In this wide-ranging talk with AI marketing strategist Mathew Sweezey, we cover a lot of ground, including AI's need for marketing speed, the human bottleneck, the reality of agents, a softer view of generative AI legal concerns, and reimagining the nature of creativity. Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books, including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World." His annual marketing r...
Jun 30, 2025•34 min•Season 12Ep. 14
Are you creating content to build an audience, build a brand, or win the SEO sweepstakes? How does content really work in the world today? It's complicated, but Mark Schaefer and Jay Acunzo have a meeting of the minds in this fast-paced and provocative show. Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising . For more of Mark’s i...
Jun 16, 2025•36 min•Season 12Ep. 13
Other than AI, is there any word about marketing more prevalent than "authenticity?" And yet, it might be one of the most misunderstood and abused words out there. In this deeply personal show, Mark Schaefer and Amanda Russell discuss how authenticity can help you, how it can destroy you, and how it might be more of a strategy than a default setting for a personal brand.
Jun 02, 2025•35 min•Season 12Ep. 12
New research from Microsoft provides a glimpse of the near-term future of marketing agency life, including AI bosses, agentic employees, and new organizational charts. And, if you're a small agency, this might be your time to shine! Mark Schaefer and Andy Crestodina riff on the implications of te AI-first agency in this new episode of The Marketing Companion.
May 19, 2025•35 min•Season 12Ep. 11
As AI marches forward with speed and power, new questions emerge about how humans thrive in a world of super intelligence. We already see AI creeping into workflows, organizational charts and even our personal relationships. Mark Schaefer and Paul Roetzer look at a few of these topics as they help us navigate an AI-First World.
May 05, 2025•31 min•Season 12Ep. 10
In this highly intimate and vulnerable show, Mark Schaefer and Dana Malstaff discuss the times in their lives when they've had to keep a business running through illness, loss, and betrayal. To be human is to suffer and the world doesn't stop for us when the suffering comes. Mark and Dana share how they have kept going even through the hardest moments in their lives. A Marketing Companion episode you won't soon forget.
Apr 21, 2025•42 min•Season 12Ep. 9
How do we break through the noise in industries that have normalized dull? You're about to embark on a crazy journey of misfit Barbies, back alley tee shirts, and criminal wine as Mark Schaefer and Carla Johnson explore the crisis of imagination in marketing. We all want to do better work ... what is holding us back? Plenty, as it turns out!
Apr 07, 2025•43 min•Season 12Ep. 8
It's harder than ever to keep up with the world and you can't do it alone. Mark Schaefer and Jay Acunzo share their favorite strategies for tapping into expert advice and staying relevant in a fast-changing world.
Mar 24, 2025•31 min•Season 12Ep. 7
Are you working on your personal brand? I hope so! It's like an insurance policy for your career. But what happens when you out-grow your brand and it's time to climb a new mountain? Moving on can be difficult and emotional. Amanda Russell discusses the next step in her journey and why it was time to take a risk.
Mar 10, 2025•32 min•Season 12Ep. 6
New co-host Andy Crestodina unwraps the hottest topic on the web these days — the impact of AI on SEO. Most websites are starting to get hits from AI sites, and Mark Schaefer reports that he's gained new customers. But what is the secret to success? Mark and Andy also debate LinkedIn newsletters — is it too late to find success? Is it robbing readers from your website?
Feb 24, 2025•36 min•Season 12Ep. 5
In this special episode, the legendary host of the Marketing Book podcast, Douglas Burdett, comes out of retirement to interview Mark Schaefer about his new book "Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World." From now on, "competent" doesn't cut it. The bots are coming but we still own crazy. This is a time to ignite the human fireworks of creativity if marketing professionals are to transcend the threat from artificial intelligence.
Feb 17, 2025•32 min•Season 12Ep. 4
As we hurtle into the AI Era, there will be many unintended consequences, and one of them might be a cognitive decline. Early research shows that as we increasingly depend on AI for our thinking and decisions, our brains become lazy. What are the implications for education? Are we re-defining humanity or returning to a simpler time before information overload? Paul Roetzer and Mark Schaefer also discuss the DeepSeek outfall, Ai marketing fails, and more
Feb 10, 2025•35 min•Season 12Ep. 3
In an AI world, the need for human connection will be more profound than ever. Dana Malstaff and Mark Schaefer talk about new ideas to integrate a human connection into AI prompts, communities, and content strategies. Here are some truly unique ideas that will make you re-think how you connect with customers and audiences.
Jan 27, 2025•38 min•Season 12Ep. 2
Mark Schaefer and Mathew Sweezey pluck out a few big trends that have them excited for the new year. From the executive implications of AI to a focus on premium experiences, this is a fascinating exploration of what's coming next. Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising . For more of Mark’s insights every week, subcribe...
Jan 13, 2025•31 min•Season 12Ep. 1
In this fun and thought-provoking show, Mark Schaefer and Jay Acunzo challenge each other with the best questions they could ask each other — and then dissect the beauty of the question. Amp up you content game by listening to this extraordinary debate! Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising . For more of Mark’s insigh...
Dec 30, 2024•41 min•Season 11Ep. 28
In this mind-bending episode, Mark Schaefer demonstrates why NotebookLM has taken the AI world by storm.
