Marketer of the Day with Robert Plank: Business Growth & Entrepreneur Stories

Global challenges such as poverty, unequal access to healthcare, and sustainability demand more than good intentions; they require coordinated initiatives that can work across nations while respecting local sovereignty. J. Bryan Lail, author of Journey to a Blueprint for Humanity: An Architectural Approach for Leaders, shares a framework for turning commonly shared human values into collective action. After 36 years as an architect and engineer, J. Bryan is applying proven business architecture methods to an enterprise on an unprecedented scale: humankind. His central idea is not a ready-made solution to every global problem. Instead, the book explains why a shared blueprint...

Author, educator, and Ironman athlete Suzy Ryan joins Marketer of the Day to discuss her books, teaching, resilience, and the experiences that shaped her work. She shares her survival story after spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), which caused multiple heart attacks while she was training and teaching. After realizing something was seriously wrong, she was treated by cardiologist Dr. Kenneth Carr, who identified a dissection in her left anterior descending artery and placed long stents. Suzy reflects on recovery, faith, listening to warning signs, and her determination to see herself as a victor rather than a victim. Her experience also...

AI is accelerating digital marketing, but more automation does not always mean more growth. In this episode, Stacey Kehoe, founder of Brandlective Communications, explains why businesses should focus on their goals instead of chasing every new AI tool or marketing trend. She recommends using AI for administrative tasks while preserving human connection where trust, relationships, and decision-making matter. A recruitment agency’s experiment with AI recruiters illustrates how processing more candidates does not guarantee successful placements. Stacey’s core question is whether a tool creates meaningful value and moves the business closer to its objectives. Her practical advice is to star...

Meet Stewart T. Monti Sr., a prolific author whose background includes graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy, flying C-130s for 2,000 hours, and earning two master’s degrees. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, he shares how a love of storytelling led him to write historical fiction, poetry, and books that encourage readers to believe in themselves. The Sir Edward Saga began with stories Monti wrote for his son’s Dungeons & Dragons games. Those early ideas grew into Mary and Sir Edward, a tale set in 12th-century England about a courageous young girl who helps a woun...

Business leaders aren’t crumbling under change because it’s unfamiliar, they're exhausted because it’s constant, confusing, and out of their control. In this episode, keynote speaker and change management expert Erin Herman explains how organizations can turn change into a competitive advantage by pairing clarity with empathy to create genuine confidence. She breaks down why AI and other workplace shifts trigger fear around identity, certainty, and job security, and what great leaders do differently in those moments. Instead of reacting to surface-level resistance, Erin shows how to listen “between the lines” to uncover deeper concerns and rebuild trust. She also s...

In today’s rapidly shifting AI-driven landscape, business owners and coaches are discovering that information alone is no longer enough to stand out. Tracy Repchuk explains how artificial intelligence has turned information into a cheap commodity, wiping out the advantage once held by experts who simply “knew more.” Instead, she introduces the concept of the Authority Economy, where trust, positioning, and credibility have become the true currencies of choice. Rather than trying to shout louder in a noisy marketplace, leaders must intentionally build authority capital that clearly separates them from AI-generated noise and short-term imitators. Tracy shares how decades of naviga...

Segregation, poverty, and a complete lack of role models didn’t stop pioneering kidney transplant surgeon Dr. Samuel L. Kountz from transforming modern medicine, and his story is finally being told in depth. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Dr. David Kountz, M.D. shares insights from his book A Life of Impact, a biography of his father’s journey from rural Arkansas in the segregated South to worldwide recognition as a transplant innovator. Listeners will hear how a childhood incident watching a surgeon repair a friend’s broken leg sparked an “impossible” dream for a young Black boy with n...

End-times prophecy can be confusing, especially when popular teachings seem to conflict with Scripture and history. In this episode, Howard Hunt, author of “Warning Rapture: The Great Disappearance, An Eventual Problem in Timing,” shares insights from over four decades of intensive study on the rapture and the tribulation. He explains why he believes the widely accepted pre-tribulation rapture view is based more on assumptions, recent history, and financial interests than on clear biblical foundations. Drawing from passages like Daniel 9, Ezekiel 38–39, and 2 Thessalonians 2, he lays out a detailed sequence of prophetic events that challenges conventional thinking. Howard also uncovers the historical roots...

