Podcasts about B2B

Karl Maier discusses the unstable global landscape and its impact on power reliability and economic growth. He explains how technological shifts, such as the rise of AI, are creating a massive surge in electricity demand that existing power grids struggle to meet. Meyer introduces RIVSAL, a modular technology utilizing piezoelectric effects to generate clean, on-site energy as an alternative to traditional utilities. The discussion also examines application of AI, demographics, American Empire, de-globalization, and business opportunity.  Watch on BitChute / Brighteon / Rumble / Substack / YouTube *Support Geopolitics & Empire! Become a Member https://geopoliticsandempire.substack.com Donate https://geopoliticsandempire.com/donations Consult https://geopoliticsandempire.com/consultation **Listen Ad-Free for $4.99 a Month or $49.99 a Year! Apple Subscriptions https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/geopolitics-empire/id1003465597 Supercast https://geopoliticsandempire.supercast.com ***Visit Our Affiliates & Sponsors! Above Phone https://abovephone.com/?above=geopolitics American Gold Exchange https://www.amergold.com/geopolitics Escape The Technocracy (15% off w/ GEOPOLITICS!) https://escapethetechnocracy.com/geopolitics Expat Money (FREE “WW3 Plan-B” Report!) https://expatmoney.com/geopolitics PassVult https://passvult.com Sociatates Civis https://societates-civis.com StartMail https://www.startmail.com/partner/?ref=ngu4nzr Wise Wolf Gold https://www.wolfpack.gold/?ref=geopolitics Websites Surfing Economic Chaos https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2B8W8W4 LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/karlkmaier Abunden https://www.abunden.ai RIVSAL https://www.rivsalx.com About Karl Maier Karl Maier helps business owners avoid one of the biggest reasons companies fail, not a lack of sales, but running out of cash. He guides lower-middle market B2B companies to fix cash flow in situations like turnarounds, acquisitions, partner buyouts, rapid sales growth and capital raises.  Karl is the author of Surfing Economic Chaos, a best selling book about navigating major world economic trends that create challenges and opportunities for business owners. He also created the Abunden AI CFO Chatbot, making his proprietary business guidance available to companies that want experienced advice at a fraction of the cost of traditional consulting. *Podcast intro music used with permission is from the song “The Queens Jig” by the fantastic “Musicke & Mirth” from their album “Music for Two Lyra Viols”: http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)

My guest today is Matthew Smith. Matthew is the founder and CIO of Chronometer Partners, which invests in energy, industrials, materials, power and utilities, and related infrastructure. For the last 18 months he and his team have modeled nearly every natural gas well, pipeline, and processing asset in the United States. He's reached a conclusion most of the market doesn't share.  Starting in 2028, AI data centers and LNG exports will need more gas than the country can produce and deliver. By his math, the US could exhaust its working natural gas storage by 2030. In his words, the upside risk to prices becomes unbounded and convex. We talk about why this was set in motion long before AI arrived, why the US can't just turn off exports, who wins and loses among producers, nuclear, solar, and the hyperscalers, and what he sees as the only long-term solution. Please enjoy my conversation with Matthew Smith. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ----- In June, Matthew wrote a letter to a small group of confidants laying out the full case behind his natural gas forecast. He has allowed us to publish it. You can read the full letter here. ----- Become a Colossus member to get our quarterly print magazine and private audio experience, including exclusive profiles and early access to select episodes. Subscribe at ⁠colossus.com/subscribe⁠. ----- ⁠Ramp's⁠ mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ramp.com/invest⁠⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. ----- Trusted by thousands of businesses, ⁠Vanta⁠ continuously monitors your security posture and streamlines audits so you can win enterprise deals and build customer trust without the traditional overhead. Invest Like the Best listeners get a special offer of $1,000 off Vanta when you go to ⁠vanta.com/invest⁠.  ----- WorkOS⁠ is the infrastructure B2B and AI-native companies use to sell to enterprise. It covers everything enterprise security requires: SSO, SCIM, RBAC, Audit Logs, AI governance, and more. Trusted by 2,000+ fast-growing companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Cursor, and Vercel. ----- Rogo is the AI platform for finance. They're building agents for Wall Street that are trained to understand how bankers and investors actually do work: from diligence and modeling, to turning analysis into deliverables. To learn more, visit rogo.ai/invest. ----- ⁠Ridgeline⁠ has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Visit⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ridgeline.ai⁠. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant. Timestamps: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best (00:02:02) Episode Intro: Matt Smith (00:03:33) The Conclusion After 18 Months (00:04:56) The Die Was Cast Before AI (00:07:24) Sizing AI's Gas Demand (00:09:33) Why Not Just Stop Exporting? (00:11:38) Is the Gas Even There? (00:13:53) The Timing Problem, Not Supply (00:15:15) Flow Versus Stock (00:19:10) What Slows Gas to Market (00:22:21) If Nothing Changes by 2030 (00:26:11) Could Prices Hit Twenty Dollars? (00:27:00) Gas Producers Poised to Win (00:28:54) Utility-Scale Solar's Windfall (00:30:08) What About Nuclear? (00:32:40) SMRs (00:34:29) The US Consumer Pays (00:36:37) Turbine Makers Building Too Late (00:37:57) Are Hyperscalers Exposed Too? (00:44:25) Kickstarting the Nuclear Build (00:46:20) Put Solar on Every Roof (00:46:52) Implications for the World (00:49:26) No One's Securing Supply (00:52:57) The Challenge for Energy CEOs

Special Guest: Benas Leonavicius   Welcome to Podcast Profits Unleashed, the show that helps coaches, consultants, founders and experts grow their business through strategic podcast guesting and authority marketing.   In this episode, Karen Roberts sits down with Benas Leonavicius, founder of Avium, a personal branding agency that helps keynote speakers, authors, founders and executives build influential brands that attract opportunities, increase credibility and generate business growth.   Together they explore why personal branding is becoming even more valuable in the age of AI, why trust matters more than followers, and how podcasting fits into a modern authority-building strategy.   If you've ever wondered whether your personal brand is helping—or quietly holding your business back—this conversation is one you don't want to miss.

Everyone's plugging Meta, Google, and LinkedIn straight into AI via MCP and asking it where to spend their next ad dollar. Matt Chanella breaks down why that's exactly backwards — and why AI is going to make your ads more expensive, not more effective.In this episode of B2B Reality Check, Matt unpacks the two traps every B2B ad team falls into when they outsource strategy to AI:→ AI generates infinite creative variations — far more than you could ever run to statistical significance→ AI ad reporting always defaults to raw conversion volume, with zero context on campaign goals, funnel stage, or lead qualityMatt walks through why offline conversion tracking is the bare minimum, how to structure your AI context (project files, skills, clean conversion hierarchy) before you ever ask it to analyze spend, and why AI should be a thinking partner — not the decision-maker — for your ad strategy.In this episode:Why lower barriers to entry for AI-generated ads don't mean better ad performanceThe statistical significance problem with AI-generated creative testingWhy AI ad reporting can't distinguish high-intent conversions from low-intent ones (scroll depth, newsletter signups vs. booked meetings)How to give AI the right context before letting it touch your ad reportingWhy not every campaign (YouTube pre-roll, CTV, LinkedIn thought leadership) is designed for direct responseFAQQ: Can AI accurately tell me where to spend my next ad dollar?A: No — AI tools connected to your ad platforms track conversion volume and signal, but they can't tell you conversion quality: how many conversions become booked meetings, opportunities, or closed deals.Q: Why shouldn't I let AI generate all my ad creative variations?A: AI can produce far more creative iterations than you could ever run to statistical significance. Without a proper testing ramp and enough audience/budget to reach significance, you can't actually determine a winning message.Q: What's the minimum conversion tracking needed before using AI for ad strategy?A: Offline conversion tracking is the minimally viable setup — and even then, it should only be used for reporting, not for AI to dictate strategy.Q: Why does AI ad reporting always favor lead-gen campaigns?A: AI has no context on campaign objectives, measurement methodology (multi-touch, influenced, incrementality), or whether a campaign was designed for direct response versus brand consideration (the 95-5 principle). It defaults to whichever campaign produced the most raw conversions.Q: How do I set AI up correctly before using it for ad reporting?A: Build a project or skill collection with full context on your ad goals, objectives, segmentation, targeting, and measurement approach — before you ever ask it to analyze performance.

Are you trapped handling guest management; spending hours coordinating schedules, pitching, and editing endless long-form conversations every week? Defaulting to a weekly interview format is the quickest way to hit severe podcasting burnout. While everyone insists that interviewing guests is the only way to build a show, managing the administrative backend and tech glitches often dilutes your own authority and pulls you away from high-level client work. In this episode of Podcasting Unlocked, I challenge the standard weekly interview trap and break down three high-impact alternative podcast styles that streamline your production time while delivering powerful business results. This week, episode 297 of Podcasting Unlocked is about exploring alternative structures for your podcast outside of the weekly interview format! In this episode of Podcasting Unlocked, I'm sharing the importance of finding a podcasting style that works for you and actionable steps you can take right now to reclaim your time and combat burnout. I also chat about the following: Break Free from Administrative Fatigue: Understand the hidden costs of guest-heavy shows, including scheduling logistics, pitch management, and complex multi-track audio editing.Launch a Seasonal Limited Series: Discover how structuring your show into distinct seasons allows you to batch record months of content in a few days, giving you permission to step away from production to focus on client work.Master Solo Strategy Sessions: Learn why short, 10-to-15-minute bite-sized episodes centering your proprietary frameworks build fast audience trust, drive SEO traffic, and generate targeted B2B leads.Curate Strategic Compilations: Explore how grouping existing clips from your backlog into themed roundup episodes extends your content's lifespan with minimal transition recording.Pivot Formats Without Losing Listeners: Master a smooth, transparent transition plan that communicates format changes to your audience as an upgraded, high-value experience.Look at your recording calendar for next month. Swap out just one scheduled guest recording for a short, 10-minute solo strategy session that directly answers the number one question your prospective clients ask you. Test the waters and see how your audience responds! Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on turning your podcast listeners into leads and to hear even more about the points outlined above. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don't forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!Learn more about Podcasting Unlocked at https://galatimedia.com/podcasting-unlocked/ CONNECT WITH ALESIA GALATI:InstagramLinkedInWork with Galati Media! Work with Alesia 1:1Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

B2B marketing isn't playing a different game. It's playing the same game on hard mode.In this episode, we're joined by Ty Heath, Global Director of Thought Leadership Go-to-Market at LinkedIn and co-founder of the B2B Institute.Fresh off serving as Jury President for the Creative B2B Lions at Cannes, Ty shares what separated the best work from the rest—and why B2B creativity is entering a new era.We discuss:What won at Cannes B2B LionsWhy B2B creativity has maturedThe role of emotion in B2BBuying committees and "viability"Why ecosystems beat campaignsThe origin story of the B2B InstituteLong-term thinking inside LinkedInWhy B2B marketers are playing the game on "hard mode"Whether you work in B2B, B2C, media, or brand strategy, this conversation offers practical lessons on creativity, leadership and marketing effectiveness.Chapters:00:00 - Welcome Back, Tyronna Heath00:38 - Tyronna's New Role at LinkedIn01:11 - Winning an Effie for “Only on LinkedIn”02:58 - Becoming Jury President for the Creative B2B Lions05:24 - Reviewing 355 Cannes Entries07:20 - Has B2B Creativity Finally Matured?09:14 - What Effective B2B Creativity Looks Like12:00 - Why the Best Ideas Can Be Explained in One Sentence13:24 - What Is Still Missing from B2B Creative?16:01 - Why Ecosystems Can Be More Powerful Than Campaigns18:09 - The Role of Emotion in B2B Decision-Making18:23 - Cannes as a B2B Brand Experience21:37 - The Origin Story of the B2B Institute25:25 - How the B2B Institute Built Its Influence28:05 - Thought Leadership and Betting on What Won't Change31:09 - Human Behaviour as the Enduring Marketing Truth32:43 - Where B2B Creativity Goes Next34:15 - Why B2B Marketing Is “Hard Mode”37:07 - LinkedIn's Long-Term B2B Playbook38:01 - Building Authority, Credibility and Confidence39:10 - The B2B Institute as a Marketing Cheat Code40:05 - Where to Follow Tyronna and the B2B Institute

.Your case studies could be full of great results and still not convert a single buyer, because listing facts isn't the same as making someone care..

What's up everyone, today we have the pleasure of sitting down with Cara Caruso, CEO and co-founder of Sentinel Insights, and Dustin Taylor, counsel at Troutman Pepper Locke.We'll cover:(00:00) - Cara-audio (00:53) - In This Episode (04:40) - 1 — Why Your Website Is Running More Tracking Tools Than You Know (08:17) - 2 — How a Plaintiff's Firm Turns Your Website Into a Lawsuit (17:55) - 3 — The ECPA Wave and the Privacy Policy That Sues You (20:53) - 4 — What Consent Drift Actually Looks Like (25:16) - 5 — Who Actually Owns Privacy Compliance (30:49) - 6 — The Business Case for Privacy-First Marketing (35:52) - 7 — What Marketing Ops Can Do About Privacy This Week (42:35) - 8 — Why Email Marketing Is the Next Privacy Lawsuit (48:04) - 9 — AI, Consent, and Being Forced to Delete Your Data (51:46) - 10 — Why Small Companies Get Privacy Lawsuits Too (58:42) - 11 — How to Decide What Deserves Your Energy Summary: A privacy-software CEO and a litigation defense attorney walk into a podcast and proceed to scare every marketer in the room, in the most useful way possible. Cara Caruso has scanned over 10,000 websites and found nearly 90% of them non-compliant, while Dustin Taylor has defended more than 100 companies against the exact lawsuits that follow. Together they trace how a forgotten tag from three years ago becomes a seven-figure settlement, why your own privacy policy is the document most likely to sue you, and how one month of a broken cookie banner turns into 10,000 dollars per visitor. Then they flip the whole thing and make the case for why clean, consented data actually performs better. Stick around for the part where your email open rates might be illegal and the FTC makes companies delete four years of data.About Cara Caruso and Dustin TaylorCara Caruso is the CEO and co-founder of Sentinel Insights, where she leads a platform that monitors websites in real time for consent violations and privacy exposure. Before starting the company she spent more than 25 years in data and martech, building and scaling teams across technology and financial services in both B2B and B2C. She pairs strategic planning with hands-on execution, and she's also a certified yoga instructor who has been known to bring a workshop into the office.Dustin Taylor is counsel at Troutman Pepper Locke, where he defends companies at the intersection of privacy law and marketing technology. He's defended more than 100 companies in ad-tech privacy cases involving cookies, pixels, session replay, and website chat, secured dismissals at the pleading stage in federal court, and argued in California, New York, Florida, Texas, and New Jersey. He started out with an advertising degree before law school, which makes him fluent in the martech stack in a way most litigators never are. He also publishes monthly privacy litigation reports and tracks ECPA filings with AI.Why Your Website Is Running More Tracking Tools Than You KnowMost marketing teams believe they have a clean inventory of what runs on their website. There's a tag manager, a cookie banner, a vendor list in a spreadsheet somewhere, and a general sense that someone signed off on all of it. Then someone actually scans the site, and the number comes back two, three, sometimes four times higher than anyone expected.Cara has watched this play out thousands of times. Sentinel Insights has scanned over 10,000 websites in the past year, and the pattern barely changes from one company to the next. Nearly 90% of those sites are not compliant. Every new customer gets the same uncomfortable conversation on day one.The gap between what a team thinks is running and what's actually firing comes from two places. The first is history. Somebody three years ago added a tag for a campaign that ended, then left the company, and nobody ever took it down. The team you have today inherited a stack built by people they never met, and most of those decisions were never written down anywhere. Cara calls it the ghost of marketers past, and it's sitting on almost every site she scans.The second is piggybacking. You buy one tool, drop in one script, and that single tag quietly loads four more. Each of those can load more on top. An agency hard-codes a pixel straight into a landing page because they didn't have access to the tag manager, and now your customer data flows to companies nobody on your team could name. None of it shows up in the tidy spreadsheet. All of it shows up in a scan.This is the part most marketers underestimate. The real exposure comes from the tools nobody chose on purpose, the dozen scripts running quietly in the background, each one sending customer data somewhere you've never audited. They pile up while everyone assumes the banner has it covered. No marketing team actually knows what's on its website until a scan proves otherwise, and "we reviewed it last year" is closer to a guess than a control.Why Not Knowing Is Not a Legal DefenseThe instinct, once you find those orphaned tags, is to assume they don't count against you. You didn't install them. You didn't even know they were there. Dustin spends a lot of his time correcting that assumption. These privacy laws do have a knowledge component, but courts read knowledge very differently than a normal person would. As long as the person who installed the tag three years ago knew they were installing something, the legal requirement is met. The fact that today's marketing team forgot it existed changes nothing.There's a second trap hiding inside the same problem. What marketing knew, what IT knew, and what legal knew are rarely the same thing, and that fragmentation is its own risk. Each group assumes another group is watching the stack. The court doesn't care which department dropped the ball. It only cares that someone, at some point, hit install.Key takeaway: Run a full scan of your live website this month and compare the results against your documented vendor list. Flag every tag you can't immediately explain, especially anything loading third-party scripts you never installed directly. The tools you can't account for are the ones quietly building your legal exposure, and forgetting they exist won't protect you.How a Plaintiff's Firm Turns Your Website Into a LawsuitHere's the mental model most marketing teams carry around: we're compliant until someone complains. You picture a single annoyed customer who takes the time to file something against your little startup, and you quietly decide the odds are low. Who's really going to sue over one text message or one tracking cookie? That assumption is the most expensive thing on your website, because litigation in this space doesn't start with a complaint. It starts with a scan of your site that you never see.Plaintiffs' law firms run continuous automated audits of company websites, and they're looking for far more than a typo in your privacy policy. Dustin walked through exactly what their scanners check:What loads automatically the moment someone lands on the page, before any consent is given, Whether there's a banner at all, and what it actually does, What keeps firing after a visitor opts out, Whether anything is miscategorized, like a marketing cookie quietly labeled "essential" so it can't be turned offOnce a firm finds the exposure, they find a plaintiff. The demand letter arrives, and the dollar amounts climb fast. Cara breaks the pressure into three forces bearing down on marketing teams at once:Trophy-hunting plaintiff attorneys who come after you for small amounts individually, then scale it into a class action, Brand and reputational damage that lingers long after a settlement clears, State enforcement at the atto...

Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@mreapodcastAfter selling 78 homes in one year, Coby Socher was burned out. He had helped buyers, sellers, and investors build wealth, but he had also nearly spent everything he earned. As his family began to grow, he knew he needed a new plan, so he decided to become the buyer.In this episode, we break down the 30-year plan Coby built to reach a $250 million net worth. He shows us how to choose an investment target, study the market, set clear profit standards, and turn active income into assets that can grow over time.Coby also shares how he built a steady flow of investment opportunities through other real estate agents. After posting roughly 4,000 pieces of content, more than 85% of his investment leads now come through social media and agent relationships. His model has produced more than $5 million in net income over five years, and he is already 1.2 years ahead of his wealth plan.Tune in to learn how to make cash, buy assets and build a real estate business that funds the life you want.Resources:The Socher TeamSpeedy OffersOrder the Millionaire Real Estate Agent Playbook | Volume 3Connect with Jason:LinkedinProduced by NOVAThis podcast is for general informational purposes only. The views, thoughts, and opinions of the guest represent those of the guest and not  Keller Williams Realty, LLC and its affiliates, and should not be construed as financial, economic, legal, tax, or other advice. This podcast is provided without any warranty, or guarantee of its accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or results from using the information.WARNING! You must comply with the TCPA and any other federal, state or local laws, including for B2B calls and texts. Never call or text a number on any Do Not Call list, and do not use an autodialer or artificial voice or prerecorded messages without proper consent. Contact your attorney to ensure your compliance.

We just launched our new book! You can grab The Power of Your Personal Brand: A Playbook for Struggling Middle Managers Who Want to Do Big Things on Amazon or at ForthRight-People.com AI is pulling from Large Language Models (LLMs), which means what it generates is really an amalgamation of what already exists. It's hard to own the attribution of this content. And, it often comes off sounding like AI and not you. But, what if you were intentional in the way you train AI to represent you in voice and POV? This could be a game-changer. We wanted you to learn from a couple experts who know how to leverage AI marketing to own your POV, so we welcomed on Patrice Greene & Kathy Macchi, the Co-Founders of Inverta. They're the #1 AI-powered B2B growth marketing agency. For more about ForthRight Business by ForthRight People or for 1:1 consultation, check us out at ForthRight-Business.com And as always, if you need Strategic Counsel, don't hesitate to reach out to us at: ForthRight-People.com FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/forthrightpeople.marketingagency INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/forthrightpeople/ LINKEDIN https://www.linkedin.com/company/forthright-people/ RESOURCES https://www.forthright-people.com/resources VIRTUAL CONSULTANCY https://www.forthright-people.com/shop

Authority is about showing up, building credibility, and creating lasting impact. This episode of Influential Voices of Authority features Dr. Keyvan Eghbali, a holistic health leader with over 30 years of experience, sharing how he uses his podcast as an engine to reach and transform millions.   Important Links: https://wellness-speaker.com https://www.dreghbali.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/thrive.wellness.solutions/ Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkeyvan/ Podcast: https://www.dreghbali.com/spotify/   Subscribe to Influential Voices of Authority podcast: Apple Podcasts: http://www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apple Spotify: http://www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/spotify Website: http://www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/podcasts Get your Podcast Authority Audit at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.   Episode Segments: 00:05 "Launching 'This Saved My Life' Podcast" 01:34 Stories That Inspire Real Change 03:23 Podcasting as the Ultimate Authority Builder 05:17 Overcoming Nerves and Getting Started 06:42 Leaving Private Practice to Impact 10 Million 09:20 The Turning Point from Clinic to Mass Influence 10:54 Setting Massive Goals for Greater Legacy 11:45 Unexpected Surprises and Doors Opened by Podcasting 13:26 Leveraging Podcasting for Corporate Wellness 15:08 The Biggest Challenges and Time Solutions 17:46 Bite-Sized Commitments for Consistent Creation 20:17 Stories of Resilience and Inspiration 22:36 Imposter Syndrome and Finding Your Unique Voice 23:24 Calls to Action Driving Business and Connection 25:09 Crafting Value-Packed Corporate Wellness Programs 26:43 Overcoming the Time Objection in Health and Content Creation 28:41 First Steps to Get Unstuck Physically or Creatively 31:01 Personalized Coaching and Discovery Process 33:33 Understanding Root Causes and Real Health Transformation 35:05 How to Access Dr. Eghbali's Support 37:09 Paying It Forward through Service   Key Takeaways: - How Authority Grows with Meaningful Stories Dr. Eghbali's podcast showcases powerful interviews, including individuals who have overcome tremendous obstacles, realigning authority around hope and healing. By sharing these stories, he multiplies his impact while giving his audience new pathways to wellness and success. - Podcast as Your Demo Reel Hosting a podcast immediately sets you apart in your field. Dr. Eghbali credits his podcast with opening doors to corporate speaking gigs, boosting his visibility, and allowing prospective clients to get to know his message and expertise firsthand. - Start Small, Build Discipline Despite a busy schedule, Dr. Eghbali advocates a sustainable approach: commit to a manageable number of episodes, focus on incremental progress rather than perfection, and remember that every episode makes a difference for someone listening. - Genuine Connection Drives Results Dr. Eghbali's call to action is rooted in authenticity. He encourages hosts to come from the heart and let the right opportunities follow. For him, the value is in truly connecting, ,whether that's helping a company reduce burnout or guiding a single client to breakthrough health. - Impact Ripples Outward From coaching veterans back to health to inspiring others with neighborly resilience, Dr. Eghbali demonstrates that authority isn't just about numbers. It's about the results you help people achieve and the communities you touch. - Your First Step to Transformation Success starts with simple awareness and a willingness to ask for support. Dr. Eghbali offers a complimentary 20-minute "root cause" analysis to help listeners identify what's holding them back, because everyone deserves to experience full health and potential.   Episode Highlights: The value of repurposing your expertise into audio content that sells your credibility How to manage content creation time as a busy clinician or entrepreneur Ways a podcast multiplies your reach, impact, and authority for both B2B and consumer audiences Live examples of using stories and interviews to build an inspiring brand   Connect with Dr. Keyvan Eghbali: Ready to break through limits and expand your impact? Text "root cause" to 714-987-1998 for a no-cost clarity call with Dr. Eghbali, or visit his sites: https://wellness-speaker.com https://www.dreghbali.com   Podcast Authority Audit: Ready to strategically grow your podcast authority? You've published the episodes. You've stayed consistent. You know your content is good. And yet… You're not being seen as the authority in your niche Your podcast isn't creating the level of influence or opportunity you expected People listen, but they don't take action And you sound professional… but not unforgettable The truth? Consistency alone doesn't create authority. Intentional leadership does. Are you ready to turn your podcast into an authority engine and not just more content? Would you like to move from best-kept secret to recognized authority? Let me audit your podcast and find the gaps. Go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching, click the button and apply to have a chat with me. We will uncover your authority positioning problem, develop your plan to succeed, and see how I can help and support you to achieve your podcast goals. Get your podcast audit at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.   Until the next episode, step into your authority. We'll see you next time.

#374 | Most B2B marketers think brand means bigger budgets. This episode shows otherwise. Dave sits down with Ryan Narod, VP of Marketing at Rippling, to talk about what it actually takes to build a brand people recognize in B2B. Ryan walks through the real campaigns behind that shift - from scrappy iPhone videos and webinar promos to high-production customer films and their Super Bowl commercial. Ryan breaks down how he built a content flywheel, why injecting real humans into every piece of content matters, and how they measure brand impact without losing accountability to pipeline. It's a practical look at going from growth-only marketing to a brand with real personality, with examples you can steal no matter your budget.Timestamps(00:00) - - Today's guest: Ryan Narod, VP of Marketing at Rippling (02:44) - - What Rippling actually does and why HR, finance, and IT live under one roof (07:00) - - Why brand building starts with content and story, not billboards and TV ads (09:00) - - Building a content flywheel out of interviews, written pieces, and video (13:10) - - Getting the brand story straight across personas and the C-suite (18:30) - - Marketing plays in action: from scrappy iPhone videos to big-budget customer films (27:09) - - How to build a brand on a startup budget without Rippling's resources (29:33) - - Comparing production value head to head: a big-budget campaign vs a lo-fi one (32:29) - - How Rippling measures brand marketing with mixed media modeling and incrementally testing (39:49) - - Inside the Super Bowl ad and the reverse timeline it took to pull off Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Brought to you by:Webflow - A website platform built for the agentic web, helping modern marketing teams build fully custom sites—no developer needed—that perform in AI search. Learn more at webflow.com/for/exitfive.Markup AI - A content quality platform that scans your content against brand voice, preferred terms, messaging standards, and AI-search readiness before it goes live, right inside Google Docs. Learn more at markup.ai.Optimizely - A no-code AI platform where autonomous agents execute marketing work across webpages, email, SEO, and campaigns. Learn how to deploy agents on your marketing team at Agents in the Mix. Learn more at optimizely.com/exitfive. Walker Sands - An integrated B2B marketing and growth services agency that helps marketing leaders turn strategy into measurable business impact through their Outcome-based Marketing model. Learn more at walkersands.com/exitfive.Knak - A no-code, campaign creation platform that lets you go from idea to on-brand email and landing pages in minutes, using AI where it actually matters. Learn more at knak.com/exitfive, or check out the MCP server by clicking this link.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

We talked about what the advertising industry actually gets wrong, and why most agencies won't tell you. We got into Jaguar, Ferrari, data, creativity, and the uncomfortable truth about what really makes a campaign work. And then halfway through, he said something that had nothing to do with any of that. Sixteen years. That's how long he's been sitting with something most men in this part of the world would never say out loud. This is one of those episodes you don't skip to the end.   Timestamps:  00:00 Introduction 00:44 The Audi Campaign Flop — His Biggest Career Mistake 03:42 What Agencies Actually Do Now 08:51 The Scale of Leo Burnett and Publicis 10:55 B2B vs. B2C Marketing 15:34 Sales and Marketing: Stop Working in Silos 19:06 Calling Out Digital Agencies 23:08 Billboards Are Not Dead 30:44 Data vs. Creative Ideas 36:16 The Cadillac Win — A Facebook Road Trip That Changed GM 39:45 Clients Who Refuse to Evolve 43:11 Jaguar and Ferrari: Where Did It Go Wrong? 51:02 AI in the Creative Industry 56:56 The CEO's Hidden Battle — 17 Years of Anxiety 1:02:06 Disconnecting to Lead 1:03:34 Corporate Culture and Career Fulfilment 1:05:15 Legacy and What Really Matters 1:09:25 Quick Fire — Two Decades of Advertising in 60 Seconds   Follow Spencer Lodge on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/madeindubaipodcast/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586194260076 https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@spencer.lodge https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV https://www.facebook.com/spencerlodgeofficial/   Follow Nadim Ghrayeb on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/ghrayebnadim/tagged/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadim-ghrayeb-848b2515/ https://www.instagram.com/leoburnettuae/ vero.co/babaghanouj  

Matt Butts, Head of Marketing Science at Samsung Ads Europe, joins That's What I Call Marketing to discuss marketing science, incrementality, connected TV measurement and why rigorous testing matters more than a positive result. This episode explains how marketers can move beyond convenient metrics, design better experiments and connect advertising activity to meaningful business outcomes. Matt also explores how changing television behaviours are reshaping media planning, audience measurement and the role of connected TV.In this episode, we cover:– Why marketers often measure metrics without questioning whether they matter– The difference between basic A/B testing and genuine incrementality testing– Why the quality of the test matters more than whether the result is positive– How marketing scientists translate complex analysis into commercial decisions– How Samsung Ads measures viewing across linear television, streaming and gaming– Why reported reach can hide significant audience duplication– How incremental reach can reduce media waste and identify missed audiences– The role of connected TV data in advertising planning and measurement– Why marketers need to communicate measurement differently to CMOs, CFOs and media teams– How rigorous measurement helped one advertiser move from zero investment to a seven-figure commitmentMatt argues that marketing science should not simply validate decisions that have already been made. Its role is to challenge assumptions, identify what would have happened without the advertising and give marketers evidence they can confidently use to make better investment decisions.A useful listen for marketers interested in marketing science, advertising effectiveness, connected TV, incrementality, media measurement, experimentation and commercial impact.Timestamps01:16 How Matt found his way into marketing science02:19 How advertising measurement has changed03:27 Are marketers measuring things without knowing why?04:27 Why measurement assumptions must be tested continually05:02 Do marketers know how to test properly?06:00 The limitations of basic A/B testing06:17 Why incrementality is the missing part of marketing testing07:18 The importance of statisticians, data scientists and translation08:13 Matt's journey to Samsung Ads08:18 What Samsung Ads does09:00 How television viewing behaviour has changed10:18 Balancing audience precision, relevance and scale11:02 Relevance without intrusive personalisation12:19 Samsung Ads' Total View measurement capability12:36 Audience duplication, incremental reach and missed audiences13:40 Why platform reach figures can be misleading14:06 What a Head of Marketing Science actually does14:40 Building advertiser-specific measurement playbooks15:16 Using measurement to improve future advertising investment15:23 How to explain incrementality to senior business leaders15:41 Why marketers need to understand marketing science17:00 How measurement feeds into marketing mix models17:33 A real example of fixing incomplete advertising data19:00 How a geo test led to a seven-figure investment19:43 Why negative test results should not frighten marketers20:40 Combining scientific rigour with commercial thinking21:51 What comes next for connected TV measurement22:00 Connecting television and mobile data23:30 Why marketing measurement must keep pace with human behaviourThat's What I Call Marketing is the podcast for marketers who care about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession.Follow the show for more conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, professors, authors, thinkers and practitioners.Find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.comThanks to the Digital Voice for their partnership https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk/That's What I Call Marketing is where marketers come for real conversations about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession.Hosted by Conor Byrne, the show features conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, authors, thinkers and practitioners about what good marketing looks like in practice.Listen, follow and find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.comConnect with Conor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorbyrneirl/If you enjoy the show, please follow, subscribe and leave a review. It helps more marketers find the conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7/20/2026 LINKEDIN FOR LEADERS: DRIVING PROFESSIONAL AUTHORITYEPISODE 1827“Billionaires will tell you, the more hands you shake the more money you make. Social media is an easy handshake, not always a direct transaction. Know the difference.” J Loren NorrisLinkedIn for Leaders: Driving Professional AuthorityLet's focus on B2B relationship building. When I say to potential clients they should engage with stories over product dumps, feature vomits and benefit barrages they often reply “No one else is doing that.” That is a large portion of my point. Doing what everyone else is doing is not unique. Strategies for crafting promotional hooks which convert profile viewers into premium coaching clients or partners starts with a solid profile. Telling a story in your social profiles is an art form which requires great diligence. This story in itself should contain the “7 C's of the StoryPower Method.” Here are FOUR of them. CONTEXTCLARITYCREDENTIALCREDIBILITYIf your profile, your banner, your initial engagement starts with a StoryPower qualified story every virtual handshake will leave a worthwhile lasting impression - a healthy seed for future business.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO:

