How can industrial leaders use auctions strategically to support long sales cycles and build long-term trust?

In this episode of the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast, host Donna Peterson sits down with Jason Levy, President of The Levy Group, to explore how industrial equipment auctions can become a strategic business tool rather than a last-minute decision.

Jason shares real-world examples from the industrial auction and asset recovery space, where timing is unpredictable, sales cycles are long, and trust is everything. Together, Donna and Jason discuss why early planning, accurate valuation, and relationship building are essential for manufacturers, plant managers, and operations leaders looking to reallocate capital, upgrade technology, or reduce risk.

This conversation reinforces a core theme of the podcast: companies that invest in relationships today are better prepared to make confident, informed decisions tomorrow.

Key Takeaways:

• Planning early gives leaders more control over timing, price, and outcomes
• Equipment value is often misunderstood without expert insight
• Auctions provide fair market value when the process is done correctly
• Relationships matter more when decisions involve multiple stakeholders
• Regular plant walk-throughs spark better long-term decisions

Action Step for Listeners:
Schedule a yearly equipment review with a trusted expert to understand what you use, what you don’t, and where hidden value may exist.

Episode Time Stamps:

• 00:00 – Introduction: Why relationship building matters in long sales cycles
• 01:20 – Meet Jason Levy: Industrial auctions, asset recovery, and preparation
• 03:20 – Why companies delay decisions on surplus equipment
• 05:10 – Planning reality: why auctions take 90–120 days
• 07:30 – Specialized vs. common equipment and timing expectations
• 09:30 – Setting realistic expectations around equipment value
• 12:10 – Valuation mistakes that lead to bad business decisions
• 14:30 – Trust as the foundation of valuation conversations
• 16:40 – Why surplus equipment is often ignored internally
• 18:40 – Using auctions to unlock capital and reduce risk
• 20:50 – Selling equipment to fund upgrades and growth
• 23:10 – New vs. used equipment misconceptions
• 25:10 – Environmental and workforce impact of reselling equipment
• 27:20 – Auctions as a strategic tool, not a last-minute move
• 29:10 – Final thoughts on trust, timing, and long-term relationships
• 30:29 – Episode close

*** Reach out to dpeterson@worldinnovators.com
if you’d like help building a marketing strategy that builds relationships and/or AI training for individuals or full teams.

*** Visit www.worldinnovators.com
for more resources on building stronger marketing and leadership strategies.

*** Subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast for weekly insights into marketing, leadership, and the future of AI.

In this episode, Donna Peterson walks leaders through a simple but powerful way to review the past year and plan the next one with clarity and intention. You’ll learn why slowing down to reflect actually saves time, how five pen-and-paper questions can reveal what truly moved your business forward, and how AI tools like ChatGPT can support deeper insight without replacing your judgment or voice. This is a working episode designed to help you protect your time, strengthen relationships, and build trust as you head into the new year.

How can B2B leaders reflect on the past year and use AI to plan a more focused, meaningful year ahead?

What You’ll Learn:

• Why reflection is not wasted time, but a shortcut to better decisions
• The five manual questions every leader should ask before setting new goals
• How to identify what actually moved your business needle
• Where relationships strengthened or weakened, and why that matters
• How to use ChatGPT to spot patterns, protect your voice, and focus your time
• How to create an “anchor” that guides decisions throughout the year3

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Why the year felt so fast and why reflection matters
• 03:30 – Why leaders struggle to slow down
• 06:15 – Turning this into a working episode
• 07:45 – Question 1: What worked better than expected
• 11:30 – Question 2: What took time but didn’t move the needle
• 14:45 – Question 3: Where relationships strengthened or weakened
• 18:10 – Question 4: What felt heavy and draining
• 20:00 – Question 5: What do you want more space for
• 22:15 – Using ChatGPT to review your year
• 24:30 – Creating an anchor for the year ahead
• 26:15 – Final thoughts and next steps

The 5 Manual Pen-and-Paper Reflection Questions:
Take out a notebook and write your answers before using any AI tools.

• What worked better than you expected this past year?
• What took time and energy but did not move your business needle?
• Where did relationships strengthen, and where did they weaken?
• What felt heavy or draining and may not be the best use of your time?
• What do you want more space for in the coming year?

