Podcasts about Discoverability

Vivienne Wagner is the Founder and CEO of Houndstooth Media Group, a boutique digital marketing agency helping mid-sized businesses turn their websites into revenue-driving assets through strategic SEO and AI-driven optimization. Known for making complex marketing concepts clear and actionable, Vivienne advises business leaders on how to position their companies to be found by both human audiences and emerging AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity. Her approach increases organic visibility, drives qualified traffic, and reduces reliance on paid ads, enabling businesses to scale more sustainably. Through her SEO & AI Optimization Audit, she helps companies uncover missed opportunities, identify weaknesses, and build a clear roadmap for competing in today's evolving search landscape.

Imagine being 23 years old and suddenly facing the possibility that you may never come home.Bruce Bryan wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. He would spend more than 29 years inside maximum-security prisons across New York State, including Sing Sing, for a crime he did not commit.In this powerful episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, Bruce joins Brent Cassity to share how he survived nearly three decades behind bars without allowing bitterness to define him. Through education, personal development and mentoring others, Bruce transformed his mindset from victim, to survivor, to “thriver.”Remarkably, while still incarcerated at Sing Sing, Bruce competed against approximately 200 other incarcerated men and was selected to deliver a TEDx talk, using his voice to address the often-overlooked impact incarceration has on children and families.His clemency application ultimately grew to nearly 500 pages documenting his case, education and accomplishments. After receiving clemency and finally walking free, Bruce turned his experience into purpose. Today, he is a human justice advocate and change strategist using his voice to fight wrongful convictions and advocate for criminal justice reform.This is an unforgettable conversation about wrongful conviction, prison, resilience, mindset, clemency, freedom and what it means to go from victim—to survivor—to thriver.Your circumstances may imprison your body. They don't have to imprison your mind.

