Podcasts about get hired

Send us Fan MailFor more than 40 years, Larry Copponi has been working at the intersection of engineering talent and product innovation. Today, he serves as Vice President of Staffing Solutions at Spanner Product Development, where he helps companies across industries assemble the engineering teams they need to bring complex products to life. Larry's work spans sectors including consumer electronics, robotics, renewable energy, life sciences, and medical devices. His team specializes in placing highly skilled professionals—mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, product designers, industrial designers, and quality engineers—into organizations that are racing to transform ideas into real-world products. By deeply understanding both the technical landscape and the people who power it, Larry plays a critical role in helping companies scale their engineering capabilities. Before joining Spanner, Larry spent more than 14 years as Division Manager at Pro Source Inc., supporting companies with contract engineering talent and CAD professionals to keep product development projects on schedule. Earlier in his career, he helped build recruiting and sales teams at TriMech Solutions, where he launched new recruiting initiatives focused on engineering and technical sales professionals. Across decades in the recruiting and staffing industry, Larry has built a reputation for understanding the real needs of engineering organizations—matching the right talent to the right challenges and helping companies deliver products to market faster. His career offers a rare vantage point on how engineering teams evolve, how companies compete for talent, and what separates organizations that build strong technical cultures from those that struggle to grow. In this conversation, Larry shares lessons from decades of working alongside engineering leaders, insights into the hiring challenges facing technical organizations today, and practical advice for both companies looking to build great teams and engineers navigating their careers.  LINKS: Larry Copponi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-copponivpstaffingsolutionsspannerpd/ Spanner Website: https://www.spannerpd.com/ Aaron Moncur, host  Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment like cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us at www.teampipeline.usWatch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus 

If you're creating UGC content but not getting consistent brand deal offers, this episode is for you.Sidewalker Daily has worked on both sides of the influencer industry, consulting for brands and helping creators build sustainable businesses, so Nina knows exactly what brands are looking for when they choose (and re-hire) UGC creators.In this episode, Nina breaks down the key differences between UGC creators who get hired repeatedly and those who get passed over — from how you present your work to the quality signals brands actually evaluate to the professional behaviors that make brands want to work with you long-term.

Sponsored by Pepperstone Would you get hired by a hedge fund? The traits funds screen for before they let anyone near a book are the same ones that keep a retail account alive. No billions or trading desk required... it's behaviour, discipline and self-awareness. We go through what they look for at hiring, what they demand once you're managing a book, and the honest question underneath it all: would you hire yourself?

Hello everyone! Today I'm flying solo as I offer my best 10 tips for getting hired as a teacher. While this episode is geared to new teachers, I believe anyone can follow these tips. So if you are changing schools, positions, or moving, I think these 10 tips can increase your chances at nailing that interview. Each piece of advice in this episode is fueled by my experience with hiring teachers, and what I've heard and said behind closed doors as to why someone wasn't right for the job. If this episode helped you nail your interview, or you think it will help someone else, share it! We need to attract the best people to this profession—so if the best person you know needs help, direct them back here! This episode originally appeared as episode #309 of the podcast. 

Send us Fan MailPeaches, Trent, and Jason Attinger—aka AT—are back in the team room for one of the most legit combat rescue conversations we've ever had.AT didn't just talk about rescue… he lived it. Former United States Air Force Pararescue operator. Commissioned officer. Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot. And now one of the guys helping preserve the Sandy mission when the military needs it most.This episode goes deep into DUDE44—what happened, how combat search and rescue actually unfolds in denied territory, what a Sandy really does, why the Hog still matters, and why America better not forget how to recover its own.Then the boys get into pilot boards, Guard hiring, A-10 extension drama, acquisition failures, and who's actually going to carry the rescue mission forward when the Hog finally retires.Bottom line: aircraft matter… but it's still humans willing to stay in the fight that bring people home. ⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 Tasty Gains, Prep Gear & Candidate Advice 04:00 Vegas Stories & Real Men Stepping Up 08:00 Meet Jason Attinger 10:00 From PJ to Officer to Hog Driver 13:00 Is AT the Reason the A-10 Is Still Alive? 16:00 Why Combat Search and Rescue Is Back 19:00 What a Sandy Actually Does 23:00 DUDE44 Alpha—The First Rescue 29:00 The Hog Takes Battle Damage 34:00 DUDE44 Bravo—48 Hours Behind Enemy Lines 41:00 Watching DUDE44 Unfold in Real Time 47:00 When Everybody Finally Came Home 53:00 The Whiskey Toast 56:00 A-10 Extension to 2030 01:00:00 Who Replaces the Sandy Mission? 01:04:00 Why Defense Procurement Is Broken 01:08:00 OA-1K, F-16s & Future CAS 01:11:00 How to Get Hired as a Guard Pilot 01:13:00 PJ or Pilot—Which Meant More? 01:15:00 Final Thoughts—Humans Win Wars

Send us a text if you want to be on the Podcast & explain why!Show Up Fitness has helped more trainers get hired at Life Time than any company. In fact, 2025 we had 3 SUF-CPTs who were top performers bringing in over 200k into the company (Yes, it's possible to make over 100k as a QUALIFIED personal trainer.) How to get hired at life time?The Lifetime Fitness practical can feel like a performance test, but it's really a professionalism test disguised as a workout. We walk through exactly how we approach it so you can show up calm, prepared, and unmistakably hire-ready. From arriving 30 minutes early to dressing like a coach, we explain the small signals that tell a manager you're reliable, confident, and ready to work with real members on day one. Then we get into the coaching that wins the room: how to read the floor, run a quick medical screen, and handle common issues like shoulder limitations without freezing. We share a simple, repeatable programming framework built on movement patterns (lower body, push or pull, accessory/core), plus practical modifications that keep the session safe and effective even when a client can't do the “ideal” version. If you want to sound like you know the why behind your choices, this is the blueprint. Finally, we go where most trainers get uncomfortable: the sit-down sales conversation. We role-play how to ask how often they want to train, how to talk about pricing with confidence, how to respond to objections, and why Lifetime personal training can create bigger earning opportunities when you pair great coaching with clear communication. If you're serious about getting hired and building a real income as a personal trainer, subscribe, share this with a trainer friend, and leave a review with the part you want us to break down next.Want to become a SUCCESSFUL personal trainer? SUF-CPT is the FASTEST growing personal training certification in the world!Want to ask us a question?  Email info@showupfitness.com with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/Become a Successful Personal Trainer Book Vol. 2 (Amazon): https://a.co/d/1aoRnqANASM / ACE / ISSA study guide: https://www.showupfitness.com

