The ROI Online Podcast

A Bitcoin conference in El Salvador sparked a leadership lesson I didn't expect: the smartest brand moves often look “small” on the surface. When Steak 'n Shake started accepting Bitcoin, it wasn't only about payments. It was a flag in the ground that said, “These are our people,” and it showed how brand identity and customer loyalty grow when your purpose matches a niche audience.From there, we zoom out to the real work most leaders avoid: shaping company culture on purpose. Culture will exist whether you design it or not, and if you leave it to chance, you don't get “neutral” culture, you get whatever habits, attitudes, and politics fill the vacuum. We talk about why some organizations feel effortless to visit and others feel tense, inconsistent, or even hostile, and how that comes down to a deliberate value system that guides decisions when no one's watching.We use the Primal Branding framework to make this practical: creation story, creed, rituals, vocabulary, anti-beliefs, icons, and leader. Then we bring AI into the picture with a simple method for team alignment: capture your answers in a brain dump, turn it into a custom GPT, and use it as a “team story engine” for emails, job posts, announcements, marketing, and internal communication. The goal is consistent messaging, better morale, fewer meetings, and a team that rows toward the same destination.If you want a clearer culture and a clearer message, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more leaders can build teams that actually feel aligned.Support the show

Two different leaders emailed me the same kind of win: they took a custom GPT we built, dropped in a brain dump, and asked for visuals. One got an infographic. The other got a trade show presentation. Both came back shocked at how clearly a complex, niche solution could be explained in a single image. That reaction matters, because clarity is not a “nice to have.” It is the difference between a prospect leaning in or tuning out. I dig into why AI storytelling works so well for founders and operators who do not have time for endless slide iterations or a full creative team. We talk about the client story first, because stories cut through information overload and help buyers make decisions when they are already exhausted. When you shift from features and jargon to a narrative that makes the customer the hero, you trigger emotion and memory, which makes your message stick and makes people feel understood. We also hit the curse of knowledge problem and how a shared vocabulary can align sales, service, and everyone who represents your brand. Then we get practical: using AI tools to turn expertise into slide decks, infographics, and simple assets prospects can bring back to stakeholders. That “last mile” support can turn a curious buyer into a confident champion. If you want more episodes like this on custom GPT strategy, AI marketing, product messaging, and storytelling for B2B growth, subscribe, share this with a founder friend, and leave a quick review with the one thing you are struggling to explain right now.Support the show

A single checkbox on Tesla's site can add “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” to a car, and that small moment carries a big lesson: when technology reliably reduces risk, the real question becomes why we keep doing it the hard way. We start with what self-driving represents, not as hype, but as a system built to spot hazards, make better decisions fast, and cut down on collisions over massive real-world mileage.Then we bring that same thinking into the day-to-day reality of running a small business. Missed calls, slow email replies, forgotten follow-ups, sloppy handoffs, and warm leads that quietly go cold are the operational version of crashes. If your customers are traveling “routes” through your company, you can map those workflows, find the breakdowns, and add supervised AI automation that keeps things moving. We talk about practical use cases like AI phone answering, instant customer responses, scheduling support, lead nurturing, and drafting messages so your team can focus on the work that needs human judgment.We also keep it grounded: don't overhaul everything. Pick one frustrating problem, use a planning GPT to brainstorm the workflow, identify the collision points, and roll out a simple upgrade your team can actually implement. If you want a calmer operation, better customer experience, and fewer dropped balls, this is your starting line. Subscribe, share this with a business owner who's feeling overwhelmed, and leave a review with the one workflow you'd automate first.Support the show

If you've ever tried to explain a technical product and watched someone's attention drift in seconds, you already know the real problem: clarity. I'm Steve ROI Brown, and I'm breaking down a simple way to turn confusing ideas into understanding that lands fast, without dumbing anything down. Between distractions, notifications, and baked-in assumptions, leaders don't get much time to make a point stick, so we have to learn how to compress complexity into meaning.We dig into what “storytelling” actually is right now and why it's not marketing, not brand theater, and definitely not AI slop designed for reactions. The goal is to connect engineering decisions to human insight, the way great founders do when they explain the why behind an innovation. I show how visuals can do heavy lifting by lowering cognitive load: start with an image that signals the idea, move to an infographic path that guides the brain, then earn the right to bring in text and deeper detail.Then I demo the workflow using Google NotebookLM as a free, focused tool for building clarity from your own sources. You'll hear how I pull in documents, posts, PDFs, and transcripts, ask deeper questions to extract the essence, and turn that into practical assets like mind maps, audio overviews, quizzes, infographics, and slide deck outlines that your team can reuse. If you want your sales, product, and leadership teams singing from the same song sheet, this system helps you get there. Subscribe, share this with a leader who explains hard things, and leave a review with the hardest concept you're trying to communicate right now.Support the show

Copying text out of one AI tool and pasting it back into your real work is already starting to feel like the “old way.” I'm Steve Brown, and I walk through why Google Gemini 3 feels like a turning point: it's not just another chatbot, it's AI embedded inside Google Workspace and Chrome so it can help right where you're building, writing, presenting, and deciding. We dig into the practical shift from ChatGPT's first-mover advantage to Gemini's built-in, next-to-your-cursor experience. I show how I can take raw information and generate a more polished visual inside Google Slides, including infographic-style layouts and quick refinements. If you lead a team, you know the real problem isn't having data, it's communicating the meaning. Clear visuals and story-driven structure can unify a room fast, and integrated generative AI makes that easier to produce on demand. Then we get hands-on with AI productivity in Google Sheets, using Gemini to create tables, draft structured data, and iterate without getting bogged down in spreadsheet setup. I also talk about multimodal AI: uploading a photo of handwritten notes and having Gemini organize them into a clean outline. Finally, I demonstrate Gemini in Chrome reading the current tab to coach you through tools you don't use every day, like ClickUp, and even helping you make sense of confusing option menus in complex setups. If you want faster workflows, clearer leadership communication, and fewer interruptions to your team, this is a strong place to start. Subscribe, share this with a friend who's still stuck in copy-and-paste mode, and leave a review with the biggest task you want AI embedded into next.Support the show

The White House quietly opened decades of federal data to AI, and the headlines barely flinched. We did. The move is being framed through the Genesis Mission, and it signals something bigger than “cool new tech”: agentic AI plus massive datasets is about to reset what customers expect from every company, including the smallest local business trying to stay ahead of the next curve. We connect the dots using a Manhattan Project scale analogy, then bring it down to street level with practical AI for small business workflows. If the government can combine data and experts to solve national problems like health, energy, manufacturing, biotech, and safety, we can do our own version with the data already sitting in our tools. We talk through concrete examples: exporting Google Calendar history to find patterns, using customer questions as early market signals, drafting proactive service emails, analyzing invoices to identify your best customers, and creating “big wins for little input” that improve revenue without chasing new leads. We also dig into measurable pattern spotting with QuickBooks and Stripe so we can move from gut feelings to early warning indicators, plus smart hiring tactics that use your top performers as a model for better job descriptions. If you want to future proof your business, get comfortable using LLMs like ChatGPT or Gemini as a thinking partner and start stacking small experiments today. Subscribe, share this with a business owner who needs a head start, and leave a review with the one dataset you want to analyze first.Support the show

