Monetization remains the great unsolved puzzle for most podcasters, with traditional advertising models serving only the top 5% of shows. But what if the problem isn't your audience size, but rather the broken business model itself?

Jeffrey Specter, founder of CodeADX and former radio executive, pulls back the curtain on why the podcast industry's CPM (cost per thousand) approach fundamentally fails smaller creators. "The overwhelming majority of shows really can't make money because the business model is broken unless you're a very big show," Spector explains. With recent reports showing that the top 500 podcasts represent over 80% of all advertising revenue, the disparity couldn't be clearer.

Even when creators do secure advertising, the financial reality is sobering. What begins as a $75-100 CPM gets whittled down through multiple intermediaries—ad agencies taking half, sales organizations taking 30-40%—until creators might receive just $2-5 per thousand listeners. Add to this the industry's notoriously delayed payment schedules (often 90-120 days), and the situation becomes even more challenging for independent voices.

The solution? A revolutionary marketplace that pays creators based on their influence rather than their audience size. CodeADX connects podcasters directly with carefully vetted brands through a commission-based model, enabling even small shows to generate substantial revenue. Spector shares the remarkable story of a podcaster with fewer than 1,000 downloads who earned nearly $2,500 by generating $16,000 in sales for a footwear brand—something impossible under traditional advertising models.

This approach benefits everyone involved: listeners receive exclusive discounts, creators earn immediate commissions (paid the same day as the purchase), and brands pay only when actual sales occur. Most importantly, it allows for authentic integration rather than interruption, preserving the intimate connection that makes podcasting powerful.

Ready to transform how you monetize your podcast? Visit CodeADX.com to join a platform that values your influence, not just your download numbers.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by USC Annenberg’s Master of Science in Digital Media Management (MSDMM) program. An online master’s designed to prepare practitioners to understand the evolving media landscape, make data-driven and ethical decisions, and build a more equitable future by leading diverse teams with the technical, artistic, analytical, and production skills needed to create engaging content and technologies for the global marketplace. Learn more or apply today at https://dmm.usc.edu.

What if the secret to massive e-commerce growth wasn't a marketing gimmick, but something as simple as improving by just 1% every day? Meet Sabir Semerkant, the accidental marketing genius whose systematic approach has generated over $1 billion in incremental revenue for more than 200 brands worldwide.

Sabir's journey began as a programming prodigy at age six, eventually leading to a pivotal moment when he was tasked with rebuilding VitaminShop.com after bankruptcy. What started as an engineering project transformed into a business revolution when he replaced a million-dollar search engine with his own creation (humorously named "MOSES" - My Own Search Engine by Sabir), instantly boosting conversion rates from 3% to 12%. This experience launched his 25-year career as an e-commerce growth specialist.

The heart of Sabir's methodology is deceptively simple: improve one meaningful KPI by just 1% each workday. This tortoise-like approach compounds dramatically, realistically delivering 10X growth within 12-18 months for committed entrepreneurs. But his most valuable insight might be his ability to diagnose the real barriers to growth. While many brands obsess over ad creative, they ignore fundamental issues like page load speed (averaging 28 seconds on most Shopify stores) while customer attention spans cap at just 1.7 seconds.

Sabir also provides fascinating insights into properly implementing AI tools for e-commerce growth. Rather than viewing AI as a replacement, he advocates using multiple tools in combination (Claude, ChatGPT, Manos) as augmentation to accelerate testing cycles. The right implementation allows entrepreneurs to generate and evaluate hundreds of creative variations rapidly, dramatically accelerating growth.

For entrepreneurs ready to implement these principles, Sabir distinguishes between "involved" entrepreneurs (who delegate critical learning) versus "committed" entrepreneurs who personally lead transformation. As he colorfully explains: "The chicken is involved in breakfast - it laid the egg. The cow is committed - it gave itself for the steak." Which one are you?

Ready to apply these growth principles to your business? Learn more about Sabir's 8D method and Rapid2x program at growthbysabir.com/USC.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by USC Annenberg’s Master of Science in Digital Media Management (MSDMM) program. An online master’s designed to prepare practitioners to understand the evolving media landscape, make data-driven and ethical decisions, and build a more equitable future by leading diverse teams with the technical, artistic, analytical, and production skills needed to create engaging content and technologies for the global marketplace. Learn more or apply today at https://dmm.usc.edu.

