Unlocking Marketing ROI with AI: Insights from Uptempo’s Marie Bahl

Uptempo.io

About the Guest(s):
Marie Bahl is the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Uptempo, a pioneering company focused on providing cutting-edge marketing technology solutions. With over two decades of diverse experience across technology-focused industries, Marie is renowned for her ability to demystify complex technologies and make them appealing to targeted audiences. Her expertise spans roles in marketing and sales within prominent tech companies such as Opower, Tendril Networks, Converge, Yahoo, Zoho, and Sun Microsystems. At Uptempo, Marie drives innovative marketing strategies and customer acquisition approaches, aiming to transform the marketing landscape by leveraging artificial intelligence and data analytics.

Episode Summary:
In this engaging episode of The Chris Voss Show, host Chris Voss is joined by Marie Bahl, CMO of Uptempo, for an insightful discussion about the transformative potential of AI in marketing and the critical importance of proving return on investment (ROI). Marie shares her expertise on how Uptempo helps brands bridge the gap between spending and strategic success by crafting detailed, data-oriented marketing solutions. The discussion highlights the essential need to reconcile various marketing data sets to achieve a comprehensive view of ROI, which is the holy grail for marketing professionals worldwide.

Throughout the conversation, Marie and Chris delve into how marketing data, when properly harnessed, can lead to unprecedented optimization and decision-making capability. Marie emphasizes the importance of using artificial intelligence appropriately, underscoring that it should focus on analytics and data synthesis rather than replacing creative output. The episode explores the concept of AI’s “jailbreak” moment, offering a glimpse into how brands can harness AI-driven insights to optimize marketing budgets and strategies. Additionally, they discuss broader industry trends, including how large corporations are adapting to new technologies and the significant challenges faced by marketers in justifying their budgets.
Key Takeaways:

Importance of Proving ROI: Marie highlights that ROI is a crucial measure for marketing success and how Uptempo provides the tools to tie various marketing activities directly to revenue outcomes.
Role of AI in Marketing: AI’s potential lies more in data processing and analytics, not replacing human creativity. AI in marketing should enhance decision-making, not detract from the human element.
Structured Data Equals Success: Reconciled and organized data is paramount for effective AI application, ensuring accurate insights and decision-making capabilities.
Marketing Challenges Over Time: Marketers are expected to do more with less, requiring efficient technology to validate their strategies and demonstrate tangible business outcomes.
Evolving Marketing Tools: Uptempo stands out by focusing on ROI over proxy indicators, integrating various data points to provide a holistic understanding of marketing effectiveness.

Notable Quotes:

“It’s not enough just to get the money at the beginning of the year, apply, do the voodoo that we do, and then at the end of the year go, ‘Hey, we did a great job.'”
“Applied well, and Uptempo happens to do it, but if you can’t get it through us, buy it, build it, find it, acquire it, get somebody to do it for you, you need to be able to prove your value.”
“ROI is the holy grail of every marketing CMO I think across the world; it’s the only measure that matters, and it’s the only measure we can’t get to.”
“Marketing was a cost center, and you threw money at it, and we weren’t really sure what happened. Magic. Voodoo happened in the background.”
“We have been spreadsheet jockeys, stitching together 80 spreadsheets to validate our existence for the last 30 years.”

Bebop Noir (The Los Angeles Stories) by John Ireland

https://www.amazon.com/Bebop-Noir-Los-Angeles-Stories/dp/B0D25CHCCP

Johnirelandthewriter.com

A schoolteacher moonlighting as a serial killer, an obese cop hiding from mirrors in his own shadow, a woman who can’t tell the truth, a man who can’t tell the difference, plus a little jazz a little sex a little Shakespeare a little murder, and an Australian lesbian who sings like Mel Torme.

About the author
I grew up in the movie business…watching them be made…and going to the movies all night long with my grandmother. The movies were my reality…life captured in two-hour stories…a garden of fantasies. My father was an academy award nominated actor. My mother was a more private artist. Along the way, I fell in love with words. Over the years I’ve written and produced movies for television, shot documentaries, acted in and written stage plays, and directed the indie film “Johnny Morran.” When I turned to writing literary fiction, I found myself back in the garden of dreams. My muses are the crime movies of my childhood, with a heavy dose of French and Italian films from the 60s and 70s. Caught in conflicts of conscience, lost in the purple haze and red mist of sex and violence, my characters aren’t sure they’re still alive until they run out of skin.

The Los Angeles Stories is an anthology of six human comedies and dramas, all rooted in the City of Angels. The time is the present. The characters are passengers heading toward uncertain futures. The only technology that is important is the human heart. As I look at these six books, it is fascinating to watch the style and stories and language grow and change.