“There's a real ‘skillification’ movement where you just want to get the training you need when you need it.” –Kathleen deLaski About Kathleen deLaski Kathleen deLaski is the founder and board chair of Education Design Lab, which helps reimagine higher education. She is a senior advisor to Harvard’s Project on the Workforce and on the advisory board of the Taubman Center at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Kathleen is author of Who Needs College Anymore? Imagining a Future Where Degrees Won't Matter. Website: whoneedscollegeanymore.org eddesignlab.org LinkedIn Profile: Kathleen deLaski What you will learn The evolving value of college degrees in a rapidly changing economy Who benefits most from higher education, including four key learner profiles The rise of ‘skillification’ and alternative pathways to career readiness How employers assess degrees and non-degree credentials in today’s job market The impact of AI on both education and workplace expectations Why AI literacy—and understanding its limits—matters for career success The growing divide between technical and non-technical learners regarding AI adoption Practical strategies for maximizing uniquely human skills—like originality and judgment—in an AI-powered world Episode Resources Transcript Ross Dawson: Kathleen, it’s a delight to have you on the show. Kathleen deLaski: Thanks for having me, Ross. Ross: So, amongst many other things to your name, you have a fairly recent book out called “Who Needs College Anymore?” So, does anyone need college anymore? Kathleen: Yes, the answer is yes. There are people who are looking to bash the notion of a three- or four-year university degree, but they need to look somewhere else. What I try to do in the book is serve two audiences. One is universities—what we call colleges in the US—who are actually in a state of panic right now about surveys showing that people are not valuing degrees anymore. It’s a perfect moment to reassess: what does a degree need to deliver as we approach the mid-21st century? That’s the hot topic, the debate that’s raging. To frame the question, “Who needs college anymore?” is to say, “Wow, you need to step up your value proposition in this age,” especially when, at least here, the number of 18-year-olds is dwindling and we have AI and technological solutions that allow people to get skills as needed. There’s a real ‘skillification’ movement where you just want to get the training you need when you need it. There’s also a questioning of hanging around to learn about the liberal arts, to do your philosophy, English, or history required classes—can’t we get right to the skills? That’s the debate that’s raging. So, colleges need to hear this message; that was one audience. Secondly, I know so many students—even in my own family—who are trying to parse the different messages they’re hearing. One message is, “You absolutely need a four-year degree if you want to get a ‘good job.'” The other message is, “College isn’t worth it anymore; you can just get the skills you need and get the job.” Meanwhile, families think the price tag is going up and up. Here, it’s staggering—although, in reality, universities in the US have actually begun to hold prices and even give a lot of discounts because they’re short on the number of folks coming through the door. So, all these confusing messages—I think families also need to understand who exactly, among different types of learners, does need a degree and who doesn’t. Which jobs, which age groups, which learning types? I actually walk through all those using a human-centered design approach. Ross: Human-centered is a good way to go. So I and others have talked about the unbundling of higher education, and there are a number of elements to that, including the educational processes, the social connections, sometimes the physical place, the links with employers and credentials. Of all the facets bundled together in a degree, the real focus, of course, is on the certification—you’ve got a degree—and the point to which that signals to employers. I suppose that’s usually the name of the game. It’s the differentiator. In the past, we’ve seen that in some fields—most notably software—where you can get some indicators of competence outside a degree, and employers have been more than happy to accept that. So, just focusing on the credential, what is the role of the credential today? Kathleen: Yeah, that’s an excellent question, because it’s particularly coming into question now. We have, like, 1.7 or 1.8 million different distinct credentials in the US alone. If you added the worldwide number, it would be bigger. So, what are learners to make of those? What are employers to make of those, when only a smaller percent are part of a degree? I say that we are absolutely at a time when the degree matters most, but there are many careers and moments in time when you can hack needing the whole degree. Those moments are in a very tight job market, where employers can’t find enough people, and in sectors that are either new—because people don’t know about them yet, they’re emerging—or they’re very old school, like insurance adjusters, where the workforce is retiring and nobody wants to do those jobs anymore. So, new and old sectors, as well as highly technical sectors that require constant upskilling to stay in the game—things like AI, quantum, and parts of cybersecurity fit into that category. The signal power of a non-degree credential rises in careers certain and certain moments of time, but the degree is always a nice booster. The point is, you can get away with not having the degree in the situations I just described. Ross: Yes, well, I was just about to leap to our current moment because it has a few specific characteristics. But let’s dig a little more into some of the book’s ideas. You describe four types of people for whom degrees are relevant, which suggests that people who don’t fit in those categories may have alternative paths. So, as you say, it’s related to the economy, the specific type of job or industry, but also to the individual and where they are in their life. Who are the people that do get the most value from a higher degree? Kathleen: This may be different in different parts of the world, but I think the basic principles probably carry over. The first category, and this is where the research is the best, is what I call a “class transporter.” That’s someone trying to move from a lower or off-the-grid economic class here in the US to the middle class. This is often an immigrant family, where the parents came to this country specifically so their kids could get ahead, knowing they would never be able to get a degree themselves. They’re working three minimum-wage jobs so their kids can live in a neighborhood with decent schools and then get into university. The entire family is lifted up into the next economic rung. Part of what the university degree does for that student is help with networking, code-switching, and, of course, the technical skills needed to land a role. That’s the number one category, because the research shows that in one generation, you can lift your family up. I actually start the book with the story of how my family did that in the 17th century. My relative came over, we think, in the belly of a ship as an indentured servant from England and was able to be one of the first students at this new college called Harvard, which was the first college in America. He got his son in—who’s my great-grandfather times seven—and then the family was off and running. He became a well-known minister, and his ten brothers and sisters didn’t get to go to college. That’s a very typical story even today. It’s that rags-to-riches story where college is so much a part of the American dream. It’s the launch pad, and that’s ingrained in all of us. So that’s the number one category. The others are probably more strange. Ross: On that, one of the things I’m very interested in globally is relative generational mobility. The countries with the greatest generational mobility are Scandinavia; Latin America has some of the least. Generational mobility—the ability for children to do better than their parents—America is actually not that high. For all the talk of the American dream, I’m not sure of any studies that show the role of education in generational mobility across countries. I’m not sure whether you do. Kathleen: That would be very interesting. Ross: Yeah, I guess a fair hypothesis would be that in America, that is particularly high. Kathleen:  Well, surprisingly to many of us—myself included when I started researching the book—only 38% of Americans get a four-year university degree, which always strikes people as really low. They think everybody has access, but the numbers are probably even lower in other places. It’s not like everybody gets to go to college here, either. So, The second category is what I call a “legitimacy labeler.” That’s someone who may not need to move an economic class, but they feel they need that piece of paper for their own self-confidence and self-realization. What’s interesting is this category is particularly populated by women and minorities. When you look at who goes into debt to get a university degree, it’s very weighted among women and particularly Black Americans, especially for graduate school. They feel they need every possible imprimatur to prove themselves in the workplace. I interview different folks who go through that, and I even talk about my own journey to decide to go to grad school and pay for it myself because I felt I needed that. I was in journalism at the time, a young white blonde woman in the South, and I was not taken seriously. I thought, “I need a graduate degree.” That’s what I need. It worked. I ended up getting hired at ABC News. I was their youngest correspondent in the ’80s. So, it definitely works, and I think it still works. Part of why it works is the network you make and the confidence you build. Ross: Yeah, the networks are a big part of the value higher education brings—the people you hang out with. People I know who do MBAs all say it was useful. Kathleen: Right, right. They don’t even go to class sometimes; they just do the networking. The third category is very basic and straightforward: any career where the piece of paper is actually required by licensure and you can’t get around it. We’re now figuring out how to game it, but we can’t get around it. The best examples are doctor, lawyer, some forms of engineering where there’s a lot of risk management involved, nurses, teachers—those are the best categories. You’ll see in teaching and nursing lately, where we have big shortages, we’re seeing ways you can be in your job and have part of your work experience count towards a degree, so you could maybe do it in two years instead of four. We’re creating these workarounds because we have worker shortages, and that’s interesting. I think you’ll see that across the board. So that’s the third category. The fourth category is broader and has to do with how badly you feel you need community and structure to make yourself learn and to push yourself. We all know someone—maybe even ourselves—who, in the other category of not needing a degree, is the extreme DIYer who can pick up any skills from YouTube. A lot of people are finding their main learning venue now is YouTube. You can learn almost anything there. But if you’re someone for whom that’s not going to get you there, and you crave the society of others, particularly if you’re 18 to 24, I would say go and get in community at a college, for sure—at a university if you can afford it. If you don’t have other reasons why you can’t do it. So, those are the four categories. My basic catch-all advice to any 18-year-old is: if you can come up with the money—because here in the US that’s a huge issue—you should go for it. You can always leave, which many people do. Almost half of people who start university in the US don’t finish. You can get in the door, you’ll learn something, but you might be in debt. That’s the problem—a lot of people don’t finish and then they have the debt. I recommend to anyone who doesn’t know what they want to do: take a very economically frugal path, like choosing what we have