What if the biggest risk in marketing isn't failing, it's being too afraid to?In this episode of the FINITE Podcast, Jodi Norris sits down with Amanda Cole, CMO at Bloomreach, to unpack why building a culture that tolerates, and even expects, failure has never mattered more. As AI reshapes how marketing teams operate, Amanda argues the old playbook no longer applies. Instead, the marketers who thrive will be the ones comfortable saying "that didn't work" and moving on fast.The conversation explores what happens when decision-making shifts from humans to AI agents, why scale changes the stakes of every mistake, and why Amanda believes the real risk isn't moving too fast, but forgetting to bring your whole organisation along with you.Amanda Cole has spent over 20 years building B2B marketing functions from the ground up, starting in direct mail and rising to CMO at Bloomreach, where she leads global marketing, technology partnerships and pipeline generation. Known for her candour and appetite for risk, she's built a reputation for pairing bold experimentation with hard-won lessons on leadership and change.Inside you'll find…Why Amanda believes 80% of marketing doesn't work as intended, and why that's exactly the pointHow AI agents change the scale and speed of failure, and what "human in the loop" really means in practiceThe sunk cost trap every marketing leader falls into, and the discipline it takes to walk back before the finish line

Cześć, dzień dobry!Czy doświadczenie lidera zawsze jest jego największym atutem? A może właśnie ono staje się przeszkodą w dalszym rozwoju organizacji?W tym odcinku podcastu BSS bez Tajemnic rozmawiam z Marcinem Piaskowskim – ekspertem od transformacji liderów, byłym managerem w Volvo IT, Infor oraz twórcą programu rozwoju liderów Your Are More.Rozmowa dotyczy jednego z największych wyzwań współczesnego biznesu – zmiany sposobu myślenia liderów. Z tego odcinka dowiesz się, dlaczego tradycyjne szkolenia coraz częściej nie przynoszą oczekiwanych efektów, czym jest próg tożsamości lidera, dlaczego mikrozarządzanie blokuje rozwój organizacji oraz jak przygotować menedżerów do funkcjonowania w świecie ciągłych zmian i sztucznej inteligencji.W odcinku poruszamy również tematy:·         transformacji liderów,·         zarządzania zmianą,·         emotional agility,·         wpływu AI na rolę managerów,·         unskillingu, upskillingu i reskillingu,·         budowania świadomego przywództwa,·         rozwoju kompetencji przyszłości,·         pracy z emocjami i układem nerwowym,·         coachingu oraz rozwoju osobistego liderów.Jeśli zarządzasz zespołem, rozwijasz centrum usług wspólnych (SSC/GBS), odpowiadasz za transformację organizacji lub interesuje Cię nowoczesne przywództwo – ten odcinek dostarczy Ci wielu praktycznych inspiracji.

7/20/2026 LINKEDIN FOR LEADERS: DRIVING PROFESSIONAL AUTHORITYEPISODE 1827“Billionaires will tell you, the more hands you shake the more money you make. Social media is an easy handshake, not always a direct transaction. Know the difference.” J Loren NorrisLinkedIn for Leaders: Driving Professional AuthorityLet's focus on B2B relationship building. When I say to potential clients they should engage with stories over product dumps, feature vomits and benefit barrages they often reply “No one else is doing that.” That is a large portion of my point. Doing what everyone else is doing is not unique. Strategies for crafting promotional hooks which convert profile viewers into premium coaching clients or partners starts with a solid profile. Telling a story in your social profiles is an art form which requires great diligence. This story in itself should contain the “7 C's of the StoryPower Method.” Here are FOUR of them. CONTEXTCLARITYCREDENTIALCREDIBILITYIf your profile, your banner, your initial engagement starts with a StoryPower qualified story every virtual handshake will leave a worthwhile lasting impression - a healthy seed for future business.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO:

.Your website could have the best offer in the world and still lose the sale, because buyers don't buy what they can't connect to..

Founding PM chez The Mobile-First Company, Yassine était seul PM face à une équipe de 20 ingénieurs.Résultat : le PM devient un véritable goulot d'étranglement car les ingénieurs vont plus vite avec l'IA.Les questions s'accumulent, la data aussi, et le temps, lui, ne s'étire pas. C'est le déclic qui a poussé Yassine à créer son alter ego IA pour changer sa façon de travailler. Il a construit 3 agents qui tournent pour toute l'équipe, pas seulement pour lui : Un Weekly Customer Pulse qui remonte chaque lundi les signaux Slack, Intercom et data produit dans un rapport Notion.Un Competitor Monitor qui scrape les pages pricing des concurrents.Jassine, un PM virtuel sur Slack, calibré sur les préférences de chaque ingénieur. Le tout piloté depuis Claude Code.Désormais, Yassine passe 100% de son temps sur ce qui compte vraiment : le contact avec ses utilisateurs. Au cours de cet épisode : Comment il a inversé le rapport 60/40 avec 3 agents ?Sa méthode pour distribuer le rôle de PM à chaque ingénieur de l'équipeLe data lake construit en 6 semaines qui alimente tout le systèmePourquoi il personnalise la façon dont l'agent s'adresse à chaque devComment il construit un agent en 15mn (demo live)AI Club est une émission soutenue par Weglot, une solution tout-en-un qui traduit, gère et affiche votre site web dans 110+ langues, sans nécessiter de code. 

Kan je van kaartjes een succesvolle business uitbouwen? Hoe gebruik je humor als businessmodel? En wat doe je als de Kardashians jouw filter gebruiken, maar je er geen cent aan verdient? In deze aflevering spreken we met de creatieve breinen achter ⁠Kaart Blanche⁠. ⁠Timo Delorge⁠ en ⁠Lars Lagaisse⁠ stampten het Belgische merk achter de grappige millennialkaartjes uit de grond. Je komt ze overal tegen: in winkels in New York, op de socials van internationale celebrities en in de handen van iedereen die kaartjes met een vleugje humor zoekt. Ook privé vormen ze een koppel. Deze zomer stapten ze in het huwelijksbootje, terwijl ze hun bedrijf verder uitbouwden vanuit een simpel WhatsApp-groepje vol ideeën en een startbudget van twee keer vijfhonderd euro. Als creatives weten Timo en Lars bovendien alles over copycats, copyright en de grijze zone van illustraties met bekende gezichten. Terwijl hun webshop tijdens corona volop boemde, zijn de Trump-tarieven vandaag een domper op hun business in de VS. Gelukkig zitten ze nog boordevol ideeën, en snel schakelen hoort nu eenmaal bij het ondernemerschap. Met veel dank aan onze partners: Deze podcast wordt mede mogelijk gemaakt door⁠ Koffie Kàn⁠, voor als jij ook koffie nodig hebt om alle ballen in de lucht te houden. Klaar om jouw eigen stem te laten horen? Wij helpen experts zoals jij te groeien via podcasting. Ontdek hoe bij⁠ 50 Koffies Producties⁠. Gekleed door⁠ Xandres⁠, want stijl hoort er gewoon bij. Prachtige juwelen door⁠ Maudart⁠ voor die extra sparkle. Jouw mentale welzijn als ondernemer doet ertoe. Doe gratis een beroep op hulp via Acerta, onze trotse partner van het derde seizoen. ⁠Hier⁠ vind je meer info over hun welzijnsaanbod.  Met de tijdcodes spring je eenvoudig naar de verschillende thema's in de aflevering: (00:00:00) Introductie: mag er over alles gelachen worden? (00:05:25) Introductie van Lars en Timo, de founders van Kaart Blanche. (00:08:39) Wie zijn Lars en Timo buiten Kaart Blanche? (00:09:24) Wat houdt hen momenteel zo druk? (00:10:15) Van hobby voor vrienden en familie tot merk in 800 winkels wereldwijd. (00:11:40) Hoe Lars de webshop op één avond bouwde en vijf kaarten online zette. (00:12:43) De flagship store in Antwerpen: hoe een kantoor een winkel werd. (00:15:06) De succesformule: herkenbaarheid en popcultuur. (00:18:11) De grijze zone van illustraties met celebrities. (00:20:21) Jennifer Coolidge, de Kardashians en de filter met 150 miljoen views. (00:22:10) Hoe corona de webshop deed exploderen. (00:24:32) De manifestatielijst, van een eerste werknemer tot 1 miljoen omzet. (00:30:40) Wat mag er wel en niet in humor? Het moreel kompas van Kaart Blanche. (00:31:47) Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj en waarom kaarten soms offline gaan. (00:37:01) De creatieve blokkade die elk jaar opduikt rond kerst en Valentijn. (00:39:10) Angst voor AI en hoe het hun werk beïnvloedt. (00:42:45) Drie marketingpijlers: webshop, winkel en B2B. (00:44:48) Waar gaat de meeste tijd naartoe? (00:51:58) Drie maanden wonen en werken in New York. (00:52:42) Trump-tarieven en hoe 200 Amerikaanse winkels verdwenen. (00:54:30) Einde van de aflevering. 

Marc Ferrentino, Co-Founder and CEO of Quotient and former chief technical architect at Salesforce, joins Sam Jacobs and Asad Zaman to separate AI-marketing hype from what actually works today. Marc's core claim: the 'AI CMO' is marketing fiction, and the real near-term unlock is clearing the roughly 70% of a marketer's day lost to busywork, so smaller teams can finally operate like big ones. Topics include the collapse of specialized marketing roles into cross-functional generalists, why the apprenticeship model that trained classic marketers is most at risk, where the durable edge moves as performance marketing gets automated... and how taste separates real work from AI slop. Plus, a Quiz Pro Quo trivia round on famous tech emails, an honest look at ageism facing marketers in their 40s and 50s, and a Bulls and Bears debate on legacy martech, HubSpot, and Figma. Key Takeaways: - Marc's near-term promise to marketers is not an AI CMO but the removal of busywork. As he puts it: "companies that come out and claim to be your AI CMO… I think that is the most misleading marketing, but it's also just not true." Buckle up for a story or two about how he's seen the "AI CMO" blow up in people's faces. - The hiring bar is shifting from raw craft to AI fluency. In Marc's words: "we're all looking for the 10x developer, but the 10x developer who knows how to use AI is a 100x developer. And so it's the same thing with the marketer… the marketer who knows how to use AI is a 100x marketer… That's the person we want on the team." And he shares how his own developer interviews changed to match. - Marketing roles are not disappearing, but the specialist ladder that trained seasoned marketers is eroding. As Sam Jacobs, CEO of Pavilion, put it: "I see the collapse of specialization within a particular function. That doesn't diminish the need for the function, but does create an opportunity for those that are more fluent in all of these cross-functional tools." His deeper worry is the pipeline: "the apprenticeship model is the thing that's most at risk," raising the prospect of "a lack of classically trained marketers." - Ageism is real in marketing hiring, and it often hides inside neutral-sounding language. Asad Zaman, CEO of STA, observed, clients are saying things like: "I'm looking for somebody with high energy. High energy is like, I need somebody who is 30 to 33… high energy is like an age, basically." To what extent do the hosts agree with this perspective? Only one way to find out... Connect with the Hosts & Guests: Host: Sam Jacobs, CEO at Pavilion - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samfjacobs/ Host: Asad Zaman, CEO at STA - https://www.linkedin.com/in/azaman1/ Guest: Marc Ferrentino, Co-Founder & CEO at Quotient - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcferrentino/ Topline is more than a YouTube Channel: Subscribe to Topline Newsletter: https://toplinemedia.substack.com/ Tune into Topline Podcast, the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-podcast Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-slack Chapters:  00:00 Introducing Marc Ferrentino 02:09 Where AI Actually Works Today 04:05 The 'AI CMO' Is a Lie 07:10 AI Multiplies, Not Replaces 12:11 The Collapse of Specialization 15:10 The Apprenticeship Model at Risk 16:11 The Real Edge Is Brand 21:18 AI Slop and the Taste Problem 23:02 Marketing for the Rest of Business 35:15 Are the Models Asymptoting? 39:01 Quiz Pro Quo 44:44 Ageism in Marketing 49:18 Curiosity over Age 58:34 The 100x Marketer 1:03:54 Bulls VS Bears

Late-stage deals can appear secure once the buyer has accepted the product and the business case, but that is often when the risk feels most personal. In today's segment, Randy Riemersma explains why deals inside the final 10 yards are won or lost on buyer confidence and how elite sellers remove doubt through executive alignment, credible proof points, consistent communication with the champion, and a clear business-level point of view. The conversation gives revenue leaders a sharper way to evaluate late-stage deal risk and reinforces why belief, preparation, and execution matter when the buyer is preparing to make a high-stakes decision. Randy Riemersma is the founder of Sell with Precision, where he helps sales leaders strengthen go-to-market execution, leadership effectiveness, and sales operating discipline. He has spent decades in B2B sales, leadership, consulting, and executive coaching, with a focus on helping teams sell with greater clarity, precision, and business relevance. Connect with Randy: LinkedIn Website Resources mentioned: The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos - The Hidden Beliefs That Shape Your Happiness with Shawn Achor Listen to the full episode: The Hidden Cost of False Velocity with Randy Riemersma Hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management Co-Founder John Kaplan, the Revenue Builders podcast goes behind the scenes with the sales leaders who have been there, done that, and seen the results. This show is brought to you by Force Management. We help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale. Connect with Us: LinkedInYouTubeForce Management

Can AI actually replace the sales engineer in complex product configuration — without sacrificing accuracy? In this episode of the CPQ Podcast, host Frank sits down with Stanislav "Stan" Chirk, founder of R[ai]sing Sun, an EU-based AI solutions company building custom AI agents for B2B companies. Stan walks us through his journey from engineering and entrepreneurship into the world of Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ), and how that combination led him to found R[ai]sing Sun just over a year ago. We dig into the company's "AI-native" philosophy — building AI-first rather than retrofitting AI onto legacy systems — and their guiding principle: no AI for the sake of AI. The conversation centers on R[ai]sing Sun's flagship product, Talkulate AI CPQ, a self-service configurator that guides buyers through complex product decisions and delivers instant, accurate quotes — no sales engineer required. Frank pushes Stan on one of the biggest questions in AI-driven CPQ: how do you guarantee deterministic, repeatable outputs when generative AI is involved? Stan explains how structured product databases and rule-based logic keep quote generation accurate, even while the upfront sales conversation stays flexible. You'll also hear about R[ai]sing Sun's phased delivery model (including a bold promise to walk away from projects that don't hit KPIs), a typical 3–5 week go-live timeline, their traction in medical and engineering industries, and how AI-native CPQ stacks up against established, traditional platforms. Whether you're a CPQ practitioner, a sales operations leader, or simply curious about how AI agents are reshaping B2B quoting and configuration, this episode offers a grounded, practical look at where AI-powered CPQ is headed.  

