The Partnership Economy explores the power of partnerships through candid conversations and stories with industry leaders. Our hosts, David A. Yovanno, CEO and Todd Crawford, Co-founder, of impact.com, unpack the future of partnerships as a lever for scale and an opportunity to put the consumer first.
We're halfway through Season 7 and taking a quick summer break, but more partnership conversations, creator stories, and publisher insights will be back before you know it! We have some amazing content taking shape behind the scenes, and we can't wait to share it with you. Hit follow, turn on your notifications, and drop a comment with what you want to hear next!
The lines between creators, affiliates, influencers, and advocates are blurring fast. But for modern brands, that’s not a challenge — it’s an opportunity to build a smarter growth engine. In this episode, Todd Crawford sits down with Jordan Carter of SharkNinja to explore how one of today’s most recognizable consumer product companies is rethinking creator commerce, affiliate marketing, and social-first partnerships. Jordan shares how SharkNinja’s affiliate program has grown across North America...
A new frontier is opening in the workplace. It makes the difference between simply using AI as a tool and becoming an AI-native leader who actually builds value. In this episode, Todd Crawford sits down with Keith Posehn, CEO at Zorz, to unpack what this means for the partnership economy and what organizations should be doing now to maximize the value of AI. Together, Todd and Keith explore how AI is driving a bottom-up revolution, empowering individual affiliate managers to build tools and prod...
Search is evolving, AI is reshaping discovery, and consumers are relying on creators more than ever to guide their decisions. So how do the BEST brands make the most of this shift? In this episode, Dave Yovanno sits down with Seth Hagerty, Senior Director of Performance Marketing at Best Buy, to explore how one of retail’s most iconic brands is adapting to a new era of customer discovery. Seth shares how Best Buy is approaching creators, affiliates, AI, attribution, retail media, and more — and ...
AI just used your best content to make a recommendation. Then, took all the credit. Now what? That’s exactly what inspired Hunter Capobianco, Director of Business Development & Partnerships, Commerce at CNN. In this episode, he sits down with Todd Crawford to share how his team is tackling the attribution challenges facing modern digital marketers. Hunter breaks down the product they built to keep shoppers on-platform, and why traditional affiliate optimization still matters if you want to d...
This episode explores the seismic shift in product discovery from traditional search engines to AI-powered conversations. Brian Stempeck, CEO of Evertune, unpacks how AI models learn about brands, stressing the loss of narrative control and the amplified role of creator, community, and affiliate content in AI visibility. He advises CMOs on strategies to measure, create, and distribute content effectively to thrive as AI becomes the internet's new front door.
As the creator economy, AI, and consumer behavior are evolving faster than ever before, are you keeping up? Welcome to season 7 of the Partnership Economy. Hosts Dave Yovanno and Todd Crawford are back alongside an exceptional lineup of industry leaders who are navigating these shifts in real time—sharing the strategies, insights, and partnerships shaping what comes next. From brand trust to AI-driven discovery, this season explores the forces redefining growth in today’s digital landscape. Foll...
Once upon a time, ad agencies ruled with glossy spreads and TV spots. Then came social, creators, and platforms rewrote the rules. So what can you learn from this dramatic evolution? In this episode, Dave Yovanno sits down with Sam Kimmel, Senior Director of Co-Marketing Partnerships at Hello Sunshine, for a conversation on the evolution of advertising and what it means for the future of partnerships. With a career that started in the agency world and later took her to Pinterest and TikTok, Sam ...
We all know the creator economy is evolving — but when done right, what does it look like in its ideal form? In this episode, Dave Yovanno is joined by Lindsey Gamble, an Influencer Marketing Advisor, Founder of Lindsey Gamble Media, and creator himself. Lindsey puts on his consultant hat to offer advice to both brands and creators, drawing from his first-hand experience on both sides. From the brand perspective, he outlines how the struggle to maintain control is a hurdle companies must overcom...
