Kathryn Rose didn’t set out to build a movement—she just wanted to help her friends in channel marketing survive the chaos. Fast forward a year and the Channel Marketing Association is one of the fastest-growing, most energized communities in the space. In this episode, Kathryn dishes with Rick about how it all came together: the scrappy beginnings, the “holy crap” webinar moment, and what it really takes to build a community that works.


You’ll hear behind-the-scenes stories from their intimate events, how they’re tackling channel marketing’s biggest headaches (hello, MDF!), and why they built custom AI tools for marketers, not instead of them. It’s tactical, honest, and packed with the kind of wisdom you only get from people who’ve done the work.

In this energizing episode, Rick Currier welcomes Hondo Lewis—newly minted President and Co-founder of PartnerVista—for a raw and inspiring conversation about risk, reinvention, and building for impact in the world of partner marketing. From his early days hustling in local print advertising to leading sales at IDG and launching his own consultancy, Hondo shares the winding road that led him to co-create a partner marketing startup with soul.

Together, they dive into why partner marketers are the unsung heroes of B2B tech, how AI can bring leads closer to close, and what most publishers still get wrong about ecosystems. Hondo opens up about betting on himself, modeling courage for his kids, and why community—not just conversion—is at the core of PartnerVista’s mission.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to leave a cushy corporate gig to chase purpose—or how to actually support sales with AI and strategic partnerships—this one’s for you.

Mud water, Mos Def lyrics, and a little startup adrenaline included.

Christina Carstensen—founder of AEGA and longtime partner marketing pro—joins Rick from a sweltering London to talk content that works, campaigns that scale, and why most agencies still don’t get partner marketing. They unpack what makes this space so different, how to turn a single white paper into an ecosystem of pipeline-driving assets, and why a quarterly budget doesn’t have to mean tactical chaos. If you're tired of logo swaps and one-and-done webinars, this episode is your blueprint for building smarter, more strategic GTM with your partners.