The Agents of Change Digital Marketing Podcast

With AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity changing how people search (and how answers get delivered), your old keyword strategy might not cut it anymore. If you want your business to show up—not just in search results, but in actual AI-generated answers—then it's time to rethink how your content works. Rebecca Emery breaks down what's changing, what still matters, and what you should be doing right now before your competitors figure it out first. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/617 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

AI used to be about prompts, now it's about delegation. Christopher Penn breaks down what agentic AI actually is, why it represents a leap forward for small businesses, and how tools like Claude Cowork are turning strategy into execution. If you've been curious about moving beyond copy-and-paste AI and into systems that actually get work done, this conversation is your starting point. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/616 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

Description: Your logo isn't your brand. Your colors aren't your brand. Your brand is the feeling someone gets when they interact with your company—whether they're reading your about page, talking to your receptionist, or bumping into your founder on a plane. Luna Battalia calls it a "brand world," and she's got a four-part messaging framework that's helped her clients hit conversion rates of 11–25% when the industry average sits at 3–4%. If you've ever poured money into a rebrand and still felt like something was off, this episode is going to explain exactly why. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/615 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

Most cold outreach sucks. You know it, I know it, and definitely the people getting bombarded with "Quick question" emails know it. But here's the thing: done right, cold outreach is one of the most direct, cost-effective ways to reach your ideal customers without relying on algorithms, ad budgets, or social media luck. AJ Cassata built his business on outreach that actually works. From knocking on 10,000 doors to helping over 440 clients build consistent pipelines through cold email, LinkedIn, and strategic calling, he's learned what makes prospects respond versus hitting delete. And spoiler alert: it's not about volume. It's about being specific, providing value, and not treating people like numbers on a spreadsheet. If you've ever wondered whether cold outreach still works (it does) or how to stand out in a crowded inbox (we're covering that too), this episode is your field guide to reaching prospects without sounding like a bot.

Description: Remember when stock photography meant scrolling endlessly through the same crying-into-salad images that every other brand was also using? Or spending actual money on "custom" photos that somehow ended up on your competitor's website too? Yeah, those days might finally be over. Lauren deVane—creative director turned AI educator and your friendly neighborhood "AI auntie"—joins the show to explain how AI image generation has evolved from six-fingered curiosities into legitimate marketing tools. And if you haven't checked out what these tools can do in the past six months, you're in for a surprise. Lauren breaks down exactly how small business marketers can create original, on-brand imagery without the stock photo budget or the production headaches. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/613 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

Stop chasing the "AI-first" dream. After a year of experimenting with every AI tool, framework, and workflow I could find, I learned that building a human-first company that smartly uses AI beats trying to become an AI company every time. In this solo episode, I walk through seven lessons from 2025 that completely changed how I think about AI in marketing—from why perfect prompts don't exist to why you should use AI in your personal life. Whether you're drowning in AI hype or just getting started, these insights will help you use AI more strategically in 2026. Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

If your lead magnet is a beautifully designed PDF that no one reads, congratulations—you're normal. Also: that thing isn't working anymore. In this episode, Maeve Ferguson explains why traditional lead magnets are failing and how diagnostic assessments can attract better leads, pre-sell your expertise, and stop wasting your time on bad-fit prospects. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/611 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

Let's be honest: we've all been there. You have a brilliant new idea—a product launch, a software switch, or a new marketing campaign—and you present it to your team or your customers with total enthusiasm. And what do you get back? Crickets. Or worse, pushback. It's not because the idea is bad. It's because the human brain is hardwired to hate change. In this episode, behavioral economist Melina Palmer returns to explain why our brains cling to the status quo and exactly how you can use behavioral science to get the buy-in you need. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/610 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

Let's be honest: social media can feel like a hamster wheel. You post on Instagram or LinkedIn, get a few likes, and 24 hours later, that content is dead and you're back to square one. But what if your content worked for you, building momentum over months and even years? That's the promise of YouTube. In this episode, I sit down with YouTube strategist Jerry Potter, who breaks down exactly how busy business owners can build a lead-generating channel in just 90 minutes a week—without becoming a full-time content creator. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/609 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