AI this, AI that… but what about the creator economy!? With all the buzz around artificial intelligence, it’s time to connect the dots to creator marketing. In this episode of The Partnership Economy, Todd is joined by Brian Klais, Founder of URLgenius, to explore how AI is transforming the creator landscape. Brian kicks things off with a holistic view of the industry, reflecting on the trends he’s observed across his 20+ years in digital marketing. He shares how those trends helped shape the mi...
Understanding Gen Z might feel like navigating uncharted territory, but what if your brand's success depends on it? In this episode, Dave Yovanno sits down with Ben Harms, Chief Growth Officer at Archrival, a creative agency built to help brands truly connect with Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Ben shares what it takes to meet these audiences where they are, from understanding their behaviors and mindset to embracing community-led storytelling, active social listening, and bold, culture-driven risks. Draw...
In the agency world, your ability to drive success for a brand is make or break. The best in the business have sifted through various options to land on the perfect formula for a winning brand strategy. One of those pros is Amanda Mount, Director of Affiliate Marketing at Monks. In this episode, Todd Crawford is on a mission to learn how Amanda does it, balancing brand authenticity, content strategy, cost-effective partnerships, and the perfect ratio of influencers to affiliates among a myriad o...
Pack your bags, we’re heading across the pond! In this episode, Todd Crawford sits down with Graeme Boase, Account Director at Growth HQ, to explore how to build an affiliate A-team and the key differences between affiliate marketing in the U.S. and the U.K. To start, they break down how the maturity of each market is shaping the role, influencing everything from affiliate manager salaries to partnership dynamics. Then, Graeme shares what it takes to succeed in the affiliate space today, highlig...
When it comes to trust, it can take years to build and seconds to break. While this might feel like common sense when it comes to consumer-brand relationships, it's possible to overlook how crucial trust is in the brand-creator relationship. With a passion for this topic backed by a deep understanding, Brianna Doe, founder of Verbatim, joins Dave to share her take on building brand-creator trust and how it’s shaping the broader creator economy. As someone who’s worked on the brand, agency, and c...
Need to transform your performance partnerships channel, or more dauntingly, build it from the ground up? A certainly big task, but one Natasha Scholnick , Director of Global Partnerships & Influencers at VistaPrint knows incredibly well. In this episode, Todd sits down with Natasha, to explore how the brand has evolved its influencer marketing strategy and integrated it into its broader partnership ecosystem. Natasha shares how VistaPrint structured its program from the ground up, offering ...
A one-dimensional partnership program won’t cut it anymore. In this episode, Todd sits down with Stephanie Harris , CEO of PartnerCentric , to explore how brands can build a stronger, more diverse partnership strategy by integrating affiliates, creators, and customer advocates. They discuss the opportunities of converging creators with affiliates, the impact of different commission models, and why your most authentic brand advocates might already be your customers. They also discuss how agencies...
Seamlessly integrating a service into the customer journey is the ultimate goal for most businesses, but finding the right way to do it is key. The best way to reach your audience might be through a partner already in their path, creating a win-win for both brands and the customer. In this episode, Dave sits down with Peter Orlowsky , Senior VP of Strategic Partnerships at Getty Images, to explore how the company has been creating successful partnerships. With nearly 27 years at Getty Images, Pe...
It’s time to kick off Season 6! In this episode, Dave and Todd sit down together for the first time ever to rewind and reflect on the standout themes from Season 5, after speaking with nine highly accomplished industry titans. Get ready to hear their biggest takeaways from Season 5 and dive into all the essential learnings from an action-packed season! Dave and Todd recap their most compelling conversations on the rise of the creator economy and the growing significance of B2B partnerships. They...
In this episode, Adam Glazer, President of Partner Commerce—a leading affiliate and partner marketing agency specializing in B2B brands—joins host Todd Crawford to discuss the key differences between B2C and B2B affiliate marketing. They dive into the unique challenges of tracking the impact of B2B affiliate marketing and explore strategies to overcome them. Adam also shares insights on how B2B organizations can determine if affiliate marketing is the right fit for their business, emphasizing th...
