Podcasts about ugc

Why did a TikTok Shop brand lose 96% of its sales? Discover what went wrong and the creator strategy being used to revive it, rebuild momentum, and drive more Amazon sales. What happens when a TikTok Shop brand generating approximately $200,000 per month suddenly loses 96% of its sales? In this episode, Bradley Sutton welcomes Chris Lyell, CEO of Octane Labs, to examine the dramatic decline of Grooved Learning and reveal the strategy his team is using to rebuild it. After falling to around $8,000 in monthly revenue, the brand provides a powerful case study of how quickly momentum can disappear when a TikTok Shop content engine stops running. Chris discovered that the product itself was not the problem. The brand's leading creators had moved on or been recruited by competitors, communication with affiliates had slowed, older videos were no longer converting, and its advertising campaigns were configured incorrectly. Meanwhile, less expensive competitors continued publishing fresh content and capturing more of the market. To restart the engine, Chris and his team are producing 100 UGC videos with 100 different creators, re-engaging the brand's former top performers, and creating contests that encourage affiliates to turn one product sample into multiple videos.   The conversation also breaks down how new brands can generate their first TikTok Shop sales without an established creator network. Chris explains how paid creator platforms can help sellers build an initial library of content, create social proof, and attract more experienced affiliates. He also shares how to write concise creator briefs, structure commissions, use targeted collaborations instead of crowded direct messages, and continually feed fresh content into GMV Max campaigns. Without that steady flow of new videos, even successful TikTok Shop listings can lose momentum within weeks.   TikTok's impact can extend far beyond sales completed on the platform. Chris has seen branded Amazon searches increase by 600% to 700% after products gained attention on TikTok, helping sellers reduce PPC dependence and improve their overall margins. The lesson is clear: TikTok Shop success is not built on one viral video. It comes from creating a repeatable system that supports creators, produces content consistently, and turns attention into momentum across every sales channel. Build the engine, keep fueling it, and even a struggling brand can find its way back to growth. In episode 550 of the AM/PM Podcast, Bradley and Chris discuss: 00:00 - Introduction 02:27 - How TikTok Reduced Amazon TACoS Below 4% 06:03 - The TikTok Shop Brand That Lost 96% Of Its Sales 08:34 - Why The Brand's Creator And Advertising Engine Collapsed 12:40 - The Recovery Plan To Win Creators Back 15:55 - Producing 100 UGC Videos With 100 Creators 18:45 - Building Creator Momentum From A Cold Start 23:45 - Using Creator Purchases To Generate Social Proof 27:25 - Why Fresh Content Is Essential For GMV Max 32:42 - Automatic Versus Manual GMV Max Campaigns 36:39 - Targeted Collaborations Versus Direct Messages 38:55 - Structuring Commissions And Managing Product Samples 43:11 - How TikTok Shop Sales Create An Amazon Halo Effect

Jason Mayden walked into Jordan Brand in 2001 as its first design intern. He designed the Air Jordan 2009 and the Jordan CP3.II, left in 2014 to build his own companies, and came back a decade later to run design for the entire brand. This past May he stepped out of that job into one that did not exist until he took it, VP of Jordan Visioneering and LA28 Creative Lead.We talked about the Air Jordan 41, and about almost everything except the spec sheet.He explains what he had to unpack coming back into the building, and lands on the line that frames the whole conversation, that this is a reverential era and not a referential one. He responds to what Leo Chang and Donald Kelsey found on the road this year, six months of research across three continents where not one young athlete asked for the heritage colors. He makes the case that the women's game is where the next real change in basketball footwear comes from, and explains why he studies technical boxing to think about design.He talks about the Air Jordan XX3 and working alongside Mark Smith, Tinker Hatfield, and Tom Foxen when the fight was over solvent free glue. He talks about the crew building the game shoe now, and what it was like to watch them come into their own. He talks about criticism, and why indifference is the only reaction that would bother him.And he tells the story of being seven years old in a hospital bed, fighting a blood infection, imagining himself as Lucius Fox working for Michael Jordan, who he thought was Bruce Wayne. That is where the word visioneering comes from.One line from this conversation has stayed with me since we recorded it. You never really finish an Air Jordan, you just run out of time.Nick Engvall has worked in the sneaker industry for over two decades. He built the original Eastbay Blog during his time at Sole Collector, led the first dedicated sneaker team for Complex, led the first UGC and seeding programs for Finish Line, was employee number 9 at StockX, and was Sr. Director at Stadium Goods.The Sneaker Newsletter: https://www.thesneakernewsletter.comSole Collector: https://www.solecollector.orgSmall Luxuries: Sneakers, out October 2026 from Motorbooks: https://bookshop.org/a/122044/9798317900854SUPPORT THE SHOW:Donate Through Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/sneakerhistoryBuy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/nickengvallSupport On Patreon: https://patreon.com/sneakerhistoryIf you are interested in advertising to our audience, contact us: podcast@sneakerhistory.com[Links contain affiliate links; we may receive a small commission if you purchase after clicking a link. A great way to support the pod!]Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/

Wanting to take your UGC journey further?

Join the App Founders Community:https://appfounders.co/Nicole Cheung's apps are pulling 300-400 MILLION monthly social views, and her UGC Marketing system is a huge reason why.In this video, she opens up the entire UGC Marketing Playbook: what she pays, how she finds creators, and how she gets brand-new accounts to actually go viral.You'll discover:✅ Her exact base rate + CPM bonus structure ($10-30/post + tiered bonuses)✅ Where to actually find UGC creators (beyond just posting on UGC platforms)✅ Why she has creators start on BRAND NEW accounts, not their existing ones✅ The "warm-up" strategy that trains the algorithm in 3 days✅ Why you should follow micro accounts, not macro accounts (her Messi example)

Game server hosting is the layer nobody thinks about until it breaks. In this episode, Kalie Moore sits down with Max Podkidkin, Co-Founder and CEO of BisectHosting, to unpack how a Minecraft server that went dark for three days turned into a 15-year infrastructure business serving hundreds of thousands of customers across more than 140 countries. Max put the first hardware on a credit card, recruited a co-founder he met in his own Minecraft community, and built the company to nearly 100 employees without ever raising outside capital. They get into what those early years actually looked like, including hiding a laptop on a cart at a factory job to answer support tickets, the two years he and Andrew worked together over text before meeting face to face, and how a US and UK split gave them 24/7 coverage with a team of two.The conversation also covers how the hosting business really works, from the economics of renting out resources to why running a server at home costs more than most people think. Max explains why BisectHosting has turned down repeated acquisition offers while private equity consolidates the market around them, how the team gets into a studio's Discord and pre-tests server files before working with a game studio, and what 15 years of hosting communities has taught him about why modding and UGC keep games alive long after launch. He also shares the studio's approach to AI, including Biko, the assistant built into their server panel that has cut support tickets by double digits without a single person losing their job.Big thanks to Heroic Labs for making this episode possible. Gram Games used Heroic Labs to tailor offers and events by player cohort, calling it "critical" in a post-IDFA world where retention is everything. Read how Gram merged personalization and advanced social features into a core system of their live operations: https://heroiclabs.com/blog/gram-games-case-study/?_gl=1*709y52*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTI0MTAzNTM2Ny4xNzg1MjI4NzQ2*_ga_R9WLGSZ1KN*czE3ODUyMjg3NDUkbzEkZzAkdDE3ODUyMjg3NDUkajYwJGwwJGgw We'd also like to thank Overwolf for making this episode possible! Whether you're a gamer, creator, or game studio, Overwolf is the ultimate destination for integrating UGC in games! You can check out all Overwolf has to offer at https://www.overwolf.com/.If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Who's On:Guest - Max Podkidkin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-podkidkin/Host - Kalie Moore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaliemoore/ Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc CabeLinks mentioned: https://www.bisecthosting.com/

Jeff Mains sits down with Elie Bouzaglou, founder of Fish Tank, a video-first crowdfunding platform built for a generation that discovered entrepreneurship on their phone. Elie built an AI voice-call analysis tool as an internal sales tool at his web agency, only to have his team push him to bring it to market. After getting rejected by Republic, Wefunder, and every major crowdfunding platform, Elie didn't blame his product — he blamed the format. Pitch decks are boring, gatekept, and built for VCs, not consumers. His answer: a platform where founders pitch like content creators and everyday people can watch and actually invest, Shark Tank style. The conversation covers building in public, going "all in" on a risky content bet that proved his thesis before launch, why the next Mark Zuckerberg is more likely to be an ex-UGC creator than a programmer, and his "carefully reckless" framework for tackling the thing founders are most afraid of.Key Takeaways3:48 — How Elie's internal AI sales tool became a product because his team saw value he didn't.6:15 — Why the tool wasn't VC fundable, and the pivot toward crowdfunding.10:30 — The core insight: crowdfunding's real problem isn't quality, it's that discovery is boring.13:01 — Why people will binge-watch Shark Tank but can't invest in it — and how Fish Tank closes that gap.17:10 — The "pushing a car" metaphor: starting is the hardest part, momentum does the rest.19:46 — His trick for beating camera-shyness: film it and tell yourself you won't post it.28:54 — Why the next Zuckerberg probably won't be a programmer — it'll be an ex-UGC creator.36:42 — The "carefully reckless" framework: name the thing you're avoiding, write it down, do it.37:31 — The story of betting nearly his last dollar on a content shoot with a VC-turned-content-creator — and how it proved his thesis before launch.40:19 — Why investors are just people, and being seen with flaws beats not being seen at all.41:59 — On dealing with online hate: most of it comes from jealousy, not dislike.Tweetable Quotes"The worst possible case scenario is no one knows who you are. It's not bad PR — that's where you're at right now, and it can only get better." — Elie Bouzaglou"You have to be carefully reckless. What is the thing you are delaying the most? What is the thing you're most afraid of? And just do it." — Elie Bouzaglou"It's always easier to build than to start from zero." — Elie Bouzaglou"I believe the next Mark Zuckerberg will not be a programmer. He'll probably be an ex-UGC person." — Elie Bouzaglou"The greatest success is just on the other side of that fear." — Jeff Mains"When someone hates on you and takes time out of their day to comment, it's because they're jealous — not because they actually dislike what you're doing." — Elie BouzaglouSaaS Leadership LessonsShip it even if you don't see the value. Elie almost never brought his internal tool to market — his team had to convince him. Don't assume "anyone could build this" means no one wants it.Question the format, not just the product. When rejected by every platform, Elie didn't fix his pitch — he concluded the entire crowdfunding format was broken and built a new one.Momentum beats planning. His "pushing a car" philosophy: the hardest part is starting; perfect names, decks, and plans can wait.Break big fears into small, reversible actions. Film it without posting. Schedule it with the option to cancel. Small, low-stakes steps unlock big behavior changes.Distribution is a founder skill now, not a marketing afterthought. Building in public and mastering short-form content may matter more than technical pedigree for the next generation of founders.Bet asymmetrically on your scariest move. Spending nearly his last dollar on a content shoot was terrifying — but the asymmetric upside (VC access, proof of concept, investor DMs) made it the right kind of reckless.Guest Resourceselie@fishtank.vchttps://www.fishtank.vceliebouzaglou.comeliebouzaglou.com/linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/elie-bouzaglo/https://www.instagram.com/ftnk.elieEpisode 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

