Podcasts about B2B

If you're a founder who thinks building a personal brand is a waste of time, this might be the wake-up call you need. The truth is: distribution is the new moat. Your product isn't enough. Your team isn't enough. If no one knows who you are, you're starting every conversation from zero. In this episode, I break down why the founders who are winning right now are visible, how to build a personal brand without becoming an influencer, and the exact framework I used to grow both my personal following and my startup, Rella. Whether you're B2B, consumer, or anywhere in between—this is your roadmap to building trust, standing out, and making sure you don't look back in two years wishing you had started today. 0:00 - The Wake-Up Call: Why Distribution is Everything 1:26 - The Trust Factor: Why People Buy From People They Know 3:34 - Three Types of Personal Brands (And Which One You Should Build) Expert, Entertainer, or Product Extension—find your approach 5:50 - The Regret Conversation: What Every Founder Wishes They Started Earlier 7:27 - The Action Plan: How to Actually Start Building Your Brand 9:52 - The Mindset Shift: This is Not a Waste of Time Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we sit down with John Magnor, a 24-year-old sales strategist who helps B2B companies build scalable, predictable revenue systems. Working primarily with software companies and service providers, John partners with founders through consulting or equity to design the sales infrastructure that growing businesses often lack.John began his career in sales at just 17 years old, learning the craft through real-world experience—cold calling, setting appointments, closing deals, and managing pipelines. Today, he uses that hands-on background to help companies transform inconsistent or chaotic sales processes into structured systems that support long-term growth.In this conversation, John breaks down how he helps organizations hire and train sales teams, develop effective scripts, implement compensation plans, and build repeatable processes that remove the founder as the bottleneck. He also shares insights on CRM systems, outbound sales strategies, call coaching, and the metrics that actually matter when scaling a business.Most of the companies John works with already have strong products or services. Their challenge isn't the offer—it's the lack of a clear sales process, accountability, and reliable systems. John's focus is helping founders step out of day-to-day selling by building teams and structures that allow the business to grow without relying on one person to close every deal.This episode is packed with practical insights on sales execution, leadership, and building systems that drive consistent growth. Whether you run a B2B company or lead a sales team, you'll walk away with actionable ideas on how to create a cleaner, more scalable approach to revenue generation.Connect with John here:ttps://pr.linkedin.com/in/john-magnorhttps://www.facebook.com/@johnpmaghttps://www.instagram.com/@johnpmagDon't forget to register for our FREE LinkedIn Content Workshop here: https://www.thetimetogrow.com/LinkedInContentRoadmap

IN THIS EPISODEWhat's the #1 way to you stay consistent with personal branding on LinkedIn? While most would say a brand guide, content galore or an AI tool, these are not even close.In this episode, we share and even normalize this reality that can bring incredible opportunities if followed diligently no matter what.CONTACT US:Michelle J Raymond is a globally recognized LinkedIn™️ for business growth speaker, author and consultant. Her services – audit & strategy, LinkedIn training and LinkedIn profile rewrites.LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellejraymond/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://b2bgrowthco.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Michelle B. Griffin is a TEDx +  keynote speaker, author and educator on personal branding and professional visibility. As the founder of Brand Leaders and creator of the Own Your Lane™ Recognition Roadmap + She's Visible™ movement, Michelle equips professionals to position their personal brands for recognition, media opportunities and industry impact.LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellebgriffin/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Websites: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://michellebgriffin.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OwnYourLane.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy your copy on AmazonThe LinkedIn Branding Book, The Power of Two: Build Your Personal and Business Brand on LinkedIn for Exponential Growth -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mybook.to/The_LinkedIn_Branding_Book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MichelleSquared.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OUR BOOKS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The LinkedIn Branding Book + Workbook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Position Yourself Personal Branding Planner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Business Gold: LinkedIn Company Pages⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION:Simply DM both Michelles on LinkedIn to submit your question for a future episode.⁠⁠STAY AHEAD OF WHAT'S WORKING ON LINKEDINIf LinkedIn feels important to your business but messy in practice, Michelle J Raymond's newsletter delivers clear, no-hacks insights to help B2B teams make better LinkedIn decisions each week. Subscribe here - https://b2bgrowthco.com/newsletter/POSITION YOURSELF POWER HOURGet Unstuck in One Focused HourIf you're overthinking your message,positioning, or next move, Michelle's Position Yourself Power Hour gives youclear direction and practical next steps so you can move forward with confidence.Book your session here – [Insert Link]https://michellebgriffin.com/powerhour/

Fala Carlão visita o estande da Sumitomo Chemical na Expodireto Cotrijal para um diálogo estratégico com a cúpula da companhia em cobertura para o Canal do Boi. O presidente para a América Latina, Nairo Piña, e o diretor geral no Brasil, Alexandre Pires, detalham o legado de 115 anos de história global e as cinco décadas de atuação em solo brasileiro.A grande novidade reside na mudança do modelo de negócio: após mais de um século de foco exclusivo no B2B, a empresa completa cinco anos de atendimento direto ao produtor rural. Piña reforça que essa transição para o B2C mantém a perseverança como valor central e coloca a tecnologia da marca ao lado de quem realmente faz o agro acontecer.Alexandre Pires aborda a grandiosidade da Sumitomo no mundo e os investimentos contínuos realizados no país. Ele enfatiza a importância de identificar oportunidades mesmo em períodos de crise e como o contato direto com o produtor e as cooperativas acelera a entrega de soluções eficientes.

In a world dominated by filtered social media and highly polished corporate PR, authentic connection has become the ultimate business currency. Many entrepreneurs and real estate professionals feel they are "missing the boat" by not leveraging the power of their own voice. Whether you are looking to jump from $100k to $200k in revenue or simply want to establish yourself as a go-to expert, the traditional media path—TV and print—is often gated, filtered, and difficult to scale.

NBP ma w rezerwach około 570 ton złota, a niezrealizowany zysk z jego wzrostu wartości sięga nawet 197 mld zł. Czy można go wykorzystać do finansowania programu obronnego SAFE 0 proc.? O tym rozmawiam z Markiem Chądzyńskim z „Pulsu Biznesu”.W odcinku także o napięciach wokół cieśniny Ormuz, przez którą przepływa około 20 proc. światowego transportu ropy, oraz o decyzji Sejmu, który przyjął reformę wzmacniającą Państwową Inspekcję Pracy. Nowe przepisy pozwolą inspektorom kwestionować pozorne B2B i umowy cywilnoprawne.Na koniec sięgamy też do historii Persji – imperium, które dwa i pół tysiąca lat temu rozciągało się od Indusu po Morze Egejskie.

In this episode of the Revenue Leaders Podcast, we break down how to build a client acquisition system that helps businesses generate predictable revenue and consistently win new clients.Many companies struggle with sales not because their product is weak, but because they lack a structured client acquisition strategy. Without a clear system, teams rely on guesswork instead of a repeatable process for attracting and converting the right customers.In this episode, we discuss:• Why most businesses struggle with client acquisition• How defining your ideal customer profile (ICP) changes your sales outcomes• The key components of a client acquisition system• How to align your sales process with the buyer journey• Why trying to sell to everyone damages your pipeline• How to build a sales system that creates predictable growthThis episode kicks off our 6-part Client Acquisition Series, where we break down the frameworks sales leaders and founders can use to design a scalable client acquisition engine.If you're a founder, sales leader, or revenue operator looking to get more clients consistently, this episode will help you rethink how your sales system should work.Subscribe to the Revenue Leaders Podcast for more insights on B2B sales strategy, revenue leadership, and building predictable growth systems.⭐ Unlock free resources (templates, frameworks & prompts):⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coachpilot.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the community & access 157+ templates, frameworks and mega AI prompts used by top revenue teams.Watch Full Episode on YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@revenueleaders⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/davidfastuca/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brand decisions don't have to be personal. The best rebrand leaders know how to take the emotion out and replace it with clear criteria. ✅In this episode of The Debrief, Focus Lab CEO Bill Kenney sits down with Beth Forester — now CEO of Animoto, and VP of Marketing during their rebrand — to explore how intentional process and clear decision-making can be the difference between a brand project that stalls and one that actually succeeds.Animoto was shifting its market position from consumer to SMB, carrying four iterations of their old brand across their product experience, and accumulating brand debt fast. What followed was one of the most structured, stakeholder-savvy approaches to a rebrand we've seen.In this episode, Bill and Beth cover:Building internal alignment before agency engagement ever beginsUsing the RACI framework to manage input and keep decisions movingNavigating the logo phase before opinions start to outweigh criteriaDefining success metrics early to keep brand decisions objectiveIf you're a B2B marketing or brand leader heading into a rebrand — or trying to figure out how to get your organization aligned before one — this episode offers a practical, grounded look at how to lead the process with clarity and confidence.---Episode ResourcesLearn More about AnimotoThe RACI Matrix---Focus Lab is an established B2B brand agency that believes, without question, that the most successful companies are the ones who invest in branding. Focus Lab creates transformative B2B brands that resonate with their customers and stand out as industry leaders. Through a proven process and a shared commitment to create unforgettable experiences, we develop true partnerships that help B2B brands become their boldest, most original selves.---STAY IN TOUCH:Subscribe to our newsletterFollow us on LinkedInSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelFollow Us on InstagramLooking for a brand agency? We would love to hear from you. Email us: hello@focuslab.agency

Hart Lambur is the CoFounder of Across.We host a timely new discussion on the reasoning behind the first ever major token buyout in DeFi, a proposal to convert ACX tokenholders into equity shareholders of a traditional private company for Across. Hart explains how the $25M treasury would finance the buyout, and the vision for Across's future as stablecoin infrastructure where "$1 equals $1" and users pay nothing to move money across chains.In this episode, we cover:+ Why the token model isn't working: DAO governance challenges and misaligned incentives+ How the buyout works: token-to-equity conversion, and who can participate+ The new business model: Free stablecoin movement powered by intents, with issuers paying fees instead of users------

Na trilha Farmer do CRM Zummit 2025, em Florianópolis, Iêza de Oliveira (LinkedIn) apresentou um framework prático para construir relacionamentos estratégicos em vendas enterprise. A especialista mostrou por que ter contatos no CRM não significa ter relacionamento, e como mapear stakeholders, alinhar métricas de sucesso e estruturar o multithreading para destravar a expansão de clientes B2B.

Una técnica simple que mejora cualquier conversación de ventas.Muchos vendedores creen que persuadirsignifica hablar mejor.En realidad, muchas veces significa escuchar mejor.Una herramienta muy poderosa es el parafraseo persuasivo.No se trata de repetir como loro…Consiste en repetir lo que el cliente dijo, pero ordenándolo y destacando loimportante.Ejemplo:Cliente:“Queremos mejorar la visibilidad de los datos y reducir costos operacionales.”Vendedor promedio:“Entonces quieren mejorar visibilidad y reducir costos.”Vendedor consultivo:“Entonces, si entiendo bien, lo importante para ustedes es tener mejor visibilidad para tomar decisiones másrápido y al mismo tiempo controlar los costos operacionales. ¿Voy bien?”¿Qué ocurre cuando haces esto?✔ el cliente se siente escuchado✔ validas que entendiste el problema✔ alineas la conversación✔ reduces resistenciaY muchas veces escucharás una palabra mágicaen ventas:“Exacto.”Cuando el cliente dice exacto, la conversación cambia.Porque ya no estás vendiendo.Estánpensando el problema juntos.Una técnica simple.Pero tremendamente poderosa en ventas B2B.

mindworx CEO, behavioral economist and author Matt Sucha shares that the real reason why B2B organizations are losing sales has nothing to do with price. He counters the thought that customers aren't motivated enough, and sellers need to pile on with more benefits, bigger discounts and better features. "When customers don't do what you want them to do, the problem is not lack of motivation. The problem are psychological barriers standing in the way." These barriers include Uncertainty, Psychological Reactance, High Perceived Effort and Zone of Acceptance. Addressing these blockers head on in outbound communications can significantly lift conversions. In an AI world, winning is all about understanding the psychology behind human decisions.

Most B2B content fails for a simple reason: it talks about the company instead of the customer. In this episode, Nick Centera explains how great marketers find the intersection between what the business wants to say and what customers actually care about—and why anything else turns into what he calls a “glorified pamphlet.”  Nick shares a practical approach for uncovering real customer insight, mapping it to the buyer journey, and turning features into stories that people remember. We also explore the emotional side of B2B marketing—something many teams ignore even though every purchase still comes down to people making decisions.If your content feels busy but not effective, this conversation will help you rethink how you plan, structure, and tell better marketing stories.What you'll learn in this episode:Why most B2B content fails when it focuses on the company instead of the customerHow to find the intersection between business goals and customer needsPractical ways to capture the voice of the customer (even in complex industries)How to map content across the buyer journey—from awareness to decisionThe difference between listing features and communicating real benefitsWhy emotional connection still matters in high-value B2B dealsHow storytelling principles from filmmaking can strengthen marketing contentA simple test to ensure your content answers the most important question: “Why should the customer care?”About Nick CenteraNick Centera is a marketer in the renewable energy sector who focuses on using storytelling to connect complex industries with the people they serve. Before entering marketing, Nick worked in film and production with the goal of becoming a cinematographer. That background in storytelling now shapes how he approaches marketing—especially in technical B2B environments.Over the past decade, he has built marketing strategies that combine customer insight, narrative structure, and business goals to create content that resonates beyond product features.Nick also hosts the Renewable Storytellers podcast, where he speaks with leaders across the utility-scale energy space about the people and stories powering the industry.Connect with Nick:LinkedInPodcast – Renewable StorytellersQcells EPCText us what you think about this episode!

