#seen
#seen by Sked Social is where social media finally gets real. Hosted by Lachlan Bradford, #seen dives into the people, ideas, and experiments shaping what it actually means to treat socials seriously. The unfiltered side of content, community, and creativity. Each episode cuts through the brand-safe noise to show how today’s best social managers, creators, and marketers build influence online without the playbook. From the chaos behind viral posts to the systems that make creativity repeatable, #seen is for anyone who lives and breathes social... and wants to get better at it.
Larissa Andrianakos on the Psychology Behind Content That Actually Works
Most people aren’t bad at social… they’re just overthinking it.
In this episode, I sit down with Larissa Andrianakos (Senior Social Creative at Ogilvy) to unpack what actually makes content work right now and why confidence is probably the most underrated skill on the internet.
We get into:
why “perfect” content is usually the thing that flopshow small, almost invisible details drive engagementthe balance between gut feel and data in creativewhat brands still don’t understand about socialand how putting yourself out there opens more doors than any strategy deck ever willMedya Gungor on Why Most Brand Content Still Feels Forced
Most brands are still trying to win attention with content that feels safe, polished, and instantly forgettable.
This week, Lach is joined by Medya Gungor from Zeno London to chat about what actually earns attention now — from creators and community to cultural tension, impact, and why the best brand ideas usually start with a real human problem.
Proudly brought to you by Sked Social.
Lauren Meisner: The Playbook for Winning in Internet Culture
Being “chronically online” might be the most valuable skill right now.
Lauren Meisner, founder of Centennial World, has built a media brand off the back of internet culture, creators, and understanding what people actually care about online.
We talk authenticity, trends, burnout, community, and why most brands are still playing catch up.
This one will change how you think about social.
This episode is brought to you by Sked Social. Start your FREE 14 day trial now.
Shelley Strater on why most brands are measuring social media completely wrong
Most brands think social media success means more followers and more views.
Shelley Strater says that’s completely wrong.
Shelley has spent 15+ years working across social media, digital marketing and content strategy, helping brands understand the real drivers behind audience growth — human behaviour, emotional connection and community.
In this episode of #seen, we talk about what actually moves the needle online and why chasing vanity metrics like follower counts and views can lead brands in the wrong direction.
Shelley brea...
Chris Mansour: The 17-year-old who beat the algorithm
A 17-year-old dropped out of school, picked up a camera, and accidentally learned more about the internet than most marketing teams.
In this episode of #seen, Lach Bradford sits down with Chris Mansour — a teenage videographer who went from filming real estate listings at 15 to helping founders build personal brands online.
Seven months ago, Chris dropped out of school and took a bet: get his boss (big, bad Timmy James) to 10,000 Instagram followers in exchange for $10K and a job.
Wh...
Maddie King on taste, trauma & taking big swings
She tore both ACLs, lost her dad, battled cancer — and still built one of the sharpest marketing brains in the game.
This week on the pod, Lach sits down with Maddie King — product marketer at Canva, ex-Unilever brand manager (Dove, Rexona, Lynx), former TikTok brand strategist, early Magic Brief marketing lead (acquired by Canva), and professional LinkedIn “shitposter.”
What unfolds is way more than a career chat. It’s a masterclass in resilience, taste, creative judgment, and building a marketing career that actually means something.
Maddie opens up about:
...The truth about social media in 2026 with Matt Navarra
Social media isn’t burning you out, your workflow might be.
In this episode, Lach sits down with Matt Navarra — social strategist, consultant, media commentator, and author of the Geekout newsletter — to unpack the realities of working in social today.
From Matt’s unconventional career path (banking, teaching, government comms) to becoming one of the most trusted voices in the industry, this conversation dives into:
• ADHD and why social media attracts neurodivergent brains
• Burnout, boundaries, and shaping work around how you actually operate
• AI as your wingman — not...
Rich Henson on turning customer chaos into product clarity
Ideas are infinite now. Execution is the real bottleneck.
In this episode, Lach sits down with Rich Henson, Product Manager at Sked Social, to unpack what actually happens between customer feedback and product launches — and why most social teams are drowning in ideas but starving for clarity.
From rebuilding approvals (and killing the screenshot era) to spotting early signals around AI adoption, Rich shares what five years inside Sked has taught him about workflow, burnout, and building tools that don’t replace social media managers — but empower them.
T...
How brands earn culture (not borrow it), with Cal Ritchie
Most brands don’t need better content. They need better community instincts.
In this episode of Seen, Lach sits down with social strategist Cal Ritchie from Iris Worldwide to unpack what actually makes social work right now.
Cal started his career in community management and never lost touch with it. That foundation shapes everything he does, from big brand strategy to the smallest DM interaction.
Together, they talk about why community managers make better strategists, how “boring” brands can win on social, and why starting on social before big campai...
Gen Fricker on creativity, burnout, and trusting the process
You don’t need a hot take on everything, and forcing one might be what’s burning you out.
In this episode, Lach Bradford sits down with Gen Fricker to talk about creativity in the internet age, finding your voice before algorithms existed, and what it really means to build a career that lasts. From early Twitter and Triple J to stand-up comedy, touring, and content creation today, Gen shares the lessons you only learn by doing, and by failing publicly.
We talk about creative burnout, trusting the process, why nothing you make is ever wast...
Kriti Gupta on living online without losing your mind
Social media didn’t just change how we post, it changed how we think, rest, work, and connect.
In this episode, Lach Bradford sits down with Kriti Gupta to unpack what it really means to live online. From starting out running Facebook events for community groups, to working across publishing, big brands, and building her own venture In My Head, Kriti shares the unfiltered realities of working in media without burning yourself out.
