The Agents of Change Digital Marketing Podcast

You know that sinking feeling when you realize your carefully crafted content sounds exactly like everyone else's? (Yeah, me too.) Here's the uncomfortable truth: expertise has been commodified. You can share everything you know, and it still won't be enough to stand out because a hundred other voices are saying the same thing—just maybe with different GIFs. Jay Acunzo spent years building a speak...

You've got brilliant ideas rattling around in your head. Your process works. Your approach gets results. But when someone asks what makes you different, you stumble through an explanation that sounds like everyone else's pitch. Here's the thing: the difference between "yeah, I do marketing" and becoming the go-to expert isn't just what you know—it's how you package it. Melanie Deziel has built her...

Small budgets and Google Ads don't have to be enemies. Andy Janaitis, founder of PPC Pitbulls, has spent over a decade proving that point by helping founder-led brands and e-commerce businesses grow past seven figures without breaking the bank. His engineering background brings a refreshingly technical (but not overwhelming) approach to paid advertising that cuts through the noise and gets straigh...

You're spending money on Facebook ads, and after a week, you see barely any sales coming through. Naturally, you think Facebook is a bust and pull the plug. But what if those ads were actually working—just not in the way you expected? That's exactly what happened to a Maine lobster company that almost wrote off Facebook as useless after spending $4,000 and seeing only one $200 sale. Turns out, the...

After 600 episodes of interviewing digital marketing experts, I've learned a thing or two about efficiency and workflow. What started as a solo endeavor has evolved into a streamlined workflow that leverages AI, remote production teams, internal teams, and a not-so-virtual assistant—from guest vetting to social media promotion. Whether you're thinking about starting a podcast or just want to see h...

If you've been feeling overwhelmed by the constant changes in Facebook and Pinterest advertising, you're not alone. Between iOS updates killing our targeting superpowers and algorithms that seem to change faster than a toddler's mood, it's enough to make any marketer want to throw in the towel. But here's the thing: while the platforms have evolved, the opportunities haven't disappeared—they've ju...

AI is everywhere - and soon every business will have access to the same tools. What will set you apart is the human touch. Jay Baer shares why adding back small, meaningful moments of connection can become your strongest competitive advantage in a world where AI is just table stakes. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/598   Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to m...

Most small business owners treat their Google Business Profile like it's some afterthought—maybe they fill out the name and address and call it good. But here's the thing: your Google Business Profile is basically the homepage of your business online. It's often the first impression potential customers get, and it's your ticket to showing up in those coveted top three map pack results. My guest to...

Your customers aren't making decisions the way you think they are. They're not carefully weighing pros and cons or conducting rational cost-benefit analyses. Instead, they're relying on mental shortcuts—psychological triggers that happen so fast they don't even realize it's happening. Richard Shotton has spent over two decades studying these invisible forces, and in this episode, he reveals how sm...

You know that feeling when you hear "link building" and immediately think of sketchy tactics that'll get your site penalized? Yeah, me too. But here's the thing—while the spammy guest posting networks got nuked by Google's helpful content updates, the smart marketers pivoted to something way more sustainable: digital PR. My guest today, Vince Nero from BuzzStream, spent years at agencies like Sieg...

Nina Clapperton went from hating her job as an estate law clerk to building a seven-figure business through SEO—and she did it by completely ignoring what most "experts" tell you to do. Instead of chasing algorithms and obsessing over backlinks, she focused on something revolutionary: actual humans. Her audience-first approach to SEO has helped her grow blogs to 50,000 sessions in six months and s...

Most business owners hit publish and immediately start planning their victory lap. But here's the uncomfortable truth: pressing publish isn't the finish line—it's barely the starting gun. Ross Simmonds, founder of Foundation and Distribution.ai, has built his career on what happens after you hit that button. In our conversation, he breaks down why your best content is probably gathering digital du...