How can you get your books surfaced when readers ask an AI what to read next? What are the hallmarks of authors and businesses that last more than a decade in the indie author industry? Ricardo Fayet gives his marketing tips after more than a decade at Reedsy. In the intro, Expanding Your Book's IP through Merchandising [Wish I'd Known Then]; Guide to writers conferences [Kindlepreneur]; Rick Rubin and Stephen Pressfield on resistance and the muse [Tetragrammaton]; Pulitzer Prize winners disclose AI usage [Nieman Lab]; My new rebuilt fiction site JFPenn.com. Today's show is sponsored by Draft2Digital, self-publishing with support, where you can get free formatting, free distribution to multiple stores, and a host of other benefits. Just go to www.draft2digital.com to get started. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Ricardo Fayet is the co-founder and chief marketing officer of Reedsy, a marketplace for writers to find vetted freelancers, author training courses, and lots more. He's also the author of How to Market a Book and Amazon Ads for Authors. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Show Notes How AI search actually finds and ranks the books it recommends Why keywords and search volume are disappearing as marketing metrics Building an internet footprint so your book is worth recommending Why Claude leans on Goodreads while ChatGPT and Gemini lean on Reddit Product is more important than marketing, and how to find your comp titles Passion, business sense and resilience in the authors who last You can find Ricardo at Reedsy.com. Transcript of the interview with Ricardo Fayet Jo: Ricardo Fayet is the co-founder and chief marketing officer of Reedsy, a marketplace for writers to find vetted freelancers, author training courses, and lots more. He's also the author of How to Market a Book and Amazon Ads for Authors. So welcome back to the show, Ricardo. Ricardo: Thank you, Jo. It's been a while. Jo: It has been a while. As we were saying, it's been a decade, which is crazy, because you and I see each other at events and things. For anyone who doesn't know you— Tell us a bit more about you, where you're from, and also, what is Reedsy these days and how have things changed? Ricardo: Yes, sure. I think I'm hard to dissociate from Reedsy because my only background really is Reedsy. We started Reedsy right after business school for most of the founders. There are four founders, and I'm one of them. We've been going since 2014, so it's been 12 years. We started around the same time, and you started even earlier than we did, but we've had the chance to meet at quite a few conferences since. I think the main thing we're still known for is our marketplace. Since the very beginning, Reedsy is a curated marketplace where authors can come in and look for editors, cover designers, marketers, ghostwriters, literary translators, author website designers, pretty much any freelancer you would ever need to hire throughout your writing career. That's how we started. That's our main source of revenue and our main business. Since then, as you mentioned, we've also added courses, live events, so we've got a membership under Reedsy Learning. The main thing we're proud of right now is our writing tool, Reedsy Studio, because we've been pouring a lot of engineering talent into it over the past five, six years, and I think it's a really cool writing tool that is 90% free. It also does the formatting, so it's a good alternative to Vellum or Atticus for those who haven't purchased those tools. So there's a lot of things that Reedsy does at this point, which always makes it hard for me to describe what we do. Jo: But you generally serve writers. That's probably the crux of it. Ricardo: Exactly, yes. We're mostly at the production stage. The thing we say is we help authors make beautiful books, right? That's a little bit the tagline that applies to 90% of what we do, though we also help a little bit with the marketing side of things. Jo: And then just tell people where your accent is from. Ricardo: So I'm half French, half Italian from my parents, and I was born in Spain. So depending on my mood and the moment, it might be anywhere from French, Italian, Spanish. It's anyone's guess, really, at this point. Jo: Yes, exactly. You've been part of the indie author ecosystem, as you said, since 2014. You're often at the author conferences, and you stay abreast of everything that's going on. So what are the biggest changes you've seen in the industry since you started out? Like you said, you guys came from business school. You chose to come into the industry at a particular point, and yet things have changed. So what do you think are the biggest changes, and how have you seen authors adapt? Ricardo: It's crazy, the amount of things that happened in the past 10 years. Obviously we came into the industry as a result of Amazon launching Kindle Direct Publishing, and then the Kindle Store becoming one of the number one places where people buy books. That's what enabled self-publishing in the first place as an industry, and obviously we wouldn't exist without self-publishing being a thing. But then I think probably one of the biggest changes that happened was the introduction of Kindle Unlimited and various other subscription models. Perhaps as a response to that, afterwards, I would say direct sales is the other massive change that happened in the industry. The ability for authors to sell direct to their readers via their websites, or running Kickstarters, or basically the ability to reach your customers directly. Now, obviously, artificial intelligence is probably the biggest change of them all, not just in publishing, across every industry, but of course it's going to affect publishing very strongly, or it has already started making big waves. So I would say those are the three main changes that we've seen happening in the industry. Jo: Just interestingly, given that you're French, Italian, Spanish, European— Has the pace of change been the same in mainland Europe? Because you and I have also met up at European conferences, but I just get the sense that each individual European country, the UK included, as I include the UK in Europe, goes at a different speed. Ricardo: No, they definitely do. Our market at Reedsy is all in English. We only have an English website, and I would say 70% of our market is US, then 15% UK, and then Australia, New Zealand, et cetera. We do have clients in continental Europe, but they're mostly going to be American or British expats. A lot of retired people who write books and use Reedsy services. I think the main reason for that is that self-publishing as an industry hasn't really grown in Spain, France, Italy the way that it's grown in the US and the UK, probably because these are countries where book buying habits are a lot more traditional. So all my friends from high school and university in France, they all buy books, they all buy paper books. They all buy from bookstores. They don't really buy from Amazon that much. They love the smell of paper, all these sorts of things. So obviously that makes it harder for indie authors in those countries because they cannot place their books in the places where people buy them, which is traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores, or at least it's much harder. So there is an indie movement in those countries, but it's much smaller. I would say Germany is maybe the exception in Europe, where I've seen more and more full-time indie authors, but I don't think it's a market that's comparable even to the UK. Jo: Interesting. Okay, so let's go to marketing, because you love marketing, you have a newsletter about it, and you have a book, How to Market a Book, same title as mine, and we've found each other in our Also Boughts over the years. You have, however, updated yours several times. 2025 was your last update. Mine was 2016, so yours is definitely the most up-to-date one. So what are your thoughts on how authors can reach readers now? And let's split this into two. Let's start with some tips for new authors who just have maybe one book and are really just starting out. Ricardo: Yes, first of all, sorry for stealing your title. Jo: Oh, you know, it's never been a problem. Ricardo: We were trying to come up with something… I know, I know, I know. But still, we wanted something more original, and then we realised that for SEO purposes, that's the title we should really go for. The good thing is, if you search “how to market a book” on pretty much any retailer, you're going to find your book or mine in any order really, but those are going to be the top two books to this day, thankfully, so I'm good with that. I think in terms of marketing tips for new authors who have just the one book, I'd say, despite all the changes in the industry, the basics of marketing still stay the same. One of my big mantras when it comes to marketing is that product is more important than marketing. So having a great book is going to be more important, in my opinion, than being a great marketer. Having a great product. By that, I generally don't talk about literary value or prose or anything like that, just because I'm not a book critic. I'm not an editor. My opinion on whether a book is good or not is worth zero. From a marketing standpoint, for me, a good book is one that resonates with its intended audience. So the first step for newer authors is to basically figure out who they wrote this book for, right? Have an idea of who their target market is. A great way to do that, without entering into marketing jargon like proto-personas and stuff like that, is to think in terms of comp titles, comparable titles. I think that's probably the base of any marketing, whether traditional publishing houses or indie authors, to think, “Okay, which other books out there are similar to mine?” If your book is completely unique, you have, I would say, 99.9% chance of not selling, because your market doesn't exist, and 0.01% chance of creating your own market and completely dominating it, right? So being unique is not necessarily a bad thing, but I would say 99% of the time, it is. Obviously being unique within an existing niche, within an existing market, that's completely different, but you need to work on some comparable titles. So I would say that's where I would start, and that's one of the things that AI is great at. If you even just plug in your book into an AI chat that has enough context, if you're comfortable doing that of course, or if you plug in a synopsis, like a long synopsis, you can basically ask the AI chats, “Okay, what would be some comp titles?” Either you'll have heard of those books, and you'll think, “Okay, they're good comps,” or you may not have heard of them, in which case I would really recommend buying them and reading them and seeing whether they're comps or not. I think that's where marketing starts. Jo: Yes, and we might come back to that for book discoverability. Well, let's just talk about it now, because I now pretty much use Claude for discovering books as well. I just find that the Amazon search, for nonfiction it works really well, right? As you said, if you want to learn how to market a book, you just search “how to market a book”, and our books are very well titled for that. But for fiction, it's so difficult to find new books and comp titles, especially if you don't write in a clear genre, which I don't. I know lots of people do. So we're writing cross-genre. So in terms of book discoverability, I know you've been looking into SEO for books and all of that. What are your thoughts on how authors can more effectively have their books surfaced if people are using the AIs for finding books? Ricardo: That's a very big topic. That's one of my favourite topics right now. That's what I talk about in my marketing newsletter, and I want to start a Substack on the topic as well, because I think it is the future of book discoverability. As you say, search on Amazon isn't great, and if it's not great on Amazon, you don't even want to imagine on Google Play, Kobo, all these sorts of places, right? If you search on Kobo or Apple Books or Google Play for witch cozy mysteries, the top 10 books are going to have exactly “witch cozy mystery” in the title or the subtitle or the series title, right? Jo: Yes. Ricardo: Search is very simple on those sites, so it's very easy to game, but it's terrible as an experience for readers. So I do think that a big part of search is going to move to AI, and now you have Rufus within Amazon itself that appears as a chatbot and encourages you to talk with it, to ask for recommendations. In the beginning Rufus was really terrible, but now I recommend authors play with it. In general, I recommend when it comes to AI discoverability that authors play with all the AI search tools. So it's going to be Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode, Rufus within Amazon. Just like we talked about comp titles, right, ask for something like, “What would you recommend for fans of this book? Which other books would you recommend?” Or if you're looking for something specific that describes your book, what books would you recommend on… I think one of your examples was fiction around masonry or something like that, right? Jo: I always say, for example, if you ask for action adventure thrillers on pretty much anywhere, you're going to get 20 books by male authors. For those of us who are female authors, but also who have female main characters, you can then be far more granular. That's just not something that necessarily works on Amazon. So, action adventure thrillers with female protagonists written by female indie authors, which is very specific. That will work in AI, whereas that definitely won't work on Amazon. Ricardo: Exactly. So one of the great things about AI search, and terrible things at the same time, is that the concept of keyword is lost, right? So we title our books How to Market a Book because the keyword that people would search for is “how to market a book”, or “book marketing for authors”. Those were the two keywords that had the biggest search volume if we looked at Google Keyword Planner, or any search tools that give you keyword volume. When it comes to AI search, since it's conversational, and it's very personalised, and it can go as niche as you want, keywords are going to disappear, and search volume as a metric is going to disappear. The search you just told me about, maybe there are 10 people who are going to run it exactly. Most people are going to run variations of that. Since you can go as granular as you want, it's going to be very long phrases, very long sentences. So the whole concept of keywords, search volume, SEO, is going to disappear in favour of what some people call GEO, generative engine optimisation, AIO, AI optimisation, AI search optimisation. There's a bunch of names for it, but it is a different discipline. It still works on the basis of Google SEO because what most of these search engines will do is they're going to search the internet, right? They've been trained on a lot of information, but not all of that information is current. Most of these models have been trained on documents and web pages before 2021. That's why when you used the very early versions of ChatGPT, and you asked it about current events or current books, it didn't find it. It didn't have that information. Now all these models have the ability to search the web, and they do that really effectively. So the first thing they're going to do if you run a search like that is they're going to run dozens of different searches on Google or a similar search engine. Action thriller books with female protagonists. Action thriller books with female protagonists by indie authors. Action thriller books by indie authors. They're going to create what I call a corpus, so a massive document of information with candidates, books that probably meet those criteria that they have found through regular web searches. Then they're going to go through all those books and determine which are the most relevant to recommend, and they'll return with that. Then they'll usually have a verification layer as well, which is, okay, I have these five books that I want to recommend to this user, but I just want to make sure first that they are written by indie authors, that they do have a female protagonist, et cetera. And if I'm not able to verify that, I'll flag it in my answer to them. So there are these three layers. Web search, then ranking of the book candidates, and finally a verification layer, and then they serve you the answer. Obviously, that's really powerful. If that's the way that search is headed, which I firmly believe, then we as authors need to learn how to get our books in there. Jo: Yes. It's so interesting, and I do this all the time. Really niche stuff, like a thriller about anatomical Venuses, which are these models from anatomy museums and stuff like that, with an edge of the supernatural. What is brilliant is that you can find the books that come up. I actually got one that I read and reviewed, and it was fantastic. So I love the more granular thing, but we're really in the very long tail now, right? It feels like you can write a very nuanced book, and it will be surfaced, but only by a few people. So do we have to write our books and then try to not even retrofit them in the way that we used to? We used to try and figure out the seven keywords and all of that kind of thing, and now I almost feel like we just get to be grownups, where you just get to write the book and put it out there, and these things are more intelligent than the search terms. Ricardo: Yes, absolutely. I think in terms of the variety of books that are going to be read and discovered, that's amazing. A little bit like the whole indie publishing movement was amazing, because if you remove the traditional publishing gatekeepers, then suddenly zombie books aren't dead anymore. Zombies are alive again. They've… Jo: Come to life. Ricardo: They've come alive, and so you get a bunch of zombie books again. It's not a small niche audience. It's actually a pretty big niche audience that loves zombie books, and suddenly they have those to consume. This is a little bit similar on a much, much bigger and more granular scale, because anyone can find exactly the kind of book that they're looking for, with the tropes they want, with the type of characters they want, with the type of author they want, and you can basically use any kind of filter. So for discoverability on the side of the reader, that's great. For the authors, it doesn't mean that you can just write whatever you want and then rest, and readers will find them. Because your books still need to have generated a certain internet footprint and a certain review footprint in order to become interesting or recommendable to AI search engines, right? Unless you're the only book that an AI search engine can recommend for that specific search, and yours was very specific, so it might have been the only one. If there are other candidates, the AI search engines are pretty smart. They're going to recommend the candidates that have more reviews, better reviews, or are more famous, that have more, when I talk about internet footprint, more pages talking about them on the internet. That's for me the big finding I've seen. The more pages you have on the internet talking about your book, so that could be book review sites, that could be Goodreads lists, Listopia lists, anywhere on the internet where your book is mentioned, that creates a footprint for it. The more footprints, the more famous your book looks to AI search engines, and so the more worthy of recommendations it is to them. Jo: Yes, and this is one reason why I now ask people, especially when you sell direct, or say you have a Kickstarter and you want reviews, I ask people if they can review on Goodreads. Obviously Goodreads is owned by Amazon, but it is far more searchable by the bots than Amazon is. I sometimes find that Amazon gets blocked. Or Amazon blocks some of the bots, let's put it that way. They might change over time. They own 15% of Anthropic or something. But Goodreads I feel like does get indexed, and I'm not willing to engage on Reddit. I know Reddit is another popular one. Just be very clear on social media, because some people think, oh, I just need loads of influencers to talk about my book, and that will impact the AIs. But I find that social media just almost isn't even there. Ricardo: It depends on which social media. For me, Reddit is a social medium, right? It's a very weird one, but it's obviously the number one social medium used by AI search engines, and it's pretty dodgy stuff with lots of conflicts of interest, because Google has a paid partnership with Reddit. I think Sam Altman has shares in Reddit. So both OpenAI and Google Gemini heavily rely on Reddit for their AI answers, right? If you ask anything from ChatGPT or Gemini, I'd say there are very high chances that in the sources and the citations of the answer, you're going to find Reddit, right? That goes for books as well. Every time you ask for book recommendations, Reddit is going to be big for those two AI search engines. Claude, it's a little bit different. They do have a little bit of a relationship with Reddit, but I don't think it's as big. I found that Claude relies heavily on Goodreads, not Reddit. To me, Goodreads is another social medium at the end of the day, right? It's not the kind of social medium we think of, like… Jo: It's not TikTok. Ricardo: It's not TikTok. TikTok is surfaced a little bit, but not that much. It might become more surfaced in the future, but right now what I've found is, it's really Reddit and Goodreads. Facebook, LinkedIn, but LinkedIn is big for nonfiction topics more than fiction, because there are just not a lot of fiction readers, sorry, talking about their favourite books on LinkedIn. They usually go to other places for that. Jo: Yes, it's really interesting. So obviously TikTok has its own BookTok thing, so some people are finding books on BookTok, and some people like me are finding books through asking Claude, and that's just my overwhelming feeling about the industry. We talked earlier about what's changed. When I started, so 2006, there wasn't even KDP, and then KDP arrives, then you came in 2014, and probably until maybe a few years after that, there was one way to self-publish. Then what's happened since is this kind of splintering. There are so many ways to self-publish. There are so many ways to reach readers. There are so many ways to market. So someone, for example, could sell direct on TikTok Shop, only market through TikTok, and you wouldn't even know that they existed over in another ecosystem, right? So do you feel like that's happened too, this total splintering? Ricardo: Absolutely. I think there are so many different ways in which you can reach your audience now and monetise it as well, that it's absolutely possible. We both know examples of authors who are only visible to their TikTok niche, right? I think the big difference is also monetisation, because earlier you also had different ways of becoming well-known. Like you had Facebook, you had potentially Twitter, back when it was Twitter. Various social media, word of mouth. But where people bought books was Amazon. So that was your monetisation. It was either selling your book on Amazon, or potentially getting KU reads after that when KU launched. Now you can sell on TikTok, you can sell direct, you can run Kickstarters, you can start a Patreon or Substack and make your money through there. There are pretty much infinite ways through which you can monetise your content as a creator. Most of those places will also have a discoverability engine built in, so you can not only sell through there and make money through there, but also grow an audience there. That's probably the biggest competition that Amazon has ever had to face, is this sort of splintering. For us authors and content creators in general, it's amazing, because it's a bunch of different opportunities. Jo: Yes, and I think probably that's circling back to marketing. As we've said, some things have changed, some things stay the same. Is the email list still the number one way to market, do you think, for authors who want a long-term career? Ricardo: I think so. It's just the one thing you really own that allows you to communicate with readers, right? Because even if you build a following on TikTok, TikTok can change. The things we said about Facebook 10 years ago, if you build your Facebook group, Facebook can change, and Facebook changed. Facebook destroyed the reach of pages, and now groups also aren't amazing, et cetera. So the same thing that happened to Facebook can happen to TikTok, can happen to any other social media. Substack is a bit of a hybrid because it is a newsletter, it is a mailing list, but it also has a discoverability engine built in. So I still wouldn't really go all in on Substack. The great advantage there is that you do own the emails, right? So you can move away from it at some point. For me, the email list is the one thing that you are completely in control of. Personally, the main thing I check is my emails every day. I spend more time in my inbox than anywhere else, and I think that's probably the case for most people. So I do think, despite the influx of mails that readers are getting in their inbox, I still think it's one of the most important marketing tools for authors. Jo: Yes, and I still remember when I started my list in December 2008, and I still have people on the list who've been with me that whole time, and have moved email list services several times as well. So I think that's important too. The care of that list too is so important. One of the things that I am annoyed about with Substack, I don't have a Substack, but when I follow some people's, it's always constantly trying to get you to sign up to other people's lists, trying to subscribe you to this or that or the other. I'm like, “That's so annoying.” Now I've found on all these email services they're trying to pair you with other creators and cross-promote and all of this. So it feels like even the email list is becoming a difficult place unless you really protect it. So just protecting your list, I think, and remembering that those are people. Those are people who've bought your books, or people who read your emails. Like people listening to this, these are humans. Sure, some bot might be looking at the transcript, but humans listening to this are individual humans with individual email lists. We tend to forget that, don't we, as you get a bigger list. You think about it as a big number, whereas it's still individual people. Ricardo: Yes, it becomes a number, it becomes metrics, the open rate, the click rate, and all that. But the great thing about email is that you get replies in your inbox. There you remember that they're actual human beings who write you back. I think for readers, the ability to write back to an author and get a response is just amazing, right? If you write to your favourite author and they write back to you, that's the best feeling ever as a reader. So I think email is still one of the best ways to turn your readers into fans and into super fans of your brand, by just interacting with them and answering them. Because yes, you can answer comments on TikTok, Facebook, and all those places, but it doesn't feel the same as an author answering you in your inbox, I feel. So you do get that ability to create a real connection with readers directly through email. Jo: Yes, and I think that trust and the reputation is so important. Just in terms of seeing the authors that you've seen over the years, like I said, you've been going to a lot of the author conferences. You know a lot of the authors in the industry. A lot of people will know you from events. But you've also seen authors come and go, and you've seen vendors come and go. Both of us have seen people arrive, and we'd be like, “Oh, yes, I wonder how long they're going to last.” Then some people do and some people don't. So what are some of the elements that you've noticed about the businesses that last more than a decade? Ricardo: I think they need to solve a genuine problem, or offer a genuinely better solution than one that already exists. I see a lot of businesses come in and they do what another vendor already does, without doing it necessarily better. Those businesses tend to disappear, or linger there, but you don't really hear about them again. When they solve a real need… I still remember when BookFunnel came out, and they've since become massive with one very, very basic thing, which is, “We will take care of delivering your ebook files to readers.” That's how they started, and that's how they became massive. To me at the time, I was like, “That seems like a very small problem,” because I can just email an ebook file. I didn't realise that it was so complicated for a lot of readers to upload files to their Kindle or other devices, and that having a service that takes care of that for you is just massively helpful. I realised that when I published my books, actually. So businesses that solve even micro or apparently very small problems, but they really solve them effectively, they stay. Others that surf on trends, they tend to disappear when the trend disappears. When there's a new marketing trend, and that trend stops working, then those businesses tend to go. Jo: Yes, and what about the authors who last? Because let's face it, most of us don't solve a problem in a different way. Maybe you could say we solve your entertainment problem in a different version to your last book. What about the authors who last long term? What have you noticed about them? Ricardo: Two things. So the first one… Maybe three things. First one is passion. I always say to people who are looking to start self-publishing, I always say that publishing in general is probably one of the worst ways to make money. It's awful. You can pick up any other occupation and it's probably going to be easier to make money. So writers who make a career do it because they need to write, because they have a passion for writing. So a lot of people who come into the industry thinking, “I've heard about all these self-publishing success stories. Surely I can write a book and I can market it. It's not that hard. So that's going to be a great way to make quick bucks,” those generally don't last, because they don't have that genuine passion. The first hurdle they're going to face—and there's going to be a bunch of them along the way—they're going to quit. The second thing is business sense, or business education, the basics of business, right? Thinking in terms of marketing, thinking in terms of who's my reader, unit economics. If I'm selling my books at $3.99, I shouldn't be spending a ton of money. If I just have one book at $3.99, I cannot afford to pay $5 on ads to generate a sale. So those kinds of basic economics or business knowledge, I think, if not a requirement, it's a massive plus. The third thing is resilience. The industry has changed a lot, as you mentioned. There are a bunch of ways now to reach an audience. There are a bunch of ways to make money. It can also be distracting, because you go to one of these conferences and you go back thinking, “Oh, I've got to create my own website, sell direct. I've got to launch my Substack. I have to use Claude Code for my ads,” and three more things, “and I have to set up my TikTok Shop and do TikTok Lives to sell books,” right? Jo: All of those by next week. That's why we go to the conference. Ricardo: Exactly. All those by next week, right? And during that one week after the conference, you have the energy to start implementing all those things, but afterwards you lose that energy and you go back to, “I just want to quit.” So you need to have some sort of resilience, and the business sense of, “Okay, I'm going to try this for the next six months, and I'm going to stick to it, and I'm going to see whether it works or not. And if it doesn't work, I'm not just going to despair. I'm going to try something else.” That goes for marketing tactics, but also goes for books. Most authors I know who make a living writing, they didn't get there with their first book or even their first series. A lot of times I see authors who write a couple of series, and those series do okay. They sell a little bit, but not much, and it doesn't afford them to quit their day job. Then suddenly, based on what they've learned with those first two series and what they've learned potentially going to conferences or listening to podcasts like this, et cetera, they write a third series that's a hit. That's a hit, and that's instantly much easier to market, and that's when they can afford to go full time and write full time, because they've found that sort of product market fit. And product market fit for me is the main thing for marketing in general and for authors in particular. Until you find that, everything is really difficult from a marketing perspective. But finding it usually requires writing more than one book and more than one series, because you're rarely going to get the big lottery ticket on the first try. Jo: Or ever. I think it's really important. I've never had a breakout book, but I've made good money every year. I think, and Hugh Howey said this, that the real story of self-publishing is not the people who make seven figures a year, it's the people who can go on a holiday once a year, or the people who can just put a bit towards their mortgage or whatever. So you may never have a breakout series. I think that's really important, too. Ricardo: That's true. Jo: That's true. You can just keep writing and make all right money and be what we call in the mid-list. Ricardo: Yes, but you've got to keep going. You've got to have that resilience to keep going, probably because it's your passion. Exactly. You're not chasing that seven figure series. You're writing because you need to write. Jo: Yes, and you can't stop, and you get the bug. I think when you're writing that first book, I'm not sure if people understand that you either get the bug or you don't, I think. You've written a couple of books now. Do you think you have the bug, or is it more about the business? Ricardo: I don't have the bug. I definitely don't have the bug. I would've kept writing otherwise. Jo: You're a technologist, right? Ricardo: Yes. I'm more of a technologist, more of a marketer. To write my first book, How to Market a Book, I actually had to write newsletters, because that I can manage, right? One newsletter a week. Now I don't even manage that. I send it once every two weeks when I can even manage that pace. But back then I did one newsletter a week, and that's how I wrote my first book. I then put all these newsletters together, and that was before the age of AI, so I couldn't just dump all that into ChatGPT and tell it, “Create me a book based on that.” I had to do it myself. Jo: Oh, terrible. Ricardo: Terrible, I know. The days when we had to work. No, but that was a really good experiment. The second book, Amazon Ads for Authors, I actually wrote it from scratch, and I didn't love the experience. I loved the finished product, I'm very proud of it, but I didn't enjoy the experience of writing it. Amazon Ads is not the most exciting topic in the world. Even for people like me, who actually enjoy Amazon Ads, it's not super exciting to write about. The fact of having to write that whole book from scratch, I didn't love the experience. So now I do want to write a third book at some point, but I think it'll probably be in the format of the first one. Like, when I finish my series of newsletters on AI search and AI discoverability, I might do a booklet or something around it, but we'll have to see. It's not my favourite thing. It's a good thing I don't need to. Good thing I'm not an author, basically. Jo: No, but I think that's really great to recognise. You actually have written books that support your business, and that is very common for nonfiction writers. That's completely normal for nonfiction authors. So I think that's another important thing for people to recognise, is that the reasons we write are different, the reasons we market are different, and we all have different approaches. As we wind up, and obviously you talked a bit there about how easy it is to generate books with AI, and that is probably one of the biggest things that people are worried about. Now, those of us like you and I have been talking about AI at conferences and things for years now. Neither of us are afraid of it, I think basically because both of us use it, and we're technologists, so we just get on with it. There is so much fear in the community. There's so much negativity. You mentioned Substack, and now they've integrated Pangram, which is renowned for false positives around what is written with AI, and so people are very worried. If we look forward and we look at the next decade, this is not going away. This is going to change a lot of things. So how should authors be thinking about AI, do you think, if they want to prepare for the next decade? Ricardo: I think they need to play around with it, because you and I know that until you actually use it, you don't realise what it's capable of. We've both had these moments of “Oh my God, I'm going to be out of a job,” or “Oh my God, this is incredible,” the kind of things it's able to do. You also realise by using it the things it's not great at, or the things it can be good at but needing a lot of human input. There are courses out there, there are books, there are a lot of things, but for me, the most important thing is to start playing around with it. So you can pick one specific topic to play around with. Either something that you've been meaning to get into for years and haven't done, or something that really annoys you. Looking at the results of your Facebook ads, for example. If you run Facebook ads in the first place, and when you log into your Meta dashboard you cannot make sense of it, take screenshots or download the data, feed it to an AI chat, and talk with it. One of my biggest tips when talking to AI chats is asking them questions rather than asking them for things to do. Because if you just feed it your advertising data and you tell it, “Tell me what I should do,” the chat has no context about what your ads are about, what your goal is, et cetera, et cetera. If you feed it just a screenshot and you say, “Here are my ads. I would like you to help me make sense of them. What do you need to know from me in order to help me with this?” Then it's going to start asking you questions. “Okay, what are you advertising?” They're books. “Okay, what kind of books? Where are you selling? Are your ads going straight to Amazon or retailers, or are they going to your website? If you sell direct, okay, are these conversion ads?” Et cetera, et cetera. So you build that context, and they can help you with it. So that's just one example, but I would pick one thing that you want to test AI with, with zero expectations. Don't expect that by the end of the week you'll have a full system for understanding your Meta ads thanks to AI. You might get to that or you might not, but at least you'll play with it and you'll understand its capabilities, and have a sort of understanding of how it works and how you can potentially use it for other things. I think that's the best way to adapt, because once you play with it, you start thinking. You're walking the dog and you're just thinking, “Ha, I could maybe use it for this thing or that other thing,” and that's how you progressively become more familiar with it. I think there are a lot of worries around AI, but as you say, it's there to stay. So far, I think I was looking at data this morning, and the unemployment rate in the US has stayed stable ever since ChatGPT was introduced two years ago. So there are a lot of narratives out there around how it's going to replace humans, it's going to replace jobs, et cetera, which it might do. I'm not great at predictions usually, but so far it hasn't. What it will definitely do, however, is completely change the way we work. Obviously AI was one of our big reckonings at Reedsy, because we run a marketplace. Our main business model is the marketplace, where authors come in and look for editors, for marketers, for cover designers, for translators, and some of these domains and services are being transformed by AI, right? AI translations are massive right now. We haven't really seen a decline at all on the Reedsy marketplace, but we're prepared for it. It might very well happen, but what we think is happening, or is going to happen, is professionals using AI tools to provide a better output or a faster output or a cheaper output, or all three of these things. So for example, we now have literary translators who say they're open to editing AI translations, right? So you can come in, you can have your book translated with AI, whichever tool or method you choose for that. Then if you want a set of human eyes on it, you can hire a literary translator who's open to working on an AI-translated manuscript, and that's obviously going to be much, much cheaper than paying 10 cents per word from scratch for a literary translator. I'm not necessarily recommending you completely bypass literary translators, or that you go this way, but you have options, right? You have options for different sets of budgets. I think all these human editors, narrators, translators, designers, et cetera, they're not going to disappear, but they might have to reinvent the way they work in the future. Jo: As we all are doing. As you say, for me mostly it's the business side, getting Claude to help me with business stuff. Like even bookkeeping. There are bills that we've all been paying for years that we can now maybe reduce, and reducing costs as well as increasing profit is obviously good business sense. So, interesting times. But just as we wrap up, what are you excited about in what's coming? How do you see Reedsy shaping up in the next decade? What is coming for you and Reedsy? Ricardo: We're really excited about the decade to come, because obviously 10 years for a startup is a long time. I think most startups after 10 years, the founders are gone. Jo: Yes. Ricardo: Or they've exited or they've sold or whatever. We've stayed, we're the same founders, and we're still as excited because I think we have new products, right? We're working on new things. As I mentioned at the beginning of the episode, Reedsy Studio, our writing tool, is probably one of the things we're most excited about, because first, it's getting adopted very fast. It has startup-like growth that we hadn't seen for other products in a long time, and it has very cool technology built in. We probably have a team of 10, 15 engineers now working full time on it and adding a lot of things. So we've added templates for plotting your book, with relationships within different characters and places and magic systems and things like that. We've added writing goals and writing statistics. We still have the free exports. One very cool thing we've added is real time collaboration. So just like Google Docs, you can write in real time with a co-author, or you can get an editor to work in there live with track changes. So you could have an editor working on chapter one while you're writing chapter three, for example. That kind of thing. It's really powerful technology, and that's one of the things we're really excited about for the future. A business, just like authors, we've got to reinvent ourselves. We've got to find ways to keep things exciting and keep motivated, and that is definitely one of them. When adoption goes along with it, then that's obviously super satisfying. Jo: Brilliant. So where can people find you and Reedsy online? Ricardo: So Reedsy you can find at reedsy.com, R-E-E-D-S-Y.com. And there you'll find the whole suite of tools and services. For me, you can find me mostly by email, as I mentioned. That's the one place I check consistently every day, and my email address is ricardo@reedsy.com. So again, R-E-E-D-S-Y.com and ricardo@reedsy.com. You can email me any questions you have about this episode, about AI book discoverability, about marketing, about Reedsy. I always try to answer every email I get, because I think when we started Reedsy, I really appreciated people like you, and some other agents and editors and authors we contacted who were influential in the industry, who actually answered us and took the time to do that. So now I try to answer every email I get, because I feel like we've been very lucky in the beginning to have those people answering our emails, so we should do the same. Jo: Oh, well, thanks so much for your time, Ricardo. That was great. Ricardo: Thank you, Jo. Thanks for having me again.The post Book Marketing, AI Book Discoverability, And Resilience, With Ricardo Fayet first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Stuart Anderson spent more than two decades building a successful career in law and business. Then federal investigators knocked on his door and said they only wanted to talk. Believing he had nothing to hide, Stuart invited them inside—a decision that marked the beginning of a nightmare he never imagined.After becoming involved in a federal investment fraud investigation connected to escrow transactions, Stuart pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He received a 48-month federal prison sentence and lost the law license and professional identity he had spent years building.Stuart joins Brent Cassity to discuss the FBI interview, the pressure of the federal plea-bargaining system, hearing a judge sentence him to four years, and entering prison during the isolation of COVID. He also describes the punishment that continued after his release, including applying for more than 600 professional positions while facing the stigma of a fraud conviction.Today, Stuart serves as Vice President of Research, Education & Programs at the Justice Restoration Foundation. He is using his legal education, business experience, and firsthand knowledge of incarceration to advance justice reform, government accountability, and second-chance opportunity.This is a story about losing a career, rebuilding an identity, finding faith and purpose, and learning that surrender does not mean giving up.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson www.mynameissaffron.com, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