This Week In Startups is made possible by: Vanta https://www.vanta.com/twist Agree https://agree.com YSecurity https://YSecurity.io/TWIST   Today's show: Frontier AI models can ace PhD-level exams, but it's still bad at tracking down the product you want in the style that suits you. Onton's Zach Hudson tell us that the problem is that models are a black box. His solution? A neurosymbolic model, Ontology 1, that learns about your taste and preferred aesthetic over time, then produces product searches tailored specifically to you, rather than just using keywords and relevant tags. How do neurosymbolic models work, and how does Onton understand your prompts and favorite design trends? And why aren't the frontier labs working on neurosymbolic models of their own? Zach joins Jason and Lon to discuss. PLUS, following a record-smashing SpaceX IPO, Ashi Dissanayake of Spacium makes the case that the real bottleneck in space isn't launching rockets off the ground any more. It's refueling in orbit. Guests Zach Hudson on X: ****https://x.com/nosduhz Onton: https://onton.com/ Spacium: https://spaceium.com/ Spacium on X: https://x.com/SpaceiumInc Relevant Links Poolside's journey to AGI: https://poolside.ai/vision/purpose Startup Archive: Sam Altman on the Paul Graham advice that saved OpenAI: https://www.startuparchive.org/p/sam-altman-on-the-paul-graham-advice-that-saved-open-ai-always-make-an-api Kelly Wearstler: https://www.kellywearstler.com/ Ennis House: https://franklloydwright.org/site/ennis-house/ Los Feliz Living: Ennis House profile: https://www.losfelizliving.com/los-feliz-historic-homes/ennis-house-los-feliz-hcm-149 Indiewire: Ennis-inspired "The Studio" offices: https://www.indiewire.com/features/craft/the-studio-production-design-interview-seth-rogen-1235114365/ Monocle Magazine: https://monocle.com/ Spaceium on Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/spaceium-inc Orbit Fab's RAFTI: https://www.orbitfab.com/rafti/ James Webb Space Telescope: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/ Houzz: https://www.houzz.com/ Timestamps: 0:00 Zach Hudson joins: What is "neurosymbolic search" 4:03 Ontology 1 isn't a black box 6:31 Who is using Onton? 9:36 Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist 11:35 Could neurosymbolic models reach AGI? 13:19 Jason loves Wright's Ennis House 17:03 The shape of AI companies is changing 19:28 Agree.com - Stop chasing invoices and automate your entire contract-to-cash stack. Go to https://agree.com and tell them Jason sent you to get 50% off for life! 22:32 UGC as a data moat 26:03 The Dead Internet Theory 28:13 Ashi Dissanayake of Spacium joins 29:52 YSecurity - The on-demand security team for startups. Need enterprise-grade security without hiring a $400k CISO? YSecurity gives you 40+ expert engineers, matched to exactly what you need, by the hour, with your first six hours completely free. Go to https://YSecurity.io/TWIST 31:50 Storables vs. cryogenics: the zero-boil-off breakthrough 34:11 All kinds of propulsion requires refueling 36:09 Getting more value from LEO to GEO 38:28 Moving at rocket speed 44:54 Why demand is so acute 49:37 The investing climate for space, post-SpaceX Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp   Follow Lon: X: https://x.com/lons   Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis   Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/   Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland   Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis   Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Wanting to take your UGC journey further?

On the podcast: hitting $10M ARR without ever testing a paywall, paying their own customers to help make video ads, and why you might want to turn away some potential customers.Top Takeaways:

Join the Millionaire University AI Mastermind at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/AI #1038 What if you could make multiple 5-figures from “introvert side hustles” without ever becoming an influencer? In this episode, host Kirsten Tyrrel sits down with Megan Spencer (“Meg the Creator”), a small-town, introverted mom who helps people build high-income side hustles through UGC, Amazon onsite commissions, TikTok Shop, and freelancing — no followers required. Megan shares how she quit her government job on maternity leave, burned out as a social media manager, then rebuilt her income by focusing on authenticity and income over aesthetics. She breaks down exactly how beginner-friendly UGC platforms work, why brands are shifting budgets away from traditional influencers, how creators can land their first paid deals and free products, and why niching down can actually hurt you at first. If you've ever felt “too introverted,” “too normal,” or “too late” for the creator economy, this conversation will show you practical, low-barrier ways to start making real money online! (Original Air Date - 12/12/25) What we discuss with Megan: + Balancing motherhood, business, and side hustles + “Anti-influencer” income without followers + UGC basics and starter platforms + Amazon reviews as passive income + TikTok Shop viral commission story + Pros and cons for introverts + When to niche vs stay broad + Stacking UGC, Amazon, and TikTok + Freelancing as a flexible option + Mindset shift: followers vs income Thank you, Megan! Check out Meg the Creator at ⁠MegtheCreator.com⁠. Follow Megan on ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and ⁠YouTube⁠. Watch the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠video podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ of this episode! Get your FREE 5 Minute Business Plan at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/Plan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/Sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“People buy things to fill gaps in their life.” Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge) and Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) unpack consumer behavior in ecommerce. They cover the emotional triggers behind buying, the offers that convert, and the buying journeys online shopping takes today. The real driver of your marketing strategies is the offer itself, not the checkout experience. People buy out of convenience, fear of loss, identity, and scarcity … long before logic enters the picture. Ridge's expansion from wallets into rings shows how one brand layered new customer angles onto a single product. Influencer partnerships, social media, user-generated content (UGC), and paid ads each serve a different role in building trust. Powered By Fulfil https://9ops.co/fulfil Aftersell https://9ops.co/4i3bb5 Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Northbeam https://www.northbeam.io/ Saras Analytics https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv Postscript https://9ops.co/postscript Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/ 

She was a teacher in the UK with her own income, her own home, her own life — and then her husband's job moved them to the US for three years. No job. No home. No income of her own. She didn't want to just be along for the ride. She wanted to keep contributing to her family, on her own terms. So she found UGC.In this video, I sit down with one of my students to talk about how she went from $500 a month teaching herself UGC alone — to $5,000 a month after joining UGC Mastery Academy. Now she's using that income to check off her bucket list (yes, including horseback riding in Texas), and when she moves back to the UK, she's taking her entire business with her. No returning to a 9-5. No going back to square one. Want to know if your personal brand and content strategy are set up to get you results like hers? Take my free quiz below. It takes less than 2 minutes and tells you exactly what to fix first. 

Create & Cultivate Festival is the world's largest festival for women in business, bringing together founders, executives, creators, and leaders shaping what's next.Expect two days of inspiring speakers, meaningful networking, brand activations, and conversations that can help move your career forward.✨ Get 20% OFF Student, General Admission, and VIP Tickets with code NINAZA20 (Golden Ticket not included).

Anastasia Chapman came up with the idea for her brand where all good bathroom ideas start - sitting on a toilet, hiding a competitor's product she was too embarrassed to be seen with. She developed the formula in an Airbnb in Cape Town, mixing batch after batch and testing them by dropping samples into wine glasses of water. She hand-poured her first 50,000 units in her mum's garage. Then, after her biggest-ever year, a trademark dispute forced her to legally change the brand name overnight - and the meta ads machine she'd built her entire business on collapsed within two months. This is the story of the rebuild. In this episode, Anastasia is unusually candid about the whole messy arc: building Loui (formerly Lou Drops) as a complete e-commerce beginner, scaling to $850K on the back of just three winning ads, watching it crash to a $42K month after the rebrand, and clawing her way back by finally taking control of the ads she'd always outsourced. What you'll learn in this interview: The exact validation method she used before spending real money - handing friends five numbered samples and a "poop scorecard," then living with the product in her bathroom for months until she got it right Why she developed the product in 2022 but didn't properly launch until 2024 - and how she kept a full-time job while the business slowly proved itself How a trademark cease-and-desist forced a full rebrand right after she'd paid for 30,000 units of packaging - and the timeline she had to negotiate just to sell through existing stock The hard lesson about platform dependency: how being reliant on three winning ads and one outsourced media buyer left her exposed when it all stopped working Why she fired the person running her ads and took the account in-house - and what she discovered was actually being wasted once she understood the numbers herself The specific ad account restructure that turned things around: consolidating from scattered lookalike campaigns and multiple ad sets into a cleaner ABO testing structure The unit economics that actually matter beyond ROAS - add-to-cart cost, cost per purchase, frequency, and hook rate - and how knowing her kill threshold changed how fast she tests Why founder-led ads beat every expensive UGC creator she hired - and how a skit ad she was mortified to film "started printing money" overnight How she structures a solo founder's week around three "big rocks," swallows the toad first, and protects her time from busywork and AI rabbit holes The retail arm quietly growing alongside DTC - now in over 300 stores - and why an outside audit of her website and offer unlocked the next stage of growth If you're a solo founder who feels like the whole business rests on your shoulders - or you've built something on a channel you don't fully control and you can feel how fragile that is - this episode will hit home. Anastasia's story is proof that the answer usually isn't a white knight who rides in to save you. It's the far less glamorous work of understanding your own business well enough that nobody else has to. SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://your.omnisend.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get started. WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS? Join the Foundr Operators Waitlist → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/operators⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+ Start your $1 trial → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING? → Starting from scratch? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ → Already have a store? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH BY ANASTASIA CHAPMAN Instagram →⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/iamstais/ Brand Instagram →⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/tryloui/ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-chapman/ Website →⁠ https://tryloui.com/ FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES YouTube → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/foundr/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Podcast → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/podcast⁠

Get Your Ticket For The $10k/Mo Creator Workshop - www.creativrise.com/workshopYou've got the portfolio. You've got the reviews. So why does it feel like pulling teeth to get someone to say yes to your biggest package?

In this episode, Cathy Hackl and Lee Kebler discuss the current state of technology, AI, gaming, and the importance of human connection in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. They share insights on global tech trends, the future of gaming, and the significance of ownership and authenticity in digital media.keywords: technology, AI, gaming, digital ownership, human connection, global tech trends, UGC, generative AI, tech landscape, innovationKey topicsCurrent state of technology and AIThe evolution of gaming and UGC platformsOwnership and digital rights in mediaGlobal conversations on AI and quantum computingThe importance of human connection in tech developmentTakeawaysTechnology is at a point of recalibration, with a focus on responsible innovation.The gaming industry is shifting towards user-generated content and digital ownership.Global conversations on AI are expanding beyond generative AI to include quantum and material sciences.Ownership of digital media remains a concern, with a preference for tangible and owned content.Human connection remains central to meaningful technology use and development.Chapters00:00Introduction and return to podcast02:02Ownership of the podcast and its significance03:18The changing landscape of technology and AI04:55Overextension and recalibration of tech expectations07:31Global conversations on AI and other emerging technologies10:43Broader perspectives on innovation and global tech hubs13:19Market trends and the return of startup innovation17:21Content discovery challenges and digital ownership20:07The future of gaming and user-generated content26:16The decline of physical media and ownership issues29:03Hollywood's embrace of gaming IP and UGC32:16Launching new gaming studios and independent development34:05The importance of authentic innovation in tech37:33Interesting recent tech news and societal impacts40:43Human connection versus technological automation44:34The impact of AI on jobs and societal shifts46:49Closing thoughts and future outlooks