Email marketing isn't dead—it's just been sleeping on the couch while you've been chasing the latest social media trends. While everyone's panicking about Instagram going down or TikTok's latest algorithm changes, smart marketers know there's one channel that nobody can take away from you: your email list. Today's guest, Jessica Best, has spent over 15 years proving that email isn't just alive—it'...

What if the key to growing your business isn't doing more, but listening more? Georgiana Laudi, co-author of Forget the Funnel, explains how customer-led growth flips the script on traditional marketing by using real customer insight to guide strategy, improve onboarding, and uncover the moments that truly move the needle. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/591 Need help with your branding, website...

Most small business owners think earning media coverage is about luck or having the right connections. The truth? It's about understanding that journalists are humans with preferences, deadlines, and pet peeves—and treating them accordingly. PR maven Nancy Marshall has spent 35 years building relationships with journalists, from local Maine reporters to Al Roker from the Today Show. Her approach i...

If you've ever stared at a Google Analytics dashboard wondering what the heck all those numbers actually mean for your business, you're not alone. Most small business owners are drowning in data but starving for insights. They've got conversion rates of 100% (because they're tracking page views as conversions), bounce rates that mean nothing, and reports they never actually look at. That's exactly...

What if everything we've been taught about brand positioning is backwards? While most businesses scramble to cast themselves as the hero swooping in to save the day, conversion optimization expert Brian Massey argues there's real power in embracing your inner villain. Not the mustache-twirling, world-destroying kind of villain—but the purposeful antagonist who sees something wrong with the world a...

For many marketers GA4 isn't exactly the analytics platform we were hoping for when Google forced us to make the switch. But while everyone's been complaining about GA4, some smart marketers have figured out how to actually make it work for them. That's exactly what Dana DiTomaso has done. As a digital analytics expert who teaches at the University of Alberta and has helped over 170,000 learners t...

LinkedIn can feel like a numbers game—post content, hope someone notices, and cross your fingers for leads. But what if there was a systematic approach that actually worked? Joe McKay discovered this the hard way after earning just $500 for his first batch of LinkedIn posts. Fast-forward two years, and he's built a six-figure business helping solopreneurs and CEOs generate over 2 million impressio...

You've built the landing page, set up the emails, and even ran a few ads - but your funnel still isn't converting. What gives? Jason Wright joins us to break down the real reasons sales funnels fail, how to create offers your audience actually cares about, and the simple automations that keep leads moving and revenue growing. If you're tired of throwing money at marketing that doesn't work, this e...

LinkedIn isn't exactly the flashiest social platform out there, but it remains unmatched as a professional networking tool. And if you're not using it properly, you're leaving valuable business connections on the table. In this episode, I chat with personal branding expert Kate Paine about how to transform your LinkedIn profile from a boring digital resume into a dynamic personal brand that attrac...

Is your business missing out on free, organic traffic from Pinterest? Many small business owners overlook Pinterest, thinking it's just another social platform or a place for DIY crafts and recipes. But today's guest opened my eyes to the massive potential Pinterest has as a search engine for driving qualified traffic to your site. Nadalie Bardo, known as "Your Pin Coach," has spent eight years ma...

Ever notice how we're all drawn to a good story? That's especially true when it comes to marketing your business. This week on the Agents of Change, I'm chatting with Joel Klettke, founder of Case Study Buddy (now sold to Testimonial Hero). Joel breaks down exactly why customer stories are so valuable for businesses of all sizes and—more importantly—shares his repeatable process for creating them...

Email marketing remains one of the most powerful tools in your digital toolkit, but choosing the right email service provider (ESP) can feel overwhelming. That's why I invited Robert Brandl, founder of Email Tool Tester, to break down everything you need to know about ESPs. In this episode, we dive into pricing structures, deliverability secrets, essential features for businesses of all sizes, and...

When's the last time you changed a button color and saw your conversion rates skyrocket? Never? Yeah, me neither. That's because real conversion optimization isn't about tweaking elements—it's about understanding the emotional drivers behind why people buy. This week on The Agents of Change Podcast, I'm joined by Talia Wolf, a conversion optimization expert who's worked with companies around the g...