Podcast downloads alone rarely prove whether a campaign reached the right audience or delivered business value. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, entrepreneur David Ledgerwood of Listen Network Co explains how targeted podcast distribution and audience analytics can help agencies move beyond vanity metrics and demonstrate ROI. Drawing on decades of entrepreneurial experience, Ledgerwood shares how he has built and bootstrapped a portfolio of niche businesses through changing markets and economic downturns. He discusses the value of pattern recognition, patience, and knowing when to refine an idea, or move on. His practical business philosophy centers on keeping cash...

Business owners and corporate leaders aren’t just juggling deadlines and revenue goals they’re also battling exhaustion, information overload, and conflicting health advice. Today’s guest, Cynthia Conigliaro, founder of Work Well Webinars, brings over 25 years of experience in health, mental health, and organizational wellness to help professionals finally make sense of it all. With a background in weight loss, social work, and an MBA in organizational development, Cynthia bridges physical, emotional, and workplace well-being in a way that’s practical and sustainable. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Cynthia breaks down why so many ambitious, health-conscious people s...

Turning customers into raving fans isn’t just for rock bands and blockbuster brands, it's a repeatable business strategy backed by neuroscience. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, David Meerman Scott bestselling author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR, Fanocracy, and the upcoming The Fandom Playbook (late 2026) breaks down how fandom marketing can transform the way you grow your business in an era of AI slop and online chaos. Instead of chasing shallow clicks and fleeting attention, David shows how to build deep, emotional connections with the people you serve. You’ll hear how mirror neurons and...

Traditional networking is getting louder, colder, and more automated, and that leaves a lot of business owners feeling disconnected. Instead of forcing small talk over stale coffee, Brandie Weaver of The Listening Table is bringing people back around a real dinner table, where intentional conversation, chef-led meals, and live music create authentic relationships that actually matter. Her traveling supper club attracts Americana music fans, entrepreneurs, and business owners who are tired of transactional networking and ready for genuine community. In this episode, Brandie shares how she turned a decade of producing large-scale music festivals into a high-touch, relationship-driven business model. ...

Business and career success in the age of AI won’t come from using more tools; it will come from using them more humanely and strategically. Today’s guest, Josef Stetter of Cultural Transformation Systems and TEDx speaker behind “Humans, Not Headcounts,” has helped over 12,000 people land jobs they love, with a 90% success rate of getting them employed in under three months using proven systems that blend AI with authentic human storytelling. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Josef reframes AI not as a task-running “agent” but as a deeply personalized AI companion a system that knows your history, val...

A technically successful AEC project can still turn into a financial disappointment when profits quietly fade and cash flow stalls. Today’s guest, Marine veteran and senior project controls leader Percy M. Williams has spent over 20 years on the financial front lines of architecture, engineering, and construction projects from sub-$10,000 jobs to $100+ million programs. Drawing on experience with major multidisciplinary firms like Aecom, Percy wrote “The AEC Project Controls Playbook” to help firms safeguard profitability, improve cash flow, and deliver on their promises with integrity. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Percy breaks down why project controls aren’t just b...

Pain, loss, and unanswered questions about God can leave people feeling stuck, bitter, and far from hope. Guest author Kari Dumouchel-Parker has walked through decades of both mountaintop beauty and real-life trauma, and she’s turned those experiences into powerful stories designed to help readers heal. Drawing from over 30 years of backpacking in the Smoky Mountains, Kari weaves together physical danger, solitude, and problem-solving on the trail with the emotional and spiritual work required to face heartbreak, abuse, grief, and fear. In this episode, Kari shares how her long-distance hiking adventures, getting lost, crossing dangerous rivers, facing washed-out trails, and pu...

Business owners don’t struggle because of a lack of online opportunities; they struggle because they’re overwhelmed by options, stuck in “learning mode,” and unsure which path will actually produce a reliable income stream. Today’s guest, Stephen Somers, co-founder of Marketplace Superheroes, has helped over 10,000 students build real e-commerce income using Amazon and now the fast-growing live shopping platform Whatnot. He’s gone from quitting his 9–5 to running a global education business, bringing in expert instructors, and guiding everyday people into profitable side incomes online. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Stephen breaks down how social shopping and m...