Send us Fan MailTikTok for Amazon sellers can use UGC to send low-cost external traffic to Amazon, grow brand searches, and turn short-form views into sales. The video explains TikTok marketing, influencer UGC, Amazon product launch traffic, and how outside sales can support Amazon SEO and conversion. It also reviews UGC ROI, content reuse, and the Age of Sage case study that moved weekly brand searches from about 100 to 5,000.Stop sending TikTok traffic to a listing that cannot close the sale, fix the full traffic-to-conversion plan here: https://bit.ly/4jMZtxu#TikTokUGC #AmazonSellers #AmazonMarketing #amazonsellertipsWant free resources? Dowload our Free Amazon guides here:Download the 2026 Amazon AI Operating Manual: https://bit.ly/3SLmusPAmazon Receiving Delay Guide: https://hubs.ly/Q04cdD4c0Amazon Catalog Spring Cleaning: https://hubs.ly/Q046BVfp0Amazon Proft Margin Defense 2026: https://hubs.ly/Q042trRH0Amazon SEO Toolkit 2026: https://bit.ly/4oC2ClTAmazon Seller Strategy Report 2026: https://bit.ly/3YN1RME2026 Ecommerce Website & SEO Readiness Checklist: https://hubs.ly/Q04btghf0Amazon 2026 PPC guide: https://bit.ly/4lF0OYXTimestamps0:00 – TikTok UGC for Amazon Sellers0:45 – Comparing TikTok UGC Costs and Amazon PPC1:19 – How Amazon Brands Can Start UGC at Scale2:03 – Age of Sage TikTok UGC Case Study3:04 – Should New Brands Start on TikTok or Amazon?3:51 – How Amazon Sales Improve Product Ranking4:48 – How TikTok UGC Drives Amazon Brand Searches5:43 – Reuse TikTok Videos for Amazon Ads6:25 – Turn Winning UGC Into Sponsored Display Video6:57 – Tracking TikTok Traffic to Amazon-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Follow us:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28605816/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenpopemag/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/myamazonguys/Twitter: https://twitter.com/myamazonguySubscribe to the My Amazon Guy podcast: https://podcast.myamazonguy.comApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-amazon-guy/id1501974229Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4A5ASHGGfr6s4wWNQIqyVwSupport the show

“Borrow cultural equity executed with real partnership compounds faster than anything built in-house.” What happens when a legacy brand like Lexus stops buying reach and starts buying culture? Connor MacDonald (CMO, Ridge), Cody Plofker (CEO, Jones Road Beauty), and Connor Rolain (Head of Growth, HexClad) trace how Lexus is using Colin and Samir to reach an audience Lexus already has.One idea drives the partnership: reach your audience better. Cody argues AI generated UGC misses the point entirely. Connor Rolain reveals the four and a half percent lift from a recent cart upsell holdout test. Retention marketing gets the final word on why so few brands measure it properly. Powered By Motion Creative Benchmarks 2026 https://9ops.co/motionapp-creativebenchmarks2026Aftersell https://9ops.co/aftersell-mops Haus https://www.haus.io/operators NeonPixel https://9ops.co/neonpixel Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel-mops Proppel https://9ops.co/weareproppel Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/ 

As more AI-generated images and sounds fill our screens, our sense of reality is being distorted. In a special three-part series of Tech News Briefing, WSJ personal tech columnist Nicole Nguyen sits down with researchers, content creators and an AI character to ask how AI is changing our perceptions. This is episode one of TNB's “AI and the Blurring of Reality.” Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you're tired of constantly pitching brands and wondering how to get brands to reach out to you, this episode is for you. While pitching should always be part of your strategy, there are practical ways to increase your inbound opportunities so brands start finding you.In this episode, Nina from Sidewalker Daily shares the exact profile, SEO, and content strategies that make creators more discoverable to brands, whether you're on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Threads, or a blog.You'll learn how to optimize your content with searchable keywords, position your profile as brand-ready, create content that naturally attracts sponsorships, and make it incredibly easy for companies to contact you.Whether you're a UGC creator, influencer, content creator, or small business owner, these strategies can help you generate more inbound brand partnerships without relying solely on cold outreach.

Threads* сегодня — площадка, где количество подписчиков не гарантирует охваты, один удачный комментарий может разлететься дальше собственного поста, а привычные рекламные механики работают совсем не так, как в других соцсетях. И пока одни бренды только присматриваются к ней, другие уже используют алгоритмы площадки для продвижения, поиска клиентов и коллабораций. В новом выпуске #НекстМедиаПодкаст Эльнара Петрова обсуждает Threads* с Анастасией Мартыновой, директором агентства «Лидмашина».— Кому из экспертов и брендов Threads подходит больше всего— Как алгоритмы распределяют контент и почему количество подписчиков здесь не главное— Что помогает постам и комментариям набирать охваты— Почему виральность еще не означает узнаваемость и продажи— Как брендам использовать ситуативный контент и комментарии— Почему попытка копировать юмор крупных брендов может обернуться репутационными проблемами— Как через Threads* находить клиентов и сотрудников— Почему массовые посевы и одинаковые UGC-интеграции здесь скорее вредят— Как выстроить воронку от охвата до покупки— Что бренду стоит сделать в Threads* до конца 2026 года*Продукт компании Meta — запрещенной в России экстремистской организации.Подписывайтесь на новости подкаста на любой удобной для вас платформе!

Uptin Saeedi spent years as a CNBC producer, where he launched the network's international YouTube channel in 2016 and quietly noticed something awkward: the videos he shot on his own iPhone in selfie mode outperformed the ones made with a professional crew. Then the pandemic hit, he was laid off, and he had to decide whether a million-view brand name meant anything without the brand.In this episode, Uptin is specific about why he spent his severance on an editor from day one, how PR consulting in the mornings let him make content in the afternoons with no financial pressure, and how a single LinkedIn message turned into a Dubai agency he never meant to start and later sold. Plus the reason his agency deliberately had no Instagram or TikTok, why he once unfollowed Gary Vee and then told him so to his face, and his rules for delivery: trim 30% of the script, never say "hey guys", and talk like you're speaking to one person.Topics covered: starting from zero · consistency · funding the early days · accidental agencies · scaling down · hustle culture · the craft of a good story

Your personal brand is either working FOR you or against you — and most UGC creators have no idea which one is happening on their own page.If you want to find out exactly where your personal brand stands right now (and what's actually holding you back from more brand deals), take my free quiz below. It takes less than 2 minutes and tells you exactly what to fix first.

This week on Get Canceled, Sheryl and the gang continue their discussion from last week, pulling back the curtain on the more sinister side of the gaming world.  It is undeniable that the internet has loose regulations for minors; and as a result, they have become over-exposed to content, sexual and otherwise, that is not suitable for an impressionable and developing brain.  We have yet to see the ramifications of such content on today's youth, coupled with their inability to tolerate the stresses of the real world.  Their retreat into virtual reality has left them confused about what is and isn't real.  And just because one hides behind an avatar does not mean they are safe from stalkers and other more nefarious predators.  Children are not growing up with a sense of what privacy is and unfortunately are incredibly willing to share personal information online which can put them in harms way.  Once again, it's real talk time at Get Canceled.   DISCLAIMER: This show is for entertainment purposes only.  The views expressed by the guests do not necessarily reflect the views of Get Canceled.  All guests remain anonymous.If you enjoy, please rate review subscribe and share!Have you or someone you love been canceled?  Sheryl wants to hear from you! Email: getcanceledinfo@gmail.comX: @GetCanceledPodwww.getcanceled.com      

Local pack ads jumped from 1% to 22% of tracked searches. Joy Hawkins, owner and president of Sterling Sky, brings nearly two decades of local search expertise and over 1,000 documented ranking tests to explain what actually moves the needle as AI reshapes local visibility. The conversation covers non-link authority signals—social UGC, active YouTube channels, Google reviews, and industry awards—that now feed AI-powered local packs, the escalating penalty risk from scaled content and link building following recent core updates, and lead qualification frameworks built on call tracking, response-time automation, and integrated texting to separate real revenue from vanity metrics.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A psychic, a nipple, and six days of radio silence. Lindsay takes her first solo vacation. The psychic says full-time podcaster by end of year and rich in three. All while she accidentally flashes her nipple in a reel. Chelsea gains 2,500 followers. Chelsea is embracing the UGC life, kinda. The Cyber house has a nature trail and no TV. Everyone's snowglobe is shaken up.Send us a textSupport the showLike, subscribe, and share with that one friend who needs a reason to laugh. Find us @honestlysmartless on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.Connect with Honestly Smartlesshonestlysmartless.comIG: @honestlysmartlessTikTok: @honestlysmartlessChelsea's IG: @chelsea_turanoLindsay's TT: @dr.lindsayregehrYouTube:  Honestly Smartless

AI images stop looking generic when creators steer models with real expertise, original references, hand-built assets, and selective craft.Finn McKenty joins Drew Brucker and Rory Flynn to explain why the fastest route to better AI work may involve drawing by hand, reading the manual, and making fewer things. The three alleged efficiency experts also wander into AI burnout, fake UGC, Higgsfield trust problems, Midjourney's long game, and the deeply inconvenient possibility that one great image may beat the 1,000 they can generate before lunch.Topics and tools covered:Midjourney, Weavy, ComfyUI, Claude, Gemini 2.5, GPT Image, Nano Banana, Flux, Krea, Figma, Adobe Photoshop, and Higgsfield anchor the practical discussion. Sketch references, image references, style references, out-of-distribution inputs, material-specific prompting, systems thinking, AI adoption, fake UGC, creator trust, and durable AI-assisted SEO define the core concepts.---⏱️ Fast Hour00:00Who is Finn McKenty?03:13 Why did Finn quit YouTube?05:30 Do creators need a large audience?12:05 Which existing skills create an AI edge?14:26 Does expertise accelerate AI mastery?16:27 Are creatives too attached to process?18:17 Why do companies fail to adopt AI?20:17 Why does advanced AI work cause burnout?27:33 Where should creators invest brainpower?29:31 How do creators steer probabilistic AI?31:27 What made Midjourney click for Finn?34:00 How did AI produce 10x SEO traffic?37:44 Why reject polished AI perfection?38:41 Why does handmade design feel better?41:06 How should AI and manual craft combine?46:24 Why does making more have zero value?50:57 How does material knowledge improve prompts?55:03 Why choose Weavy over ComfyUI?55:44 How do sketches improve AI images?58:33 How should creators divide work with AI?01:02:12 What does out-of-distribution mean?01:05:56 How do original references beat AI slop?01:07:03 Why does fake AI UGC destroy trust?01:11:31 What went wrong with Higgsfield?01:22:33 Why did Midjourney acquire Co-Star?01:24:09 Has Midjourney had the right vision?01:27:30 Why are creators returning to Midjourney?01:29:10 Why does bootstrapping protect creativity?01:34:01 Why does AI creative work need fun again?01:35:04 Does direct attribution kill creativity?#Midjourney #AICreativity #AIDesign #GenerativeAI #FastHours

If I had to start over from scratch in 2026 with no audience, no experience, and no money, this is the ONE opportunity I would go all in on. Not dropshipping. Not affiliate marketing. Not building a social media following and hoping to go viral.It's called UGC (User Generated Content), and it's quietly making regular, everyday people thousands of dollars a month from their phone. I've personally earned over $20K/month doing this, and I've watched my students build life-changing income in just a few months.✅ Want to learn exactly how it works? Free masterclass:https://ugcmasteryacademy.com/webinarsignup?funnel=Youtube&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=sydney&utm_content=s10-best-online-opportunity-2026&utm_term=long-form

