Jorge Chavez is the founder and president of Topaz Sales Consulting in Austin, Texas. With more than 30 years of experience in sales and leadership, he created the Buyer Facilitator philosophy, a buyer-first approach that helps CEOs, founders, and sales leaders build high-performing teams rooted in trust, curiosity, and mutual fit. He is also a keynote speaker and mentor passionate about reshaping how companies think about sales, leadership, and human connection in business.

Jorge focuses on how painful the “founder bottleneck” can be and how tough it is to build from nothing to something. He explains that in his experience it's usually driven by being too precious about what's been built already and being reluctant to find the right help or leaning on weak hiring and screening for sales talent. He and Tom discuss how he mentors owners to get past it and why sales conversations should focus on trust, truth, and saving time by helping buyers make informed decisions rather than pitching.

If you're having a hard time finding quality talent and want a fresh look about what could be going wrong, this episode's for you.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~00:54 Meet George Chavez

~02:13 The Founder Trap Pain

~04:40 Founder As Bottleneck

~07:45 When Owners Get Help

~08:12 Buyer Facilitator Approach

~10:26 Hiring Pain Story

~12:28 Scaling Storytelling

~14:10 Topaz Purpose Story

~16:34 Culture And Delegation

~19:10 Letting Go To Exit

~20:41 Next Generation Growth

~21:37 Letting Go as Leader

~22:11 Choose Small or Scale

~24:27 Freedom to Stay Put

~26:44 Buyer First Selling

~29:03 Trust Truth Time

~32:54 Curiosity and Presence

~35:42 Empathetic Listening

~37:08 Multipliers Ask Questions

~38:53 Storytelling Full Circle

~40:50 Resources and Wrap Up

~42:05 Final Thanks and Reviews

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1225101660

CONNECT WITH JORGE

The Buyer Facilitator Podcast - https://www.topazsalesconsulting.com/podcast/

Website: https://www.topazsalesconsulting.com/

Social Media:

LinkedIn personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrchavez/

LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/10129970

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW_f261ztwFo7HJv3D-Hi5Q

Louis Swart is a business coach and founder of Ironbrij who's spent 35 years helping entrepreneurs stop blending in and start standing out. His new book, The B Myth: How Successful People Accidentally Build Businesses That Steal Their Lives, exposes a trap he's seen far too often: the chase for freedom that turns owners into the bottleneck of their own success. Guided by his signature mantra, "If you do it more than once, you need a process," Louis helps founders build businesses that don't depend on them micro-managing everything.

Louis shares how owners become the hardest working, lowest paid person in their business and explains that hiring people who can do even 60% of your tasks increases output without expecting them to work like an owner. He offers three tools: the “2K principle” (2,000 work hours/year) to set an hourly benchmark and stop doing low-value tasks; a “post time planner” time-audit method to track what you actually did and spot waste; and the “one task” rule to avoid productive procrastination.

If you're a business owner stuck in the trap of never being able to step away, you'll want to hear Louis's advice.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~01:48 Hardest Working Owner

~05:26 2K Principle

~10:57 Post Time Planner

~15:31 AI Time Savings

~19:00 SOPs Not Supervision

~24:12 Busy Badge Myth

~25:03 Busyness And Worthiness

~26:06 Big Picture Thinking

~27:28 One Task Rule

~30:37 Delegate Or Automate

~31:22 AI Content App Demo

~34:13 150 Things To Delegate

~38:30 Ironbrij Services

~40:29 Resources And Links

~42:41 Implement The Tools

~43:44 Final Wrap And CTA

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1223027952

CONNECT WITH LOUIS

Website: https://louisswart.com/

Social Media

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

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

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

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

Jon Benson is a copywriter, entrepreneur, and AI pioneer whose work has quietly shaped how the world buys things online. Best known as the inventor of the Video Sales Letter, the format that became the backbone of modern digital marketing, he has spent decades writing words that move people to act—not through manipulation, but through what he calls “persuasion that feels good on both sides.”

