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Introducing Russell Aaron I didn't learn WordPress at a fancy college or career academy. I graduated from the University of YouTube. My internship was the Las Vegas WordPress Meetup and WordCamp Vegas. The rest I learned building mortgage company platforms, working for casinos, inside managed WordPress hosts, and at some of the best WordPress development and support shops on the planet. Show Notes For more on Russell, check out his website: https://russellenvy.com Transcript: Topher DeRosia: All right. Here we go. Hey folks. Russell Aaron: And three, two, one. Topher DeRosia: Hey folks. Welcome to Hallway Chats. I’m Topher, and I’m here with Russell Aaron. I assume I pronounced that right, because it’s not that hard, but you never know. Russell Aaron: You know, so many people call me Aaron. They’ll tag me and they go, “Thanks, Aaron.” And I’m like, “You know, it’s Russell, but it’s cool.” Topher DeRosia: Yeah, nice. All right. Well, I saw a post on LinkedIn the other day from you talking about podcasts having the same people on episodes all the time. I thought, “Oh, I gotta have that guy on my podcast.” Because then you can’t go on any other ever again, because then you’ll be that guy. Russell Aaron: Maybe. Topher DeRosia: So, I snooped a little. You live much closer to me than I expected. Have we met? Did we meet at a WordCamp? Russell Aaron: I think we met at WordCamp Ann Arbor one year. Topher DeRosia: Oh, okay. I went to a whole bunch of those. Russell Aaron: Yeah. I think I spoke 2018, something like that. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. I was probably there. Russell Aaron: Yeah. Topher DeRosia: All right. So tell me where you live, what you do, all that kind of stuff. Russell Aaron: I currently reside in Indianapolis, Indiana, and I am just freelancing as of right now. You know, I live in a pretty small town where it’s kind of old school WordPress, if you will. Anyone who is worth their salt keys will remember a day when websites were not responsive or a business has a cousin of a friend of a brother who builds websites and, “Hey, he’s working on it,” and three years later, there’s still no new website. I kind of live in a town where I’m kind of getting back to my grassroots, where I stay up late at night with my insomnia, and I will roll up to a business and I will say, “Your new website can look like this today. If you pay me this much money, I will install it today, and this is your new website.” And it’s got your updated menu, and it’s responsive, and it works on mobile, and we can connect it to AppPresser and make it an app and stuff like that. So I’m kind of reliving the glory days of what I remember WordPress to be. Topher DeRosia: I’m also freelancing right now, sort of by choice, sort of not by choice. Somebody I’m married to would rather I had regular pay and insurance. Russell Aaron: Heard that. Topher DeRosia: Are you in the same boat, or did you do this on purpose? Russell Aaron: I did this on purpose. I was not working for the man, but I was working with some people. I’m over the tiny little granular things that somebody can fire you over. Like they’re watching if your mouse moves or they’re watching if you haven’t logged in. There’s just no more trust, I feel like, in so many cases. And so I know that I can do things better on my own, and I’m going to. Topher DeRosia: I have to admit, I love the freelance life. It is pretty special. Russell Aaron: Right. It’s almost like… what’s that movie? The 40-Year-Old Virgin, where they are making a website and they’re like, “Hey, Spider-Man 3’s on in five minutes. Let’s go watch it.” Like they totally ignore their job and they just go watch this movie now. It’s kind of like that. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Yeah. For me, it’s doing stuff with my wife. She has a day job, but it has kind of chaotic hours and not specific days of the week. And so I work when she does, which sometimes is Saturday and Sunday, and then I just don’t on Tuesday and Thursday. That’s pretty great. Russell Aaron: I’m kind of in the same boat. My wife has a wonderful job, and she is with a great group, and she does global advocacy. I mean, she just deals with people that are happy with the product, and she keeps them happy. She does lots of stuff like that. I’m kind of the same thing, where their company is now starting to get into AI, and they have so many questions, and I’m over here building things with AI and doing things like that. So I’m not exactly consulting, but my ideas are going into their company through my wife. Topher DeRosia: My wife works at a grocery store, and they have a cash machine they use in the back office that runs Linux. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow Topher DeRosia: And the IT guys had to come in and do some work on it, and she saw the screen and she’s like, “Oh, is that Linux?” And I’m like, “Who are you, and what do you know?” Super nerd. So what’s your company name? Do you have one, or is it just WP Pro Support? Russell Aaron: WP Pro Support. Topher DeRosia: WP Pro Support. Okay. Do you concentrate more on support, or do you build more? Russell Aaron: I have been doing support since 2011. I formed my very first support company, and I launched it the same day that Shane Sanderson launched Maintainn. My buddy, who you might know, John Hawkins, I was at the Vegas WordPress Meetup Group, and I had the idea in Vegas WordPress Meetup Group where there’s 70 people sitting right here behind me and they all want help. And I was like, “How do I do this?” So I built my first thing where I gave everybody free-for-life support, and they were my test group, if you will. And they helped me work out my bugs and tickets, and they helped me work out how I actually operate and do stuff like that. Then when I launched it, literally that day, John goes, “Wait, have you seen this?” And we had no idea about each other, but we literally launched them the same day. Fast forward three years down the road, I ended up working for Maintainn when it was owned by WebDevStudios. But everything I’ve done in WordPress has been support, whether I’ve worked for a mortgage company, a casino in Vegas, hosting with Liquid Web, doing stuff with NerdPress or AppPresser. Everything I’ve done is support. That’s really where my passion is because I remember what it’s like being a first timer. I think that there is a huge market potential here of people are always going to be new. I don’t care who you are. There’s always somebody new walking in the door, and there has to be a person who will sit down and say, “Come here, I’ll hold your hand.” And I am that person. I always try to look at WordPress from that lens is if a new person is looking at this today, are they going to be happy? Are they going to be confused? And I go from there. So currently today I’m transitioning away from support as we know it, where you write a ticket and then somebody on the other end is like, “Hey, I fixed your site,” or whatever. And I’m transitioning to a new product that I’m working on. So I’m going to be getting away from traditional support, but I’m still going to be doing things in the support space, if that makes sense. Topher DeRosia: Yeah, that makes sense. When I first got into WordPress, it was 2010, and custom post types were brand new. Russell Aaron: Right? Topher DeRosia: And I was out of my element with WordPress. I did not know what I was doing, but I did know PHP, and no one else knew post types yet. So when it comes to that, I was on an equal footing, and that was my way in. That was my leverage. I made a lot of money in the early days just building custom post types. Russell Aaron: Custom post types and single-posttype.php or whatever. Yeah. Topher DeRosia: So I was a competent PHP guy who didn’t know WordPress. And I feel like we’re in kind of the same transition space right now with AI, where we have tons of competent WordPressers who don’t really know AI yet. I think there’s a great space for that, teaching our friends, teaching everybody we’ve known for 10 years in WordPress. You know what I mean? Russell Aaron: I do. That’s one of the things that I really love about WordPress is that… let’s take the new 7.0 that just came out, I think it re-leveled the playing field. Before this came out, there were people that were ahead of others when it comes to patterns or blocks or the command palette and stuff like that. But now I think with this, we’re back to an even playing field because every… I mean, not exactly. There’s still some people who know AI a lot better than others, but you’re always five minutes ahead of somebody and five minutes behind somebody else. Topher DeRosia: Oh, yeah. Russell Aaron: But I do think that with 7.0, a new level playing field has come out. And now is the time to start learning, or you got to wait until 7.1 comes out where that new level playing field comes out. But that’s what I love about WordPress is that it continues to happen. Like you said, CPTs. I still love CPTs. I think they’re one of my favorite things. I look at all of these features, you know, page builders, another time when the playing field was leveled again. Now you learn page builders and then shortcodes and then this and then that. I think that’s the one gift that WordPress keeps giving is that you might be out of date six months from now, but then 7.1 comes out and you’re caught right back up. Topher DeRosia: Right. Yeah. And while you’re five minutes ahead, you quick do a WordCamp talk. Russell Aaron: Yes. Yeah. Topher DeRosia: For that long, you know more than other people, right? Russell Aaron: At least it’s on video, right? Topher DeRosia: Right. I was an expert for a minute and a half. Russell Aaron: That was my 15 minutes of fame. Topher DeRosia: What is your WordCamp life like these days? When was the last one you went to? Russell Aaron: The last one I went to was in Vegas, 2018. It was at the Plaza Hotel, which I worked at. When John was putting that together, in Vegas we had a wonderful space, and it was called The Innevation Center, and it was at a data facility called Switch. And they donated so much to us, and we are so grateful to them. And then they kind of had a change in their policy where they weren’t doing things, and then they overpriced how much it would cost to hold events and stuff like that. I was working at a hotel, and so we had this giant convention space, if you will. And so because I was able to pull some strings, we got a great, great discount, all food paid for. I mean, all of it. So that was my last WordCamp. The after party was on top of a pool deck, and there was pickleball courts, and there was a pool, and there was an open bar. I mean, it was rad. That was my last one. I have kids now. My kids are seven and eight and so my WordPress travels have slowed. No, I’m sorry. I take it back. WordCamp US last year was my last one, where we went scorched earth. That’s what I call it. I call it WordCamp scorched earth. Topher DeRosia: I was there for that one. I used to go to a lot every year. Go to- Russell Aaron: Five, six? Topher DeRosia: Five and 10. But since COVID, I think maybe just US every year. It’s weird to just go to one. Russell Aaron: It is. And just US, it’s almost like we used to have what I used to call regional events, where I lived in Vegas, I would hit up WordCamp Orange County, then I’d hit up San Diego, then we’d hit up LA, and then we’d make our way up to Portland, and then maybe if San Francisco did one, and then Phoenix. I did all my regional stuff. And then every once in a while I would venture… I mean, I love WordCamp Minneapolis. Love the people up there. Love so much about that event. Used to do that a lot. What’s the one in Ohio that I used to go to? Topher DeRosia: In the teens, there were five in Ohio. And being in Michigan, I used to just cruise down there. Russell Aaron: It’s a three-hour, three-and-a-half-hour drive, huh? Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: About that. Yeah. Topher DeRosia: At the time, I was working for a company that was paying me to go to WordCamps. I had to make the case for each one, but it was a really simple case for all the Ohio ones because I didn’t need a plane ticket. I just drive over there. It’s like five in Ohio. There was Ann Arbor, there was Detroit, there was Grand Rapids, there was Chicago. I mean, there was almost 10 WordCamps within a three-hour drive of me. Russell Aaron: That’s beautiful. Topher DeRosia: It’s just not there anymore. Russell Aaron: I was very fortunate to work for companies like WebDevStudios, where I could tell them, “Hey, I got into WordCamp Minneapolis. I’m going to speak there.” And because I’m speaking there, they would reimburse me X amount of dollars for something, and then they would sponsor the WordCamp, and then they would make a thing out of it. I mean, I was very fortunate in being able to do that. Then I worked with a really great company called NerdPress, and they are a fantastic group of people that do the same thing. And then I ventured out into different straits, and it was very much different. I’ll say that much. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Those are good times. Russell Aaron: It’s almost like… the way that I put it is it’s like we all graduated. We all did our four years of college, we all graduated, and now we went to our temp jobs or we went to our internships. Like the band broke up. Topher DeRosia: Yep. Yeah, it is a lot like that. I have seen generations of WordPressers. There was all the crew before 2010 that were downloading zip files and hacking themes to even get them to run. Then there was after 2010, and custom post types were new and stuff. And then there’s the whole Gutenberg generation that never experienced all that crazy theme stuff. Russell Aaron: I mean, you tell people that child themes were so new that people didn’t even grasp the concept of a child theme, and today it’s so baked in. It’s not even something that people think about. It’s just you install this and the child theme, and it’s a thing. But I remember writing those by hand. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. No kidding. Then to a certain extent, not even having child themes anymore because nothing is stored on the file system. Russell Aaron: I love it. I love it. In my very first WordCamp talk in Vegas 2012, I made a prediction that everything was powered by the theme. Everything used to… I mean, that’s as far as I go back is every template was the same. It was left column, right sidebar, header, and every page, whether you liked it or not, looked like a blog post. And it wasn’t full-width, responsive. I remember a lot of that. And then corporate themes came out, and then cupcake themes came out, then lawn company themes came out, and then the rise of Envato and stuff like that. That’s a good name for a band, The Rise of Envato. Topher DeRosia: I’d go see them. Russell Aaron: But all that stuff comes out. And then you look at it now and it’s like, that seems so far away. I still remember the day that I learned about child themes, and I’ve never forgotten that. And I think, coming back full circle, that’s why I stay in this beginner support space because I’m kind of keeping that nostalgia around, I guess. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. There’s a lot of joy in watching people’s eyes light up when they get it. Russell Aaron: That’s the best part is just telling people what’s possible. When they’re frustrated with something and you go, “Oh, hey, Gravity Forms can do that.” And they’re like, “Wait, what?” And I’m like, “Yeah.” And they can also do… And I just start naming stuff. And I show all 50 extensions that they have and they’re just like, “Wait, what?” And I’m like, “Yeah.” I’m like, “This starts getting radical when you’re into it.” Topher DeRosia: There’s something I miss from old WordPress that I don’t see in modern WordPress. It might not be a thing. And that is dramatic new styling with a theme the instant you install it. My wife is not a computer person and does not care about computers. She loves design stuff. There was a time we used Winamp. Russell Aaron: Wow. Topher DeRosia: And she loved getting skins for Winamp. And she would download 30 in a day and try them all out. And then when I set her up for the blog the first time and showed her the theme repo on .org, this is in 2011, she would literally spend a day just downloading theme after theme after theme. Russell Aaron: Same way. Topher DeRosia: And you just install it and poof, your site looks amazingly different. These days, I mean, you install something like Kadence or GeneratePress or Ollie or any of them, really, and it’s kind of a blank canvas. Russell Aaron: It’s very minimalist. It’s very minimalist. Topher DeRosia: I miss the ability to say, “I feel like making a change today,” and two minutes later, your site looks completely different because you’re using… Russell Aaron: Couldn’t agree more. Couldn’t agree more. I mean, I look back at old pictures from when I would host the meetup group in Vegas, and there’s pictures of me talking, and then on the screen behind me is my old site, and it was this old layout. I bought the theme from Envato because I was just fascinated with it. It was everything that I wanted it to look like. But same thing is now when you change your theme from this one to that one, that dark grunge kind of thing is gone, and now you’ve got this bootstrap-looking thing or whatever. I agree with you. I think that comes from my days of being in MySpace. That’s how I got started with all this. So you could change your MySpace template like that, and I think that’s where it comes from, at least for me. Topher DeRosia: I haven’t even looked into it. Can you make a Gutenberg-based blog theme that has a very striking look and just release it? And then, I don’t know, just release a whole bunch of them like in the old days? Theme shops had 35 themes for sale, and they all looked different because they were all totally different themes. Russell Aaron: I remember there was a day on Envato where it was the same theme, it was just rebranded. So it was like theme name 1.0, and it was called Atlas. And then it’s the same theme but in orange, and now it’s 1.2, and it’s called Dungeon or something. And then we have 1.3 again. Same theme, same framework, but each version was named something different. It made that developer look like they had five different products instead of just one over and over. Now you look at something like a page builder, and it’s like, “We’ve got 500 different templates in one thing.” I can’t do that. I think that’s too much for me. Topher DeRosia: It’s like the days of the CSS Zen Garden. Russell Aaron: Right. Topher DeRosia: HTML is the same, CSS changes. Before I used WordPress, I built my own blog system. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow. Topher DeRosia: It never got super advanced, but I used it for 10 years. One of the things you can do in your HTML is register alternate stylesheets. It’s the same tag, it’s just an alternate word in there. And then in Firefox, at least, you can go under “view Page Style”, and they would all be listed there, and you can just choose different themes. I figured out the JavaScript, even though I didn’t know JavaScript. I figured out the JavaScript to make a little dropdown box in my sidebar so my visitors could say, “Oh, I want to change my theme here.” I never figured out how to do that in WordPress because everything was so tied to style.css. I didn’t know how to make a different one be the main one. But that’s something else I miss in WordPress is the ability to just so dramatically and dynamically change your design because your content is structured so well. Russell Aaron: You know, not only that, but I really liked the websites where there was a demo, and then it gave you a basic username. The username was demo, the password was demo. But then the one thing I never figured out was how every 24 hours the site would just reset. So somebody can go in there and they could do whatever they wanted to do. They could create their own pages. They could create their own blog posts. And for 24 hours, there was a page called Russell’s Awesome. But then after 24 hours, it would just reset. I always thought that was so cool, but I could never figure out how to do that. Topher DeRosia: Oh, yeah. And everybody was editing all at the same time, within that 24-hour period. Russell Aaron: I have since restructured my website. I use the block theme from WebDevStudios. I kind of feel like that’s where I got my education from. I was somebody who kind of dabbled around in WordPress, and then when I went to go work with them for three years, they had a set of standards that I couldn’t even fathom to begin with. But then as we built things and I saw how their machine works, how their business revolves, I was like, “You know, for me, this is the way that I like to do things, is the way that they like to do things.” And so my new website… I mean, not new website, but it’s my new theme, I actually had AI build it for me. I had Claude. I was using… It’s by ThemeIsle. Neve. I was using Neve, one of my favorite themes. Love them. So I was using that, and then my site was kind of all over the place. It was an “I’ll teach you how to do this”. That’s kind of the main focus of my site is I will jump on a call with you, and whatever questions you have, I’ll sit here for five hours with you if you want. I will teach you and until you get it. But then I also had this section about band names that were just… earlier when we were talking about the rise of Envato, you know, like I would have a section on my blog where you could create a new band name and then I had all these random blog posts. And so my website was kind of like this potluck, if you will, just like this random stuff. And I was like, you know, I want to be doing something else. I think my website needs to change. And I have those old blog posts still, but they’re hidden. So now with my new theme, I had AI look at my old site and say, this is what I think we should do. I picked out some colors and over like five days, I had it build me five different HTML pages, like completely different, you know? And then I started giving AI and I said like, “Okay, I want to look like this.” And then I was like, well, okay, I like this and I like this, but I also like this from this other site.” So I started feeding it information and like when the HTML came out, I had 12 different templates. I had my blog posts, I had my archive, but I had everything built in HTML. And the cool thing about the WDS block theme is that it serves everything as an HTML page. So I literally just took AI and said, “Take these HTML pages, bake them into how this theme does it,” and bam, my site came up. I had it done in maybe two days. Topher DeRosia: Wow. Russell Aaron: And then after that, I had it take all of those HTML pages and create me patterns. So now I can go in, and when I go into my full site editor, I can go to patterns, I have all my homepage patterns, my blog patterns, I sliced everything up, and they’re all WordPress native blocks. So I can literally go in and change the coloring on any page I want instead of having to edit the HTML or anything. And now that I have that, I feel this sense of freedom where I’m not worrying about an update coming tomorrow, if my update is gonna break or I don’t have to read a changelog that is not specific anymore. I can’t stress how much I love not having to read changelogs or the lack of changelogs. I mean, I’m fully happy with how things have come out. And over time, I’m gonna keep fine-tuning it, but I’m pretty much where I’m at right now. With all of this new technology that’s come out, I’ve really kind of found my love again for WordPress. I was kind of in a slump where I just wasn’t really doing anything. Now I take my son and we’ll drive down to Louisville, Kentucky. He rides BMX. So while he’s racing, I will literally have Claude Code open on my computer and I will log into the Claude app on my phone and I can keep sitting there having the same conversation. So this new thing that I’m building, I can still do it while I’m sitting there watching him race or while I’m doing something else. I was just like, this is fantastic. And then my wife will drive home and I’ll just sit there and I talk into my phone, I literally put the microphone on and I’ll be like, “You know, I don’t like that. And here’s my thoughts about this.” And you know, my phone dictates all of that and then I send it to my computer through the app and it just keeps spinning things up. Then by the time I get home, I have a new version that I can demo or I have a new version that I can test. I mean, I am just so fascinated by it. Topher DeRosia: That’s cool. Were we at WebDev at the same time? Russel Aaron: I don’t think so. Topher DeRosia: I was there just over three years ago. Russel Aaron: I was there 2015 through 2018. Topher DeRosia: Oh, yeah. I came much later. I was only there for like two months. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow. Sometimes that’s the way it goes. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. They were gonna get a big contract that hired a bunch of people and two months later didn’t get the contract and let us all go. Russell Aaron: As much as I hate that, that also taught me that the people that do great work or the people that show up every day and are putting in more than they’re getting out, those are usually the people that stay in companies like that. That really changed my work ethic. I used to be somebody who wanted to be not lazy, but I didn’t wanna be pressed for time or having to go, go, go and having to be on all the time. Now, I’m the opposite. Now, I’m like, now that I’ve done that, I kind of earn for that stretch for a little bit. I mean, you were just saying that how you’ve transitioned to where you are. I was watching a Barstool Sports interview with a guy who runs a pizza shop in… it’s either New Jersey or New York. The guy’s only open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. And he’s only open nine to six or something like that. And he built that business… well, it’s been in his family for like 60 years or something. He has one of the last original pizza ovens ever. But anyways, the point is, is that he lives at the pizza place, that’s where his entire life is, but he built the business around his life. I’m doing the same thing where if I wanna literally go jump on my bike right now and go for a two-mile ride, I’m gonna go do that. And I don’t have to feel like, hey, you’re not logged in and we’re not tracking your mouse. Like what’s happening? How come you’re not on Slack? You know what I mean? I’m not tied down to that. And I can’t stress that enough of like, that is where I wanna be. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Yeah, it is a good life. We are at about the time to wrap it up. Okay. So I’m gonna do that. Where do you hang out online? Russel Aaron: Where do I hang out online? Topher DeRosia: Are you in any common WordPress Slacks? Russel Aaron: I’m on the main WordPress Slack sometimes. I tend to watch more than I do involve anymore. A long time ago, I used to be very vocal and I used to be not afraid to walk in to a room guns blazing. With the big cultural shift that happened in WordPress, I tend to just sit back now and be more self-reserved. So I post on my website, russellenvy.com. I’m on LinkedIn. I’ve been utilizing Reddit a lot too. I think for me, Reddit is a place where I kind of disagree with the fact that you can hide behind a pseudonym, but I do like the brutal honesty that people will have because they are hiding behind something and they will say, dude, this flat out sucks. Or they’ll be like, Hey, this is great, but it would be cool if, or somebody can be like, “Hey, that already exists. You’re not doing anything new.” I do like that. Because it kind of not puts me in my place, but it shows me either how connected or disconnected I am to what I think I’m doing. And so Reddit is a very great place. I mean, everything is russellenvy.com except for Twitter or X, whatever you want to call it. Topher DeRosia: All right, cool. Russel Aaron: Where do you hang out at? Topher DeRosia: I am in probably 40 slacks, but the vast majority of them, I don’t look at. I’m there so that someone can ping me. I’m in a couple of slacks in India. Okay. I’m in the WordPress Italian community Slack. Russel Aaron: That’s interesting. Topher DeRosia: Post status make, of course there’s a hero press Slack. I have my own company Slack, my local meetup has a Slack. There’s just a lot of them. I wouldn’t say I’m super active on any of them. I just occasionally interact with somebody. I use my own company Slack to invite my clients in when we talk there. Russel Aaron: Right. Do you find yourself reading things more than, you know… from the outsider looking in, I post a lot and it looks like I post a lot… I mean, especially on LinkedIn, but I’m always consuming more than I’m posting. Do you find yourself doing that? Like where you’re… maybe not keeping up with the trades anymore, but like, you know… I used to read maybe 1,500 blog posts a week and then… what was that service where you could like save…? I used to have a service where you could save articles and then that way, late at night, I would just read, you know, maybe 10 or 15 of them a night. But now I look at things like Reddit where I see… I just look at somebody who’s going on there and asking for help. Again, it’s a standard WordPress person that, hey, I’m new to this, I don’t know how, and I’m looking at it and I’m just like, how can we make that better? That’s kind of where I’m at these days. Topher DeRosia: I don’t read a whole lot in Slack. It really is for my convenience. I’m pretty active with my RSS reader. I follow a lot of stuff. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow. Topher DeRosia: Because I don’t wanna go chase it all down all over the internet. So, you know, there’s that. I’m on LinkedIn a fair amount, Facebook a little bit. I’m on Mastodon and Blue Sky mostly just to post stuff. It’s funny, I have more followers… No, let me say it this way. Mastodon, I have the fewest followers, but the most engagement from those followers. Russell Aaron: Isn’t that interesting? Topher DeRosia: Yeah, I’ll post something and I’ll get some favorites or reposts or whatever. Blue Sky, I get almost nothing at all, despite the fact that I have like a thousand followers there. Russell Aaron: But Blue Sky is a community that is fast-moving. I almost compare it to anything Meta has, which is you can post today right now and in three minutes you’re 785 posts down. That’s what I really love about Reddit is that I posted something about this AI team that I’m building that I give away for free on GitHub, and so for like five days, I was the number two post on that subreddit. And the volume that I saw from that. I mean, Reddit really loves human writing. If you go in there, you post something that somewhat seemingly might suggest that you had AI do anything with it, they will just downvote it. But if you write original and you write from the heart and stuff, like your stuff skyrockets there. I’ve learned a lot from Reddit because of that. Topher DeRosia: That’s really cool. Russell Aaron: It’s interesting. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. All right, well, thanks for chatting with me. Russell Aaron: Thank you for the time. Topher DeRosia: And now you can’t be on anybody else’s podcast. Russell Aaron: I’m actually starting my own, sir. Topher DeRosia: Are you? All right. Russell Aaron: I have, like you said, the reason why we started this is because you saw something from me that says, “I’m tired of the indie circuit,” if you will. I put out a LinkedIn post, I don’t know, maybe a month ago at this point and I asked people if they wanted to be on a show. So I have WP Roundtable. I got that from Kyle Mahler, a person who I love in WordPress more than I can express. One of the best people on the planet, I feel like. I was thinking about starting that up again, because we don’t have WP Watercooler anymore. We don’t have anything like that. That’s kind of where I got my start from. But again, I also identify that that’s kind of the problem is that every Monday or Friday I was on a show and I was one of the people that you would see constantly. And so I was sitting there thinking and I was like, what doesn’t the space have? What kind of show do I wanna watch? Because I don’t watch shows when they come out, do you? Topher DeRosia: No. Russell Aaron: I always watch them maybe four weeks down the road at like 2:30 in the morning when I have nothing going on. And by that point, the information is almost stale. I mean, the way that anything works these days. And there’s a few that I might watch maybe within 48 hours of coming out, but at this point, there is something… a new idea that myself and… the guy’s actually an automatician. And so it’s actually kind of interesting because we don’t wanna say anything that would put him in a position to where he’s saying something bad about the company he works for, but I’m also the person where I get to say something to the person who works at Automattic to maybe incite some change. So we are working on something like that, but it’s not going to be an interview show. It is not going to be something where you tune it out or you put it on a 2.5 playback speed just to get through it. You know what I mean? And that’s really what the emphasis of my post was about is that so many of the interviews go that way. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Are you familiar with wppodcasts.com? Russell Aaron: Yes. Topher DeRosia: Okay, good. So when you get it started up, submit it there. Russell Aaron: That’s a place. I’m very fascinated by Gary Vaynerchuk. Are you familiar with Gary V? Topher DeRosia: No. Russell Aaron: I watch something Gary V every day. That guy makes me feel like I’m lazy every single day, but he is also one of the people that says like, “Hey, you’re 40, you’re still just a baby.” A lot of people feel like I should be two kids, a house, marriage, this, that, and because I’m not, I’m behind the ball. And he’s one person that’s like, “Listen, you’re still a kid.” And he’s like, “You’re 40, I’m 40, and you have 10 years until you’re 50.” And even then you’re still so young to where you can generate something again and from 50 to 60, you can now do. That kind of mentality really moved me around. Why I bring that up is, I’m trying not to post on the same places that everybody else is. I wanna find that new venture. Substack is a great one. And they also have a way to release podcast episodes through them. So they can actually be your entire engine. So like you don’t have to host them on different places and stuff like that. So I’m looking for different plays like that. Topher DeRosia: All right, cool. Well, I look forward to hearing about it when it comes out. I’m sure you’ll post on LinkedIn. Russell Aaron: Yes, yeah. Topher DeRosia: All right. All right then, well, I will maybe find you on Slack or Reddit or someplace. Russell Aaron: Slack, Reddit, LinkedIn. Either way, please keep in touch. First of all, it’s great to see somebody familiar in the space. It’s great. I mean, just talking about the old days, I could sit here and do it forever. Topher DeRosia: All right, I’ll see ya. Russell Aaron: Have a good one. Topher DeRosia: All right, so that was the end of the podcast. If you could send me a headshot. And yep, that’s the one. Cool. And any links you want in the liner notes. Russell Aaron: Cool. Topher DeRosia: And two or three sentences about you and what you do and whatnot. Russell Aaron: Cool. I noticed that you… are you trying to revive Hallway Chats? Or is it something that when you just find something interesting, you’re like, hey, I’ll go do that. Topher DeRosia: That’s it right there. Russell Aaron: Okay. Sure, sure. Topher DeRosia: There was a time when it was a weekly podcast and now it’s a whenever I feel like it podcast. Russell Aaron: I love it. I think that’s the biggest reason why I’m trying to do something different is I really dislike watching a podcast. The first thing they do is they come on and they go, “Hey, welcome to WP whatever. Hey, sorry we didn’t post this week. I was bit…” If you are gonna say you’re gonna post every Wednesday at one, that’s on you. But I do not like when things start off with an apology. Like just get to it. Because I’m not watching it Wednesday at one. I mean, unless you’re Joe Rogan, or unless you are somebody who has a huge following that people will watch you live because it’s important. Otherwise, it’s just consumable stuff, you know? Topher DeRosia: Yeah. For years, I posted it Heropress weekly on Wednesday without fail. I would ignore my family to go get it done. Then I was talking to Morton Rand Hendrickson. You know him? Russell Aaron: Uh-huh. Topher DeRosia: Yeah, he’s a huge fan of Heropress. And I said to him, “Do you read every week?” He’s like, “Oh no, not at all.” He’s like, “Oh, I thought you really liked it.” And he said, “Oh, I love it. But I don’t have time to read every week.” Every few months I’ll get depressed about the WordPress community and I’ll go read 10 essays. And then one time I was at WordCamp Ann Arbor, probably the same one you were at and Josepha came to me and said that… she was kind of a sounding board for employees that come to her and said, “Listen, I’ve been working support all day and people suck and I’m depressed and I hate life.” And she would just listen for a while and then at the end they would say, “Okay, I’m gonna go read a bunch of Heropress and I’ll feel better.” And it really changed my perspective of what I was making. I wasn’t making a weekly publication. I was making an archive, a collection to be used as a tool, a library. Russell Aaron: I’m gonna say this poorly, but it’s almost like you are creating a support help hotline where it’s like, if you’re on the verge of blowing up your website, please call this number. We’ll talk you down from it. It’s almost like you’re building that. Topher DeRosia: That’s funny. Russell Aaron: That’s interesting. And then now you’re just selective about it or you’re so far- Topher DeRosia: I’m less aggressive about finding essayists and less insistent that they get it to me by a certain time. Like I would find somebody and say, listen, I need it by Sunday on this date. And they were like, “Okay.” And that worked for a while. Russell Aaron: Oh, before, before. Okay. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. But now I’ll find somebody… No, I don’t go looking as often. Russell Aaron: You’ll maybe find something that somebody wrote and you’ll be like, “Hey, are you interested in doing this?” Topher DeRosia: Yes. And I don’t find people as often. I used to find my people on Twitter and I’m not on there anymore. Russell Aaron: Like by personal choice? Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: Okay. Topher DeRosia: I just left Twitter. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow. You feel like your life improved? Topher DeRosia: Yes and no. Russell Aaron: Okay. Topher DeRosia: I feel the loss of what Twitter was. And it’s not there anymore. It’s just gone. Russell Aaron: Especially around WordCamp and stuff like that. That used to have to be the place that you’d be on, you know? Topher DeRosia: The Twitter I loved doesn’t exist anymore. And so, yeah, I feel that loss. Russell Aaron: I need a t-shirt that says that. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Wow. I’m in the process of making a printable store. Printable? Printful. Printful store. Russell Aaron: Cool. Topher DeRosia: With Woo, to make a video with. I need to make a bunch of products. Maybe I’ll make one of those. Russell Aaron: It’s interesting. Wow. You just flat-out left X. Do you feel like with Heropress, it was… and again, this is why I made that post, is that people almost see it like they can make the rounds. And it’s like, well, I haven’t gone there yet. And so they’re gonna submit something to you because they’re gonna get some press out of it. And it’s not so much what’s best for your brand or it’s not best for your website. They just see it as, well, I’m gonna get some exposure there. Do you feel like it used to be that? Topher DeRosia: No. I’ve gotten maybe two or three submissions ever like that. And a couple of them, I was able to say, “No, that’s not what we’re about. It’s this other thing, what Heropress is actually about.” And they’re like, “Oh, well, okay, that’d be great.” And they do that. And maybe one or two people have said, “I built this great company and everyone should come use my company.” Like, no, not so much. Russell Aaron: Interesting. Topher DeRosia: And that’s the end of it. Russell Aaron: I remember back in, I wanna say like 2013, people used to call each other out and be like, why are you giving the same speech at WordCamp Miami, WordCamp Minneapolis, WordCamp San Diego. And that’s kind of where I was at with that same LinkedIn post. It’s like, I really, really enjoy watching Matt Cromwell’s show, but the guy that he just had on also was on Jonathan Denwood and was also on this one. It was also on, I was like, I’ve already seen this. Maybe I get three more percent information that wasn’t in that last, or because Matt knows a little bit more about personal stuff in WordPress or building a business, he might have some more insight there, but it’s like, I’ve already heard this and I’m kind of already over it. And that’s kind of where I was at is you don’t have to just say, I’m gonna do this one and that’s it. But it’s almost like, you’re making yourself not… what’s the word. Not credible because you’re going around and saying the same thing and it’s just, you’re not doing anything different than a blog post could have done. Topher DeRosia: You know what I mean? I don’t feel too bad about repeating WordCamp talks because, especially at small camps, because a lot of people are just gonna go to their local camp and never go to another one. And unless they cruise.tv, they’re not gonna see it. I struggle a little bit with podcasts because I’ve been asked a lot over the last 10 years to come on a podcast and talk about the story of WordPress. And it’s the same story every time, you know? And so, I’ll try to mix it up a little bit, give different information that I’ve never given before, that sort of thing. But it is something I think about and struggle with a little bit. Russell Aaron: What do you struggle with about it? Topher DeRosia: I don’t wanna just say the same thing over and over again. You know, I don’t want people to go, oh, Topher’s on another podcast episode. Oh, I’ve heard this story. I don’t need to be on this episode. Fortunately, it’s been around long enough that I can give a brief synopsis of the beginning and talk about stuff that’s happened in the last couple of years. Russell Aaron: Right. Topher DeRosia: Which is gonna be really different from the podcast episode I was on in 2020. Russell Aaron: You know? Right. Topher DeRosia: It’s an interesting dilemma when you have one story to tell and everybody wants you to tell it. How do you deal with that? Russell Aaron: Well, I’ve noticed that too. It is like, you know, I’ll watch [Insert Famous Name Here], and they have a podcast, and they’re interviewing, again, [Insert Famous Name Here], and that person was also just on That Famous Name and That Famous Name. I actually saw somebody, it’s like almost a year ago, and they were just like, “Do you want me just to say this so your show has this speech in it or are you genuinely asking me?” Because, you know, like you want this story so you can post it on your social media. But I’ve already given that story 15 different times because they wanted it for their own, you know? And it’s almost going that way where I kind of respect it in a way because you don’t want to post other people’s content. But I also feel like I’m tired of saying the same shit over and over again. It’s interesting, man. Topher DeRosia: Yeah, that’s a dilemma. Russell Aaron: So you’re just like kicking back and… are you building something for you that you think is gonna scale or are you trying to get away from WordPress? That’s kind of where I’m at right now. Topher DeRosia: Yes and no. I have always wanted to… I’ve always been better with people than code. I’m a life coach. Russell Aaron: Yeah. I did not know that about you. Topher DeRosia: I love talking to the client more than coding. I love helping people learn things. And so those skills could be anywhere in WordPress, but also could be anywhere outside of WordPress. So I’m looking for those jobs and they are not out there. Russell Aaron: Right. Topher DeRosia: So here we are. Russell Aaron: I’m to the point now where my son, he’s eight, but he races BMX, like actual bikes and stuff. And so there’s a college here in Indianapolis and it’s one of the best cycling schools in the country. And there’s like five Olympians that practice every Tuesday and Thursday and they’re right in our back door. These are people that have a great social following, but they don’t post very well. They have a brand name, but they don’t have a website. So I’m noticing that every new space that I go into, it’s kind of like I get to jump back into WordPress again, where it’s like, hey, I just built a website for this BMX track in Louisville, Kentucky. It’s one of the best tracks in the country by everybody that has ever raced in a sport, they all vote that it’s one of the best, but they don’t have a website period. I just went through this where they have a guy, he’s their treasurer and he’s like, “Well, I’m an AI software guy.” And I’m like, “Well, how come you don’t have a website?” And he’s like, “Well…” And I’m like, “Listen, I submitted a new version of a we… literally, I uploaded it to my Russell website or to my Russell Envy site and I just put it in a sub-folder and I was like, “Your website could look like this today.” I was like, “For free. I don’t want anything from you. No free anything.” I was like, “I want to donate this to you because I want to grow the sport.” And the guy’s like, “I wanted to build it and React.” And I’m like, “Well, why didn’t you?” And the guy’s like, “Uh.” And I’m like, “I have free hosting for life from WPEngine.” And I was like, “I won’t charge you guys ever. I will host a site. I have free with AppPresser. I’ll build you guys an app where you guys can send push notifications.” And the guy’s like, “Well, I want to have a lot of control and say over it.” And I was just like, “All right, you know what?” And then I built my own. Now I own a domain all about their BMX track and now they’re calling me going, “We should have went with you.” I’m to the point now where I’m nice. And then it’s just like, “Dude, I’m 10,000 miles over you and I’m going to go this way.” Liquid Web did that to me. Liquid Web brought me in and they were like, “We’re going to…” I was supposed to be the OG stellar WP. They brought me in, I was hiring all my friends and I was bringing in people and we were building something. And then they called me and they were like, “Well, you can either be a level two support person or you could just not work here.” And I was like, “Well, I don’t work here anymore.” And they were like, “Well, wait, hang on.” And I literally hit “click” and I have never logged on since. Topher DeRosia: That’s funny. Russell Aaron: I’m in that same boat where, you know, I don’t have to work for you. You know what I mean? Like, fuck, I’m 40. I should be doing something on my own anyway. I kind of wish I had… what was WP 101? Sean did that for all those years. I wish I would have done that. Or every week, I should have had some YouTube about talking about something and maybe I could have monetized that, but I’m not behind the ball. I let the ball slip is what I feel like. Topher DeRosia: It’s not too late to start. I picked that up when Sean, quit and I’ve got a YouTube channel with a bunch of stuff on it. I published one today. Russell Aaron: Oh wow. It’s just interesting things that you think about, or is it like educational, like tutorials? Topher DeRosia: It’s educational tutorials, but stuff that I find interesting. Like today I made a desktop wallpaper for WordCamp Europe. Russell Aaron: Nice. Topher DeRosia: And I did it by going to their webpage in my browser and using the console to hack the HTML and CSS until it looked like a screen, a wallpaper. Russell Aaron: That’s fucking cool. Topher DeRosia: So I published it right before I’d started talking to you, like minutes before that. And it has three views. Russell Aaron: Woohoo. Topher DeRosia: But a couple of weeks ago I did one called fun and games in the terminal. And it’s how to play Tetris in the terminal and how to make a choo-choo train go across your screen when you type LS wrong. And it has 784 views right now. Russell Aaron: That’s awesome. Topher DeRosia: I did one on how to brighten a photo. I did a series. I’m working on a series called Topher learns how, or I talk to people who know how to do things that I really should know how to do, but don’t. I talked to Scott Kingsley Clark about pods, which has been around forever, but I’ve never used. I talked to Donata about Termageddon, because I know it’s important, but I have stayed away because I don’t understand and it’s scary. Russell Aaron: Termageddon. I’ve never heard that. Topher DeRosia: Oh. You know the little cookie consent things, privacy policies and whatnot? Russell Aaron: Yeah. Topher DeRosia: So when you sign up with term again, you pay a surprisingly low monthly fee and they have a human get on the phone with you and talk through your requirements of where you live, your legal stuff. Like, are you in Europe? Are you in California? Where are you? Where are your customers, your viewers? Then you drop in a short code for your privacy code and for the cookies and they keep them up to date based on how the laws change. So you don’t have to pay attention to, Oh, did California make some crazy new law about cookies? What do I need to do to update my site? It’s really, really great. So I did an interview with her. Russell Aaron: $12 a month or $119 a year. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: What is the point of having a privacy policy if you don’t pay extra for limiting your liability? Wow. That’s amazing. Topher DeRosia: It is. Russell Aaron: That’s someone just thinking outside the box. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. I have a couple of videos where I was given an account at a hosting company that I’ve never used and videoed logging in for the first time and getting to a website. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow. Just from first login to setting everything up to now you have something production. Wow. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Specifically not reading the docs. Russell Aaron: Oh, just trying to brute force your way through it. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: That’s smart, dude. Topher DeRosia: It’s partly about… well, they may have wonderful docs. It may be super easy to do if you read all the docs. I don’t want to read the docs. Russell Aaron: Me neither. Topher DeRosia: Clickety clickety click, I have a website. So I did GreenGeeks. I did honesthosting.io. I did X cloud. So that’s the kind of stuff I’m doing. Russell Aaron: That’s interesting. That is something that, that Gary V talks about a lot is that it used to have to be where you are this WordPress brand and you do just this and all your videos could only be about that. Anytime you stepped outside the box, people were like, “Why am I watching this?” And today now we’re to finally to where my website would probably actually thrive is it’s so random. It’s just something out of my head and one thing can skyrocket and it’s like hitting the jackpot, you know? That’s interesting. Topher DeRosia: Another thing I did is I made a site called topher.how and because I realized I had never really made stuff in my own channel. I’ve been blogging for decades, making videos, WinningWP. I have over a hundred videos on WinningWP. Russell Aaron: WinningWP? Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: Did you start that when Charlie Sheen started doing Winning? Topher DeRosia: No, no, no, no. But I was thinking, boy, I’d love to have all this stuff on my own website, but I don’t want to go find it all and copy paste posts. And then I realized nearly every place I’ve ever made content has RSS for their authors. Russell Aaron: Yeah. Topher DeRosia: And so I found the sites, found my author RSS feed and started piping them into WP all import. And now topher.how has all my content from the last 15 years on a dozen different sites, doesn’t more than a dozen different sites, all my videos, all my posts, everything on wordpress.tv, all that stuff. So it’s kind of a portfolio. Yeah, so you can go to topher.how and see all my stuff. Russell Aaron: That was actually one thing that I was really proud of was that my entire WordPress journey is documented on somebody else’s project. So, like you go to WPwatercooler and my resume, what is great about it is that it is not me who can edit those videos, it is not me who can master them. Those words are there. Those words are me. You want to know my qualifications in WordPress, there’s all my shit. For me, I was like, “That’s actually pretty sick. You know what I mean?” Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: Wow. Topher.how. Oh, dude, do you know who Jeffrey Zinn is? Topher DeRosia: No. Russell Aaron: Oh God. Him and Brandon Dove they have Pixel Jar. Have you ever heard of Pixel Jar? Topher DeRosia: Maybe. Russell Aaron: They’re big West coasters. I’ll tell you that much. He just wrote me, “He literally just said, dude, how do you find the time to write so much on LinkedIn? I enjoy all your stuff, but mostly I’m blown away by the volume.” Topher DeRosia: Nice. Russell Aaron: I’m going to write him back and just tell him the truth. But you know, it’s all thought man. Interesting. Topher, I’ve had a lot of fun. Am I taking up your time? Topher DeRosia: I should get back to work. Russell Aaron: All right, sir. Have a good one. Topher DeRosia: All right. I’ll see ya. Russell Aaron: Bye. Topher DeRosia: Bye.