LinkedIn uzun yıllar Türkiye'de daha çok CV güncelleme platformu veya işe alım ağı olarak görüldü. Ancak son yıllarda bu algı hızla değişiyor. Özellikle B2B ve sanayi sektöründe faaliyet gösteren şirketler için LinkedIn artık sadece bir sosyal ağ değil, doğru kullanıldığında yeni müşterilere, distribütörlere ve iş ortaklarına ulaşılabilen güçlü bir ticari kanal haline geliyor.Türkiye'de LinkedIn kullanıcı sayısı 20 milyonun üzerine çıkmış durumda ve bu kitlenin önemli bir bölümü şirket yöneticileri, satın alma sorumluları, mühendisler, ihracat yöneticileri ve karar vericilerden oluşuyor. Yani klasik sosyal medya platformlarından farklı olarak LinkedIn'de karşınıza çıkan kitle çoğu zaman doğrudan iş dünyasının içinden geliyor. Bu da sanayi firmaları için çok büyük bir fırsat anlamına geliyor.Birçok üretici firma yıllardır yeni müşteri bulmak için fuarlara katılıyor, distribütör ağlarını genişletmeye çalışıyor veya ihracat kanallarını farklı yollarla büyütmeye çalışıyor. Ancak dijital dünyada çok daha görünür hale gelen LinkedIn, aslında bu süreçlerin dijital versiyonu gibi çalışıyor. Doğru bir stratejiyle kullanıldığında LinkedIn adeta sürekli açık bir fuar alanı gibi çalışabiliyor.Bu bölümde B2B sanayi firmalarının LinkedIn üzerinden nasıl müşteri bulabileceğini, bu platformu sadece kurumsal bir vitrin olarak kullanmanın neden yeterli olmadığını ve gerçekten satışa dönüşebilecek bir sistemin nasıl kurulabileceğini konuşuyoruz. Çünkü birçok şirket LinkedIn'de var olmasına rağmen platformu stratejik olarak kullanmıyor. Sayfalar açılıyor, zaman zaman fuar fotoğrafları paylaşılıyor ya da şirket içi duyurular yapılıyor. Ancak bu tarz paylaşımlar tek başına yeni müşteri kazandırmıyor.LinkedIn'de gerçekten müşteri bulabilmek için öncelikle güçlü bir şirket sayfası oluşturmak gerekiyor. Şirketin ne ürettiği, hangi sektörlere hizmet verdiği, hangi ülkelerle çalıştığı ve hangi problemleri çözdüğü çok net bir şekilde anlatılmalı. Bunun yanında yöneticilerin ve satış ekiplerinin kişisel profilleri de büyük önem taşıyor. B2B dünyasında insanlar çoğu zaman şirketlerden önce insanlara güveniyor. Bu nedenle yöneticilerin LinkedIn'de görünür olması, sektörle ilgili fikirlerini paylaşması ve uzmanlıklarını göstermesi ciddi bir güven oluşturuyor.İçerik stratejisi de burada kritik bir rol oynuyor. LinkedIn'de sürekli ürün paylaşmak çoğu zaman beklenen etkiyi yaratmaz. Bunun yerine sektör içgörüleri, üretim süreçleri, teknik bilgiler, vaka analizleri ve gerçek uygulama örnekleri paylaşmak çok daha güçlü bir etki yaratır. Bu bölümde ayrıca LinkedIn'de en sık yapılan hataları, sanayi firmalarının içerik üretirken nelere dikkat etmesi gerektiğini ve LinkedIn'in neden günümüzde dijital bir ticari ağ haline geldiğini de detaylı şekilde ele alıyoruz. Eğer siz de üretim yapan bir şirkete sahipseniz ya da B2B pazarda büyümek istiyorsanız LinkedIn'i sadece bir profil alanı olarak değil, doğru stratejiyle yeni iş fırsatları yaratabileceğiniz güçlü bir pazarlama kanalı olarak değerlendirmeye başlamanız gerekiyor.Çünkü artık B2B satış çoğu zaman ilk telefon görüşmesiyle değil, ilk dijital izlenimle başlıyor. LinkedIn ise bu ilk izlenimin oluştuğu en önemli platformlardan biri haline gelmiş durumda. Bu bölümde tüm bu süreci gerçek örnekler ve uygulanabilir stratejilerle detaylı şekilde konuşuyoruz.00:25 - B2B nedir ve neden işletmeler için büyük fırsatlar sunar00:53 - LinkedIn gerçekten müşteri bulma platformu mu01:37 - Türkiye'de LinkedIn kullanıcı sayısı ve ihracat verileri02:28 - LinkedIn neden ihracat yapan firmalar için fırsat sunuyor05:24 - Sanayi firmalarının LinkedIn'de yaptığı en büyük hata06:03 - B2B satın alma süreci ve karar komitesi gerçeği08:42 - LinkedIn'de başarı için 5 katmanlı strateji16:30 - LinkedIn reklamları ve B2B satış için yeniden hedefleme stratejisi

Michael McCready is the managing partner of McCready Law, a premier personal injury firm with 16 attorneys, more than 100 staff, and offices across the Midwest. Known for his B2B-first approach, Michael built a referral-driven practice that top advertising firms trust with litigation and casework. He leads the firm remotely from Puerto Rico, where he also runs a consulting LLC. In this episode, Michael shares the playbook behind his firm's 200+ automations, how custom GPTs mimic attorney voices, and why he built a system that reports real-time updates to referring attorneys. Listen to the full episode with Michael McCready on Personal Injury Mastermind, powered by Rankings.io, below: Spotify Apple Podcasts Watch the Episodes On YouTube McCready Law: Website If you like what you hear, hit Subscribe. We do this every week. Buy tickets for PIMCON 2026: pimcon.org Subscribe to our newsletter: newsletter.rankings.io Get Social! Personal Injury Mastermind (PIM) powered by Rankings.io is on Instagram | YouTube | TikTok

Sustainability became his unfair advantage on Amazon. A veteran textile designer reveals the data-first moves, fee-saving AWD shifts, and the tester story behind the explosive growth.

Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@mreapodcastRight now, only 7 to 10 percent of our friends see our content. If we are not intentional, we are invisible.In this episode, we sit down with Rachel Adams Lee, a top-producing agent whose Sacramento-based team closes more than $60 million a year. The majority of her business is driven by social media because she treats it like a lead generation machine, not a hobby.Rachel breaks down her 9-step model for winning with the algorithm in 2026. From five content pillars and scroll-stopping hooks to her Rule of 555 and two-hour lead gen blocks, she gives us a clear system to turn engagement into referrals. She generated 103 referrals from social in just one year by following this approach.The message is simple. We can scroll for hours and hope something happens or we can build a digital storefront that funds our life.Resources:Follow Rachel Adams Lee on Instagram: @racheladamslee Get a free class from Rachel Adams Lee on how to set up your Stan Store pageOrder the Millionaire Real Estate Agent Playbook | Volume 3Connect with Jason:LinkedinProduced by NOVAThis podcast is for general informational purposes only. The views, thoughts, and opinions of the guest represent those of the guest and not Keller Williams Realty, LLC and its affiliates, and should not be construed as financial, economic, legal, tax, or other advice. This podcast is provided without any warranty, or guarantee of its accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or results from using the information.WARNING! You must comply with the TCPA and any other federal, state or local laws, including for B2B calls and texts. Never call or text a number on any Do Not Call list, and do not use an autodialer or artificial voice or prerecorded messages without proper consent. Contact your attorney to ensure your compliance.

Spiritual Practitioners: The Business Advice You Were Never TaughtKelle Sparta announces a transition episode for Spirit Sherpa as she shifts the podcast and company from a B2C to a B2B model focused on spiritual business topics for practitioners already serving others. She explains the change arose after feeling she'd covered what was safe to teach publicly and that audience questions have become more advanced. Future episodes will include business energy reviews, spiritual business coaching sessions with guests, educational content, occasional sponsored interviews about services for spiritual entrepreneurs, and anonymized case studies.Key Topics Include:spiritual entrepreneurshipspiritual businessspiritual practitionersenergy healer businessspiritual coachingconscious entrepreneurshiphealer businessspiritual leadershipspiritual marketingspiritual business growthspiritual podcastSpirit SherpaKelle SpartaSacred Profitsspiritual business strategy00:00 Big Podcast Changes00:26 New B2B Format03:08 Why The Shift06:55 Evolving Offers07:50 Sacred Profits Membership10:41 Marketing That Works16:14 Business Model Basics17:41 Next Steps And Invite19:03 Closing MessageKeywords:spiritual businessspiritual entrepreneurshiphow to start a spiritual businessspiritual entrepreneurspiritual coach businessspiritual business coachingenergy healer businessspiritual practitioner businessbuild a spiritual businessspiritual marketingspiritual business strategyspiritual entrepreneurship podcastSpirit Sherpa podcastKelle SpartaSacred Profitsbusiness for healersbusiness for coacheshow spiritual practitioners make moneyenergy healing businessspiritual coaching business modelspiritual business tipsspiritual business mindsetspiritual entrepreneur advicespiritual leadershipconscious entrepreneurshipJoin the community on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KelleSpartaIf you would like to learn more please book a Discovery Call here: https://kellesparta.com/discovery-call/Licensing and Credits:“Spirit Sherpa” is the sole property of Kelle Sparta Enterprises and is distributed under a Creative Commons: BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. For more information about this licensing, please go to www.creativecommons.org. Any requests for deviations to this licensing should be sent to kelle@kellesparta.com. To sign up for, or get more information on the programs, offerings, and services referenced in this episode, please go to www.kellesparta.com

Databox is an easy-to-use Analytics Platform for growing businesses. We make it easy to centralize and view your entire company's marketing, sales, revenue, and product data in one place, so you always know how you're performing. Learn More About DataboxSubscribe to our newsletter for episode summaries, benchmark data, and moreHow will AI change the way SaaS companies grow?But according to Adam Robinson, founder and CEO of Retention.com, AI is not the answer most founders think it is.Adam has built multiple SaaS companies and scaled Retention.com from $0 to $22M ARR in four years without funding. In this episode of Move the Needle, he explains why the companies that scale – and the ones that stall – are separated by one thing:Product-market fit.Listen to the episode to learn why AI won't fix your SaaS company, but product-market fit might.

Are you running your post-sale revenue on actual data, or just "vibes"? Following up on last week's foundation, Knownwell CEO David DeWolf and CMO Courtney Baker dive into the exact mechanics of building a powerful growth engine beyond the initial sale. They break down the three maturity levels every B2B services firm must conquer to stop playing defense against churn. Discover why customer success can't survive on an island, why standard customer satisfaction scores are a trap, and how AI finally lets leaders measure the historically unmeasurable dynamics of true client health. Stop being just a vendor and learn how to become an indispensable partner. Watch the full deep dive on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5xPjaqftwPQ  Watch the full webinar here: www.knownwell.com/revops

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4baZCZ9 Episode summary In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Blair Fraser sits down with Andrew Ackermann, VP of Product Design at Samsara, to explore what it really takes to design technology for frontline workers—the people powering the physical economy. Andrew shares how his early exposure to design shaped his career, and why he was drawn to building AI-powered tools for industries like transportation, logistics, and field operations. From ride-alongs with truck drivers to observing mechanics at work, he explains why designing for the frontline requires deep humility, real-world immersion, and a relentless focus on eliminating friction. The conversation dives into the hidden complexity of physical operations, the challenge of replacing paper-based systems with truly better digital tools, and why “elegance” is a guiding principle for creating experiences that feel seamless—even in gritty, unpredictable environments. Andrew also reflects on his transition from Google to Samsara, the difference between designing for moments that matter versus mission-critical daily workflows, and how AI is accelerating product development while raising the bar for quality and value. You'll learn: Why field research and in-person observation uncover insights remote research can't How frontline workers often create their own “workarounds”—and what that reveals about product gaps What it means to design tools that are truly better than paper and pencil Why elegance, humility, and curiosity are essential for enterprise product design The difference between high-volume consumer design and mission-critical B2B software How rapid prototyping and tight feedback loops drive adoption and trust The role AI will play in accelerating product development—and the challenge of cutting through the noise Resources & links Andrew Ackermann on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anackermann/) Learn more about Samsara (https://www.samsara.com/) Watch Samsara's Beyond 2025 conference highlights (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtUxSK4AhAdaFEzqudt-uYIXZUAKpwEkW&si=sjVFJmMweDQ4NoZY) Blair Fraser on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrblairfraser/) Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/) Learn more about Insights Unlocked https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Eoin Clancy (VP of Growth at AirOps), Connor Beaulieu (Senior SEO Manager at LegalZoom), and Adina Timar (Head of AEO at Weflow) join this live session to talk about how to create high-quality content with AI. Connor walks through a workflow his team built at LegalZoom to automatically source expert quotes.. Adina shows how she rebuilds competitor pages from scratch using sales calls, LLM data, and live competitor analysis. And Eoin shares the research behind why content quality is now the single biggest lever in AI search. If you want to see what content engineering actually looks like in practice, this one is for you. Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Brought to you by:AirOps - The content engineering platform that helps marketers create and maintain high-quality, on-brand content that wins AI search. Go to airops.com/exitfive to start creating content that reflects your expertise, stays true to your brand, and is engineered for performance across human and AI discovery.Customer.io - An AI powered customer engagement platform that help marketers turn first-party data into engaging customer experiences across email, SMS, and push. Learn more at customer.io/exitfive. Convertr - The enterprise lead data management platform that sits between your lead sources and your CRM, automatically validating, enriching, and standardizing every lead before it touches your systems. Check them out at convertr.io/exitfive.Compound Growth Marketing - A full-funnel demand generation agency that helps high-growth cybersecurity, DevOps, and enterprise software companies drive more pipeline through AI SEO, paid media, and go-to-market engineering. Visit compoundgrowthmarketing.com and tell them Dave sent you.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Most founders do not break because of strategy first. They break because success can amplify internal conflict.In this episode of Founder Talk, Alex Sheridan sits down with Mark Hattas, an award-winning author, entrepreneur, and coach, for a serious conversation about identity, purpose, and what happens when ambition is built on fear, pressure, or the need to prove something. Drawing from his own journey through business success, personal collapse, and deep self-examination, Mark explains why many founders stay productive on the outside while quietly feeling disconnected on the inside.This episode explores the deeper patterns that shape founder behavior: chasing validation, over-identifying with work, ignoring internal signals, and creating from pressure instead of alignment. Mark also shares a different way to think about growth, one rooted in awareness, better questions, and more intentional decision-making. Founders will come away with a sharper lens on burnout, clearer thinking around goals, and practical ways to lead and build from a more grounded place.Key Takeaways00:00:00 Introduction00:01:55 Why do high-performing founders still feel disconnected from themselves?A: Mark explains that many entrepreneurs build around a role, mask, or identity that is not fully true to who they are, and that inner split quietly drains energy over time.00:16:10 Can anger and the need to prove people wrong drive success?A: It can create short-term momentum, but Mark argues that fear and anger become destructive fuel if they are never processed or transformed.00:34:10 Why does being centered make a founder more effective?A: A more aligned internal state can improve intuition, judgment, collaboration, and leadership because decisions are made from clarity instead of reactivity.00:40:42 Is nonstop hustle always a problem for founders?A: Not necessarily. Mark frames intense work as a season, but says every founder needs an “in-breath” to recover before drive turns into a crash.00:46:59 How can founders stop building from fear?A: Mark introduces “goal canceling,” a way to release fear-charged goals so they can be rebuilt from gratitude, ownership, and conscious choice.00:56:03 What is one daily practice that helps founders reconnect with themselves?A: A short daily meditation or prayer practice. Even 10 to 15 minutes of quiet can create better thinking, better decisions, and more emotional clarity.01:02:25 What should founders ask when they feel stuck in business?A: They should revisit the timeline. A longer or more realistic time horizon can change the pressure, expectations, and strategy in a meaningful way.Watch the full episode to hear the complete conversation. Subscribe to Founder Talk for more authentic, no-fluff founder interviews.

