The Academy - Your source for business growth.

Marketing keeps evolving. New platforms emerge. New tools and tactics promise efficiency and growth. Every year there’s a new platform, a new algorithm change to chase, a new AI tool that promises to make everything faster and better. That progress matters. I’m not dismissing any of it. But none of those improvements will make a big impact if your fundamentals aren't solid. This week, I’m star...

Today’s episode is about why most businesses misunderstand referrals—and why chasing them is usually the wrong move. We’re talking about how opportunity actually moves between people, why trust and risk matter more than volume, and why consistent growth only happens when relationships are supported by structure, not hope. Sound intriguing? Let’s jump into it.

Today’s podcast will be an interview format led by Sanctuary’s CEO Kelly Brown where he’ll be chatting with Dale Schott, President and Owner of Flexlink. Dale brings decades of hands-on experience leading and growing an organization in a constantly evolving industry. In this conversation, Dale shares insights from his journey as an owner and leader and covers a wide range of topics, including, but...

Today I want to talk about something many marketers are starting to feel but may not have fully named yet: an erosion of trust in online content. AI has made it easier than ever to publish at scale, but speed and volume alone aren’t creating the credibility they once did. In fact, for a lot of audiences, they’re doing the opposite. If you’ve been wondering why some content feels hollow while other...

Today we’re talking about something that tends to slip by unnoticed in December. Most organizations roll into January with good intentions and a long list of ideas, but very few stop during December to ask the honest questions that would actually make their marketing strategy better before the new year arrives. Your strategy for the upcoming year doesn’t need to be complicated. It doesn’t need to...

Hey everyone, this is Chris Auman, Founder of Sanctuary. We are a Digital Marketing Group with a mission to help you grow your organization. Welcome back to The Academy, where you get the tools, tips, and advice you need to grow your business. Today I want to talk about something that feels simple and obvious on the surface, but it changes everything when you take it seriously. Standard Operating...

Today we’re digging into something that I've seen a lot lately. Digital marketing keeps advancing, sometimes at a pace that feels impossible to keep up with. I know it feels extremely difficult for me, and it's what I do for a living. Inside most organizations, the maturity level of their marketing systems isn’t moving fast enough. It's hard, and that gap creates problems. It slows gro...

Welcome back to The Academy , where you get the tools, tips, and advice you need to grow your business. Today I want to talk about something that gets thrown around constantly in marketing: results. Everyone says they deliver them. It’s almost become a cliché. But when you stop and ask what “results” actually means, the answer usually gets pretty fuzzy. And honestly, I think some people like it th...

Something will go viral on Tuesday, we'll scramble to create our version by Wednesday, and by Thursday, it's already over. We're running faster and faster. In the end, we feel like we've ended up in the same place. But there's honestly a better way. Success can actually be found by doing less, with a renewed focus on vibe instead of virality. Some are calling this the Vibe Economy , where consiste...

Stephen Covey’s timeless advice, “Begin with the end in mind,” has stuck with me for a very long time, and it guides how I approach my personal and business life. It’s deceptively simple but powerful: know where you want to go before you take the first step. This is where vision begins. You have to take the first step, and I deeply believe in this idea as well. But you have to know where you're go...

If you’ve spent any time in business, you’ve probably read your fair share of books that talk about customer service, culture, or leadership. A lot of them sound good in theory, but fall short when it comes to showing what these ideas look like in practice. What I love about Be Our Guest is that Disney doesn’t just talk about their philosophy; they’ve been living it for decades. They’ve proven it...

First, I want to thank you for listening and being part of this journey. Hitting one hundred episodes is a milestone, and it’s also the perfect time to take what we’ve learned and improve to serve you better. Going forward, instead of longer episodes, we’re moving to a faster, sharper format designed for busy business owners and marketers. Each episode will deliver three quick, bite-sized insights...

Many people think of digital marketing as a way to generate new leads. But if that’s all you’re doing, you’re leaving opportunities and money on the table. A comprehensive strategy empowers every part of your organization—from marketing and sales to service—driving growth, strengthening relationships, and maximizing customer value. If you haven't thought about this before, here are three key t...

