Drop The Mic with Jason Hunt

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/3nAnirNLxjU

https://merged.ca

#208 - Charles Floate: Revolutionizing SEO, AI-Powered Content, and Building Connections

Jason Hunt — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:40:58 GMT

Charles Floate is a prominent SEO strategist and digital innovator. Charles dives deep into his groundbreaking strategies for mastering SEO and his proactive approach to leveraging artificial intelligence for digital marketing.

Episode Highlights:

[00:10:44] - Charles shares his dynamic approach to project management and recounts the rapid execution of launching a new event tailored for Black Hat SEOs.
[00:18:40] - Discussion on how AI is transforming roles within SEO, turning traditional copywriters into editors of AI-generated content.
[00:21:12] - A brief interlude highlighting the benefits of Cuppa, an AI-powered content generation tool that has revolutionized SEO practices.
[00:26:46] - Charles discusses the rapid advancements in AI, urging professionals to stay informed through continuous learning and adaptation.
[00:29:26] - Debunking the myth that "SEO is dead," Charles argues for the expanding scope of SEO beyond Google, illustrating its critical role in platforms like Amazon.

Charles also sheds light on the significance of face-to-face interactions in building business relationships and the impact of AI on various workforce roles. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or a newcomer to the digital space, this episode offers a wealth of knowledge and practical insights on thriving in an AI-enhanced SEO landscape.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

103 | How You Can Make Profit by Promoting Viral Content - With Hen Kinan

Jason Hunt — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 17:01:35 GMT

After years in the affiliate marketing industry, Hen Kinan became one of the creators of SHINEz - a content distribution platform that works directly with big brands to make it simple and super profitable for media buyers and influencers to promote viral content.

Mentioned in This Episode

Taboola, Outbrain - Native advertising platforms

What You Will Learn:

Hen’s story (5:31)
What counts as viral content? (7:37)
Organic and paid media
Native advertising (8:58)
Using SHINEz as an affiliate marketer (13:40)
Getting your content to go viral (17:04)
News and competitor analysis
Top platforms in 2021 (18:55)
Is Facebook still as powerful as it used to be?
Focusing on different geos
How you can make a profit by promoting viral content (23:28)
Get in touch with Hen (25:12)

Hen Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“We give the option to promote pretty solid content”

“Facebook is hard to compete with”

“You buy traffic from where you see opportunity to grow”

132 | Lewis Rothkopf - Why Does the Right Measurement Matter?

Jason Hunt — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 13:47:37 GMT

Why Does the Right Measurement Matter? My next guest has more than 20 years of experience in digital media. Having led global businesses and revenue lines at the world's foremost marketing, ad tech, and media companies, He joined Martin in 2019 as its president. In this episode, we dive deep into the technicalities of digital marketing. We talk at length about ad frequency, and why it's important to diversify your marketing. We will learn how, when, and where to inject your ad budget for effective results. Please welcome Lewis Rothkopf.

Key Timecodes

Lewis Rothkopf background [1:45]

Digital media changing trends (2:25)

Consumer privacy laws (4:22)

Modern Measurement attributions (7:00)

Martin’s technology (8:40)

Latest popular beneficial marketing platforms (12:45)

Modern marketing trends (17:00)

Know how to hit consumers (19:00)

Ways of reaching your audience (20:20)

Martin AI and who it is built for (22:41)

Get in touch with Lewis (25:33)

153 | Content Marketing Made Simple - Jesse Schoberg

Jason Hunt — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 14:19:25 GMT

Content Marketing Made Simple - Jesse Schoberg.

Are you a content writer struggling with getting traffic to your content or blog posts? In this episode, we dive deep into the nitty gritty of content writing. We discuss the challenges and hurdles experienced when producing and publishing content. Learn how to optimize your content effectively and how best to implement your SEO strategy. We talk about how to write good content correctly that will help your content rank and drive traffic. Finally, we indulge in AI-generated content, its impact, and what the future is for content writing and marketing. Originally from the States, Jesse has been living around the world for over a decade.

To help us through this, We host a developer by trade who has been managing remote teams for over 15 years. Recently selling his other projects, he’s now co-founded DropInBlog, where he focuses his time as CEO. Please welcome Jesse Schoberg.

Key Timecodes

(1:26) Jesse Schoberg’s Background
(3:02) How Jesse landed in Thailand
(3:57) Content marketing huddles and Challenges
(6:13) SEO implementation in content marketing
(8:32) What is the correct writing style?
(9:43) The AI-generated content
(11:52) The future of content Marketing
(15:22) The process of writing content
(18:13)The tools and platforms to use in content writing
(21:17) How to utilize social media in the content marketing plan
(23:27) Get in touch with Jesse Schoberg

054 | Redefining the 4-Hour Work Week - with Matthew Yahes

Jason Hunt — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 14:49:47 GMT

This week we are speaking to Matthew Yahes, CEO of Extend Your Team and an outsourcing PRO!

After growing an e-commerce business to $5M in annual revenue, Matthew finally figured out how to hire a real professional overseas who could run the business better than him so that he could focus on things that really matter.

Matthew now connects entrepreneurs with executive level, pre-qualified remote workers to help them scale their business and make more profit. Something all entrepreneurs struggle with at times, but seek to do.

193 - Unleashing the Potential for E-commerce Growth - Matas Kemzura

Jason Hunt — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 14:00:00 GMT

In today's fast-paced and interconnected world, digital marketing has become the cornerstone of success for businesses operating in e-commerce. With the ever-expanding reach of the internet and the growing reliance on online shopping, mastering the art of digital marketing is essential for e-commerce ventures to stay competitive and reach their target audience effectively.

In episode 193, we link with Matas Kemzura in Lithuania to discuss digital marketing in e-commerce. Matas Kemzura is Sugatan's Chief Growth Officer. He has single-handedly spent over $75k in daily ad spend as an Ad Buyer whose efforts have been synonymous with Sugatan's $175MM EBITDA positive revenue generation for eCommerce stores. Matas has risen over the ranks in the e-commerce space, starting as a junior staff to Director of acquisition and Head of growth to Chief Growth Officer at his company.

Time codes

(01:23) Matas' career journey into marketing
(06:52) Enabling factors for the growth of his company
(11:45) How to distinguish buyer intent
(13:46) Major challenges and growth opportunities for e-commerce businesses in 2023
(18:25) Role of multi-faceted marketing approach in e-commerce business
(22:10) His strategy for attracting new clients for his company
(24:43) Matas contact information: Instagram – Matas Kemzura
(25:48) His choice of brand ambassador

066 | Google: Core Web Vitals and What You Need To Know - with Merged Media

Jason Hunt — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 14:49:27 GMT

In today’s episode of the Merged Marketing Podcast, David Louch and co-host, Jason Hunt, are going over Google’s core web vitals update, which takes effect in May 2021. They will be sitting down with Merged Media’s very own SEO sorcerer, Todd Foster, to get all the need-to-know info! This is definitely a relative topic for anyone out there owning a website because your website will be affected by the changes that will be taking place.

What you will learn:

What are Google core web vitals and what do they mean? (2:10)
Optimizing user experience
Offering value to the user
Are some updates more significant than others? (5:19)
Identifying pages that have met the page experience criteria (7:05)
Most websites won’t pass
What will happen to my website if I ignore the update? (8:35)
A slow death to traffic
A great experience for users (9:29)
Creates safe browsing
Faster experience on any network

Merged Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“If you’re not staying proactive with this stuff, you’re always going to be at the bottom of the pile”

“Most websites are not going to currently qualify for this indicator”

“The faster your website loads, the more leads you’re going to get”

150 | How can a business can differentiate itself and stand out from the crowd with Matthew Stibbe

Jason Hunt — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:52:04 GMT

In this episode, we're talking about how a business can differentiate itself and stand out from the crowd. And my guest on this episode is Matthew Stibba. Matthew is a serial entrepreneur, marketing maven, writer, pilot and wine enthusiast, but not necessarily all in that order. He created marketing strategies, content and campaigns for clients including Microsoft, Google, LinkedIn and HP, and contributed to Wired, Forbes and Popular Science. He knows his content marketing, and we're going to talk about some of the ways that you can get your business to stand out through content marketing and some of the hacks that you need to avoid as we enter 2023. Without further ado, let's kick it to my chat with Matthew.

Key Timecodes

Matthew Stibbe’s background(1:34)

What articulate marketing specializes in(2:13)

Specific Niches articulate marketing specializes in(3:08)

Challenges Tech companies are facing(11:41)

The AI content(15:32)

Make your brand stand out from the crowd(23:03)

Get in Touch(26:53)

147 | The Marketing Strategies of a 7-Figure Ecommerce Business - Greg Potapenko

Jason Hunt — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 14:16:31 GMT

What are some of the marketing strategies of a seven figure ecommerce business?. In today's episode, we're actually going to dive into not just ecommerce business, but lead generation as well and some of those tactics that are used to bring success to an affiliate marketing business.

My guest on today's show has been an affiliate marketer for years. He is a two time ecommerce club award winning entrepreneur, affiliate marketer and e.com brand operator. He's generated over $20 million in revenue. He's also an active member of the reserve military force here in Canada. Please welcome Greg Potapenko.

Key Timecodes

Greg Potapenko Background(1:45)
The brands he is working with(4:01)
What Kind of support does he provide to affiliates?(5:45)
Why the affiliate marketing route?(7:05)
The affiliates rules(8:50)
Client support in closing the leads(11:15)
Challenges facing Digital marketing(13:13)
What content to prioritize(16:11)
The best digital marketing platform(18:37)
How to deploy google ads(21:24)
Should you spend so much on display?(23:38)
How to use email for marketing(26:30)
Email Strategy for Ecommerce(29:04)
Get in touch with Greg Potapenko(32:54)

Key Timecodes

Greg Potapenko Background(1:45)
The brands he is working with(4:01)
What Kind of support does he provide to affiliates?(5:45)
Why the affiliate marketing route?(7:05)
The affiliates rules(8:50)
Client support in closing the leads(11:15)
Challenges facing Digital marketing(13:13)
What content to prioritize(16:11)
The best digital marketing platform(18:37)
How to deploy google ads(21:24)
Should you spend so much on display?(23:38)
How to use email for marketing(26:30)
Email Strategy for Ecommerce(29:04)
Get in touch with Greg Potapenko(32:54)

189 - Old A/B testing vs New with Jeff Schaffer

Jason Hunt — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 18:46:25 GMT

Are you doing the proper AB testing for your business? In today's episode, we discuss how to perform advanced AB testing while considering the original lead source and publisher. Our guest expert today is Jeff Schaffer.

Jeff's career background: He has been in the sales and marketing industry for the past two decades. In the recent past, he worked with a digital ad company with a focus on e-commerce, site development, and performance marketing.

What is AB Testing: Jeff describes AB Testing as the effort to test multiple subject areas to figure out the most effective for a given target audience through email marketing. He further explains that the common metrics for AB Testing include open rate and click-through rate, which makes email unique in email testing. He observes that organizations with multiple traffic sources rarely note the actual publisher source of the leads. As a result, AB Testing is done to determine the most strategic approach for pushing subject lines and creative aspects to the ideal customer profile. Our guest expert says that email is key in AB Testing because it helps segment the audience to determine the publisher source of the leads. He further explains that an alternative AB Testing focuses less on click-through rate and more on the call rates or the degree of intent for the response. It is essential to integrate email into the call tracking systems of the company to measure a customer's intent during the initial call. Jeff decries that knowledge on the source of traffic and customer journey still limits AB testing among many organizations. As such, he underscores the need to clearly understand the original source of traffic, which in turn helps to understand the customer journey.

Time Codes

(0:08) Topic and guest expert introduction
(0:54) Jeff's career background
(01:33) What is AB Testing
(08:26) Elements for AB Testing in call tracking
(11:33) Most successful sources of generating conversion
(13:58) Leveraging call-to-action messaging to generate leads
(17:00) Challenges to scaling marketing efforts
(21:18) Role of artificial intelligence in marketing
(24:20) Jeff's contact information
(25:03) Jeff's choice of brand ambassador (Opportunities multiply as they are seized).

155 | How to Create Landing Pages That Convert - Alisha Conlin-Hurd

Jason Hunt — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 12:36:41 GMT

In today’s digital marketing world, converting a visitor into a customer is one of the most coveted things. Every webpage owner yearns to have everyone click on their ad to develop enough interest in the product/service offered, sign up for the newsletter, or make an order. Landing pages are the first punch in running a successful digital marketing campaign. It is one thing to have landing pages and yet another to have landing pages that convert your web page visitor into a buying client. A landing page is only successful when it has an established audience and a call to action.

In this episode, you will learn from our guest expert that making a successful landing page does not just entail creating it and then sitting back and hoping for the best. You will need to follow it with a selection of best practices to get the very most out of your landing page.

Learn from digital marketing expert Alisha Conlin-Hurd how to build a functional landing page that attracts visitors and turns them into paying customers.

Key Timecodes

(1:27) Alisha Conlin-Hurd’s career background
(3:25) What are the best beginner platforms for creating landing pages?
(5:25) How many landing pages are needed for a successful campaign of converting a prospect into a buyer
(7:42) The best practices for testing or conversion rate optimization
(9:54) Advice on the content of the landing page
(14:30) The niches that work best with landing page strategy
(17:02) What makes a marketing funnel most effective
(19:03) How do you further optimize every single touch point with the customer
(20:55) Tips around making buyer’s remorse frictionless with or without landing pages
(23:59) Traffic sources working best for landing pages
(27:19 Alisha’s contact information

045 | From Incarceration to Incorporation - with Emily O'Brien

Jason Hunt — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 14:15:07 GMT

Emily O’Brien is the Founder and Creative Director of Comeback Snacks, a gourmet popcorn company that she started from within Federal Prison. Yes, you heard that right!

We are very excited to have Emily on the show today, she has an incredible story and is an amazing Entrepreneur who will be sharing her journey with us today, as well as some helpful advice for current and future business owners looking to achieve the kind of success she has. My hope for today is that you’re able to reframe whatever roadblocks you’re experiencing as all part of the process and something that you can overcome with a little hard work and determination!

174- Avoiding the “Content Graveyard" with Alan Silvestri

Jason Hunt — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 13:58:15 GMT

In today’s episode, we discuss Avoiding the “Content Graveyard.” My guest expert today is Alan Silvestri, the founder, and CEO of Growth Gorilla. They help B2B SaaS companies promote their content to get high-quality publishers to link to it, increase traffic and sign-ups, and win at the SEO game. Alan is also a Back to the Future fanatic and daily drives a Delorean. Audio Alan’s affiliate marketing building sites in the early days - He built a site debunking health myths using thoroughly researched content. He also created content on hair loss for women. He enjoys working with clients to create content in areas they are passionate about and spreading content on their products. What is The content graveyard - Alan defines content graveyard as unpromoted content sitting idle on Google pages, not adding any value to the business. To avoid this, Alan employs strategic link promotion where they promote specific pages with more potential to rank higher in the short term (90 days). Accessing content with more potential - They get conversion data from the client and use google analytics and their link-building SEO analytics to create a short list of pages with the most business potential. Alan’s link-building process: He looks at the pages linked to the client’s competition to get a feel of the type of content on topics and subtopics and uses them to find similar pages not linked to any competitor. It provides room for a unique pitch to the competitor to link back. Role of social media in the strategy against content graveyard - They use social media for brand awareness but not for SEO benefits. He recommends that a company or business should seek where people are, such as on Reddit, instead of randomly publishing on all its social media sites. Some issues SaaS Companies have with creating content - Alan observes that SaaS companies have excellent content creation but need to improve on the promotion side. As such, there is a lot of similar content across many SaaS businesses, meaning that differentiation is a major challenge. To go around this, Alan advises that a business should utilize its product within its published content to help and demonstrate to the target audience how to solve a problem with the product. Helping a SaaS company create content - They assess existing content on pages with the most links from a few competitors and establish those ranking well. After that, they develop something similar but with a better spin to resonate better with the audience. How are you using Chatgbt in your business? Alan says that they use it as an assistant for tasks like link prospecting and generating extra sentences or anchor text in articles. However, he laments that ChatGbt is only an assistant, not the real writer, because human input is still crucial in content creation. (The biggest misconception is that content creators solely rely on Chatgbt for creation while it is only part of the human brain extension) Trends in SEO in the year 2023 - Alan predicts that links will have less impact on content promotion. This explains the ongoing shift to actual distribution by seeking communities where people hang out. He believes that artificial intelligence interventions will run most of the tasks, rendering organic search a bit irrelevant (It is a good idea to go where your audience is instead of waiting for it to come to you). Time Stamps (1:25) Introduction to today’s topic and show guest (2:34) Alan’s affiliate marketing building sites in the early days (5:00) What is the content graveyard (8:15) Accessing content with more potential (10:00) Alan’s link-building process (11:30) Role of social media in the strategy against content graveyard (13:24) Some issues SaaS companies have with creating content (16:22) Helping a SaaS company create content (17:48) How are you using Chatgbt in your business (20:21) Trends in SEO in the year 2023

169 - Are airline loyalty businesses worth more than the airline itself with Mark Ross-Smith

Jason Hunt — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 19:50:49 GMT

In today's episode, we are dissecting whether airline loyalty businesses are worth more than the airline itself. My guest today is Mark Ross-Smith, a tech entrepreneur in the airline industry.

Loyalty business is proving increasingly profitable, with the value of some mileage sales surpassing that of the core operations. Recent research findings indicate that loyalty programs bring upwards of 50% of airline income of the airline's total revenue.

On the day's topic, Mark observes that loyalty programs such as mile sales are worth more than effective while the airline itself is worth nothing. At the same time, our guest notes some other examples of loyalty programs being more valuable than the core business. As Mark observes, airlines have successfully leveraged loyalty programs to drive high emotion around a product that people wouldn't otherwise buy.

Indeed, it would only do fair justice to this subject if we addressed social media's role in pushing airlines' loyalty programs. Mark uses examples of success stories such as Singapore and Malaysia airlines to explain the undisputable role of social media marketing today.

While today's topic is outside a lot of things that we talk about relating to marketing, it is highly relevant to any frequent traveler, marketing director, or entrepreneur.

Finally, get to hear about Mark's selection of his brand ambassador. It is a relevant one from a film character. Enjoy this period.

Key Timecodes

(1:25) Mark’s journey to being “Mr. Loyalty”
(2:51) cheap flights can be very expensive (the flights are cheap but everything else costs an arm and a leg)
(5:06) Why he loves Heathrow over Gatwick
(5:35) Singapore airport - a cut above the rest
(6:55) How can an airline increase its loyalty through its lounge service?
(9:30) Are airline loyalty businesses worth more than the airline itself?
(12:20) Other examples of unprofitable core businesses and profitable loyalty programs
(14:35) Success stories of airlines leveraging social media to market their loyalty programs
(17:10) Use of influencer marketing and brand ambassador by airlines
(19:30) Loyalty versus lowest price dilemma for customer
(23:23) Conclusion and Mark’s contact information
(23:51) Mark’s choice of brand ambassador for Statusmatch.

#215 - Dr. Jeremy Weisz: Lessons from 1,000+ Episodes on Business, Focus, and Podcasting Success

Jason Hunt — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 20:25:43 GMT

Dr. Jeremy Weisz, the host of the Inspired Insider podcast, has recorded over 1,000 episodes and built a legacy of connecting with industry leaders. In this episode of Drop The Mic, Dr. Weisz shares his insights on leveraging podcasting as a tool for mentorship, relationship building, and business growth.

The discussion covers everything from the evolution of podcasting to embracing AI for efficiency, the importance of focus in business, and overcoming the shiny object syndrome. Dr. Weisz’s actionable tips and real-world examples make this episode a must-listen for entrepreneurs, marketers, and aspiring podcasters alike.

Episode Highlights:
[00:32] – The power of podcasting for mentorship and shortcuts to success
[03:08] – How curiosity fuels effective podcasting and business growth
[04:27] – Lessons learned from interviewing over 1,000 guests
[06:40] – The human side of successful entrepreneurs
[08:26] – Niche exploration: Why narrowing your focus matters
[12:00] – Insights into longevity and lessons from the Blue Zones
[14:27] – Is podcasting a saturated market? Dr. Weisz’s perspective
[19:15] – Building a strong podcast support system
[23:37] – Leveraging AI for podcasting efficiency and innovation
[31:43] – Common challenges entrepreneurs face, from focus to lead generation
[34:21] – Avoiding shiny object syndrome in a world of AI tools
[37:15] – Advice for aspiring podcasters: Simplify and start

Dr. Weisz’s expertise and approachable insights make this episode a valuable resource for anyone looking to elevate their podcasting game, navigate business challenges, and embrace the future of AI in content creation.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huntspeaks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jayhuntofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayhuntofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

197 - The Post-iOS14 Playbook with Kyle Hoffman

Jason Hunt — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 14:05:00 GMT

Have you taken advantage of the revolutionary iOS 14 Playbook to drive explosive growth for your business? In today’s digital world, the role of emerging technologies in the digital marketing landscape cannot be overstated. In episode 197 today, we are privileged to host Kyle Hoffman to successfully discuss navigating the post-iOS 14 world.

Kyle’s marketing career background: He has been in the marketing space for quite some time now, having started at a performance agency before transitioning to paid media and as a fractional CMO for a number of brands. As a fractional CMO, he helped companies make sound marketing decisions and drive strategy. He ensures strategy alignment with the company’s vision through the cooperation of the marketing and sales departments.

How he helped Wello Sock Brand to succeed: In October 2021, they launched Wello officially as a product-based brand after splitting from the mother company. Wello seized the opportunity of the existing gap in the compression socks market. Previously, customers were medically prescribed to wear compression socks neither found them fun, comfortable, or colorful. Consequently, Kyle came in to build the brand from the ground up and achieve function growth. With over 100,000 customers at present, Kyle projects that Wello is on track to sell over 1 million pairs of socks in 2023.

Marketing changes in the post-iOS 14 playbook: Our guest expert today reckons that the marketing landscape experienced major shifts following the launch of iOS 14. He says that iOS 14 placed the burden on the creative, shifting from technical media buying to technical, creative development. As such, companies had to be highly purposeful and creative with development and testing the creative. He explains the testing method for a campaign to figure out what is working. Kyle says they tag a given element of creativity, especially mashed-up user-generated content, with the label. They integrate various modular assets that form a rich database that is tested to determine what is working and what areas need improvement. He attributes 80% of their content to style user-generated content because of the large network of content creators.

Time codes

(0:09) Introduction of today’s topic and guest expert
(0:42) Kyle’s marketing career background
(03:07) How he helped Wello Sock Brand to success
(07:28) Marketing changes in the post-iOS 14 playbook
(13:22) How DTC brands can adapt in the post-iOS era
(16:22) Best practice metrics for success
(18:19) Trends in the digital landscape in the post-iOS 14
(21:51) Kyle and his company’s contact information
(22:55) Kyle’s choice of brand representative

182 - Growing Your Influence: Elevating Your Personal Brand with Dylan Vanas

Jason Hunt — Tue, 09 May 2023 13:51:40 GMT

Personal branding is the practice of creating and promoting a unique image or identity for oneself to establish a memorable and distinctive reputation. It involves defining who you are, what you stand for, and what sets you apart from others in your field or industry. With the increasing importance of social media and online presence, personal branding has become an essential tool for professionals looking to build their careers, establish their expertise, and differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace. A strong personal brand can help you attract new clients, secure job opportunities, and build a network of loyal followers who recognize and respect your value. In short, personal branding is the art of marketing yourself and your skills in an authentic, compelling, and unforgettable way. Just like companies create brand identities to stand out in the marketplace, individuals can also cultivate a personal brand to distinguish themselves in their personal and professional lives.

A strong personal brand can help you build trust with others, establish credibility in your field, and open up new opportunities. In today's digital age, where social media and online presence play a significant role in shaping how we are perceived, personal branding has become an essential tool for anyone who wants to succeed and make a lasting impression. In today's episode, we discuss the importance of personal branding and the three simple strategies to create millions in revenue. We are privileged to talk with Dylan, the most appropriate authority on this subject matter.

Timecodes

(1:54) What does he attribute to the rapid growth of his personal brand?
(3:09) What number does he put on his social proof?
(4:14) How to structure your giveaway campaigns
(4:54) Difference between lead generation and personal growth
(6:38) Should you post the same content across all your social media sites?
(9:35) How to do testing of your content
(12:37) The best practices for creating content
(14:13) Elements for building your personal brand
(18:20) What do you do to people uncomfortable with creating content outside themselves?
(20:45) 3 simple strategies to generating millions in revenue
(25:47) Dylan’s contact information
(26:17) Dylan’s choice of brand representative

168 - Streamlining your business operations through systems & processes with Marquis Murray

Jason Hunt — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 19:03:02 GMT

In today's episode, I am privileged to talk with a fellow Canadian on a topic I am passionate about, systems and processes for business. In all honesty, Marquis dissects this topical area rather authoritatively and eloquently.

With the rapid pace of digital transformation in the business environment, every organization is increasingly looking to streamline its workflows. Indeed, we must emphasize the importance of streamlining your business operations. The list of benefits is long: improved efficiency, greater customer satisfaction, improved competitiveness, and reduced cost of doing business, among others.

Marquis shares with us how he reinvented himself after suffering almost 70 percent of clients during Covid 19. His story is a testament to the importance of a business's flexibility and pivoting accordingly in facing challenges. In addition, he enlightens us on how to conduct a proper survey within a team and use the feedback to improve systems and processes in the business. Better still, he provides a real-life example of a success story on what process improvement can work magic for a business.

At the end of this insightful episode, Marquis nominates a benefitting brand representative for his company. This episode, while shorter than our usual ones, is a listen worth your ears. Grab your pen and notebook and discover how to streamline your business operations for the greater good of your organization.

Key Timecodes

(1:02) Marquis’ background and journey
(4:44)The importance of having flexibility in a digital agency
(6:07) How does a business know there is a problem
(9:10) Addressing internal issues through team feedback
(11:13) How process improvement helps with quiet quitters (The biggest aspect of process improvement, and how you can be successful with it, is by including your team)
(14:03) How to best survey a team
(16:24) Key strategies for implementing effective systems
(18:41) Example of a success story: Agency
(20:24) Marquis contact information

167 - Marketing Systems for Tiny Teams & Budgets with Sarah Noel Block.

Jason Hunt — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 15:12:37 GMT

In this episode, we discuss marketing systems for small teams and budgets. My guest today is Sarah Block: a writer, editor, and content marketing strategist. With a particular specialization in marketing systems and budgets. She spells out how small teams can kick-start the process of building an effective marketing strategy under budget.
With my guest, we also delve into fundamental questions to ask a client during the information-gathering stage. These questions inform the small organization's marketing strategy to realize desired outcomes. Given that small teams often have the luxury of large resources, Sarah helps us understand how best to craft marketing systems within available budget provisions. She observes that a small team should focus significantly on email because it is often the lead income generator. Similarly, she shares some tricks and hacks for growing your email list and leveraging it in marketing.
In the murky business world, knowing and staying focused on specific aspects of the business can often prove rather challenging for an entrepreneur. Luckily, our expert guest illuminates how to do that with commendable success. She underscores the need to hire help in the form of a virtual assistant to delegate minimal tasks. This way, an entrepreneur can undertake more critical functions of the organization. If you are anything like me, you have often wondered how you get to train somebody else to manage your thoughts.
Furthermore, when is the best time to hire a VA? Sarah expertly addresses herself to both these dilemmas for your benefit. Listen to this information-loaded episode to learn more about scaling your small business to a medium or large enterprise. Finally, get blown away by Sarah’s choice of a popular TV show character for her brand representative. Without a doubt, this is an episode worth your listen; enjoy!

Key Timecodes

(1:14) Sarah’s journey to marketing
(3:15) How does a tiny team start the process of building a marketing strategy (The important thing is to create a marketing plan that is doable for you in your actual real life, not an ideal life)
(4:53) Key questions in the information-gathering stage
(7:54) How do you decipher what the budget for a small team should be?
(8:54) Priority areas in the budget for a tiny team
(10:45) How to grow your email list exponentially
(11:30) How do you outreach to have partnership webinars
(14:24) Strategies for entrepreneurs to stay focused
(15:56) How do you delegate tasks to a virtual assistant (VA) accordingly?
(17:10) How do you train somebody (VA) to manage your thoughts?
(18:28) When is the perfect time to delegate to a VA?
(19:05) How to grow from a small business to medium size enterprise
(19:55) What marketing strategies are effective for your business?
(20:58) How is ChatGPT revolutionizing copywriting?
(23:12) Sarah’s contact information.

166 - Establishing a 'Mentoring Mindset' with Christy Pettit

Jason Hunt — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 13:52:14 GMT

A mentoring program is one of the most crucial and impactful tools a business can use to develop extraordinary talent and realize improved results. A mentoring mindset can be the byproduct of growing relationships with your networks. In today's episode, we are talking about establishing a mentoring mindset. Our guest on today's show is Christy, CEO and co-founder of Pollinate Networks Inc. As Christy observes, mentoring is not a purely one-way street exercise. She laments that, in the spirit of reverse engineering, anyone can learn something from anyone, regardless of age or seniority. Indeed, an excellent mentoring program cuts both ways: it measures the mentee and the mentor. In this regard, Christy advises that you bring a mentoring mindset to all your relationships to realize growth. With a mentoring mindset, you will develop a culture of continuous learning. As Christy explains, reverse mentoring helps a mentor learn from a mentee. It is a knowledge exchange program because the mentor can hear about the other person's cares, concerns, and experiences. In this respect, it is increasingly becoming an organization's mindset and skill set. Our guest underscores that a mentoring perspective's core is the willingness to learn from anybody. Christy gives us valuable perspectives about being an excellent mentor in this episode. She likens a good mentor to a human whiteboard: you map it out and get a chance to try it out. In the end, Christy surprises us with her unorthodox brand representative choice. Enjoy this episode!

Key Timecodes

(1:06) Background introduction to Christy
(2:11) Christy's definition of a mentor
(4:02) Target clients for the mentoring program
(5:20) Typical gap between mentor and mentee (Mentorship is the magic of talking to someone who has done what you are trying to do).
(7:35) Bringing a mentoring mindset into all your relationships
(10:34) Leveraging your strengths to mentor others
(12:58) Who is a credible mentor? (A good mentor is like a human whiteboard)
(14:43) Measurable results to expect from a mentoring program
(16:56) Mentorship program as a means of growing your network
(18:42) Matching a mentor and mentee perfectly
(20:21) Role of artificial intelligence and intelligent algorithms in mentoring programs
(22:15) Matching pairs versus groups
(24:29) Christy's contact information
(23:49) Christy's unorthodox choice of brand representative

164 - Create Epic Lead Magnets Your Prospects Can't Ignore with Jason Hunt

Jason Hunt — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 15:21:44 GMT

Directing traffic to your website is fantastic. However, it is pointless to have many visitors who do not convert. Right? The best way to generate new leads is by use of a lead magnet. Indeed, lead magnets don't get the hype for nothing: they can be very persuasive and influential if appropriately utilized.

Lead magnets are the essential pillars for a marketer to convert traffic into leads. This, in turn, helps you to have a list of prospects. In today's special episode, I talk about marketing and lead magnets and what it takes to create epic lead magnets that your prospects cannot help but take notice of. I share with you insights, with relevant real-life examples, on how to realize lead magnets that ultimately provide your prospects with more excellent value.

An epic lead magnet offers your visitor something valuable for free. In exchange, you get their email address and permission to share more of your business' offerings with them. As I demonstrate with relevant examples, lead magnets often work magic for businesses to get prospects to develop a genuine interest in your lead magnet topic.

I get to interact with you, my audience, by allowing you to guess the lead magnet campaign examples you think flopped or worked effectively. Enjoy this episode because I surely did enjoy it!

Key Timecodes

(2:13) Overview of why I am here talking about marketing and lead magnets
(03:53) Meta and Instagram: the leading social media platforms
(04:47) The social state of mind of the user
(05:40) Email: The lead magnet is the secret sauce
(06:27) The awareness level of your target audience when presenting them with a lead magnet
(08:34) Pillars of generating lead magnets that convert best
(18:55) The nurture sequence: What do with leads after getting them
(22:58) The funnel: How to get them from the browser on social media to opt-in on your lead magnet
(26:41) Frictionless lead form: Making it easy for users to fill in their details
(28:05) Contact information

161 - Discovering The Optimal Campaign Strategy For Your Business with Dave Kerr

Jason Hunt — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 11:36:35 GMT

How can you devise, fine-tune and sustain an optimal digital marketing strategy for your business in today’s ever-changing digital landscape? It is critical to master, create and maintain an agile marketing strategy to seize growth opportunities and grow your bottom line.

In this episode, we chat with a former guest on this podcast, one of our digital marketers Dave Kerr. Do you know the right starting place for defining the objectives of your campaign strategy? Our guest expert illuminates this and how to avoid a bad user experience with your over-the-top messaging. Also, learn from Dave how to effectively utilize social media sites like Facebook and Instagram for your campaign strategy.

Dave helps us appreciate the need for a business campaign strategy to be engaging, shareable, focused, and sometimes timeless. He further underscores why you must implement a well-planned campaign strategy with clearly defined objectives and milestones. In this regard, discover the priceless ingredients for an optimal campaign strategy for your business.

Dave cautions on the danger of making a campaign strategy just for the sake of making one. Instead, develop a focused campaign with clear direction and aims.

Our guest expert also delves into the optimal white paper for brand strategy, drawing examples from our rich publication due in the coming year. In the end, discover Dave Kerr’s rather unique pick of the best personality for the brand representative for Merged. It is perfect how he links the leadership style of a household name in the sporting world to campaign strategy in business.

Key Time Codes

(1:20) Who is Dave Kerr?
(2:45) How does a business know if Instagram or Facebook is the right platform for them
(4:10) Starting position for objectives of campaign strategy
(7:10) How to effectively use Facebook or Instagram platform
(9:42) Key ingredients for an optimal campaign strategy
(12:05) Avoiding user fatigue with your over-the-top content
(15:45) Brand strategy White paper (It is crucial to have a white paper that is used as opposed to highly academic or technical)
(20:08) Improving user experience through the quality of leads in ads or white paper
(Don’t just make a campaign strategy: a focused, with clear direction and aims is the best)
(20:57) Dave Kerr’s pick of Merged brand representative

159 - How To Create Multi-Use Content to Maximize Your Marketing Reach with Mandi Gould

Jason Hunt — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 13:24:00 GMT

Do you desire to increase the number of people your marketing content reaches on various social media sites? In today’s competitive, fast-changing business environment, it can prove challenging for a small or medium business to create original, consistent and impactful multi-use content. You can gradually grow your organic social media reach and close more sales by adequately leveraging multi-use content. Our expert today is our very own Mandi Gould at Merge Marketing, who shares how you can optimize your marketing content on TikTok, Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook.