here called community colleges, which are very inexpensive. It’s not quite as much—you don’t get the football team and all the wonderful seminars with small classes—but you can at least do career exposure and learn what college or university is like. So, those are my categories for who still needs college. Ross: So, I don’t think we’ve mentioned the word AI yet, so let me say it. This changes quite a few things, and we’ll get to some of the more pointed or current ones right now. But let’s just take this humans-plus-AI perspective, where hopefully almost all employers will, in some form, be using AI and expecting the people who work there to use AI. I guess there are two parts: AI obviously has a role in education, and AI will almost necessarily have a role in the workplace. So, perhaps going beyond specifically the college or university framing, how should we be thinking about both education—essentially, the gaining of AI literacy—to be able to learn, to function well in society, to do well at jobs and meet the expectations of employers, to be AI-competent? Kathleen: I’ve actually turned my attention since finishing the book to this question, because the conversation about whether you need the degree and how the degree needs to be changed to be purpose-fit for the mid-21st century—a lot of that questioning is revolving around what we do about AI. I taught a class this semester here in the DC area, which is just finishing up, called “How to Get Hired in the Age of AI.” It’s been set up as a design sprint, where the students are researching what students are feeling about AI, what employers are feeling about AI, and then looking towards ideating and prototyping solutions. Along the way, they’re using AI skills and human skills, and we’re measuring which ones come in where—what’s important to use in what part of the process. It’s been fascinating. The thing that’s been most surprising is how reticent students are to even use AI at the tertiary learning level. I know a lot of people are saying we shouldn’t even let—we’re taking the phones out of the classrooms in secondary and primary school, and there’s a lot of conversation about not letting AI in at all at that age. At the college or university age, the conversation has been around cheating, frankly. So, a lot of universities in the US—I can’t speak to other countries—have banned the use of AI in their classrooms. As of about January of this year, many universities are waking up and saying, “Oh, maybe that was a bad idea,” because of what you just explained: employers are going to want them to use AI when they get to the workplace. In fact, they’re going to hire against those skills, and we’re not setting our students up for success if we’re treating AI as the forbidden fruit. Our course looks at this, and the students are making recommendations to the administration in papers they’re writing right now: how do we live with this dissonance? But I would say that the students and their fellow students they’re interviewing are not very interested in leaning into AI. For a couple of reasons: number one, they’re mad at it because they think it’s ruining the society they’re launching into; they’re afraid to use it for fear of being accused of cheating; and thirdly, they think it’s turning their brains into mush, and they’re afraid of that—as they should be. So, it’s been interesting. We’re trying to parse out: what AI skills are employers going to expect? What do they expect right now? How do you build those skills but also maintain your skepticism? Ross: All right, well, totally, because it’s “How to Get Hired in the Age of AI.” So, give me a snappy answer. Kathleen: What I say is you have to lean in, even if you want to lean out. The leaning in part is being able to play the game with what employers want you to do with AI, but knowing its limits—knowing how you can be the boss of the bots and how you can add value to your employer by using AI and by showing where you’re better than AI. But that requires you to have an understanding of how it works. Ross: Yeah, and my focus is on judgment and accelerated judgment development. That’s what distinguishes the human skill—judgment you don’t necessarily have early on. So, how do we accelerate that judgment? And also, using the tools to be cognitively better. By default, you can basically think worse—as you said, cognitive erosion. But if we have this attitude of using it to improve our thinking, knowledge, and capabilities, then we can work out how to do that well. And, Ross, you’re pointing—employers get it? Kathleen: Yeah, you’re pointing to an important realization that I think students came to over the course of the semester, which is that if the first rung of the career ladder is being eroded because we won’t be hiring as many people to do those baseline professional jobs, we need to teach judgment and provide the experience for students to jump up to the next rank. What does that look like? Ross: Yeah, well, which speaks to this integration where the work experience and a whole lot of things—it’s not like, “Okay, today your degree is finished, and tomorrow you get a job.” This is 2026, and people are saying, “In three or four years, I’ve got no idea what anything is going to be like anymore, so why would I start a degree when I don’t even know if there’ll be any jobs at the end of it?” It’s an interesting question. What do you say to that? What do you think? Kathleen: Yeah, I mean, I tend to come at this as an optimist, sort of glass half full. Maybe partly because I’m old enough to have been working in the early consumer internet business in the 1990s. There was this little startup—not sure everyone around the world remembers it—called America Online. Our job was to basically train the public; we were called the training wheels of the internet in the ’90s. There were many of these same arguments about how all these jobs were going to go away. Looking back 30 years later, yes, a lot of those jobs have gone away. I haven’t seen a study that actually looks at the net gain or net loss of new types of job roles, but a lot of jobs were created—in fact, like UX designer, web designer, a lot of software roles, analyst, digital analyst. You can name so many in most fields. I think one of the reasons we’re panicked right now is because we can see which jobs are going away, but we can’t see which ones will get created. I feel like a lot of new and more interesting jobs are going to get created. That’s where I think the debate is: are the jobs that get created going to offer the same professional advancement that a college degree would require, as the jobs that get lost? In other words, the ones that are left—are they really going to be those jobs where you actually need a human in the loop, or are those jobs going to be minimum wage, low-paid jobs like being a waitress taking orders or an orderly in a hospital pushing beds around? Those are the jobs we know aren’t going away. What are the jobs further up the scale that will still need the judgment we described and the creativity and oversight. Ross: Yeah, well, I also am—certainly relative to many others—very optimistic about the future of work. But I guess two points—well, many points—there is still deep uncertainty. We just don’t know. The second related point is we don’t know what the skills are that people will hire for. So, whatever jobs are created, does it mean you want a degree in AI and computer science and workflow, or is it history and philosophy and literature, which gives you the human context that machines don’t have? Or is it both? What are the skills today that are going to lead to employability in the future? Kathleen: Well, I still tell people to lean in. In the US this year, we’ve had an 8% decrease in computer science majors, and everyone’s attributing that to AI. I still tell people to lean into computer science and related majors, because those folks are going to be the most comfortable with the technical cutting edge. They know what they need to know. If you’ve begun to vibe code—which I’ve taught the class to do, and it’s so easy, even though I’m not technical and you’re making apps—you realize you’re one button away from having the thing crash. You still need the technical people behind the screen, and I think you always will, not just to be your help desk, but to take us to the next level. I’m still bullish on technical jobs in computer science, and they can leverage themselves into the next new thing, whether it’s AI or quantum or whatever comes after that. I worry if we tell everyone to major in philosophy—I love philosophy; my husband got his PhD in philosophy—but if those people try to be, let’s say, AI Luddites and don’t want to use AI, I think they will become more and more distant from the hum of society, and that’s not going to serve them well. I see a lot of liberal arts majors—we even did a survey at our university to ask, “Are you willing to build AI skills?” Interestingly, the humanities and arts, creative majors, were not interested in building their AI skills. The finance majors, business majors, IT majors—they were. So, we could have even more of a divide here than we already have between like this digital divide. If we have an AI divide, I do worry about that. So, I would say yes, if you want to major in philosophy, fine, but also lean into the technical side of your life. Ross: Yeah, yeah. I think we must be multifaceted—today more than ever. As you say, that points to education not being too tightly tracked, which is probably useful. So, we are the Humans Plus AI podcast. Let’s pull back to the big picture. Listeners are humans, mainly. What’s your advice to humans in a human-plus-AI world? Kathleen: I think to have some mental models. The future is human, right? We want to keep it that way. Consider the mental models of where AI can assist your life versus where it can take over the parts of your life that you like and want, or affect or hurt societal norms of community, the environment, and mind mush and everything else. I would say to think about where human skills are still both necessary and rule the day. I’ve been listening for what are the words people say in terms of what we still need to be able to do to “beat the bots,” if you will. One of them is originality. I find that an interesting construct, because in an age of AI slop, where all content looks the same, what will stand out are people and ideas that are new and different, not broadly derivative. I’ve talked to my students about that—traits like originality and, on the human interaction side, charisma and the ability to interact will stand out. You already see that happening on Instagram or social media—authenticity and originality are ruling the day right now. Those are traits on the human experience side that I would mention. In terms of business or getting things done, I’m really leaning into this idea that I will use AI to try most anything, but I’m going to manage the transitions of those activities. In our design sprint, AI is doing some of our research—that’s okay—but we’re also interviewing humans, synthesizing the ideas, prioritizing them, and deciding what to do with them. We are the decision makers, but AI is even good at ideation, and that’s fine. You can have your large language model spark ideas for you, but you have to figure out what to do with them, and that’s where originality comes in. I try to look at those transitions for workflow or creative flow and figure out where AI is useful and what part of my brain I need to bring to bear to rule the day. Ross: Fantastic. So, where can people find out more about your work, Kathleen? Kathleen: Probably most currently, particularly related to the AI stuff, I would say my Substack, which is also called “Who Needs College Anymore?” That’s an easy place to find me. I’m on LinkedIn, and the book has a website where I post a lot of stuff, and that is also whoneedscollegeanymore.org. Ross: Fantastic. Love your work. Great to speak with you. Thanks, Kathleen. Kathleen: Well, thank you, Ross. It was engaging. Thanks. The post Kathleen deLaski on reimagining higher education, generational mobility, building AI skills, and human originality (AC Ep43) appeared first on Humans + AI.

