Humans of Growth: Stories & Strategies Behind Business Growth & Business Development

Most B2B companies invest in visibility before they invest in credibility.That’s backwards.In today’s market, attention is cheap — but trust is rare. And if your brand reputation isn’t strong, no amount of ad spend will fix it. That’s where reputation marketing comes in.In this episode of Humans of Growth, I’m joined by Katy Hendricks, CMO at Powell Communications, a B2B PR agency that helps creative and marketing-driven companies build authority in their industries.
We talk about…
✔ How intentional PR planning and focused thought leadership strategy shape long-term credibility✔ Why brand reputation compounds over time✔ The difference between visibility and authority✔ How to structure PR planning across a 12-month cycle✔ Why earned credibility outperforms paid reach in B2B✔ How executives can turn expertise into influence
If you’re thinking about growth beyond clicks and impressions, this conversation will challenge how you approach your brand reputation — and what it actually takes to build authority in your industry.
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RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner. Get help acquiring business funding.
 

If you can’t clearly explain why growth is happening — or why it’s not — you’re headed towards disaster.In this episode of Humans of Growth, I sit down with Liz Ross, CEO of Shift Paradigm, to unpack what really breaks inside growing companies long before revenue flatlines.We talk about why so many leaders believe they’re practicing data-driven decision making — when they’re actually operating on anecdotes, incomplete dashboards, and siloed reporting. Marketing celebrates MQLs. Sales pushes for pipeline. Leadership stares at lagging revenue. And somewhere in the middle, growth gets muddy.This conversation dives into:✔ Why marketing and sales alignment breaks down in B2B organizations✔ How data silos quietly distort your understanding of performance✔ The concept of a “golden record” and building a true source of truth✔ Why organic leads can outperform paid channels — and how to prove it✔ Why attribution debates often distract from the real question: did the business grow?We also explore the rising role of AI in business strategy — and why AI won’t save companies from bad judgment. In fact, it exposes it. When AI can generate answers instantly, the competitive advantage shifts to leaders who ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and decide what not to do.If growth feels heavier, messier, or more confusing than it should…If dashboards are full but clarity is missing…If your teams are busy but results feel inconsistent…This episode will help you see what’s actually in the way.______________________RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner. Learn more about Shift Paradigm here.

If your in-person event isn’t selling out, it’s not the algorithm.It’s your funnel.In this episode of Humans of Growth, I sit down with Brian Bauer, CEO of Bauer Entertainment Marketing, to break down what actually drives ticket sales in today’s attention economy. This is a masterclass in entertainment marketing for anyone running concerts, festivals, sports games, or live experiences.We unpack why impressions don’t matter if seats are empty — and why most producers have a conversion problem, not a traffic problem.Inside this conversation, you’ll learn:✔ The difference between top of funnel vs bottom of funnel thinking in ticket sales✔ Why a true full-funnel marketing strategy outperforms “boosted posts” every time✔ How pricing psychology impacts conversion✔ Where most live events leak revenue before the checkout page✔ How scarcity marketing (done correctly) increases urgency without training buyers to wait for discounts✔ Why retention and lifetime fan value matter more than one sold-out showBrian also shares his “Fan Funnel Formula,” a bottom-up approach that reverse-engineers sales goals into acquisition strategy — so you know exactly how much traffic you need, what it should cost, and how to optimize the checkout experience to increase average order value.If you’re running live event marketing campaigns and relying on awareness alone…If you’re boosting posts but not tracking revenue…If your ads are driving clicks but not conversions…This episode will challenge how you think about marketing performance.______________________RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner. Learn more about Bauer Entertainment here.

Most companies think PR is about sending a press release and landing a feature.
It’s not.
Public relations isn’t hype. It isn’t pay-to-play placements. And it’s definitely not about controlling the media. It’s about credibility — and credibility has to be earned.
So what does that actually look like today? In a world flooded with AI-generated pitches and sponsored features, how do you build a real public relations strategy that works?
In this episode of Humans of Growth, I sit down with David Eugene Perry — founder of David Perry & Associates — to unpack what real public relations strategy looks like in today’s media landscape.
We break down…
✔ Earned media vs paid media✔ Why paid PR is often just marketing in disguise✔ Public relations and new release frameworks✔ How to write a press release that journalists care about✔ Why media training for executives is no longer optional…And so much more.
Whether you’re a SaaS startup or been around the block for decades, this conversation on PR is here to help you cut through the noise and start building trust in a skeptical, fast-moving world. 
______________________RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner. Learn more about David Perry & Associates here.

If your phone rings and nobody answers, your marketing didn’t fail. Your business did.In this episode of Humans of Growth, I sit down with Daniel Perlacchi, VP of Experience Strategy at ServiceDirect, to talk about the future of lead generation for local service businesses. We break down how pay-per-call marketing, home services marketing, local business lead generation, customer experience, and marketing ROI are reshaping the way service businesses grow.We also get into why stale form fills are losing effectiveness, why speed to lead matters more than ever, and why the businesses winning today are the ones that combine strong brand foundations with fast, high-intent inbound opportunities. If you own, market, or support a home service business, this episode will help you think differently about lead generation, trust, and growth.In this conversation, we cover:✔ Why local service businesses need both brand-building and right-now lead flow✔ What most small businesses get wrong about marketing ROI✔ Why answering the phone well is still a massive competitive advantage✔ How smarter businesses use data to expand into new zip codes and services✔ What today’s buyers expect before they choose who to trust✔ How ServiceDirect has scaled by investing in people, culture, and long-term growthYou’ll learn why answering the phone well is still a competitive advantage, how to think about return on investment beyond the first sale, how local businesses can expand into new zip codes and services more strategically, and why trust is becoming more valuable than information in today’s market.If you run a plumbing company, HVAC business, roofing company, electrical company, or any other local service brand, this episode is packed with insights on how to generate better leads, convert more calls, and grow more intentionally.______________________RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner. Learn more about ServiceDirect here.

