🎙️ This Week’s Episode: Why B2B Video Marketing Is Broken—and How to Fix It

B2B video isn’t working the way it should. In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Borba, founder of Spark Portal, to talk about how companies are burning budget on flashy videos that don’t perform—and what to do instead.

Daniel breaks down:

• The Video-as-a-Service (VaaS) model that’s disrupting B2B marketing
• Why production quality ≠ effectiveness
• The simple framework to turn webinars, explainer videos, and even selfie clips into content that converts

We talk LinkedIn’s evolution, sales enablement through video, and how to finally align your video efforts with business strategy—not vanity metrics.

🎯 Key takeaways:

• Why your first 10 videos can do more than your last 100 social posts
• The role of strategic repurposing in scaling content
• How low-lift video (think: iPhone + talking head) often outperforms high-production assets

If you’re leading marketing, sales, or running a business—you need this episode.

📌 Follow Daniel Borba & Spark Portal:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Spark Portal LinkedIn

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Podcast Summary: The Worldview Brief — Why Marketing Needs a Political Lens (Without the Politics)

In this episode, Sacha Awwa sits down with Chris Peterson, co-founder of LifeMind and author of Red and Blue Customers, to unpack one of the most overlooked dimensions in marketing today: worldview. A former agency leader and lifelong consumer insights enthusiast, Chris explores how the deeply ingrained cultural values of liberal and conservative customers shape purchasing behavior, brand loyalty, and marketing strategy.

From the evolution of political polarization to AI-powered segmentation, Chris breaks down the subtle but powerful ways businesses project their own values—often unconsciously—and what to do about it. If you’ve ever wondered why your marketing works better with some audiences than others, this episode is your roadmap to understanding why.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. The Hidden Influence of Worldview

• How a 2020 Pew study sparked the book Red and Blue Customers
• The difference between politics and worldview—and why it matters in marketing
• Why values, not policies, shape purchase decisions

2. Decoding Consumer Behavior

• Liberal vs. conservative consumption patterns—from TV shows to Tesla
• Surprising insights from anthropology and psychology, not political science
• 27 values that differentiate—and 7 that unite—American customers

3. The Worldview Brief: A New Strategic Tool

• Why most creative briefs miss this simple but powerful question
• How to assess your customer base without alienating anyone
• Real-world examples from fitness, automotive, and home retail industries

4. Building Brands that Resonate

• How brands like WeatherTech and Apartments.com naturally align with worldview
• The role of founders’ values in long-term brand positioning
• What happens when values conflict with segments you didn’t mean to alienate

5. AI and the Future of Values-Based Marketing

• How LifeMind uses AI to map customer values (regional, generational, political)
• The surprising results from AI-generated copy that "doesn't sound like you"
• Why the best marketing removes your personal bias from the message

6. Worldview Inside the Organization

• Why sales and marketing often clash—and how worldview explains it
• The role of leadership in value projection and culture shaping
• How worldview brief discussions can bring clarity to creative, media, and hiring decisions

Key Takeaways for Founders & Marketing Leaders:

• You’re projecting a worldview whether you realize it or not—get intentional.
• Marketing without worldview awareness leads to missed fit and wasted spend.
• The goal isn’t to “go political”—it’s to align values with the right audience.
• Worldview briefs should sit beside your ICP and brand guide, not replace them.
• Great brands balance innovation and reliability to resonate across segments.

Follow Chris Peterson’s Work:

📘 Red and Blue Customers — available on Amazon
💡 LifeMind.ai — AI-driven customer value segmentation
🔗 LinkedIn

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Podcast Summary: The Community Code — Building Brand Loyalty Beyond the Transaction

In this episode, Sacha Awwa dives deep with Michael Puhala, Chief Community Evangelist at Khoros, a trailblazer in the digital community space. With over a decade at the forefront of online community innovation, Michael has helped some of the world’s top brands—like Microsoft, Spotify, and Sephora—build thriving ecosystems that drive retention, loyalty, and long-term customer engagement.

From the early days of gamer forums to the rise of AI-assisted support and ideation hubs, Michael unpacks how brands can turn passive customers into active participants. This episode is essential for marketers, CX leaders, and product teams who want to build customer relationships that last.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. The Evolution of Community Strategy

• Why digital communities predate social media—and how they still matter more
• From support channels to data goldmines: how community became strategic
• How post-COVID dynamics revived the role of community in brand building

2. Community as a Retention Engine

• Why Sephora community members spend 2.5x more than non-members
• The difference between customer-to-brand and customer-to-customer engagement
• Using forums and ideation to support loyalty, CSAT, and product development

3. From Forums to Flywheels

• How brands like Zoom and Southwest scale support through community
• The power of community-driven SEO: 180-day payoff, long-term value
• Super users as volunteers, evangelists, and customer service amplifiers