Welcome back to the studio.  This is My Day of Play, where you're taken into the real events and actions of how it happens long before the process of editing or cleaning up.  The original purpose of these episodes was to give my broadcasting students something to edit, to practice with and to call their own.  Then I realized that you are just as important.  Share the reality of how it really went.  We begin things with Oliver Goldstick, from School Spirits on Paramount+. Then we'll make room for author Sasha Peyton Smith who is best known for The Witch Haven and The Witch Hunt. And we'll wrap things up with Andrew Seaman from the podcast Get Hired.  Time to put focus on the jobs and development. This is My Day of Play.  Completely unedited in the way of meeting the wizard behind the curtain.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

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In this episode, Hiring Insider Laurie Jane Roth and I talk about what really happens during interviews and why even strong candidates sometimes leave without an offer.We discuss:• What is happening behind the scenes in hiring• Why interviews can still feel uncertain even when you prepared well• How to use storytelling to strengthen your answers• The role confidence and personality play in interviews• A powerful question to ask at the end of an interview• Why rejection is not always a reflection of your abilityIf you are interviewing soon or trying to understand why interviews are not turning into offers, this conversation offers both strategy and perspective.Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/Y0ZXTeEaoyc?si=_eKCqIXVKwqA2yjiConnect with Laurie:Website: https://theinsidegamecoaching.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-jane-roth-084769/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@laurieroth4589Support the show

Most engineers approach open source the wrong way. They write code, open a PR, and wonder why it never gets merged. Bruno Schaatsbergen, Terraform core contributor and ex-HashiCorp engineer, breaks down the real craft behind contributions that actually land, and why AI is quietly breaking the ecosystem we all depend on.In this episode, we cover:Why pull requests get ignored (and the counterintuitive fix)How AI slop is killing open source from the insideUsing AI agents without losing your identity as an engineerWhy open source beats a tailored resume in today's marketHow consistent contributions can reshape your entire careerIf you've ever wanted to contribute to open source but didn't know where to start, this episode gives you a clear perspective from someone who's been on both sides.Connect with Bruno:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bschaatsbergenOUTILNE00:00:00 - Intro00:01:04 - How Open Source Shaped My Entire Career00:02:14 - Why I Take Pride in Every PR I Write00:03:16 - Open Source vs Personal Projects: The Real Difference00:04:18 - Why Your PRs Get Ignored (And How to Fix It)00:05:41 - Know Your Audience: The Counterintuitive PR Hack00:06:35 - Dealing With Imposter Syndrome as a Contributor00:07:10 - Read Code Like a Writer Reads Books00:09:31 - My First Contribution (And How It Changed My Career)00:10:51 - Should You Contribute to Open Source Early in Your Career?00:12:46 - The Dark Side: When Contributions Become Noise00:13:44 - Killed With Kindness: The AI Slop Problem00:16:17 - How Maintainers Are Fighting AI Slop00:18:02 - How I Actually Use AI Agents in My Workflow00:19:11 - Don't Outsource Your Thinking to AI00:20:11 - Who's Liable for AI-Generated Code?00:21:16 - Earned Rights: Why Trust Matters in Open Source00:22:52 - How to Approach People at Tech Conferences00:24:52 - Open Source Is Not a Democracy00:26:04 - Why Open Source Beats a Tailored Resume00:27:12 - Never Contribute With the Goal of Getting Hired00:28:38 - The Real Reason Consistency Pays Off00:29:30 - Admitting I'm a University Dropout00:30:42 - Why I Haven't Contributed in Weeks (And That's Okay)00:32:07 - The Trap of Chasing Contributor Rankings00:34:32 - Open Source Lets You Work With Anyone in the World00:35:52 - Final Advice: Don't Let AI Steal Your Identity

Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS breaks down the relationship between SEO and PPC advertising. He explains that while PPC provides short-term visibility and acts as a catalyst for brand awareness, SEO builds the long-term foundation that makes ads more cost-effective. Favour emphasizes that these two strategies should not be siloed; instead, they must work together. By ranking organically for specific keywords, businesses can lower their ad spend for those same keywords. The conversation also touches on the importance of content pillars, Google Search Console, and the value of organizing your digital assets to prevent overwhelm.Who is this for?Business owners, digital marketers, and entrepreneurs looking to understand the differences and synergies between Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising. It's highly valuable for anyone wanting to build a sustainable, long-term marketing strategy while leveraging short-term wins through paid ads.Key Moments & Timestamps01:42 — The Core Difference: Understanding SEO (Search Engine Optimization) vs. SEM/PPC (Search Engine Marketing).03:34 — Short-Term vs. Long-Term: Why PPC is for short-term wins and SEO is for long-term sustainability.06:00 — The Synergy: How ranking organically for a keyword lowers the cost of bidding on that same keyword in ads.11:10 — Cross-Platform Strategy: Connecting your website to Google Search Console and Pinterest to build domain authority.32:47 — Tracking Success: Using Google Alerts and Search Console to track brand mentions and backlinks.107:41 — Final Takeaway: Organize your content pillars and don't feel overwhelmed by the technical aspects of SEO.FAQsQ: Should I focus on SEO or PPC first?A: You should focus on SEO first to build a strong foundation. PPC is a catalyst that drives immediate traffic, but if your website isn't optimized organically, you will end up paying higher costs per click over time.Q: How long does it take for ads to mature?A: Depending on the platform, it typically takes 7 to 28 days for an ad campaign to exit the learning phase and mature based on the target audience.Q: How do SEO and ads work together?A: When you rank organically for a specific keyword (e.g., "real estate planning") on your website, Google recognizes your authority. When you run ads for that same keyword, your cost per click is often lower because the destination link is highly relevant and authoritative.Action StepsBuild Your Foundation: Ensure your website is connected to Google Search Console so search engines can index your pages.Align Your Keywords: Use the same keywords in your organic content (URLs, titles) that you plan to bid on in your PPC campaigns.Set Up Alerts: Use Google Alerts to track when your brand or business is mentioned online to monitor your growing authority.Organize Content Pillars: Structure your website content into clear pillars and clusters to make it easier for both users and search engines to navigate.Book a Consultation: Reach out to Favour at info@playinc.online or favour@playinc.online to hire his SEO agency and streamline your digital marketing strategy.Ready to Rank? Book Your SEO & Web Dev Services Today

Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS and guest speakers (including Celese Williams and Rocki) discuss the problem-to-solution framework of converting traffic into revenue. Favour explains that traffic must first be intentionally created by planting "seeds" (content) across the web and nurturing them over time.He shares a real-life example of a client who returned after three years because of consistent, long-term marketing efforts. The conversation also highlights the importance of creating "easy buttons" to reduce friction in the buying process and the resurgence of community-based marketing (like Skool and Patreon) as a reliable revenue driver.Who is this for?Business owners, digital marketers, and entrepreneurs looking to turn their website visitors into paying customers. It's highly valuable for anyone wanting to understand the mechanics of traffic generation, the importance of planting "content seeds" for long-term SEO, and how to optimize the customer journey for higher conversions.Key Moments & Timestamps01:43 — The Traffic Prerequisite: Why you must intentionally create traffic before you can convert it.03:26 — Quality over Quantity: The "sandcastle" analogy for building valuable, structured traffic.05:50 — Planting Seeds: Why articles and SEO content are like seeds that can yield recurring traffic for years.08:23 — Building Authority: How consistent messaging turns you into the go-to solution when a customer is finally ready to buy.11:08 — Real-Life Case Study: A client who paid an invoice and returned for a 12-week marketing sprint after three years of nurturing.14:26 — The Power of CTAs: How well-designed calls-to-action can increase conversions by 38% to over 160%.16:10 — Guest Insight (Celeste): Why consumers want the easiest path to purchase and how to create "easy buttons" in your business.17:46 — Guest Insight (Rocky): The resurgence of community-based marketing (Skool, Patreon, Facebook groups) and the growing, yet controversial, impact of AI-generated ads.FAQsQ: How do I create traffic in the first place?A: Traffic is created by consistently publishing valuable content (seeds) on your website and distributing those links across platforms like Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, and YouTube to build an interconnected web of authority.Q: How long does it take for SEO content to generate revenue?A: SEO is a long-term strategy. You should give your content pillars at least 24 months to build capacity. However, the content you publish today can continue to drive traffic and revenue for years to come.Q: What is the easiest way to increase conversions on my website?A: Reduce friction. Create "easy buttons" by minimizing the number of steps, forms, or questions a customer has to navigate before making a purchase or booking a service.Action StepsPlant Your Seeds: Commit to a 24-month content strategy where you consistently publish and update articles on your website.Distribute Your Links: Share your website links across multiple platforms (Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube) to create an interconnected web of traffic sources.Audit Your CTAs: Review your website's calls-to-action. Ensure they are clear, compelling, and strategically placed to maximize click-through rates.Create "Easy Buttons": Simplify your booking or checkout process. Remove unnecessary questions or steps that might cause a potential customer to abandon the process.Build a Community: Consider launching a community group (via Skool, Patreon, or Facebook) to nurture your audience and build long-term trust.Ready to Rank? Book Your SEO & Web Dev Services Today

Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS and guest speakers (including Celeste and Jason) discuss the mechanics of getting discovered on Pinterest. Favour explains that Pinterest is a visual search engine powered by an algorithm called "Pixie," which prioritizes relevance, uniqueness, and content quality. He shares actionable strategies for connecting your website's RSS feed to automatically generate pins, using colors (hex codes) to influence search results, and expanding keyword lists using broad, exact, and phrase match types.The conversation highlights Pinterest's long lifespan for content, noting that pins from years ago can still drive significant traffic today.Who is this for?Business owners, digital marketers, and content creators looking to leverage Pinterest as a visual search engine. It's highly valuable for anyone wanting to understand Pinterest's algorithm (Pixie), how to optimize pins for discoverability, and how to use Pinterest to drive long-term, recurring traffic to their website.SummaryFavour Obasi-ike and guest speakers (including Celese Williams and Jason) discuss the mechanics of getting discovered on Pinterest. Favour explains that Pinterest is a visual search engine powered by an algorithm called "Pixie," which prioritizes relevance, uniqueness, and content quality. He shares actionable strategies for connecting your website's RSS feed to automatically generate pins, using colors (hex codes) to influence search results, and expanding keyword lists using broad, exact, and phrase match types. The conversation highlights Pinterest's long lifespan for content, noting that pins from years ago can still drive significant traffic today.Key Moments & Timestamps01:20 — Meet Pixie: Introduction to Pinterest's algorithm and the key elements of discoverability.02:50 — Automation Hack: How to connect your website's RSS feed to a Pinterest Business account to auto-generate pins.04:45 — The Four Elements of Discoverability: Relevance, uniqueness, content quality, and engagement.06:06 — The Power of Color: How hex codes and background colors (e.g., purple) influence what ads and related pins show up next to your content.08:01 — The Psychology of "Saves": Why the number of saves is the strongest indicator of value on Pinterest.10:08 — Keyword Expansion Strategy: How to turn 25 broad keywords into 75+ keywords using quotation marks and brackets.15:38 — Content Syndication: Connecting Instagram to Pinterest to create multiple traffic pathways for a single piece of content.18:27 — Guest Insight (Celeste): Why Pinterest is an underutilized goldmine for product-based businesses and artists.19:22 — The Lifespan of a Pin: Why Pinterest content lives forever and how updating old articles can trigger a resurgence in traffic.FAQsQ: What is Pinterest's algorithm called and what does it look for?A: Pinterest's algorithm is called "Pixie." It looks for relevance (keywords, titles, descriptions), uniqueness (trends, colors), and content quality (image dimensions, mobile optimization).Q: How can I automatically create pins from my website?A: Create a free Pinterest Business account, go to your settings, and connect your website's RSS feed. When you publish an article with images, Pinterest will automatically pull those images and create pins linking back to your site.Q: How do I find the right keywords for Pinterest?A: Start with broad keywords related to your niche. Then, expand your list by adding quotation marks (phrase match) and brackets (exact match) to those same keywords. You can also use trends.pinterest.com to see what's currently popular.Action StepsSwitch to a Business Account: If you haven't already, convert your Pinterest profile to a free Business account to access analytics and website integration.Connect Your RSS Feed: Link your website to Pinterest so your blog images automatically generate pins.Optimize for Color: Be intentional about the colors and hex codes in your images, as Pinterest's visual search groups similar colors together.Expand Your Keywords: Take a list of 25 broad keywords and create variations using quotation marks and brackets to capture different search intents.Update Old Content: Refresh old articles on your website to trigger a resurgence of traffic from existing pins on Pinterest.Ready to Rank? Book Your SEO & Web Dev Services Today