Every business owner dreams of growth systems that work automatically while they focus on what they love. Reed Hansen, founder of Market Surge, has turned this dream into reality for service-based businesses across multiple industries by combining powerful CRM systems with cutting-edge AI.

The journey began with his wife's photography business. Unlike most creatives, she was incredibly process-oriented, allowing her to maintain a full calendar while other photographers experienced feast-or-famine cycles. Reed recognized this as a formula that could transform similar businesses. "We took her processes and replicated them for photography studios across the country, and they saw tremendous success," he explains. This approach—partnering with industry experts to create tailored solutions—became the foundation of Market Surge's growth strategy.

What makes Reed's approach distinct is his recognition that different service industries face unique challenges. Photographers struggle with lead generation during busy periods, plumbers need help preventing appointment no-shows, and high-volume sales businesses like solar installation companies require sophisticated systems to handle their complex workflows. By understanding these nuances, Market Surge creates customized implementations that address specific pain points rather than forcing generic solutions.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn when Reed discusses how AI is democratizing business growth for small service providers. Beyond content creation, he highlights practical applications that directly impact the bottom line: AI receptionists that never miss calls, intelligent systems that analyze business trends, and even agentic AI that can perform complex tasks autonomously. "These powerful tools enable people to do more of the jobs they like and find the right customers," Reed notes, emphasizing how technology can remove barriers that previously limited growth.

Perhaps most surprising is Reed's revelation about marketing his own business. Despite his sales background, traditional outreach proved less effective than increasing his visibility through podcasting, networking, and content creation. "What's funny is I don't know that I've had any direct new clients from those approaches, but it does seem like my relationship with clients is stronger when they see multiple touch points from where I'm present in these conversations."

Whether you're a solopreneur looking to scale, a creative seeking more consistent income, or a service business owner tired of missing opportunities, this conversation offers practical insights on leveraging technology to create growth systems that truly work while you sleep.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by USC Annenberg’s Master of Science in Digital Media Management (MSDMM) program. An online master’s designed to prepare practitioners to understand the evolving media landscape, make data-driven and ethical decisions, and build a more equitable future by leading diverse teams with the technical, artistic, analytical, and production skills needed to create engaging content and technologies for the global marketplace. Learn more or apply today at https://dmm.usc.edu.

Katie Gray's journey from traditional agency work to founding her own marketing collective reveals a refreshing new model for the industry. After experiencing the limitations of conventional agency structures—where junior marketers get thrust into high-stakes roles prematurely and burnout leads to high turnover—she built Kinetic Marketing Communications as a solution.

The secret? A nationwide network of senior-level specialists who collaborate as independent contractors. This approach eliminates geographical constraints while ensuring clients work with true experts in each marketing discipline. Unlike traditional agencies that often switch account teams mid-project, Kinetic provides continuity with proven professionals who deliver consistently excellent work.

Gray draws a compelling parallel between marketing and medicine—both fields require specialists with deep expertise in particular areas. Just as you wouldn't want a general practitioner performing brain surgery, why would you want a junior generalist handling your specialized marketing needs? This philosophy has allowed Kinetic to build teams precisely matched to each client's unique requirements.

When discussing artificial intelligence's role in marketing, Gray acknowledges its utility while emphasizing its limitations. "Buying is 95% emotion," she reminds us, explaining that while AI can help with outlines and frameworks, authentic human connection remains essential. Content must feel like it comes from a person, not an algorithm—a distinction today's savvy audiences can readily identify.

For aspiring marketers, Gray offers valuable advice: gain broad exposure at larger agencies to discover your niche, but be cautious about accepting responsibilities beyond your current abilities. The agency world provides invaluable training, but premature advancement can lead to failure.

Want to experience the difference a team of senior specialists can make for your marketing? Connect with Kinetic Marketing Communications on LinkedIn or visit KineticComms.com to learn how their collective approach delivers agency-quality work without the traditional overhead.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by USC Annenberg’s Master of Science in Digital Media Management (MSDMM) program. An online master’s designed to prepare practitioners to understand the evolving media landscape, make data-driven and ethical decisions, and build a more equitable future by leading diverse teams with the technical, artistic, analytical, and production skills needed to create engaging content and technologies for the global marketplace. Learn more or apply today at https://dmm.usc.edu.