The Human’s Universe and Its Purpose and Destiny by Robert Flash Kingsley

https://www.amazon.com/Humans-Universe-Its-Purpose-Destiny/dp/1964928486

Robertflashkingsleyauthor.com

The subject of God and our origin as humans has been at odds between science and religion for centuries until just recently. Now, due to the latest findings and the merging of both fields of study,
a greater view of the concept of the Creator that applies to all people equally representing both disciplines is available to benefit our entire global society. The universal comprehension of the
human spirit as an extension of the creative energy of the universe now arrives for us to utilize the unseen forces of life and creation to rebuild ourselves and the world for future development and
prosperity. Unification through intelligent awareness is the only way we, as a civilization, can have a bright future.

TRAUMA IS YOUR SUPERPOWER by Dr. Louise Stanger

https://www.amazon.com/TRAUMA-YOUR-SUPERPOWER-Louise-Stanger-ebook/dp/B0H223SMXW

Allaboutinterventions.com

What is the very thing that tried to break you is the source of your greatest power?

Trauma Is Your Superpower is a powerful, illustrated guide to turning pain into purpose.Dr. Louise reframes trauma as a portal to transform. The birthplace of strength… revealing how life’s hardest moments can unlock heightened intuition, deeper empathy and unshakable self-worth. More than healing, this book invites you to rewrite your story…releasing the past version of yourself and stepping fully into who you are becoming.

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About the author
Dr. Louise Stanger LCSW, CDWF, CSAT-1, CIP is a preeminent clinician interventionist and thought leader in the behavioral health and addiction treatments industry. She has performed thousands of family interventions in the US and abroad, gives presentations around the country on various topics related to mental health and addiction, process disorders and chronic pain, and has received prestigious awards from her fellow industry colleagues for her dedication to intervention and recovery. In addition to her work with clients and families, she is former University faculty at San Diego State University and University of San Diego, where she brought in over 5 million in grants for substance abuse and alcohol training and education.

The King’s Frog Hunter by Ken Young

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0990348806

Kingsfroghunter.com

Book 1 of 3: The King’s Frog Hunter

In the ancient land of Ameram, where giant, man eating frogs lurk in the marshes of the valleys, an aging and vain king has succumbed to the evil that is grasping control of his kingdom. His selfish behavior blinds his wisdom, opening the doors of Castle Ambermal to a wicked sorcerer who uses potions and manipulations to steal the throne from the rightful heir, the king’s only child, Ekala. As the magician begins his plan to revive the power of a once-defeated order of black-hearted creatures, a sculptor of Stone Truth triggers a chain of events that reveal an ancient prophecy and its guardian, Thalmus–The King’s Frog Hunter. Along with his loyal companions, a giant tortoise, a Paint stallion, and a Great Horned owl, the mysterious hunter gathers a unique band of warriors to help the princess in her fight to save her father and the Kingdom. Together they embark on a dangerous quest that will challenge their courage, test their resolve and forge new friendships while battling to fulfill the Prophecy of Ameram.

About the author
I started writing The King’s Frog Hunter for my daughter when she was a child. It was never meant for publication, simply to be a story for her about dangerous adventures of a father and daughter in a mysterious ancient land with good and bad people and creatures. I wrote into the story the values that my wife and I wanted her to learn and embrace: honor, integrity, courage, friendship, loyalty, graciousness and mercy. As she grew, so did the complexity of the storyline and the depth of the characters. It turned out they had more to say than I realized. My characters, both human and animal, continued to lead me into deeper themes, including perseverance, pursuit of wisdom, sacrifice, service to others, and the responsibility to fight the ever-present insidious aspect of evil. When my daughter received a postgraduate degree, she requested, as a graduation gift, that I finish the story and publish it for her. So, I wrote more, re-wrote and edited to weave the stories into a novel. Thus, was born The King’s Frog Hunter (the original title from her childhood). It took many years to mature on the page and then be transformed into a book. The writing (and the lessons learned), was a journey in and of itself. But, to my surprise, the characters were not done and led me to write two more of The King’s Frog Hunter story, Shadows of War, Book 2 and The Burning Battle, Book 3 to complete the trilogy–and their story that began so many years ago.

“Be wise and live in the Stone Truth.”

Ken Young lives with his wife and family of real and imaginary characters and creatures in the forest of the Inland Northwest of the U.S.A. Currently, he is working on a book about the impact of Early Onset Alzheimer’s on a mother of four boys and her husband.

DESTRUCTION OF DEMOCRACY: Essays on the Fight for Democracy by William H. Lloyd Jr.

https://www.amazon.com/DESTRUCTION-DEMOCRACY-Essays-Fight-Democracy/dp/1105985768

Williamhowardlloyd.com

An analysis of the threats facing American democracy and a prophecy for the next 3 and ½ years

Silver Dawn: Book One in the Silver Dawn Trilogy by Michael J Rouleau

https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Dawn-Book-One-Trilogy/dp/B0GKDL36MQ

Silverdawntrilogy.com

When Wanda Maximoff died, she didn’t fall into darkness—
she fell into memory, into the place where every truth lives.
There, Mt. Vundagorn restored her with ancient Witness Magic—the power to see through fear, armor, and illusion.

