Barry Epstein of Ovation: The GTM Power of AI Video (Sibling Edition!)

In this episode, I’m joined by someone who knows me better than most—my big brother, Barry Epstein. Barry is the founder of Ovation Solutions, a company that's been transforming how B2B brands use video to sell for over two decades.

We talk about the evolution of corporate video, how AI is now supercharging video libraries into virtual sales engineers, and what it takes to deliver real go-to-market value in the age of content overload. Barry shares insights on how leading companies like Salesforce are leveraging video and AI to move buyers down the funnel faster—and smarter.

And here's something extra: we used Ovation's own AI capabilities to enhance this very episode. Check out the interactive, AI-enabled version of the video at ovationsolutions.com/pages/aive-got-questions.

Whether you're a marketer, a founder, or a video producer, this one’s packed with practical wisdom (and a few sibling moments too!)

Transcript

Stacey Epstein (00:00):
Today we have a very special guest. I know I say that about all of the guests—they’re all special—but this one’s extra special. He even shares my last name. Please welcome to the show... Barry Epstein.

Barry Epstein (00:15):
Thank you very much. I’ve listened to your other episodes, and I know you go way back with many of your guests. In my case, I can honestly say you’ve known me your entire life. It’s an honor to be your brother and to be on the podcast.

Stacey Epstein (00:30):
Yes—everyone, this is my older brother, Barry Epstein. So technically, I haven’t known him his whole life... but the inverse is true.

Barry Epstein (00:38):
Right, I went two years without knowing you. I remember it well—it was peaceful!

Stacey Epstein (00:45):
Sorry about those two years! Well, welcome to the show. I’m sure our dad is watching every second of this episode, so at least we know we have one guaranteed YouTube viewer. And it’s especially fitting to have you here, because you’ve been in the video game for a long time. Tell us a bit about your journey—and then we’ll get into your awesome AI capabilities.

Barry Epstein (01:14):
Thanks! I started my career at Oracle, where I spent 14 years in CRM consulting—selling and managing projects. Video wasn’t even on my radar. But eventually I caught the entrepreneurial bug. In 2003, I was introduced to the idea of doing corporate video. Today that sounds obvious, but back then it wasn’t.

B2C had great video—30-second TV spots and such—but in B2B, we were still doing two-hour software demos. The idea was: what if we had short, compelling, two-minute videos with the same punch as a B2C ad, but built for a B2B audience? And instead of airing them on TV, we’d distribute them online—on websites, through email, even pre-social media. Again, that sounds normal now, but in 2003, there was hardly any video on the internet. It was a risk—but I went for it.

And 20 years later, I’ve been lucky to build a successful company—Ovation Solutions—with amazing clients like Salesforce. We help companies explain complex value props in ways that are simple, visual, and consumable. From web to mobile to social and now, AI—it’s been an incredible evolution.

Stacey Epstein (03:04):
Amazing. Obviously, I’ve followed your journey as a sibling—but also as a customer! One of your first big videos was at SuccessFactors, right?

Barry Epstein (03:17):
Absolutely. You were instrumental—not just as a customer, but as part of my informal board. When I’ve hit tough spots or needed advice, you’re one of the first people I call. You've been a huge support.

Stacey Epstein (03:41):
Well, happy to be on the board! We’ve talked a lot on this show about how important it is to know your customer—and I guess you know me pretty well, minus a few secrets I’ve kept hidden.

But seriously, I’ve never really thought about the contrast between B2C and B2B video. Advertising has been around forever, but it wasn’t until the internet matured that B2B started investing in video. And now, it's a must. I can’t think of a single client that doesn’t use explainer videos, customer testimonials, or product overviews. It's such a valuable part of the go-to-market toolkit. So... how is AI changing the game?

Barry Epstein (04:50):
So many ways. When we started, video was all about creating a homepage explainer. Then we added mid-funnel content—demos, customer stories, webinars—and built libraries. We even built tools to help prospects search those libraries by product, industry, or company size. But it never quite took off. People don’t want to search through 20 videos. It’s too much effort.

What they do want is a conversation—like a sales call. They want to ask, “How would you handle this scenario?” and get a tailored answer. That’s what AI enables. It can simulate that experience by combining human-like responses with video snippets pulled from your existing library.

So instead of watching a 20-minute demo, you ask: “Do you support marketing automation?” AI says: “Yes—and here are three clips showing how.” It’s fast, relevant, and personal.

Stacey Epstein (09:51):
Exactly. The metric isn’t how long someone watches a video—it’s how quickly they find what they’re looking for. Let’s say I’m evaluating a CRM and have five must-haves. I could go to your video library and ask, “Do you have marketing automation?” AI pulls four relevant clips, I watch them, and I’m done. That’s incredibly efficient.

Barry Epstein (11:16):
Right—it’s not about time spent. It’s about value delivered. And AI only pulls from your content—no hallucinations, no competitors, just your pre-approved material.

It’s like having a sales engineer on-demand. It can queue up a product demo, a thought leadership clip, a customer quote—all within seconds. And even better, it can surface moments from deep within longer videos that no one would ever find on their own. Want HIPAA compliance proof? AI finds the moment in a 60-minute webinar where the compliance officer speaks. Click. Watch. Done.

Stacey Epstein (12:16):
Yeah, amazing. Great point.

Barry Epstein (12:36):
And it goes beyond video—our platform also pulls in PDFs, web pages, and other assets. You can even embed clickable prompts inside the video itself. For example, right when your product is being demoed, a prompt appears: “Want to learn more about HIPAA compliance?” Click it, and a video snippet, a webpage, or a document opens—all within the same video player. You don’t leave the experience.

Stacey Epstein (13:16):
That’s incredible.

Barry Epstein (13:44):
It’s the most helpful assistant you can imagine. Like a great sales rep who listens, understands, and points you to exactly the right answer. And there’s another layer: during video production, we use AI to accelerate the creative process. Instead of waiting weeks for mockups, we can generate ideas and visualizations in minutes. That makes brainstorming more fun and production more efficient.

Stacey Epstein (15:21):
It’s fascinating. I was just talking to a VC friend this morning about how AI is forcing companies to rethink their go-to-market strategies. Some are just slapping AI on top of existing processes. But others—like what you’re doing—are rethinking the entire sales motion. And that’s where the real innovation lies.

Barry Epstein (17:03):
Absolutely. All that unused footage from customer interviews? It becomes instantly searchable and useful. Even if it didn’t make the final cut of a testimonial video, it’s now available on demand through AI.

Stacey Epstein (18:23):
Amazing.

Barry Epstein (18:40):
This changes everything about how we think of content. And the beauty is, we can do all of this with the episode we just recorded. We’ll enhance this podcast episode with AI features and share the link in the description.

Stacey Epstein (22:22):
Yes! Check the show notes to see this episode come to life with all those features. And Barry, where can listeners find you?

Barry Epstein (23:18):
Visit us at OvationSolutions.com.

Stacey Epstein (23:22):
Thank you so much for being on the show—and for being my big brother.

Barry Epstein (23:30):
The honor’s mine. I’ve listened to every episode—it’s been amazing. I’m proud of you.

Stacey Epstein (23:44):
Thanks. Everything I know, I learned from my big brother. And our dad—hi, Dad—and our mom in heaven.

Barry Epstein (23:51):
I wasn’t going to say it... but yeah. For everyone else, check the description!

Stacey Epstein (24:03):
Thanks for listening!