The next two years won't reward the businesses that “wait and see.” We're watching the economy tilt toward efficiency, and two forces are doing the tilting: AI automation that boosts profit per employee and modern payment rails that can cut fees, speed settlement, and change who you attract as a customer. We learned the hard way during COVID that fighting to restore the old model can cost years. This time, we want to help you see the shift early and move on purpose. We break down a real world Bitcoin payments story from Steak 'n Shake and why it matters even if you've never used crypto. When credit card processing fees sit around 2% to 3% and many businesses run on 2% margins, lowering payment friction can be the difference between treading water and building real profit. We also talk about Stripe expanding crypto payment options, Cash App enabling Bitcoin payments from a cash balance, and why “payment rails” is becoming a practical strategy topic for small business owners, ecommerce brands, and service companies. Then we zoom out to AI operational leverage, using the Magnificent Seven as a signal: rising margins, automated workflows, and fewer employees needed to produce the same output. To make it actionable, we share a 2026 business planning custom GPT designed to identify your biggest manual time wasters, suggest AI driven workflow fixes, and help you plan on a quarterly iteration cycle instead of an annual one. The link is in the notes, and we close with a challenge: pick one improvement that changes everything. If this helps, subscribe, share it with a friend who's planning for 2026, and leave a review so more builders can find it. What's the first process or fee you want to eliminate?Support the show

Your website can be flawless and still lose the sale. That's the uncomfortable reality when AI search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews answer questions before anyone clicks a link. We're watching it happen in real time: fewer visits, lower click-through rates, and buyers forming opinions about you without ever landing on your homepage. So we're asking a different question now: what does AI need in order to understand you, trust you, and cite you?We dig into the shift from traditional SEO to generative engine optimization (GEO). SEO has been built around structure: keywords, backlinks, metadata, UX, and technical performance. Those fundamentals still matter, but they're no longer the differentiator. GEO is about signal: clear positioning, a strong point of view, and consistent publishing that AI can parse into direct answers and citations. If AI doesn't know what you mean, it can't recommend you, no matter how pretty the site looks.We also break down a practical system we're using with clients: an executive content flywheel. Weekly interviews with a leader turn into publishable conversations, transcript-driven blog posts, social clips, and a growing knowledge base that powers a custom GPT for proposals, presentations, and sales messaging. Over time, those real insights shape the next website redesign, because the message has finally come into focus through feedback and repetition.If you want your brand to show up in AI answers, not just search results, subscribe, share this with a teammate, and leave a review so more people can find it. What's the first piece of content you could publish this week to make your message clearer?Support the show

Your AI agreeing with everything you say can feel comforting for about five minutes, then it starts getting expensive. When ChatGPT turns into a people pleaser, you lose the one thing you actually want from an AI assistant: clear thinking that challenges you, sharpens your strategy, and helps you make better decisions.We dig into why AI chatbot sycophancy happens, what it looks like in the real world, and why “just make it blunt” is not the same as making it useful. Blunt feedback can still be wrong for your situation if it is not aligned with your intent, your values, and the context you carry as a leader. So we walk through a better approach: personalizing ChatGPT to think through your lens. That includes pulling out what the model already “knows” about you, then turning that into custom instructions that push back gently but firmly, spot leverage points, and translate complexity into clear frameworks.Then we get hands-on with ChatGPT personalization settings, including where to place your prompt, how to choose a working style, and why turning memory on can help the model deliver more relevant answers over time. Finally, we explain when it makes sense to graduate to a custom GPT so your whole organization can benefit from the same aligned strategic partner, without a long onboarding curve.If you want stronger prompt engineering results, better AI feedback, and an assistant that helps you see around the corner, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who is frustrated with “soft” AI answers, and leave a review with the one way you want your AI to challenge you.Support the show

If you've ever felt that weird push-pull about AI, you're not alone. The real risk isn't that ChatGPT makes people lazy, it's that we use it like a vending machine for quick answers and then check out mentally. I want the opposite: AI as a thinking partner that clears the repetitive noise so we can do the work that actually requires leadership, creativity, and judgment.We dig into a practical leadership problem that shows up everywhere: getting what's in your head into your team's heads with real clarity. When people need to hear something “seven times,” it's usually not because they're slow, it's because the message is still foggy or loaded with assumptions. I explain how AI can help you map your ideas, tighten your communication, and build a clear narrative your team can act on, especially in an attention economy where distraction is constant.Then we get hands-on with AI for business process mapping and workflow optimization. I share prompt patterns you can use right away: tell the model what role to assume, outline your current process, ask where you're redundant, and request a streamlined version plus a communication plan for your team. From there, we step into the next level with AI agents and agentic workflows, including a real example of how an AI review can surface issues like brand voice drift and suggest a weekly voice calibration loop. The goal is simple: draft faster, lead clearer, and redesign work in a way people can follow.If you found this useful, subscribe, share the show with someone who leads a team, and leave a review so more people can find it.Support the show

A headline says students who use AI are “thinking less” and that claim sounds obvious until you ask a sharper question: less than what? I dig into why so many classroom metrics reward compliance over curiosity, then explain how that kind of boxed-in learning makes AI look like a threat. If the goal is to produce the “right” answer in the “right” format, delegating the busywork to ChatGPT can resemble disengagement. But that may be a signal that the box itself is the problem, not the tool.We walk through the popular MIT-style study that gets repeated everywhere and talk about what small samples, low-stakes incentives, and boring assignments can do to “neural engagement.” Then we pivot to the research and real-world evidence that gets less attention: human AI collaboration, co-creation, and cognitive synergy. Large language models are great at scanning details, summarizing sources, and surfacing patterns our bias would miss. Humans are great at framing the question, choosing what matters, and imagining new paths forward.I also connect today's AI panic to yesterday's “shortcuts” like calculators, spreadsheets, and search engines. Those tools didn't erase thinking, they freed people to do higher-level work and more powerful “what if” exploration. If you want a practical way to use AI at work, I share how to prompt for overlooked considerations so you can move faster without losing judgment. Subscribe, share this with a friend who's skeptical about AI, and leave a review with your take: is AI making us lazier or more creative?Support the show

If your marketing team keeps missing what you “meant,” you're not dealing with a talent problem, you're dealing with an extraction problem. Most founders and operators have years of hard-won expertise locked in their heads, and when that knowledge doesn't get captured clearly, AI tools will only produce generic content that sounds like everyone else. We break down a simple way to get your real thinking out of your brain and into a format AI can actually use.We demo a practical workflow using ChatGPT dictation as a mini self-interview. You'll hear five clarity-session questions designed to pull out your strongest opinions and your sharpest positioning: what you wish customers understood, common misconceptions, the problem you solve best, the decision you want clients to make sooner, and the one takeaway you want remembered. Then we show how that raw “download” turns into an opinionated blog post, social posts, and reusable messaging your writers and marketers can refine without losing your voice.We also connect the dots to AI SEO and the shift from search to answers. Google AI, Perplexity, and other answer engines rely on structured expertise they can recognize and cite. When you provide clear, perspective-rich inputs, you give these systems something trustworthy to reference and you stop competing on shallow tactics. Finally, we explain how this evolves into a custom GPT that acts like a strategic partner for your team, helping with proposals, onboarding, hooks, headlines, and consistent brand messaging.Subscribe, share this with a business owner who's tired of sounding generic, and leave a review with the clarity question you want to answer first.Support the show