¿Estás evitando el teléfono en tus ventas? Puede que estés perdiendo oportunidades sin darte cuenta.En este episodio clásico de Vende Diferente Podcast, hablo con Kathy Ydrovo, experta en telemercadeo estratégico, sobre un tema que muchos vendedores B2B siguen evitando hoy en día: usar el maldito teléfono.Mientras muchos vendedores se esconden detrás de WhatsApp, correos, LinkedIn o notas de voz, en esta conversación explicamos por qué una llamada sigue siendo una de las herramientas más rápidas y efectivas para avanzar oportunidades reales, especialmente cuando quieres hablar con decision makers o destrabar negocios que llevan semanas estancados.En este episodio hablamos de:Por qué tantos vendedores hoy tienen miedo a usar el teléfonoCómo la cultura de la inmediatez está afectando la prospecciónPor qué una llamada puede acelerar oportunidades que llevan semanas fríasCómo combinar WhatsApp, email y teléfono de forma estratégicaCuándo usar el teléfono para manejar objeciones o negociar precioPor qué las ventas B2B siguen dependiendo de conversaciones realesLa realidad es simple: los mensajes ayudan… pero las conversaciones mueven la venta.Si vendes soluciones B2B, manejas ciclos de venta largos o necesitas conectar con decisores dentro de una empresa, este episodio te va a recordar algo fundamental: no necesitas solo más actividad, necesitas más conversaciones reales.

Is your traditional SaaS experience becoming obsolete? In this new 20-minute rapid-fire format, Sam Jacobs, AJ Bruno, and Asad Zaman tackle a specific listener question: How does a senior operator transition from a legacy B2B SaaS role into a high-growth AI company? The market is shifting toward a meritocracy where recent hands-on capability outweighs decades of tenure on a CV. The hosts break down exactly how to position yourself for companies like CoreWeave and EliseAI. They discuss why hiding your lack of technical engineering skills is a mistake, how to build a portfolio of "work product" using low-code tools like Replit and Claude, and why being able to articulate the failures of AI models is actually the strongest signal of fluency. Key Takeaways: - Stop relying on a static resume and start building a portfolio of practical applications. As Sam Jacobs notes, the hiring landscape has shifted so that "your work product needs to speak for itself... demonstrating that you're capable of working with these tools, not theoretically, but practically through your conversations that you're having with hiring managers." - We are entering a career reset where agility beats seniority. Asad Zaman warns that "whenever there is a platform shift... the value of experience goes down a little bit," which creates a massive opportunity for younger leaders to "move up faster if you present in a very compelling manner because people are not looking at titles the same way." - Cultural currency matters as much as technical skill. To be taken seriously by founders in this space, you must consume information where they do. As Asad Zaman puts it, "If they find out that you're not on AI Twitter or AI X, I think they will think you're not a serious person... the information is not gonna be found in these old school channels." Connect with the Hosts: Host: Sam Jacobs - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samfjacobs/ Host: AJ Bruno - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbruno3/ Host: Asad Zaman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/azaman1/   Topline is not JUST a YouTube Channel! Subscribe to Topline Newsletter: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-newsletter Tune into Topline Podcast, the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-podcast Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-slack   Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:58 Viewer Q: Transitioning to AI 02:48 Show Work Product, Not Just CVs 04:36 Applying SaaS Principles to AI 05:58 The AI-First Mentality 08:58 Articulating AI Limitations 11:30 The Meritocracy Shift 13:55 Unexpected AI Wins 21:27 Staying Culturally Relevant 24:29 Summary: How to Get Hired  

If you're competing against companies with massive marketing budgets, paid ads alone won't win.In this episode of The B2B Playbook, we sit down with Alex Bedwani, founder of PetsOnMe, to unpack how he built growth using a B2B2C marketing strategy instead of competing head-to-head in B2C channels.In industries like insurance, the biggest brands dominate paid channels. They can outspend you on ads, outbid you on keywords, and convert better because people already trust them.So Alex took a different path.Instead of competing directly, he built partnerships with associations and corporations to distribute pet insurance to their employees and members.We break down exactly how the B2B2C strategy works, how to land partnerships, and how to activate them so they actually generate revenue.Tune in and learn:+ Why competing head-on in B2C markets is often a losing game+ How to use partnerships as a distribution channel+ The activation tactics that turn partnerships into real revenueIf you're a founder or marketer trying to grow in a competitive category, this episode will change how you think about distribution.-----------------------------------------------------

07.03.2026 – Langsam Gesprochene Nachrichten – Trainiere dein Hörverstehen mit den Nachrichten der DW von Samstag – als Text und als verständlich gesprochene Audio-Datei.

Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS delivers a deep dive into winning local SEO using Google Business Profile. He explains how local SEO works through the formula of product/service plus location, then breaks down the technical backbone — sitemaps, robots.txt, and no-index tags — revealing how one misconfigured tag can make an entire website invisible to Google. Real client case studies include a bakery in Georgia invisible on Google from two miles away, and a massage therapy business paying $16–$32 per click for keywords they could rank for organically. Dr. Fashion and Celese Williams contribute insights on keyword research, engagement, and why AI still needs the human element for conversions.Book SEO Services? Save These Quick Links for Later>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book SEO Services with Favour Obasi-ike⁠>> Visit Work and PLAY Entertainment website to learn about our digital marketing services>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our exclusive SEO Marketing community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>> Read SEO Articles>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the We Don't PLAY Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>> Purchase Flaev Beatz Beats Online>> Favour Obasi-ike Quick Links>> Start Recording your Podcast with Riverside Today | Sign Up with My Affiliate Link HereTimeline and Timestamps[00:13] Welcome and introduction[02:38] Dr. Fashion on the importance of online visibility.[04:34] Origin story of Google Maps and its free iPhone launch.[07:07] What is local SEO? Product/service + location formula.[19:58] No-index tags — how one setting blocks your entire site.[24:44] Dr. Fashion on targeting low-competition keywords.[27:28] Three essentials: Google Business Profile, website, social media.[36:10] Zip code marketing and the "set it and forget it" trap.[37:03] Google gives you 30 service slots — most businesses use only a few.[39:05] TAM, SAM, and serving within a 35-mile radius.[43:23] Google ranks webpages and links, not websites.[54:15] Organic traffic vs. paid ads for local businesses.[57:05] Case study: bakery invisible on Google from two miles away.[65:00] LinkedIn engagement at 3.8% vs. Instagram at 0.7%.[70:00] Podcasting as a nesting ground for compound growth.[77:41] E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust.[80:00] Celese on why AI needs human design for conversions.[86:01] Live SERP API search demo for Canadian results.Memorable Quotes"Google does not rank your website. Google ranks your webpage.""The only way to create capacity is by building it.""You can't even be on ChatGPT if you're not on Google.""I'd rather have so much organic feedback that I can run ad campaigns for branding, not survival.""If you don't have the words people type in your domain, you have no conversation."FAQs AnsweredWhat is local SEO?Product or service plus location, optimized so nearby people find you through search.What is a no-index tag?It tells search bots not to index a page. If left on by default, your entire site becomes invisible to Google.What are sitemaps and robots.txt?Sitemaps list your content for search engines. Robots.txt instructs bots on what to crawl or block. Both must work together.How many services can I list on GBP?Google allows about 30 service listings — most businesses only use a fraction.Does SEO still matter with AI search?Yes. If you are not on Google, you will not appear on ChatGPT, Perplexity, or any AI search tool.Key TakeawaysConnect your website to Google Search Console and ensure proper indexing. Use city and state in your URLs for local ranking. Fill all 30 service slots on GBP. Build organic content to reduce ad spend. LinkedIn outperforms Instagram for B2B.E-E-A-T is the code of conduct for local search visibility.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode dives into Leslie Youngblood's journey as the founder of Youngblood MMC, co-founder of TableTag, and host of the Serious Lady Business podcast. She shares her path from early experiences in marketing and advertising to stepping out of the corporate world to create a business that aligns with her passions and family life. Leslie explains how The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron helped her embrace her creativity and "own her magic," fueling both her agency work and her mission to empower female entrepreneurs. Leslie also breaks down how Youngblood MMC supports small-to-medium B2B businesses with marketing clarity, systems, and consistent content creation to drive revenue growth. She discusses her new platform, TableTag, which centralizes communication between marketers and restaurants, and how it's poised to transform the hospitality tech space. Packed with actionable insights, inspiring advice, and empowering words for women in business, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to harness their creativity, structure their business, and step fully into their own magic. Connect with Leslie:Website: www.youngbloodmmc.com | www.seriousladybusiness.com | www.tabletag.io LinkedIn: Leslie (Bailey) Youngblood Instagram: @seriousladybusiness | @leslie2400     Let's keep the conversation going!Website: www.martaspirk.com Instagram: @martaspirk Facebook: Marta Spirk Want to be my next guest on The Empowered Woman Podcast?Apply here: www.martaspirk.com/podcastguest  Watch my TEDx talk: www.martaspirk.com/keynoteconcerts      If you're a cultural catalyst, what got you here won't get you there. Cultural change happens through peers at your level — not through previous cycles of friends, mentees, or employees. Join our free masterclass: The Science-Backed Secrets to Activate Your Legacy as a Cultural Catalyst Without Burnout Register at activateherlegacy.com   

B2B demand generation struggles with vanity metrics over pipeline results. Nick Zeckets, Chief Fire Starter at Smoke Signals AI, brings serial MarTech founder experience and AI-first HubSpot agency expertise to signal-based marketing. He explains how to redesign demand generation systems using AI agents and HubSpot workflows to capture buying signals that convert to measurable revenue. The discussion covers bootstrapping versus venture capital strategies for sustainable MarTech business growth.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Who decides which food stories get told? In Episode 188 of the Walk-In Talk Podcast, Host, Carl welcomes Dalia Colon, Executive Producer and Host of The Zest, the NPR-affiliated food podcast produced by WUSF on the University of South Florida campus. With more than 300 episodes produced, Dalia has helped shape how Florida's food culture is documented through public media. Her work blends journalism, food history, and storytelling, highlighting the chefs, farmers, traditions, and communities that define the state's culinary identity. In the studio kitchen, Chef Michael Collantes, Michelin-starred chef and owner of Soseki Modern Omakase, prepares two dishes while joining the conversation about the relationship between chefs and media. Collantes previously appeared as a guest on The Zest in 2023, making this episode a full-circle moment as the discussion moves from public radio to the Walk-In Talk studio. Together, the conversation explores editorial responsibility, the pace of modern food media, and the shared discipline between journalism and professional kitchens. Because food isn't just content. It's culture, craft, and the stories that shape the industry.   Be sure to follow our journey to the Ny Restaurant Show as we continue bridging the gap between Food Media in the Food Industry B2B space! We'll be at the Javits Center in NYC from 3/8 - 3/10 at booth 1653! Episode Takeaways Public media brings editorial discipline to food storytelling Platforms like NPR prioritize context, credibility, and cultural documentation over trends. Food journalism helps preserve culinary history Coverage can shape how communities and traditions are remembered. The relationship between chefs and media is evolving As visibility grows, chefs and storytellers must navigate responsibility and representation. Standards matter in both kitchens and journalism Whether producing a Michelin-level dish or a public media story, trust is built through consistency and discipline. Florida's food culture is deeper than headlines Regional voices, traditions, and history play a major role in shaping the state's culinary identity. Brand Partners Metro Foodservice Solutions Professional kitchen infrastructure trusted by chefs around the world. https://www.metro.com RAK Porcelain USA Precision-crafted professional tableware designed for high-performance kitchens. https://www.rakporcelain.com Citrus America Premium citrus products supporting chefs and foodservice professionals across the industry. https://www.citrusamerica.com Crab Island Seafood Chef-driven seafood products bringing Gulf Coast flavors to restaurants nationwide. https://crabislandseafood.com Testo North America Industry-leading food safety and measurement technology trusted in professional kitchens. https://www.testo.com/en-US Cause Partners The Burnt Chef Project Advancing mental health awareness and support within the hospitality industry. https://www.theburntchefproject.com Operation BBQ Relief Providing hot meals and disaster relief to communities in need across the United States. https://operationbbqrelief.org Sustainable Supperclub Community-driven dining events supporting food access and nonprofit initiatives. https://sustainablesupperclub.com Trade Show & Industry Event Partners Florida Restaurant Show https://www.therestaurantshows.com/florida/ New York Restaurant Show https://www.therestaurantshows.com/new-york/ California Restaurant Show https://www.therestaurantshows.com/california/ Pizza Tomorrow Summit https://www.pizzatomorrow.com/ U.S. Culinary Open at the NAFEM Show https://www.usculinaryopen.com/about Creative Loafing Tampa Bay Food & Drink coverage and cultural journalism across the Tampa Bay region. https://www.cltampa.com About Walk-In Talk Media Walk-In Talk Media is an industry-recognized B2B food and hospitality media company focused on chef-driven storytelling and trade-facing impact. Founded by Carl Fiadini, Walk-In Talk Media produces podcasts, studio video content, documentary-style storytelling, and live trade-show coverage across the United States. The platform serves chefs, operators, distributors, brands, and industry organizations by documenting the people and systems that shape the foodservice world. The Walk-In Talk Podcast consistently holds the #1 Food Podcast position on Apple Charts in the U.S. market, has reached millions of downloads, and was a finalist at the People's Choice Podcast Awards. Walk-In Talk Media has also been recognized for its storytelling at the Central Florida Film Festival and Folkestone Film Festival, with projects listed on IMDb. Walk-In Talk Media is the official podcast and media partner for the New York Restaurant Show, California Restaurant Show, Florida Restaurant Show, Pizza Tomorrow Summit, and the U.S. Culinary Open, and works alongside industry publications like Creative Loafing Tampa Bay to elevate chef voices and food culture. The platform also supports cause-driven organizations including The Burnt Chef Project and Operation BBQ Relief, reinforcing its commitment to the health and sustainability of the hospitality industry.

