Ex Forbes Executive Shares Secrets of Turning B2B Companies Into Media Empires | James Colistra

James Colistra (Founder of Wonderfish and Ex-Forbes Exec) believes modern B2B brands need to think like media companies if they want to stand out. In this episode, we talk about building trust at scale, what B2B can learn from legacy media, and why storytelling-not selling-is the real growth engine.
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• (00:00) - – Intro
• (02:27) - – From Forbes to SaaS: lessons on trust and longevity
• (07:43) - – The 95/5 rule: building trust with buyers who aren’t buying yet
• (11:12) - – Why events are the future of B2B marketing
• (16:10) - Turning a software company into a media company
• (18:24) - – Launching a flagship content pillar (Forbes-style)
• (21:25) - – Inside Forbes: how world-class stories are found and edited
• (24:23) - – Randall Lane’s approach to uncovering untold stories
• (26:35) - – Storytelling that drives both brand and sales
• (29:28) - – The future of marketing: AI, creativity, and human psychology
• (31:50) - – Making “boring” B2B software emotional and exciting
• (34:23) - – Must-read books for B2B marketers and founders
• (36:40) - – Lessons from fatherhood: being present in a distracted world
• (38:22) - – How to win at life without losing your critical thinking to AI

Click here to view the episode transcript.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.
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ContentMonk - content marketing agency that makes B2B brands stand out, become category leaders, and drive SQLs -> https://www.contentmonk.io/