The 3 ChatGPT Year-in-Review Questions:
After completing the manual reflection, ask a large language model these questions

• What patterns do you see in my notes?
• What should I stop doing now?
• What should I protect or do more of?

You can also refine the timeframe, such as asking the model to evaluate only the last six months, to uncover deeper insights.

One Action You Can Take Today:
Block 30 uninterrupted minutes this week. Answer the five manual questions first. Then use ChatGPT to review your patterns and help you define one clear anchor that guides your decisions this year.

Call to Action:
If you’re looking for help aligning your marketing, sales, and AI efforts without losing your voice or weakening trust, reach out to Donna Peterson and the World Innovators team. We’re here to help you work smarter and build relationships that last.

*** Reach out to dpeterson@worldinnovators.com
if you’d like help building a marketing strategy that builds relationships and/or AI training for individuals or full teams.

*** Visit www.worldinnovators.com
for more resources on building stronger marketing and leadership strategies.

*** Subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast for weekly insights into marketing, leadership, and the future of AI.

As AI-generated content continues to flood the B2B landscape, many brands are asking an important question: How do we hold onto our purpose, and make sure the people we serve truly understand it?

In this episode, Donna Peterson sits down with Abe Wang from Collaborative Drug Discovery (CDD) to explore how a highly technical, scientific company stays deeply purpose-driven while growing, innovating, and communicating authentically. From internal culture and humanitarian initiatives to writing a book as a marketing strategy, this conversation offers valuable insights for any B2B leader navigating growth without losing meaning.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How to clearly communicate your company’s purpose to people outside your industry
• Why internal marketing is just as important as external brand messaging
• How purpose-driven culture helps teams stay engaged as companies scale
• Ways to reach new audiences while keeping communication personal and human
• Why CDD chose to write a book instead of relying on AI-generated content
• How original storytelling helps B2B brands stand out in crowded markets

Episode Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Holding onto voice and purpose in an AI-driven world
• 02:06 – Introducing Abe Wang and Collaborative Drug Discovery
• 04:41 – Explaining CDD’s mission in simple, relatable terms
• 08:21 – Internal marketing and keeping employees connected to purpose
• 12:11 – Human stories behind CDD’s work and humanitarian initiatives
• 15:31 – Reaching new audiences through trust and personal connection
• 17:46 – Why writing a book helped CDD differentiate its brand voice
• 20:11 – Turning original stories into long-term marketing assets

Featured Resource:
Inside the CDD Vault: A Different Kind of Collaborative Drug Discovery
➡️ Book Cover & Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Inside-CDD-Vault-Different-Collaborative-ebook/dp/B0G2HR4WYJ/

This book brings together personal stories from over two dozen CDD employees and collaborators, offering a rare look into how purpose, humanity, and scientific innovation intersect inside a growing B2B organization.

About Collaborative Drug Discovery (CDD):
Collaborative Drug Discovery (CDD) is on a mission to advance science through better data. CDD’s flagship product, CDD Vault®, is a hosted informatics solution that allows researchers to organize data and experiments in context while securely collaborating in real time. For drug discovery teams using AI-based approaches, CDD Vault serves as a central repository for clean, reusable data that can be analyzed repeatedly across different algorithms, parameters, targets, or compounds. The platform also includes a RESTful API to support automated workflows and offers PharmaKB™, a Pharmaceutical KnowledgeBase providing semantic data on preclinical, clinical, and post-approval drug development. Learn more at www.collaborativedrug.com

About Abe Wang:
Abe Wang is the Head of Marketing at Collaborative Drug Discovery, where he leads strategic initiatives to elevate the CDD Vault brand and drive global engagement within the life sciences community. Since joining CDD in 2019, Abe has played a key role in expanding brand awareness and digital marketing efforts, supporting the company’s growth as a leading SaaS informatics platform for scientific data management. Abe brings more than a decade of experience at the intersection of science and marketing. Prior to CDD, he held marketing leadership roles at Thermo Fisher Scientific and Affymetrix, focusing on market development, demand generation, and product strategy for life science technologies. Earlier in his career, Abe spent over seven years at SRI International, contributing to preclinical drug development and translational research.