Branding is not just your logo, your fonts, or your colors. It is the reputation your organization builds over time.In this episode, the team gets honest about nonprofit branding: what it is, what it is not, and why so many organizations misunderstand the role it plays in fundraising and growth. They debate whether rebrands are worth it, talk through the risks of visual identity changes, and explain why brand consistency, positioning, and messaging matter so much more than most people think.If your organization is considering a rebrand, struggling to stand out, or trying to clarify its identity in a crowded market, this conversation is worth your time. 00:01 Welcome and branding hot takes 01:38 Recognition is cheap. Belief is expensive 02:39 Why branding is much bigger than visual identity 03:28 The “ugly tax” and what bad design costs you 04:14 Why nonprofit brands often play it too safe 07:18 Can a better brand actually improve fundraising? 11:51 Why messaging should be fixed before the logo 17:15 What kind of branding actually boosts fundraising 23:16 What a logo is really for 34:47 Gary V's “not on brand” quote gets debated 

The Jim Rome Show HR 3 - 4/22/26 Gary Vaynerchuk joins the show to talk Jets, Knicks and the latest with all of his businesses. Then, Jerry Jones goes to great lengths to get all the attention at the latest Cowboys' press conference. Plus, Jim answers your Ask The Pro's Emails and Posts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After years of hype around live shopping in the U.S., Whatnot looks like it might be one of the first companies to truly make the model stick at scale.In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein speaks with Whatnot's VP of Categories and Expansion Armand Wilson about why the platform's community-first approach is resonating with Western consumers. Armand explains how Whatnot evolved from a collectibles marketplace built around trust into a live shopping platform spanning hundreds of categories — everything from trading cards to tomahawk steaks — and how live commerce creates a more human, transparent and personalized shopping experience than traditional ecommerce.Key TakeawaysWhy Whatnot's model differs from live shopping in China and is built more around community and expertise than mass product pushing; How the platform grew to more than $8 billion in GMV in 2025, doubling year over year; Why trust, transparency and seller expertise are central to the Whatnot's experience; How the platform's algorithm blends social engagement signals and purchase intent to surface the right streams to the right buyers; Why categories like beauty and food are opening up new opportunities;  What makes a successful Whatnot seller (hint: it has more to do with business fundamentals than a sparkling personality, although that certainly helps); andWhy Armand believes 2026 could be the year live shopping goes mainstream in the U.S.  Related LinksExplore live shopping on Whatnot and discover sellers across categoriesRelated reading: Gary V on the Shifting Landscape of Attention and the Death of Don Draper MarketingGet more retail industry insights from Retail TouchPointsSubscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix

I almost didn't record this one. After six months of not being sick, I think I'm there. My voice is lower than usual and I've got that heavy-head thing going on. But it's week two of being back, and skipping week two wasn't something I was willing to do.So I hit record.Today I'm sharing the quotes and frameworks I actually lean on when I don't feel like doing anything. At risk of sounding like an overenthusiastic motivational speaker, I share some of the voices I come back to when things get hard or discouraging or heavy. Jocko Willink, Alex Hormozi, Seth Godin, Gary V, Steven Bartlett, and Will Guidara. I go through what they've each said, why it stuck with me, and how it all connects.My son Miles also informed me that dad intros are out of style. So there's that.Pursue Clarity, Paul

G.I. Joe Chronicles - Outpost: Episode 19Title: G.I. Joe A Real American Hero - IDW Comics - Issues: 155½ - 156 (2010)Fall-in Troops and Welcome to G.I.Joe Outpost. Join Jim the Joe Junkie and his rotating cast of co-hosts. Beginning in 1982 they will explore many aspects of the World(s) of G.I.Joe. They will Discuss the Toys, Comics, Cartoons and other Peripheral items from each year to current day. We Fast forward to the year 2010 to discuss the Relaunch of G.I.Joe A Real American Hero Comic from IDW.  Join Jim the Joe Junkie and Gary V. from the Chaplains Assistants Motorpod as they discuss their Memories, current condition of the Joe and Cobra Teams and what could be Cobra Commanders Most Ambitious Plot so far.Be sure to check out all the other Longbox Crusade shows at: www.LongboxCrusade.comLet us know what you think!Leave a comment by sending an email to: contact@longboxcrusade.comThis podcast is a member of the LONGBOX CRUSADE NETWORK:LINKTREE: https://linktr.ee/longboxcrusadeFollow on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LongboxCrusadeFollow on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/longboxcrusadeLike the FACEBOOK page: https://www.facebook.com/LongboxCrusadeSubscribe to the YouTube Channel: https://goo.gl/4LkhovSubscribe on Apple Podcasts at:https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-longboxcrusade/id1118783510?mt=2orhttps://anchor.fm/s/e9b9020/podcast/rssThank you for listening and we hope you have enjoyed this episode of G.I. Joe Chronicles: Outpost!#gijoe #gijoearealamericanhero #gijoearah #gijoetoys #gijoecommunity #gijoenation #gijoe #IDWComics #IDW

G.I. Joe Chronicles - Outpost: Episode 19Title: G.I. Joe A Real American Hero - IDW Comics - Issues: 155½ - 156 (2010)Fall-in Troops and Welcome to G.I.Joe Outpost. Join Jim the Joe Junkie and his rotating cast of co-hosts. Beginning in 1982 they will explore many aspects of the World(s) of G.I.Joe. They will Discuss the Toys, Comics, Cartoons and other Peripheral items from each year to current day. We Fast forward to the year 2010 to discuss the Relaunch of G.I.Joe A Real American Hero Comic from IDW.  Join Jim the Joe Junkie and Gary V. from the Chaplains Assistants Motorpod as they discuss their Memories, current condition of the Joe and Cobra Teams and what could be Cobra Commanders Most Ambitious Plot so far.Be sure to check out all the other Longbox Crusade shows at: www.LongboxCrusade.comLet us know what you think!Leave a comment by sending an email to: contact@longboxcrusade.comThis podcast is a member of the LONGBOX CRUSADE NETWORK:LINKTREE: https://linktr.ee/longboxcrusadeFollow on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LongboxCrusadeFollow on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/longboxcrusadeLike the FACEBOOK page: https://www.facebook.com/LongboxCrusadeSubscribe to the YouTube Channel: https://goo.gl/4LkhovSubscribe on Apple Podcasts at:https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-longboxcrusade/id1118783510?mt=2orhttps://anchor.fm/s/e9b9020/podcast/rssThank you for listening and we hope you have enjoyed this episode of G.I. Joe Chronicles: Outpost!#gijoe #gijoearealamericanhero #gijoearah #gijoetoys #gijoecommunity #gijoenation #gijoe #IDWComics #IDW

Show Notes for Fleet Maull Podcast Episode Episode Overview Join host David Hill in conversation with Dr. Fleet Maull as they explore stress management, mindfulness practices, and radical responsibility for entrepreneurs. Learn practical strategies to optimize your nervous system, improve decision-making, and build sustainable business success. Fleet Maull helps overwhelmed founders and scaling entrepreneurs step out of survival mode and into CEO-level leadership. Drawing on 25+ years as a business strategist and founder of multiple mission-driven ventures, including an Inc. 5000 company, Fleet developed a high-impact MBA program specifically for bootstrapped entrepreneurs looking to break through 6- to 7- or 7- to 8-figure bottlenecks. Action Steps Establish a morning routine (even 5-10 minutes) Practice the "Stop, Feel, Breathe, Be" micro-practice throughout your day Learn breath regulation techniques at HeartMind.co Identify your top 5 daily priorities through journaling Implement the Pomodoro technique (45-minute focused work blocks) Delegate tasks that others can do 80% as well as you Practice mindful exercise with full presence TIME STAMPS 00:00 - 00:30 Introduction & Welcome 00:30 - 02:33 Understanding the Negativity Bias & Why Your Mind Wanders to Stress 02:33 - 10:41 The Two Branches of Your Nervous System Explained 10:41 - 14:30 Why Entrepreneurs Don't Do What They Know They Should (KEY INSIGHT) 14:30 - 20:25 The Power of Mindful Exercise & Morning Routines 20:25 - 24:27 From Operator to CEO: Building Systems & Delegating  28:48 The RISE Morning Routine Framework 34:26 - Stop, Feel, Breathe, Be: The One Micro- Practice to Start Today His immersive program isn't just business coaching—it's a complete recalibration of how leaders approach growth, delegation, and sustainability. Fleet's work combines proven operational strategies with mindset mastery, helping founders replace burnout with vision, build aligned teams, and unlock years of progress in a fraction of the time.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleetmaull/ https://www.instagram.com/fleetmaull/ David Hill is a trailblazer in marketing, sales training and coaching, leveraging over 36 years of experience across multiple industries. He has worked with some of the top companies, including Success, Cardone 10X, and leading real estate brands. David founded Path to Sales Mastery, where he specializes in helping sales professionals and business owners overcome common sales challenges. Known for his ability to drive significant growth, he enables clients to boost their sales by up to 50% and more within 90 days or less. Through his proven strategies, personalized coaching, and practical solutions, David continues to inspire and empower teams to reach their full potential. David also hosts the Path to Sales Mastery podcast with over 400 episodes featuring guests Gary V, Mel Robbins, Grant Cardone, Brian Tracey, and many others.  www.davidihill.com/podcast www.davidihill.com/online www.davidhill.link

Caleb Ralston challenges one of the most sacred rules in personal branding: niching down. While it's technically the fastest path to growth, it's also a fast track to burnout and quitting altogether. In this conversation with Shahin Hoda, Caleb shares hard-won insights from working with some of the biggest names in business (Gary Vaynerchuk, Alex and Leila Hormozi) and reveals the sustainable approach to building a personal brand that doesn't make you hate what you've created. From why you should inject your personality into everything you make, to how organisations can build loyalty by empowering team members to develop their own brands, this episode is packed with contrarian wisdom for anyone building content for the long term. Guest Introduction Caleb Ralston is a brand strategist, content producer, and creator mentor who has worked with Gary Vaynerchuk, Leila and Alex Hormozi, and other leading voices in entrepreneurship. He now helps founders and creators scale content in a way that's sustainable, strategic, and honest through his company Ralston. Key Topics Why niching down is overrated: The conventional wisdom on niching down works in theory but leads to creator burnout and audience fatigue in practice. Caleb explains why sustainability matters more than short-term growth hacks.The sustainability framework for content creation: Building a personal brand is like fitness: you get returns by doing it forever, not by sprinting for a year and quitting. Learn how to create systems that allow you to keep showing up.Lessons from working with Gary V and the Hormozis: What most people assume about these mega-brands is completely wrong. Caleb shares the behind-the-scenes reality of how these creators actually build their influence.Injecting personality without losing focus: How to integrate your interests and quirks into your content without confusing your audience or diluting your message.Building personal brands within organisations: The Barstool Sports approach to content: why Dave Portnoy isn't in all the content, and how this creates a more scalable, sustainable media company. How this strategy applies to B2B companies.Strategic hiring for content bottlenecks: Why your first hire shouldn't be another you, and how to identify the specific constraint that's actually holding back your content production.Being 100% yourself in the age of AI: As everyone starts sounding the same on LinkedIn with ChatGPT-generated posts, authenticity becomes your competitive advantage. Caleb's advice: lean into your insecurities and the things you're terrified to share. Resources & Links People Mentioned: Gary Vaynerchuk - Entrepreneur and Chairman of VaynerXAlex Hormozi - Co-founder and Managing Partner at Acquisition.comLeila Hormozi - CEO of Acquisition.comPaddy Galloway - YouTube strategist and content optimization expertDave Portnoy - Founder of Barstool Sports Books & Resources: Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk - The book that inspired Caleb to pursue his current pathCaleb's YouTube ChannelRalston - Caleb's brand strategy and content company Contact & Credits Host: Shahin Hoda Guest: Caleb Ralston Produced by: Shahin Hoda and Alexander Hipwell Edited by: Alexander Hipwell Music by: Breakmaster Cylinder APAC's B2B Growth Podcast is Presented by xGrowth

Hey y'all,This week, I'm talking with Jim Carter III - powerhouse tech founder, AI strategist, and the guy who's literally building the future. Jim has helped everyone from Tony Robbins to Gary V harness AI to grow smarter, faster, and with more freedom. In this episode, we strip away the hype and talk about what AI really means for creativity, parenting, education, and everyday life.Jim shares why it's not about replacing humans but freeing us to do more of what actually matters. He even lets us peek inside his “digital clone” - a fully trained AI version of his brain. This one's both mind-blowing and strangely comforting.Highlights:(03:15) – What AI really is (and how long it's been shaping our daily lives)(08:30) – Why we shouldn't fear AI, but learn to use it as a thinking partner(14:00) – How AI can help with real-world decisions, from work to parenting(22:50) – Teaching kids to use ChatGPT without losing their critical thinking skills(33:30) – The rise of digital clones and how they're changing personal brands(46:10) – Jim's advice on freedom, wealth, and wisdom in the AI ageConnect with Jim :WEBSITEwww.jimcarter.meLINKEDIN PROFILEhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/causehacker/INSTAGRAMhttps://www.instagram.com/jimcarterthethird/Qualia Mind - click hereCoupon Code: SHOCKANDYALL (15% off any purchase)Visit Nicole's on demand fitness platform for live weekly classes and a recorded library of yoga, strength training, guided audio meditations and mobility (Kinstretch) classes, as well: https://www.sweatandstillness.comGrab Nicole's bestselling children's book and enter your email for A FREE GIFT: https://www.yolkedbook.comFind Nicole on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nicolesciacca/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thenicolesciaccaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolesciaccayoga/Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1X8PPWCQa2werd4unex1eAPractice yoga with Nicole in person in Santa Monica, CA at Aviator Nation Ride. Get the App to book in: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aviator-nation-ride/id1610561929Book a discovery call or virtual assessment with Nicole here: https://www.calendly.com/nicolesciaccaThis Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio

Technology is evolving faster than our understanding of it. In this episode, Shekeese and I dive into the creative and ethical tensions shaping today's digital world. We examine how nonprofits, designers, and educators wrestle with AI-generated art versus original creativity, revealing why comprehension matters more than speed. Drawing parallels between AI mastery and martial-arts discipline, we argue that foundational knowledge must precede innovation. We contrast hustle-culture pressures, echoed by voices like Gary V., with the virtue of deliberate practice and media literacy. From rebranding challenges to copyright debates around music, NFTs, and AI, we explore ownership, authenticity, and regulation in a world where creativity and technology collide. This is a deep look at mastery, understanding, and responsible progress in the digital age.--------- EPISODE CHAPTERS ---------(0:00:00) - Tech, Language, and Miscommunication(0:04:04) - AI Comprehension Over Utility(0:09:06) - AI in Media Literacy(0:17:36) - The Lost Art of Learning(0:28:49) - AI, Music, and Copyright Law(0:36:34) - Importance of Regulation in SocietySend us a text

Erin Spradlin and James Carlson explore an accessible income alternative to real estate: the Stan Store digital marketplace. They share their experience with Gary Vaynerchuk's 8-week course on selling digital products and consulting services—arguing this might be faster than saving for a down payment.