Benson recounts creating the first VSL in 2005 by putting headline-style copy on slides to get viewers to consume every word. He explains key VSL elements like mirror language, relatable story-driven structure, and pacing that keeps attention and how they're still key in our AI-driven world. He argues this is because generic LLMs produce mediocre copy since they’re trained on the broader internet, so his BNSN (bnsn.ai) platform uses multiple models, proven frameworks, research agents, and filtering/blueprints to generate higher-converting campaigns. They key to using AI, he says, is to treat it as an acceleration tool, not a replacement for copy knowledge.

AI is moving fast but that only makes the classic insights that much more important. Tune in to learn how.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~02:46 Birth Of The VSL

~05:54 VSL Essentials

~07:16 Mirror Language Research

~08:19 Story Loops And Cadence

~11:01 Fitness Copy Story Example

~15:36 From VSLs To Benson AI

~17:45 Why Easy Button Fails

~21:10 Blueprints RAG And Filters

~23:44 Frankenstein Copy Warning

~25:17 Jon On Marketing Limits

~26:22 Write What You Know

~26:43 Winners Only AI Training

~27:16 Skills Broke The Voice

~29:00 Repel The Wrong Buyers

~31:44 Buyer Alignment Profile

~33:18 Values Driven Copy

~41:19 Identity Beyond Politics

~47:32 Where To Find Benson

~49:03 AI Accelerates Not Replaces

~50:51 Final Wrap And Reviews

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1221029467

CONNECT WITH JON

Website: https://bnsn.ai/

Social Media:

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

Twitter: https://x.com/itsjonbenson

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPDvmgurd-rym4pyPjviIuw?sub_confirmation=1

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

Asim Kumar is a Solution Architect who bridges the gap between deep technical systems and human psychology. Holding the industry’s highest credentials (CCSP, CISSP, CCIE, PMP, MBA, MSIS), he spent 30+ years "unblocking" multimillion-dollar networks for global enterprises. But his most profound expertise comes from a personal battle. For two decades he lived a dual life—celebrated Tech Consultant by day, but secretly "blocked" by fear and significant losses in the financial markets by night. This struggle taught him a critical paradox: You cannot fix a blocked mindset with a faster technology. This hard-learned lesson inspired him to write "Unblocked: The Power of Real Intelligence in the Era of AI" and to create the Avigna methodology.

Kumar explains that AI provides speed but needs “real intelligence”—human judgment, empathy, and behavioral risk management—to avoid creating chaos. He emphasizes balancing the “tripod of success” (people, process, technology), assessing impact beyond ROI, and shifting from fear to focus by viewing AI as an opportunity.

If you're looking for a measured, optimistic approach to using AI to improve your business and outlook, you'll want to hear what he has to say.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~00:54 Meet Aseem Kumar

~02:21 Secret Trading Life

~02:52 Dotcom Crash Wakeup

~05:31 Finance Dreams Collide

~07:03 Why He Stayed Quiet

~08:10 AI Era Turning Point

~10:18 Tripod Framework

~12:09 AI Plus Real Intelligence

~13:36 Tech Amplifies Chaos

~16:57 Total Economic Impact

~18:39 Avigna Methodology

~19:22 EPDF And Phases

~23:47 From Fear To Focus

~26:17 Vibe Coding Example

~28:12 Resources And Links

~30:13 Parting Thoughts

~31:25 Host Wrap And Outro

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1219163734

CONNECT WITH ASIM

Website: https://www.avignallc.com/

Social Media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asim-kumar-362b35/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@asim-avigna

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asim.avigna/?next=%2F

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@asim.kumar286

David Ebner founded Content Workshop in 2013 while earning his M.F.A. at the University of Tampa. David has adapted his creative writing and storytelling skills for commercial use and has built an agency around that core premise. He authored Kingmakers: A Content Marketing Story and has coached dozens of writers and students in the craft of storytelling.