Are You Driver Ready for 2026? What It Takes to Get Hired Today Think getting a trucking job is as easy as it used to be? Think again. In 2026, the rules have changed—and many drivers are finding out the hard way that experience alone isn't enough. So the real question is: are you truly driver ready? In this episode of the Lead Pedal Podcast, we break down what carriers are actually looking for today, why some drivers are getting passed over, and how you can position yourself to land the job you want. From clean records and professional attitude to certifications, endorsements, and adaptability—being "driver ready" means more than just holding a license. If you're serious about staying employed and competitive in today's trucking industry, this episode will give you the edge you need. Work for a Company With a Great Culture-Rosedale Transport This episode is sponsored by Rosedale Transport offering career opportunities for truck drivers with their large network. You can learn more at www.rosedalegroup.com   Start Your Career on Solid Ground With Ontario Truck Driving School This episode is also sponsored by Ontario Truck Driving School which has a number of courses to help you be successful when starting a career in transportation from heavy equipment to over the road trucking. You can learn more about starting your career at www.otds.com   Keep Your Workplace Safe With DriverCheck DriverCheck is a leader in drug and alcohol, cognitive, and workplace testing helping employers have a safe workplace for their staff. Learn how DriverCheck can help you be safe at www.drivercheck.ca   About the Podcast The Lead Pedal Podcast for Truck Drivers helps truck drivers improve their truck driving careers, trucking businesses as owner operators, CDL skills, find trucking jobs, and offer trucking career tips. Learn about the trucking benefits and salaries as a professional truck driver through interviews and tips related to the North American Trucking Industry. The Lead Pedal Podcast is a Canadian based trucking podcast focused on trucking in Ontario, Canada. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST- The show is available at www.theleadpedalpodcast.com , Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartradio, and other popular podcast platforms. Thanks for listening! The Lead Pedal Podcast for Truck Drivers talks all things trucking for people in the transportation industry helping them improve their business and careers. Interviews with industry professionals and truck drivers, trucking equipment information, event coverage, and other features on the industry are meant to be helpful for truck drivers and those in transportation. The Lead Pedal Podcast for Truck Drivers has main episodes released every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with bonus material on other days. You can learn more about the host and show on our website and make sure to SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favourite podcast platform. www.theleadpedalpodcast.com  What does The Lead Pedal Podcast mean? The Lead (pronounced - Led) stands for acceleration or fast-track of your career or business. It is a play on words and we certainly are not here promoting speeding in the industry. We are hoping this information will help you become a professional driver faster than if you didn't know about many of these topics. Are you enjoying the show? If so we would appreciate you leaving us a rating and review on your favourite podcast platform. www.theleadpedalpodcast.com  Join The Lead Pedal Fan Club where are loyal fans get first chance at specials, discounts on merchandise and much more.The club is free to join and you can learn more at www.theleadpedalfanclub.com  LISTEN TO LEAD PEDAL RADIO with music and entertainment with a trucking theme at www.LeadPedalRadio.com       

Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS and guest speakers (including Celese Williams and Darren Shaw) discuss the mechanics of getting discovered on Google. Favour emphasizes that discovery starts with a strong technical foundation; specifically, connecting your website to Google Search Console and submitting a sitemap. He shares a case study of a client who grew from under 20,000 to nearly 300,000 organic impressions in six months. The conversation also covers the importance of prioritizing your website over social media profiles, understanding search intent, and leveraging local SEO (like zip codes) to rank faster in less saturated markets.Who is this for?Business owners, digital marketers, and content creators looking to improve their organic search visibility. It's highly valuable for anyone wanting to understand the technical foundations of SEO, the importance of Google Search Console, and how to structure a website to rank higher and drive long-term traffic.Key Moments & Timestamps01:30 — The Search Loop: How people search, find, click, and save information on Google.03:14 — SEO Foundations: Why discovery is heavily based on keyword research, search intent, and semantics.04:30 — Case Study: Growing a client's organic impressions from 19.1K to 298K in six months.05:49 — The Role of Google Search Console: Why your website must be indexed and have a sitemap to be discovered.07:25 — Guest Insight (Celeste): The power of "niche-ing down" and finding low-hanging fruit in keyword research.10:19 — Guest Insight (Darren): The psychology of language and understanding the mind of your target audience.19:59 — Social Media vs. Websites: Why TikTok is technically a website (registered in 1996) and how it connects to search.21:54 — The Red Flag: Why your website should always rank higher than your social media profiles on Google.25:44 — The Golden Rule: "The only way you can be on Google is by being on Google Search Console."29:27 — Local SEO: The importance of including your zip code or postal code on your website for localized ranking.FAQsQ: What is the first step to getting discovered on Google?A: The absolute first step is connecting your website to Google Search Console and submitting a sitemap. Without this, Google's bots cannot crawl, index, or discover your content.Q: How long does it take to rank on Google?A: It depends on the competition and density of your market. Generally, it takes 6 to 24 months for broader terms, but highly specific, localized keywords (e.g., "Easter bunny rentals in Portland") can rank in a matter of hours or days.Q: Should I link my social media profiles on my website?A: Yes, but be careful. If your social media profiles rank higher than your website on Google, it's a red flag. Your website should always be the primary "head" or asset, with social media acting as secondary channels.Action StepsConnect to Google Search Console: Ensure your website is verified as a property on Google Search Console and submit an updated sitemap.Niche Down Your Keywords: Identify "low-hanging fruit" or highly specific keywords in your industry that have lower competition.Optimize for Local Search: Add your specific location, zip code, or postal code to your website's URLs and content to capture local search traffic.Audit Your Links: Check your website's footer to ensure social media links are opening in new tabs and not draining your primary domain authority.Understand Your Audience: Use precise language that matches the psychological intent and search habits of your target audience.Ready to Rank? Book Your SEO & Web Dev Services Today

Are you ready to ace your next job interview? This video provides valuable career advice and guidance on common accounts payable interview questions and answers that will help you get hired. Learn how to navigate the interview process effectively with essential interview tips and prepare for a successful job interview by avoiding red flags. Watch next: Accounts Payable Task Based Interview Questions and Answers (with Scripts) https://youtu.be/pZ_TtzWHag0 Subscribe for more tips and insights like this: https://www.youtube.com/APNow?sub_confirmation=1

Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS discusses the critical importance of bots and search engines for business discovery. He emphasizes that getting discovered starts with building trust through secure domains, consistent links, and structured content. Favour explains the difference between traditional search engines (Google, Bing) and AI search engines (ChatGPT, Claude), noting that while Google remains dominant, AI platforms are rapidly changing how consumers find information. using bot fetches.The conversation highlights the necessity of configuring websites correctly (e.g., HTTPS, WWW redirects) and the enduring value of backlinks and reviews. Favour also touches on the psychology of consumer behavior, explaining how different types of content and even background music can influence purchasing decisions.Who is this for?Business owners, entrepreneurs, and content creators looking to improve their online visibility. It's highly valuable for anyone wanting to understand the technical foundations of SEO, how to build trust with search engines, and how to adapt to the rise of AI-driven search platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.Key Moments & Timestamps00:00 - Intro: Why search engines are your best friends online.01:06 - Favour's background: Helping businesses with strategic technical SEO setups.02:50 - Building trust online: The foundation of discovery through links, tags, and community.05:31 - The importance of internally linking your website to external features.08:08 - Technical SEO basics: Securing your domain, enabling domain privacy, and using HTTPS.21:57 - Why content structure matters more than just the content itself for search engine discovery.29:38 - Real-world example: How a missing "www" configuration prevented a client's website from loading.01:00:32 - The rise of AI search: How ChatGPT and Claude are changing consumer search behavior.01:02:49 - Why backlinks are not dead: AI platforms still pull recommendations from directories like Yelp and MapQuest.01:52:48 - The psychology of marketing: How music tempo (BPM) affects consumer focus and purchasing decisions.FAQsQ: What is the first step to getting discovered on search engines?A: The foundational step is building trust. This starts with securing your website (HTTPS), ensuring your domain privacy and lock are active, and consistently linking your content.Q: Are backlinks still important with the rise of AI search engines?A: Yes. AI platforms like ChatGPT still rely on citations and backlinks from established directories (like Yelp or even MapQuest) to formulate their recommendations.Q: What is the difference between search engines and social media?A: Search engines are intent-driven (fetching, crawling, indexing based on queries), whereas social media is more about immediate engagement. You must document your social media features on your website to connect the two for search engines.Action StepsSecure Your Domain: Verify that your website uses HTTPS and that your domain privacy and lock settings are correctly configured.Check Your Redirects: Ensure that both the "www" and non-"www" versions of your domain correctly lead to your active website without error messages.Document Your Features: If your brand is featured on a podcast, magazine, or social media, create a post on your website linking back to that feature to build semantic trust.Research AI Recommendations: Ask AI platforms (like ChatGPT or Perplexity) for recommendations in your industry to see who is ranking and where the AI is pulling its data from.Optimize for Intent: Structure your website content clearly so that search engine bots can easily crawl, index, and understand the value you provide.Ready to Rank? Book Your SEO & Web Dev Services Today

Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS dives into Podcast Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and discovery. He explains that getting discovered and getting ranked are two different processes requiring a strong technical foundation. Favour outlines the nine key areas where a podcast must resonate sonically and structurally, emphasizing optimized titles, descriptions, file names, and high-quality cover art (3000x3000 pixels). He also discusses RSS feed distribution, maintaining a consistent publishing cadence, and choosing the right podcast format (solo, interview, co-host, etc.).The session concludes with an interactive Q&A, encouraging creators to build a timeless content library.Who is this for?Podcasters, business owners, content creators, and digital marketers looking to maximize their podcast's visibility and reach. It's valuable for understanding the technical aspects of Podcast SEO, getting discovered and ranked across directories, and structuring shows for long-term growth and PR.Key Moments & Timestamps00:00 - Intro: The power of Podcast SEO for discovery, business growth, and PR.00:59 - Importance of RSS feed distribution and submitting to multiple destination websites.03:33 - Using Cast Feed Validator to check the health of your podcast's RSS feed.04:36 - The difference between getting discovered (visibility) and getting ranked (positioning).05:12 - Key SEO elements: Podcast title, description, author name, episode details, and file names.05:34 - Technical requirement: Podcast cover art must be 3000x3000 pixels for maximum visibility.08:21 - Importance of publishing cadence (every 8 to 12 days) to consistently refresh your feed.20:00 - The 9 places your podcast must resonate sonically and structurally.24:35 - Title optimization: Keeping titles between 50 to 60 characters to avoid truncation.01:13:40 - The 5 podcast formats: Solo, interview, co-host, round table, and faceless/theme content.FAQsQ: What is the difference between getting discovered and getting ranked?A: Discovery means your podcast is visible and accessible to a maximum number of people across platforms. Ranking refers to your podcast's specific position within search results based on its SEO structure and relevance.Q: How long should my podcast title and description be?A: Your podcast title should ideally be between 50 to 60 characters (including spaces) to prevent truncation on mobile devices. Your description can be much longer, typically 4,000 to 6,000 characters, allowing for rich keyword integration.Q: What size should my podcast cover art be?A: For maximum visibility and compliance with major directories, your podcast cover art should be exactly 3000 by 3000 pixels.Q: How often should I publish new podcast episodes?A: Favour recommends a publishing cadence of every 8 to 12 days. This consistency helps refresh your RSS feed regularly and keeps your audience engaged.Action StepsValidate Your Feed: Use castfeedvalidator.com to check the health and structure of your podcast's RSS feed.Optimize Your Metadata: Ensure your podcast title (50-60 characters) and description (up to 4,000 characters) clearly explain your content and include relevant keywords.Update Cover Art: Check your podcast image dimensions and update them to 3000x3000 pixels if they are currently smaller.Establish a Cadence: Commit to a consistent publishing schedule, ideally releasing a new episode every 8 to 12 days.Book a Discovery Call: Reach out to Favour Obasi-ike via his booking link for a complimentary 30-minute SEO discovery call.Ready to Rank? Book Your SEO & Web Dev Services Today

Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS breaks down push (outbound) vs. pull (inbound) marketing. Pull marketing (social media, SEO, content) attracts audiences long-term via consumer-driven engagement. Push marketing actively promotes products for immediate sales but can backfire if poorly targeted. Using interactive examples (e.g., sending gardening tool emails to a Pinterest list), Favour highlights the need to understand audience pain points. He also covers data ownership (first-party vs. third-party) and shares a client success story of scaling to 1M monthly Pinterest views.Who is this for?Business owners, entrepreneurs, digital marketers, and content creators looking to understand inbound (pull) vs. outbound (push) marketing. It's valuable for building long-term brand loyalty, optimizing social media and SEO, and targeting audiences effectively without being spammy.Ready to Rank? Book Your SEO & Web Dev Services Today

Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS discusses the critical differences between "fat" (bloated) and "lean" (optimized) websites. He explains how large file sizes, unoptimized images, and poor technical setups negatively impact search engine rankings and user experience. Favour emphasizes technical SEO, structured data, and webpage indexing, providing actionable advice on compressing assets, improving site speed, and preparing websites for future search engine updates. The conversation highlights the value of consistent content creation and building a strong technical foundation for long-term business success.Who is this for?Business owners, web developers, digital marketers, and SEO professionals looking to optimize their websites for better search engine indexing, faster load times, and improved user experience. It's valuable for understanding technical web performance, managing page bloat, optimizing images, and implementing structured data for long-term growth.Key Moments & Timestamps00:00 - Introduction: Fat vs. Lean websites, technical SEO, and webpage indexing.02:08 - Impact of large images and web bloat on site speed and rankings.05:35 - Defining a lean website and benefits of compressing files (e.g., compressor.io).07:21 - Checking website health and page sizes using Siteliner and GTmetrix.09:38 - Historical context: Median mobile homepage file size increased from 845 KB in 2015 to 2.3 MB in 2025.29:08 - Importance of legible fonts and responsive design for users and search bots.31:34 - Utilizing structured data and Schema.org to enhance technical SEO.50:50 - Jason's feedback on Favour's consistency and the value of qualitative feedback.01:00:50 - Timeline for SEO results (3-12 months for initial impact, 6-24 months for realistic growth).01:05:29 - Final summary: Building lean websites with crucial semantics for future-proofing (2026+).FAQsQ: What is the difference between a fat and a lean website?A: A fat website has excessive bloat (large images, heavy code), slowing load times and hurting SEO. A lean website uses compressed assets and efficient code, resulting in faster load times, better UX, and improved indexing.Q: How can I check if my website is fat or lean?A: Use Siteliner.com to check page sizes and identify thick/thin pages. GTmetrix.com helps analyze loading speed and performance grade.Q: Does compressing images ruin their quality?A: Not necessarily. It depends on lossless vs. lossy compression. Tools like compressor.io reduce file sizes while maintaining acceptable visual quality.Q: How long does it take to see results from technical SEO improvements?A: Generally, 3 to 12 months for initial results, but expect 6 to 24 months for more realistic and substantial long-term growth.Action StepsAudit Your Website: Use Siteliner and GTmetrix to evaluate page sizes, load speeds, and site health.Compress Assets: Identify large files and use compressor.io to reduce size without sacrificing quality.Implement Structured Data: Visit schema.org to apply structured data mapping to help search engines understand your content.Optimize for Mobile & Accessibility: Ensure body text is at least 16px and scales up to 200% without breaking layout.Book a Consultation: Reach out to Favour Obasi-ike at info@playinc.online or via his booking link for a personalized website audit and SEO strategy or visit Favour's quick link here.Ready to Rank? Book Your SEO & Web Dev Services Today