Most companies think brand is just a logo, tagline, or color palette. The truth? That's design. Brand is who you are, how you show up, and why people choose you over everyone else. And if you don't define it, you'll blend into the noise, competing only on price.In this episode of Founder Talk, I sit down with Jason Vana, brand strategist and founder of SHFT, to unpack what brand really means and why “playing it safe” is the fastest way to kill growth. Jason explains why caring more isn't a differentiator, why “being the best” is an empty claim, and how to uncover the uniqueness in your business that truly makes you stand out.We dive into the harsh realities of LinkedIn's algorithm shift, why AI will never replace real brand strategy, and why too many entrepreneurs mistake vulnerability for authenticity. Jason also shares why building a brand is actually building a business strategy, one rooted in knowing who you are, what makes you different, and what kind of company you want to run.You'll learn:✅ Why “professional” industry jargon kills authenticity and trust✅ How to find the differentiator you don't even realize you have✅ Why brand flows through every part of your business — not just marketing✅ The danger of chasing followers or playing it safe✅ How to brand a “boring” business in a way that excites customersIf you've been searching “how to build a brand,” “brand strategy for founders,” or “how to stand out in a crowded market,” this episode delivers the no-fluff truth.Connect with JasonGuest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonvana/Guest Website: https://shft.agency/Want a behind-the-scenes look at how we run the show and the chance to ask upcoming guests your questions? Join the Founder Talk Club in WhatsApp.(it's free)https://chat.whatsapp.com/KDEgJWAH5liFCiWVIU8bIa If you are a B2B company that wants to build your own in-house content team instead of outsourcing your content to a marketing agency, we may be a fit for you! Everything you see in our podcast and content is a result of a scrappy, nimble, internal content team along with an AI-powered content systems and process. Check out pricing and services here: ⁠https://impaxs.com⁠Timecodes00:00 Introduction and Podcast Beginnings00:40 Meet Jason Vanna: Brand Strategist01:12 The Importance of Branding03:16 AI in Branding and Marketing04:56 The Value of Authentic Content Creation07:34 Taking Breaks and Reflecting on Content Strategy13:02 Challenges with LinkedIn's Algorithm15:59 Adapting Marketing Strategies33:58 Embracing Your Brand Identity36:03 Breaking Industry Norms36:33 Finding Your Authentic Voice38:06 Consistency in Communication38:53 The Importance of Authenticity39:48 Building a Personal Brand43:02 The Pitfalls of Chasing Followers44:32 Gary V's Content Strategy50:11 Defining Your Business Goals56:09 Creating an Exciting Brand01:01:11 Positioning Your Brand Differently01:08:08 Reflecting on Personal and Business Growth01:13:57 Conclusion and Contact Information

YouTube is stepping up with its most powerful features yet, offering podcasters collaboration tools, flexible ads, auto dubbing, and smarter testing options. In this episode, we also look at Apple's new podcast features, Vimeo's acquisition by Bending Spoons, and the impact of Amazon teaming up with SiriusXM. Riverside's latest marketing guide sparks debate on strategy versus burnout, while the role of SEO comes into question yet again. With TikTok facing big changes in the U.S., creators are reminded that the only constant is the fight for visibility.Episode Highlights: [03:49] Podcast Data and Trends[05:17] Top Podcasts on Apple and Spotify[11:06] Webby Awards and Other Events[15:00] Apple Podcasts iOS 26 Updates[21:33] Riverside's Podcast Marketing Guide[25:04] YouTube's Major Creator Upgrades[29:47] Discussing Collaborations on YouTube[30:58] Gary V's Investment in Social Media[38:56] TikTok's Future in the US[49:44] Podcast Authority ScoreLinks & Resources: Join The Empowered Podcasting Facebook Group:www.facebook.com/groups/empoweredpodcasting⁠Get Your Tickets for The Empowered Podcasting Conference:www.empoweredpodcasting.comPodnews:www.podnews.net30th Annual Webby Awards: https://podnews.net/class-click/3046/2025-09-12The Power of Collectives: https://podnews.net/event/the-power-of-collectives-exploring-the-benefits-of-community-and-collaborationMeet & MatchUp Event Use Promo Code PMC https://bit.ly/3KoOTjUThe Future of YouTube: https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/colin-samir-favorites-made-on-youtubePodEngine: https://www.podengine.ai/podcast-authority-score?u=515146796&ch=P9n56gyXStempede Social: https://www.stampede.socialStanStore:www.stanstore.comRemember to rate, follow, share, and review our podcast. Your support helps us grow and bring valuable content to our community.Join us LIVE every weekday morning at 7 am ET (US) on ⁠Clubhouse⁠: ⁠⁠⁠ https://www.clubhouse.com/house/empowered-podcasting-e6nlrk0w⁠⁠Or Join us on Chatter: https://preview.chattersocial.io/group/98a69881-f328-4eae-bf3c-9b0bb741481dLive on YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@marcronick⁠Brought to you by⁠ ⁠iRonickMedia.com⁠⁠ Please note that some links may be affiliate links, which support the hosts of the PMC. Thank you!--- Send in your mailbag question at:⁠ https://www.podpage.com/pmc/contact/⁠ or ⁠marc@ironickmedia.com⁠Want to be a guest on The Podcasting Morning Chat? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: ⁠https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1729879899384520035bad21b⁠

Indiana Jones and the Comics Crusade: Episode 15Issue: The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #15 (Marvel)Welcome to the 15th episode, covering Marvel's "The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones!" On this episode: Gary V from the Chaplain's Assistant MotorPod stops by the Temple of Longbox to discuss Issue #15!Find Jarrod on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram: @YardSaleArtistCheck out Jarrod's art: www.TheYardSaleArtist.comLet us know what you think!Leave a comment by sending an email to: contact@longboxcrusade.comThis podcast is a member of the LONGBOX CRUSADE NETWORK:Visit the WEBSITE: https://www.LongboxCrusade.comFollow on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LongboxCrusadeFollow on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/longboxcrusadeLike the FACEBOOK page: https://www.facebook.com/LongboxCrusadeSubscribe to the YOUTUBE Channel: https://goo.gl/4LkhovSubscribe on APPLE PODCASTS at:https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-longboxcrusade/id1118783510?mt=2Thank you for listening and we hope you have enjoyed this episode of Indiana Jones and the Comics Crusade!#indianajones #indy #drjones #marvelcomics #marvel #indyjones

Get ready for a brand new podcast, The $100M Entrepreneur, hosted by Brad Sugars, founder of ActionCOACH, the world's #1 business coaching company! Join us for exclusive insights from global entrepreneurs like Gary V, Simon Squibb, Daniel Priestley, and more, as we break down the strategies, systems, and mindset to scale your business to $100 million and beyond. Whether you're a seasoned leader or just starting out, this podcast is your guide to massive growth. Subscribe now and make sure not to miss our first episode with Gary V coming out on September 10th at 12 pm PT!About Brad SugarsInternationally known as one of the most influential entrepreneurs, Brad Sugars is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and the #1 business coach in the world. Over the course of his 30-year career as an entrepreneur, Brad has become the CEO of 9+ companies and is the owner of the multimillion-dollar franchise ActionCOACH®. As a husband and father of five, Brad is equally as passionate about his family as he is about business. That's why, Brad is a strong advocate for building a business that works without you – so you can spend more time doing what really matters to you. Over the years of starting, scaling and selling many businesses, Brad has earned his fair share of scars. Being an entrepreneur is not an easy road. But if you can learn from those who have gone before you, it becomes a lot easier than going at it alone.Please click here to learn more about Brad Sugars: https://bradsugars.com/Learn the Fundamentals of Success for free:The Big Success Starter: https://results.bradsugars.com/thebigsuccess-starter

Logan Forsyth is an award-winning content marketing expert who has generated over 6 billion views for personal brands and businesses. He's the co-founder of Media Scaling, a company that has grown to over 100 team members and works with brands collectively having 134+ million followers across platforms.Instagram: @loganforsythWant To Quit Your Job In The Next 6-18 Months Through Buying Commercial Real Estate & Small Businesses?

Want to scale your business? Get the Side Hustler's AI Prompt Database: https://clickhubspot.com/kvw Episode 721: Sam Parr ( https://x.com/theSamParr ) and Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) talk about a billionaire's recipe for happiness, Shaan's stock picks, plus the new mayor of NY. — Show Notes: (0:00) Billionaire recipe for happiness (5:12) Shaan gives a talk at Berkeley (12:01) Steve Ballmer on Acquired (17:02) Gary V is bullish on everything (26:28) The new mayor of NY (35:45) Multilingual politicians (38:43) Vibe voting (41:20) Idea: "The President" (45:58) Businesses w/ 50X potential (49:07) Shaan's first 6 stocks — Check Out Shaan's Stuff: • Shaan's weekly email - https://www.shaanpuri.com • Visit https://www.somewhere.com/mfm to hire worldwide talent like Shaan and get $500 off for being an MFM listener. Hire developers, assistants, marketing pros, sales teams and more for 80% less than US equivalents. • Mercury - Need a bank for your company? Go check out Mercury (mercury.com). Shaan uses it for all of his companies! Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC — Check Out Sam's Stuff: • Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/ • Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/ • Copy That - https://copythat.com • Hampton Wealth Survey - https://joinhampton.com/wealth • Sam's List - http://samslist.co/ My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by HubSpot Media // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano

Gary V., January 28, 2025Century Meeting - 100 PoundersSan Francisco Intergroup of Overeaters Anonymous

Gary Vaynerchuk (CEO, VaynerMedia) joins Chris Cuomo for a raw conversation about why young Americans are struggling despite having more opportunities than ever. Gary V argues that overprotective parenting, participation trophies, and a lack of accountability have created a generation that expects success without work—while parents use their children's achievements for their own self-esteem. The discussion tackles the hard truths about why 22-year-olds are moving back home, why kids are protesting causes they don't understand, and how America has become addicted to blame instead of personal responsibility. Vaynerchuk shares his immigrant perspective on merit, consequences, and why he believes the real pandemic isn't COVID—it's the death of accountability. From parents wanting to attend job interviews to the weaponization of fear in politics, this conversation exposes uncomfortable realities about modern American culture. Follow and subscribe to The Chris Cuomo Project on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday: https://linktr.ee/cuomoproject Join Chris Ad-Free On Substack: http://thechriscuomoproject.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The members of Overeaters Anonymous share their experience, strength, and hope. www.oasgive.org

Eddie Wilson is a real estate investor, a CEO, a national speaker, and has a passion for business growth. He has built or run more than 125 different businesses and successfully exited over 90 of them, generating over $1 billion in business, and earning him the nickname the King of Exits.Currently, his humanitarian work is known around the world, and he is the executive director of the nonprofit organization Impact Others.If you enjoy this episode, please consider leaving a rating and a review. It makes a huge difference in spreading the word about the show and helps us get more great guests.  Thanks for listening!Check out Eddie on IG @eddiewilsonofficialFollow Moshe on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoshePopack/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mpopack/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mpopack Topics:  0:00 – Introduction2:00 – Intersection of time, wealth, and purpose5:00 – Time vs Wealth formula6:30 – Practical ways to save time in business8:30 – How to find purpose11:00 – Creating the right corporate culture14:00 – Eddie's “Aspire Tour” value proposition17:00 – The unplanned challenges of exiting20:00 – Eddie's analysis when buying and selling companies23:00 – How Eddie looks at private equity28:00 – Why Eddie loves real estate32:00 – Ego is the enemy34:30 – Gratitude is everything

Send us a textWe all say we want success, growth, and impact, but very few of us are willing to wait for them.In this episode, I unpack a short but powerful chapter from Gary Vaynerchuk's book 12 1/2—the chapter on patience. It's only four pages long, but it hits like a sledgehammer. Because patience isn't just about waiting—it's about who you become while you wait.If you've ever felt like you're behind in life, rushing to catch up, or burning out from trying to prove yourself, this one's for you.

YouTube Channel With Bonus Content!  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9IkAR6cfIxeJ9WnJyfB3tA?sub_confirmation=1 Nick Instagram https://instagram.com/BostonCardHunter LZ Instagram https://instagram.com/autographstalker Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/48hzXpdyJqKsCpDJeHfBC7?si=7ac3f21c4f524c00 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-card-madness/id1699040458 Private Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/286168030750036

CEO of Vaynermedia Gary Vaynerchuk joins the show to talk about his new trading car line, the NBA playoffs, Aaron Rodgers and much more! Plus, I'm Over It! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CEO of Vaynermedia Gary Vaynerchuk joins the show to talk about his new trading car line, the NBA playoffs, Aaron Rodgers and much more! Plus, I'm Over It! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CEO of Vaynermedia Gary Vaynerchuk joins the show to talk about his new trading car line, the NBA playoffs, Aaron Rodgers and much more! Plus, I'm Over It! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CEO of Vaynermedia Gary Vaynerchuk joins the show to talk about his new trading car line, the NBA playoffs, Aaron Rodgers and much more! Plus, I'm Over It! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CEO of Vaynermedia Gary Vaynerchuk joins the show to talk about his new trading car line, the NBA playoffs, Aaron Rodgers and much more! Plus, I'm Over It! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Beckett answers a range of listener questions on various topics. He begins by paying tribute to Mark Dehem, who very recently passed away, reflecting on his contributions and character. The discussion then shifts to Warren Buffett's retirement and drawing lessons from Buffett's investment strategies. Dr. Beckett also delves into other listener queries, touching on subjects like the history of card conventions, Gary V's current involvement in sports card collecting, and insights on the 1956 Topps Baseball set. Additionally, topics like breaking in the hobby, the 1976 SSPC cards, and the value of uncut sheets of the 1996 Sports Illustrated for Kids cards are explored.   00:33 Remembering Mark Dehem 01:19 Reflections on Life and Beliefs 02:52 Warren Buffett's Retirement and Lessons 05:23 The Herd Mentality in Collecting 09:29 Memories of the 1956 Topps Baseball Set 10:25 Autograph Collecting and SSPC Cards 11:41 Maximizing the Value of Uncut Sheets    

In this episode of the Drop In CEO podcast, Jason Marc Campbell shares his mission to redefine sales as a transformative, life-enhancing activity and delves into the importance of ethical sales, mindful marketing, and conscientious business practices. He emphasizes the significance of mindset in sales and how loving the impact, client, and product can transform the sales process from a manipulative practice to one of empathy and care. Jason also shares personal anecdotes, including his journey from high school sales to his professional career, and how his global experiences have shaped his perspective. The episode concludes with a discussion on the importance of caring in business and its impact on long-term success. Episode Highlights: 02:30 Transforming Sales into a Positive Force 07:12 The Power of Mindset in Sales 17:06 Ethical Sales and Empathy: The Core of Selling With Love Jason Marc Campbell is the author of Selling with Love and host of the 2M+ downloaded podcast by the same name. A dynamic speaker and former Mindvalley executive, he’s shared stages with Gary V, Lisa Nichols, and Vishen Lakhiani. Campbell empowers business leaders to see sales as a force for good—rooted in integrity, impact, and compassion. He’s helped launch bestselling books, grow million-dollar brands, and guide leadership teams toward meaningful growth. With every keynote, interview, and client session, Campbell champions a new kind of capitalism—one where ethical sales and mindful leadership shape a better world. Connect with Jason Marc Campbell: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmarccampbell/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sellingwithlove Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasonmarccampbell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonmarccampbell/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jason_marccampbell For More Insights from The Drop In CEO:

Retirement might be the goal, but the journey? Full of curveballs. On today's episode, Joe Saul-Sehy is joined by special guest co-host Len Penzo of LenPenzo.com, along with OG and Neighbor Doug, for a no-holds-barred look at what really derails retirement plans—and how to build a strategy that can handle the chaos. From unexpected job loss to rising long-term care costs, adult kids moving back home, and even changing relationship dynamics, this episode dives into the often-overlooked risks that can chip away at your retirement dreams. Inside the episode: What to consider when evaluating long-term care insurance How job instability late in your career can throw off your timeline The growing trend of adult children impacting their parents' retirement Grandparents becoming full-time caregivers—and the financial toll that brings Relationship shifts and widowhood in retirement Downsizing, austerity planning, and staying financially flexible Plus, our TikTok Minute features Gary V on why taking a step backward might be the smartest move forward. And as always, Doug brings the trivia heat—this time, with a nostalgic nod to a certain potato-headed toy. With Len Penzo in the basement, the insights (and squirrel references) are extra sharp. Prepare to laugh, learn, and rethink what “retirement ready” really means. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/four-things-that-can-derail-your-retirement-plan-1676 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Retirement might be the goal, but the journey? Full of curveballs. On today's episode, Joe Saul-Sehy is joined by special guest co-host Len Penzo of LenPenzo.com, along with OG and Neighbor Doug, for a no-holds-barred look at what really derails retirement plans—and how to build a strategy that can handle the chaos. From unexpected job loss to rising long-term care costs, adult kids moving back home, and even changing relationship dynamics, this episode dives into the often-overlooked risks that can chip away at your retirement dreams. Inside the episode: What to consider when evaluating long-term care insurance How job instability late in your career can throw off your timeline The growing trend of adult children impacting their parents' retirement Grandparents becoming full-time caregivers—and the financial toll that brings Relationship shifts and widowhood in retirement Downsizing, austerity planning, and staying financially flexible Plus, our TikTok Minute features Gary V on why taking a step backward might be the smartest move forward. And as always, Doug brings the trivia heat—this time, with a nostalgic nod to a certain potato-headed toy. With Len Penzo in the basement, the insights (and squirrel references) are extra sharp. Prepare to laugh, learn, and rethink what “retirement ready” really means. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/four-things-that-can-derail-your-retirement-plan-1676 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Your Diabetes Insider Podcast, we're going a little outside the typical diabetes convo and diving into the world of AI with special guest Jim Carter III. Jim's worked with big names like Tony Robbins and Gary V—and today, he's here to share how AI can actually make life with diabetes a lot easier.   We talk about real-life dining struggles (like guessing carbs at a restaurant), and how AI tools like ChatGPT can help you plan smarter, lower stress, and make more confident food choices—especially when you're eating out. If you've ever felt overwhelmed trying to figure out what to eat, this one's for you.   Tune in to hear how AI can be your new sidekick in diabetes management!   Ask  Jim through his digital clone here: https://askjc3.com/ Learn more about him: https://jimcarter.me/   Want the best blood sugars you've ever had while enjoying great food? Peep this: https://www.yourdiabetesinsider.com/coaching   RESOURCES: Download these FREE guides that will help you on your diabetes, nutrition, and exercise journey! https://www.yourdiabetesinsider.com/free-stuff Join our EXCLUSIVE Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/266766620895432 Watch my food breakdowns here → https://www.youtube.com/@yourdiabetesinsider   LET'S TALK! Instagram: @manoftzeel Tiktok: @manoftzeel  

Matt Trinetti, co-founder of the London Writers' Salon, on building the world's most engaged writing community, the role of creativity in the face of AI and the transformative power of writing for creative and mental health.*ABOUT MATT TRINETTIMatt Trinetti is the co-founder of London Writers' Salon, our community, dedicated to helping writers connect, make progress, and launch successful careers. With a background in career coaching and leadership development, Matt has worked with top organizations like Google and Unilever. His writing has been featured in Quartz, Huffington Post, and Business Insider, and shared by influential figures such as Tim Ferriss and Arianna Huffington.*RESOURCES & LINKSJoin the London Writers' Salon CommunityWriters' HourMatt's Linked-InMatt's Substack: Seeking With MattBook: The Thank You Economy, by Gary V.Book: The Art of Community by Charles Vogl Book: The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker Escape the City For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers' Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS' SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you're enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Jonathan Greene is a thought leader in the real estate investing space. His podcast, Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing is one of the fastest-growing real estate podcasts in the world. He is a lifelong real estate investor, on-market team leader, and luxury agent, as well as a certified life coach and real estate coach. He hosts in-person and online real estate investor meetups monthly.Jonathan's company, Streamlined Properties, is a single-member LLC that sources off-market deals in New Jersey and other cities across the country. Streamlined Properties, brokered by ΓEA⅃, is his solo team that helps buyers, sellers, and investors make wise and informed real estate decisions. His team has been featured in RealTrends America's Best for 2022, 2023, and 2024, ranking in the top 1.5% of teams in the country.Jonathan has been involved in real estate transactions for more than 30 years. He runs a separate family real estate partnership with his sister, Karin. They have owned countless properties in New York, New Jersey, Florida, and California that were managed as both long-term and short-term rentals.Jonathan Greene provides real estate investment guidance, Zoom workshops, and in-person meetups monthly through his investor/podcast brand, Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing. His on-market team covers New Jersey and has deal funnels and agent relationships in every primary market. Jonathan is a licensed real estate associate broker in the state of New York and a licensed real estate broker-salesperson in the state of New Jersey.Jonathan is a national speaker who has been featured at Dippidi Deep Dive 2021 (keynote speakers were Gary V and Tom Ferry), Curaytor Excellence, NurtuRE Con, and local events. He was on the panel, How to Find Deals in an Uncertain Market, at BPCON 2023. He has been a guest on several real estate podcasts, such as BiggerPockets Podcast three time (eps. 584, 667, and 1054), The Best Real Estate Investing Show Ever, The Passive Income Attorney, and Multifamily Insights.Jonathan's background is as a former attorney, gallerist, museum curator, and educator. He grew up in Brooklyn Heights, NY, but graduated high school in NJ at the Peddie School. He has a B.A. in Criminal Justice from the University of Hartford and a J.D. from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center in Ft. Lauderdale. Jonathan lives in Mendham, New Jersey, and has two adult children.Jonathan's hub site can be found at www.trustgreene.com.Social links:www.zenandtheartofrealestateinvesting.comwww.trustgreene.comwww.streamlined.propertiesChapters00:00 Introduction to Passive Investing06:41 Transitioning from Active to Passive Investing12:24 Understanding the Passive Buy Box18:10 Exploring the Sub-100 Unit Market23:57 Navigating Debt and Investment Risks31:34 Resources for Passive Investors36:43 Personal Growth and Future Aspirations41:15 outro RANDY SMITHConnect with our host, Randy Smith, for more educational content or to discuss investment opportunities in the real estate syndication space at www.impactequity.net, https://www.linkedin.com/in/randallsmith or on Instagram at @randysmithinvestorKeywordspassive investing, real estate, syndications, market trends, investment strategies, multifamily, due diligence, buy box, debt management, wealth building

Will Nick Sirianni be a top 5 coach in the NFL if the Eagles win the Super Bowl? Is a Chiefs 3-peat bad for the NFL? Also, who is going to win the NFL MPV? Is Eli definitely a Hall of Famer? Plus, I'm Over It featuring Gary V! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CEO of Vaynermedia Gary Vanynerchuck joins the show to talk about his passions in business, and the state of the Jets. 2x Super Bowl Champion Eli Manning then joins to talk about his Hall of Fame candidacy. Also, 2x Pro Bowl TE Kyle Rudolph stops by the Airstream Studio. Plus, Evan is worried about bad breath. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will Nick Sirianni be a top 5 coach in the NFL if the Eagles win the Super Bowl? Is a Chiefs 3-peat bad for the NFL? Also, who is going to win the NFL MPV? Is Eli definitely a Hall of Famer? Plus, I'm Over It featuring Gary V! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CEO of Vaynermedia Gary Vanynerchuck joins the show to talk about his passions in business, and the state of the Jets. 2x Super Bowl Champion Eli Manning then joins to talk about his Hall of Fame candidacy. Also, 2x Pro Bowl TE Kyle Rudolph stops by the Airstream Studio. Plus, Evan is worried about bad breath. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CEO of Vaynermedia Gary Vanynerchuck joins the show to talk about his passions in business, and the state of the Jets. 2x Super Bowl Champion Eli Manning then joins to talk about his Hall of Fame candidacy. Also, 2x Pro Bowl TE Kyle Rudolph stops by the Airstream Studio. Plus, Evan is worried about bad breath. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will Nick Sirianni be a top 5 coach in the NFL if the Eagles win the Super Bowl? Is a Chiefs 3-peat bad for the NFL? Also, who is going to win the NFL MPV? Is Eli definitely a Hall of Famer? Plus, I'm Over It featuring Gary V! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CEO of Vaynermedia Gary Vanynerchuck joins the show to talk about his passions in business, and the state of the Jets. 2x Super Bowl Champion Eli Manning then joins to talk about his Hall of Fame candidacy. Also, 2x Pro Bowl TE Kyle Rudolph stops by the Airstream Studio. Plus, Evan is worried about bad breath. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will Nick Sirianni be a top 5 coach in the NFL if the Eagles win the Super Bowl? Is a Chiefs 3-peat bad for the NFL? Also, who is going to win the NFL MPV? Is Eli definitely a Hall of Famer? Plus, I'm Over It featuring Gary V! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CEO of Vaynermedia Gary Vanynerchuck joins the show to talk about his passions in business, and the state of the Jets. 2x Super Bowl Champion Eli Manning then joins to talk about his Hall of Fame candidacy. Also, 2x Pro Bowl TE Kyle Rudolph stops by the Airstream Studio. Plus, Evan is worried about bad breath. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will Nick Sirianni be a top 5 coach in the NFL if the Eagles win the Super Bowl? Is a Chiefs 3-peat bad for the NFL? Also, who is going to win the NFL MPV? Is Eli definitely a Hall of Famer? Plus, I'm Over It featuring Gary V! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

12-30-24 Afternoon Rush - Bachelor Nick Viall Describes Life As An A-Lister & A Big Bravo Breakup On Giggly Squad & Bachelor Clayton's Accuser Laura Owens Lawyer Wants To Sue Arizona Bar Guy? Former Bachelor Nick Viall discusses fame and being an A Lister after being on the show, Plus bleak news in the housing market, as interest rates drop and mortgage rates still rise Some great advice from Gary V for conquering social media in 2025 Plus a big breakup in the Bravo universe announced on a podcast, if you want clicks, you gotta announce your breakups on your podcasts, that's influencing 101. Plus following the moo Deng fame, THE US now has a piggy baby hippo of its own in Virginia Plus an update in the Clayton Echard story as his accuser's lawyer says he is prepared to sue the guy at the Arizona bar.go to patreon.com/daveneal for more bonus content!