4. B2B vs. B2C Communities

• The surprising overlap between Spotify and Shopify
• Why use cases like support, ideation, and lifestyle education apply across sectors
• Community KPIs: lifetime value, churn reduction, CSAT, and content generation

5. Community & AI: A New Frontier

• Why AI needs community more than the reverse—for now
• Summarization, prioritization, and churn prediction: AI’s real role in communities
• How generative AI will transform federated search and product-embedded support

6. Avoiding the Community Pitfalls

• Why “build it and they will come” doesn’t work
• The death of MQLs and the rise of behavior-based engagement
• Why community is a long-tail investment, not a short-term marketing fix

Key Takeaways for Founders & Marketing Leaders:

• Treat community like a listening channel—not a marketing one
• The first 90 days of a new community initiative are critical—don’t wing it
• Don’t treat community like a campaign; it’s a flywheel, not a funnel
• Community members are your highest-value customers—invest accordingly
• Surround yourself with experienced community leaders from day one

Follow Michael Puhala’s Work:
📍 LinkedIn
📖 Human Traits — A speculative novel exploring humanity’s future with AI

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Podcast Summary: Cracking the Meta Code — Scaling Ads with Strategy, Not Just Spend

In this episode, Sacha Awwa sits down with Manel Gomez, a Meta ad specialist managing $300K–$500K/month in spend for e-commerce brands across the U.S. and Europe. With over $25M in profitable ad spend under his belt and regular appearances at Meta HQ, Manel breaks down the technical evolution of Facebook Ads and how founders can navigate the increasingly competitive paid social landscape.

From bidding strategies to AI tools and platform trends, Manel offers a masterclass in modern media buying. Whether you're spending $30 or $30,000/day, this episode is a must-listen for anyone trying to make paid ads work in 2025.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. The Evolution of Meta Advertising

• How ad strategy shifted from 2016’s low-hanging fruit to today’s competitive battlefield
• The impact of COVID in three waves: low CPMs, the “golden era,” and post-boom attrition
• Why today's ad success requires deeper thinking, not just platform familiarity

2. Budget, ROAS & Reality Checks

• The importance of setting a daily budget based on your average order value (AOV)
• Why under-spending leads to poor machine learning performance
• How to manage client expectations on ROAS and discovery

3. Manual Bidding & Wave Surfing

• The power of manual bidding: cost cap vs. bid cap explained
• “Overbidding” to dominate the auction and bully competitors
• Timing ad spend around consumer behavior, pay cycles, and Shopify data

4. Creatives That Convert

• Why most user-generated content (UGC) is dying out
• Testing different formats (before/after, meme-style, image vs. video)
• Finding the one ad that drives scale—it’s 95/5, not 80/20

5. Platform Myths & Meta’s Real Agenda

• Why you should ignore most Facebook rep suggestions
• Advantage+ and multi-advertiser placement: what to watch out for
• The coming wave of Instagram Checkout and native shopping within Meta

6. The AI Reality Check

• Why AI is useful—but not a magic wand
• How tools like 11 Labs and Lovvo.ai can improve scale and localization
• Why human strategy still beats automation—for now

Key Takeaways for Founders & Media Buyers:

• Don't skip the research. It fuels every winning ad.
• Testing should be intentional, not guesswork.
• Your first goal is to find one killer creative.
• Strategic spend > impulsive scale.
• Ride the market waves—don’t fight them.

Follow Manel’s work and insights:

📍 Instagram: @manelgomez

📍 YouTube: Manel.gomez

📍Website: Meta Scaling Accelerator

🎙️ Speaker at Affiliate World, Ads Accelerator & more

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Podcast Summary: Building Culture, Systems & Legacy with Justin Gold

In this episode, Sacha Awwa sits down with Justin Gold—founder and CEO of multiple award-winning businesses in the beauty industry, including the renowned salon The Changing Room. A second-generation entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience, Justin shares his journey from breakdancing and corporate finance to becoming a national educator for Matrix and a transformative coach for salon owners and entrepreneurs.

Justin opens up about the evolution of his family business, the importance of structure and culture in service-based industries, and how giving back—through education, mentorship, and innovation—has become his driving purpose.

