Brent Davidson built a 500-person trade show for HVAC contractors from scratch — and in this episode, he breaks down the business model behind it: how exhibitors and sponsors pay the bills, how to design attendee flow, and why in-person marketplaces are more durable than anything algorithm-dependent. Matt and Kolby dig into the operational side of running a trade show — from booth pricing and venue logistics to speaker strategy and influencer relationships. If you're thinking about events as a media business model, this is the blueprint.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction & What Is the US Heat Pump Summit

02:12 Why Build a Trade Show

05:15 Trade Shows vs. Conferences

07:03 Ticket Pricing, Booth Costs & Revenue Model

09:39 Balancing Attendee Tickets With Exhibitor Value

11:29 Vendor Tickets

13:13 The Role of Media & Content in Growing the Event

17:41 How Brent Sells Tickets

19:26 Post-Purchase Surveys

21:27 HVAC Influencers

24:28 Should Influencers Attend the Event to Drive Tickets?

26:34 Promo Codes, Measurability & Implied Endorsement

28:35 Audience-Event Fit

30:29 Getting Your First Sponsors & Exhibitors

32:35 Proving ROI to Sponsors

35:02 What Other Trade Show Opportunities Exist Right Now

37:35 Hosted Buyer Programs & The Hidden Revenue Model

38:16 How Big Can the Heat Pump Summit Get?

41:24 Exit Strategies & Building an Event Conglomerate

43:52 Private Equity in the Trades & the Blue Parachute Idea

44:10 Mike Rowe & the Role of Celebrity at Trade Events

47:23 Final Advice

🔗 Connect with Brent Davidson:

LinkedIn
US Heat Pump Summit

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In today’s episode, we sit down with Matt Ragland to break down how top creators actually build leverage, grow audiences, and scale sustainable media businesses. We dive into frameworks that make you memorable, the reality of plateauing on YouTube, and how to evolve from solo creator to true operator. Matt also shares lessons from working behind the scenes with some of the biggest names in newsletters and creator education.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Matt Ragland
03:42 Why Every Creator Needs a Framework
07:19 The Gap & Wrap System Explained
10:34 What Makes a Framework Actually Work
13:48 How Frameworks Drive Content & Growth
16:36 Types of Frameworks (Acronyms, Visuals, Mental Models)
20:05 The Real Shift: From Creator to Operator
25:55 Why Growth Plateaus (And What Changes Next)
31:28 The Truth About YouTube Growth Today
36:41 The Substack Trap (And Why Most People Get It Wrong)

🔗 Connect with Matt Ragland:

• MattRagland.com
• Matt's YouTube Channel

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In today’s episode we break down four media companies including Breaking Points, Starter Story, Lenny's Newsletter, and Colin and Samir's creator summit, pulling out what's working, what's being left on the table, and what every media founder should take notes on. Plus, we get into the AI slop debate and what it actually means for creators trying to build something real.

Timestamps:

00:00 Overview of Topics
01:04 Breaking Points: A Case Study in New Media Success
13:39 Starter Story's Acquisition by HubSpot
24:15 Lenny's Newsletter: A B2B Creator's Journey
33:30 Colin and Samir's LA Creator Summit
35:03 The Importance of Marketing for Creators
37:14 How To Make A Great Event
43:17 Monetization Strategies for Events
49:58 The Rise of AI-Generated Content
57:02 Navigating the Future of AI in Media

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

Breaking Points
Starter Story
Lenny's Newsletter
Colin and Samir's LA Creator Summit

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