We talk about fake productivity, why boredom is a lost skill, the pressure to speak on everything, authenticity as a misunderstood buzzword, an...
The anti marketing playbook with Lena Tuck
Social media doesn’t need more trends.
It needs better taste, conviction, and people who actually understand the feed.
In this episode of #seen, host Lach Bradford is joined by Lena Tuck — a freelance social video producer who’s helped brands, creators, and major platforms grow by throwing out the rule book.
We talk about:
Why repeatable formats beat chasing trends
Why comments matter more than views
How TikTok flipped marketing on its head
The real burnout signs social media managers ignore
Why doubling down w...
The underrated skills every Social Media Manager needs with Yasmin Cooke
Social media isn’t broken, we’re just forgetting the people.
In this episode of #seen, Lach sits down with Yasmin Cooke, Social Media & Content Manager at EMU Australia, to unpack what great social actually looks like today.
Yasmin leads social, content, PR, creators, UGC, and community for a global brand — and brings a refreshingly grounded, people-first perspective to strategy, storytelling, and scale.
They cover:
Why connection beats trends every time
How to balance data, gut feel, and creativity
The underrated power of community management
Repeti...
From dropout to Spotify: Yazan Al Tamimi on social that actually works
Yazan Al Tamimi doesn’t do vanity metrics. He builds systems that last.
From dropping out of school at 15 in Jordan to becoming a founding member of Spotify MENA, Yazan has helped launch Spotify across Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and beyond — driving record-breaking engagement, viral cultural moments, and real business impact at scale.
In this episode of #seen, we unpack:
Why the best social media managers are actually educators
How Spotify separated organic, paid, and performance (and why shares + saves mattered more than followers)
The balance between structure and chao...
20 social media hot takes for 2026 (no one asked, we delivered)
This week on the #seen Roundtable, Lach Bradford, Gabby Torres-Soler, and Hana Block dive head-first into 20 of the spiciest social media hot takes for 2026.
From trial reels and daily posting myths, to vibe-coding, AI slop, burnout, memes, creators-turned-founders, and whether LinkedIn is becoming Instagram for adults — nothing is off limits!!
Gabby just got back from Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball (twice), Hana is coming in with the most quietly savage takes of the year, and Lachy is… well, Lachy.
If you work in social, run a brand, manage a community, or just want to hea...
If AI levels the playing field, what makes you valuable? – Georgie Healy
This week on the #seen podcast, we sit down with Georgie Healy — the marketer, operator, and AI strategist who helped launch Google’s first AI Startup Accelerator in ANZ.
What starts as a chat between two internet kids reminiscing about MySpace layouts and MSN fonts turns into a ridiculously deep dive on the future of marketing, authenticity online, AI literacy, personal branding, creativity, and how to stay sane while the industry shapeshifts underneath us.
Georgie breaks down:
How marketers should actually be using AI (and what to avoid)
Why “AI slop” is killi...
The producer playbook: crafting stories people actually care about – Jess Smalley
Jess Smalley has been behind some of the biggest podcasts in Australia — Mark Bouris, Two Doting Dads, plus a heap of shows she’ll never publicly take credit for.
Now she’s building her own thing.
Sharing the game she’s been running behind the scenes for years.
Starting from zero again — which is brutal, humbling, and very, very real.
In this episode we unpack:
Why audience building starts way earlier than people think
How to actually craft stories people care about
The producer secrets that make good guest...
How great brands turn trust into pipeline - Issac Peiris from Pistachio
Most companies think they have a marketing problem.
Isaac Peiris will tell you they have a go-to-market problem.
In this episode of #seen — a podcast by Sked Social, Lachlan Bradford sits down with Isaac Peiris, founder of Pistachio, to unpack why brands struggle to turn positioning into pipeline — and what to do about it.
Isaac has led growth at The Daily Aus (180k subscribers in 10 months), scaled Mamamia’s membership business to $170k+ MRR, and built GTM systems for a bunch of successful teams.
Across all of it, he’s seen the same issue: s...
The truth about social in 2025: trends, hot takes & what’s coming in 2026
This episode is the honest, no-BS breakdown social marketers actually needed.
Lach, Gabby (Head of Growth), and Hana (Campaign Manager) sit down to unpack Sked’s 2025 Social Trends Report — and reveal what really played out this year.
From trends that exploded to ones that died quietly, we dig into the strategies that shaped 2025 and what every marketer should prepare for heading into 2026.
Inside the episode:
The difference between “raw” and “reckless” personal content
Why trend cycles are now algorithmically fragmented (and what that means for you)
How partnerships evolved in 2...
Making TikTok work for you (without selling your soul) – Josh Bailey from CoCo
Most brands obsess over “going viral.” Almost none know what to do after it happens.
In this episode of #seen — a podcast by Sked Social, Lachlan Bradford sits down with Josh Bailey, former TikTok insider and founder of CoCo, to unpack what brands actually get wrong about social.
Josh spent years inside TikTok watching the same mistakes play out again and again: chasing luck, copying trends, obsessing over reach, and ignoring the one thing that matters most — building content systems that create familiarity over time.
From l...
Using your real voice online (and getting away with it) - Renee Shaw from tl;dv
Most brands talk about being “authentic.”
Renee Shaw actually is.
In our first episode of #seen — a podcast by Sked Social, host Lach Bradford sits down with the woman behind some of LinkedIn’s funniest and most fearless B2B content. Renee runs social for tl;dv — an AI meeting assistant built for teams who’d rather not rewatch their entire Zoom recordings, and she’s doing it her way.
No dashboards. No templates. Just taste, humour, and three coffees and a cigarette before hitting post.
This is how a jaded LinkedIn shit-poster tu...