Michele DeFilippo is the founder and driving force behind 1106 Design, a full-service book publishing company based in Phoenix, Arizona. With more than 50 years of experience in the book publishing industry — spanning traditional publishing, the rise of indie publishing, and the self-publishing revolution catalyzed by Amazon — Michele is one of the most respected voices in author services today.She founded 1106 Design in 2001 after the publishing industry was disrupted by technology, with a singular mission: to help independent authors publish professionally, keep 100% of their rights and royalties, and produce books that compete on equal footing with traditionally published titles. Her company provides a complete "manuscript to market" solution, including editorial evaluations, copyediting, custom book cover design, interior typesetting, eBook conversion, audiobook production, author websites, and publishing support.Michele is also the author of Publish Like the Pros: A Brief Guide to Quality Self-Publishing, an 88-page guide available as a free download at 1106design.com. She has been featured across numerous podcasts, YouTube channels, and industry publications, and contributes regularly to IngramSpark's blog on self-publishing best practices.Schedule a call with Michele today >>WHO IS THIS FOR?Aspiring authors who want to publish without giving up their rights. Self-publishing authors who suspect they're leaving royalty money on the table. Business owners, coaches, and consultants who want a book as a credibility tool. Anyone pitched a "bestseller package" who wants to know if it's legitimate. Podcasters and content creators exploring long-form publishing as a brand extension.Episode SummaryIn this interview on the We Don't PLAY!™ podcast, Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS sits down with Michele DeFilippo to unpack one of the most misunderstood and financially consequential decisions an author can make: who to trust with your book. Over 22 minutes, Michele delivers a masterclass on the difference between traditional publishers, hybrid publishers, and true service providers — and why that distinction can mean the difference between earning $0.90 per book sold versus $6–$8.The conversation covers the full publishing landscape: how self-publishing emerged alongside Amazon, why so many "publishers" are actually double-dipping on author revenue, how to use KDP and IngramSpark to distribute without a middleman, what makes a book cover convert (and why it matters more than most authors realize), the truth about Amazon "bestseller" badges, the art of professional typesetting, and how to set realistic expectations before publishing.Michele closes with a transparent overview of how 1106 Design works, what authors should prepare before reaching out, and why the best way to make money with a book is often not through retail sales at all.TIMESTAMPS[00:00] — Intro: Michele DeFilippo, founder of 1106 Design, 50 years in publishing[03:20] — Publisher vs. service provider: the distinction that determines your royalties[06:12] — The hybrid publisher double-dip: earning $0.90/book instead of $6–$8[09:11] — KDP and IngramSpark: the two platforms every self-publishing author must know[10:01] — "Pump and dump" publishing: the automated book trap[11:00] — Book covers as the #1 conversion driver: the job interview analogy[12:48] — A/B testing covers the right way: "liking vs. buying"[14:34] — The Amazon bestseller badge: how it's manufactured in 45 minutes[17:08] — Professional typesetting vs. basic formatting: why it matters[20:49] — Using a book as a business development tool, not a retail productMEMORABLE QUOTES"If you have no investment in my book, what entitles you to any portion of my profits?" — Michele [06:45]"There's retail sales, and then there's making money with your book another way — and that other way is usually better." — Michele [20:49]"The question isn't which cover do you like. It's which cover would you spend money on." — Michele [12:48]"A book that earns $2,000 in royalties but generates $50,000 in consulting revenue is not a modest success. It's a high-ROI asset." — Favour [21:10]"Typesetting is working on every line, every word, every paragraph — it's not just formatting." — Michele [17:08]FAQsWhat is the difference between a publisher and a service provider?A publisher acquires your rights and pays a royalty. A service provider charges once and steps away — you keep 100% of all future revenue.What makes hybrid publishers problematic?They charge upfront fees and also take a cut of every book sold — reducing per-book earnings from $6–$8 down to $0.90 on a $19.99 title.Which platforms should every author use?KDP for Amazon and IngramSpark for bookstores and libraries. Both have royalty calculators so you know exactly what you'll earn.Are Amazon bestseller badges legitimate?Most are manufactured in 45 minutes by selecting a low-competition subcategory. A genuine Nielsen bestseller is an entirely different credential.How do authors actually make money with a book?Treat it as a business development tool. Speaking fees and consulting revenue typically far exceed retail royalty income.GLOSSARYService Provider — Charges a one-time fee; takes no ongoing royalties. The author retains 100% of rights and revenue.Hybrid Publisher — Charges upfront fees and also takes a percentage of sales. Double-dips on author revenue.KDP — Amazon's self-publishing platform for print-on-demand paperbacks and Kindle ebooks.IngramSpark — Distributes to independent bookstores, libraries, and international retailers.Typesetting — Professional design of a book's interior: fonts, spacing, margins, and chapter breaks.Print-on-Demand — Books printed individually as orders are placed. No inventory risk.Ready to Rank? Book Your SEO & Web Dev Services Today

Technical SEO delivers 117% ROI in as little as 6 months — compared to 16% for basic content SEO over 15 months. Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS breaks down what that means in real dollars and real client results.WHO IS THIS FORSmall business owners are wondering why their website isn't showing up on Google. Entrepreneurs paying for ads who want to know if SEO is a smarter long-term investment. Marketing professionals who need data-backed ROI benchmarks. E-commerce owners planning a 12–24 month organic growth strategy. Content creators who want to extend the shelf life of every piece they publish. Local business owners — local SEO delivers 750%+ ROI, the highest of any SEO category.TIMESTAMPS00:00 — Room opens; framing question repeated as attendees join: "What is the ROI of technical SEO?"10:00 — The Mario Kart analogy: Instagram = 72-hour boost, Pinterest = 5 months, website = 24 months12:00 — Live Glimpse research: "SEO for small businesses" costs $44.40/click in Google Ads17:00 — The 16% ROI / 15-month benchmark introduced20:00 — On-page vs. technical SEO defined; the relationship foundation analogy34:00 — Client case study: 30M-page site grows from 1.5M → 3.3M indexed pages after structural fixes40:52 — Technical SEO ROI: 117% in as little as 6 months45:40 — HTTP vs. HTTPS: why HTTP is "easily hackable"52:00 — ROI by category: basic 16%, technical 117%, e-commerce 2–5x, local 750%+59:12 — Celese Williams on Semrush and data-driven content strategy61:32 — Hayden: the Glossary Method — hidden keywords at 40x lower cost70:05 — HTML = the letter; HTTPS = the postal service74:00 — Closing: your website as a place of rest, connection, and long-term impactMEMORABLE QUOTES"Technical SEO is about 117%. And when you have a fundamental strategy, that 15 months could drop to six months." — Favour [40:59]"HTTP is easily hackable. Definitely get your HTTPS more than anything." — Favour [45:40]"You can't depend on social media to sustain a brand. It's going to enhance your brand, but it's not going to replace it." — Favour [51:14]"CEOs and bosses make data-driven decisions." — Celese [59:37]"The glossary method is the most powerful way — you can buy hidden keywords with thousands of views at 40 times less than the main broad topic." — Hidden [61:32]"Give yourself 6–24 months to see results. By year three, four, five, you'll be happy you built something sturdy." — Favour [71:38]Ready to Rank? Book Your SEO & Web Dev Services Today

Most tarot readers think the hard part is getting hired. It's not. The hard part is sitting there for two hours with your cards laid out watching people walk by and nobody asks you for a reading. Not only is that embarrassing *and* boring, but how can you possibly make any money that way? In today's session Dusty and Maggie break down what actually gets you hired at a metaphysical shop—and more importantly, what gets people to sit down, trust you, and pay you. Because this isn't about luck. It's not about being "gifted." And it's definitely not about undercharging until someone takes a chance on you. This is about understanding the real job.

Season 12 Finale: What's Happening Next Season and More with Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS

First impressions matter, so how do you make yours count? Communication consultant Rebecca Okamoto outlines five simple ways to introduce yourself in 20 words or fewer, setting up any interview or conversation for those three crucial words: "Tell me more." After, Modupe shares her own advice for practicing giving introductions.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS breaks down the critical differences between Web Development (Web Dev) and SEO, explaining why a stunning website is useless without the technical SEO foundation needed to drive traffic and rank on Google.

Most tarot readers think the hard part is getting hired.It's not. The hard part is sitting there for two hours with your cards laid out watching people walk by and nobody asks you for a reading. Not only is that embarrassing *and* boring, but how can you possibly make any money that way?In today's session Dusty and Maggie break down what actually gets you hired at a metaphysical shop—and more importantly, what gets people to sit down, trust you, and pay you.Because this isn't about luck. It's not about being “gifted.” And it's definitely not about undercharging until someone takes a chance on you. This is about understanding the real job.

Avoid High Spam Rates: Effective Email Marketing Monetization Strategies Masterclass with Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS.