Cody Gillund Cody Gillund

Forbes Communications Council: 20 Messaging Strategies B2B Companies Can Use To Truly Stand Out In Crowded Markets

In my latest Forbes feature, I joined 19 other marketing leaders to share smart, proven strategies for cutting through the noise in crowded markets. From simplifying complexity to turning proprietary data into thought leadership, each tip is designed to help B2B brands show up with clarity, relevance, and impact.

My take? Turn your internal data into thought leadership.

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Cody Gillund Cody Gillund

Extinct Tactics: What Modern B2B Brands Should Leave Behind

For the past several years, B2B marketing has been obsessed with performance. Attribution. Conversion. Lead gen. If it couldn’t be tracked in a dashboard, it didn’t make the budget. But in the race for measurable outcomes, something got left behind: the brand.

Now, we’re seeing a shift. A quiet but powerful resurgence of brand awareness as a key growth driver—especially for startups and scaling companies that can’t afford to blend in. Because performance can get you seen, but brand is what makes people care.

And that’s where inclusion comes in.

If your brand still looks like it’s stuck in the prehistoric era—uniform headshots, predictable personas, tone-deaf messaging—it’s time for an evolution. Not just for Pride Month, but for the long-term health of your brand.

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Cody Gillund Cody Gillund

More Than a Logo Swap: What Inclusive Marketing Really Looks Like in B2B

Every June, LinkedIn lights up with rainbow-colored logos and well-meaning messages of support. But in B2B, where relationships run deep and buying cycles are long, inclusive marketing has to be more than a temporary show of solidarity. It has to be built into the foundation of your brand.

Inclusive marketing isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about building a business that reflects, respects, and resonates with the real people you serve.

In B2C, representation often takes center stage. But in B2B, the impact of inclusive marketing lives deeper—inside your values, your hiring practices, your product roadmap, and your go-to-market strategy. When done well, it helps your brand feel more human, more relevant, and more trustworthy.

So what does it really look like?

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Cody Gillund Cody Gillund

Forbes Communications Council: How To Use GenAI To Enhance And Improve The Customer Experience

GenAI Isn’t Just for Content—It’s Redefining the Customer Experience

Generative AI might have made its name in content creation—but that’s just the beginning. For forward-thinking brands, it’s rapidly becoming a powerful tool for transforming how we serve, engage, and retain customers.

In my latest Forbes article, I joined other marketing leaders to explore innovative ways GenAI is being used to enhance the customer experience. This isn’t hype—it’s practical strategy, already in motion across industries.

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Cody Gillund Cody Gillund

What Founders Get Right (And Wrong) About Branding

At Grounded Growth Studio, I work with small business founders and startup teams who are moving fast and wearing too many hats. Most come to me when the momentum starts to stall. The website isn’t converting. The sales pitch feels scattered. The team is inconsistent in how they talk about what the company does. And usually, the root of all that is a shaky brand foundation.

Let’s talk about what founders typically get right about branding, what they often get wrong, and why dialing in your brand early can accelerate growth long before you scale.

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Cody Gillund Cody Gillund

Watch: Cody on the CMO Winning Playbook Series

I recently joined Ari Kryzek of Chykalophia on her CMO Winning Playbook video series to talk about one of the most impactful strategies I’m using right now in my own work and with clients at Grounded Growth Studio: treating AI like your marketing assistant.

Too often, teams either over-rely on AI without context, or avoid it completely out of overwhelm. But when you treat AI like a smart new intern—someone who’s eager to help, but needs training and direction—you unlock real productivity, better decision-making, and more creative space for the work only you can do.

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Cody Gillund Cody Gillund

Burnout Isn’t a Badge of Honor: How to Grow Without Losing Yourself

Most small business owners are doing the work of an entire team. You’re the sales director, the customer service lead, the marketer, the product person, and the CEO. And when you're juggling all of that, feeling scattered, behind, or burned out isn't a sign you're doing something wrong. It's a sign you need support, and maybe a mindset shift.