Fan Mail: Tell Wendy how you're saying yes to yourself!In this episode, Wendy sits down with Kate Assaraf, founder of Dipped—a plastic-free shampoo and conditioner bar company born from 20 years in the beauty industry and a decade of frustration. In 2014, Kate discovered something most people don't know: plastic is way more problematic than the average consumers know. Recycling is a farce. Plastic leaches chemicals into our bloodstream and messes with our endocrine systems. But instead of guilt-tripping people into sustainability, she built something radical: a product so good, people switch for quality and savings first, then realize it's plastic-free as a bonus.They explore:Why most sustainable beauty products fail: they're made for a specific avatar (linen-wearing boho) and disappoint people switching from expensive hair careBuilding a brand on integrity, not influencers: no UGC actors, no AI, only actual paying customers. Result: 0.006% return rate.Reinvesting in local economy: money spent at zero-waste stores stays in your community, supports your fire department and schools, brings back face-to-face commerceKate's philosophy is simple: don't guilt people into doing the right thing. Give them really good stuff. Treat smart women like smart women. Let quality and integrity be your marketing. The scaffolding is strong, the messaging is real, and people buy it over and over again.Connect with Kate:DipAlready.comInstagram: instagram.com/dipalreadyLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kate-assaraf-b25a741a7Referenced in this Episode:HiBar: hellohibar.comBite: bitetoothpastebits.com________________________________________________________________________________________Connect with Wendy:LinkedinInstagram: @wendy.harropFacebook: Phineas Wright HouseWebsite: Phineas Wright House PWH Farm StaysPWH Curated Experience and TravelInterested in being a guest on the show? Send your pitch to podcast@phineaswrighthouse.comPodcast Production By Shannon Warner of Resonant Collective Want to start your own podcast? Let's chat!If this episode resonated, follow Say YES to Yourself! and leave a  5-star review. It helps more women in midlife discover the tools, stories, and community that make saying YES not only possible, but powerful.

Convoy says 85 million copies in 60 days. That means 63% of every console owner alive buys GTA 6, and the closest anyone has come without a bundle is half that.The crew digs into the Newzoo and Convoy numbers behind GTA 6 and finds projections that would require almost every active console owner on earth to buy it. Then Playtika, where a badly negotiated earn-out turned Superplay's success into a balance sheet problem big enough to put the studio on the block. Plus Unity 7's roadmap, Netflix throwing out gaming metrics that mean nothing, and what Township's match mode says about where mobile is heading.Topics Covered:• GTA 6 pre-orders skewing 89% to the $100 SKU• Why the projected attach rates are fantasy• The Ultimate Edition as soft price increase• UGC as the real GTA 6 story nobody is telling• Unity 7 roadmap, MCP integration and no-code web shops• Why Unity cannot scale against AppLovin• Tencent circling Superplay at up to $1.5 billion• The earn-out that broke Playtika's balance sheet• Disney Solitaire's trajectory into 2026• Netflix reporting 11x growth on numbers it will not disclose• Township bolting match onto a builder and printing money• Playable ads becoming actual game modesCHAPTERS: 00:24 Show Intro and Agenda01:38 Banter Marvel Trailers02:49 Announcements and Roundtables04:26 Xbox Hire Update06:14 GTA6 Preorders Pricing15:01 Ultimate Edition Strategy17:33 UGC and Online Upside19:15 Unity 7 Roadmap26:03 Playtika Superplay Rumor27:26 Superplay Earnout Breakdown28:11 Earn Out Math28:59 Tencent Deal Questions29:38 Disney Solitaire Outlook30:49 Why Sell Superplay34:48 Superplay Hits Breakdown36:02 Valuation Reality Check39:13 EA Predicts Winners40:49 Netflix Gaming Metrics43:26 What Metrics Matter46:49 Netflix Versus YouTube48:06 Township Versus Top Tycoon50:41 Match 3 Monetization Engine52:43 Hybridization And Playable Ads56:15 Fortnite Obsession Collab57:43 Wrap Up And Goodbye

In this throwback episode, we sit down with Elizabeth Thompson, Senior Manager of Social Media at National Geographic, who leads strategy for one of the largest social ecosystems in the world — over 400 million followers across platforms. Elizabeth shares the career journey that took her from Army brat and freelancer to running social for one of the most iconic storytelling brands, including how she grew Nat Geo's Instagram from 250M to 270M followers and TikTok from 2.5M to 9M. We unpack how a 137-year-old brand stays culturally relevant today, how her team uses UGC, reactive content, and new platform features to reach global audiences, and what creators and marketers can learn from building social strategy at scale. This one is packed with timeless frameworks — worth a relisten or a first listen if you missed it.Key Takeaways:// How to grow a legacy brand on social: The relevance, resonance, and risk framework Nat Geo uses to decide which cultural moments are worth jumping on — and which to sit out.// The power of UGC at scale: Why Nat Geo Your Shot was reimagined as a creative community, not just a content bucket — and how it drives belonging, not just reach.// Building strategy for massive audiences: How Elizabeth approaches content for 400M+ followers across seven platforms, and why an always-on strategy and engagement plays both have to coexist.// Career lessons for social pros: How internships spanning PR, journalism, and email marketing — plus a freelance business and a master's degree in Germany — shaped her path to Nat Geo.// Team building and cross-functional alignment: What transparency, flexibility, and proactive communication actually look like inside a large, matrixed organization.// The timeless principles that will outlast every algorithm shift: Authenticity, community, and adaptability — and why these three things will always matter no matter what the platforms do next.____Join the MHH Collective! The MHH Collective is a community for marketers and business owners to connect, ask real questions, and grow their careers together. Join for access to live Q&As with industry experts, a private Slack community, and ongoing resources: https://www.marketinghappyhr.com/mhh-collectiveSay hi! DM us on Instagram and let us know what content you want to hear on the show - We can't wait to hear from you! Please also consider rating the show and leaving a review, as that helps us tremendously as we move forward in this Marketing Happy Hour journey and create more content for all of you. ⁠Join the MHH Collective: ⁠Join now⁠Get the latest marketing trends, open jobs and MHH updates, straight to your inbox: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our email list!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow MHH on Social: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you've been wondering whether you need to join someone else's Instagram challenge to stay consistent, the answer is no. In this episode, Nina Zadeh from Sidewalker Daily shares exactly how to create your own Instagram Reels challenge so you can post consistently, increase your reach, improve your content strategy, and even create content that attracts future brand partnerships. You'll learn why a 15-day challenge can be more effective than longer challenges, how to strategically plan your Reels, repurpose content, create affiliate-focused videos, and use your challenge to get noticed by your dream brands. Whether you're an influencer, UGC creator, content creator, or aspiring influencer, this framework will help you build momentum without waiting for someone else to keep you accountable.

