Let's be honest - most attempts at organizational change go about as well as using a pizza cutter to open your mail. (Spoiler alert: Don't try this at home.)

But when Kimmah Lewis, Senior Director of Demand Generation at Actian, needed to transform her marketing team from traditional lead gen to ABM, she got creative. Her secret weapon? A deck of UNO cards and a healthy dose of transparency.

Watch or listen to Kimmah's RevRoom Podcast: Youtube | Spotify | Apple

Why Change? Because Sometimes You Have to Flip the Table

For Actian's marketing team, the shift to ABM wasn't just a nice-to-have - it was a business imperative. As Kimmah puts it, "Traditional marketing just didn't scratch the itch anymore." With complex B2B buying committees and the need for more predictable pipeline generation, they needed a more targeted approach.

But here's the thing about change - nobody wakes up thinking "You know what would be fun? Let's completely overhaul how we do everything!" Even Kimmah admits she wasn't initially raising her hand volunteering for this transformation.

Before taking the plunge, she revisited the fundamentals of making change stick — understanding the psychology of transformation and how to help teams adapt with clarity and purpose.

The Secret Sauce: Start with Why 

Kimmah's approach to change management is refreshingly real. Here's what made it work:

1. She started with herself. Before getting her team on board, she had to get herself aligned with the 'why' behind the change.
2. She normalized change before introducing ABM. Instead of diving straight into ABM tactics, she focused first on getting her team comfortable with change itself.
3. She made learning fun and visual. Using those UNO cards? Pure genius. The game demonstrated how ABM's focused approach could achieve results faster than traditional lead gen - and the team got to experience it firsthand.
4. She kept it real. By being transparent about her own learning curve ("I don't need to be the expert"), she created a safe space for her team to experiment and learn together.

The Steady Drumbeat of Change

Want to know the real MVP of successful change management? Consistency. Kimmah's team hears about ABM in:

• One-on-ones
• Team meetings
• Email updates
• Slack messages
• Cross-functional conversations

As she puts it, "You think you're going to put one deck in front of your team and then you're done? Don't start because that's it."

Pro Tips for Your Own Change Journey

Ready to lead your own marketing transformation? Here's Kimmah's battle-tested advice:

1. Do your own alignment check first - if you're not fully committed, your team won't be either
2. Be realistic about what you can implement and where you need help
3. Over-communicate until people start repeating your messages back to you
4. Remember it's a marathon, not a sprint - be patient but stay the course

For leaders ready to take their strategy a step further, explore marketing change that lasts — a framework designed to sustain momentum long after the kickoff meeting ends.

The Bottom Line

Change is hard, but it doesn't have to be painful. Whether you're shifting to ABM or tackling another marketing transformation, success comes down to bringing your people along for the journey - not just delivering a program and expecting adoption.

And hey, if you can make it fun along the way? Even better. UNO cards optional, but highly recommended.

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