John talks with Dr. Jeremy Weisz — co-founder of Rise25, host of the INspired INsider Podcast, founder of a chiropractic care and massage practice, founder of a nutritional supplement company, and an entrepreneur who has been featured in Forbes for building several successful businesses. Through Rise25, Dr. Jeremy helps B2B businesses connect to their "Dream 200" clients. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Intro [00:35] - Dr. Jeremy's bio and backstory [03:07] - Getting interested in podcasting before it became popular [06:03] - How strong relationships make entrepreneurship sustainable [08:47] - The real life of an entrepreneur vs. social media [10:25] - Running two businesses at once [14:39] - What is Rise25? [19:08] - Selling vs. marketing [21:48] - "What's ordinary to you is magic to others" [22:18] - A great way to nurture relationships [24:36] - The best gifts John has given [28:57] - Secret to profiling the perfect podcast guests NOTABLE QUOTES: "There's ups and downs through business, through life, or whatever it is. So having that person as a support, an amazing support system, is huge." "If you're working on your relationship together, and the two of you are staying together as one and building that, you can overcome anything." "What people show on social media isn't always 100% accurate." "What's normal to you is magic to others." "Selling is serving. If I'm serving someone, they never feel sold to." "Most businesses, unfortunately, tell the wrong stories. They start with stories about themselves and their history. No, that's not what people want to know, not initially. What people want to know is: 'I'm coming to you with a problem. I think you might be able to help me.' If you start telling stories about people who had my problem and how you helped them, I want to learn more. Those are the stories we need to be telling, at least initially." USEFUL RESOURCES: https://rise25.com/ https://www.inspiredinsider.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/drweisz/ https://www.instagram.com/jeremyrise25/ https://www.facebook.com/JeremyFWeisz https://www.facebook.com/rise25innercircle/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw1pssoqLGIZWHlihG2SVRg INspired INsider Podcast - https://tinyurl.com/INspiredINsiderPodcast CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen    X - https://x.com/johnhulen    YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLX_NchE8lisC4NL2GciIWA    EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/ 

B2B demand generation struggles with vanity metrics over pipeline results. Nick Zeckets, Chief Fire Starter at Smoke Signals AI, brings serial MarTech founder experience and AI-first HubSpot agency expertise to signal-based marketing. He explains how to redesign demand generation systems using AI agents and HubSpot workflows to capture buying signals that convert to measurable revenue. The discussion covers bootstrapping versus venture capital strategies for sustainable MarTech business growth.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Simon Swords founded Fundipedia after starting in a backyard shed building bespoke software. Originally a custom development shop, his firm built a data governance platform for major buy-side asset managers including HSBC, Barclays, and Legal & General. Over time, Fundipedia evolved into a high-retention enterprise SaaS platform with strong net revenue retention and Rule of 40 performance. Simon navigated long consultative sales cycles, regulatory tailwinds, and a tightly networked financial services market to build a durable recurring revenue engine. After turning down an initial offer, Simon grew ARR further and ultimately sold in 2024 at approximately 10x ARR. He exited fully, used ChatGPT extensively in diligence, and now reflects on endurance, discipline, and surviving long enough for luck to compound. Key Takeaways Survive First — Don't make a mistake that kills you or the business. Staying alive creates the opportunity for luck to compound. Enterprise Patience — Two-year sales cycles are normal at the top end. Persistence and reputation matter more than speed. Rule Of 40 Discipline — Strong growth plus profitability gives founders leverage in exit timing and valuation. Problems Over Product — Founders obsess over product; buyers care about solving painful, expensive problems. Build To Exit Cleanly — Structure the company so it runs without you before you start acquisition conversations. Quote from Simon Swords, Founder of Fundipedia "I think the most important thing is not to make a mistake that kills you or the business. While you're in the arena and you've not been taken out yet, dragged off by the hyenas or lions, whatever they used back in the Roman days, you've still got a chance to make something magical happen. "You do something stupid, kill the business, kill your reputation, you're done. Entrepreneurs hate the word luck. I do feel luck. I am lucky. Of course I'm lucky. I have to be lucky. You make your own luck.  "But I'll tell you what I didn't do. I didn't make a mistake that killed me or the business and the entire way through. Even when I was going through hell, never, no matter how neurotic or anxious or all the negative kind of traits you can imagine would have flown through me. I never made a mistake that killed the business." Links Simon Swords on LinkedIn Fundipedia on LinkedIn Fundipedia website FE fundinfo website Podcast Sponsor – LaunchBay LaunchBay helps B2B software companies automate client onboarding and implementation so customers activate faster and everyone stays aligned. If your onboarding includes data collection, setup steps, approvals, training, or any level of customization, LaunchBay replaces the messy mix of emails, spreadsheets, and meetings with a clear, all-in-one onboarding system. Teams use LaunchBay to onboard clients faster, stay on top of follow-ups automatically, and deliver a smoother experience, without hiring more people or adding more tools. Visit launchbay.com/practical and get 25% off your first 3 months on any LaunchBay plan. The Practical Founders Podcast Tune into the Practical Founders Podcast for weekly in-depth interviews with founders who have built valuable software companies without big funding. Subscribe to the Practical Founders Podcast using your favorite podcast app or view on our YouTube channel. Get the weekly Practical Founders newsletter and podcast updates at practicalfounders.com. Practical Founders CEO Peer Groups Be part of a committed and confidential group of practical founders creating valuable software companies without big VC funding.  A Practical Founders Peer Group is a committed and confidential group of founders/CEOs who want to help you succeed on your terms. Each Practical Founders Peer Group is personally curated and moderated by Greg Head.

Are you leaving predictable growth on the table because your agency relies too heavily on referrals, or struggling to turn prospects into long-term clients? How much untapped revenue could you unlock by rethinking your approach to outreach? In this episode of The Agency Blueprint podcast, I'm joined by Tudor Dimitrescu to unpack the biggest challenges agencies face today, from overreliance on referrals to hiring and maintaining a high-quality team. Tudor is the founder of Tanda Digital, a B2B outbound marketing agency. He started Tanda Digital to leverage his expertise in using cold email and LinkedIn outreach to generate leads and achieve predictable growth in the B2B space. Listen in to learn more about pricing strategies, overcoming buyer skepticism, and designing entry-level offers that reduce risk for potential clients. You will also learn the importance of problem discovery, curiosity-driven conversations, and creating offers tailored to objections rather than generic pitches. Key Questions: [01:03] Are you relying too heavily on referrals, and how might that limit your agency's growth potential? [04:52] How does buyer skepticism in today's market affect your pricing and sales strategy? [10:32] What strategies are you using to overcome client skepticism in today's crowded agency market? [24:23] If you don't have an outbound system, where should you start to generate leads systematically? What You'll Discover: [01:16] The top two challenges for agencies: overreliance on referrals and hiring and maintaining quality staff. [05:16] How market skepticism and low barriers to entry impact agencies today, and how to communicate the real value of agency work. [10:38] The concept of entry-level offers to overcome skepticism, providing a low-risk way for prospects to engage. [13:36] How to structure entry-level offers around common objections to reduce client risk. [16:55] The Message Market Sprint – a 7-day process that improves client messaging and positioning, often leading to full engagement. [21:28] Why managing price objections effectively involves asking curiosity-driven questions about client priorities and expected ROI. [25:17] The first steps for agencies without outbound systems – start with problem discovery rather than immediate pitching. [27:45] How to start conversations with potential clients by exploring problems rather than selling services immediately. [30:49] Tudor's LinkedIn Outbound Playbook, focusing on targeting the right prospects and recognizing triggers for engagement. Connect with Tudor: WebsiteLinkedIn

We help B2B brands launch shows that turn their point of view into pipeline. If you're launching a podcast (or have one already) and are not sure how it can hit your bottom line, book a meeting with Jason: https://meetings-eu1.hubspot.com/jason-bradwell/youtube-meeting-link Most B2B podcasts sound exactly the same. Becky Willis is doing something about it. Becky Willis, Group Chief Commercial Officer of the Kiewit Matthews Group and co-host of the relaunched Agency Hackers podcast, joins Jason to pull back the curtain on a show built differently from the ground up. Forget evergreen guest interviews and generic marketing frameworks. Agency Hackers is a gossip column for agency land, produced in a full broadcast studio, with live phone-ins from the community and a co-hosting dynamic built on genuine chemistry and deliberate spontaneity. In this episode, Becky shares the origin story of the relaunch alongside Agency Hackers founder Ian, explains why they chose high-end studio production over a DIY recording setup, and reveals the "freedom within a framework" philosophy that keeps the show lively and authentic. She also digs into how they source stories, why LinkedIn and private WhatsApp communities are their most fertile hunting grounds, and what nearly killed a previous attempt at producing the show before it ever saw the light of day. Whether you are building an owned media strategy for a B2B brand or simply trying to create content that actually gets listened to, this conversation is packed with honest, practical insight. Key Takeaways ◼️ How to stand out by building a show around your genuine personality and knowledge rather than copying the dominant interview format ◼️ Why "freedom within a framework" is the sweet spot between over-scripted episodes and unstructured waffle ◼️ How to involve your audience through community phone-ins that build loyalty beyond passive listenership ◼️ Why production environment matters more than most hosts realise, and how the right studio setup fuels on-camera energy ◼️ How to source timely content by treating LinkedIn and private community channels as your editorial newsroom ◼️ Why outsourcing end-to-end production is the difference between a show that gets published and one that never sees the light of day Chapter Markers 00:00 Intro 01:45 What Agency Hackers Is and Who It's For 04:10 Why They Chose a Gossip Column Format Over Another Marketing Podcast 06:30 The Studio Decision and Why Production Environment Matters 08:00 How They Find and Source Stories Each Week 11:20 The Live Phone-In Segment and Why It Builds Listener Loyalty 14:00 Early Reception and Signals From Episode One 16:45 The Three Big Lessons From the Relaunch So Far 20:10 Where to Find Becky and the Agency Hackers Podcast Relevant Links and Resources Listen to Agency Hackers Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-agency-hackers-podcast/id1755540477Listen to Agency Hackers Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Y2IHPCBJGmlGNNmQD4l8dConnect with Becky Willis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-willis-07999519/Learn more about Agency Hackers Community: agencyhackers.comFollow Ian Harris (Agency Hackers founder) on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianharrisuk/ What's Next Go and subscribe to the Agency Hackers podcast on Spotify or your preferred platform, then come back here and tell us what format you think is missing from the B2B podcast landscape. Useful Links Connect with Jason Bradwell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbradwell/ Listen to Pipe Dream on Podbean: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/bac4p-2a0121/Pipe-Dream-Podcast Learn more about B2B Better: https://www.b2b-better.com

Are you ready to elevate your presence and make your voice heard? In Voice & Visibility with Gal Ko, host Gal Ko — founder of PodStar and BoldPMM, and marketing lecturer at Google & Reichman University — dives into the strategies that turn podcast appearances into real business impact.Every episode, Gal breaks down how thought leaders, founders, and creators can leverage the power of podcasting to:

Apple launched its cheapest laptop ever… we think repeats a mistake Tesla made.Soulja Boy is the 1st rapper to clone his voice with AI… to sell B2B software.Stocks are actually up since the War with Iran began... We explain investors' bull case.Plus, tasering, squats, math problems… say hello to Extreme Alarm Clocks.$AAPL $META $SPYBuy tickets to The IPO Tour (our In-Person Offering) TODAYArlington, VA (3/11): https://www.arlingtondrafthouse.com/shows/341317 New York, NY (4/8): https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0000637AE43ED0C2Los Angeles, CA (6/3): SOLD OUTGet your TBOY Yeti Doll gift here: https://tboypod.com/shop/product/economic-support-yeti-doll NEWSLETTER:https://tboypod.com/newsletter OUR 2ND SHOW:Want more business storytelling from us? Check our weekly deepdive show, The Best Idea Yet: The untold origin story of the products you're obsessed with. Listen for free to The Best Idea Yet: https://wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/NEW LISTENERSFill out our 2 minute survey: https://qualtricsxm88y5r986q.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dp1FDYiJgt6lHy6GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Linkedin (Nick): https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-martell/Linkedin (Jack): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-crivici-kramer/Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ About Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today's top stories your business. Formerly known as Robinhood Snacks, The Best One Yet is hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Lee Rubin about work life balance and employee well being.Lee Rubin is a visionary culture leader with over a decade of experience in B2B sales. She first came up with the idea to help companies plan better corporate events back in 2014 when tasked with planning an event for her team. Lee is a leading pioneer of the virtual events space, pivoting Confetti from in-person to virtual team building following the 2020 pandemic. Her deep expertise and passion lies in helping companies scale and improve company culture.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Most sellers obsess over asking the perfect discovery question. In this episode, Gal Aga breaks down why great discovery has nothing to do with memorized questions and everything to do with understanding the problem, finding the root cause, and guiding the buying process.

Pablo Paul Lemberg, founder of Lemberg.com, a growth and transformation business that helps B2B and e commerce entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, and coaches grow their revenues and profits through a mix of strategy, spirituality, and what he calls practical magic.Through his coaching, frameworks, and new Entrepreneur Alchemy Academy, Pablo guides business owners to create quantum level shifts in profit and performance, drawing from nearly three decades of helping clients achieve profit growth from 2 to 10x.Now, Pablo's journey from launching his coaching practice in 1996 to helping clients generate more than five hundred million dollars in aggregate profit demonstrates what is possible when business growth is aligned with purpose, intuition, and proven strategy.And while navigating the challenge of doing everything himself and restructuring his business for its next evolution, he continues to hold a powerful vision for entrepreneurs who want to transform both their results and their reality.Here's where to find more:www.lemberg.com________________________________________________Welcome to The Unforget Yourself Show where we use the power of woo and the proof of science to help you identify your blind spots, and get over your own bullshit so that you can do the fucking thing you ACTUALLY want to do!We're Mark and Katie, the founders of Unforget Yourself and the creators of the Unforget Yourself System and on this podcast, we're here to share REAL conversations about what goes on inside the heart and minds of those brave and crazy enough to start their own business. From the accidental entrepreneur to the laser-focused CEO, we find out how they got to where they are today, not by hearing the go-to story of their success, but talking about how we all have our own BS to deal with and it's through facing ourselves that we find a way to do the fucking thing.Along the way, we hope to show you that YOU are the most important asset in your business (and your life - duh!). Being a business owner is tough! With vulnerability and humor, we get to the real story behind their success and show you that you're not alone._____________________Find all our links to all the things like the socials, how to work with us and how to apply to be on the podcast here: https://linktr.ee/unforgetyourself

Renan Delonier joins me to unpack what happens when you stop talking about AI as a buzzword—and start putting it into real factories with real consequences.Most conversations about artificial intelligence live in demos and slide decks. This one lives in production environments, broken trust, failed deployments, and hard-earned iteration.Renan is the CEO and co-founder of OSS Ventures, a venture studio that co-builds software companies exclusively for factories. After visiting more than 800 industrial sites and launching 22 companies inside 3,000 factories, he's developed a structured approach to identifying operational pain—and solving it with software.But this episode isn't about hype.It's about what went wrong when they “bet the house” on AI.We walk through the painful reality of pushing generative AI into production too early—70% error rates, broken client confidence, and discovering that prompting large models with raw data is not a strategy. It's a demo.The breakthrough came from rethinking the problem entirely.Instead of asking AI to generate outcomes, they used it to generate code. Instead of trusting datasets, they extracted the undocumented rules living inside expert operators' heads. In one factory alone, they uncovered 550 decision rules that existed nowhere in any ERP system.We explore why most automation fails in manufacturing, why Excel survives inside billion-dollar operations, and why the real design target in AI systems isn't the frontline user—but the manager responsible for auditing and controlling the machine.This is a candid discussion about product-market fit in heavy industry, frictionless B2B offers, founder-led companies versus bureaucracies, and what it actually takes to deliver a 10x outcome in operational environments.The lesson isn't that AI will replace humans.It's that intelligence—codified correctly—can finally scale the complexity humans have been carrying in their heads for decades.TL;DRAI demos are easy. Production is brutal.Prompting models with raw data fails at scale.GenAI's real leverage is collapsing the cost of code generation.Most critical factory rules live only inside expert operators' heads.ERP systems automate the simple; humans absorb the complexity.Design AI systems for control and audit—not flash.A 10x offer changes how conservative industries respond.Memorable Lines“AI is not one prompt with data.”“Cost of code has collapsed 100x.”“The rules weren't in the system—they were in his head.”“Free until it works.”“Design for the person managing the machine, not the machine itself.”GuestRenan Delonier — CEO & Co-Founder, OSS VenturesFactory-focused venture builder launching AI-native software companies in industrial environments. OSS Ventures has co-founded 22 companies operating across thousands of factories worldwide.

