By John Geraci, CI2 Advisors In today’s noisy world, stories have become our best shot at being heard. We’re all navigating a barrage of messages every day—emails, alerts, social posts, video calls, texts. In the middle of that digital chaos, most communication barely registers. But occasionally, a story cuts through. It lands. It lingers. It moves someone to act. The reality is, not all stories do that. Some stories create...

By Stacey Weber I think I can finally say that it is Spring in Wisconsin. It’s been a few weeks since we saw any snow, and the grass is getting greener every day. I’ve seen many of my favorite birds return (snowbirds that they are), including Sandhill Cranes, Baltimore Orioles, Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks. The vultures are back too, and they’re important….but not really on my “favorites” list. I even saw my...

Most People Listen to Respond—The Best Listen to Understand By David Lynn, CI2 Advisors In today’s fast-paced world, listening has become a lost art. Most people don’t truly listen. They wait. They wait for their turn to talk. They wait to insert their opinion. They wait to correct or improve what someone else is saying. But they aren’t listening to understand—they’re listening to respond. In leadership, in business, and in...

By Stacey Weber As product managers and product marketing professionals, understanding our market is crucial –but how often do we stop to consider whether our view of the market is accurate or distorted? Think about the places where you learn about the market. You might hear requests from salespeople. Salespeople occasionally have an idea or two, but their perspective is often influenced by their immediate need to close deals. You...

By John Geraci In business, some conversations carry more weight than others. They’re the ones that determine whether an opportunity moves forward, a team gets aligned, a client stays on board, or a key decision gets made. These high-stakes moments require more than a polished deck or perfectly rehearsed pitch. They demand connection—real, human connection that breaks through the noise and creates space for trust, insight, and movement. One of...

By Stacey Weber This weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to attend  ProductCamp St. Louis. This was a very well-organized and well-attended event, thanks to the great team who volunteered their time to put this together. Jeff Lash and crew (Sarah Ramrup, Brendan Sullivan, Martha Valenta, and all the volunteers) did a really lovely job creating an exceptional gathering. It had been a while since I last participated in an...

By David Lynn In the world of sales and service, we’ve been trained to trust the numbers. We track conversion rates, ticket resolution times, net promoter scores, and average deal size. We measure performance in percentages, progress in dashboards, and potential in forecasts. And while all of that is necessary—it’s not enough. Because data might explain behavior, but it rarely changes it. If your goal is to deepen a relationship,...

By Stacey Weber When I took my first position in product management, I thought the most important thing that development and the organization wanted from me was to be deeply intertwined with development, helping to dictate features and drive the schedule. After experiencing strong resistance to my first requirement document, which included screenshots, I had to accept that I was not a designer and my development team already knew how...

By Stacey Weber In the fast-paced world of product management and product marketing, understanding the market’s needs is crucial. It’s not just about identifying problems worth solving but also about teaching your team to do the same. This guide aims to equip product management and product marketing professionals with the skills to train their sales, marketing, customer support teams, executives, development teams, and anyone else who interacts with customers in...

By Stacey Weber In the world of product management and product marketing, technical skills and knowledge are undoubtedly important. However, the true essence of success in these roles lies in the ability to build authentic connections with the people around you. No matter how well-versed you are in the responsibilities of product management or how deeply you understand the intricacies of product marketing, your efforts will fall short if you...