In this video, I sit down with rev ops expert Pasha and Adem to unpack why revenue is really an architecture problem, not a sales problem. We get into cutting through the AI noise, why your CRM ends up as a record of optimism, and what it actually takes to get sales, marketing, and success working as one unit.We cover:→ Why the hardest part of rev ops today is separating what's real from the AI hype→ How stacking tools and methodologies on a broken operating system only compounds the mess→ Why your CRM fills up with inflated pipeline and deals that advance on optimism→ How misaligned incentives pull sales, marketing and success in different directions→ The simple cataloging questions most teams still never ask their buyersIf you are a founder, rev ops leader or B2B marketer drowning in tools and dashboards but still can't get clean data or a straight answer on which accounts are actually in market.Tune in and learn:→ Why revenue is an architecture problem and what that changes about how you build your systems→ Where AI genuinely helps in the sales motion and where it just makes better spam→ How to spot the difference between real alignment and another meeting that changes nothing→ Why marketing was never equipped to decide who's in market, and who should own it instead→ Practical, bite size AI use cases that actually move the needle without a 90th operating system-----------------------------------------------------

Sam Gao built an AI COO that commands 12 agents running his business around the clock — and it started because he almost lost everything to a broken sales process.Alex Sheridan sits down with Sam Gao, founder of CoCode, to break down how AI agents actually work inside a real business, why AI amplifies chaos just as easily as it amplifies good systems, and what founders need to do right now before they build anything with agents.Key takeaways:00:00:00 Introduction00:08:31Q: What is an AI COO and how does it run a business?A: Sam Gao built an AI COO orchestrator commanding 12 sub agents across lead generation, service delivery, and payment pipelines running 24 hours a day.00:13:12Q: Can AI agents actually generate leads automatically?A: Sam Gao has agents crawling bidding sites for four hours every night. By morning, his sales team has a ready list of opportunities to follow up on.00:19:18Q: What happens when you use AI without solid processes?A: Sam Gao warns that AI amplifies good processes but also amplifies chaos. Every company must document workflows before deploying agents or the automation makes problems worse faster.00:46:40Q: Will AI reduce the number of small businesses?A: Sam Gao believes big corporations will own AI capabilities and absorb startup features, reducing opportunities for smaller companies over time.00:49:44Q: What type of business will survive AI disruption?A: Sam Gao says proprietary knowledge and genuine human relationships are the two assets AI cannot replace. Depth and trust become the real differentiators.Subscribe and share this with a founder who needs it.

What if the marketing playbook you've relied on for the past decade is quickly failing to get results? When customers rapidly shift their behaviors, agility requires being willing to rethink how you build and earn customer relationships from the ground up.Today, we're going to talk about the shift away from rented audiences and unreliable signals toward building durable, first-party data assets. Specifically, we'll cover:- Why the classic B2B and B2C buyer intent signals are becoming less reliable and what to look for instead.- How to navigate a new era of marketing measurement when privacy regulations and platform changes obscure the full picture.- The practical steps required to build a first-party data strategy that creates durable customer relationships, not just a larger database.To help me discuss this, I'd like to welcome, Alexi Hatch, CMO at Acoustic. About Alexi HatchAlexi Hatch is Chief Marketing Officer at Acoustic, where she leads global marketing, brand, communications, product marketing, demand generation, and go-to-market strategy. Over the past decade, Alexi has helped enterprise SaaS companies grow by building brands people remember, modernizing marketing organizations, and turning customer insight into business impact. Her work sits at the intersection of AI, customer engagement, and modern marketing leadership.She believes the next competitive advantage in marketing won't come from knowing more about customers but from responding to them better.Alexi Hatch on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexihatch/---------- Resources ---------- : acoustic.comThe Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703We're proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fChaser is the only Slack-native project management platform that helps teams turn messages into tracked tasks, automate follow-ups, and maintain team-wide visibility, without adopting another tool. Now integrated with Claude and other GenAI tools. Learn more at trychaser.com and use code AGILEBRAND for a 3-month free trial (normal trial is 14 days).The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1Start building your own apps with Replit and get $20 off. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/93531742a7625a20Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716baCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.comThe Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chef Peter Garces didn't open By The Chef Pizza because he needed another job. He built it from the remains of a life that had been completely disrupted. Peter grew up in Brooklyn, where his earliest connection to food came from watching his mother cook. That sense of childhood wonder eventually became a serious culinary pursuit, taking him through culinary school, restaurant kitchens, and some of New York's most respected pizza operations. At Roberta's, he was unexpectedly left alone in front of a thousand-degree oven during a busy lunch rush—and made it through without burning a pie. At Apizza Regionale, the pressure nearly broke him, but it also sharpened his discipline. At Pizza Loves Emily, he saw pizza treated with the same creativity and seriousness as any other culinary craft. Then came Mama's Too. Peter became the primary pizzaiolo during a defining period for the restaurant. The pizzas photographed for its New York Times review were his, and when the review was published, the line wrapped around the block. One night, Peter trusted his instincts, ignored an instruction to limit the display, and filled the window with the full range of pizzas. Jerry Seinfeld walked in, discovered the vodka pie, and kept coming back. Peter finally felt like he belonged. Then his Brooklyn home burned down. The fire took nearly everything and forced him to leave the city that shaped him. When he arrived in Central Florida, his New York résumé did not automatically earn him respect, opportunity, or comparable pay. He had to begin proving himself all over again. With help from his parents, his lifelong friend and business partner Nigel Van Groningen, and the resources of Lakeland's Catapult business incubator, Peter launched a mobile pizza operation and quickly transformed it into a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Today, By The Chef Pizza represents far more than pizza. It carries the discipline Peter learned through martial arts, the knowledge passed down by mentors including Chef JJ Johnson, the experience earned inside demanding New York kitchens, and the belief his father placed in him when Peter needed it most. This episode is about family, fire, craft, resilience, fatherhood, and the difference between opening a restaurant and building a legacy. Key Takeaways Childhood wonder can become lifelong purpose when it is paired with discipline and experience. Mentorship matters, but the opportunity still has to be earned through work. Difficult kitchens can sharpen a chef's skills, even when the culture surrounding that education is flawed. Peter's time at Mama's Too gave him proof that he belonged among serious pizza professionals. Losing his home forced him to rebuild his career and identity in a completely different market. A strong résumé may open doors, but consistency is what earns trust in a new community. By The Chef Pizza was made possible through family support, friendship, Catapult, and Peter's willingness to prove the concept before asking others to believe. Peter sees pizza as both science and art—a blank canvas shaped by dough, sauce, texture, color, and restraint. His father's investment meant more than financial help; it represented belief from the person Peter respected most. The restaurant is only the beginning. Peter's larger goal is to build multiple concepts and create lasting security and opportunity for his family. BRAND PARTNERS Metro Foodservice Solutions & Trimark USA https://www.metro.com  Commercial-grade storage, transport, and workflow systems trusted across professional kitchens. TriMark USA TriMark is the largest foodservice design, equipment, and supplies provider in North America, helping operators build, equip, and optimize hospitality kitchens through design-build expertise, sourcing, installation, and service. RAK Porcelain USA https://www.rakporcelain.com Professional tableware engineered for durability and presentation. Citrus America https://www.citrusamerica.com Premium citrus solutions supporting chefs, retailers, and distributors. Crab Island Seafood https://crabislandseafood.com Florida-based supplier delivering responsibly sourced seafood to foodservice partners. Testo North America https://www.testo.com/en-US Precision measurement and food safety solutions for professional kitchens. CAUSE PARTNERS The Burnt Chef Project https://www.theburntchefproject.com Advocating for mental health awareness in the hospitality industry. Operation BBQ Relief https://operationbbqrelief.org Providing meals to communities impacted by natural disasters. Sustainable Supperclub https://www.sustainablesupperclub.com Pop-up dining experiences focused on sustainability and food access. TRADE SHOW & INDUSTRY PARTNERS Florida Restaurant Show https://www.therestaurantshows.com/florida/ New York Restaurant Show https://www.therestaurantshows.com/new-york/ California Restaurant Show https://www.therestaurantshows.com/california/ Pizza Tomorrow Summit https://www.pizzatomorrow.com/ U.S. Culinary Open https://www.usculinaryopen.com/About Creative Loafing Tampa Bay https://www.cltampa.com ABOUT WALK-IN TALK MEDIA Walk-In Talk Media is an industry-recognized B2B food and hospitality media company focused on chef-driven storytelling and real conversations inside the business of food.  

In this episode of The Friday Habit, Mark sits down with Kevin Downey, a Kansas City-based entrepreneur and recruitment leader who helps B2B companies build high-performing sales teams and create scalable lead-generation systems.Kevin shares how his early career in golf equipment sales eventually led him into entrepreneurship, recruiting, outbound sales, and email marketing. He explains why his first attempts at email outreach failed, what changed when he began writing emails like real phone conversations, and why properly structured email campaigns can deliver an unmatched return on investment.The conversation also explores how small businesses should approach their first sales hire, why commission-only roles frequently fail, and how Latin American business development representatives can help companies scale outbound activity at a manageable cost.Kevin also challenges one of the most common beliefs in modern sales: that cold calling no longer works. According to Kevin, activity still creates opportunities. The problem is not that calling has stopped working—it is that many representatives are not consistently making the calls.Whether you are building your first sales process, hiring a business development representative, or trying to generate more qualified B2B leads, this episode offers a practical look at the systems, activity, and execution required to grow.

This episode is recorded live at BrandSmart, the longest-running brand marketing conference in the U.S. BrandSmart brings together noteworthy speakers and future-forward marketers — a who's who of decision-makers and influencers — to share proven tools, smart ideas and inspiring stories. Joining the CMO Whisperer today is Christine Buck, CMO of MiniTab and AMA board member, as well as the 2024 AMA Chicago Marketer of the Year. Christine brings deep global experience and a sharp data-driven perspective to the table. She is a global advisor and thought leader supporting the transformation of the health ecosystem through information and technology. Christine leads the planning and development of global marketing strategy across all products, channels and regions. Christine's experience is broad and uniquely global with almost 27 years of B2B sales and marketing expertise from roles held in financial services, software and consulting industries. Christine has built and led teams globally across brand management, creative, product marketing, research, pricing and analyst relations for leading firms Hootsuite, Morningstar, Huron Consulting, Accenture, Bank of America and Microsoft.

Cliff Sentell co-founded Compass Professional Health Services in Dallas in 2005, where he and two partners each put in $20,000 and bought a single server. They started in healthcare price transparency, reverse-engineering the cost of specific procedures on specific plans out of billions of insurance claims. The first idea, selling to consumers, flopped, because frustrated patients wouldn't pay $20 to $30 a month for guidance they saw as nice-to-have. So they pivoted to employers, who were footing the bill for their workers' poor healthcare decisions, and wrapped the data in a tech-enabled service: an app, "health pros," and a custom CRM. Compass reached about $1 million in revenue in three to four years, grew from $3 million to $10 million fast, and scaled to roughly $30–40 million with 200 employees and Fortune 100 clients, T-Mobile its largest. They turned down growth equity investors to keep control and equity, funding growth off their own balance sheet. In 2018 Alight acquired Compass — mostly cash with a multi-year earnout — and revenue tripled inside Alight within three years. Today Cliff is a partner at Cypress Growth Capital, where he invests non-dilutive capital to help bootstrapped SaaS founders growth faster. The Cypress thesis is simple: in the AI era, industry domain knowledge is the moat, not features. Key Takeaways Sell To Payers — Frustrated consumers won't pay; find the customer whose real problem costs them money. Protect Your Equity — Declining growth equity kept control and made the eventual exit worth multiples more. Exit Isn't The End — After the acquisition, Compass re-found product-market fit and tripled revenue inside Alight. Flexible Beats Restrictive — Royalty funding flexes with cash, avoiding debt covenants and the loss of control equity brings. Outcomes Over Models — Value created, not the recurring-revenue label, now decides whether a company scales. Quote from Cliff Sentel, Partner at Cypress Growth Capital "The biggest thing that's changed now with AI in SaaS is differentiation. If you're really good at something, if you have domain expertise that other people can't do, and you add AI to that, your moat of better knowledge and capabilities gets wider. "That's fundamentally our investment thesis right now at Cypress. Can we find companies that are really good at a very specific domain capability, that have proprietary data, that create the system of action their customers use — feeding that information back into the knowledge set and building the moat wider and wider? "This is a moment where knowledge and expertise are at a premium. Not software, not how much you've built. How much do you know? That's what you're capable of achieving."  Links Cliff Sentell on LinkedIn Cypress Growth Capital on LinkedIn Cypress Growth Capital website Compass Professional Health Services (now Alight) Podcast Sponsor – LaunchBay LaunchBay helps B2B software companies automate client onboarding and implementation so customers activate faster and everyone stays aligned. If your onboarding includes data collection, setup steps, approvals, training, or any level of customization, LaunchBay replaces the messy mix of emails, spreadsheets, and meetings with a clear, all-in-one onboarding system. Teams use LaunchBay to onboard clients faster, stay on top of follow-ups automatically, and deliver a smoother experience, without hiring more people or adding more tools. Visit launchbay.com/practical and get 25% off your first 3 months on any LaunchBay plan. The Practical Founders Podcast Tune into the Practical Founders Podcast for weekly in-depth interviews with founders who have built valuable software companies without big funding. Subscribe to the Practical Founders Podcast using your favorite podcast app or view on our YouTube channel. Get the weekly Practical Founders newsletter and podcast updates at practicalfounders.com. Practical Founders CEO Peer Groups Be part of a committed and confidential group of practical founders creating valuable software companies without big VC funding.  A Practical Founders Peer Group is a committed and confidential group of founders/CEOs who want to help you succeed on your terms. Each Practical Founders Peer Group is personally curated and moderated by Greg Head.