Tune in to the latest Social Success Series Podcast episode featuring special guest and Social Media Manager at Remington Hospitality, Anneleise McEvoy!  Anneleise joins the podcast to talk all things social media for Remington Hospitality as well as hotels in general and how they can not only improve but maximize their social presence online to drive bookings to their properties.  Cassady Quintana: Welcome to the Social Success Podcast, where we have conversations with top hospitality professionals about successful digital marketing strategies, emerging trends, and how to connect with today’s travelers. I’m your host, Cassady Quintana. Hello, everyone, and welcome to another episode of the Social Success Podcast. I am your host, Cassady Quintana. Super excited for today’s episode today. I have Anneleise McEvoy, social media manager at Remington Hospitality. Anneleise, thank you so much for joining me. Anneleise McEvoy: Absolutely. So first of all, thank you so much for having me. Cassady Quintana: Absolutely. I’m super excited you’re here. Obviously, we’ve talked a little bit before this episode, so I’ve gotten to know you some and especially from your LinkedIn presence, but for our listeners who may not be familiar with you or Remington Hospitality, could you give us a little bit of background about how you got to where you are today? Anneleise McEvoy: Absolutely. So I’ve always loved social media marketing. I’ve been passionate about it ever since college, and it was a career path that I always wanted. I started out in college being super involved with clubs and internships where I did social media. So in 2020 when I graduated, I moved to Dallas to pursue, pursue a career in social media marketing at a food and beverage, a food and beverage marketing agency that’s top year in Dallas. I started out as a social media specialist, went all the way up to a senior account executive. So I worked there for three years, and then at my three-point mark, I was like, “How can I mix one of my hobbies, which is traveling, into my career?” And so I was scrolling through LinkedIn, one day and came across a job posting at Remington Hospitality, reached out to my now boss, Alexis, and she told me about this aw- awesome opportunity that she was building a in – house social media agency for their portfolio of hotels. And so the rest is history. I am a social media manager at Remington, like you said. And one week is different than every… Every day is different, is what I’m trying to say. I might be in Key West learning about a hundred-year hotel or making content on a private beach, or I might be closer to Dallas where I’m based now in Fort Worth, marketing a trendy girl dinner experience on their rooftop. So that’s what I love about social media. Every property has its story and I get to help tell that story through social media. Cassady Quintana: Absolutely. And I’m glad you mentioned the different locations, because that kind of leads me into my next question. You know, at Remington, you guys have properties that span across very different markets, like you said. Something in Key West not going to resonate with someone that’s looking at a hotel in Texas. So when you guys are kind of building those strategies, how do you make sure that it feels unique to each property but still staying, you know, efficient as a corporate social team? Anneleise McEvoy: For sure, for sure. So one thing I always say, you can’t market a property that you’ve never experienced. And I’m sure that that’s true in every industry. I knew, I know that it was true in the food and beverage industry too. So before I build a social media strategy, I want to walk the property. I want to eat at the restaurant. I want to meet the team and experience it like a guest. So that’s where you discover the little things that make the hotel memorable, the experience. So that’s the first thing. I wanna visit the hotel like a guest. And then I pair that with the brand standards. So for example, if you’re a Marriott, a Moxie should feel completely different than an autograph collection. Every hotel should have a personality, but in that personality, we’re working in the brand standard. So at the end of the day, hotels don’t sell rooms. It’s all about the experience. We’re selling experiences. So social media’s job, every content creator’s co – that come into the property, our job is to create a place where someone wants to book before they even book. So that aesthetic feed is where they picture themselves experiencing. Cassady Quintana: Oh, I absolutely love that. And it’s, it’s interesting because when we think probably when you first started in social media or even when we were in college, social media was a completely different thing than it is now. We’ve seen all these updates and especially in this new age of AI, things are changing. So do you and what you’ve noticed with your job, like, how has social media changed, you know, even from two to three years ago and how has that changed your day-to-day role with what you’re doing at Remington? Anneleise McEvoy: Honestly, everything. Like six years ago, social media landscape changes literally every single day. I feel like I open Instagram and there’s a new update. Like last week, you can scroll through an Instagram carousel, I’m sure you’ve probably seen, and you don’t have to pick one caption. You can caption each photo now. So just things like that. There’s just always another update that content creator social media managers have to publicize out to the property teams as well. But I actually think that’s one of the most exciting parts of social media because it’s ever-changing and we can… There’s always something new to learn. And then on top of every algorithm that’s changing, I think the biggest thing that’s changed in the social media industry is influencer marketing. Because when I started six years ago, I would give an influencer a pizza and beer and they would post five inseed posts about it. And they would post it all on their stories and tag us and even do weekly posts. And I just gave them a pizza and beer. And now creators understand the val- value that they provide and are asking for paid collaborations, which I don’t think is a bad thing because we’re getting more of that quality content. But the challenge there is finding a partnership that works for both parties because for everyone watching, you probably know that hospitality budgets aren’t as big as people think. So even the marketing budget. So I think it’s about negotiating with influencers and giving them what they need as well as what we need. And then the last part of that question I think that’s changed is, of course, AI. I think I have a pretty strong opinion on it on the marketing landscape. I think there’s a right way to use AI. And a lazy way to use AI. So of course, when you’re scrolling your LinkedIn or any social media platform, you see captions with those M marks and you assume that they’re a AI-generated caption, but I think marketers should use it to enhance their ideas. Right. In my career, I found that all marketers have creativity. So it’s just an enhancement. Make a good idea great and AI is not here to replace creativity, I would say. Cassady Quintana: I definitely think it’s, can be used as a vehicle, like you said, to enhance the skills you already have. And even just to, like, bounce ideas. I know I use AI a lot of times, like, “Hey, I have this post idea. You know, what do you think about it? ” Or, you know, asking AI to just clean up my copy a little bit or, you know, helping me along the way. And we’ll talk a little bit more about AI further down. But since you mentioned influencers, I did wanna ask you about that because you do work closely with influencers. So from your point of view, like you said, not, not every influencer is a match and not every influencer is gonna deliver what you want them to deliver. And a lot of the times when hospitality professionals think about influencers, they just want someone with a lot of followers, right? They just want the big numbers, but there has to be alignment. So for you, and when you guys are working with influencers, kind of what separates a good partnership from someone, you know, that maybe not f – maybe doesn’t fit that well? And how do you guys go about finding those influencers? Anneleise McEvoy: For sure. I think what you just said, people think about the follower count and just look about at follower count. It’s all about the vetting process upfront. So you’re looking at engagement rate. I’d rather work with someone with a higher engagement rate, a smaller audience, and people that are connecting with their followers, and you can see that that’s genuine than someone that has over a million followers and doesn’t have a connected audience. And I find that their content is more authentic anyways. One of my favorite success stories, actually happened the other week. He did have a lot of followers, but it’s not even about his content. It was the creator. We always, after creator partnership, we always ask what we could have done better or how their story went. And it was a creator telling us he brought his whole family, extended family, and he already booked a trip for Thanksgiving with his family again, because they loved the experience so much. So that’s when influencer marketing, influencer relationships become more than just the content. It creates future guests because they’re gonna keep coming back. And if they’re passionate about the property, you know that you have an ongoing partnerships. I think that’s super important to create those ongoing partnerships as well. Cassady Quintana: I love that you said that because when you were talking about that, it makes me think of the parallel of just hospitality in general and how hotels treat their guests because, you know, you guys hired this influencer to come create content and share his story about his stay there. Yeah. And in turn, he wants to come back. That’s the same exact thing in the same way that hotels should treat their guests too, because they’re kind of like micro-influencers in a way. Like they’re telling their friends and family if their stay was good, they’re gonna post about on social media if their stay was good. So I love that there’s that parallel there. And a lot of times, influencers can be expensive. I think we all know that, especially in this age. Yes. Like they’re making enough money to live off of it, but there are those micro-influencers that do still have dedicated audiences. So I think it’s important not to, you know, just look them over because they may not have the biggest numbers that you’ve ever seen. But kind of along those lines, I wanna talk about, you know, content that hotels can post because I talk a lot about on my webinars and other podcasts about content that’s evergreen or things that can work across the board. So is there any kind of content that you guys do at Remington that you see that works well no matter where the property is located? Like just some type of evergreen content that you see that works really well? Anneleise McEvoy: For sure. And I think, again, this works for across the board for every industry because I found this in the food and beverage industry as well. But two things that always perform best, pets and people. So if you’re a pet-friendly hotel and you’re not posting that dog, you’re missing an opportunity and it helps that I am, I have a golden retriever. So every day, that’s one of my favorite parts of my job. I do community management as well as content creation. And so every day I get to go on the hotel social media and scour the comments, send the DMs everything and I love to repost pet content as it comes in. But also my favorite type of content is, highlighting people behind the performance. So, whether it’s a chef, a bartender, a housekeeper. Remington, actually, our motto is driven by people powered by performance. And social media is one of the best ways to bring that to life. I actually have a story about that at one of our Key West properties. It’s been around for maybe 20, 25 years, but we have a bartender that works there that she has worked there the whole entire time. Every time I post a photo of her, I’m not kidding you, I get 250 organic comments commenting about her, their experience with her. A story about her, how she makes the best drinks, how they’re booking the hotel because of her. And when I go to lifestyle photo shoots and see her, she explains that the guests are her friends. Yeah. She’s traveled the world with some of the guests. So it’s always about highlighting the people behind the performance and behind the scenes as well. And people like seeing that connection. They don’t like just seeing the evergreen. So I think posting people is a way to do that. Cassady Quintana: And in a way, I feel like that is evergreen. You know, she, you just said she’s worked there the entire time, like – Yes. And people love her. So, you know, keep posting. I love that because I have that same kind of relationship with some hotels that I regularly go to with my family, like bartenders or – Yes. You know, general managers, things like that. And that makes, like you said earlier, like, we’re booking an ex – an experience and not just somewhere to sleep, right? So having that comfortability with people that work at the property just makes it better. And social media, we work in, like, the, the most feel-good industry. Our social media to reflect that, you know, it’s, like, it’s the most exciting industry to me because it is changing every day. There’s something new to talk about. People are always wanting to travel. Cassady Quintana: People love to travel. Like, it should be fun content to kind of match that. But kind of on, you know, the other side of social media marketing and some things that can scare hoteliers is, like, that paid social strategy. So for you guys at Remington, do you have a paid ad strategy? And if you do, what is your, you know, attack to figuring out, okay, we’re gona put some money behind this post, or we’re gonna keep this one organic. Is there a strategy there, and what does that look like for you guys? Anneleise McEvoy: There’s a strategy. I think that’s one of the things that has changed in the social media marketing world since six years ago as well. I think s – all social is pay to play. Yeah. So you need an organic strategy and you need to layer in a paid strategy. So paid social for me always starts with one question. If a hotel asks, “Hey, I would love to market a seasonal activation or I’d love to market, let’s say, Easter Brunch, Father’s Day brunch, 4th of July, what’s the business goal? What… Who do you want to see? Start with that one question. What’s the business goal?” And we just invest in where paid can reach the right visibility and right audience, and support the business results that we created in that strategy. So always start with that one question. Cassady Quintana: I love that. I think that’s a great way to go at it because it helps hoteliers that may be doing their own social media for their hotel. Like, okay, I do, I know what my goal is for this post. So if you already have that in mind, that’s a great way to kind of look at your strategy and understand which ones should be organic and which ones should be having that ad spend behind it. Definitely. We kind of mentioned this earlier that, you know, authentic, feel good, sh – posting your people. You know, we’re seeing a lot of… Instagram has honestly flipped a little bit. When it first came out, it was very, like, post your best photo with the best filter. Yes. You want that perfect shot. But now it’s like, that we don’t want that anymore. We don’t want polished photos on Instagram. We want authentic. We want real. So I know I’m sure you guys have a lot of user-generated content. I’m sure you have great photos of the property. So how do you balance that of, you know, we do wanna show what the property looks like, but we also wanna show the authentic everyday scene of the hotel. So what’s that balance like of UGC, of user-generated content, photos and videos you guys have taken? How do you kind of balance that together? Anneleise McEvoy: Like you said, I don’t think it’s an either/or conversation. I think you need to have both. Professional lifestyle photography and videography is our evergreen content. Right. I think the cool thing about Remington when I came on, hotels did understand that they needed lifestyle photography and videography. So we’ve gotten to do a lot of lifestyle shoots and create social media campaigns that are evergreen. And throughout the year, kind of with our lifestyle photo shoots, we also ask the property, “Hey, do you have any events that are gonna be coming up since we’re in July for 4th of July?” And ask them from there if they want some professional photography. But basically, that lifestyle evergreen content is the foundation of what we post. So I have, I would say 80% of our content calendars are that professional use po – more polished look that you were talking about. But I think that you’re right. I don’t think that we’ve moved away from the aesthetic feed to people want to visualize themselves in the feed. How am I gonna experience that rooftop bar? How am I gonna swim at the pool and