Google just changed the rules of search, and a lot of businesses won't notice until leads slow down. We're looking at Google's new AI Search mode and the uncomfortable reality that comes with it: you can rank number one in classic SEO and still be invisible if the AI doesn't trust you enough to cite your site.We walk through what AI search is doing behind the scenes, how it scans a huge set of sources and writes the answer for the user, and why that naturally leads to fewer direct clicks. From there, we get practical about the new goal for AI SEO: earning citations by building trust signals. That includes real expertise, clear structure, and proof that you're legitimate, not just a page filled with keywords.A local “best plumber” example makes the point crystal clear. AI results can lean heavily on customer reviews, satisfaction patterns, and Google Business Profile signals, not the marketing copy you paid for. We also break down what “AI-ready content” looks like today: step-by-step depth, costs and options, local specifics, original photos, case studies, review snippets, and schema markup that supports E-E-A-T.To show how serious this is, we share a Surfer SEO case study on ClickUp's content refresh, where updating hundreds of articles and expanding content quality led to an 85% increase in organic traffic. If you want your business to show up in Google AI Mode, Gemini, and other generative search experiences, this is the playbook.Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review if you want more clear, practical guidance on what actually works in modern SEO.Support the show

Google just changed the rules of search again, and this time it's not about beating competitors with better keywords. It's about whether Google AI Mode decides your site is trustworthy enough to cite while it answers the question for the user. I walk through what AI Mode looks like, why it's showing up now, and how AI-powered search is shifting attention away from the classic list of links and toward synthesized, conversational results with citations.We dig into the practical impact: more zero-click searches, fewer traditional organic clicks, and analytics that can suddenly look “worse” even when your brand is still influencing decisions. I explain query fan out in plain language and why it rewards businesses that publish clear, self-contained answers instead of fluffy pages designed only to rank. If you're local, we also talk about why your Google Business Profile becomes even more valuable as Google leans harder on its own trusted data sources.Then we get tactical. I cover EEAT and what “experience, expertise, authority, and trust” look like when an AI model is deciding what to quote. We talk structured data and schema markup, including FAQ-style formatting that makes it easy for AI to extract direct answers. I also push back on the trap of building everything to please Google alone, and share why a customer-facing custom GPT on your website can help you serve buyers across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and beyond. If you want to stay visible as AI search takes over, subscribe, share this with a business owner, and leave a quick review with your biggest question about Google AI Mode.Support the show

Your headshot is working even when you are not, and if it feels dated, awkward, or “good enough,” it may be quietly costing you attention and trust. We put that problem to the test by starting with a low-quality phone selfie and using Google Gemini with the Nano Banana image generator to create sharper, more intentional profile pictures in minutes.Along the way, we show the simple workflow that makes this practical for real business use: grab one decent selfie, ask ChatGPT for strong prompt variations, then iterate inside Gemini until the image matches the energy you want to project. You will hear why creative versions can outperform typical profile photos, how a visual hook creates an emotional connection, and why that matters for marketing directors, founders, and leaders who need results fast. We also experiment with multiple styles, from clean black-and-white headshots to bolder looks, and we build staged scenarios like delivering a keynote, adjusting wardrobe to fit the moment, and refining body language so the image tells the right story.If you care about personal branding, professional headshots, website photography, LinkedIn profile images, or social media assets, this is a practical look at using AI for business without making it complicated. Subscribe, share this with a teammate who owns your website or marketing, and leave a review. What is the first photo you would remake with AI?Support the show

If your marketing sounds “smart” but your prospects look confused, that's not a lead problem, it's a clarity problem. We dig into why storytelling is the shortcut to attention in a TikTok-age world and why emotion is the part people remember long after the details disappear. When someone can't repeat what you do, they can't buy it. We walk through a practical demo of Google Gemini Storybook and show how AI can turn a messy, rambling explanation into a polished narrative with images and even narration. The big idea is simple: complexity kills clarity. Great leaders and great sellers don't overwhelm people with specs; they give them a story that creates an instant picture of the problem, the turning point, and the better future. You'll hear a concrete example where “synergistic data integration” becomes a “magic compass,” and suddenly the value clicks. That shift is the heart of brand storytelling, sales messaging, and positioning: make the outcome obvious, let the customer see themselves in the story, and guide them to confidence. We also share how to iterate prompts, tweak branding, and repurpose the output into website copy, presentations, and marketing content. If you want to clearly communicate your value and help customers imagine their successful future, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a friend who's rewriting their pitch, and leave a review with the one sentence you want your audience to remember.Support the show

Most people don't struggle with AI because the tools are weak. They struggle because they feel like they have to be perfectly clear before they type a single word. I'm live from a mobile setup, and I walk through a simple workaround I use all the time: confession prompting. It's exactly what it sounds like. I tell the LLM the truth, that I'm not sure where to start, what I'm trying to achieve, and what's fuzzy in my head, then I ask it to help me shape a plan.You'll hear a real, practical example from my own prep for the show: I'm choosing between calling the technique a “brain dump” or a “confession,” and I ask the AI for pros and cons plus a title that bridges both. That one prompt creates instant momentum and gives me options I can refine. From there we expand into everyday business use cases, like writing marketing emails for blog visitors that feel encouraging instead of salesy, and turning scattered thoughts into clear project instructions you can hand to an employee.We also talk about what happens when you level up from generic prompting to a custom GPT that knows your voice, your products, your services, and your customers. When the model has that context, messy input can turn into content that's clearer, more on-brand, and more usable, like having a “mini you” to help you think. If you're a leader juggling meetings, clients, and constant context switching, this approach can help you get organized fast and show up prepared.If this clicks, subscribe so you don't miss next week, share it with a friend who overthinks prompts, and leave a review with the one task you want AI to help you simplify.Support the show

Your team might be working hard and still drifting apart, not because they do not care, but because the destination is fuzzy. I dig into a leadership problem I see everywhere: a clear vision in the leader's head that never fully transfers to the team. When that happens, people row in different directions, execution slows down, and culture gets noisy.We explore the Vivid Vision approach from Cameron Herold and why a story-based vision document creates real alignment. Then I walk through Google NotebookLM, a free AI tool that helps you pull together the best sources you already trust such as YouTube videos, documents, slides, web pages, and more. The key is that NotebookLM can answer questions using only your selected materials and even provides citations, which makes it a strong fit for leadership communication, strategic planning, and internal training.The fun part is how fast it produces usable assets: briefing documents, study guides, FAQs, timelines, mind maps, plus audio and video overviews that feel like an explainer. That means your SOPs, HR policies, onboarding notes, and “state of the union” messages can become clear, watchable content in minutes instead of weeks. If you want to scale clarity across your organization, this is a practical way to do it with AI, without losing your voice.Subscribe for more ways to make AI simple, share this with a leader who needs clearer alignment, and leave a review so more teams can find it.Support the show

Most leaders don't fail because they lack ideas. They fail because the idea never becomes a plan that other people can actually follow. We dig into a simple truth that cuts through the noise: the person who writes down the thing has tremendous power, because writing turns vision into shared direction and shared direction turns into execution.We talk about why AI adoption is already here for businesses, managers, and new grads, and why “being good at AI” is quickly becoming table stakes. But the real leverage point is communication: getting what's in your head into a clear, written format your team can align around. I walk through a practical generative AI workflow using tools like ChatGPT and Gemini: start with a voice brain dump, have the model shape it into objectives and timelines, then generate a one-page plan and a five-bullet executive summary you can send to your team. We also show how to pressure-test the plan by asking for the top objections and blind spots before you ever present it.Then we shift into storytelling as a leadership multiplier. A short narrative can create empathy and stakes in a way bullet points can't, and AI can help you draft that story fast, even with visuals and narration. If you want a repeatable method to communicate clearly, build alignment, and move faster, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a leader who needs clarity, and leave a review so more teams can use AI to lead better.Support the show