In this episode of the Partnership Economy podcast, Dave Yovanno interviews Jackie Pimentel, Senior Global Director of Core Ads Product Marketing at Meta, about her extensive 14-year career with the company. Jackie shares her journey from an entry-level position to leading a global team, along with tips for advancing your career. The conversation covers her involvement in the launch of Threads, the evolution of Meta’s advertising model, and the critical role partnerships play in building and sca...
Lacie Thompson is the Chief Growth Officer of New Engen, and in this episode, shares that brands are starting to plan for Q4 earlier than ever in an effort to get access to prime publisher placements and partnerships. Lacie and Todd explore how to approach Q4 planning – using data to your advantage, navigating the changes in Google SERP, and tackling Cyber Week strategically, despite the saturated holiday season. Lacie also shares her insights in working with content publishers and emphasizes th...
In this episode, host Dave Yovanno sits down with Vana Han, manager of global partnerships (SMB) at TikTok. As someone who has played a pivotal role in building TikTok’s monetization arm from the ground up, Vana offers unique insight into the strategic business planning behind the mega-successful social media app that we all know and love. TikTok for Business is focused on getting brands and advertisers to use the platform, and Vana’s main focus right now is on growing strategic partnerships at ...
The Partnership Economy by impact.com is going on a brief hiatus, but we’ll be back soon with new episodes. Stay tuned for more great conversations with the industry’s best and brightest partnership experts.
In this episode, host Dave Yovanno sits down with Dan Armstrong, the EVP of Distributed Commerce at Ticketmaster. An expert on partnerships and eCommerce strategy, Dan has been driving real innovation in the live ticketing industry for a decade. He’s passionate about the importance of storytelling and uncovering the shared purpose that keeps his team, as well as his partnerships, aligned. Together, Dave and Dan discuss tips to level up within an organization, how to manage a diverse partnership ...
In this episode, host Todd Crawford dives into the creator economy with his guest Jeanette Okwu, the founder and CEO of Berlin-based creator marketing agency Beyondinfluence. Jeanette founded the influencer and brand ambassador marketing agency to help her clients break into the next wave of marketing and drive growth. Todd and Jeanette discuss starting an influencer program from scratch, including managing budgets, strategy, and KPIs. They also take a look at the best ways to work with influenc...
Jennifer Bentz is VP of Affiliates, Influencers, and Partnerships at Resident Home, a company that owns famous mattress brands like Nectar and DreamCloud. Jenn wasn’t always in the mattress space, and has over two decades of experience across industries, experiencing the evolution of affiliates and partnerships. Jenn and Todd discuss focusing on all stages of the funnel with your affiliate and influencer partnerships, Jenn’s learnings from working in the D2C space, and the role of partnerships o...
When Marcel Floruss started his blog in 2013, it was because he had a passion for men’s apparel and fashion. Over the following years, he has built a massive audience on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube- with over 1 million subscribers on YouTube alone. He and host Dave Yovanno discuss Marcel’s journey as a creator, his connection with his audience and how he leveraged his success to become the Creative Director of Aetos Apparel. They also discuss the differences between social platforms, tips for ...
Welcome back to the Partnership Economy podcast! We‘re starting Season 5 off strong, welcoming Kerry Curran, the former Chief Growth Officer at Gen3 Marketing, the oldest and largest affiliate specialty agency in the world. Kerry is a veteran of the marketing and partnerships space with over 17 years of experience and insights that she brings to this conversation. Kerry and host Todd Crawford discuss understanding consumer behavior in relation to affiliate channels and how Kerry has seen this sh...
Season 5 of The Partnership Economy is here! We’re diving right back into interviews with leaders from all sides of the ever-evolving partnerships industry and answering the question on every marketer’s mind - how do I reach the modern consumer? Join your hosts, Todd and Dave, on April 9th for Season 5! This podcast episode was produced by Quill ....
After witnessing the digital transformation in the early 2010s through her work in retail, Tara McNulty made a career pivot to focus on the e-commerce and affiliate space. Today, she manages strategic partnerships at YouTube Shopping- a new program from the video giant. Commerce existed on YouTube long before partnerships were standard, with creators doing reviews, unboxings and hauls beginning in the early days of the platform. Today, creators and brands are both empowered to monetize this cont...
