Why the B2B Funnel Is Broken and What Marketing Ops Leaders Should Do With Bethany Prettyman

About Guest

Bethany Prettyman is the Senior Director of Marketing Operations at Huntress, a cybersecurity company specializing in managed detection and response solutions for small and mid-sized businesses. With a robust background in strategic operations, she leads initiatives that enhance marketing efficiency and drive growth. Bethany's leadership ensures that Huntress's marketing strategies effectively communicate the company's mission to protect underserved organizations from cyber threats.

In this episode

The traditional B2B marketing funnel might be doing more harm than good. In an era of complex buyer journeys and intent-driven decisions, is it still realistic, or even useful, to imagine prospects moving through neat, linear stages? What if the funnel model we’ve relied on for decades is actually leading marketing ops teams astray?

According to Bethany Prettyman, a seasoned expert in marketing operations and data-driven strategy, the funnel is no longer linear, it’s a loop. She highlights how today’s B2B buyers bounce between channels, revisit research, and often re-enter the journey post-purchase, making linear tracking obsolete. The result? Misaligned attribution models and missed opportunities to optimize real engagement. Bethany explains that the obsession with MQLs is outdated and that teams should instead prioritize intent and velocity, focusing on signals that indicate purchase readiness rather than arbitrary lead scores. This mindset shift not only improves conversion but also strengthens alignment with sales.

In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, host Alex Gluz speaks with Bethany Prettyman, Senior Director of Marketing Operations at Huntress, to discuss why the traditional B2B funnel is broken. They explore why loop-based models better reflect today’s buyer behavior, how attribution should evolve, and the dangers of tech bloat in marketing stacks. Bethany also shares her agile approach to reporting and how to bridge gaps between sales, marketing, and finance.

A glimpse of what you will learn

• [1:13] Bethany Prettyman introduces her role at Huntress and career focus on B2B SaaS marketing operations
• [5:21] Contrasting customer journeys between cybersecurity and restaurant tech
• [11:01] Lessons in adaptability and leadership through crisis and industry change
• [14:20] Bethany’s approach to attribution modeling
• [16:06] Using agile, user-story based frameworks to build reporting tailored to executive and team needs
• [18:00] Evaluating martech stack through business goals, team feedback, and IT partnership
• [19:48] Why Bethany believes the B2B funnel is a loop, not a line"
• [24:30] Tackling 2025’s top B2B marketing challenges

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• T.A. Monroe Digital Agency
• Alex Gluz on LinkedIn
• Bethany Prettyman on LinkedIn
• Huntress
• Carol Meyers on LinkedIn
• Allison MacLeod on LinkedIn
• Toast

Quotable Moments

• "Funnels aren’t linear. You need to look at loop models. Those are more accurate. I think."
• "I take an engineering approach. I take an agile approach. What are the user stories?"
• "Cybersecurity is a lifestyle choice."
• "Change is inevitable. We talked about this. Know that and change."
• "Each constituent is going to need to answer a certain set of questions. They need to understand."

Action Steps

1. Reevaluate your B2B funnel model: Moving beyond linear thinking helps align marketing strategy with modern, nonlinear buyer behavior.
2. Focus on intent and velocity over MQLs: Prioritizing lead quality and readiness ensures sales receives the most conversion-ready opportunities.
3. Tailor reporting to each stakeholder: Custom dashboards that answer specific questions improve clarity, buy-in, and decision-making across departments.
4. Audit your martech stack regularly: Aligning tools with business goals prevents tech bloat and ensures every platform delivers ROI.
5. Apply agile methodology to marketing ops: Using user stories and acceptance criteria streamlines reporting, tech solutions, and cross-functional collaboration.

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by T.A.Monroe Digital.At T.A.Monroe, we build world class revenue engines for B2B SaaS companies. What that means is we do everything behind the scenes to generate you tons of qualified leads, opportunities and customers.

1. We build highly effective marketing systems and scale their profitably through our demand generation strategies.
2. We think scientifically on how to scale your demand and revenue.
3. We bring decades of experience.

Email us at alex@tamonroe.com or visit www.tamonroe.com today to schedule a strategy session or learn more about our mission.