Lisa Ressler has spent more than 35 years working in science-based businesses, including DuPont and Evonik, and now serves as Chief Commercial Officer at Amyris. In this conversation, she joins Karl and Erum to discuss where Amyris stands today, what the company learned from Chapter 11, and why returning its focus to B2B science was the right move. Lisa explains the company's 1.5 million-liter fermentation facility in Barra Bonita, Brazil, its partnership with Wacker to develop bio-based personal care ingredients, and the simple framework she uses to decide which markets are worth pursuing. She also shares what it takes for a bio-based ingredient to move beyond higher “green” pricing and reach large-scale commercial use, making the case that strong performance is ultimately what convinces customers.Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing?Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chapters:(00:00:00) - Introduction and catching up after the Fourth of July(00:05:00) - Soil health, regenerative agriculture, and current biotech trends(00:10:00) - Biomanufacturing in China and the global race for scale and speed(00:15:00) - Meet Lisa Ressler, Chief Commercial Officer at Amyris(00:19:00) - What Amyris produces and how it works with partners across the supply chain(00:24:00) - Amyris's return to B2B and what enterprise customers want after Chapter 11(00:31:00) - How Amyris and Wacker collaborate from research through development(00:37:00) - Proprietary molecules and how Amyris chooses which markets to pursue(00:41:00) - Exploring Amyris's molecule portfolio, from squalane to vaccines(00:48:00) - The future of precision fermentation and quick-fire questionsLinks and Resources:AmyrisLisa RoesslerAmyris' sustainable squaleneAmyris, Inc. Launches New Production Line at Brazil Precision Fermentation PlantWACKER and biomanufacturing pioneer Amyris join forces in the personal-care sector179. D.C. Climate Week LIVE: The Road to Remake Everything183. The American Biotech Blueprint: Senator Todd Young on Biodiversity as National Security73. At the Bleeding Edge: Cresilon's Joe Landolina on Rapid Wound Care141. Gut Check! Viome's Momo & Guru Decode Your Inner Microbiome158. Mycelium On, Sound Off: How GOB's Lauryn Menard Makes Biomaterials Feel Like CultureSilvaBio and Foray Bioscience Announce Acceleration to Restore the American ChestnutCommon Ground - agriculture documentarySiphonophore - longest animalBioInnovations Events - For 25% off use code: Grow EverythingTopics Covered:precision fermentation, Amyris, squalane, sustainable beauty ingredients, bio-based chemistry, PFAS alternatives, industrial biotechnology, synthetic biology, vaccine adjuvant squalene, green chemistryHave a question or comment? Message us here:Text or Call (804) 505-5553⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

Amir Rasekh, Managing Director of Nectar360, joins That's What I Call Marketing to discuss customer insight, retail media, AI-powered measurement and how agentic commerce could change the way people shop.This episode explains how retail media has evolved from loyalty data, targeted coupons and direct mail into a sophisticated, measurable channel spanning in-store, onsite and offsite media.In this episode, we cover:– Why customer insight remains the foundation of effective retail media– How Nectar360 connects loyalty, insight and retail media in one customer-focused system– Why brands hold retail media to a higher measurement standard than traditional channels– How Nectar360 measures incrementality and multi-touch attribution across omnichannel campaigns– How its AI-powered Pollen platform makes campaign planning, creative production and measurement faster– What agentic commerce could mean for retailers, marketers and customer decision-making– Why AI should support better human relationships rather than remove the people involvedAmir also shares early results from Pollen, including 2.5 times more incremental sales from omnichannel campaigns and evidence that retail media can influence the middle and upper parts of the marketing funnel, rather than acting only as a conversion channel.The conversation also explores an important tension for marketers: technology can make retail media simpler, faster and more measurable, but clients still expect strong relationships, expertise and human judgement. A useful listen for marketers interested in customer insight, retail media, marketing measurement, AI in marketing, incrementality, omnichannel strategy and the future of commerce.Timestamps00:00 Introduction01:27 Amir Rasekh's career in retail and Sainsbury's04:34 Building an insight-led culture05:00 What Nectar360 does today06:06 Why retail media suddenly became so prominent07:18 The fundamentals of retail media08:52 Why measurement expectations are increasing10:28 Introducing Nectar360's Pollen platform12:15 Are marketers rigorous enough when testing campaigns?13:33 How AI accelerated retail media technology14:21 AI audience building, creative scoring and production14:38 Cutting creative production from weeks to 90 seconds14:59 Early results from omnichannel retail media16:10 Retail media as a brand-building channel17:05 How customer shopping behaviour is changing18:00 What agentic commerce means for retail20:03 Will consumers shop through ChatGPT and AI agents?22:16 Why physical stores still matter24:00 How Nectar360's teams are using AI25:16 Building AI literacy across an organisation25:47 Why clients do not want technology to replace people26:04 Closing thoughtsThat's What I Call Marketing is the podcast for marketers who care about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession.Follow the show for more conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, professors, authors, thinkers and practitioners.Find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.comThis Cannes Sessions episode is produced in partnership with The Digital Voice.Find out more at: https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.ukThat's What I Call Marketing is where marketers come for real conversations about brand, B2B, creativity, effectiveness and the future of the profession.Hosted by Conor Byrne, the show features conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, agency leaders, authors, thinkers and practitioners about what good marketing looks like in practice.Listen, follow and find more episodes at: https://www.thatswhaticallmarketing.comConnect with Conor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorbyrneirl/If you enjoy the show, please follow, subscribe and leave a review. It helps more marketers find the conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Danielle spent over a decade crafting brands behind the scenes. What came next? Saying yes to her own vision—and learning how to juggle businesses, babies, and boundaries in the realest way possible. Danielle is a designer, creative director, strategist, educator, brand mentor and founder of award winning, California-based branding and packaging studio, Designsake. She started her career in publishing as a photographer, then transitioned to be a visual designer at Benefit Cosmetics where she created brand and product strategy, custom packaging, and global advertising campaigns for six years. In 2014, she launched Designsake and since then has partnered with numerous start ups and legacy brands in the beauty, health and wellness, food and beverage, lifestyle, cannabis, and B2B categories. Then in 2022, her and business partner Lauren Meeker, launched SARDINE, a bold yet wearable eyewear brand that is rich in flavor, high in wearability, and seasoned with style. Since launching, the brand has grown its presence nationwide to 100+ boutiques between US and Canada, has collaborated with coveted brands like Freda Salvador, and even popped up for the summer at the Soul Cycle's Barn in the Hamptons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Email marketing isn't broken, what's broken is how many business owners use it. Treating subscribers like a cash machine instead of real people leads to ignored messages, unsubscribes, and missed opportunities. Today's guest, Ely Delaney, known as “the people whisperer,” helps founders, consultants, and B2B service providers create trust-first follow-up systems that turn casual contacts into long-term clients, without spamming, complicated funnels, or burning out their list. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Ely dig into what relationship-based email marketing looks like in 2026 and beyond. Instead of pounding subscribers with daily promotions or letting a list go cold for months, Ely shows how to send simple, plain-text emails that feel like personal check-ins: sharing a favorite book, a helpful resource, or a quick insight from experience. He even walks through how he recommends “The Go-Giver” by Bob Burg in his own sequences, using that book as a conversation starter that earns replies, builds trust, and often leads to booked calls and new projects down the road. Ely explains why this style of communication is especially powerful in the B2B and high-ticket space, where CEOs and founders are allergic to hypey, templated sequences but respond to thoughtful, relevant touchpoints. You'll hear real examples, including clients who saw more replies in a few weeks than in the previous four years, and a contact who came back ten years after seeing Ely speak, simply because the follow-up never stopped providing value. Ely also shares insights from his own book, “The Follow-Up Code,” which lays out the system behind staying top of mind without becoming a pest. https://youtu.be/uA3BHhAibi4?si=55rpu5-ksHKzmj8a The conversation also tackles AI's impact on copywriting and email. Ely uses AI as a powerful brainstorming and drafting tool, but he's clear about its limits: it can accelerate the process, yet it can't replace the nuance, judgment, and “heart” of a seasoned human writer. You'll learn how to let AI help you generate topics and rough drafts while still infusing your own stories, tone, and personality, so your emails don't sound like every other generic, AI-generated post in someone's feed. If you're ready to escape “spray-and-pray” email marketing, build a smaller but hyper-engaged tribe, and use follow-up to create real conversations that lead to sales, this episode is your roadmap. Quotes: “If your email looks like a big, fancy template, people instantly know it's a blast to everyone. Strip it down to simple text and suddenly they're curious enough to actually read it.” “When you start talking to people like people and adding real value without constantly pitching, they feel heard, they feel like you care, and they feel more connected to you, and that builds know, like, trust, and loyalty.” “We're heading toward a world of small, hyper-engaged tribes surrounded by a massive ocean of generic AI noise. The people who win will be the ones who still talk to real humans.” Contact Details: Get the “Building Your Follow Up Machine” Audio Course Today Follow Ely Delaney on Facebook: The Email Marketing Strategist Connect with Ely Delaney on LinkedIn and Learn More About Automated Follow-Up Follow Ely Delaney on X for Follow-Up Tips Get Simple Automation Strategies: Follow Ely Delaney on Instagram Build A Smarter Follow-Up System: Follow Ely Delaney on TikTok Subscribe to Ely Delaney's Channel to Learn How to Convert More Leads The Follow Up Code: Seven Virtues for Building Trust Through Email on Amazon Subscribe to Meet Cool People Podcast

If your custom fabrication facility looks like a cold, dusty, uninspired warehouse, you are actively losing high-ticket B2B architectural clients. Modern architects and design executives don't want to buy signs out of a catalog; they want to walk into a playground of spatial possibilities.In this episode of The AC Method, Aaron Clippinger sits down with Rob Stewart, a 37-year graphic industry veteran from Cincinnati's Harlan Graphics. Rob reveals how their 40,000 square foot architectural hub has been transformed into a physical "Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory" where corporate clients touch materials, test custom prototypes, and conceptualize ideas right on the floor.They break down the extreme financial risk of underutilizing your high-end print equipment, the critical sales close that preserves margins during "value engineering" negotiations, and how keeping a physical, $500k in-stock swatch book closes emergency, short-turnaround deals.

#373 | Dave sits down with Rebecca Busk, CEO and Partner at Kvalifik, to talk about what it actually takes to show up in AI search. Rebecca breaks down the three types of prompts you need to rank for - foundational, core, and must-win - and why most AEO content fails because it's too generic to ever get cited. They get into the technical side of AEO like crawlability and schema markup, why Reddit and community platforms carry more weight than LinkedIn in AI citations, and a ten-point checklist for content quality you can run against your own site today.Check out Webflow's free AEO assessment here.Timestamps(00:00) - - Thank you to Webflow (01:59) - - Why AI search is quietly rewriting how B2B buyers find vendors (02:42) - - From agency employee to owner: buying an agency (05:19) - - How to build marketing expertise without a marketing degree (09:56) - - What AEO actually means, and a real example of how it narrows buying decisions (13:38) - - Why you shouldn't write AEO content with AI (17:04) - - Rethinking content strategy: what buyers actually ask before they buy (22:05) - - Crawlability, schema markup, and a technical checklist for showing up in AI search (31:12) - - Ten things to check for content quality right now (38:18) - - What builds real authority in AI search, and whether PR still matters

Most founders treat fundraising like a necessary evil — something to endure, survive, and move past so they can get back to building. Jason Fishman, founder and CEO of Digital Niche Agency, has spent a decade proving that's exactly backwards.With over 500 deals under his belt and campaigns that have collectively generated hundreds of millions in revenue and capital raised, Jason breaks down how modern founders are using regulated investment crowdfunding (Reg CF, Reg A+, and Reg D) not just to fill their bank accounts, but to build armies of shareholders, brand advocates, and strategic partners. The real asset isn't the money — it's the 20,000 investors who now want you to win and will tell everyone they know.This episode is a masterclass in treating your capital raise as a full-blown marketing campaign.Key Takeaways4:14 — How Jason discovered fundraising is a marketing exercise. Working at a social gaming company in LA, he created 75 versions of a pitch deck and saw firsthand the inefficiencies — and the upside — of a well-executed raise.7:01 — Why the warm-intro VC mindset is outdated. The traditional approach limits founders to who they know. Reg CF and Reg A+ let you target anyone — including non-accredited investors — and build a shareholder base of tens of thousands.8:48 — The planning principle most founders ignore. If you need funds in a year, start today. Fundraising isn't a sprint — it requires seeding relationships and building infrastructure long before you launch.10:48 — The traffic math behind a successful Reg CF campaign. You need 50,000–100,000 visits to an offering page to generate ~1,000 investments. Understanding digital marketing metrics — not just dollars raised — is the real measure of momentum.14:37 — Reg D vs. Reg CF vs. Reg A+ — how to choose. A clear breakdown of all three exemptions: who can invest, minimum investment levels, filing complexity, timelines, and when each makes sense for your stage.22:05 — How crowdfunding creates negotiating leverage with VCs. A graphene-industry client hit their full $5M Reg CF raise in 43 days — then used that crowd as a "waiting list" to walk away from unfavorable VC terms.23:52 — Which industries work best for community-driven raises. It's not just consumer brands. B2B companies, biotech, modular homes, and AI companies are all succeeding — what matters is a compelling market narrative.28:34 — Storytelling is the real conversion lever. The 3-1-3 method: break your pitch into 3 sentences, compress to 1 sentence, then distill to 3 words. If someone can't repeat your idea at a coffee shop, they won't invest or refer.36:55 — The #1 mistake founders make when marketing a raise. Not starting early enough — and assuming the offering page will do the work. The top 10% of deals get the majority of investments; the bottom 50% do no marketing at all.40:28 — The right vs. wrong way to use AI in your raise marketing. AI slop is rampant. The rule: don't use it unless it's better than human. AI accelerates experts — it doesn't replace them.42:47 — The future of capital formation is large crowds, fast. Prediction markets, digital communities, and A-list endorsements point toward a world where raises fill overnight — whoever builds the audience first wins.Tweetable Quotes"Twenty thousand investors isn't twenty thousand line items on a cap table. It's twenty thousand people who now want you to win — and who will tell everyone they know." — Jason Fishman"The community, the audience, is actually the most valuable part. It is a marketing exercise well beyond the funds raised." — Jason Fishman"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Look at fundraising as already accomplished — then figure out the steps to get there." — Jason Fishman"The fewer words used, the better. People need to be able to understand what you do so well that they feel comfortable explaining it to someone else." — Jason Fishman"AI slop is far too prevalent. Don't use it unless it's better than human — for any software, any tool, any AI." — Jason Fishman"If I scroll your offering page and the headlines don't sell me, I'm gone. It could be the most amazing company ever — but the storytelling sold you short." — Jason Fishman"Raise money like you're building a following, not begging for a bailout." — Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership Lessons1. Your investors are your first growth channel — treat them that way. The companies winning with community raises aren't just collecting capital. They're recruiting advocates. Every shareholder is a potential referral source, customer, and word-of-mouth engine. Build your raise strategy like a customer acquisition funnel, not a one-time event.2. Plan your raise 12 months before you need the money. Fundraising has a long cycle — regulatory filings, audience warming, relationship seeding. Founders who wait until they need capital have already lost the game. Start building your investor community before your runway demands it.3. The offering page is your highest-stakes landing page. Optimize it like one. You need 50,000–100,000 visits to generate ~1,000 investments. Apply e-commerce conversion thinking: glance test, bold headlines, social proof above the fold, and clear immediacy (time-limited share prices, investment bonuses). If the headlines don't convert, the product never gets a chance.4. Simplicity isn't dumbing down — it's the highest form of clarity. Use the 3-1-3 method: 3 sentences → 1 sentence → 3 words. If your investor can explain your company at a dinner table, they will. If they can't, they won't invest — and they definitely won't refer anyone. Complexity kills conversion.5. Crowdfunding creates leverage — don't give it away too early. A crowd of investors is a negotiating asset. Founders with a demonstrated ability to raise from retail investors can walk away from unfavorable VC terms and return to the crowd. This only works if you've built the infrastructure before you need the leverage.6. Diversify your capital-raise strategy the same way you diversify your marketing stack. Don't put all your eggs in one basket — not in SEO, not in one broker-dealer, not in one VC relationship. The founders who succeed build multiple traffic sources, multiple audience touchpoints, and multiple investor pipelines working simultaneously. One channel is fragility. Multiple channels are momentum.Guest Resourcesjfishman@digitalnicheagency.comdigitalnicheagency.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jafishman/Episode SponsorThe Futureproof Series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfkXKUPZ5xuOqMPR7_gzGybncTtavyR1NThe Captain's KeysSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/https://jeffmains.com/books/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite - https://championleadership.com/Jeff Mains on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkmains/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jeffkmainsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesaasguy/Instagram - https://instagram.com/jeffkmains