Outsourcing podcast Get the full show notes for this outsourcing podcast here: outsourceaccelerator.com/600   Andrew Kokes joins the Outsource Accelerator Podcast after nearly three decades in outsourcing marketing, most of it in senior in-house roles including chief marketing officer. He has now launched Pivot AI Global to help mid-market BPOs solve a fast-growing problem: how to get discovered when buyers ask AI instead of Google. The conversation is a practical look at how search is changing, how AI answer engines actually pick who to recommend, and what outsourcing firms should do about it.   References: Website: https://pivotaiglobal.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pivot-ai-global/   Start Outsourcing Outsource Accelerator can help you transform your business with outsourcing. Get in touch now, or use one of the resources below.   Business Process Outsourcing Get a Free Quote - Connect with 3 verified outsourcing experts & see how outsourcing can transform your business Book a Discovery Call - See how Outsource Accelerator can help you enhance your company's innovation and growth with outsourcing The Top 40 BPOs - We have compiled this review of the most notable 40 Business Process Outsourcing companies in the Philippines Outsourcing Calculator - This tool provides you with invaluable insight into the potential savings outsourcing can do for your business Outsourcing Salary Guide - Access the comprehensive guide to payroll salary compensation, benefits, and allowances in the Philippines Outsourcing Accelerator Podcast - Subscribe and listen to the world's leading outsourcing podcast, hosted by Derek Gallimore Payoneer - The leading global B2B payment solution for the outsourcing industry   About Outsource Accelerator Outsource Accelerator is the world's leading outsourcing marketplace and advisory. We offer the full spectrum of services, from light advisory and vendor brokerage, though to full implementation and fully-managed solutions. We service companies of all sectors, and all sizes, spanning all departmental verticals. Outsource Accelerator's unique approach to outsourcing enables our clients to build the best teams, access the most flexible solutions, and generate the best results possible. Our unrivaled sector knowledge and market reach mean that you get the best terms and results possible, at the best ALL-IN market-leading price - guaranteed.