A lead magnet PDF is useful, but it's also a dead end: it can't answer follow-up questions, it can't adapt to the reader, and it can't sound like your best salesperson at 1am. We walk through a better model using custom GPTs and conversational AI to create an interactive “download” that feels like a real conversation and still moves people toward a form fill, a call, or a purchase.We explain what a custom GPT actually is, how it blends instructions, curated knowledge, and targeted skills, and why that matters for business owners who want better marketing and a better customer experience. You'll hear examples like a messaging feedback GPT that reviews a website's positioning, plus a niche “Loan My Coins GPT” that lets visitors explore complex questions safely at arm's length before they talk to a human.We also get practical about internal use: capturing the founder's subject matter expertise, locking in brand voice and tone, and helping a team draft emails, proposals, and customer replies that stay consistent. Finally, we talk about voice mode and why spoken conversations with an AI assistant can feel more natural than reading a PDF or chasing a bad phone rep.If you're building a modern lead magnet, a training assistant, or an always-on support layer, subscribe for more, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with the custom GPT idea you want to build next.Support the show

A new White House move is putting AI on a fast track, and the ripple effects won't stay in Big Tech. We unpack America's AI Action Plan and what it really means when the government treats artificial intelligence like national infrastructure with massive investment behind it. If you run a small business, manage a team, or simply want to stay employable, this is the kind of shift that changes your workflow, your tools, your customer expectations, and your advantage in the market.We connect the dots between the global AI race and the unglamorous but decisive constraint behind it: electricity. Data centers, power grids, and streamlined permitting determine how fast AI scales and how expensive it stays. As those “digital roads” get built out, AI for sales, inventory, operations, and customer support gets faster, more reliable, and more affordable, which can finally level the playing field for Main Street. We also talk through the worker-first AI agenda and why training, apprenticeships, and adoption support matter as much as the models themselves.To make this practical, we share a simple way to read the actual White House white paper using Google NotebookLM, turning a long document into a briefing, FAQs, and a clear map of priorities. Then we get tactical: start small with ChatGPT, run team training, and do your own prep for tax and R&D questions instead of waiting for someone else to catch up. If you want to lead the change rather than react to it, this is your roadmap.Subscribe for more plain-English AI guidance, share this with a business owner who needs a head start, and leave a review with the one AI task you want to automate first.Support the show

Someone called us and said, “I asked ChatGPT.” That one line sums up the new reality: we're moving from a search world to a conversation world, and your next best lead may never click ten blue links again. When buyers ask an AI assistant who to hire, they are often ready to act, and the model gives them a short list with reasons, context, and next steps. If you care about online visibility, AI SEO, and getting recommended by ChatGPT, your message and your reputation footprint have to work together.I show you a real example prompt and unpack what the model is actually doing behind the scenes: clarifying intent, running a targeted web search, scanning for patterns across results, cross-referencing sources, and filtering out “marketing fluff.” Then I dig into a practical breakdown of what influences those recommendations, including the part you control on your own website and the larger set of third-party signals you can influence over time, like reviews, directories, awards, press mentions, and organic discussions.The fastest leverage point is sharpening your website's core promise so it speaks your client's language. We talk about leading with felt pain, adding empathy-driven copy, writing scenario-based pages and FAQs, and turning your site into a silent sales partner. I also share a free tool, the One Clear Offer GPT, that interviews you and helps you craft a clear offer plus a plan for an AI-ready content flywheel using pillar pages, blog content, and social posts that stay congruent across the web.Download the free One Clear Offer GPT, subscribe for more practical AI marketing tactics, and if this helped, share it and leave a review so more business owners can get found in the new conversational search era.Support the show

An AI data center is being built just miles from where I live, and it forced a question most of us have avoided: do we really understand what the AI boom looks like in the physical world? Not as apps and prompts, but as 5,800 acres, millions of square feet, and power demands measured in gigawatts. I walk through a newly announced AI energy campus near Pantex outside Amarillo, Texas, and use it as a clear signal that the AI economy is already reshaping local communities.From there, we zoom out to what these projects trigger: waves of construction work, supply chain growth, hospitality demand, and long-term secondary jobs that follow major “primary employers.” We also get honest about the energy side of artificial intelligence infrastructure. Data centers need electricity, cooling, and grid upgrades, and some facilities bridge the gap with on-site generation like methane gas turbines while the local electrical infrastructure catches up. When millions of people adopt tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, the demand curve only moves one direction.Finally, I translate the data center boom into practical strategy. What should a local HVAC company do right now? What should a marketing agency, law firm, or operations leader specialize in? And how might AI agents push compute needs even higher than today's chat-based usage? If you want a grounded look at AI data centers, energy demand, job disruption, and business model pivots, you'll get a roadmap here. Subscribe, share this with someone planning their next career move, and leave a review with the skill you're choosing to level up next.Support the show

Your website might be doing exactly what it was designed to do and still losing the sale. A static set of pages can't adapt to a buyer's real questions, can't hear hesitation in a follow-up, and can't guide someone through their own path to trust. We explore a different model: stop building brochure sites and start building a “mind” that captures your subject matter expertise and delivers it as a one-on-one experience. We dig into Google Labs Portraits as a practical preview of where AI customer experience is headed: an interactive representation of an expert that people can talk to, test, and learn from. From there, we connect the dots to custom GPTs and specialized AI assistants. When you “bake in” a knowledge base, define a role, and set clear prompts, you move from generic chat to a digital twin that teaches, coaches, and answers questions in your voice. That is not just better content marketing. It is a new interface for trust, lead generation, and conversion. We also make it real with business examples like a family law attorney who fields the same early-stage questions all day. A voice agent can handle the first hundred calls, deliver clarity on process and pricing, qualify fit, and then route the right people into scheduling and next steps. The big takeaway is simple: the companies that win will not just “have a website.” They will offer an AI-powered, personalized conversation that meets prospects where they are and scales the best part of the business owner, the expertise. If this sparks ideas, subscribe, share this with a friend who runs a service business, and leave a review so more people can find it. What would you clone first: your sales brain, your onboarding, or your customer support?Support the show

AI isn't waiting for anyone to catch up, it's getting baked into the tools your team already uses and it's starting to reshape both white-collar and blue-collar work. We want you to feel confident leading through that change, not guessing your way through it. So we built a simple shortcut: a free “Any Topic Made Simple” GPT tutor that can teach you whatever you need, on your schedule, with explanations that match your experience level. We walk through the real problem first: you're busy, you want to learn, but finding the right course or podcast takes time you don't have. Then we show the better way, using ChatGPT voice mode to turn learning into an interactive conversation while you're walking, driving, or doing hands-on work. You pick the topic, set your time per day, and the tutor builds a structured mini-course with modules and optional deep dives. To make it concrete, we demonstrate learning the fundamentals of LLMs, including what makes a model “large,” why the transformer architecture matters, and how self-attention helps an AI understand context. Along the way, we connect the dots to AI adoption in business: higher productivity, better customer service, and a smarter use of your best people by reducing draining, repetitive work. If you want the free tools, links, and our AI Made Simple newsletter, listen through and try the tutor today. Subscribe, share this with a friend who's AI-curious, and leave a review with the topic you want to learn next.Support the show

