Podcasts about CTA

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Latest podcast episodes about CTA

Top Traders Unplugged
SI385: When Volatility Becomes the Signal ft. Katy Kaminski

Top Traders Unplugged

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2026 64:55 Transcription Available


Katy Kaminski joins us to assess the early signals shaping markets in 2026. The conversation explores the resurgence of commodity trends, the role of volatility estimation, and why diversification across markets and speeds matters more than ever. Drawing on new research, they examine dispersion within the CTA universe, the limits of replication, and how volatility targeting quietly determines outcomes. From precious metals to currencies, from crisis alpha to geopolitical risk, this episode offers a grounded look at why trend following thrives during disruption and why regime change remains its natural habitat.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT's TRUE ? – most CIO's read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Katy on LinkedIn.Episode TimeStamps:00:00 - Introduction to the Systematic Investor Series00:39 - Weather disruptions and market perspective02:31 - Precious metals and extreme commodity moves04:28 - Gold, central banks, and monetary regime shifts07:43 - Replication versus full CTA diversification09:47 - Liquidity differences across metals12:03 - Metals leading trend performance in 202615:01 - Multi-sector trends and diversification benefits20:13 - Media attention and the return of trend following23:29 - Research insights on speed and dispersion31:44 - Trend speed and timing tradeoffs40:59 - Market concentration and narrow universes43:19 - Volatility estimation as a hidden...

Content Is Profit
The One Skill You're Ignoring That's Killing Your Content

Content Is Profit

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2026 16:01


Hey Fam! Today I'm talking about a skill that most people skip... and that's a BIG mistake. This is Fonzi BTW hijacking the show

We Don't PLAY
Search Engine Marketing Best Practices (SEM) for High Performance and Conversions with Favour Obasi-ike

We Don't PLAY

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2026 137:41


Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS takes us on deep dive into the world of digital marketing, with a strong focus on Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The host breaks down the key differences and relationship between these two critical components of a successful online strategy. The discussion covers the entire customer journey, from the pre-click phase, where the user is first searching for information, to the post-click phase, where the goal is to convert the user into a customer.A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to practical, actionable advice for improving conversion rates. This includes a detailed look at crafting effective Calls to Action (CTAs), optimizing landing pages, and leveraging analytics to make data-driven decisions. The host also shares a valuable tip on using brackets in headlines to increase click-through rates. This episode features a friend / guest from Canada

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Push Pull Legs Podcast
Jeff Nippard Self Imposed Challenge & Coaches CTA's are a Problem...

Push Pull Legs Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2026 37:51


Why has tom given himself a challenge... clearly not enough work to be done... Dan has a little bit of typical angry advice on CTA's for coaches right now & Tom just had to tease dan with the Class structure from... ROWBOTS If you want to work with me in ANY WAY... 121, Group, Free Stuff The links are below. S tay Connected: ✅ Subscribe for weekly fitness news and coaching education.

30 Minutes to President's Club | No-Nonsense Sales
#542 - Sales Email Elimination: 5 Cold Emails. 1 Winner.

30 Minutes to President's Club | No-Nonsense Sales

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2026 2:11


Full YouTube Episode Here Jen Allen-Knuth puts five real cold emails head-to-head to see which ones actually earn executive attention and which get instantly deleted. Watch as she breaks down subject lines, openers, tone, and CTA mistakes, crowns a single winning email, then rewrites it live using her Problem Prompter framework to show how sellers can stop pitching and start booking meetings with C-suite buyers. Over the last 12 to 16 weeks, we've been sitting down with the one and only Jen Allen-Knuth (2–3 hours per week, plus an entire week of shooting) to build her course: Selling to the C-Suite. This is everything you could possibly need to close a 6–7 figure deal at power. Backed by Gong data of and 1M+ executive-level sales cycles. https://www.30mpc.com/course/multithreading-exec-selling-course-selling-to-the-c-suite Get More Tactics: Join our weekly newsletter – https://hubs.li/Q02NJQ8p0 Things you can steal and use today – https://linktr.ee/30mpc_youtube

The Speed of Culture Podcast
Power Circuit: How CES Fuses Tech, Culture, and Business into a Global Moment

The Speed of Culture Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2026 24:02


In this episode of The Speed of Culture, Matt Britton sits down with Melissa Harrison, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), live from CES 2026 in Las Vegas. Melissa breaks down how CES grew from a gadget showcase into a cross-industry business hub where enterprise innovation, media, creators, and global partnerships collide. They explore what it takes to build a 13-venue event at this scale, how CTA markets a two-sided marketplace of attendees and exhibitors, the rise of the creator economy at CES, and why AI at CES 2026 marks a turning point from theory to real-world application.Follow Suzy on Twitter: @AskSuzyBizFollow Melissa Harrison on LinkedInSubscribe to The Speed of Culture on your favorite podcast platform.And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at suzy@suzy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Business Finance and Soul
Storytelling as a Leadership Requirement with Dr. Danny Brassell

Business Finance and Soul

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2026 71:58


If you've ever wondered why some leaders instantly connect and inspire while others struggle to be heard, this episode breaks it down. Dr. Danny Brassell shares how storytelling becomes a leadership requirement and a growth engine that converts audiences into clients. Danny's path includes pivots from journalism to teaching to speaking, a painful financial loss that reshaped his worldview, and a repeatable framework for building talks that drive real results.  You'll also hear why vulnerability builds trust, why reading is a competitive advantage in a distracted world, and how to move from applause to measurable ROI. What you'll learn Why storytelling isn't optional for leaders—it's the bridge to trust, influence, and action. How to turn failure into connection (and why audiences relate more to your losses than your wins). The difference between good presenters (who tell stories) and excellent presenters (who tell stories with intention). A practical method for building a personal "story bank" you can pull from anytime. How to design talks that move the needle, not just "get applause." Danny's 5Cs framework for building talks that convert. Why deep reading is a competitive advantage—and how to use your phone to support learning instead of draining attention. How to manage stage fright by naming it and turning discomfort into connection. A simple weekly habit system that creates momentum across your life (Danny's "7 F's"). Key Topics & Timestamps  00:01 – Intro: why storytelling is a leadership requirement 02:18 – Danny's "Pivots" story: journalism → teaching → speaking 05:13 – Shame, vulnerability, and telling the "messy" parts 06:35 – The 2005 real estate seminar scam: losing everything and what it taught him 11:05 – The "story bank" exercise: triggers → themes → intentional stories 14:59 – Relatable stories vs. impressive stories (Everest vs. first grade) 16:25 – Speaking as the fastest way to grow a business (applause vs. next steps) 21:05 – The 5Cs framework: Clarity, Connect, Content, Call to Action, Close 26:57 – Stage fright: embrace the weakness, say it out loud, keep going 35:57 – Reading as competitive advantage + how leaders train attention 48:44 – Misfits, unconventional thinkers, and what school often misses 57:06 – Pre-week planning + Danny's "7 F's" goal categories 1:09:38 – "Intentionally curious" + building a life around better questions 1:10:09 – Free resource: Danny's Story Blueprint + the power of one clear CTA 1:11:52 – Closing: "Stay curious." Danny's Most Actionable Frameworks 1) The "Story Bank" Exercise (Danny's process) Write down story triggers for 60 minutes (hundreds of quick moments). For each, label the message: perseverance, loyalty, awareness, humility, etc. Use stories by intention—to generate a specific emotion and outcome. 2) Applause vs. ROI Danny's measurement of speaking success: How many people took the next step? Examples of "next steps": Subscribe / follow / opt-in (unpaid) Book a consult / buy a product / join a program (paid) 3) The 5Cs Process (Danny's talk-building blueprint) Clarity: Who is the audience? What problem do you solve? Connect: In the first 5 minutes, "RAP" Relatable (I'm like you) Authority (I solved it) Purpose (I'm here to help you) Content: Teach meaningfully (serve the audience) Call to Action: One clear next step Close: Emotional finish people remember 4) Audience Motivation (Income / Freedom / Impact) "20-year-olds" → income "40-year-olds" → freedom "60-year-olds" → impact Notable Moments & Soundbites "Good presenters tell stories. Excellent presenters tell stories with intention." "We want to move hearts—but we also want to move the needle." "The first five minutes are everything." "You don't need artificial intelligence—you need authentic intelligence." "You no longer have to know the answer. It's more important to ask the right question." "Stay curious."   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Businessfinanceandsoul 

Crain's Daily Gist
01/27/26: Keep an eye on these new restaurants

Crain's Daily Gist

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2026 22:40


From Mexican bagels to an Italian steakhouse and a “hidden” Paris-inspired bar, Crain's restaurants reporter Ally Marotti talks with host Amy Guth about a handful of new spots around Chicago. Plus: Chicago bids to host 2028 and 2032 Democratic National Conventions, CTA leader hopes to get Red Line project dispute resolved soon, local insurance startup focused on high-risk markets expands into auto and a California firm pays $31 million for Bronzeville shopping center. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tibet TV
Ep:277) – In Conversation on CTA's Middle Way Approach Policy

Tibet TV

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2026 19:54


Ep:277) – In Conversation on CTA's Middle Way Approach Policy In this episode of In Conversation with Tibet TV, Central Tibetan Administration's spokesperson and Additional Secretary Tenzin Lekshay offers an insight on CTA's Middle Way Approach policy to resolve the Sino-Tibet conflict, its growing significance in today's geopolitical scenario, the role of Tibetans in the diaspora in advocating for freedom in Tibet.

WBBM Newsradio's 4:30PM News To Go
Kid-size benches coming to CTA L stations

WBBM Newsradio's 4:30PM News To Go

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2026 0:57


WBBM political editor Geoff Buchholz reports on a new initiative designed to cater to the CTA's youngest passengers.

The Unstoppable Entrepreneur Show
1108. The Real Instagram Growth Playbook for 2026 with Natasha Willis: Manychat, DM Funnels, and Content That Converts

The Unstoppable Entrepreneur Show

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2026 41:11


 In This episode of The Kelly Roach Show, Kelly sits down with Natasha Willis, Co-Founder of School of Bots, to unpack what's actually working on Instagram in 2026: from DM funnels and ManyChat optimizations to ad strategies, content formats, and backend systems that convert attention into revenue. Natasha and her team have worked with industry leaders, helping generate over $97M in online growth. In this conversation, she breaks down how high-performing brands are replacing traditional funnels with conversation-driven conversions, why one-word CTAs still work, and how to optimize every step from content, to DM conversation, to the sale. You'll learn: The simple ManyChat tweaks that can triple conversions How to structure content and CTAs for non-followers How to blend organic content with paid ads for scalable growth The content formats that are winning in 2026 If you're posting consistently but not seeing the ROI you want from social media, this episode will fundamentally change how you think about Instagram as a growth engine. Timestamps: 04:40 – What a DM Funnel really is (and why it converts better than websites) 11:30 – The biggest ManyChat mistake most businesses are making 17:20 – Email-first vs. name-first: the data-backed shift 20:05 – New follower DM automations that are working now 23:40 – How to pre-qualify DM conversations at scale 26:00 – Organic content vs. paid ads: how they work together in 2026 29:30 – Trial reels, testing headlines, and scaling what works 32:20 – Do followers still matter?  35:10 – CTA strategies: why every post needs a next step Resources Mentioned: Connect with Natasha Willis on YouTube for tutorials, playbooks, and strategy breakdowns: https://youtube.com/@natashatwillis   Follow Natasha on instagram: https://instagram.com/natashatwillis Work with Natasha: https://schoolofbots.co 

The Resilient Recruiter
How to Turn LinkedIn Videos Into Real Client Meetings, with Mike Mello

The Resilient Recruiter

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2026 64:22


Why do some recruiters post content every week and still struggle to book meetings? While others quietly turn short LinkedIn videos into real sales conversations that actually close. Mike Mello has lived both sides of that question. After 10 years in staffing, Mike had built what most recruiters would call a dream run. Over 1,300 placements. More than $100 million in revenue sold. Nearly 140 contractors are billed as enterprise salespeople. Then he walked away. Not because staffing stopped working. But because buyer behaviour had changed, and most recruiters were still relying on volume instead of context. In this episode, Mike shares how he used LinkedIn video alongside outbound automation to warm up prospects before sales conversations ever happened. The insight that changed everything was simple but powerful: senior decision-makers were watching his videos quietly, building familiarity and trust long before replying to an email or taking a call. Today, Mike is the founder of Simple Side AI, where he helps staffing agencies combine content and outbound in a way that creates better conversations, shorter sales cycles, and higher-quality meetings. This conversation goes well beyond tools. It's about how buyers actually decide, why pain-point content consistently beats ROI messaging, and why most meaningful meetings don't happen on email one or two. If you're posting content but not seeing it turn into a pipeline, this episode will help you know what's missing. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why visibility now matters more than outbound volume • How LinkedIn video builds context before the first conversation • Why senior buyers watch content without ever liking or commenting • The difference between pain-point content and ROI content • Why unscripted video outperforms polished AI content • How long do outbound sequences really need to run in staffing • Why Mike's best meetings happen around email six or seven • Why sales skill still matters more than any tool or platform Episode highlights [05:40] How Mike made 1,300 placements and sold $100M before launching Simple Side AI [09:05] The LinkedIn video that changed everything and grew one account to 50 contractors [10:36] Why fear of judgement stops recruiters from posting video [12:04] The analytics that proved LinkedIn video beats cold calling [13:56] Why your best clients watch your content but never engage publicly [19:02] Why content and outbound must work together [23:11] Pain-point content vs ROI content [26:42] Why imperfect video builds more trust [43:53] The observation–problem–solution–CTA email structure [52:19] Turning video viewers into warm sales calls [56:01] Why reactivating past accounts often beats cold outreach Guest Bio Mike Mello is the founder of Simple Side AI, helping staffing agencies turn LinkedIn content and outbound automation into real sales conversations. Before launching Simple Side AI in 2024, Mike spent 10 years in staffing sales, making over 1,300 placements and selling more than $100 million in revenue. As an enterprise salesperson, he built and managed a book of nearly 140 contractors and ranked as the number two salesperson at his company following the acquisition. Mike is based in New York City. Connect Mike Mello LinkedIn: Mike Mello - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-mello-7884b059/ Website: Simple Side AI - https://simplesideai.com/ Mark Whitby Get your free 30-minute strategy session: recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mwhitby Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

B2B Marketers on a Mission
Ep. 204: PPC Strategies for Small B2B Brands to Beat Big Competitors

B2B Marketers on a Mission

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2026 38:21 Transcription Available


PPC Strategies for Small B2B Brands to Beat Big Competitors So many B2B companies and marketing teams waste budget on tactics that don't drive results or support core business goals. Smaller B2B brands often compete against much larger companies while working with less internal bandwidth, tighter budgets, and limited resources. The key being successful lies in their ability to be strategic, efficient, and resourceful despite these obvious constraints. So how can small B2B brands outmaneuver big competitors using PPC and smarter marketing strategies? That's why we're talking to Andy Janaitis (Founder and Chief Strategist, PPC Pitbulls), who shared his experience and PPC strategies for small B2B brands to beat big competitors. During our conversation, Andy discussed the importance of foundational B2B marketing elements like high-converting landing pages, automated email flows, and a well-structured PPC strategy. He highlighted why targeted messaging and measurement are essential to compete more effectively against competitors. Andy also underscored the value of understanding B2B audience pain points, having a well-designed website, and leveraging key metrics such as first-order profitability and customer lifetime growth. He emphasized the importance of transparency and authenticity in B2B marketing strategies and advocated for a data-driven approach that achieves scalable, profitable growth. https://youtu.be/DR6d_dFfnVI Topics discussed in episode: [03:06] The Small Brand Advantage: Why being smaller allows for more targeted messaging that resonates better than broad, big-brand ads. [05:05] Avoid the Testing Trap: Why splitting a small budget across too many creative tests leads to insufficient data and wasted spend. [07:14] Winning the Auction: How the real-time ad auction rewards quality and specificity, allowing you to pay less than big brands for premium placements. [09:50] The Conversion Ecosystem: The critical role of landing pages and automated email flows in nurturing leads who aren’t ready to buy yet. [14:58] 5 Essentials for Ad Readiness: A checklist of what you need (from audience understanding to goal clarity) before launching your first campaign. [21:55] AI in PPC: How AI-driven automation has powered platforms for years and where it is heading next. [25:34] Better Metrics: Why you should look past ROAS and focus on first-order profitability and customer lifetime growth. Companies and links mentioned: Andy Janaitis on LinkedIn  PPC Pitbulls  Transcript Andy Janaitis, Christian Klepp Andy Janaitis  00:00 If you’re sending people to a landing page that’s not built to convert, if it doesn’t have the social proof that gives somebody the trust in your product or your service, you may be able to get folks to your site, but they’re not ultimately going to purchase for you, and that’s just one other component. Something else we see all the time is email flows, so making sure that you have automated welcome flows, that if they don’t purchase the first time they’re on your site, they have a lower value touch point, whether it be downloading a free lead magnet or something like that, that brings them into your ecosystem and allows you to start nurturing the relationship over time. Those are two things that we see all the time, landing pages and email flows that are fundamentals that get overlooked and people say, hey, the ads aren’t working, you know, I gotta, you know, try more creative. I gotta keep tweaking. I gotta change, you know, the different structure that some YouTube Guru told me that I need to be running, when in reality, it’s like, no, there’s some key fundamentals that you’ve got to get right about your business first. And getting those things right is going to have 100 times more impact than tweaking little bits of the creative here and there. Christian Klepp  01:04 So many B2B companies and their marketing teams waste money on marketing that doesn’t match their business goals. They go up against much larger competitors, while also having to contend with limited budgets, resources and bandwidth. So how can smaller B2B brands outsmart their biggest counterparts and win? Welcome to this episode of the B2B Marketers on the Mission podcast, and I’m your host, Christian Klepp, today, I’ll be talking to Andy Janaitis, who will be answering this question. He’s the Founder and Chief Strategist of PPC Pitbulls, a boutique digital marketing agency that helps B2B businesses grow past seven figures through leveraging Google and Meta ads. Tune in to find out more about what the speed to be Marketers Mission is. All right, and off we go. Mr. Andy Janaitis, welcome to the show, sir. Andy Janaitis  01:50 Thanks for having me, Christian. Christian Klepp  01:51 Really enjoyed our pre-interview conversation, Andy. We talked about a lot of things that range from B2B Marketing to family and hobbies and the different cities that we’re living in, and what have you. But I am really looking forward to this conversation, because it’s something that I think a lot of people in the B2B Marketing world can relate to. And if they can’t relate, they should all right, so let’s dive right in, because I think this is going to be a really interesting conversation, right? Andy Janaitis  02:19 Definitely. Christian Klepp  02:20 Okay. So Andy, you’re on a Mission to help scale independent B2B brands with data driven Google and Meta ads. But for this conversation, I’d like to zero in on the topic of how smaller B2B brands can outsmart the bigger competitors by being strategic with PPC. If we’re going to use military terms, it almost sounds like you have to learn how to use Guerrilla warfare instead of conventional war tactics, right? So I’m going to kick-off the conversation with two questions, and I’m happy to repeat them all right? So the first question is, what is it about PPC or Pay Per Click that you wish more people understood? And the second question is, why do you think small brands fail when they try to copy big brand ad strategies? Andy Janaitis  03:06 There’s a lot, a lot there to unpack, and I think, you know, there’s, I think you touched on it there, but there’s a lot of anxiety among small brands. We work with Founders and Marketing Directors of these independent brands, and oftentimes there’s a fear of a Google Ads or Meta ads, because they say, Hey, there’s some big competitors out there in my space that are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a month. And if I’ve got my little budget, if I’m trying to spend $5 or $10,000 a month, how do I have any chance of competing with them? You know, surely they’re going to outbid me on every single keyword, every single ad placement that I could be in, and what gets missed there is that you actually do have a big advantage in that being smaller. Your product probably has a smaller niche than you think, because you’re not distributed to everybody, you’re speaking to a smaller audience, which allows you to be much more targeted in your messaging. So in that way, where you might have some of these bigger brands that are, of course, way out investing, you that investment is being spread across so many different audiences and so many different placements, whereas you have the ability to say, Hey, I’ve got a limited budget. Let me only target, you know, the most likely people to purchase from me, and the people who are, you know, who I’m most likely to resonate with, and then give them a message that really speaks directly to them. So I think that’s the first and foremost thing to remember, is that you can take this, you know, supposedly disadvantage, and really turn it into an advantage when you when you focus in on, you know, who is your smallest, tightest, ideal client, that that you can target and speak to. I think that’s really, really important and gets missed and to your second question around, you know, the big brand tactics. I think a lot of times people see these in Instagram reels, LinkedIn posts that come up with a lot of different strategies that could work well, but are only going to work well on those larger budgets. So one great example of this. A lot of times I see people talking about creative testing and talking about needing we tested across 100 different assets, talk about, you know, let’s use AI so that we have the model in this particular influencer ad. You know, we can change the hair color and the shirt color and all these different combinations and test all these different things. The problem with that is, if you try that with a much smaller budget, you’re necessarily going to split, you know, the budget that many different ways. So say you run 100 different combinations, 100 different messages targets, you’re splitting your budget that many different ways, and you’re not building up enough data about any one of those individual combinations to make a good decision. So I always kind of tell people focus on the fundamentals. First worry about your top level messaging. What is it that really matters most and makes your product different, you know, and your really key differentiators to your to your most ideal audience, forget about, you know, button colors, or, you know, with these smaller budgets, don’t worry about testing. You know, what’s the color of the shirt that the model is wearing kind of thing, you know, you’ll have time to test those things in the future. But, you know, I think people get too caught up in those, those types of practices that, you know, big brands are spending a lot of time and money on and forget about, you know, the fundamentals themselves. Christian Klepp  06:35 Absolutely, absolutely. You brought up some really great points. I like to go back to like, two of them that you mentioned, I think the first one, short of getting too granular or getting too in the weeds, but you brought up something that I thought was really important to discuss further about, like the worry or the concern the Marketers have that people are gonna outbid us for those, for those keyboards, For example, talk us through, if you can, even from a top level perspective, how does a small B2B Company navigate through that? Because it sounds like it can. It can be an exercise that could potentially become very complex. Andy Janaitis  07:14 And the nice thing about this is it’s all automated these days. So, you know, realistically, when you are putting, you know, saying, hey, I want to run an Ad, whether it be on Google or on Meta. What’s happening is a real time auction where they’re saying, Hey, there’s this particular placement or this particular search, in the case of Google, so anybody who could possibly run an Ad on that, we’re going to let them, you know, put their ad forth and how much they’re willing to bid on it, and see, you know, who kind of gets in the top position and gets to show their ad. Now the thing that’s interesting there is it’s not based only on how much you’re about to pay for the ad. It’s also based on the quality of the ad, or how good of a match the ad is for that particular person or that particular search that’s coming in. And that’s where your ad can be more targeted, can be a higher quality ad, because it’s more specific. So you actually are going to be paying a little bit less for that placement than even some of these really big brands that are necessarily speaking a little bit broader language and not as niche down of a message. So that’s one, one big way. The other big thing is, as I mentioned, it’s in real time on every single on every single potential ad placement, or every potential search. So what that means is you probably aren’t going to compete with the big guys across all of the searches they’re running, but you don’t have to, because you may only show up, you know, you may only overlap in 5% of the placement. So where their budgets are going out there to every single potential placement or search that they could show up for, you only need to compete with them in that small, small percentage that is most relevant to your specific audience. Christian Klepp  08:55 Okay, fantastic, fantastic. Okay, second follow up question, and again, got to be careful, because we could potentially go down the deep rabbit hole with this one. But one thing that we all know about PPC is that there’s a lot behind it. And what I mean by that is, it shouldn’t be viewed as this one and done exercise. There’s a there’s a bit of an ecosystem behind it. And what I mean by that is, if somebody goes and sees the ad on Google or Meta and clicks on it, well, that clicks got to redirect people somewhere, right, be that a landing page or a website or whatnot, what’s on? What’s on the co you know, what kind of content are we talking about? What kind of CTA are we talking about? Walk us through that about why, why is it so important for B2B Marketers to understand that PPC is a component in this, this ecosystem? Andy Janaitis  09:50 That’s so, so important, and it’s, it’s important, especially as we talk about, you know, smaller brands, smaller budgets. You know, in that $10,000 to. $20,000 ad spend range. What we find is that, first of all, as you mentioned, it’s a holistic ecosystem. So, yeah, the ads are one part, and you got to make sure that you’ve got your ad copy, you’ve got your placements, you’ve got your you know, your strategy in the ad platforms down. But as you mentioned, if you’re sending people to a landing page that’s not built to convert, if it doesn’t have the social proof that gives somebody the trust in your product or your service. They’re not you may be able to get folks to your site, but they’re not ultimately going to purchase for you. And that’s just one other component. Something else we see all the time is email flows, so making sure that you have automated welcome flows, that if they don’t purchase the first time they’re on your site, they have a lower value touch point, whether it be downloading a free lead magnet or something like that, that brings them into your ecosystem and allows you to start nurturing the relationship over time. Those are two things that we see all the time, landing pages and email flows that are fundamentals that get overlooked. And people say, you know, hey, the ads aren’t working. You know, I gotta, you know, try more creative. I gotta, I gotta keep tweaking. I gotta change. You know, the the different structure that some YouTube Guru told me that I need to be running, when, in reality, it’s like, no, there’s some key fundamentals that you’ve got to get right about your business first. And getting those things right is going to have, you know, 100 times more impact than tweaking little bits of the creative here and there. Christian Klepp  11:26 You brought up one word that I think is worth repeating. It’s nurturing, right? Like, and I think that gets, um, that gets ignored or overlooked a lot in B2B, especially like, when, when the organization’s very sales driven. So it’s all about like, volume, volume, volume, right? Like we gotta, like, I mean, just to use the the old adage of like, you know, gonna hit that phone right, or pound the pavement and just get those numbers up right? But at the end of the day, especially if we’re talking about B2B, not everybody is ready to buy at the first contact. In fact, that would, I would almost go as far as to say, like, 97%, 98% of the time, they’re not, not, they’re not in buying mode, right? They’re probably still in an investigative mode. They’re still looking at what the options are out there. They’re probably doing their own research. That’s how they have landed on those ads. So it’s to your point. It’s so important to like, nurture that at that that lead rather in a non-pushy, non-intrusive way that helps to build that trust, to give them that confidence that this is, in fact, the right company that we should be perhaps having a conversation with, right? Andy Janaitis  12:33 Exactly, yeah, and I think sometimes people spend so much time on their messaging and their differentiators, and then they forget to tell their customers that, you know, they spent all this time working through what exactly it is that made their business better than the competitor. But if you don’t take the time to, you know, set up a welcome email flow it or, you know, build a presence on build an organic presence on Google, on Instagram or Facebook, you’re not necessarily getting that message out and giving people a chance to get to know you and fall in love with your brand. So I think that’s so, so important and often overlooked. Christian Klepp  13:12 Absolutely, absolutely. You brought up some of these already, but talk to us about some of these key pitfalls that Marketing Teams should be avoiding when it comes to PPC, and what should they be doing instead? Andy Janaitis  13:24 So we talked about a few of them. You know, some of the fundamentals that exist outside of the ad ecosystem. But one pitfall that I really want to focus on, that that is really closely tied to the ad ecosystem is measurement. So making sure that once somebody hit your site, you understand where they came from and ultimately what they did so that might be filling out a lead form. That might be purchasing a product, if you’re in kind of the E-commerce space, might be adding a product to their cart. You’ve got to make sure that you’re measuring all those independent events for two purposes, one, passing that data back to a Google or a Meta is the only way that those platforms can optimize and continue to get you better and better results. And two, you need to have that data to be able to report on and understand where your ad dollars are going and whether they’re working or not. That’s how you make the decision of, should I be putting more budget into Google or into Meta or hey, are neither of them working? And I got to try something totally different that’s often overlooked. We see clients coming to us that have spent untold amounts of money, and they’re not really even sure how it worked because they weren’t measuring it in the first place. So they’re just basing it on getting the cheapest clicks possible and not focusing on, you know, really optimizing for conversion? Christian Klepp  14:44 Yeah, no, absolutely. Those are, those are some very important points. In our last conversation, you talked about these five essentials that B2B brands need to have before they run their first ad campaign. Can you talk to us about that? Andy Janaitis  14:58 Yeah, definitely. I. So yeah, I’ll kind of walk through, and I don’t know if we’ll end up on four or six, but we’ll shoot for five here. The number one thing as you’re going through or selling online, obviously, you need to have an understanding of who your audience is and who you’re going to be targeting from that and what comes out of that is having an understanding of what are the main pain points that they have, and making sure that you’re speaking to those on a really well designed website that’s designed for, I say, designed for conversion, but what I mean by that is it helps guide somebody through that buyer’s journey, taking them from the point of just getting to know your brand to understanding what you do, to understanding how you solve their pain points, and then some social proof about why you’re better than others. So a you know, understanding your audience, having a well developed website that speaks to the audience, and importantly, speaks to the real symptoms and pain points that they’re dealing with, and how you can help solve them. Number three, I would say, is measurement. That’s, that’s a big piece that, you know, we just talked about in depth, but making sure you’re understanding once somebody hits the site, what are they, you know, what are they doing? Where are they going? What pages are they viewing? Do they ultimately fill out a lead form? Do they ultimately, you know, add the product to their cart and then leave? You’ve got to be able to measure what’s happening once they hit the site. Beyond that, I would say maybe, maybe item number four will group together a lot of those other fundamentals. So things that even outside of the website, things like a nurture flow and email, a presence on social, these are all so, so important, and even if you’re focused on paid ads running to a website to get a conversion, all of these other things are going to help that process. It’s a holistic marketing process, because we know today that people see you across a number of channels. It’s not that they’re only going to see your ad, come to your website, make a decision and buy. They’re going to, you know, hopefully see your ad later on, maybe see an organic post that you made on your socials. Maybe they bump into you at a trade show or a conference, and ultimately get to your website, make the decision there so making sure that those other fundamentals, like a an email nurture flow or a good organic social present are available, and then number five, and I think this is most important. And what I see people get wrong all the time is, understand your goals. So people will say, hey, I need to run ads. I want to run ads because I want more leads. Ultimately, you know, obviously we can, can run ads, and that could be an outcome. But if you’re not able to say, you know, what type of leads do you want, why are you not getting enough leads today? What’s your capacity? How many leads can you handle? You know, what type of behaviors are you trying to get more of, whether it be leads versus, you know, sales versus, you know, people buying a purchase or even downloading a lead magnet so that we can begin the nurture process. These are all viable, viable directions to go. And if you’re not thinking through specifically for your business, what’s the very specific goal that you that you have, and more importantly, what are the constraints you have? What’s your budget? What how much creative do you have available? Do you have a team on staff that can