Your marketing strategy could already be outdated, and August's biggest platform updates prove it. In this episode, Emma breaks down four timely changes shaping how brands create content, build trust, and improve online discovery as you prepare for Q4. First, LinkedIn's reported test of an AI-generated content flag signals a growing preference for writing that sounds unmistakably human. Next, Meta's Holiday Insights Center and marketing playbook are offering new resources for planning campaigns before the burst of Q4 competition and advertising costs. Emma also explores Pinterest's connection between brand keywords and stronger return on ad spend. Finally, you'll learn about how Reddit's continued audience growth highlights the increasing value of community conversations, reputation management, and authentic word of mouth. These updates show what you need to prioritize to stay visible and competitive across a rapidly changing digital landscape in August 2026.     Listen in as Emma explains: Why human perspective is outperforming AI-generated content on LinkedIn How Meta's new resources can improve your early Q4 planning Why Pinterest keywords help with product discovery and advertising returns How Reddit influences your place in the market   And much, much more!  

Welcome to the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, hosted by Kripa Anand. Today, we explore corporate customer acquisition pipelines and marketing ROI optimization across mature industries. Joining us is Dr. Khatereh Pourasadollahi, a marketing executive and researcher with over 11 years of experience. She serves on the BBB Board for British Columbia and Yukon, championing ethics and marketplace trust. Key Highlights Ad Failures: Structural gaps that make paid ads ineffective. AI & Discovery: How AI reshapes consumer search and brand visibility. Data to Action: Turning raw marketing metrics into strategic decisions. Budget Optimization: Prioritizing spend to maximize results on limited budgets. Trust & Value: How ethics and marketplace trust drive long-term corporate value. Special Thanks to Our Partners: UPS: https://solutions.ups.com/ca-beunstoppable.html?WT.mc_id=BUSMEWA ADP Canada: https://www.adp.ca/en.aspx For more expert insights, visit https://canadiansme.ca/ and subscribe to the CanadianSME Small Business Magazine. Stay innovative, stay informed, and thrive in the digital age! To learn more about how we are supporting the ecosystem, please visit the CanadianSME Small Business Foundation at https://smbfoundation.ca/. Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as direct financial or business advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation.

Chris L. Young was only 22 years old when a federal judge sentenced him to two mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole under federal drug laws.Most believed his story was over.Instead, Chris transformed his life from inside a prison cell through education, discipline, and an unshakable belief that "Your mentality equals your reality."Then something almost unimaginable happened.The very judge who sentenced Chris—Judge Kevin Sharp—came to believe the punishment was unjust. Judge Sharp resigned from the federal bench and became one of Chris's strongest advocates, working alongside attorney Brittany K. Barnett, Kim Kardashian, and others to help secure executive clemency.In 2021, President Donald Trump granted Chris executive clemency, ending more than a decade behind bars.Today, Chris is a bestselling author of The Wound Is Where the Light Enters, an SMU graduate, entrepreneur, speaker, and nationally recognized advocate for criminal justice reform.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson www.mynameissaffron.com, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

In this episode, Matt & Lauren examine the content and strategies that inspire one-time customers to become devoted, loyal fans of your brand. Give your customers, readers, fans, and casual visitors a reason to come back again and again and again…

If knowledge I gave a company five, ten, or twenty years ago is still generating value for them, why does the payroll relationship get to end while the value extraction doesn't? That's the question driving this episode. I read and respond to an excerpt from a LinkedIn post by a former colleague about AI systems that capture and index employee knowledge — the recordings, conversations, and stories that make expertise valuable — so all of it stays discoverable inside a company long after the person who generated it has left. Long-term extraction, in other words. My issue isn't with the AI capability itself. It's with the assumption sitting underneath the post: that a company can capture, index, and reuse a person's stories, judgment, and point of view indefinitely, without renegotiating consent, ownership, or compensation as the relationship changes. I trace it through consent, accountability, discoverability infrastructure, reputation risk, and the crux of it for me: compensation. Key themes Consent has an expiry problem. Recording something while employed isn't the same as consenting to its indefinite reuse after departure. Accountability gets murky once context changes. If old material is repurposed years later and it backfires, who answers for it? The person who said it, or the company that recontextualized it? Discoverability is infrastructure. Making knowledge "searchable" means it gets indexed, pattern-matched, and interpreted, which raises the attribution question: am I cited as the source, and do I have any say in that? Reputation and digital footprint are at stake, especially if it's a company or context I no longer want to be associated with. The employment contract has changed. Call it the Hotel California Clause: you can leave the company any time you like, but your value never does. Payroll used to be the deal: compensation flows while you're actively contributing. Indefinite knowledge capture breaks that link. The value keeps flowing. The payroll doesn't. This isn't limited to employees. Contractors, freelancers, and consultants recorded and captured through AI face the same exposure, and it's nowhere in their contracts. Whose knowledge "counts" in the first place. I raise the open question of whether ageism, racism, or misogyny shapes whose expertise gets flagged as valuable enough to capture and monetize. Regulatory retention sits in tension with all of this. At my old employer in financial services, everything was already subject to audit and kept on record for six or seven years: recordings, emails, anything written. That's extraction for compliance rather than knowledge-mining, but it's still capture and retention I didn't fully control. I don't resolve that tension here. Where regulatory retention ends and unregulated knowledge-mining begins deserves its own conversation. Reflection questions Use these for journaling, discussion, or a follow-up episode: What consent does a company actually have to use my recorded conversations, stories, and expertise after I've left? If information I provided years ago is repurposed and the context has shifted, who is accountable when it backfires: me or the company? If a company builds infrastructure to make my captured knowledge discoverable, indexed, and pattern-matched, do I have any say in how I'm cited or attributed? If a former employer is one I no longer want to be associated with, what recourse do I have over how my past contributions continue to represent me? If my knowledge is valuable enough to keep generating value years after I've left, why doesn't the compensation relationship continue too? Has the employment contract changed, from "paid for your labor while employed" to "paid for your labor, but your knowledge stays extractable indefinitely"? Does this exposure extend beyond employees to contractors, freelancers, and consultants? Is it addressed anywhere in those agreements? Whose knowledge gets deemed valuable enough to capture in the first place? Is there bias (age, race, gender) in that determination? What would it take to make this explicit: legislation, individual negotiation, or structural change at the organizational level? As AI capture of video, writing, and audio becomes normalized, what belongs in a contract today that wasn't there before? One-line takeaway The post calls it preserving wisdom. I'm asking who owns that wisdom once the relationship ends, and why consent and compensation don't get renegotiated along the way. This is an Assumption-Ground Audit This whole episode is the Assumption-Ground Audit in action, pointed at a LinkedIn post instead of a policy. The AGA is the method I use to surface the assumption sitting underneath a decision before it calcifies into precedent. The question is never whether the technology is good or bad. The question is what everyone is treating as already-settled that hasn't actually been agreed to. Here, the unexamined assumption is the Hotel California Clause itself: that indefinite capture and reuse of an employee's knowledge is simply part of the deal, and that consent, attribution, and compensation don't need renegotiating just because the mechanism changed from "someone remembers what you said" to "a system indexes it forever." That's the kind of assumption the AGA is built to catch before you build infrastructure, policy, or a vendor relationship on top of it. If you're building AI systems that touch employee knowledge, client data, or institutional memory, those assumptions are hardening into your roadmap right now, whether anyone has examined them or not. If you want to know what they are before they're impossible to walk back, let's have a conversation. Work with me on an Assumption-Ground Audit →