David shares how the agency began as a graduate-school co-op of “classically trained storytellers,” and explains core storytelling principles that translate to marketing, including character development and narrative flow. He contrasts creative writing with commercial writing, emphasizing that brand content must fit “conversion in a box.” They discuss why AI isn’t a magic button, how it can create a “sea of sameness,” and how to use it effectively by starting with SOPs, quality examples, audience knowledge, and human discernment. Ebner defines harnesses, agents, and skills, argues for “clarity before complexity,” critiques fear-based (FUD) marketing, and closes by stressing the customer is the hero of the brand story.

If you're looking to upgrade your marketing with strong storytelling technique, especially when standing out in this AI age, you'll want to tune in.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~00:54 Meet David Ebner

~01:49 Origin Story Debt Joke

~03:51 Story Principles That Work

~06:57 What Marketing Must Unlearn

~08:24 AI Easy Button Debate

~12:35 Building AI With SOPs

~16:09 Agents Skills Harnesses

~17:57 Clarity Before Complexity

~21:59 Stop Fear Based Marketing

~29:46 Audience Data For AI

~32:05 Final Takeaways And Outro

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1217270357

CONNECT WITH DAVID

Website: https://contentworkshop.com/

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

Adnan Malik, co-founder and CEO of Software Finder, is simplifying the software selection process for non-technical leaders and achieving 110% YoY growth without outside funding. His unique approach is a testament to what kind of growth is possible when leaders remind themselves of the fundamentals.

Tom and Adnan get into why bootstrapping, rather than hunting for VC funds or other outside investment, forces a business to focus early on customers, keep their spending lean, and depend on faster market validation. He's a fan of “consistency over cleverness,” giving good decisions time to work, and he explains how to approach it.

If you're an entrepreneur trying to figure out what to focus on in your early days with a business, you'll want to take a listen.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~01:47 Bootstrapped Origins

~04:23 Why Skip Investors

~08:11 Constraints Advantage

~12:41 Consistency Beats Clever

~14:46 What Software Finder Does

~18:55 Buyer Mistakes

~21:20 How To Get Started

~22:55 Vendors Win Too

~24:47 Closing And Resources

~26:39 Outro Reminder

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1215449828

CONNECT WITH ADNAN

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adnan-malik/

Simon "Si" Elliott is a strategic marketing leader, agency co-owner and customer experience expert with over 20 years of experience helping brands build deeper, more meaningful connections. As founder of customer experience consultancy Fabricx and co-owner of creative agency Diversity, he combines behavioural science with practical strategy to design experiences that genuinely resonate.

In this episode, he and Tom discuss how brands can win in a digital, AI-accelerated world by prioritizing human connection, using behavioral science to understand what motivates people, and designing customer experiences that build long-term relationships. Si explains how AI speeds up marketing but can strip away originality and effort, making soft skills and empathy more valuable, and argues that technology should serve customers rather than replace meaningful interactions. They contrast manipulative fear-based marketing with ethical reassurance that addresses real anxieties, share examples from Zappos and airline customer service, and outline how to balance automation with human support at high-stakes moments.

If you're worried about AI but also see it's potential, this episode will help you navigate the winding road to balance usefulness and retaining what makes you unique.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~02:08 Si’s Journey

~4:18 Behavioral Science Spark

~08:10 AI Speeds Everything

~12:37 Soft Skills Matter

~16:51 Scaling Human Connection

~18:23 Biases and Messaging

~21:33 Ethical Fear vs Manipulation

~26:03 Empathy Without Fearmongering

~28:29 Not For Everyone

~29:00 Zappos Service That Scales

~31:09 Support As Marketing

~33:19 Automation Versus Human Touch

~38:12 Airline Empathy Failure

~40:34 Empowered Agents Win

~43:49 Customer Experience Thinking Book

~46:34 Put The Phone Down

~48:40 Final Wrap And Reviews

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1213518838

CONNECT WITH SI

Website: sielliott.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/si-ellliott

Ely Delaney is the creator of The Follow Up Rockstar System, teaching entrepreneurs how to go from surviving to thriving in any economy. He’s an Amazon bestseller with his three books “Marketing Tidbits”, “Networking Tidbits”, and his latest book, "The Follow Up Code: 7 Virtues for Building Trust Through Email." His best-selling training course “Networking Like A Rockstar” has over 1424 students registered globally. 