As you will learn in this highly informative episode, multi-use content is worlds apart from merely copying content from one social media site to the next. Mandi underscores the need to repurpose your content that functioned successfully on Youtube, for instance, before pushing the message to TikTok or Instagram. Indeed you can use clips from the video you uploaded on Facebook to create an interesting Instagram reel that your target followers will appreciate. Alternatively, you can create a great tweet by borrowing words from your most successful post to your Instagram caption. Only some messages will be appropriate for some marketing platforms; thus, you should tweak each message to fit. Furthermore, she gives a thorough understanding of ever-green content and its essential place in today’s digital marketing.

With a greater focus on Tik-Tok, Mandi provides best practices for successfully using your multi-use marketing content. She rightly advises the need to hop on trends and find ways to adapt them to your niche. In general, learn from our expert how you can utilize that awesome videos, graphics, or text across multiple platforms to grow your marketing reach. As is our tradition, discover Mandi’s pick for our company’s brand ambassador.

Key Timecodes

(1:27) Background introduction to Mandi Gould
(3:15) Mandi’s breakdown of multi-use content
(5:00) The problem of copy and pasting for multi-use content
(6:03) The meaning of ever-green content and its significance
(9:30) Re-optimizing previously posted content to maximize your marketing reach (Don't shy away from repurposing or reposting content)
(11:05) People expect to see it again if it is important
(13:21) Best practices on Pinterest for multi-use content
(18:15) Opportunities for small and medium businesses on Tik-Tok
(20:55) Leveraging multi-use content on Tik-Tok for a wider audience
(23:38) Common mistakes marketers make with social media marketing
(23:48) Put in the work in your multi-use content

086 | Working Remotely and the Impact on Mental Health - with Jackie LeBeau

Jason Hunt — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 13:48:43 GMT

The stress, anxiety, and loneliness of lockdowns have touched us all. Today, Jackie is here to discuss how working remotely impacts our mental health and some things we can do to take care of ourselves and the people around us.

Jackie is a registered psychotherapist, certified clinical trauma specialist, owner of Evolve Counselling Services, and consultant for Halton’s Women Centre, where she organizes and leads their group therapy programs. Their clinics work in all areas of mental health including anxiety, depression, anger management, addiction, eating disorders, LGBTQ+ community and they work to heal past or current traumas to aid in mental health support and healing.

Mentioned in This Episode

Evolve Counselling Services
Structure your time with Google Calendar or Calendly

What you will learn:

Jackie’s story (1:30)
The new normal: negative impacts on mental health (3:46)
The impact on women
How are parents dealing with it? (6:51)
Helping your employees get through (8:40)
Enforcing transition times
How to disconnect from the job (13:08)
Structuring your time
Juggling with glass balls and plastic balls
How to overcome loneliness (18:10)
Being alone vs feeling lonely
Get in touch with Jackie (22:52)

Jackie Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“The lines have become blurred between work life and home life”

“We’ve conditioned ourselves to lose our social skills”

“If it’s causing you to feel something negative, your boundaries are too loose or possibly too rigid”

“We’re all still in this together”

083 | How To Use Public Speaking To Grow Your Business - with Shannon Grainger

Jason Hunt — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 14:40:06 GMT

Are you an entrepreneur, business owner, or business leader who wants to brush up on some speaking skills? Today’s episode should be just what you need. Shannon Grainger has worked with over 200 industry-leading speakers including Tony Robbins and Mark Victor Hanson (Chicken Soup for the Soul), and is here to talk about how to use public speaking to grow your business.

For more than 12 years, Shannon has studied with women’s empowerment luminaries like Alison Armstrong, Mama Gena, and Brene Brown, and has continued to deepen her research of Feminine Leadership and Women’s Studies. In 2014, Shannon launched Big Impact HQ with her husband Mark, a seminar and training company that has trained over 3000 women leaders in presentation mastery. These women have generated over $43 Million dollars in revenue and have spoken on some of the world’s most coveted stages, including TEDTalk, Tony Robbins, Good Morning America, and The View.

Mentioned in This Episode

The Future is Female - With Mark Grainger
Big Impact HQ’s speaker blueprint

What you will learn:

Shannon’s passion for speaking (2:08)
How to close on stage (4:44)
Where are you speaking?
Getting speaking opportunities (9:01)
In-person speaking vs online speaking
Preparing for your presentation (11:26)
A strategic signature talk
Speaking hacks (16:01)
What to include in your signature talk
Big Impact’s speaker blueprint (20:36)
Getting into your element (24:09)
A prestage ritual
Get in touch with Shannon (27:49)

Grainger Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“That speaker on stage should be you”

“In order to speak your path to cash, you need to be prepared”

“As speakers, we’re the inspirers”

“Everybody has their unique flavour”

081 | Why You Need Your Book Written - with Mike Ulmer

Jason Hunt — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 12:39:30 GMT

If you’re aspiring to write your book, this episode is definitely for you. Mike Ulmer is a writer who worked for the Woodstock Sentinel-Review, The Hamilton Spectator, The Hockey News, and more for a total of 25 years, including 7 years as a sports columnist. He’s also the author of 15 books!

Mike is a founder of Catapult, a company that strives to help you write your own book, just like Mike is doing for Jay! You may not believe there’s a story to be written about you, but we think you’ll change your mind after today’s episode.

Mentioned in This Episode

Will Newspapers Disappear Forever? - With Mike Ulmer
M is for Maple - the book that changed Mike’s life
The 50 Year Old Millenial
Crafting Your Story - With Kenny Jackson
Mike’s partner

What you will learn:

Mike’s book writing history (1:46)
M is for Maple
Finding a hook
Getting the story (9:30)
Trust is everything
Is there a story out there for everyone? (16:20)
Your story is the vehicle to your conclusions
The value of passion
Benefits of having your own book (19:33)
A story to tell for the rest of your life
The best seller myth
Get in touch with Mike (28:17)

Mike Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“If you wrote the book you thought you were going to write, you wrote the wrong book”

“We all think our lives are just like everybody else’s lives”

“The book isn’t the story. The book is the conclusion”

077 | How To Build A Community Of Like-Minded People - with Gordon So

Jason Hunt — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 14:21:57 GMT

Gordon So is one of the co-founders of Landed for Success and has a strong background in the real estate mortgage industry. As a retired professional network marketer, he has helped many companies successfully enter into Canada, UK, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Over the past 10 years, he’s worked with authors, speakers, coaches, and small business owners, helping them successfully launch new brands and market their products and services.

Gordon is a successful business coach and has helped over 200+ individuals/entrepreneurs become #1 international best-selling authors, podcasters, and speakers. On today’s episode, Jay has the privilege to speak with this sought after transformational and motivational speaker.

Mentioned in This Episode

Landed for Success
BNI
Think and Grow Rich: The Movie
Podcast episode with John Lee Dumas, Entrepreneur On Fire

What you will learn:

What is Landed for Success? (2:20)
The beginnings (4:06)
It started with a book
Type of people who join this group (8:12)
Standing out from the noise (10:22)
The pivot to online events
Attracting attention (14:22)
Consistency, building relationships, and hard work
Posting meaningful content
Think and Grow Rich: The Movie (20:44)
Why don’t more people tell their story? (28:42)
Fear of judgement
Public speaking is hard

Gordon Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“People’s stories are important”

“The Bible, Harry Potter, and Think and Grow Rich are the only books that have sold hundreds of millions of copies”

“Ask. Ask without fear”

“Talk about things that you truly have knowledge and are passionate about”

069 | Your Online Reputation & How to Respond to Negative Reviews - with Gilles Paquette

Jason Hunt — Tue, 11 May 2021 16:13:28 GMT

Our guest today is Gilles Paquette, CEO at CmonGo Creative & Associates. We’re going to be chatting about a very important topic today - your online reputation. More specifically, you’re going to walk away with some helpful advice on how to handle negative reviews.

Gilles is an energetic, creative, strategic-minded, and digitally-savvy communications leader with over twenty years of experience within a variety of industries. He continues to operate a full-service virtual agency dedicated to helping small- and medium-sized businesses with their digital and traditional marketing needs. He is passionate and committed to helping local businesses succeed in his home community of Milton, ON.

Mentioned in This Episode

Check out Gilles’ website
Email Gilles using hello@cmongo.com or gilles@cmongo.com
Podcast episode with Dennis Yu

What you will learn:

Defining online reputation (4:33)
Yourself and your brand
How to give personality to your brand (7:41)
Identifying core values
Being the centre of your brand as an individual (9:54)
People do business with other people
Maintaining healthy balance
Getting to know your audience (13:39)
Based on demographics
Based on psychographic profiling
Dealing with Google reviews - positive and negative (19:06)
Keeping emotions in check
Apologize - promote - take it offline

Gilles Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“People want to relate to something”

“Google is the front line”

“If you’re in a platform and you can delete (the bad reviews), I recommend you don’t”

“We need to check our emotion at the door and think like one of our clients”

065 | Serving Minority Entrepreneurs and Creating Generational Wealth - with Luis Baez

Jason Hunt — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 16:34:59 GMT

If you’re an under-represented entrepreneur who wants to get themselves out there, today’s episode will capture your attention. Our guest is Luis Baez, a business strategist and sales trainer who’s particularly dedicated to empowering under-represented entrepreneurs through training and coaching. Luis lives in Northern California and loves to cook and (tries) to garden (any gardeners listening, hit up Luis for tips and tricks!).

Luis serves entrepreneurs, service providers, and course creators, teaching online business owners how to scale their revenues and make an impact by creating and selling high-end offers, including coaching, masterminds, and memberships. With over 14 years of experience in sales and marketing for companies like LinkedIn, Google, Uber, and Tesla, Luis brings a breadth of knowledge and experience spanning across digital advertising, SAAS (Software-as-a-Service), and sustainability, with a revenue impact of over $500 million to date!

Mentioned in This Episode

Connect with Luis Baez via his website
Find out what’s keeping your energy hostage with Luis’ client, Coach Shanita

What you will learn:

Getting out there as a minority entrepreneur - easier said than done? (4:16)
What keeps people from getting started?
Taking risks, reaching out, and grabbing hold of opportunities as an under-represented entrepreneur (7:44)
Considering the role of minority groups in your business
Making attainable, measurable goals
Luis’ experience working for companies as an under-represented individual, and how he shifted from that (10:57)
A promise unfulfilled
Luis’ reaction to the situation
What to expect from working with Luis (16:14)
Creating and distributing intellectual property
The Business Order of Operations (BOO)
A client example of a revenue-first paradigm (23:06)
The process of delivering what you promise

Luis Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“The resources are available, the examples are there, you just have to have that willingness to put yourself out there”

“There is someone less qualified than you that is getting your piece of the pie simply because they dared to show up”

“I help them see the value in themselves that they didn’t see before”

040 | How We Read and Use Websites Matters - with Trevor Hamilton

Jason Hunt — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 14:12:15 GMT

Trevor Hamilton has a passion for design, persuasion, and business success. He is the founder and president of The Story Web Design & Marketing.

Trevor regularly works with small businesses to help them understand and explore what will enable them to succeed in digital marketing.

Before starting The Story, Trevor had a successful career in sales and marketing with technology companies.

In addition to his work with The Story, he is also a husband and father of 2 young boys.

028 | How a Local Landscape Company Grew by 325% - with Colin MacMillan and Todd Foster

Jason Hunt — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 17:01:51 GMT

This week's episode of the Merged Marketing Podcast features not 1, but 2 entrepreneurs that have taken a very interesting path, which has taken their business from $100k in revenue to over a Million in 1 year!

First, we have Todd Foster, whom you may remember from episode 3, so go back and check out that episode! Todd is the Co-Founder of 4 different companies, and is a true Digital Marketing expert, specializing in all things SEO.

Second we have Colin MacMillan, a 22 year old entrepreneur at the head of a new landscaping and construction company.

He started out mowing lawns 3 years ago, and now directs a capable team of 20 people and drives a fast growing business.

027 | Will Newspapers Disappear Forever? - with Mike Ulmer

Jason Hunt — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 18:14:00 GMT

Mike Ulmer enjoyed a 25-year career in newspapering and worked for the Woodstock Sentinel-Review, The Hamilton Spectator, The Hockey News, Southam News, National Post and as a sports columnist for 7 years at The Toronto Sun.

He has also written 12 books.

His opinion pieces have appeared in all four Toronto based daily newspapers: The Sun, Globe and Mail, National Post and Toronto Star.

022 | Kindness is Currency - with Nicole Myles Brook

Jason Hunt — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 17:25:54 GMT

Nicole Myles Brook is a multi-passionate entrepreneur delivering carefully crafted, highly effective marketing, PR, publicity and brand growth for Big Erics Inc where she is at the helm of the marketing team as the Director of Marketing. Big Erics Inc is Atlantic Canada’s full-service solution provider in commercial kitchen design-build, commercial kitchen, sanitation, concession and convenience equipment and supplies. She has iterated her skills as a digital marketer, leading the team at Big Erics through the build, testing and live implementation of Big Erics new e-commerce store powered by Shopify.

Previously, Nicole has worked as a marketing generalist with niche specialty in personal branding and influencer marketing and has fostered strong relationships with both brands and social media influencers connecting often with local and national media outlets in print, broadcast and new media. She had innovated aspects of both marketing and brand work for her clients through her company Core Elements Advisors Inc.

Nicole has prior experience in events management and has worked alongside award-winning event strategists and event marketers for privately funded corporations like Cadillac Fairview (property management), Melissa Andre Events (offices in Toronto, ON, Los Angeles USA) Mer Et Solei (Agency of Atlantic Canada), and local and national non-profit organizations like the YMCA. Born and raised in St. John’s Newfoundland but having permanently relocated to Halifax after attending Mount Saint Vincent University, where Nicole graduated with First-Class Honours in Public Relations. She continued her education at both Dalhousie School of Architecture and Saint Mary’s University.

Nicole’s favourite titles are, Wife to Brian (Captain Air Force, Retired) and Mother, to Alexis and Step-Mother to Cameron. Together with her husband Brian, they own and operate the popular cafe and lounge The Nook, with a location in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia. Nicole and Brian introduced the successful Nook Token program supporting and nourishing food insecure members of their city and offering up dignity on the side of coffee and a meal.

The Nook Token Program has garnered local, national and international attention, via various radio, print and digital media. More notably the Program has received recognition in the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia with commendation from local MLA in the Nova Scotia Legislature. The Nook Token Program promotes the slogan “Kindness is Currency” and aims to not only provide nourishing food but help in a small way to break down stigmas attached to groups of people facing hard times.

In addition to her involvement as the Director of Marketing at Big Erics Inc, and Co-Ownership of The Nook Espresso Bar & Lounge Nicole is an event partner for Leading Ladies Networking event series, selling-out events in Halifax for 10 years running. Leading Ladies run events every 6 weeks with the goal to connect women in business for the purposes of business growth and development. Nicole is a powerhouse entrepreneur who creatively innovates for social growth within both for her profession and community. Her big heart is at the centre of all that she does.

010 | The One Thing All CEO's Have In Common - with Wayne Scherger

Jason Hunt — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 19:19:27 GMT

Today we are discussing the mindset of C-Suite Executives and how they grow and lead their companies with Wayne Scherger of Peer Group Forums.

Wayne Scherger is a self-proclaimed "Growth Guru" to small and medium sized companies. For over 30 years he has been coaching entrepreneurs, and guiding them through the process of hyper-growth. His passion has always been to help people breakthrough and take their business to the next level, no matter how successful they already are.

#246 – Ronnie Malewski: The Marketing Shift That's Making Your Website Obsolete

Jason Hunt — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:41:48 GMT

NP Digital Canada Managing Director Ronnie Malewski reveals why most marketers are hiding behind vanity metrics while their competitors eat their lunch, how AI-powered conversational commerce is making your checkout page irrelevant, and why "impressions don't pay salaries — revenue does."

Ronnie Malewski is the Managing Director of NP Digital Canada, one of the fastest-growing digital agencies in the country, built entirely on inbound leads under Neil Patel's brand. His dual background in psychology and marketing shapes everything from how he approaches clients to how his team builds AI workflows that competitors haven't caught on to yet.

He explains:

◼️ Why vanity metrics (impressions, clicks, reach) are a deliberate hiding place — and the only number that actually matters in 2026

◼️ The conversational commerce shift happening right now: how AI agents are taking over the entire buyer journey from research to checkout, without ever touching your website

◼️ How Ronnie's team audited their own time sheets to identify AI use cases — and built a media planning tool that made the role nearly obsolete overnight

◼️ Why "AI can create Shrek 1, 2, and 3 — but it can't create Shrek" — and what that tells you about where human creativity still wins

◼️ The exact 5-step framework for showing up in AI search engines (GEO/AEO) before your competitors figure it out

◼️ Why you need roughly 250 published documents for AI engines to trust your brand as a legitimate source — and how most businesses are nowhere close

◼️ The Campbell's Soup psychology experiment that doubled average purchase quantity overnight without changing a single thing about the product

◼️ Why saying no to the wrong clients is the real foundation of agency culture — not perks, not team-building, not personality

Timestamps

05:00 – Ronnie's path from psychology student to WPP, Dentsu, and building NP Digital Canada

10:00 – How NP Digital runs on 100% inbound leads and what that means for the type of clients they win

15:00 – Vanity metrics are a lie: why impressions don't pay salaries and what to measure instead

20:00 – Conversational commerce and agentic checkout: the buyer journey has already changed

25:00 – How Ronnie's agency uses AI internally: vibe coding, media plan automation, and custom client portals

30:00 – Saying no, protecting your team, and why culture is built on what you refuse

35:00 – The timeless marketing psychology principles (loss aversion, IKEA effect, Campbell's limit experiment) that AI can't replace

37:00 – 5 tactics to win AI search right now, why GEO is just SEO evolved, and where marketing is headed into 2027

#232 – Dana Hork: Sprint-Based Marketing & the 5-Day Campaign Revolution

Jason Hunt — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 18:14:52 GMT

Dana Hork is the founder of Beers With Friends and formerly lead social media marketing for Walmart. She discussed her model that's transforming how brands approach marketing campaigns. In this episode, we dive into her revolutionary 5-day sprint methodology that's helping brands move faster and execute smarter in today's crowded digital landscape.

Dana brings years of experience leading social media at Walmart and Jet.com, where she built scalable content systems and managed viral moments like the famous Walmart Yodel Boy. Now she's channelling that expertise into an agile agency model that blends creativity, strategic insight, and AI tools to deliver breakthrough campaigns in record time.

🔑 Topics Covered:

The Beer Run Sprint model: 5-day campaign breakthroughs explained
Real case studies from Walmart to startup brands
AI tools and automation in agency operations
Why curiosity and agility beat long-form planning cycles
Building brand systems that scale with speed
From corporate social media to agency founder journey
The future of productized agency services

⏰ Key Timestamps:

3:41 – Leading Social at Walmart
10:03 – Viral Moment: Walmart Yodel Boy
13:14 – Beer Run Sprint Model Explained
16:44 – Dinner Deserves Dinner Case Study
24:01 – AI & Automation in Agency Ops
30:00 – Productizing Agency Services
36:53 – Curiosity & Creativity in 2025

🔗 Connect with Dana:

Beers With Friends

📩 Subscribe and leave a review to stay updated with new episodes every week!

🎥 Full episode with timestamps available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

Connect with Jason Hunt:

Website: https://jayhunt.social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jayhuntofficial

Sponsor: https://chatello.ai

#229 – John Gillham: AI Detection, Google's Updates & Content Authenticity

Jason Hunt — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 17:17:33 GMT

John Gillham is the founder of Originality.AI, a leading platform for detecting AI-generated content. In this episode, we dive deep into how AI detection technology works, Google's shifting stance on AI content, and what the March 2024 spam update means for marketers and content creators navigating the AI revolution.

John built and sold a successful content marketing agency before launching Originality.AI at the perfect moment—right as ChatGPT exploded onto the scene. His unique perspective as both a former agency owner and AI detection pioneer gives us insider insights into how the content landscape is evolving and what strategies actually work in 2025.

🔑 Key Topics Covered:

How Originality.AI detects AI-generated content with 96%+ accuracy
Google's March 2024 spam update and mass de-indexing of AI-heavy sites
Why hybrid content strategies (human + AI) are dominating SEO
The rise of AI Overviews and what it means for organic traffic
Why "humanizer" tools often fail and create more problems
Portfolio approach to business sustainability in seasonal markets
AI dependency concerns in education and copywriting

🔍 Episode Highlights:

Real data showing human copy outperforms AI in LinkedIn engagement
How Google's AI content policies keep shifting (and why that matters)
The hidden SEO risks most agencies don't know about AI content
Why omnichannel branding beats pure SEO plays in 2025
Practical strategies for staying compliant while leveraging AI tools

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro & John's Background01:36 – From Content Agency to AI Detection Pioneer 06:27 – Perfect Timing: Launching with ChatGPT's Rise10:05 – Google's March 2024 Spam Update Breakdown13:15 – SEO's New Reality: Fewer Clicks, Higher Conversions22:44 – Inside Originality.AI's Detection Technology28:28 – Why AI "Humanizers" Often Backfire32:04 – Data: Human vs AI Content Performance35:06 – AI in Education: Detection vs Reality

🔗 Connect with John Gillham:

Originality.AI: https://originality.ai

Connect with Jason Hunt:

Website: https://jayhunt.social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jayhuntofficial

📩 Subscribe and leave a review to stay ahead of the AI and marketing curve. New episodes drop every week!

Have you tried using AI for your content? What's been your experience with authenticity vs efficiency? Let us know in the comments.

#220 - Kris Rudeegraap: The Future of Gifting, AI, and Experiential Marketing

Jason Hunt — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 21:50:29 GMT

Kris Rudeegraap, Co-Founder and CEO of Sendoso, joins Drop The Mic to break down how experiential marketing, personalized gifting, and AI-driven strategies are transforming sales and customer engagement.

Kris shares real-world stories and proven strategies that help businesses cut through the noise, create memorable experiences, and leverage direct mail in a digital-first world. From gifting a rack of ribs to sending rubber chickens — Kris explains why human connections still win deals.

We dive into:
🎯 How to use gifting to stand out and close deals
📈 The rise of AI in marketing and direct mail
🎁 Why thoughtful experiences drive customer loyalty
💡 The future of experiential marketing, including drone delivery

Whether you're in sales, marketing, or business development — this episode will inspire fresh ways to engage your audience and convert leads.

Time Stamps:

[02:30] - Experiential marketing stories: Helicopter rides & concerts
[04:30] - The before, during, and after strategy for events
[06:50] - Creating memorable booth experiences vs. being forgettable
[08:50] - Kris explains Sendoso and how gifting changes sales
[11:30] - Real-world examples: Real estate, enterprise sales, and client retention
[13:00] - Why companies prefer Sendoso over Amazon for gifting
[15:50] - The psychology of receiving physical gifts (reciprocity effect)
[16:10] - Craziest gifts sent: Traeger grills, drones, and rubber chickens
[17:30] - CRM integration and automating follow-ups after delivery
[18:10] - How Sendoso and Kris’s team leverage AI in sales & marketing
[20:30] - The truth about direct mail: Flat vs. dimensional mailers
[22:20] - Using gifting in every stage of the marketing funnel
[24:15] - Attribution, ROI, and why follow-up is everything
[26:00] - AI’s future impact on direct mail and customer engagement
[27:30] - Smart Gifting: How AI tailors messages and delivery
[29:10] - Is drone delivery part of Sendoso’s future?
[30:10] - Personal branding vs. business branding
[30:50] - Sendoso’s global scale and Kris’s final thoughts

CONNECT & SUPPORT:

🌐 Website: https://jayhunt.social
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial

Sponsor: https://chatello.ai

#219 - Kevin Bulmer: Storytelling, Personal Branding, and Building Emotional Connections

Jason Hunt — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 19:18:22 GMT

Kevin Bulmer, founder of NSM Brand Media and the voice behind the No Schedule Man, joins Jason Hunt on Drop The Mic to unpack the power of storytelling, personal branding, and authentic connection in a noisy digital world.

From his roots in radio to navigating the evolution of digital marketing, Kevin shares real-world insights on how entrepreneurs can amplify their brand story while balancing AI tools with human emotion. The episode dives into strategies for emotional marketing, the ROI of storytelling, and why your personal brand might be your most valuable asset in 2025.

Whether you’re a marketer, small business owner, or creator, this conversation is packed with actionable takeaways to help you connect, engage, and grow.

00:32 – Why long intros kill engagement and podcasting lessons from radio
04:50 – Kevin’s journey from radio to motorsports to marketing and speaking
08:15 – Why personal branding matters more than ever in the AI era
09:01 – Building authenticity: How to blend your story with your business
13:34 – The real estate example: Mixing professional and personal content
17:43 – Overcoming perfectionism and imposter syndrome with repetition
20:09 – Instagram’s new “trial” content feature and testing content publicly
27:38 – The importance of storytelling and crafting a brand story
31:27 – Emotional connection vs. top-of-mind awareness in marketing
35:21 – Is traditional media still a good investment?
39:00 – The role of AI: Amplification tool or creativity killer?
42:39 – Why storytelling and emotional connection will always win in marketing
43:00 – Where to connect with Kevin Bulmer online

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Website: ⁠https://jayhunt.social

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial

#207 - Maor Benaim: Mastering Media Buying, Psychological Insights, and Unleashing the Inner Wolf

Jason Hunt — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 20:24:16 GMT

Maor Benaim, known widely as "The Wolf" in the digital marketing realm, is a master of media buying and programmatic advertising. Renowned for his innovative strategies, Maor has steered multimillion-dollar campaigns to spectacular returns, distinguishing himself in a highly competitive industry. This episode of Drop The Mic delves into Maor's publication, "Unleash Your Inner Wolf," and explores his extensive background in digital marketing. It's a deep dive into the mental and emotional rigours of the industry, the allure and dangers of rapid financial success, and the critical importance of maintaining one's integrity amid rapid growth. Join me as Maor shares his profound insights on thriving not just in marketing, but in navigating the complexities of business and personal growth.

OUTLINE:

Here are the timestamps for the episode:

(01:49): Experiencing the unique culture of digital marketing conferences
(02:55): Discussing youth, innovation, and big money in digital marketing
(04:29): The psychological challenges in digital marketing
(06:15): The allure and pitfalls of quick financial success
(08:04): Avoiding 'fake gurus' and finding genuine mentors
(12:29): The importance of building a personal brand in digital marketing
(19:10): Commercial break with introduction to Kappa optimization tools
(21:17): The psychological aspects of business and success
(29:24): From band frontman to marketing professor: A personal journey
(31:07): Overcoming personal fears to achieve professional growth
(38:41): Cutting through the noise in the digital space
(42:50): Approaching potential business relationships effectively

For those looking to navigate the digital marketing landscape with finesse and foresight, this episode offers essential insights and strategies for success. Tune in to harness the innovative tactics and deep understanding of an industry leader.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

YouTube Video link: https://youtu.be/u_4c8cuP3Pw

#206 - Chris Kubbernus: Monetizing Creativity, Digital Evolution, and the Impact of AI

Jason Hunt — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 20:20:46 GMT

Hailing from Canada and making significant waves internationally, Chris's journey from aspiring marketer to a beacon of creativity and innovation in Copenhagen is nothing short of inspiring. His adeptness at navigating the digital landscape has not only set new benchmarks but also paved the way for others to follow.

Join us as Chris AKA Kubby unravels the essence of monetizing creativity in a digital world that constantly craves authenticity and value. From the intricacies of building a digital agency from scratch to the pivotal role of audience engagement in today's content-saturated environment, this episode is a treasure trove of insights for marketers, entrepreneurs, and digital specialists alike.

OUTLINE:

(00:00): Warm introduction to Chris Kubbernus and a dive into his unique surname origins.
(02:35): Chris's international journey from Canada to Copenhagen and his venture into digital marketing.
(05:20): The pivotal moments of starting his agency amidst personal challenges.
(08:55): Insight into the dynamics of content creation, audience engagement, and the evolution of digital platforms.
(13:30): The critical shift from broad influencer strategies to focused, value-driven content.
(18:47): Navigating the complexities of maintaining a healthy work-life balance amidst the hustle culture.
(23:08): Effective strategies for monetizing creativity and leveraging personal talents in the digital domain.
(28:12): The undeniable impact of AI on the future of content creation and digital marketing strategies.
(33:45): The importance of adaptability and resilience in the rapidly changing digital landscape.
(38:19): Closing thoughts and actionable advice for aspiring digital marketers and content creators.

For anyone seeking to understand the nuances of digital marketing, leveraging creativity for business growth, and the profound impact of AI on the industry, this episode with Chris Kubbernus is an indispensable listen. Dive in for a masterclass in navigating the digital age with grace, innovation, and strategic prowess.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huntspeaks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jayhuntofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayhuntofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

Website: https://jayhunt.social

Youtube Video Link: https://youtu.be/AqzjVk6YDJU

#204 - Anna Gita: Affiliate Marketing, Embracing AI and Leading a Performance Marketing Network

Jason Hunt — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 01:45:38 GMT

Anna Gita, CEO of MaxWeb, dives deep into the world of affiliate marketing, sharing her unexpected journey from a corporate path in America to becoming a pioneer in the affiliate marketing industry. Her story begins with a move back to Romania, a chance meeting that led her into affiliate marketing, and the subsequent founding of MaxWeb to address gaps in the affiliate network market. Anna's narrative unfolds through her strategic vision, focusing on traffic understanding to ensure offer success and the personal joys and challenges of working from Transylvania.

She discusses MaxWeb's approach to employee incentives through travel opportunities, the utilization of ChatGPT for enhancing communication, and the importance of community building and thoughtful gifting in affiliate relationships. The conversation then shifts to the future of affiliate marketing in an AI-driven world, the meticulous process behind selecting offers for MaxWeb, and sage advice for new affiliates on choosing niches and the importance of building genuine relationships within the community.

(00:01:35.400) - Anna’s transition into affiliate marketing
(00:04:03.680) - Founding of MaxWeb and identifying market needs
(05:45) - Life and business in Transylvania
(10:01) - Travel as an incentive and employee representation at events
(17:39) - Utilizing ChatGPT in business communications
(24:29) - Building a community and the role of gifting in affiliate marketing
(25:50) - The impact of AI on affiliate marketing’s future
(38:03) - Selecting offers for MaxWeb and the criteria for product owners
(41:03) - Advice for new affiliates on niche selection

Whether you're diving into affiliate marketing, exploring the impact of AI on digital strategies, or seeking to understand the dynamics of successful online marketing, this episode offers invaluable insights from one of the industry's leading voices.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

YouTube Video link: https://youtu.be/ps59N_gQIkg

#203 - Craig Campbell: SEO's Evolution, AI Innovations and Buying Digital Assets

Jason Hunt — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 18:48:05 GMT

Craig Campbell is an SEO guru with over two decades of experience in shaping the digital marketing world. Craig unpacks his extensive experience, from initial website experiments to establishing himself as a leading SEO strategist and consultant. His journey through the intricacies of SEO, overcoming challenges in digital marketing agency management, and leveraging personal branding for online visibility are front and center.

Craig discusses the transformative power of networking, his notable speaking engagements across the globe, and his hands-on approach to SEO that's kept him ahead in the game. With an eye on the future, he discusses how AI is revolutionizing content creation and SEO, sharing his strategies for buying and selling digital assets and the critical balance between AI-generated content and human editing for peak performance.

(02:44) - Craig’s experience at different events (03:45) - The challenges of speaking in front of different audience sizes (04:38) - Craig’s journey into SEO (10:44) - The struggles with delegation and micromanagement (13:34) - Conversation on mindset and success (18:28) - Buying and selling digital assets (19:06) - When to sell digital assets (23:31) - The impact of artificial intelligence on business (28:59) - The use of AI in content creation (39:09) - Final thoughts on AI and future goals

Whether you're a seasoned marketer, a budding SEO enthusiast, or simply captivated by the digital world's dynamics, this episode is a must-listen.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

YouTube Video link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLztu2KjZ8n_TM09bOz-vm1KkIwuoERcKC&si=BdJ4gbFpo4AxEehR

199 - Mastering TikTok for Business Success with Keenya Kelly

Jason Hunt — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 20:07:21 GMT

Dive into this enlightening episode of the Merged Marketing Podcast as we sit down with Keenya Kelly, the renowned Vertical Video Strategist who transformed her business using the power of TikTok. Keenya shares her insider secrets on leveraging TikTok for unparalleled business growth, lead generation, and brand visibility.

From understanding TikTok's unique algorithm to crafting content that resonates with your target audience, Keenya breaks down the strategies that led to her own digital success. Whether you're TikTok-curious or looking to elevate your existing presence, this episode is packed with actionable insights that can revolutionize your business approach.

Discover why TikTok is more than just dance challenges and how it can be a game-changer for your brand. If you're aiming to stay ahead in the digital landscape, this conversation with Keenya Kelly is a must-listen. Tune in and get ready to transform your business with the TikTok magic!

188 - The ROI of Podcasting: How to Measure the Success of Your Show with Harry Morton

Jason Hunt — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 15:53:04 GMT

Do you have a podcast for your business? Is it a profitable one? Today's episode discusses how to grow your business with a profitable podcast. Our subject matter expert today is Harry Morton. As a CEO & Founder of Lower Street, he helps agencies, startups, and enterprises launch next-level podcasts that actually make money and build their brands.

His journey in podcasting: With a music technology and audio academic background, Harry started in post-production before transitioning into sales and marketing. His desire to always own a business inspired him to establish a podcasting agency in 2006 with the goal of helping companies tell their stories through audio. He does not have a podcast because they have concentrated on developing podcasts for clients.

Benefits of a business starting a podcast: Harry says podcasting is for the long haul, not quick sales. This means the business often takes a long time to gain traction and grow meaningful relationships with the target audience for the desired ROI. He disqualifies podcasting as a channel of instant lead generation but lauds it as perfect for networking and account-based marketing. The feedback from the ideal customer profile is often valuable for the growth of the business. In addition, it allows the podcaster to gain knowledge from subject matter experts who come on as guests. These guests also become part of the business ecosystem because they get to learn about your product or service offering.