Carlos Falcón: Rebuilding the Insurance Core for AI, Venture Scouting and the Frontier Firm Insurance does not have an innovation shortage. It has an absorption problem. In this episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VanderLinden sits down with Carlos Cendra Falcón, Scouting and Investment Lead at MAPFRE Open Innovation, to explore one of the most pressing questions facing insurers today: can the core of the institution actually absorb the intelligence, ventures, platforms and partnerships being scouted around the world? Carlos brings a pragmatic perspective from inside one of the world's leading insurance groups. Having helped evaluate more than 2,500 startups and accelerate around forty into enterprise integration, he understands that innovation is not about finding exciting technology—it's about identifying capabilities that solve meaningful business problems and can be embedded into a complex global insurer. As AI reshapes discovery, distribution, underwriting, and customer interaction, insurers face a deeper transformation than digitalization alone can provide. Hybrid distribution models, machine-to-machine commerce, embedded insurance, and intelligent agents are changing how insurance is bought, sold, and delivered. Success will depend less on adding new technologies and more on rebuilding the organizational foundations that allow innovation to scale. This conversation is essential listening for CEOs, COOs, Chief Innovation Officers, venture leaders, product executives and insurance decision-makers navigating the shift from digital experimentation to AI-enabled enterprise transformation. KEY TAKEAWAYS Innovation is no longer the constraint facing insurance. The real challenge is whether our organizations are capable of absorbing innovation in a way that creates lasting value. Carlos reminded me that partnerships alone cannot transform an insurer if the underlying organization lacks the architecture, governance, and operating model needed to integrate them. Before looking outward for the next breakthrough, leaders need to strengthen the institutional core that will allow innovation to scale. I was particularly struck by Carlos' reframing of venture scouting. Rather than acting as a matchmaking exercise between startups and business units, scouting should become a strategic intelligence capability. Its purpose is to detect meaningful market signals, understand emerging technologies, and identify solutions that directly address strategic priorities. The question is never whether a startup is impressive; it is whether it is genuinely useful to the institution and capable of improving the business in measurable ways. Our discussion also reinforced how AI is fundamentally changing the insurance value chain. As customers increasingly rely on AI assistants and autonomous agents to search for, compare, and purchase products, insurers must prepare for a world in which machines—not people—interact with their systems. Discoverability, machine-readable products, and seamless digital connectivity will become as important as customer experience itself. Ultimately, Carlos challenged us to think beyond digitization. The frontier insurer will not simply modernize existing processes—it will redesign itself around risk intelligence, ecosystem collaboration and adaptive execution, while remaining anchored to insurance's enduring purpose: helping people navigate the risks that shape their lives.   BEST MOMENTS "You cannot partner your way out of a weak core." – Sabine VanderLinden (00:01:10) "Some initiatives are truly transformational, and some are simply a consequence of FOMO. You want to stay close to what's happening without necessarily bringing it into the business." – Carlos Cendra Falcón (00:03:32) "Sometimes the best-in-class solution isn't the best fit for your organization." – Carlos Cendra Falcón (00:15:23) "Scouting is not provider matchmaking. It's a strategic approach to solving business problems." – Carlos Cendra Falcón (00:17:08) "You need to tackle one of the lines in your P&L or your balance sheet. Otherwise, you're just there to look nice in the picture." – Carlos Cendra Falcón (00:16:28) "Machines don't care how pretty your website is." – Carlos Cendra Falcón (00:20:50) "You need to have the information available, well structured, and you need to be able to talk to the machine." – Carlos Cendra Falcón (00:21:00) "The question is never whether a startup is interesting. It is whether it is institutionally useful." – Sabine VanderLinden (00:24:42) "We are here to help people navigate the risks they're facing in their lives, with their property, their health and their way of life." – Carlos Cendra Falcón (00:22:18) "First understand what an insurance company should look like in 2035, then design the roadmap that gets you there." – Carlos Cendra Falcón (00:23:32)   ABOUT THE GUEST Carlos Cendra Falcón is Scouting and Investment Lead at MAPFRE Open Innovation, where he works at the intersection of insurance transformation, venture ecosystems, and corporate strategy. His role focuses on identifying the startups, technologies, and ecosystem partners that can help MAPFRE respond to new risks, new business models, operational challenges, and changing customer behaviors. Carlos's work is grounded in the practical realities of transforming a large, global insurer. He focuses on detecting early signals across AI, embedded insurance, human–machine interaction, real-time risk intelligence, and preventative insurance, translating market signals into strategic partnerships and investment opportunities that help incumbents move beyond experimentation.   ABOUT THE HOST Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet. If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights. And if you're interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at hello@alchemycrew.ventures

In this unforgettable episode of Nightmare Success, Brent Cassity sits down with former Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Kent McGowen to hear the story that has defined more than three decades of his life.Kent shares how his dream of serving in law enforcement led to a career as a police officer before everything changed following the fatal shooting of Susan White while serving an arrest warrant. His first conviction was overturned on appeal because of legal error, but after a second trial in 2002, another jury convicted him of murder.Throughout the conversation, Kent explains why he continues to maintain his innocence, why he believes rumor and innuendo overshadowed the facts, and how he survived years of public scrutiny, prison, and the loss of his career. He also discusses his book, Reasonable Doubts: How Rumor and Innuendo Convicted Deputy Kent McGowen of Murder, and why he believes it's important for people to hear his perspective.This episode explores far more than a criminal case. It is a conversation about justice, resilience, identity, faith, perseverance, and what it takes to rebuild a life after everything you've worked for has been stripped away.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson www.mynameissaffron.com, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

In this episode, we break down what it really takes to make data readily available and discoverable. Our guests explain how their teams use data catalogs, organize metadata, manage code, and build systems that make data easier to find, maintain, and update. From there, we explore the challenges of data management, such as fragmented data, lack of standardization, and low adoption. Finally, we explore what's next for data discoverability strategies in the future. If you're trying to make your organization's data easier to use, this episode offers a clear, practical look at what works, and what doesn't. The information presented during the podcast reflects solely the opinions of the presenter. The information and materials are not, and are not intended as, a comprehensive source of drug information on this topic. The contents of the podcast have not been reviewed by ASHP, and should neither be interpreted as the official policies of ASHP, nor an endorsement of any product(s), nor should they be considered as a substitute for the professional judgment of the pharmacist or physician.

What happens when your entire life changes overnight?Former Arkansas State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson appeared to have it all—a successful legal career, a respected position in public office, and a future in politics. Then a federal investigation changed everything.In this powerful episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, host Brent Cassity sits down with Jeremy to discuss the personal journey behind the headlines. Jeremy opens up about growing up in one of Arkansas' most prominent political families, serving in the Arkansas Legislature, facing federal prosecution, making the difficult decision to plead guilty, serving time in federal prison, and eventually receiving a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump.But this conversation isn't about reliving the past.It's about what happens after it.Jeremy shares the emotional toll prison took on his family, the unexpected brotherhood he discovered behind bars, the lessons he learned about identity and purpose, and why he now dedicates his life to criminal justice reform as Director of Strategic Initiatives for Unify.US.This episode is an honest conversation about accountability, resilience, redemption, and discovering that your worst chapter doesn't have to define the rest of your story.If you've ever faced failure, loss, public judgment, or wondered whether people truly deserve a second chance, this episode is for you.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson www.mynameissaffron.com, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

How does a respected university professor lose everything?Dr. Julie Howell spent decades building a successful career in higher education, earning the respect of colleagues and mentoring future educators. From the outside, she appeared to have it all.But behind the success was a lifetime of hidden trauma, overwhelming personal challenges, and a gambling addiction that quietly became an escape from reality.Eventually, those choices led to a federal conviction, a year in federal prison, and the loss of the career she had spent decades building.In this deeply honest conversation, Dr. Howell shares the story behind the headlines—including childhood trauma, raising a daughter through addiction and sex trafficking, facing the consequences of her own actions, and learning how accountability became the first step toward rebuilding her life.This isn't a conversation about excuses.It's a conversation about addiction, responsibility, forgiveness, and the possibility of redemption after public failure.If you've ever wondered how successful people can quietly struggle—or whether it's possible to rebuild after losing everything—this episode is for you.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson www.mynameissaffron.com, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

Send us Fan MailEveryone tells authors they need a platform—but what does that actually mean in today's publishing landscape?In this episode of Talking Book Publishing, Kathleen and Adanna sit down with podcasting and content marketing expert Tracy Hazzard to unpack what an effective author platform looks like today. Tracy explains why social media followers aren't the same as a true platform, why your website should serve as the foundation of your marketing, and how creating consistent content can build lasting authority that continues working long after a single post disappears from a social feed.The conversation also explores practical ways authors can begin building a platform before their book launches. From choosing the right content format—whether that's blogging, podcasting, video, or Substack—to establishing a consistent publishing rhythm, Tracy shares actionable strategies that help authors attract readers, increase discoverability, and build credibility in an increasingly competitive marketplace. If you've ever wondered where to start with book marketing, this episode offers a clear roadmap focused on building your audience rather than chasing algorithms.In this episode, you'll learn: Why your website—not social media—is the foundation of your author platform.  The difference between building followers and building an audience you own.  How consistent content improves discoverability and builds authority.  Why authors should choose the content format they enjoy most.  Practical first steps for creating a sustainable marketing platform before your book launches.Connect With UsKathleen: kathleenkaiser.comAdanna: maddannastudio.comPodcast listeners receive a special 20% off all ProBookLaunch products. Use code TBPLISTENER20 at checkout.Have a topic or guest suggestion?Email us at podcast@talkingbookpublishing.todayJoin the conversation on Instagram: @writerspubsnet

How Peer-Reviewed Evidence Drives AI Discoverability If a potential buyer asked an AI chatbot which companies are leading in your space, would your company come up? And if it did, would the answer be positive? On this episode, host Adam Turinas sits down with Paul Wicks, Founder and Chief Evidence Officer of ProofStack Health, and colleague Mark Erwich, Chief Strategy Officer of Health Launchpad, to dig into an underappreciated aspect of B2B health tech: the power of hard evidence.

