Host: Cheryl Boehm

In this episode, Cheryl Boehm and Tessa Burg discuss the potential of AI agents in marketing. 
Tessa Burg explains the concept of AI agents and how they differ from GPTs. They talk about how these tools go beyond traditional apps, automating complex tasks, providing predictive insights and enabling marketers to focus on strategic problem-solving. 
Tessa shares real-world examples from Mod Op's AI journey, starting in 2016, and how their new Mod Engine platform is creating a connected ecosystem for innovation. Listeners will learn how AI agents are reshaping roles, fostering creativity, and providing scalable solutions for marketers and clients alike.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. For an executive guide to growth and transformation, check out our book Getting Digital Done, now available on Amazon.
 
About Cheryl Boehm:
Cheryl Boehm is a digital content writer with 25+ years of marketing experience, primarily in B2B. She strives to deliver the best online experiences to customers and prospects that, ultimately, lead to company growth for clients. She stubbornly insists there’s no single messaging approach that’s right for everyone. Period. So, in her role as Director of Copywriting at Mod Op, Cheryl pushes to personalize content strategy with an individual “cheat code” that empowers each client to reach their end game fastest.
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].

In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg and Cheryl Boehm take listeners on a journey through the podcast’s past, present and future. 
Reflecting on its beginnings in 2019, they share how the series evolved from a biweekly exploration of rapid testing to its current role as a hub for insights, innovation and client-driven learning. Cheryl recounts how the podcast has grown beyond its initial vision, now touching on cutting-edge topics like artificial intelligence and its transformative impact on businesses.
The episode also introduces the exciting launch of the AI Playground, a new initiative designed to demystify AI tools and applications. Through candid conversations, Cheryl and Tessa explore the benefits of testing AI in controlled environments, the importance of responsible use and how this initiative empowers clients and teams to work smarter. 
Whether you're new to the series or a long-time listener, this episode delivers practical takeaways, a fresh perspective on innovation and a behind-the-scenes look at how Leader Generation continues to grow.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. For an executive guide to growth and transformation, check out our book Getting Digital Done, now available on Amazon.
 
About Cheryl Boehm:
Cheryl Boehm is a digital content writer with 25+ years of marketing experience, primarily in B2B. She strives to deliver the best online experiences to customers and prospects that, ultimately, lead to company growth for clients. She stubbornly insists there’s no single messaging approach that’s right for everyone. Period. So, in her role as Director of Copywriting at Mod Op, Cheryl pushes to personalize content strategy with an individual “cheat code” that empowers each client to reach their end game fastest.
 
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].

In this episode, we dive deeper into Google Performance Max with returning guest Matz Lukmani. If you're a marketer who isn't seeing the expected results from Performance Max, we’ll cover some tips to help you turn the tide. We’ll discuss how to continue optimizing and improving performance once your campaign is up and running. Plus, Matz will share new features and enhancements on the horizon—and so much more.
Stay tuned for more exciting episodes where we'll continue to explore the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing and uncover strategies to generate exceptional results. This episode of the Leader Generation Podcast is hosted by Tessa Burg, Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op.  
About Murtaza (Matz) Lukmani:Matz Lukmani is the EMEA Product Lead, Performance Max and Attribution at Google. Based in London, UK, Matz has been with Google for 7+ years, working on products like Google Analytics 360, Google Ads, Search Ads 360 and Firebase Analytics. He leads Performance Max Campaigns and Attribution offerings within Google Ads, Search Ads 360, and Google Analytics in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa).
About Tessa Burg:Tessa Burg is Host of the Leader Generation podcast and Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op after the acquisition of Tenlo in 2022. In her previous role as Vice President of Technology, she helped clients execute engaging, multi-platform experiences and products to bring their brands to life. In her role as CTO, Tessa oversees Mod Op’s technology stack to ensure the agency is leveraging the right platforms to deliver valuable and measurable marketing communications, entertainment and experiences.

