The Marketing Umbrella Podcast

Itamar Shafir
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The Marketing Umbrella Podcast, hosted by Kevin Prewett, is for marketing agency owners and digital marketing entrepreneurs. Itamar Shafir is CEO of Umbrella, a technology platform and brand that powers thousands of marketing agencies. On ”The Marketing Umbrella” podcast, Kevin interviews leading industry experts with proven business-building experience who will offer keen insight and practical advice. Tune in each week for a dynamic conversation about tried, tested, and fine-tuned ways to build and grow a marketing agency. For more information, go to https://www.umbrellaus.com/

  1. 119: Answers are the New Currency of Discovery with Ivan Slobodin

    FEB 27

    119: Answers are the New Currency of Discovery with Ivan Slobodin

    Sometimes search results aren't enough; answers are the new currency of discovery. Ivan Slobodin is the Product Manager at Searcheable, where he is pioneering Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). A seasoned expert in AI SaaS, Ivan helps brands maintain visibility as traditional search evolves into AI-driven discovery. His work focuses on building the measurement tools necessary for companies to thrive in a world where AI agents, not just humans, are the primary audience. Ivan’s path is a unique blend of creative marketing and tech. After being told he took "too many marketing courses" in university, he spent years in product analytics and management consulting within the banking and telecom sectors. This data-heavy background became his competitive edge when he returned to marketing, allowing him to build a framework specifically for optimizing content for large language models. In this episode, we explore why traditional search rules are changing and how to adapt to the AI "arms race." Ivan breaks down the shift from SEO to AEO and explains how to measure success in a world without traditional clicks. Listeners will learn how to turn search data into actionable solutions and what it takes to launch a market-leading AI product in record time. Key Takeaways: Focus on Actionable Solutions. Prioritize providing direct answers and solutions over simply collecting or presenting raw data. Prioritize Speed Over Perfection. In fast-moving markets, the ability to iterate quickly is more valuable than a flawless initial launch. Leverage Non-Linear Experience. Technical skills gained in unrelated fields often provide a unique competitive edge when applied to your primary passion. Maintain a Lean Team. Small, specialized teams navigate complex product cycles with significantly less friction than large, hierarchical organizations. Solve Gaps Left by Giants. Sustainable success often comes from intentionally fixing the specific shortcomings and repeated mistakes of established industry leaders. Design for Universal Scalability. Building platforms that serve both solo creators and global enterprises ensures broad relevance across the entire market. Optimize for Machine Discovery. As search evolves, businesses must ensure their content is discoverable by AI agents, not just human users. Listen to the full conversation here: YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@umbrellamicroenterprises Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marketing-umbrella-podcast/id1564111428 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4CoiR10nazd9zVIStLkcjk Connect with Ivan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/slobodinivan/  Searchable Website: https://www.searchable.com/    Closing thought: In the world of AI, every delay is like you becoming obsolete. You have to move as quickly as possible to stay current in this brand-new world. To learn more about our sponsor, please contact CEO Itamar Sharir at umbrellaus.com