get drinks brought to me type of thing? So that’s where we layer creator partnerships. And usually with our creator partnerships, we request one reel to be part of their deliverables where we can do a collaboration post where we share that engagement. It goes on both pages. And then UGC, user-generated content is an interesting conversation because obviously you don’t wanna post every single post that you’re tagged in. Right. So our process, we vet, at the beginning of the month what we would like to post. And then you have to be careful about permissions. So we always ask if we can po- post before posting it, but layering that in as the last one to make the page more authentic. And I think, I mean, to conclude, the best hotel pages balance both. Cassady Quintana: Absolutely. I totally agree. And you guys, you know, you’re managing multiple properties social media so obviously you can’t be at the property every day capturing that content in real time. And a lot of hoteliers and people that work at hotels, like, we’re, we’re hands off with social media because Remington is doing that for us. So is there, you know, how do you kind of get that buy-in from them, you know, if there is something going on at their property, like, “Hey, can you please get some photos, like, so we can in turn post this on social media?” ‘Cause I know, you know, it, it can be hard to get them to, to want to do that, right? It’s like the last thing on their mind because they’ve already given that to you guys. So is there a way to create that buy-in without, like, making it seem like we’re just asking them for more and more and more? Anneleise McEvoy: Scary. I mean, as you’re scrolling your own social media, I know that, I would be daunted by creating a reel of the activation I just told the marketing team. Right. So I don’t expect any hoteler or a director of sales and marketing to become a content creator. I start all of my social media calls like that. I expect one thing for them to be passionate about the thing that they want to market. Yeah. Passionate about the idea that they had to bring to me. And let’s give an example of maybe we have a rooftop market, farmer’s market experience. So when you’re talking about passion with that idea, I can make it come to life. Not everyone has to be a content creator, but you can create a social media champion on property. So designate one social media champion and I hop on a call with them. They’re usually very excited to capture the content. And then we make it easy with ideas and tell them how to get the best lighting, give them guidance on the best, the best clips and tell them that you don’t need to mute the clips. We’ll put on the music later. Right. It’s just about guidance and encouragement. But basically having one social media champion and having that passion is all you need. Cassady Quintana: Oh, I love that. And I think most hotels can find at least one employee that would be happy to do it, right? A happy to take those photos. And I’m sure they love their own social media, so why not, you know, do it for the hotel too? I would be that person for sure. I would love to, I would love to just go around properties and, you know, shoot content for them. Anneleise McEvoy: People even even raise their hand and say, “Hey, I wanna do this. ” And those are the best kind of people because you know that they’re, they’re really passionate about it. Cassady Quintana: And I’m sure it makes your life easier because you don’t even have to worry about finding that person, right? They’ve already made themselves know. So I’m sure that’s really helpful. And it’s cool to hear your guys’ process because, you know, when you work with a management group or you’re working with, you know, an agency like Travel Media Group to do your social media, it’s almost like sometimes it can be hard, I think, for hoteliers to fully be hands-off or, you know, there’s that kind of balance you have to have of, like, I’m passionate about it. I want people to see our hotel’s personality, but I’m also trusting someone else to make that come to life. So I think having that relationship with them and making sure that they understand, like, you want to bring their vision to life, right? So this is kind of an off-script question, but do you have trouble, like, do they have trouble coming up with ideas? Like, how does that balance work if you guys presenting ideas versus them saying, “This is what we wanna talk about this month?” Anneleise McEvoy: Like you said, I think two types of hotels. Some hotels come with me with 25 ideas, “Hey, can we post about National Lollipop Day?” Yeah. And I kinda have to reign them in and say, “Hey, let’s look at the brand standards and go back to our social media strategy. And I’d love to post about these five things that you brought up because, it’s in the area.” For example, the example that comes to mind is a DC hotel last year had, was close to the zoo, and they had pandas that were just born, and they wanted to post about it. And I was like, “That was kinda random, but we can make it a thing.” Right. They wanted to make it a whole activation. So they do come up with ideas. It’s all about balance in that relationship and being able to say, “No, that really doesn’t fit the brand voice,” versus, “Hey, yeah, let’s, let’s make that an idea.” So I have hotels that bring me ideas. We talk to the hotels at least once a month to present our ideas, whether that’s a local idea, what I just said about a panda being – Right. Born and it’s a, it’s a big piece of news. Or it’s more like National Wine and Cheese Day, “Hey, you should hop on this and we should get some local cheeses to come out and enhance your already done hot happy hour.” Yeah. So kind of both, both ways. We present ideas, sometimes they present ideas, but I like both. Cassady Quintana: That’s best of both worlds right there, have a little bit combo, because that allows you to still have your creative side too. So, okay, kind of shifting back, I know we touched on AI a little bit, but is there any AI tools, or workflows that you guys have utilized, you know, into your social media process? And how do you think AI is gona kind of fit into social media as we continue to move forward? Anneleise McEvoy: I actually think AI has made creativity in the marketing world more important, not less. Audiences know, like I said earlier, when something doesn’t feel authentic. And AI is not taking everyone’s jobs, as everyone’s saying. Hospitality is about people and the best stories still come from real guests, real employees, and real experiences. So they’re leaving those reviews. They’re leaving the comments. And I think we’re the liaison between the comments in the hotel. So for example, like I said about community management, we do community management every day, and I look at comments and reviews. I have one specific hotel that has been open, the same one as the bartender one, has been around for about 25 years, and people are repeat guests. Right. And they, they comment all the time, “Hey, I have 25 days till my vacation. I’m celebrating my wedding anniversary.” And so we could do an AI response back to that, but I like to send via email that comment to the hotel team and work with them on a special amenity that we can give someone because some of the comments I see, they’ve gotten married there, et cetera. So creating those real experiences that AI hasn’t. But yes, we do use AI. I think it’s just as enhancements. I don’t think that in the social media world, you should put your whole content calendar in there and use all of the captions, the cookie cutter captions that it comes out with. And then I think really interesting, the newest thing about AI that I’ve seen is AI influencers. And so I’ve seen a couple, of those and I think it just all goes back to being authentic. And some of those employees that you’re seeing in the AI influencers are not real places that these repeat guests are used to. So I think it’s a good thing and you can use it for lazy ways, like I keep saying. But just enhancements to already ideas. We put in different activations that we’ve though of and it’s came out with even better ideas. So yes, we do use AI. Cassady Quintana: Yeah. I mean, I think you kind of have to these days. It’s, it’s everywhere. And so if you’re not utilizing it, you know, you, you might as well be utilizing it in some way to help, help enhance your strategy or just to bounce ideas off. But I’m, I’m glad you mentioned that about, you know, employees that don’t actually exist. And I haven’t seen that influencer thing. I’m gonna have to check that out after this, but it’s, that’s kind of scary, actually, like, when you think about it. It is. ‘Cause that stuff looks so real. And if… Imagine you saw that. Imagine that you saw an em – an employee at the hotel and then you get there and then you never see them. And it’s like, it can be hard to make sure, like, okay, do I believe this or not? Anneleise McEvoy: Like you said, I mean, different… AI is just improving every day as you know. Right. And different generations look at that differently. And if an older generation looks at that AI influencer and they’re like, “Whoa, we wanna go there and we wanna experience this view and the view isn’t – Right. Like it is, then it’s not real.” So – Yeah. Cassady Quintana: Yeah. Yeah. It can definitely have a negative effect too. And we might even see, you know, negative comments, negative reviews about, you know, I saw this image on their social media and this is not what it looks like because maybe they used AI. And it’s like – Yes. A very fine line there. And we see it too with responding to reviews, and like you mentioned, responding to comments too, how it’s pretty easy to tell if something was just AI generated, but if you can take those comments and respond back to them like a real person and then like you said later on, they come to visit and you remembered that and you did something special for them, I think that’s awesome. And we can’t lose that humanity aspect of hospitality. And I don’t think we will. Like I think at the – Me. The base of hospitality is people and that’s what makes a hotel stay special is the people behind it. ‘Cause at the end of the day – Yeah. It’s just a building. It may be the most beautiful resort ever, but if the staff is not nice and they don’t have a good experience with them, like, overall, it’s not a great time. So look – I agree. I appreciate your insight on those. So before we wrap up, I like to do these, like, rapid fire questions. Okay. So I’m gonna give you questions and, like, first thing that comes to your mind, all right? Okay. Perfect. So what is one hotel social media trend you think is overused or overrated? Anneleise McEvoy: Lots of trends. I mean, I think we live in an era of pop culture. And not every brand needs to participate in every single trend. So we live in an era of all these trendy TV shows, award shows, the Super Bowl, all of these things. And sometimes saying no to a trend is having a strong brand voice. Yeah. And it’s not all cookie. So I would just say don’t hop on all of the memes just because they’re trendy. Cassady Quintana: Yeah. It’s like, I don’t know if you saw during the World Cup, the Levi Stadium had to cover, you know, their logo with the white cloth and all these brands are doing all of a sudden. And it’s like, it’s, that’s not what the, you know, that’s not why it blew up. Or the same thing with the – No. The couple that just climbed the Empire State Building with the flag, and now people are putting their stuff on the flag. Everywhere. It’s everywhere. It’s like, okay, guys. And I get it. I get why people are doing it because they want, they want that viral moment. But anyways, I digress. So, okay. Favorite hotel brand or property to follow on social media that’s not Remington? Anneleise McEvoy: I have three. So I would say, I mean, I’m in social media, but I’m also on social media doom scoo – scrolling a lot. So my local one would be Dallas Hotel Swexen. I think it’s a boutique hotel and they have a really cool aesthetic feed that w – like I was talking about lots of professional shots. So taking inspo from there. Why I started in s – hotels, I love LOEs. The story of the Plaza. So I love looking at the Plaza Hotel in New York and they have a great dog-friendly program. They get robes and room service for dogs. It’s just, it’s great to watch. And then the Lafayette in San Diego, I think it was recently transformed from a motel actually. I think it’s an independent, but they have a lot of great programming for food and beverage and pools and everything. And so I like looking at what events they have going on. Cassady Quintana: All right. There you heard it first, listeners. If you need social content inspiration, definitely go check those out. I’ll be checking those out after this too. Okay. what’s your favorite Remington campaign or post that you’ve done or that you’ve been a part of? Anneleise McEvoy: It’s actually happening right now. So Laconcia Key West is turning 100 this year. Nice. And I love it because, we layered so many different marketing strategies into the campaign. So we had a lifestyle photo and video shoot. And the video shoot was focused on reels where it compares vintage to now time. Actually, every week in July we are releasing, a different video. So that’s been fun. And then we had a couple weeks ago, we teased a social media giveaway. So they were established in 1926. So we teased this giveaway and we were giving away five lucky people, $19.26 a night rates. And so if they commented at the certain time that we posted, first five got this and of course we had blackout dates app, et cetera. But since we tease it, we got about 200 comments in the first minute. And so we had to be on the first five commenters and that was really fun. And they’re all staying in 2026. So it’s been a really fun 100-year campaign. That’s awesome. Cassady Quintana: Yeah. I wish I would’ve known about that. I would’ve tried to enter. Yes. Yeah, that’s awesome. I, I love that kind of stuff too, because that, I don’t know, that just adds another layer of personality beyond this day because it, it shows that you really care about that relationship with guests and wanting to do that kind of stuff. Also, 100 years is, is impressive on its own. Okay. What, what’s one piece of advice you’d give to a hotel that’s trying to grow its social presence? Maybe they’re just starting out. Anneleise McEvoy: I would say create those experiences. I would say if you have a ho- hotel happy hour and it’s just in a hotel bar and maybe you’ll Your branding is European. You make a European happy hour with a viral Aperol Spritz that people are going to take pictures of. Maybe it comes out in a cart. Maybe you train people to say a special word when they get this Apparel Spritz. It’s all about experiences on social now because that’s what you get, that’s when you get your user generated content. So it just makes sense. So create those experiences. Cassady Quintana: Love it. All right. Well, before we wrap up, I like to ask everybody, you know, kind of looking ahead to 2026, I can’t believe we’re already more than halfway through the year. It’s crazy. But what are some social marketing trends you’re seeing right now that hoteliers and other social media managers should pay attention to? Anneleise McEvoy: I think it’s actually going back to what hospitality means. I know we’ve talked a lot about people and experiences and everyone is talking about all of these trends, but it’s actually just saying, “Hey, we’re in the hospitality industry. Travelers are looking for not just a place to stay anymore. They’re not just putting their head on the pillow. They’re looking for a place where they can experience everything. They can walk to everything. They have all, they have a navigator at the front desk telling them what the closest d- destination spots. They’re curating that itinerary for them so they have to do no work. Our job as marketers, social media managers, content creators is to translate those experiences into content that makes someone think, “Hey, I wanna go there.” And then you can layer in all of the trends that people are talking about. But it’s really those, “Hey, I wanna go there,” moments that get you those bookings. Cassady Quintana: Yeah, for sure. Well, you’ve had great advice all this entire episode. I appreciate you taking time out of your day to do this. For our listeners, is there anywhere they can find you, connect with you, or Remington? Anneleise McEvoy: Yes, we have social media. Remington Hospitality is our handle on TikTok and Instagram and LinkedIn, so go follow them. And for me, Anneleise McEvoy on LinkedIn is great. Cassady Quintana: All right. Perfect. Well, Anneleise, thank you so much for joining me today. I had a blast talking to you and thank you everybody for listening to this episode and we will see you next time on the Social Success Series. Anneleise McEvoy: Thank you. Cassady Quintana: Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast so you don’t miss an episode. The Social Success Podcast is produced by Travel Media Group. Our editor is Brandon Bell with cover art by Bary Gordon. I am your host, Cassady Quintana, and we hope you enjoyed this episode.