create more creative or work with your marketing strategy, understanding the goals and the constraints? A lot of people get caught up and just say, Hey, I got to run some ads and go for it. I want more revenue, when, in reality, there’s all these different nuances to it, and you really need to know what your specific goal is. Christian Klepp  18:39 Yeah, no, no, that’s great stuff. So let me just quickly recap for the benefit of the listeners, right? So you were talking about understand who the audience is, which is, which is imperative. I mean, you know, you almost shouldn’t start anything without knowing that, right? The second one was a well developed website, and I’ve got a follow up question for you on that one. Third one is measurement. So metrics like, know what to measure, and we will have a separate question about metrics later on in the conversation. Four is nurture, flow and email and organic and a presence on social. And the last one is understanding your goals, right? Like, what is it you want to achieve with this? Right? So on the topic of websites, when you say, well, developed website, I’m I have this feeling that you’re not referring to it’s got to be this incredibly expensive and complex website. That’s not what you’re talking about, right? Andy Janaitis  19:34 No and oftentimes, the simpler it is, the better it’s going to convert. So I think that’s really important what we think about. And I think the way I think of it is, in the old days, you might have a salesperson who’s going to get in front of a potential lead and then help kind of, you know, work through the objections they might have. So hey, you know, I’m not sure this might be a little too expensive for me. Or, Hey, I’m not sure if you know, you really serve people in my niche. Or if you know you you work with somebody, somebody different. I don’t know that this is a great fit for me. And the salesperson would have all the answers, right? They would say, hey, if this is their objection, this is how we answer that. If this is their objection, this is how we answer that. This is how we tell them about how we solve their problems. In today’s day and age, you may still have some sales people, but your website needs to do a lot of that work itself. So that’s what we need to think through is, what are all the things that a buyer needs to know before they’re ready to make that purchase and make sure that we’re putting that in front of them in a way that’s super easy to understand. A confused buyer is not a buyer. There’s a better way to use that statement. I’m sure you’ve probably heard that somebody, if they find confusion, they’re not going to be ultimately making a purchase with you. So make sure it’s really, really clear what is your product or service, how does it solve the customer’s problem? And hopefully some social proof too, and making sure that there’s some confidence that you’ve solved this problem for other people, like the potential buyer. Christian Klepp  20:57 And when you say social proof, you’re, of course, referring to things like in the form of case studies, testimonials, maybe even reviews on like platforms like Clutch and the like. Andy Janaitis  21:07 Exactly. All of those are great. You know, if you have a partner badge that, hey, you’ve done good work, or you’re certified to do particular work, that could be another one. If you’ve been featured in particular publications, that can be another one. But yeah, ultimately, all of these different ways that help give confidence that you can do the job. Christian Klepp  21:24 Fantastic, fantastic. You kind of scratch the surface a little bit in the beginning of the conversation, but PPC and AI, right? I mean, you kind of, you kind of cannot avoid this topic, right? Because it permeates across the entire marketing spectrum. But you know, from your perspective and in your experience, to what degree do you find AI harmful and helpful when it comes to PPC? Andy Janaitis  21:55 So I would say, on kind of the helpful side, and this is something that’s what’s interesting is we think of AI, you know, in the last, say, three years since chatGPT released, was it three? Five was the first, you know, kind of big milestone, breaking model where people said, Oh my gosh, this is, you know, this can really do a lot of, you know, can sound like a real human kind of thing. But long before that, AI has been implemented in these platforms, in Google and Meta, and for probably the last 10 years, we’ve been moving in the direction of more automation, more AI. So earlier, we talked about that ad auction, where every single time a keyword is searched or a placement pops up on Facebook or Instagram, you have to have a particular bid of how much you’re willing to spend to get your ad there. These days, you’re not putting any of those bids in manually. You’re just telling Meta or Google, hey, here’s the budget I want, and here’s the data coming from my website to let people know if they’re purchasing or filling out a lead form or not. And now Google or Meta, go out there and run with it. You know, go ahead and optimize with the ad assets that I’ve given you and the budget that I’ve given you. Go ahead and put me wherever you need to put me in order to get the most possible, you know, results, goals that that you can and that’s all AI driven. Then it’s been that way for a long time. We’ve been moving in that kind of direction. So that’s on the helpful side. That’s where, you know, AI is really driving, driving success for us. On the hurtful side. You know, you hear a lot of times people talking about, you know, now, especially in Google, when somebody makes a search, they’re getting the information. They’re getting an answer right up front. Or maybe they’re not even going to Google. Maybe they’re in ChatGPT or Perplexity, so, Christian Klepp  23:44 It’s a summary at the top right? Yeah. Andy Janaitis  23:47 Exactly, yeah. So they don’t even need to come to your website. From a PPC perspective, there’s not that click that you can go ahead and bid on and put your ad in front of, and that can be a concern, honestly, from a services and product perspective, I find that to be a little bit less of an issue. It’s definitely more of an issue for publishers. So if you have an information content kind of business that’s really harmful for you right now, because, you know, people are getting that information without ever having to make the click onto your website. But ultimately, if somebody is going to want to hire you for your services or buy one of your products, they still have to click through at some point. They’re not necessarily making that purchase, or they’re definitely not making that purchase out of the Google results summary. That being said, the other kind of big thing, and why I’m not super, super concerned about that development, is that whether it be on chatGPT or on Google, they really haven’t started monetizing yet, and that’s where I think you’re still going to see ads up in that area, we know that you’re going to be seeing ads up there. In fact, chatGPT is already hiring up and staffing up an ad organization, so it’s just going to be one more platform, one more area where you can run ads and get in. Front of your ideal customers. Because ultimately, you know, a subscription model can work to a degree, but you know, these companies, from an economic basis, need to have ads in order to kind of fund the type of growth that they that they need to see over the coming years. Christian Klepp  25:15 Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely, absolutely, all right, previously, like when we talked about this, you mentioned this one thing, right? Kind of sounds like a song, right? Like this one metric that every B2B brand must know before scaling. So what is it? And why do you think B2B brands should have it? Andy Janaitis  25:35 So I’ll maybe take a little bit of a cop out. And they’re a couple different metrics. You know, we, especially on the e-commerce side, we look at four key metrics. One of the people get caught up when they’re thinking about on in the PPC world, a lot of times, people talk about ROAs (Return On Ad Spend) or CPA (Cost Per Acquisition/Action). So ROAs would be the amount of revenue that you’re getting in for every ad dollar your spend return on ad spend and CPA would be cost per action, or essentially, you know, if somebody is looking to get lead forms filled out, how many dollars of ad spend are you putting in for every lead form that you’re getting filled out? And those can be important metrics, but they abstract away a lot of important nuance, and it’s very possible to look good in those metrics and still not make a ton of money. So we have these four key metrics, especially on the e-commerce side, that we focus in on, and it’s things like first order profitability. So yeah, your ROAs may be high, but if it’s a lot of people making repeat purchases, you may still be spending too much money to acquire that that first customer so first order profitability is going to be the first time somebody makes a purchase. Are you profitable? Or are you not? You know that that one individual purchase even before you start to look at customer lifetime growth. Is it profitable for you? Another key metric that we look at is that customer lifetime growth. So okay, perfect. You’ve profitably gotten that first purchase, but are you building enough customer lifetime value so that over time it’s going to pay off what you had to put in to acquire that customer in the first place. Another key one that really applies, whether it be e-commerce or elsewhere, is the percentage of your revenue, the percentage of your leads that are coming from organic channels versus paid channels. So we love to focus on the paid side. We help people find scalable, profitable results in the paid channels, but if you’re too over indexed in those, if you’re getting too much of your revenue or your leads from paid channels, that tells you that you’re probably paying a little bit too much for it. And you need to develop that organic you know, from your your social from people just finding you via regular old Google search, making sure that you’re not over indexed towards the paid channel, if you want to be able to scale that profitably. Christian Klepp  28:06 Okay, okay, well, there’s some really great points, and I’m glad that you pointed that out about like, you know how everybody is very obsessed with ROAs and CPA, but there are actually, in fact, other metrics that they really should be paying more attention to, or that need, that deserve some of that limelight as well. Right? Andy Janaitis  28:23 Exactly. Christian Klepp  28:24 Fantastic. So we get to the point in the conversation, my friend, where we’re talking about actionable tips, and you’ve given us a ton already within these past like, 30 minutes. But just imagine there’s a B2B Marketer out there that’s listening to this conversation between you and I, and there are three to five things that you can tell them. You know, you can take action on this right now, right after listening to this conversation, what would those things be? Andy Janaitis  28:48 Yeah. So first and foremost, we talked about your measurement. So the action there is use GA for Google Analytics. If you don’t have Google Analytics installed on your website already. Make sure you go ahead and get that installed. It’s a free tool. There’s some other paid tools that are better in certain ways. But you know, for my money, as you’re getting started out, Google Analytics is absolutely table stakes. You’ve got to have that installed on your site and set up properly to measure the behavior of what’s what’s happening on your site. If we’re talking PPC, similar to that, is making sure that everything is technically configured correctly, so that when somebody makes executes a behavior, makes a purchase, fills out a lead form, that data is getting back to, you know, either Google or Meta. So those are, you know, kind of the some of the key things that you got to do right out the gate and GA for Google Analytics. It’s a free tool, so there’s no, really no excuse not to have that set up. The other thing that I think is a first step that a lot of folks really got to got to figure out is getting crystal clear on who your customer is, what their main pain point that you can solve is. Is, and then ultimately, what’s your goal for for ads. So those kind of three, three components all tied together a lot of times. You know, we find people that are either, hey, we’re just looking for leads, but they can’t really give a good answer on, you know, who their customers or what type of leads would be a good lead for them. Or, you know, maybe they they’re really tight on who their customer is. And they say, Hey, we just, we just got to run some ads, but understanding kind of where ads fit into overall ecosystem. How are you doing organically? How do you close the leads once you get them you know? How often do people who make that first purchase end up coming back and making an additional purchase? Make sure you understand what you’re actually trying to get out of the ads. I think that’s probably the number one thing, and you can’t do that without the measurement piece that we that we discussed earlier. But I would really, you know, kind of start from a measurement component. Make sure you understand what’s happening when folks at your site, and then, before you spend $1 in paid ads, make sure you understand what you’re trying to get out of those paid ads and what gap in your marketing, you’re trying to solve. Christian Klepp  31:02 Absolutely, and it’s such a dangerous mindset to have that, you know, we just want to quickly do this right, and we just want to, like, generate some quick leads so we can show some numbers. But if you, you know, to your point, and you’ve raised it a couple of times in this conversation, if you don’t do this heavy lifting up front with understanding who your target audience is and understanding what the actual goals of this exercise are, then all of this is gonna go like, down the drain at some point, right? I mean, like, I’ll have to tell you, this is your this is your area of expertise. But if you don’t know what you’re doing with paid ads, that budgets gonna, like, evaporate fairly quickly. Andy Janaitis  31:40 Exactly, yeah. Christian Klepp  31:42 We’re gonna move on to the soapbox question. I’m gonna say I was, I was, I was trying to think about, well, how to describe this, but, yeah, that’s the best description. What is the status quo in your area of expertise that you passionately disagree with, and why? Andy Janaitis  32:02 That’s a great question. I think we talked about some of the individual components earlier. You know, folks kind of listening to Gurus, kind of coming we still to this day, you know, have clients, or prospective clients coming in and say, Hey, I saw this YouTube video that told me I’ve got to do this. And it’s, you know, just bad advice for them kind of thing, you know, where they didn’t really, you know, get that good advice and take it one step further to see how that fits for their specific business. I think that happens all too often. The other big thing that we, we see, especially in marketing in general, I think there’s a lot of suspicion of, you know, marketing, you know, we people are really, really looking for authenticity these days. And I think there’s a fear that, you know, marketing as an industry is all about telling lies or not giving, you know, an authentic answer, trying to trick somebody into buying a product or a service. And a lot of that, you know, it’s kind of our own fault, honestly. You know, there’s a lot of Gurus out there that give the industry a bad name, when in reality, you know, all of this is about you should have a valuable product or a valuable service, and what we’re doing, you know, whether it be via paid ads or organic or you know those email nurture flows is just educating The customer on how your product authentically solves their specific pain points. So I think that’s, you know, something I would really like to kind of dispel that myth that marketing agencies say, you know, are not able to, are all charlatans and not able to give you good, authentic support. You know, we like to kind of think of it almost like when you bring your car to a mechanic, that old trusted mechanic thing, right? You don’t know what’s going on under the hood. You don’t know what that clunking sound is. So you better find a mechanic that you can trust to shoot it to you straight, not sell you something you don’t need. We like to think of ourselves like that in the marketing world, you know, in a world where there’s a lot of suspicion of the practitioners, you know, making sure that you can find somebody who is transparent and that you can trust to tell you the truth, I think that’s, you know, there’s a lot of good people out there and a lot of a lot of good businesses, agencies out there, you know, I’d like to kind of, you know, dispel that myth that there isn’t, you know, a trustworthy marketing agency that can really help you, guide your business to success, and help you find, you know, find the right answers for you, not what’s just profitable for the agency. Christian Klepp  34:33 This is gonna sound so biased coming from me, but yes, I agree with you. There are some good Marketers out there, right? I mean, we have to believe that too, because, you know, not, not all of us are, are out there to, like, just, you know, make some quick profit. In fact, like the way that I work with my clients, I always say up front, honesty and transparency. Andy Janaitis  34:52 Exactly. Christian Klepp  34:53 You know. And every time they asked me for for advice and or what I would do in this situation, I always start. Answer by saying full transparency, right? This is how I would do it, or I wouldn’t recommend you do this right now, because it’s not a good user for your budget, for example, right? And we and we know that, and we know that there are agencies out there that wouldn’t do that, right? They won’t say that, right? They’ll just say, oh, yeah, absolutely, go do it. Okay? But those relationships don’t tend to last very long in my experience. Okay, so here comes the bonus question, and we talked a little bit about this before I hit record. But rumor has it that you started your agency three months before your first child was born. So the question is, what important lesson to that experience teach you, both personally and professionally, like, like, it was almost like there was, there were two things coming into this world at that point in time as a war, right? Andy Janaitis  35:51 Yeah, it’s a great question. And certainly there’s been, you know, a lot that I’ve learned from, you know, both the business and and the parenting journeys, you know, I think kind of the crossover there, you know, we think about, like, the time component, right? You know, there’s only so many hours in the day. One big thing is, it definitely gives you perspective. You know, we always think about, you know, the perspective, hey, family matters the most and kind of what it means to, you know, now I know what’s really important, as opposed to getting worried or bent out of shape about, you know, some of the little things. But I think that really applies to the whole, you know, the holistic person, and, you know, the whole lifestyle, whether it be, you know, how we spend time with family or how we spend time, you know, working on the business and growing the business, it really forces you, because you have a limited time horizon, you know, forces you to kind of really focus in on what’s most important and not waste your time on, you know, either spending time on the things that aren’t going to be impactful or don’t matter so much, and especially not wasting your worry and your anxiety on, you know, things that are going to solve themselves and you really don’t need to be worried about. Christian Klepp  37:04 And just my two cents worth, because we kind of both started our businesses around the same time, but it kind of teaches you to prioritize and manage your time a little bit better. Not that we didn’t know how to manage our time previously, but it’s a different type of time management, right? Like, time management to take care of the family and time management to, like, run the business. Right? Andy Janaitis  37:26 Exactly. Yep. Christian Klepp  37:28 Yeah. No. Fantastic, fantastic. Andy, this has been such a great conversation. I really enjoyed it. Thanks so much for coming on and for sharing your experience and expertise with the listeners. Please. Quick intro to yourself and how folks out there can get in touch with you. Andy Janaitis  37:43 Yeah, so we’re at ppcpitbulls.com at PPC Pitbulls. We’re really focused on helping e-commerce Directors, Marketing Directors, and just small businesses in general, figure out, you know, kind of demystify the world of digital marketing, and go from confused, not knowing where the next dollars are going to come in, to having a really good, stable strategy, and, you know, confidence in, you know, a strategy for profitable growth. So if you want to learn more, come check us out. We’ll actually have a special page, ppcpitbulls.com/mission, and that will be for listeners of this particular podcast. I talked about those four key metrics that we really care about. We’ve got that all put down in kind of a self guide that you can go through. We call it our paid ads reality checklist you can go through step by step. And I’ll show you exactly how to calculate each one of those metrics and how to analyze it on the back end. If that’s too much for you, can always just book a time with me too. I love sitting down with and meeting new small businesses, learning about your niche and you know, talking about where you can go next with your digital marketing. Christian Klepp  38:52 Fantastic, fantastic. So once again, Andy, thanks so much for coming on. Take care, stay safe and talk to you soon. Andy Janaitis  38:59 Talk to you soon. Thanks for having me.