What is a profitable podcast: Our guest expert explains that how to measure the success of your show in podcasting varies from one individual to another, depending on their goals. While one podcaster may be after increasing the lifetime value of their customers, another may be simply seeking to develop strong networks with their ICP. He says that one should not launch a podcast to monetize it because the space is increasingly becoming competitive as podcasting gains traction. Instead, a non-sponsored podcast passes for a profitable podcast because it is built on authentic relationships and networks of the target audience.

How does a new podcast decide its starting point? Harry speaks to the highly competitive environment of podcasting, which translates that an individual podcast has to fight with many podcasts for the listener's ear. As such, a new podcast should focus on the target audience in terms of what they need, providing a competitive advantage.

Time codes

(0:07) Introduction of today's topic and guest expert
(01:23) His journey in podcasting
(04:03) Benefits of a business starting a podcast
(09:00) What is a profitable podcast
(12:23) How does a new podcast set its theme
(14:15) What is the ideal length of a podcast
(16:19) Role of consistency in podcasting
(21:25) How to increase the exposure of a podcast episode
(24:54) Harry's contact information
(25:25) Harry's choice of brand ambassador

187 - Self Funding Your Start Up vs. VC Investment with Dan Roberge

Jason Hunt — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 14:58:37 GMT

Which is better? Self-funding your startup or going for VC investment? Is it better to maintain the freedom as the financier of your business or sacrifice it for the benefit of greater capital from investors? In this episode, we host Dan Roberge as he unpacks self-funding and VC investment pros and cons. Dan Roberge is a results-driven President and CEO of Maintenance Care with a key focus on sales, marketing, and product development. His extensive experience building a company from the ground up, including establishing budgets, marketing image and strategy, business culture, sales processes, support protocols, and product development tailored to industry needs, makes him a great resource for startups.

Dan's career background: His passion for the creative side of things originated from his academic background in film. He started with marketing for client companies before he established his own company with his wife. Dan started as the marketing person for their startup before they could bring on board a team as the company scaled.

When did he have the epiphany to start his own business: He first founded a wedding video company upon graduating from film school. With his spouse as a partner, they then launched a small advertising company from his long-held desire to be a founder. Due to cash flow challenges associated with a self-funded startup, he would seek employment in the insurance industry as a marketer. (Having your own business allows you to see the impact of your work directly).

Did his startup use self-funding or VC investment: Dan explains that their startup utilized the self-funding option instead of VC investment. They yearned for freedom from taking charge of their business establishment. However, Dan reckons that the self-funding model presented often hits its peak. As such, the founders must make tough decisions to adopt the VC investment model. (The funding path you choose depends on your ultimate goal).

Demerits of self-funding your startup: Dan reveals that cash flow problems with the self-funding model forced them to mortgage their house up to three times. In this regard, he risked the equity he had built for his house to grow his maintenance care startup. Although they started their company in 2003, Dan reveals that the business did not register any organic income for the next 5 years. This was because of the initial low adoption of computers in the maintenance industry. However, the founder's persistence in him saw him continue running the company until the marketplace was ideal for business. (When self-funded, you have to risk everything and be aware that you could lose everything at any moment).

Time Codes

(0:08) Introduction of today's topic and guest expert
(0:28) Dan's career background
(01:58) When did he have the epiphany to start his own business
(03:51) Did his startup use self-funding or VC investment
(05:08) Demerits of self-funding your startup
(07:29) Marketing budget for his startup
(09:28) The right to hire when self-funding
(12:04) Current main budgetary areas for his business
(16:57) His perspective on VC investment
(21:34) Tips for founders in dealing with VC investment:
(23:24) Dan's contact information
(24:10) Dan's choice of brand ambassador

185 - Human-Centered Approaches Are More Important - with Darin Dawson

Jason Hunt — Tue, 30 May 2023 14:56:34 GMT

Darin Dawson is on a mission to rehumanize the planet and wants to start with your business. He believes that human beings have intrinsic value. Each person deserves to be seen, heard, and understood. That's why he co-founded BombBomb. BombBomb enables everyone in their organization to easily record, send, and track personal videos so that they can break through the digital noise, build human connection, and get a "yes" faster and more often.

What is BombBomb: The inspiration to establish the video-sharing platform came about in 2006. They sought to create a platform for sending marketing videos and text and making presentations while maintaining the human element in the communication. Their ideal customer profile was individuals with complex products and technological know-how but depended on other professionals for marketing communication. These included real estate agents, mortgage professionals, insurers, and lawyers, among other professionals. Other clientele include landscapers, consulting companies, and some Fortune 500 companies. Today, BombBomb has a large geographical reach in about 48 countries with over 100,000 companies.

Unique features of BombBomb – BombBomb allows the user to know if the recipient actually received the sent message/email. It thus helps the marketer figure out their engagement and tailors the message appropriately. In addition, BombBomb gives the user greater confidence with their video message because they focus on the human dynamic in front of the camera. The user's confidence grows with time as they create more and more bomb bombs. It reflects the growing importance of leveraging new communication media in the digital space to position as a known trusted source in a given niche.

BombBomb users' usage curve: Our guest expert underscores the role of human reciprocity in today's digital communication. Video content-sharing platforms such as BombBomb strive to eliminate the robotic feel of messages, whose authenticity ensures that the recipient offers feedback. As such, more people are willing to reciprocate the communication with more BombBomb usage. (There is no reciprocity for robots).

The journey of BombBomb products over the last five years: Darin says that they have experienced an increased uptake over the previous 5 years. During the Covid-19 pandemic period, the product experience increased usage because many people were forced to use video communication from their homes. However, the inconsistent nature of human beings meant that people returned to their old communication habits as the pandemic eased. (Consistency is how we win in business, but people are not often consistent). The company has introduced a new feature of BombBomb that offers marketing automation with evergreen video sequences with a human feel.

The role of artificial intelligence in BombBomb: Our guest insists that they are keen on maintaining the human element in their video and text communications. As such, they leverage artificial intelligence to be more efficient, consistent, relevant, and timely. For instance, AI can help generate video scripts for the target audience. Also, AI algorithms can help with transcribed data and comparing transcripts to figure out the most suitable for a given video. (AI is crucial in helping people to become the best they can be on the go for their industry using best practices).

Time Codes

(0:01) Introduction to today's topic and guest expert

(0:45) What is BombBomb:

(04:57) Unique features of BombBomb

(09:11) The curve of usage of BombBomb users

(12:35) The journey of BombBomb product over the last 5 years

(16:00) The role of artificial intelligence in BombBomb

(20:16) Key metric for BombBomb

(23:05) Other areas of usage for BombBomb

(25:25) BombBomb in the next 5 years (27:17) Darin's contact information

(27:38) Darin's choice of brand ambassador

176 - Overcoming the Challenges in Rebranding with Jim Heininger

Jason Hunt — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 15:20:41 GMT

Certainly! Rebranding can be an exciting and transformative experience for any business. Whether it's a fresh new logo, a revamped website, or a complete overhaul of the company's identity, rebranding can help businesses stay relevant and competitive in today's ever-changing market. In this episode, we host business branding expert Jim Heininger. He founded The Rebranding Experts in 2017 and has 30 years of business and brand strategy experience for P&G, McDonald's, Anheuser-Busch, and others. Jim's team believes rebranding should be a strategic growth accelerator, creating a forward-facing organization ready to grasp new opportunities. Jim coaches CEOs through the rebranding process, aligning their executive team and helping to execute complete name changes and new customer promises. He will help us explore the benefits of rebranding and what you can expect from the process.

The first and most obvious benefit of rebranding is that it can help your business stand out from the competition. A fresh new look can catch the eye of potential customers and make your business more memorable. A strong brand identity can also create a sense of trust and loyalty among your existing customers, making it more likely that they'll continue to do business with you.

Another benefit of rebranding is that it can help you better communicate your message and values. As businesses grow and evolve, their messaging and values may shift, and rebranding can help ensure these changes are reflected in their brand identity. By clearly communicating your message and values, you can create a stronger emotional connection with your customers and build a more meaningful relationship with them.

Rebranding can also be a great way to signal a new direction for your business. You may be expanding into new markets, launching new products or services, or simply looking to reposition your business in the minds of your customers. Whatever the reason, rebranding can help signal this new direction and position your business for growth and success.

Of course, rebranding isn't always easy. It can be a time-consuming and expensive process, and it's important to approach it with a clear strategy and plan. Before embarking on a rebrand, conducting research and gathering feedback from your customers and other stakeholders is important. This can help ensure that your new brand identity resonates with your target audience and reflects the values and messaging of your business.

In conclusion, rebranding can be a powerful tool for businesses looking to stay relevant and competitive in today's market. Whether you're looking to stand out from the competition, better communicate your message and values, or signal a new direction for your business, rebranding can help you achieve your goals. With careful planning and execution, a successful rebrand can help set your business up for growth and success for years to come.

Key Timecodes

(1:58) Jim's Background
(3:14) When is the right time for a rebrand?
(4:16) WHY you need to rebrand
(6:14) How far can you go with a rebrand?
(7:48) Should you do a total overhaul of your brand while rebranding?
(8:55) Social media impact on a rebrand
(10:58) Assets involved in the rebranding.
(13:02) Mistakes people to make while rebranding
(14:45) Ways of getting the entire organization on board
(17:14) Effect of rebranding on brand ambassadors
(20:09) Modern trends in the rebranding industry
(23:35) The difference between a brand refresh and a rebrand
(24:09) Jim's contact information

175 - Bank Loan to Caribbean Resort Owner with J. Kelly Sullivan

Jason Hunt — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 14:39:16 GMT

How he started out in real estate - He learned from his real estate father and traveled in Asia. After seeking the best location for his resort, He created his own vertical in Southern Ontario from the supply side to install. With the help of efficient Canadian building technology, he ventured into building material distribution and construction. He had a dream and vision, and he started making it happen.

Challenges while building the resort - He dealt with the inefficiencies of the Island lifestyle by seeking a consistent supply of construction materials, employing his staff, and aligning himself with the right legal personnel. Crucially, he did it harmoniously with the island's environment, culture, and people.

His role in the Canadian Turks and Caicos Islands project - The Canadian government has occasionally toyed with the idea of leveraging its economic and social connection with the British Turks and Caicos. With the help of his close friends in Canada, Kelly managed to arrange for the Canadian Premier Harper to meet with the Turks & Caicos Islands Bilateral Working Group. The purpose was to advance the economic and trade agenda between the two.

How does Kokomo Private Island stand out from the competition - It has continuously ranked as one of the world's best sand, sun, and sea beaches. It has one of the best sun, sand, and sea destinations worldwide, enjoying high-ranking years. There is an incredible beach club on the best part of the beach, and you can visit a different beach every day. The beach also enjoys all-year-round sunshine, unlike most places in the world.

Kokomo is not for everybody – Once you enter the gates of Kokomo, you transition into another oasis. Kokomo private resort offers serenity from indigenous trees that are hundreds of years old. You can enjoy fish and meat from the international market and great vegetarian offerings. (Without you, there is no we, it is about who we are coming together -people come here as strangers and leave as friends).

What do you give the most credit for your success story in the hospitality industry? Kelly most greatly admires the hoteliers in the Turks and Caicos Islands. He emphasizes self-belief, and the never quit spirit. (Successful people never quit).

Key Time Stamps

(0:38) Kelly's journey to the hospitality industry
(04:49) How he started out in real estate
(08:20) Challenges while building the resort
(10:07) His role in the Canadian Turks and Caicos Islands project
(12:12) How does Kokomo private island stand out from the competition
(16:35) Kokomo is not for everybody
(20:35) What do you give the most credit for the success story you have become in the hospitality industry
(21:38) Kelly's contact information

157 | Do Marketing Funnels Still Work? - Piyush Kukreja

Jason Hunt — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 14:41:41 GMT

Funnels have been part and parcel of marketing and sales processes. However, with the advancement of technology and change in consumer behaviour, you may wonder if funnels still have a place in today’s way of doing business.

In this episode, we hear from a digital marketing expert about the place of funnels in modern-day business. He shares with us the six steps of his growth funnel domination framework and how it wins in the game of sales and marketing today. The undisputable overall verdict is in the affirmative that funnels are still crucial.

He is a Digital Growth Consultant running a Performance Marketing and Funnel Agency helping start-ups scale to 7 Figures. International Best Selling Author International Keynote Speaker. Please welcome Piyush Kukreja.

Key Timecodes

(01:40) Piyush Kukreja career background in digital marketing

(05:59) What does he attribute the successful downloads of his e-book to? (Focus on few targeted follower clients than many non-client followers)

(11:10)What are growth funnels?

The 6-step growth funnel domination framework

(11:28) Step 1: Foundation - create profile for primary customer

(14:14) Step 2: Mapping your funnel

(15:12) Guide to creating your own small quizzes from codecanyon.net

(17:15) Step 3: seeking targeted quality traffic

(18:39) Show the right message at the right time on the right platform

(19:14) Research for targeted messaging

(20:39) Step 4: Launching the product: direct traffic on landing page and leverage email automation

(30:41) Step 5: Using heat map and google analytics

(32:32) Step 6: Scale your funnels to the moon

(33:36) Piyush’s contact information

152 | How companies can differentiate themselves in a crowded field with Alannah Della Vedova

Jason Hunt — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 13:14:39 GMT

How can companies differentiate themselves in a crowded field? My guest on today's episode is Alannah Della. Alannah is the brand director of FanDuel. If you're not familiar with FanDuel, there's a good chance you're probably not a sports watcher. Every single Sunday, as I watch football, I am inundated with content in the form of commercials from FanDuel.

It's all over my social media. It's all over the web pages that I'm browsing. They're doing a very good job marketing themselves, and they are in a very crowded market, specifically in the area we live in, which is Ontario, where the regulations have changed quite drastically in the gambling and casino area over the last year or so. But Atlanta is going to be an excellent guest to talk about this topic. Alana is an award-winning marketing strategist with ten years of experience leading breakthrough creative campaigns leveraging storytelling, and she has built compelling brand connections that drive commercial results.

Alannah Della currently holds the position of director of content and brand of FanDuel, where she leads content and brand execution against FanDuel's multiyear TSN partnership and campaign development with their very other teams and league partnerships. Without further ado, let's kick it to my chat with Alannah Della.

Key timecodes

What is Fanduel ? What does it do?(1:58)
How Alannah Della became a brand director(2:56)
Fanduel’s competitive advantage(3:38)
What does a brand director do?(4:35)
The difference between Canadian and the USA audience(5:41)
What is an inducement?(6:41)
How Fanduel is differentiating itself from the competition in the market(7:15)
How do the big brands help your small business scale?(9:12)
The influencers’ strategy(11:08)
Tips on scaling your business(12:40)
Why you should consider hiring a brand director(15:02)
The most effective marketing channels( 17:51)
Which paid ads are a success?(20:07)
Get in touch with Alannah Della(21:12)

151 | How to get started in affiliate marketing - John Wright

Jason Hunt — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 13:10:46 GMT

Are you an affiliate marketer? Are you thinking of getting started as an affiliate marketer? In his episode, our guest has 20+ years of experience in online gambling and affiliate marketing. His startup StatsDrone aims to make your life easier, starting in affiliate marketing.

We discuss at length what affiliate marketing is, the changing trends in the niche, and strategies on how to generate traffic. In this episode, you will also get advice on how to get started as an affiliate marketer and finally find out whether it's best if you diversify your target niche or if you should identify one niche and go with it. To help us through this topic, we host John Wright.

Key Timecodes

What is affiliate marketing? (02:13)
John Wright’s journey into affiliate marketing(03:02)
The state of the union for affiliate marketing and gambling(04:28)
The importance of doing your due diligence and research(5:46)
Strategies for generating traffic(06:59)
Paid ads strategy(09:19)
Advice to beginners affiliate marketers(11:40)
Statsdrone’s selling point(14:52)
Tips on how to get started with affiliate marketing(17:10)
Should you diversify your niches?(21:43)
Get in touch with John Wright(23:10)

149 | No Scaling Problem is Too Big to Solve with Gabriela Pulido

Jason Hunt — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 13:11:12 GMT

No Scaling Problem is Too Big to Solve

No Scaling Problem is Too Big to Solve. Is your business relying entirely on referrals? Do you want to take it to the next level but you are wondering how and where to start? In this episode, we narrow down on scaling. We discuss what scaling is in relation to business, the challenges experienced while scaling, and most importantly the steps to take to achieve this.

We also discuss the roles played by team members in actualizing your business scaling plan. Listen in and find out the key drivers that will help you propel your brand to that next level. This episode will help you see your brand past your logo as you will realize a brand is more than just a logo.

We host an experienced strategic marketing executive with more than 30 years of building successful brands like Amerant, Endeavor, Insigneo, Lifeinvest, MISO, etc. She is a serial entrepreneur, mentor, advisor, mother of 4, and a passionate believer in the power of the right mindset to generate value while doing good. Please welcome Gabriela Pulido.

Key Time Codes

Gabriela Pulido’s background(1:30)
What is scaling?(2:51)
Challenges businesses incur when they want to scale(3:58)
Know your WHY and how to get there(5:29)
Are there shortcuts to scaling(7:45)
Does the business’s team influence scaling?(9:34)
The hurdles encountered while scaling(11:05)
Innovating ways to connect(12:12)
Brands scaled to the next level by Gabriela Pulido(15:17)
Key Drivers to scaling your business(18:59)
Get in touch with Gabriela Pulido(22:01)

130 | Zach Greaves - The Power of Story in Marketing

Jason Hunt — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 13:59:06 GMT

What is your business story? In this episode, we speak to Zach Greaves the founder and Director of Artus Digital Marketing - a UK-based copywriting business. He shares with us why the Power of Story is important in Marketing. He specializes in Helping You Tell Your Business' Story, Copywriting, Website Copy, blog writing, Social Media Management, and Reputation Management. Please welcome Zach Greaves.

What you will learn

Zachr author’s story (2:30)

Zach’s story(from burnout to victory) (3:00)

Zach’s employment history

Why the power of story is relevant in 2022 (5:27)

Why getting exterior perspective to your business is important (7:30)

Some of the tools Zach uses (10:00)

Diversifying your writing niche (11:40)

The research process (14:00)

overcoming writer's block(16:44)

Difference between blog copies and social media copy(19:00)

Always understand the purpose of your content before publishing (21:28)

The power of story through email (22:15)

How Zach is marketing his business(24:40)

Get in touch with Zach (26:51)

123 | How to Write a 20 Minute Newsletter - With Liz Wilcox

Jason Hunt — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 14:51:01 GMT

Are you having trouble with email? Liz Wilcox is an email strategist serving bloggers, freelancers and online business owners. She helps them build online relationships, package up their “magic” and turn it into emails that people want to read and, most importantly, purchase from.

Mentioned in This Episode

The Virtual Campground
Liz’s website

What you will learn:

Liz’s story (2:22)
Increasing open rates (9:11)
The 3 jobs every email has
Writing your subject line
Getting people to READ your email (18:32)
How to run your nurture sequence (24:39)
Get in touch with Liz (33:15)

Liz Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“You want to get your email seen”

“Write like you’re writing to a friend”

“If you don’t have time to write a long email, no one will have time to read it”

“You don’t have to tell stories all the time”

114 | The Future of Content Marketing - With George Chasiotis

Jason Hunt — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 16:22:00 GMT

Georgios Chasiotis is the Managing Director of MINUTTIA, a content and SEO agency helping SaaS and tech companies drive organic growth.

Mentioned in This Episode:

What you will learn:

George’s journey (1:40)
Content marketing - micro SEO
Coming up with a content plan (8:19)
Weighing the metrics
Does social media play into the strategy? (12:39)
User behaviours on your website (15:37)
The future of content marketing (19:14)
Understanding the present
Moving away from the plastic
Minuttia’s marketing strategy (23:55)
Get in touch with George (26:25)

George Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“SEO is way more complicated than it used to be”

“Social media should be a part of the equation”

111 | Why Music Licensing Should be a Strategic Brand Choice - With Sam Parvin

Jason Hunt — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 14:38:27 GMT

Sam Parvin helps senior-level brand marketers to use music strategically and execute with ease, so that they are contributing value to their consumers and simultaneously creating a stronger brand. She is passionate about sharing her very specialized expertise in navigating the music licensing space to help people inspire the world through their marketing communications. She is a globally-awarded music supervisor for brands such as Coca-Cola, Maker’s Mark, Corona, and GMC.

Mentioned in This Episode

What you will learn:

Sam’s story (2:44)
Why senior-level brand marketers should care about music (7:52)
What’s the right music for your brand? (10:56)
What value do you bring?
Filling the music void (13:35)
Targeting the right audience
How effective is music?
Industries that can benefit from incorporating music into their strategy (26:10)
Be more effective in your music use (29:39)
Putting music on the list
Get in touch with Sam (33:01)

Sam Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“We need music in our world”

“Everybody feels connected to music”

“Have someone in charge of music from start to finish on your project”

“Meet your audience where they are”

102 | How to Build Your Brand Promoters - With Desi Bolin

Jason Hunt — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 17:27:25 GMT

Desi Bolin is the Founder & CEO of Virtually Sourced Solutions, an international SVA™ consultancy firm with pillars of integrity, quality, service, collaboration, and innovation, with over 70 specialties to assist all kinds of businesses.

Mentioned in This Episode

Hubspot (free CRM)
Keap (paid CRM)
Happy Neighbourhood Project (HNP) - 65 free networking events

What you will learn:

Desi’s story (2:53)
What is a brand promoter? (5:32)
Brand promotion vs affiliate marketing
Do you need to niche?
Creating a successful brand promoter program (9:15)
Where do you find promoters?
Approaching potential promoters (13:55)
Providing incentive or rewarding promoters (15:44)
Using a CRM
Taking advantage of online networking
Get in touch with Desi (26:30)

Desi Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“Who, in your network, could benefit from what we do?”

“I’ve never paid for ads, I’ve never paid for marketing”

“I believe in the power of relationships”

“Make it a point to reach out one-to-one”

096 | How to Harness the Power of the Moon to Achieve Your Goals - With Kady Romagnuolo

Jason Hunt — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 12:52:25 GMT

Kady is a spiritual business coach, best-selling author, and international speaker. She helps entrepreneurs turn their passion project into a full-time sustainable career using the power of the moon.

Mentioned in This Episode

Subscribe to the Moon Magic newsletter and get your FREE Moon Calendar (23:52)

What you will learn:

Kady’s journey (1:05)
The 4 principles to success (8:13)
- New moon phase
- First quarter moon phase
- Full moon phase
- Third quarter moon phase
Connecting the moon phases to astrology (20:53)
Get in touch with Kady (25:01)

Kady Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“The second step is all about planting seeds”

“It can’t be all about action”

“Give yourself permission to change”

094 | 5 Steps to Manifesting Your Dream - With Joe Garcia

Jason Hunt — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 12:47:54 GMT

Joe began his Network Marketing career in 1993, and his Global Organization has expanded to over 60 countries, generating over $2 billion in sales. His travels have led him to over 60 locations worldwide, where he has trained hundreds of thousands of people. He has a passion for helping people increase their conscious level, and help them believe God really does not make junk.

Mentioned in This Episode

What you will learn:

- Joe’s story (1:21)

- 5 steps to manifesting your dreams (7:30)

Identify what you really want in life (8:15)
Sharing affirmations (18:20)
Imagine that you’ve already achieved your dream (24:24)
Visualize your dream every day (27:22)
Act on your dream (32:51)

- Get in touch with Joe (39:14)

Joe Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“We’ve been programmed to not go after our dreams”

“Thoughts become things”

“Love will always overcome everything”

“Consistency is key”

090 | Double Revenue in 90 Days: Fall in Love With the Problem, Not the Solution - With Simon Severino

Jason Hunt — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 15:33:29 GMT

Simon Severino is the CEO and founder of Strategy Sprints, a global network of trained Strategy Sprints® Coaches who provide a unique strategy to help clients gain market share and work in weekly sprints for quick implementation.

Simon developed a method for helping business owners out of the weeds and doubling revenue in 90 days. He is also a Forbes Business Council Member, a contributor to Entrepreneur Magazine, and a member of Duke Corporate Education.

Mentioned in This Episode

strategysprints.com/tools

What you will learn:

Simon’s story (3:05)
Big challenges entrepreneurs are facing in 2021 (7:21)
Pivoting businesses
How can a business owner double revenue in 90 days? (9:48)
Implementing a 25% price increase (10:30)
Attracting the right clients
Increasing frequency by 25% (15:29)
Building contact points and retargeting
Increasing conversion rate by 25% (21:00)
Closing the sale
Get in touch with Simon (23:57)

Severino Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“My goal is to be two levels above fulfillment”

“Most businesses will not be around next year”

“People will not compare you to something low price unless you position yourself as a commodity”

“The sales call is an art form in itself”

“If you don’t have the sales technique in place, you will not close”

088 | Amplifying your "Employer" Brand - with Laura Tolhoek

Jason Hunt — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 14:59:20 GMT

When it comes to hiring employees, it can be tough to know how to make your company attractive to potential candidates. In today’s episode, Jay and Laura Tolhoek discuss how business owners and entrepreneurs can work to amplify their employer brand. As the founder of Essential HR, Laura and her team have helped businesses navigate complex HR situations, guide decisions, and instill confidence with actionable steps.

Mentioned in This Episode

The 5 Love Languages
The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace
5 Steps to Identify and Amplify Your Employer Brand - a download from Laura

What you will learn:

Laura’s story (1:20)
What does it mean to “amplify your brand”? (3:33)
Building an employer brand
Making your business more attractive to potential employees (5:25)
Who you are, what you want to be, and what you have to offer
Challenges when it comes to instilling an employer brand (10:40)
Staying consistent
Building an employer brand remotely (13:53)
Relating to your employees (18:23)
The languages of appreciation
Challenges for businesses in 2021 (23:07)
The turnover tsunami
Get in touch with Laura (25:25)

Laura Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“Think about the brand as a potential employee”

“The hiring field is tough”

“You need to know who you are as an employer”

“You cannot under-communicate”

“There is a lack of qualified people who are applying to roles”

079 | The Future is Female - with Mark Grainger

Jason Hunt — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 11:42:03 GMT

Our guest today is Mark Grainger, co-founder of BigImpactHQ, which provides more income, impact, & influence for female experts who love to speak.

Their “Speak Your Path to Cash” system has helped their clients generate over $51 million in revenue for their own businesses while also being asked to speak on some of the world’s most coveted stages including Tony Robbins, Good Morning America, TEDx and “The View”. Today’s enlightening episode is packed with value for women and men alike as Mark goes into why exactly he believes that the future is female.

Mentioned in This Episode

Allison Armstrong
How Women Rise - a book by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith
BigImpactHQ’s speaker quiz

What you will learn:

A man empowering women (1:41)
A male task and a female task - is there a divide? (8:09)
The male brain vs the female brain
The future is female (12:11)
A new world order
The masculine-feminine dynamic in practice (19:25)
Marriage is hard. Life is messy.
A collaboration model of equality (21:10)
The coach or the trash can
Empowering your women (28:24)
A world of female leaders

Mark Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“When you oppress a population, down the road they’re going to have a voice”

“People don’t trust the guru on the mountain - they’re looking for a guide by your side”

“One of men’s north stars is to make their women happy”

“The world is looking for women leaders - it NEEDS women leaders”

074 | How to Use Facebook Ads and Organic Content to Build Your Brand - with Merged Media

Jason Hunt — Fri, 28 May 2021 19:44:53 GMT

You’re already spending a lot of time and effort on creating great content on social media. Now you just need to go one step further and promote that content to reach more people, get more engagement, and grow your business. Tune in to today’s episode of the Merged Marketing Podcast to learn how you can use Facebook ads and organic content to build your brand.

What you will learn:

Two benefits of using Facebook Ads for brand awareness (2:13)

Decide what brand awareness content you want to promote (3:13)

Bring value to people

Define the audience that you want to target (4:23)

Test audiences
Make custom audiences and look-a-like audiences

Set up your brand awareness campaign and Facebook ads manager (7:42)

Don’t boost!

Merged Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“It takes 5-7 different touchpoints with a business before somebody will consider paying you”

“You’re doing yourself a disservice by hitting that boost button”

“You have the ability to tell Facebook what action you want - you can expect that action”

068 | Facebook Ads vs. Google Ads: Which is Better for Your Brand - with Merged Media

Jason Hunt — Fri, 07 May 2021 13:30:30 GMT

Jason Hunt and David Louch are talking about the benefits of Facebook Ads and Google Ads in today’s episode! You’ll learn how your brand can utilize either to achieve results.

These platforms are often pitted against each other, but in fact, Facebook ads and Google ads are complementary to each other. They should be used together if possible because they target users at different stages in their buyer journey. Find out which is better for your business today on the Merged Marketing Podcast!

What you will learn:

3 things to consider before deciding what platform to use…

Campaign goals (2:18)
1. Bottom of the funnel vs top of the funnel
The buyer journey (5:03)
1. Buyer intent
Budget (7:02)
1. Maximizing return on ad spend (ROAS)
2. How much should I spend on Facebook ads?

Benefits of…

Facebook ads (10:25)
1. Setting up audiences
Google ads (15:13)
1. Click-through rate (CTR)

Merged Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“On Facebook, there is zero intent behind that person that’s seeing your ad. You need to create that intent”

“Let that user know that there is a problem that exists, and you have the solution to that problem”

“Where in the buyer journey do you want to get in front of people?”

064 | How to Bring Awareness to a Cause - with Denise & Kween

Jason Hunt — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 14:52:54 GMT

Two powerful women from the Guelph Black Heritage Society, namely Denise and Kween, are here with us today to bring awareness to their cause. The GBHS is based at a historical stone church, built in 1880 by formerly enslaved black individuals, who fled to Canada via the famed Underground Railroad. Today, under the stewardship of GBHS, this building has been renamed Heritage Hall and acts as a cultural centre for the black community in Guelph.

Denise currently serves as the volunteer President/Treasurer of the GBHS. A proud Jamaican-Canadian with a passion for history and education, Denise is looking forward to the end of the pandemic so she can continue her travels to learn more about black history in Canada and abroad. Kween is the leader of the Guelph BLM Protest and the Executive Director and Social Justice Initiatives Coordinator for the GBHS and is honoured to be a role model for her city.

Mentioned in This Episode

Guelph Black Heritage Society
Change Starts Now: a series of 11 events running from April 29 - May 2, focused on the education and celebration of black culture
John Ware Reclaimed - a film by Cheryl Foggo surrounding the legacy of an iconic black cowboy

What you will learn:

The purpose of the Guelph Black Heritage Society (2:20)
Promoting black culture and heritage in Guelph
Supporting and reaching out to like-minded people
Tips on engaging with influencers (5:11)
Genuine passion - connecting with people through stories
GBHS education initiative - Change Starts Now (7:16)
Approaching sponsorships and strategic partnering (10:49)
Finding others who share your goals, commitments, and values
Overcoming challenges (18:13)
Planning and goal-setting
Dealing with back-lash
Goals for the GBHS (23:22)

GBHS Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“It’s our duty as educators, as leaders, to continue (to set) an example”

“I needed someone who was a voice for me when I couldn’t necessarily be a voice for myself”

“You have to believe in what you are doing”

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer” (Harriet Tubman)

062 | Rise Up and Excel; Stress Management - with Douglas Pflug

Jason Hunt — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 17:43:31 GMT

As we continue to face the effects of COVID-19, it can be hard to stay positive. Our guest today is Douglas Pflug, executive leadership coach, counsellor, mentor, motivational speaker, and leadership instructor, who is here to help us face the fog of COVID that has overcome our world.

Doug retired as a Sergeant with the Guelph Police Service on September 28, 2017, after 28 years of exemplary service. He holds certificates from Cornell University in Executive Leadership, High-Performance Leadership, Change Leadership, and Managing for Execution. He has also received multiple awards, including the Sovereign Medal for Volunteers in 2020, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, and the Governor General-Police Exemplary Medal in 2010. Doug was also an elite athlete at the University of Guelph playing both varsity football and wrestling. In 1994, he started IRONWILL 360 Strength & Conditioning, where he parlayed his talents and experience and began to coach, counsel and mentor young athletes in the NHL, AHL, NCAA, and OHL.

Mentioned in This Episode

Doug’s website - IRONWILL 360
Simon Sinek - Knowing Your Why

What you will learn:

Dealing with the stress of COVID (2:43)
Stress - a symptom of a greater picture
Doug’s 4 core values (4:39)
Honour, integrity, passion, accountability
The value of knowing your why
Managing the work/life balance (11:11)
Money’s not our whole existence
How can business owners find their why? (13:52)
10-15 great leaders - exploring other people’s successes and failures
How do I ask for help (16:34)
Vulnerability is a super power
Words to live by (22:33)

Doug Mentality - Quotes From the Show (max 6 quotes)

“We have to figure out who we were, who we are, and who (we) want to be”

“Vulnerability is a super power”

“Lead with your best self”

“Model the behaviour you seek of others”

“Always create an environment for other people to succeed”

“Take care of yourself before you take care of others”

061 | Why Most Businesses Fail - with Kris Reid

Jason Hunt — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 15:34:01 GMT

The main reason businesses fail is simply because they can’t get enough customers. Kris Reid of Ardor SEO is streaming in today from Saigon, Vietnam to speak about the power of SEO in gaining and keeping customers.

Kris has developed a simple system for business owners to get their message in front of their ideal customers, in order to predictably grow their business. He has designed and implemented this system for a variety of people, including Mike Michalowicz, world-renowned business author, and Avery Carl, one of the top 100 realtors in the US. He’s also spoken with John Lee Dumas, host of Entrepreneurs On Fire, the biggest business podcast on the planet. This proven system is repeatable for any business, in any industry, and Kris is here to share it with us today.