COVID didn't just disrupt my business, it exposed how dangerous it is to assume things will “go back.” I lost over half my customers and revenue, spent years trying to recover the old way, and finally realized the market had already moved on. That hard lesson is why I'm so focused on artificial intelligence, not as hype, but as the next wave that will reshape how we hire, how we work, and how we stay competitive.I walk through a simple signal that's easy to miss: job growth slowing even while the economy is called “strong.” Using Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data, I explain why companies are increasingly choosing automation, software, and AI tools instead of adding headcount. When AI can remove low value tasks, businesses can redeploy existing employees into higher value work, and that changes staffing plans across industries. I also point to what we're seeing in big tech: banner years in profits alongside real reductions in hiring as AI adoption accelerates.Then we get concrete with restaurant operations, where margins are thin and execution is everything. I break down Wendy's Fresh AI drive thru approach, plus back of house AI for demand forecasting, smarter ordering, less waste, and scheduling that reduces the constant stress of call-outs and labor cost swings. To make it actionable, I share a free custom tool, Profit Prep GPT, built to help you map quick wins for AI implementation based on your concept, throughput, and current tech stack.If you want to stay ahead of AI disruption and future proof your business, listen now, grab the free tools, and share this with someone who's still hoping things go back to the way they were. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell me what topic you want me to cover next.Support the show

Stock photos are expensive, slow, and never quite feel like you. If you've ever spent 20 to 30 minutes hunting for a single “good enough” image for a blog, newsletter, or social post, this walkthrough gives you a cleaner path: generate original, royalty-free visuals that actually match your brand.We show how we set up a ChatGPT Project to act as an on-brand image prompt generator. The trick is simple but powerful: upload a few lightweight project files that capture your brand personality guidelines and image style guidelines, then write clear instructions that make the assistant behave like a photographer who already knows your business. From there, you paste in your marketing text and get six structured image prompt options, complete with mood, lighting, composition, and the human outcome you want the viewer to feel. You also learn why image prompts need different thinking than content prompts, and how specifying the use case (hero banner, square post, portrait) keeps results consistent.Then we put the prompts to work across three tools: ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini. You'll see the tradeoffs in speed and quality, plus the real-world issues that still pop up like awkward text rendering or small details going sideways. We close with practical prompt tweaking tactics and a client example that shows how quickly you can dial in a repeatable system for high-quality marketing images.Subscribe, share this with a friend who's stuck in stock-photo purgatory, and leave a review if the workflow saves you time. What brand asset do you want to generate first: a blog header, a hero banner, or a social post?Support the show

AI is here, and pretending you'll “figure it out later” is the fastest way to fall behind. We go live to make ChatGPT feel usable for normal work, with a simple mindset shift: don't fight the tiger. Train it, set expectations, and move forward with confidence.We start with a quick, practical tour of ChatGPT so you know what you're looking at, then we build something you can reuse: a ChatGPT Project. Think of a Project as your AI office manager for long-running goals, where your context stays organized instead of getting lost across random chats. To make it real, we sketch a personal health improvement coach designed around balance, strength, and a healthier mindset, then show how custom instructions turn a vague idea into a repeatable system.Next comes the workflow that removes the biggest blocker for beginners: prompting. We use “confession prompting” to let the AI help write the prompt itself, so you're not stuck trying to sound like a prompt engineer. Then we add a knowledge base by bringing in files and curated sources, so the Project can reference trusted frameworks first. From there we zoom out to business impact, including how AI search changes the way we solve problems like Google Business Profile approvals and why Google faces the innovators' dilemma as ads and search behavior shift. We also touch on Google Workspace, Gemini “Gems,” and where agentic AI is heading.Subscribe, share this with a friend who's AI-curious, and leave a review with the Project you want to build next.Support the show

Running an agency has many hurdles, right? Luckily, there are many tools out there to help with that. In this episode of the ROI Online Podcast, we sat down with Chase Buckner, the Marketing and Sales Director of HighLevel, to learn how agencies and marketers can thrive with a simple all-in-one sales and marketing platform. Chase Buckner started in HighLevel, a marketing and sales platform that helps agencies and marketers thrive, as Manager of Customer Success and is now the Marketing and Sales Director. In his role, Chase manages the affiliate, paid ads, and organic content channels as well as the marketing team. He also owns Vallarta CoWork, located in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It's the city's first coworking space with all the commodities you need to work peacefully.With HighLevel's all-in-one marketing and sales platform, you can keep your tools in one place while saving money and streamlining your entire delivery process so you can focus on keeping your clients happy. It can also help you grow your agency by connecting you with the most successful agency owners on the planet who will be able to help you close more deals or allow you to offer more services.Among other things, Chase and Steve discussed:Chase's backstory and experiences What HighLevel is and how it worksEasy ways to use HighLevel to grow your agencyHow HighLevel can set agencies and marketers up for success in the futureExciting new things coming to HighLevelYou can learn more about Chase here:Follow Chase on LinkedInRead the books mentioned in this podcast:The Golden Toilet by Steve BrownLearn more about Go High Level:https://www.gohighlevel.com/main-page?fp_ref=lewis-affiliates67Thinking of starting your podcast? Buzzsprout's secure and reliable posting allows you to publish podcasts online. Buzzsprout also includes full iTunes support, HTML5 players, show statistics, and WordPress plugins. Get started using this link to receive a $20 Amazon gift card and to help support our show!Support the show

Are you constantly looking for new marketing strategies that elevate your business? A mastermind is a brilliant way to go about it. In this episode of the ROI Online Podcast, we sat down with CEO & entrepreneur R.T. Custer to learn how to develop a mastermind, how to maximize its impact, and how to use it to grow your business.R.T. is the Co-Founder and CEO of Vortic Watch Co, a wristwatch manufacturing company. He's also Chief Revenue Officier of Carter & Custer, a full-service advertising agency serving clients mostly through content and story-based marketing services.R.T. discovered that leaders like Walt Disney, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Eidson all shared one secret that propelled them to success: each person was a member of a mastermind group. Masterminds are led by someone who starts the group as a way of helping people achieve a specific, common purpose. For example, the leader directing the mastermind might want to help people scale a business. Among other things, R.T. and Steve discussed:R.T.'s backstory and experiences How his company Vortic Watches startedMore about his agency Carter & Custer and the Fast Foundations MastermindHow to run a mastermindHow to create a mastermindHow to organize a mastermind groupYou can learn more about R.T. here:Follow R.T. on LinkedInRead the books mentioned in this podcast:The Golden Toilet by Steve BrownLearn more about R.T. businesses:https://carterandcuster.com/fast-foundations/https://carterandcuster.com/https://vorticwatches.com/Thinking of starting your podcast? Buzzsprout's secure and reliable posting allows you to publish podcasts online. Buzzsprout also includes full iTunes support, HTML5 players, show statistics, and WordPress plugins. Get started using this link to receive a $20 Amazon gift card and to help support our show!Support the show

