and Founder and Research Director at the Florida State University Sales Institute, a leading research partner to Emblaze. He’s also Associate Professor of Sales and Marketing at FSU, specializing in customer selection, adaptive sales strategies, and behavioral decision-making. Leff spent a decade in sales and management before becoming one of the most cited researchers in sales performance today. His work has influenced top sales organizations and redefined how sellers think about differentiation and leadership. 
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.
 
Learn about Abby Kerr 
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black. 
 

Why NPS Is Failing You (and What to Measure Instead) - Dr. Bryan Hochstein

In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, host Abby Kerr welcomes Dr. Bryan Hochstein, one of the leading academic voices in B2B sales and customer success. A former sales executive turned researcher, Bryan runs the Master’s in Sales Leadership program at the University of Alabama and has published in Harvard Business Review, Journal of Marketing, and the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.
Bryan joins Tim Riesterer to unpack how forward-thinking companies are using customer health scores not just to predict churn, but to fuel growth. Drawing from hundreds of executive interviews and his recent HBR article, Bryan explains the science behind measuring relationship quality, product usage, and value realization. Together, they explore how these predictive metrics are shaping the next generation of customer success and sales collaboration.
Tune in to learn:
What makes customer health scoring a true revenue predictor
Why traditional metrics like NPS and CSAT are no longer enough
How relationship quality, product usage, and value realization connect to renewals and expansion
How to calibrate your health score and use it to improve retention and acquisition
Why CS and sales should share accountability for customer outcomes
Links and Resources:
Connect with Abby Kerr
Connect with Tim Riesterer
Connect with Dr. Bryan Hochstein
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more episodes with top thought leaders
Check out the Emblaze revenue community and start your membership today

The Residency Model That's Rewriting Sales Hiring - Michael Colonnese

In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, host Tim Riesterer talks with Michael Colonnese, CEO of SV Academy, recently named the #2 Most Innovative Education Program by Fast Company.
SV Academy is flipping the traditional hiring model on its head—training and placing diverse, pre-vetted sales and customer success talent into roles at 400+ partner companies, all with no fees to employers.
Michael explains how SV Academy’s “residency model” eliminates tuition, pays learners to learn, and produces graduates who ramp 30 percent faster and double retention rates compared to traditional hires. He and Tim also discuss the broader implications for higher education, the rise of the “go-to-market engineer,” and how AI is reshaping both entry-level roles and the skills sellers need to thrive.
Tune in to learn:
Why the first 90 days of a sales career are the most volatile—and how to fix it
How SV Academy built a business model that eliminates tuition and student debt
What makes the “residency model” a game-changer for employers and learners alike
How AI is evolving sales roles and creating new opportunities like “go-to-market engineering”
Why colleges and employers need to bridge the gap between education and outcomes
Links and Resources:
Connect with Abby Kerr
Connect with Tim Riesterer
Connect with Michael Colonnese
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more episodes with top thought leaders
Check out the Emblaze revenue community and start your membership today

Redefining Sales Readiness with Precision Skills Intelligence - David Shacklette

In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, host Tim Riesterer sits down with neuroscientist and entrepreneur David Shacklette, founder of Skillcraft, to explore the next frontier in sales performance—precision skills intelligence.After leading research at Stanford and the Harvard Skills Lab, David is now applying science to one of revenue’s most persistent problems: knowing which skills actually drive performance. He explains how Skillcraft uses validated psychometrics and simulation-based assessments to identify the underlying capabilities that predict success in complex B2B selling.Tim and David unpack why most sales assessments fail (hint: self-assessments and manager observations just aren’t precise enough), how simulations and AI are changing the game, and why defining the right skills is just as important as training them.
Tune in to learn:
Why self-assessments and “manager gut checks” create noisy, unreliable data
How performance-based simulations can reveal true skill levels
What makes a skill measurable, coachable, and predictive
How to link assessment, coaching, and onboarding with scientific precision
Why precision in diagnosis drives motivation and behavior change
Links and Resources
Connect with Tim Riesterer
Connect with David Shacklette
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more episodes with top thought leaders
Check out the Emblaze revenue community and start your membership today
Learn about David Shacklette
David Shacklette is on a mission to make skills intelligence accurate, actionable, and transformative for people and their organizations. Passionate about education, technology, and the intersection of neuroscience and behavioral psychology, David has conducted research at Stanford University and Harvard’s Skills Lab. He is the Founder and CEO of Skillcraft, a company pioneering precision skills intelligence for revenue teams through validated, simulation-based assessments that reveal the skills driving real performance.
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.