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Cody Gillund Cody Gillund

Forbes Communications Council: 12 Expert-Backed Tips For Building A Community Around A B2B Brand

In B2B, community isn’t a buzzword—it’s a growth strategy.

While B2C communities often rally around lifestyle and identity, B2B communities thrive when they deliver something even more powerful: real value, peer connection, and professional growth.

In my latest Forbes article, I joined 11 other marketing leaders to share ideas for building meaningful communities around B2B brands. These aren’t surface-level tactics—they’re real strategies that drive retention, elevate your brand, and deepen customer loyalty.

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Cody Gillund Cody Gillund

Forbes Communications Council: Creatives: 11 Ways To Impress Employers In The Age Of AI

Creativity isn’t dying—it’s evolving.

In today’s AI-driven world, the best creative professionals aren’t the ones trying to outpace the technology… they’re the ones learning how to partner with it.

In my latest Forbes article, I join 10 other marketing leaders to share practical ways copywriters and creatives can continue to stand out and deliver value—even as generative tools reshape the industry.

My contribution? Sharpen your niche.

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Cody Gillund Cody Gillund

13 Marketing Myths Founders Need to Stop Believing

Small Business Month is here, and there’s no better time to cut through the noise and get real about what’s holding too many founders back from building a marketing engine that works. Whether you're bootstrapping your first SaaS product, growing a service-based company, or launching a healthtech brand, chances are you’ve heard a lot of “shoulds” about marketing. Let’s bust some of the most common myths I hear from founders every day—and what to believe instead.

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Cody Gillund Cody Gillund

It’s Gonna Be May—Your Month for Marketing Momentum

I created Grounded Growth Studio to be exactly that: a plug-in partner for founders and growth-stage businesses who want to stop spinning and start scaling. Not with guesswork or generic playbooks, but with clarity, systems, and thoughtful execution tailored to your goals.

This month, exclusively for Small Businesses, I’m offering 10% off the first month of any multi-month engagement that kicks off in May. It’s my way of honoring the grit and creativity it takes to build something from the ground up—and helping you build the kind of marketing engine that supports real, sustained growth.

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Cody Gillund Cody Gillund

Forbes Communications Council: 16 Expert Tips For Building More Adaptable Marketing Teams

In a world where algorithms shift, platforms pivot, and buyer behavior evolves overnight, adaptability isn't a nice-to-have. It's the trait that separates marketing teams that thrive from those that stall.

In my latest Forbes article, I join 15 other marketing leaders to share how we’re helping our teams stay flexible, fast, and focused. My contribution? Embracing an iterative mindset.

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Cody Gillund Cody Gillund

5 Things to Focus On When You Don’t Have Time to Fix Everything

You’re juggling product updates, investor check-ins, team management, and probably a Slack channel that won’t stop. Marketing keeps slipping down the list—not because it’s not important, but because everything feels important. So what do you focus on when you don’t have time to fix everything?

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Cody Gillund Cody Gillund

Why Founders Need a Momentum Marketer

Startups move fast. Resources are tight. And marketing often falls into one of two extremes: strategy without follow-through, or execution without clarity. But there’s a third way—and it’s the one that actually drives growth.

Meet the Momentum Marketer: part strategist, part operator, fully focused on building traction in a smart, sustainable way.

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Cody Gillund Cody Gillund

Forbes Communications Council: 19 Key Decision-Making Questions Every Internal Comms Leader Should Ask

Every internal comms decision has the power to shape your culture.

From launching a new initiative to sending out a quick update, how and what you communicate internally impacts employee trust, engagement, and momentum. That’s why the best comms leaders don’t just ask what needs to be shared—they ask why, how, and to whom.

In my latest piece for Forbes Communications Council, I join 18 other comms leaders to share the key questions we ask before taking action.

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