What does it truly mean to be human in an age of artificial intelligence? David DeWolf, founder of KnownWell, offers a refreshingly nuanced perspective on how AI should enhance our humanity rather than diminish it.

Having built and sold a 2,500-person digital products company before founding KnownWell in 2023, DeWolf observed a critical gap in how businesses were approaching AI. While many focused solely on advancing the technology or boosting personal productivity, few were addressing how AI would transform business leadership, organizational structure, and human relationships.

DeWolf's solution tackles what he calls the "professional services paradox" – the phenomenon where the very human elements that drive growth (relationships and specialized knowledge) traditionally undermine scalability. By analyzing natural information flows between service providers and clients, KnownWell creates objective relationship health metrics for businesses that previously relied on subjective assessments. The results are remarkable: companies using the platform see a 50-60% reduction in at-risk clients within six months.

Beyond the technological innovation, DeWolf shares profound insights about purpose-driven leadership, challenging the conventional notion of work-life balance. "I am a single human being," he explains, advocating for integration rather than separation between professional and personal identities. For aspiring entrepreneurs, he emphasizes the importance of "humble confidence" – the seemingly contradictory combination of unwavering determination and genuine openness to learning that characterizes successful founders.

Whether you're a business leader navigating the AI revolution, an educator wondering how to prepare students for this new landscape, or an entrepreneur seeking to build something meaningful, DeWolf's conversation offers valuable wisdom about maintaining our essential humanity while embracing technological advancement.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by USC Annenberg’s Master of Science in Digital Media Management (MSDMM) program. An online master’s designed to prepare practitioners to understand the evolving media landscape, make data-driven and ethical decisions, and build a more equitable future by leading diverse teams with the technical, artistic, analytical, and production skills needed to create engaging content and technologies for the global marketplace. Learn more or apply today at https://dmm.usc.edu.

When you ask "Mexican food for dinner?" you're engaging in the most basic form of survey methodology—but as Dr. Philip Garland reveals, there's a profound science to questioning that shapes everything from presidential elections to product development.

Dr. Garland's remarkable journey began with a personal mission. As a freshman experiencing racism at University of Washington, he abandoned engineering aspirations to study political science and communications, determined to understand how media shapes perceptions. This path led through Stanford, groundbreaking dissertation research on racial attitudes, and ultimately to transforming SurveyMonkey from a basic tool into a sophisticated research platform.

The difference between amateur and professional questioning is striking. Simply adding "if any" to "How many movies have you seen this month?" dramatically changes responses by normalizing zero as an acceptable answer. This precision matters enormously: Dr. Garland controversially argues that the widely-used Net Promoter Score is "not worth the paper it's printed on" because fundamentally different data patterns can yield identical scores, potentially driving businesses to identical conclusions from vastly different customer feedback.

During the 2012 presidential election, Dr. Garland's team correctly predicted 48 of 50 states, helping legitimize online polling by leveraging SurveyMonkey's massive reach. Looking ahead, he sees AI dramatically improving survey efficiency while still requiring human responses: "No amount of data simulation can replace asking real human beings real questions."

Perhaps most concerning is how media fragmentation affects our political landscape. When people only encounter views reinforcing existing beliefs, meaningful dialogue becomes impossible. For entrepreneurs, proper survey methodology helps determine whether you're solving a problem for five people or five million—critical information before investing significant resources.

Ready to harness the power of data-driven decision making? Dive deeper into digital media strategy with USC Annenberg's MS in Digital Media Management program.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by USC Annenberg’s Master of Science in Digital Media Management (MSDMM) program. An online master’s designed to prepare practitioners to understand the evolving media landscape, make data-driven and ethical decisions, and build a more equitable future by leading diverse teams with the technical, artistic, analytical, and production skills needed to create engaging content and technologies for the global marketplace. Learn more or apply today at https://dmm.usc.edu.

Elizabeth Bieniek takes us on a fascinating journey from aspiring creative writer to tech innovator, challenging our assumptions about career paths and technology's purpose along the way. With refreshing candor and New York-style directness, she reveals how her English degree and outsider perspective became unexpected assets in the tech world.