Josh Scott of Studio EightyEight is back for more! He joins Kiera to talk about the marriage of creativity with performance marketing for dental practices, how to pull meaning from conversations when talking about dentistry, why putting yourself out there actually helps your patients, and more. Episode resources: Learn more about Studio EightyEight Reach out to Kiera Tune Into DAT's Monthly Webinar Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:00.526) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera And today I am so jazzed. have one of my dearest friends and I don't mean that like as a podcast intro, like truly this person is someone that I just count as one of my greatest friends. And I'm so excited to welcome Josh Scott, CEO, founder, Studio EightyEight Marketing. They have the best swag. I was just telling Josh, I wore their sweatshirt all summer long. I am a terrible ambassador. I don't take pictures and post, but I love your swag. So Josh, welcome to the podcast. How are you today?   Hey, I'm great. It's always good to be here. looking forward to this all week when I see it show up on my calendar. And yeah, you know, I don't know that I believe you, Kiera. You say you wear the flag, but I've never seen proof of it. So we can talk like that on a podcast, but just saying I've never seen it. You know, I should like stop this podcast right now and run upstairs and go grab it. So then we have the, all the social proof, which I think I'm going to do. So we're just going to hit stop. All right, Josh. So, like I said, we were going to hit stop and   for the world to see. All right. It exists. It exists. All right. I love this sweatshirt so much, truly. And I love you guys so much, but like your swag this year was my favorite swag of all because the sweatshirt just feels like a nice hug and I appreciate that it's your company, but it doesn't feel like I'm just wearing like swag, like EightyEight You've got the nice like sports attire to it. So it felt good that I wasn't like.   Studio EightyEight I need to work on our Dental A Team. Cause I'm like, when I send you swag, it's like be Dental A Team today. Of letting me still be a human, but also that. So it does exist. I hope that my marketing team takes this crops it. It's on here. We'll tag you. We're going to use this clip for like the next three years. That's what's going to happen. Yeah. No, it's fun. Our team, they, so, so first off with swag, it's like, try to give people stuff that they would actually wear. So it's not just like,   blatant, you like you look like a team member of ours when you're wearing our stuff because you're just all EightyEight out. But, and they have a theme every year. So this year was this whole athletic company kind of vibe, which was a ton of fun next year. We're already like in concepts for, we do it in Q1 every year. So already in concepts, this whole like camping, kind of like modern camping theme. It's kind of fun. Like, they're, they're all geeked out about the videos. They're going to shoot around it. The, know, we're looking at like little tin mugs and things like that.   The Dental A Team (02:22.413) So it's fun, but I always encourage, this is a good segue, because I encourage dental practices, like when they do swag, sometimes it's just like their logo, really big on the shirt or the hat or whatever. It's like nobody wants to wear a hat that says XYZ dental. But dentistry is so easy. If you just put, get a trucker hat, put smile on the front of it, put your logo on the back, smile more, smile bigger, let's all smile. That message is so...   awesome to like wear out in the world. And people love that. I've got this one sweatshirt from a dental practice to smile more on the back. And what's funny is when I wear it's a really cool hoodie. When I wear it, like people talk to me. They're like, yeah, I love that. You know, like, yeah, the world needs a smile more. And sometimes like when I'm traveling, I'm pretty introverted. And I had this on one time. It was like eight people kept talking to me and I was like, okay, I remember to never wear this again when I'm traveling because it actually creates conversation. And I'm trying to like check out from.   So I love it. And I think like good call to that because it can be so easy. And that's what I actually love about you guys with your marketing is your marketing is so very intentional. And I think dental practices can have it be very intentional, but it's very easy and it's fun. And I think you guys make it fun. And that's actually why I love you guys as marketing people that I recommend you guys do so many great things, your rebrands, your websites, your marketing. So   Josh, we were talking before about how there's kind of like these two parts to marketing that practices have really struggled with up until now within marketing. let's kind of like just do some chit chat on marketing. We'll probably like morph into CEO. Like I don't even know where we're going to go today, but we're just going to have a good time. Cause when Josh and I podcast, it's since the first podcast we ever did together, it's been a comical, like comedy show, either pre post or in the middle. And I think that's why we both love to podcast.   Yeah. Awesome. No, I think in dentistry, it's what's really interesting is up until this point, like historically from a dental marketing standpoint, if we go 10 years ago when the 15, whenever when digital started to come around, everybody got real focused on what we call the marketing services. like SEO, digital ads, some social media and, and dental marketing companies on the whole have been really bad at what they've put out. And so they almost kind of do this, like what's this minimum viable product we can put out.   The Dental A Team (04:43.819) at a recurring retainer rate, like 500 bucks a month, a thousand bucks a month, 250, whatever, and just do enough to get by. Lots of stock content, how can we replicate it, how can we scale it, do it at an MVP, and just get it done and collect revenue. And so that was the state of dental marketing for a while. When we came around, I kind of had this different vision of, it felt like nobody was doing creative work. So I kind of came in with this whole creative agency approach of.   let's make beautiful brands and websites and photography and video. Cause I felt like all things being equal. If you're just looking at a bunch of stock websites, the first one that's kind of waves your hand and says, Hey, we're different. Look at us. It's just going to win. Like the Gary V says, the creative is the variable. And I've always believed that. But now, so, so then it kind of led us to this point where people were having to choose and they would say like, okay, like our competitors, their biggest knock against us was okay. Beautiful websites. Like they would actually concede that like,   beautiful websites, but they're not going to score good on Google. If you come with us, they're going to score better on Google. And so we almost had this war of, okay, you can speak to humans and do something that's designed really well, but Google doesn't like it. Or you do something that Google is going to score well, but like it just is not connecting with humans. And so maybe we get a lot of traffic to it, but we're not converting at a high rate. And so it just becomes this kind of cycle.   And what we've been able to do the last couple of years is I really challenged that belief within our agency and just said like, guys, can we do something that's still gonna connect with humans? Like you're still gonna feel something, but can we also build amazing SEO into it? Can we build amazing ad strategies that get that same traffic, but now they're gonna convert higher. And so for me, it almost became this like custom story-driven creative meets performance marketing.   And that's really like the most ideal growth strategy out there. And so we spend the last two years really, mean, we've hired SEO specialists, ad specialists. I honestly think right now, mean, our two SEO specialists, I would probably put them up against any dental marketing SEO in the country at this point. And it's kind of led us in this whole reorganization because now our marketing services are starting to take off and   The Dental A Team (06:57.801) internally, we're trying to actually marry that too. Like, okay, we've got a creative agency on one side and a performance marketing agency on the other. And it's, you know, it starts breaking stuff and then you're like, okay, these systems don't work. And so that's been a ton of fun. is, yeah. of fun, like air quotes. I that's the CEO fun, right? Like, it's so fun. I know. And this is what happens. It's like you, as a company, as a business, you find a better way to serve clients and you're like, yes, let's do that.   and you get a year or so into and you're like, this is like breaking a lot of stuff that we have to now go back and rebuild. This is the fun when they're like, hey, start your own business, your freedom and you know, then you get into and you're like, this is a lot of work and energy. But we're having a ton of fun with it. And I think that that's really where the so kind of a history of dental marketing and where it's at today is I think being able to bring the both, both of those together, like this best of both worlds. If we're talking about growing a practice, it's   custom creative storytelling content with performance marketing. Man, if you can put those together, like you can grow a practice. And I think something I really love about you guys is I think as dentists who are a bit more introvert, like you say, you're introverted traveling. I think they feel very similar that way too. And it's like, my gosh, but I have to now be all online or in order for me to have this, have to be this like very bubbly. Like, I mean, there's some amazing doctors out there that have actually done it.   But I really love that you guys don't make them be anything that they're not. And that's like your whole premise of what you guys do for marketing is like, no, you be authentic to you. So if you're outgoing and extroverted, like let's do that and let's build your marketing message around that. But if you're more introverted and more person, like you want to, you want to keep that close to you, that's also fine. And so really just giving people the playground of be who you want to be and tell your story the way you want to tell it and run your practice the way you want to.   And you're ultimately going to attract patients who jive with that. Like you don't have to be a one size fits all to be successful. And that's something I've just always loved about your guys' style, your approach, and the way you operate. Yeah, it's probably the biggest pushback we get when we talk to potential clients. And to be honest, I would imagine people don't reach out to us because of this as well. But they're like, Josh, I don't really have a story. Or I don't know what my story is.   The Dental A Team (09:15.495) or I saw these clients that you showed in this speech, but like I'm not them, you know, cause sometimes we tend to show the more sexy work, the work that we're really proud of and people like, yeah, but that's a brand new startup and that space looks amazing. And my space just does not look like that. And so there's this barrier to it. And what I would say is there's a couple of things is number one, like everybody has a story and that's part of our job and our discovery is to really pull that out, you know, with questions like, why did you even go into dentistry? Like why choose this profession?   why this location, why this path of CE that you've decided to commit to. Those types of things really help us put together, okay, here's the why behind it. The other part of it is it doesn't have to be entirely like your personal story either. It's really more the story of the practice. And some people are real okay with those intertwining and it kind of meshing into the gray. And then some people are like, nope, they compartmentalize it. Here's my business, here's my personal life. They are completely separate.   And so like, get that too. I'm like, well, then the storyline becomes the practice. Like, why is this practice here? Why should patients choose you? Why is your team better? If given the choice of any practice in the community, you say patients should come here first. Why? Like, let's explore some of that. So it's a little intimidating to approach it. And I mean, need to hear the doctors right now. mean, with video, it's, nobody likes being on video and watching themselves. And so that's, that's also, they're like, so I need video.   I'm like, well, your site's gonna perform way better with a video. Okay, I'm trusting, I'm like, trust me, our team's gonna be great, it's gonna be interview style, you're really gonna feel at ease, but that's another big hurdle to overcome sometimes. And I just have to say, as someone, I mean, I had to learn video pretty early on in my career of Dental A Team, and I remember there was a company called...   drive and we hired a marketing company. I $80,000 in three months with zero ROI and I made probably I kid you not 200 videos. Like I literally pulled our operations manual. I should have the team pull some of these videos from the archive for you. Like there's one where I buy into cake and I ate so much frosting that it actually hit my uvula and I started gagging, but I was so committed to finishing this video, not redoing it that I like. And then I like,   The Dental A Team (11:38.079) I'm crying and laughing and keep going like commercial. Another one I'm pulling the operations manual out of the oven as like a turkey dinner like I'm dressed like like the amount of video nonsense that I did was ridiculous. But I think it was really great because it taught me like nothing's perfect. And I think even now you don't have to be perfect to get this. But what I love is I actually use you guys if you go on to Denali teams website, I love I always say if you want to feel like a million bucks.   Like even better than going to the spa or getting your hair done or anything like that. Like men, I don't know what you guys do to feel like posh and luxurious. Like maybe it's like getting a like well tailored suit. Like Josh, what is it for men? Like for girls it's like we go get our hair done, we get our lashes down, we get a makeover. What's like the equivalent for men? You know, I can get down with a good, you know, massage and a manicure. Like I'm not gonna lie, but I'm not talking about most.   man, you know, maybe a football game with a beer. can, I can go that way too. So whatever it is where it makes you feel the most posh. always say, if you want to feel that way in photography and video studio, EightyEight will make you feel that way. And that's something I have always loved about you. say like my best photos, my best photo shoots, my best video shoots always are studio EightyEight can tell without a doubt. Like you guys have this, you must have set presets. Like honestly, all the photos look the same. Like you can tell that they're just as incredible and I always feel my best. And so   We actually had you guys come out this year. Our team did our company retreat in Disneyland and you guys were so nice to accommodate because that's where I flew my whole team in. all virtual and we actually did a photo shoot in our hotel. Like I kid you not the things Studio EightyEight can do and make look incredible is off the charts. We went over to an office and they were so kind and accommodating for us and then we came back and they actually interviewed me and I was so nervous about this interview and I do this for a living.   and I've worked with you guys before I've gone through your brand pieces and I love that through your brand exercise. It's actually not hard. you just answer questions that are very simple. And then you guys, Studio EightyEight like delivers what I have inside of me that I don't know how to explain in a, creative artistic way, which I think is beyond magic that you were able to do. but to the interview in the video part, they did just ask me questions and I just rifted.   The Dental A Team (13:56.201) And I rifted for quite some time and they're so nice. I love people on the other side of the camera that are giving like the head nod, like very intentional. They're so good at it. They're so nice. Like that's something I think you guys do incredibly well. And, I saw the final product. was interesting. I was out for a little while this year and I came back and I saw this final part. I didn't even know it was on the website and I happened to be looking at our website and it was so incredible to see my, my story and my life.   You guys were able to parse it together. I like it super emotional about it because you don't realize it's in you. You don't realize that that's a part of you. And I think you guys are just like, that's why I love Josh. I think you just see people for who they really are and you bring that to light in a way that's so safe and so accommodating and so just special. I think is probably the best way. feel like the way you present our photography and the way you present our websites and the way you present brands and the way you present video.   Is you take someone who doesn't know how to express themselves like so many of us feel like we're alone or people don't get it like I was just watching Survivor last night and every single person on the show is saying like you just feel so alone you feel like people don't get you you feel like you've been an outcast your whole life or you feel like you know, why am I the one doing this and I'm like every single freaking person on this planet feels that way and yet working with you guys you just it's like it's almost like the way I'm envisioning it is almost like you   pull out this like little green sprig of life that I didn't even know was a part of me. And I feel like I'm pretty confident. I know who I am and like I can tell my story, but it's just magic how you pull that together. So doctors or teams or any company worried about it. One, you guys are just so good at it. But like I said, I feel like you're able to take who we are and create masterpieces that we didn't even know were a part of us. And you're welcome to use that as like a testimonial, because honestly, I didn't intend to any of this.   I'm just going keep letting you talk. don't even. But it really is. It's just like the little glitter moments that you don't realize are a part of you is what I think you guys bring, which is probably why I rep your swag all the time. Like, because I think it's just magical of what you're able to create for people. And again, like I've done how many sessions with you guys, like Josh, you and I have gone through so many rounds of my brand and my life and my story. And I feel like you guys know me, but you weren't even there this time. It was your team.   The Dental A Team (16:19.245) And they were able to bring this out of me. And I just watched it and I was like, yeah, that's exactly how I want Dennis to feel. That's exactly how I want people to feel. That is my life. That's why I freaking built this company to serve people on that level. And I just think mad kudos to you. And yeah, it's a testimony that I didn't mean on a podcast, but I just think it is magic to watch you guys like spring to life stories that people don't even realize. So if you're questioning, like I don't even feel like I've got a story.   You probably have this story. You just don't know how to put the pieces together. And if you don't think about it and you just interview, you guys are very creative and talented at pulling it all together. Yeah. Well, thank you so much. I mean, that's, and I know it's obviously very heartfelt. David was out with you guys recently and he's, he's one of our full-time photographers. He just is on the West coast. He used to actually live here in Columbus and that's how we got to meet him. He came to me and said, Hey, I want to move to LA. And I was like, fine, just handle everything, you know, like West of the Rockies. And so   he's an amazing guy. And I'll tell you, part of our process is like with those content creators, the talent has to be there for sure. But what a lot of people don't realize is the missing piece is the human component. like it isn't anything, but they have to be able to, mean, we, go through training on like interview skills. We go through training on, you know, walking into a room of, of, like a dental practice and you've got, you know, six to eight females there and they've got some anxiety about what's happening. And they were just told.   24 hours before that they're gonna have their photos taken and you gotta be able to go in and like manage a room and manage people. I mean, we train on posing because you can't just like put people together and expect a great team photo either. There's a lot of like science and intentionality that goes around that. And so we've worked really hard on that stuff. But like you're right. mean, we, it's, we had a client recently and what I, what I loved what she said was we delivered the photography and video and, and,   And she, I think she was texting Joanna and I and she just said, this is who I thought I was, but I wasn't sure. And when your stuff came back, it was like that person I thought I was, like I am that person, you know? And she saw that on the other side. It's almost like you get to see how the world sees you. And I think so much of it is like, we're just in it day to day. like,   The Dental A Team (18:37.111) Having a grip on that story and even like your impact on the world on the day to day is so hard, I mean, because we just like, we get up, see like the starts and the stops. We see the times we just like failed or said something we shouldn't have and had to go back and fix it. We see we're dealing with a client that's not working well or a patient or a team member's attitude and every day can just be like that. And you get to the end of it you're like.   I don't know, man. feel like I'm surviving. I feel like I'm trying to build something, but it's just like, we're going against gravity. Just trying to make it happen. And when somebody else comes along and they go, they almost step back and get this 30,000 foot view. It's almost like the, like the movie screen view. Like they, they force you to almost like sit up towards the back of the movie theater and zoom out on your life. And now you're seeing it play in this like feature film. And yeah, you have these moments where you're like, this is amazing. Like this is worth it. This is.   actually, like this is actually beautiful, like it's actually moving me. And that's an amazing thing to be able to do. I think we all, so going back, I think we all have that in us. It just takes somebody to come along and go, no, this is practice you're building. Like the world needs this. Like this is beautiful. And I love like when I get to talk to entrepreneurs and CEOs and dental owners, cause I'm like, you guys are actively, like here's what you don't realize. You're actively participating in creation. Like you're building something that did not exist there before.   So like that's, that's this amazing thing and you're doing it for the better of the world. Like what, what better story? Let's just take that. What better story is there out there than that? It's just not. So entrepreneurs, I'm like, yeah, like this is what you're doing. of course you have moments when you're tired. Of course you feel exhausted. Of course you feel drained. You're like putting your energy out there to actually create something that has never existed before for the better of humanity. Like,   it's going to drain you, it's going to zap you day to day. You're going to be like, there's nothing special happening here. And so I had to come along and go, but there is, and here's what we see is so powerful. And as you were saying that I couldn't help but think about, there's this company called story worth, like not a plug for them whatsoever. I just happened to, my husband's parents are quite a bit older and, my parents are like, my husband, I are both very fortunate that both of our parents are still alive.   The Dental A Team (20:59.781) And I decided this year I was going to have maybe make like a little competition between his parents and mine, just as I, my thought of how I could get these stories done. but I'm having his parents and my parents write stories every single week and we're going to compile it and put together books for, all of my siblings, all my husband's siblings. And I know like the grandchildren and everybody just kind of wants these stories. And it's interesting because his parents and my parents both were like, I don't want to write these stories. There's really nothing to say.   Because I think we minimize our stories and our lives. And we're like, but I'm not Walt Disney, or I'm not Gandhi, or I'm not Mother Teresa. But we don't realize that 99 % of the population is not them. We're all just average day people. But those average day people are the people that impact and change. And so for my in-laws, them writing their story, no, this isn't going to be a best seller. I'm not going to go put it out there. But it's not meant to be. It's meant to serve our family and the people that are connected to my in-laws and to my parents.   just like in your practice, your story and your practice and why you even built this is not meant to be for every single patient in the United States or across the globe. It's meant to be in your niche of the people that you're meant to serve and that you're there to serve. And so I really just love that you said like you bring it to the forefront and it's been really fun to watch my in-laws and my parents this year see that they actually do have a story. And again, it's through prompts. Like you said, it's like very simple things that they didn't even realize.   But it's been so magical to learn about them in an easy way. And that's, think, what you guys do really well. so, but I did the same thing with my mom. This whole thing, know, story worth Joanna did with her mom and for Mother's Day and I did it for my mom. And it's like she's not as consistent as I would like her to be with them. But competition Josh, got both parents going against each other and it's great. They've all done it. We're consistent.   That's a great idea. But it's like every now and then, and because she's just up earlier than me, like I get up and I get my email and it sends them to me. And so I get this and a couple of times I've been like, I'm so busy, my email box is full, but I forced myself to stop and I read it. And sometimes I'm just like, this is fascinating. Like, you know, even thinking about like what she came out of and how she raised us and you're right. And then when they all get kind of stitched together, it's going to create this like, you know, amazing story.   The Dental A Team (23:21.227) I was at the ODA two weeks ago, Ohio dental association, and I was walking the trade show floor. We usually actually don't support it, but there were some speakers there and we did a reception and all that. So we had a team on the floor and I'm walking and I just know a lot of people. So it's just like, you're stopping every so often, but notice this new marketing company on the floor. And I forget what their name was, but their display was kind of modern and minimal. And I was like, okay. Like it kind of caught my eye. All the guys have like the Nike dunk pandas on.   which is what my team wears at conferences. so immediately I get into this like, dude, they're knocking us off. They're stealing our shoes. We wear these shoes. So I was like, I'm going to go have some fun with them. So I just walked up. I said, hey man, I like the kicks. And he was like, thanks, thanks. I said, yeah. I said, my team wears those at conferences. We've been doing that for a little while now. And he's like, your team? I was like, yeah. I said, we're just over a couple rows. I said, Studio EightyEight And he's like, Studio EightyEight And I'm like, yeah, I'm Josh. I was like, Gavin, I read his name title. Nice to meet you.   And he goes, you're Josh with studio EightyEight I'm like, at this point, like, yeah. So a couple of his team members come over and he was like, dude, you, he tells his team members, he's like, guys, we've learned everything we know from this guy and their company. I'm like, then I'm like, great. Because I get agencies that come up to us and they're like, do we follow your stuff? We're building an agency. We're doing the exact same thing. I'm like, amazing. Yeah. Copy our stuff and build another business. so that's a whole nother conversation, but.   He goes, he's like, were the first one to bring custom photography and video into dental. And I'm like, I was like, bro, I don't know about that. I'm sure people did custom photography before that. And he was like, no, but you were the original disruptor of that whole thing. And I was like, we were probably the first one to create a business model around it and be able to take it nationwide in a way that was profitable and that served the profession. So was like,   Yeah, but it was like that. So he's repeating the storyline back. It was actually, it was very like, kind of, I don't know, was like sincere and it was cool. It was like this, you know, interaction, but I was like, I've never thought of myself like that. But when somebody says it and then you're kind like, well, I mean, maybe, I don't know. I'm a disruptor, who knows? But yeah. I love it. I love it. And I think like, as you were saying that, I think so many of us don't realize how impactful what we're doing.   The Dental A Team (25:43.946) is I was just reading an article this morning and they said, what's the most impactful book you've ever read? And they said, shoe dog. And shoe dog came up at another conference and another conference. And that's literally just a story about Nike. And I guarantee you that person when they're and I don't know their name. I have not read it. It's on my queue because I saw it again of like reading the most impactful book. But I just think most of the things that impact us the most are people's stories.   The things that we remember our people stories the things like and even if it's a small thing and it's not some person like Walt Disney or Gandhi or Nike So many of those stories just need to be told and I think we're in a day and age like you look at social media like people watch videos because it's telling stories and they're entertaining and it's fun for us and yet if I go on Jason's Social versus mine. We have two very different algorithms Like Jason has a little bit of dark humor on there and I'm like, my gosh, you watch this like I'm laughing but I feel like   a little embarrassed that I'm laughing at it. Like Jason and he, like, he just thinks it's hilarious. Whereas he comes on mine and it's like all Taylor Swift. So like very different algorithms, but yet people are building content for different people. And so that's the whole point of like these practices. Like you're not meant to serve every person. You're meant to serve the people that you were like truly destined to serve. And I think that's what I love about dentistry is the lives that we get to change and the magic we get to create. Like you create that magic for these owners of being able to see like   their work come to life, like you said, the masterpiece while dentists are being able to create those smiles for all these patients and let their life become a masterpiece as well. So I just think it's lovely. I really do. And I think, I think we downplay how incredible we are. And I think I'm here to propose like there might be a better way, obviously not in the egotistical way, but in the way of like, I did do some good things and I did take some hard risks and I did it because I want to serve these people. Yeah.   Like there's nothing like we should be sharing that more. And obviously people know my mission is to positively impact the world of dental. And I'm like, the way you do that is by showing up as you and you do that by, doing these things day in and day out. So I think it's just, it's a lovely thing that you guys do. And I would say if you haven't gone through the brand exercise or had your photography or had the videos, like try it. Because like you said, I think you get a zoom out from someone else's perspective and see your life and not in an egotistical way, just in a like, dang.   The Dental A Team (28:09.002) Like I have done a few things in this world and I think it makes the suck days of success not as hard. because you're like, wow, there has been something that's been made. So again, this wasn't the intent of the podcast. just naturally came probably cause I put the sweatshirt on. feel more in studio EightyEight mode. Well, I think here's kind of one of my, my recent thesis because I was reworking a keynote recently and for next year. And I was like, we're   If marketing is all just about data and KPIs and analytics and all this stuff, we just, we just end up with this kind of like empty thing of just literally trying to drive traffic to get this knowing like, okay, for every thousand people we convert at like 2%. So like, let's, let's get 10,000 people in and a hundred thousand people. And we're, driving traffic for the sake of this like minimal possible conversion. And I think just in our world, and it's going to have to be like this as we move forward, people need to feel some.   And that's the side of marketing we don't talk a lot about. And I'm actually very empathetic to it because on one side we've got ROI and KPIs and data and we can prove something's working. And to be honest, it's easier to throw a couple thousand dollars at Google and end up with new patients in the chair than it is to go, how do I build a brand? Because that's so subjective and it feels like it's all like feeling and things and the way photography makes people feel and the way they connected with this video and.   the user experience on the website, like how many clicks do they have to go? It's all that very subjective, like subtle stuff and building a brand is hard. Like there's, there's not a lot of checkpoints along the way. Like, I doing a good job? You know, our son recently left for college about six weeks ago. He went to university Cincinnati, which is about two hours away. So he's not so far, but I remember that whole thing of, as soon as he decides he's going to Cincinnati, it starts this clock like,   as a parent, you're just like on the clock. It's like, there's okay, 45 days till he's gone and start shrinking. And what I probably wasn't prepared for is it really smacks you in the face with this one major question, which is, did we do enough? Because now the time is, it almost is like the time is shrinking. You've got 45 days left. Did you do enough the last 18 years? Cause now he's leaving and, that's, it's a, it's a tough question. Like were we enough? And especially on Joanna's side, it was, it was very   The Dental A Team (30:31.018) You know, there's a lot of emotion to it. Like I got 45 days. had these 12 conversations I need to have with them. And, but you're also like, but I can't shove them in that time either. You just have to trust. And I go back to like, okay, so how would I know that I was a good parent? There's no data. There's no KPIs. There's no like ROI on this along the way. But I remember things like there was this moment, like when he was eight and I watched him interact with some adults and he used some manners and you're like, okay, like   I actually can't believe he learned that, you I remember his very last volleyball game as a varsity in high school, they went to the regional finals and they ended up losing. And so it was like this emotional night, but one of the dads came up to us and said, hey, I just need to tell you, like, Kaden's been a great leader on this team. His son was a freshman. And he said, they were very intentional about, this is not just the seniors team, this is all their team.   taking what they learned and pouring it into the freshmen. said, you may or may not hear that all the time, but he said, your son is not only a great leader, but he's a great man. And my son just looks up to him so much. And it's moments like those where you're like, okay, I might've done enough, you know? But it's in building a brand is a lot like that. It's just, hard to get your hands around. And so I think that's sometimes why we skew the other way of just give me data, let me throw money at it, give me data, give me KPIs. And then it's either it's working or it's not working. And we move on to the next thing.   where building a brand is like, it's two years, five years, 10 years, it's a lifetime, but it's harder. Yeah. And I think it's important for doctors to realize in teams that what you're building is a legacy for as long as you're doing it for. It doesn't have to be a lifetime forever, but you are building a brand and you are a brand and what you're doing is changing lives. so recognizing that, and I think like,   not to add so much weight to it that it feels daunting, but to add enough weight where you realize like what you're doing is important and what you're creating in those patients. Like I don't think I was on a podcast earlier and I said in dentistry, we're not heart surgeons, but we are smile surgeons and giving that confidence to our patients. I think that we undermine possibly the incredible work that we're doing for society and the confidence we're able to give all these patients.   The Dental A Team (32:51.942) is something that I do think is worthwhile. like the patients need to find out, they need to find you because otherwise they're gonna go to someone else and not to say another dentist isn't as good, but I guarantee you the doctors that are listening to this podcast and the ones that are working with companies like Studio EightyEight you're the ones that I would want my patients to go to and my family to go to. so it's like when we're in a world where anybody can be found, we need to have our best doctors standing out. And I believe that that's our moral obligation to serve patients at the highest level.   Just like I believe the best doctors need to be out there and the best surgeons need to be out there because like we only have one set of teeth. And so if you can help save more teeth and more smiles, I think it's like it's a no brainer that you need to have your brand and your business very, very readily available. So Josh, I just love this podcast. I felt all the feels. I feel like so many doctors just need to share their stories. And so people are interested. How do they work with Studio EightyEight? How do they connect with you? Like I said, you guys, I have gone through, I think everything Studio EightyEight does.   I've done their brand, I've done their photography, I've done their websites. It's an incredible experience and it's very easy. So how can people even just dip their toe into this if they're interested? Yeah, for sure. A couple of best ways to reach out. Number one, I'm on Instagram at Joshua Scott. So I'm still in my accounts and DMs. So just send me a message if you heard this podcast. Just even say, hey, I heard the Dental A Team podcast. You'll get a response from me. Ask me anything.   I'm more or less, I'm like, I'll offer you advice all day long. I'll take a look at your stuff and just give you my professional opinion on it. and then if you want to reach out to studio EightyEight or get specifics there, it's, go to the website, s8e8.com letter S number 8 letter E number 8.com. there's a bunch of buttons there. can submit to get in touch with somebody and they can walk you through our packages and what we do and see if it's potentially a good fit for you. I love it. I would say if nothing else.   Just make sure that you are, you're sharing your story like the little story worth of our parents because that's so important for people to see you you don't have to be the video. You don't have to be all the different things. You do it on your level and your terms of what you are. But I do believe that the world needs you. Patients need you. So in the most loving way, don't be selfish and like hide yourself away, share yourself because this world needs you. Josh, thanks for being on the podcast today. It was such a good time with you. Of course. I always enjoy it. Appreciate it.   The Dental A Team (35:14.154) Yeah, none of this was scripted, which is a ton of fun. You just kind of get on and, you know, when you can talk to a friend and it just goes wherever it's, it's always a lot of fun. It's a good time. And for all of you listening, thanks for listening and I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.  