    38 min
  2. 118: Linkedin is the IG of 2015 with Nemanja Milic

    JAN 30

    118: Linkedin is the IG of 2015 with Nemanja Milic

    MUP  - Nemanja Milic Show notes   What if your most successful product was born from the manual tasks you hated doing yourself? Nemanja Milic, known as "Nemo," is a seasoned Ad-Tech founder and product owner currently specializing in AI-driven B2B lead generation. As an "AI tool building wizard," he helps companies scale their growth through "vibe coding" lead magnets and advanced automation. His work focuses on transforming traditional, cold outreach into predictable, warm pipelines by leveraging sophisticated technology. Nemo’s career began a decade ago as a copywriter at Leo Burnett, but a pivotal shift occurred in 2017 when he moved into building live-stream platforms. The real turning point came from the frustration of drowning in manual tasks, such as hand-typing emails and hitting LinkedIn outreach limits. This struggle led him to pivot from manual execution to developing automation tools that allow founders to reclaim their time and focus on high-level growth. Today, Nemo advocates for a "strategy-first" methodology that distinguishes intelligent AI systems from basic marketing technology. By integrating AI natively into the user experience, his framework ensures that outreach feels like a value-added interaction rather than an intrusive sales pitch. In this episode, he shares how modern founders can transition from "founder-led" manual sales to automated systems that maintain a human touch while delivering consistent results.   Key Takeaways: Solve internal friction first. The strongest products come from fixing a problem the founder personally experiences. Prioritize seamless native integration. Marketing works when it feels like part of the product, not an interruption. Target early adopter experimenters. Early traction comes from decision-makers who like to test what’s new. Automate for strategic focus. Automation protects your attention for customer insight and strategy. Adapt successful global concepts. Innovation often means refining what already works for a new market. Embrace the trial phase. Failed attempts are how market clarity is earned. Balance quantity with personalization. Scale works when efficiency is paired with deliberate focus.   Listen to the full conversation here: (if Marketing Umbrella) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@umbrellamicroenterprises  Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marketing-umbrella-podcast/id1564111428 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4CoiR10nazd9zVIStLkcjk   Connect with Nemanja Milic: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nemanjamilic/ Leaded Website: https://leadedpro.com/   Closing thought: You know, you gotta test, you gotta try it out... because you can't do everything manually as a founder. You really need to focus on your strategy and the little details that actually make something work.   To learn more about our sponsor, connect with CEO Itamar Shafir at umbrellaus.com

    40 min
  3. 117: Is Your Website a Leaking Bucket with Omar Majthoub

    12/31/2025

    117: Is Your Website a Leaking Bucket with Omar Majthoub

    What if your toughest sales calls turned into the stories that fill your pipeline? Omar Majthoub didn’t begin his career in a boardroom. He started on the phones, making cold calls and learning what people actually care about and what makes them disengage. That hands-on experience still shapes how he leads marketing today: clear, simple messages rooted in real conversations. On this episode of The Marketing Umbrella Podcast, Omar talks about the shift from dialing strangers to building campaigns that feel more like guidance than a pitch. He explains how paying attention to the questions people ask can reveal patterns that shape better content and keep marketing and sales on the same page. Whether you're a solo marketer or leading a team, he keeps coming back to one idea: good strategy starts with understanding people, not chasing trends. This conversation gets into the practical side of how his team at Bith works: defining the right customer, making clean handoffs between sales and marketing, and tracking simple metrics that show whether something’s working or not. Omar also shares how he’s learned to cut out busywork, focus on the right channels, and stay close to customers, not just dashboards.   Here are the key takeaways from the conversation:   Listen before you create. The questions and objections you hear from real people are the best starting point for topics, headlines, and offers. Keep your ideal customer simple. A clear, shared picture of who you want to help makes it easier to decide what to say and where to say it. Choose a few things to measure. Focus on signs that your work is leading to real conversations and real opportunities, not just clicks. Make marketing easy to follow. Simple steps, clear language, and helpful content build more trust than complicated funnels and buzzwords. Let sales and marketing work as one team. When both sides share the same goals and definitions, it is easier to know what is really working. Use your own path as an advantage. Experience from the front lines, like cold calling, can make you a more grounded and empathetic leader. Closing thought: "You have to market yourself before you market the product." Listen to the full conversation here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frintmedia Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marketing-umbrella-podcast/id1564111428 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4CoiR10nazd9zVIStLkcjk   Connect with Omar: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omar-majthoub-a546361b5/ Bith.ai: https://bith.tv/ Please leave us an honest rating on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts. To learn more about Umbrella and to connect with CEO Itamar Shafir, go to ⁠https://umbrellaus.com