Aligning Mission and Marketing: Strategic Insights from Andrew Schulkind of AndigoIn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast, host Josh Elledge sat down with Andrew Schulkind, the Digital Strategist and Web Developer behind Andigo. Their conversation explored the critical intersection of high-level digital strategy and mission-driven business growth. Andrew shares how organizations—particularly B Corps and public benefit corporations—can bridge the gap between their core purpose and their marketing execution. This episode serves as a masterclass for leaders looking to move beyond tactical "noise" to build an authentic, long-term digital presence that reflects their true impact and drives sustainable performance.Beyond the Hype: Strategic Marketing for Mission-Driven SuccessFor many mission-driven organizations, the greatest challenge isn't a lack of purpose, but a disconnect between their internal values and their external marketing. Andrew explains that marketing is fundamentally a promise-making engine; if the operational reality of the business fails to deliver on those promises, the brand erodes. High-achieving founders often find that their digital presence has become a "snapshot" that no longer reflects the "moving picture" of their evolving company. To solve this, businesses must transition from one-off projects to a model of continuous improvement, where messaging and operations are in constant lockstep to ensure every customer interaction reinforces the brand's integrity.In an era dominated by the rapid rise of AI and automation, the competitive advantage for B2B firms is shifting away from mere content production toward high-level strategy and radical authenticity. While AI can act as a powerful productivity expander, it cannot replace the strategic direction required to navigate complex market shifts. Andrew advocates for a "flight to strategy," where leaders use technology to automate repetitive tasks while leaning deeper into the human nuances of storytelling and relationship-building. Audiences today crave a real human voice behind the brand, and businesses that leverage AI to free up their team's creative capacity—rather than simply replacing it—will be the ones that build lasting trust.Success in the digital landscape also requires a shift in how agencies and clients collaborate. Rather than transactional vendor relationships, Andrew emphasizes the value of flexible, long-term partnerships that allow for agile pivots as market conditions change. By implementing robust measurement systems and maintaining a focus on transparency, organizations can ensure their marketing investments are yielding a tangible return on impact. This approach allows mission-driven leaders to stay focused on their "double bottom line"—profit and purpose—knowing that their digital strategy is robust enough to support both without compromising the authenticity that defines their brand.About Andrew SchulkindAndrew Schulkind is a veteran Digital Strategist and Web Developer with a deep passion for helping mission-driven businesses thrive. As an avid year-round cyclist and advocate for B Corps, Andrew brings a unique perspective on resilience and alignment to every project. He is known for his ability to translate complex technical requirements into clear, strategic growth paths for organizations that prioritize impact.About AndigoAndigo is a digital strategy and web development agency that specializes in working with B2B firms, public benefit corporations, and mission-driven organizations. The agency focuses on building long-term, flexible partnerships that prioritize continuous improvement, authentic storytelling, and strategic alignment. Andigo helps clients move beyond surface-level marketing to create digital systems that truly reflect and amplify their organizational mission.Links Mentioned in This EpisodeAndigo Official WebsiteAndrew Schulkind on LinkedInKey Episode HighlightsThe Promise-Delivery Loop: Why marketing alignment is the foundation of brand trust and long-term customer retention.The "Flight to Strategy": How to utilize AI as a task-automation tool while doubling down on human-led strategic direction.Resilience in Motion: Lessons from year-round cycling on preparation, visibility, and adapting to harsh environmental shifts.Mission-Driven Storytelling: Leveraging a company's "why" to create more compelling, authentic B2B narratives.Project vs. Partnership: The benefits of moving toward a continuous improvement model rather than stagnant, one-off web projects.ConclusionThis conversation with Andrew Schulkind highlights that in a world of increasing automation, the most successful brands are those that remain anchored in their mission and human connection. By aligning your operations with your marketing promises, you create a resilient foundation for growth that transcends digital trends.More from The Thoughtful Entrepreneur

This week Joseph Graham sits down with Rocky Pedden and talks about AI, Marketing and thriving in business in the new AI age This episode brings together two worlds that rarely get discussed with this much honesty: the real story behind modern B2B marketing and the human side of building a company that actually drives revenue—not vanity metrics. Joe sits down with Rocky Pedden, CEO of RevenueZen, to unpack how today's fastest‑growing companies are using SEO, GEO, and AI‑powered content to create predictable sales opportunities.Rocky has spent years working with founders, CMOs, private‑equity‑backed companies, and marketing teams who are tired of fluff and ready for systems that work. He's known for breaking down complex ideas—AI, search strategy, and modern buyer behavior—into simple, practical insights that leaders can use immediately.He also runs a private group for CMOs focused on using AI in marketing, where he helps senior leaders understand what's changing, what's hype, and what actually moves the needle.This conversation goes far beyond tactics. Rocky opens up about the lessons learned while growing RevenueZen, the challenges of client expectations, and the mindset shifts required to build a marketing engine that consistently produces revenue.Rocky Pedden | LinkedIn

Feeling financially successful on paper but trapped in real life can change everything. In this episode, C-suite executive and board director, Leilani Latimer, shares how unintentionally becoming house poor while living in Italy as a young adult forced her to confront anxiety, control and independence. When she sold the house, those lessons ultimately set the foundation for her to achieve a healthier, more balanced relationship with money. Leilani is a global C-suite executive and NACD Certified Board Director who leads companies through critical inflection points. She drives growth, connects strategy to execution and builds operating models designed for scale and resilience. Her track record spans B2B, SaaS, Marketplace, AI/ML and Enterprise Technology companies across public, PE-backed and venture-backed organizations. She has held executive roles in sales, marketing, commercial operations, product and customer success, bringing a comprehensive understanding of how these functions integrate to drive performance. She is currently a strategic advisor to growth-stage technology companies, partnering with Founders, CEOs, VCs and PEs to shape business models, strengthen go-to-market execution and design the teams and structures required to scale. She has led early-stage companies in supply chain, retail and medtech through transformational growth, building commercial and marketing engines from startup through acquisition, delivering significant revenue growth and improved forecasting. Leilani’s deep technology expertise includes 25 years with Sabre Inc. (NASDAQ: SABR), a global leader in travel, hospitality and transportation technology. In leadership roles spanning sales, product, marketing, strategy and sustainability across North America and Europe, key achievements include repositioning the hospitality business for IPO, developing award-winning enterprise sustainability systems and products, restructuring global product investment plans and helping build the Southern European division from inception to 15% market share. Leilani currently serves as an Independent Board Director at Black Diamond Group (TSE: BDI), Sedex and Narratize, and as an Advisory Board Member at Fiutur and FoodMesh. Her board contributions span governance, strategic capital allocation, compensation and risk oversight. Her unique perspective on corporate risk and reputation is shaped by her expertise in sustainability, over 15 years of leadership in European markets and extensive experience across multiple industries. Based in San Francisco, she is a dual US and Italian citizen. Independence, Investing and Intentional Choice Leilani's story reminds us that financial independence is not a fixed destination but an evolution. From navigating cross-border careers and complex benefits systems to rethinking what fairness means in partnership, she shows how money can either create anxiety or expand possibility. Today, her focus on teaching her children to invest early, supporting female founders and building values-aligned portfolios reflects a deeper truth: wealth is a tool for choice. The freedom to decide where you live, what you support and how you show up in the world is the ultimate return on investment. If you are considering board service, navigating career transitions or thinking more intentionally about how and where you invest, an Aspiriant advisor can help you align your wealth with your values and design a strategy that supports both independence and impact. Follow Money Tales on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Music for more real stories that inspire smarter, more intentional decisions with your money.

What happens when the real "close" isn't the signature—but the customer's commitment to consume? In this episode, Peter Winick talks with Art Fromm, a keynote speaker and sales enablement leader focused on what many B2B organizations still miss: the costly gap between pre-sales and sales. Art's thought leadership centers on building seamless partnership, not a messy handoff, so clients win sooner and revenue sticks longer. Art makes the shift unmistakable. The market moved from one-time enterprise transactions to SaaS, recurring revenue, adoption, retention, and usage-based economics. That means "closing" is no longer the finish line. It's the starting gun. If customers don't adopt and succeed, the deal never really happened. From there, Art outlines his core platform: aligning pre-sales and sales into a true divide-and-conquer team. No delegation games. No dictation. Just shared ownership of the client outcome. He points to research suggesting seamless collaboration can lift sales impact materially—because the biggest unlock is often already sitting on the table. This is also where Art's content engine comes in. He's clear that thought leadership isn't a "someday" project. It's a practice. Write. Publish. Learn what lands. Then refine. He shares how he captures and distributes ideas through posts, podcasts, and a dedicated hub on his website (teamsalesdevelopment.com) with events and articles that keep the thinking accessible. Art's book "Making SEAMless Sales" plays a central role in the platform. He describes it as a labor of love and a high-leverage calling card—less about book sales, more about clarifying the model and creating a door-opener for bigger engagements. If you lead sales, enablement, customer success, or go-to-market in a subscription business, this episode will challenge your definitions. The question isn't "Did we win the deal?" The question is "Did we build the conditions for sustained consumption and retention?" Three Key Takeaways: • "Closing" has changed: In SaaS and recurring revenue models, the win isn't the signature—it's adoption, usage, and retention (a commitment to consume). • Alignment is the lever: The biggest performance unlock is often true partnership between pre-sales and sales—shared ownership of client outcomes, not a handoff. • Thought leadership that sells: A repeatable writing engine (book + ongoing blogs/articles) clarifies the framework, builds authority, and creates higher-quality conversations that lead to revenue. If Art's "commitment to consume" mindset resonated, queue up Steve Watt's episode "Using Thought Leadership to Earn Your Way Into Sales Consideration" next. Steve digs into how thought leadership earns you a seat in the buying conversation before prospects are ready to buy—the same strategic shift from "pitching" to building credibility and momentum. Listen to both and you'll get a one-two punch: how to align your revenue team for outcomes (Art) and how to use thought leadership to generate and accelerate demand (Steve).

