The Dave Gerhardt Show (from Exit Five) How to Be the CMO Everyone Wants to Work With (with Dave Kellogg)
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Mar 31, 2026 
Dave Kellogg, seasoned SaaS exec who has served as CMO, CEO, and board member. He lays out common CMO failure patterns and why many last only 18–24 months. Short, tactical segments cover building a tight partnership with your CRO, the three core CMO jobs, using data and AI, and how to present and position marketing inside the company.
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Short CMO Tenure Changes How You Should Think About The Job
- CMO median tenure is short at 18 to 24 months, so treating the role as long-term interim can reduce emotional friction.
- Dave Kellogg suggests adopting a 'gig' mentality to avoid taking failures personally and improve decision making.
How Pete Became Marketing's Scapegoat
- Pete's company blamed marketing for top-of-funnel problems while the CEO spent more time with the CRO.
- Kellogg recommended forcing inclusion on go-to-market conversations and roadshows to avoid being shaped out by sales.
Share Board Accountability For Joint Channel Decisions
- If a board calls out expensive channels like trade shows using last-touch metrics, contextualize with quality, pipeline contribution, and have the CRO take shared responsibility.
- Kellogg says the CRO should publicly defend joint decisions in board meetings.