Most of us think our websites are working just fine. They look good. They're fast. They have all our information right there on the homepage. But here's the problem: your website isn't about you. If you're standing on your digital rooftop shouting about how awesome you are—your 15 years in business, your features, your awards—you're doing inside-out marketing. And it's probably why your growth has stalled. James Hipkin has been building businesses with digital marketing since 2010, and he's here to flip the script. Today, we're talking about the shift from inside-out to outside-in marketing, why your website needs to engage visitors in six seconds or less, and how to stop wasting money on tactics that don't work. This is the conversation that might finally make your website work as hard as you do. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/608 Rich's AI Workshop on 12/11/2025: https://www.takeflyte.com/flyte-school-live Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

You're wearing all the hats. Marketing, operations, sales, customer service—maybe even IT support when the printer acts up again. And somewhere in there, you're supposed to actually grow your business. Here's the thing: You don't need to hire a whole team to get help. You need to build one out of AI. Mike Allton, creator of The AI Hat and AI architect for solopreneurs, is going to show you how to create your first AI assistant—one that doesn't just spit out generic responses, but actually works the way you work. We're talking about AI that challenges your assumptions, asks clarifying questions, and handles those repetitive tasks you've been meaning to delegate for months. Whether you're a one-person show or running a small team, this episode gives you the blueprint for building AI teammates that free up your most valuable resource: time. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/607 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

If you've ever wondered why some marketing messages stick while others vanish faster than your last new year's resolution, you're not alone. The problem isn't that you're bad at messaging—it's that you're only talking to half your audience's brain. Message designer Tamsen Webster returns to the show to explain why speaking to both the analytical and automatic brain is the difference between messages that get ignored and ones people can't unhear. She breaks down her ITBA framework (if, then, because, and) and shows us how to craft messages that create not just clicks, but lasting change. If you've been throwing marketing spaghetti at the wall hoping something sticks, this conversation will give you a better approach. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/606 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

Look, I get it. You've got a modest marketing budget, and every time you hear about Google Ads, you think: "That's for the big players with deep pockets." But here's the thing: paid search can absolutely work for small budgets—you just can't play by the same rules as enterprise brands throwing around unlimited cash. Brooke Osmundson, Director of Growth Marketing at Smith Microsoftware, joined me to break down exactly how small businesses can make paid search work when you're working with $20 to $50 a day (or even less). She's been in the trenches on both the agency and in-house side, managing everything from local clinics to Fortune 100 companies, so she knows what actually works—and what's just burning money. If you've been frustrated by rising costs, spread-thin budgets, or campaigns that seem to eat cash without delivering results, this conversation will change how you think about paid search. No fluff, no impossible tactics—just practical strategies you can use today. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/605 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

You know that sinking feeling when you realize your carefully crafted content sounds exactly like everyone else's? (Yeah, me too.) Here's the uncomfortable truth: expertise has been commodified. You can share everything you know, and it still won't be enough to stand out because a hundred other voices are saying the same thing—just maybe with different GIFs. Jay Acunzo spent years building a speaking career without a book, without fame, just by owning a singular premise that made people stop and think differently. Now he works behind the scenes with executives and entrepreneurs, helping them transform generic advice into intellectual property that actually resonates. In this conversation, we dig into how you move from talking about topics to owning a perspective, why "unsolicited response rate" matters more than reach metrics, and what it really takes to become the voice people seek out instead of scroll past. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/604 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

You've got brilliant ideas rattling around in your head. Your process works. Your approach gets results. But when someone asks what makes you different, you stumble through an explanation that sounds like everyone else's pitch. Here's the thing: the difference between "yeah, I do marketing" and becoming the go-to expert isn't just what you know—it's how you package it. Melanie Deziel has built her reputation helping speakers, coaches, and businesses transform messy expertise into frameworks people actually remember and share. In this conversation, she walks us through her IRON framework (yes, a framework for building frameworks) and explains why the businesses that stand out aren't necessarily doing different work—they're just organizing it better. If you've ever wondered why some concepts stick while others evaporate, you're going to want to hear this. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/603 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

