For years, you’ve probably heard people say that you should be using video in your marketing. It makes sense. After all, YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google. If you don’t have a YouTube strategy, you’re missing out on a ton of traffic and a massive opportunity to promote your brand. While creating video content is cheaper and easier than ever, it can still be intimidating if you’re unfamiliar with the medium or if you’re a perfectionist like me. If you’re ready to unlock the power of video marketing, keep reading because this episode is going to be a masterclass from a true expert. Sunny Lenarduzzi has been called a master marketer by Entrepreneur.com. She’s helped brands like Hootsuite develop winning social media and video strategies and she runs her highly successful YouTube channel, which has amassed over 260,000 followers and has been praised by Forbes. From scripting to why you need a loyal community of fans, Sunny will be revealing tried and tested techniques to help you leverage video to its maximum potential.
The Strategies and Techniques Behind Viral Videos with Jamie Salvatori
Today we’re talking to Jamie Salvatori, an expert in viral videos. He’s the founder of Vat19.com, which is an eCommerce store featuring unique and quirky gifts, toys, candy, and curiously awesome oddities. Its YouTube channel currently boasts 3.5 million subscribers and nearly 3 billion video views. We discuss his views on marketing, and how to “try everything” in order to get your video seen.
Digital Course Website Overhaul: A Case Study with Greg Merrilees
Your website isn’t just a digital brochure—it’s a trust-building tool. And if your audience is navigating trauma, chronic illness, or nervous system dysregulation, that trust needs to be felt instantly.
My guest on today’s show, Greg Merilees, is the founder of Studio1 Design and a longtime collaborator of mine. His agency specializes in crafting websites that don’t just look good—they educate, inspire, resonate with, and persuade the target audience on a deep emotional level.
In this episode, we break down the redesign journey of Primal Trust, a powerful healing community and membership platform led by Dr. Cathleen King. When we first looked at the site, it was cluttered, slow, hard to navigate, and failing to rank even for branded terms. That’s a big problem for a business with a mission to help thousands—especially when it’s not reaching those who need it most.
In this case study, Greg and I walk through the Primal Trust transformation. We rewrote the messaging to offer empathy and empowerment, clarified the member journey, and created conversion-focused pathways like lead magnets and quizzes. At the same time, we wove in SEO best practices with a calming, intuitive design.
Whether you’re in wellness, coaching, or any purpose-driven space, this case study offers key takeaways to make your website more powerful, more aligned, and more profitable. So, without any further ado, on with the show!
Business Is a Spiritual Game with Meny Hoffman
True entrepreneurial achievement requires more than just strong marketing tactics—it demands a foundation of core values and an intentional approach to both personal and professional growth.
My guest on today’s show is Meny Hoffman, who is CEO of Ptex Group, an award-winning branding and marketing agency headquartered in Brooklyn. For over two decades, he’s helped brands create meaningful connections with their audiences while building a company culture based on shared values and purpose. Meny also hosts the Let’s Talk Business podcast, where he shares actionable strategies with fellow entrepreneurs.
In this conversation, we explore the concept of being intentional about company culture, especially in remote and hybrid environments. Meny reveals his approach to crafting core values that guide daily decisions—not just hanging on office walls. We discuss the importance of recognizing your business as separate from your personal identity, the four pillars of a balanced life, and why celebrating small wins creates powerful momentum toward larger goals.
Whether you’re managing a growing team or working solo, these spiritual principles and practical business insights will help align your work with your deepest values, making success both more meaningful and more attainable. So, without any further ado, on with the show!
E-commerce Redesign Secrets: A Case Study with Greg Merrilees
Successful e-commerce websites need a lot more than just look pretty —they need to be built with SEO and conversion in mind from the ground up. Greg Merrilees, my guest on today’s show, is the founder of Studio1 Design, a conversion-focused web design agency that has been crafting high-performing websites for over a decade. His team specializes in creating designs that prioritize results over aesthetics, helping businesses transform their online presence into powerful revenue generators.