Welcome to this bonus episode of the Leader Generation podcast. We’re bringing you an unfiltered conversation about one of the most high-trending topics in marketing today—AI and machine learning. Sometimes, the most interesting conversations happen before or after a planned podcast interview. This is one of them. 
We had the pleasure of talking with Lauren Rothwell, Co-Founder and CEO of Blaze, to discuss the impact of AI and machine learning on the marketing landscape. From data collection and analysis to natural language processing and image generation, these technologies are transforming the way we approach marketing.
We're excited to share our insights and perspectives with you. So, grab a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy this unscripted chat about the future of marketing.
About Lauren Rothwell:
Lauren Rothwell is the Co-Founder and CEO of Blaze, a community growth tool  It seamlessly centralizes data from key platforms like Discord and Twitter. This helps make community management and marketing easier. Plus, helps companies understand their users better, so they can create personalized experiences.
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa Burg is Host of the Leader Generation podcast and Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op after its acquisition of Tenlo in 2022. In her previous role as Vice President of Technology, she helped clients execute engaging, multi-platform experiences and products to bring their brands to life. In her role as CTO, Tessa oversees Mod Op’s technology stack to ensure the agency is leveraging the right platforms to deliver valuable and measurable marketing communications, entertainment, and experiences.
About Cheryl Boehm:
Cheryl Boehm is Co-Host of the Leader Generation podcast Director of Copywriting at Mod Op. She’s a digital content writer who strives to deliver the best online experiences to customers and prospects that, ultimately, lead to company growth for clients. Cheryl pushes to personalize content strategy with an individual “cheat code” that empowers each client to reach their end game fastest.
About Mat Segal:
Mat Segal is a Digital Producer at Mod Op. He’s a seasoned communicator and planner with a decade of experience bringing digital concepts and campaigns to market. With a specialty in digital strategy and production, he’s fluent in all aspects of digital marketing, from creative and launch to tracking and trafficking. 
 

 
Salespeople have long been considered the face of a company. They sell products or services, negotiate deals and close the sale. In recent years, however, companies have begun replacing salespeople with marketers.
Today, marketing is often seen as the primary way to generate leads and increase sales. As a result, companies are investing heavily in marketing departments. And they’re also hiring more marketers than ever before.
How did this trend begin? What are the pros and cons? Is marketing really becoming the new sales? Join us as we explore a topic that’s continuing to change modern marketing.
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa Burg is Chief Technology Officer at Tenlo. She’s been leading data-driven marketing and technology teams for 15+ years. Tessa has deep skills in many areas, including digital marketing, user experience, technology strategy and application architecture. 
Tessa believes in taking a tech-agnostic approach to marketing development. It maximizes a client’s existing technology investment. Plus, empowers clients to easily use, manage, measure and scale their platforms on their own.

 
Episode Description:
Marketing is a science. And now, thanks to advances in cognitive science, marketers can harness the power of human psychology to influence consumer behavior.
What is cognitive marketing? What are its benefits? How does it differ from other types of marketing?
Learn all this and more during an interview with Sandeep Dayal, seasoned marketing and strategy leader. He shares how cognitive science can be applied to branding and marketing. Plus, how we can use cognitive marketing to develop strategies that are more likely to succeed.
About Sandeep Dayal:
Sandeep Dayal is regarded as one of the leading minds in Marketing Strategy. He is the author of "Branding Between the Ears - Using Cognitive Science to Build Lasting Customer Connections." He’s also co-authored articles in Marketing Management, McKinsey Quarterly and Strategy & Business.
In addition to writing, Sandeep serves as the Managing Director and EVP at Cerenti Marketing Group, LLC. and heads the firm's Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Practice. He serves as a counselor to C-suite executives and board members at Fortune 500 companies. Plus, he’s on the board of directors for the Albums of Heritage Foundation and iKONVERSE, and is a keynote speaker.

 
Leadership is a critical skill for anyone working in marketing today. If you don't have strong leadership skills, you won't be able to manage your team effectively. And if you aren't managing your team well, you won't be successful at growing your business.
Female marketers, however, face many unique obstacles when trying to achieve success in their careers. From equal treatment and advocating on their own behalf to building alliances and trusting their own voices. 
Despite these challenges, women continue to push forward. Improve your marketing leadership skills by learning from other leaders like Hana Jacover. A coach who excels at leadership and team development, Hana shares some tips on how to overcome obstacles and ultimately become a better leader in marketing.
 
About Hana Jacover:
Hana Jacover is a technical demand generation marketer with a proven track record of strategies and programs that accelerate revenue. As the Chief Hype Officer at Hype House Consulting, Hana builds business hype through strategy, demand gen, marketing ops, leadership development and coaching. Hana is also on the board of Women in Revenue—committed to elevating and encouraging future female leaders in the workplace—and on the marketing committee of Black Marketers Association of America (BMAA).
 
 

Content plays an important role in generating, nurturing, and converting leads. However, many marketers struggle with creating messaging that resonates with people and drives results. 
Join us as we explore language personalization using artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions. And rest assured, you don’t need to be a data scientist or have vast automation expertise to learn and gain actionable ideas from this episode.