Small budgets and Google Ads don't have to be enemies. Andy Janaitis, founder of PPC Pitbulls, has spent over a decade proving that point by helping founder-led brands and e-commerce businesses grow past seven figures without breaking the bank. His engineering background brings a refreshingly technical (but not overwhelming) approach to paid advertising that cuts through the noise and gets straight to what actually works. Today, we're diving into why copying big brands backfires for small businesses, how to feed those hungry AI algorithms the data they crave, and the minimum budget you really need to make Google and Meta ads profitable. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/602 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

You're spending money on Facebook ads, and after a week, you see barely any sales coming through. Naturally, you think Facebook is a bust and pull the plug. But what if those ads were actually working—just not in the way you expected? That's exactly what happened to a Maine lobster company that almost wrote off Facebook as useless after spending $4,000 and seeing only one $200 sale. Turns out, they were actually breaking even within a month and making 10-to-1 returns after 90 days when you accounted for the full customer journey. The person who uncovered this hidden goldmine? Scott Desgrosseilliers, founder and CEO of Wicked Reports, who's been playing detective with marketing data for over a decade. Today, we're diving into how you can stop leaving money on the table by understanding what's really driving your results. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/601 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

After 600 episodes of interviewing digital marketing experts, I've learned a thing or two about efficiency and workflow. What started as a solo endeavor has evolved into a streamlined workflow that leverages AI, remote production teams, internal teams, and a not-so-virtual assistant—from guest vetting to social media promotion. Whether you're thinking about starting a podcast or just want to see how AI can transform your content creation process, this behind-the-scenes look at my current workflow might give you some ideas you can steal for your own business. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/600 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

If you've been feeling overwhelmed by the constant changes in Facebook and Pinterest advertising, you're not alone. Between iOS updates killing our targeting superpowers and algorithms that seem to change faster than a toddler's mood, it's enough to make any marketer want to throw in the towel. But here's the thing: while the platforms have evolved, the opportunities haven't disappeared—they've just shifted. Today's guest, Karen Nelson, manages millions in Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest ad spend for her clients, and she's got some refreshing insights that might just change how you think about paid social. Instead of chasing the latest hack or trying to game the system, Karen's approach focuses on something we sometimes forget in our quest for the perfect campaign: being authentically human. Buckle up, because we're about to dive into what's actually working right now. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/599 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

AI is everywhere - and soon every business will have access to the same tools. What will set you apart is the human touch. Jay Baer shares why adding back small, meaningful moments of connection can become your strongest competitive advantage in a world where AI is just table stakes. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/598 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

Most small business owners treat their Google Business Profile like it's some afterthought—maybe they fill out the name and address and call it good. But here's the thing: your Google Business Profile is basically the homepage of your business online. It's often the first impression potential customers get, and it's your ticket to showing up in those coveted top three map pack results. My guest today, Greg Gifford from SearchLab, has been helping businesses crack the local SEO code for over two decades, and he's got some eye-opening insights about what actually moves the needle (spoiler: it's not what you think). From category selection strategies that seem counterintuitive to why your business might get suspended for something as innocent as updating your hours, Greg breaks down everything you need to know to dominate local search. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/597 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

Your customers aren't making decisions the way you think they are. They're not carefully weighing pros and cons or conducting rational cost-benefit analyses. Instead, they're relying on mental shortcuts—psychological triggers that happen so fast they don't even realize it's happening. Richard Shotton has spent over two decades studying these invisible forces, and in this episode, he reveals how small businesses can harness the same psychological principles that power billion-dollar brands. From the counterintuitive reason why listing fewer benefits can boost sales to the simple trick that makes any promotion 59% more appealing, these aren't theoretical concepts—they're proven tactics you can implement today to change how people think about your business. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/596 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