Mentioned in This Episode

Donald Miller - Business Made Simple Podcast
Avery Carl - Real Estate Agent
Simon Sinek - The Infinite Game
The Real Estate Masters Summit
The Coolest Guy in SEO

What you will learn:

Why most businesses fail to attract customers (4:17)
Do sales cure all problems?
Having passion for your product
What if I can’t afford to build a big website? (15:30)
Increasing traffic to increase conversion rate
How to attract new customers (17:34)
Why predictability is important
The value of SEO
What if I don’t want to wait 6 to 8 months to start seeing results through SEO? (21:37)
Getting Google to trust you
Do Google ads gain authority for your website? (26:14)
The Real Estate Masters Summit (28:15)

Kris Mentality - Quotes From the Show (max 6 quotes)

“A website’s like a business card - it needs to get in front of people. It needs to say what you do”

“‘Beautiful websites don’t sell people, words sell people’ - people need to see those words, or it’s all for nothing”

“Business goes on forever”

“People don’t buy what they don’t understand” - Donald Miller

060 | How Dentists Can Leverage Social Media and Technology to Serve More Patients - with Edward Zuckerberg

Jason Hunt — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 14:32:04 GMT

Our guest today is Edward J. Zuckerberg, father of Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook. In this episode, Edward will talk about the growing need for social media and technology in the dental industry.

Edward graduated from the NYU College of Dentistry in 1978. He owned his own practices in Brooklyn and Dobbs Ferry, NY from 1979-2013, and has always been an early adopter of technology. Dr. Zuckerberg now regularly lectures on a national and international level. He speaks about technology integration, social media marketing, and online reputation management for dentists. He also consults privately with dental practices, advises dental/medical technology startups, and treats patients part-time in Palo Alto, California.

Mentioned in This Episode

● Dr Zuckerberg’s dentist page - Painless Social Media

● Data analysis tool - Call Sumo

What you will learn:

● What’s going on in the dental industry (2:53)

● Biggest challenges being faced

● How to offset people’s thoughts and fears (7:34)

● What kind of measures do dentists have in place?

● Using social media to make patients aware of protocol

● Has the dental industry been slow to adopt new technologies like social

media? (11:40)

● All dentists have different comfort levels when it comes to technology

● Technology has proven to be worth the money

● Winning the patient over using technology and social media (26:54)

● Recognizing your target market

● The power of Facebook check-in

● Facebook lead generation - how a dentist can use leads to their advantage

(47:28)

● Is social media the best way for dentists to grow their practice and attract more

of the right clients in 2021? (49:53)

● Using social media effectively

Dr. Z Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“People don’t wanna sit in a dental office a minute longer than they have to”

“Sharing is an incredible, underutilized dynamic that most dentists don't realize is the most

powerful tool in social media”

“SEO and social media are both part of the puzzle that every dental practice and every small

business has to be involved with”

058 | Local Business Marketing That Works - with Dennis Yu

Jason Hunt — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 14:38:52 GMT

Looking to start a new business? In today’s episode, Dennis Yu reaches out to aspiring entrepreneurs and local business owners who want to learn the best ways to market their business and build client relations.

Dennis Yu is the CEO of BlitzMetrics, a digital marketing company that partners with schools to train young adults. He is also Chief Technical Officer of ChiroRevenue, a digital marketing company that helps chiropractors with their online marketing efforts, connecting with clients and managing their content. As an internationally recognized lecturer in Facebook Marketing, Dennis has spoken over 730 times in 17 countries, spanning 5 continents! Dennis’s personal mission centers around helping people from all walks of life grow their expertise in digital marketing, sharing his insights from managing campaigns for enterprise clients like The Golden State Warriors, Nike, and Rosetta Stone.

Mentioned in This Episode

What you will learn:

The dollar-a-day strategy (4:46)
Ranking in the local 3-pack
The value of Google My Business (GMB)
Building relationships to increase engagement
How to use Facebook and Google hand-in-hand (10:49)
Social - a content creation vehicle
3 separate worlds - search, social, and messaging
Creating a GMB without having a website (21:01)
Content is what counts
Is Facebook the ideal platform for local small businesses? (28:23)
Content production > content distribution
Focusing on the niche to create trust (31:54)
Putting agencies under well-known industry representatives
Making sure ROI is clear

Dennis Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“If you’re serving businesses in your city, you need to be known in your city”

“You know what’s more important than networking? Delivering the result”

“What matters is making it so that the money they’re spending is an investment”

049 | Finding Sales Success on LinkedIn - with Scott D Clary

Jason Hunt — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 15:51:43 GMT

Scott Clary is a career sales and marketing executive. He’s sold and marketed to the most iconic Fortune 500 & Fortune 100 brands throughout his career. His work has been featured in over 100+ news sites and publications. He speaks globally at industry conferences and has had articles and insights featured in Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Hackernoon, The Startup and others.

He currently runs a global SaaS sales and marketing organization and is the host of the Success Story podcast where he interviews inspirational people, mentors and leaders.

047 | Problem-Solving Strategies Part 2: Self-Awareness - with Allison Graham

Jason Hunt — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 15:06:52 GMT

Today we’re pleased to welcome BACK Allison Graham to the show! Allison appeared back in episode 34, which is definitely an episode worth listening to again!

For those that may not have heard her past episode, Allison is a resiliency expert, author and media commentator, who shares her problem-solving framework to build resilience and amplify capacity. She’s been engaging audiences since 2006, speaking for Fortune 500 companies and coaching leaders to get out of their own way and step into their full potential.

041 | The Future of Retail - with Liza Amlani

Jason Hunt — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 15:00:58 GMT

Liza is a seasoned Retail Industry expert with over 20 years of experience. She has end-to-end knowledge of retail and navigated her way through the industry, leading high-impact teams across North America and Europe. She is a respected voice on topics such as responsible/sustainable retail, merchandising excellence and "The Store of the Future".

She recently played a critical role in Accenture's Retail Strategy group, where she was responsible for consulting with fashion brands and retailers, providing insight on pertinent topics such as speed to market and future retail operating models. Prior to joining Accenture, Liza was based in London where she was the Buying Director for Ralph Lauren UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and The Baltics.

Fun fact, Liza used to be a designer and designed all the bags for FIFA World Cup 2002.

035 | How to Turn Your Employer into Your Client - with Steve Toth

Jason Hunt — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 17:44:46 GMT

Today, we welcome Steve Toth to the show.

After 2 years of heading up SEO strategy at the 350 person SaaS company that is FreshBooks, Steve turned them into his client so he could focus on his freelance SEO business and his 4000+ subscriber email list seonotebook.com

029 | Instagram Reels and the Demise of TikTok - Bonus Episode!

Jason Hunt — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 15:38:22 GMT

In today's bonus episode of the podcast, David Louch and co-host, Jason Hunt, talk social platforms.

Don't forget to subscribe and tune in next week to hear our upcoming special guest!

016 | How to Create a Compelling Brand Story - with Joe Teo

Jason Hunt — Tue, 19 May 2020 12:07:11 GMT

Our guest today is Joe Teo, the CEO at HeyOrca, a social media approval and publishing platform that’s built for Marketing Agencies. Since raising a combined total of $2.65 Million, HeyOrca has gained rapid traction and helped power the social media production of over 400 agencies in the world. Joe and the team at HeyOrca are on a mission to help marketing agencies take back their day!

007 | How An SEO Scratched His Own Itch - with Michal Suski

Jason Hunt — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 13:52:23 GMT

Welcome to episode 7 of the Merged Marketing Podcast. Today we are discussing on-page SEO with Michal Suski. Michal is an SEO Specialist, on-page enthusiast and the Co-Founder of Surfer SEO, a content optimization tool for experts. We’ve had a couple different SEO experts on the show, but it is one of those things that if done correctly will take your business and online presence to the next level! Today’s episode focuses specifically on on-page optimization.

#239 – Nick Musica: AEO Is Just Hype, SEO Fundamentals Still Win

Jason Hunt — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 17:46:49 GMT

Nick Musica was running a CBD publisher when Google's May 2019 algorithm update wiped his traffic overnight—dropping from page 1 to oblivion. With four weeks until he'd need to fire his entire team, he made a decision that would never make it into a Harvard Business Review case study: quit with zero contracts lined up and figure it out as he went.

AEO vs SEO: The Numbers Don't LieWhen answer engines drive 1% of traffic and traditional search drives 16%, where should your budget actually go? Nick dismantles the AEO hype with real traffic data and marketing mix strategy.

The "Zero Contracts" Launch StrategyHow quitting his job with literally no clients lined up led to 60 billable hours per week within two weeks. His entire business plan: "I'm going to make this work."

When SEO Becomes Your Business Model (The Risk)Why affiliate sites and publishers live and die by algorithm updates, and how to build a more resilient business that uses SEO as a channel, not a crutch.

AI Content's Fatal FlawThe "vanilla problem" with AI-generated content and why it's creating a race to mediocrity in search results. Spoiler: Google can detect patterns.

From SEO Consultant to Executive CoachThe Harrison Assessment revelation that changed everything, and why most "SEO problems" are actually organizational dysfunction in disguise.

Nick's Website: https://nickmusica.com

Website: https://jayhunt.social
Amplify Your Brand Community: https://www.skool.com/ayb
Instagram: @jayhuntofficial
LinkedIn: /socialmediaspeaker
TikTok: @jayhuntofficial

💬 Drop your truth: What percentage of your marketing budget is going to AI hype versus proven channels like SEO? Be honest in the comments.

🎙️ Subscribe for unfiltered conversations with marketers who've survived algorithm apocalypses and lived to tell the tale.

00:00 — Intro: Google algorithm wipes CBD publisher overnight02:15 — The "I'm going to make it work" business plan (zero clients to 60 hours/week)03:35 — Digital marketing background since 2003, SEO agency journey04:22 — $6K/month SEO firm disaster & pivot to training06:28 — SEO career evolution & learning from Shari Thurow mentorship08:15 — Google algorithm changes & position sensitivity explained10:12 — Why using SEO as your business model is dangerous (affiliates/publishers)11:35 — AI overviews as billboard advertising vs click-generating funnels13:42 — Answer engines are just SERP extensions, not replacements15:15 — "Shitty SEO" reality check — the basics still haven't changed18:28 — The AEO vs SEO debate: structure for readers, not algorithms20:45 — Marketing mix truth bomb: 16% SEO traffic vs 1% ChatGPT traffic23:28 — AI-generated content's "vanilla problem" & detection patterns26:15 — Local SEO simplification: focus on Google Business Profile fundamentals29:42 — Marketing mix strategy: balancing short-term wins vs long-term growth32:15 — Direct response crisis mode for lawyers & real estate agents35:08 — SEO timeline expectations: process vs performance metrics38:22 — Coaching transition story via Harrison Assessment behavioral tool41:35 — Organizational dysfunction masking itself as "SEO problems"44:08 — Identity shift: from "SEO guy who coaches" to "coach who runs SEO"

#224 – Ryan Davis: AI, Influence & Building Trust in the Age of Automation

Jason Hunt — Thu, 22 May 2025 13:14:39 GMT

Ryan Davis, founder of People First, joins Drop The Mic to unpack how AI is transforming not just marketing, but leadership, influence, and trust. From political campaigns to brand building, Ryan shares how artificial intelligence is changing how we communicate, connect, and convert in a world of digital overload.

Jason and Ryan dive into how micro-influencers are outpacing mass followings, how AI is reshaping customer targeting and content creation, and why authenticity—not automation—will define the next era of digital strategy. This is a real look at what marketers, consultants, and creators need to do now to future-proof their brand in 2025.

We dive into:
🤖 AI-driven influencer strategy and what’s coming next
🎯 Why micro-influencers are winning the attention game
🧠 Human creativity vs. AI copy — what still matters most
📢 How to balance authenticity, automation, and speed
🔍 What a political campaign would look like if it launched today using AI

Whether you're a brand leader, consultant, or creator, this episode will help you rethink how you show up and lead in an AI-first world.

[00:00] – Intro: Drop the Mic with Jason Hunt
[00:05] – Living in Guadalajara as a digital nomad
[02:31] – From theater director to digital strategist
[06:47] – Early political marketing + Howard Dean campaign
[09:12] – The birth of internet influencers in politics
[10:49] – What a 2025 AI-powered campaign would look like
[12:05] – AI-generated ICPs and smarter targeting
[13:42] – Why real content still beats AI output
[16:01] – Emotion, storytelling, and human copywriting
[18:00] – Reporting, measurement, and creative testing with AI
[22:21] – Hyper-personalized marketing and influencer strategy
[24:45] – Red flags in AI-generated engagement
[27:40] – Micro-influencers: why authenticity scales
[32:30] – How to avoid over-optimization
[35:11] – Full-funnel influencer planning + creative
[38:57] – Funnel-stage content and scalable creator assets
[40:04] – Behind the scenes of the People First newsletter
[41:26] – Ryan’s favorite digital trends & wrap-up

🌐 Website: https://jayhunt.social
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial

108 | Helping SMBs Navigate Their Digital Transformation - With Darryl Julott

Jason Hunt — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 15:10:15 GMT

Darryl is the Managing Lead for Digital Main Street, a non-profit organization that supports small businesses with digital transformation. To date, they’ve served over 50,000 businesses without charging them a single dollar!

Mentioned in This Episode:

The Legends League - Toronto boutique
John Kiru - founder of Digital Main Street
ShopHERE powered by Google
Partnered with the CIRA
Email - info@digitalmainstreet.ca

What You Will Learn:

Darryl’s journey (2:05)
What is Digital Main Street (4:11)
A non-profit help system
Serving main street and more (11:39)
Going through the process (15:29)
Getting the help you need
Advantages of using Digital Main Street (19:56)
Helping you understand the digital space
Get in touch with Darryl (25:48)

Darryl Mentality - Quotes From the Show:

“It’s not what we do, it’s how we do it”

“We’re just trying to help out as many businesses as possible”

“It’s about providing a safe space”

080 | Crafting Your Story - with Kenneth Jackson

Jason Hunt — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 18:06:16 GMT

Kenneth Jackson is an award-winning crime reporter and television producer in Ottawa, Ont. with nearly two decades in the business. He got his start in community newspapers before joining the Ottawa Sun in 2007. In 2011, Jackson joined APTN to break the Bruce Carson scandal. The former senior aide to Prime Minister Stephen Harper tried using his contacts in the federal government to sign water deals with First Nations.

The RCMP would charge Carson with influence peddling based on APTN’s reporting. The case would make it all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, which upheld his conviction in 2018.

Kenneth recently received the 2020 Michener Award, the top journalism award in Canada, for his reporting on child welfare.

#245 – Sheldon Isaac: Headshots Are Dead; How AI Is Killing Professional Photography

Jason Hunt — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 03:18:07 GMT

Professional photographer Sheldon Isaac reveals the brutal truth about AI's threat to photography, why headshots and Christmas photos are already endangered, and the ONE thing that might save photographers from complete obsolescence.

He explains:

◼️ Why headshots are in serious trouble: AI tools can now generate professional-looking headshots in seconds, and most people don't want to pay $1,000+ for what AI does for free

◼️ The Christmas photo crisis nobody's talking about: how one viral AI prompt showed families they can skip the photographer, save money, and avoid packing up screaming kids

◼️ The photographer backlash that went viral: when a major photo editing software company tried to release free AI headshot tools, photographers came for them so hard they had to pull the entire product

◼️ The experience economy vs. transactional photography: why wedding photographers are safe but headshot photographers are cooked (and the psychology behind it)

◼️ How AI is already saving photographers hours: the culling and editing tools that cut through 1,000+ event photos in minutes instead of days

◼️ The prompt engineering problem: why most people still won't use AI for photos (yet), and how long that protection might last

◼️ The guerrilla content strategy that wins clients: why Sheldon brings his camera to every trade show and records podcast episodes at vendor booths (instead of just exchanging business cards)

◼️ The secret to delivering 450 event photos in 24 hours: his exact workflow for organizing galleries by category so clients can actually USE the content immediately

◼️ Why LinkedIn loves authentic event photography: and how professional photos outperform stock images 10:1 on social media algorithms

◼️ The personality fit most photographers miss: you need the same extroverted, bubbly energy as a talk show host or you'll get ghosted by nervous clients

◼️ How he built a photography business using Facebook in 2007: posting consistently before anyone understood social media marketing

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – Intro: Building a business on Facebook in 2007
01:00 – The guerrilla podcast strategy at trade shows
05:00 – Sheldon's origin story: From film camera to full-time photographer
10:00 – Getting mentored by industry legends in your 20s
15:00 – How AI is already revolutionizing photo editing and culling
20:00 – The planning process: Why pre-production meetings save shoots
25:00 – The personality equation: Why photographers need talk show energy
30:00 – Distribution strategy: Delivering 450 photos in 24 hours
34:00 – The AI threat: Why headshots and Christmas photos are dead
37:00 – Experience vs. transaction: Which photos AI will never replace
39:00 – Why humans still crave in-person connection (and what that means for photographers)
41:00 – Where to connect with Sheldon + the "Sheldon AI" moment

Connect with Sheldon Isaac:
📸 LinkedIn: Sheldon A. Isaac
📸 Instagram: @sheldonisaacimages

Subscribe to Drop The Mic for weekly conversations with entrepreneurs navigating AI, marketing, and business growth in 2026.

@jayhuntofficial - IG

031 | How to Use Facebook Groups to Grow Your Business - with Beth Marchant

Jason Hunt — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 19:12:14 GMT

Meet Beth Marchant, CEO & Lead Brand Designer at The Marchant Co.

With a long history in graphic design and small business branding, Beth has developed a solid love of watching brands market their business through well rounded strategies and social communities.

She is certified in Social Media Marketing through the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada and holds a high honours diploma in Visual Merchandising Arts from Sheridan College. She loves webinars and online courses, and knows it would be naive to think she knows enough about anything to stop learning. She lives for the work from home life, and thoroughly enjoys the multi-tasking of freelance work and family with her partner and children.

142 | What high-achievers get wrong about career success with Brooke Taylor

Jason Hunt — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 13:00:25 GMT

What do high achievers get wrong about career success? My guest on today's episode is a career coach for conscious female leaders and a former Googler. Her transformational Group Coaching programs and workshops at companies like Google, Uber, and McKinsley have changed the lives of over 30 women globally. We're going to dissect topics such as the success wound. We're going to uncover what the success wound is and why it is critical to healing at the individual, organizational, societal, and global levels. We're also going to talk about the career achievement trap, the unspoken myths high achievers buy into about career success and fulfilment that keeps them trapped. Please welcome Brooke Taylor.

Key Timecodes

Brooke Taylor background(2:27)
The success wound(8:10)
The drive to be successful(10:06)
What high achievers get wrong(12:18)
The difference between Hustling and Grinding(15:23)
What is fulfilment?(17:23)
The Fulfilment metrics(19:42)
How Brooke Taylor is marketing her business(24:04)
Get in touch with Brooke Taylor(24:55)

121 | High Ticket Seller Secrets - With Chris Baden

Jason Hunt — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 12:19:13 GMT

Chris is the CEO/co-founder of FlowChat. He has a unique way of acquiring new customers. His organic tools and strategies have led to boosting his company and others’ to over $100k/mo in revenue. When Chris isn’t building businesses, he’s building a life-long marriage, a world-impacting family, and competing on American Ninja Warrior.

Mentioned in This Episode

Chris’s Facebook
Chris’s email
Flowchat Facebook group

What you will learn:

Chris’s story (2:32)
Listen - practice empathy - creatively solve problems
Challenges with selling high ticket (13:09)
Experience it yourself
Getting past the fear
Opportunities for high ticket industries in 2022 (20:13)
Getting FlowChat off the ground (23:14)
Done for you - done with you - do it yourself
Get in touch with Chris (26:34)

Chris Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“High ticket is a magical land - people end up paying you more money and then asking less of you”

“You’re able to serve your clients at a much higher level”

“If you’re a service, find that one part of how your serving somebody that you can turn into a utility”

Bonus quote from Jay - “Price is only an issue in the absence of value”

119 | The Importance of 'Made In Canada' Creative - With Ian Adler

Jason Hunt — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 12:35:08 GMT

Ian Adler is Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for PepsiCo Foods Canada.

Mentioned in This Episode

What you will learn:

Ian’s story (2:01)
Pivot points for PepsiCo (3:45)
Content and creative
Breaking into a new market (9:05)
‘Made in Canada’ marketing creative (11:52)
Collaborative marketing
Enabling others to follow your lead (18:20)
Remembering your vision
Marketers = revenue drivers (21:29)
What’s your ninja superpower?
PepsiCo’s social media strategy (25:06)
Get in touch with Ian (28:18)

Ian Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“Just because you can enter a market doesn’t mean you should“

“Behind every number, behind every data point, there’s a heartbeat”

“I always encourage people to have a vision”

“I believe in diversity of thought”

“We’ve got to do what’s right by consumers”

118 | How to Leverage Conversational Commerce - With Paul Ace

Jason Hunt — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 14:39:38 GMT

Paul Ace is the CEO of Amplify C-Com. He helps 7 figure high ticket course creators break through their glass ceiling to generate an extra six/seven figures+ in new revenue using conversational commerce.

Mentioned in This Episode

What you will learn:

Paul’s story (2:03)
What is conversational commerce? (6:35)
Determining lifetime customer value
The recipe to conversational commerce
Conducting customer surveys (13:44)
Optimizing the back-end
The tools to use (18:21)
Traffic generation platforms
The future of conversational commerce (21:45)
Amplify C-Com’s marketing strategy (25:28)
Get in touch with Paul (28:28)

Paul Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“If I was having a conversation with someone, how would I write”

“What’s the most profitable path?”

“If they haven’t bought, find out WHY”

“Don’t just look at the buyers; look at the highest value buyers”

“We win when they win”

078 | Facebook CTA Buttons: Which Buttons Perform the Best on Facebook Ads - with Merged Media

Jason Hunt — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 13:41:42 GMT

The perfect CTA button on your Facebook ad can make the difference between driving home significant results and ending up with zero response. Why? Because Facebook CTA buttons tell your audience what you need them to do if they’re interested in the ads they see and ready to take the next step. But which CTA buttons should YOU be using for your Facebook Ads to create more leads?

Mentioned in This Episode

Meera Kothand’s nurture process - see episode 76

What you will learn

Does it really matter what CTA buttons I use? (0:52)
3 levels of advertising and what kind of CTA buttons you can use
- Awareness (3:55)
- Consideration (4:49)
- Conversion (5:50)
Four most popular CTA buttons on Facebook and why they are effective (8:53)
- Learn more
- Sign up
- Message us
- Download

Merged Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“Tell your audience exactly what they need to do if they are interested in purchasing your product, your service, or anything with you and your company”

“Almost everybody wants to learn more about something before they actually commit”

“Be proactive as much as possible… and be reactive”

075 | How to Become an Influencer & Pick a Niche - with Irene Iancu

Jason Hunt — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 12:43:29 GMT

Our guest today is Irene Iancu, owner of Toothlife Studio in Toronto, ON, a multi-disciplinary dental studio and fully equipped dental office designed for patient comfort. Irene is a prime example of a great influencer who’s excelling in her niche.

Since graduating with a diploma in dental hygiene from Oxford College in 2007, Irene has expanded her scope of practice, utilizing the latest technology in the industry. Irene is also a podcast host and a writer, and has a healthy social media following of like-minded dental professionals.

Her career path has been unconventional, but her goals are simple; cultivate a positive environment for team members, put together a stress-free and welcoming space for patients, and create a fun and engaging first experience for those tiny humans who are always welcome as new patients.

Mentioned in This Episode

Toothlife Studio
Tooth or Dare Podcast
Yapi - platform allows them to send out medical history forms, etc b4 appointment
John Kois

What you will learn:

What is a dental studio? (3:05)
The art of dentistry
Behaviours that attract followers (5:55)
Creating a community
From a retail brand to a dental studio (9:56)
3 tips to attract new patients (12:38)
Where did all the patients come from? (19:39)
Becoming part of the business community
Asking for patients
How to decide on a niche (28:30)
Keep it natural

Iancu Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“I consider dentistry to be an art form”

“As a startup, you need feedback”

“Everyone likes to buy, nobody likes to be sold”

“Nothing goes without a struggle”

073 | Brand Activation & Experimental Marketing - with Zach Schiffman

Jason Hunt — Tue, 25 May 2021 14:45:31 GMT

Our guest today is Zach Schiffman, freelance stage manager and owner of Studio Z Photo Booths. With a dual major in television production and entertainment marketing, Zach has cornered for himself a niche market that brings high-end photo and video activations to large brands and companies.

Brands trust Zach and Studio Z to add a creative spin on the age-old photo booth and give customers and guests a unique and instantly shareable experience. Brand recognition and shareability are the key goals of any successful brand activation, but giving guests a memory they want to share brings their experiences to the next level. Learn how to stand out from the noise with Zach’s creative and entertaining marketing concepts!

Mentioned in This Episode

What you will learn:

Coping with COVID-19 (5:08)
Virtual photo booths
Brand activation and experimental marketing (11:04)
Driving unique engagement and interaction
Activating your brand and marketing efforts (13:08)
Bring emotion and fun to a brand people don’t know about
Incentivize them to share
How a small business (even a service) can do this (20:16)
Creativity is key
Trade shows, expos, conferences

Zach Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“If you give your guests something entertaining, it will pay back for you”

“It doesn’t matter the size of your brand… people love free things”

“The best things come from clients who have an idea of their own”

“We love to make clients’ visions come to reality”

019 | How to Create Great Visuals on Social Media - with Dave Kerr

Jason Hunt — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 19:46:15 GMT

On this week's episode of the Merged Marketing Podcast, our guest is none other than Merged Media's very own content king, Dave Kerr!

Dave is a huge Liverpool FC supporter, a coffee addict, a craft beer snob, a photographer, and a caretaker of too many house plants.

In the absence of global pandemics, you can usually find him in downtown Toronto at a restaurant, pub, or brewery that you haven’t heard of with his cell phone turned off!

Dave is going to share with you all of the tools, apps and tactics that he uses to churn out quality content for our clients each and every day.

173 - Strategies for Maximizing Your Time at Local Business Networking Events with John Reiser

Jason Hunt — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 17:25:00 GMT

Today’s episode discusses ‘Strategies for Maximizing Your Time at Local Business Networking Events’. My expert guide today is John, re-runs frequent local business events.

Motivation for John to the events industry: He started with community-based fundraising events that inspired him and his old friend to get into that space.

How his events differentiate from others- John denotes that his events are always highly original, with people benefitting greatly from networking. The biggest attraction for attendees of his local events is often the trade show of more than 70 exhibitioners. They are keynote events on various relevant business topics from leading industry professionals. Lastly, networking is significant because you get face-to-face interaction with major players from the business community.

How an attendee prepares for these events - John reckons that you should go in with a plan and know exactly what you are looking for. Also, take your time to have meaningful relationships with business professionals you will meet at the event and have your business card on hand.

Strategies for maximizing time at a local business event - Our guest advise that you should seek to show up and leave with various meaningful contacts that will benefit your business.

The best setup strategy for a vendor at a local business event - John reckons that the best strategy is to bring along some help, often in the form of one or two more people. These extra pairs will help you run things smoothly at your booth. Secondly, you should be ready to work your booth by engaging your audience in creative, differentiated ways. A friendly hook would serve as a great conversation starter. Thirdly, give an attendee a reason to choose you immediately, e.g., a special discount offer.

Tips for vendors and attendees to do follow-ups after the event - John underscores that you should follow up on a lead immediately to ensure you get all the potential business. It would be best if you nurtured those relationships through follow-ups. However, it would help if you had an eye for good leads because you often may end with many leads at an event that are not worth your time.

Finally, hear about John’s exciting choice of brand ambassador.

Time Stamps

(1:37) John’s journey to hosting local business events
(2:20) Motivation for John to the events industry
(3:40) How his events differentiate from others
(6:30) How an attendee prepares for these events
(8:09) Strategies for maximizing time at a local business event
(10:12) The best setup strategy for a vendor at a local business event
(15:38) Tips for vendors and attendees to do follow-ups after the event
(25:26) John’s choice for his brand ambassador

018 | Get Out of Your Own Way, and Just Press Play - with Margaret Wallis-Duffy

Jason Hunt — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 17:44:48 GMT

Today on the Merged Marketing Podcast, our special guest is a dynamic wellness advocate Margaret Wallis-Duffy.
Margaret is known for her engaging and contagious attitude, and is a much sought after keynote speaker for numerous corporate and public events throughout North America.

As one of Canada’s leading wellness experts, many media outlets across Canada often call upon her expertise.

You may recognize Margaret from television shows such as Cityline, The 5 on City TV, Health Matters on Rogers, Better Canadian Living TV on CTV and The Food Network.

Today, she motivates so many through producing and hosting her ultra-informative Web TV shows on her WOW New Media YouTube Channel and TV Cogeco.

From her humble beginnings as a Registered Massage Therapist to being the CEO of 3 growing enterprises, Margaret has been driven by her famous motto; “Attitudes are contagious! Is yours worth catching?”

006 | Travel Agent vs. Expedia - with Mike Babiak

Jason Hunt — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 13:00:00 GMT

Today on episode 6 of the Merged Marketing Podcast, we have Mike Babiak as our special guest to discuss all things travel marketing. Mike is the director of marketing for the Now Travel Group in Toronto, Canada. Mike is an experienced digital marketer with a long history of working in the leisure travel and tourism industry. We are going to explore how he has deployed marketing over the years to grow his business- what worked and what did not- as well as where he thinks the industry is going.

004 | Breaking Free from the Corporate Rat Race - with Matt Scherb

Jason Hunt — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 15:24:24 GMT

Today's guest is self-made entrepreneur, Matt Scherb. Matt will be sharing his background in the industry, and how he broke free from the corporate rat race to design the life that he and his family wanted to live.

#202 - Dennis Yu: AI Integration, Niche Specialization, TikTok and Blending Technology

Jason Hunt — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 13:51:42 GMT

Dennis Yu is a digital marketing virtuoso, renowned for his expertise and mentorship in the field. Dennis shares insights from his extensive career, highlighting collaborations with clients like the Golden State Warriors and Nike, and his pioneering work in social media marketing and data analysis. He explains the power of niche specialization, the effectiveness of the "Dollar a Day" strategy, and the evolving role of AI in marketing. From his early days navigating controversies on Facebook to speaking at global conferences, Dennis's journey offers invaluable lessons on adapting and thriving in the digital space. This discussion provides a roadmap for leveraging AI and innovative strategies in marketing, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and strategic thinking in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.

Timestamps:

(05:31) - Dennis Yu's Speaking Experiences

(06:14) - The Importance of Niching Down in Marketing

(10:50) - AI in Marketing and the Rise of Personalized Agents

(25:42) - The Relevance of the Dollar a Day Strategy

(32:46) - Ad Strategies: TikTok vs. Other Platforms

(37:57) - Financial Freedom Movement and the Future of AI

Dive into this compelling conversation that bridges the gap between current digital marketing trends and the future of the industry. Whether you're a marketing professional, a business owner, or simply intrigued by the power of digital strategies, this episode offers a treasure trove of insights and foresight into the ever-evolving world of marketing. Listen to Jason's first conversation with Dennis Yu on The Merged Marketing Podcast.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

Digital Marketing Done For You

YouTube Video link: https://youtu.be/A7NnrumPvq8

186 - How To Leverage Your Google Business Profile For Local SEO with Aron Murch and Matt Herchel

Jason Hunt — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 16:55:37 GMT

In today’s episode, we host Aaron and Matt, two subject-matter experts in the Google business profile space. Appropriately, today’s topic is about leveraging your Google business profile for local SEO.

Aaron and Matt’s career background: They met in 2019 while consulting before Aaron became an equal shareholder at Matt’s company. Aaron gained immense marketing experience from a young age at his family-owned business. He got inspired to become a serial entrepreneur, launching a design studio, game cafés, and video-game lounge. He handled many marketing for these businesses and helped various local businesses with their marketing efforts.

What is Google business profile: Matt unpacks Google business profile, describing it as the first point of contact for a new client with a business upon searching on Google. In this regard, business profiles are the most prominent on the web, which plays a big role in giving the business visibility. To optimize Google business profile, Aaron recommends that a business should first take ownership of the profile. Consequently, they should provide the catalog of products and services that the business offers so that they reflect on Google search results.

Techniques for ranking high your Google business profile: In order to gain a competitive advantage through top ranking on Google, Aaron advises that you should get it right with your service category. He also recommends adding other relevant service categories but taking great care to capture Google’s top ranking. (The low-hanging fruit is to list all your list of services and product offerings).

How to optimize SEO on Google business profile: Matt indicates the hours of operation for a business as a major SEO keyword on Google business profile. This is crucial because a customer searching for a specific business near them will first get results for business in operation at the time. Secondly, he notes the stream of reviews that benefit from Google links, QR codes, and positive reviews from customers. He argues that recent reviews are more beneficial than old ones, reassuring customers that they are getting value for their money. Aaron expounds on the keyword tools to leverage, including ChatGPT and SM rationing. It helps to maintain consistency in posting on the Google business profile and keeping in touch with customer reviews. Furthermore, it is important to provide relevant captions for images for Google to capture the content. (For great results, you don’t brush your teeth all day once a year; rather, every day: the goal is consistency in posting and updating).

Duplicating content from other third-party social media platforms: Matt argues that it is important to have a strategy around content duplicity. He notes that there are various tools to help with cross-promotion, tailoring every message appropriately to specific platforms. Aaron adds that the perfect scenario would be creating specific content for each platform. However, due to limited time, scope, and budget, he recommends that a business duplicate content with care for starters.

Time codes

(0:07) Introduction of topic and guest experts
(0:48) Aaron and Matt’s career background
(05:14) What is Google business profile
(07:56) Techniques for ranking high in your Google business profile
(09:17) How to optimize SEO on Google business profile:
(14:12) Duplicating content from other third-party social media platforms
(16:33) Best practices for photo captioning in Google business profile
(18:23) Best practices for generating reviews
(24:37) Matt and Aaron’s contact information
(25:13) Their choice of brand ambassador

184 - How To Be In Execution Mode 60% Of The Time with Kris Ward

Jason Hunt — Tue, 23 May 2023 14:44:01 GMT

How wonderful would it be to grow your business while working fewer hours? In episode 184, we discuss how to be in execution mode 60 percent of the time. Our guest expert today, Kris Ward, is a Team Building And Systems Strategist who creates a movement where your business supports your life instead of consuming it. Kris founded the Win The Hour, Win the Day philosophy.

Kris has shared the stage with Jack Canfield - Chicken Soup For The Soul, Kevin Harrington, original Shark from Shark Tank, and Joe Theismann - NFL All-star and commentator, to name a few. Kris has also been featured on award-winning podcasts, radio and TV shows. She shares some of the tried and tested tactics for crashing your demand schedule while growing your profits.