In this episode, he and Tom discuss why email marketing isn’t dead and how better follow-up can raise open rates to 40–50% in about six weeks. The goal is to use platforms like LinkedIn or X to bring people “into your castle,” rather than depending on social media entirely - and Ely gets into how to do it. He explains common mistakes and recommends value-driven, conversational emails that tell stories. They also discuss testing frequency by audience, his two-year evergreen ghostwritten campaign service, and how to craft a killer re-engagement email.

If you recognize the power of having your own list but feel like you're not getting everything out of it that you could, this episode is for you.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~02:42 Is Email Dead? (Uh, No)

~03:20 Own Your List

~05:13 Social Algorithm Risk

~09:50 Email Relationship Hub

~11:10 Why Emails Fail

~13:41 Value First Emails

~15:37 Frequency Debate

~20:02 Test Your Audience

~24:51 Write Like You Talk

~29:39 Services And Offers

~31:50 Follow Up Fix Course

~34:06 Slacker Email Tip

~34:51 Book And Wrap Up

~37:03 Final Outro

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1211851408

CONNECT WITH ELY

Website: https://connectwithely.com/

Social Media:

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

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

Instagram: https://instagram.com/elydelaney/

Kara Ryan is the founder of Klyr Strategies, a communications advisory practice for senior leaders navigating high-stakes business moments. For 20 years, she's led global communications strategy inside complex, regulated Fortune 500 companies across healthcare, life sciences, financial services, and consumer sectors. She's partnered with CEOs and executive teams through mergers, IPOs, product launches, regulatory milestones, and leadership transitions — the moments where how you communicate can determine whether the organization moves forward with clarity or confusion.

In this episode, Tom and Kara discuss how a leader should communicate, why talking points fail if leaders sound scripted, stiff, or unlike themselves; and how to build trust. She argues communications should be involved early, and illustrates how bringing it in too late can be an expensive mistake. She and Tom also explore how to use AI for speed and persona-based testing while not surrendering the human touch.

If you're a business owner, author, or anyone managing an organization, you'll want to tune in for what Kara can teach you about communicating ahead of problems, inspiring your staff, and relating to customers.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~02:07 Leader Is Message

~03:11 Before And After

~05:30 Personality Builds Trust

~07:53 Communicate Early

~11:37 Message Versus Delivery

~14:13 Red Flags And Feedback

~17:11 AI And Strategy

~21:52 Working With Kara

~24:35 Finding Your Story

~27:51 People First Empathy

~30:01 Parting Thoughts

~30:57 Where To Find Kara

~31:25 Wrap Up And CTA

~33:42 Outro Resources

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1210018296

CONNECT WITH KARA

Website: www.klyrstrategies.com

Social Media:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kara-l-ryan

Instagram: www.instagram.com/klyrstrategies

Danny Bobrow is a certified mediator, arbitrator, ski instructor, and communication skills coach who created the Persuasion Blueprint to help professionals close the gap between intention and perception. His proven framework has helped hundreds of leaders and teams turn everyday conversations into engines of caring, connection, and collaboration leading to success in every facet of life.

He and Tom discuss why facts and logic alone are insufficient to move people, diving into the three pillars of his approach to appealing to prospects in a human, engrossing way. Too often businesses try to lead with credentials, blind enthusiasm, and fake positivity. Danny suggests a different approach that shows real results without rushing prospects, and walks people through how he does it.