    41 min
  4. 116: Smart Ads at Scale with Hikari Senju

    11/30/2025

    116: Smart Ads at Scale with Hikari Senju

    What if AI could turn ad creative from art to science? Ad creative is the black box of advertising. It drives 49% of sales, more than brand or distribution, yet it's the least understood part of any campaign. Hikari Senju, founder and CEO of Omneky, is changing that. With a Harvard computer science degree and a childhood spent between his painter father's art studio and his grandfather's tech career at IBM, Hikari saw something in 2015 that most people missed: generative AI could revolutionize advertising at scale. In this episode of The Marketing Umbrella Podcast, Hikari shares how he built Omneky years before the market was ready. He talks about selling his first startup, the shift from agencies to in-house marketing teams, and why timing in tech means everything. Whether you're wondering how AI fits into your workflow or trying to stay ahead without getting left behind, this conversation will change how you think about creative production. Whether you're running an in-house marketing team, trying to figure out if your agency model still works, or just wondering how to keep up with AI without getting left behind, this conversation will challenge how you think about creative production, data-driven optimization, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.   Here are the key takeaways from the conversation:   Creative drives 49% of sales. It's the most important lever for growth, yet it remains the biggest black box in advertising. Starting early gives you an advantage. Even if the market isn't ready, being first lets you learn faster and build momentum while others wait. Start building your brand now. By the time customers are ready to buy, you want to be the name they remember. In-house marketing is the trend. Self-serve media buying killed the agency gatekeeping model, creating demand for better internal tools. Come for the creative, stay for the workflow. Quality ad generation gets customers. Data-driven optimization keeps them. Business fundamentals don't change. Even in fast tech, delivering value and driving real results still matter most. Focus on winning customers first, profits later. In a fast-growing space, getting more users matters more than making money right away. Stay ahead or get left behind. Technology advances quickly. Miss one shift and someone else takes your position.   Closing thought: "You come for the creative and you stick around for the workflow.” Listen to the full conversation here: YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@umbrellamicroenterprises Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marketing-umbrella-podcast/id1564111428 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4CoiR10nazd9zVIStLkcjk   Connect with Hikari: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hisenju/ Omneky: https://www.omneky.com/ Please leave us an honest rating on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts. To learn more about Umbrella and to connect with CEO Itamar Shafir, go to ⁠https://umbrellaus.com

    45 min
  5. 115: Injecting AI Into Creativity with Pip Bingemann

    10/31/2025

    115: Injecting AI Into Creativity with Pip Bingemann

    Most people think AI is here to replace creatives, automating the magic out of advertising and turning strategists into button-pushers. Pip Bingemann thinks differently.  As co-founder and CEO of Springboards, he's built an AI platform that does something completely different: it accelerates human creativity instead of replacing it. In this episode of The Marketing Umbrella Podcast, Pip shares the wild origin story of Springboards. How he and his wife, Amy Tucker, got laid off during the tech downturn, moved to a tiny beach town in Australia, and accidentally built a SaaS platform now used by over 250 agencies worldwide, including two of the ten biggest companies on the planet. What started as a freelance experiment teaching themselves to code became a full-blown mission to fight the biggest enemy of great work: mediocrity. Pip breaks down why the "click button, get ad" approach to AI is fundamentally broken, why he genuinely hates the term "marketing science," and what it's really like to balance a high-growth startup with two young kids and a dog. Whether you're a strategist wondering if your job is safe, an agency leader trying to figure out where AI fits, or just someone who still believes great ideas matter, this conversation will change how you think about the future of creativity.   Here are the key takeaways from the conversation:   AI should be a creative co-pilot, not a replacement. The best tools inject inspiration instead of automating everything. Stay flexible, even when you're sure you're right. Pip thought chat interfaces sucked, then ChatGPT got better. Being wrong is part of the game. Advertising is not a science. The obsession with instant performance and quarterly metrics is killing bold creative work. Build what frustrates you. Springboards was born from Pip's frustration with mediocre AI outputs. If you feel the pain, others do too. The hardest part isn't the tech. It's funding, hiring the right people, and keeping everyone aligned. Your network opens doors. Years of goodwill and relationships gave Pip and Amy early funding and credibility when they needed it most. A tool is only as good as who's using it. AI in the wrong hands produces garbage. Empowering the right people is what matters. Closing thought: "Let's just inject it into a current process to help people explore more ideas. If you can help them explore more ideas, you're going to get better work." Listen to the full conversation here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frintmedia Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marketing-umbrella-podcast/id1564111428 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4CoiR10nazd9zVIStLkcjk   Connect with Pip: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pipbingemann/ Springboards: https://springboards.ai/ Please leave us an honest rating on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts. To learn more about Umbrella and to connect with CEO Itamar Shafir, go to ⁠https://umbrellaus.com