Kris’ career background and journey - As a founder entrepreneur, she used to work round the clock for the business. However, her husband and biggest fan discouraged her from stealing from sleep. Over time, she managed to cut down from 16 hours a day to 6 hours. She now believes that your business should support your life instead of consume you.

Why do people work long hours - Kris observes that founders often strive to do right for their startups to grow their business. However, she argues that it is more beneficial to become more strategic than doing the grind. In this regard, operating strategically enables the business to scale.

Breaking the work addiction to becoming strategic - Our guest expert notes that most people lack the skills to use their calendars. Consequently, they do not include their work on the calendar, resulting in great to-do lists. Furthermore, Kris advises that every founder should seek help by hiring people for specific roles. Instead of following the conventional top-bottom way of business management, she favors an arrangement where the founder grants autonomy and independence to his or her professional employees. The founder is relieved of time by leveraging super toolkits because the professionals manage the business instead of the reverse. Generally, Kris follows the three pillars of Team, Time, and Toolkits that enable a business to scale.

Key Time Codes

(0:21) Introduction to today’s topic and guest expert
01:36) Kris’ career background and journey
(03:12) Why do people choose to work long hours
(04:14) Breaking the work addiction to becoming strategic
(07:14) Managing interruptions to To-Do-List
(11:24) Using the Super Toolkits for missed tasks
(19:06) Being in execution mode 60 percent of the time
(20:30) Impact of ChatGpt on her business
(20:30) Impact of ChatGpt on her business
(22:17) About her book Win the Hour; Win the Day
(22:53) Kris’ contact information
(23:50) Kris’ choice of brand ambassador

131 | MISHKA NIZAR - How Crypto and the Metaverse can impact your small business.

Jason Hunt — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 13:18:35 GMT

Why should small businesses pay attention to Crypto, NFT's and Meta? Is the crypto space safe? well in this episode, we speak to Mishka Nizar as we try to answer these questions. Mishka Nizar is a legal and business consultant who is a non-traditional entrepreneur in Legal & Technology. She has a passion for Artificial Intelligence, cryptocurrency, NFT's and the metaverse. Mishka believes that these technologies will shape our future and she wants to help make that future a reality.

What You will learn

Mishka’s Background (3:00)

Why small businesses should pay attention to Crypto, NFT's and Meta (5:30)

Is Crypto a safe space? (9:00)

Cryptocurrency concept(11:40)

How small businesses can benefit from Crypto,NFT's, and Meta.(13:00)

NFT's backbone (17:20)

Meta marketing space projection (21:20)

Mishka’s future plan (24:55)

Get in touch with Mishka(28:42)

162 - The Elements of a Successful Advertisement with Dave Kerr

Jason Hunt — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:08:38 GMT

Do you yearn to create that perfect or winning ad? Today we welcome back the last episode’s guest expert Dave Kerr to discuss creating that successful advertisement. Indeed this is a special episode because it is a departure from the usual: today, I talk with my guest face-to-face from our office. Discover the North Star or guiding light for developing and deploying successful advertisements.

Dave educates us about the crucial place of the core message or elevator pitch in a winning ad. He drives the point home that the core message is always the same and clearly speaks to what your business is all about. Dave further underscores the need to stay consistent with your core message and branding. He reckons that many advisers often need help creating an ad for the sake of creating and seeing an ad go live without first understanding the core message.

We spend significant time discussing why you must create authentic ad content. Learn about achieving brand awareness and leveraging the algorithms to create a successful ad. Dave spells out the key qualities of a social media coordinator that would determine the success of the message. At the same time, he cautions on the danger of using a jack-of-all-trades master to create your ad instead of clamoring for specialist crews.

With a twist to the usual end-of-episode question, hear about Dave’s choice of dream client whom he would want to be the brand ambassador for. Spoiler alert - we would need a part 3 with Dave to exhaustively espouse this topic.

Key Timecodes

(1:42) What makes a winning advertisement?
(3:45) How to establish the core message of your ad
(6:00) Creating a top funnel to differentiate from the competition
(9:30) Creating that authentic content(The perfect advertisement)
(13:20) Determining the right target audience for your ad using algorithms
(18:50) Key skill sets for a social media coordinator or ad creator (If you need your business to be above competition, you need to have specialists in all areas that make an ad)
(22:55) Dave’s choice of dream client for a brand ambassador

087 | How To Plan For A Virtual Event - with Marc Belaiche

Jason Hunt — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 20:52:10 GMT

How to Plan For a Virtual Event - With Marc Belaiche

If you’re thinking about starting a virtual event yourself or you’re attending a lot of virtual events in 2021 and want to know some best practices on preparing for those events, you’re in the right place.

Marc Belaiche is President of TorontoJobs.ca and EventLogik.ca. He has been in the recruiting industry for over 25 years and has many years of experience organizing events.

Mentioned in This Episode

Toronto Entrepreneur Conference
Event platform - Hoppin

What you will learn:

Marc’s story (1:01)
Are virtual events here to stay? (6:04)
Preparing for a virtual event as an attendee (7:45)
Know the details
Experiment with the platform
Platforms and features for virtual events (15:01)
Leveraging virtual events to market your business (18:44)
Getting the lay of the land
Marketing the event (20:32)
How do you find speakers? (25:55)
Building a database
Get in touch with Marc (28:25)

Marc Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“Hybrid events are tough”

“Doing your own virtual event requires a lot more time than you think it may”

“People’s time is valuable and they have options - what makes yours stand out?”

“If it’s our event, we should be front and centre”

092 | Putting the “Social” Back in Social Media - With Candace Huntly

Jason Hunt — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 12:41:53 GMT

Putting the “Social” Back in Social Media - With Candace Huntly

Is your business engaging with your audience enough? The star of today's episode is Candace Huntly, who will discuss how business owners and entrepreneurs can engage more on social media to make it "social" again. Candace is founding partner at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency focused on Social Media, Public Relations, Branding, and Marketing.

What you will learn:

Candace’s story (1:16)
How has social media changed over the last 5 years? (3:42)
Influencers, videos, and storytelling
How are PR and social media overlapping? (5:10)
Using social media as a research hub
Starting your social media strategy (6:30)
Getting into the customer mindset
Emphasis on authenticity
How can we make social media “social” again? (14:14)
Making time for engagement
Should you automate engagement? (17:56)
Connect with Candace (24:52)

Candace Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“Social media is all about relationship building”

“Figure out who you are. Then figure out who your customer is”

“Nobody wants to see perfection”

“How can I build relationships with this content?”

120 | Reintegration in the Office - With Michael Hynes

Jason Hunt — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:50:56 GMT

Mike is the author of The Myth-Guided Mind: Unleash your God-Given Genius at Work and at Home. He’s a corporate coach to creative leaders, top professionals and rising stars. Mike amplifies innate strengths in his clientele and teaches how to apply these to real-life challenges.

Mentioned in This Episode

The Myth-Guided Mind: Unleash your God-Given Genius at Work and at Home
Podcast episode with Mike Ulmer
Mike’s LinkedIn

What you will learn:

Mike’s story (2:52)
Empathy in the workplace
How to be an empathetic leader (7:26)
Emphasizing results
Reintegration in the office (16:56)
Having conversations
Getting back to real human interaction
The Myth-Guided Mind (27:09)
Stopping limiting beliefs
Get in touch with Mike (31:50)

Mike Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“At the leader level, you are setting the vision”

“What’s your real why?”

“Vulnerability is creating opportunity for us to be better humans”

“If we’re not laughing we’re not learning”

“If there’s someone that’s better than you are, go find them and hire them”

059 | How to Turn an Online Course into a Successful Business - with Zach Spuckler

Jason Hunt — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 13:39:01 GMT

In today’s episode of the Merged Marketing Podcast, we welcome Zack Spuckler, who is here to teach us all about turning online courses into a successful online business.

Over the past 5 years, Zach Spuckler has spent over $400,000 in personal and client ad spend online, and has managed launches ranging from $3,000 to $300,000. He’s been featured on top podcasts like EO Fire, The Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast, The Mind Your Business Podcast, The Art of Paid Traffic Podcast, and now, The Merged Marketing Podcast! After making over $1.4 million from a launch based business, he’s found some clear patterns along the way regarding what does and doesn’t work. Now, he’s here to share that knowledge with everyone who will listen!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Zach’s business - learn more about how Zach runs the show!
- Website: heartsoulhustle.com,
- Key courses: Launch It!, toolkit.heartsoulhustle.com
Eugene Schwartz - 5 levels of market sophistication
Denise Duffield Thomas - 5 Strategies to Upgrade your Money Mindset EG

What You Will Learn:

How Zach became a course consumer (2:10)
What to consider when investing in a course
How to price a course (6:06)
The basis for pricing your courses
What’s the evolution of course creation? How did Zach start? (11:04)
Generating revenue from nothing
Is the market for course creation saturated yet? (18:18)
5 levels of market saturation
What do people want? Who do people want to be?
Getting started in course creation (22:42)
What to search for and where
What you need to launch your course (or any product)
Dealing with changes in Facebook strategy(30:15)
Facebook vs Google ads (33:05)

Zach Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“I don’t have to follow the industry to be in the industry”

“The two best teachers in the world are Google and YouTube”

“People are connecting with the identity of who they want to be”

“No one else is doing it the way you’re doing it, because no one else has your values, your morals, your compass, your ideology”

“If they’re busy ripping me off, I’m already one step ahead”

“Make it stupid simple to pay you, and more people will”

089 | Instagram, Reels and Storytelling: The New Age Superpower For Any Business - with Pamela Cambuy

Jason Hunt — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 17:42:55 GMT

Are you struggling to attract the correct audience, establish a strong community, and grow a profitable business online? Creating engaging material is key. Pamela Cambuy is a Brazilian entrepreneur who relocated to Canada seven years ago. Pamela's company specializes in one-on-one and group mentorship programmes that teach entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and creators how to communicate in the new social media language of Storytelling Marketing.

Mentioned in This Episode

Check out Pamela’s Instagram - @pamelacambuy

What you will learn:

Pamela’s story (1:40)
Staying ahead of the trends (6:52)
Instagram vs Tiktok (10:23)
What’s your goal?
Instagram tools (11:44)
Your feed vs your stories
Where are reels going in 2022? (16:15)
New strategy for reels (20:11)
Don’t just follow the trends!
What videos get YOUR attention?
What if I’m not comfortable doing reels? (23:20)
Baby steps to success
Get in touch with Pamela (26:26)

Pamela Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“How can you teach things you’ve never done?”

“Instagram is one of the best platforms”

“Everything is a test”

“A lot of people are still getting used to creating content”

046 | The Reinvention of Chatbots - with Amanda Robinson

Jason Hunt — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 17:46:20 GMT

Amanda Robinson is The Digital Gal.

She is widely recognized in the digital marketing industry for her knowledge, training, skills and coaching as a Facebook Ads expert with her Swift Kick In the Ads Membership, her 4 Week Facebook Ads Training Bootcamp, and for her creative chatbot skills.

She is an author, international speaker, consultant, and educator who has taught thousands of business owners and entrepreneurs the foundational skills of Facebook Ads.

Amanda brings personality and passion to teaching others how to make Facebook ads work for them.

141 | Turning Buyers into Repeat Customers and Brand Advocates with Ed Frame

Jason Hunt — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 10:55:45 GMT

In this episode, we're turning buyers into repeat customers and brand advocates. And my guest on today's show is Ed Frame. Ed is the founder of Accessories Exemplify, all the way from Melbourne, Australia. He designed to exemplify to help businesses work with customers that truly appreciate them. They focus on getting qualified leads that turn them into long-term satisfied customers. Now, today I'm pretty confident we are going to reframe the conversation here and talk about the way that you are not just generating leads and not just closing sales, but what are you doing in your post-sales process to get that repeat customer and to get that or create that brand advocate? We talked about several of the tactics that Ed uses as well as the ones that we use at merged Media to get repeat clients spending more and using more of our services, which allows us in turn, a chance to provide more value to our clients. I'm sure you're going to love this episode with Ed Frame.

Key Timecodes

Ed Frame Background(1:55)
The offense and defence mechanism(3:57)
Best practices for driving the conversion into your funnel(5:17)
How to continue long-term relationships with your lead(8:27)
Best platform to get leads(11:09)
Make your customer become a repeat customer(15:16)
Entice your customer to become a brand advocate (21:39)
Get in touch with Ed Frame (23:39)

025 | How to Effectively Pivot Your Business - with Itay Paz

Jason Hunt — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 14:02:41 GMT

Itay Paz is an entrepreneur, an international speaker and a veteran in the digital and affiliate marketing world.

His fast business success worldwide and his ability to motivate others to take action and achieve big results has earned him the status of a leader and a world expert in digital marketing and affiliate marketing helping entrepreneurs & business owners worldwide to grow their businesses using the power of the internet.

He is the managing director at the Digital Marketing & Affiliate Marketing International Expo (#DMIEXPO) and most recently, the Founder & CEO of the Morning Dough.

In today's episode of the Merged Marketing Podcast, Itay shares some of the things that he has done to pivot his business during this time as we live and work through COVID-19.

#214 - Alex Melen: Building a Nimble Agency and Balancing AI Efficiency with Authenticity

Jason Hunt — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 19:43:17 GMT

Alex Melen is a digital marketing expert, entrepreneur, and co-founder of SmartSites, one of the largest digital agencies with a team of over 400. Known for his strategic approach to marketing, Alex shares insights on building a nimble agency, adapting to rapid industry changes, and the crucial role of authenticity in today’s noisy, AI-driven market.

This episode delves into Alex’s approach to navigating the digital landscape—from his strategies for achieving a meaningful ROI at conferences to the importance of personal branding in a world where AI content and automated lead gen services are becoming commonplace. Alex offers advice on maintaining authenticity in client interactions, insights on leveraging AI effectively, and how adaptability has been key to his agency’s growth.

[00:03] - Alex on traveling and speaking at international events
[02:45] - Getting the most out of conferences and ROI tips
[06:03] - The “trade show funnel” and engaging attendees authentically
[08:28] - The challenges of measuring true ROI at conferences
[10:18] - Personal branding vs. automated approaches in a crowded digital space
[18:02] - Using AI effectively without sacrificing content quality
[29:52] - How AI might disrupt search and the implications for businesses
[35:00] - Why adaptability is the key to survival in a rapidly changing world
[38:18] - Alex on avoiding spam tactics and the importance of authenticity
[40:51] - The value of personal brand in a world of AI-driven interactions

Alex also shares his views on the future of AI in marketing and why personal connections and human touchpoints will always hold unique value. Tune in for an in-depth look at navigating AI, conferences, and brand building in today’s digital era.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huntspeaks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jayhuntofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayhuntofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

Website: https://jayhunt.social

177 - Why business owners should trust their instincts with digital media with Edward Nugent

Jason Hunt — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 14:59:59 GMT

Why business owners should trust their instincts with digital media with Edward Nugent.

In the business world, the decisions of business owners matter. In the increasingly technological business environment, business owners often face the dilemma of relying on hard data or simply trusting their instincts. Today's technological advances have given businesses unprecedented access to data to help make informed business decisions. However, most businesses bypass hard data in favor of intuition or instinct for essential business decisions. In today's episode, we talk to Edward Nugent about why business owners need to trust their instincts, particularly with digital media.

It gives a great deal of autonomy and rewards. The entry of digital media, particularly Google, changed the landscape where customers started seeking out business. Applying digital principles of online sales to non-digital businesses can be successful. (When running a business, customers should pay the bills, not the investors).

A business has to put in time and effort towards understanding the customer's mindset when buying a product or service. By relying on business instinct, a business owner can gain valuable knowledge on customer behavior during the pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase phases. The sole responsibility of the business owner is to join the conversation going on in the head of the customer. Indeed, this conversation varies depending on where they are in their product purchase journey. In this regard, the customer journey should match the purchase journey. Following instinct-based business decision-making models, companies and small businesses can avoid focusing on the least important purchase event that often happens at the tail end of the product purchase journey. (The premise is: if I understand how they buy, I have to be able to help them buy from me).

Dropping lead magnets is crucial in planting seeds in prospects' heads to elicit a conversation. The instinct of a business owner should be to leverage lead magnets better to understand prospects' thinking in their purchase journey. The business needs to focus on the customer end more than seeking to close the sale. Most SMEs often make the mistake of trusting agencies to do the right thing. Yet, in reality, the agencies fail to focus on the mentorship of the customer more than the transactional relationship. These include websites, email autoresponders, lead magnets, and traffic sources. With this structure, a business owner has context when presented with new information or scenarios that demand their decisions.

Key Time Stamps

(1:30) Edward's journey to running digital scorecard
(04:14) Leveraging consumer money versus reporting on investor money
(06:32) How can a business understand customer behavior during a purchase?
(8:55) Understanding your awareness phase
(13:12) Role of lead magnets in instinct-based business decisions
(19:55) Tools of understanding the structure of digital options
(22:45) Edward’s contact information on the digital scorecard
(23:17) Edward’s choice of brand representative

172 - How We Wrote 'Drop The Mic Marketing' with Mike Ulmer

Jason Hunt — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 15:02:10 GMT

In today's episode, I talk with my co-author, Mike Ulmer. We are talking about 'How We Wrote 'Drop The Mic Marketing .' Mike's bio speaks volumes: Aside from co-authoring Jason's debut book 'Drop The Mic Marketing,' Mike Ulmer has had an illustrious 25-year career in journalism, having worked for the Woodstock Sentinel-Review, The Hamilton Spectator, The Hockey News, Southam News, National Post, and The Toronto Sun, where he served as a sports columnist for seven years. He has also authored 12 books, and his opinion pieces have been featured in the four major Toronto-based dailies: The Sun, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, and The Toronto Star.

I asked Mike about the process of information gathering, which included him asking me "business-unrelated" personal questions. He clearly explains the necessity to establish a comfortable environment where they can trust that the author is a good listener. It gives the reader clarity of who you are, what and why you did the things you did.

Next, I pose to Mike the question of what comes after the research process. He says that he and his team referred to the recorded audio manuscript to keep up with the authenticity of my story. Mike says it was the first time he worked with a "Japanese figure in gangster rapper" who loved doing music but loved marketing the music. He says he was drawn to my evolution from singing behind the mic to talking behind the mic to doing digital marketing, which he rightly observes is where my heart is.

Moving on, we talk about the relevance of baseball player Joe Dimaggio in the book. Mike illustrates how Dimaggio became a successful brand ambassador, having evolved from a baseball player. It perfectly relates to my story as a former "failed rockstar" to a well-performing digital marketer.

Next, I seek from Mike some of the hacks in research for the book's direction. Mike admits he has no secret tricks but relies on his brain, which naturally harbors information. He has a head with a library of ideas.

Working on the initial script with the client - At this stage, Mike says he gathers just small details from the client. I was glad he threw in some cool superlatives to describe me: "a great client and fun guy ."A takeaway quote from him is, "Once you know who the principal star is, your book is done, for the rest is just details."

Examples of other "failed Japanese rockstars" - Mike tells us a story of his former client, Mark, in his book "The 50-year-old Millenial." Mark did not have a proposition, which is the foundation of every story in a book. In the book, he carves a more radical proposition for a fresh culture of servant leadership, challenging the conventional leadership style in business. My guest advises that you should not stop learning when writing a book because you get to review everything.

The exciting story of Ron Foxcroft - An official baseball referee, Ron spent US$300,000 on three Fox 40 whistles he invented that anyone did not want. The math wasn't good at all. During one big match officials convention, he walked out to the compound in the middle of the night and blew his whistle loudly. The attending referees worldwide were startled by the sound of the whistle and wanted it immediately, marking the beginning of Ron's empire.

Time stamps

(1:08) Introduction to today's topic and guest
(2:19) Mike's journey to writing books
(4:35) Information gathering during the initial stages
(9:25) What next after the research process
(14:40) The relevance of baseballer Joe Dimaggio
(16:07) Hacks in research for the direction of the book
(17:14) Working on the initial script with the client
(19:15) Examples of other "failed Japanese rockstars."
(21:38) The exciting story of Ron Foxcroft

165 - How We Generated 2,377 Leads For a Caribbean Resort - Jay and Dave

Jason Hunt — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 21:32:11 GMT

In today's episode of the Merged Podcast, I am bringing Dave back due to popular demand. It is the first hat trick for a guest on the Merged Marketing podcast! We are delving into a successful case study: How we generated 2,377 leads for a Caribbean Resort. I break this episode into three specific parts. The first segment deals with the client's status before the Merged campaign. In the second part, we discuss the client's status during the campaign effort and the steps we took to put them in the best position possible for generating leads. Finally, we talk about the aftermath of the campaign.

Indeed, this was different from your typical marketing campaign targeting families or families on vacation. Instead, it was a very niche and result-oriented campaign targeting investor-related with disposable income and those interested in a lifestyle type of investment. We break down how we delivered for this particular client to generate 2,337 leads eventually. We achieved this through our proposal that included social media advertising, google advertising, SEO, a new website overhaul, email marketing, and display advertising of some of our assets.

At the tail end of the episode, hear about another of Dave's exciting choices of superheroe for Merged Marketing's brand representative. It's a slice, and you will enjoy it!

Key Timecodes

(0:50) Background introduction of the great marketing campaign
(2:28) The status of the client before Merged ran a campaign
(4:05) What we did for the client from the point of sale to onboard
(5:36) Challenges while onboarding the new client
(8:00) The creative leeway working with available client content
(10:23) Reinventing the wheel with the target audience
(12:50) Top of funnel, middle of funnel, and bottom of the funnel
(14:48) The nurture sequence through an email-driven campaign
(22:02) The last stage, the first sale (If you’re going to run a campaign like this, you need to have somebody specifically dedicated to nurturing of leads)
(25:57) Dave’s superhero choice for Merged brand representative

030 | Inside a Hustler's Brain - with Jitendra Vaswani

Jason Hunt — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 17:22:32 GMT

Jitendra (aka Jitu) is the founder of a kickass marketing blog bloggersideas.com where he has interviewed marketing legends like Neil Patel and Rand Fishkin.

He is an international keynote speaker, digital marketing consultant and digital nomad.

His key to success is: “Do what you love most and get everything you want in your life.”

#237 – Dani Dufresne: How AI Exposed $25M in Wasted Ad Spend

Jason Hunt — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 18:25:47 GMT

Dani Dufresne is an Emmy-winning producer and founder of The Aux Co, bringing over a decade of experience cleaning up creative disasters for major brands.

In this episode, we explore why beautiful, expensive productions often deliver empty results and how production expertise at the beginning—not the end—of creative development changes everything.

Dani's journey from film school to becoming a fractional executive producer reveals a fundamental flaw in how agencies and brands approach creative: they develop the idea first, then figure out how to produce it. This backwards process leads to blown budgets, compromised creative, and campaigns that look stunning but deliver nothing.

The Movie Poster Test: If you can't explain your brand message in one sentence, your creative has already failed
Why agencies fail: The fatal flaw of developing creative without production expertise in the room
AI's brutal exposure: How artificial intelligence revealed $25 million in wasted programmatic ad spend from Q2 alone
Community vs influencers: Why borrowing audiences through influencer marketing is dying, and authentic community building is the future
The burnout trap: How being the "problem solver" trains clients to only call you when things break
Cinematic storytelling trends: The rise of MOS (music-only) filmmaking and why vintage/Y2K aesthetics signal authenticity
Fractional production model: How The Aux Co embeds expertise into agency teams without the overhead
Simplicity wins: Why attention spans demand one-sentence messaging, not 50-page decks

Timestamps:

00:00 – Film school journey & production company origins
02:47 – Transition from film editing to production work
03:32 – Discovering producer role through problem-solving
06:24 – Film development to advertising pivot
07:36 – Agency vs production company dynamics
08:36 – Founding The Aux Co as fractional production team
10:50 – Building trust through small wins approach
11:32 – Early involvement prevents costly mistakes
13:11 – Results-focused creative evaluation
14:40 – Longer-form branded entertainment opportunity
15:54 – Community building over influencer borrowing
17:52 – AI enabling real human connection work
18:24 – Programmatic ad waste analysis ($25M Q2)
19:28 – Vintage/Y2K aesthetic as authenticity signal
21:01 – AI for rapid ideation & creative iteration
22:43 – Cinematic storytelling & MOS filmmaking trend
26:28 – Simplicity as ultimate creative power
29:41 – Attention span decline requiring simple messaging
31:33 – Evolution of director vs agency creative roles
34:22 – Fractional executive producer model breakdown
37:12 – Managing burnout & client selectivity
38:23 – Letting go of problem-only clients
40:56 – Partner dynamics & production software venture

We explore the dramatic shift from influencer marketing to community building, the role AI plays in exposing waste and enabling genuine human connection, and why the most powerful creative ideas pass the "movie poster test"—explainable in a single sentence.

171 - There's More Than One Way To Skin a Cat with Lead Generation with Ian McRae from LeadsCon

Jason Hunt — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 20:09:00 GMT

In today’s special episode, LeadsCon Podcast host Ian McRae speaks with fellow guest and me, Collin MacMillan, of Riverwood landscape. We are tackling the ever-large and relevant topic of lead magnets. Collin starts us off with an insight into the landscaping industry, its boom, and the early days of the operation of his company. He observes that the landscaping industry has experienced rapid growth over the last decade but remains fragmented. Most landscaping businesses are in the US$500 -1 million revenue bracket, mostly owner–operated. In this regard, the marketing budget allocation to generating successful lead magnets is generally limited. My first question from host Ian pertains to the cost and quality of lead magnets. As I always insist, the goal is to find lead magnets to get you the lowest cost per lead. You then want to leverage these lead magnets to attract people off social media to a more controlled environment i.e., email. In other words, the lead magnet topic is bait for the audience. Collin gives his perspective on the effects of Covid-19 on his landscaping business. In unexpected ways, the pandemic was largely a blessing in disguise for the landscaping industry. Due to the lockdown, many people forced to remain in their homes found themselves with relatively more money that could be channeled into landscaping projects. As such, his company realigned its marketing efforts by toning down on ad words and paid clicks. Instead, they focused more on brand awareness and longer-term needs. I chime in with what Merged Marketing did on its part: we pivoted into the home services industry with such landscaping businesses as Riverwood. Host Ian takes me on my digital marketing journey with a question on how I leveraged emerging social media during the early days. In 2007, while I was head of a music band, Facebook was only starting, and many businesses still needed to leverage the platform for marketing. On my part, however, my digital journey evolved with the evolution of Facebook by pivoting and trying out new ad placements as they emerged in that space. Then I had my epiphany that Marketing was where I wanted to go forthwith. Host Ian seeks Collin’s thoughts on the tactics for assessing the success of our lead magnet generation. Collin underscores the need to generate data and track where your leads stem from. He argues that you stand to benefit a great deal if you track your leads with CRM. Finally, host Ian seeks our thoughts on what we look forward to from the forthcoming LeadsCon Las Vegas 2023. As a frequent attendee of digital marketing conferences, I am most excited about attending one focused explicitly on leads which will be my first. On his part, Collin admits that, unlike myself, he has only been to a few marketing-focus conventions, but he is looking forward to the entire convention and learning a lot. Time Stamps

(0:40) Background introduction of guests Colin MacMillan and Jason Hunt
(2:10) The growth of the landscaping industry and challenges
((4:37) Cost and quality challenges of lead magnets generation in the landscaping industry
(8:10) Marketing readjustments in the landscaping industry during covid-19 pandemic
(11:05) Digital marketing journey for Jason Hunt: Leveraging social media for marketing during the early days
(13:10) Tactics for assessing the success of your lead magnet generations
(15:05) What are you looking forwards to in the forthcoming LeadsCon Las Vegas 2023 marketing convention

170 - The 4 C's To Selling Using META with Jason Hunt

Jason Hunt — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 17:19:20 GMT

In today’s episode, I am privileged to host myself to talk about the 4C’s To Selling via META. As many of you may be aware, META is an umbrella for the leading social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Meta Quest. This is a very important subject in 2023, given that how we use Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp) is no longer the same. The 4C’s to selling via Meta that I will be unwrapping in today’s episode are Content, Credibility, Conversation, and Conversion.

Today, it is remarkably different in how we deploy our ads, our assets, and the creative, which are ever tweaking and changing. In 2023 and going forward, creating content specific to the particular platform underneath META is highly necessary. Given that a successful Instagram piece of content may sometimes replicate a different success on a Facebook feed, it is crucial that we split the content into relevant clips. We are better off having a plethora of content and testing it on various platforms to realize where it best fits.

Also, in today’s solo episode, I address whether to use still pictures or video content on Meta’s platform for success. From our experience at Merged, we often find video content having greater success rates with the audience nowadays than still images which worked well in the past. I underscore the importance of having a brand ambassador as the face of the company in your Meta ads. This builds a sense of familiarity and trusts with the audience.

In terms of credibility, I argue for the need to leverage it in your retargeting ads. In other words, you need to complement that content with a secondary piece that supports whatever you are talking about in the initial video. In the 3rd C, I share some tricks and hacks on tailoring your communication through a nurture email sequence. Regarding conversion, it is important not to force things, leaving the purchase decision to the potential client. This can save you from buyer’s remorse and keep your convert for longer as a paying client.

Key Time Stamps

(0:01) Jason’s introduction of the 4C’s to Selling Using Meta
(1:26) The 1st C: Content - You want to test multiple variations of the content and pair them against each other to see which one performs best with on Facebook platform and its algorithm
(4:00) Still images versus video: Often, video content works much better; it is always wise to have a brand ambassador as the familiar face for your audience consistently
(6:05) The 2nd C: Credibility - Use it in your retargeting ads to complement your initial video content (The more familiar you are with the audience, the lower your lead cost becomes)
(9:16) The 3rd C: Conversation: Pivot your audience into a warm conversation by putting them on a nurture sequence through email
(13:41) Conversion: Let the person decide on when to purchase, don’t force on them (If the decision to be a client is theirs, then they will be your client for a long time)
(15:04) Example of a Merged successful campaign that utilized these concepts
(16:37) Conclusion and Jason’s contact information

#235 – Doug Weitzbuch: 2 Million Plays with Zero Marketing

Jason Hunt — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 19:04:26 GMT

From producing unscripted shows with Gordon Ramsay and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to creating a viral real estate game that hit 2 million plays without spending a dollar on marketing, Doug Weitzbuch's journey reveals the power of authentic community-driven growth over manufactured virality.

In this episode, Doug shares behind-the-scenes insights from 20 years in television production, his pivot to gaming, and the exact strategies that led to organic viral success through genuine storytelling and community building rather than paid advertising.

🔑 Topics Covered:

The Netflix "Buy My House" show development process and real estate market insights
How one Business Insider article generated massive viral growth with zero paid promotion
The Barstool Sports organic feature that transformed everything overnight
Why authentic community-driven growth beats manufactured virality every time
YouTube Playables beta opportunity and strategic platform expansion
Building engaged gaming communities versus chasing meaningless vanity metrics
The future of casual gaming and micro-content consumption trends
Behind-the-scenes stories from producing major network shows with A-list celebrities
Transitioning from established TV career to entrepreneurial app development
Strategic PR outreach and media relationship building for organic growth

🎯 Key Insights:

How a Wordle obsession sparked the creation of Houzel (real estate Wordle)
The naivety factor advantage when entering new industries
Celebrity authenticity: Dwayne Johnson vs Gordon Ramsay's on-set personas
Small team operations and strategic scaling decisions
Brand partnership opportunities in the gaming space
Creator-to-mainstream media crossover trends
Casual gaming's potential for habit formation and daily engagement

🎮 Featured Strategies:

Calculated PR outreach for media coverage
Leveraging viral content for strategic paid promotion
Real estate agent lead magnet potential through gaming
Platform diversification with YouTube Playables
Community-first approach to product development
Authentic storytelling for organic audience growth

⏰ Episode Timestamps:

00:00 – TV producer background (Gordon Ramsay, Duck Dynasty, JLo, The Rock)
02:00 – Dwayne Johnson's authenticity & accessibility on set
03:22 – Gordon Ramsay's controlled persona vs real personality
04:25 – Team building & empowering freelance talent
05:42 – Transition from TV producer to app creator
06:32 – Wordle obsession sparking Houzel idea
07:40 – "Buy My House" Netflix show real estate deep dive
09:52 – Real estate Wordle concept development
10:20 – Software development decision & naivety factor
12:25 – "Stranded with My Mother-in-law" missed opportunity
15:12 – Two million plays with zero marketing spend
15:43 – Business Insider feature & calculated PR outreach
19:11 – Manufacturing virality vs authentic content
22:47 – Small team operations & future scaling needs
24:20 – Brand partnership opportunities (Rocket Mortgage)
24:46 – YouTube Playables beta launch
25:18 – Real estate agent lead magnet potential
27:17 – Barstool Sports organic podcast feature
30:22 – Leveraging viral content for paid promotion
34:28 – Creator-to-mainstream media crossover trend
37:03 – Casual gaming's ritual-forming potential
38:20 – Micro dramas trend & shrinking attention spans

Check out Housle: https://housle.house/

#241 – Rob Pacinelli: AI Video Revolution, Lead Reactivation and Custom GPT Clones

Jason Hunt — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 21:25:26 GMT

Rob Pacinelli is the VP and co-founder of The Best Media. In this episode, we explore Rob's journey from starting in his parents' basement to building an agency that's worked with 70-80 employees over the years, his evolution from e-commerce to full-service digital marketing, and how he's now pioneering AI-powered lead reactivation through their innovative "Sales Android" technology.

Rob shares hard-won lessons about hiring experts over beginners, the costly mistakes of trying to wear too many hats, and why he'd rather pay more for professionals than waste time training. We dive deep into The Best Media's transformation toward AI automation, exploring their custom GPT solutions, AI video production workflows using Sora and HeyGen, and how they're helping clients convert dead leads into sales with 24/7 automated systems.

If you're an agency owner, entrepreneur, or marketer looking to understand how AI is reshaping digital marketing operations—from lead reactivation to video production—this conversation delivers tactical insights you can implement immediately.