Dec 16, 2024•15 min•Season 11Ep. 27
Keith Jennings talks about how Mark Schaefer's new book became a catalyst for his career reinvention. Mark and Keith discuss their history of personal reinvention and the three questions they use to judge whether they are stagnating on the job. This is Keith's final episode on the show and Mark announces two new co-hosts for the podcast's 14th season. Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,”...
Dec 02, 2024•34 min•Season 11Ep. 26
Mark Schaefer and Paul Roetzer dissect several evolving AI-related developments, including the emerging emotional bond between children and AI bots, a humanoid fine artist, how AI is transforming education, and more.
Nov 18, 2024•32 min•Season 11Ep. 25
Mark Schaefer brings LinkedIn expert Richard Bliss onto the show. Richard covers basic LinkedIn strategy, the role of AI and bots, collaborative content, emerging role of video and more. This episode contains bonus Q&A content about LinkedIn newsletters, streaming video, and LinkedIn for newbies. Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing ret...
Nov 04, 2024•48 min•Season 11Ep. 24
Marketing visionary Dana Malstaff built one of the most successful communities on the planet. With 80,000 members, it was a revenue engine and an inspiration to her enthusiastic followers. Here why Dana decided to start over. This will be one of the most moving and inspiring stories of leadership and courage you'll hear.
Oct 21, 2024•36 min•Season 11Ep. 23
Every keynote speaker and content creator knows the value of that signature story – a tale that drives home a point with passion, insight, and a little drama. But how do you come up with these stories, and how do you craft them to serve you well in your marketing? Mark Schaefer and Jay Acunzo explore this topic in this new episode. You'll learn how each identifies, nurtures, and delivers their best stories. And you'll get to hear two of their favorite tales. Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultan...
Oct 07, 2024•33 min•Season 11Ep. 22
Ed Sheeran launched a new hot sauce in cooperation with Heinz. It makes so much sense. Ed doesn't have to harvest the tomatoes and make anything! Why aren't more bands launching products with influencers? While celebrity endorsements have been around for ages, giving stars a stake in an actual product has been rarer. Meanwhile, influencers are launching their own products – with or without the brands. Why don't brands get ahead of this? Mark Schaefer and Amanda Russell discuss this trend on the ...
Sep 23, 2024•30 min•Season 11Ep. 21
Mark Schaefer and Keith Jennings explore the role of social objects in marketing. They are everywhere; they drive word-of-mouth marketing, and this is one of the least-explored ideas in the arsenal. Learn how to use social objects for your own business and why this idea is indispensable in the AI Era. Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing re...
Sep 09, 2024•32 min•Season 11Ep. 20
AI is suffering from low adoption, lousy press, fear of job loss, and frankly a confused public. Is it time for AI to embark on some marketing of its own? That's just one of the subjects Mark Schaefer and Paul Roetzer discuss in this new episode of The Marketing Companion. Mark and Paul also cover the future of the AI copyright problem, the new "robber barons" breaking the law to make AI come alive, regulation, new marketing applications, and much more.
Aug 26, 2024•54 min•Season 11Ep. 19
Mark Schaefer and Sara Wilson dive into the red-hot world of brand communities. Who is doing it well and why? What are the challenges? What is the role of influencers and what's next? We'll explore that and more in this new episode. Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising . For more of Mark’s insights every week, subcri...
Aug 12, 2024•37 min•Season 11Ep. 18
On this episode, Mark Schaefer and Mathew Sweezey talk about their search for personal peace within the corporate world and beyond. Both have been on a journey to live a life with less stress and more satisfaction, in sometimes divergent paths. They discuss financial freedom, impact of social media expectations, anxiety and depression, staying "centered," meditation, experimenting with psychedelics, and more. Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the auth...
Jul 29, 2024•33 min•Season 11Ep. 17
Jay Acunzo contends in this episode that you don't need to be brilliant to be an effective content creator. You need to up the ante on curiosity. Curiosity is one of the most important "soft skills" of marketing. But can it be learned? Improved? Spread to a team? You'll find out on this new episode. Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and host of the podcast Unthinkable -- the show about marketers who trusted their intuition, not the best practices, and all the unconventional, refreshing things th...
Jul 15, 2024•30 min•Season 11Ep. 16
It seems like imposter syndrome is referenced everywhere these days. It's such a common obstacle to success but there doesn't seem to be any end in sight. Mark Schaefer and Amanda Russell explore this provocative topic from their own life experiences. Amanda has had extensive "brain training" as an elite athlete while Mark explored a family of origin narrative to discover personal roadblocks. It's a new take on a very old and ubiquitous problem. Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college ed...
Jul 01, 2024•34 min•Season 11Ep. 15
Mark Schaefer and Keith Jennings dive into one of the most complicated questions in the business world ... What business are you in? Deceptively simple, Devilishly complicated, this question has been an obsession for the greatest minds in marketing for decades. And this is a question that is more relevant than ever. Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annu...
Jun 17, 2024•39 min•Season 12Ep. 14
Mark Schaefer and Paule Roetzer of the Marketing AI Institute get out of the trenches for a moment and look at big questions facing marketers as AI barrels forward. Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising . For more of Mark’s insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog . Mark also offers classes in personal ...
Jun 03, 2024•33 min•Season 12Ep. 13