"If no one knows who you are, nothing good can come from that." – Joe ZappaDaniel and James sit down with Joe Zappa, founder of Sharp Pen Media, a communications agency built entirely for ad tech. At just 31, Joe has become one of the most visible people in the ad tech world across X, LinkedIn, two podcasts, and a newsletter. His core thesis? Most B2B companies and CEOs are completely invisible, and that invisibility is far more dangerous than saying the wrong thing. Joe built his entire business by putting himself out there, and in this episode he lays out exactly how anyone can do the same.Joe gives a 30 day strategy to make a big impact, explains why comms teams are often the biggest blockers, how Terence Kawaja says invisible founders are killing their own exit multiples, and why Brian Chesky's AI-generated X thread is a cautionary tale for executives who outsource their voice. Joe lays it all out in this episode and the bar is so low that just showing up consistently puts you ahead of 90% of B2B.Thank you to our sponsors for making this possible:AdQuick – Making OOH advertising as easy to plan, buy, and measure as digital. adquick.comThrad.ai — Building the advertising infrastructure for AI. thrad.aibeehiiv — The all-in-one platform for newsletters, websites, and every tool you need to grow and earn. beehiiv.comThe Farm — Fraction commercial legal with an in-house approach to outside counsel. thefarmllp.comSTAY CONNECTEDJames on Twitter & LinkedIn – /jamesborowDaniel on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok – /danieldrugerSubscribe & leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

In this episode of the HR business marketing podcast, A Better HR Business, Ben and his guest, John Barron, Co-Founder & CEO of GoChallenge, explore how a gamified movement platform is helping teams boost wellbeing, deepen engagement, and build stronger company cultures. GoChallenge is a science-backed HR tech platform that uses team-based movement challenges to improve employee wellbeing, prevent burnout, and strengthen workplace culture. It helps HR and People & Culture leaders increase engagement and build more connected hybrid teams through simple daily physical activity that fits into the workday. Unlike traditional fitness apps, GoChallenge is designed specifically for organisations - requiring no gym, equipment, or extra time outside work routines. Trusted by organisations such as Tirlan, DocuSign, Gartner, Red Hat, and Three Ireland, GoChallenge delivers measurable impact across wellbeing, performance, and retention. Users report reduced stress and improved productivity, while companies see stronger cross-team connections and alignment with ESG and CSR goals. The platform is easy to deploy at scale and is built on behavioural science to make workplace wellbeing both effective and engaging. You'll hear practical strategies for how to attract HR consulting clients, running a workplace consulting business, and business growth strategies for consultants. Whether you identify as HR, workplace, L&D, OD, recruitment, or people & culture, you'll discover real stories and actionable advice to attract clients, win contracts, and grow sustainably. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Insights on the power of movement-based challenges to build workplace connection and engagement How to use inclusive wellbeing programs to appeal to HR and people & culture leaders Lessons from GoChallenge's growth - scaling through values-led marketing, partnerships, and proven client results Episode highlights: The inspiration behind GoChallenge and the real obstacles to regular exercise. Building movement, motivation, support, and accountability into workplace initiatives. The role of meaningful workplace connection - why it's essential for wellbeing and performance. Employee stories: From workplace rivalry to authentic relationships through team challenges. How GoChallenge works for employers: challenge formats, inclusivity, and rewards. Creating a level playing field to boost engagement across all abilities. Bringing company values to life and examples of running challenges globally. Marketing and business development: blending conferences, LinkedIn, partnerships, and charity tie-ins. Outbound selling and value-driven messaging to busy HR professionals. Practical challenges of scaling, integrating with existing platforms, and keeping things simple for buyers. The role of internal comms teams and having a plug-and-play “playbook” for successful implementation. Marketing and Business Growth: John outlines a two-pronged approach to growing GoChallenge: attending conferences and events for traditional networking and lead generation, alongside leveraging the visibility of successful client challenges on LinkedIn, often with video content and charity partnerships. The GoChallenge team uses targeted outbound email, focusing on company values and pain points. They emphasize the importance of being easy to work with and integrating seamlessly with existing HR and comms tech stacks. Plans for further growth include partnering with benefits providers and health insurers for wider distribution. Resources & Links Mentioned: Company's website: www.gochallenge.com John's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnrbarron Thanks, John! Check out this B2B podcast launch service. About The A Better HR Business Podcast The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients. Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don't miss future episodes. For show notes and to see details of our previous guests, check out the podcast page here: www.GetMoreHRClients.com/Podcast HR BUSINESS GROWTH RESOURCES Get the new book - Grow A Successful HR Business Your Way Launch your own business podcast: B2B Podcast Agency VISIT GET MORE HR CLIENTS Want more clients for your HR-related consultancy or HR Tech business? Visit the Get More HR Clients website for articles, newsletters, podcasts, videos, resources, and more at www.getmorehrclients.com.

