
Rethinking Marketing for Real Revenue ft. Karthiga Ratnam | Hard Corps Marketing Show | Ep 448
Is your marketing driving real revenue or just making noise?
In this episode of The Hard Corps Marketing Show, host Casey Cheshire sits down with Karthiga Ratnam, a serial entrepreneur and marketing leader, for a bold and eye-opening conversation about the evolving role of marketing in modern business. Karthiga challenges conventional thinking around titles like "revenue marketer," arguing that all marketers should be tied to revenue outcomes.
The discussion dives deep into brand vs. demand vs. category creation, highlighting why leading with connection, trust, and authenticity beats feature-based messaging every time. Karthiga also explains why understanding metrics like Net Retention Rate (NRR) is crucial, and why marketers need to partner closely with leadership, especially when pioneering a new category.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why the term “revenue marketer” might be holding the industry back
- How marketing and sales can align more effectively around value and impact
- Why marketers should be tracking Net Retention Rate, not just pipeline
- Karthi’s philosophy of kindness, collaboration, and long-term vision
Whether you're a B2B marketer, entrepreneur, or aspiring category creator, this episode is packed with hard-earned wisdom and fresh perspective you won't hear anywhere else!
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Connect with Karthi:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karthiratnam/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karthi.ratnam/?hl=en
- Audience Haus website: https://www.audiencehaus.com/
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- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763
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- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn
- Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show
- Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL3RoZS1oYXJkLWNvcnBzLW1hcmtldGluZy1zaG93
Hard Corps Marketing is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
Creators and Guests

Host
Casey Cheshire
CEO & Founder of Ringmaster Conversational Marketing. Casey Cheshire is a marketer, serial entrepreneur, and adventurer. He has been in EO for close to 10 years and counts his relationships as a key reason for his continued success. Casey’s passion for podcasting led to him founding Ringmaster Conversational Marketing. Ringmaster helps B2B businesses launch podcasts that drive growth and revenue. Previously, Casey founded and ran Cheshire Impact for 10 years. It became the top Salesforce Pardot marketing automation solutions partner in the world before a successful exit in 2021. He is also a US Marine Corps Veteran where he served in the Infantry and deployed to some very hot climates. In his free time, Casey likes to skydive, climb mountains, and pretend to be a hungry bear for his two kids.