Who dares to make predictions in the current landscape? We do!  Our Predictions are back. Will our track-record continue on a high or will we be fundamentally wrong? Listen in to our Predictions for 2026 Navigation: Intro What will 2026 be all about? AI, AI and … more AI The big Hardware movements Of Start-ups and VCs Regulatory & Geopolitical Headwinds… and the Wars Fintech, Crypto and Frontier Tech Conclusion Our co-hosts: Bertrand Schmitt, Entrepreneur in Residence at Red River West, co-founder of App Annie / Data.ai, business angel, advisor to startups and VC funds, @bschmitt Nuno Goncalves Pedro, Investor, Managing Partner, Founder at Chamaeleon, @ngpedro Our show:   Tech DECIPHERED brings you the Entrepreneur and Investor views on Big Tech, VC and Start-up news, opinion pieces and research. We decipher their meaning, and add inside knowledge and context. Being nerds, we also discuss the latest gadgets and pop culture news Subscribe To Our Podcast Bertrand Schmitt Introduction Welcome to Tech Deciphered Episode 74. That would be an episode about some predictions about 2026. What will be 2026 all about? I guess this year is probably starting with a bang. We saw the acquisition of xAI by SpaceX. We saw an acquisition from Grok by NVIDIA. What’s your take about what would be the big themes in 2026? I guess it would be for sure about AI and space. Nuno Goncalves Pedro What will 2026 be all about? Yeah. I predict a year that will be a little bit more of a year of reckoning in some way. There will be a lot of things that I think we’ll start seeing through. The fact that we are in the midst of an amazing transformational era for technology, the use of AI, but at the same time, obviously, a ridiculous bubble that is going alongside it as we’ve discussed in previous episodes. I think that we’ll start seeing some early reckonings of that, companies that might start failing, floundering, maybe a couple of frauds along the way, etc. I’ll tell you what I will not make many predictions about today, which is geopolitics. Geopolitics, I will not make predictions at all. Who the hell knows what’s going to happen to the world this year in 2026? I don’t dare making any predictions on that. Back to things where I would make predictions. I think on AI, we’ll have a little bit of reckoning. We’ll talk about it a little bit more in detail during this episode. Interesting elements around the hardware and physical space. Physical space, we just dedicated a full episode to it. We won’t go into a lot of details on that, but definitely on the hardware side, we’ll talk a little bit more about it. The VC landscape is going through an incredible transformation. We’ll talk about it today as well and some of our predictions for this year. What will happen to the asset class? It seems to be transforming itself dramatically. Obviously, that has a very direct impact on startups, so we’ll talk about that as well. And then to close a little bit the chapter on this, we will address some regulatory and geopolitical, let’s call it, headwinds without making maybe too many complex predictions. We shall see. Maybe by that time of the episode, we will be making some predictions. You guys should stay and listen to us, and maybe we will actually make some predictions about the geopolitical transformations that we will see this year in the world. Then last but not the least, we’ll talk about fintech, crypto, frontier tech, and a couple of other areas before concluding the episode. A classic predictions’ episode. We normally have a pretty good track record on some of these, but right now, the world is going a bit interesting, not to say insane. Bertrand Schmitt Yes, and going back to some news, Groq technically was not acquired, but, practically, it’s as if it got acquired. I’m talking about Groq, G-R-O-Q. The AI semiconductor company focused on inference AI, and it was late December. It was a way to end the year. This year, we started again with an acquisition of xAI by its sister company, SpaceX. I guess that’s where we are starting. AI, AI and … more AI We are going to start on AI. That’s definitely the big stuff. Everything these days, I guess, is about AI or has to have some connection with AI, or it doesn’t matter. I think every company in the world has seen that. You have to have the absolute minimum on AI strategy. You better execute on this strategy and show results, I would say. For the companies that were not AI native, you truly have to have a way to transform yourself. I guess at some point, the stretch might be too much, and it’s not really reasonable. Then you maybe better stay on what you are doing, especially if you’re in tech, you better be moving faster to AI. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Just to highlight, and I think throughout the episode, you’ll see that there’re obviously a lot of implications that would manifest themselves into capital markets. I mean, we’ll specifically talk about VCs and startups later on. But the fact that everything needs to be AI, the fact that there’s so much innovation happening right now, in my opinion, and this is maybe the first pre-topic to AI, is we’ll see a tremendous increase in M&A activity this year across the board. I mean, we’ve seen already some big acquihires we mentioned in some of our previous episodes, but we’ll see a lot more activity on M&A this year. Normally, that’s a precursor to the opening of capital markets. I predict also that there will be a reopening of the IPO market that never really reopened last year, to be honest. M&A, a lot more, reopening of the IPO market. Normally, it happens in the second or third quarter of the year. That’s what my M&A friends tell me. First quarter of year, everyone’s figuring out stuff. Then last quarter of the year, things should be more or less closed. Maybe the third quarter is the big quarter. We shall see. But definitely, as a precursor to our conversation today, I think we’ll see a lot of M&A, and we’ll see reopening of the IPO mark. Bertrand Schmitt I guess last year was not as big as you could expect on M&A given the tariff situation announced in April and May. I mean, it became quite tough to do IPO in such market conditions. Definitely, we can hope for something dramatically different in 2026. I guess talking about public markets and IPO, I guess the big one everyone is waiting for is SpaceX. SpaceX getting even more interesting with its xAI acquisition. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Do you think that because of the acquisition, it’s more likely that it will happen this year, or because of the acquisition, it’s less likely that it will happen this year? Bertrand Schmitt That’s a good question. My guess is the acquisition of xAI is all about xAI needing more financing and cheaper financing. This acquisition is a pathway to that. SpaceX being a much bigger company, a company that is also making much more revenues. I could bet that there is higher probability that, actually, SpaceX will go public in order to finance itself. At the same time, will it have enough time to prepare itself for the IPO given this acquisition just happened? Can they do that in 6 months? I mean, if anyone can do it, I guess it’s Elon Musk. It’s a strategy to present an even more attractive company with an even more interesting story, a story of vertical integration from AI to space. I guess the story as it’s presented itself right now, it’s one about having your AI data centers in space. Because in space, you have much better solar energy production with solar panels. You have a perfect cooling situation because you are in space. Thanks to Starlink, you have the mean to communicate between the satellites and with Earth itself. I think if someone can pull up a story like AI data center in space, I guess Elon Musk can. There is, of course, a lot of questions about is it practical? Is it economical? Yes. I certainly agree. I’m not clear on the mass, and can you make it work? Again, I mean, Elon Musk single-handedly, with SpaceX, managed to transform the space market on its head. I mean, they are the biggest satellite launching company in the world. They have the most satellites in the world. I mean, I’m not sure I would bet against him, and I guess I would probably believe that he could pull up something. Time frames, different story. The 2-3 years data center in space for AI as cheap as on Earth, I have more trouble with that one. I mean, it’s a usual suspect with Elon Musk. You promise something unachievable in a few years, but, ultimately, you still manage to reach it in 5 or 10. Again, I would not bet against the strategy. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Yeah. I’ve talked to a couple of space experts, people that have launched rockets, and have worked JPL, NASA, and a couple of other places, etc. For what it’s worth, their feedback is, “No way in hell, and we’re decades away.” We’ll see. I mean, to your point, Elon has pulled very dramatic stuff. Not as fast as he normally says he’s going to pull it, but within a time span that we all see it. Difficult to bet against him. In terms of actually the prediction, maybe to respond to the prediction as well, will SpaceX IPO? I’m going to make a prediction that has a very high likelihood of missing the mark, but I think Tesla’s going to buy and merge them both into it. It’s going to become a public company through Tesla. That’s my hypothesis. Bertrand Schmitt No. That’s supposed to be it. That’s how you solve that. Nuno Goncalves Pedro And Elon controls the whole universe. X, xAI, Tesla, SpaceX, all under one umbrella beautifully run. And SolarCity is well in there, of course, so wonderful. Bertrand Schmitt That’s possible. Certainly, you are not the only one thinking Tesla will acquire or merge with SpaceX. To remind everyone, Tesla is around 1.3, 1.5 trillion market cap. Depending on the day, SpaceX seems to be valued at similar range, 1.2, 1.3 trillion. It looks like it’s the most valued private company at this stage. These are companies of similar size, so that’s one piece of the puzzle. When you think about the combined company, we could be talking about a 3 trillion entity. Playing right here with the biggest companies in the marketplace today. Nuno Goncalves Pedro With a couple of tweets from Elon, it will rapidly get to 4 to 5 trillion. Bertrand Schmitt That’s so tricky. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Yes. On AI and back to AI, one thing I think that we’re about to see is this will probably be the year of agentic AI. Obviously, we predict a lot of growth on that side of the fence, in particular on the enterprise B2B side. We see a lot of opportunities coming through. From our perspective, at least at Chamaeleon, we generally believe that there’s going to be a lot of movements on agentic AI. It’s also going to be probably the year of the first big fails of agentic AI that will be newsworthy. There will be some elements about that loop and how it gets closed that will happen. I think we might see some scandals already. We’re already seeing the social network of bots talking to bots. We will see other scandals going on this year even in the consumer space and in the bot to bot space, which we now can talk about or in the AI agent to AI agent space. My prediction is we will see some move forwards. There’ll be some dramatic funding rounds along the way. We’ll see a couple of really cool things out of the gates coming out that are really impressive, but we’ll also see the first big misses of the technology stack. I don’t think we’ll go fully mainstream yet this year, so it’s probably maybe something more for 2027 along the way. That would be my prediction again. I think enterprise will lead the way. We’ll definitely see a lot of stuff on consumer as well that is cool. Then we’ll all have our own personal assistance in our hands, basically, literally in our phones. Bertrand Schmitt Going back to agentic AI, we also started the year with some pretty dramatic move. I mean, the launch of Clawdbot, renamed OpenClaw. I mean, this stuff took fire in like a week or 2. It was coded by just one person who actually didn’t even code the product but used AI to build the product, 100% used AI, proposing some new ways also to leverage AI to do coding. He has a pretty unique approach. It’s not vibe coding. I would say it’s a better way to do that. Then the surprising evolution with the launch of a social network for AI agents, Moltbook. I mean, this stuff, probably there is some fake in it. But at the same time, I think it’s quite impressive because it’s the first time we see truly 100,000 plus agents communicating directly to each other. Yeah. I mean, that’s the first time we see surfacing the possibility of some sort of hive mind on the Internet. It’s pretty surprising. Right now, all of this is a hack done in a few days. By end of year, by 2 years, 3 years, we might discover that, actually, the best approach to AI might not be the AI assistant like we are doing today, but a combination of hundreds of thousands of AI working closely together. We might be witnessing the first sign of new intelligence in a way. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Things like this social network might either be Skynet, the beginning of Skynet. They might be the beginning of Her, or they might just be a fad and nothing really happens. It’s just interesting to see what these agents are doing. Bertrand Schmitt Totally. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Obviously, there are real and clear and present dangers of some of the integrations of AI we’re seeing in the market. Interesting enough, and I’ll ask you for your prediction a bit, Bertrand. I think we’ll probably see the first big mishap of AI being used in some infrastructural decision in the age of AI. I mean, we’ve seen AI issues in the past and software issues in the past. We talked in previous episodes about that as well. Mishaps of software that have led to people dying. But I think probably the first big mishap will happen this year as well. Very public mishap of the use of AI and serve its interactions with infrastructure or something that’s very platform related, etc, that will have big impact that everyone will notice. That’s my prediction for the year as well. We’ll have the first big oops moment, as I would call it, for AI in this new age of full on AI. Bertrand Schmitt I would say first some perspective. I think today, people are not using AI directly for life and death decision, at least not that I’m aware. We’re not going to let AI fly a plane, for instance, tomorrow so you can be, reassured. At the same time, given there is such a race to AI, there definitely might be some mistakes. We were talking about the social network for AI agents, Moltbook. Apparently, all the keys used to secure the AI were shared by mistake because it was not properly locked down. We can see that indirectly, mistakes will be made for sure. Two, it’s highly probable that some people will trust AI too much to do some stuff, and this stuff might not work and might have some grave consequence. Hopefully, there is not so much of this. Hopefully, it’s mostly AI used for the good. But you’re right. I mean, at some point, the more we use the technology, the more there would be issue. I mean, it’s highly probable. Nuno Goncalves Pedro That will lead me to another prediction, which is, and we’ll talk about more of it later, but it probably will lead to the first significant movement in terms of regulatory environment certainly in the US at some point if it happens in the US in particular, where there will be some movement that will be like, “Hey, you guys can’t do this anymore.” Because this will probably emerge from mismanaged interfaces. From systems having access to stuff that they shouldn’t have access to in the first place. Talking a little bit more about what’s happening in AI. You’ve already mentioned some of the issues that relate actually to security and cybersecurity. We keep talking about AI. We keep talking about all these infrastructure pieces and platforms that are being built. I think we’ll have a lot more incidents like the one you just mentioned where things will be shared that shouldn’t have been shared, where people will break systems and get into it, etc. Let’s see where that takes us, which is a little bit ironic because, obviously, with AI, the promise is that cybersecurity becomes more robust as well because there’re agents working on our behalf on the cybersecurity side. There’s also agents working on the other side. Bertrand Schmitt It’s a constant race. It’s the attackers, defenders. Each time you have new technology, you have a new race to who is going to attack or defend the best. Each new wave of technology, it’s an opportunity to challenge the status quo. Nuno Goncalves Pedro The attackers have been winning, and I feel they’ll continue winning in 2026. I think it’s going to still be a year of attack. We’ll see more and more breaches, more and more stuff that will happen. Bertrand Schmitt I don’t know if they will win. I mean, it’s normal that they win once in a while. For sure, some infrastructure is not updated as it should. Some stuff are not managed as it should, so there will always be breaches. I don’t know if things are dramatically going to change because, again, everyone who cares who is going to update his infrastructure with AI for defense. There is no question that you have no choice. We will see. That I don’t know. For sure, AI will be used to attack directly with AI. Maybe you’re able to do bigger, larger scale attack. Or thanks to AI, you are simply able to create new type of attacks more easily. AI can be used behind the scene as a way to prepare and organise new type of attacks, even if it’s not used directly live in the battle. Nuno Goncalves Pedro One topic that we’ll come back to later is the geopolitics of everything, but maybe more broadly. On the geopolitics of AI, it’s very clear that we have an arms race going on. Obviously, the US on the one hand, China on the other hand is the two extremes, putting tremendous amount of capital into data centers just at the base of that infrastructure. Chipset development, chipset access, a huge theme in terms of the export restrictions, etc, that are being forced by the US. I think it will continue. From a European standpoint, obviously, they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, to be very honest. Let’s see what happens on that side of the fence. My view of the world is that certainly from a US and China perspective, we’re going to see a lot more movements in 2026, like big movements. The Chinese movements we always see in delay.  It takes us a couple of months, sometimes even more than that to understand exactly what’s going on. I think we’re going to see some huge moves this year in terms of the States, the United States of America, and China really pouring capital into the creation of the next big winners around AI. I think the US is obviously more visible. We see a lot of these companies. We’ve just discussed xAI and its acquisition by SpaceX or merger. I don’t know what they’re calling it exactly. Effectively, on the China side, the movements I think are already very big. As I said, it will take a while to figure out exactly what those moves are. One thing that I propose is that at some point, China will have very little dependency on chipsets from the US. I’m not sure it’s going to happen this year, but I think the writing is on the wall. Irrespective of any other geopolitical issues that is coming to the fore at this moment in time. That’s one of the key areas or in arenas of fight. Bertrand Schmitt It makes sense. If you are China, you will look at what happened. You would think that you cannot just depend on the largest of one country. It makes rational sense, the same way it makes rational sense for the US to limit exports to China because there is value to delay some peer pressure that could use these technologies for good but also for bad. If you were an ally of the US, that would be one thing. But when you are not an ally of the US, that certainly should be a different perspective. Maybe one last point concerning agents, I think there will be a lot that will revolve around coding. We can see OpenAI with Codex. We can see Cloud with code. There was, of course, [inaudible 00:18:28] that was trying to be big on agentic coding. I think agentic coding was one of the big transformation in 2025 and is going to get bigger in 2026. I think for a lot of people who do coding, there was a radical transformation in terms of what you can achieve, what you can do, how much you can trust AI to help you code. I start to think we might see this year, the replacement of not just one AI replace one coder, but one AI replace a full team because of the new ability to manage that at scale. Coding might be a common activity where you are going to think about outcomes, think about objective, think about how you organise, but not really coding by itself anymore. A big change, like you used to code, directly your hand on the stuff, but step by step, everyone is going to become a manager of agent. I think in one year, we saw enough transformation to think that in the coming year, the transformation can be even more dramatic. Nuno Goncalves Pedro The big Hardware movements Now switching gears to hardware. Obviously, a lot of movements in 2025 and over the last few years. One piece of thesis that we’ve had long-standing at Chamaeleon is that we will see the emergence of AI devices. Some of them have been tremendous failures as we discussed in the past. I predict that we’ll have a couple of really interesting full stack AI devices in the market this year. Why does that matter? Because, as many of you know, obviously, there’s compute that can happen in data centers and cloud infrastructure all over the world, but also there’s compute that can happen at the edges. The more you can move to the edges and the more you can create devices that actually allow you to have user experiences that are very distinctive at the edge, the more powerful some of these devices might become. I predict Apple will not be the first to launch anything on this. I predict probably OpenAI, after the acquisition of IO, will maybe not launch something this year, but will announce something this year. I’ll step back on that prediction. They’ll announce something this year, but maybe not launch. But we’ll start seeing some devices that have some interesting value in the market, probably devices that are AI devices, but they are very focused on very specific user flows, and so very much adequate to specific activities. I won’t make a prediction on that, but I think areas that would make sense for that to happen would be obviously around fitness, health, et cetera, et cetera, where we already have the ascendancy of products like Oura Ring and others out there. Definitely, that’s one area that might have quite a lot of developments. I think AI-first devices, devices that are very focused on compute at the edges, providing user flows that are AI-enabled to end users, we’ll see a lot more of that and a lot more activity this year. Again, I don’t think Apple will be necessarily ahead of the game. Again, maybe OpenAI will give us something to at least think about and look forward to. Bertrand Schmitt First, I’m not sure it will be that transformational because if it’s not in your phone, in your pocket, there is only so much you can do with it, and there is only so much computing power you will have. I’m doubtful it would be really impactful this year. Nuno Goncalves Pedro I feel we’ve been discussing this shift of paradigm in input and output. For me, some of these devices could lead to that shift. Because, again, a mobile phone is not a great long-term paradigm for the usage that we have because it’s really constrained by the screen. The screen is really what takes most of the battery life away. If we didn’t have that screen, what could we do? If we have the block that is as big as a mobile phone, and it didn’t have a screen, it was just compute, that’s a mini computer, a microcomputer. Bertrand Schmitt That’s a fair point, but I don’t see that transformation this year. That’s really more my point. I can see that you can have AI-enabled smart glasses, and it’s clear there is a race to AI-enabled smart glasses. My point is more to go beyond the gadget, it would take quite a while. It would need to have cameras. It would need to analyse what you see. It would need to hear what you hear. Again, it might come, but then at some point, it would be okay, what do you do with it? We have the example of the movie Her. That’s showing Her what it could be. There are definitely possibilities. It’s clear that if you take the big VR headset like the Apple Vision Pro, there is a failure from that perspective in the sense that I think it’s a great, amazing device. The big problem is that it’s doing way more that makes sense. I think there will be a clearer separation between your smart AR glasses that has to be light, that has to be always unconnected, and that’s primarily there to help you make sense of the world around you. The true VR headset that doesn’t really require much in terms of AI, and it’s just there to immerse you in a different world. For this, we know, unfortunately, in some ways, that there is not a lot of demand for it. Maybe there is little demand because you are too hidden in your own world. The technology is not working well enough yet. There are a lot of reasons. But I think Apple trying to do both at the same time, AR and VR, with the Vision Pro, was a pretty grave structural mistake. I think we would see a clearer line of separation between the two. There is bigger market opportunity for AR glasses. That, I certainly agree. There is opportunity to connect that to a computing device. As you talk about, your glasses are your screen, your phone becomes something in your pocket connected to your glasses. Nuno Goncalves Pedro For me, Apple has their way of doing things. From the perspective of what you said, they normally really plan their devices. Even if it’s a big shift in terms of a new area, like they tried with the Vision Pro, and we criticised them for launching it as a device that should have been more of a dev device that they really launched as a full-on device, but that’s their playbook, classically. I think Apple needs to change how they put products out and how they experiment with those products, et cetera. I think they have enough money to be doing everything all the time and figuring it out. If they don’t want to put it out, then they need to do a lot more hell of testing internally with their silos, but they should be playing across all these arenas, VR, AR, everything. They just should put devices out that are either ready for prime time, or they should call it something else. They should call it like this is a dev device or whatever it is. Bertrand Schmitt I agree with you. My complaint is more that it was marketed as a consumer device when it was not. It was a true developer device. Two, they tried to mix the two at once, and it made no sense. No one is going to walk in their home or in the street with their Vision Pro on their head. You have to be deranged, quite frankly, to have use cases like this. I think that for me is a crazy mistake from a company like Apple that prides itself in pure UI, pure user interface, very well-designed device for one specific use case, not mixing the two use cases. We still don’t have Macs with a touchscreen, you know?  We still don’t have an iPad with a good OS that makes use of this great hardware. For some strange reason, they decided to mix everything in the Vision Pro with a device that weighs a ton on your head and is so uncomfortable. That’s why, for me, I’m like, “Guys, what is wrong? Why did you let this team run crazy?” I hope at some point, Apple will go back to the drawing board. My understanding is that that’s what they are doing. They are going to have two devices, one smart glasses, an evolution of the Vision Pro, just focus on VR. They might actually abandon the concept of the pure VR-oriented headset. Because, from a market size perspective, it might not be big enough for Apple, quite frankly. Nuno Goncalves Pedro I read on all of the above, and people at this point was like, “Why are then players like Samsung and others not doing it. LG, et cetera?” Because those players historically have not invented new categories. They’re amazing at catching up once the category is invented, and then they scale the hell out of it, and that’s what these companies have been exceptional at. I wouldn’t see a dramatic innovation, I think, in terms of devices coming from any of the big ones on that side of the fence. Not to disrespect them in any way, but I think that’s not been their playbook ever. Again, if the origination doesn’t come from a start-up or from an Apple, I don’t see those guys going after it. My bet is that we’ll see some start-up activity and, again, hopefully, some announcement from IO now within the OpenAI world. Bertrand Schmitt I would slightly disagree with you. I see where you are coming from. But take the Samsung Galaxy Note, that sudden much bigger headphone that no one was doing that was launched by Samsung, at some point, it forced Apple to launch an iPhone Max. Let’s look at the Z Fold that Samsung launched 7 years ago, copied by everyone. Now Samsung launching a trifold. Apple has still not launched their foldable phone. I think there is a mix, actually, of sometimes- Nuno Goncalves Pedro For me, that’s not a proper new category. It’s still a mobile phone. It just happens to have a screen that folds in half. Bertrand Schmitt The iPhone was still a mobile phone, you could argue.  