In this episode of Funnel This, I’m joined by Olivia Minnock, Head of Commercial & Partnerships at mmob, to talk about what partnerships really look like inside a fintech startup — and how life changes when there’s no dedicated marketing team.

Olivia shares her journey from editorial and community roles into commercial leadership, and how those early skills in translating complex topics into plain language now shape everything from enterprise sales to product feedback.

We explore the reality of long, complex sales cycles with tier one banks, why partnerships aren’t just logos or announcements, and how sales and marketing must work as one function — especially when resources are lean.

This is a grounded, honest look at startup life: prioritisation, letting things go (and picking them back up), avoiding ecosystem myopia, and remembering that partnerships aren’t just about what you take out of the business — but what you feed back in.

In this episode, we cover:
- What “partnerships” really mean in fintech — from marketplace listings to referrals and ecosystems

- Selling into tier one banks and navigating long, multi-stakeholder sales cycles

- Why sales and marketing should sit together, not compete

- Turning complex technical products into clear, compelling stories

- How to avoid partnership breakdowns and know when you’re truly “ready” to scale

If you’re operating in that grey space between commercial, marketing and partnerships — or building in a startup where roles overlap and evolve — this one will resonate.

Useful links:
Connect with Olivia Minnock on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-minnock/
Connect with Sally Baker on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallybaker/

Marketing in financial services isn’t about playing it safe. It’s about thinking big — and then intelligently working within the guardrails.

In this episode of Funnel This, I’m joined by Toni Gregory, Brand and Content Lead at OpenPayd, to explore what marketing really looks like inside regulated industries.

Toni shares her experience from fintech brands including GoCardless and OpenPayd, and explains why compliance isn’t a blocker to creativity — and why seeing it that way can hold marketers back.

We talk about the importance of thinking creative first, peeling ideas back layer by layer, and treating legal and compliance as true partners rather than hurdles. Toni also shares practical advice on building long-term brand equity, using data responsibly, and measuring success when brand impact doesn’t show up overnight.

If you work in fintech, financial services or any regulated industry, this episode offers a grounded, honest look at how to stay bold without crossing the line.

In this episode, we cover:

- Why compliance should be “baked in” — not bolted on at the end

- Thinking creative first, then refining ideas within regulatory guardrails

- Building brand voice and long-term trust without relying on hype

- Using storytelling and proof points together to strengthen credibility

- Measuring brand impact through visibility, consistency and momentum — not just quick wins.

Useful links:
Connect with Toni Gregory on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toni-gregory/
Connect with Sally Baker on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallybaker/

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/