Amy Hawk explains how a story written for her niece became a children's fantasy about courage, independence, friendship, and believing in yourself. She began writing The Tales of Rumpus in 1998 because she wanted her niece to have a strong female hero who did not wait to be rescued. Rather than outlining everything, Hawk developed her characters, let their personalities guide the story, and even changed the ending as the adventure evolved. She revisited the manuscript roughly every decade and found that its themes continued to feel relevant. Publishing required collaboration with illustrators, compromises on some visual details, and persistence with...

Lara McKeithan explains how seed-stage B2B founders can build a focused marketing engine that produces traction before they reach Series A. She typically works with startups that have launched a product, gained initial customers, and now need to scale beyond founder-led sales and marketing. Rather than trying every channel, she recommends selecting a few opportunities with the strongest potential ROI, especially when runway may be only six to twelve months. Her process considers the product, ideal customer profile, competitors, online landscape, crowded channels, and areas where customers can be reached efficiently. She emphasizes close founder collaboration while also encouraging...

Callum Kennard explains how businesses can use generative engine optimization to become the brands AI systems cite, recommend, and surface in search results. He describes SEO as the training wheels for GEO, recommending roughly three to four months of SEO traction before pursuing a dedicated AI visibility strategy. Instead of traditional keyword research, GEO focuses on longer prompts, topics, citations, and the sources large language models rely on for answers. Kennard recommends starting with a GEO audit to identify target prompts, competitors, citation sources, and industry-specific opportunities. Key measurements include visibility score, average position, sentiment, and citation share across AI-generated...

Josh Evarts explains how authentic relationships can become a business's strongest competitive advantage in an increasingly technology-driven world. Drawing on 30 years across technology, real estate development, and hospitality, he argues that healthy culture attracts better employees, customers, vendors, and opportunities. His relational leadership approach emphasizes interpersonal connection, curiosity, listening, authenticity, and intentional conversations. Evarts warns that social media followers and digital influence can easily be confused with genuine relationships, especially after the disruptions of COVID and AI. At The Vault Cigar Lounge, he built a community where the primary currency was relationship rather than competing with cheaper online cigar prices...

Many survivors of childhood abuse and betrayal are told to “forgive and move on,” yet they’re given no real guidance on how to heal, reconcile, or deal with the deep and lasting pain. Today’s guest, Pastor Margaret Mearns-Bass, author of “Broken: The Healing Power of Forgiveness After Abuse and Betrayal,” shares her remarkable story of surviving 14 years of sexual abuse by her father, navigating infidelity in her marriage, and finding genuine healing and freedom through God’s grace. In this episode, Margaret explains the critical difference between forgiveness and reconciliation, and why that distinction matters for anyone recovering from deep woun...

For many experts, the real challenge isn’t learning more or doing more, it's being clearly seen, understood, and trusted by the right people. Today’s guest, Christine Blosdale, the Expert Authority Coach behind ExpertAuthorityCoach.com, helps entrepreneurs transform their unique energy and authenticity into a powerful “bat signal” that attracts ideal clients and converts attention into revenue. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Christine shows how to use AI as an amplifier of your true voice, not as a shortcut to sounding generic. She explains how she’s trained her customized ChatGPT (lovingly named “Charlie”) to mirror her natural co...

Business owners aren’t just competing for human attention anymore, they're competing to be seen and understood by AI. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, digital insider and authority strategist Lisa Apolinski explains how your content, messaging, and online presence must now be optimized not only for search engines, but also for AI systems that increasingly “research” you on behalf of your audience. If AI can’t clearly detect what you do, who you serve, and why you’re different, you’re effectively invisible in the new digital landscape. Lisa introduces her concept of Authority Power, the ability to turn your...

Many founders spend decades building a company they hope to one day exit only to discover that the deal they dreamed about leaves them feeling lost, lonely, and full of regret. Today’s guest, Jerome Myers of Exit to Excellence, has studied more than 3,500 founder conversations, 400+ podcast interviews, and over $2.5 billion in exit value to answer a question the exit industry rarely asks: what happens to the founder when the business they built no longer needs them? In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Jerome introduces the “Founders Exit Paradox” and shares why an estimated 75% of founders regret their exit...