How can you truly know you're delivering the best and most relevant content? This is an often asked question by entrepreneurs and luckily we have something that can help you grow your business. In this episode of the ROI Online Podcast, SEO Specialist and co-founder of Surfer Michał Suski explains how to merge content strategy, creation, and optimization into one smooth process to grow your brand and business.Michał  is a SEO Specialist, he joined the IT industry during his last year at university and five years later he became a co-founder of Surfer which is a modern SEO tool that helps efficient teams stay ahead of the game. Surfer is a bootstrapped company, profitable, and growing constantly. Michał's responsible for educating customers, introducing Surfer into their processes, business development, and partially the product growth direction.If you're wondering how you can create content that ranks on the first page of Google, better your strategy and grow your company you should definitely stay and listen!Among other things, Michał and Steve discussed:Michał 's backstory and experiences How his company “Surfer” started The importance of having a great content strategyHow to cheat Google SEOHow to write a good description for SEOHow to make money off of SEOHow important are blogs to SEOHow much do SEO writers makeYou can learn more about Michał here:Follow Michał on LinkedInYou can learn more about Surfer here:https://surferseo.com/Read the books mentioned in this podcast:The Golden Toilet by Steve BrownThinking of starting your own podcast? Buzzsprout's secure and reliable posting allows you to publish podcasts online. Buzzsprout also includes full iTunes support, HTML5 players, show statistics, and WordPress plugins. Get started using this link to receive a $20 Amazon gift card and to help support our show!Support the show (https://cash.app/$stevemfbrown)

Want to publish content on a regular basis without adding more work to your plate or more employees to your team? In today's world, content is a necessity, but creating it regularly can be a headache. Luckily, it's actually not that hard to create content people will love. In this episode of the ROI Online Podcast, CEO Kate Bradley Chernis explains how you can use artificial intelligence in your marketing, tips for creating a better social media presence, and a social media content tool that makes posts easy.Kate went from being a DJ, to owning a marketing agency that worked with large organizations, to finally creating a software (Lately) that uses AI to grow your business, along with an amazing team. Lately helps you write better marketing content with help from artificial intelligence and software automation.The world evolves everyday, and so does the technology you need to adapt. Making sure your marketing strategy is always evolving as well and including elements like AI can ensure your business keeps progressing and meeting your customers' needs.Among other things, Kate and Steve discussed:Kate's backstory and experiences The challenges she faced starting her businessThe importance of having AI in your marketing Elements that should be included in a robust social media strategyWhy social media is a must for an inbound marketing strategyHow to create a social media strategy without losing sleepYou can learn more about Kate here:Follow Kate on LinkedInFollow Kate on Twitter You can learn more about Lately.ai here:https://www.lately.ai/Read the books mentioned in this podcast:The Golden Toilet by Steve BrownThinking of starting your own podcast? Buzzsprout's secure and reliable posting allows you to publish podcasts online. Buzzsprout also includes full iTunes support, HTML5 players, show statistics, and WordPress plugins. Get started using this link to receive a $20 Amazon gift card and to help support our show!Support the show (https://cash.app/$stevemfbrown)

The digital age has made it easier for people to do just about anything, but that also means the purchasing journey is more difficult than ever before. An overload of high-quality content can slow down or derail a decision entirely if buyers cannot make sense of what they're seeing. In this episode of the ROI Online Podcast, CEO and founder Lenwood Ross talks about his digital transformation agency, strategic social selling, and why it's so important to build a digital culture where you actually connect and engage with potential customers.Lenwood has always focused his efforts to achieve big results and now shares his 25 years of personal highs and lows with others. He's the CEO and founder of Accelery, Inc., an agency that helps organizations generate demand for their products and services without unproductive cold calls, unanswered emails, or paid advertising bills. Modern buyers know it all, and today, they want it at a discount. If you can't adapt, you're at risk of losing everything you have worked so hard for. Cultivating your digital culture can help you get closer with customers, develop lasting relationships, and stay relevant regardless of the way the world changes.Among other things, Lenwood and Steve discussed:Lenwood's backstory and experiences What you need to know about the CLX toolHow to turn your social media activities into sales (without selling on social media)The basics of social selling and peer-to-peer collaborative learningEasy ways to influence buyers and changemakersYou can learn more about Lenwood here:Follow Lenwood on LinkedInYou can learn more about Accelery, Inc. here:https://www.accelery.com/Read the books mentioned in this podcast:The Golden Toilet by Steve BrownThinking of starting your own podcast? Buzzsprout's secure and reliable posting allows you to publish podcasts online. Buzzsprout also includes full iTunes support, HTML5 players, show statistics, and WordPress plugins. Get started using this link to receive a $20 Amazon gift card and to help support our show!Support the show (https://cash.app/$stevemfbrown)

Would you like to impact your customer's lives and make more money in the process? You need a compelling story for your business or brand. In this Feature Friday episode of the ROI Online Podcast, Steve talks with business and finance consultant Rob Te Braake about how you can make better decisions when it comes to your business, what most CEOs overlook, and why your financial information is so crucial.Rob is an entrepreneur and founder of Insight Matters, which provides financial reporting & analysis to small & mid-sized consultancies and agencies because they deserve the same insights as corporate CEOs. Rob started his career in the corporate world full of management meetings and delegated responsibilities. He quickly shifted to entrepreneurship, but after running several ventures across the globe, he realized he had the skills to better serve small entrepreneurs. Making better decisions starts with a goal in mind, understanding which road gets you there, and then acting on it. It's very hard to see the impact of one decision, so breaking down your goal into small steps can really help you have more clarity—and be more successful. Among other things, Rob and Steve discussed:Robs' backstory His company Insight MattersThe top 5 key performance indicators (KPI's) that agencies usually mess upWhat you should know about the cost of acquisition How can you make better business decisions How financial data influences business decisionsWhether or not digital marketing agencies are actually profitable How to manage a marketing agencyYou can learn more about Rob here:Follow Rob on LinkedInLearn more about Insight Matters and get a 25% off your Gameplan with this link:https://financeinsightmatters.com/roionline/Read the books mentioned in this podcast:The Golden Toilet by Steve BrownThinking of starting your own podcast? Buzzsprout's secure and reliable posting allows you to publish podcasts online. Buzzsprout also includes full iTunes support, HTML5 players, show statistics, and WordPress plugins. Get started using this link to receive a $20 Amazon gift card and to help support our show!Support the show (https://cash.app/$stevemfbrown)

Do you have a toxic relationship with your business? Does it affect your personal life too? In this episode of the ROI Online Podcast, author, consultant and business owner Josh Patrick talks all about his latest book, having a functional relationship with your business, and how to create extraordinary value with your company and your life.Josh has worked with hundreds of businesses in all industries, specializing in blue-collar work. His book The Sustainable Business breaks down the exact framework he has used to grow thriving, self-sufficient organizations for 40+ years. He's passionate about helping business owners increase their company's value, up their game, and not sacrifice their personal life while doing so.Getting an experienced mentor who can talk you through any problem and offer sound advice about what might happen down the road, might be what your business needs to thrive.Among other things, Josh and Steve discussed:Josh's Background as a business ownerHis latest book “The Sale Ready Company”How long and what it takes to sell your companyHow it's possible to sell a small business without a brokerHow to buy an existing small businessWhat you should consider before buying a businessWhether you can and/or should buy a bankrupt companyThe best tips for making an offer to buy a businessYou can learn more about Josh here:Follow Josh on LinkedInYou can learn more about The Sustainable Business here:https://www.sustainablebusiness.co/Read the books mentioned in this podcast:The Golden Toilet by Steve BrownSustainable: A Fable About Creating an Economically and Personally Sustainable Business by Josh PatrickThe Sale Ready Company: What It Takes to Create a Business Someone Would Want to Own Even If You Have No Intention of Selling by Josh Patrick Thinking of starting your own podcast? Buzzsprout's secure and reliable posting allows you to publish podcasts online. Buzzsprout also includes full iTunes support, HTML5 players, show statistics, and WordPress plugins. Get started using this link to receive a $20 Amazon gift card and to help support our show!Support the show (https://cash.app/$stevemfbrown)

