This blog outlines how data influences modern M&A across valuation, due diligence, risk, integration, and long-term growth. Leaders must treat data as a core asset, not an afterthought. Those who do will accelerate value creation across their portfolios.

In this episode of The Revenue Room™, Heather Holst-Knudsen sits down with Sean Griffey, co-founder and former CEO of Industry Dive, one of the biggest B2B media success stories of the past decade. Sean shares the real playbook behind scaling Industry Dive from five scrappy newsletters into a multi-vertical powerhouse that reached millions of executives, generated $100M+ in revenue, and ultimately sold to Informa for over $500M. Heather and Sean unpack what made the model work—from niche-audience obsession, to portfolio-wide sales strategy, to operational discipline most media companies still struggle to adopt. Sean also reflects on intent data, first-party strategies, sales org structure, account penetration, AI’s impact on search and audience behavior, and the evolving relationship between digital media and events. This is a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how one of the most respected operators in B2B media built a modern, high-margin, high-value company by focusing on what really matters: audience, product, and customer outcomes.

In this conversation with InGo Founder & CEO Michael Barnett, we explore why events are now the most trusted growth engine for modern organizations, how attendee advocacy unlocks exponential reach and higher-quality audiences, and why AI is pushing event leaders to double down on community, connection, and trust-driven experiences.

This episode of the Revenue Room Podcast features Allison Markert (Future B2B) and Jaime Schultheis (Bombora) discussing how their partnership uses enriched first-party data and intent signals to unify audiences across Future’s portfolio, helping advertisers reach in-market accounts beyond single-site assumptions. They explain shifting B2B sales from brand-led to audience-led solutions, the importance of educating both sales teams and buyers, and how full-funnel activation plus measurement now must prove account movement and pipeline impact—not just clicks. The conversation also covers AI’s dual role as disruption and advantage, emphasizing trusted journalism and smart AI productization, and closes with leadership lessons on navigating constant change through clarity, communication, and human-first resilience.

B2B media leaders often assume their growth challenges come from market pressures, shifting buyer behavior, or technology disruption—but as Sean Griffey points out, the real issue is usually much simpler: a lack of clarity. In our conversation, Sean breaks down how misaligned expectations, unclear ownership, and uneven talent standards quietly slow companies more than any external force. His perspective reframes growth not as a complexity problem, but as a leadership problem—and one that can be fixed by returning to fundamentals.

In a recent episode of The Revenue Room™ Podcast, Heather sat down with Christine Shaw, two-time CEO, data evangelist, and Executive Advisory Board Member of Revenue Room™ CXO, to explore what it truly takes to lead through disruption in today’s AI-driven landscape. Drawing on her experiences across Penwell, Future PLC, InvestmentNews, and now Naylor Association Solutions, Christine shares how data creates “calm in the storm,” why associations must reinvent themselves for the next generation, and how leaders can navigate complexity without losing their edge. This conversation reveals a blueprint for executives looking to transform with purpose and stay relevant in the most accelerated era our industry has ever faced.

This conversation with Amanda Landsaw revealed how EndeavorB2B has shifted from a legacy media identity to a modern intelligence and marketing solutions company. We explored how enterprise selling strengthens revenue, why marketing must be data driven, how AI is reshaping skill sets, and why privacy by design creates advantage. EndeavorB2B’s evolution offers a blueprint for every executive leading change inside a media, events, or information business.

A deep-dive conversation with Blair LaCorte—founder, investor, CEO coach, and master strategist—on authentic leadership, decision-making frameworks, AI’s impact on the workforce, the power of community, and why understanding yourself is the most important skill a leader can develop.