At the heart of our conversation lies a powerful message: technology should connect humans, not separate them. This principle guided Elizabeth's development of WebEx Hologram at Cisco – a groundbreaking system designed to create genuine feelings of co-presence across geographic distances. Rather than beginning with technical capabilities, she started by asking how to solve real human problems, like helping remote participants feel included in meetings or enabling better understanding of three-dimensional objects.

What's particularly inspiring about Elizabeth's story is her approach to innovation within a corporate environment. Rather than waiting for permission, she created opportunities by attending conferences, exploring demos, and presenting solutions that addressed business needs her leadership hadn't yet recognized. When given a small opening, she "took a mile" – leveraging curiosity and initiative to transform ideas into reality.

After eight years leading this venture, Elizabeth captured her insights in "Cake on Tuesday: 25 Lessons to Unlock Corporate Innovation." The playful title references her team's practice of deliberately incorporating joy into the development process – including a "Wheel of Winning" where team members could win cake deliveries during challenging phases.

Today, Elizabeth helps organizations that are successful in one area but need to evolve to remain competitive. Her advice is refreshingly practical: keep innovations simple, celebrate progress rather than fixating on what's left to do, and never underestimate the power of asking "why?" Her journey proves that with curiosity, initiative, and human-centered design principles, anyone – regardless of technical background – can become a successful innovator in today's digital landscape.

Ready to be inspired to bring more humanity and joy to your innovation journey? Listen now and discover how to unlock your creative potential while keeping people at the center of technological advancement.

Check out Cake on Tuesday: 25 Lessons to Unlock Corporate Innovation

This podcast is proudly sponsored by USC Annenberg’s Master of Science in Digital Media Management (MSDMM) program. An online master’s designed to prepare practitioners to understand the evolving media landscape, make data-driven and ethical decisions, and build a more equitable future by leading diverse teams with the technical, artistic, analytical, and production skills needed to create engaging content and technologies for the global marketplace. Learn more or apply today at https://dmm.usc.edu.

When Stephen Sakash began his journey from journalism school to digital marketing, he never imagined he'd be at the forefront of using artificial intelligence to make marketing more human. Yet that's exactly where his path has led him – developing an AI Chief Marketing Officer tool that helps businesses uncover their higher purpose and translate it into emotionally resonant campaigns.

At the heart of Sakash's approach is a concept he calls BLISS: Building Love Into Scalable Systems. This framework addresses a critical challenge many growing companies face – maintaining authenticity and emotional connection while scaling operations. Without deliberate attention to these elements, businesses often lose the very soul that made them successful as they systematize their processes. Sakash's solution? Consistently finding ways to infuse empathy and purpose into every aspect of marketing and operations.

The results speak for themselves. According to research Sakash cites, customers with strong emotional connections deliver 306% more lifetime value. This underscores why marketers should focus less on features and benefits and more on crafting narratives that make people feel something meaningful. His AI tool helps uncover these emotional connections while saving marketers significant time – potentially allowing them to accomplish in minutes what might otherwise take days.

What makes Sakash's perspective particularly valuable is his focus on using AI to enhance human empathy rather than diminish it. While many AI developers prioritize efficiency and profit maximization, he deliberately programmed his tool to prompt marketers to tell better stories and consider all stakeholders – not just shareholders. "AI is only going to amplify our better angels or our inner demons," Sakash warns, "and we need more people talking about how it can amplify our better angels."

For aspiring marketing professionals, Sakash offers clear guidance: find meaning in your work and look for ways to build love into whatever systems you touch. By approaching business from this perspective, you'll create more effective campaigns and contribute to more fulfilling workplaces where people feel connected to something larger than themselves. Subscribe to our podcast for more conversations with digital innovators who are reshaping the future of media and marketing.

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This podcast is proudly sponsored by USC Annenberg’s Master of Science in Digital Media Management (MSDMM) program. An online master’s designed to prepare practitioners to understand the evolving media landscape, make data-driven and ethical decisions, and build a more equitable future by leading diverse teams with the technical, artistic, analytical, and production skills needed to create engaging content and technologies for the global marketplace. Learn more or apply today at https://dmm.usc.edu.