Exonerated twice. Jimmie Gardner was living his dream as a professional baseball prospect with the Chicago Cubs when a wrongful conviction stole 27 years of his life. After decades behind bars, relentless legal work, and unwavering faith, he finally proved his innocence and walked free.But his nightmare wasn't over.In this deeply personal conversation with Brent Cassity, Jimmie shares the emotional, spiritual, and legal journey of surviving wrongful imprisonment, rebuilding his life, and facing another false accusation after his release.This episode explores justice, resilience, forgiveness, hope, and the extraordinary strength required to overcome unimaginable adversity.If you've ever wondered how someone survives losing everything—and still chooses purpose over bitterness—this is an episode you won't forget.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson www.mynameissaffron.com, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter Irvin Mayfield Jr. joins Brent Cassity for an unforgettable conversation about success, public failure, federal prison, and rebuilding a meaningful life.Once celebrated as New Orleans' Cultural Ambassador and one of the world's premier jazz musicians, Irvin reached the highest levels of artistic success before finding himself facing federal prosecution and incarceration.Rather than focusing only on the headlines, this episode explores the deeper questions: What is success? What happens when your identity is stripped away? How do you recover after public failure?Irvin shares powerful lessons on resilience, radical responsibility, mentorship, humility, purpose, and why prison ultimately changed how he sees life.This is a conversation about music, leadership, forgiveness, and discovering that your greatest accomplishment may come after your greatest setback.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson www.mynameissaffron.com, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

If a potential buyer asked an AI chatbot which companies are leading in your space, would your company come up? And if it did, would the answer be positive?In this episode, I sit down with Paul Wicks, Founder and Chief Evidence Officer of ProofStack Health, and my colleague Mark Erwich, Chief Strategy Officer of Health Launchpad, to dig into an underappreciated aspect of B2B health tech: the power of hard evidence.Not case studies. Not testimonials. Published, peer-reviewed proof.Paul brings a fascinating backstory to this conversation. A neuropsychologist by training, he spent years in academic research and then at PatientsLikeMe, where he helped publish over 110 peer-reviewed papers proving that patient-generated data could stand up to the highest standards of scientific scrutiny. That journey became the foundation for ProofStack Health, which has now helped more than 50 companies publish over 200 peer-reviewed papers.What makes this episode especially timely is the connection between evidence strategy and the way buyers are now researching vendors. Buyers are increasingly turning to ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity instead of Google, and those tools weight peer-reviewed scientific evidence heavily. Paul walks us through exactly how that works, including a remarkable case study on Ada Health, a company that consistently surfaces in AI search results as the best-evidenced AI symptom checker in the market. He also explains why the process of building an evidence base does not have to take years, and how conference abstracts can serve as a practical, fast-moving starting point.Mark brings the marketer's perspective throughout, drawing on his own experience co-authoring scientific papers and connecting Paul's framework to real-world content strategy, sales enablement, and trade show programs.If you are wondering how to get your company found when buyers are no longer Googling, this is an episode worth your full attention.Key Topics Covered"(00:00:00)" Introduction"(00:03:30)" Paul's background"(00:07:00)" The founding of ProofStack Health"(00:09:00)" What ProofStack does"(00:13:00)" The Ada Health case study"(00:15:00)" Mark's reaction"(00:17:30)" The shift in buyer behavior"(00:18:30)" How LLMs weigh evidence"(00:23:00)" Health Launchpad's AI optimization practice and how to get cited by LLMs"(00:24:00)" Open access and discoverability"(00:27:00)" How ProofStack structures an evidence roadmap"(00:29:00)" Mark on putting evidence to work in marketing"(00:32:00)" The importance of plain-language titles"(00:34:00)" Signals of trust"(00:35:00)" Paul's closing takeaway"(00:37:00)" Mark's closing takeaway"(00:38:30)" Adam's five key takeaways from the conversationIf you are interested in discussing this or any other topic, let's have a chat.  Reach out to me directly to schedule a no-obligation discussion. This isn't a sales call, but rather an opportunity to talk through your questions and challenges.Follow me on LinkedIn.Subscribe to The Healthtech Marketing Show on Spotify or watch us on YouTube for more insights into marketing, AI, ABM, buyer journeys, and beyond!Thank you to our presenting sponsor, HealthcareNOW, 24/7 expert shows, interviews, and podcasts, powering healthcare leaders with innovation, policy, and strategy insights.

For nearly eighteen years, Damien lived inside a prison cell waiting for the state to execute him.Most people know the story of the West Memphis Three. They know the headlines, the documentaries, the controversy, and the legal battle that ultimately led to Damien's release in 2011.But this isn't just a story about a murder case. It's a story about survival. About finding purpose inside a six-by-nine-foot cell.About holding onto hope when the world has already written your ending. About refusing to let bitterness define your future.While sitting on death row, Damien immersed himself in books, spirituality, meditation, and personal growth. He built a mindset strong enough to survive one of the harshest realities imaginable. And when freedom finally came after nearly two decades behind bars, he faced a challenge many never consider—how do you learn to live after surviving death row?Since his release, Damien has reinvented himself as an artist, speaker, spiritual teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. His memoir, Life After Death, gave readers an intimate look at surviving prison, reclaiming freedom, and rebuilding a life that many thought had been lost forever. Today, he continues to inspire people around the world through his writing, teaching, and advocacy.Now, with his new book, Alchemy of the Blade, arriving this September, Damien is continuing his exploration of transformation, resilience, and the extraordinary power of the human spirit.Today, Damien Echols joins us to talk about life on death row, freedom after prison, the lessons that kept him alive, and what happens when your worst nightmare becomes the foundation for a remarkable second act.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson www.mynameissaffron.com, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

We are here today in Portland, Oregon, at the Independent Publishers' Booksellers Association conference. During the Independent Book Publishers Association Conference in Portland, OR, Keith Riegert spoke about the changes in the Amazon algorithm and how, given a good book, discoverability is an author's major challenge. He explained how AI is a tool to solve this. Keith is the president of The Stable Book Group and CEO of Brooklyn-based independent publishing companies, Ulysses Press and VeloPress Books. Keith is also CEO of Perfect Bound Technologies Corporation and a co-founder of the book publicity and digital marketing firm, Pacific & Court. Keith is a member of the board of advisors at NYU's School of Professional Studies in the Center for Publishing, where he also teaches Analytics and Consumer Insights. Keith also serves on the boards of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and the AI firm, Inkbloom. Learn more at www.keithriegert.com/

We are here today in Portland, Oregon, at the Independent Publishers' Booksellers Association conference. During the Independent Book Publishers Association Conference in Portland, OR, Keith Riegert spoke about the changes in the Amazon algorithm and how, given a good book, discoverability is an author's major challenge. He explained how AI is a tool to solve this. Keith is the president of The Stable Book Group and CEO of Brooklyn-based independent publishing companies, Ulysses Press and VeloPress Books. Keith is also CEO of Perfect Bound Technologies Corporation and a co-founder of the book publicity and digital marketing firm, Pacific & Court. Keith is a member of the board of advisors at NYU's School of Professional Studies in the Center for Publishing, where he also teaches Analytics and Consumer Insights. Keith also serves on the boards of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and the AI firm, Inkbloom. Learn more at www.keithriegert.com/ United Public Radio & UFO Paranormal Radio www.uprntalkradio.com

Rashmi Airan had it all—an Ivy League education, a successful law career, and a bright future.Then everything changed.After becoming entangled in a mortgage fraud scheme during the housing boom, Rashmi faced federal prosecution, prison, and the public collapse of the life she had spent decades building.But prison did not become her ending.Today, Rashmi is a globally recognized keynote speaker who has spoken for companies including Coca-Cola, Deloitte, Merck, Comcast, Caesars Entertainment, Hershey's, and GE Healthcare. Through her Rise Through It® framework and her new book ALL RISE, she helps leaders transform adversity into courage, accountability, and growth.In this unforgettable conversation with Brent Cassity, Rashmi shares her journey from ambition and success to failure, prison, and ultimately purpose.This is a story of owning your mistakes, rebuilding trust, and discovering that your worst moment does not have to define your future.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson www.mynameissaffron.com, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

Scott Maddox spent decades at the center of Florida politics.He served as Mayor of Tallahassee, chaired the Florida Democratic Party, and ran statewide campaigns for Attorney General and Governor. He was widely viewed as one of Florida's rising political stars.Then came the federal investigation, public scandal, conviction, and prison sentence that changed everything.In this candid conversation, Scott joins Brent Cassity to discuss the pressures of politics, the realities of federal prosecution, surviving a public downfall, life inside federal prison, and the difficult road to rebuilding after losing power, reputation, and freedom.This episode is ultimately about resilience, accountability, and discovering who you are when the titles, status, and influence are stripped away.If you've ever faced failure, public criticism, or a life-changing setback, Scott's story offers a powerful perspective on surviving the fall and finding purpose on the other side.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson www.mynameissaffron.com, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

Welcome to the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence.In today's episode, we dive into the “new gold rush” of health marketing: AI search. Joining us is Vincent Grippi, founder and CEO of Grippi Media, a seasoned expert with over sixteen years of experience crafting digital marketing strategies for both startups and Fortune 500 brands. Featured in AdWeek, Business Insider, Fierce Healthcare, and Marketing Dive, Vincent has become a key thinker on the future of marketing, especially as AI rapidly reshapes the landscape of how consumers find and trust information.As AI-driven search tools become more prevalent, marketers face a barrage of new acronyms, shifting priorities, and a swirl of tools promising the next competitive advantage. But is all this hype justified or is confusion clouding marketers' judgment? Sara Payne and Vincent Grippi discuss the challenges, myths, and real strategies for thriving in the world of AI search, uncovering what businesses should and shouldn't be chasing in the age of rapidly evolving algorithms.Key Takeaways:1. SEO Fundamentals Still Rule Ignore the Hype Around New AcronymsDespite the explosion in AI search tools and terminology, Vincent stresses that marketers don't need to throw out their SEO playbooks. Google has clarified that AEO and GEO are myths; strong, traditional SEO remains the foundation for ranking and discoverability in AI search results (03:02, 06:23). Chasing new acronyms or unproven tools is likely to waste time and resources.2. Chasing Hacks and Tool-Based Shortcuts is Risky (and Costly)Vincent warns against “hacks” like AI-generated spam content or gaming platforms like Reddit, which may yield short-term wins but almost always backfire, leading to plummeting rankings or even platform bans (04:09, 04:41). Many popular tools are simply wrappers built on top of existing AI like ChatGPT and charge steep fees without meaningful results. Marketers should be wary of proprietary “visibility” scores or brand metrics that vary wildly between platforms (16:05).3. Discoverability is the New Visibility: Focus on Meaningful PresenceAI search changes how users access information summaries, replacing ten blue links, and click-through rates on web content are falling fast (20:12). Marketers must go beyond surface-level “visibility” to focus on discoverability: mapping high-value, original content to the specific prompts and research needs of their ideal customer profiles. This means prioritizing non-commodity content, such as unique research, proprietary data, case studies, and expert perspectives (08:46, 12:26).4. Thought Leadership and Digital PR Are More Important Than EverAI search doesn't just reward what's published on your site it pulls in podcasts, videos, ratings, reviews, and third-party features. Sara and Vincent emphasize the necessity of digital PR, proactive reputation management, and strategic media placements to build both authority and trust (23:26, 25:26). Genuine originality and credibility whether in written articles, public speaking, or interviews set brands apart in both the algorithm's eyes and consumers' trust.5. Marketers Must Reframe Success Metrics and Build Trust, Not Just TrafficThe AI search landscape demands new thinking around measurement: instead of obsessing over conversions or clicks, marketers should triangulate traditional SEO metrics with AI visibility, share of voice, and brand sentiment. With fewer referrals from search, ultimate success is about influencing perception, discovering new audience touchpoints, and fostering trust by surfacing reliably credible, compelling information where it matters (19:01, 36:07).Thank you for joining us for this conversation on staying grounded and staying ahead amidst the noise of AI search. Be sure to subscribe for more insights, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence.Learn more about Vincent and the work he does at https://www.grippimedia.com/.Mentioned in this episode:Health Marketing Collective is Powered by InprelaThe Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.Inprela Communications