*** Reach out to dpeterson@worldinnovators.com
if you’d like help building a marketing strategy that builds relationships and/or AI training for individuals or full teams.

*** Visit www.worldinnovators.com
for more resources on building stronger marketing and leadership strategies.

*** Subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast for weekly insights into marketing, leadership, and the future of AI.

How Do I Make AI Sound Like Me? Protecting Your Voice, Brand & Relationships with AI

In this episode of B2B Marketing Excellence & AI, Donna Peterson addresses one of the most common and valid concerns she hears in AI training sessions: How do I make AI sound like me without losing my voice or my brand?

For relationship-driven B2B brands with long sales cycles and repeat customers, voice consistency is everything. Donna explains why rushing to use AI without intention can weaken trust, dilute your message, and stall business growth. Drawing from her experience leading a 45-year-old family business, she shares a practical, human-first framework for training AI tools to reflect your unique writing and speaking style, without sounding generic or robotic.

Listeners will walk away with four actionable steps they can immediately apply to ensure AI supports their communication, protects their brand, and strengthens the relationships that drive long-term success.

In this episode of B2B Marketing Excellence & AI, Donna Peterson addresses one of the most common concerns B2B leaders have about AI:

• How to use AI without losing your unique voice
• Why AI can quietly damage trust-based B2B relationships if misused
• How to train AI tools to reflect your tone, values, and communication style
• Why alignment between your brand, mission, and content matters more than speed
• The four practical steps Donna teaches corporations to make AI sound human, intentional, and on-brand

This episode is especially valuable for relationship-driven B2B brands, long sales-cycle industries, and companies protecting a legacy brand voice.

Episode Timestamps:

• 00:00 – 02:30: Why leaders fear losing their voice when using AI
• 02:31 – 05:30: The risk of AI eroding trust in relationship-based B2B brands
• 05:31 – 08:30: Why consistency in voice builds trust over long sales cycles
• 08:31 – 11:00: How AI can unintentionally dilute your brand and services
• 11:01 – 13:30: Why AI should support—not replace—your thinking and voice
• 13:31 – 15:00: Step 1: Defining your voice in plain language
• 15:01 – 16:45: Step 2: Training AI with real examples of your writing and speech
• 16:46 – 18:15: Step 3: Asking AI to match your voice, not create a new one
• 18:16 – 19:45: Step 4: The critical human review before anything goes live
• 19:46 – 20:46: Final thoughts: Protecting trust, slowing down, and using AI intentionally

Key Takeaways:

• AI is not the threat—rushing and misalignment are
• Your voice is a strategic asset, not something to automate away
• AI works best as an assistant, not an author
• Trust, once broken, is extremely hard to rebuild in B2B relationships
• Intentional communication leads to better work and better outcomes

If your team is using AI but struggling to keep your brand voice consistent, or if you’re worried AI-generated content isn’t moving your business needle, reach out to Donna Peterson at World Innovators.

Donna works directly with B2B brands to:

• Train teams on intentional AI usage
• Align AI outputs with brand voice and mission
• Protect long-term customer relationships

👉 Contact World Innovators to start using AI without losing what makes your brand different.

*** Reach out to dpeterson@worldinnovators.com
if you’d like help building a marketing strategy that builds relationships and/or AI training for individuals or full teams.

*** Visit www.worldinnovators.com
for more resources on building stronger marketing and leadership strategies.

*** Subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast for weekly insights into marketing, leadership, and the future of AI.

How Can AI Agents Help B2B Brands?

Episode Length: 23:49
Host: Donna Peterson — World Innovators

Episode Overview:
In this episode, Donna explores the growing question: How can AI agents truly help B2B brands?

Many B2B organizations feel the pressure to adopt AI but struggle to understand where it fits or how to begin without overwhelming their teams. Using a simple concierge analogy, Donna explains how AI agents can guide prospects more intentionally, strengthen your existing marketing message, and unify internal teams.

She breaks down three types of AI agents B2B companies can start using today, plus three practical steps to begin integrating AI confidently and responsibly.