In this episode, Victoria sits down with her husband, Max, to chat about his career journey and celebrate his new job as the lead color commentator for the CW! From working with Gary V to leading content for Lewis Howes, Max has made some big pivots in his twenties, including a switch to commercial real estate that wasn't always easy on his mental health. They dive into the ups and downs of starting over in a new field, the stress of juggling multiple careers, and the lessons learned along the way. Max opens up about the importance of following your passion, dealing with anxiety and insecurities, and how to recognize the signs that it might be time to move on from your current career. Whether you're figuring out your own career path or just need a little inspiration for what's possible, this episode is full of real talk and valuable takeaways!Instagram: @maxbrownePrevious episode: The Max Browne Interview - What Really Happened to the Nation's #1 RecruitSponsors:Bobbi Brown: Discover your perfect shade of Weightless Skin Foundation at BobbiBrown.comQuince: Head to quince.com/realpod for free shipping and 365 day returns!BetterHelp: This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/REALPOD and get on your way to being your best self!LMNT: Get your free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase at drinklmnt.com/REALPODProduced by Dear MediaThis episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recorded: February 8th 2024 | In this weeks episode, Taylor rips a solo intro as Will is in Chicago for the Barstool Combine. In the intro Taylor hits on the boy Shane Gillis hosting SNL, Machine Gun Kelly's newest song and his thoughts on where Derrick Henry will end up. Following the intro, we were able to sit down with the one and only, Gary Vaynerchuk aka Gary V. The guys dive into the start of Gary V and how he got to where he is now. He gets into how obsessed he is with the chase rather than the final product, talking in the sense of how he wants to buy the Jets. Gary also gets into how he has never felt insecure when it comes to business and to never get too high on the praise from fans because there is always people trying to knock you down a full pegs. As we all know, Gary V is never lacking on energy and throughout this pod you can feel that. Enjoy. 0:00 Intro 4:06 MGK Listened To Taylor 4:59 Cam Newton Is A Massive Man 7:53 Shane Gillis CRUSHED SNL 21:05 Another Bad Question Followed By A Better One 30:45 Where Will The King's Next Reign Be? 45:11 Normalize Dudes Hyping Up Dudes 50:39 Master's Of The Air 57:02 GARY V INTERVIEW STARTS 57:05 Gary V's Impact On Bussin 57:54 Early Days Of Gary V 1:00:19 Process Better Than The End Goal? 1:05:46 "I'm Almost Like A Cat" 1:12:57 Quantity Of Content 1:14:55 “Imagine If Your Family Died” 1:18:03 Being Vulnerable As A Boss 1:21:02 Imposter Syndrome AKA Insecurity 1:23:45 Live For The Cheers, Die By The Boo's 1:26:38 How Many People Actually Truly Know You? 1:29:12 Guilty For Being So Lucky 1:32:39 VaynerSports Involved In NILYou can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/bussinwtb