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

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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

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In this solo rant, Mookie Spitz dissects the invisible monster we’re all up against—The Wall: a relentless digital flood of content, misinformation, distraction, and algorithmic gatekeeping. He dives deep into how the modern marketer, creator, or brand can barely get a word in edgewise without screaming into a storm of AI-generated junk and viral idiocy.

Mookie unpacks how convenience killed privacy, how everyone’s shouting "We are here!" like the desperate Whos in Horton Hears a Who, and how even millions of views don’t mean squat anymore. Whether you're a salesperson, a podcaster, or a punk with a novel and a TikTok rant, you're fighting not only for eyeballs—but for survival in a collapsing attention economy.

Welcome to a war cry for anyone trying to punch through the wall.

Topics

• Why the internet broke truth
• The myth of virality and the death of “earned” media
• How AI, bots, and Netflix are turning your life into a passive scroll-fest
• Horton, Warhol, and the Yiddish insult that perfectly sums up your marketing strategy

Get cynical. Get real. Get Bald Ambition!

His Multiverser Punk Novel

https://a.co/d/ay0uTjD

The Wall, Part 2: Birth of AI Marketing

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

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From class clown to dancefloor king, Howard Wallach joins Mookie Spitz to talk shop, soul, and set lists. In this episode, we go behind the curtain with a master of moments who’s turned DJing into an art form where empathy and customer service become a force for good. Howard reveals how tragedy shaped his hustle, how being of service trumps being the star, and why building trust beats booking gigs.

You’ll hear how he created an event juggernaut by focusing on them, not him—and how that mindset took him from Chicago clubs to bougie cruise ships around the globe. Packed with stories, laughs, and some hard truths about leadership, delegation, and the real meaning of “customer experience,” this one hits deeper than your usual party -- or podcast -- playlist.

If you’ve ever thought consultative selling was just for suits, Howard’s here to prove it works just as well in sneakers and with a mic.

The Guest & His Company

A-Z Entertainment, Ltd.
Exceptional Entertainment & Event Production, based in Chicagoland, but available for Special Events Worldwide

Always the pleaser, always the solutionist, always the networker, with big energy and renown enthusiasm, Howard TOP DAWG Wallach created A-Z Entertainment, back in in 1987,

Word of mouth has brought his seasoned roster to thousands of corporate events, galas & fundraisers.

A visiting artist for cruise lines, he recently returned from a major international CRYSTAL contract, This TOP DAWG enjoys giving back with his encouraging conference seminars.

Connect with www.azentertainment.com

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Mookie has a spirited chat with David Garrison, CEO of Connect Networks to discuss the organizational challenges of fragmentation, communication, and misaligned priorities—and what to do about it. The two dive headfirst into how David's networking platform leverages human-centered tech to smash silos, spark curiosity-driven collaboration, and build trust through radically simple one-on-one conversations.

David explains how most companies chase optimization through systems and metrics while ignoring the essential unit of transformation: the conversation. From boomerang hires and missed business development goldmines to the real reasons people quit, the discussion shreds conventional thinking and proposes a basic but powerful paradigm shift—create structured opportunities for real human connection, and the rest will follow.

You’ll learn:

• Why fragmented orgs kill innovation (and how to fix it)
• How structured serendipity beats static networking
• Why the real ROI isn’t just money—it’s trust, insight, and retention
• How conversations—not tech dashboards—change organizations

Whether you're leading a nonprofit, scaling a company, or just trying to feel less isolated in your role, this episode will change the way you think about internal culture and the power of human connection at work.

The Guest

David Garrison is CEO of Connect Networks, a networking platform purpose-built to create meaningful human connection—at scale—through the art and science of conversation. He also co-founded Climate & Capital Media, a respected non-profit news organization focused on the business of climate change, and built Climate & Capital Connect, a global professional network for climate, sustainability and impact. An experienced executive, David draws on decades advising bold leaders and building teams as a brand-conscious strategy consultant focused on complex business, social, and leadership issues. He's led strategy and marketing at global agencies and for innovative companies in spaces as diverse as healthcare, consulting services, and music.

