How to Lead B2B Marketing for the First Time: Strategy, Budget, Team, and Content with Jess Cook

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#266 Marketing Leadership | In this episode, Matt is joined by Jess Cook, Head of Marketing at Vector, a platform pioneering the contact-based marketing category. Jess has spent her career building standout content strategies at B2B brands like LASSO and Fastly, and she recently made the jump from Head of Content to first-time Head of Marketing.

Jess and Matt cover:

How content marketers can transition into marketing leadership and what gaps to prepare for
The strategy behind building a brand that stands out in B2B (and why Vector leans into being “a little unhinged”)
How Jess built her first marketing budget from scratch and sold it in using storytelling, not spreadsheets

You’ll walk away with tactical insights on running a modern B2B marketing org, from content and brand to budgeting and team structure.

Timestamps

(01:00) - – Jess’s B2C roots at McDonald’s and Kellogg
(04:08) - – Jumping into B2B and growing through content
(05:53) - – Why she moved from Head of Content to Head of Marketing
(08:28) - – Hiring product marketing first (and why it matters)
(12:38) - – How Vector built a bold B2B brand with personality
(16:38) - – What Jess looked for in her first marketing hire
(19:58) - – Building and pitching her first full marketing budget
(25:23) - – Creating a 30/60/90 plan that actually drives buy-in
(26:53) - – Category content, SEO, and early wins with AI
(31:13) - – The podcast pivot: ditching “Funnel Cake” for something better
(34:53) - – How she knew Vector was the right fit
(38:33) - – Going all-in on YouTube and video-first strategy
(42:43) - – Short-form content, brand building, and trust
(45:13) - – Biggest lesson: balance long-term planning with quick wins
(49:43) - – Leading with action and setting the tone as a new marketing leader
(51:43) - – How Jess communicates vision and builds internal alignment
(55:13) - – Wrap-up and final takeaways

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