<![CDATA[Marketers Beyond The Ladder]]>There’s more than one way to grow in marketing.

Marketers Beyond the Ladder is a podcast about what career growth can look like when becoming a VP or CMO isn’t the only goal. I talk to experienced marketers who have built careers as senior ICs, founders, advisors, creators, specialists (or some combination of them) to understand how they made it work.

We talk about the decisions behind unconventional career moves, what gets harder when you step away from the traditional management ladder, and the question career conversations too often avoid: how do you actually make money?

Hosted by Yulia Olennikova, a B2B marketer with 15+ years of experience.

Connect with Yulia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/italeffa/

]]>https://riverside.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Sat, 10 Oct 2026 13:35:43 GMTWed, 07 Oct 2026 13:45:36 GMT60Yulia Olennikova<p>There’s more than one way to grow in marketing.</p><p>Marketers Beyond the Ladder is a podcast about what career growth can look like when becoming a VP or CMO isn’t the only goal. I talk to experienced marketers who have built careers as senior ICs, founders, advisors, creators, specialists (or some combination of them) to understand how they made it work.</p><p>We talk about the decisions behind unconventional career moves, what gets harder when you step away from the traditional management ladder, and the question career conversations too often avoid: how do you actually make money?</p><p>Hosted by Yulia Olennikova, a B2B marketer with 15+ years of experience.</p><p>Connect with Yulia on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/italeffa/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.linkedin.com/in/italeffa/</a></p>episodicYulia Olennikovaitaleffa@gmail.comno<![CDATA[01 - Marketer Turned Founder: The Choices, Risk & Reality with Adam Holmgren, CEO of Fibbler]]>Adam Holmgren, CEO of Fibbler, used to think leadership was the only realistic way to keep progressing and making more money. Instead, he became a founder.

In the first episode of Marketers Beyond the Ladder, Adam and I talk about what that choice actually looks like beyond the usual founder success story: why management drained him, how he discovered that great operators can make great money, and why he built Fibbler alongside his full-time job for almost two years before finally going all in.

We also get into the less glamorous parts: financial risk, burnout, work-life balance, the pressure of always feeling behind, and why Adam says becoming a founder is probably the wrong move if money is your only motivation.

We talk about:
• Why senior marketers often feel pushed toward management
• Whether companies need to pay senior ICs more
• Building a company without quitting your job first
• What finally made Adam leave the security of employment
• Founder income vs. a senior marketing salary
• Why working more doesn't automatically get you product-market fit
• Building a company as an introvert who hates pitching
• Why experience might be an underrated advantage for aspiring founders

And, because this is the first-ever episode of Marketers Beyond the Ladder, we start with a big question: what if becoming a VP or CMO isn't the only way forward?

Follow Adam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-holmgren/

Follow Yulia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/italeffa/

]]>30da1350-f289-4013-abcb-3993f787da6dWed, 07 Oct 2026 13:55:13 GMT<p>Adam Holmgren, CEO of Fibbler, used to think leadership was the only realistic way to keep progressing and making more money. Instead, he became a founder.</p><p>In the first episode of Marketers Beyond the Ladder, Adam and I talk about what that choice actually looks like beyond the usual founder success story: why management drained him, how he discovered that great operators can make great money, and why he built Fibbler alongside his full-time job for almost two years before finally going all in.</p><p>We also get into the less glamorous parts: financial risk, burnout, work-life balance, the pressure of always feeling behind, and why Adam says becoming a founder is probably the wrong move if money is your only motivation.</p><p>We talk about:<br />• Why senior marketers often feel pushed toward management<br />• Whether companies need to pay senior ICs more<br />• Building a company without quitting your job first<br />• What finally made Adam leave the security of employment<br />• Founder income vs. a senior marketing salary<br />• Why working more doesn't automatically get you product-market fit<br />• Building a company as an introvert who hates pitching<br />• Why experience might be an underrated advantage for aspiring founders</p><p>And, because this is the first-ever episode of Marketers Beyond the Ladder, we start with a big question: what if becoming a VP or CMO isn't the only way forward?</p><p>Follow Adam: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-holmgren/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-holmgren/</a></p><p>Follow Yulia: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/italeffa/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.linkedin.com/in/italeffa/</a></p>no00:36:081101 - Marketer Turned Founder: The Choices, Risk & Reality with Adam Holmgren, CEO of Fibblerfull