If you can't stand the thought of being "salesy" but know you need to appeal to prospects, this is the episode for you.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~01:36 Danny’s Background

~04:54 Persuasion Blueprint

~06:59 Trust Before Credentials

~11:28 StoryPower Alignment

~13:40 Responsive Enthusiasm

~15:11 Listening Role Play

~20:52 Persuasion Score Quiz

~23:16 Strategy Call Options

~25:00 Parting Advice ROI

~26:52 Ratings and Resources

~28:22 Final Outro

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1207915822

CONNECT WITH DANNY

Website: www.dannybobrow.com

Social Media:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dannybobrow

Instagram: www.instagram.com/danielabobrow

Eric Dingler spent the last four years traveling through 20 countries with his wife and four teenagers. That lifestyle as a perpetual "first-time customer" taught him a brutal truth: even the best stories fail if the message isn’t clear. A marketing veteran of 25 years, Eric now helps entrepreneurs bridge the gap between what they say and what their customers actually understand. Today, he’s here to unpack the 4 Laws of Marketing and show you how to simplify your messaging so it finally connects and converts.

Eric explains how businesses win customers by aligning with the buying cycle (along with what that means) and introduces four laws of marketing: clarity beats cleverness, attention must be earned, consistency compounds, and trust converts. He's a big fan of answering pre-qualifying questions quickly, showing up where customers search, and maintaining consistent messaging across platforms, especially as AI summaries increasingly vet options. He and Tom also discuss the importance of capturing emails, nurturing existing customers, increasing lifetime value, and turning “silently satisfied” buyers into raving fans.

If you're trying to meet customers where they are, Eric's unique perspective helps you find identify where that is.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~02:18 Traveling Family Story

~03:46 Four Laws Overview

~05:39 Buying Cycle and Awareness

~08:21 Consideration and AI Search

~10:43 Law One Clarity Wins

~14:00 Law Two Earn Attention

~15:53 Law Three Consistency

~19:38 Law Four Trust Converts

~20:58 Purchase and Email Capture

~22:41 Advocacy and Lifetime Value

~25:30 Testing Offers with Email

~29:00 Recap and PLAN Framework

~32:37 Where to Find Eric

~33:26 Parting Advice Balance Marketing

~34:52 Outro Reviews and Links

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1205976168

CONNECT WITH ERIC DINGLER

Website: https://intransitstudios.com/

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

Corey Dissin is the no-nonsense force behind Knockout Life and High-Performance Coaching, helping driven pros ditch the fluff and finally get unstuck. After nearly 30 years leading massive media projects, he flipped the script and built a coaching system rooted in grit, structure, and relentless action. He’s also the author of GOING THE DISS-TANCE — part memoir, part fight plan for building a life that actually hits back.

He and Tom discuss getting the most out of life and business by instilling focus and practicing effective time management. Corey emphasizes “the power of the pen” to write tasks down, build consistency without immediate results, and develop resilience through repeated effort. He explains how he diagnoses clients by auditing their daily routines to expose poor time management and the gap between activity and productivity

If you aspire to be more productive and determined in your life, this episode is for you.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~00:54 Meet Corey Dissin

~01:56 Cutting Through Excuses

~03:22 Discipline and The Pen

~04:31 Swing The Bat Mindset

~07:02 Boring Success Routines

~09:43 Small Steps Compound Wins

~13:38 Walking The Walk Fitness

~14:31 Filtering Prospects Video

~18:24 Discovery Call Logistics

~20:26 Where To Find Corey

~21:16 Book Story And Legacy

~23:59 Parting Advice And Wrap

~26:34 Outro And Subscribe

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1203699044

CONNECT WITH COREY

Website: https://coreydissin.com/

Sean Mabry helps entrepreneurs write the books that make them heroes in the eyes of their followers. He does this by combining a lifelong commitment to storytelling with more than a decade of working as a copywriter, copy coach, email marketer, and ghostwriter. 

