Why Marketing Sucks With Nathan Smith

Nathan Smith
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Why Marketing Sucks is a weekly business podcast hosted by Nathan Smith, founder of the SEO and marketing agency SEOptimize. Every guest gets asked the same question: Do you actually think marketing sucks? Each episode, Nathan sits down with a founder or operator running a growing company and walks through how that business really gets customers. Not the version on the website, the real one. What they tried first and why it fell flat. The channel that finally worked, whether that turned out to be SEO, Google Ads, cold outreach, referrals, or word of mouth. What broke when they tried to scale it, who they hired, who they had to let go, and what it cost them to learn that. Then the conversation goes where most marketing shows stop. What happens if the one channel carrying the whole business quits working tomorrow. What the founder is still personally holding that nobody else can do yet. Where the next 12 months actually go. Why Marketing Sucks is for founders, owners, and the people responsible for growth, especially anyone who has paid for marketing that produced good reports and no revenue. Hosted by Nathan Smith from Colorado. New episodes weekly. Be a guest, or hear past episodes: whymarketingsuckspodcast.com Nathan Smith's agency, SEOptimize: seoptimizellc.com

  1. 20 Oct

    How To Build A D2C Beverage Brand On YouTube | Peter Bayne

    When Peter Bayne built Kenetik, he spent $150,000 on a single high-production video ad using humor to explain the science of exogenous ketones. The ad generated content assets, but failed to deliver immediate ROI. Instead, Kenetik scaled by leveraging YouTube influencer partnerships, geo-targeted ad campaigns around retail stores, and AI-optimized search strategies. In this episode: - Why a $150,000 video ad campaign failed to produce instant ROI - How YouTube creators outperformed Instagram influencers for DTC sales growth - The strategy behind using geo-targeted Facebook and Google ads to clear retail shelves - Why Kenetik underwent a complete rebrand after getting banned by Meta - How to build AI-driven web pages to capture search queries across LLMs - Why caffeine blocks sleep receptors and how ketones provide alternative cellular energy About Peter Bayne: Peter Bayne is an entrepreneur and the founder of Kenetik, a functional beverage company that creates plant-based exogenous ketone drinks. Before launching Kenetik during the pandemic, Peter built and managed 13 to 14 restaurants and bars in the food and beverage industry. Kenetik produces functional brain drinks designed to boost alpha and gamma brain waves for mental clarity and focus without relying on caffeine or sugar. The company operates in both the direct-to-consumer market and the clinical medical research space. Website: https://drinkkenetik.com/ About Why Marketing Sucks: Why Marketing Sucks is a weekly business podcast hosted by Nathan Smith, the founder of SEOptimize, an agency that owns the full marketing funnel for a small book of clients across SEO, paid ads, content, PR, and web. Each episode is a conversation with a founder or operator about how they actually get customers: what they tried first, what finally worked, what broke when they scaled it, and whether they think marketing sucks. New episodes every week. https://whymarketingsuckspodcast.com https://seoptimizellc.com Subscribe for weekly interviews with founders revealing how they really grow their businesses. Topics covered: DTC marketing, YouTube influencer marketing, functional beverage scaling, Meta ad bans, brand messaging, geo targeted ads, retail expansion, AI search optimization Chapters: 0:00 How ketones provide cellular energy without caffeine or sugar 4:54 The origin of Kenetik and solving the flavor problem 16:45 Team structure and maintaining a D2C focus 35:45 Marketing challenges and the $150,000 video ad lesson 43:09 Scaling through YouTube influencers and geo-targeted retail ads 53:28 Rebranding after Meta suspended the Facebook ad account 1:09:59 Why explaining complex product education is the hardest part of marketing 1:12:46 Investing $10,000 in AI search optimization and question-answering domains

  2. 20 Oct

    How To Use AI For E-Commerce SEO In 2026 | Sandy Ronalds

    When external agencies cost $3,000 a month for SEO, Sandy Ronalds trained Claude AI to manage her search rankings, weekly optimizations, and LLM visibility instead. Sandy Ronalds, founder of Nat V Basics, produces eco-friendly underwear and everyday apparel made from beech tree fibers for women in Australia and New Zealand. In this episode, she breaks down how she cut her internal team from 8 to 2 while maintaining scale, why Meta ad acquisition broke over the last two years, and how influencer marketing outperforms paid ads. In this episode: - How running an AI prompt system in Claude AI replaced a $3,000 per month SEO agency retainer - The strategy behind cutting internal staff from 8 people down to 2 using 3PL and AI automation - Why constant retail sale cycles and discount codes destroy margins in e-commerce - The difference between micro influencers for content creation and macro influencers for direct sales - How paid ad spend indirectly drives untracked organic and brand search traffic - What happens when Meta acquisition costs skyrocket and how to manage media spend budgets About Sandy Ronalds: Sandy Ronalds is the founder of Nat V Basics, an Australian e-commerce brand specializing in sustainable, comfortable underwear and everyday apparel for women. Originally conceptualized in 2017 and launched in 2019, the company focuses on eco-friendly fibers like Lenzing Modal sourced from beech trees. After years of running small businesses and starting a skincare brand, Sandy built Nat V Basics to deliver long-lasting products that prioritize consumer comfort and supply chain transparency. The company primarily serves women in Australia and New Zealand while expanding into global shipping. Website: https://natvbasics.com/ About Why Marketing Sucks: Why Marketing Sucks is a weekly business podcast hosted by Nathan Smith, the founder of SEOptimize, an agency that owns the full marketing funnel for a small book of clients across SEO, paid ads, content, PR, and web. Each episode is a conversation with a founder or operator about how they actually get customers: what they tried first, what finally worked, what broke when they scaled it, and whether they think marketing sucks. New episodes every week. https://whymarketingsuckspodcast.com https://seoptimizellc.com Subscribe to the podcast and hit the notification bell for new episodes every week! Topics covered: e-commerce marketing, AI SEO strategies, Meta ads attribution, influencer marketing ROI, customer acquisition cost, e-commerce retention tactics, DTC brand scaling, supply chain management Chapters: 0:00 Founding Nat V Basics and brand background 4:07 Scaling down team size with 3PL and Claude AI 5:24 Using Claude AI for weekly SEO and goals 10:40 Managing ad agencies and retainer models 14:28 Expanding product catalog to boost lifetime value 18:33 The impact of continuous retail discounting cycles 30:20 Meta ad performance challenges and customer acquisition 36:08 Influencer marketing strategies and UGC content 43:53 Tracking organic traffic lift from paid campaigns 51:23 Where to invest $10,000 in marketing budget

  3. 20 Oct

    How To Scale A B2B Brand Without Paid Ads | Sam Goulden

    Sam Goulden built a multi-million dollar direct to consumer brand without spending a single dollar on paid ads. The founder of Minimal Golf sits down with Nathan Smith to share how he creates loyal customers by treating every buyer like a friend. He also reveals how a failed deal left his company with $400,000 in debt and how he is working his way out. In this episode: - Why Minimal Golf refuses to run paid ads or hire paid influencers - The exact customer service routine that turns one-time buyers into brand advocates - How a canceled Super Bowl campaign left the company with $400,000 in inventory debt - The simple design fixes that eliminate the most common points of failure in golf bags - Why giving away free products to young players drives organic word-of-mouth sales - How posting up to 20 times a day generates millions of organic impressions About Sam Goulden: Sam Goulden is the founder of Minimal Golf, a premium golf brand based in Redondo Beach, California. His company makes golf bags out of 100% recycled ocean plastics and operates a local golf club with simulators, club fittings, and lessons. A former competitive golfer and golf coach, Sam launched Minimal Golf in 2020 to build sustainable, high-performance equipment for modern players. Website: https://minimalgolf.com/ About Why Marketing Sucks: Why Marketing Sucks is a weekly business podcast hosted by Nathan Smith, the founder of SEOptimize, an agency that owns the full marketing funnel for a small book of clients across SEO, paid ads, content, PR, and web. Each episode is a conversation with a founder or operator about how they actually get customers: what they tried first, what finally worked, what broke when they scaled it, and whether they think marketing sucks. New episodes every week. https://whymarketingsuckspodcast.com https://seoptimizellc.com Subscribe to the channel to get weekly interviews with founders who share how they actually grow their businesses. Topics covered: bootstrapped growth, direct to consumer marketing, organic social strategy, customer retention tactics, eco friendly products, brand loyalty strategy, inventory debt management, word of mouth growth Chapters: 0:00 Building a brand for the player and the planet 4:57 Leaving a successful app to start a new business 8:23 Operating a lean direct to consumer team 13:07 Using coaching experience to understand customers 20:48 Overcoming a major product quality failure 24:42 Dealing with $400,000 in inventory debt 34:35 Product features that solve real golfer problems 38:15 Reaching millions through organic social media 54:25 Why paid advertising and influencer deals do not work 1:06:50 Giving back to junior golfers at the driving range

  4. 20 Oct

    How To Scale A D2C Brand With Micro Influencer Marketing | Alex Vailas

    Building a million-follower audience on social media does not mean you have to stay an influencer forever. Alex Vailas, Head of Brand at Bad Birdie, joins Nathan Smith to discuss how she transitioned from early Pinterest influencer to leading brand strategy for a disruptive D2C apparel brand. Bad Birdie creates bold, high-performance golf apparel for men, women, and kids who want to break away from traditional golf dress codes. In this episode: - How Bad Birdie positioned itself as a challenger brand in a traditional industry - Why coming into a new industry with zero background knowledge can be a competitive advantage - How Alex built a audience of 1 million Pinterest followers in 6 months before influencer marketing existed - What made Alex pivot from creator to agency operator and brand executive - How Bad Birdie scales through retail doors, organic content, and selective creator partnerships - What Alex would do with a 10K monthly marketing budget to drive real growth About Alexandra E. Vailas (Alex Vailas): Alexandra E. Vailas (Alex Vailas) is the Head of Brand at Bad Birdie. Founded in 2017, Bad Birdie is a golf apparel company that makes bold, high-performance polos, apparel, and activewear for men, women, and kids. The brand started as a direct-to-consumer business designed to challenge traditional, conservative golf style and has since expanded nationwide into major retail doors like Dick's Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, Scheels, and Nordstrom. Before leading brand strategy at Bad Birdie, Alex was one of the nation's first Pinterest influencers, gaining over 1 million followers before transitioning into agency leadership and brand marketing. Website: https://badbirdiegolf.com/ About Why Marketing Sucks: Why Marketing Sucks is a weekly business podcast hosted by Nathan Smith, the founder of SEOptimize, an agency that owns the full marketing funnel for a small book of clients across SEO, paid ads, content, PR, and web. Each episode is a conversation with a founder or operator about how they actually get customers: what they tried first, what finally worked, what broke when they scaled it, and whether they think marketing sucks. New episodes every week. https://whymarketingsuckspodcast.com https://seoptimizellc.com Subscribe now and watch full episodes every week! Topics covered: D2C marketing, brand strategy, influencer marketing, retail expansion, apparel marketing, customer acquisition, social media marketing, organic growth Chapters: 0:00 Introduction to Alex Vailas and Bad Birdie 4:00 How the name Bad Birdie creates disruption 8:02 Why Bad Birdie focuses strictly on golf apparel 11:53 How male and female shoppers buy differently 19:59 Leading brand marketing with zero golf background 26:14 How Alex gained 1 million Pinterest followers 34:10 Pivoting from full-time influencer to brand marketer 42:39 Bad Birdie's strategy for creator partnerships and retail 50:09 Why marketing sucks and the struggle with content scale 59:38 How Alex would invest a 10K marketing budget

  5. 20 Oct

    How to Scale a Specialty Food Brand into B2B Food Service | Debra Moser

    When grocery store margins got too thin, Meat Crafters shifted its strategy to focus heavily on custom B2B food service for colleges, cruise ships, and restaurants. In this episode, Debra Moser, President of Meat Crafters, explains how her company manufactures chef crafted sausages, bacon, and salamis in Landover, Maryland for wholesale, retail, and direct to consumer buyers. She reveals how digital coupon platforms capture real customer data and why trade shows remain vital for landing major wholesale accounts. In this episode: - Why Meat Crafters pivoted from direct to consumer sales to B2B food service - Using digital cashback coupons to capture grocery shopper demographic data - How grocery stores evaluate brands through category reviews - The challenges of shipping frozen food on dry ice and managing freight costs - Why Meat Crafters invests in long term SEO over quick paid ads - Expanding into custom products, meatballs, and halal certified lines About Debra Moser: Debra Moser is the President of Meat Crafters, a specialty food company based in Landover, Maryland. Meat Crafters produces chef crafted, clean protein products including salamis, sausages, bacon, and charcuterie using meats sourced from family farms. The company serves retail grocery stores, B2B food service providers, restaurants, and online direct to consumer buyers. Meat Crafters has been making specialty meats since 2005, and Debra stepped in as president in January 2020 to build their digital presence and expand into wholesale channels. Website: https://www.meatcrafters.com/pages/who-we-are About Why Marketing Sucks: Why Marketing Sucks is a weekly business podcast hosted by Nathan Smith, the founder of SEOptimize, an agency that owns the full marketing funnel for a small book of clients across SEO, paid ads, content, PR, and web. Each episode is a conversation with a founder or operator about how they actually get customers: what they tried first, what finally worked, what broke when they scaled it, and whether they think marketing sucks. New episodes every week. https://whymarketingsuckspodcast.com https://seoptimizellc.com Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell to catch every new episode! Topics covered: B2B food service marketing, CPG retail distribution, wholesale customer acquisition, digital coupon data collection, e-commerce shipping challenges, long term SEO strategy, product category reviews Chapters: 0:00 Founding Meat Crafters and expanding the product line 1:30 Taking over as president and building the website 3:28 Making salamis shelf stable and rebranding 6:27 Why the business shifted into B2B food service 13:28 Digital coupons that capture customer data 17:34 Evolving SEO and building organic site traffic 23:03 What broke when hiring web design agencies 33:23 How to get products into grocery stores and food service 40:34 Where to invest a $10,000 marketing budget

  6. 20 Oct

    How To Hire Special Needs Staff For Your Business | Mark & Amie

    How do you build a profitable brand that employs 50 adults with special needs and scales nationwide without spending money on traditional marketing? Mark Pfeifer and Amie Schindler are the leaders behind Wiggle Wow, a Louisville gourmet dog treat bakery created to empower adults with special needs. They share how they built a hybrid for-profit and non-profit business model, created partner kits for single parents, and developed a product that 95% of dogs prefer. In this episode: - Why Mark left corporate America after testing his recipe on 50 dogs - How Wiggle Wow structure their non-profit manufacturing and for-profit sales - How four partner families started selling treats at local events with no franchise fees - The commission structure that teaches staff real sales skills - Why 84% of their staff are epic chefs with special needs - How autographed treat bags turned customers into repeat brand fans - The long term vision to build inclusive gated communities and dog care hubs About Mark Pfeifer and Amie Schindler: Mark Pfeifer and Amie Schindler run Wiggle Wow, a gourmet dog treat bakery based in Louisville, Kentucky. The business sells high-quality dog treats made with five simple ingredients to dog owners across the country. Built to employ adults with special needs, Wiggle Wow started seven years ago with one employee and now employs 50 adults who hand-make every batch. Mark left corporate America to build the company after spending over two years perfecting the recipe. Website: https://wigglewow.com/ About Why Marketing Sucks: Why Marketing Sucks is a weekly business podcast hosted by Nathan Smith, the founder of SEOptimize, an agency that owns the full marketing funnel for a small book of clients across SEO, paid ads, content, PR, and web. Each episode is a conversation with a founder or operator about how they actually get customers: what they tried first, what finally worked, what broke when they scaled it, and whether they think marketing sucks. New episodes every week. https://whymarketingsuckspodcast.com https://seoptimizellc.com Subscribe to the channel to catch every new episode on how real businesses grow. Topics covered: social enterprise growth, grassroots marketing strategies, b2b wholesale partnerships, hiring special needs adults, physical product subscriptions, dog treat bakery, founder podcast interviews, mission driven business models Chapters: 0:00 Founding Wiggle Wow to employ adults with special needs 2:58 Testing the 50 dog treat recipe challenge 5:22 How the inclusion staffing model works 9:32 Paying above minimum wage to all employees 11:22 Splitting the business into non profit and for profit 13:05 How partner kits help families earn 1000 dollars 18:31 Grassroots marketing and event sales strategies 24:58 Future plans for inclusive communities across America 30:40 Growing recurring subscription revenue online 35:07 Content strategy ideas using TikTok and YouTube

  7. 13 Oct

    The Best Cold Email System For B2B Agencies In 2026 | Chris Rork

    Chris Rork, founder of MUEV, joins Nathan to share how he built a technical apparel brand specifically engineered for pickleball players. After three decades leading global supply chains for Ralph Lauren and Levi's, Chris explains how bonded seams, micro-perforations, and high-performance fabrics solve real physical pain points for high-volume athletes. In this episode: - Why Chris transitioned from executive supply chain roles at Ralph Lauren to building a niche apparel brand - How bonded seams and micro-perforations eliminate skin chafing and improve ventilation for active players - The process of sourcing technical fabrics from top-tier mills in Taiwan and Germany as an emerging brand - How MUEV balances performance synthetic fibers with new Pima cotton fabric developments - The challenges of scaling through paid social channels and learning Meta algorithms on a lean budget - Why 30% of MUEV customers return for repeat purchases with an average lifetime value near 400 dollars - How small teams use specialized AI design tools to model technical garments faster than legacy corporations About Chris Rork: Chris Rork is the founder of MUEV, a premium technical performance apparel company built specifically for pickleball and active lifestyle movement. With over 30 years of experience in fashion apparel, supply chain, and global operations, Chris previously held leadership positions at major brands including Ralph Lauren, Levi Strauss & Co., and Carter's. MUEV produces high-performance athletic wear engineered with custom fabrics, bonded construction, and specialized ventilation for athletes. The company serves pickleball players, club athletes, and sports enthusiasts across the United States. Chris launched the company in 2022 after identifying a gap in purpose-built performance apparel for the rapidly growing pickleball community. Website: https://muevbrand.com/ Subscribe to follow weekly conversations with industry founders and operators building market-leading brands. Topics covered: B2B apparel brand, technical performance fabrics, pickleball gear, e-commerce growth strategies, customer lifetime value, apparel manufacturing supply chain, Meta ad optimization, product design engineering Chapters: 0:00 Why Chris Rork launched a technical apparel brand for pickleball players 15:41 How MUEV designs high-performance apparel specifically engineered for active movement 21:41 Sourcing technical performance fabrics from top global mills in Taiwan and Germany 31:41 The marketing challenges of educating customers on technical product features 48:30 Comparing paid social ad channels, search intent, and organic discovery 1:02:32 Developing Pima cotton blends that combine natural comfort with technical performance 1:10:32 Customer retention rates, order values, and scaling MUEV beyond its core market 1:22:02 How MUEV uses AI tools to streamline technical apparel design and prototyping

  8. 13 Oct

    How To Drive DTC E-Commerce Growth With Amazon | Tim Taylor

    Chia Charge went from a kitchen table side project with 10 plain white boxes to over seven figures in sterling with a 3-person team. Tim Taylor, founder of Chia Charge, breaks down how he built an endurance energy snack brand that outperforms Ocado's channel growth, reaches near six-figure monthly turnover on Amazon UK, and maintains an 80 percent returning customer rate on Shopify. In this episode: - Why falling in line with supplier processes keeps production simple and costs fair - How taking a 3-month free trial with an Amazon agency scaled revenue from 100k to over 250k - How a raw material observation turned unflavored soy crispies into 60 percent of Amazon sales - Why 10,000 non-buyers on an email list still yield a 20 to 30 percent open rate - Why turning off top-of-funnel ad spend kills Amazon conversion metrics - How running a 7-figure e-commerce business with 3 people requires tight supply chain management About Tim Taylor: Tim Taylor is the founder of Chia Charge, a UK-based energy and endurance food brand that makes flapjacks, protein bars, chia seeds, and protein crispies. Started in 2012, Chia Charge provides real-food nutrition made with simple ingredients for runners, cyclists, hikers, and active individuals across the UK. The company operates as a bootstrapped 3-person team generating over seven figures in sterling through retail stockists, Ocado, Amazon, and their direct website. Website: https://thefraction.com/ Watch the full episode below to see how Chia Charge scales through lean operations and multi-channel distribution. Topics covered: e-commerce growth, Amazon FBA scaling, supply chain management, direct-to-consumer strategy, food manufacturing, customer retention, Meta advertising, lean team operations Chapters: 0:00 Background of Tim Taylor and Chia Charge 2:16 Founding story and creating the first product 10:54 Working with local bakers and early distribution 15:00 Channel growth across Ocado, direct web, and Amazon 18:38 Scaling Amazon advertising with an agency partner 24:57 Spotting the opportunity for protein crispies 38:38 Managing a 7-figure brand with a 3-person team 48:22 Meta ad strategies and retargeting learnings

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Why Marketing Sucks is a weekly business podcast hosted by Nathan Smith, founder of the SEO and marketing agency SEOptimize. Every guest gets asked the same question: Do you actually think marketing sucks? Each episode, Nathan sits down with a founder or operator running a growing company and walks through how that business really gets customers. Not the version on the website, the real one. What they tried first and why it fell flat. The channel that finally worked, whether that turned out to be SEO, Google Ads, cold outreach, referrals, or word of mouth. What broke when they tried to scale it, who they hired, who they had to let go, and what it cost them to learn that. Then the conversation goes where most marketing shows stop. What happens if the one channel carrying the whole business quits working tomorrow. What the founder is still personally holding that nobody else can do yet. Where the next 12 months actually go. Why Marketing Sucks is for founders, owners, and the people responsible for growth, especially anyone who has paid for marketing that produced good reports and no revenue. Hosted by Nathan Smith from Colorado. New episodes weekly. Be a guest, or hear past episodes: whymarketingsuckspodcast.com Nathan Smith's agency, SEOptimize: seoptimizellc.com

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