In this powerful episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, host Brent Cassity sits down with Desmond Meade, one of the most influential voices in criminal justice reform and voting rights advocacy.Before becoming a Time 100 Honoree, MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, and national leader, Desmond was homeless, addicted, justice-impacted, and standing on railroad tracks contemplating ending his life with a train that never came.Then everything changed.Desmond shares his remarkable journey from prison and addiction to helping restore voting rights for more than 1.4 million Americans. He discusses overcoming despair, surviving incarceration, finding purpose through service, attending law school, and transforming personal pain into a movement that changed lives across the country.This conversation is about redemption, resilience, second chances, faith, recovery, and discovering purpose after losing everything.If you've ever felt defeated, hopeless, or written off by society, this episode will remind you that your story is not over.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

On this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, host Brent Cassity sits down with justice-impacted author Kalise White, whose powerful journey from trauma and silence to healing and purpose is inspiring people everywhere.Kalise opens up about the pain, labels, and emotional battles she faced after her life changed forever—and how she rebuilt herself piece by piece instead of allowing her past to define her future.Author of the books You Left Me, God Blessed Me and No Longer Silenced, Kalise shares raw truths about survival, identity, trauma, faith, and reclaiming your voice after everything falls apart.This is a story about redemption, resilience, healing, and refusing to stay broken.If you've ever faced shame, setbacks, judgment, incarceration, or the feeling that life knocked you down too hard… this episode is for you.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

This week on The Podcast Advertising Playbook, Heather Osgood sits down with Jennifer Han, CMO at Ausha, to explore why podcast discoverability remains one of the industry's biggest challenges and why that may finally be starting to change.Jennifer breaks down the rise of Podcast Search Optimization (PSO), how listener behavior is evolving, and why publishers need to rethink growth strategies in today's increasingly competitive landscape. The conversation also dives into Ausha's recent collaboration with Edison Research analyzing the Top 50 podcasts and what the industry can learn from the metadata, publishing habits, and discoverability strategies of top-performing shows.They also discuss:What Podcast Search Optimization actually meansWhy discoverability is becoming more solvable in 2026Trends in listener behavior that matter for podcasters and advertisersWhat today's top podcasts are doing differentlyThe future of podcast intelligence and analytics toolsIf you're thinking about podcast growth, audience development, or the future of podcast marketing, this episode offers a valuable look at where the industry is headed next.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when the “golden boy” becomes national headlines overnight?On this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, host Brent Cassity sits down with former Georgetown University tennis coach Gordie Ernst for one of the most honest conversations yet about the infamous Varsity Blues Scandal.Gordie opens up about growing up as Rhode Island's “golden boy,” becoming a respected college coach, working with the Barack Obama family, and how his life exploded after the college admissions scandal became national news.This is more than a story about indictment and prison. It's about identity, shame, family, survival, rebuilding, and finding purpose after public failure.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

What happens when everything you built comes crashing down?On this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, host Brent Cassity sits down with Michael Castillero, co-founder of StraightPath Venture Partners, a pre-IPO investment firm that exploded into the world of private investing before becoming the target of a massive federal prosecution. Michael shares his side of the story for the first time in depth — from immigrating from Panama and building a Wall Street career… to launching a booming pre-IPO investment company handling hundreds of millions of dollars… to being convicted in federal court and awaiting sentencing. This is a raw conversation about:Federal prosecutionWall Street ambitionAsset seizuresTrial strategyFamily pressurePublic humiliationFighting the U.S. governmentRedemption and survivalMichael discusses the rise of StraightPath Venture Partners, the government's allegations, the emotional toll on his wife and children, and why he believes he was targeted and misunderstood. Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

In this episode, Matt & Lauren examine the ways book marketing has changed in an AI and algorithm-driven world. We identify a few of the biggest shifts we've seen, like prioritizing trust signals over keywords, and share our insights into:

In this episode, Stewart Gandolf talks with Kirsten Lecky about how healthcare content strategy is evolving in the AI era—and why balancing discoverability and trust is more critical than ever.

What happens when a career built on trust… ends in a federal conviction?In this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, Brent sits down with Kelly Givens, a former credit union executive whose life changed overnight when accounting mistakes and a federal investigation led to a prison sentence.Kelly shares her raw and honest journey—from rising through the ranks to becoming president of a credit union… to facing the FBI, navigating the justice system, and ultimately serving time in federal prison.But this isn't just a story about the fall.It's about survival, accountability, and rebuilding a life after everything changes. Today, Kelly is using her platform @convicted.andclimbing to help others facing prison, reentry, and the stigma of a conviction.This episode dives deep into:What really happens during a federal investigationThe emotional toll of waiting for sentencingThe reality of women's federal prisonThe hidden struggles of reentryWhy telling your story can be the key to freedomIf you've ever wondered what it's like to lose everything—and rebuild—it starts here.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

What happens when innovation collides with power?On this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, Brent Cassity sits down with entrepreneur Steve Keller, a man who built a multi-billion-dollar empire by revolutionizing the life settlement industry—only to watch it all unravel. Author of the new book "Pay to Play."From launching securitized life insurance bundles on Wall Street to controlling 65% of the global life settlement market, Keller was at the top. His company, Kelco, helped terminally ill patients access money when they needed it most.But success brought attention… and enemies.After disrupting the insurance industry, Keller found himself: Indicted by the federal government. Branded a fugitive. Sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.This is a story of ambition, innovation, power, and survival—and what happens when the system turns against you.

In this episode, we answer a question I know has been on the minds of so many podcasters: Where is podcasting headed?What We CoveredSpotify, YouTube, and AI Slop: I kicked things off sharing my concerns about immoral creators, content exclusivity, and how blurry the definition of a “podcast” is getting.Optimism vs. Pessimism: We heard from multiple voices on whether the future looks bright or grim, and what keeps each of us going.Video, Discoverability, and Content Overload: How YouTube's dominance and the rise of video (and AI-generated "slop") is shifting the landscape, sometimes making things more confusing than ever.Monetization Woes and the Hopes for Crowdfunding: Many noted frustration with ads and the current monetization system, with hope for easier, more integrated crowdfunding in the future.Government Regulation and Freedom of Speech: A Canadian listener shared real concerns about government overreach and its chilling effect on creators.Defining Your “Why” and Staying True to Your Mission: Several contributors reminded us to focus on passion, purpose, and connecting with our audience.Staying Resilient: Through all the changes—algorithm shakeups, new platforms, and shifting formats—what matters most is keeping your audience at the heart of what you do.ParticipantsSteve Stewart (Podcast Editors Mastermind, Podcast Editor's Academy, Steve's Site)Kim Newlove (The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast, Perrysburg Podcast )Todd the Gator ( Guardian Down Roundtable, 50 Years Experience Required, Lessons in the RearviewLeslie Marting (Greatland Media)Ralph Estep Jr. ( AskRalph.com )Podcasting Morning ShowYork Welcome to Earth StoriesCool Cars with ChrisMentioned In This EpisodeJJJAck Film's Video on youTube DemonetizationNew Media Show Rob Greenlee and Brendan MonaghanPodcasting 2.0 on the Slop Factory at SpreakerPodnews on More AI than Human ShowsProfit From Your Podcast BookThanks for SharingThis episode became a great sharing of opinions, experiences, and predictions. Some worry about gatekeepers and algorithmic noise, while others find hope in podcasting's unique intimacy and power to connect. No matter where things go, staying true to your purpose, your “why,” and serving your audience will always be the foundation.Keep your ears open, your content honest, and your passion high. Thanks to everyone who contributed, and as always: if you loved this conversation, hit that share button and keep the School of Podcasting growing!Mentioned in this episode:Give Your Podcast A HomeWhen you look at our podcasting pieces, your media host is the engine. But your website is the home. It's where your audience learns who you are, explores your episodes, and decides to subscribe. At Podpage, we build podcast websites that are fast, reliable, and designed to convert visitors into listeners. Every episode is automatically published, SEO-optimized, and structured for growth—so you can focus on creating, not managing your site. If your media host powers your podcast, Podpage gives it a place to live—and a place to grow. Start building your podcast's home with Podpage by going to www.podpage.com/preview and start your 14 day free trial today.PodpageQuestion of the Month: Favorite Remote Recording ToolSo many podcasters us tools to do remote recording (guests, etc). It seems like people often go through a few before finding one they like. What is your current remote recording tool, and what tools have you used in the past (and why did you leave)? Also be sure to tell us a little bit about your podcast, and your website address so we can link to it in the show notes.Question of the MonthJoin the School of PodcastingMark from Practical Prepping had been podcasting for a while, but after joining the School of Podcasting, his podcast grew at a faster rate. His Facebook group has over 30,000 members! Join the School of Podcasting and get access to: Step-by-step tutorials An amazing podcast community Unlimited One-On-One Coaching Join today worry-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee!School of PodcastingLive AppearancesI will be at the Empower Podcasting Conference (Year 3!) in Charlotte North Carolina. This is my favorite type of conference with a cap at 250 people, it's a great crowd without being overwhelming. Great speakers, great networking, and a great location.Where Will I Be?

Submit to the Courage Files Are you worried if you're making the right moves in your author career (ads, audio, direct sales… all of it)? This episode will help you take a breath and zoom out.I'm joined by returning guest Becca Syme to talk about how publishing has changed—and why so many writers are making decisions from pressure, fear, or misread data. We dig into insights from her new book, Dear Writer, You Still Need to Quit, including why the old “gold rush” advice doesn't apply anymore, what actually matters at different stages of your publishing career, and how to make smarter, more sustainable decisions.If you've been feeling overwhelmed by all the options—or like you're behind—this conversation will help you reset and then move forward with more clarity.Timestamps 00:00 Why Becca Wrote This New Book 01:36 Meet Becca Syme 07:23 The New QuitBook + Publishing Shift 12:55 Saturation, Curation, and Discoverability 17:22 How Writers Misread Sales Data 20:39 The Five Phases of an Author Business 24:37 Investment vs. Speculation 26:36 Author Archetypes 29:24 Early Career Pressure + Market Awareness 32:22 Scaling Demand (Phase Two) 36:09 Later Career Phases 40:36 Decision Fatigue + Cost 42:06 Fear-Based Decisions 42:56 Where to Learn More Guest Bio and LinksBecca Syme holds a master's degree in transformational leadership and has been a success coach (primarily utilizing the Gallup Strengthsfinder®) for over fifteen years. She's coached over 5,000 individual authors and creatives through her Write Better-Faster and Strengths for Writers classes & coaching cohorts: six- and seven-figure authors, major award winners, midlisters, and new authors alike. Becca is the host of QuitCast for Writers, Author of the QUIT BOOKS SERIES FOR WRITERS, and a USA TODAY Best-Selling author of cozy mysteries under the pen name R.L. SYME.WebsiteHave a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.Support the show To become a supporter of the show, click here!To get in touch with Stacy:Email: Stacy@writeitscared.cohttps://www.writeitscared.co/wishttps://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared: Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears

What happens when addiction leads you to federal prison—but doesn't break you?In this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, Brent Cassity talks with PJ Jensen, host of the LFG Life Podcast, about his journey through addiction, prison, and rebuilding his life with discipline and accountability.PJ shares how prison changed his mindset, how he built a multi-million-dollar business after release, and the moment an intervention forced him to finally confront his addiction.This is a powerful conversation about ownership, recovery, and what it really takes to create lasting change.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

Are you publishing great podcast episodes but struggling to get new listeners? In this episode, I'm breaking down the simple podcasting SEO strategy that can boost your visibility inside Apple and Spotify search. You'll learn how to choose the right keyword for your podcast, where to use it for maximum discoverability, and how repetition (not variation) is the secret weapon for growth.Take Your Next Step:Podcast Startup Academy: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com/academyPodcast Growth Collective: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com/collectiveA free consultation: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com/consultThis episode was produced by me, The Podcast Teacher! Contact me at Hello@ThePodcastTeacher.com.