Building a digital marketing agency from scratch in a parents' basement
The evolution from e-commerce to full-service agency over 23 years
Hiring lessons: Why paying experts more saves money in the long run
Managing 70-80 employees over time and what Rob Learned
AI-powered lead reactivation and the "Sales Android" concept
Custom GPT development for business automation
AI video production using Sora, HeyGen, and Runway
The future of videographers in an AI-driven world
Notebook LM for content repurposing and brand voice extraction
Balancing human creativity with AI efficiency

01:22 – Rob's Oakville connection and early client stories

03:46 – Starting in the parents' basement after university (2000)

05:11 – First client: An e-commerce business, not an agency client

07:32 – Hiring the first employee: A high school friend as web developer

09:12 – Managing multiple services: SEO, paid ads, websites simultaneously

11:47 – The expert-only hiring philosophy: Why Rob stopped training beginners

14:23 – 70-80 employees over 23 years: Key lessons on delegation

26:42 – AI video production workflow: Sora, HeyGen, and Runway integration

29:33 – Creating videos from two photos: The AI video revolution

32:17 – Overcoming Sora's content restrictions: The Godzilla vs King Kong example

35:20 – The "resubmit hack": Getting rejected AI prompts accepted

37:44 – Will AI replace videographers? Rob's perspective on evolution vs replacement

40:28 – The modern videographer: Combining in-person shoots with AI tools

43:15 – Notebook LM deep dive: Extracting grammar and speaking style for AI

Contact:

Website: TheBestMedia.com
Email: roberto@thebestmedia.com
LinkedIn: Roberto Pacinelli

Drop The Mic with Jason Hunt - Where marketing meets AI, storytelling, and real business results.

#227 – Aarti Anand: AI Automation and Faith-Driven Business

Jason Hunt — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 17:05:09 GMT

Aarti Anand is an AI automation strategist and founder of KodenyxAI who helps overwhelmed business owners reclaim their time through intelligent systems. In this episode, we explore how to scale your business with purpose, integrate AI without losing the human touch, and build a freedom-first lifestyle rooted in faith.

Aarti transitioned from pursuing a PhD to building an AI-driven business that prioritizes family time and purposeful growth. She's known for her "AI Readiness Score" framework and helping entrepreneurs automate workflows while maintaining authentic relationships with their audience.

How AI and automation can reclaim your time without sacrificing quality
Scaling your business while keeping family and faith as core priorities
The mindset shift required to move from hustle culture to systems-driven growth
Why small, engaged audiences outperform massive follower counts
Building trust through valuable content in an AI-saturated market
The "Five-Ways ICP Nurture Framework" for meaningful customer connections
ROI-guaranteed automation strategies that deliver tangible results
Why elevating employees beats replacing them with AI

Time Stamps:

00:00 – Moving to Colorado & PhD Journey
01:55 – Transferring Schools & Career Pivot
03:16 – Open-Minded Mindset for Growth
05:01 – Mindset Shift Before Entrepreneurship
06:48 – Starting a Business in 2024
08:04 – Building Personal Brand from Scratch
09:57 – Value of Small Engaged Audience
10:46 – Power of Short-Form Video Reach
11:53 – Escaping 9–5 for Freedom
13:03 – Remembering Your "Why"
14:01 – Family as Core Motivation
16:11 – Building AI-Driven Business
17:28 – Automating Manual Tasks with AI
18:46 – Workflow Automation for Time Freedom
20:38 – Elevating Employees, Not Replacing
22:28 – Human Experience vs. Hustle Culture
24:00 – Companies Winning with AI Adoption
25:25 – 3 Must-Have AI Automations
27:39 – Lead Nurturing Sequences with AI
29:06 – Cutting Through Email Noise with Value
31:01 – Cold Email Best Practices
33:09 – Start AI with Tangible ROI
34:54 – Building Trust Through Content
36:03 – Five-Ways ICP Nurture Framework
37:04 – 6–12 Month AI Trajectory Outlook
38:26 – AI Strategy Starts with Audit
39:41 – Offering ROI-Guaranteed Automation
41:11 – AI Readiness Score for Businesses

Resources:

Connect with Jason:

Website: jayhunt.social

📩 Subscribe and leave a review to stay updated with new episodes every week!

#236 – Cristian Ionescu: Why 10-Year Experts Can't Find Work

Jason Hunt — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 17:42:11 GMT

Cristian Ionescu is the creator of CatStats.ai, an AI-powered intelligence platform for affiliate networks. Before building his own SaaS, he deployed analytics systems for Samsung Europe and worked across automotive, telecommunications, and digital marketing. In this episode, we explore the harsh realities of AI's impact on experienced professionals, the "7-day startup" philosophy that gets products to market before competitors catch up, and how Netflix-style recommendation algorithms are being weaponized for affiliate marketing.

🔑 Key Topics Covered:

[03:45] From aerospace engineer to data analytics expert—Cristian's unconventional journey into discovering you can "program math"

[06:20] Behind the scenes: Building analytics dashboards for Samsung Europe's phone launches and tracking retailer visibility across markets

[11:15] The analytics blind spot: Why small businesses waste money on expensive marketing experiments instead of being strategically picky

[15:40] The unglamorous truth: Why updating your Google Business Profile matters more than exotic marketing strategies

[19:50] AI adoption paradox: Why fewer businesses are using AI in 2025 than 2024 (paralysis by analysis)

[24:30] The ChatGPT M-dash problem: Why AI-generated ad copy loses to human copy in Meta A/B tests—and how to fix it

[28:15] How LLMs are teaching us to write better: When to skip AI altogether and post authentically

[31:40] Ross Simmonds' "Create Once, Distribute Forever" strategy: The hierarchy approach to repurposing long-form content

[36:25] Why pre-planned content calendars kill authenticity (and what to do instead)

[39:10] Inside CatStats.ai: How Netflix-style recommendation algorithms match affiliates with winning offers

[45:20] The "7-Day Startup" philosophy: If you're not ashamed when you launch, you launched too late

🔗 Connect with Cristian:

CatStats.ai: https://catstats.ai

Instagram: @affiliatedatainsider

📲 Follow Jason Hunt:

Instagram: @jayhuntofficial
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker
Website: jayhunt.social
Join Amplify Your Brand Community: https://www.skool.com/ayb

Subscribe to Drop the Mic for unfiltered conversations with founders, marketers, and tech leaders redefining the digital landscape.

192 - Unlocking the Secrets of Engaging B2B Social Media with Anthony Leung

Jason Hunt — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 10:19:48 GMT

Is your B2B social media sexy? In other words, do your customers find your B2B social media content appealing and compelling? Accordingly, we are discussing why your B2B social media doesn't have to suck. Our subject matter expert today is Anthony Leung.

Anthony's career background in B2B marketing: He moved from his home country Canada to the UK, where he started digital marketing in SEO copywriting and social media. While he initially handled B2C marketing, he transitioned to B2B brands. Anthony says he prefers the B2B medium because it lets you connect directly with your customers. He is drawn to content that focuses on the customer's needs besides having entertainment value. Interestingly, Anthony argues that the way of doing B2B social media is not moving forward. The status quo of most B2B content on social media is that it receives likes from family and friends as opposed to potential customers or affiliates. (I love B2B because it is an honest and genuine medium; things that are overproduced are not celebrated as genuine).

How B2B can leverage social media to grow their business: Our subject matter expert says that B2B marketers should strive to create content for the customers instead of themselves. He decries that most B2B are fixated on growing the number of likes on their social media posts. Instead, Anthony argues that generating organic likes from the audience, prospects, or industry members is valuable. In this regard, B2B benefits by creating content that spells out customer problems and their product or service's desired solution.

Opportunities on social media for B2B businesses: Anthony advises that B2B should re-contextualize its typical long-form content to suit short-form content for social media. While bulky content works well on websites, podcasts, and webinars, the same content will not gain traction on social media networks such as Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. As such, our subject matter expert recommends that the marketing people of a B2B should be flexible and re-contextualize the message into shorter, exciting versions so that it gains traction with the audience on social media.

Best channels for B2B social media marketing: Anthony expresses strong confidence in LinkedIn as the best platform for B2B social media marketing that doesn't have to suck. He says LinkedIn offers great flexibility for creativity and greater organic reach with the audience. In addition, a B2B can gain visibility with an audience outside its network, unlike most other social media platforms. On its part, Facebook and Instagram are great channels for generating interest so they can follow you on LinkedIn and email. (LinkedIn is the last great social media platform because it does not corner you into a single form of creativity).

Leveraging LinkedIn for B2B social media marketing: Our subject matter expert today underscores the importance of consistency in producing and posting content on social media. In this regard, a B2B should create one great piece of content and assume they have arrived. Consistency on the feed helps to create trust and brand affinity. He argues that a B2B social media doesn't have to sack due to fixation on one way of creating content. By figuring out the best content and the most appropriate social media platform for it, a B2B can capture the audience's attention within the first two seconds.

Timecodes

(01:06) Introduction of today's topic and guest expert

(01:36) Anthony's career background in B2B marketing

(04:04) How B2B can leverage social media to grow their business

(06:05) Opportunities on social media for B2B businesses

(07:28) Best channels for B2B social media marketing

(11:19) Leveraging LinkedIn for B2B social media marketing

(19:22) Anthony's contact information: LinkedIn

#234 – Vance Morris: From Disney Executive to Direct Response Master

Jason Hunt — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 16:54:45 GMT

Former Disney executive turned entrepreneur Vance Morris reveals the systematic approach that transformed his carpet cleaning business into a million-dollar operation and how any business owner can apply Disney's legendary customer experience principles to command premium prices and create lifelong client relationships.

In this episode, Vance breaks down his famous $125K auto parts campaign, shares Disney's systematic approach to business operations, and reveals his proven "10-10-10" prospecting method that generates 73% response rates while competitors struggle with digital noise.

🔑 Topics Covered:

Disney's systematic approach to customer experience and why systems create business freedom
The complete breakdown of Vance's $1,000 investment that generated over $1 million in revenue
Physical mail strategies that cut through digital overwhelm and get real responses
The "10-10-10" prospecting formula: 10 prospects, 10 touches, 10 weeks for consistent sales
Power base marketing with relationship-building tactics that keep you top-of-mind
How to select and research high-value prospects using VAs and AI tools
Creative gatekeeper strategies and controversial content that generates engagement
The "50-mile famous" approach to dominating your local market
Why customer retention beats acquisition and how to implement both systematically

🎯 Perfect for:Entrepreneurs, business owners, agency leaders, and marketers who want to stop competing on price, build premium positioning, and create systematic approaches to client acquisition and retention.

📈 Key Strategies Discussed:

Systematic Magic™ framework for business operations
Disney bootcamp 10-step campaign sequence
Newsjacking techniques for timely engagement
Candy bowl power base marketing system
Physical mail vs. digital marketing integration
Sales cycle management (30 days to 3+ years)

⏰ Episode Timestamps:00:00 – Intro: Vance's Disney background & entrepreneurial journey
02:58 – Disney's biggest business lesson: systems and processes
04:40 – How systems create operational freedom
06:51 – The legendary $125K auto parts campaign breakdown
09:17 – Physical mail marketing strategies and persistence tactics
13:19 – Creative approaches for getting past gatekeepers
16:43 – Disney bootcamp 10-step campaign sequence revealed
19:29 – The "10-10-10" prospect strategy explained
22:36 – High-value prospect selection criteria and research methods
25:19 – Delegating to VAs and using ChatGPT for prospect research
28:26 – Understanding sales cycles: 30 days to 3 years
30:14 – Standing out with controversial and engaging content
31:24 – Newsjacking technique for timely market engagement
36:11 – "50-mile famous" local business domination strategy
37:32 – Power-based marketing with the candy bowl system
40:52 – Customer retention vs. acquisition cost analysis
43:04 – Staying top-of-mind without being pushy or annoying

Connect with Vance Morris:

Website: https://www.deliverservicenow.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vance.morris.9/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vancemorris/

Connect with Jason Hunt:

Website: https://jayhunt.social

200 - Diversify or Die: The Critical Role of Variety in Marketing Success with Dave Kerr

Jason Hunt — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 20:15:09 GMT

In episode 200 of the Merged Marketing Podcast, Jason and Dave discuss the importance of diversification in marketing strategies. They highlight the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing and the need for businesses to stand out and separate themselves from the competition. They emphasize the value of testing different platforms, creative elements, and messaging to find what works best for each business. They also stress the importance of tracking metrics and using data to make informed decisions. The hosts share their own experiences and insights gained from running their agency and working with clients.

Chapters:

The Noisy Marketing Landscape (01:05)

Reflecting on 200 Episodes (01:23)

Unique Takeaways from Each Episode (02:09)

Diversification in Marketing (03:15)

Merging Companies for a Comprehensive Approach (07:14)

Adapting Marketing Strategies (09:12)

Identifying the Right Marketing Platform (10:57)

Testing and Analyzing Campaigns (13:26)

Understanding Audience Behavior with Meta Data (17:03)

Feeding the Funnel for Successful Marketing (18:25)

Balancing Different Marketing Strategies (19:54)

Creative Elements in Marketing (22:17)

The Advantage of Still Image Ads (25:58)

The Importance of Testing in Marketing Campaigns (29:00)

The Importance of Diversification in Marketing Strategy: Insights from Episode 200 of the Merged Marketing Podcast

In Episode 200 of the Merged Marketing Podcast, we delve into the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing and the importance of diversification in marketing strategy. As the marketing industry becomes increasingly noisy and competitive, it is crucial for businesses to find ways to stand out and separate themselves from the competition. This episode not only reflects on the journey of the Merged Marketing Podcast but also provides valuable insights into the current state of digital marketing and how businesses can diversify their marketing strategies to achieve success.

The Changing Landscape of Marketing

Over the past decade, the marketing industry has undergone significant changes. The rise of digital advertising and the proliferation of social media platforms have transformed the way businesses reach and engage with their target audience. As a result, marketers and business owners have had to adapt and evolve their strategies to keep up with the ever-changing landscape.

Dave highlights the importance of recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution in marketing. In the early days, many marketers and business owners would focus on one specific marketing tactic or platform, believing it to be the golden ticket to success. However, as the industry has evolved, it has become clear that a diversified approach is necessary to effectively reach and engage with consumers.

The Value of Testing and Data

One of the key takeaways from the Merged Marketing Podcast is the importance of testing and data-driven decision-making. Jason emphasizes the need for businesses to constantly test different marketing strategies and tactics to determine what works best for their specific audience and industry. By conducting thorough testing, businesses can gather valuable data and insights that inform their marketing campaigns.

The Power of Diversification

The core message of this episode is the importance of diversification in marketing strategy. Jason and Dave stress the need for businesses to explore and leverage multiple marketing channels.

181- Creating Modern Digital Experiences with Shamir Duverseau

Jason Hunt — Tue, 02 May 2023 14:18:03 GMT

Are you leveraging modern digital experiences? Do you understand the existing gaps in creating modern digital experiences? We are talking with Shamir, the digital transformation guru, to do justice to this subject matter. Shamir is with Smart Panda Labs helping marketers get started with digital transformation. During his years in marketing, Shamir held leadership roles with Southwest Airlines, Disney, and NBC Universal. He discovered his love for the technical aspect of things back in the 1990s while working in marketing and research. (Having been at the right time at the right place with the right skill set, things all came together for me).

What is modern Digital Transformation - Shamir defines modern digital transformation as the customer experience that users expect when interacting with products or services online. It is what a company must do to align itself to start delivering to customers through the Internet. The transformation entails tweaking your technological back end to be able to deliver the modern digital customer experience that people expect.

Challenges in implementing digital transformation - Our guest expert observes that the fear of the IT side of things among most marketers is often the major hindrance in undertaking digital transformation. That fear has the negative effect of denying oneself and customers the opportunity to have an experience that can lower the acquisition cost and derive value.

Example of digital transformation success story - Shamir cites Emirates.com as a success story in modern digital transformation. On their website, they have captured up-to-date information for the visitor. People know what exactly to expect when doing business with them because of transparency and consistency. In addition, Emirates has leveraged automation on its website and social sites, which bolsters its overall customer experience. Also, their digital purchase experience is next level; the client can easily keep track of their reward points and make or modify reservations without human intervention.

Role of transparency and consistency in the digital customer experience - The goal of the customer is to find consistency in the ad and post-click. If what the customer was sold in the ad does not match reality after clicking on it, buyer friction and frustration emerge. A transparent experience is key to building customer trust and loyalty.

Primary steps for a business performing digital transformation - He first evaluates state key digital tactics presently in use. From there, they can fill in the gap as to the transformational technological capabilities required to keep up with the changing marketplace and customer behaviour.

Key Timecodes

(0:29) Shamir‘s background story
(1:54) What is modern Digital Transformation
(4:20) Challenges in implementing digital transformation
(5:59) Example of digital transformation success story
(8:19) Role of Transparency and Consistency in the digital customer experience
(10:20) Factors for success in modern digital transformation
(12:26) Role of first-party data in the digital space
(14:50) Leveraging first-party data for digital transformation
(17:20) Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Chatgpt on digital transformation
(18:44) Recommended automation tools with Chatgpt
(19:50) Primary steps for a business performing digital transformation
(21:44) Are local programs helping digital transforming continuous -
(23:45) Shamir’s contact information
(24:05) Shamir’s choice of brand ambassador

034 | Discover Problem-Solving Strategies that Build Resilience and Amplify Capacity - with Allison Graham

Jason Hunt — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 12:16:40 GMT

As a resiliency expert, author and media commentator, Allison Graham shares her problem-solving framework to build resilience and amplify capacity. She’s been engaging audiences since 2006, speaking for Fortune 500 companies and coaching leaders to get out of their own way and step into their full potential.

Her books include Married My Mom, Birthed a Dog: How to Be Resilient When Life Sucks, Busy is a Bad Excuse and From Business Cards to Business Relationships. Allison’s latest online program is called Take Back Your Weekends: A Better, Less Stressful Way to Get It All Done and How to Build an Online Course, Even if You Suck at Tech.

You may have seen her featured by media outlets like Global News and Fast Company or heard her Resiliency Ninja podcast.

057 | Real Estate SEO: Actionable Tips to Implement Today - with Ryan Stewart

Jason Hunt — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 17:15:00 GMT

Ryan Stewart is a marketing entrepreneur with 10+ years of experience building online businesses. To date, he has successfully sold 3 companies, including WEBRIS, a 7 figure SEO agency. He currently spends his time working 1 on 1 with agencies and building query.

001 | Introducing the Merged Marketing Podcast

Jason Hunt — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 15:43:29 GMT

Hello and welcome to our podcast! We appreciate you taking time out of your day to listen to our show.
We've spent months preparing for this launch and we are so excited for you to hear it.

The Merged Marketing Podcast unlocks the marketing tactics and secrets behind every day brands. Each week, we'll bring you expert commentary, so that you can make better choices when it comes to growing your business.

In this introduction to MMP, we bring you a short welcoming episode to the show.

Sit back and let the show begin!

023 | How to Start a Lucrative Career from Home That Could Pay $50,000 in a Day - with Anna Gita

Jason Hunt — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 19:42:12 GMT

Anna Gita is the CEO of MaxWeb, the fastest growing affiliate network in the world. MaxWeb is dominating the industry thanks to really CARING about its affiliates!

Without any previous experience in Affiliate Marketing, Anna built a 7 figure business from scratch and became one of the best known names in the Affiliate Marketing industry.

In this week's episode, learn how to set up and grow an affiliate program and more about MaxWeb!

158 - The Jump-Off Point For Starting An SEO Program with Todd Foster

Jason Hunt — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 16:10:21 GMT

Is it about time your business benefited from an SEO program? Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is increasingly the go-to strategy for organizations to boost the ranking of their websites in search engines. Knowing the perfect jump-off point for starting an SEO program can be a rather complicated affair. It is crucial to get that timing right if you intend for your brand to climb in google search rankings by standing out from competitors.

Many SEO agencies promise great results within 4 to 6 months of running the program but is that often the case? As Todd cautions, plenty of overly cheap SEO programs on offer would not deliver the rankings sought after. Discover some of the right questions you should ask a potential SEO company before entrusting your cherished brand with them.

The key takeaway from this insightful episode is the need to stay consistent with your SEO program, given the ever-changing trends on Google. Staying dormant in the SEO game can adversely affect your website and, by extension bottom line. Have you ever wondered why SEO packages often vary from one agency to another? Yet still, do you have the proper budget and expectations for your SEO program? For answers to these questions and more, get insights from our SEO expert Todd Foster in this episode. Learn how to leverage your SEO program to the fullest today!

Key Timecodes

(2:09) Introduction to Todd Foster
(2:44) Todd’s inspiration for getting into the SEO business
(3:40) Keeping with the trends in the SEO business
(4:48) Tips to keep in touch with Google updates of SEOs
(6:00) Risk of working with a cheap budget for your SEO program
(7:10) Why SEO prices vary from company to company
(8:02) When does a company know it is ready to deploy an SEO program?
(9:03) How quickly can SEO results be expected
(10:09) Key questions to ask SEO agencies before taking them on
(12:20) Leveraging the safe SEO tool
(14:37) Most significant trends in SEO programs
(15:50) Recommended SEO program strategies for seasonal business
(18:15) Process of onboarding a new client for the SEO program
(19:50) How the SEO program grew a landscaping company to a multi-million franchise
(22:23) Replicating ranking success for mother company to franchises

051 | How a Lawyer Used TikTok to Build a Tribe - with Ryan Keeney

Jason Hunt — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 19:37:26 GMT

Ryan is a Lawyer and co-founder of KPA Lawyers in Mississauga, Ontario. He has been interviewed by the CBC, Global News, Toronto Star and is also a published author on The HuffingtonPost Canada in connection with his practice. His primary area of practice is civil litigation, which includes some of the following:

Breach of contract
Invoice collection
Negligence
Privacy law
Employment law
Real estate litigation
And more!

When he’s not practicing law, Ryan enjoys writing for insauga.com, and serving as the Executive Director of TEDxMississauga.

#233 – Anna Granic: From Cold Calls to LinkedIn Authority & Trust-First Sales

Jason Hunt — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:34:47 GMT

Anna Granic is a business development strategist at Servicare Interiors and a brand ambassador who's mastered the art of turning personal storytelling into powerful sales results. In this episode, we explore how she transformed from traditional sales tactics to building authentic relationships through consistent LinkedIn content and a service-first mindset.

Anna reveals her systematic approach to personal branding that's converted cold prospects into warm leads, built industry credibility, and established her as a go-to voice in facilities management. From her 4:30 AM morning routine to her content planning system, she shares the daily habits and strategic thinking that drive real business results.

🔑 Topics Covered:

How personal branding on LinkedIn drives actual sales results
The "listening first, selling second" approach to client relationships
Building trust through storytelling instead of traditional sales pitches
Daily content systems: planning 5 days of LinkedIn posts ahead
Converting LinkedIn visibility into warm sales conversations
Morning routines and micro-goals for consistent growth
LinkedIn algorithm insights and engagement strategies

⏰ Key Timestamps:

3:11 – Selling Trust Over Cleaning Services
8:12 – Purpose-Driven Mindset & Living with Intention
18:43 – Daily LinkedIn Posting System
24:58 – Turning Cold Calls into Warm Leads via LinkedIn
29:00 – LinkedIn Algorithm Experiments & Findings
34:00 – Optimize Cover Photo & About Section
39:05 – Direct Messaging Tactics for Leads

🔗 Connect with Anna:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annagranic/

📩 Subscribe and leave a review to stay updated with new episodes every week!

🎥 Full episode with timestamps available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

Connect with Jason Hunt:

Website: https://jayhunt.social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jayhuntofficial

Sponsor: https://chatello.ai

#244 – Ema Fulga: How to Win AI Search Without Losing Your Brand Voice in the Process

Jason Hunt — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 19:55:14 GMT

Copywriter-turned-AI search expert Ema Fulga reveals how brands can dominate ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI results without sounding like generic AI slop—and why 60% of searches now end without a single click.

Ema is the founder of decipher., a UK and UAE-based AI search optimization agency helping brands appear in AI-powered searches. With 8+ years as a freelance copywriter working with Publicis, NTT Data, and the World Intellectual Property Organization, she pivoted early to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) when she recognized the seismic shift happening in search behavior. Based in Italy and operating across UK and UAE markets (where 58% of people use ChatGPT or Gemini—higher than most developed countries), Ema bridges the gap between creative storytelling and machine-readable content.

She explains:

◼️ Why 60% of searches now end without a click—and how to win visibility in the zero-click era

◼️ The brutal truth about AI-generated content: why most of it is "garbage" and how to stand out

◼️ How to bake your brand voice into AI systems so they cite YOU instead of generic competitors

◼️ The simple technique for training ChatGPT on your personal stories, tone, and writing style

◼️ Why structured data and schema markup are the "secret handshake" with AI retrieval systems

◼️ How to optimize blog content so AI engines pull YOUR answers (not your competitors')

◼️ The biggest mistake small businesses make when writing for AI search

◼️ Why AI isn't killing creativity—it's actually making you think harder and smarter

◼️ The counterintuitive reason answering specific questions beats generic "pillar content"

◼️ How decipher. got clients appearing in AI search results in just 4 months

◼️ Why the UAE's 58% AI adoption rate makes it the perfect testing ground for AEO strategies

◼️ The future of copywriting: why human nuance and storytelling will become MORE valuable, not less

[00:00] – Intro
[02:15] – From affiliate marketing to copywriting to AI search optimization
[07:30] – The "aha moment" that sparked decipher. and the AEO pivot
[12:45] – Why 60% of searches never click and what that means for your brand
[18:20] – How to train AI on your brand voice (the personal context strategy)
[24:10] – The schema markup and structured data frameworks that make AI cite you
[29:35] – Writing blog content that shows up in ChatGPT and Perplexity
[35:50] – Why AI isn't outsourcing your brain (it's extending it)
[41:20] – The UAE market insights and what high-adoption countries reveal about AEO
[46:15] – Final insights & where to connect with Ema

Connect with Ema:
Website: decipher.agency
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ema-fulga-decipher
Email: ema@decipher.agency

Subscribe to Drop The Mic for weekly insights on AI, marketing strategies, and business growth frameworks that actually work

Done for you marketing: Merged Media

Learn more about Jason Hunt

044 | Finding the Franchise That's Right For You - with Andrew Hoffman

Jason Hunt — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 18:42:00 GMT

Our guest today is Andrew Hoffman of My Franchise Partner. Andrew is a serial entrepreneur. Having grown up in Barrie, Ontario, he started out like so many cutting grass and shovelling snow for people in his neighborhood. He then started his own import and retail business at 22 years old, and the rest they say, well, is history.

Andrew is now what I can only describe as the Godfather of Franchising. A true expert on all things franchising; from sales, re-sales, research and development to marketing and everything else in between. If you’re looking to start or buy into a franchise Andrew is your go to guy!

#243 – Scott Ward: Why Most Founders Fail at Execution

Jason Hunt — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 21:03:27 GMT

Scott Ward is the founder of HabitStack, a coaching system designed to help founders and leadership teams turn strategy into consistent weekly execution. After decades in the startup trenches including scaling companies, navigating acquisitions, and leading through chaos, Scott built a framework that solves the execution gap plaguing most businesses. His clients go from reactive firefighting to proactive focus in weeks, not months.

Scott reveals why 80% of founders have brilliant strategies but terrible execution, how a simple weekly cadence system transformed struggling leadership teams into high-performing machines, and why your Monday morning chaos is actually a systems problem, not a people problem.

◼️ The brutal truth about why strategic planning sessions fail within 48 hours (and the one shift that makes strategies actually stick)

◼️ How to build a leadership team that executes in lockstep—without micromanaging or endless status meetings

◼️ The "Monday morning problem" every founder faces: knowing you need to prioritize but having zero clarity on what actually matters this week

◼️ Why habits beat goals every single time—and how to stack the right habits to scale faster with less friction

◼️ The exact weekly cadence system HabitStack uses to keep founders focused: daily check-ins, weekly reviews, and why this doesn't become "just another meeting"

◼️ The #1 mistake founders make when trying to align their team (hint: it's not communication—it's something deeper)

◼️ How AI is changing accountability systems—what can be automated and what must remain human when it comes to execution coaching

◼️ The pattern separating 10x execution from mediocre follow-through: it's not discipline, it's this counterintuitive mindset shift

00:00 – Intro
05:15 – Why 80% of founders have great strategy but terrible execution
10:30 – The Monday morning problem: strategy vs. reality
15:45 – Building the weekly cadence system that actually works
20:20 – How to align your leadership team without micromanaging
25:10 – Habits vs. goals: why HabitStack focuses on systems, not targets
30:35 – The biggest mistake founders make with team alignment
35:50 – AI's role in accountability (and what can't be automated)

🔗 HabitStack: habitstack.io

🔗 Jason Hunt: jayhunt.social

#242 – Dr. Eugene K. Choi: Why 90% of Your Brain Is Running on Autopilot (And How to Rewire It)

Jason Hunt — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 20:52:49 GMT

Dr. Eugene K. Choi is a former healthcare leader turned performance coach who supervised 6 major hospitals and 250+ clinics until he discovered the hidden neuroscience keeping even the best leaders stuck. After walking away from a six-figure pharmacy career to become a filmmaker (generating 30+ million views), then coaching hundreds of entrepreneurs, he uncovered a brutal truth: 90% of clients already know what to do, they're just not doing it.

The reason? By age 35, 90-95% of your brain runs on autopilot, keeping you trapped in survival mode instead of accessing executive-level thinking, creativity, and decision-making.

He explains:

◼️ Why your brain's "executive state" is turned off 70% of your adult life—and the exact neuroscience behind feeling stuck, anxious, or burned out

◼️ The difference between survival brain versus executive brain—and how to recognize which state you're operating from right now

◼️ How he went from six-figure pharmacist → broke filmmaker → viral content creator (30M views) → business coach—and the pattern he noticed in every failed execution

◼️ Why stress literally shuts down your ability to make good decisions, solve problems creatively, and connect with people (and how to reverse it)

◼️ The "know versus do gap"—the neurological reason you understand the strategy but don't execute (hint: it's not laziness or lack of discipline)

◼️ Why cold exposure, discomfort, and stress tolerance are the secret weapons for building entrepreneurial resilience

◼️ The dangerous AI trap: why people are forming emotional bonds with AI therapists and robots—and what happens when Gen Z prefers AI relationships over messy human ones

◼️ How to break the autopilot loop by age 35 when your brain defaults to thinking the same 70,000 thoughts per day (90% are repeats)

◼️ The science-backed practice to activate your executive brain at will—even in high-pressure, unpredictable situations

◼️ Why "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" is scientifically false—and how your brain can rewire itself until its dying breath

TIMESTAMPS:

05:15 – From six-figure pharmacist to broke filmmaker: the leap
10:30 – Why 90% of coaching clients know what to do but don't execute
15:45 – The 70% survival state problem: your brain is turned off
20:20 – Survival brain vs. executive brain: the difference
25:10 – The neuroscience behind "I know it's good for me but I don't feel like doing it"
30:35 – Cold exposure and stress tolerance for entrepreneurs
35:50 – Viral content secrets: 30 million views and the psychology behind it
40:15 – The AI dystopia: humans dating robots and losing resilience
45:30 – How to rewire your autopilot brain after age 35

CONNECT WITH DR. EUGENE K. CHOI:
🌐 Website: neurohackingschool.com
📸 Instagram: @eugenekchoi
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/eugenekchoi

Follow Jason Hunt:

Website: https://jayhunt.social
Amplify Your Brand Community: https://www.skool.com/ayb
Instagram: @jayhuntofficial
LinkedIn: /socialmediaspeaker
TikTok: @jayhuntofficial

Done for you marketing

#212 - Pete McPherson: AI-Driven SEO Strategies and Building Topical Authority

Jason Hunt — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 19:52:45 GMT

Pete McPherson is an entrepreneur, AI strategist, and the founder of TopicalMap.ai, with a deep understanding of SEO and content strategy. With a background in building multiple SaaS products and over 75 websites, Pete shares his journey of trial and error in entrepreneurship, along with insights on AI’s role in SEO, creating topical authority, and scaling digital projects.

Episode Highlights:

[00:44] - Pete’s journey from accounting to becoming an entrepreneur.
[05:56] - The failures that shaped Pete’s entrepreneurial career.
[12:58] - Building resilience and avoiding the stress of failure.
[23:13] - What is Topical Map AI and how it helps content creators.
[26:41] - Understanding topical authority and its impact on SEO.
[37:24] - The future of AI in content creation and SEO.
[40:52] - How AI is transforming various aspects of life and business.

Pete also offers valuable insights on how to pivot in business, how AI can streamline SEO research, and actionable tips for anyone looking to leverage AI and SEO strategies in their digital marketing efforts. This episode is packed with real-world advice and tools to help you grow your business through content strategy and AI integration.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huntspeaks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jayhuntofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayhuntofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

Website: https://jayhunt.social

https://merged.ca

#238 – Michael Walsh: Why the Machine Mindset Kills Growth

Jason Hunt — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:51:31 GMT

Michael Walsh spent 30 years helping businesses scale to $50M+ and discovered something that contradicts everything you've been taught: treating your team like a "well-oiled machine" destroys the exact expertise your clients pay for. After burning out in 1996 with zero vacation days, he redesigned his entire approach. Now, he takes 18 weeks off annually while his consultancy thrives.

In this conversation, Michael breaks down why 20th-century industrial thinking fails in expertise-based businesses, the ecosystem approach that unlocks sustainable growth, and how AI is accelerating the shift from information work to creative work.