In this weekly episode* of the Mindstate Marketing Hour, host Steve Brown of ROI Online, interviews Will Leach, author of Marketing to Mindstates, founder of Triggerpoint, and CEO of the Mindstate Group on why focusing on customers emotions and mindstates is key to successful marketing.*Originally produced as a Livestream videoMindstate Group free resources: https://www.mindstategroup.com/resourcesInterested in getting more Marketing to Mindstates content?Read Will's book: Marketing to MindstatesCheck out their website: https://www.mindstategroup.com/Follow Will on LinkedIn, Twitter, FacebookNeed real resources that will help you grow your business? Grab your FREE business growth stack resources here!https://thegoldentoilet.com/resourcesThinking of starting your own podcast? Buzzsprout's secure and reliable posting allows you to publish podcasts online. Buzzsprout also includes full iTunes support, HTML5 players, show statistics, and WordPress plugins. Get started using this link to receive a $20 Amazon gift card and to help support our show!Support the show (https://cash.app/$stevemfbrown)

Would you like to impact your customer's lives and make more money in the process? You need a compelling story for your business or brand. In this Feature Friday episode of the ROI Online Podcast, Steve talks with Michael Hauge, author, story expert, and coach about how to impact and inspire your audience, what makes a story worth telling, where to begin, and how all this can help your business grow.Michael is a story expert, coach, speaker, and author of Storytelling Made Easy: Persuade and Transform Your Audiences, Buyers, and Clients – Simply, Quickly, and Profitably. He works with people who want to change lives, and make more money by telling better stories. He has been one of Hollywood's top coaches and story experts since 1985. Applying those same, powerful storytelling principles, Michael also coaches independent consultants, speakers, marketers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders on how to use story to transform the lives of their audiences, clients, and customers. For centuries, people have loved hearing stories. There's something about a well-told story that makes it more than just words on paper or an actor reciting lines; there is magic in storytelling. When you're telling your own business' story to potential customers and audience members, you want the message of this magical thing called storytelling to resonate with them, which can only happen if they are interested enough from the very start!Among other things, Michael and Steve discussed:Michael's experience and success stories The importance of connecting emotionally with your audienceMichael Hauge's 6-Step Success Story™What makes a story worth tellingHow to tell your success story The impact of telling a funny story You can learn more about Michael here:Follow Michael on LinkedInLearn more about Story Mastery here:https://www.storymastery.com/Read the books mentioned in this podcast:The Golden Toilet by Steve BrownSelling Your Story in 60 Seconds: The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Screenplay or Novel ReadWriting Screenplays That Sell by Michael HaugeStorytelling Made Easy: Persuade and Transform Your Audiences, Buyers and Clients – Simply, Quickly and Profitably by Michael HaugeThinking of starting your own podcast? Buzzsprout's secure and reliable posting allows you to publish podcasts online. Buzzsprout also includes full iTunes support, HTML5 players, show statistics, and WordPress plugins. Get started using this link to receive a $20 Amazon gift card and to help support our show!Support the show (https://cash.app/$stevemfbrown)

Would you like to scale your business practically on autopilot? What you need is a clear roadmap to achieve your ultimate vision. In this episode of the ROI Online Podcast, global business coach, business owner, and author, Robert Clinkenbeard talks about why personal growth is so important to grow your business, how you can better define your vision, and his “IronmanMindset” system.Robert is a growth expert,  podcaster, speaker, and 4x Ironman who co-founded one of the largest landscape companies (ILM) in the South West Region of the United States back in 2001. He now helps people develop their Vision and Accountability in their business and personal life, which, combined with his  “IronmanMindset” system improves their confidence. Imagine spending time working ON your business instead of IN it. Imagine having a team of “A” players in the right seats, doing the right things on time. Imagine spending more time with your family or friends and not having to think about the business. All of this is achievable if you have the right vision and strategy.Among other things, Robert and Steve discussed:Robert's BackgroundHow his company The Radix Group startedHis podcast “The Commercial Landscaper”Personal growth and why it's so importantHow to measure personal growthWays you can define your vision The main concerns of company's strategic vision You can learn more about Robert here:Send Robert an EmailFollow Robert on LinkedInFollow Robert on TwitterFollow Robert on InstagramFollow Robert on FacebookFollow Robert on YouTubeYou can learn more about The Radix Group here:https://www.theradixgroupllc.com/Read the books mentioned in this podcast:The Golden Toilet by Steve BrownIronman Mindset for Entrepreneurs by Robert ClinkenbeardThinking of starting your own podcast? Buzzsprout's secure and reliable posting allows you to publish podcasts online. Buzzsprout also includes full iTunes support, HTML5 players, show statistics, and WordPress plugins. Get started using this link to receive a $20 Amazon gift card and to help support our show!Support the show (https://cash.app/$stevemfbrown)

Is your company struggling with getting a consistent message across to your employees, prospects, and investors? Having everyone on the same page can really change the game for your brand. In this Feature Friday episode of the ROI Online Podcast, Steve talks with Jason Seiden, consultant and chief of BRNSTRM about helping businesses find the right story for right now, brand audits, messaging, and positioning strategy.Jason has 20 years of experience working across industries, he is a leadership & executive communications consultant and chief of BRNDSTRM–a straightforward, effective methodology that gets everyone in an organization  delivering a clear, consistent answer to the question, “So, what does the company do?”Sometimes as entrepreneurs we have an idea of what the company is and means but we have a hard time figuring out what we're trying to say and do while putting it into a clear message that everyone understands. Luckily we don't have to do it all by ourselves.Among other things, Jason and Steve discussed:Jasons' backstoryAll about Jason's company BRNDSTRMWhat a brand audit isThe meaning of brand messaging Brand positioning and how to craft a brand positioning statement and write a brand positioning strategyYou can learn more about Jason here:Follow Jason on LinkedInLearn more about BRNDSTRM here:https://www.brndstrm.com/Read the books mentioned in this podcast:The Golden Toilet by Steve BrownThinking of starting your own podcast? Buzzsprout's secure and reliable posting allows you to publish podcasts online. Buzzsprout also includes full iTunes support, HTML5 players, show statistics, and WordPress plugins. Get started using this link to receive a $20 Amazon gift card and to help support our show!Support the show (https://cash.app/$stevemfbrown)