Most businesses are still marketing like it’s 2016.Run some ads.Boost a few posts.Hope the phones ring.But today’s buyer doesn’t move in a straight line — they move across dozens of touchpoints. Search. Social. Streaming. Email. Reviews. Your website. Then back again.That’s the reality of the omnichannel customer journey.In this episode of Humans of Growth, we break down why the old 7-touchpoint myth is dead and what it really takes to win in a world of 30+ interactions before someone converts. We explore how multi-touch attribution changes the way you measure marketing success, and why most businesses are over-investing in ads while under-investing in trust.You’ll learn:✔ Why your website is your most overlooked growth lever✔ How website conversion optimization impacts every other marketing channel✔ The connection between communication quality and closing deals✔ Why race-to-the-bottom pricing is usually a symptom of weak positioning✔ How clean data powers smarter targeting across the entire funnel✔ What a modern customer experience strategy actually looks likeThis conversation isn’t just about dealerships or storefronts — it applies to any local or service-based business trying to grow in a digital-first world.Because growth today isn’t about one great ad.It’s about building a cohesive, trust-driven omnichannel customer journey that works together — from first click to final sale.Let’s dive in.______________________
RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner. Learn more about PCG Digital here.

Most B2B marketing isn’t failing because of bad creative.It’s failing because it’s mistimed.In this episode of Humans of Growth, I sit down with Kara Brown, CEO of Lead Coverage, to break down what’s actually driving revenue in modern B2B: precision, timing, and systems that identify buyers before they raise their hand.We dive deep into B2B intent data — what it is, how it works, and why form fills are a lagging indicator of real buying interest. Kara explains the difference between first-party, third-party, and single-stream intent signals, and how elite teams use them to narrow their focus to the 5% of the market that’s actually in-market.We also unpack:✔ The real difference between demand generation vs lead generation✔ How to build scalable GTM systems that prioritize timing over volume✔ Why traditional mass blasting is dying✔How programmatic advertising enables offensive targeting instead of defensive bidding✔ The role of RevOps in connecting marketing, sales, and pipeline visibilityWhat a modern go-to-market strategy looks like in a world of AI, shrinking attention spans, and nonlinear buyer journeysIf your pipeline feels unpredictable…If your sales team is chasing ghosts…If you’re tired of measuring marketing by MQLs instead of revenue…This episode will change how you think about growth.Because the future of B2B isn’t louder marketing.It’s smarter systems.______________________RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner. Learn more about Lead Coverage here.

What if the biggest thing holding your business back isn’t sales…It’s the admin work you shouldn’t be doing?In this episode of Humans of Growth, I sit down with Noel Pulanco, CEO of Yes Virtual and designated broker of HomeQwik, to talk about how small businesses can scale faster by offloading the right tasks, building better systems, and hiring smarter.We break down what it actually looks like to hire a virtual assistant, how remote staffing for small business really works, and why most owners struggle not because of demand — but because they’re buried in repeatable admin work.Noel shares how he built a property management company through the 2008 crash, scaled with overseas team members, and turned that experience into a full virtual assistant services company serving businesses across industries. We talk about:
What to outsource first (and what to never outsource)
How to build SOPs before hiring
Why training and communication matter more than cheap labor
The real ROI of outsourcing admin tasks
How strong customer communication strategy builds long-term trust
If you’re a contractor, service provider, real estate professional, or small business owner trying to scale a service business, this conversation will help you think differently about delegation, systems, and growth.Because growth isn’t always about more leads.Sometimes it’s about getting out of your own way.Let’s get into it.
 
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RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner. Learn more about Home Qwik here.

Most companies say they want referrals. However, what they actually want is a tool that they can flip a switch on and watch revenue roll in. That’s not how referral marketing works. In this episode of Humans of Growth, I sit down with Ben Dixon, CEO of Naxum, to break down what a real referral marketing strategy looks like when you treat it like a true growth channel — not a forgotten link in your website footer. We talk all about… • Why referral marketing dies when you treat it like a plugin • The difference between affiliate marketing, reseller programs, and professional business opportunities • How to design referral program incentives that actually move people • Why lifetime value changes everything about affiliate commission payouts • How daily live presentations & webinars outperform “set it and forget it” programs • Why consistency — not automation — is the real growth lever • How to think about recruiting affiliates in a trust-starved, AI-heavy world If you’ve been relying on word-of-mouth and hoping it scales your business, this episode will shift your perspective.______________________RESOURCES: Get help finding the right marketing partner.
Learn more about Naxum here.

Search is changing faster than most businesses are prepared for, and most business owners are learning the hard way.
In this episode of Humans of Growth, Aly Hathcock sits down with Chris Raulf, founder of Boulder SEO Marketing, to break down what’s actually happening behind Google updates, disappearing traffic, and the rise of AI-powered search. This conversation goes beyond old-school SEO tactics and digs into what it really takes to stay visible today.
In this episode, we cover:
AI search optimization and why traditional SEO tactics are no longer enough
How to rank in AI search as platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity reshape discovery
Content optimization for AI and what “quality content” actually means now
How to rank on Google after major algorithm updates
GEO optimization strategies for showing up in both Google and AI-driven results
If your traffic dropped overnight — or you’re trying to future-proof your SEO strategy — this episode will help you understand what changed, why it matters, and what to do next.______________________RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner. Get help acquiring business funding.