Key Insights:

The hidden cost of the machine mindset: why systemizing people like interchangeable parts kills creativity and innovation in marketing, consulting, and service businesses
The 3 Freedoms framework: Freedom IN your business (doing work you love), Freedom FROM your business (it runs without you), and Freedom BECAUSE OF your business (funds the life you want)—and why getting the sequence wrong keeps you trapped
Michael's transformation story: from working 52 weeks straight to taking the last week of every month off, and how his income skyrocketed as a result
The Phil Jackson approach: how championship coaches built winning teams by customizing systems around individual strengths instead of forcing uniformity
Four elements of human behaviour that make employee motivation obvious: survive, thrive, connect, adapt and how understanding these removes the mystery from team performance
The social contract that creates loyalty: why traditional command-and-control management fails with knowledge workers, and what replaces it

Resources mentioned:Get Michael's complete hiring system free at freedombydesignbook.com

Connect with Jay Hunt:

http://oconnorgolf.ca/blog/drawing-on-the-best-elements-of-golf-can-quell-those-queasy-feelings

Episode Timestamps:

1:00 - Freedom by Design book & strategic LinkedIn outreach

1:50 - 30-year transformation: from zero vacation to 18 weeks off

2:21 - The 1996 turning point: forced Mexico vacation

4:01 - 16-hour exhaustion crash

4:44 - Post-vacation revenue spike: $10K in one month

6:09 - Scaling to 18 weeks off annually

7:29 - The 3-week work, 1-week off rhythm

8:05 - How clients adapted to compressed schedule

10:19 - Managing guilt & forced disconnection

13:19 - Freedom by Design framework deep dive

13:55 - Machine mindset origins: assembly lines & industrial revolution

15:03 - How unions formed in response to cog-in-machine treatment

16:23 - Why information services require different management

17:28 - Machine built for owners vs ecosystem for everyone

18:19 - The illusion of control through systems

19:14 - Supporting people's strengths vs forcing compliance

21:06 - Sales team ecosystem: customizing for different personalities

22:37 - Building support structures around individual strengths

24:32 - Hiring assessment tools: MBTI, StrengthsFinder, Kolbe, Wonderlic

28:16 - The human element vs cheap offshore labor trap

29:24 - Four aspects of human behavior: survive, thrive, connect, adapt

33:28 - AI completing the information age, entering creativity age

36:21 - Why AI forces authentic human storytelling

38:26 - The 10%-80%-10% AI collaboration model

41:28 - AI efficiency example: presentations from 3-4 days to 1.5 hours

Subscribe to Drop The Mic for conversations with entrepreneurs, authors, and leaders who've built businesses that serve their lives and not consume them.

180- Roundtable Marketing with Kevin Pettie and David Rankine

Jason Hunt — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 16:47:36 GMT

Without a doubt, the onset of Covid 19 pandemic signaled the greatest turmoil period for lots of businesses around the globe. In today's episode, we have the honor of hosting two expert guests to get insight into the magic of the roundtable marketing system during Covid.

David's and Kevin's journeys to being roundtable marketing experts - Kevin and David have worked together for about ten years in B2B telemarketing companies. For some time, they were successfully onboarding at least one new client every weekday. They realigned their business to a fractional CMO with a small base of lucrative clients. The onset of Covid cost them significant revenue loss, forcing them back to the market source to generate new clients. They further pivoted from promoting themselves to promoting roundtable Marketing.

Use of LinkedIn for promoting roundtable marketing awareness – Kevin says that they started by creating some events on LinkedIn and sent out invitations to their connections. They also undertook outreach programs on the platform, inviting signups to roundtables. He says that it has been their experience that it is helpful to consistently build a connections list on LinkedIn to send invites to the ideal customer profile.

Why is the roundtables marketing system more attractive to B2B - David explains that they mainly provide B2B business because they are the sort of business most predominant on LinkedIn.

The ideal size of a roundtable marketing system – Kevin argues that the number of people at a roundtable highly depends on the skills and capacity of the facilitator. The goal of the roundtable is to make it participatory for everyone. Thus it is best to keep the size manageable. As such, he drops a number between 4 and 10 people.

Tips for running an effective roundtable – David draws our attention to the need to engage the audience, right from welcoming them and through the discussion. It would help if you conversed with them about their business and its challenges while referencing them to the topic of discussion at the table.

Strategies for getting attendees to show: David lauds LinkedIn as the main contributor to successful signups following an invite (about 15%). He terms it the nature of LinkedIn for people to attend collaborative roundtables and workshops.

Incentives for inviting through other people's connections – David and Kevin explain that they seek willing partners and invite connections of partners that fit the ideal customer profile. They achieve this with the help of their own master connection database that gives the right target based on job titles, location, or industry.

Leveraging automation in building connections: David says they utilize various automation tools to determine their ICP, create outreach messaging, send out invites, and follow-up details on the event. These tools include WeConnect, Sales Flow, Apollo, and Sales Navigator.

Virtual roundtables in the post-Covid era: David explains that the roundtables product built during the Covid period has persisted even in the post-Covid period. He says that it is now commonplace for people to meet on virtual roundtables, unlike in the past when it was more of face-to-face meetings.

Key Time Codes

(1:18) Kevin and David's journey to today's roundtable marketing experts -

(4:25) Use of LinkedIn for promoting roundtable marketing awareness

(7:00) Why is the roundtables marketing system more attractive to B2B businesses

(8:00) The perfect size of a roundtable marketing system

(10:18) Tips for running an effective roundtable

(11:14) Strategies of getting attendees to show

(14:17) Leveraging automation tools in building connections

(17:52) Virtual roundtables in the post-Covid era

(19:38) David and Kevin's contact information

042 | How 1+1 Can Equal 3 - with Jennifer Jimbere

Jason Hunt — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 18:42:42 GMT

Today we have our very first return guest! Our guest today is Jennifer Jimbere, whom you may remember from episode 12.

As a recognized authority on change management, profitability and organizational turn around, she has served as an advisor to thousands of individuals and organizations around the world for more than 20 years. An entrepreneur, award winning coach and International Best Selling Co-Author, Jennifer is your partner in prosperity.

A productivity and profitability coach to business leaders, ready to help you create your next business breakthrough to reach your next level. Jennifer has a new book coming out, it’s called 1 + 1 Can Equal 3, Step into Possibility.

We are looking forward to diving into some of the book with her today, which is a compilation of proven business growth best practices that she has learned and realized along her journey.

076 | Goodbye Newsletter, Hello Audience - with Meera Kothand

Jason Hunt — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 14:14:51 GMT

Your traditional newsletter could be holding your email engagement back! Our guest today is Meera Kothand, an email marketing strategist and 3X Amazon bestselling author. She is the publisher of an award-winning site listed in the top 100 sites for solopreneurs in 2020, 2018, and 2017. She also released the popular CREATE Planners.

Using her unique and profitable email system and ADDICTED business framework, she makes powerful marketing strategies simple and relatable so that small business owners can build a tribe that’s addicted to their zone of genius.

Mentioned in This Episode

Meera’s website
Meera’s email course

What you will learn:

Changes in email marketing over the last 5 years (4:50)
From linear buying funnel to brand ecosystem
Traditional vs non-traditional newsletters (7:35)
Pushing the boundaries with single-focus emails
Does consistency matter? (14:43)
Standing out from the noise and building trust
Proper use of a nurture sequence (18:16)
Focusing on the end goal
What do people need from you?
Don’t be scared of email marketing! (22:25)
Building an email list (25:02)
Go where your audience is
Be ready to accept them

Meera Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“Newsletters are useful for sure, but they don’t really help with brand reinforcement”

“The first 24-48 hours is when someone is the most engaged with your brand”

“It’s your job as a business owner to empower (your audience) and get them ready to say yes”

098 | Where to Automate Client Management - With Araks Nalbandyan

Jason Hunt — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 16:34:32 GMT

Araks Nalbandyan is the director of marketing at 10Web. With over 6 years of experience in different agencies, she brings different and unconventional marketing approaches to life.

Mentioned in This Episode

14 day free trial with 10Web

What you will learn:

Arak’s story (1:12)
The importance of blogging in 2021 (3:02)
Where to automate client management (4:01)
The automation process
Tasks you should NOT automate (10:03)
Tips and tricks to increase retention rate (12:42)
Don’t over promise; over deliver instead
10Web and AI assistance (15:50)
What to include in a website in 2021 (16:39)
Clarity is key
Get in touch with Araks (18:45)

Araks Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“Do not over promise when you start working with a client”

“A satisfied client will bring more clients”

“People need to understand what you’re selling”

“Attention span is getting lower and lower”

196 - Harnessing the Power of Paid Ads and User-Generated Content with Ashley Wright

Jason Hunt — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 16:44:07 GMT

In episode 196 today, we discuss harnessing user-generated content's power to grow your brand. Our subject matter expert today is Ashley Wright, from London, UK.

Ashley’s marketing career background: He has been in marketing for the last 18 years. He gained vast digital marketing experience by dealing with big brands like Adidas, Reebok, and American Airlines. This helped his entrepreneurial spirit and thus, he launched his own marketing agency.

What he did for the big brands: Over a period of six years, Ashley harnessed the power of user-generated content to grow such big brands as Adidas, Reebok, and American Airlines. Working at Adidas, Ashley specialized in digital marketing for European markets, especially the UK. He dealt with large-budget paid socials and brand awareness, often spending between 8-10 million euros a month for marketing efforts. He also handled product launches and pushed the product to grow their sales.

Trends in paid ad space today: Our subject matter expert reckons that the growth in technology has brought about a big shift in the way of doing things. He argues that the advent of artificial intelligence has grown the capacity of individuals and businesses to harness the power of user-generated content for growth of their brands. Going forward, Ashley says that the digital marketing space will become increasingly competitive. The number of marketers on social paid platforms responsible for many user-generated content that compete for user attention.

Time codes

(0:06) Introduction of today’s topic and guest expert
(0:35) Ashley’s marketing career background
(01:40) What he did for the big brands
(03:22) Trends in paid ad space today
(05:14) Why direct consumer brands are struggling today
(09:54) What makes a brand’s user-generated content stand out.
(11:47) Best practices for testing what is working
(14:13) What is user-generated content (UGC)
(19:16) Best practices for user-generated content on social media
(25:19) Ashley’s choice of his brand representative

179- Do Successful LinkedIn Ad Campaigns Exist? With Ben Lund

Jason Hunt — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 16:02:28 GMT

Have you harnessed the power of LinkedIn ads? In today's episode, we explore the relevant subject of LinkedIn ads and their role in today's business. We are privileged to dissect this with Ben Lund. So in this episode, we ask a vital question: Do Successful LinkedIn Ad Campaigns Exist?

Ben's journey from Rise Marketing Group to the present - Ben has always had a heart for marketing. In the mid-2000s, he got his break by working with Yahoo before proceeding to search ad campaigns. He materialized his yearning for entrepreneurship about 5 years ago and has grown from strength to strength.

How businesses can leverage LinkedIn - Ben qualifies LinkedIn as an interesting social media platform, especially for B2B businesses and other professionals. He lauds the flexibility of LinkedIn in the sense that you can target your B2B audience according to industry, revenue, and title, among other filters. Ben says that how a business uses LinkedIn greatly depends on its customer goals. While the platform may not be great for conversion-minded organizations, it is the go-to platform for awareness and consideration by the target audience. Interestingly, Ben points out that lead generation per conversion can be pricier for a business running paid ads on LinkedIn. True, LinkedIn would gladly chew your money on weekends because of the fewer people on it during that time of the week.

Industries highly successful on LinkedIn: Ben addresses himself on the million-dollar question of whether there is an audience on LinkedIn. He registers his doubts if the hospitality industry players like restaurants are on LinkedIn round the clock. He drops sound advice that you should note the availability of the audience on the platform before launching a marketing campaign. As primarily a manual media-buy platform, it does not provide for ad scheduling or automated betting.

Target audience conversion to business on LinkedIn: Our guest agrees with me that LinkedIn, compared to other platforms such as Meta, provides superior opportunities to narrow the target audience to paying customers.

Document Ads in LinkedIn: Ben cites the new feature of document ads on LinkedIn as a game changer by the platform as a value addition to advertisers targeting clients who often stay in the ecosystem of LinkedIn. Its lead generation campaign is showcased in a document format uploaded for the user to view and download. It is an effective strategy for capturing a lead through a non-intrusive way to the user experiment.

Key Time Codes

(1:15) Ben's journey from Rise Marketing Group to present
(3:02) How businesses can leverage LinkedIn
(6:00) Industries highly successful on LinkedIn
(7:28) Target audience conversion to business on LinkedIn
(10:44) Document Ads on LinkedIn
(14:25) Mindset of LinkedIn users
(16:00) Best practices of nurture sequence on LinkedIn
(20:26) Ben's contact information
(21:00) Ben's choice of brand representative

163 - TikTok Growth Hacks for Businesses with James Cooke

Jason Hunt — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 20:21:46 GMT

You probably regard TikTok as the latest social media application for fun viral videos. However, you may need to learn that this platform can be an excellent avenue for growing your business. Besides being the go-to site for people seeking quick entertainment and more likes, TikTok is an overly effective marketing tool for those who know how to leverage its potential. This is the case because the platform renders it easy to create and post authentic video content that can reach millions of people.

My guest today, James, is a subject matter expert on TikTok. Our guest points out that TikTok stands out among the long list of social media platforms due to its unique, robust algorithm. The algorithm shows users' videos of most interest to them based on their activity and likes on the app. James applauds the equal playing field on TikTok because every video enjoys an equal chance of going viral. In addition, he draws our attention to the potential of growth for businesses utilizing TikTok. In particular, James lauds the special focus that the platform affords an individual video; thus, users can concentrate on one video at any given time. And that could just be yours!

True to the fact, my guest underscores how TikTok allows content creators to be genuinely authentic. You do not need sophisticated skills or expensive gear to realize an engaging and entertaining TikTok video. In this regard, a business can easily create trend-driven organic video clips. Furthermore, James advises businesses to create different accounts dedicated to specific niches to leverage the power of TikTok fully. Generally, this episode is loaded with rich insights on TikTok growth for businesses you want to take advantage of. In the end, hear about this expert's superhero choice of his brand representative. Enjoy!

Time Stamps

(1:12) Background introduction to James' journey into TikTok
(5:17) Pro tips for creating viral content on TikTok
(6:30) Tools and process of creating successful TikTok content
(15:33) Advice to beginners about the quality and volume of posts on TikTok
(19:30) Authenticity matters for TikTok video (You don't need overproduced content to run ads)
(21:21) Create different specialized TikTok accounts for different niches
(23:51) TikTok's influence on other social media platforms
(26:16) Tools for removing TikTok watermark on videos
(27:47) Influencer marketing versus generic accounts for TikTok videos
(29:07) James' choice of brand ambassador
(29:55) James' contact information

146 | The Best Ways To Grow A Local Business Online With Chris Pistorius

Jason Hunt — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 12:30:38 GMT

The Best Ways To Grow A Local Business Online With Chris Pistorius

What are The Best Ways To Grow A Local Business Online? How can you get the right leads that convert for you? Well in this episode we speak to an online marketer with over 15 years of experience in dental marketing, He has worked with countless business owners across multiple facets of marketing, consulting, and coaching. He takes us through some of the most effective marketing platforms and how each social platform is different from the other. This episode is ideal for small service-based business owners as you are going to learn how to effectively leverage social media. You will also understand what the different age demographics are browsing for, the old age and the middle and the youth age groups. Chris Pistorius is going to guide you through your effective marketing journey to get your business out there. Please Welcome Chris Pistorius

Key Timecodes

Chris Pistorius’s journey to internet marketing(1:43)

Places where service-based businesses should focus their attention(3:41)

Best social platforms to advertise(5:48)

The Demographic Behavioural difference on social media(7:56)

Lead generation challenges in 2022(9:07)

Why Chris Pistorius chose the dental niche(10:18)

The Effective lead experience(13:21)

How small businesses can leverage social media(19:06)

Get in touch with Chris Pistorius(22:24)

137 | Merit Kahn - Four Magic Words That Transform Sales & Marketing

Jason Hunt — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 13:50:52 GMT

What is the difference between sales and marketing? How are the two interrelated? In this episode, we speak to the CEO of SELLect Sales Development. She will help us understand what the four magic words that transform sales and marketing are. She is also a Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach and a Certified Speaking Professional. Since 1998, she has worked with salespeople, entrepreneurs, professionals, and sales teams teaching them how to stop selling and start getting SELLect by their ideal clients. Please welcome Merit Kahn.

Key Timecodes

Merit Kahn journey(01:50)
SELLect Sales Development and who it helps(03:15)
The difference between sales and marketing (3:40)
The sales challenges being encountered (05:05)
Closing / converting your leads(9:49)
Know when to outsource a salesperson(12:20)
The four magic words that transform sales and marketing(14:00)
What is emotional intelligence(20:16)
Position yourself to be selected(26:07)
Get in touch with Merit Kahn(28:28)

008 | Getting Yourself Unstuck When You Need It Most - with Tim O'Connor

Jason Hunt — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 17:24:57 GMT

This is a special episode as we are in the midst of world altering events. COVID-19 is what’s on everyone’s mind, and you're probably struggling with aspects of fear and anxiety due to the uncertainty surrounding the situation. Well, today we are going to be discussing how to take control of your thoughts and emotions so that you can make the right life and business decisions to get through this difficult situation.

For more information on how golf can quell your queasy feelings, checkout Tim's recent blog post:

127 | James Scherer - Content Marketing Secrets Of 10-Figure Brands

Jason Hunt — Tue, 24 May 2022 13:07:39 GMT

Are you continuously struggling to understand or adapt to the ever-changing SEO and content marketing world? Do you want your content to rank higher and convert but you are not sure which approach to take? well, in this episode we speak to James Scherer who is the VP of Growth of Codeless, a content marketing agency working with unicorns like monday.com to drive growth through content at a huge scale. We talk about the future of content marketing and where he sees things progressing as we continue to evolve in the digital marketing landscape. I hope this episode helps you to pull out some valuable takeouts that are going to grow your business and lead to meaningful results. Please welcome James Scherer.

What you will learn:

James Background (2:50)

Enterprise marketing vs Start up marketing (4:05)

Different marketing techniques and Strategies

Content Marketing Categories (6:30)

SEO keywords

Marketing strategies for Small and Medium sized businesses (8:20)

Competitor Research (15:05)

The future of content marketing (20:03)

Get in touch with James Scherer (25:09)

110 | How to Consistently Attract More Money - With Jodielynn Craven

Jason Hunt — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 15:17:57 GMT

110 | How to Consistently Attract More Money - With Jodielynn Craven

For a decade, Jodielynn Craven has served in the role of a financial advisor, financial educator, and creator of Abundance Consciousness ™ and the Fluid Money BluePrint ™ . With approximately 10 million under management and managing a team of financial advisors, Jodielynn has advanced knowledge, experience, and expertise in modern financial structures and alternatively the mindset and energy behind money.

Her work in the energetics behind money, application of alternative money modalities and her signature process Fluid Money BluePrint ™ (a step by step guide for entrepreneurs who want to learn How To Consistently Attract Money) has brought her into the spotlight among clients all over the globe.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Check out Jodielynn’s free training that teaches you How To Consistently Attract More Money and never feel like you’re running out again
Instagram: @jodielynncraven

What You Will Learn:

Jodielynn’s story (2:29)
Are you deterring money? (6:47)
Attracting more money (11:14)
What does your day look like?
Using a list properly (16:25)
The Fluid Money Blueprint (20:24)
- Phase 1 - Unearthing negative belief systems
- Phase 2 - The CAST method
- Phase 3 - Becoming magnetic
How Jodielynn markets herself (24:26)
Marketing through teaching
Get in touch with Jodielynn (27:04)

Jodielynn Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“It usually has nothing to do with money itself”

“The things on my list that I prioritise are the things of highest joy”

“You attract who you are in this moment”

“Money can come from a billion different possibilities”

“Everything always works out for me, and it always works out for the better”

024 | 5 Technical SEO Best Practices - with Benjamin Strusnik

Jason Hunt — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 18:01:58 GMT

Today’s episode features another incredible entrepreneur, Benjamin Strusnik of Golden Web.

Benjamin started his Digital Marketing journey at the age of 12.

He later turned specifically towards technical SEO, specializing in finding advanced website issues that hold webmasters back from ranking at the top of page 1.

Today we’re going to be diving deep into 5 specific best practices to ensure that your website’s technical SEO is on point!

017 | Why Canada Is The Place for Entrepreneurs - with Brandon Miller

Jason Hunt — Tue, 26 May 2020 17:06:56 GMT

Today on the Merged Marketing Podcast, our special guest is Brandon Miller, Managing Director at Maple Immigration Services.

Brandon is a certified Immigration Consultant with ICCRC and the founder of Maple Immigration Services. He is passionate about everything immigrations and enjoys helping people come to Canada, as well as seeing them happily integrated. Although his main focus is to provide immigration legal services, he has also worked as a settlement counselor, a volunteer to the regulatory body and a teacher and mentor at a local college of immigration students.

He is also a family man living in Toronto with his wife and 2 young daughters.

012 | How to Increase Your Productivity and Profitability - with Jennifer Jimbere

Jason Hunt — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 14:37:53 GMT

Today we are discussing how to increase productivity and profitability with Jennifer Jimbere.

Jennifer is an Entrepreneur, International best-selling co-author of the Dream Boldly I Dare You series, World Class Coach and Business Consultant. She is a recognized authority on change management, profitability, and organizational turnaround, and has served as an advisor to thousands of individuals and organizations around the world for more than 20 years.

Jennifer has also been named Influence Magazine 100 Authority.

Strategic Learning Alliance recognized Jennifer as Certified Professional Coach of the Month for April 2019.

Her work has been featured in The Six-Figure Coach, Simply Women, Bella Mia magazines and more.

183 - Using First and Zero-Party Data to Improve Customer Lifetime Value with Valentin Radu

Jason Hunt — Tue, 16 May 2023 14:13:51 GMT

In episode 183, we discuss using first and zero-party data to improve customer lifetime value. Our guest expert today is Valentin Radu, a seasoned entrepreneur who particularly likes customer value. Valentin Radu is the Founder and CEO of Omniconvert, a growth enabler for mid-size DTC eCommerce and retail companies looking to increase customer lifetime value and decrease customer acquisition costs.

Valentin's career journey – He has been an entrepreneur for a long time, working with four companies in Romania. In time, he has gained valuable experience crafting better digital journeys and improving conversion rates and customer lifetime value. Nowadays, his company serves hundreds of companies by gathering zero and first-timer party data to improve customer lifetime value. (Way too many marketers rely on paid media and acquisition rather than full lifecycle marketing).

Role of customer trust in customer lifetime value – A business often has a longer value when the customer knows, likes, and trusts them. A business can lower customer acquisition costs by leveraging first and zero-party data.

Time codes

(1:24) Valentin's career journey –
(3:00) Role of customer trust in customer lifetime value
(4:03) What is zero and first-party data
(05:30) Examples of a success story with zero and first-party data
(08:43) The 90-minute Jobs-To-Be-Done Method
(12:37) Paid ad top-of-the-funnel testing
(14:23) How research can increase the customer's lifetime value
(19:33) Recommended time frame for evaluating zero and first-party data
(20:55) How has artificial intelligence impacted customer lifetime value
(22:45) Valentin's contact information
(23:10) Valentin's choice of brand representative

009 | The Key to Happier, Healthier Employees - with Dr. Rima Thapar MD

Jason Hunt — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 19:46:06 GMT

Dr. Rima Thapar MD is a graduate of Windsor University School of Medicine and School of Etheric Healing who delicately weaves the threads of science, spirituality and yoga. During her medical studies, she became fascinated with the art of medicine and began to explore the sciences with the lens of a spiritual mind. Practicing yoga and meditation from a young age, she decided to merge her spiritual teachings with her medical knowledge to bring forth a new perspective to healing the body as an integrative health practitioner. Taking her medical experience into her yoga and movement training programs with Cecily Milne of Yoga Detour, Kathryn Bruni-Young of Mindful Strength and Dr. C. Shanté Cofield of Movement Maestro, Rima brings information, creativity and curiosity to her yoga practice on and off the mat. Currently, she has co-founded Panacea Pain Care, a new 4 fold approach to chronic pain care alongside Dr. Rhythm Gumber that incorporates mindfulness, movement, medication management and neuromodulators. Merging teachings from allopathic medicine, energy medicine, medical intuition and yoga, Dr. Thapar empowers her patients, clients and yoga students to be the CEO of their own health. Her favorite yoga pose is Ustrasana (Camel Pose) as it keeps her heart open to all possibilities in life.

Contact Information:

Phone: 647-248-5546

Website: www.thehealingcup.ca

Innergy Yoga: http://www.myinnergyyoga.com/?name=rima_thapar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_healing_cup/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehealingcup377/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-healing-cup

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_Healing_Cup

#205 - Scott Clary: Building Brands and Engaging Audiences in the AI Era

Jason Hunt — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 20:46:33 GMT

Scott Clary is a luminary in sales, marketing, and the strategic use of AI to transform business operations. With his extensive experience helming the Success Story podcast, contributing to Forbes, and penning 'Your Epic Book Launch,' Clary offers unparalleled insights into leveraging technology to enhance business strategies, the future of content creation, and cultivating durable brands. This episode delves into Clary's journey from a conservative approach in his career to becoming a vanguard in sales and marketing, underlining his methodologies for utilizing AI in content generation and personalizing sales outreach.

OUTLINE:

Here are the timestamps for the episode:

(00:00): Introduction to Scott Clary
(07:36): Insights into audience growth for the Success Story podcast
(13:20): Strategies for building community and trust
(23:13): Personalizing the sales process and relationship building
(27:04): Utilizing AI for enhancing sales and marketing strategies
(33:42): Tactics for growing an audience on social media platforms

For anyone looking to navigate the intricate world of sales, marketing, and the innovative application of AI, this episode is a treasure trove of wisdom and actionable strategies from one of the industry's best, Scott Clary.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huntspeaks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jayhuntofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayhuntofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

Website: https://jayhunt.social

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/DqC5Z3F1COo

107 | How To Know What Your Target Audience Cares About - With Josh Dittmer

Jason Hunt — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 18:16:38 GMT

Josh Dittmer is the Marketing Director at The Valuegraphics Project, an organization devoted to changing the world by changing the way we look at the world.

Mentioned in this episode:

We Are All the Same Age Now - book by David Allison, founder of The Valuegraphics Project
Josh’s LinkedIn and email

What you will learn:

Josh’s journey (1:57)
The Valuegraphics Project (2:55)
Not just a number
Collecting data on the audience (7:37)
Putting data to use
Using data to predict what people will do next (14:40)
(Bonus: Japan talk)
Target audience of the Valuegraphics Project (21:17)
Get in touch with Josh (22:33)

Josh Mentality - Quotes From the Show:

“We look at what people care about, and we give them those things”

“Our values decide everything that we do”

“There’s 56 things that drive every single human being”

“Everywhere in the world we see the ‘togetherness’ values - family, community, friendship, relationships, and belonging”

124 | The Future of Ads - With Shane Austrie

Jason Hunt — Tue, 03 May 2022 11:36:54 GMT

Shane Austrie is renowned in the MarTech space. He previously worked & consulted for advertising companies like Facebook, Reddit, Tapyjoy, and more. He is currently the CEO of SVC and the CTO of Curastory.

Mentioned in This Episode

Shane’s Twitter
Shane’s LinkedIn

What you will learn:

Shane’s story (2:20)
Where are ads going in 2-5 years? (6:26)
Tracking the user journey
How to get ahead of the curve (10:42)
Out-of-home ads
What about VR ads?
The impact of the Metaverse (14:51)
Where is it going?
Re-allocating your marketing budget in 2022 (21:46)
Increasing LIfe Time Value (22:57)
Get in touch with Shane (24:30)

Shane Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“User-generated content is killing it right now”

“You have to start understanding where your customer is at”

“Lifetime value is based on your overall interactions with the user”

129 | Susan Drumm - What's Your Path To Enlightened Leadership?

Jason Hunt — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 13:46:31 GMT

What kind of a leader are you? How are you leading your team? and most importantly how do you manage your emotions towards your subordinates at work? well, in this episode we are privileged to host a leadership advisor, coach, and CEO Susan Drumm. She shares with us effective ways to run a team for maximum production. She focuses on developing the capacity and mindsets to lead in today’s disruptive environment. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience as she has personally coached billionaire CEOs, prominent Fortune 50 executive teams, and incredible entrepreneurs that set out to disrupt the marketplace. Please welcome Susan Drumm.

What You Will Learn

Susan Drumm’s background (2:40)

Susan Drumm’s opinion on what enlightened leadership is (5:48)

Building emotional intelligence.

Effective ways that leaders use to show emotions towards their juniors (8:44)

The power of music in dealing with emotions (11:03)

Challenges that business leaders are currently facing (17:10)

Building on connectivity

Ways in which good leadership attracts effective talent to the business (23:00)

How Susan Drumm is marketing herself (25:11)

Get in touch with Susan Drumm (26:00)

097 | Preparing Your Business for a 5x-10x Acquisition - With Scott Duke

Jason Hunt — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 15:22:45 GMT

Scott Duke is the founder of OpnRoad.io and Gateway Capital, organizations focused on helping business owners with revenues of $1M - $10M prepare their companies for sale into the private capital markets. Scott holds an MBA from the Jack Welch Management Institute, and is a Certified M&A Advisor and Certified Business Intermediary.

Mentioned in This Episode

International Business Brokers Association (IBBA)
Scott’s Giveaway: A video walkthrough of the preparation and selling of a small company (Coupon Code - "merged")

What you will learn:

Scott’s story (1:25)
Finding companies looking to sell (3:25)
How does a business prepare to sell (11:15)
$150 000 earning objective
Evaluating your org chart
How long does it take to sell? (22:47)
Red flags for buyers: when is a business NOT ready to sell? (24:46)
Managing owner dependency
Staff loyalty and customer concentration
Get in touch with Scott (28:46)

Scott Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“You are a minority”

“You are valuable in your company - if you stay around, you reduce the risk”

“It takes a while to learn how to delegate”

“Am I one phone call away from oblivion?”

148 | How to prepare for a recession with Kyle Kotack

Jason Hunt — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 13:51:54 GMT

How to prepare for a recession

Is there a looming recession? If YES, how do you best prepare for it? In this episode, we discuss in depth what impacts (negative and positive)recession has on small businesses. We dive deeper into ways your business can come out of this and ways to pivot through the recession period. To help us through this topic, we host the President of Skylar Media an integrated digital agency that builds strategic solutions that solve real business challenges through a focus on brand, tech, and data, for forward-thinking clients throughout North America. Please welcome Kyle Kotack.

Key Timecodes

Kyle Kotack background (1:22)
Is there a looming recession? (3:14)
The recession impacts (4:21)
Ways to prepare for a recession(6:01)
Be open-minded to a potential pivot within your business(7:41)
How to budget during a recession(9:18)
Does traffic increase during a recession? (12:29)
The TikTok effect(13:25)
The traditional marketing Methods(17:41)
The marketing techniques in 2022(21:05)
Get in touch with Kyle(23:14)

126 | Why Most Marketers Suck At Testing - With Tim Parkin

Jason Hunt — Tue, 17 May 2022 15:01:35 GMT

Tim Parkin is a global consultant, advisor, and coach to marketing executives of many world-renowned brands. He specializes in helping marketing teams optimize performance, accelerate growth, and maximize their results.

Mentioned in This Episode

Facebook Ads Library
AB Test Calculator
Mac King Las Vegas Show
Tim’s LinkedIn
Tim’s website
Text “grow” to 844-311-3200

What you will learn:

Tim’s story (2:16)
Marketing platforms (5:26)
Why most marketers suck at testing (6:14)
What works and what doesn’t?
Getting started with testing (7:44)
Look for validation, gather intelligence, make the creative
How do you measure? (17:01)
Getting enough data
Deploying ads on Facebook (19:41)
Using dynamic ads
Cold pitching
Tim’s marketing strategy (25:49)
Get in touch with Tim (28:10)

Tim Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“We don’t value other people’s perspective enough”

“Your website is the cornerstone of your marketing”

“The goal of testing is to learn something”

“Everything, including marketing, is about people”

067 | Choosing the Right Market to Invest In - with Avery Carl

Jason Hunt — Tue, 04 May 2021 14:49:29 GMT

Today, we’re joined by Avery Carl, CEO and founder of the Short Term Shop, a real estate company based in Tennessee. The Short Term Shop specializes in helping investors acquire vacation rental properties in some of the most desirable and recession-proof markets in the US. Avery uses what she has learned over the years about investing to help people understand the methods that led her out of the corporate rat race and into financial freedom.

Avery bought her first property at the age of 26 on a $37,000 salary. Through strategically investing in short-term rental properties in mature vacation rental markets, she was a millionaire by 31. She now owns a portfolio of 41 properties and excels in her role as CEO and founder of The Short Term Shop.

Mentioned in This Episode

The Short Term Shop
Pre-order Avery’s book - Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth
Avery’s Instagram - @theshorttermshop

What you will learn:

How Avery bought her first property at 26 years old (1:53)
Hot markets to invest in for short-term rentals (6:37)
3 types of markets
Avery’s choice - regional drivable markets
Mature vs infant vacation rental markets (9:55)
Techniques to create brand awareness (12:36)
Finding your niche
Managing investments early on (15:42)
Channel managers and pricing managers
Tips on how to achieve what you have achieved (18:45)
Finding a niche and becoming an expert in it
How Avery realized her true potential (20:00)

Investor Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“These markets saw a boom last year, even though it was technically a down-turn for the entire country”

“I have positioned myself as the expert in my space”

“The more creative you can get with what your niche is, the better off you’re going to be”

133 | Liz Wilcox - List Building Done Right: How to Get the Right Folks on Your List

Jason Hunt — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 13:18:43 GMT

Are you Struggling with email marketing and list building? are you Wondering what approach to take? Well, you are in luck as in this episode we speak to the Fresh Princess of Email Marketing, She is on a freakin' mission to help more businesses package up their magic and sell through email. Please welcome Liz Wilcox.

Missed Liz's first episode? find it here

Key Timecodes

Who Liz Wilcox is and what she does. (2:24)

What Email lead list generation is all about(3:40)

The importance of the quality of the list.

What some marketers are doing wrong? (6:37)

Make money with email.

High converting Lead magnetics(9:15)

Consideration level of awareness to a lead magnet list (12:36)

Best sources of traffic of generating lead magnet list(15:20)

Importance of branding (17:54)

Make the lead magnet your own(Brand Consistency)

The ideal actual landing page(21:09)

The future of email (24:03)

Get in Touch with Liz Wilcox (28:30)

Year in Review: 2020

Jason Hunt — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 15:00:20 GMT

Thank you for tuning in to this special year in review episode that we have put together for you. 2020 has been a very difficult year, which is probably a phrase you’re sick of hearing by now! Soon, it will all be left behind, but as we move forward in our lives there are still some positive moments to reflect back on.

We had some incredible guests join us on the Merged Marketing Podcast this year that shared a ton of value for those looking to get the most out of their business, career and life!

The clips that we showcase in this episode are some of the most notable!

100 | How To Drive Top-of-the-Funnel Awareness - Guest Podcast Starring Jason Hunt

Jason Hunt — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 17:19:01 GMT

We’ve made it to the big 100! Today’s century episode is a special one. Instead of hosting, Jay is featured as a guest on the Pathmonk Presents Podcast. This podcast focuses on sharpening your marketing skills with 20 minute episodes that are packed with value.