What You’ll Learn:
• Why AI agents are ideal for long, complex B2B buying journeys
• How thoughtful AI mirrors the personalized guidance of a concierge
• The role of a Presales Agent in improving lead qualification and buyer readiness
• How a Marketing Support Agent reinforces your current messaging instead of reinventing it
• Why an Internal AI Agent can reduce friction and keep global teams aligned
• Three simple steps to help you start adopting AI strategically—not reactively

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – 01:50: Why AI agents matter now for B2B
• 01:51 – 04:20: The concierge analogy: a human-centered way to understand AI
• 04:21 – 08:00: AI Agent #1: The Presales Agent — better qualification, better conversations
• 08:01 – 12:15: AI Agent #2: The Marketing Support Agent — reinforcing your established message
• 12:16 – 16:40: AI Agent #3: The Internal Department Agent — bringing teams into alignment
• 16:41 – 19:50: The biggest barriers B2B companies face when adopting AI
• 19:51 – 22:30: Three steps to begin integrating AI agents effectively
• 22:31 – End: Final insights and next steps

Call to Action:
If you’d like help designing an AI agent for your B2B company, or you want your team trained to use AI thoughtfully, reach out directly to Donna: Dpeterson@worldinnovators.com

https://www.chatbase.co/chatbot-iframe/4AzkU_L93TBRVVLVkXwNg <-- Check Out one of World Innovators' AI Agents

*** Reach out to dpeterson@worldinnovators.com
if you’d like help building a marketing strategy that builds relationships and/or AI training for individuals or full teams.

*** Visit www.worldinnovators.com
for more resources on building stronger marketing and leadership strategies.

*** Subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast for weekly insights into marketing, leadership, and the future of AI.

Why B2B Marketers Hesitate to Choose an AI Tool and How to Move Forward with Confidence

In this episode, Donna Peterson talks about the real fears many B2B marketers face when thinking about using AI tools and large language models. She explains why choosing an AI tool can feel overwhelming and why many industrial brands, executive education programs, and companies with long sales cycles hesitate to get started.

Donna highlights three concerns she hears most often:
• Not knowing which large language model to choose
• Worrying that AI will harm personal relationships
• Feeling unsure about learning what seems like a new technology

She explains that tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot all work in similar ways, and the key is understanding how to guide them. Donna reinforces that AI should not replace personal connection. Instead, it should give marketers more time to build trust by handling routine tasks in the background.

Listeners will learn how large language models respond to clear direction, why “garbage in, garbage out” still applies, and how to start using AI safely without risking their brand voice. Donna also discusses the increasing interest in AI agents and why companies need to understand LLMs before creating customized agents for different departments.

The episode includes simple steps B2B teams can take to start using AI immediately, along with practical guidance for industrial marketers who want to use AI without losing the human touch that builds long-term relationships.

These insights support marketers looking for clarity on how to start with AI, how to protect their brand voice, and how to use AI tools responsibly in B2B marketing.

Episode Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction and Purpose
• 00:56 Common Fears of B2B Brands Using AI
• 01:29 Choosing the Right AI Tool
• 02:38 Overcoming the Fear of Learning New Technology
• 03:23 Maintaining Personal Connections with AI
• 05:20 Deep Dive into Large Language Models
• 06:19 The Importance of AI Training in Corporations
• 08:01 The Role of AI Agents in Business
• 10:38 Practical Tips for Using AI Effectively
• 14:38 The Risks of Relying Solely on Software Platforms
• 19:29 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe and rate the show. Your support helps us reach more B2B professionals and continue our mission to inspire success.

We do Individual & Team Training as well as Speaking Engagements. See contact details below.

*** Reach out to dpeterson@worldinnovators.com
if you’d like help building a marketing strategy that builds relationships and/or AI training for individuals or full teams.

*** Visit www.worldinnovators.com
for more resources on building stronger marketing and leadership strategies.

*** Subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast for weekly insights into marketing, leadership, and the future of AI.

In this special Thanksgiving episode, Donna Peterson, President of World Innovators, shares a meaningful story of transformation — how shifting from a 'sales-first' mindset to a 'give-first' philosophy became the foundation for deeper trust, stronger relationships, and sustainable business growth.