Reborn in silver light, Wanda returns not as the Scarlet Witch…
but as the Silver Dawn Angel, a being who reveals truth simply by standing with another’s pain.

Her presence shatters the kingdom of Latvireal, ruled by Victor Dravane—the Iron Regent, a man armored in control and haunted by unbearable loss. Wanda sees the soul behind the armor and the mask… and Victor, for the first time in years, feels seen.

As forgotten memories rise and buried wounds surface, Wanda and Victor are drawn into a quiet, breathtaking collision of truth, healing, and transformation.

Silver Dawn is a mythic reimagining of Wanda Maximoff—
A story of memory-magic, redemption, and the love that survives even the end of worlds

The Green Glitch: What’s Behind the Devil’s Lettuce? by Jason Tremko

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GW9GWVPF

Marijuana has changed. The conversation hasn’t.

From 3% THC in the 1970s to today’s ultra-high-potency products, cannabis has evolved into a commercial powerhouse-reshaping culture, classrooms, and communities in real time.

In The Green Glitch, educator, author, U.S. Army veteran, and 12-step recovery leader Jason Tremko brings a rare frontline perspective to one of the most urgent social shifts of our generation. Drawing from research, lived experience, and years working directly with young people and families, Tremko examines the rise of high-potency THC, the normalization of use, and the mental health questions many are hesitant to ask.

This isn’t politics.

It’s not nostalgia.

It’s a reality check.

Look for the accompanying documentary now streaming on multiple platforms, The Green Glitch extends the investigation beyond the page with expert interviews and powerful real-world stories.

One message. Two formats.

A conversation we can’t afford to ignore.

Last Call From The Minor Leagues to Building Nashville’s $1.5 Billion Sports Blueprint by Jay Grider

Jaygrider.com

9 Simple Solutions to Achieve Health Equity: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals and Patients by Mauvareen Beverley

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D73NNN2V

Drbeverley.com

Nine Simple Solutions to Achieve Health Equity: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals and Patients by Dr. Beverley presents actionable strategies to transform health disparity into health equity. Drawing from her extensive interactions with over 1,000 diverse patients, Dr. Beverley introduces innovative approaches, like “The Bridge Team,” to enhance outcomes for vulnerable populations.

Dr. Beverley offers a clear roadmap supported by real-life stories, addressing the critical gap between patient perception and reality. She emphasizes simple, empathetic solutions to prevent complex health issues, stressing the importance of recognizing patients as multifaceted individuals with roles beyond their medical conditions.

This essential guide advocates for cultural competence across all patient demographics, highlighting the often-overlooked needs of the English-speaking Black population who are not included in the need for cultural competence. Dr. Beverley also provides historical insights into the health crises faced by Black communities, underscoring the need for equitable, compassionate care inclusive of individuals with Sickle Cell Disease.

Echoing Hippocrates, Dr. Beverley reminds us: “It is more important to know the person who has the disease than the disease who has the person.” This book is a vital resource for healthcare professionals and patients committed to achieving health equity and improving health outcomes.

About the author
Mauvareen Beverley, M.D. is the President of Mauvareen Beverley, M.D., PLLC, Patient Engagement and Cultural Competence Specialist. She is an executive-level physician and a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) with over twenty years of experience advocating for improving patient engagement and cultural competence for all populations, especially African American communities. As Assistant Vice President, Physician Advisor for NYC Health + Hospitals, she sponsored the first Conference on Improving the Health of the Elderly Black Population. Under her leadership as Deputy Executive Director of Kings County Hospital, she led her team to implement innovative strategies for improved equitable health outcomes and decreased Congestive Heart Failure readmission from 30 percent to 18.7 percent in less than two years.

Dr. Beverley is a national thought leader and expert in patient engagement and health equity. She has lectured extensively on health disparities, patient engagement and valuing the human experience.

A Girls’ Road Trip: From Texas (U.S.) to Prince Edward Island (Canada) by Eula Woodyard McKown

https://www.amazon.ca/Girls-Road-Trip-Prince-Edward/dp/1963851242

A Girls’ Road Trip: From Texas (U.S.) to Prince Edward Island (Canada) recounts the travels of four women from Texas who drove to Prince Edward Island enjoying various spots along the way. The women also enjoyed visiting and sightseeing with friends as they traveled.

Included in the book are descriptions of their activities in Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine as they traveled to Canada. After entering Canada, the women enjoyed excursions in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. They continued their adventures as they returned home through Vermont, New York, Tennessee, and Arkansas.

A person who has wanted to travel, but has been unable to do so, will enjoy reading this book to experience vicariously the journey of the four women as they crossed the northeastern United States and Canada.