How Adaptive Learning Builds Sales Confidence - Eileen Brooker

In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, host Abby Kerr introduces a conversation between resident expert Tim Riesterer and Eileen Brooker, Vice President of Worldwide GTM Training and Enablement at Palo Alto Networks.With a career spanning IBM, Extreme Networks, Proofpoint, and now Palo Alto Networks, Eileen has seen enablement evolve from broad training programs to personalized, adaptive learning powered by AI. She shares how enablement leaders can move away from one-size-fits-all approaches to deliver “just-in-time” skill development that keeps sellers and managers sharp without overwhelming them.Eileen also gives a behind-the-scenes look at Palo Alto’s ambitious onboarding program—a 10-week bootcamp that blends deep product knowledge, role plays, and cultural immersion, cutting ramp time by over 30 percent. She explains why first meetings are the make-or-break moment for sellers and why human skills like storytelling, curiosity, and relationship-building will remain essential, even as AI becomes more embedded in training and sales execution.
Tune in to learn:
How AI makes adaptive, personalized learning possible at scale
Why onboarding is the most overlooked yet critical investment in enablement
How to blend product depth with storytelling to win customer trust
Why “first meetings” are the most important skill to master
The human attributes sales leaders must hire for in today’s market
Links and Resources
Connect with Abby Kerr
Connect with Tim Riesterer
Connect with Eileen Brooker
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more episodes with top thought leaders
Check out the Emblaze revenue community and start your membership today
Learn about Eileen Brooker
Eileen Brooker is Vice President of Worldwide GTM Training and Enablement at Palo Alto Networks, the largest cybersecurity company in the world. Her career began in high-tech at IBM, where she discovered her passion for sales, eventually leading teams on a global scale and becoming a Corporate Officer at Extreme Networks. After transitioning to cybersecurity at Proofpoint, Eileen found her calling in enablement, a field she now leads globally at Palo Alto Networks. A survivor of Multiple Myeloma, she embraces life with humor, love, and generosity, mentoring future leaders and inspiring those around her with her authenticity and resilience
Learn about Abby Kerr
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background that spans brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.

Why Sales Teams Struggle to Carry The Moment - Dr. Howard Dover

In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, host Abby Kerr introduces a timely conversation between resident expert Tim Riesterer and Dr. Howard Dover, Clinical Professor of Marketing and Director of the Center for Professional Sales at the University of Texas at Dallas.Howard is a leading thinker on the sales innovation paradox—the tension between efficiency and effectiveness in modern selling. He explains why, despite waves of new technology, productivity gains have not translated into better outcomes for buyers. In fact, AI risks making bad sales processes faster, rather than making sales better.The conversation digs into what it takes for sellers to differentiate themselves when buyers are overloaded, skeptical, and already armed with their own AI tools. Howard shares why curiosity and business acumen—not just cadence automation—will define the next generation of successful sellers.
Tune in to learn:
Why sales productivity gains have created paradoxes, not progress
How AI could amplify bad habits instead of fixing them
Why buyers now assume all sellers are guilty until proven otherwise
The danger of relying on efficiency over true effectiveness
The core skills sellers need to be “augment-able”: curiosity and business acumen
Links and Resources
Connect with Abby Kerr
Connect with Tim Riesterer
Connect with Dr. Howard Dover
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more episodes with top thought leaders
Check out the Emblaze revenue community and start your membership today
Learn about Dr. Howard Dover
Dr. Howard Dover is a renowned expert in sales innovation, coaching individuals, teams, and companies to overcome the Sales Innovation Paradox. A true polymath, he seamlessly bridges the worlds of sales, marketing, and academia, excelling as a sales professional, coach, database and systems analyst, and professor. With a wealth of experience in sales strategy, performance, recruiting, and digital marketing, Dr. Dover has built meaningful networks across industries, helping businesses unlock their potential. He is passionate about fostering the next generation of sales talent and empowering organizations to thrive in an ever-evolving marketplace.
Learn about Abby Kerr
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background that spans brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.

Why Strategic Customer Engagement Protects Growth - Betsy Westhafer

In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, host Abby Kerr introduces a conversation between resident expert Tim Riesterer and Betsy Westhafer, founder and CEO of The Congruity Group.Betsy is a recognized leader in strategic customer engagement, helping B2B executives design and execute executive customer advisory boards, roundtables, and think tanks that drive measurable impact. Her clients consistently achieve 100% retention and double-digit account growth by bringing C-suite voices to the table and turning insight into strategy.Betsy explains why customer advisory boards are not only alive but more critical than ever, especially as boards and private equity firms mandate deeper executive-level engagement. From creating true two-way dialogue to structuring post-meeting follow-ups that prove ROI, she shares practical, high-value lessons for leaders who want to elevate relationships and de-risk their businesses.
Tune in to learn:
Why C-suite engagement is no longer optional for growth-minded companies
How to design executive forums that deliver mutual value (not a disguised sales pitch)
What actually attracts senior decision-makers to the table
How to measure success with metrics that matter: retention, expansion, and acquisition
The critical role of post-meeting follow-up in proving ROI and strengthening relationships
Links and Resources
Connect with Abby Kerr
Connect with Tim Riesterer
Connect with Betsy Westhafer
Subscribe to The Emblazers for more episodes with top revenue thought leaders
Check out the Emblaze revenue community at https://emblazegrowth.com and start a membership today
Follow Emblaze on LinkedIn for event invitations, video clips, and insights you can use to enhance sales performance
Learn about Betsy Westhafer
Betsy Westhafer is the Founder and CEO of The Congruity Group, where she helps B2B executives strategically engage with their most valuable customers through Executive Customer Advisory Boards and Executive Roundtables. After 25 years in business, Betsy recognized her true passion: designing and executing customer advisory boards and executive roundtables that deliver measurable results for high-growth organizations. Her clients consistently achieve 100% customer retention and double-digit account value growth. She's also the author of ProphetAbility: Planning Your Disruptive Future and is recognized as a thought leader in strategic customer engagement, having won the International Torch Award for Ethics. Today, Betsy helps companies gain critical market insights directly from the executives who shape their industries, enabling organizations to innovate, grow, and stay ahead of market disruption. 
Learn about Abby Kerr
As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background that spans brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.