Nuno Goncalves Pedro No. I think the iPhone was…  I could actually agree with you on that point. Maybe Apple is not as innovative in that case. I think what Steve Jobs was exceptionally good at in terms of his ability as this master product manager was to be an exceptional curator of user flows and user experiences, and creating incredible experiences from devices based on that. That was his secret sauce. Could you say, “Wasn’t all of this stuff already around?” It was. You just put it all together very neatly and very nicely. But if you’re talking about significant shifts in how a category is done, the iPhone was a significant shift in how the category was done. The Fold is still an interesting device. I actually have a Fold right now in front of me. The 7 that you highly recommended to me that we both got, the Z Fold 7. I think they do amazing devices. I don’t think they normally are the most innovative players. Then, when they come to innovation, it comes from technology edges. Obviously, they have Samsung Display, there’s a bunch of other things. They had the ability to do foldable screens in-house themselves. Bertrand Schmitt I don’t disagree with you. I think there is an interesting situation where some companies have some strengths, another one has some strengths. My worry with Apple is that this was not demonstrated with the Vision Pro. The Vision Pro was a hot pot of technologies barely integrated together, with use cases absolutely not well-defined and certainly not something that makes sense for most of us. There is a question of has Apple lost it? While Samsung actually keeps doing their own stuff, that, yes, might be more minor improvements, but at least they are doing it. Because it looks like Apple is missing the train on even the minor improvements. By the way, you might not be aware, but Samsung launched its Vision Pro competitor. Interestingly enough, it might be a better product in some ways, being much lighter and much more comfortable. Nuno Goncalves Pedro We should play around with that and report back to our listeners. Of Start-ups and VCs Moving to venture capital and the startup ecosystem and what’s happening there, I think it is very much a bifurcated environment, and it’s bifurcated for both VCs and for startups. If you’re a startup in the AI space, and you have the hottest team since sliced bread, and you can create FOMO at the speed of light, you can raise ridiculous rounds. Five hundred million at the $3 billion, or $4 billion, or $5 billion valuation, and you still haven’t really even started. First round, you can raise 500 million. That’s back to the whole discussion on Bubble and where are we, et cetera. Some of these companies might actually become huge, some of them might not. But definitely, we are seeing really the haves and have-nots on the startup ecosystem with incredible teams raising a lot of money very, very early on or mid-stage if they’ve already existed for a while, and then the rest not being able to raise. We see a lot of non-necessarily AI sectors, some of the areas of SaaS that don’t necessarily have AI in it, or fintech, or the consumer space that are really, really struggling. If you don’t have an AI story for your startup right now, it’s extremely difficult to raise money unless your numbers are just the best numbers ever. That’s, I think, the first part of the element of bifurcation that we’re seeing today. The second element of bifurcation that we’re seeing today in terms of fundraising is for VCs themselves, and really propelled by the large VC firms raising more and more capital in recent orbits, announcing 15 billion across funds raised. Lightspeed, I think, had made an announcement a couple of weeks ago as well. They’ve raised a bunch of money as well. The big guys are all raising a lot of money. At some point in time, the question some of you might ask is, “These VCs are redeploying more and more money if they have a couple of billion for a VC fund. How does that look like? Is that still VC?” My perspective, I’ve shared before in some of our previous episodes, is that that’s no longer venture capital. At that point in time, we’re talking about something else. Private equity hedge funds, if you want to call them, maybe funds that are really driven by growth investment or late-stage investment. If you have a couple of billion under management, you’re not going to make your returns by writing a $3 million check in a series seed and leading that round.  That has implications for everyone in the ecosystem. It has implications for smaller funds that obviously have a lot more difficulty in raising capital. It’s difficult to differentiate. Last but not least, also for startups that really continue searching for that capital that is out there. Andreessen Horowitz, for example, runs Speedrun, which is a great program for companies around consumer in particular. Initially, it was a lot for gaming. But at some point in time, Andreessen Horowitz could decide that they don’t want to invest more in you. They just put money from Speedrun, which is obviously a very small check compared to the very large checks they could write mid to late stage and that will have an effect on you as a startup. What happens at that point in time if Andreessen Horowitz is not backing you up in later stages? More than that, what happens if I can’t get these big funds interested in me? Are the small funds still valuable to me? Punchline, my view is yes. Obviously, we’re a smaller fund, so there’s parochial interest in what I’m saying. Small funds can still create a ton of value for you, also in terms of credibility, ability to accompany you in those first stages of investment, and the ability to bring other larger investors later down the road as well. There’s definitely a big movement happening in terms of the fundraising for VC funds, which we shouldn’t neglect, which is the big guys are raising a lot more capital and are therefore emptying the market to smaller funds that are having more and more difficult raising at this point in time. We had discussed that there would be a need for concentration in the industry, that micro funds would need to concentrate, and we didn’t have the space for so many micro funds as we had around. But the way it’s happening is extremely dramatic at this moment in time. I think it will continue through 2026. Bertrand Schmitt Remember a few years ago, with the rise of AI, there was more and more of the question about, “What’s the point of SaaS at this stage?” Because SaaS was around for 15 years. Basically, how do you come up with something new that was not already tested, validated by the market? How do you bring something new? We say this was reinforced to the power of 10. If your product is not clearly built from the ground up for a new use case enabled by AI, anyone could then might have built your product 5, 10 years ago, and therefore, why now has no clear answer, and it’s a big problem. I’m still surprised myself to still see some entrepreneurs where you talk to them about AI because you don’t see them in the deck, and they explain to you, “It’s not yet there,” and you’re like, “What’s wrong with you guys?” Fine. Do whatever you want. Do a small business and whatever, but don’t think you can come up pitch and raise without an AI story. The second category is people who come with an AI story, but you can feel very quickly, I guess you saw that many times, Nuno, where just a story layered on top with little credibility. It’s not better. It’s not enough to just have a story. Your business needs to be radically built differently or radically proposing some brand-new use cases that were impossible to solve 5 years ago. Nuno Goncalves Pedro To stack up on that, absolutely in agreement. If you’re just adding to the story, and it’s an afterthought, and you’re just trying to make the story somehow gel, once you go into one or two layers of due diligence, your investors will very quickly realise that you’re not really AI-first or dramatically AI-enabled or whatever. It’s just you’re sort of stacking something on top of another thesis. It needs to make sense from the product onwards. It’s not just, let’s just put it together with chewing gum, and magically, people will give you money. It was true also if we remember the good old crypto blockchain days, where everyone’s investing in crypto. A lot of stories that didn’t make much sense. In that sense, it’s not very different. I would go one step further. I think in the world of the VC winter that we’re a little bit in, where it’s more and more difficult if you’re a smaller fund to raise your fund at this moment in time, there’s a lot of sources of distinctiveness still talked about, like proprietary networks, access to deal flow, fast track record, all that stuff that really, really matters. But our bet continues at Chamaeleon continues being that you need to be AI-first as a VC fund yourself. You need to have core advantages in using not only readily-available AI tools or third-party available AI tools, data sources, technology stacks, but actually building your own stack over time, which is what we did with Mantis at Chamaeleon. Again, just to reinforce that, I think we’re at the beginning of that stage. We, Chamaeleon, are ahead of the game, but we think that the rest of the market will have to move towards that as well. Still, to be honest, very surprising to me to see that many significant large players are doing very little still around some of these spaces. They have data scientists. They’re running some tools. They’re running some analysis and all that stuff, but it’s still, again, back to the point I was making for startups, all glued up with chewing gum. It doesn’t all come together nicely, which it does need to from a platform standpoint. Bertrand Schmitt It’s quite surprising. I agree with you that some VC funds might think that they can do business as usual in that brand-new world. It’s difficult to believe. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Maybe moving a little bit toward the capital formation piece. We already discussed the M&A space really accelerating. We’ve also discussed the IPO market and some predictions on that. Secondaries, there’s obviously a lot of liquidity coming from secondaries from mid to late stage. I think it will continue throughout the rest of 2026. A lot of activity in buying, selling in secondaries as some asset managers are becoming more distressed, as some very high net worth individuals and family offices are becoming more distressed as well, at the same time, where there’s a lot of opportunities to potentially arbitrage around some investments. I believe a lot of money will be made and lost this year by decisions made this year, just to be very, very clear in terms of equity, purchases, et cetera. Exciting year ahead of us. Definitely a very, very interesting market ahead of us. Secondaries, M&A, growth, and late-stage investing, also, early-stage investing will continue just for those that were wondering. Last but not least, the public markets, the IPO market as well. Bertrand Schmitt One of the big questions for the IPO market would be, will SpaceX go public? Would it be good for the startup ecosystem? Because suddenly that they go public, it would be to raise money. If they raise money, will there be any money left for anybody else? That would be an interesting test of the market. For sure, it would be proof that market are risk on financing a new IPO like this one. Or as you said, maybe there is no IPO, and it’s a merger with Tesla. Time will tell. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Regulatory & Geopolitical Headwinds… and the Wars Moving maybe to our topic of regulation and geopolitical headwinds, as we’re seeing … definitely not tailwinds. The Google antitrust verdict and, obviously, the remedies are expected to come forward now, and a lot of people are saying, “There are some risks of structural separation.” What do you think? Is it cool, but nothing will happen in the end dramatically? Alphabet or Google? I’m not sure, actually. It’s Google LLC. I think that’s the case. It’s The United States versus Google LLC. Bertrand Schmitt I’m not sure. Personally, I’m not a big fan. I think there needs to be a better way to manage some anticompetitive behavior. I’m not a big fan. There was this temptation to do that for Microsoft 25 years ago. Look at what happened. No one needed to buy Microsoft to leave space for others. I see the same with Google, and I guess they are happy to not be the number 1 in AI today, but to have an open AI in front of them. Even if they are doing a great job, by the way, to move forward and go faster and faster. Personally, quite impressed now with some of what they have released. Gemini 3 is doing great from my perspective. I’m not a big fan of this. I think to be clear, it’s important that bigger companies don’t behave anticompetitively, but at the same time, we need to find the right approach where it’s not about breaking these companies, and it’s also not about forbidding them to do acquisitions. Because then you end up with what NVIDIA just did with a $20 billion acquihire IP licensing type of acquisition, because they didn’t want to have the uncertainties. They didn’t want to wait 1–2 years in order to acquire the people and the technology, so they organised it in a different way. But I don’t like that. I think they should be able to acquire companies without facing so much uncertainty. To be clear, it’s not new. Uncertainty when you are Google, NVIDIA, or others, it happens. It has happened for a decade plus, 2 decades. I think there needs to be, for sure, some safety valves. At the same time, we want an efficient capital market. An efficient capital market need companies that can acquire other companies. If you don’t do that efficiently, it will be worse for the entrepreneurs, it will be worse for the investors, it will be worse for everybody. I think we have not reached a good equilibrium from my perspective. We need more efficient acquisition process. And at the same time, we need to also enforce faster anticompetitive behavior. Because what you talk about concerning Google, this is a case that was what? That is 10 years old. You see what I mean? This is way too long. If you’re a startup, you are dead by then. It’s like the story of Netscape facing Microsoft. They were dead long after the fact. I think we need a different approach. I’m not sure the best answer. I’m not sure we’ll get a better approach. There are probably too many vested interest. My hope is that it will get better with this current administration because, certainly, the past administration was very anti acquisition and efficient markets. Nuno Goncalves Pedro We’ve talked about the European Union AI Act a bunch of times, so I don’t want to spend too many cycles on that. The only effect that I would say is we are seeing in very slow motion the splitting of the Internet. I once had Tim Berners-Lee, by the way, shouting at me that we were going to break the Internet when we were applying for the .mobi top-level domain. I was part of that consortium that eventually did get the .mobi top-level domain, and I had him shouting at us. But, apparently, this is going to split the Internet, Tim. So in case you’re listening. Because it will create all these different rules. If your data is relating to consumers there, then it’s treated in a different way, and The US is… Well, obviously, we have the case of California with its own rules and laws. I don’t know. I feel we’re having a moment of siloing that goes beyond economic and geopolitical siloing. It will also apply to the digital world, and we’ll start having different landscapes around it. We’ll see how this affects global expansion of services, for example, around AI, particularly for consumer, but I don’t foresee anything dramatically positive. Recently, we had the whole deal around TikTok finally having a solution for their US problem where there’s now a US conglomerate magically that owns it. The conglomerate doesn’t magically own it, they just straight up own it for the US. But it was driven by many of these concerns around data ownership. Where’s the data? Where is it based? I think a lot of other concerns that have to do with the geopolitics of China, obviously, being the basis of ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, that still is a significant owner, by the way, in TikTok in US. Then also the interest in the economics of making money out of something as powerful as TikTok, to be honest, in The US. Just to be clear, I don’t think this was all about the best interests of consumers. It was also about money. Just follow the money. Bertrand Schmitt There are for sure, some powerful interest at play. But let’s be clear. I think one is data, as you rightfully said, but the other one is algorithm. It’s not as if China is authorising any competitor on its territory. They have blocked access to most of the Internet platforms from the US, either finding new rules or just trade blocking them. So I don’t think it’s fair competition. You don’t want some of that data in China about the US or European consumer. Three, it’s about the algorithm. If suddenly, you are a foreign power, and you can as we know in China, you better follow what’s required of you from the Chinese Communist Party. You cannot take a chance with influencing other stuff like elections in other countries. It’s fair from the US perspective. One could even argue it’s fair from a Chinese perspective to want that. I think the only one in the middle who doesn’t really know what they want is Europe because on one side, they want to benefit from American platforms, on the other end, they want to have some controls. On the other end, they don’t create the environment for startups to flourish. So in that weird situation where they have to accept some control by the big US providers and either provider of underlying infrastructure or provider of consumer business facing services. Then they try to regulate them. But I think they are misunderstanding the power relationship, and I think some of this regulation would get some blowback, at least by the current administration. Just, I believe, this morning, there was some news around X being under a criminal investigation in France. This is not going to end well for the French startup and VC ecosystem. This is not going to end well for France and Europe when you depend so much from your American friends. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Regulation will be weaponised. Regulation constraints around exports, all of this will be weaponised geopolitically, and the bigger guys will normally win. I think that’s normally what we’ve seen. Just on TikTok just to… And you guys, if you’re listening to us, just see if you see a pattern here, but obviously, 19.9% still owned by ByteDance of the TikTok entity in the US. It was initially said that 80% of the TikTok entity is owned by non-Chinese investors. Initially, people were saying US investors, and then they changed it to non-Chinese because MGX, I think, has 15% of it. MGX is based in the UAE, connected obviously to Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund. Silver Lake is in there, I think, with 15% as well. Oracle as well with 15%. Those three are the big bucket owners together, 45%. Silver Lake having collaborated with MGX before, and I’m sure a lot of connectivity there. Then you still see a pattern in this in terms of shareholders. If you don’t, then just Google it. Dell Family Office, Vastmir Strategic Investments, which is owned by billionaire Jeff Yass, Alpha Wave Partners, obviously involved with a bunch of things like SpaceX and Klarna, Virgoli, Revolution, which is Steve Case’s, a former founder of AOL, is also in there. Meritway, which is managed by partners, I think, of Dragonair. Vinova from General Atlantic, an affiliate of General Atlantic. Also, NJJ Capital, which I believe is Xavier Nil, the French billionaire that founded Iliad. Mostly American, I think, if the math is correct. 80% non-Chinese, which was what mattered, I think, in many cases. But do see if you saw a pattern in most of those investors. I won’t say anything more than that. Maybe moving to other topics, maybe just to finalise on regulation and geopolitics. In geopolitics, we should talk about wars if we predict anything. Not that we are nasty and one want to be negative, but what the hell is going on? Will we have ending to the wars we already have ongoing or not? But before that, the struggles on the App Stores, I think, will continue both for Apple and for Google Play Store. The writing’s on the wall, the EU keeps pushing it dramatically and Apple keeps just doing stuff. I’m on the board of an App Store company. Apple just creates all these things that basically make you not really… It doesn’t work. You can’t provision then an App Store on Apple devices. On iPhones, et cetera. We’ll see how that will continue going, but I feel the writing’s on the wall. Both Apple and Google will have to open up a bit more of their platforms. I’m not sure it will have a huge impact in the medium to long term, but definitely we need to see more openness in access to apps as given by the two big platform owners, Apple and Google, out there. Bertrand Schmitt Let’s be clear. Google is way more open than Apple. We both have Android devices. You can install alternative app stores. It’s a different ballgame by very far. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Google does other nasty stuff. It’s public. You can check which board I’m a part of. You can see what that company has done towards Google over time. But to your point, yes. It is true that Google has been more open than Apple, but Google has done their own things. Just to be very clear, so I’ll just leave that caveat bracketed there for people to think about it and maybe read a little bit about it as well. Bertrand Schmitt I can say that, me, from my perspective, that path of total control that Apple has been going through on all their devices, that includes macOS, pushed me to, over the past 2, 3 years, to completely live and abandon the Apple ecosystem. I just couldn’t accept that level of control, that golden handcuff approach of the Apple ecosystem, each their own obviously, they are golden, their handcuffs, but they are still handcuffs. Personally, that pushed me way more to Linux, Android, Windows, back to Windows after all these years. I just couldn’t stand it anymore. I want to pick my devices. I want to pick what I install on them, and I don’t want to be controlled like this by just one entity for all my tech devices. For me, at some point, it was just not acceptable anymore. It’s still very warm, very golden handcuffs, but for me, they were just handcuffs at this stage. Yes, what they are doing with the App Store is very typical of that mindset. I think it’s quite sad because I think it started with good intention in some ways. “We need a new computing paradigm, we need to make things smoother and safer,” but it has really become a way to control your clients. For me, it has reached a point where it’s just way too much. Nuno Goncalves Pedro There’s obviously the great power comes great responsibility that uncle Ben told Spider-Man or Peter Parker. But there’s also with great power comes shitload of money, and control. So it’s like, “Yeah. Should we open the server? Do we want to delay opening it up?” “Yeah.” Anyway, it is what it is. Maybe let’s end on the more difficult note of the episode, which is going to be around wars. What’s our prediction? Will we have an end to the Gaza situation with Israel? Will we have an end to Ukraine and, obviously, Russia? What will happen in Iran? Those are the three big, big conflicts right now. Then, obviously, if we want to add just bonus points, what’s going to happen to Greenland, and what’s going to happen to Taiwan, and what’s going to happen to Venezuela? Let’s throw the whole basket in there. We’ve never had like… Let’s talk about all these territories and all these countries. At some point in time, I’m saying this in a light manner, but it’s obviously more tragic than it should be light, and people are dying, and there’s a lot of implications of all of that that is happening right now. Do you have any predictions, Bertrand, for this year? Bertrand Schmitt No. It’s tough to predict on an individual basis. I think on a more bigger picture basis is on one side, obviously, the rise of China on one side. You have also the rise of other countries like India, while very indirectly connected to some of these conflicts are still part of the game, buying oil from Russia, for instance. At the same time, I think overall, the US is more clear about with the sheriff in town. I think it’s good because in some ways, you cannot pay for the goods, you cannot have such a massive advantage versus nearly every other country on earth and just not be clear about who is the boss in some ways. As a result, what are the rules of the game and how it should be played? The US is not alone, obviously, you have China, you have Russia, you have India, you have Europe. You have different other countries. But at some point, it’s not good when countries are not rational and are not clear. I think I prefer the current situation where things are more clear and where you have to assume responsibilities about what you are doing. It’s time to be rational again about how the world behave. Yes, the concept of power and balance of power. I think there has been that dream, maybe mostly coming from Europe, about the end of history. I think that’s simply not the case. It’s not the end of history. It’s still about the balance of power. It has always been about the balance of power. If you are dumb enough to think it was not about that anymore, I just have a bridge to nowhere to sell you. I don’t have specific prediction, but I think it’s clear there is a new sheriff in town. There is a new doctrine about the Western Hemisphere that has been in some ways resurrected on the [inaudible 00:51:35] train, and I think we’ll see more of it. I think at this point, the biggest question is for the Europeans. What do they want to do? Because right now, their position of being a dwarf militarily while being a pretty big giant economically, I don’t think it works. Nuno Goncalves Pedro I agreed on everything that you said. I do have predictions. I’ll stick a flag on the ground just with my predictions. Bertrand Schmitt Good luck. Nuno Goncalves Pedro They are mostly positive. I do think we’ll see an end or, for the most, end to the two big conflicts, the one in Gaza and the one in Ukraine. I think Ukraine will end up in readjustment of territory and splitting between Russia and the Ukraine, but the end of hostilities, I think that we will see an end to the conflict in Gaza also with a readjustment on what that will mean for the Palestinian territories and the Palestinians in general. That I’m not sure, but I feel that there will be an end to those two big conflicts. Iran, I have no clue. I will not put a stick on the ground that I have no clue. There are so many things that could go wrong there. I’ve been reading some really interesting thoughts about even some aggressive thoughts that this might be the time to really change regimes in Iran and for the US to have a bit more of an aggressive stance. I really don’t have a perspective. Obviously, there’s a lot at stake there. Then, if we talk about the other parts, Greenland, I will not opine too much on. Maybe we’re done for now. Maybe there’ll be some other concessions to the US that weren’t already there in the ’50s. Taiwan, I won’t bet either. I’m sad to say I think it might happen at some point in time, but I’m not sure when and what would drive it. Last but not the least, Venezuela is my only really negative prediction. I feel it will continue to be a significant dictatorship as it was before managed enough by other people with the difference now that it has a tax to be paid to the US in the form of oil of some sort, etcetera, and maybe gas, maybe other things as well that it didn’t have before. That’s probably my most negative prediction for the coming year on the geopolitical side. Bertrand Schmitt Without going into detail, I would mostly agree with what you shared. At least that makes sense. But as we know, it’s not always what makes sense, but what might happen. I can tell you 100% I would not have guessed this operation against Maduro. This was so well done, well executed, and shocking at the same time that it’s… I think it shows that it’s hard to guess some of this stuff because there are certainly some new ways to wage limited war, for instance. So it’s certainly interesting, and we certainly need to get used to pretty bombastic statements. But for Venezuela, I don’t think it can be worse than what it was before. I’m probably more optimistic that gradually it can get better. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Just to put perspective on why we’re not making predictions on some of these elements, I think this is a funny story, but I was in Madeira. Actually, first time I was in Madeira, although I’m originally from Portugal. I’ve never been to the islands. Obviously, as you guys know, or some of you might know, there’s a lot of connection between Madeira and Venezuela. There’s a lot of immigration from Madeira Islands to Venezuela. One of my Uber or Bolt drivers there in Madeira was Venezuelan. Was born in Venezuela, but Portuguese descent, et cetera. He was telling me this was still last year. Late last year. Because I told him I lived in US, et cetera, and he was like, “Oh, hopefully, Trump will get Maduro out of there.” In my mind, I was like, “Dude.” No disrespect to the gentleman, but it’s like, “Okay. Mike, your perspective on geopolitics is maybe a little bit exaggerated.” And a couple of days later, we know what happened. When geopolitical decisions are better predicted by some probably very astute Uber drivers, you’re like, “Maybe I shouldn’t make a bet. I have no clue what’s going to happen, no clue what’s going to happen in Greenland, et cetera.” Anyway, a couple of predictions on that element. Bertrand Schmitt That’s why it’s so right. You have to be careful with the prediction, but it doesn’t remove the fact that I think nations and companies that have to play a global game have to understand in some ways what is the game, what are the powers in place, what could happen potentially, but also be realistic. Not be about wish and dreams, but more about, what’s the power relationship? Who has the money? Who has the means? Who has the capacity to do this or that? Because if you start that way, at least the scope of what’s possible, what’s reasonable is more and more clear more quickly. Some stuff like happened with Maduro, I would never have predicted, but for sure, if there’s one country that can do this sort of stuff, it’s the US. I’m not sure anyone has a technology and the means in terms of support infrastructure to do something like this. It’s tough to predict what will happen a year from now for any specific country, but I think that even trying to get a better understanding about the forces in play and their capacity and understanding and accepting that at some point, it’s all about real politic and relationship of power, the more your eyes would be wide open about what’s possible versus simple, wishful thinking. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Fintech, Crypto and Frontier Tech Moving maybe to our last section around fintech, crypto, and frontier tech. For me, just two very quick predictions, views of the world. I think on the frontier tech side, I won’t make a prediction. I will just tell you all to go and listen to our episodes, the one on infrastructure, which is immediately prior to this one, and the episodes that we’ve had around a couple of other topics including AI, what’s the future of your children, because I think they illustrate a lot of the points that we’re seeing and manifesting themselves over the next year and over the next 2 or 3 years as well beyond that. I feel those tomes are complete in and out of themselves, so you can just go and listen to them. Then my second comment is on crypto. I feel crypto has become of the essence, particularly under the current administration in the US, very favored. Obviously, we are now in a world where crypto is just part of the economic system, and I think we’ll see more and more of that emerging, and in some ways, crypto is becoming mainstream. Question is what blockchains will be the blockchains of the future? Obviously, there’s a bunch of bets put out there. We, ourselves, as Chamaeleon, have one investment in one of the significant bets in the space. But besides that, who’s going to win or not, we feel that we’re past the crypto winter. It’s now mainstream days, and we’ll see a lot more activity in there. Bertrand Schmitt I must say with crypto, I’m a bit confused. As you say, we are past the crypto winter. There is much less uncertainty in regul

