#063 The Science of Sustainable Growth with Channing Ferrer

Built For This Podcast, with Carly Pepin

July 13, 2026 by

Carly Pepin

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In this episode of Built For This, Carly Pepin sits down with Channing Ferrer, CEO of the Americas and Head of Revenue at Brevo, to explore what it really takes to sustain growth once a business moves beyond its startup phase.

Drawing on leadership experience at HubSpot during its rise from hundreds of millions to more than a billion dollars in annual revenue, along with executive roles at several high-growth technology companies, Channing shares the leadership principles, operational systems, and growth strategies that help businesses scale without losing momentum.

Throughout the conversation, Channing explains how Brevo successfully expanded from Europe into the highly competitive North American market by identifying underserved customer segments, building locally relevant strategies, and maintaining a relentless focus on customer needs. He discusses the balance between operational discipline and experimentation, revealing why the world's fastest-growing companies never stop testing, learning, and adapting.

Carly and Channing also explore international expansion, AI-driven productivity, product innovation, acquisitions, customer engagement, and how leaders can build repeatable systems while preserving the curiosity that fuels innovation.

Whether you're building your first startup, leading an established company through its next stage of growth, or expanding into new markets, this episode offers practical insights into creating sustainable, long-term success.

Key Themes

Sustainable Growth Requires Both Structure and Curiosity

As organizations mature, systems and processes become essential for consistency and scale. But Channing explains that long-term success still depends on experimentation, continuous learning, and the willingness to challenge assumptions. Great companies build repeatable frameworks without losing their appetite for innovation.

The Best Growth Opportunities Often Hide in Plain Sight

Rather than competing head-on in crowded markets, Brevo found success by serving customer segments that had been overlooked. By listening closely to customers and solving their specific challenges, the company unlocked meaningful growth in an already competitive landscape.

Leadership Means Learning Faster Than the Market Changes

Whether navigating AI, international expansion, or evolving customer expectations, Channing believes great leaders remain students of the market. The strongest decisions come from asking better questions, testing ideas quickly, and allowing data, rather than assumptions, to guide the way forward.

About Channing Ferrer

Channing Ferrer is the CEO of the Americas and Head of Revenue at Brevo, where he leads the company's growth strategy and expansion across North and South America. A seasoned SaaS executive, Channing has built his career helping technology companies scale through customer-centric leadership, operational excellence, and data-driven decision making.

Prior to Brevo, Channing played a key leadership role at HubSpot during one of its most significant growth periods, helping the company scale from hundreds of millions to more than a billion dollars in annual revenue. His expertise spans international expansion, customer engagement, revenue strategy, and building high-performing teams that deliver sustainable, long-term growth.

Memorable Quotes
"We're always testing. We always have to be testing."
"You have to feel local before you can grow local."
"Growth becomes sustainable when you build repeatable systems without losing the willingness to experiment."

Channing Ferrer