In this episode of the RevOps Revolution podcast, host Jeff Serlin is joined by Ashley Brucker Stepien, who leads marketing and growth at AI-analytics workspace provider Hex, for an insightful conversation about the evolving role of marketing, the art and science of bottoms-up revenue planning, and the importance of strategic alignment across go-to-market teams.

Building Aligned and Accountable Plans

The heart of this episode centers on planning—how it’s built, where it breaks down, and how to do it better. Ashley is clear on her stance: “I am a monster about planning.” She builds both top-down and bottoms-up models, combining C-level targets with performance data by channel, conversion rates, seasonality, and sales inputs.

That detailed level planning improves conversations and decision-making across teams. For example, Ashley gives the example of June often being a "tricky" month for hitting a planned pipeline target, as seasonality starts to set in. “I can have the dialog with my sales leader and be like, ‘Hey, man, June might be hard. I might need you to lean in a little extra with outbounding that month,’” Ashley said. “It really just facilitates not only a stronger relationship built on trust, but a dialog.”

Jeff agreed, noting that too often, marketing and sales return from their respective corners with different plans.

“What if instead, we sat down as a revenue unit and said, like, let's map out three different scenarios of the path to growth,” Ashley offered. “And then as a united front, we go to the powers that be.”

The Modern Marketer: Always Evolving

Ashley’s background in both sales and marketing gives her a unique advantage in understanding the full revenue engine. “I care about the holistic stack when it comes to my point of view on go to market,” she said. “In order for me to do my job well, all of those pieces need to be working really well too.”

As the definition of marketing continues to expand—from email to automation to PLG to AI—so does the responsibility. “I believe what people mean by modern marketer is that we are constantly mastering the extended scope that we acquire as things come to light,” Ashley explained. “What it means to be a modern marketer is welcoming the extended scope with curiosity and just always trying to master new skills.”

The Role RevOps Must Play

Both Ashley and Jeff emphasized the strategic role RevOps should play in driving alignment. Too often, RevOps is seen as reactive or operational, not as a strategic driver. “You [RevOps] are not a service center,” Ashley said. “If anything, you should be the tip of the spear in setting the direction and the strategy.”

Jeff encouraged RevOps leaders to take charge: “Call the shots. Be the Chief of Staff for this… you’re orchestrating it all.” And if you’re not empowered to be strategic? “Go work somewhere else,” Jeff added. “Go to a place that wants to use you in the way they should.”

Ashley highlighted the tremendous opportunity RevOps has to lead the charge when it comes to planning and oversight of the plan's execution: “Having a RevOps leader who could just take that off our plates and say, ‘I'm going to steer the ship, y’all along for the journey’—like that's the dream, right there.”

Balancing Long-Term Growth with Short-Term Pressure

When asked how to respond to urgent demands for pipeline that could derail longer-term marketing bets, Ashley didn’t sugarcoat it: “Any marketer worth their salt has been in that situation 100 times over.”

Her approach? Always keep a few low-effort levers handy, like increasing paid spend, and nurture experiments in the background. Be ready to have discussions about the trade-offs, the risks, and also why it make be better to just push back and say 'no.'

Still, Ashley is cautious about overreacting and re-allocating funds to solve a short-term pipeline gap: “Anytime I’ve done something super thrashy like that, I pay for it in other ways,” she said. “I pay for it in the quality of the pipeline… or the customer quality... or the stress for the company and the marketing team.”

Advice for Aspiring Marketing Leaders

In closing, Jeff asked Ashley what advice she’d give to marketers looking to grow into leadership roles. Her first principle? Stay humble. “Being a marketer is humbling. And I think that’s like, the first piece of advice I have—stay humble, because there’s so much to learn out there.”

Second, know your strengths (she calls these 'spikes') and fill your gaps. “Do pick your spikes… and complement your smaller spikes, your weaknesses, with constant learning from people who are better than you.” She added, “I always hire people better than me at the things I’m not that good at.”

And finally, keep learning. “Especially right now with AI and tooling changes… I make it a point to read, to listen, to meet, and make sure I’ve picked up some kind of new skill or tip at least once a week.”

Key Takeaway:‍

Revenue planning isn’t just about models and targets—it’s about trust, transparency, and shared accountability. As Ashley put it, “Growth is our business. You're either moving the needle on where this thing is going, or you're not.”

Catch this episode and others on all major podcasting platforms where you can find the RevOps Revolution show.