He and Tom discuss aligning an author’s story with the reader’s journey, meeting prospects where they are, and building belief by sharing the “messy middle” rather than only tactics or rags-to-riches bragging. Sean emphasizes emotional validation, employing archetypes, and focusing on emotional transformation over plot details. He outlines his five defining questions for book clarity and introduces his “Book Clarity Engine” custom GPT.

A book is one of the most powerful tools for shifting someone's beliefs and motivating them to take action. Tune into this episode to learn how to improve your skill at doing both.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~01:46 Why Write A Book

~04:04 Reader Journey First

~05:50 Avoid Dry Or Braggy

~08:44 Belief And Transformation

~13:16 Memoir Versus Fiction

~18:18 Archetypes And Validation

~24:24 Five Defining Questions

~27:32 Book Clarity Engine GPT

~30:59 Get The Tool And Next Steps

~32:45 Parting Thoughts And Wrap

~34:31 Final Calls To Action

~36:29 Outro

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1201757107

CONNECT WITH SEAN

Book Clarity Engine custom GPT: mabrygift.com/tom

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-mabry-781b39a3/?skipRedirect=true

Jason Fishman is the CEO of Digital Niche Agency, a marketing firm that helps startups raise capital through equity crowdfunding campaigns. Over the past decade, Jason and his team have worked with more than 500 companies and helped generate nine figures in investment through strategic digital marketing. Jason also hosts the Test Optimize Scale podcast, where he talks with founders and growth leaders about building companies that actually scale.

Jason explains key crowdfunding paths and why “strength in numbers” reduces reliance on a few investors while adding marketing awareness and potential partnerships. He and Tom discuss planning for traffic and conversions, using multi-touch funnels, testing audiences/creative, and building social proof, third-party validation, and urgency.

This is a comprehensive look at how to market online and leverage an audience for growth.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~00:54 Meet Jason Fishman

~02:09 Crowdfunding Basics

~05:02 Strength in Numbers

~06:42 Beyond Capital Benefits

~09:26 Marketing Strategy Blueprint

~14:08 Think Like Marketers

~16:28 Investomers Concept

~19:40 Testing Funnels and Ads

~22:17 Social Proof Messaging

~23:50 Product vs Opportunity

~24:52 Pitching Investor Needs

~26:31 Team Market And Proof

~28:21 B2B B2C Same Psychology

~29:50 Personas And Messaging Tests

~32:27 Multi Touchpoint Content Engine

~35:36 Founder Readiness Checklist

~37:35 Seed Capital Social Proof

~41:28 Portals Research And Contact

~43:28 Build Audience Start Now

~47:30 Wrap Up And Subscribe

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1199682752

CONNECT WITH JASON

Website: digitalnicheagency.com

LinkedIn:

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

https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-niche-agency

Ian is CEO of authenticWEB, ranked as one of the top SEO companies. Before getting into internet marketing he worked in the restaurant industry, in sales, as a trader and in commercial real estate in New York City before becoming an expert in online video. He uses his business background and to better understand the channels for a client's story to tell it in different ways.

Ian explains how buyer behavior has shifted from researching websites to self-educating on YouTube; how making videos that demonstrate understanding of the prospect’s problem, rather than pitching, can be powerful; and he discusses the “mere exposure effect,” arguing that time spent with a prospect across multiple touchpoints builds authority, and that YouTube maximizes total view time and can support “fish in the barrel” buyers already close to purchasing.

YouTube is accessible and filled with prospects and it's never been easier to create quality videos, but if you don't know where to start or you want to up your game on the platform, you'll want to tune in.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~02:31 Why YouTube Pre Sells

~06:54 Proving You Get Them

~11:37 Mere Exposure Effect

~15:23 Fish In The Barrel

~16:33 Invisible Pipeline Strategy

~20:14 AI Search Meets YouTube

~25:16 Who Ian Helps Process

~27:32 Parting Thoughts Outro

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1197525527

CONNECT WITH IAN

Website:

iangarlic.com

videocasestory.com

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/c/iangarlic

https://www.youtube.com/@VideoCaseStor

Justin Inman is the Founder and CEO of Emberos, the first operating system built to orchestrate paid, owned, and earned signals for AI visibility. He works at the intersection of brand strategy, AI systems, and predictive analytics, helping companies understand and influence how they appear inside generative AI platforms.