Mentioned in This Episode

Superhuman by Dave Asprey
The One Thing by Gary Keller
Traction by Gino Wickman

What You Will Learn:

The story of Merged Media (2:32)
How does someone come into contact with Merged? (5:45)
Driving top-of-funnel leads
The role of the website (7:15)
Biggest challenges in marketing (9:41)
Don’t get caught up in the competition
Take advantage of your community
Conversion Rate Optimization (13:07)
Rapid fire questions (17:05)

Merged Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“It’s not about the subs”

“The customer journey is so important”

“Once you turn somebody off, they’re never going to come back to you”

“Delegate when it’s time to delegate”

“Focus on the top-of-funnel”

#213 - Jeff Greenfield: Mastering Growth Strategies in a Digital-First World

Jason Hunt — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 18:42:37 GMT

Jeff Greenfield is a visionary in innovative marketing and growth strategies, with three decades of experience building and leading successful teams. Known for leveraging cutting-edge technology to elevate marketing efforts, Jeff shares his deep understanding of the intersection between strategy, technology, and entrepreneurship. This episode explores Jeff's journey through the evolution of marketing, the impact of new tech on strategic growth, and how businesses can stay ahead of the curve in a fast-changing digital landscape.

It's a deep dive into harnessing technology to drive marketing innovation, practical insights on growth strategies, and the importance of adaptability in today’s business environment. Join us as Jeff shares expert advice on scaling businesses, integrating new marketing technologies, and the secrets behind sustainable growth in a competitive market.

OUTLINE:

Here are the timestamps for the episode:

(00:00): Introduction to Jeff Greenfield
(04:12): Jeff’s journey in marketing and technology
(08:47): The role of innovation in modern marketing
(14:20): Building and leading successful teams through change
(20:30): How new technology is transforming marketing strategies
(26:55): Practical growth strategies for businesses of all sizes
(32:18): Staying ahead of the curve in a digital-first world
(38:42): Advice for entrepreneurs navigating the future of marketing

For anyone looking to elevate their marketing strategy with the latest in technology and innovation, this episode is a must-listen.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huntspeaks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jayhuntofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayhuntofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

Website: https://jayhunt.social

128 | Lauren A. Cohen - How To Setup Your Business Across Borders.

Jason Hunt — Tue, 31 May 2022 14:09:56 GMT

One of the lessons that the Covid-19 pandemic has taught entrepreneurs, is to always make sure that their businesses are adaptive and dynamic to the new normal of the world. In this episode, we speak to one Serial entrepreneur Lauren Cohen. She is an International Lawyer, Realtor, and Cross-Border Expert. Originally from Toronto and now in South Florida, Lauren is also a best-selling author and sought-after speaker, and she launched her podcast, INVESTING ACROSS BORDERS, in late 2020. Lauren’s superpower rests in paving a path to immigration visas through real estate and business investment, navigating the path for clients to invest, live, work and play across borders. We hope this episode will help your business broaden its operational radius, expand your network, and enable your brand to grow. Please welcome Lauren Cohen.

What you will learn:

Lauren’s Journey (2:20)

How her business model came about (4:40)

Lauren's real estate background.

Canadian entrepreneur Vs USA entrepreneur (6:02)

Why Investing across the boarders is so attractive for entrepreneurs nowadays (8:45)

Climatic Challenges facing Entrepreneurs (11:45)

Mistakes that beginner investors do (13:35)

The easiest way to get started (17:20)

Process of setting up the business (20:35)

Get in touch with Lauren (25:30)

036 | Maximize Customer Lifetime Value Through Your Own Loyalty Program - with Raj Dhiman

Jason Hunt — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 15:27:38 GMT

Raj Dhiman is an activist of the ‘hustle’. From tutoring to make ends meet after completing his PhD to running sales teams, the global pandemic has allowed his hustle to shine. With building an app to help customers find groceries and shopping local, hand-crafting furniture for friends, launching his "Small Business Hustle" newsletter, consulting for small businesses as a side gig while co-launching a mask vending machine company - Raj is the guy that hustles.

He started his sales career showing SMB's how to build their own loyalty programs. In his day job, he helps small businesses partner with airlines to offer reward miles as a loyalty incentive. In his experience, he has seen first hand how small businesses can benefit through loyalty.

Raj is also the world’s (self-proclaimed) biggest dog lover and wants to own a farm so that he can adopt 100 dogs. He may need to choose between his dog farm and his future wife but for now we will focus on his love for loyalty.

056 | Will We Ever Go To Another Tradeshow? - with Lisa Iafrate

Jason Hunt — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 18:07:29 GMT

Our guest today is Lisa Iafrate, CEO of TaLii Towels.

From the age of 7, Lisa collected pop/beer bottles and with the return money was able to purchase her first car at 18. The word entrepreneur was not even in the dictionary back then. At 52 years old, she’s a single mom trying to solve the huge problem of having big bulky towels to carry away for a weekend so the search began for a solution. In 2013, Lisa solved the problem by producing a product that was quick dry, super absorbent, antibacterial, lightweight and compact.

Like so many, her business began as a side hustle, selling her first 1000 pieces to family and friends. Completely sold out in 5 weeks she knew she had created something special. 8 years of True Grit and Hustle, 385 trade shows, 12 sizes and 25 colors later, TaLii Towels is now a successful e-commerce business!

015 | How to Deploy a Scientific Mindset When Making Decisions - with Viola Eva

Jason Hunt — Tue, 12 May 2020 13:34:42 GMT

Viola Eva is passionate about digital entrepreneurship, flow and mindful marketing.

As a marketing consultant and SEO, she has worked with clients ranging from individual digital entrepreneurs, to software companies to multi-national corporates and government institutions.

She is a speaker, educator, and specialist on all things SEO. Flow SEO is her lovechild and a thriving mix of digital marketers. You can meet Viola at various conferences around the globe or in our Berlin head office.

#226 – Dave Burnett: Letting Go of Old Playbooks and Leading with Data and AI

Jason Hunt — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 15:13:28 GMT

Dave Burnett is the founder of AOK Marketing and author of From Bricks to Clicks. In this episode of Drop The Mic, Jason sits down with Dave to unpack how one massive SEO experiment—building 500 websites—turned a struggling promo business into a digital marketing powerhouse.

From his dorm room startup days to landing major clients like Bacardi and Labatt, Dave shares the lessons learned through surviving the 2008 recession, scaling with smart SEO, and now embracing AI tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Sora to drive real business results.

Jason and Dave dive deep into:
🔍 The experiment that taught him SEO (and still works today)
🤖 How AI tools are shaping the future of agency work
📈 Whether SEO is really dead—or just evolving into AEO
💡 Why brand identity still needs human creativity
💥 Real advice for founders scaling in a fragmented digital world

Whether you're building a brand, running ads, or figuring out your AI stack, this episode is full of insights for marketers who want to grow faster without burning out.

[00:00] – From Scarborough hustle to digital marketing
[02:03] – Building a promo biz in a dorm room
[06:18] – Surviving recessions with SEO
[10:05] – Launching AOK Marketing
[14:23] – Lessons from partnerships & pivots
[19:01] – How AI is changing content & creativity
[24:48] – Sora, Suno, Midjourney, and Dave’s AI toolkit
[30:02] – Is SEO dead? Enter AEO
[34:02] – Future of agencies in the AI era
[38:11] – Where to find From Bricks to Clicks

🌐 Website: https://jayhunt.social
📺 YouTube: @jayhuntofficial

125 | Sales Prospecting Mastery - With Mark Colgan

Jason Hunt — Tue, 10 May 2022 15:08:18 GMT

Mark Colgan is a Techstars 18′ Alumni, 6-figure agency owner, B2B SaaS growth marketer, sales coach, MarTech geek and startup mentor.

Mentioned in This Episode

What you will learn:

Mark’s story (3:01)
Sales prospecting platforms
Using prospecting tools as a small business (5:11)
Successful sales prospecting strategies (7:31)
Learn from your customers
How to gather data (9:36)
Writing a valuable piece of content
Networking via LinkedIn
Establishing the pain points (17:09)
The future of outbound marketing (19:44)
How to stay on top of the game
Mark’s business strategy (23:56)
Get in touch with Mark (25:16)

Mark Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“Have a conversation with somebody”

“A multichannel approach is key with outbound marketing”

“A relevant message still trumps everyone else”

“You can’t sell car insurance to someone who doesn’t own a car”

“The moment I stop selling is when I sell more”

160 - Instagram Follower Growth Tips with Raymond Ahn

Jason Hunt — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 14:23:40 GMT

You often put in your brains and brawn to develop that Instagram content to grow your follower base. Yet you need help understanding why your follower numbers still need to improve. All you ever manage is just a few comments or likes from a handful of your followers. How is it that many other Instagram content creators in your niche are attracting and growing their follower numbers? You must wonder!

In today’s episode, hear from Raymond Ahn about how you can realize meaningful Instagram follower growth with your published content. Ray reckons there is no definite route to grow your social media follower numbers. However, applying some hacks and tricks goes a long way to help you reach a greater audience and win over new targeted followers. We discuss optimizing your bio, leveraging branded hashtags, timing when to make your Instagram post, and keeping consistent.

Ray offers invaluable advice on becoming social media savvy and, in turn, realizing follower growth. He asserts the importance of spending significant time self-educating on the workings of these sites. It would benefit you greatly to understand the algorithm of Instagram, for instance. Our guest cautions on the need to stay vigilant by ensuring ownership of your followers as you can be locked out of a platform at any time, the Trump style. Finally, learn about the potential and opportunities that abound in the newer platforms in Web3. This episode is truly worth your listen!

Key Timecodes

(1:48)Background introduction to Raymond Ahn
(7:10) Tips to grow your own following on social media
(10:49) His thoughts on content generation and themes
(12:31) Sources of content for follower growth
(14:34) Emerging social media sites of interest
(17:46) Opportunities for users in Web3
(19:3skeptical for people sceptical about social media and digital currency platforms
(22:34) His interaction with Metaverse and other new social media platforms
(24:40) Older people and newer social media sites
(27:35) How to reach Raymond on social media

154 | How To Connect Your Marketing to Revenue - Steffen Hedebrandt

Jason Hunt — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 13:28:31 GMT

How To Connect Your Marketing to Revenue

Is your marketing plan working for you? is it helping you scale your business and growth? If these questions linger, then this episode is yours. When examining your marketing plan, You need to look at and explore that entire customer journey from that initial touchpoint to the point of sale. And that initial touchpoint could be an organic Facebook post; it could be a billboard, an email, or a conversation.

It's essential to leave a digital trace in your marketing campaign. This way, you can get crucial data on where your traffic is emerging from.

To help us dive deep into this topic, we host the co-founder and chief marketing officer at Dream Data. He has an exceptional growth mindset, is data-driven by heart, and loves all parts of scaling businesses. Now, when we start talking about connecting your marketing to revenue, a lot of marketers and business owners don't understand what that means proper attribution a lot of marketers. Please welcome Steffen Hedebrandt.

Key Timestamps

(1:58) Background story
(4:48) The journey to marketing
(5:35) How Dreamdata works and who it's built for
(10:10) Know where to put your marketing dollars
(12:53) How to get your message to the decision-makers
(15:09) How to Scale your marketing and growth
(20:50) Where are your success/results coming from?
(25:27) Get in touch with Steffen

144 | How To Plan For An In-Person Conference with Cristina Cernei

Jason Hunt — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 13:30:41 GMT

In-person conferences were one of the best ways to interact and create lasting relationships through networking then Covid-19 happened. There's been such a lull in traveling and having that face-to-face networking that it's a void that definitely needs to be filled. There is a huge appreciation for these in-person conferences and events. You just can't get on that same level with somebody through a Zoom call or through a Google meet. There are experiences that happen at trade shows, at events, dinners, drinks, all that sort of stuff that happens and the memories that are made. And these are the key elements to building a long-term relationship with a potential client, and that's something that has been missed over the last couple of years. In this episode, we're going to dive into in-person conference networking and some of the things that you need to do to prepare yourself for that upcoming conference. AWSummit has a Trade show coming up at the end of August, which is taking place in Bucharest, Romania and this event makes this episode very informative and engaging. We speak to an event manager at AWSummit. Please welcome Cernei Cristina.

Key Timecodes

Cristina Cernei Journey to becoming an event Manager(2:55)
Post the Covid -19 pandemic strategy(5:54)
How to properly plan for you to make the most out of the event experience(7:03)
Why it's important to get good speakers and entertainment for an event(8:22)
The importance of having different speakers from different industries(9:06)
How to choose the speakers and topics for an event(10:31)
How can a vendor or a sponsor get the most out of an event experience?(11:14)
The new ideas on how to connect at a summit(12:04)
Where attendees go wrong in a conference(14:17)
Best ways that AWSummit are marketing their events(17:57)
Get in touch with Cristina Cernei (18:59)

178 - How To Build Your Brand on TikTok with Megan Thompson

Jason Hunt — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 15:09:19 GMT

In today's episode, we talk with Megan Thompson. She is the social media guru at our company Merged Media. She is the TikTok guru. She has attracted an impressive following of over 103,000 followers on TikTok. She consistently puts out amazing content on TikTok.
Her maiden TikTok video was a dance video, which she quickly realized that it wasn't to her appeal. She moved on to making random, funny, relatable content that quickly gave her traction. Thanks to some of her viral videos, she has attracted companies such as fashion and skincare brands seeking her to promote their products.
Meghan observes that a company can use your TikTok account to niche by posting content on your ideal target audience. On the other hand, she reckons that the best marketing strategy for an individual seeking to sell themselves as content creators is to seek out a wider variety of audiences through their content. (As many audiences as you can get in front of, do it).
Initially, she rolled out freestyle by posting whatever she wanted. Lately, she has decided to niche down on wedding TikTok. She observes that a trend inspires her creative idea. With the help of her iPhone reminder app, she compiles a list of trendy ideas that become the content source for her TikTok account.

Time Stamps

(1:24) Meghan's Journey to TikTok Success
(2:30) Is she monetizing her Tiktok account?
(03:43) Using TikTok accounts for different audiences
(7:00) How to know what to post(The ideal idea of posting)
(7:43) The content thought idea process
(09:15) Analyzing past traction for future TikTok content
(12:12) Successful hacks for TikTok content
(13:31) Best strategies for gaining traction on TikTok as a beginner
(14:42) Creativity on a client's account
(17:53) Sources of TikTok content
(18:43) Her thoughts on the impending shutdown of TikTok in the US
(19:57) Megan’s product on TikTok
(24:24) Meghan's contact information and choice of brand ambassador.

117 | The 5 R's of Risk Management - With Maiko Sakai

Jason Hunt — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 17:13:38 GMT

Maiko is an NYC-based niche specialist for creative entrepreneurs. She helps service business owners shift from operating a transactional business to a transformational business through her 2 business programs, “Define + Refine Your Profitable Niche” and “Business Optimizer 360.”

Mentioned in This Episode

What you will learn:

Maiko’s story (2:08)

The Impact Creation Architype Quiz (5:36)

Why risk management? (11:04)

The 5 R’s of risk management: (14:23)

1 - Regrouping (14:44)

2 - Redundancy (14:58)

3 - Reinforcement (16:55)

4 - Repositioning (18:45)

Overcoming the “no one can do it better than me” attitude

5 - Resources (24:08)

Get in touch with Maiko (26:03)

Maiko Mentality - Quotes From the Show

“Future-proof your business”

“You want to have a simple yet effective risk management system”

“Stay open-minded because people may surprise you”

“Life isn’t about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself”

138 | Is Organic Social Media Still Relevant? with Ross Gray

Jason Hunt — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 14:13:18 GMT

Is social media organic posting still relevant in 2022? In this episode, we are going to dive deeper into how social media organic posting has evolved. We discuss ways of how to make your content convert for you, what works and what should be considered a waste of your time and resources. What are some of the new emerging platforms that you should look out for? To help us understand this topic, is Ross Gray, the Co-Founder, and COO of Cloud Campaign, a social media management platform for agencies.

Key Timecodes

Ross Gray’s experience with cloud campaign(03:00)
Special platform features that set them apart from others(4:03)
How to retain your clients with cloud campaign(5:30)
How to get success out of your campaign(8:00)
Platforms to focus on in 2022(10:48)
Google my business effect(13:24)
Emerging platforms to watch out for(15:09)
How to grow cloud campaign niche(18:22)
Get in touch with Ross Gray(22:28)

026 | Is There a Recipe to Virality? - with Moody Jones

Jason Hunt — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 15:55:17 GMT

From a Director of Marketing at EMPIRE Distribution, to a house DJ, Moody Jones does it all.

He has worked as a digital marketing manager at Jagermister where he managed their digital brand across Canada and ran their first influencer campaign program that reached over 23% of the total Canadian gross rating point. He also worked as a Sales and Marketing Manager at Seedbox where he successfully helped improve the company’s online and offline marketing strategies. Evidently gaining much experience in the music and lifestyle industry, he has worked his way up to EMPIRE’S Director of Marketing and has been able to work with some of the biggest artists in the world such as Tyga, Iggy Azalea, and many more.

With his marketing and management skills he has been able to get Tyga’s single, Taste, to reach a 5x Platinum single as well as Iggy Azalea’s single, Sally Walker, to reach #1 on YouTubes most trending with 6 million views in 24 hours. Dedicating his time to supporting labels, managers, and artists to help them get the right exposure and grow their fan base, he has been able to help artists break into the top 10 Billboard, Top 5 on Spotify and Apple Music, and #1 on Beatport.

Moody’s positive outlook on the challenges he faces in life has contributed to his success, and I quote “With any challenge or any struggle try to see the light at the end because that light is way brighter than the light you had before.

#240 – Rick Delisi: Customer Effort Beats Satisfaction, AI Eliminates Bad Service

Jason Hunt — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 20:30:06 GMT

Rick Delisi is a customer experience researcher, author, and thought leader who has spent over 20 years studying customer service from the rotary phone era to today's AI-powered solutions. As co-author of The Effortless Experience and Digital Customer Service, Rick has pioneered the understanding that reducing customer effort—not maximizing satisfaction—is the key to building loyalty.

In this episode, we explore how AI is finally making it possible to eliminate bad customer service interactions entirely. Rick breaks down the concept of "AI for All" at Glia, where AI handles routine inquiries while empowering human agents with supercharged tools for complex, emotional interactions. We discuss the balance between efficiency and experience, the dangers of AI dependency, and why the best creativity now comes from asking questions no one's thought to ask before.

🔑 Topics Covered:

Why customer effort predicts loyalty better than satisfaction or NPS
The dual role of AI: external automation + internal agent empowerment
How AI can create both efficiency and exceptional experience simultaneously
The "channelest platform" that seamlessly blends digital, voice, and AI
Overcoming fears about AI replacing human connection in customer service
Using AI as a journalist and creative professional without losing authenticity
The importance of industry-specific AI vs. horizontal approaches
Voice AI and meeting customers across all demographics

⏱️ Timestamps:
03:15 – Rick's 20-year journey researching customer service
05:45 – The singular passion: eliminating bad customer service
08:30 – Why AI is the hero of the customer service story
11:20 – The learning curve: Can AI really provide better service than humans?
14:40 – "AI for All" at Glia: External automation + internal empowerment
18:25 – How the channelest platform works in practice
22:10 – Customer effort: The best predictor of loyalty
26:35 – How journalists can use AI without losing their craft
30:50 – The danger of AI dependency stifling creativity
35:20 – The new creativity: Asking questions no one's thought to ask

🔗 Connect with Rick:

Website: glia.com

Books: The Effortless Experience & Digital Customer Service

📩 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe and leave a 5-star review to stay updated with new episodes every week! - https://jayhunt.social

#225 – Geoff Woods: How Smart Leaders Use AI to Think Bigger & Lead Better

Jason Hunt — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 18:43:33 GMT

Geoff Woods is the author of The AI-Driven Leader and founder of the AI Leadership Collective. He joins Drop The Mic to unpack how AI is reshaping leadership, strategic thinking, and how we scale organizations. Formerly a key partner in The ONE Thing, Geoff shares how business leaders can use AI not just as a task assistant, but as a true thought partner.

Jason and Geoff break down how leaders can train AI to help them think better, move faster, and focus on what really matters. From sales to decision-making to team management, Geoff explains how AI augments human potential—and why the best leaders in the next decade will be the ones who ask the right questions, not just the ones with the right answers.

We dive into:
🧠 The power of crafting strategic questions with AI
🧰 Why every leader needs an “AI board of directors”
📊 Using AI for planning, communication & real-world execution
🔍 Frameworks for making AI work across people, strategy & tech
⚙️ Why the future belongs to human-centric, AI-augmented leaders

Whether you're a founder, executive, or team lead, this episode is packed with insights to help you lead smarter and scale faster in the AI age.

[00:00] – From The ONE Thing to the AI era
[03:50] – The power of better questions in leadership
[05:30] – How AI becomes a strategic partner
[08:45] – Using AI to think, not just execute
[11:00] – Behind The AI-Driven Leader book
[14:30] – The CRIT Framework explained
[20:00] – Crisis to clarity: real-world AI use cases
[22:00] – What an AI Board of Directors looks like
[28:00] – AI-enhanced sales strategies: Whole Foods case study
[30:00] – Avoiding creativity loss from AI overuse
[33:00] – Future-proofing with strategic thinking
[37:00] – Becoming the conductor of tech + teams
[41:00] – Inside the AI Leadership Collective
[43:30] – Where to get the book + prompts

🌐 Website: https://jayhunt.social
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial
📩 Newsletter: Subscribe for AI & strategy insights

#223 – Greg Kaiser: Mastering Management, Letting Go, and Leading in the Age of AI

Jason Hunt — Wed, 14 May 2025 20:42:07 GMT

Greg Kaiser has over 30 years in the corporate world—including time at Hershey—and now running his own consultancy, Greg shares lessons in management, delegation, time optimization, and how to think about AI from a leadership perspective.

Jason and Greg dive into why most managers are spending time on the wrong things, how to stop micromanaging, and why meetings and communication are often a company’s real bottleneck—not the employees. Greg also shares how he's using AI as a research and decision-making tool, and why leaders shouldn't try to master it—but should know how to hire people who do.

We dive into:
🧠 The mindset shift from corporate exec to independent consultant
📊 How to delegate better and stop being the bottleneck
⏱️ Why time—not money—is your most valuable resource
👥 The problem with meetings and how to fix communication instead
🤖 How Greg is using AI in his consulting business today

Whether you're an executive, founder, or team lead, this episode is a crash course in managing smarter and leading more effectively.

⏱️ Timestamps:

[02:20] – Greg’s new venture: Management Mastery
[04:50] – Greg’s corporate journey from mailroom to managing global ops at Hershey
[09:20] – Why he left corporate after being told “you’ll never be COO”
[12:55] – First client story: how Greg launched into consulting
[15:15] – Why business owners need to stop doing everything themselves
[17:30] – The cost of micromanagement and poor delegation
[20:50] – How to help leaders identify time waste with “Know Thy Time”
[23:10] – 80/20 rule and Return on Invested Time
[25:15] – How to structure effective meetings in 2025
[28:50] – What remote work changed about team communication
[31:30] – The myth of multitasking & how to fix your focus
[34:10] – How Greg uses AI for research and decision support
[39:00] – Why AI works best when humans know how to prompt it
[41:20] – Where to find Greg online and learn more about his work

🔗 Connect & Support:

🌐 Website: https://jayhunt.social
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial

Sponsor: https://chatello.ai

#222 – Kasim Aslam: AI-Driven Agencies & The Rise of Answer Engine Optimization

Jason Hunt — Thu, 01 May 2025 18:43:14 GMT

Kasim Aslam is one of the most respected voices in performance marketing. He joins Drop The Mic to share how he scaled his agency to 200+ clients, exited for 8-figures, and why he believes AI and answer engine optimization (AEO) are the future of digital strategy.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Kasim gets raw about his entrepreneurial failures, the dangers of chasing hype, and what really moves the needle when building a scalable, sellable marketing business. He also shares why traditional digital marketing is dying, why the quality of your people matters more than your tools, and how businesses can win by adopting a bottom-up AI strategy.

We dive into:
🚀 What it takes to sell an agency for 8 figures
💸 Why private equity is targeting media buying businesses
🧠 How AI-enabled executive assistants are transforming operations
🔍 The rise of AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and what comes after SEO
🤖 Why most AI conversations ignore the real opportunity: empowered humans

Kasim brings fire, honesty, and real frameworks for marketers, entrepreneurs, and anyone trying to stay relevant in a rapidly changing digital world.

Episode Timestamps:

[01:30] – Building (and exiting) a top Google Ads agency
[03:00] – 60 offers in 6 months: Why agency valuations spiked
[05:20] – The Google Ads advantage and solving for traffic
[09:40] – Post-exit identity shift and investing lessons
[12:00] – AI as a bottom-up revolution, not top-down
[15:10] – Why mediocre employees + AI = dangerous
[18:45] – Kasim’s EA hiring strategy & human capital model
[22:30] – What most agencies get wrong about AI adoption
[25:40] – Why "Answer Engine Optimization" is the new SEO
[29:30] – The future of nimble teams vs bloated orgs
[32:15] – Paradigm shifts in training, culture & incentives
[36:50] – Empowering team members to lead with AI
[41:00] – Building businesses through delegation & ownership
[43:30] – Kasim’s vision for owning the AEO category

🌐 Website: https://jayhunt.social
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial

#221 - Omar Johnson: From Beats by Dre to Building the AI-Powered Agency of the Future

Jason Hunt — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 20:14:57 GMT

Omar Johnson is the former CMO of Beats by Dre and VP of Marketing at Apple—joins Drop The Mic to unpack the marketing playbooks that built billion-dollar brands and how he's now bringing those lessons into the world of AI.

Jason and Omar dive deep into how science, storytelling, and consumer behavior drive real marketing results. Omar shares never-before-heard stories from building Beats into a cultural powerhouse and his bold mission to revolutionize advertising with AI through his company, Opus Intelligence.

We dive into:
🔥 How Beats used scarcity, storytelling & athlete marketing to dominate a category
🧠 Omar’s marketing formula: intelligence, behavior, and emotional triggers
⚙️ Mistakes founders make when building tech and how Omar learned the hard way
🚀 The future of marketing and why AI is a creative unlock—not a replacement
📈 How Opus Intelligence is disrupting traditional agencies with speed, scale, and relevance

This episode is a masterclass in branding, marketing strategy, and adapting to tech-driven change.

⏱️ Timestamps:

[01:20] – How Omar went from mixtapes to Coca-Cola and Campbell’s
[02:45] – Why brand marketing is more formulaic than you think
[05:10] – How he got into Nike through an outsider program
[08:00] – Early mistakes as a founder and lessons from tech product dev
[11:45] – Big mistake: managing developers like marketers
[15:00] – Omar’s marketing formula: behavior > demographics
[19:10] – Behind the Beats strategy that scaled from $20M to $1.1B
[21:30] – How he created new use cases for headphones through storytelling
[25:00] – The Kobe Bryant strategy: scarcity + influencer seeding
[27:15] – Becoming the "pre-game headphone of sports"
[29:00] – Why Beats told stories other brands were afraid to tell
[31:30] – From Apple to AI: the spark that led to Opus Intelligence
[34:00] – Intelligence + NLP: Using behavioral data for better marketing
[36:20] – How marketers can use AI to unlock higher-level thinking
[42:00] – Omar’s crystal ball: the future of creative agencies
[45:30] – Democratizing great marketing for small and medium businesses

🔗 Connect & Support:

🌐 Website: https://jayhunt.social
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial

Sponsor: https://chatello.ai

#218 - Jonathan Mast: AI for Agencies, Content Creation, and the Future of Digital Marketing

Jason Hunt — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 16:34:26 GMT

Jonathan Mast is an AI strategist and digital marketing expert. He joins Drop The Mic to break down how AI is reshaping the marketing landscape. With years of agency experience and a deep understanding of automation, Jonathan shares how businesses can use AI to enhance efficiency, improve content creation, and scale operations without losing the human touch.

We dive into:🚀 How AI is streamlining agencies & helping businesses scale
🧠 The balance between AI automation & human creativity
📢 Why transparency matters in AI-powered customer interactions
✍️ How businesses can train AI to match their unique brand voice

Jonathan and Jason discuss the challenges of AI adoption, how agencies can future-proof their operations, and whether traditional marketing agencies are becoming dinosaurs. This episode is packed with insights for agency owners, marketers, and business leaders looking to navigate the AI revolution.

Episode Timestamps:
[02:30] - How AI is transforming digital marketing
[06:50] - Real-world case study: How AI helped an agency scale
[09:00] - Addressing AI skepticism & resistance to change
[12:20] - Why AI won’t replace humans, but will reshape jobs
[15:45] - The art of AI prompting: How to train AI to match your brand voice
[19:30] - How AI is changing the search landscape & Google's stance on AI content
[23:15] - The future of AI-powered customer interactions & chatbots
[27:40] - The role of AI in email marketing automation
[30:55] - Should agencies fear AI or embrace it?
[35:10] - AI vs. DeepSeek: Comparing AI platforms for marketers
[38:25] - The future of marketing agencies in an AI-dominated world

This episode is a must-listen for agency owners, marketers, and business leaders looking to integrate AI without losing authenticity. Tune in now and learn how to future-proof your marketing strategy! 🚀

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Website: ⁠https://jayhunt.social

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial

#216 - Francois Beaudry: Scaling Agencies, Leveraging AI, and Building Systems for Success

Jason Hunt — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 01:46:42 GMT

Francois Beaudry’s journey from electronic warfare analyst to the founder of Via Communications is nothing short of remarkable. In this episode of Drop The Mic, Francois shares how he transitioned from a military career to building a thriving digital marketing agency in Quebec. He dives into the challenges of scaling an agency, the importance of strong systems, and how mentorship shaped his path.

The conversation explores how Francois leverages AI to boost efficiency, manage his businesses, and transform client results. From adopting innovative SEO strategies to scaling ad campaigns for high-ticket clients, Francois offers actionable insights for entrepreneurs and marketers alike.

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:30] Francois’s leap from the military to digital marketing
[00:04:00] The power of mentorship in scaling a business
[00:07:49] Lessons learned from hitting the wall as an entrepreneur
[00:12:14] Partnering with major brands and scaling agency services
[00:20:00] Why SEO remains a game-changer for ROI
[00:30:00] How Francois uses AI to streamline operations and save time
[00:40:00] The future of digital marketing agencies and AI

Francois’s real-world strategies and candid advice make this episode a must-listen for agency owners, entrepreneurs, and anyone navigating the fast-changing digital landscape.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huntspeaks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jayhuntofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayhuntofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

Website: https://jayhunt.social

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial

Episode sponsored by Chatello.ai

#211 - George Sunderland: AI-Powered SEO Recruitment, Human Touch in Hiring, and the Future of Work

Jason Hunt — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 19:28:52 GMT

George Sutherland is an SEO recruitment specialist with a background in IT and a deep understanding of artificial intelligence. With extensive experience in helping companies find top SEO talent, George shares his insights on AI’s role in recruitment, maintaining human touch, and the future of digital workplaces.

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:30] - George’s journey from IT to becoming an SEO recruitment expert.

[00:04:00] - The role of AI in modern recruitment.

[00:07:00] - Differentiating tasks between AI and humans in hiring.

[00:10:30] - How AI can streamline administrative tasks in recruitment.

[00:14:00] - The importance of maintaining a human touch in hiring.

[00:17:30] - Strategies for effectively finding SEO talent.

[00:21:00] - Tips for navigating LinkedIn and avoiding spam.

[00:24:30] - The power of referrals in SEO recruitment.

[00:27:30] - Challenges and limitations of using AI in recruitment.

[00:30:00] - AI’s role in content creation and editing.

[00:33:00] - Must-have tools for SEOs in 2024.

[00:36:00] - Predictions for the future of AI in recruitment.

George also delves into his personal experiences, offering valuable insights and practical advice for anyone involved in SEO, recruitment, or interested in the future of AI. This episode is filled with actionable strategies and real-world examples to help you navigate the evolving landscape of digital recruitment.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/sTwlhT2otrg

https://merged.ca

#210 - Ian Stanley: Email Marketing Mastery, Killer Content Strategies, and the Future of Digital

Jason Hunt — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 17:11:46 GMT

Ian Stanley is a marketing expert and stand-up comic known for his unique and engaging approach to email marketing. With a successful track record in helping businesses scale and increase their revenue, Ian shares his insights on email marketing, personal branding, and the future of digital marketing.

Episode Highlights:

[00:05:00] - Ian's journey from sales to becoming a renowned marketer.

[00:10:00] - Mastering email marketing and writing compelling email copy.

[00:15:00] - Overcoming major career challenges.

[00:20:00] - The importance of building a personal brand.

[00:25:00] - Creating engaging content that resonates with audiences.

[00:30:00] - Strategies for scaling your business using digital marketing.

[00:35:00] - Emerging trends and the future of marketing.

[00:40:00] - The role of fun and creativity in marketing efforts.

Ian also touches on his personal journey, offering valuable insights and actionable advice for both seasoned marketers and newcomers alike. This episode is packed with strategies and personal anecdotes that illuminate the path to success in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huntspeaks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jayhuntofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayhuntofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/3nAnirNLxjU

Website: https://jayhunt.social

https://merged.ca

#201 - Brendan Kane: Crafting Viral Content and the Future of Digital Marketing

Jason Hunt — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 22:38:16 GMT

Brendan Kane is a virtuoso in viral content and digital strategy. With a history of elevating major brands such as MTV & IKEA and celebrities such as Taylor Swift & Rihanna online, Kane brings unmatched insight into the dynamics of social media virality. This episode traverses Kane's journey from the film industry to pioneering influencer campaigns, highlighting his innovative approach to digital marketing. It's a deep dive into creating content that captivates, the evolution of social media, and mastering the algorithms that drive online visibility. Join us as Brendan shares his expert strategies for standing out in the digital crowd, leveraging AI, and engaging audiences with powerful storytelling.

OUTLINE:

Here are the timestamps for the episode:

(00:00): Introduction to Brendan Kane
(03:34): Kane's transition from film to social media
(10:01): Collaborations with NHL and major brands
(16:05): Impact of AI on content creation
(21:41): The Hook Point Model for viral content
(27:39): Engaging audiences with visual metaphors

For a roadmap to digital success and a masterclass in content creation, this episode is an essential listen for marketers and creators alike.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayhuntofficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/