Whether you’re building a brick-and-mortar business or launching a product in a crowded e-commerce space, Justin’s story is full of lessons on resilience, systems thinking, and defining your North Star.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. From Suit & Tie to Salon Chair

• Immigrant roots and the family business legacy
• Trading corporate finance for entrepreneurship
• How creative freedom and family needs shaped his path

2. Culture Is the Oil in the Machine

• Why businesses need intentional values and structure
• Building a team around core values like respect, professionalism, and consistency
• Culture as a competitive advantage you can feel—not just see

3. Coaching & Giving Back

• Starting as a salon educator, expanding into broader business coaching
• Why giving back helps refine your own leadership
• Building a systemized roadmap for success in creative industries

4. Scaling Beyond the Chair

• Turning salon pain points into e-commerce wins (like custom Velcro towels)
• How to validate a niche product and bring it to market
• Why skin in the game—time, travel, investment—builds business credibility

5. The Long Game of Entrepreneurship

• Navigating failure, handshake deals gone wrong, and costly missteps
• Why starting with internal clarity matters more than watching the competition
• The value of optimism, accountability, and just starting

Key Takeaways for Business Owners & Creatives:

• Systems are your scaffolding—creativity thrives with structure.
• Your core values are your compass. Hire and fire by them.
• Educate before you sell. Great products still need storytelling.
• Give back to grow. Teaching others can clarify your own path.
• Start small, think big. Every empire begins with one solid foundation.

Follow Justin’s work in salon coaching, innovative beauty products, and entrepreneurial education at Rise CC – Justing Gold – Beauty Industry Coaching Expert

IG: Rise Coaching & Consulting (@risecoachingconsulting) • Instagram photos and videos

LinkedIn: (9) Justin Gold | LinkedIn

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Podcast Summary: Cultural Branding, DEI, and Creative Authenticity with Bre Fernandez

In this episode, Sacha Awwa sits down with Bre Fernandez—an award-winning Associate Creative Director, professor of advertising at the University of Miami and Miami Ad School, and rising local comedian. Known for her bold creative voice and deep cultural fluency, Bre unpacks her unconventional journey from law school dropout to creative leader, touching on everything from the importance of representation in branding to how comedy fuels her storytelling.

With firsthand experience in both multicultural and general market advertising, Bre offers a refreshing and unfiltered perspective on navigating the “brovertising” world, the evolution of DEI, and why authenticity, nuance, and research are non-negotiable in successful campaigns today.

Whether you’re a small business owner, marketer, or creative looking to make work that actually resonates, this conversation is packed with insight—and laughs.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. From Law School to Ad World

• Bre’s Cuban upbringing and traditional career expectations
• Discovering creative advertising through Miami Ad School
• Cracking into a legacy-driven, network-dependent industry

2. The Cultural Layer of Branding

• Why DEI and multicultural advertising are not interchangeable
• How diverse internal teams lead to stronger external messaging
• Dissecting tone-deaf campaigns (hello, Kendall Jenner/Pepsi)

3. DEI in Advertising: Beyond Buzzwords

• Why diversity must go beyond optics to real decision-making power
• The role of DEI post-2020 and how it’s being politicized today
• Representation vs. inclusion: who’s in the room vs. who’s heard

4. Human-Centered Creativity in an AI World

• Why AI is a tool, not a replacement for nuanced storytelling
• The risk of creative atrophy when we rely too heavily on tech
• Teaching students to balance innovation with critical thinking

5. Brand Authenticity & Speaking to Real Audiences

• Why research matters more than assumptions
• Why brands need to know their primary, secondary, and tertiary audiences
• Case studies of brands that got it right (Dove, Nike) and wrong (Bud Light, Heineken)

6. Entrepreneurship, Comedy, and the Creative Outlet

• Why having a creative outlet is crucial to avoid burnout
• Bre’s emerging comedy career and using humor as a form of cultural commentary
• Juggling multiple identities and finding alignment between personal voice and professional work

Key Takeaways for Creatives & Entrepreneurs:

• Research is not optional. You can’t speak to a culture you haven’t studied or experienced.
• AI can help, but creativity needs a human pulse. Don’t let technology dilute your voice.
• Authenticity is currency. Consumers see through performative branding—real wins every time.
• Diverse voices build better campaigns. It’s not just good ethics—it’s good business.
• Start where your audience lives. Whether that’s Facebook Marketplace or stand-up mics, your people are somewhere—go meet them there.

🎤 Follow Bre’s work in advertising, her hilarious takes in the comedy world, and her insights on LinkedIn under #Breisms.

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Podcast Summary: Building Thought Leadership with Zachary Bernard, Founder of We Feature You

In this episode, Sacha Awwa welcomes Zachary Bernard, a 21-year-old entrepreneur and the founder of We Feature You, a public relations firm helping clients become recognized thought leaders through strategic media placements. Based in Dieppe, New Brunswick, Canada, Zachary has worked with hundreds of clients across North America since launching the agency in 2021. His firm’s unique value lies in helping businesses—especially early-stage and underfunded ones—leverage PR and podcasting to establish credibility, build authority, and grow their influence.

