▶️ In this episode of the Marketing Boost, we sit down with Franklin Morris, founder and CEO of KeepTabz, an AI-powered competitive intelligence platform. Franklin shares his journey from being a VP of Marketing at a venture-scaled business to launching his own startup. We dive deep into why competitive intelligence is no longer just for "the big guys" and how AI is changing the way we process market signals.

Host:

Leon Hitchens

➤ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonhitchens/

➤ X: https://x.com/leonhitchens

➤ Website: https://leonhitchens.com/

Guest:

Franklin Morris: Founder and CEO of KeepTabz

➤ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franklinmorris/

➤ KeepTabz Website: https://www.keeptabz.ai/

➤ KeepTabz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/keeptabz/

Find Us:

➤ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBoostChannel

➤ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2AHGT1Aoq9oAHZEHeORBpa

➤ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marketing-boost/id1720047128

➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBoostChannel

Key Discussion Points

🔹The "KeepTabz" Origin Story: After years of managing marketing for B2B SaaS companies, Franklin realized that keeping up with competitors was a manual nightmare of 50 open browser tabs and forgotten spreadsheets. He built KeepTabz to automate this process for the mid-market.

🔹The AI Revolution in Marketing: How AI allows small teams to perform enterprise-level research, tracking everything from pricing page tweaks and Terms of Service updates to SEO performance and social media activity.

🔹Ignore vs. Obsess: Franklin addresses the common "don't look at your competitors" advice. While you shouldn't let them dictate your roadmap, your customers are definitely looking at them. Understanding the market is essential for building trust.

🔹Signal vs. Noise: The biggest challenge in 2026 isn't a lack of data; it's the overwhelming volume of it. Franklin explains how his team shifted from "gathering data" to "interpreting strategic meaning" using AI agents.

🔹Founder-Led Growth: Why sharing expertise in communities (Slack, Reddit, LinkedIn) is more effective for early-stage trust-building than traditional outbound or SEO.

Memorable Quotes

"Whether you're paying attention to competitors or not, your customers definitely are. You actually don't get to determine who your competitors are, that's determined by your customers."

"Marketing has been more like 'ing' than 'market' lately. It’s been about doing activities and maybe not paying as much attention to the market itself."

Resources Mentioned

🔹KeepTabz: AI-powered competitive intelligence.

🔹Alloy AI: Franklin's previous home in the retail analytics space.

🔹Clay: Mentioned as a gold standard for building marketing trust.

🔹Adam Robinson (RB2B): Discussion on inbound-led outbound strategies.

🔹Geekdom: The San Antonio-based startup community where the recording took place.

Where to Find Franklin Morris

🔹Website: keeptabz.ai

🔹LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/franklinmorris (Remember: it's Morris, not Morrison!)

Zac Brown returns to the show to discuss the bold transition from Nonprofits HQ to GiveKit. While the original name was SEO-friendly, it lacked brand recall and was difficult for customers to communicate. Zac explains how they executed a complete name and identity change in just two weeks, and why "moving fast and breaking things" remains a valid strategy for growing companies.

Host:

Leon Hitchens
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonhitchens/
X: https://x.com/leonhitchens
Website: https://leonhitchens.com/

Guests:

Zac Brown: CEO of GiveKit
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacjordanbrown/
GiveKit Website: https://givekit.org/

Find Us:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBoostChannel
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2AHGT1Aoq9oAHZEHeORBpa
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marketing-boost/id1720047128
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBoostChannel
Website: https://theboost.fm/

Key Takeaways

• The "Two-Week" Rebrand: Why Zac chose a lightning-fast rollout over a prolonged transition to maintain momentum and minimize over-analysis.
• Brand Recall vs. SEO: Why a "functional" name like Nonprofits HQ actually hurts word-of-mouth marketing and why GiveKit provides a clearer "hook" for their primary service: fundraising.
• Unscalable Marketing: Early growth didn't come from ads; it came from "guerrilla marketing," such as Zac spending entire days at nonprofit offices to understand their pain points.
• The "One-Way Door" Rule: Using the Amazon framework to identify which decisions are reversible (two-way) and which require absolute conviction (one-way).
• The Power of AI in Branding: How the team used tools like Claude to overhaul website copy and brand voice in record time without starting from scratch.

Memorable Quotes

"If you are writing copy by yourself, physically writing from nothing to something, you’re insane today... AI is an amazing assistant to help you get the base, add your human touch, and take those M-dashes out."

"Marketing, especially early on, is those unscalable actions... that got us a lot further than sitting in Canva figuring out what a logo would be."

"Everything we do needs to contribute to one of three things: the progress of our people, our products, or our company. If it doesn’t, we don't need to be doing it."

Resources Mentioned

• GiveKit: givekit.org
• Claude (Anthropic): Used for brand voice and copy transitions.
• Nonprofits HQ: The legacy brand.

Connect with Zac Brown

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacjordanbrown/
• Email: zac@givekit.org

Episode Summary:

In this episode of The Marketing Boost, host Leon Hitchens sits down with John, founder of PacAPit, to dive deep into the journey of turning a simple riverside idea into a patented, flat-packing fire pit loved by overlanders, scouts, and outdoor enthusiasts.

John shares his path from working at Apple and in the tech sector, to opening a restaurant, and finally to becoming an inventor and entrepreneur. You’ll hear how a casual conversation by the Frio River sparked the creation of PacAPit, the design decisions that make it unique, and how it stands out in a crowded market dominated by brands like Solo Stove.

From designing for stability and portability, to ensuring leave-no-trace environmental responsibility, John explains how PacAPit serves both ultralight hikers and family campers alike. We talk about the four different models (including the new Kickstarter-exclusive Chiquito), the versatility of fuel options, and creative uses—from citronella burners to paella pans.

You’ll also get a behind-the-scenes look at his Kickstarter campaign, marketing strategies, and the power of in-person customer validation at farmers markets. Plus, John shares insights into influencer marketing, building a product with legacy in mind, and why storytelling is his secret weapon.

Host:

Leon Hitchens

LinkedIn, X & Website

Guest:

John Chadwell

LinkedIn

PacAPit Website :

https://www.pacapit.com/index.html#/

PacAPit Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/thepacapit/

https://www.facebook.com/pacapit/

PacAPit Kickstarter Campaign (Ends August 31st) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pacapit-chiquito/pacapit-chiquito

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How John transitioned from tech to entrepreneurship after Hurricane Sandy
• The moment the idea for PacAPit was born on the Frio River
• The design philosophy behind PacAPit and how it differs from other fire pits
• Why portability, durability, and environmental stewardship matter
• How to connect with niche communities like overlanders and scouts
• The role of Kickstarter in launching the Chiquito model
• Lessons in customer feedback, validation, and storytelling-driven marketing
  
  

About the Guest:
John is the creator of PacAPit, a patented, collapsible fire pit designed for portability, stability, and environmental responsibility. Drawing from his experiences in tech, hospitality, and the outdoors, John built PacAPit to help people gather, cook, and connect—anywhere from the backcountry to the backyard.