    29 min
  6. 114: The Onus is On Us to Listen with Brendan Norman

    09/30/2025

    114: The Onus is On Us to Listen with Brendan Norman

    What if the future of advertising isn’t about who you are, but what you’re thinking about right now? Brendan Norman has always been drawn to systems: how they work, where they break, and what others overlook. From being the first salesperson at Facebook Audience Network (where he helped scale the business to $3 billion) to leading Unity’s ad business through its IPO, Brendan’s career has been about asking better questions. Now, he’s tackling a different kind of challenge: building Classify, a privacy-first ad tech platform that doesn’t rely on personal data. Instead, it uses AI to understand the meaning behind content—and matches ads accordingly. In this episode of the Marketing Umbrella Podcast, Brendan explains how Classify emerged from his own frustration with traditional ad targeting. While trying to promote a niche ski guide service, he realized that existing tools couldn’t deliver ads with enough context. So he built something better. He also draws a surprising parallel between startup life and his namesake, St. Brendan, both navigating uncharted territory with curiosity and a strong sense of direction. Here are the key takeaways from the conversation: Context Beats Identity. Classify organizes content at scale, making it searchable and monetizable without relying on personal data. Simplicity Wins. Customer feedback shaped the product into something anyone can use. No jargon, no fluff. Fragmentation Is the Enemy. The ad tech ecosystem is bloated and inefficient. The future is in simplification and transparency. Vision Matters. Classify and organize content into an accurate “library of the world” in a privacy-safe way. AI Opens New Possibilities. With embeddings, vector databases, and scalable classification, advertisers can finally target in ways that align with human understanding of content.   Closing thought: “Our vision is to organize content and make it searchable and monetizable in a privacy-safe way. We want to be the accurate library of the world’s content.”   Listen to the full conversation here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frintmedia Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marketing-umbrella-podcast/id1564111428 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4CoiR10nazd9zVIStLkcjk   Connect with Brendan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendannorman/  Classify LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/classifyinc/  Website: https://www.tryclassify.com/  Please leave us an honest rating on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts. To learn more about Umbrella and to connect with CEO Itamar Shafir, go to ⁠https://umbrellaus.com

    39 min
  7. 113: Proof in AI Attribution with Jeff Greenfield

    09/02/2025

    113: Proof in AI Attribution with Jeff Greenfield

    What if 80% of your marketing budget is actually being wasted right now? Jeff Greenfield is an entrepreneur, advisor, and disruptor with three decades of marketing leadership under his belt. Today, he's the co-founder and CEO of Provalytics, a cookieless attribution solution that helps marketers prove the impact from upper funnel channels like CTV. Jeff didn't plan to get into measurement, but stumbled into it when he discovered a weight loss company was paying out five times for every new customer because all their partners claimed credit for the same sale. Jeff gets that measurement isn't just about crunching numbers, it's about solving real business headaches and getting finance teams to trust marketing investments. He built and scaled C3 Metrics, one of the first multi-touch attribution companies, and exited just before COVID hit. What makes Jeff different is his experience living through both the wild west days of early digital and today's privacy-focused world. This conversation digs into how the attribution landscape has shifted and why tools like Google Analytics are leaving marketers hanging. Jeff pushes back on the idea that digital marketing should be all about hyper-targeting and bottom-funnel optimization. Instead, he believes marketers have forgotten the basics: we're supposed to buy attention that builds awareness, not just chase clicks.   Here are the key takeaways from the conversation:   Most Marketing Budgets Are Massively Wasted. Companies are throwing away 80% of their dollars by obsessing over bottom-of-funnel activities and non-brand search terms. Attribution Got Way Faster. Jeff's approach can crunch through 12 months of data in under a week, versus the old 3-4 month wait. Agencies Need Analytics to Win Business. The winning pitch now spends more than half the time on advanced analytics instead of media management promises. Marketing Forgot Its Fundamentals. Modern marketers buy clicks when they should be buying attention that builds awareness and drives sales. Emotional Storytelling Still Wins. Hyper-targeting and benefit-focused ads miss the emotional stuff that actually builds brands over time. White-Label Solutions Help Agencies Grow. Attribution platforms work best when baked into agency offerings instead of being separate tools. Closing thought: "We invest dollars to buy attention, and that attention leads to awareness. When awareness is built up enough, people will walk into your store, and that eventually leads to clicks and sales." Listen to the full conversation here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frintmedia Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marketing-umbrella-podcast/id1564111428 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4CoiR10nazd9zVIStLkcjk   Connect with Jeff: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffgreenfield/ Provalytics: https://provalytics.com/ Please leave us an honest rating on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts. To learn more about Umbrella and to connect with CEO Itamar Shafir, go to ⁠https://umbrellaus.com

    34 min
  8. 112: Search is a Feature, Not a Destination with Mike Buckbee

    07/31/2025

    112: Search is a Feature, Not a Destination with Mike Buckbee

    How AI search engines are becoming your company's most popular and least trained sales reps! Michael Buckbee has spent nearly two decades working at the intersection of marketing and technology, building solutions for everyone from the U.S. Navy and Fortune 100 companies to YC startups, presidential candidates, and even rock bands. Today, he's the co-founder of Knowatoa, a service that tracks brand visibility, rankings, and sentiment within AI search platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google Gemini. Mike sees things differently, shaped by his background in both cybersecurity and software development. Rather than chasing high-traffic, low-intent content that worked in traditional SEO, Mikel advocates for focusing on mid and bottom-funnel content that actually converts. He explains how search is evolving from a destination into a feature, something baked into every application we use, just like spell check. This conversation goes beyond just tracking AI search results. Mike challenges marketers to rethink their entire approach in a world where search journeys happen largely "below the surface" and traditional SEO metrics don't tell the whole story. His work with Knowatoa helps agencies and businesses understand not just where they rank, but whether AI systems can even access their content in the first place.   Here are the key takeaways from the conversation:   Search Is Becoming a Feature, Not a Destination. AI search is now built into applications like spell check, changing how users find information and requiring new marketing strategies. Focus on Mid and Bottom-Funnel Content. Traditional top-of-funnel SEO content is losing effectiveness; prioritize content that converts prospects into customers. Repetition Drives AI Search Rankings. Large language models build consensus through repetition, making strategic messaging more important than keyword optimization. Many Websites Are Invisible to AI Bots. Businesses often don't realize their sites are inaccessible to AI crawlers, causing complete exclusion from results. Search Journeys Happen "Below the Surface." Most AI search interactions are invisible to marketers, requiring new approaches to brand visibility. Content Strategy Must Evolve Beyond Traffic. Success comes from building authoritative, repetitive messaging across platforms rather than chasing high-traffic posts. Marketing Agencies Have an Expanded Role. Professionals must ensure AI bot accessibility and manage brand representation, creating more strategic opportunities.   As a closing thought, “AI search is already shaping how people talk about your company. You just can’t see it yet. But once you do, you can start shaping it back.” Listen to the full conversation here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frintmedia Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marketing-umbrella-podcast/id1564111428 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4CoiR10nazd9zVIStLkcjk   Connect with Mikel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbuckbee/  Knowatoa: https://knowatoa.com/  Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/buckbee.bsky.social Please leave us an honest rating on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts. To learn more about Umbrella and to connect with CEO Itamar Shafir, go to ⁠https://umbrellaus.com

    33 min
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About

The Marketing Umbrella Podcast, hosted by Kevin Prewett, is for marketing agency owners and digital marketing entrepreneurs. Itamar Shafir is CEO of Umbrella, a technology platform and brand that powers thousands of marketing agencies. On ”The Marketing Umbrella” podcast, Kevin interviews leading industry experts with proven business-building experience who will offer keen insight and practical advice. Tune in each week for a dynamic conversation about tried, tested, and fine-tuned ways to build and grow a marketing agency. For more information, go to https://www.umbrellaus.com/

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