Is Anything Real?

What if the real growth play wasn’t grinding on social media or spending wildly on ads? In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising? , I sit down with Ziv Raviv , Founder & CEO of Kivi Media , creator of Daily Cookie , host of Beyond Six Figures , and author of The Fully Booked Coach , for a masterclass in scaling through soul-first strategy. Ziv built a $600K/year coaching busines...

Nuria Garcia of NbN Marketing joins me for a raw dive into the behind-the-scenes reality of creator-led growth. From ad platform bias to client miseducation, this episode unpacks the truth about scaling creative work with integrity, even when it gets messy. We cover: The hidden constraints behind Meta Ads and TikTok What Nuria does when client scripts kill performance Why real storytelling still w...

AI may be getting flashier, but is it making your creative work better or just…blobbier? In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising? , I sit down with Christina Magaña , Founder of Modish Creative and creative strategist behind some of the most vibrant, soulful branding campaigns in the game. We dive into: Why AI-generated visuals are hitting a ceiling (and sometimes a wall) What agen...

Is AI driving deeper connections, or just more noise? In this episode, I’m joined by Nathalie Doremieux , Co-Founder of Podcast LeadFlow , who reveals how to transform podcast listeners into qualified leads through strategic AI-powered conversations. We unpack how the Human → AI → Human model outperforms generic automation, and why quality, not quantity is the future of podcast monetization. From...

Performance Max can scale. But only if you control the inputs. Otherwise? You’re handing the wheel to a robot with no map. In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising? , I’m joined by Ben Lund , founder of Rise Marketing Group and ex-Googler, to unpack what’s real...and what’s wildly misunderstood...about AI-driven campaigns in 2025. We get into: ⚙️ The real value of human strategy in...

In this kickoff episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising? , I sit down with Kristi Broom , Co-Founder of Rising Tide Cooperative to talk candidly about building inclusive cultures, evolving leadership identities, and embracing AI without losing your edge. We dive into: Scaling while staying grounded in your values Using transparency and empathy as strategic tools Why “being in the weeds” on...

Welcome to Is Anything Real? — the reality-first leadership show for founders and operators who are done with business theater. Hosted by Adam W. Barney (Transition Leadership EnergyOS coach + author of Make Your Own Glass Half Full ), each episode delivers a Reality Check , a Proof Stack (inputs → actions → outcomes), and one move you can run this week...so you scale without burnout or BS. 👉 Boo...