In this third installment of The Wall podcast series, Mookie Spitz dives headlong into the chaos of modern marketing, media, and the relentless flood of content competing for human attention. Building on his earlier breakdowns of the death of earned media and the inevitable (but not yet imminent) AI targeting revolution, this episode zeroes in on what to actually do right now — before the bots take over.

Mookie unpacks:

• Why even brilliant content dies on the vine without emotional resonance and inclusivity.
• How today’s most effective campaigns — from insurgent political races to street-level social media blitzes — flip the traditional model by making the audience the story.
• The hard truth that platforms like TikTok can skyrocket or ghost identical content purely based on subtle communal affinities and algorithmic whims.
• What old-school repetition and top-down broadcasting get wrong in a fragmented, hyper-reactive media landscape.
• The real role of paid vs. earned media in an era when data is power, but power is jealously guarded by walled gardens and opaque algorithms.

He also draws striking parallels to broken systems in healthcare data — illustrating why interoperability and transparency are the future not just for medicine, but for how ideas and products find their audiences.

Packed with practical, tough-love insights for creators, marketers, entrepreneurs, and anyone trying to move the needle, this episode is part reality check, part blueprint. The pod is a straight-shooting look at what it takes to scratch, climb, and maybe — just maybe — punch through the wall.

The Wall, Part 1: Death of Earned Media

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2455310/episodes/17400105

The Wall, Part 2: Birth of AI Marketing

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2455310/episodes/17415048

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Host Mookie Spitz tears into the brutal reality of digital marketing: your genius content, product, or art is probably DOA — not because it sucks, but because it’s buried under an avalanche of bullshit.

In this blisteringly honest solo episode, Mookie traces humanity’s obsession with communication from cave paintings to TikTok, shows how billion-dollar platforms throttle organic reach unless you pay up, and rants about how AI might finally crack the code to connect creators with audiences who actually give a damn.

The pod is raw, unfiltered, and stuffed with examples — from his own viral TikToks to his ghost-town Instagram to a fun sci-fi novel that’s struggling to break through the noise. If you’re sick of marketing gurus peddling hacks while ignoring the brutal economics of attention, this episode is your antidote.

Topics

• The unstoppable tsunami of content vs. your tiny band and bandwidth
• Why TikTok’s algorithm is leagues ahead (and why Meta’s sucks)
• How AI could soon match great content with people who’ll love it
• The uncomfortable truth: pay to play, or hustle your ass off building trust
• Chaos, luck, and why going viral is basically winning the lottery

Perfect for creators, marketers, or anyone trying to get noticed in a world that mostly doesn’t care.

The Wall, Part 1: Death of Earned Media

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2455310/episodes/17400105

Send the host a text! Let him know what you think

Reza Ziai is living the artistic dream, literally rolling around the desert in his mobile van, writing, recording, and distributing his music. He takes a break to chat with me about his creative process, the music industry, and realizing his potential as a former "normie" and family man to fully dedicated songwriter and philosopher. Our conversation is freewheeling and fun, come along for the ride!

The Guest

Reza Ziai is a musician (with over 35 years of experience), a recording artist, and a psychology professor (with over fifteen years of experience in higher education).

He recently quit his full-time position and has been living in his mobile home recording studio writing music deeply influenced by his Iranian-American background and his passion for free expression.

As a deep thinker and an artist, Reza has devoted his life to the relentless pursuit of creating music and making meaning in a sometimes seemingly meaningless world.

The Resources

Patreon Page – Where free members can watch the video for his next single and paid members can download all the music he has published since 2020.

https://patreon.com/Ziai?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Instagram – Follow Reza on Instagram to get a glimpse of his thoughts, music, and travels.

https://www.instagram.com/ziai_music/

YouTube – This is Reza’s personal YouTube channel where you can watch videos of music he has published since 2009 for free.

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

Apple iTunes – Music published and copyrighted can be downloaded from these Apple links

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/ron-ziai/305050399

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/reza-ziai/1773666708

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/ziai/1720680610

GeoTrek Vans – If you are interested in living in a van off grid, please do yourself a favor and check out GeoTrek!

https://geotrekvans.com/?utm_source=google&utm_campaign&utm_agid&utm_term&creative&device=m&placement&utm_medium=ppc&utm_content&matchtype&network=x&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAqQmG9dSmmeGOPwvguo7O9xFkmLmD

Send the host a text! Let him know what you think