This week on Get Canceled, Sheryl and the gang get virtual, doing a deep dive into the world of video games and user-generated content.  It's 2026 and the future is now, which translates into if you think it, you can create it - at least virtually.  For many, the real world is too stressful or simply a bore compared to putting on a VR set and unleashing your true self or inner freak.  Yeah, it gets weird when people hide behind an avatar.  The escapism of gaming and virtual worlds can be so alluring that many struggle to turn it off.  But there is a darker side than just addiction in this way of life.  Sexual perversion, child predators, and a loss of reality lurk in the shadows of these seemingly harmless games.  It's real talk time and Get Canceled, as usual, doesn't hold back.DISCLAIMER: This show is for entertainment purposes only.  The views expressed by the guests do not necessarily reflect the views of Get Canceled.  All guests remain anonymous.If you enjoy, please rate review subscribe and share!Have you or someone you love been canceled?  Sheryl wants to hear from you! Email: getcanceledinfo@gmail.comX: @GetCanceledPodwww.getcanceled.com      

Brands used to pay influencers thousands for a single post. Now they're paying regular, everyday people $500+ per video — filmed on a phone, from home, with zero following required. Here's why.✅ Join my free live masterclass:https://ugcmasteryacademy.com/webinarsignup?funnel=Youtube&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=sydney&utm_content=s09-why-brands-pay-everyday-people-500&utm_term=long-form

This Week In Startups is made possible by: Vanta https://www.vanta.com/twist Superhuman https://superhuman.com YSecurity https://YSecurity.io/TWIST Today's show: *Cybersecurity has long focused on cleaning up a system AFTER a breach but Ent founder Brandon Dixon says that's backwards. He just raised a $100M seed round to put an AI agent on everyone's company laptops that catches the risky clicks, leaked files, or rogue agents BEFORE they wreck havoc. PLUS Clawra creator David Im return swith his new project, Sume's Avatar, a multi-model orchestration layer that generates 60-second UGC videos from a single prompt… and gets it right on the first try, rather than falling back on trial and error. Guests: Brandon Dixon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonsdixon/ Ent: ****https://ent.ai/ David Im on X: https://x.com/davidim Sume: https://www.sume.com/ Relevant Links: WSJ: "Cyber Security Startup Ent Raises $100 Million in Seed Funding": https://www.wsj.com/pro/cybersecurity/cyber-startup-ent-raises-100-million-in-seed-funding-a3e9b6c6 Microsoft Security Copilot: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/business/ai-machine-learning/microsoft-security-copilot Engadget: "Meta 'pausing' employee tracking program…": https://www.engadget.com/2199458/meta-is-pausing-employee-tracking-program-after-it-let-the-whole-company-see-sensitive-data/ Seedance 2.0: https://seedance2.ai/ Timestamps: 0:00 Intro: Why AI + cybersecurity is the hot combo right now 2:29 How INT stops breaches before they happen 4:56 AI is giving non-technical employees dangerous new powers 10:26 Vanta - Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. Get $1,000 off for a limited time at https://www.vanta.com/twist 13:54 Why on-device AI beats cloud-based security 20:08 Superhuman - Get AI that works where you work. Unlock your Superhuman potential at https://superhuman.com 25:18 INT's business model and go-to-market 30:26 YSecurity - The on-demand security team for startups. Need enterprise-grade security without hiring a $400k CISO? YSecurity gives you 40+ expert engineers, matched to exactly what you need, by the hour, with your first six hours completely free. Go to https://YSecurity.io/TWIST 34:18 David M. of Sumi Labs: one-shotting AI video 36:10 Live demo: Sumi's video orchestration API 40:05 Consistent faces, 60-second videos, and who's buying Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp   Follow Lon: X: https://x.com/lons   Follow Alex: X: https://x.com/alex LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm   Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis   Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/   Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland   Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis   Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Send us Fan MailAn ecommerce marketing funnel shows how traffic moves through awareness, conversion, retention, and repeat sales. This video covers DTC marketing strategy, Meta ads, Google ads, UGC, affiliate marketing, email, and SMS. It shows how brands can reduce website drop-off, improve store conversion, and turn more visitors into customers.Stop paying for traffic that leaves without buying, get a full ecommerce growth plan built around the funnel and conversion gaps costing the brand sales: https://bit.ly/4jMZtxu#EcommerceMarketing #EcommerceSales #DTCMarketingWant free resources? Dowload our Free Amazon guides here:Download the 2026 Amazon AI Operating Manual: https://bit.ly/3SLmusPAmazon Receiving Delay Guide: https://hubs.ly/Q04cdD4c0Amazon Catalog Spring Cleaning: https://hubs.ly/Q046BVfp0Amazon Proft Margin Defense 2026: https://hubs.ly/Q042trRH0Amazon SEO Toolkit 2026: https://bit.ly/4oC2ClTAmazon Seller Strategy Report 2026: https://bit.ly/3YN1RME2026 Ecommerce Website & SEO Readiness Checklist: https://hubs.ly/Q04btghf0Amazon 2026 PPC guide: https://bit.ly/4lF0OYXTimestamps00:00 - Why Ecommerce Customers Leave Before Checkout00:49 - Amazon Ads vs. Ecommerce Marketing Channels01:43 - How the Ecommerce Marketing Funnel Works02:10 - Building Awareness With Paid and Organic Traffic02:41 - Moving Shoppers From Awareness to Consideration03:10 - Using UGC and Affiliate Marketing for Sales03:44 - Turning Website Visitors Into Paying Customers04:29 - How Email and SMS Create Repeat Buyers05:44 - How Customer Advocacy Drives Referral Sales07:20 - Where New Ecommerce Brands Should Start08:11 - Building Ads for Consideration and Conversion09:36 - Finding Competitor Ads in Meta Ad Library11:13 - Why Landing Pages Convert Better Than Homepages12:57 - Testing Short and Long Ecommerce Ad Formats14:28 - Landing Page Clicks and Ecommerce Conversion15:56 - Choosing Text, Image, and Video Ads16:56 - Finding Competitor Keywords for Google Ads17:50 - Amazon ICAP Funnel vs. Ecommerce Funnel19:03 - How Customer Advocacy Restarts the Funnel-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Follow us:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28605816/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenpopemag/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/myamazonguys/Twitter: https://twitter.com/myamazonguySubscribe to the My Amazon Guy podcast: https://podcast.myamazonguy.comApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-amazon-guy/id1501974229Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4A5ASHGGfr6s4wWNQIqyVwSupport the show

Yasmina Elmerkaoui had one shot - use the house deposit to buy a home, or bet it all on a hair gel she'd spent two years formulating. She chose the hair gel. On launch night she packed orders until 5am, drove them to the post office herself, and woke up to find all 20,000 units - what she thought was a year's worth of stock - completely gone in 24 hours. Macao is now on track for eight figures in its third year, built on 90,000 Instagram followers, zero outside funding at launch, and a pre-launch call to her manufacturer that saved everything. In this interview, Yasmina breaks down the exact pre-launch move that meant stock was already in production when she sold out overnight, how she turned copycats into a celebration, and the investor email she kept deleting because she thought it was a scam. What you'll learn in this interview: Why she bet the house deposit on a hair gel - and the mentor conversation that pushed her over the line How nearly $10,000 in sampling and a $30,000 first run taught her what building a real product actually costs The pre-launch gut call - why she paid a deposit to start production before launch, and how it saved the business when everything sold out in 24 hours Why she started signing customer service emails under a male alias - and why it actually worked How she used UGC creators from day one to fill the feed with different faces, ethnicities, and hair types so the brand didn't rely on just her The Black Friday disaster that made a year's revenue in one week - then nearly broke her entire operation Why she kept deleting the investor email from Capital Influence because she thought it was a Facebook scam What finally convinced her to give up equity - and why it was about experience, not money The "create your own bundle" feature that raised average order value without a single extra product Why she celebrates copycats - and the mindset that keeps her focused on what's next instead of what's being copied If you're an early stage DTC founder, a content creator thinking about launching your own product, or trying to figure out how to turn a loyal audience into actual sales without burning the trust you've built, this conversation will fundamentally change how you think about community, launch strategy, and what it really takes to go from house deposit to eight figures. SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://your.omnisend.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get started. WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS? Join the Foundr Operators Waitlist → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/operators⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+ Start your $1 trial → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING? → Starting from scratch? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ → Already have a store? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH YASMINA ELMERKAOIU Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/mrs.yasmina/ LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmina-elmerkaoui-191b69262/ Website → https://merkaou.com/ FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES YouTube → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/foundr/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Podcast → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/podcast⁠

Should you be doing free UGC for brands to get your foot in the door and get more experience? Lets talk about it! Follow me on Instagram - www.instagram.com/imkaylaybanez RESOURCES MENTIONED: → FREE RESOURCE: What I said to brands to get 10 PAID DEALS overnight -- https://stan.store/Kaylaybanez/p/the-message-that-got-10-brands-to-say-yes The Top TOOLS & Software I Recommend for paid brand deals: https://stan.store/Kaylaybanez/p/the-top-creator-tools-softwares--apps-i-use WORK WITH ME: Ready to monetize your skills as a non-influencer? Book a 1:1 Business Strategy Session: https://stan.store/Kaylaybanez/p/book-a-11-call-with-me-4p2zob8c LET'S HANG OUT MORE: Instagram: / www.instagram.com/imkaylaybanez TikTok: / / www.tiktok.com/@kaylaybanez Tell me in the comments: What was your biggest "OMG I NEEDED THIS" moment? Let's chat below — I reply to every single one! #UGC #UserGeneratedContent #CreativeEntrepreneurship #ContentCreation #DigitalMarketing #BrandCollaboration #VideoEditing #CreativeOutlet #MakeMoneyOnline #AgeIsJustANumber #networkmarketing #mlmbusiness #lifeaftermlm #contentcreator #ugc

I used to chase $10K/month for 7 years in a completely different industry and never got there — then I picked up my phone and hit it in 12 months with UGC.✅ Join my free live masterclass:https://ugcmasteryacademy.com/webinarsignup?funnel=Youtube&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=sydney&utm_content=s07-90-day-roadmap

We're more than a week removed from the controversial decision to scrap new physical releases for PlayStation hardware beginning in early 2028, and even with a robust outpouring of rage from a portion of its hardcore audience, Sony doesn't seem like it's going to budge. This has come to surprise some people; yet, the longer Sony continues its silence on the topic, the more unlikely it'll be that anything will change. Will the Japanese megacorporation's wait-and-see approach pay off? Is there still time to turn the ship around? Are physical buyers vastly overestimating their power and positioning? There's much more to discuss surrounding the worst period of PR for the PlayStation brand since 2011. Other news this week includes furor over language in the European PSN's terms of service, drama surrounding Marvel Tokon's release on Steam, significant layoffs at Xbox that deeply affect PlayStation-aligned developers like id and Obsidian, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is it weird that Sony executives sold more than $10 million in stock after their infamous physical games announcement? What's going on with EA's insane monetization policies in College Football 27? Why couldn't Bluepoint spin-out from Sony like Microsoft is allowing some of its teams to do? Does Dustin have similarly arcane powers as Brad, just pointed in the opposite direction? Timestamps: Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00 - Intro22:12 - Yet another Sacred baby24:04 - The Blue Reaper32:32 - Enough of the Euroslander34:18 - Wet wipes are a game changer39:07 - Infamous 2 UGC servers shutting down42:05 - Christopher Barrett settled his lawsuit with Bungie and Sony55:04 - Sony won't reverse course on physical media1:06:22 - Sony starts repurposing its factories2:24:40 - European fans freak out about account deletion2:29:22 - Marvel Tokon on PC won't launch in 132 countries2:34:41 - Microsoft guts id Software3:10:33 - Obsidian returns to Fallout3:25:55 - Undead Labs spins-out from Xbox3:32:42 - IO Interactive reclaims its cancelled Xbox second party game3:34:45 - June 2026's top downloads on PSN3:35:50 - What We're Playing (GTA V, GTA SA, Mercenaries 2, PURE)3:51:27 - Microsoft is good while Sony is evil?3:56:26 - What's stopping Bluepoint from staying together?4:00:53 - Sony CEO sells 50% of his stock?4:06:45 - Crash Team Racing tips and tricks4:09:37 - EA Sports College Football 27 uproar4:17:39 - Bethesda's lay-off memorial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Send us Fan MailIn this edition of the Subie Scoop I talk about getting laid off 9 months ago to the day, and about getting an offer for a new full time job.

How I went from $40K in debt to making $20,000/month filming videos on my iPhone — with zero creative experience and no following.✅ Join my free live masterclass:https://ugcmasteryacademy.com/webinarsignup?funnel=Podcast

What do you do when the dream you've had since childhood no longer fits the person you're becoming? In this episode of I Like That Story, Jeff Gould sits down with marketing professional, former television personality, and digital content creator Brittany "Kaye" Kemmerer for a candid conversation about purpose, reinvention, and finding your way in a rapidly changing world. After spending nearly a decade in broadcast television as a reporter, anchor, and lifestyle host, Brittany Kaye made the difficult decision to leave the career she had envisioned since she was a little girl. Today, she helps businesses grow through strategic marketing, audience engagement, and storytelling—but her journey has taught her that sometimes the best opportunities come from the paths you never planned to take. In this conversation, Jeff and Brittany discuss: • Why “red lights” in life can actually be green lights in disguise • The challenge of finding purpose and embracing reinvention • Social media's power to build brands—and its impact on mental health• The reality behind the highlight reels we see online • Why relationships and reputation matter more than résumés • Imposter syndrome, confidence, and learning as you go • The future of personal branding and digital storytelling • The importance of authentic human connection in a digital world Brittany also shares her personal experiences with bullying, self-doubt, and comparison, offering thoughtful advice for anyone who feels stuck, uncertain, or is still trying to figure out where they belong. From small-town Wisconsin to television and marketing, Brittany's story is a reminder that meaningful work often happens where passion, relationships, and purpose intersect. Brittany Kaye is a marketing professional, former television personality, digital content creator, and aspiring User-Generated Content (UGC) creator with nearly a decade of experience in media, marketing, and communications. She is passionate about personal branding, social media, career growth, and helping people and businesses tell stories that connect. As she continues her work in marketing, Brittany is also launching a new venture creating authentic, relatable content for brands through UGC partnerships, combining her on-camera experience with her passion for storytelling and digital engagement. When she's not working, you'll find her traveling, exploring the outdoors, working out, or spending time with her dog, Jordy. Connect with Brittany: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittanykemmerer/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brittanykemmerer UGC Portfolio: https://brittanykaye.my.canva.site/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-kemmerer/ Heavily watched video of Jeff playing catch with his son-in-law:https://www.instagram.com/reels/C_yacnfSJ6e/ Also, watch Jeff Gould being interviewed by Brittany Kaye:https://www.keloland.com/keloland-living/across-the-table/across-the-table-with-jeff-gould/ If this conversation encouraged you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who may need the reminder that it's okay not to have everything figured out. #JeffGould #AmericasStoryteller #BrittanyKaye #Storytelling #CareerGrowth #Purpose #PersonalBranding #SocialMediaMarketing #Marketing #LifeLessons #CareerChange #FindingYourPurpose #DigitalMarketing #Authenticity #Inspiration #Reinvention #PersonalGrowth #CareerDevelopment #SelfDiscovery #Mindset #PurposeDriven #StoryMatters #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #ContentCreator #SocialMediaStrategy #CareerJourney #UserGeneratedContent #UGC #UGCCreator #ContentCreation #mathewmcconaughey #greenlights ____ Learn all about America's Storyteller on his website: https://www.ilikethatstory.com Buy Jeff's books, CD, and audio book: https://www.ilikethatstory.net/shop Get urgent one-on-one coaching with Jeff now: https://calendly.com/jeffjgould Connect with Jeff on social media: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jeffgould LinkedIn: / jeff-gould-americas-storyteller Twitter/X: https://x.com/jeffgouldstory Instagram: / jeffgouldilikethatstory Facebook: / jeffgouldilikethatstory For booking, contact: Email: book@ilikethatstory.net Phone: (605) 215-6414 or https://www.ilikethatstory.net/contact Send business/sponsorship inquiries to book@ilikethatstory.net © Jeff Gould, America's Storyteller This video is not to be reproduced without prior authorization. The original YouTube video may be distributed & embedded, if required. Callers waive all rights to privacy on this public call in show. If you need private coaching, pay for and book a call at https://www.ilikethatstory.com

Want to build a seven-figure brand the way Elina did? Get the free $100K/month playbook and a quick diagnostic that shows you exactly which step to focus on next: https://capitalism.com/100K Elina got laid off from her tech job, read 12 Months to $1 Million, and decided to bet on herself before she had any proof it would work. Eighteen months later she'd built Dood Woof, an all-natural detangler brand for doodle owners, into a seven-figure business by following our eight-step framework almost exactly.  In this conversation we break down how she went from a $10,000 launch to 100 sales a day, why the community she built became her most valuable asset, and how she survived the day she thought she'd have to shut everything down. Links mentioned in the podcast:  ► Free $100K/month playbook, plus a quick diagnostic tool: https://capitalism.com/100K  ► Get on the waitlist for our next audience-building workshop: https://capitalism.com/bootcamp (0:00) Why Elina became one of our shining $1M success stories, and why it wasn't a clean ride (1:40) Laid off from tech, and the book that started it (4:00) The hardest part: betting on herself before any proof existed (6:00) How the 1% community carried her through the no-traction months (8:00) Down to one month's rent, six months building the audience before launch (9:30) Why a small, engaged audience de-risks your first launch (10:30) Choosing the product: doodle owners and ChatGPT prompt behind the detangler spray (12:30) Project-managing the launch, and the buyers who paid just to support her (15:00) First launch: $5K week one to $50K/month by month four (16:30) What $10K a month really felt like: relief, not celebration (19:00) The flywheel: turning reviews into content into sales (step 6) (21:30) First reviews, leaky bottles, and the customer with cancer (24:00) The Facebook group that produced 50-cent email leads (26:30) TikTok Shop, UGC, and paid traffic to Amazon (27:30) "When can I pay myself?": inventory financing and premium pricing (29:30) Her first 100-sale day, and the truth about market size (34:00) 13 months to $1M, and a $2M/year business (37:00) The community as the real asset, and the plan to acquire other brands (42:00) "On paper, you're a millionaire": cash flow vs. enterprise value (45:00) The dark day: groomer backlash, and how the community saved the brand (48:00) Why every wall she hit turned into growth on the other side (49:00) After the launch: building the bridge to 25 sales a day (50:00) Maximizing the value of a single customer (53:00) Why you never stop the grindy things (the Chewy lesson) (55:00) The campfire moment: a seat at the table (58:00) The two 2025 goals that both came true (reality show + this podcast) (59:00) Her advice to the scared version of herself two years ago DISCLAIMER: The information contained on this podcast channel and the resources available for download/viewing through this podcast channel are for educational and informational purposes only.

In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on everything that happened in June - from exactly how much I earned to how many brands I pitched, what actually landed, what completely fell apart, and the biggest lesson I've learned so far: if you don't ask, the answer is always no. I break down my real numbers, including the paid brand deals I signed, gifted partnerships, and the hundreds of pitches and follow-up emails that happened behind the scenes. You'll also hear about a collaboration that unexpectedly fell through, the daily system I've been using to stay consistent, and why persistence has been far more valuable than talent or luck! If you're thinking about becoming a content creator, building a UGC business, reinventing your career after 40, or simply need the push to bet on yourself, I hope this episode reminds you that reinvention isn't about having everything figured out. It's about taking the next bold step before you feel ready. #ContentCreator #UGC #WomenOver40   Key Takeaways: 01:31 The "Just Ask" Mindset That Changed Everything 03:28 How I Made Money This Month 05:41 The Truth About Gifted Brand Deals 09:50 My Pitching Numbers (The Real Receipts) 13:07 The UGC Apps I'm Using Right Now 15:31 Why I Only Pitch Brands I Actually Love 18:20 The Brand Deal That Fell Through 20:25 My Simple Daily Pitching Routine 23:16 This Week's Homie Hookup  24:46 My Current Delulu Goals  29:44 Your Growth Assignment This Week 30:47 Final Thoughts & Newsletter Update   Links mentioned: Ready to feel like yourself again? Visit Ivologist and use code DIANE50 for 50% off! https://ivologist.com/ Didn't catch the previous Delulu Maxxing episodes? Listen here:  Episode #1 - https://bossbitchradio.libsyn.com/delulu-maxxing-i-burned-down-a-19-year-career-retired-the-fitness-girl-and-stopped-waiting-to-feel-ready Episode #2 - https://bossbitchradio.libsyn.com/i-made-almost-4k-in-15-days-on-purpose-this-time Want more? Join the newsletter! Behind the scenes of the pivot, brand partnerships, real life in progress, and the things I'd only tell you in a DM: https://www.bossbitchradio.com/newsletter   Connect with Diane: Website: https://www.bossbitchradio.com/  Come find me on Instagram and reply to my Stories. I actually read everything and your opinion literally shapes the brand work I do:  https://www.instagram.com/thebossbitchdiane/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dianeflores_ifbb_pro  Are you a brand looking to work with me? I create content for brands I actually use and love. With 19 years of marketing and sales experience and an audience of women over 40 who are done being ignored by the brands that should be speaking to them. View my portfolio and let's talk: https://buffbunny.my.canva.site/diane-flores-ugc-portfolio  Freebies: Fit Girl Gift Guide: https://www.bossbitchradio.com/fit-girl-gift-guide  My Favorite Supplements: https://www.bossbitchradio.com/myfavoritesupplements  Protein Snack List: https://www.bossbitchradio.com/protein-snack-guide  Lower Body Blueprint: https://www.bossbitchradio.com/lower-body-blueprint  Full Body Training Program: https://www.bossbitchradio.com/full-body-gym-program 

I spent seven years in network marketing chasing $10K/month. Seven years of "just work harder," late nights, and broken promises. I hit it once, one single month. Then I discovered UGC, and everything changed in 11 months.

This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Nicole Abea, Director of Influencer & UGC Promotions at Hopeless Records.Over the last decade, Nicole has helped evolve Hopeless Records' marketing strategy from traditional social media campaigns to modern influencer marketing, user-generated content (UGC), and TikTok-driven discovery. Starting as an intern and rising to lead influencer and UGC promotions, Nicole has worked with artists including Scene Queen, THXSoMCH, Neck Deep, Melrose Avenue, Autumn Kings, and more.Nicole pulls back the curtain on how music marketing actually works in 2026. They discuss influencer campaigns, fan accounts, micro-budget marketing strategies, TikTok trends, BookTok, DSP pitching, and how artists can build communities that translate into real fandom.Follow Nicole Abea:https://www.instagram.com/nicolethedesigner/https://www.instagram.com/hopelessrecords/Check out Ari's Take:https://aristake.com03:57 Nicole Abea on Influencer & UGC Marketing at Hopeless Records08:44 The Reality of TikTok Seeding, Fan Accounts & Music Promotion15:20 How to Market a Song with a $2,000 Budget18:25 BookTok, Online Communities & Finding Your Audience23:29 What Spotify and DSPs Want from Artists26:26 Why Record Labels Are Signing Influencers33:21 Scene Over Genre: How Modern Fandom Has Changed42:41 How All Time Low's “Dear Maria, Count Me In” Went Viral Again45:22 Rage Bait, Algorithms & The Future of Music Marketing51:00 Closing ThoughtsEdited and mixed by Ruben ZarateMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari's TakeOrder the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.