Most companies have smart people and solid products, yet still miss out on their biggest growth opportunities. The problem isn’t just strategy, it's that leaders keep solving familiar, comfortable problems instead of creating bold new ones that force innovation. Today’s guest, Ted Santos of Turnaround Investment Partners, works as an outsourced Chief Innovation Officer, helping CEOs deliberately create “the right problems” that unlock new markets, galvanize teams, and drive breakthrough growth. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Ted explains why effective leadership means becoming a “professional troublemaker,” the kind of CEO who sets seemingly impossible challenges and lets the...

In a world where anyone can spin up a website, ship an app, or publish a book with AI in a fraction of the time it used to take, the real competitive advantage isn’t execution, it's judgment. As tools accelerate the “doing,” the real constraint shifts to how quickly and clearly leaders can make the right decisions. Today’s guest, Jason M. Riggs, AI business leader, award-winning author, and creator of the Mach 10 Leadership series joins us to show how executives, founders, and product managers can operate at true “decision speed” without letting AI drive their teams and businesses into chaos...

Many high achievers think their stress, burnout, or anxiety are just “part of the grind.” But what if those symptoms are actually signs of something deeper unresolved grief that’s never been named or processed? Today’s guest, Dr. Michele Mariscal, has spent 30 years in health and wellness helping people move from emotional chaos to clarity using HeartMath and the Grief Recovery Method, two evidence-based modalities that connect the heart and brain so you can finally process what’s been weighing you down. Michele reframes grief far beyond death or divorce. She explains how over 40 types of loss including career changes, n...

Even highly capable leaders with clear strategies and strong skills can find themselves stuck, frustrated, or in recurring conflict often because their own brains are quietly working against them beneath the surface. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, executive coach and neuroleadership expert Carlos Davidovich, author of Five Brain Leadership, explains how understanding your “five brains” can radically improve the way you lead, communicate, and build teams that actually think for themselves. Carlos draws on his unique background as both an MD and a business coach to bridge hard neuroscience with real-world leadership challenges. Instead of drowning in theo...

Too many business owners secretly wish they could be “that person on stage” but aren’t sure how speaking actually translates into clients and revenue. Referrals, social media, and ads only go so far, and they’re still left feeling like a best-kept secret. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, speaking strategy mentor Leisa Reid, founder of Get Speaking Gigs Now and CEO of the International Speaker Network, explains how to turn public speaking into a reliable client acquisition system, without needing a massive following or celebrity status. Many entrepreneurs struggle to stand out, even when they’re great at w...

In a world where AI can generate almost any information on demand, traditional info-product businesses are quietly collapsing and many founders don’t yet realize why they feel so stuck. In this episode, returning guest Ric Thompson of TemporalRead explains why “information is free, but wisdom, judgment, and human connection are more valuable than ever” and how founders can adapt before they get left behind. Ric dives into how AI has blown up the old model of selling static courses, PDFs, and information products. Instead of competing with AI on raw knowledge (a losing game), Ric shows why the real levera...

Networking can quietly outperform almost any ad campaign but only if you approach it with structure, intention, and consistency. Dr. Ivan Misner, founder and Chief Visionary Officer of BNI, the world’s largest business networking organization, reveals how a proven referral system helped members generate over $27 billion in reported business over the last year, and how you can apply the same principles to turn casual connections into a reliable pipeline of high-quality leads. Dr. Misner explains why networking is not about showing up and pitching everyone in the room, but about teaching others exactly how to refer to you. You’ll h...

At some point, every leader reaches a place where their familiar “map” stops working where the career path, business plan, or life script they’ve relied on no longer fits what’s actually happening. The strategies that once felt solid suddenly feel outdated, and they find themselves navigating illness, reinvention, and major life transitions without clear directions forward. Today’s guest, Jeff Ton, a technology leader with 45 years of experience and author of Uncharted Moments: Love, Legacy, and the Lewis and Clark Trail, knows that terrain firsthand. What began as a series of RV trips retracing the Lewis and Clark expedition...