Tune in the latest Suite Spot episode as special guests, Dave Jacoby, Founder/Owner of Hotel Lucine and Kaleigh Wiese, Founder and CEO of Ode Places, take a moment to discuss the independent and boutique hotel landscape and the 2026 Independent Hotel Show Miami in this episode for the Suite Spot Independent Hotel Show Series. Ryan Embree: Welcome to Suite Spot, where hoteliers check in, and we check out what’s trending in hotel marketing. I’m your host, Ryan Embree. Hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of the Suite Spot podcast. This is your host, Ryan Embree, here with another episode of our Independent Hotel Show series. This is season two. We’ve done quite a number of these independent hotel show series episodes, but this is the first one where we’ve got multiple guests. So I’m excited to bring them both in today. First with me, Dave Jacoby, founder and owner of Hotel Lucine, and Kaleigh Weise, founder and CEO of Ode Places. Dave, Kaleigh, thank you so much for being with me today. Dave Jacoby: So excited. Thanks for having us. Kaleigh Weise: What a way to kick off the independent hotel show. Dave and I got to share the stage last year. Dave Jacoby: We did. Kaleigh Weise: And I feel like we could have talked for a million more hours. And we’re friends, but also we’ve worked together, so I feel like I’m excited to be on together. Ryan Embree: Alright, well this is awesome. I’m excited. We’ll, we won’t be able to speak for a million hours, but we’ll definitely have some time today. And I’m excited, but as tradition here in the Suite Spot, one of the wonderful things about our industry and hospitality is people come from all different walks of life to get into our industry. Sometimes you fall into it with a summer job, sometimes you start as a bellman. Like myself, we love to hear these stories. We live and breathe these stories in hospitality and share them with others. So let’s start by just a proper introduction and maybe your hospitality journeys that led you to your respective positions. Kaleigh, let’s start with you. Kaleigh Weise: Yeah. Well, there’s a lot to unpack here. So if you see me at the show, come find me. I have been self-employed by whole entire career, and I have always been obsessed with the form and function of business. Like, how do you have a brand that really resonates despite, you know, I see your brand is like a lighthouse, right? Like, how are you attracting the right people? But also at the end of the day, like that business has to be incredibly healthy. And then you layer on a hotel, which is a 24/7 breathing company. And so how do you make sure that you have the longevity with systems and processes and you have a brand that continues to resonate as the years develop. And so I got my start serving in essentially helping brand and position and help with coaching for hospitality and service-based businesses. And then that naturally led into places where people slept, right? So I actually was working with event venues for a long time and when we got into the lodging conversation, I was like, now this is fascinating, a one time event versus like, keeping this up 24/7, what does that look like? And so we, I started out places essentially in 2018 after being in Northern California in the Santa Cruz Redwoods, we got to support a property out there. And I was like, the resonance that I got to feel to plant seeds of purpose into the land there of those 80 acres and understanding the choices we made would affect short-term and long-term generations really put me on a trajectory where that’s where I’ve committed my work so far. Ryan Embree: Really cool origin story there. And a lot of parallels from the event industry to hospitality and lodging. So, Dave, what about you? Dave Jacoby: Yeah, thanks. So I’m born and raised in Philadelphia, but somehow I ended up in Galveston, Texas, so I did not have that on my bingo card growing up. But here I am, out of college, worked in some finance and kind of hotel development related positions. First in New York City, then went to graduate school, then moved to Las Vegas and actually was in the casino space. But throughout that whole kind of portion of my journey was developing projects that were other people’s ideas and kind of on behalf of others, even though, you know, in Vegas, for example, I led development and opening up a resort there, moved to Galveston, where my wife is from. And my family’s now based in 2016. And just felt like I fell in love with Galveston, but felt like Galveston needed a slightly different hospitality experience here. Something with a little more soul that matched the soul that this whole town has. But the hospitality offerings that I didn’t feel like harnessed that soul really well, yet found an old kind of out of favor motel on the beach and figured out a way to acquire it and came up with a brand and a design and a team that we put together. And it’s been a labor of love and, you know, blood, sweat and tears sometimes, but a lot of smiles and happiness too. And we’re going on three years open, so, okay, that’s kind of how I got here. Ryan Embree: That’s like the America, the hotel American dream, what you’re doing right now. And listen, I went to school for hospitality and I think just this conversation already between the event management, hospitality, the gaming that you’ve included. I mean, this is like hospitality management 101 through the experiences, but certainly a familiar one where you’re bouncing around. But it sounds like you found your home there in Galveston. I was really excited about this conversation because it’s very rare I get to talk to two guests that have kind of built their brands from the ground up, right? And I think this is a challenge and a task that especially independent hoteliers have to kind of face and building their story and building a brand that resonates with travelers, especially today. So how important is branding and storytelling to connect with guests? Because I think that is what independent hotels strive to do is create this connection that might be missing right now and, you know, really hopefully leads to loyalty in the future. And what maybe advice would you share from your own personal kind of branding journeys? Dave, we’ll start with you and then go to Kaleigh. Dave Jacoby: The brand is so central to what we’re doing. We sort of started with that brand identity, and I use the term identity not as like a business jargon term, but it really is an identity. We personified our brand and there are still decisions that we’ll make where we have this fictitious Aunt Lucine that we will use as a muse for decisions we make around property. And it’s sort of a guiding light for us. But, I think the concept of kind of personifying your brand really helps make it make sense, at least for me. So, I look at how do we connect with our guests? I really look at how we connect with our local community and use that as the window in to our guests with the kind of overriding assumption that if our whole town and local surrounding population considers us part of the fabric of that neighborhood, that the outsiders will, that authenticity will come through. Outsiders will see that that’s where they’ll want to stay. So then, back to the personification of it, just like in your personal life, if you are friends with a group of people, you need to add something to that group and you need to then take something back from that group. So I sort of look at Galveston as the environment here is like a play. And instead of us coming in and saying, well, what is everyone else doing, we’ll do that too. So that we fit in saying, well, how do we add a new main character to the cast here? And I sort of look at it that way. And so what are we adding that’s different, but how does it fit into and, and be complimentary with everything around it? And that’s, that’s kind of how we, we looked at how we fit in and what we offer to our guests both, as, you know, overnight hotel guests and local community that might eat, drink, hang out with us. Ryan Embree: Kaleigh? Kaleigh Weise: Well, I wanna also compliment Dave and Keith have done such a phenomenal job at Hotel Lucine that they have a brand bible, if you will. And I think that it is a testament to how the vision casting of Aunt Lucine infiltrates, the purchases that they make for design, the plants, the employees, the uniforms, how they want them to talk and walk, and all of that alignment I think resonates really well with attracting the right talent, but also attracting the right guests. And so I think having intentionality, I always say, your brand is what other people say it is. So we have to remember that we have control over how we position our brands and what we want. So I think intentionality is first, which I think Hotel Stein does. On the flip side of that, I think we have to be realistic about who is traveling and who is coming to the hotel or who is also the consumer. Obviously on the B2B side, I usually like to pick three to five different personas, and I think that that helps shape making decisions. We have a property we’re working with right now that is on 12 acres. There’s 43 cabins. It’s primarily outside, right? It’s like, okay, who is the ideal person who’s looking for a property like this? And I think the clearer that you can get with that, it helps you understand where your revenue programming is gonna come for, like, come from. It helps you understand like where you should put costs. Like do they care about the amenities? Do they care about the soap? Do they want a robe in the room? And I think sometimes we make decisions that are too close to maybe how we would like to travel or what we think is best, and we forget what our guests might be looking for, which then leads to greater revenue opportunities and better residents that leads to people wanting to come back because they feel like they belong there, right? Like that was created for them. So that’s kind of the flip side of I think knowing who you are, but knowing who your guest is is equally as important. Ryan Embree: Yeah, a hundred percent. And there’s, I mean, guests are leaving us clues constantly on who they are based on online feedback, social media posts, reviews, there’s so many things. Even just a day-to-day conversations, you would be surprised, a tip that everyone gets, you know, you wanna know, you wanna learn about what guests think about you, just hang out in your lobby for a couple minutes during breakfast and just hear the conversations about what people are saying about their stay. But Dave, I loved your point there about talking about being embedded in the local community because you think about people that really prioritize a unique experience in the independent hotel space, which they’re independent hotels are so positioned to do, if you don’t become a part of your community, they’re looking for that unique kind of experience that only an independent hotel can provide them. If you’re really embracing your local community and sharing those same kind of aspects of it’s gonna hopefully resonate with that traveler. And then hopefully they amplify that story a little bit in some of the ways that I was talking about. But one of the things we’re gonna talk about the independent hotel show in a second in September, very excited about that. But one of the things that I love about that show is sometimes as independent hotels, you might feel a little bit like you’re on an island because you don’t have that big brand behind you, right? So getting a bunch of independent hoteliers together, you hear about some of the challenges that are going on right now. And unfortunately right now there’s a lot of noise in our industry. Economic shift, geopolitical factors, rising operational costs and margins are very thin, can be challenging for independent hoteliers. Where do you guys see opportunity right now? Because independent hotels are always looking for that little bit of edge. Where do you see opportunity right now in the state of this industry and maybe where do you see some shared challenges that we have to kind of battle as an industry for independent hotelilers? Kaleigh, let’s start with you and then maybe Dave you could zoom in maybe a little bit more on your property and market. Kaleigh Weise: I think the biggest thing that I’m seeing is, I talk about all these revenue drivers as like little dials. We get to tweak and twist, right? And I think that through some of the impacts that we’re having that are things that are outside of our control, right? There’s only so much we can do with some of these things. There are a few things that you actually can kind of take control over. And I think that investing more in the community and finding opportunities to drive revenue with the people who are in your local area who maybe aren’t traveling for the summer or fall or Christmas or whatever that might be through that event programming, it is not uncommon for us to go into a independent hotel and they haven’t really ever thought about events, especially if they’re under, let’s say 60 keys. Even 20 to 40 or 80 is a great number because you have an opportunity to having a full buyout, or you can have 40th birthday parties or a wedding or something like that. And that can be a huge revenue driver. And so I think as we look at shifts that are happening with, you know, the average event or wedding right now is booking a hundred or event is booking 120 days out. I think the average wedding is booking somewhere between nine and and 14 months out. You can start forecasting revenue a little bit more in control and then focusing on your rooms and your distribution in shorter term pickup opportunities. And so I think understanding where are all of your revenue drivers? What do you have control over? What do you not have control over? And where are, maybe there are opportunities that will be very low lift to you to be able to fill dates and have revenue coming in ways that haven’t been the pickup that you anticipated. Ryan Embree: yeah, and food and beverage, huge opportunity and doesn’t, you’re absolutely right, Kaleigh. It doesn’t necessarily need to be travelers from outside of your market all the time. The hotel restaurant, I feel like has got a bad rap for the last decade or so, but it is turning around, right? And it’s a place where people want to be. It’s a social setting where when people come, you might be hosting people and for the holidays or what have you, and you might find yourself at a hotel restaurant even if they’re not staying there. So it’s certainly a shift in what’s happening right now, but especially for independent hotels. Dave, what about you? What have you kind of seen in your market and maybe any creative solutions for some of these challenges right now? Dave Jacoby: I mean, I’ll sort of piggyback off of what Kaleigh said a little bit there, but it’s events and Kaleigh has sort of focused on booking events from, you know, outside groups. I’ll sort of look at it more as your internal event programming I think is also really important. And, and that’s, and it’s our kind of best way that we use to connect with our local community. And what that event programming is can be so many different things. It sort of depends who you are, who is in your community, and how do you fit into your community, what do you offer? So kind of when I talked about earlier, need to offer something back to your community that you’re in, for us that means a lot of live music. We’re very plugged into the local live music scene and we have a great curated music program every weekend night, all year long. And then in the summer we have a series called Sunset and Sounds, which is sort of larger bands that are touring. Some are touring the U.S. Some are based in Austin or elsewhere in Texas, and they come down to hotel scene and we put on free shows for hotel guests, the community, whoever wants to go. We do wellness events and that might be cold plunges or sound baths. We’ll partner with local organizations that wanna do fundraisers or other events. And it’s just a way to activate the space. It’s a way for people that are not from your town to have a experience where they feel like they’re integrated into what’s happening in that community. It’s a little more interesting for them as a visitor. And if you’re staying at a large chain hotel down the street or in another market, they just can’t deliver that. They don’t have the people, enough people with decision making power that are in the community that are focused on that. It’s just not the way they’re built. So that’s really the advantage I think independents do have over the larger chain hotels. We might not have the distribution systems and some of the other marketing spend, but we do have the ability to deliver on a day-to-day basis and experience that’s just different than what those larger hotels can. Kaleigh Weise: And I would like to comment that, you know, we’re seeing data around three hour drives being really hot, right? So I think sometimes you think you’re marketing to the next nearest city or, you know, looking for that destination destination visitor. I think really thinking about who are those markets that are within a three hour drive that are easy pickup for you once they know that you exist and you’ve again pointed your lighthouse of your marketing and branding in their direction, I think that’s a wonderful way to pick up opportunities for guests and community and events and things like that. Ryan Embree: Hey, I am the father of a 5 and a 3-year-old. And let me tell you, I’m a huge proponent of the three hour trip because that’s about as far as I can get before all of us go a little crazy. So you, you can bet I’m definitely looking for those opportunities to get out there and have that type of experience that Dave, you know, it’s around this time of year when we’re I’m talking to independent hotels that I get so inspired because the freedom of having an independent hotel and the activations and programming that you can put on, I think sometimes independent hotels, because they see some of these big branded hotels not doing some of this programming. They think should I be doing it? And it’s maybe because they have so much red tape in their branding, they have to get approval from, legal or their brand to actually run these things that they’re just not doing it. So it’s such an opportunity, and again, I get so inspired to kind of see that because the way the ingenuity that these independent hoteliers have is just, it’s second to none in our industry. It’s really creating a very cool experience, which is now being showcased and highlighted easier than ever via social media and reviews. So as we talk about industry trends, I wanna see, Kaleigh, you were talking about the three hour trip, right? Wellness is a big one, f &b, what are some of these maybe traveler trends that you’re starting to see bubble up and emerge right now? And how can independent hotels capitalize on these trends and over maybe branded competitors? Dave, you want to start maybe any trends that you’re noticing in your market in Galveston? Dave Jacoby: I’d say one might be the, and to use a buzzword here, the bleisure trends or the business leisure trends. So we will find, sometimes we’ll get small groups, maybe it’s a board or a small creative agency or something like that, that will come and have an offsite with us. And it’s partially meant to be used as a brainstorming session or some obvious business function to their meeting. But it’s also a time to hang out. Some of these groups might bring spouses with them or there might be a business component and then they’ll stay for the weekend and then it’s a little more freeform or social at that point. Or I’ll sort of see this bleisure happen from the other direction where someone will say, Hey, I want to come for a weekend and be at the beach, but why not come on Wednesday night and I’ll stay and I’ll just, I work from home anyway. That’s become so much more acceptable for all or part of the week for so many people. What does it matter if I work from home, from home home or from a hotel or a hotel lobby where I’ve got coffee? And it can be tended to. So we sort of see leisure trips happen in both those directions where the, the work kind of lends a little more leisure and the leisure lends a little more work. Kaleigh Weise: We also have a great living room for people to work and hang out and stay and enjoy beachside. Dave Jacoby: We do, we do. I sit in there often and you’re, and you’re right that it is when I overhear what people are saying about the hotel, I do my work, but I also eave drop and pop in on people and help out with things. Ryan Embree: It’s funny ’cause you know, modern day design for hotels now are accommodating for that. They know that the flexible workspace and they’re building lobby common areas a little bit larger or maybe even not so siloed so that people can mingle, interact, but also have some spaces to work from. So certainly a trend there. Kaylee, what are you seeing maybe from, as you zoom out? Kaleigh Weise: I mean I think experiences and add-ons are something that I continue to be surprised by. So if I’m the North American Ambassador for Muse, so I of course love Muse, but also cloud beds and stay in touch and all of, like, they all offer these add-on options where a guest during checkout or pre-arrival, they can add that early check-in. I’m blown away by the amount of people who opt into that $35 pre-check in or wanna add a bottle of wine to the room. Like those little details, it’s so helpful when they’re coming to have that reminder that we can make this a more customized stay for you. And so I think the sweet spot is no more than seven upsell opportunities. But I think that that even bleeds into, I know when we were helping with Hotel Lucine I’d ideate on some of these things, it’s like they ended up doing pop-up dinners on the balconies of their rooms and adding, I forget, a couple hundred dollars right? Or picnic baskets that people could take offsite. And I think people are hungry for having that almost like travel agent like experience where if the property can customize an itinerary for them or enhancements for their stay, I think they’re very excited and eager to be able to take advantage of that. So I think that’s a trend that’s happening and desirable, but something that I see a lot of independent hoteliers are stuck in the day to day and maybe not adding the attention that they could that will see the revenue that really is low hanging fruit out there. Dave Jacoby: Kaleigh’s so good at that. I mean she helped us with that as she mentioned, but she’s got this ability to kind of come in and just see what’s going on every day and she’s not seeing anything you don’t see immediately. But then she also sees these other opportunities of ways to personalize the guest experience in a way that you’re happy to do and isn’t a heavy lift for you and the guest is happy to pay for. And it’s just such a win-win. It’s almost like you get the surprise and delight moment right outta the gates and the guest pays for it too. It’s a great, it’s a great combo. Kaleigh Weise: Just a matter of training the staff and getting in on the website. Ryan Embree: That’s right. Very important. Get the buy-in from the staff. But you mentioned that word personalized. I mean that’s what we’ve been striving for in this industry for a long time. Personalization and with the rise of technology and AI like I put here, it’s not a podcast in 2026 if we don’t use those words. I don’t think I anybody would listen if we don’t talk about that or that buzzword. But I do wanna talk about it because I think especially with independent hotels, they might be more excited than most because it could figure out a way they could use AI and technology to maybe shrink the difference or find that edge against a branded competitor and maybe not feel so, you know, just David versus Goliath in that sense. So Kaleigh, have you kind of seen any competitive or creative uses of technology and AI in the industry, especially with independent hotels? And then maybe Dave you could share a little bit of your thoughts as well. Kaleigh Weise: I definitely see us being in a bit of a purgatory and as I’m talking about this, I’m thinking fast forward a year from now and I think agentic agents are at our fingertips for having access to supportive administrative help. And I see what Muse is working on behind the scenes and it’s like we’re gonna be living in a very different operational world. In I think all the best ways. And when I think about the future of an org chart at a small independent property where you have to get stuck in the day-to-day right now planning and preparing for guests and double checking things like being able to be synced in when Uber’s about to when Uber’s about to drop off your guest. And being able to be prepared with that timing. I think we’re gonna see our front desk admin become hosts for the first time and really have the time and empowerment to be able to greet them with the level of detail and customization. I also think the automations, I think we’re gonna snap that into being just such a helpful tool to ask the right questions or personalize the spaces. So I think currently it’s very challenging, let’s say for an independent hotel to offer a pillow menu, if you will, for the right pillows that that guest is gonna want. But I think in the future we’re gonna be able to have the opportunity for putting a time and attention into creating experiences that guest deserves that’s customized based on various preferences or interactions. And so I think it’s a really exciting time for actually hospitality to take back the spotlight. And that’s why people join this industry, right? Is they love hosting people and giving people experiences. And I think sometimes the admin takes away from that, you know? And I think that it’s gonna allow us to be more competitive when it comes to distribution. All of us didn’t go to school to be revenue managers, right? And I think that is a, that is a calculated game that to be able to have tools that can help support us and making sure that we’re optimizing the proper ADR and and pickup cost to be able to book our occupancy moving forward. I think it’s a really exciting time. I think we’re just in the purgatory of it right now. It’s like at our fingertips, but we’re not quite there. But I think about a year from now, things are gonna feel like it’s restabilizing in a really exciting way. Ryan Embree: So Dave, from an owner’s per perspective, you’ve, you just talked about how carefully you’ve kind of curated and built this incredible experience at Hotel Lucine. What is your thoughts on when you think about implementing technology or, or some sort of new AI initiative into the guest experience and how you make sure that doesn’t impact your brand too much? Dave Jacoby: I like the term Kaleigh used about purgatory. I don’t think we’re quite there yet. If you look at the amount of, certainly in the independent space, useful applications of AI in the day-to-day life versus the amount of words in print publications about AI, it’s a massive imbalance there. To me, the right ways that AI can be implemented are ways that are invisible to the guests. So the example Kaleigh was using is one that we’re, I’m rolling out actually now in kind of bits and pieces is how do you use AI to improve your day-to-day workflow? And for me, if it’s, I can unleash it on my Google drive and have it pull a bunch of information and synthesize it and put report together for that I can then give to our team. We’ve got better data and that would’ve taken me three hours, but I let it run in the background for 10 minutes and it’s done. You know, things like that to get better insights on your business, that can be done. Now, to the extent we can use AI to free up front desk agents, I’m working through a specific protocol on that now, just to get all the, what’s your pet policy, what time is check? And we just get so many emails that are repetitive in nature to answer. And the front desk agent isn’t always on top of it. Sometimes they’re doing other things, and I’d rather they be eyeball to eyeball with a guest acting as a host or hostess to the people that come in and providing person to person hospitality and not in the computer. We can free that up. You can do that now. So it’s a matter of just setting the systems up and taking the time to do it. And you can set it up with as much automation or oversight as you want to do, but it’s a matter of taking the time to actually do it so that you can free up those personal interactions. Because that’s where we as independent hotels, I think are, that’s what we people come to us for, is for that personalized touch and feeling like they’re having a human interaction and they’re not at a big corporate commoditized hotel. So we wanna give them that as much as we can. Kaleigh Weise: And I mean, I think human-centric is so important. I think we can, we can still remain to have a human-centric business with these tools. I hear all the time people feel like they’re so behind with using AI. And I guess even for those listeners today, I think you can relinquish the shame because the speed in which AI is gonna continue to grow is gonna continue to grow. And I think the application of that, depending on what market you’re in, what tools you’re using, I think if you can focus on one implementation thing that’s gonna actually help you serve your guests better, you’re not behind. It’s really just pacing that is right for your team, for your guests, and what’s gonna be right for you. But also don’t be afraid of it. Like, I think that there’s a lot of exciting things and tools that are only gonna be able to support us as an industry. Ryan Embree: My big bold prediction is that I think the GM of the next couple years is actually gonna look a lot more like maybe the GM of 20, 30 years ago before all of that kind of work that what we traditionally thought a GM had to do with reports and all of these things that actually some of those desk jockeying kind of tasks, AI can, agentic AI could potentially take care of for you. And then you get back to kind of doing what both of you described as, you know, that face-to-face human interaction. So what I’m hoping is that, you know, a lot of this technology actually kind of causes more of our service driven people and hospitality professionals to kind of rise to the top and create some really cool, memorable experiences and maybe just get that service back to where it was. Because it just feels like there’s some aspects of it in some hotels where it just, we completely missed the mark. So that’s my, maybe that’s me being a litte too, but that’s, that’s my 2 cents and what I hope happens. Dave Jacoby: No, no, I think that makes a lot of sense. And I thought of one other great application for independent hoteliers for AI. We don’t have an in-house IT guy. We don’t have an in-house like maintenance tech. We’re just not big enough to carry those positions. But you can go to your, claude, chatGPT, whatever it is, and say, why did my TV turn on three times in the middle of the night by itself in room 212 last night? True story, this happened and the guest was upset. And then I explained what my systems are and how they work and what they can, you give it a little bit of input information, it’ll help you diagnose. I haven’t yet tried the recommendation ’cause I’m on here talking to you guys. But there are all kinds of solutions you can ask for help for and they might not be right, but before you’re spending money to call out an HVAC technician, find somebody who can handle whatever this one specific system you have is and can service that you can troubleshoot a lot of these things and 60, 70% of these things you can fix on your own because it’ll walk you through it. It’s really a helpful way to save money. And that also helps guests experience, right? Because now if that TV’s not turning on three times middle of the night for that guest tomorrow night, she’ll be happy. Ryan Embree: Love it. Yeah. There we go. Just claude gonna be employee of the, of the week over there at Hotel Lucine every week If we get that figured out. But I do wanna shift our attention to the reason we, you know, started this series, the Independent Hotel Show this year happening September 16th and 17th in Miami Beach. We could not be more excited. And for our Suite Spot listeners, don’t forget to use promo code Ryan26 for a complimentary registration. Dave, you’re on the advisory board and Kaleigh, you’re a brand ambassador like myself. We were on a call talking about the show just the other day. I wanna get your thoughts on what inspired you to get involved with this event and maybe some of your personal favorite aspects of the show. So Kaleigh, let’s start with you and then Dave, you can answer. Kaleigh Weise: I have been an active conference goer my whole career, right? Like a little bit of hustling, a little bit of gorilla marketing. And when I look back at the growth and success in my career, it really comes down to the thin threads and the people that I meet. And I think to have an opportunity to pull up a seat at the table for independent hoteliers who do feel very isolated most of the time, right? They don’t have any other friends who have independent hotels to call. They feel like they’re stuck in the day to day. This will be the fourth year. And I’ve been able to be a part all four years. And I think it’s really exciting to even meet back up every year and hear about the growth that each person is experiencing, but also what’s working in their market and not, and just because you’re in Boston or you’re in Galveston or you’re in Monterey, California, you’re gonna find that you have more the same than different when it comes to the day-to-day challenges of operating a business or being able to get in front of the right guests that you know that you deserve, that are paying the price point that you want. And so to have an opportunity to hear what’s relevant in terms of content, but also talk with other people is just invaluable. And so I continue to be really excited about the niche of, you know, the subsegment. The industry is so large in lodging and we really haven’t had a place until the Independent Hotel Show that gathers this segment of people who are doing it. Owner operated and small with a passion. Ryan Embree: Agreed. Agreed. Yeah. Passion is is a word we hear a lot at that show. Because you can just see, I mean these are, you guys are both founders like I mentioned before. I mean the passion behind your brand, the storytelling makes such a huge difference. And to have that much energy and a place Miami Beach of all places, right? One of the independent hotel capital of the world, to see and hear all of that is a truly a memorable experience. Dave what about yourself? Dave Jacoby: Yeah, so unlike Kaleigh, I do not go to a lot of conferences. It’s not generally my thing, but I’ve been into this show and really loved it. I loved how we mentioned earlier how a lot of independent hoteliers haven’t really had a lot of places to congregate and kind of coalesce their thoughts together. I found the panels awesome, even the ones that I was like, well that’s doesn’t really touch what I do in my day to day, but I’m here so I’ll listen. All of them. I found really interesting. More than that, it was just the people that were there, these other independent hotel helped hoteliers who had done gone on their own journeys to get wherever they got. And they had all figured it out. Ghere was not a lot of resources in front of them telling them how to do what they needed to do. They just, they needed to pay their mortgage, they just did the next right thing and got there. So hearing the stories of how people solved whatever the issues were that were in front of them and sharing my own stories and finding the commonalities of maybe the setting was different or the problem was different, but really the approach was very the same. Or getting inspiration from people who have figured out things I hadn’t figured out yet and learning from them. So I really like just the being able to learn so much kind of one-on-one from people and in and in some of the sessions. Kaleigh Weise: I also think they do a great job of pulling together vendors and resources. It is not uncommon for an independent hotelier to go to Costco for some of their… Or order on, you know, Walmart.com or Amazon. And I feel like there really are great resources out there that are made for independent hoteliers and to bring them into the room to have a conversation around cost savings or ability to be able to elevate the amenities that they have on site. I’m really excited ’cause I think of the show floor this year is gonna be bigger and better than ever from what we were hearing in preparation. And so I think it’s a wonderful opportunity that people should allow time to walk the floor in addition to hearing the sessions because those vendors can really change their bottom line quite significantly with implementation. Ryan Embree: Yeah, absolutely. And it’s so cool to see the eclecticness of the independent hoteliers there from, Dave, you’re a great example coming from Galveston, Texas. You could be coast to coast anywhere from like a little five room air bnb rather to a giant independent hotel in a major market. So just everything in between, all different shapes and sizes when it comes to independent hotels, independent hotels. That’s why we love them so much. That’s why we like hearing the stories and why it’s such a unique space and hospitality. And to be able to spend those couple days putting the spotlight on sometimes, this really, really unique segment, it’s such a privilege. We’ve had the opportunity to cover the show for four years as well. So we’re very excited and hope our Suite Spot listeners will join us in Miami Beach this September. So as we wrap up, I do like to just kind of give the opportunity for any final thoughts as we wrap up today. I want to thank both of you for taking the time to join me today. Kaleigh, any final thoughts before we wrap up? Kaleigh Weise: Yeah, I feel like the, the topic I wanna touch on is a lot of hoteliers in the making are interested in the show and I feel like there’s a little bit of intimidation showing up, not really having background or knowledge or even knowing what they’re getting themselves into. And so I guess from an affirmation perspective, this is a wonderful show if this is an industry that you’re curious about or you wanna learn more about or you wanna have the conversations around. And so we look forward to hopefully welcoming you in September. Dave Jacoby: Yeah, I will echo that. And kind of say there are a lot of people at this show that are interested in the space and maybe are there to learn and they’ll find that people are there like myself or other people who have kind of gone through the process and developed their hotel. I would just say to all of them here, what I’ll say to you at the show is, I didn’t know what I was doing either when I started and a lot of us don’t. And there’s no playbook. There’s not gonna be a playbook. You’re not gonna find one that’s gonna tell you what to do at all steps. You just surround yourself with smart people. You need to know what you can and cannot do and where your limits are and kind of take the plunge and figure it out as you go. And your decision making in the moment is really gonna be what’s gonna drive the process. And if you’re always waiting to have the full roadmap, you’re never gonna have that roadmap. Ryan Embree: Maybe that’ll be our next endeavor as the independent hoteliers playbook and we can publish that as a couple authors. Dave Jacoby: Yeah, a long book. Ryan Embree: Yes. Take a lot I’m sure. Kaleigh Weise: Variation A, B, C, D. Ryan Embree: Exactly. Ryan Embree: Well, Kaleigh, Dave, thank you so much. I really appreciate you taking the time, sharing your stories today. We cannot wait for September at the Independent Hotel Show. And thank you all for listening to the Suite Spot. We will talk to you next time. To join our loyalty program, be sure to subscribe and give us a five star rating on iTunes. Suite Spot is produced by Travel Media Group. Our editor is Brandon Bell with Cover Art by Bary Gordon. I’m your host Ryan Embree, and we hope you enjoyed your stay.

Modern B2B marketing starts with deep curiosity. To outperform and outmaneuver the competition, marketing teams must navigate a rapidly evolving market research landscape to make faster, smarter decisions. They must lead with strategy, by being the voice of the customer, and by leveraging data that really moves the needle. So, how can B2B marketing teams strategically harness consumer insights to make more informed decisions that drive predictable, long-term business growth?That's why we're talking to Molly-Strawn Carreño (Director of Brand Growth, aytm), who shared her strategic framework on how to turn “data overload” into “decision velocity” using research. During our conversation, Molly emphasized the importance of modernizing market research to improve organizational decision-making. She also stressed the need for marketers to stay current, integrate AI tools, and maintain a customer-centric approach. Molly provided actionable guidance on how marketers could upskill in AI, consolidate data, and leverage tools like The Bridge - aytm's new tool - for efficient research. She also highlighted the value of continuous learning, staying ahead of changes, and maintaining human relevant in marketing strategies. Tune in to hear Molly's tactical advice for transforming raw data into high-velocity marketing initiatives.

Payments are getting smarter and more automated, but the real question is simpler: are we making life easier for the humans behind every transaction? For Women Leaders in Payments Month, we're joined by Kimling Lam, Chief Marketing Officer at Fortis, to talk about what “the future is human” actually looks like inside fintech, embedded payments, and modern go-to-market teams. Special thanks to Payroc for sponsoring this year's series and supporting the advancement of women across the payments industry. Kimling shares her career journey from Wellesley and broadcast journalism to TV news reporting, software sales, and leadership roles across major payments brands before stepping into her current CMO role. Along the way, we dig into how strong storytelling becomes a growth advantage in fintech marketing, why CEO sponsorship and networks can change a career trajectory, and what it really takes to turn ambiguity into strategy that drives pipeline and revenue. We also explore the practical impact of generative AI and large language models on marketing workflows. Kimling explains why marketers are shifting from writing everything manually to orchestrating faster, more scalable work streams while protecting brand voice and applying human judgment. From there, we zoom out to B2B payments and accounts receivable, including the pain of “swivel chair accounting,” the importance of human-centered design, and why trust in payments feels invisible until something breaks. If you care about customer experience, embedded finance, women in fintech leadership, and where AI helps or hurts, you'll get a lot from this conversation. 

Most LinkedIn Company Pages are built to describe the business. The best ones help buyers decide whether they want to do business with you.In this episode of Social Media for B2B Growth, Michelle J Raymond explains why B2B marketers should stop viewing their LinkedIn Company Page through the eyes of the business and start seeing it through the eyes of their buyers.You'll learn why Company Pages still influence the B2B buying journey, what buyers are really looking for and why improving your Page setup often has a bigger impact than posting more content.In this episode00:00 Why your LinkedIn Company Page may look better to your marketing team than your buyers02:10 Why LinkedIn Company Pages still influence B2B buying decisions04:45 The biggest mistake marketers make when setting up a LinkedIn Company Page07:05 What B2B buyers are actually looking for09:35 How clarity, relevance and trust build buyer confidence12:05 Why every LinkedIn Company Page needs a clear next step13:05 Take Michelle's free LinkedIn Company Page 10-Second Test15:00 Why posting more won't fix the wrong LinkedIn Company Page strategyResources• Read the LinkedIn Company Page 10-Second Testhttps://b2bgrowthco.com/linkedin-company-page-10-second-test/• Connect with Michelle J Raymond on LinkedIn for more practical B2B LinkedIn strategies.https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellejraymond/If you're responsible for a LinkedIn Company Page and want to improve brand awareness, build trust with buyers and support demand generation, this episode will help you build stronger foundations before you create your next post.#LinkedInCompanyPages #LinkedIn #B2BMarketing

Today my guest is John Kim. John is one of the world's top and most prolific fundraisers.  He was chief client officer at General Catalyst, where he helped raise many of the firm's flagship funds. He is now chairman and president of corporate development at Lila Sciences, a company building scientific superintelligence, where he has helped raise several hundred million dollars.  He is also the author of The Tao of Fundraising.  This conversation is really a guide on how to raise money from someone who has done it at the highest level. We talk about why persuasion equals desire minus fear, the difference between belief and trust, the laws of fundraising, and how to build the consensus that moves big pools of capital.  Please enjoy my conversation with John Kim. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ----- Become a Colossus member to get our quarterly print magazine and private audio experience, including exclusive profiles and early access to select episodes. Subscribe at ⁠colossus.com/subscribe⁠. ----- ⁠Ramp's⁠ mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ramp.com/invest⁠⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. ----- Trusted by thousands of businesses, ⁠Vanta⁠ continuously monitors your security posture and streamlines audits so you can win enterprise deals and build customer trust without the traditional overhead. Invest Like the Best listeners get a special offer of $1,000 off Vanta when you go to ⁠vanta.com/invest⁠.  ----- WorkOS⁠ is the infrastructure B2B and AI-native companies use to sell to enterprise. It covers everything enterprise security requires: SSO, SCIM, RBAC, Audit Logs, AI governance, and more. Trusted by 2,000+ fast-growing companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Cursor, and Vercel. ----- Rogo is the AI platform for finance. They're building agents for Wall Street that are trained to understand how bankers and investors actually do work: from diligence and modeling, to turning analysis into deliverables. To learn more, visit rogo.ai/invest. ----- ⁠Ridgeline⁠ has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Visit⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ridgeline.ai⁠. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant. Timestamps: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like The Best (00:02:02) Introduction of John Kim (00:02:39) Money Moves at the Speed of Trust (00:05:06) How to Start a Fundraising Campaign (00:08:03) Persuasion Equals Desire Minus Fear (00:12:20) How to Raise a Few Billion Dollars (00:15:58) The Benchmark Story (00:18:36) The Law of Differentiation (00:24:13) Law of Tradeoffs and Law of Pipeline (00:27:52) The Karpman Drama Triangle (00:30:42) Oprah Winfrey (00:33:49) Most Common Fundraising Mistakes (00:38:35) Secretary of State (00:45:40) The Inner Game (00:47:38) The Kindest Thing

Prompt engineering is useful, but it isn't the marketing skill that will define the future. In this episode, Lori Jones and Dan Nestle explain why strategic thinking, authority, and AI-powered research are becoming the real competitive advantage for modern marketers.And don't forget! You can crush your marketing strategy with just a few minutes a week by signing up for the StrategyCast Newsletter. You'll receive weekly bursts of marketing tips, clips, resources, and a whole lot more. Visit https://strategycast.com/ for more details.==Let's Break It Down==01:56 Dan's marketing journey and building enterprise brands04:41 How AI would have transformed marketing at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries12:25 AI's biggest impact on content creation and research15:15 Can AI shorten complex B2B sales cycles?17:25 Using AI to improve organizational alignment19:47 Competitive analysis in minutes instead of weeks23:57 Rethinking audience segmentation with AI26:57 Where marketers still misunderstand AI29:04 Executive authority, thought leadership, and AI credibility33:15 Building authority that AI can recognize34:11 Final marketing lessons and key takeaways==Where You Can Find Us==Website: https://strategycast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strategy_cast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strategycast==Leave a Review==Hey there, StrategyCast fans!If you've found our tips and tricks on marketing strategies helpful in growing your business, we'd be thrilled if you could take a moment to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback not only supports us but also helps others discover how they can elevate their business game!

AI isn't replacing great salespeople—it's exposing average ones. In this solo episode of Sales & Cigars, Walter Crosby explains how to use AI to improve your sales process while doubling down on trust, judgment, and authentic human connection. Episode Overview Artificial intelligence is changing sales—but not in the way most people think. In this solo episode of Sales & Cigars, Walter Crosby shares why AI isn't the threat many sales professionals believe it is. Instead of replacing great salespeople, AI is raising the standard by eliminating excuses and exposing those who rely on shortcuts instead of skill. Walter explains why trust, judgment, curiosity, and meaningful conversations remain the true competitive advantages in complex B2B sales. He also introduces the new Sales Integrator Community, a free resource created to help salespeople and sales managers continue developing their craft through coaching, practical tools, and ongoing discussions. Whether you're a salesperson worried about AI, a sales manager coaching your team, or a CEO building a sales organization, this episode offers practical advice on how to embrace technology without losing the human advantage. Episode Highlights Why AI isn't replacing salespeople—it's exposing average ones Introducing the new free Sales Integrator Community Why great salespeople don't automatically become great sales managers How AI should be used as a tool—not a replacement Why personalization isn't the same as genuine connection Building trust through conversations, not automation How AI can improve preparation, research, and consistency Why judgment is becoming one of the most valuable sales skills Coaching salespeople to make better decisions Why authentic human relationships will become even more valuable as AI evolves Key Takeaways AI raises the standard—it doesn't eliminate salespeople. The future belongs to sales professionals who learn to leverage AI while continuing to build trust and solve complex business problems. Average performers who rely on automation instead of relationships will struggle. Trust can't be automated. AI can generate emails, summarize information, and prepare research, but buyers still choose people they trust. Authentic conversations remain the foundation of complex sales. Judgment creates competitive advantage. Knowing when to ask another question, when to challenge a prospect, and how to interpret information requires experience and critical thinking that AI can't replace. AI belongs in preparation—not persuasion. Use AI to research companies, organize information, write first drafts, summarize meetings, and automate repetitive tasks so you can spend more time having meaningful conversations. More activity doesn't mean better results. AI makes it easy to send more emails and create more content, but quantity without relevance simply creates more noise in an already crowded marketplace. Managers still have to coach. Technology cannot replace coaching. Sales managers develop judgment by asking better questions, helping reps think critically, and creating opportunities for continuous improvement. Being human is becoming more valuable. As AI-generated content becomes more common, authenticity, empathy, curiosity, and genuine relationships become stronger differentiators. Who Should Listen This episode is especially valuable for: B2B sales professionals Sales managers coaching growing teams Entrepreneurs building scalable sales organizations CEOs concerned about AI's impact on revenue Salespeople looking to use AI more effectively Anyone who wants to stay competitive as sales continues to evolve Links & Resources Helix Sales Development Sales Integrator Community Claude AI Walter Crosby   The Sales Integrator Community Walter created the Sales Integrator Community exclusively for salespeople and sales managers looking to sharpen their skills and continue growing. Inside you'll find: Sales coaching insights Practical sales tools and resources Real-world strategies from over 40 years of experience Ongoing discussions and Q&A Blog content and training materials Tips shared directly from Walter's coaching sessions Free forever. The first 250 founding members receive a special Founding Member badge. Join the community here: https://helix-community.circle.so/join?invitation_token=8b6622d942c852339d856b2af3504123cf9476e2-8b78b151-d94f-46df-a26b-ec4a6df24460   Continue the Conversation How are you using AI in your sales process? Are you using it to automate busy work—or to become a better salesperson? Join the conversation inside the Sales Integrator Community and learn alongside other sales professionals committed to improving their craft.   Subscribe to Sales & Cigars Sales & Cigars is hosted by Walter Crosby, founder of Helix Sales Development. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. The only smoke we blow is from cigars.

In this episode, Carolyn sits down with Liam MacCormack, a fractional head of growth who's spent years in the weeds of B2B paid search, to unpack why the channel keeps burning B2B budgets and what to do about it.They get into the market forces making paid search harder than ever: rising CPCs, zero-click search, and agencies still optimizing like it's 2015. Then they go tactical on a real client scenario — a high-ACV company that's switched agencies multiple times and still can't make it work — and what that reveals about when a channel is worth fixing versus when it's just draining spend.Topics covered:Why "you need to spend more on impression share" is the most seductive upsell in paid search, and the one metric that actually tells you if it's trueThe profile of a company paid search works for, and the profile where it's a waste of moneyWhy paid search is a demand-capture channel, and what that means for how you budget itHow to know when to cut the channel, cut the budget in half, or let it run as a tertiary sourceWhy branded search is propping up most agency reporting, and the one question to ask to find outIf your paid search has been underperforming for quarters and the answer is always "give it more time," this one's worth your attention.-----------------------------------------------------