Justin explains that consumers increasingly ask tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews rather than the old Google search. He Tom talk about how SEO fundamentals still matter, but brands must optimize across their fcampaigns to ensure they appear in AI-generated responses - and appear accurately. The two discuss AI visibility, best practices, and how to avoid treating AI like a content machine that all too often dishes out slop, risking search delisting.

People are still searching, they're just doing it differently. Listening to this episode can help you position your business for success in this new world.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~02:35 AI Replaces Search

~04:47 Perfect Storm Impact

~05:35 SEO Still Matters

~08:19 Check Your AI Presence

~09:44 How Emberose Works

~12:08 Humans vs Machines

~14:29 Avoid AI Content Slop

~17:39 What Makes Emberose Different

~19:34 Ideal Clients Use Cases

~20:57 How to Get Started

~21:41 Final Advice Act Fast

~23:03 Wrap Up and Resources

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1195428369

CONNECT WITH JUSTIN

Website: https://emberos.ai/

Jerry Levinson is an entrepreneur, business growth strategist, and founder of Profit Now. After spending 20 years building Blind Devotion, a window covering company in Chandler, Arizona, Jerry learned firsthand that expertise alone doesn’t guarantee business success. Following the 2009 financial crisis and the loss of his business, he committed himself to mastering marketing, sales, and business operations. Within three years, he rebuilt Blind Devotion into a company generating more than $1.2 million in annual revenue before successfully selling it.

Jerry later entered the flooring industry with no prior experience and founded Carpets of Arizona in 2015. By applying the business principles he had developed, he grew the company into a $2 million-per-year business within three years, continuing to expand at a rate of 30% or more annually. Today, Jerry is passionate about helping entrepreneurs build profitable businesses through smarter marketing, stronger sales systems, and operational excellence.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~00:55 Meet Jerry Levinson

~03:21 Is Sales Fun

~04:35 "Paylessi" Pricing Lesson

~08:38 Sell the Feeling

~11:43 Simple One Price Offer

~14:48 Beat Competition Higher

~16:54 Three Discovery Questions

~23:34 From Vision to Process

~24:30 Budget Questions That Work

~25:30 Ben Franklin Bonding

~28:33 Win on Experience Not Price

~29:10 Stop Emailing Estimates

~32:23 Friction Free Selling

~34:48 Apply Form Psychology

~38:05 Opportunity to Buy Mindset

~39:17 Decision Anxiety and Relief

~43:12 Anchoring With Financing

~45:24 Final Wrap and Resources

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1193427085

CONNECT WITH JERRY

Website: https://www.jerrylevinson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/flooringdealersandmore

YouTube: https://studio.youtube.com/video/MC1UFAStBp4/edit

Aaron Hale is a US Army EOD veteran, real estate investor, business owner, podcaster, and ultra-endurance athlete. After a tragic injury on deployment overseas took his eyesight and hearing, Aaron hit rock bottom. Instead of staying there, Aaron resolved to not allow his circumstances to dictate the rest of his life. Since the injury, Aaron has become a husband, a father, a real estate investor, a successful entrepreneur, a speaker, and a top-rated podcast host.

Hale describes moving from “I can’t” thinking and depression at Walter Reed to rebuilding his life through discipline, adaptive skills, and pursuing daunting challenges. From kayaking and mountain climbing to qualifying for the Boston Marathon and becoming the first deafblind athlete to complete the Badwater 135, Hale has engaged with the world head on. He and Tom discuss how he used his overcoming of adversity to help others through his public speaking and his podcast, The Point of Impact.