AAEM: The Journal of Emergency Medicine Audio Summary
JEM November 2025 Podcast Summary

AAEM: The Journal of Emergency Medicine Audio Summary

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2026 53:17


Podcast summary of articles from the November 2025 edition of the Journal of Emergency Medicine from the American Academy of Emergency Medicine.  Topics include pediatric intussusception, d-dimer in aortic dissection, ketamine for pain control, coronary CTA, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and stellate ganglion blocks.  Guest speaker is Dr. Eric Lewis.

B2B Better
How to Scale B2B Creative Without Losing Your Soul | Dmitry Shamis, Brand Strategist & Former Head of Creative at HubSpot

B2B Better

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2026 23:04


B2B marketing doesn't have to mean mediocre design, generic messaging, and content no one reads. In this episode of Pipe Dream, host Jason Bradwell sits down with Dmitry Shamis - former HubSpot creative leader and founder of OhSnap!, a brand systems agency helping marketers build creative that's both scalable and standout. Dmitry gets brutally honest about channels - 95% of his business comes from LinkedIn. Not just frameworks and case studies, but gardening updates and dumb kid stories. Because you want to work with people you actually like. This sparks a great discussion about the line between being human and being cringey (looking at you, banana peel LinkedIn posts). Jason throws him a hypothetical: $50K to build an audience, what do you do? Dmitry's answer: invest in brand systems. When you have templates ready, you focus on what you say, not how it looks. That's the foundation for everything else. They circle back to AI. What are we catastrophizing? The "you wrote this with AI" police. If the work is good, it's good. The real danger? People getting lazy and outsourcing their thinking. Dmitry's mantra: never outsource your thinking. His desk is covered with notebooks because side thoughts never make it into transcripts. He comes to AI with a fully baked idea - he doesn't ask it what the story is. They close with Dmitry shouting out Jess Cook at Vector for building a personality-led brand without a massive budget - a perfect blueprint for scrappy B2B teams. If you're feeling pressure to create more, post more, be everywhere, this is your reality check. The future isn't volume - it's consistent quality that resonates. Whether startup or enterprise, Dmitry's principles on brand systems and intentional content will help you build smarter operations. Expect practical advice, real talk, and a little fun along the way. Whether you're scaling a startup or running creative at an enterprise brand, this episode will help you build smarter, more sustainable content operations - and create marketing that actually moves people. 00:00 – Intro: Scaling creative without burnout 01:30 – What Dmitry learned running creative at HubSpot 03:00 – The rise of brand systems in B2B marketing 06:00 – Using AI to remove the busywork (not the thinking) 08:00 – Why most content fails (and what to do instead) 10:00 – How to make LinkedIn actually work for your brand 13:30 – Authenticity vs cringe: Finding your tone online 17:00 – Stop chasing impressions. Start tracking DMs. 21:00 – The forgotten power of adding a CTA to content 24:00 – How to stay creative with systems and structure 27:00 – AI fear factor: What should marketers *really* worry about? 30:00 – The antidote to lazy content in the AI age 33:00 – B2B brands and creators Dmitry admires 36:00 – Where to find Dmitry and more resources Connect with Jason Bradwell on LinkedIn Connect with Dmitry Shamis on LinkedIn Visit OhSnap! agency Visit The Brief Creative newsletter  What's Your Process? podcast on Spotify and Apple. More at B2B Better website and the Pipe Dream podcast

Her Faith At Work
102: How Your About Page Can Drive Real Business Growth

Her Faith At Work

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2026 19:22 Transcription Available


How Your About Page Can Drive Real Business GrowthYour About page is one of the most powerful — and most underutilized — pieces of your website. In this episode, Jan Touchberry breaks down what a high-converting About page actually needs to do, why most of them miss the mark, and how to rewrite yours so it connects, builds trust, and leads your ideal client to take action.If your website isn't bringing in inquiries, your About page might be part of the problem. This episode gives you a clear framework to fix it. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:1. The Purpose Shift: From Bio → BridgeWhy the traditional “all about me” bio is outdated and ineffectiveHow to reposition your About page as a bridge between your story and your client's struggleWhy connection — not credentials — is what builds trustHow Jesus modeled presence and empathy (and what that means for your website)2. The Anatomy of an About Page That ConvertsA simple, high-performing structure you can use today:Lead with your reader, not yourselfOpen with empathy, not “Hi, I'm [Your Name].”Share your story — with restraintOnly include details that create trust and relevance.Highlight your values (and faith, if it's core to your brand)Let your convictions show up naturally, not preachy.Establish credibility with specificityReplace vague claims with concrete examples and results.End with a clear CTA (always)Make the next step obvious: book a call, view services, or download a resource.What to Cut from Your About Page (Immediately)Third-person writing (unless you're a corporate brand)Random fun facts that don't serve the clientGeneric phrases like “empowering women”Credential dumpingNo clear call-to-actionToo much backstory — focus on the turning point insteadQuick test: If you get bored reading it out loud, your reader will too.Your 30–60 Minute About Page Audit (Action Steps)Ask yourself:Does my first sentence speak directly to my ideal client?

ITSPmagazine | Technology. Cybersecurity. Society
CES 2026 Recap | AI, Robotics, Quantum, And Renewable Energy: The Future Is More Practical Than You Think | A Conversation with CTA Senior Director and Futurist Brian Comiskey | Redefining Society and Technology with Marco Ciappelli

ITSPmagazine | Technology. Cybersecurity. Society

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2026 23:55


CES 2026 Just Showed Us the Future. It's More Practical Than You Think.CES has always been part crystal ball, part carnival. But something shifted this year.I caught up with Brian Comiskey—Senior Director of Innovation and Trends at CTA and a futurist by trade—days after 148,000 people walked the Las Vegas floor. What he described wasn't the usual parade of flashy prototypes destined for tech graveyards. This was different. This was technology getting serious about actually being useful.Three mega trends defined the show: intelligent transformation, longevity, and engineering tomorrow. Fancy terms, but they translate to something concrete: AI that works, health tech that extends lives, and innovations that move us, power us, and feed us. Not technology for its own sake. Technology with a job to do.The AI conversation has matured. A year ago, generative AI was the headline—impressive demos, uncertain applications. Now the use cases are landing. Industrial AI is optimizing factory operations through digital twins. Agentic AI is handling enterprise workflows autonomously. And physical AI—robotics—is getting genuinely capable. Brian pointed to robotic vacuums that now have arms, wash floors, and mop. Not revolutionary in isolation, but symbolic of something larger: AI escaping the screen and entering the physical world.Humanoid robots took a visible leap. Companies like Sharpa and Real Hand showcased machines folding laundry, picking up papers, playing ping pong. The movement is becoming fluid, dexterous, human-like. LG even introduced a consumer-facing humanoid. We're past the novelty phase. The question now is integration—how these machines will collaborate, cowork, and coexist with humans.Then there's energy—the quiet enabler hiding behind the AI headlines.Korea Hydro Nuclear Power demonstrated small modular reactors. Next-generation nuclear that could cleanly power cities with minimal waste. A company called Flint Paper Battery showcased recyclable batteries using zinc instead of lithium and cobalt. These aren't sexy announcements. They're foundational.Brian framed it well: AI demands energy. Quantum computing demands energy. The future demands energy. Without solving that equation, everything else stalls. The good news? AI itself is being deployed for grid modernization, load balancing, and optimizing renewable cycles. The technologies aren't competing—they're converging.Quantum made the leap from theory to presence. CES launched a new area called Foundry this year, featuring innovations from D-Wave and Quantum Computing Inc. Brian still sees quantum as a 2030s defining technology, but we're in the back half of the 2020s now. The runway is shorter than we thought.His predictions for 2026: quantum goes more mainstream, humanoid robotics moves beyond enterprise into consumer markets, and space technologies start playing a bigger role in connectivity and research. The threads are weaving together.Technology conversations often drift toward dystopia—job displacement, surveillance, environmental cost. Brian sees it differently. The convergence of AI, quantum, and clean energy could push things toward something better. The pieces exist. The question is whether we assemble them wisely.CES is a snapshot. One moment in the relentless march. But this year's snapshot suggests technology is entering a phase where substance wins over spectacle.That's a future worth watching.This episode is part of the Redefining Society and Technology podcast's CES 2026 coverage. Subscribe to stay informed as technology and humanity continue to intersect.Subscribe to the Redefining Society and Technology podcast. Stay curious. Stay human.> https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7079849705156870144/Marco Ciappelli: https://www.marcociappelli.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CAFÉ EN MANO
721: Reglas simples pa' arrancar 2026 sin deudas con CAF Investments

CAFÉ EN MANO

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2026 42:56


Cerramos el año con Carlos Feliciano (CAF Investments): mitos del 401(k) para el ciudadano común, qué haría un asesor si se pega el Powerball, resumen 2025 (IA, S&P vs. RSP, mercados internacionales, oro/plata) y un plan básico para empezar 2026 sin deudas de consumo. Cero humo, reglas claras.Disclaimer: Esto es educativo, no es asesoría financiera. Busca siempre un asesor licenciado para tu caso.Link para consulta gratis: https://calendly.com/cafinvestments/15minLink para tazas de Cafe en Mano: juanvi.bigcartel.comTemas clave401(k) sin cuentos: por qué sigue siendo la mejor puerta de entrada para la persona promedio.Powerball: cash lump sum vs. anualidad, preservar capital y vivir de renta (bonos/ dividendos).2025 en breve: IA cargando índices, S&P vs RSP, rotación, dólar y mercados internacionales, oro/plata.2026 plan: sal del plástico primero, aprende a decir NO, deja de vivir cheque a cheque.CTA• Agenda tu consulta con el equipo de CAF (link en la descripción del video).• Suscríbete, comenta tu duda y comparte este episodio con alguien que lo necesite.Capítulos (YouTube)00:00 – Intro, dinámica con CAF + disclaimer04:13 – 401(k) para el ciudadano común: mitos y realidad09:56 – Si te pegas el Powerball: cash vs anualidad y cómo preservar el dinero17:07 – 2025 en resumen: S&P vs RSP, IA y rotación de mercado24:06 – Timing político/mercado & lecturas de señales (opinión de Carlos)29:10 – Tu plan 2026: primero salda deudas de consumo34:16 – Dejar de vivir “cheque a cheque” y aprender a decir NO41:51 – Cierre, CTA y dónde seguir a CAF Investments

CAFÉ EN MANO
716: Black Friday a plazos, casas imposibles y por qué el 401K NO es scam

CAFÉ EN MANO

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2026 51:13


Black Friday rompió récord… pero a crédito. ¿La economía está bien o estamos en “modo parche”? Hoy me siento con Carlos Feliciano (CAF Investments) para aterrizar lo que está pasando: empleo, consumo, vivienda en PR, BNPL (Klarna/Affirm), 401K, IA (NVIDIA vs Google/TPU), Apple, data centers, China/EE. UU., tasas de interés y qué mirar rumbo a 2026.En este episodio:¿Estamos en recesión o por qué “se siente” así?Consumo vs. financiamiento: Black Friday y el boom de “compra ahora, paga después”Vivienda en PR: incentivos vs. cero inventario, tasas y pagos imposibles401K sin mito: por qué NO es scam, macheo del patrono y alternativas si eres por cuenta propiaIA y chips: NVIDIA vs Google (TPU), Apple, data centers y energíaStreaming y fusiones: Netflix/Warner/Paramount y regulaciónTasas, quantitative easing y señales macro que vienenVida real en los 30: metas, “Matrix”, balance y el concepto japonés IkigaiQué esperan los analistas para 2026Consulta gratis con CAF Investments: separa tu cita aquí y escribe “Café en Mano” en la nota ➜ https://calendly.com/cafinvestments/15minSigue a Carlos: IG/TikTok/Facebook: @cafinvestmentsMi podcast completo y clips: suscríbete y comenta CONSULTA si quieres el link por DM. Chinchorreo 8 años de Café en Mano – 28 de diciembre, 10 AMRuta, detalles y RSVP ➜ [enlace]

CAFÉ EN MANO
719: Shutdown navideño, escoltas y LUMA: el resumen que no te contaron

CAFÉ EN MANO

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2026 28:14


Native Land Pod
The Re-Whiting of America

Native Land Pod

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2026 103:32 Transcription Available


On episode 114 of Native Land Pod, hosts Angela Rye, Andrew Gillum, and Bakari Sellers are joined by guest co-host, Joy Reid! PLUS we’re joined by the famed creator of The 1619 Project and staff writer for the New York Times, Nikole Hannah-Jones. FOR YOUR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS The Federal Reserve is Under Investigation Minnesota AG Keith Ellison Announces Minnesota is Suing DHS The Clintons Skip Testifying to Congress about Epstein Druski’s Viral Video Making Fun of Mega Church Pastors Robin Kelly Announces Articles of Impeachment Against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem So much to discuss this week fam! We recorded last week’s episode right before Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis. Our hosts react and go through some of the protests and clashes with law enforcement in Minneapolis over the last week. We’re looking at sheriffs, mayors, DA’s–can anyone hold the new American Gestapo to account?? The Trump administration’s official social media accounts have been posting white supremacist and nazi slogans. At the same time, Trump’s EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) has encouraged specifically white males to file for employment discrimination. Our hosts discuss Trump’s efforts to whiten America with the PERFECT guest, creator of The 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones. Donate Meals to Minnesota via Loaves & Fishes: https://www.loavesandfishesmn.org/ Read More about ICE Funding: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/ice-funding-world-militaries-b2790466.html https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2025-04/2504_fs_milex_2024.pdf Read more from Nikole Hannah-Jones: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/magazine/trump-civil-rights-law-discrimination.html Read more about civil and human rights protections under the Trump Administration: https://civilrights.org/trump-rollbacks/ Author Boyah J Farah from Andrew’s CTA: https://www.instagram.com/boyahjfarah/?hl=en If you’d like to submit a question, check out our tutorial video: http://www.instagram.com/reel/C5j_oBXLIg0/ and send to @nativelandpod. We are 298 days away from the midterm elections. Welcome home y’all! —--------- We want to hear from you! Send us a video @nativelandpod and we may feature you on the podcast. Instagram X/Twitter Facebook NativeLandPod.com Watch full episodes of Native Land Pod here on YouTube. Native Land Pod is brought to you by Reasoned Choice Media. Thank you to the Native Land Pod team: Angela Rye as host, executive producer, and cofounder of Reasoned Choice Media; Andrew Gillum as host and producer, Bakari Sellers as host and producer, and Lauren Hansen as executive producer; LoLo Mychael is our research producer, and Nikolas Harter is our editor and producer. Special thanks to Chris Morrow and Lenard McKelvey, co-founders of Reasoned Choice Media. Theme music created by Daniel Laurent.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LowCarbUSA Podcast
Dave Feldman on Cholesterol Code & Why the Science Isn't Settled Yet: Ep 127

LowCarbUSA Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2026 32:48


When Dave Feldman first walked into a LowCarbUSA® event in 2016 carrying a laptop full of lab results, few people could have predicted where that moment would lead.  "I'm approaching everyone with my computer," Feldman recalls, "because I'm doing these self-experiments—getting blood work—and I'm trying to figure out why my cholesterol numbers were doing what they were doing."  What started as a personal puzzle became The Cholesterol Code, a global research effort, a nonprofit scientific foundation, and now a forthcoming documentary film. In this episode of the LowCarbUSA Podcast, host Doug Reynolds sits down with Feldman to trace that journey—and to explain why the next chapter will take center stage at the Symposium for Metabolic Health in Boca Raton, January 23–25, 2026 The Question That Wouldn't Go Away Dave's original question was deceptively simple: Why do some metabolically healthy, lean people see their LDL cholesterol rise dramatically on a ketogenic diet?  Over time, he noticed a consistent pattern. These individuals didn't just have high LDL—they also tended to have high HDL, low triglycerides, and excellent metabolic health. In 2017, he coined a name for this group: Lean Mass Hyper-Responders (LMHRs). But identifying a pattern wasn't enough.  "Even if the lipid energy model proves correct," Dave explains, "does that mean having higher LDL on a ketogenic diet carries higher cardiovascular risk?"  Answering that question required something far more difficult than a blog post or a hypothesis: a prospective imaging study. Building a Study When No One Will Fund One Dave spent years trying—and failing—to convince established institutions to study this population.  "There's not a lot of funding to study metabolically healthy people with sky-high LDL," he says dryly. "The interest is usually in people who already have multiple cardiovascular risk factors—which confounds everything."  So in 2019, he made a radical decision. He founded the Citizen Science Foundation, a public charity created for a single purpose: to fund independent research, with no money going to salaries or overhead.  "We raised $200,000,"Dave says, "and paid a research center to do the study."  By late 2021, recruitment was underway. One hundred lean, metabolically healthy ketogenic individuals underwent coronary CT angiography (CTA) scans to assess plaque in their coronary arteries, with follow-up scans roughly one year later. What the Data Actually Showed The early findings were striking.  When Dave's cohort was matched against participants from the Miami Heart Study, there was no statistically significant difference in coronary plaque, despite Dave's group having LDL levels less than twice as high.  "In fact," he notes, "our group trended toward lower plaque." But the most important finding emerged as more analyses were completed:  "There was no association between ApoB or LDL and plaque progression," Dave says. "Whatever your LDL level was, it did not correspond with how plaque developed."  What did matter? Baseline plaque. "Whether you're low-carb or not," he explains, "the more plaque you have at baseline, the more likely you are to see progression. That's consistent with the existing literature." When One Dataset Didn't Make Sense Then came the controversy.  An AI-based quantitative analysis from a company called Cleerly showed plaque progression that appeared inconsistent—not only with Dave's other data, but with decades of prior research.  "All of the scans showed progression," he says. "No regression. Not even noise."  For an engineer, that raised immediate red flags.  "If a bathroom scale is off by a quarter pound," Dave explains, "you expect wobble.  Below the noise floor, measurements go up and down.  But this dataset showed only one direction." Later, when Dave gained access to the anonymized data, he identified multiple anomalies and requested a blinded quality-control reanalysis.  That request was declined.  "I don't assume wrongdoing," he emphasizes. "But when something looks implausible, the response should be course correction."  Instead, he sought independent confirmation.  A second AI company, HeartFlow, conducted a fully blinded analysis—and its results aligned with every other analysis except Cleerly's.  "Three out of four analyses agree," he says. "Cleerly is the outlier." Why This Matters Beyond One Study The implications extend far beyond a single dataset.  Dave believes this episode exposes a deeper issue in nutrition and cardiovascular science: how dominant theories shape interpretation.  "The lipid hypothesis has a gravitational pull," he says. "It affects what people expect to see—and what they question."  As I put it, Dave has repeatedly taken the LowCarbUSA stage to announce findings that challenge assumptions—and each time, the conversation moves forward.  "If we want better answers," Dave says, "we have to do better science." The Documentary—and What Comes Next All of this has reshaped his upcoming documentary, The Cholesterol Code. Originally slated for release last year, the film has been expanded to include the scientific and human story behind these findings.  "We couldn't release it without covering what happened," he explains. "It's part of the truth."  For the first time anywhere, the official trailer for the film will be shown at the LowCarbUSA Symposium in Boca, immediately following Dave's talk.  Attendees will also be invited to help bring the film to live screenings around the world.  "The world premiere of the trailer will be at your conference," Dave told me.  "That alone is worth coming for." Why You'll Want to Be There One full day of the Boca symposium is dedicated to cardiovascular health, and Dave is one of the central voices shaping that conversation. Whether you attend in person or via live stream, this is a rare opportunity to engage directly with research that is still unfolding—and with the scientist who helped drive it. As Dave puts it: "The work just needs to get done,  and in Boca, it will." Learn more and reserve your in-person or virtual seat for the Boca Symposium for Metabolic Health (January 23–25, 2026)

YourTechReport
Lego Smart Bricks, Pebble Returns, and the No-Crease Foldable Future

YourTechReport

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2026 23:26


CES 2026 recap with Marc Aflalo and Mitchell Whitfield, covering the shift from AI buzzwords to real outcomes, the return of BlackBerry-style typing with Clicks, Pebble's comeback with a color e-ink watch and a $70 voice memo ring, LG's household robot, Dell reviving XPS, Samsung's trifold and a no-crease folding display preview, and Lego Smart Bricks that add lights, sound, sensors, and on-brick logic.Marc and Mitchell kick off the new year with CES, and a simple question: what will actually show up in real life after the hype? They agree the tone around AI changed. AI is still everywhere, but brands are selling results instead of shouting “AI.” Marc points to privacy concerns and recent headlines as part of the reason. The show floor feels less like one giant theme and more like a mix of ideas that let people chase what interests them. They run through the biggest standouts. Clicks returns with two products. First, an updated MagSafe slide-out QWERTY keyboard accessory that works across devices. Second, the Clicks Communicator, a prototype Android 16 phone built around distraction-free communication, with a stripped-down interface and a clear “secondary device” pitch. Mitchell likes the idea, but questions whether most people want to carry two phones.Pebble makes a comeback at CES with the Pebble Round 2, a round watch with a full color e-ink display, built as an accessory, not a phone replacement. They also flag Pebble's new smart ring, priced around $70 to $75, with a microphone for quick voice memos and one-button reminders, positioned as a lower-cost, less intrusive option compared to higher-priced rings.Robots show up again, this time with a practical angle. Marc calls out LG's household robot, aimed at folding laundry, helping with kitchen tasks, and interacting with smart appliances. Mitchell immediately jumps to security risks, then lands on the real question: cost. These robots need to become mainstream enough to stop feeling like luxury items.Dell revives the XPS brand in a more serious way than a simple rebrand. Marc highlights the clean XPS branding, new 14- and 16-inch models, and fixes to past complaints. Mitchell adds that XPS still matters for people who want high-end performance without the gamer look.Samsung's Galaxy Trifold gets its official moment, but the bigger story is the booth teaser, a folding screen preview with no visible crease. They both want real video proof, not marketing images. The conversation turns to hinge engineering, materials, and the likely premium pricing of folding hardware.Then they hit the moment Mitchell has been waiting for: Lego Smart Bricks. They describe bricks with chips that recognize other bricks, plus built-in lights, sounds, music, and sensors that detect movement, rotation, pressure, and orientation. Marc adds the key detail: logic can run on the bricks themselves, triggering actions when parts tilt, separate, or reconnect. They predict companion app control, Bluetooth customization, and a big wave of sets starting with Star Wars, then Marvel.Subscribe and follow Your Tech Report for ongoing CES 2026 follow-ups, including interviews with CTA's Allie Fried and more guests from the show floor, plus check-ins with companies featured in past years. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stepfamily Mission POSSIBLE!™ How to Lead Your Stepfamily with Influence | Jen Rogers - Faith-Led Stepfamily Coach, Podcast
Selling Without Feeling Sleazy: How One Client Turned Her Podcast Into a Client Magnet | #305

Stepfamily Mission POSSIBLE!™ How to Lead Your Stepfamily with Influence | Jen Rogers - Faith-Led Stepfamily Coach, Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2026 45:00


What if the reason your podcast isn't converting has nothing to do with consistency, downloads, or your CTA… and everything to do with belief?In today's episode, I'm interviewing my client, Patricia Ortega, host of the Uncommon Career Podcast, and sharing a behind-the-scenes look at what changed when her podcast stopped feeling heavy, awkward, and salesy — and started generating consistent sales calls.Patricia didn't need more tactics. She didn't need another social media strategy or a new funnel. What she needed was clarity — in her messaging, her structure, and the belief journey she was guiding her listeners through.In this conversation, you'll hear:Why “just get on the mic and talk” is not a strategyHow structure unlocks creativity instead of stifling itThe mindset shift that made selling feel like service instead of sleazeWhy a podcast can become your primary lead generator when social media feels soul-suckingWhat changes when your episodes stop being fluffy and start being intentionalYou'll also hear Patricia share what she can't unsee now that she understands how belief-based podcasting works — and why her show finally feels fun, aligned, and effective again.If you've ever thought:“I don't want to sound salesy”“My podcast is good, but it's not converting”“I don't want to depend on social media to get clients”…this episode will hit home.Listen not just for what's said, but for how belief, structure, and authority are modeled throughout the conversation. Patricia is a pro guest!Patricia's LI

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur
Conversion Rate Optimization: Find Funnel Bottlenecks and Improve What Matters

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2026 23:27


You validated the idea. You built the page. Maybe you're even getting traffic. And yet… the conversions don't match the effort. In Part 2 of our interview with Samir ElKamouny, we shift from "prove the concept" to conversion rate optimization—the discipline of diagnosing what's actually limiting growth and improving the parts of your funnel that matter most. This isn't about chasing shiny marketing tactics. It's about execution: the kind that turns a funnel from "pretty good" into "predictable." About Samir ElKamouny Samir ElKamouny is an entrepreneur and marketing expert who believes execution is everything—an early lesson inspired by his father's legacy of big ideas. He has helped scale businesses by pairing strategic action with a commitment to impact, guided by values such as Freedom, Happiness, Health, Family, and Spirituality. In this episode, that philosophy becomes funnel execution: identify the bottleneck, prioritize the 80/20, and optimize what's already working. Conversion Rate Optimization Starts With One Question: Where's the Constraint? Many teams skip straight to A/B testing headlines or tweaking button colors. Samir takes a more surgical approach. Before you optimize anything, you need to know what kind of problem you have: Do you have a traffic problem? Or do you have a conversion problem? Because those are different fixes. If you're not getting enough visitors, obsessing over landing page micro-changes won't move the needle. But if you are getting traffic and still not getting demos, leads, or signups—then you've got a conversion bottleneck, and conversion rate optimization is exactly the right tool. Bottleneck First Traffic problem = distribution. Demo problem = messaging, offer, trust, friction, or flow. Diagnose the constraint before you "optimize." Use the 80/20 Rule to Avoid Busywork Samir's funnel advice lines up with how great engineers debug systems: don't touch everything—find the one thing causing most of the pain. That's the 80/20 rule applied to marketing and funnels: A small number of pages create most conversions. A small number of objections block most sales. A small number of steps create most drop-off. When you apply conversion rate optimization well, you're not "improving your funnel" in general. You're improving the one point that's limiting everything downstream. A practical example: if you're generating leads but no one books calls, the issue probably isn't your top-of-funnel content. It's the handoff—your booking experience, your follow-up, or the clarity of what the call is for. The "Two-Second Clarity Test" for Positioning Samir emphasizes something that's brutally simple—and incredibly effective: When someone lands on your page, they should understand what you do in about two seconds. Not "kind of." Not "after reading three paragraphs." Two seconds. That clarity acts like a conversion multiplier. If visitors are confused, they don't scroll. They don't click. They bounce. And no amount of A/B testing can fix a page that doesn't communicate the offer. Two-Second Clarity Test: Can a first-time visitor instantly answer: What is this? Who is it for? What outcome do I get? If not, start there. Don't Test What Nobody Sees One of the most actionable parts of Part 2 is Samir's reminder to test based on attention, not opinions. Teams often test sections that aren't getting seen or clicked because they "feel important." But if users never reach that section—or don't interact with it—optimizing it is wasted effort. Instead, focus on experiments where user engagement is highest: above the fold the primary CTA area pricing/packages booking forms the first "proof" section (testimonials, logos, outcomes) That's how you make conversion rate optimization practical: test the parts of the page that actually get traffic, eyeballs, and clicks. A Simple Conversion Rate Optimization Framework You Can Use This Week Here's a clean execution loop you can run without overcomplicating it: Pick one conversion goal (demo booked, lead submitted, trial started). Locate the biggest drop-off (analytics + recordings + basic funnel tracking). Form one hypothesis ("People don't trust us yet," "Offer is unclear," "Form is too long"). Make one meaningful change (not five at once). Measure the result and keep only what improves the goal. That's it. Clear goal. One bottleneck. One change. Real measurement. Closing Thoughts: Optimize the Constraint, Not Your Ego The best part of Samir's approach is that it respects reality. It avoids "marketing theater" and focuses on execution that produces outcomes. If you want conversion rate optimization to work, don't start with cleverness. Start with constraints: Where are people dropping off? What do they not understand? What stops them from taking the next step? Fix that one thing, and the whole system improves. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Business Tune-Up Checklist: How to Refresh, Refocus, and Reignite Mid-Year How to Succeed with Digital Marketing for Small Businesses Close Deals With LinkedIn Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

City Club of Chicago
City Club of Chicago: Future-ready transit in Illinois

City Club of Chicago

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2026


January 7, 2026 City Club event description: Explore how Illinois' landmark transit law, Senate Bill 2111, turns a looming transit fiscal cliff into a sustainable future for CTA, Metra, and Pace by establishing stable funding and governance reforms grounded in the Plan of Action for Regional Transit (PART). This panel unpacks how the legislation came […]

Creativ Rise Podcast
265. How Creatives Can Fix Their Pitch in 10 Minutes (3 Changes That Work)

Creativ Rise Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2026 16:11


If you're a photographer, filmmaker, social media manager, or creative who wants better brand deals in 2026, you need to get better at pitching.In 10 minutes, Joey & Christy break down pitching in a highly actionable way - covering 3 simple shifts that can dramatically increase your pitch response rate.Inside the episode, we cover:Why brands don't care about you until you show you care about themHow to lead with opportunities and problems instead of talking about yourselfHow to pitch outcomes and results, not just your servicesThe most common CTA mistakes creatives make (and how to fix them)A real pitch framework you can copy and use immediatelyWe also share real examples of creatives who've used this approach to dramatically increase responses and land higher-paying retainers - including going from $4K/month to $25K/month in recurring brand work.If pitching has felt frustrating, ignored, or stale lately, this episode will give you a clear reset heading into 2026.

The Compete Mentality
Ryan Ridge | Trainer for Compete Training Academy

The Compete Mentality

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2026 32:16


Join mindset guru and NBA/WNBA Trainer Jordan Delks as he interviews trainer for CTA Ryan Ridge! Ryan has been a trainer with CTA for 3 years and is making big time impact on the basketball world and in his clients lives. Tap in today as he discusses all things faith, mindset and basketball! To train with Coach Ridge, please fill out an inquiry at www.competetrainingacademy.org!

Just Get Started Podcast
#478 Adriana Tica - Founder, Strategic AF

Just Get Started Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2026 45:43


Episode 478 features Adriana Tica, Founder of Strategic AF, to share her in-depth State of Solopreneurship Report for 2025 and why it matters for your business in 2026.Chapters: 00:00 — Adriana returns + why solopreneur data matters 01:00 — Why she built the report (bad benchmarks + “MrBeast metrics”) 02:18 — Rapid Fire 1: fortune cookie message (unique like everyone else) 04:17 — Rapid Fire 2: her next “Just Get Started” (community in 2026) 07:15 — Rapid Fire 3: silencing the inner critic 09:43 — Rapid Fire 4: Perfectionism, delayed launches, typos, and the Pratt-Fall effect 12:00 — Rapid Fire 5: Do you learn more from wins or losses? (and the role of timing) 15:03 — The newsletter correlation: why top earners all have one 23:43 — LinkedIn drives revenue… but “owned channels” are the 2026 focus 26:14 — CTA strategy: reverse planning your content around offers 33:04 — Services as the cash cow + why products require massive trust/audience 36:36 — Revenue bragging vs profit reality (margins matter) 38:49 — The 2 biggest levers: owned channels + pick your business model 42:57 — Why you start with services, then productize from patterns 46:09 — Wrap-up + where to find AdrianaSolopreneurship can feel like you're building in a vacuum until you realize you've been benchmarking your “pilot episode” against someone else's “season three.” In this episode, Adriana Tica returns to break down her State of Solopreneurship Report. Why she built it (spoiler: rage), what the data actually says about making money as a solo operator, and the uncomfortable truth about chasing algorithms, “six-figure launches,” and creator-business hype.What you'll learn:If you're tired of marketing fluff and want real-world levers you can pull in 2026—this one's for you.Why most solopreneur “benchmarks” are fake (and mentally expensive)The common thread among $500K–$1M+ solopreneurs (hint: newsletters)LinkedIn vs “owned channels” and how to stop renting your audienceHow to build CTAs that don't feel gross (and actually convert)Services vs products: traffic game vs relationship gameWhy “7-figure business” talk is meaningless without margins

BackTable Podcast
Ep. 604 Mythbusters: Provocative Mesenteric Angiography for GI Bleeds with Dr. Sabeen Dhand

BackTable Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2026 37:02


A negative angiogram in a patient with recurrent lower GI bleeding often calls for provocative angiography. In this episode of the BackTable Podcast, IR hosts Mike Barraza and Sabeen Dhand team up to talk tools, techniques, and tPA dosing for safe and effective treatment of lower GI bleeds with provocative mesenteric angiography.---This podcast is supported by:RADPAD® Radiation Protectionhttps://www.radpad.com/---SYNPOSISDr. Dhand describes the utility of provocative angiography in recurrent lower GI bleed patients with negative CTA and angiography, addressing common myths and concerns that may contribute to its underutilization. The conversation covers detailed procedure steps for both targeted and untargeted angiography, including access sites, dosing of tPA, and angiographic technique. Dr. Dhand emphasizes the importance of gradual increases in tPA dosage in 2 mg increments, and clear communication with care teams and the patient about the nature of the procedure. He also emphasizes the effectiveness and safety of this procedure by sharing real-world cases.---TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Introduction02:04 - Provocative Angiography for Lower GI Bleeds04:09 - Detailed Protocol for Provocative Angiography11:13 - Technical Details and Best Practices20:07 - Challenges in GI Bleeding Studies22:40 - Selective Embolization Techniques27:44 - Handling Negative Angiograms32:56 - Real-World Case Studies35:15 - Final Thoughts---RESOURCESThiry et al. Provocative Mesenteric Angiography: Outcomes and Standardized Protocol for Management of Recurrent Lower Gastrointestinal Hemorrhagehttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34506023/

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur
Market Validation Strategy: Stop Building in the Dark—Validate Your Idea First

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2026 29:54


If you're a developer or founder, you already know how to build. The hard part is building the right thing, for the right people, at the right time. In Part 1 of our interview with Samir ElKamouny, we dig into a practical market validation strategy that helps you avoid the most expensive mistake in software: investing months of effort into something the market didn't ask for. Samir's message is refreshingly grounded: big ideas are great, but execution is everything. And execution doesn't start with code—it starts with clarity, research, and small tests that tell you whether you're on the right path. About Samir ElKamouny Samir ElKamouny is an entrepreneur and marketing expert who believes execution is everything—an early lesson inspired by his father's legacy of big ideas. He's helped scale businesses by pairing strategic action with a commitment to impact, guided by values like Freedom, Happiness, Health, Family, and Spirituality. In this episode, that philosophy shows up as practical market validation: test demand and messaging before you overbuild. Market Validation Strategy: Start With "Is This Real?" Before "Can I Build It?" One of the biggest mindset shifts Samir reinforces is that your first job isn't product development—it's discovery. Before you worry about features, tech stacks, or perfect UI, you need answers to questions like: What problem are we solving—and for whom? What alternatives do people already use? Why would someone switch (or pay)? What would make this stand out in the market? This is where market research becomes your leverage. It reduces risk, sharpens your messaging, and keeps your roadmap tied to real-world demand instead of assumptions. Ideas Don't Win—Execution Wins: You can have a great idea, but if you can't clearly explain why it matters and who it's for, you'll struggle to sell it—even if you build it perfectly. Market Validation Strategy: Use Market Research to Find Differentiation Samir talks about loving market research because it forces you to look for what actually matters: differentiation. A useful way to think about this (especially for builders) is to treat your market research like a product spec—but for the buyer's brain: What are the top 3 pains people complain about? What outcomes do they want most? What language do they use to describe the problem? What do they distrust about existing options? That last point is gold: distrust is often where your positioning lives. If buyers think "all solutions in this space are overpriced and confusing," your market edge might be "simple, transparent, and fast to implement." Market Validation Strategy: Run the $5/Day Test (Before You Write Code) Here's where Samir gets extremely actionable: you don't need a perfect product to validate interest. You need a simple way to test messaging and capture intent. Think lightweight experiments: a basic landing page with one clear promise a short form ("Interested? Tell me your biggest challenge.") a tiny ad budget to test demand and messaging (Samir mentions even $5/day) a few direct conversations with the people you're building for This isn't about "launching." It's about getting signals—fast. The Goal Isn't Perfection—It's Proof: If people won't click, reply, or sign up when the idea is explained clearly, a bigger build won't fix that. Validation comes before optimization. Market Validation Strategy: Build a Funnel That Matches the Buyer's Learning Curve Samir also breaks down why funnels aren't one-size-fits-all. The funnel you need depends on how much your buyer must be educated before they can decide. If you're in a well-known category—say "CRM"—buyers already understand the problem and the solution type. Your job becomes differentiation and trust. But if your product is new, complex, or requires behavior change, you may need a longer funnel: more education, more examples, more proof, and more clarity before a buyer is ready to act. Either way, the key is to define the conversion goal (lead, consultation, free trial, signup) and build only what supports that path. Market Validation Strategy: A 48-Hour Checklist for Builders Try this quick validation sprint before you commit to a full build: Write a one-sentence offer (who it's for + outcome). Build a simple landing page (problem, promise, proof, CTA). Run a tiny ad test or post where your audience hangs out. Track clicks + form submissions (signals > opinions). Talk to 3–5 responders and ask what they expected. If the message lands, you've earned the right to build the next layer. If it doesn't, you just saved yourself months of building the wrong thing. Closing Thoughts: Execute Small, Learn Fast, Build Smart A strong market validation strategy is less about "finding the perfect idea" and more about building the habit of learning quickly. Samir's approach helps you move from assumptions to evidence—without betting your time, energy, or budget on hope. So before you spin up a repo, define your offer, test your messaging, and look for real-world signals. Once you have proof, then you can build with confidence—because you're not just building software. You're building something people actually want. In Part 2, we'll take the next step: how to diagnose funnel bottlenecks, improve clarity, and use smarter testing to increase conversions once you've got traction. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Branding and Marketing Fundamentals with Kevin Adelsberger Leverage YouTube For Marketing And Brand Growth How to Succeed with Digital Marketing for Small Businesses Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

Daily Tech News Show
The Head of CTA Explains CES

Daily Tech News Show

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2026 8:11


Gary Shapiro, CEO of the CTA explains the sleeper trends at this tear's show and the secrets of the show's longevity and international appeal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daily Tech News Show (Video)
The Head of CTA Explains CES

Daily Tech News Show (Video)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2026 8:11


Gary Shapiro, CEO of the CTA explains the sleeper trends at this tear's show and the secrets of the show's longevity and international appeal. Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!

PT Pintcast - Physical Therapy
The Stretch Lab Mirror Test: Are We Any Better?

PT Pintcast - Physical Therapy

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2026 7:15 Transcription Available


This solo episode digs into a simple but uncomfortable question:If you criticize other healthcare providers for misleading claims…Have you checked your own website lately?Jimmy breaks down the full “claim spectrum” from safe to dangerous, outlines why PTs often imply more than they say, and gives you 7 practical questions to audit your own messaging.It's not about lying.It's about expectations.And the fact that marketing preloads belief before a patient even walks through the door.???? Show Resources:Free download: 7-Question Website Audit Checklist (coming soon)Mentioned: Stretch Labs, LinkedIn PT threads, PT website language norms00:00 – Intro: It's not about Stretch Labs00:20 – What this episode IS about: Your messaging01:10 – The fair critique of assisted stretching02:00 – Do PTs make similar promises?02:30 – PTs don't lie… but we do imply03:15 – “Fix the root cause” vs “Eliminate pain”04:05 – Green, Yellow, Red: Claim spectrum explained05:10 – The 7-Question Website Audit06:30 – Why expectations matter more than outcomes07:20 – Stretch Studios aren't evil — just better at messaging07:50 – Closing thoughts & CTA???? Sponsors:Brooks IHL → brooksihl.orgEmpower EMR → empoweremr.comU.S. Physical Therapy → usph.com???? Subscribe & Follow:Apple Podcasts → LinkSpotify → LinkYouTube → LinkInstagram → @ptpintcastLinkedIn → Jimmy McKayWebsite → ptpintcast.com

Ben Joravsky Interviews: Inside Chicago Government
1/2/26: "Red Line exceptions, plus: We NITA transit redo"

Ben Joravsky Interviews: Inside Chicago Government

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2026 27:20


In an audio interview, transit professional Britton Budd gives insights into challenges with CTA's Red Line Extension, and creation of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority. Length 27.3 minutes.

HR Superstars
REPLAY: High Performance, Low Engagement: An Overlooked Business Risk

HR Superstars

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2025 41:15


High performers are often seen as the ones you don't have to worry about. But behind consistent output and quiet competence, there can be early signs of burnout and disengagement. In this episode, Melanie Naranjo joins Karina Young to challenge how companies define top talent and why performance without support leads to retention risk. Melanie, Chief People Officer at Ethena, shares a candid perspective on why high performers need more than praise. They need space to grow, permission to speak up, and help rewiring habits that no longer serve them. Together, they explore how over-reliance on top talent can backfire, why traditional engagement strategies often miss the mark, and what managers can do to spot red flags before it's too late. Melanie also offers clear strategies for re-engaging high performers and building a culture where expectations, accountability, and care go hand in hand. For HR leaders working to retain their best people, it's a compelling reminder: performance doesn't mean immunity. It means opportunity. Join us as we discuss: (00:00) Meet HR Superstar: Melanie Naranjo (01:14) The hidden costs of quiet disengagement (03:28) Rethinking what "high performer" really means (06:26) Debunking the myth of passion and performance (10:19) Building flexible perks that actually engage people (12:58) Early signs your top talent is burning out (15:19) Questions managers should ask but usually don't (20:03) How to coach overwhelmed team members (22:30) Why surveys won't help you retain your best people (24:17) High performers suffer when underperformers go unchecked (31:19) Re-engaging talent through targeted development plans (35:25) What to do when a high performer is a jerk (38:23) Questions every manager should ask top talent   Resources: For the entire interview, subscribe to HR Superstars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube, or tune in on our website. Original podcast track produced by Entheo. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for HR Superstars in your favorite podcast player. Hear Karina's thoughts on elevating your HR career by following her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karinayoung11/ Download 15Five's The HR Leader's Guide to Reducing Regrettable Turnover: https://www.15five.com/resources/ebook/guide-to-reducing-regrettable-turnover?hsLang=en?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=Q4_2025_CTA&utm_content=turnover  For more on maximizing employee performance, engagement, and retention, click here: https://www.15five.com/demo?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=Q2-Podcast-Ads&utm_content=Schedule-a-demo Melanie Naranjo's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-naranjo/

The Marketing Millennials
The Marketing Psychology Behind High-Performing CTAs | Bathroom Break #88

The Marketing Millennials

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2025 12:22


There's a marketing tactic that feels obvious, a little annoying, and somehow still works better than almost anything else: telling people exactly what to do. Jay and Daniel break down why direct instructions like “open this, save this post, screenshot this, and send this to your team” consistently outperform vague or polite calls to action across email, social, ads, and websites. They dig into real data behind subject lines that boost open rates, why platform signals like saves and shares matter more than ever, and how moving your CTA to the beginning instead of the end can change performance. They also explore how action-forward buttons and more explicit copy can increase retention…not just clicks. If you're struggling to turn attention into action, this episode is for you.  Follow Jay: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/ Podcast: Do This, Not That Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: https://themarketingmillennials.com/ Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: https://workweek.com/

Sound Discussion
Podcast Growth for Music Producers with Marc Matthews

Sound Discussion

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2025 68:17


In the Season 2 finale, we're joined by Marc Matthews of the Inside The Mix podcast and synthmusicmastering.com to unpack how he built a music production and mixing show into the top 10% of podcasts. We talk weekly consistency, planning a year ahead, batching episodes, using polls and listener questions to guide content, why he's shifting away from full video, and how AI helps with the admin so he can stay creative. Plus: smarter CTAs, where growth really comes from, and the mindset it takes to keep showing up.What you'll learn in this episode:Why weekly cadence created a noticeable uptick in growthHow Marc sets goals using downloads in the first 7 daysPlanning ahead: batching episodes and building a buffer (“3 in the bank”)Using polls, audience surveys, and listener questions to shape contentWhy “less is more” with calls-to-action (avoid CTA overload)What's worth it (and not worth it) about video podcastingMonetizing without sponsors: using the podcast to drive services + discovery callsGrowth without ad spend: the power of guesting on other podcastsUsing AI for “remedial admin” (descriptions, SEO, templates) while keeping music human

CES Tech Talk
What to Expect at CES 2026

CES Tech Talk

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2025 34:37


What's new at CES 2026? From the debut of CES Foundry for AI and quantum to show‑wide robotics, digital health and an expanded Creator Space, CTA's leaders — Gary Shapiro, Kinsey Fabrizio and John T. Kelley — come together for an insider look at what's ahead in Las Vegas. They explore how these trends will show up across the newly renovated LVCC, Eureka Park, stages and beyond. If you're gearing up for CES, listen in for the scoop on keynotes, the show floor, and what this trio can't wait to see.

WBBM Newsradio's 4:30PM News To Go
CTA safety, security in focus ahead of New Year's Eve

WBBM Newsradio's 4:30PM News To Go

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2025 0:48


WBBM political editor Geoff Buchholz reports on Chicago's plan to keep riders safe on CTA trains, buses and platforms during New Year's Eve.

Oh, Malort!
Y2K: Fear and Grifting in Chicago

Oh, Malort!

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2025 68:04


In this episode Alyssa tells Risen about Y2K Chicago Style.  This episode takes some surprising twists and turns and 2025 makes more sense. Support the show by subscribing, leaving a five-star review, telling all your friends and following on Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram.  Show Notes: Chicago Tribune: PRACTICAL ADVICE ON Y2K PREPAREDNESS CNN: Chicago, retailers pushing for Y2K readiness NPR: Y2K seems like a joke now, but in 1999 people were really freaking out AP: Nearly 20 years ago, doomsayers admitted they were wrong about Y2K Chicago Tribune: Y2K EXPO PREPARED TO PROVIDE FOR WORST WBEZ: The panic of New Year's Eve 1999 Chicago Tribune: CITY SAYS IT'S READY FOR A SMOOTH Y2K ROLLOVER Chicago Tribune: A HAPPY DAY: NO ONE GETS Y2KO'D Chicago Tribune: FOR MANY CHICAGOANS, COVERAGE OF Y2K IS A BIT TOO MUCH Chicago Tribune: Y2K NO CAUSE FOR PANIC Chicago Tribune: WITH Y2K, HOARDING LIKELY TO BE BIGGEST BUG Twin Cities Pioneer Press: Stockpilers prepare quietly for Y2K arrival Chicago Sun-Times: Year 2000 computer fears bring out survival instinct Chicago Sun-Times: Worriers are wasting time, money, one researcher says Chicago Sun-Times: Shortage of caviar threatens festivities Chicago Sun-Times: Buddy, can you spare an Official Barter Unit? Chicago Sun-Times: Bridges to next millennium will work here, city claims Chicago Sun-Times: Y2K brings back '50s-like fearsChicago Sun-Times: City defends Y2K progress - Report of delays `totally false,' computer chief says Chicago Sun-Times: Mayor getting tough on Y2K con artists Chicago Sun-Times: City may be first with Y2K con man law Chicago Sun-Times: Lack of interest bugs Y2K expo - `Survivalist' supplies shunned Chicago Sun-Times: Weaver says Ruby Ridge standoff could have continued Chicago Sun-Times: City `confident' about Y2K - $55 million, 3-yr. preparation all but done Chicago Sun-Times: Consumers say `ho-hum' to Y2K Chicago Sun-Times: Police asked to monitor extremist groups - FBI warns of Y2K violence Chicago Sun-Times: Grocers, retailers prepared for Y2K Chicago Sun-Times: Daley tries to nip Y2K fears - CTA won't let trains run near midnight Chicago Sun-Times: Daley rips Hillard's Y2K staff memo Chicago Sun-Times: Fire, theft top Y2K fears - Public's reaction also a big worry Chicago Sun-Times: Apocalypse delayed - Prophets retreat from predictions Chicago Sun-Times: Oh no! What will we worry about in 2000? Chicago Sun-Times: Survivalist's wallet ends up $15K lighter Chicago Sun-Times: Returning items may not be easy Chicago Sun-Times: Consumers likely are stuck with extra Y2K provisions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inside The Vault with Ash Cash
ITV #196

Inside The Vault with Ash Cash

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2025 56:00 Transcription Available


We don't have to make money on our feet. We can make money in our sleep.In this episode of @InsideTheVault, @IamAshCash sits down with Boston-raised, Atlanta-paid digital wealth architect Darius Benders and this one is pure leverage, blueprint, and execution.Darius breaks down why most entrepreneurs don't have a “money problem”They've got a speed problem.You'll learn the exact framework behind:Building funding the right way (without fumbling the bag)The real difference between good debt vs bad debtHow to strategically stack credit cards based on what bureaus banks pullThe first moves to make with your first $50K so it multipliesWhy “visibility beats ability” and how to build authority fastThe webinar habit that can change your life in 12 monthsHow to deploy money into marketing using other people's audiencesWhy mentorship collapses time and turns decades into daysIf you're trying to fund your business, build digital income, and stop guessing your way into success, this episode is a must-watch.✅ Subscribe to @InsideTheVault✅ Share this with a friend who's serious about building✅ Drop a comment: “VAULT” if you want more episodes like thisSign up for Darius's 3-Day Challenge: https://getthebagflipthebag.com/3-day-challenge⏱️ Chapters & Timestamps 00:00 Make money in your sleep (the mindset shift)01:00 Text “MY BOOK” and monetize your story CTA moment01:56 “This will change your life” episode intro02:43 Meet Darius Benders: $4M+ digital products and funding mentor06:09 Biggest misconception about other people's money07:17 Good debt vs bad debt (and investing in YOU)08:53 The 3 things you need to get approved for funding10:43 Credit bureaus + stacking strategy (how people get to $100K)12:19 The smartest way to deploy your first $50K13:23 Marketing the right way: OPA, podcasts, clips, and ads18:43 The weekly webinar “cheat code” to build confidence + cash20:08 Funding mistakes that kill approvals (relationship stacking)22:01 Big banks vs credit unions (double dip + comparable limits)23:44 Using leverage with a 9-to-5 (build before you quit)25:40 Pandemic pivot: nightlife to digital income35:31 The offer model that changed everything: virtual events36:29 Why digital products fail: no sales mechanism + no data38:01 $10K vs $100K months: spending + scaling with numbers41:43 What to unlearn to make real money (cost vs value)49:10 One habit to scale fast: delegate and let go53:55 Final gem: hyper-intention and cutting distractions55:03 Outro + tap in for Darius' free 3-day mastermindAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Travel Creator: Tips For Travel Influencers
101: Sales Psychology for Content Creators: How to Write Sales Pages That Actually Sell

The Travel Creator: Tips For Travel Influencers

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2025 54:12


If your sales page feels like it should be converting… but isn't this episode will change everything.I'm not exaggerating when I say this might be one of the most action-packed, note-taking-required episodes I've ever recorded. If you're a content creator, a travel creator, or building a real content business (not just vibes), this conversation is one to get your notepad out. Today I'm sitting down with Sam, nomad copywriter and founder of Nomad Copy Agency, to talk all things sales messaging, sales psychology, and why most sales pages are doing way too much — and still not selling.We break down what actually makes people buy, how to write sales copy that doesn't feel icky, and why “learn more” might be the worst CTA of all time.✈️ What We Cover in This EpisodeWhy Your Sales Page Is Probably Too LongThe Biggest Sales Page Red FlagsSales Psychology for Content CreatorsWhat Your Welcome Email Should Actually DoSelling Identity, Not Just InformationWill AI Replace Copywriters?Who This Episode Is ForContent creators who want their content to actually convertTravel creators building a sustainable content businessAnyone rewriting a sales page and thinking “why isn't this working?”Creators who want better sales messaging without feeling manipulative

Key Factors Podcast
Turning Loss Into Leadership In Business And Life

Key Factors Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2025 101:14 Transcription Available


Send us a textYou can't fake perspective. It's earned in the lows that most people won't talk about: childhood chaos, addiction, grief that knocks the air from your lungs, and careers capped by glass ceilings. We sat down as owners and team leads to tell the truth about how those lows forged our leadership, sharpened our empathy, and set the tone for how we build brokerages that actually serve people.We start with raw origin stories and the flip from victimhood to agency—therapy before tactics, faith before funnels, and mentors who make you fix your life before your lead gen. Then we break down the real market from 2023 to 2025 without spin: morale is a metric, culture is hard work, and smaller wins keep teams moving. You'll hear how we cut break-even side plays, killed bad spend, and focused on what we do best so our people could keep winning even when the weather turned.Looking ahead, we outline a clear 2026 plan. Scott shares a global dive into modular construction and factory robotics that could cut build times to days and costs below $100 per foot, with partnerships spanning China, LA, and Dubai. Ronnie leans into scaling Resi Realty by embracing the hard lessons of 2025 and doubling down on people-first systems. Jeff commits to owning a headquarters, expanding into new cities, resurrecting a profit-focused production team, and entering asset management and REO as cycles shift. The throughline is simple: invest in people, protect hope, eliminate waste, and make sure every effort returns value.If you're tired of empty hype and hungry for practical strategy, mindset shifts, and real leadership, this conversation is your playbook. Subscribe, share it with someone who needs the push, and leave a review telling us the one choice you'll make differently this year.Use this version for podcast platforms (clean formatting, dual CTA included):2025 Wins & Losses — A Conversation About Pain, Purpose & LeadershipIn this Christmas Day special, Mark Jones hosts an incredibly raw and transparent roundtable with Scott Malouff, Jeff Garza, and Ronnie Trevino—three of San Antonio's top real estate leaders.Together, they discuss:Childhood traumaAddiction and recoveryLoss of loved onesLeadership pressureBetrayals in businessMental health & emotional intelligenceFaith, healing, and rebuilding a life of purposeThis is the most vulnerable conversation ever recorded on the Key Factors Podcast.If you're navigating life, business, or leadership in any capacity—this episode will speak directly to you.Apply for Home Financing with Mark Jones: https://www.iThinkMortgage.comSubscribe to The Key Factors Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@keyfactorspodcastCHANNEL DISCLOSURE: Mark Jones, Senior Loan Officer | NMLS#513437 iThink Mortgage powered by Premier Mortgage Resources | NMLS #1169 Equal Housing Lender All content on this channel is for educational purposes only and does not constitute a commitment to lend. Loan terms and availability are subject to credit approval, underwriting guidelines, and market conditions. Opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my company. No compensation is given or received for referrals, endorsements, or podcast appearances, in coSupport the showKey Factors Podcast is Powered by LoanBot.com Host: Mark Jones | Sr. Loan Officer | NMLS# 513437 If you would like to work with Mark on your next home purchase or as a partner visit iThink Mortgage.

Chicago's Morning Answer with Dan Proft & Amy Jacobson
Will BLM Brandon veto the City Council Budget?

Chicago's Morning Answer with Dan Proft & Amy Jacobson

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2025 139:37


0:30 - Bari Weiss pulled 60 min segment 36:34 - Will BLM Brandon veto the City Council budget? 01:16:00 - Will the Bears follow in the Chiefs’ footsteps? 01:38:16 - Founder of Wirepoints Mark Glennon: Illinois Is Forcing Ideology on Its Employees. Follow Mark at his substack substack.com/@markglennon 01:55:54 - More Crime on the CTA 02:09:00 - Senior Editor for The Spectator’s US edition, Neal Pollack: Nicki Minaj 2028?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellness Her Way with Gracie Norton
Sulforaphane Benefits, Berberine Science & Ozempic Risks Explained by MARA Labs

Wellness Her Way with Gracie Norton

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2025 44:26


Episode 116: Today I'm sitting down with the founders of MARA Labs, Dr. John Gildea and David Roberts, for a real conversation about inflammation, detox pathways, and metabolic health. They dive into the benefits of sulforaphane (and why it's one of the most researched compounds for cellular health), how berberine actually works in the body, and how their supplement, GLPERFECT compares to Ozempic. We also talk about the rise of Ozempic and GLP-1 medications. They tell us the benefits, the risks, and what most people are missing when they jump straight to medication without understanding their inflammation, blood sugar, or lifestyle first.If you've ever wondered what moves the needle for longevity, detox pathways, metabolic support, or gut health, this episode breaks it down in a way that finally makes sense.Whether you're supplement-curious or navigating the Ozempic conversation yourself, this is a must-listen for anyone who wants real, sustainable health, not shortcuts.Hi Gracie!! Sorry for all the texts- just letting you know the Jones Road copy is in! Also, when you're taping that spot could you tape the below CTA for the Mara Labs episode? They wanted to specify the end date :) :For the next week, Wellness Her Way loyal listeners can get an exclusive 28% off all Mara Labs products when you go to www.mara-labs.com/GRACIE and use code GRACIE at checkout. After December 29th, the code will return to the standard 15% off.Connect with Mara Labs: HERESupplements mentioned: BROCELITE, BERBELITE, & GLPERFECT CONNECT WITH ME:Cookin Up Wellness Ebook: HERE Nite Nectar Restock: HERE Instagram: @Gracie_NortonWellness Her Way Instagram: HEREProduced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

PowHerful Women with Randa Carrabba
She Made $20K From One Post w/ only 1,500 Followers & 400 Views

PowHerful Women with Randa Carrabba

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2025 13:11


What Actually Converts in 2026 and What Freakin' DOESN'T! Bc your time and energy is so precious and I don't want you wasting it on things that no longer work!Sis.This one? This one is for the woman who's done everything right on paper... and still hearing crickets and not landing the clients/sales she knows she should be!So this client story I'm sharing in this episode?She had under 1,500 followers.Less than 400 views.No ad spend. No funnel. No viral moment.But after one session, one shift, and one ICON Method™ move! She made $20K. In 7 days. From one post.This isn't a fluke. It's not luck. And it's definitely not another “how I hacked the algorithm” story.It's what happens when a woman decides she's done spinning and starts moving with strategy.Inside this episode:

Curious City
“A Christmas Carol”: An amateur actor's journey into a Chicago holiday tradition

Curious City

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2025 8:03


The Christkindlmarket, the CTA holiday train and “A Christmas Carol” at the Goodman Theatre. Chicago is full of holiday traditions. In this episode, we get an intimate look at the annual theater production through the eyes of our Chicago Sun-Times colleague, Stefano Esposito as he takes to the stage.

Top Traders Unplugged
SI378: When Prices Stop Making Sense ft. Mark Rzepczynski

Top Traders Unplugged

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2025 62:35 Transcription Available


This episode examines markets through the lens of uncertainty rather than prediction. As the Federal Reserve delivers a rate cut amid dissent and conflicting signals, Alan and Mark explore what it means for systematic investors navigating noisy data, fragile liquidity and shifting regimes. The conversation moves from Fed credibility and term premia to bubbles, leverage and the limits of valuation in an environment shaped by narratives as much as fundamentals. Along the way, they return to a core question at the heart of systematic investing: when uncertainty rises and explanations multiply, should prices remain the final arbiter of risk, signal and portfolio design?-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT's TRUE ? – most CIO's read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Mark on Twitter.Episode TimeStamps:00:00 - Introduction to the Systematic Investor series00:23 - Market context and recent CTA performance02:41 - Initial reactions to the Fed decision and rate cut03:12 - A messy Fed and the problem of dissenting signals06:48 - Inflation, growth projections and policy uncertainty08:31 - Signal versus noise in systematic trading models11:22 - Employment data revisions and confidence in fundamentals13:10 - Bond valuation, term premia and the question of safe assets16:30 - Fiscal dominance, inflation risk and portfolio fragility19:29 - Prices versus value and the limits of interpretation22:47 - Narratives, reflexivity and momentum in markets28:07...