Pia Silva coaches small branding agencies to scale profit and freedom without employees. She advocates for a project-based, high-ticket branding model vs. ongoing retainers.

• Pia coaches small branding agencies to scale profit and freedom without employees
• She advocates for a project-based, high-ticket branding model vs. ongoing retainers
• Effective branding requires confidence, strategy and standing out, not just design skills
• AI and cheap labor are threats to commodity design work, but not strategic branding

• Coaches small branding agencies via online training/coaching program
• Teaches her "No BS Agency Mastery" model developed in her own agency
• Focuses on project-based branding (e.g. $40k for 2-day intensive) vs. retainers
• Emphasizes profitability and lifestyle over top-line revenue growth

• Brand = "What people say about you when you're not in the room"
• Badass brand: Magnetically attracts ideal clients, repels others, charges premium
• Focus on strategy, messaging, design that stands out vs. generic corporate branding
• Ask "What do you stand against?" to uncover differentiation

• "Badass" and edgy messaging became mainstream, diluting impact
• Rebranding example: Financial firm evolved from edgy to sophisticated positioning
• Need to continually evolve brand as market changes

• AI/cheap labor threaten commodity design work
• Strategic thinking, leadership, client trust more important than ever
• Opportunity to curate and guide AI-generated options based on strategy

Graham Arrowsmith

Graham founded Finely Fettled ten years ago to help business owners and marketers market to affluent and high-net-worth customers. Graham founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, where he introduces AI Agents that sit on websites, to increase engagement, dwell time, leads and conversions.

Kevin Appleby

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

Reed Hansen, from Chicago, runs MarketSurge.io, offering comprehensive digital marketing services with a focus on AI and automation. He is this week's gues on The Next 100 Days Podcast.

• Reed Hansen runs MarketSurge.io, offering comprehensive digital marketing services with a focus on AI and automation
• Podcasting can be an effective marketing tool, increasing visibility and perceived authority for business owners
• AI is rapidly changing digital marketing, creating both challenges and opportunities for small businesses

• Offers range of digital marketing services including CRM, audience targeting, SEO, ads, AI sales agents, content marketing, web development
• Surge Audiences: Uses buyer intent data from partner network to create targeted prospect lists for outreach
• AI sales agents: Developed for inbound/outbound communication, booking meetings with 80%+ uplift in engagement vs traditional chatbots

• Reed found success getting booked on podcasts, shares expertise through Surgecast service
• Podcasting increases perceived authority and expertise with existing clients
• Offers clients podcast booking service, guaranteeing 3 bookings per month for $500
• Podcast appearances often rank highly in Google search results, increasing online visibility

• Rapid changes creating both opportunities and challenges for small businesses
• Reed focuses on bridging education gap, helping clients leverage new AI tools
• Discussed potential for AI to develop apps without coding in near future
• Explored strategies for optimizing content for AI-powered search, like using question-based long-tail keywords

• Digital marketing landscape increasingly complex for small businesses to navigate alone
• Many business owners lack technical skills, starting with basics like professional email setup
• Reed takes consultative approach, assessing client's tech comfort and tailoring solutions

Graham Arrowsmith

Graham founded Finely Fettled ten years ago to help business owners and marketers market to affluent and high-net-worth customers. Graham founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, where he introduces AI Agents that sit on websites, to increase engagement, dwell time, leads and conversions.

Kevin Appleby

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

Transcend is Faisal Hoque's latest book. It provides readers with the road maps that will soon be upon us. Faisal shares his perspective on the intersection of philosophy, humanity, business and technology. It made for an excellent conversation on this week's The Next 100 Days Podcast.

The group shifts to discussing Faisal's background as a management thinker and author. Faisal explains that his new book "Transcend" explores the intersection of humanity, philosophy, management, and technology in the age of AI. He outlines a framework called "Open and Care" to guide the opportunities and risks of AI.

The conversation delves into a deeper philosophical discussion about the potential catastrophic scenarios if AI is not properly governed. Faisal expresses concerns about AI replacing jobs, especially for younger generations, and the risks of AI being controlled by a small number of people. Kevin and Graham also share their perspectives on the challenges of regulating emerging technologies.

Faisal suggests that while governments may be slow to act, public pressure and the emergence of AI-related crimes will eventually force legislative action. He argues that a balanced, "middle path" approach is needed to harness the benefits of AI while mitigating the risks. The group discusses the difficulties of getting governments to effectively regulate AI.

The hosts thank Faisal for the thought-provoking discussion and invite him to provide a testimonial about his experience on the podcast. Faisal expresses his appreciation for the challenging conversation and his willingness to return as a guest.

Graham Arrowsmith

Graham founded Finely Fettled ten years ago to help business owners and marketers market to affluent and high-net-worth customers. Graham founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, which combines the world's biggest source of 10,000 marketing experiments with AI. Find Graham on LinkedIn.

Kevin Appleby

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com