You know that feeling when you hear "link building" and immediately think of sketchy tactics that'll get your site penalized? Yeah, me too. But here's the thing—while the spammy guest posting networks got nuked by Google's helpful content updates, the smart marketers pivoted to something way more sustainable: digital PR. My guest today, Vince Nero from BuzzStream, spent years at agencies like Siege Media figuring out what actually works (spoiler: it's not buying links from "tech123.com"). Instead of chasing quick wins that blow up in your face, he's going to show you how to create content that journalists actually want to link to—because it's genuinely newsworthy, not because you paid them to care. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/595 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

Nina Clapperton went from hating her job as an estate law clerk to building a seven-figure business through SEO—and she did it by completely ignoring what most "experts" tell you to do. Instead of chasing algorithms and obsessing over backlinks, she focused on something revolutionary: actual humans. Her audience-first approach to SEO has helped her grow blogs to 50,000 sessions in six months and scale to six-figure monthly income. Today, she's sharing how to build SEO sales funnels that guide prospects from "What's SEO?" to "Take my money!" without relying on social media burnout or algorithm guessing games. If you're tired of creating content that ranks but doesn't convert, this conversation will flip your entire approach upside down. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/594 Research on comics vs. traditional text comprehension: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cogs.70081 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

Most business owners hit publish and immediately start planning their victory lap. But here's the uncomfortable truth: pressing publish isn't the finish line—it's barely the starting gun. Ross Simmonds, founder of Foundation and Distribution.ai, has built his career on what happens after you hit that button. In our conversation, he breaks down why your best content is probably gathering digital dust and shares his surprisingly simple framework for turning one piece of content into a distribution goldmine. If you've ever wondered why your brilliant blog post got crickets while someone else's mediocre LinkedIn carousel went viral, this episode will explain everything (and yes, it might sting a little). https://www.theagentsofchange.com/593 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

Email marketing isn't dead—it's just been sleeping on the couch while you've been chasing the latest social media trends. While everyone's panicking about Instagram going down or TikTok's latest algorithm changes, smart marketers know there's one channel that nobody can take away from you: your email list. Today's guest, Jessica Best, has spent over 15 years proving that email isn't just alive—it's got superpowers that make every other marketing channel jealous. She's going to show us exactly how to wake up those powers without turning into the marketer everyone hits "unsubscribe" on. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/592 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

What if the key to growing your business isn't doing more, but listening more? Georgiana Laudi, co-author of Forget the Funnel, explains how customer-led growth flips the script on traditional marketing by using real customer insight to guide strategy, improve onboarding, and uncover the moments that truly move the needle. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/591 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

Most small business owners think earning media coverage is about luck or having the right connections. The truth? It's about understanding that journalists are humans with preferences, deadlines, and pet peeves—and treating them accordingly. PR maven Nancy Marshall has spent 35 years building relationships with journalists, from local Maine reporters to Al Roker from the Today Show. Her approach isn't about flashy pitches or aggressive follow-ups. It's about showing up consistently, being genuinely helpful, and remembering that every journalist operates differently. Some prefer a quick text, others want a formal email, and a few still appreciate the old-school coffee meeting. Whether you're a solo entrepreneur or managing marketing for a growing business, Nancy's insights will help you earn the kind of third-party validation that money can't buy—and turn those media mentions into real business growth. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/590 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

If you've ever stared at a Google Analytics dashboard wondering what the heck all those numbers actually mean for your business, you're not alone. Most small business owners are drowning in data but starving for insights. They've got conversion rates of 100% (because they're tracking page views as conversions), bounce rates that mean nothing, and reports they never actually look at. That's exactly why I was excited to sit down with Jeff Sauer, a data-driven marketing expert who's trained over 50,000 digital marketers and delivered keynotes in 20 countries. Jeff recently partnered with analytics guru Chris Mercer to tackle one of the biggest problems in digital marketing: the difference between having data and actually using it to grow your business. In this episode, Jeff breaks down his game-changing measurement marketing framework—a systematic approach that puts strategy before spreadsheets and turns overwhelming data into clear action steps you can implement immediately. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/589 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact