Executive ConversationsEpisode 20 ·
Marketing Marketing: Selling Your Ideas Internally with Jordan Hwang @OpenPhone.
In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Jordan Hwang, VP of Marketing at OpenPhone.
Jordan Hwang
VP of Marketing, OpenPhone
Maeva Cifuentes
Host, Founder and CEO of Flying Cat
VP of Marketing, OpenPhone
Maeva CifuentesHost, Founder and CEO of Flying Cat
In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Jordan Hwang, VP of Marketing at OpenPhone.
Jordan explains why marketing leaders must learn to “market marketing” within their organization to secure buy-in for initiatives. Jordan and Maeva also discuss expanding influence across teams and aligning stakeholders around shared goals.
Jordan emphasizes that cross-functional teams should intuitively understand why marketing does what it does. They also discuss how to cut through noise, establish credibility, and prevent “armchair marketing” from derailing real strategies.
“Hard skills get you to a senior IC role. After that, it’s all about influence—who you can align, who you can persuade, and how well you sell your ideas.”Jordan Hwang, VP at OpenPhone
What leaders can take from Jordan
- 1Marketing marketingJordan explains why marketing leaders must sell their own ideas internally to secure buy-in and drive initiatives forward.
- 2Scaling influenceMoving from an individual contributor to leadership is about expanding impact, not just execution.
- 3Securing buy-inWhy even the best marketing strategies need internal alignment before they can succeed.
- 4Cross-functional alignmentEnsuring your peers understand marketing’s role to prevent misalignment and unnecessary roadblocks.
- 5Navigating scrutinyManaging the challenge of marketing being more visible and widely critiqued compared to other business functions.
- 6Storytelling for category repositioningHow OpenPhone uses long-form content like podcasts and video to shift market perceptions.
Internal buy-in for marketingMarketing influence in GTMScaling from IC to leadershipCross-functional alignment in SaaSMarketing storytelling for category repositioning