From landing press in Forbes and Entrepreneur to using podcast appearances as core marketing assets, Zachary explains how companies can tap into PR without needing a massive budget. He shares how he built his business by “doing what he preaches,” and why storytelling, authenticity, and consistency matter more than ever in today’s media-saturated world.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. Zachary’s Journey Into PR & Entrepreneurship

• Starting as a gamer selling in-game items
• The realization that marketing drives all business
• Launching We Feature You while still in university
• Leaving school to go full-time into entrepreneurship

2. Making PR Accessible for Small Businesses

• Why PR isn’t just for unicorn startups
• How even a $1K investment can move the needle
• Starting with HARO, Connectively, and other DIY PR tools
• Why credibility matters more than traffic in the early stages

3. Why Podcasting Became Central to PR

• Podcasting as a personal storytelling and authority-building tool
• The shift from traditional PR to podcast-based branding
• Repurposing podcast content for SEO, social, and sales
• Why video-based podcasting is the future of founder visibility

4. Building Thought Leadership That Converts

• How to pitch value, not just a story
• The power of third-party validation
• Differentiating between “first-person” and “third-person” proof
• Using podcast clips in onboarding and sales enablement

5. Trends in Media, PR, and Authentic Branding

• Authenticity in a post-AI world
• The rise of founder-led brand narratives
• Leveraging podcasts as evergreen content
• Why transparency and credibility are becoming non-negotiable

6. Overcoming Barriers to Entry in PR

• Debunking the myth that PR is too expensive
• When PR is (and isn’t) the right marketing investment
• How to measure success when results aren’t always direct-response
• Why PR amplifies your existing marketing instead of replacing it

7. Zach’s Process for Onboarding Clients

• Strategy-driven outreach tailored to each founder’s voice
• Focusing on podcasts that deliver both reach and relevance
• How he preps clients to speak to both personal and professional stories
• Setting expectations and ensuring clients use the media assets

Key Takeaways for Founders & Business Owners:

• Start small, but start smart—you don’t need a massive budget to begin building authority.
• Use what you create—repurpose podcast content into marketing gold.
• PR doesn’t replace marketing—it enhances it when done right.
• Third-party validation builds trust faster than any sales page.
• Authenticity and consistency win—especially in a world where AI-generated content is on the rise.

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Podcast Summary: The Evolution of Influencer Marketing with Paula Bruno, CEO of Intuition Media Group

In this episode, Paula Bruno, CEO and founder of Intuition Media Group, joins the show to unpack the ever-evolving world of influencer marketing. With over 15 years of experience in the space, Paula has been at the forefront since its early days—helping shape influencer compensation models, brand collaborations, and authentic creator-brand relationships.

From Twitter parties to TikTok, Paula walks us through the industry’s transformation and what brands need to know to successfully navigate this marketing channel today. Her agency has worked with major brands like Canon USA, TikTok, GoDaddy, and Hyundai—managing over 750 campaigns and generating 3 billion impressions.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. The Early Days of Influencer Marketing

• From a male-dominated industry to founding Intuition Media Group
• How Twitter parties and blogger communities pioneered influencer culture
• Hosting one of the largest women’s blogging conferences in the U.S.

2. The Rise of Instagram & Beyond

• How the influencer landscape shifted from blogs to Instagram and video content
• The growth of influencer platforms and networks
• Why Instagram became a key driver of brand engagement

3. Strategy Behind Influencer Selection

• Why follower count doesn’t equal influence
• The importance of authenticity and brand alignment
• Educating brands on letting go of control and trusting creators

4. Best Practices for Brands Getting Started

• Establish clear KPIs and be willing to pivot
• Give influencers creative freedom within brand guardrails
• Focus on engagement, not just visibility

5. Influencer Marketing Trends in 2025

• Diversification beyond TikTok (YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn, Instagram Reels)
• The growth of micro-communities (Substack, Discord, Threads)
• Live shopping and creator-led commerce
• Ethical and sustainable brand partnerships
• AI-assisted content and the legal implications of using AI

6. Micro-Influencers, Local Strategies, and Affordability

• How even small businesses can smartly tap into influencer marketing
• Leveraging local creators and product gifting
• Tips for brands that don’t have $200K budgets

7. Legal & Ethical Considerations Around AI

• Why disclosing AI use in campaigns is essential
• How AI is shaping discovery, scripting, and editing
• The role of contracts and legal preparedness in content usage

Key Takeaways for Marketers & Business Owners:

• Don’t over-prioritize follower count—authenticity wins.
• Know your KPIs and align content strategy with your goals.
• Test, learn, pivot. Influencer marketing is about relationships and resonance.
• Micro-communities and live commerce are on the rise—lean in now.
• AI is powerful, but brands must be aware of compliance and IP risks.

Connect with Paula & Intuition Media Group:
🌐 Website: Intuition Media Group
📸 Instagram: @intuitionmediagroup
📩 LinkedIn: Paula Bruno

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