Drawing from her decades of experience in industrial and B2B marketing, Donna highlights one of the most overlooked marketing tools available to businesses today: active association membership.

This episode answers the key question:
How can B2B companies leverage association memberships to boost SEO and drive industry growth?

From backlinks in member directories to building trust through thought leadership and networking, Donna outlines exactly how associations offer both visibility and credibility — two critical pillars of relationship-based B2B marketing.

You’ll walk away with specific, practical steps to strengthen your brand’s presence and help your industry grow.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Reflecting on Thankfulness
• 01:03 The Power of a Mindset Shift
• 03:55 Embracing Association Membership
• 06:51 Actionable Steps for B2B Companies
• 10:07 Building Relationships Through In-Person Events
• 12:04 Maximizing Association Membership Benefits
• 14:34 Final Thoughts and Thanksgiving Wishes

Stay Connected:
If you’re interested in building stronger relationships through smarter B2B marketing, Donna would love to connect.

• Email: dpeterson@worldinnovators.com
• Phone: 860-846-7404
• Website: www.worldinnovators.com

*** Reach out to dpeterson@worldinnovators.com
if you’d like help building a marketing strategy that builds relationships and/or AI training for individuals or full teams.

*** Visit www.worldinnovators.com
for more resources on building stronger marketing and leadership strategies.

*** Subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast for weekly insights into marketing, leadership, and the future of AI.

Many legacy industrial brands assume that steady sales today mean they will stay strong tomorrow. In this episode, we talk about why that belief can create blind spots for companies with long histories, loyal customers, and strong reputations.

Donna welcomes Ken Spaeth from Cutting Tool Engineering Magazine (CTE) to explore how industrial brands can protect their visibility and maintain trust in a market that is always changing. Ken works directly with manufacturers every day, and he shares what he sees separating brands that stay top of mind from those that slowly fade out of view.

Together, Donna and Ken discuss why marketing is not an expense. It is a relationship-building investment that keeps your company present in your industry, especially with new engineers and younger buyers entering the workforce. They also talk about the value of consistent messaging, how industry-specific publications support thought leadership, and how print, digital, and AI can all work together.

This episode is especially helpful for leaders at legacy industrial brands who want to stay relevant, maintain visibility, and support long sales cycle growth through thoughtful, relationship-based marketing.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why legacy industrial brands cannot rely only on past relationships
• How consistent visibility keeps your brand top of mind
• Why print and digital advertising still matter for technical buyers
• How AI is influencing the buying cycle and strengthening content
• The importance of face-to-face interactions in a digital world
• How relationship-based B2B marketing supports long-term growth

Key Topics and Timestamps:

• 00:00 Why legacy brands still need consistent marketing
• 00:53 Introducing Ken Spaeth and Cutting Tool Engineering
• 01:55 Why business still runs on relationships
• 04:34 How AI supports visibility and faster buying cycles
• 07:05 The role of trusted industry-specific magazines
• 09:01 Marketing as an investment that protects future sales
• 12:36 Why consistent advertising matters for long sales cycle companies
• 17:38 The continued importance of in-person meetings
• 22:57 Combining traditional and modern marketing approaches
• 25:05 The long-term value of print and digital advertising
• 29:09 How AI supports storytelling for industrial brands
• 30:39 Ken’s path into CTE and the manufacturing world
• 32:33 Inside CTE’s “Bourbon with the Editor” podcast

Connect with our guest: Ken Spaeth

• Cutting Tool Engineering Magazine // Website: www.ctemag.com
• Listen to their podcast: Bourbon with the Editor - https://open.spotify.com/show/0kZP6XcglHqnE6wswNzwoI?si=1671d8c15b3540a1

*** Reach out to dpeterson@worldinnovators.com
if you’d like help building a marketing strategy that builds relationships and/or AI training for individuals or full teams.

*** Visit www.worldinnovators.com
for more resources on building stronger marketing and leadership strategies.

*** Subscribe to the B2B Marketing Excellence & AI Podcast for weekly insights into marketing, leadership, and the future of AI.