Many people never reach their potential not because they lack talent, but because fear, doubt, and adversity stop them before they even begin. Today’s guest, Audley Stephenson, has spent nearly two decades proving that an “audacious” approach to life can change everything. From being rejected as a sports TV intern to interviewing NBA legends like Kobe and LeBron, becoming a professional basketball commissioner, and rebuilding his purpose after the pandemic, Audley has turned setbacks into fuel for growth. On Marketer of the Day, Audley shares the heart behind his brand and body of work: the BOLD framework: Better than yester...

When a senior expert walks out the door, years of judgment, pattern-recognition, and relationship capital often vanish with them. Dr. Bruce Dorey, founder of Jes-AI and author of Lift: Passing the Craft, and Digital Bell specializes in stopping that silent knowledge leak. Drawing on his decades in HVAC, sales engineering, and leadership, Bruce shows how AI can systematically capture “tribal knowledge” from conversations, documents, and deals so that future teams can still benefit from the hard-won lessons of today’s top performers. Bruce also shares the idea of the Digital Bell, a modern, AI-powered way to snap out of autopilot and da...

In fast-growing companies and competitive tech hubs, culture can quietly become the deciding factor between loyal, engaged teams and constant turnover. Today’s guest, Heather Page, Culture and Experience Manager at AdvancedMD, shares how her journey from hand-coding websites in the early days of the internet to building brand and people-first initiatives prepared her to design an environment where nearly 700 team members feel connected, valued, and excited to show up on Monday. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Heather reveals how her background in UX and digital experience naturally evolved into human experience and internal culture. She explains wh...

Hidden blind spots, ego, and unexamined assumptions quietly sabotage trust, culture, and growth for even the smartest leaders. Today’s guest, Bill Miller, veteran executive, advisor, and author of “What Every CEO Must Know: 37 Secrets to Lead with Confidence and Power” and “The Rookie CEO: You Can’t Make This Stuff Up,” helps founders and CEOs uncover the costly leadership mistakes everyone else can see but no one feels safe enough to say out loud. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Bill breaks down the concept of CEO blind spots, those invisible gaps in thinking and decision-making that show up in h...

Many hardworking professionals are doing “all the right things” financially, earning a solid income, contributing to their 401(k), and saving consistently yet still feel like true financial freedom is out of reach. Today’s guest, John Casmon of Casmon Capital, shows busy corporate professionals how to change that trajectory by investing in multifamily apartments in a way that builds wealth and cash flow without turning them into stressed-out, hands-on landlords. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, John pulls back the curtain on how apartment investing really works and why treating real estate like a business, not a lottery ticket...

High performers often look successful on the outside while quietly running on fumes inside. Today’s guest, Rita Ainsworth, is a former performance marketer who hit burnout twice in a fast-paced Meta ads career before walking away at the peak of her success. Now, she coaches founders, operators, and marketers on how their nervous system state directly shapes performance, decision-making, and leadership, and how to rebuild sustainable success from the inside out. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Rita shares what really drives stress, anxiety, and overworking, and why it’s not your external circumstances. She explains how high...

When life feels like an endless loop of the same problems, bad relationships, sabotaged sales calls, recurring self-doubt, it’s usually not a lack of willpower. It’s deeper patterns, hidden beliefs, and subconscious blocks quietly steering your choices. Today’s guest, Beth McGill of ThriveFlourishGrow.com, is a certified hypnotherapist, energy healer, spiritual mentor, and best‑selling author who helps people finally break those patterns by working at the root level of mind, body, and spirit. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Beth explains how our thoughts, language, and energetic patterns shape our reality often more than we reali...

Most experts don’t struggle to grow their business because they lack talent or results, they struggle because their message isn’t landing, their online presence is weak, and their podcast guesting feels random instead of strategic. Today’s guest, Josh Elledge, fractional Chief Revenue Officer and founder of Pod Verified, has launched over 300 podcasts, hosted more than 3,000 episodes, made 3,000+ traditional media appearances, and helped clients generate over $40 million using relationship‑driven podcast guesting strategies. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Josh breaks down how to become the kind of podcast guest hosts want back again and again, and how...