What happens when ambition—something we're taught to chase our entire lives—becomes the very thing that leads to our downfall?In this powerful episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, Brent Cassity sits down with Juliet Jacobs, author of Ambition Addiction, a justice-impacted survivor, and a mental health professional with over 30 years of experience.Juliet shares her deeply personal journey—from a childhood rooted in high expectations and success-driven culture… to building a career helping others… to ultimately crossing a line that led to federal prison.Together, they unpack the hidden dangers of ambition when it becomes compulsive, the emotional roots behind addiction, and how even the most driven individuals can lose themselves in the pursuit of success.This episode dives into:The difference between healthy ambition and addictionHow cultural and family expectations shape identityThe psychology behind overachievement and controlWhat happens when your moral compass starts to shiftLife inside prison and the journey of rebuilding after releaseJuliet's story is raw, honest, and deeply relatable—not just for those impacted by the justice system, but for anyone who has ever felt the pressure to succeed at all costs.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected at prisonist.org. Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount Visit Discoverability.co. Auto Plaza Direct "Your personal car concierge!" Let them handle every detail to find your perfect car autoplazadirect.com. Author Saffron Gustafson, "My Name is Saffron." Author Nevin Shetty, "Second Chance Economics: How Hiring The Formerly Incarcerated Can Unlock $1 Trillion in GDP." www.secondchanceeconomics.com

In this episode, Jason Littrell, the founder of Kinetic Management Systems, shares a playbook for winning the before, during, and after guest conversations using AI. You'll hear his tactical approach to Google Business Profile optimization, the NPS-to-Google-review funnel that drives a 4.71-star average, and why responding to missed calls is one of the highest-ROI moves in hospitality.Watch us here on YouTubeConnect with Jason on LinkedInResources mentioned: High LevelSean Finter's "Napkinomics" framework A few more resources:If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestionsIf you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

What happens when your worst fear becomes your reality? On this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, Brent Cassity sits down with Dr. Ron Elfenbein — a board-certified emergency room physician trained at Johns Hopkins who stepped up when the world shut down. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ron didn't wait. He acted. He built testing sites before most believed the virus would spread. He treated thousands of patients. He donated critical supplies across multiple states. He became a trusted voice on the frontlines when fear and uncertainty were everywhere. Then, without warning… everything changed. Federal charges. A criminal trial. His reputation, career, and freedom all on the line. But just when it looked like his nightmare was over, a federal judge issued a stunning decision — wiping away the conviction in a rare and powerful ruling 93 page opinion. And still… the fight isn't over. The DOJ won an appeal overturning the the Chief Judge's acquittal. This is a story about courage under pressure, standing up for what you believe is right, and navigating a system that can turn on you overnight. It's about resilience. It's about truth. And it's about what it really takes to survive — and keep fighting — when your nightmare isn't finished yet

AI is not just another tool. It is changing how clients think, act, and make decisions. In episode 612 of the Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie Everett talks with Cat Casey about what lawyers need to understand before AI creates problems they cannot fix.  As more clients turn to tools like ChatGPT, lawyers are facing new challenges around trust, accuracy, and confidentiality. Cat explains why even lawyers who choose not to use AI still need to understand it, and how failing to do so can create real risks for both lawyers and their clients.  They share practical ways to approach AI with the right mindset, including how to think about its limitations, how to use it as a thinking partner instead of a replacement, and how to guide clients who may not understand the consequences of using it.  If you want to stay ahead of where the legal profession is heading, this episode offers a clear and actionable place to start.  Listen to our previous episodes on Using AI in Law Practice.  #601 – Beyond Chatbots: Using Agentic AI in Law Firm Intake, with Matt Spiegel Apple | Spotify | LTN  #590 – Innovating Without Overwhelm: Practical AI Tips for Lawyers, with Graydon Trusler Apple | Spotify | LTN   #580 – Smarter Law Firm Marketing: AI Tools That Actually Work, with FirmPilot Apple | Spotify | LTN  #550 – Beyond Content: How AI is Changing Law Firm Marketing, with Gyi Tsakalakis and Conrad Saam Apple | Spotify | LTN  Links from the episode:   https://thetechnocat.com/about  Check out the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PQwAxiNjbhY   Have thoughts about today's episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X!   If today's podcast resonates with you and you haven't read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Looking for help beyond the book? See if our coaching community is right for you.   Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com.    Chapters / Timestamps:  00:00 – Introduction  02:10 – A New Way of Working with AI  05:00 – From Task Execution to Orchestration  07:45 – Meet Cat Casey 09:30 – The Shift Happening Right Now in Law 11:15 – The Rise of AI in Client Behavior 13:45 – Understanding AI Without Getting Technical 16:35 – Why AI Is Not a Research Tool Replacement 18:50 – The Role of Judgment in an AI World 20:10 – AI as a Collaborative Tool 22:10 – Why Iteration Is Part of the Process 23:25 – When AI Creates Legal Risk 25:55 – Confidentiality and Privilege in Practice 27:10 – The Reality of Discoverability 28:20 – Lessons from Past Tech Shifts 29:30 – Where Lawyers Should Start 

Whether you're traditionally published or self-published, the mechanics behind distributing your book to online and brick-and-mortar bookstores are the same. But for indie authors doing it on their own, it's imperative that you get the details just right. So in this episode, Lauren & Matt embark on an exciting adventure through the retail distribution cycle! We talk through: 

What happens after prison? For most people, that's where the real struggle begins.In this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, Brent Cassity sits down with Doug Feller—an entrepreneur who went from building businesses and living fast… to facing federal charges, prison time, and starting over from nothing.Doug shares the truth about reentry that nobody talks about:

311 / Think you need to be on every platform, spend big on ads, or release a book every month to succeed as an indie author? We're busting some of the most common publishing myths. ✨ This week's sponsor is Vellum: http://tryvellum.com/wishBut first, we catch up on life after a writing retreat: the post-draft crash, newsletter plate-spinning, and the genuine weirdness of evaluating promos when the market keeps shifting Honest BookBub promo numbers and why results look different nowWhy discoverability matters more than "good enough" writingWhy you don't need every social media platform to succeedNewsletters, Goodreads, and BookFunnel as practical visibility toolsWhy direct sales and Kickstarter can work even with a small audienceWhy rapid release is optional and genre dependentWhy ads don't require huge spend, and how AI is changing targetingGenre zeitgeist: how trends like cozy and romantasy impact your strategy

What happens when your worst fear becomes your reality… and you come back determined to rebuild the very system that once held you?In this powerful episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, Brent Cassity sits down with Kerwin Pittman, a nationally recognized recidivism reduction expert, founder and executive director of Recidivism Reduction Educational Program Services, and the first formerly incarcerated person in U.S. history to purchase a decommissioned prison.Kerwin shares his journey from growing up in poverty and violence, to gang involvement, prison time, solitary confinement, and ultimately a complete transformation from the inside out. He opens up about the moment that changed everything, how he educated himself while incarcerated, and how he came home with a mission to create real second-chance infrastructure.Now, Kerwin is turning a former prison into a recidivism reduction campus focused on workforce development, behavioral health, education, housing support, and opportunity for justice-impacted people.This is a story about redemption, purpose, and what it really means to keep the main thing the main thing.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected. Discover support today at Prisonist.org Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount on services to boost your digital image and online reputation. Visit Discoverability.co and secure your online presence today. Skip the hassle of car shopping with Auto Plaza Direct. They'll handle every detail to find your perfect vehicle. Visit AutoPlazaDirect.com "Your personal car concierge!"

What happens when your worst fear becomes your reality… and you turn it into art?On this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, host Brent Cassity sits down with musician Jason Pears, known artistically as Jason Made, whose life took an unexpected turn when a PPP fraud case led to a 30-month federal prison sentence.Raised in Fairhope, Alabama, Jason's life had always been intertwined with music—from teaching himself piano in church as a child to writing songs in Nashville and Los Angeles. But financial pressures, entrepreneurship, and a pandemic-era business decision eventually led him into the federal justice system.What happened next is the heart of this story.Inside Federal Prison Camp Pensacola, Jason found an unlikely refuge: a chapel piano and a spiral notebook. Over the course of his sentence, he wrote more than 40 original songs, turning isolation, uncertainty, and reflection into deeply personal music. Jason Made's music can be heard on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/6YIPePfcIWGBLFqICgmHYvIn this powerful conversation, Brent and Jason discuss:The moment the FBI showed up at his doorNavigating the psychological toll of waiting for sentencingLife inside federal prisonFinding purpose in unexpected placesHow music became his path to redemptionThe creation of his debut EP “Go Lay Down”Jason's story is a reminder that sometimes your purpose finds you—even in the darkest places.And sometimes, a nightmare becomes the soundtrack to a brand-new life.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected. Discover support today at Prisonist.org Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount on services to boost your digital image and online reputation. Visit Discoverability.co and secure your online presence today. Skip the hassle of car shopping with Auto Plaza Direct. They'll handle every detail to find your perfect vehicle. Visit AutoPlazaDirect.com "Your personal car concierge!"

In this gripping episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, Brent Cassity sits down with Ryan Bloom to tell one of the most shocking stories ever featured on the show. Ryan shares how his life was turned upside down by a gunpoint FBI arrest in his front yard, an 18-month federal ordeal, and a legal fight that threatened to destroy everything he had built.But this story takes a turn almost nobody ever sees. After relentless research, the right legal team, and the courage to fight back, all charges against Ryan were dismissed. This is a powerful conversation about fear, family, resilience, justice, and what it takes to stand your ground when the full weight of the government is pressing down on you.This episode is for anyone facing adversity, navigating the criminal justice system, or looking for proof that persistence and courage still matter.Show sponsors: Navigating the challenges of white-collar crime? The White-Collar Support Group at Prisonist.org offers guidance, resources, and a community for those affected. Discover support today at Prisonist.org Protect your online reputation with Discoverability! Use code NIGHTMARE SUCCESS for an exclusive discount on services to boost your digital image and online reputation. Visit Discoverability.co and secure your online presence today. Skip the hassle of car shopping with Auto Plaza Direct. They'll handle every detail to find your perfect vehicle. Visit AutoPlazaDirect.com "Your personal car concierge!"

What happens when your worst fear becomes your reality—and it lasts 21 years?In this unforgettable episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, host Brent Cassity interviews Sibil “Fox” Richardson and Robert “Rob” Richardson, the New Orleans couple featured in the award-winning documentary ** TIME **. Fox and Rob share the true story of surviving as an incarcerated family—raising six sons, enduring separation, and navigating the Louisiana justice system after Rob received a 61-year sentence and was sent to Angola Prison.They break down what the documentary couldn't fully show: the pressure on marriage, the emotional cost on children, the grit required to keep hope alive, and the legal fight that ultimately led to freedom. Today, Fox and Rob continue their mission through Participatory Defense Movement NOLA (an initiative of Rich Family Ministries)—training families to become powerful advocates and helping save years of incarceration by organizing community-based defense.If you've ever wondered how families survive prison, how clemency happens, or what real redemption looks like—this episode is for you.