In our discussion, we break down the complete website redesign & optimization journey of our joint client, The Tuttle Twins, which is at tuttletwins.com. Together, Greg and I examine how their website evolved from a basic homepage featuring the founder’s children to a much more sophisticated online experience that supports their impressive 6 million book sales. We break down the critical elements that make e-commerce sites perform, including strategic use of social proof, impact metrics, and the power of identifying a common enemy to galvanize your audience. Greg shares some advanced Shopify features like side carts for upselling and bundle strategies that dramatically increase average order value. He also explains the importance of removing conversion-killing elements from checkout pages.
We discuss practical tactics for building communities around brands, the psychology behind consistent call-to-action colors, and why having multiple products enables powerful bundling opportunities that single-product businesses miss entirely. And so much more!
This episode takes a close-up look at the specific design, layout, and content decisions, as well as the strategic thinking behind a successful e-commerce website transformation, giving you actionable advice to improve your own website’s performance. So, without any further ado, on with the show!
The Future of Search Isn’t Search with Kevin Indig
AI is reshaping the marketing world at an inconceivable pace, transforming how customers find and interact with brands online. My guest on today’s show is Kevin Indig, a savvy strategist who advises startups like Reddit, Dropbox, and Snapchat. Kevin previously led SEO and Growth at Shopify, G2, and Atlassian, and his popular Growth Memo newsletter reaches over 18,000 subscribers worldwide.
Kevin and I dive into fascinating findings from his groundbreaking user study on Google’s AI overviews. We examine how search behavior is dramatically changing, with desktop clicks plummeting from 28% to just 11%. The generational divide is striking. It reveals that younger users embrace AI overviews while older demographics cling to traditional results.
We explore how trust has become users’ primary filter even before relevance – a critical insight for marketers trying to stand out in this new normal. Our conversation goes beyond tactics to discuss finding purpose and intentionality in a rapidly changing digital world.
If you’re wondering how to maintain a competitive edge when AI seems to be taking over everything, this episode reveals why becoming more authentically human might be your greatest advantage. So without further ado, on with the show!
Selling With Stories with Lisa Bloom
Stories create emotional connections that transform dry information into memorable experiences. My guest on today’s show, Lisa Bloom, founder of Story Coach, has spent over fifteen years helping entrepreneurs attract ideal clients through powerful storytelling. As an accredited coach and author of The Story Advantage and Seven Stories That Sell, Lisa brings unique expertise to the business narrative space.
Our conversation traces the journey of business storytelling from novelty to a marketing necessity. Lisa shares insights from over a decade of sending weekly story newsletters to her audience. She explains the power of alignment between inner beliefs and outward narratives, as well as which story formats work best for different audiences. Lisa highlights why consistency matters more than the medium you choose. She also reveals techniques for crafting stories that hold attention spans far beyond the typical few seconds.
Lisa also reveals details about her Selling Through Story program, available NOW for a limited time at marketingspeak.com/storycoach. The program is designed to help entrepreneurs sell naturally and joyfully through authentic storytelling. Under Lisa’s tutelage, you just might be able to transform your mundane experiences into powerful narratives that sell your products and services. This just might be your key to making sales without ever feeling “salesy” again. So, let’s get on with the show!
From Setbacks to Superfans with Pat Flynn
Success in marketing isn’t just about strategies and tactics—it’s about genuine human connection. When my guest on today’s show, Pat Flynn, was laid off in 2008, he pivoted, becoming a podcaster, YouTuber, and start-up advisor, and never looked back. He’s the author of several influential books, including Lean Learning and Superfans: The Easy Way to Stand Out, Grow Your Tribe, and Build a Successful Business. When I got sick this week and my vocal cords failed, my wife, Orion, also a seasoned podcaster with a decade of episodes, graciously stepped in to conduct this illuminating interview, bringing her unique energy and perspective to the conversation! By the way, please subscribe to her podcast, Orion’s World, at orionsworld.com.
In their discussion, Pat shares his remarkable journey from getting laid off during the 2008 recession to building multiple successful ventures, including a Pokémon YouTube channel with over 1.5 million subscribers and a shorts channel that garnered over a billion views in less than a year. His philosophy of “your earnings are a byproduct of how well you serve your audience” resonates throughout their conversation. His advice on YouTube success includes joining communities first, embracing imperfection, and developing your unique storytelling voice. You’ll learn storytelling skills that no AI can replicate—the ultimate way to future-proof your business in an increasingly automated world. So, without any further ado, on with the show!
