In this episode, fintech growth strategist Nikolay Sabev joins Sally Baker to explore how payments are evolving, from invisible transactions to AI-driven fraud prevention, and what it all means for fintech marketers.

Nick shares global insights from his work across embedded finance, cross-border payments, and digital currencies, and explains why the winners in this space will be those who combine speed, security, and simplicity with clear, trustworthy communication.

In this episode:

• The rise of cashless and invisible payments — and what markets like China and Scandinavia can teach us
• How embedded finance is shaping customer experiences without people even realising it
• The role of AI and machine learning in fraud prevention, data protection, and personalisation
• Why stablecoins and digital currencies could transform cross-border payments
• How fintech marketers can build trust and clarity in a complex, compliance-driven world

Useful links:
Connect with Nikolay Sabev on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikolaysabev/
Connect with Sally Baker on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallybaker/

As marketing teams head into 2026 with tighter budgets and increasing pressure to perform, this episode is packed with practical advice on how to do more with less without compromising on global impact.

Sally is joined by Katie Hayes, Head of Marketing at Ozone API, who shares how her lean team runs effective global marketing across multiple regions, the smart bets they make, and how AI has transformed the way they work.

Whether you're planning next year’s strategy, re-evaluating your channel mix, or looking for new ways to scale output, this episode gives you a clear and realistic playbook for high-impact marketing in 2026.

In this episode, they cover:

- How to prioritise channels and activity when budgets tighten

- Why global messaging needs local nuance — and how to manage this with a small team

- A practical approach to repurposing content from a single “hero” asset

- How Katie’s team uses Dojo AI to automate insights and reduce manual work

- Low-cost strategies for increasing visibility at major industry events

This is the episode every B2B fintech marketer should listen to before 2026.

Listeners can also enjoy part one of Sally’s conversation with Katie, (episode one in this series) on rebranding for challenger and established B2B brands.

Useful links:

Connect with Katie Hayes on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiejayhayes/

Connect with Sally Baker on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallybaker/

In this episode, Sally is joined by Fractional CMO Jeremy Laight to unpack how buyer behaviour has transformed and why the classic AIDA funnel no longer reflects the messy, multi-channel journeys buyers take today.

Jeremy explains how AI is collapsing the top of the funnel, how buyers are joining the dots long before they ever reach your website, and why trust and credibility now carry more weight than any neatly mapped “journey”.

Together, they explore what this means for B2B and fintech marketers, from the role of content and social proof to how teams can influence the 70% of decisions that happen before a brand even knows it’s being considered.

In this episode, they cover:

• How AI is collapsing awareness and speeding up decisions
• Why modern buyer journeys are mostly invisible
• The impact of multi-person B2B decision-making
• The rise of peer recommendations via Slack and LinkedIn
• The types of content that get discovered, shared and trusted
• What marketers should prioritise to stay relevant in 2026

Jeremy also shares details of The Slice Network, his growing LinkedIn community for fractional CMOs and marketers.

Full episode available now.

Useful links:

Connect with Jeremy Laight on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmolondon/

Join The Slice Network: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-slice-network/

Connect with Sally Baker on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallybaker/

What if your next event didn’t just build brand awareness, but drove real revenue?

In this episode, Shaun O’Keeffe, SVP Growth Enablement at zerohash, joins Sally to share how their flagship Connect event series became a true growth engine.

From strategy to execution, Shaun breaks down exactly how the team turned an owned event into tangible business results — including $2M in pipeline, a 15% uplift in conversion rates, and deals moving faster through Salesforce.

He also shares how shifting outreach from pitching to inviting transformed engagement, taking response rates from 5% to 50%, and why some of the biggest wins in marketing can’t be measured overnight.

Expect a practical, step-by-step look at how to make owned events part of your growth strategy.

In this episode:

🟣 Why owned events are a powerful part of the B2B mix
🟣 How Zero Hash structured Connect across pre-, during and post-event
🟣 What makes an event memorable without huge budgets
🟣 How to measure success beyond the obvious metrics
🟣 How to turn events into lasting relationships and real revenue

If you’re planning to run your own events next year — or want to prove the ROI of brand-led marketing — this episode is one to bookmark.

Useful links:

Connect with Shaun O'Keeffe on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunokeeffe1/

Connect with Sally Baker on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallybaker/

LinkedIn isn’t just a place to share job updates — it’s one of the most powerful tools for B2B growth when used well.

In this episode, fintech copywriter Sarah Cheesman joins Sally to share how she turned LinkedIn into her biggest source of leads, and why authenticity, storytelling and employee advocacy are key to making it work.

Topics covered:

- How to make LinkedIn work for fintech and B2B marketing

- Building confidence to post and finding your voice

- Using storytelling to make “sales” posts engaging

- The rise of employee advocacy and how to do it right

- Why engagement matters — and

- Why LinkedIn is like being at a party

A practical, honest chat packed with advice for anyone wanting to use LinkedIn more effectively.

Useful links:

Connect with Sarah Cheesman on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wordsbysarah/

Connect with Sally Baker on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallybaker/

What does it really take to build and scale a successful fintech? Sally Baker is joined by fintech growth and marketing leader Nikolay Sabev to explore the fundamentals founders need to get right before scaling — from achieving product-market fit to building trust, brand and compliance foundations that last.

Topics covered:

What defines a “successful fintech” in 2025
Why trust and compliance must come before growth
The role of brand and marketing from day one
How to scale effectively by fixing internal infrastructure
Collaboration between product, marketing, and compliance teams
Balancing demand generation, education, and brand building
The growing importance of personal branding for founders and C-suite leaders
Lessons from Revolut, Monzo and others on growth with governance
Messaging for B2C vs B2B fintechs — emotional vs rational appeal
Why understanding the product is a marketer’s superpower
Nikolay’s three founding principles for any new marketing department

If you’re a fintech founder or marketer looking to strengthen your foundations and scale with purpose, this episode offers clear, practical advice on how to build a business that lasts — not just one that grows fast.

Useful links:
Connect with Nikolay Sabev on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikolaysabev/
Connect with Sally Baker on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallybaker/

Email and CRM are two of the most powerful and most underused tools in fintech marketing.

In this episode, Sally is joined by Eliane Coudoro, founder of CRM agency Seventy Eight, to unpack why so many fintechs drop the ball after acquisition… and what to do instead.

Eliane shares:

• Why sending to everyone is not a strategy
  
  
• How to build a high-quality email list (without shady imports)
  
  
• What sender reputation really means and how to protect it
  
  
• How to spot journey drop-offs and turn them into conversion points
  
  
• The biggest myths holding your email back
  
  
• A fintech case study that increased first trader revenue by 184%

If you’re spending budget on acquisition but neglecting retention, this one’s for you.

Useful links:

Connect with Eliane Coudoro on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliane-coudoro/

Connect with Sally Baker on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallybaker/

In the ever-evolving world of fintech, standing out is no small task — and sometimes that means a rebrand.

In this episode, Katie Hayes, Head of Marketing at Ozone API, shares her experience of leading rebrands for both challenger startups and established organisations navigating change.

Here’s a short summary of what we covered:

• Why larger brands rebrand to refresh, while startups rebrand to cut through
• The importance of running a brand audit before touching design
• How to keep stakeholders aligned (and avoid too many cooks)
• Why a rebrand is a business strategy, not just a logo update
• What to prioritise for launch — from your website to internal excitement
• How to measure if your new messaging is actually landing

Packed with practical advice and real-world lessons, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone planning or considering a rebrand.

Catch it now!

Useful links:

Connect with Katie Hayes on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiejayhayes/

Connect with Sally Baker on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallybaker/