Affiliate Nerd Out

Dustin Howes
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Marketing
  • Updated weekly

Partnership marketing enthusiasts and affiliate marketing gurus are sharing their best strategies for affiliate program growth. New guests every week will come to discuss hot topics in the industry and what latest growth hacks working right now.

  1. Inside the 2026 Impact.com IPX: A Review of Highlights and Insights

    1 day ago

    Inside the 2026 Impact.com IPX: A Review of Highlights and Insights

    Dustin Howes is joined by Dan Sweeney and creator Lauren Eckert to recap their experience at the Impact.com IPX Conference in Austin. They share what made the event stand out, including valuable networking, a strong creator community, and insightful sessions on AI and affiliate marketing. Lauren explains how IPX helped accelerate her transition into affiliate partnerships by connecting with top brands and creators. They also discuss areas for improvement, including speed networking, meeting logistics, and scheduling issues, while exploring Impact’s AI roadmap, retail media opportunities, and the future of affiliate partnerships. 00:00 Event Fixes Feedback 00:15 Impact App AI Buzz 00:48 Show Intro Panel 01:17 Austin Venue First Impressions 01:38 Tex Mex Debate 02:19 Creator Community Wins 04:30 Discovering Impact Creators 05:20 Affiliate Mindset Shift 05:59 Venue Meetings App Review 08:06 Speed Dating Fiasco 10:11 Scheduling Tips Noobs 13:32 Networking Like Paresh 14:25 Roast Plans Brewing 15:06 Food Drinks Verdict 15:55 Coffee Water Food Trucks 17:24 Best Sessions Highlights 18:14 AI Takeaways In Practice 19:48 Impact Roadmap Debate 20:52 MCP Data Transparency 22:34 Event Fixes Retail Media 24:13 Single Use Coupons AEO 24:50 Final Thanks And Plugs Subscribe to this channel for more affiliate program growth tactics. Start your 7-day free trial and see how Alfie can transform your affiliate recruitment process today! https://www.alfie.io/ Want to recruit more affiliates? https://affistash.com Connect with Dustin Howes on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinhowes #AffiliateMarketing #ImpactIPX #Impactcom #AffiliateNerdOut #CreatorEconomy #PartnershipMarketing #InfluencerMarketing #AIMarketing #B2BMarketing #RetailMedia #AffiliateManager #DigitalMarketing #MarketingPodcast #ContentCreators #PerformanceMarketing The hottest affiliate recruitment tool of 2026 is Alfie. There is a 7-day free trial and a no-risk 30-day money-back gaurantee Go to Dustinhowes.com/trial to sign up Have you heard about Inflektion yet? They are changing the game in Affiliate marketing.The only platform with personalized funnels to scale partnership marketing for brands, agencies, influencers, and affiliates. Catering to the health and wellness space, this tracking soluition is helping build landing pages for partners in a manner of minutes instaead of weeks. They have social listening to capture all the content your brand is creating so that you can find more partners talking about y For more tips on how to scale your affiliate program, check out https://performancemarketingmanager.com

    28 min
  2. Climbing the Ladder: Affiliate Marketing to CEO with Jenny Gonzalez

    3 days ago

    Climbing the Ladder: Affiliate Marketing to CEO with Jenny Gonzalez

    She moved to Barcelona in 2006 as a glorified executive assistant. 10 years later, she was a CEO. Jenny Gonzalez had no mentor. No roadmap. No one in her corner. She spotted one guy in the office. Nobody knew what he did. But he traveled the world, made 4x her salary, and had crazy respect from everyone. That was the affiliate manager. "I don't know what affiliates are, but clearly it is what I want to do." The rest is a story worth hearing. Junior affiliate manager to CEO in 10 years. Opened her first affiliate network. Spun out three more businesses since. All starting from a peanut salary and a maternity leave cover. What was her secret? Watch the full conversation to hear how she made it happen. #AffiliateMarketing #PerformanceMarketing #AffiliateManager #CareerGrowth  #AMtoCMO #AffiliateNerdOut Have you heard about Inflektion yet? They are changing the game in Affiliate marketing.The only platform with personalized funnels to scale partnership marketing for brands, agencies, influencers, and affiliates. Catering to the health and wellness space, this tracking soluition is helping build landing pages for partners in a manner of minutes instaead of weeks. They have social listening to capture all the content your brand is creating so that you can find more partners talking about y For more tips on how to scale your affiliate program, check out https://performancemarketingmanager.com

    16 min
  3. Why Relationships Matter More Than Ever in Affiliate Marketing

    15 Jun

    Why Relationships Matter More Than Ever in Affiliate Marketing

    Success in affiliate marketing depends on strong relationships and a solid reputation. In this episode, Dustin Howes and Christen Evans share real-world insights on networking, professional boundaries, and long-term career growth in the affiliate industry. Dustin explains how reconnecting with his network helped turn a slow week into a major win, proving that warm relationships often outperform cold outreach. Christen discusses the importance of setting boundaries to protect your mental health and maintain productive working relationships. They also cover networking strategies, handling difficult professional situations, early technology adoption, affiliate marketing trends, and balancing work with family life. Plus, Dustin gives a shout-out to ClickGo for its innovative tracking solution. If you're looking for affiliate marketing tips, networking advice, and honest industry insights, this conversation delivers valuable lessons for marketers, managers, and entrepreneurs alike. 0:00 When professional relationships turn sour 0:25 Welcome to Affiliate Nerd Out 1:03 Humanizing the affiliate marketing process 1:44 Balancing summer schedules with parenthood 2:30 Turning a bad week around with friends 3:40 Getting feedback on the Alfie tool 4:56 The legend of the Affiliate Summit tattoo 7:45 Standing up for your mental health 10:18 How to spot a burnt bridge 12:55 Managing multiple platform migrations 13:34 Exploring the ClickGo tracking solution Subscribe to this channel for more affiliate program growth tactics. Start your 7-day free trial and see how Alfie can transform your affiliate recruitment process today! https://www.alfie.io/ Want to recruit more affiliates? https://affistash.com Connect with Dustin Howes on Linkedin:   / dustinhowes  #AffiliateMarketing #AffiliateNerdOut #RealTalkFriday #AffiliateManagement #PerformanceMarketing #MarketingPodcast #BusinessRelationships #NetworkingTips #AffiliateIndustry #PartnershipMarketing #MarketingLeadership #AffiliateManagers #MarketingInsights #BusinessGrowth #Alfie #ChristenEvans Have you heard about Inflektion yet? They are changing the game in Affiliate marketing.The only platform with personalized funnels to scale partnership marketing for brands, agencies, influencers, and affiliates. Catering to the health and wellness space, this tracking soluition is helping build landing pages for partners in a manner of minutes instaead of weeks. They have social listening to capture all the content your brand is creating so that you can find more partners talking about y For more tips on how to scale your affiliate program, check out https://performancemarketingmanager.com

    16 min
  4. Embracing AI and Mind Resets: A Real Talk Friday Special

    2 Jun

    Embracing AI and Mind Resets: A Real Talk Friday Special

    Can AI really save affiliate marketers hours every week? 🚀 In this episode of Affiliate Nerd Out, Dustin Howes and Cristen Evans dive into how Claude AI, ClickUp, and automation tools are transforming affiliate marketing workflows. From speeding up complex commission reporting and automating documentation to building ICP decks and streamlining daily operations, they share practical ways AI is helping marketers work smarter and scale faster. They also discuss AI usage limits, productivity hacks, sales mindset shifts, stress management, and how tools like Alfie are changing the future of affiliate program management. 00:00 Usage Credits Panic 00:49 Show Intro and Catch Up 01:05 Busy Week and Mind Reset 03:02 AI Workflows with Claude 05:32 Reporting Automation Wins 07:47 Credits and Sleep Talk 10:57 Mindset Shift for Sales 14:12 Quick Calls of the Week 15:11 AI for Workflows Not Content 16:22 Wrap Up and Alfie Plug Subscribe to this channel for more affiliate program growth tactics. Start your 7-day free trial and see how Alfie can transform your affiliate recruitment process today! https://www.alfie.io/ Want to recruit more affiliates? https://affistash.com Connect with Dustin Howes on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinhowes #AffiliateMarketing #ClaudeAI #AIAutomation #AffiliateMarketingTips #ClickUp #MarketingAutomation #AIWorkflows #DigitalMarketing #BusinessAutomation #AffiliateManager #ProductivityHacks #Alfie #MarketingStrategy #Entrepreneurship #AIForBusiness Have you heard about Inflektion yet? They are changing the game in Affiliate marketing.The only platform with personalized funnels to scale partnership marketing for brands, agencies, influencers, and affiliates. Catering to the health and wellness space, this tracking soluition is helping build landing pages for partners in a manner of minutes instaead of weeks. They have social listening to capture all the content your brand is creating so that you can find more partners talking about y For more tips on how to scale your affiliate program, check out https://performancemarketingmanager.com

    16 min
  5. Finding the Right Work-Life Balance in a Remote World

    30 May

    Finding the Right Work-Life Balance in a Remote World

    Dustin Howes and Christen Evans dive into the realities of remote team collaboration, leadership, and communication in the affiliate marketing industry. From managing virtual teams and startup culture to navigating misunderstandings in Slack messages, they share practical tips for building stronger relationships while working remotely. The conversation covers virtual happy hours, team-building activities like Jackbox games and trivia, communication strategies, flexible workflows, and adapting to different working styles. They also discuss affiliate marketing, startup growth, balancing work and life, and the importance of creating a positive remote work culture. If you work in affiliate marketing, remote teams, digital marketing, or startups, this episode is packed with relatable experiences and actionable insights to improve collaboration and productivity. 00:00 Finding Team Flow 00:32 Show Intro And Weekend Plans 01:18 Cristen Updates Work And School 02:54 Alfie Beta And Dog Update 04:00 Relearning Collaboration At Work 05:11 Remote Team Bonding Ideas 06:54 Clear Communication Over Text 09:19 Flexible Processes And Templates 11:27 Building Relationships Remotely 13:00 Meetups Alfie Plug And Wrap Subscribe to this channel for more affiliate program growth tactics. Start your 7-day free trial and see how Alfie can transform your affiliate recruitment process today! https://www.alfie.io/ Want to recruit more affiliates? https://affistash.com Connect with Dustin Howes on Linkedin:   / dustinhowes  #AffiliateNerdOut #Alfie #RealTalkFriday #MarketingPodcast #WorkplaceCommunication #StartupCulture #AgencyLife #TeamCollaboration #RemoteWork #PerformanceMarketing #AffiliateManagement #AffiliateManagers #ChristenEvans Have you heard about Inflektion yet? They are changing the game in Affiliate marketing.The only platform with personalized funnels to scale partnership marketing for brands, agencies, influencers, and affiliates. Catering to the health and wellness space, this tracking soluition is helping build landing pages for partners in a manner of minutes instaead of weeks. They have social listening to capture all the content your brand is creating so that you can find more partners talking about y For more tips on how to scale your affiliate program, check out https://performancemarketingmanager.com

    15 min
  6. Rakuten and Impact Shakeup: What This Means for Your Affiliate Program

    30 May

    Rakuten and Impact Shakeup: What This Means for Your Affiliate Program

    Dustin Howes and co-host Cristen Evans recap Dustin’s experience at Optimism, praising it as a selective, high-quality networking event with strong meeting scheduling, useful gifts, and standout activities, but criticizing the lack of concrete information about Rakuten’s new integration and strategic alliance with Impact. Dustin describes the CEO keynote as offering only vague, high-level remarks, frustrating attendees who came seeking clarity, and notes backlash over a private brands-only meeting that excluded agencies. They compare the situation to the ShareASale/AWIN acquisition timeline and discuss concerns about moving brands quickly without clear communication. Cristen shares updates from her week negotiating aggressive CPA placements for a pet food brand focused on LLM visibility, including challenges with newer partners demanding high rates. 00:00 Nothing Burger Tease 00:47 Show Intro and Welcome 01:01 Optimism Conference Highlights 02:35 Gifts and Engagement 03:07 Impact Integration Disappointment 05:03 Brands Only Meeting Backlash 05:51 Tight Lipped Industry Speculation 08:08 Optimism Next Year and Logistics 09:34 Cristen Week Pet Food Wars 10:34 Negotiating CPAs and Visibility 13:07 Conference Buddy Networking 14:06 Wrap Up and Sign Off Subscribe to this channel for more affiliate program growth tactics. Want to recruit more affiliates? https://affistash.com Connect with Dustin Howes on Linkedin:   / dustinhowes  #AffiliateMarketing #Rakuten #Impact #AffiliateNerdOut #DigitalMarketing #AffiliateConference #PerformanceMarketing #MarketingNews #AgencyLife #AffiliateManagers #RakutenOptimism #MarketingStrategy Have you heard about Inflektion yet? They are changing the game in Affiliate marketing.The only platform with personalized funnels to scale partnership marketing for brands, agencies, influencers, and affiliates. Catering to the health and wellness space, this tracking soluition is helping build landing pages for partners in a manner of minutes instaead of weeks. They have social listening to capture all the content your brand is creating so that you can find more partners talking about y For more tips on how to scale your affiliate program, check out https://performancemarketingmanager.com

    24 min
  7. Rakuten Optimism: The Inside Scoop

    22 May

    Rakuten Optimism: The Inside Scoop

    Rakuten Optimism Review + What We Learned (and Didn’t) About the Rakuten Impact Strategic Alliance Dustin Howes and Amanda Karr recap their experience at Rakuten Optimism, highlighting the event’s strong networking, centralized venue, smooth meeting scheduling, great hospitality, and standout social events like the 1920s party and pickleball tournament. They also discuss frustrations around the Rakuten–Impact Strategic Alliance, including vague keynote messaging, conflicting transition timelines, and agencies being excluded from the brand-only meeting, while sharing insights on what the changes could mean for the affiliate industry. The hottest affiliate recruitment tool of 2026 is Alfie. There is a 7-day free trial and a no-risk 30-day money-back gaurantee Go to Dustinhowes.com/trial to sign up Have you heard about Inflektion yet? They are changing the game in Affiliate marketing.The only platform with personalized funnels to scale partnership marketing for brands, agencies, influencers, and affiliates. Catering to the health and wellness space, this tracking soluition is helping build landing pages for partners in a manner of minutes instaead of weeks. They have social listening to capture all the content your brand is creating so that you can find more partners talking about y For more tips on how to scale your affiliate program, check out https://performancemarketingmanager.com

    26 min
  8. Navigating the Impact-Rakuten Merger: Insights and Concerns

    7 May

    Navigating the Impact-Rakuten Merger: Insights and Concerns

    Affiliate Marketing Shakeup: Rakuten & Impact Merger Insights for Agencies & Brands Dustin Howes and co-host Cristen Evans discuss Rakuten joining forces with Impact and the resulting migration of Rakuten merchants to Impact, calling it a major industry consolidation with an aggressive, wave-based timeline complicated by contracts and unresolved pricing details.  They explore what this means for agencies and consultants, including fears that Impact’s referrals to agency partners could shrink and concerns about conflicts of interest as Rakuten’s managed-services arm gets “first crack” at accounts and may try to poach agency-of-record relationships. They note potential operational hiccups seen in past consolidations , possible publisher friction with Impact, and opportunities for agencies to support large-scale migrations.  They also preview “Alfie Bridge,” a planned migration tool to help brands and agencies automate partner transitions. 00:00 Agency Migration Opportunity 00:35 Welcome and Introductions 00:53 Disneyland Week Recap 01:48 Rakuten and Impact News 04:21 Agency Referral Concerns 07:38 Platform Shift and AOR Risks 11:05 Poaching and Ethics Talk 13:29 Pricing and Migration Waves 15:33 Alfie Bridge Migration Tool 19:08 Events and Closing Thoughts Subscribe to this channel for more affiliate program growth tactics. Want to recruit more affiliates? https://affistash.com Connect with Dustin Howes on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinhowes #AffiliateMarketing #AffiliateNews #MarketingStrategy #DigitalMarketing #AffiliateTools #PerformanceMarketing #MarketingInsights #IndustryUpdate #MarketingPodcast #OnlineBusiness #AffiliateManagers #MarketingTrends #BusinessGrowth #ContentMarketing #EntrepreneurLife Have you heard about Inflektion yet? They are changing the game in Affiliate marketing.The only platform with personalized funnels to scale partnership marketing for brands, agencies, influencers, and affiliates. Catering to the health and wellness space, this tracking soluition is helping build landing pages for partners in a manner of minutes instaead of weeks. They have social listening to capture all the content your brand is creating so that you can find more partners talking about y For more tips on how to scale your affiliate program, check out https://performancemarketingmanager.com

    24 min
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About

Partnership marketing enthusiasts and affiliate marketing gurus are sharing their best strategies for affiliate program growth. New guests every week will come to discuss hot topics in the industry and what latest growth hacks working right now.

Information

  • Creator
    Dustin Howes
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    172
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Affiliate Nerd Out
  • Show Website
    Affiliate Nerd Out