Local Services Website Teardown: A Case Study with Greg Merrilees
It’s wonderful to have Greg Merrilees back with us on the show. He’s been a guest multiple times. He is the founder and managing director of Studio1Design, an incredible design firm. It’s my go-to. It’s my secret weapon for not just all my websites and my wife’s websites, but my clients as well. And we’ve been working together for over a decade. It’s just been an incredible partnership.
In this episode, we are going to go over how across many years, we’ve collaborated on many, many clients. But in this particular episode, we are going to zoom in on one particular client, Ware Landscaping, and how we were able to take this local services business from a pretty not great place, in terms of the quality of their SEO and their web design, their conversion to really stellar and outstanding in many ways.
You’re going to learn some great stuff in this episode about how you can apply these same principles to your own website. And there’s stuff in here that I’m gonna guarantee you have not heard of before, strategies and tactics that will be outside the box and you’ll wanna implement on your own site as well.
Build Your Brand with Molly St. Louis
Remarkable personal brands don’t try to please everyone—they stand out by taking bold positions. My guest on today’s show, Molly St. Louis, co-founder of Mosaic Group Media, specializes in PR strategies for late-stage startups. With twenty years of multimedia experience, Molly has a deep understanding of what makes brands resonate. As a former marketing trends writer for Inc. Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Adweek, she has a unique talent for making even the most technical concepts feel human and engaging.
In our discussion, Molly shares how PR and publicity have fundamentally changed—explaining why companies must now become their own media channels rather than relying solely on traditional press coverage. She discusses the effectiveness of creating what she calls “the Marvel universe of your brand” and reveals how her background in entertainment helps her transform complex B2B concepts into compelling stories. Molly also explains the power of “newsjacking” when done with authentic opinions and emotional storytelling.
Whether you’re struggling to make technical content relatable or trying to stand out in your niche, this conversation offers practical frameworks to build deeper connections with your audience while maintaining your authentic voice. So without any further ado, on with the show!
From Homeless to Millions with Garrain Jones
When my guest, Garrain Jones, was at a crossroads, living in his car and nearly $250,000 in debt, he made himself vulnerable by writing a letter to his child self from his adult self, followed by a letter from his child self back to his adult self. After sharing this raw emotional journey online, his post went viral—and in that moment, he discovered his true purpose: to give voice to what remains unspoken in business leaders and entrepreneurs.
I originally interviewed Garrain for Get Yourself Optimized, but since he has built three companies to seven figures, I wanted to share his inspiring story here, with you all, on Marketing Speak. Garrain is an author, speaker, and transformation specialist whose bestselling book, Change Your Mindset, Change Your Life, has helped countless business owners break through limiting beliefs and tap into what he calls the “abundance frequency.”
In this discussion, we explore the transformative impact of mindset shifts in business. And though it might seem counterintuitive to some, Garrain explains why vulnerability can actually be your greatest marketing asset. You’ll learn how your authentic story can differentiate your brand in crowded markets.
This episode is essential listening for entrepreneurs who feel stuck or limited by their current performance. Garrain’s approach bridges personal development with business growth in ways that create lasting transformation. So without any further ado, on with the show!
Building Relevance and Resilience into Your SEO with Stephan Spencer
OK, I can’t believe I’m saying this but…welcome to the 500th episode of Marketing Speak! From humble beginnings–those first 10 episodes nearly ten years ago included such marketing legends as Neil Patel, Taki Moore, Jon Shugart, James Schramko, Nicholas Kusmich. My big break came though with Jay Abraham, episode #8. Once I had him, it was so much easier to land really big name guests. Having him on was like that first domino fall in a long sequence of amazing dominoes over the years. It’s been quite a ride, and I’m so grateful to have you, listener, on this journey with me. For this 500th episode milestone, I’m sharing a conversation I had with OG podcaster John Jantsch on his Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, where I got to dive into the completely rewritten fourth edition of the book I co-authoried, The Art of SEO.