Building a brand without focusing on your marketing fundamentals is like building a house without the proper foundation—a recipe for disaster. In this episode of the ROI Online Podcast, business owner and marketing expert, Tim Fitzpatrick talks about developing and growing businesses, simplifying marketing, and implementing the right plan for your business.Tim is the owner of Rialto Marketing, he has 20+ years of entrepreneurial experience with a passion for developing and growing businesses and helps service businesses simplify their marketing. He does this by creating and implementing a plan to communicate the right message to the right people.Are you wasting money and getting no return on investments in advertising, printing flyers, or distributing business cards? You're not alone. In fact, the majority of small businesses make these same mistakes time after time without realizing what they should be doing differently to turn their fortunes around. The good news is that it doesn't have to stay this way!Among other things, Tim and Steve discussed:Tims' backstoryHow Rialto Marketing startedThe importance of having a marketing planThe ideal components of your marketing planWhy integrate your marketing plan with your organization's overall strategyThe magic of one-page marketing plansB2B marketing plans in generalYou can learn more about Tim here:Follow Tim on LinkedInYou can learn more about Rialto Marketing here:https://www.rialtomarketing.com/the-roi-online/Read the books mentioned in this podcast:The Golden Toilet by Steve BrownThinking of starting your own podcast? Buzzsprout's secure and reliable posting allows you to publish podcasts online. Buzzsprout also includes full iTunes support, HTML5 players, show statistics, and WordPress plugins. Get started using this link to receive a $20 Amazon gift card and to help support our show!Support the show (https://cash.app/$stevemfbrown)

We all love a good story, don't we? It's a way to connect as human beings and make emotional bonds. In this Feature Friday episode of the ROI Online Podcast, Steve talks with Rob Stenberg, Story Seeker and author about the importance of storytelling, all the benefits it can bring to your business, and how to do it right.Rob is a keynote speaker, author, coach, and Story Seeker with more than 30 years of experience. He is the owner of Stenberg & Associates Sales & Leadership Academy–where sales and leadership development combine with human connection training to provide keynote speeches, workshops, and events–and co-founder of STORYseekers. He loves working with sales and marketing teams to build customer hero stories that establish trust and rapport with prospects in a few minutes.There are so many arguments for storytelling, but the most convincing one is that storytelling helps you make an emotional connection. Because people make decisions emotionally and justify them logically, if you don't establish an emotional connection with potential customers they're less likely to buy from you, which means there's a huge opportunity cost of not using stories in your marketing! Among other things, Rob and Steve discussed:Robs' backstoryThe myths of salespeople The process of story tending and why is it so useful What storytelling is exactly Why storytelling is so importantHow to be a good storyteller The importance of brand storytellingThe benefits of internal storytellingYou can learn more about Rob here:Follow Rob on LinkedInLearn more about STORYseekers here:https://www.customerheroselling.com/Read the books mentioned in this podcast:The Golden Toilet by Steve BrownThinking of starting your own podcast? Buzzsprout's secure and reliable posting allows you to publish podcasts online. Buzzsprout also includes full iTunes support, HTML5 players, show statistics, and WordPress plugins. Get started using this link to receive a $20 Amazon gift card and to help support our show!Support the show (https://cash.app/$stevemfbrown)

Have you considered using Pinterest to grow your business? The power of Pinterest is in the platform's ability to reach people long before they know what they want—get your ideas out there early and you'll become part of their planning! In this episode of the ROI Online Podcast, Pinterest product specialist and marketing manager, Alisa Meredith shares everything you should know about Pinterest, how to use it for your business, and learning how to make money from it.Alisa is currently Pinterest Product Specialist at Tailwind, a social media scheduling tool for Pinterest and Instagram that helps your content get real results in less time. She's also the founder of Alisa Meredith Marketing in which she delivers traffic and leads to businesses with content, social, and especially visual marketing. She believes sharing ideas for how Pinterest can grow a business is thrilling and loves helping small businesses that don't have much time to spend on their marketing.Using Pinterest can help you reach different audiences, and with the right strategy you can get Pinterest's 416 million users to discover your best content and click through to your site.Among other things, Alisa and Steve discussed:When and why Alisa decided to plant her flag on PinterestHer experience working at Tailwind as a Pinterest product specialistWhat Pinterest is actually aboutHow to use Pinterest to grow your businessPosting on PinterestHow you can make money on PinterestWhether Pinterest is a real social mediaWhat it takes to grow your followers on this platformYou can learn more about Alisa here:Follow Alisa on LinkedInFollow Alisa on InstagramFollow Alisa on TwitterYou can learn more about Tailwind here:https://www.tailwindapp.com/Read the books mentioned in this podcast:The Golden Toilet by Steve BrownThinking of starting your own podcast? Buzzsprout's secure and reliable posting allows you to publish podcasts online. Buzzsprout also includes full iTunes support, HTML5 players, show statistics, and WordPress plugins. Get started using this link to receive a $20 Amazon gift card and to help support our show!Support the show (https://cash.app/$stevemfbrown)

In this weekly episode* of the Mindstate Marketing Hour, host Steve Brown of ROI Online, interviews Will Leach, author of Marketing to Mindstates, founder of Triggerpoint, and CEO of the Mindstate Group on why focusing on customers emotions and mindstates is key to successful marketing.*Originally produced as a Livestream videoMindstate Group free resources: https://www.mindstategroup.com/resourcesInterested in getting more Marketing to Mindstates content?Read Will's book: Marketing to MindstatesCheck out their website: https://www.mindstategroup.com/Follow Will on LinkedIn, Twitter, FacebookNeed real resources that will help you grow your business? Grab your FREE business growth stack resources here!https://thegoldentoilet.com/resourcesThinking of starting your own podcast? Buzzsprout's secure and reliable posting allows you to publish podcasts online. Buzzsprout also includes full iTunes support, HTML5 players, show statistics, and WordPress plugins. Get started using this link to receive a $20 Amazon gift card and to help support our show!Support the show (https://cash.app/$stevemfbrown)

Today more than ever consumers, investors, and even business owners find themselves asking how their company can make the world a better place. In this Feature Friday episode of the ROI Online Podcast, Steve talks with Chip Walker, brand strategist and author about why it's so important for brands to have a purpose and use movement thinking to create powerful business operations.Chip is a brand, business and cultural strategist, keynote speaker, and author of Activating Brand Purpose: How to Harness the Power of Movements to Transform Your Company. He has designed and developed groundbreaking market research and grown significant brand identities for some of the world's most iconic brands like PepsiCo, Morgan Stanley, & Heineken.Movement Thinking is centered around empathy and starts with the human. It also recognizes that the most significant change happens through cultural movements. Leaders like you can learn how this foundation can engage and mobilize the people that matter to your brand inside and out, no matter what your business enterprise may be like—even if you're an artist working on a creative project! Among other things, Chip and Steve discussed:Chip's story and his role at StrawberryFrog AgencyHis new book: Activating Brand PurposeWhat exactly “Movement Thinking” meansWhy your brand needs a purpose 4 reasons to set your company purposeThe purpose of leadership How to start a social movementYou can learn more about Chip here:Follow Chip on LinkedInSend Chip an EmailLearn more about the Purpose Power Summit happening on June 15!Purpose Power Summit 2021 — PURPOSE POWER INDEXRead the books mentioned in this podcast:The Golden Toilet by Steve BrownActivating Brand Purpose by Chip WalkerThinking of starting your own podcast? Buzzsprout's secure and reliable posting allows you to publish podcasts online. Buzzsprout also includes full iTunes support, HTML5 players, show statistics, and WordPress plugins. Get started using this link to receive a $20 Amazon gift card and to help support our show!Support the show (https://cash.app/$stevemfbrown)