Jon Miller co-founded Marketo, the company that helped turn MQLs, lead scoring, and the demand waterfall into the operating system of B2B marketing. Now he's the one telling you to throw most of it out.When Jon did the same playbook at Demandbase that worked brilliantly at Marketo, it flopped. That failure changed how he thinks about almost everything.In this conversation, Carolyn sits down with Jon, co-founder of Marketo and Engagio (which merged with Demandbase), to dig into why the traditional B2B marketing playbook stopped working, what brand actually does for demand gen that most teams never account for, and what a modern measurement framework should look like in 2026. What we cover:Why the same playbook that worked at Marketo failed at DemandbaseWhy MQLs aren't inherently bad, but how they became a game most marketing teams were rigging without realizing itThe case against marketing-sourced vs. sales-sourced attribution (and why it breaks the teamwork you need to win)What a modern CMO dashboard should actually includeWhy the buying process is chaotic and nonlinear and why treating it like a simple funnel has always been the wrong modelHow AI is finally making true 1:1 personalization across millions of buyers possible The one question to ask your CFO socratically that will reframe the entire conversation about brand ROIThis episode is an absolute MUST listen for any marketing leader or revenue operator who knows something is broken but keeps hitting a wall trying to fix it.

Traditional demand generation metrics miss the signals that predict actual buying intent. Nick Zeckets, Chief Fire Starter at Smoke Signals AI, explains how to track meaningful buyer behavior instead of vanity metrics. He identifies SEC filings as goldmines for understanding budget priorities and business direction, executive hiring patterns as indicators of strategic shifts and fresh budgets, and M&A activity as predictors of 18-36 month organizational challenges. These three signal types help B2B companies focus on prospects with genuine purchase intent rather than surface-level engagement.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.