Today, we’re talking about a challenge—and an opportunity—that’s staring every marketer in the face: how to stand out on social media in a world flooded with generic AI content. AI has changed how people search, discover, and consume information, and the shift is happening faster than most businesses can keep up with. What worked even a year ago might already be stale. The opportunity is massive—b...

Welcome to Marketing Brief, a short, regular Academy Podcast segment where Chris will provide marketers and business owners with three bite-sized insights to grow their business. I’ve noticed something shift this year—both in how I work and how I see others using tools like ChatGPT or Claude. It’s not occasional anymore. AI has become a daily habit for a lot of people. I'm one of them. A new r...

In business, clarity is everything. When we know why we exist, how we operate, what we offer, and who we serve, growth becomes not only possible, but natural.” Simon Sinek’s concept of the Golden Circle is one of the most powerful frameworks a business owner or marketer can embrace. It’s built on a simple hierarchy: Why, How, and What. And for today’s conversation, I’m adding a fourth piece that m...

Today, we’re diving into a topic that used to feel like science fiction — but it’s already reshaping how businesses operate: AI agents and the engineers behind them. These aren’t futuristic ideas anymore. Teams are hiring AI engineers right now to build intelligent agents that handle real work — from writing reports to managing workflows — and they're freeing up entire teams to focus on what m...

Today we’re picking up where we left off. Last time, we took a hard look at the shifting search landscape and how Google—after decades of dominance—is facing real challenges from AI, government regulators, and changing user habits. But today, I want to take the glass-half-full approach and balance the threats and challenges with the new, real opportunities. Because while disruption can feel unsett...

For years, Google has been the primary gateway to the internet. If you wanted to be found, you needed to rank. But today, that dominance is being challenged like never before, from all sides. In this episode, we’re diving into the shifting landscape of search: how AI is changing what we see, why regulators are putting pressure on Google’s ad empire, and how user behavior is rapidly evolving. Wheth...

Hey everyone, this is Chris Auman, President of Sanctuary. Welcome back to The Academy, where you get the tools, tips, and advice you need to grow your business. Today, I want to step beyond our usual business growth topics. I want to challenge every community leader to consider something a little more abstract. Investing in the arts isn’t just about supporting artists and culture. It’s a powerful...

Let's talk about how AI is changing how people search, get answers, and make purchasing decisions, creating major challenges for marketers. Traditional SEO alone isn’t enough anymore. AI is now delivering information in new ways, often without sending users to websites. To stay visible and get customers to take action, businesses must adapt to this shift in discoverability. If this sounds inte...

Hey everyone, this is Chris Auman, President of Sanctuary. Welcome back to The Academy, where you get the tools, tips, and advice you need to grow your business. Today, I want to talk about a concept that’s just now gaining traction, and fast, AI Agents. If you remember the movie The Matrix, an agent was considered to be a bad guy. It was a digital person that was designed to do a specific job and...

Today, I want to talk about how SEO is hard and getting harder these days. Search engine optimization is no longer just about keywords and backlinks—it’s evolving rapidly alongside changes in how customers search and how search engines deliver results. We all need to shift, learn, and evolve to stay visible and competitive.  To keep up, it's essential to move beyond traditional tactics and emb...

Today, I want to take you on a bit of a journey — part cultural history, part personal branding, part reflection on how we show up in the world of business. Recently, I was watching The Warhol Diaries on Netflix — if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s highly recommended. It’s a deep, fascinating look at Andy Warhol’s life, his mind, his art, and honestly, all the weirdness and brilliance that made him...

Today, I want to talk about something that gets mentioned a lot within digital marketing and sales, but rarely unpacked in a way that feels practical: being a thought leader. You’ve heard the term. You’ve probably rolled your eyes at it. Maybe you’ve even used it yourself. But what does it actually mean when someone says you should be a thought leader? If this sounds interesting, stick with me, an...