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Other than AI, is there any word about marketing more prevalent than "authenticity?" And yet, it might be one of the most misunderstood and abused words out there.    In this deeply personal show, Mark Schaefer and Amanda Russell discuss how authenticity can help you, how it can destroy you, and how it might be more of a strategy than a default setting for a personal brand. 

New research from Microsoft provides a glimpse of the near-term future of marketing agency life, including AI bosses, agentic employees, and new organizational charts. And, if you're a small agency, this might be your time to shine! Mark Schaefer and Andy Crestodina riff on the implications of te AI-first agency in this new episode of The Marketing Companion.

As AI marches forward with speed and power, new questions emerge about how humans thrive in a world of super intelligence. We already see AI creeping into workflows, organizational charts and even our personal relationships. Mark Schaefer and Paul Roetzer look at a few of these topics as they help us navigate an AI-First World. 

In this highly intimate and vulnerable show, Mark Schaefer and Dana Malstaff discuss the times in their lives when they've had to keep a business running through illness, loss, and betrayal. To be human is to suffer and the world doesn't stop for us when the suffering comes. Mark and Dana share how they have kept going even through the hardest moments in their lives. A Marketing Companion episode you won't soon forget.

How do we break through the noise in industries that have normalized dull? You're about to embark on a crazy journey of misfit Barbies, back alley tee shirts, and criminal wine as Mark Schaefer and Carla Johnson explore the crisis of imagination in marketing. We all want to do better work ... what is holding us back? Plenty, as it turns out! 

It's harder than ever to keep up with the world and you can't do it alone. Mark Schaefer and Jay Acunzo share their favorite strategies for tapping into expert advice and staying relevant in a fast-changing world. 

Are you working on your personal brand? I hope so! It's like an insurance policy for your career. But what happens when you out-grow your brand and it's time to climb a new mountain? Moving on can be difficult and emotional. Amanda Russell discusses the next step in her journey and why it was time to take a risk.

New co-host Andy Crestodina unwraps the hottest topic on the web these days — the impact of AI on SEO. Most websites are starting to get hits from AI sites, and Mark Schaefer reports that he's gained new customers. But what is the secret to success? Mark and Andy also debate LinkedIn newsletters — is it too late to find success? Is it robbing readers from your website?

In this special episode, the legendary host of the Marketing Book podcast, Douglas Burdett, comes out of retirement to interview Mark Schaefer about his new book "Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World." From now on, "competent" doesn't cut it. The bots are coming but we still own crazy. This is a time to ignite the human fireworks of creativity if marketing professionals are to transcend the threat from artificial intelligence.

As we hurtle into the AI Era, there will be many unintended consequences, and one of them might be a cognitive decline. Early research shows that as we increasingly depend on AI for our thinking and decisions, our brains become lazy. What are the implications for education? Are we re-defining humanity or returning to a simpler time before information overload?   Paul Roetzer and Mark Schaefer also discuss the DeepSeek outfall, Ai marketing fails, and more

In an AI world, the need for human connection will be more profound than ever. Dana Malstaff and Mark Schaefer talk about new ideas to integrate a human connection into AI prompts, communities, and content strategies. Here are some truly unique ideas that will make you re-think how you connect with customers and audiences. 

Mark Schaefer and Mathew Sweezey pluck out a few big trends that have them excited for the new year. From the executive implications of AI to a focus on experiences, this is a fascinating exploration of what's coming next.   Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark’s insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Mathew Sweezey is the Co-Founder of Salesforces Web3 Studio where he helped Salesforce and their top customers transition into Web3. Mathew an independent consultant, a best selling author, and avid adventurer. 

In this fun and thought-provoking show, Mark Schaefer and Jay Acunzo challenge each other with the best questions they could ask each other — and then dissect the beauty of the question. Amp up you content game by listening to this extraordinary debate!   Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark’s insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Jay Acunzo consults experts and entrepreneurs to differentiate their messages and content. He hosts the podcast How Stories Happen, where guests dissect signature stories piece by piece, and runs the Creator Kitchen, where experts learn to become stronger storytellers. Learn more at jayacunzo.com

In this mind-bending episode, Mark Schaefer demonstrates why NotebookLM has taken the AI world by storm. 

Keith Jennings talks about how Mark Schaefer's new book became a catalyst for his career reinvention. Mark and Keith discuss their history of personal reinvention and the three questions they use to judge whether they are stagnating on the job. This is Keith's final episode on the show and Mark announces two new co-hosts for the podcast's 14th season.   Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark’s insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Keith Jennings is an executive and writer who equips professionals to serve with values, generosity, and social impact. He serves as vice president of community impact with Jackson Healthcare. Connect with him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithjennings/. 

Mark Schaefer and Paul Roetzer dissect several evolving AI-related developments, including the emerging emotional bond between children and AI bots, a humanoid fine artist, how AI is transforming education, and more.

Mark Schaefer brings LinkedIn expert Richard Bliss onto the show. Richard covers basic LinkedIn strategy, the role of AI and bots, collaborative content, emerging role of video and more. This episode contains bonus Q&A content about LinkedIn newsletters, streaming video, and LinkedIn for newbies.   Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark’s insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.

Marketing visionary Dana Malstaff built one of the most successful communities on the planet. With 80,000 , it was a revenue engine and an inspiration to her enthusiastic followers. Here why Dana decided to start over. This will be one of the most moving and inspiring stories of leadership and courage you'll hear. 

Every keynote speaker and content creator knows the value of that signature story – a tale that drives home a point with ion, insight, and a little drama. But how do you come up with these stories, and how do you craft them to serve you well in your marketing?   Mark Schaefer and Jay Acunzo explore this topic in this new episode. You'll learn how each identifies, nurtures, and delivers their best stories. And you'll get to hear two of their favorite tales.    Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark’s insights every week, subscribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Jay Acunzo consults experts and entrepreneurs to differentiate their messages and content. He hosts the podcast How Stories Happen, where guests dissect signature stories piece by piece, and runs the Creator Kitchen, where experts learn to become stronger storytellers. Learn more at jayacunzo.com

Ed Sheeran launched a new hot sauce in cooperation with Heinz. It makes so much sense. Ed doesn't have to harvest the tomatoes and make anything! Why aren't more bands launching products with influencers?   While celebrity endorsements have been around for ages, giving stars a stake in an actual product has been rarer. Meanwhile, influencers are launching their own products – with or without the brands. Why don't brands get ahead of this? Mark Schaefer and Amanda Russell discuss this trend on the new episode of The Marketing Companion.   Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark’s insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Amanda Russell is a marketing leader, entrepreneur, and scholar. By age 32, she built and sold two successful businesses: an online fitness subscription community for women and a digital marketing and production company. She served as Chief Marketing Officer at a NYC-based portfolio fund and developed the world’s first accredited MBA & EMBA Influencer Marketing programs at Northwestern University. She also founded the Global Center for Influence at the University of Texas. Amanda has taught at renowned institutions such as Bocconi University, London Business School, Harvard, Wharton, HEC Paris, NYU, and the University of Stockholm. Her book, "The Influencer Code," explores influence, consumer behavior, and the future of marketing. Amanda advises major companies, including Lamborghini, Cedars-Sinai, Lionsgate, and Silk-FAW.