Aaron shares storytelling lessons about connecting with audiences through selective details, voice and body language, and power of speaking to one person at a time. If you think marketing is tough to stick to, listening to how Aaron ran over 200 miles in Kenya before summiting Mount Kilimanjaro will put things into perspective and give you playbook for optimism you need.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

00:54 Meet Aaron Hale

03:03 From Navy to EOD

04:58 The IED Blast

06:18 Darkest Days

08:35 Rebuilding Identity

10:45 Meningitis Setback

15:27 Choose Your Hard

17:22 Sharing the Blueprint

19:59 Speaking Mishaps

21:49 Where to Connect

23:22 Storytelling Lessons

28:11 Badwater Growth Moment

33:40 Perspective Shift

35:00 Wrap Up and Outro

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1191146801

CONNECT WITH AARON

Website:  https://www.pointofimpactpod.com/ 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pointofimpactpodcast

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/point-of-impact-with-aaron-hale/id1681213789  

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

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-hale-1861477/ 

X/ Twitter: https://x.com/aclayhale 

Tiktok Eod fudge: https://www.tiktok.com/@eodconfections?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc 

Ryan Ferrier is the CEO of Lob, the direct mail automation platform that brings the power of digital to direct mail. He leads the company’s mission to automate every step of direct mail campaigns from creation to delivery. Lob’s platform enables personalization and real-time measurement for over 12,000 businesses, including L'Occitane, Ro and Simplisafe. 

In this episode, he and Tom discuss why direct mail is still critical and is resurging amid digital fatigue and lower mailbox competition. They get into how to use it in an omnichannel strategy, how to treat operational mail like statements and bills as marketing touchpoints, and what it looks like applying variable printing, machine learning, and bandit testing to optimize offers.

Ryan is an expert with over 20 years of experience. If you thought direct mail was dead, or are trying to figure out how to get the most out of your email strategy, this episode is for you.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

~00:54 Meet Ryan Ferrier

~02:44 Direct Mail Is Alive

~03:37 Why Mail Works Now

~05:33 Automating Direct Mail

~10:30 Triggered Mail Example

~16:10 Mail Driving Digital

~19:04 Personalization at Scale

~26:31 Lists and Data Quality

~30:49 Tracking and Attribution

~35:31 Considerate Marketing

~37:19 Parting Advice and Links

~39:41 Wrap Up and Subscribe

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1189014694

CONNECT WITH RYAN

Website: https://www.lob.com/

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

Nikki Barua is a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, bestselling author, and globally recognized expert on transformation. She is the CEO & Co-Founder of FlipWork, the workforce transformation system that turns AI into ROI by reinventing how people work. A lifelong learner, Nikki holds three master’s degrees, is fluent in five languages, and brings relentless curiosity to every endeavor. She believes we are all limitless and is committed to helping people live up to their fullest potential.

In this episode, she and Tom discuss how AI is a lasting “cognitive contagion,” urging people to avoid denial, become early adopters, and unlearn industrial-age, linear ways of working as machines take over drudgery. The key, Barua says, is redeploying freed capacity toward creativity, innovation, relationships, mentoring, pattern-spotting, and judgment, starting by identifying one’s “zone of genius” and redesigning workflows with AI at the center. She describes how AI resistance often stems from identity and self-worth rather than technical skill, shifting value from effort to impact.

If you're intimidated by AI this episode can help ease you into a fuller understanding that will expand your abilities, not diminish them.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

03:40 Leading With Humanity

05:08 AI Contagion Mindset

08:03 Unlearning Industrial Work

10:40 Redeploy Freed Capacity

13:32 Zone Of Genius

15:06 Identity Roadblocks Story

21:54 Originality Beats Slop

25:55 Pattern Interrupt Framework

33:43 Imagination Needs Space

34:47 Resources And Closing

FULL EPISODE VIDEO

https://vimeo.com/1180240663

CONNECT WITH NIKKI

Website: https://www.nikkibarua.com/

Social Media:

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

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

X: https://x.com/nikkibarua