I had a great time on John’s show discussing how SEO continues evolving at lightning speed. I get into why Google’s EEAT principles now emphasize genuine experience over claimed credentials, and I share my thoughts on creating “supercredibility” that both algorithms and humans recognize instantly.
From content pruning tactics that can quickly boost rankings to voice search strategies that prepare you for what I call the “Star Trek computer” future, these approaches will position you far ahead of competitors who are still optimizing for yesterday’s search environment. By implementing these strategies now, you’ll secure a competitive advantage before others even recognize the market has shifted. And boy is the market shifting!
If you’ve been with me since day one, or you’re just checking the podcast out now, I thank you for your support. And without any further ado, on with the show!
Intuition in Business With Jennifer Lyall
Synchronicity appears when the universe aligns to confirm we’re on the right path. These meaningful coincidences serve as signposts guiding us toward greater insight and purpose.
I originally interviewed today’s guest, Jennifer Lyall, on Get Yourself Optimized. As an intuitive business mentor, she shared so many valuable insights that I felt compelled to include them here with you, my Marketing Speak listener.
Jennifer has a unique mentoring business, teaching spiritual principles for scaling businesses with integrity while removing energetic blocks that prevent growth.
In this episode, she lets us in on her journey from struggling business owner to spiritual guide, discussing how she receives intuitive downloads through automatic writing and art to make better business decisions. We discuss the metaphysical concept of timeline jumping and how entrepreneurs can break free from stuck patterns to achieve breakthrough growth. Jennifer reveals powerful techniques for recognizing opportunity signals in everyday business situations and explains how to clear energetic blocks that prevent growth. She demonstrates how conscious entrepreneurs can tap into universal intelligence to gain competitive advantages and solve complex business challenges. Her intuitive approach bridges spiritual awareness with strategic execution, allowing entrepreneurs to access untapped reservoirs of creativity and innovation. So, without any further ado, on with the show!
Existential Marketing with Mordy Oberstein
What happens when brands disconnect from their core identity? Mordy Oberstein, my guest on today’s show, approaches marketing as existential therapy. Founder of Unify and communications advisor for Semrush, Mordy views brands as entities with real identities and selfhood, helping companies recognize and articulate who they truly are beneath surface-level messaging.
In our conversation, Mordy and I discuss how successful brands maintain narrative continuity while evolving, examining both triumphs and failures from Super Bowl advertising to Jaguar‘s identity struggles. Mordy shares powerful examples of brands that overreact during crisis moments, losing connection with their audience by abandoning their history. He explains why advertising decisions made during “existential crises” often amplify problems instead of solving them and offers a therapist’s perspective on brand recovery. This sparks a fascinating dive into philosophical territory, where we connect Jewish existentialist wisdom with modern branding challenges and discover the surprising relevance of Carl Jung’s ideas about meaning and synchronicity to authentic marketing.
Uncover why superficial emotions in advertisements don’t create lasting impressions while messaging centered on deeper human experiences forges powerful bonds with audiences. This is a fun and thought-provoking conversation. Enjoy!
Sharpen Your Mental Edge with Mike Zeller
Brain fog, burnout, and low energy can silently kill your business success. My guest today knows this firsthand – and he’s discovered powerful solutions that most entrepreneurs have never heard of. Mike Zeller has founded or partnered in more than sixteen ventures across five industries, with his businesses collectively generating over $100 million in revenue. He’s also a sought-after mentor who has guided hundreds of entrepreneurs, pro athletes, and entertainers worldwide. His latest book The Genius Within: Finding Your Natural Pathway to Impact, Fulfillment & Wealth helps people tap into their highest potential.
In our fascinating conversation, Mike shares cutting-edge methods he’s discovered for optimizing both brain function and energy levels – from NAD supplementation to revolutionary trauma-clearing techniques that are transforming how high achievers approach business.
We dive deep into specific protocols for enhancing mental clarity and performance, including the exact supplements, breathing techniques, and morning routines that have worked for Mike and his clients. He also reveals surprising insights about how unprocessed trauma can block business success, and unconventional but powerful methods to clear it. If you’re ready to take your mental performance and business results to the next level, you won’t want to miss these game-changing insights. So, without any further ado, on with the show!