His Company

Connect Networks (www.connectnetworks.ai) is a platform purpose-built to create meaningful human connection — at scale — through the art and science of conversation.

Connect introduces your people for 1:1 conversations, strengthening networks by slowly knitting together groups in and around your organization that normally wouldn’t overlap. That, in turn, leads to innovation and new kinds of collaboration, builds loyalty, drives profitability, and creates measurable business and social impact.

Resources

www.connectnetworks.ai

www.climateconnect.club

www.climateandcapitalmedia.com

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

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Mookie Spitz welcomes Dale Cooke, one of the most trusted names in FDA regulatory compliance, who shares a survival guide for healthcare marketing professionals during this historic time of sweeping upheaval. Against the backdrop of Trump’s second-term administration, which has eliminated thousands of FDA and HHS positions and ushered in unpredictable deregulation, Dale shares urgent insights from inside the storm.

Packed with real-world examples, biting humor, and a touch of Philly cheesesteak vs Chicago deep-dish banter, their wide ranging conversation explores the traumatizing impact of today's uncertainty on public health oversight. Acknowledging the importance of reducing bureaucracy. Dale explains why the pharmaceutical industry isn't asking for less regulation, but predictable regulation—and how the administration’s chaotic approach is making instability the norm.

Whether you're a pharmaceutical exec, agency lead, marketing and advertising pro, legal advisor, or just fascinated by the intersection of AI, health, communications, and politics, this episode delivers clarity in a time of confusion—and proves why, whenever in doubt, the industry has for decades grabbed the batphone and shouted "Let's call Dale!"

The Guest

Dale Cooke is the president of PhillyCooke Consulting and FDA Ad Law. He helps companies communicate about FDA-regulated products using 21st century tools, while remaining compliant with regulations written in the 1960s. Dale has worked with more than 50 pharmaceutical and medical device clients and more than 30 advertising agencies around the world. His insights have been featured in Politico, The Pink Sheet, Stat News, Law360, and other publications. Dale is an active member of the Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI), the Alliance for a Stronger FDA, and the Digital Health Coalition.

Dale teaches in the Temple University School of Pharmacy RAQA program.
Dale is the author of Effective Review and Approval of Digital Promotional Tactics, which is now in its second edition in FDLI’s Topics in Food and Drug Law series. He is regularly invited to speak at industry conferences on topics including FDA enforcement trends, best practices for review processes, global review practices, and life sciences use of social media.

Dale earned his B.A. in Philosophy from Southern Methodist University, an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Arizona, studied Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Drexel University’s School of Public Health, received a graduate certificate in Healthcare Compliance from Seton Hall University’s School of Law, and his J.D. at Drexel University’s Kline School of Law.

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

www.PhillyCooke.com

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In this punchy, provocative solo episode of Bald Ambition, host Mookie Spitz delivers a masterclass in consultative selling by starting with an uncomfortable truth: customers don’t care about you—your product, your company, or your clever branding. They care about themselves. And that insight, Mookie argues, is the key to cutting through noise in today’s hyper-distracted digital marketplace.

Packed with sharp real-world examples, Mookie walks us through why the traditional “peacock” approach to selling—flaunting features, shouting benefits, and listing specs—falls flat. Instead, he urges entrepreneurs, brand strategists, and sales professionals to reframe the entire conversation around the customer’s pain points, motivations, and aspirations.

He draws lessons from the Apple playbook—how Steve Jobs fused hardware, software, and content into a lifestyle platform that customers didn’t even know they needed—and contrasts it with Sony’s failure to unify its vast content and tech empire. He dives into why even a simple car sale needs deep customer understanding, not just a shiny vehicle, and explains why websites full of “we do this, we do that” miss the mark.

Whether you’re selling a startup vision, a SaaS platform, or your own professional services, this episode reveals why asking the right questions—and resisting the urge to talk about yourself—is the real game-changer. You’ll also get a glimpse into upcoming episodes that tackle trust-building, uncovering customer vulnerability, and truly becoming a strategic partner—not just another vendor.

If you’re ready to stop pitching and start partnering, hit play.

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