Future Fuzz - The Digital Marketing Podcast

Justin Campbell
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  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Experts from the industry speaking about B2B Marketing and Digital Marketing, giving you the listener insights into the best marketing technology to use, new insights and brilliant strategic ideas. Industry experts give insights on how to best run your marketing campaigns and a few laughs on the way!

  1. 2D AGO

    Ep. 171 - The Long Game in Sales - Glenn S. Phillips

    Podcast Summary In this episode of the Future Fuzz Podcast, Vince Quinn sits down with Glenn S. Phillips, CEO of Lake Homes Realty, to explore the realities of qualifying leads and managing extremely long sales cycles. Glenn shares how his company has built a thriving niche real estate brokerage focused specifically on lakefront, beach, and mountain properties—markets where the buying process can take years rather than months. Glenn explains why discretionary real estate purchases behave differently from traditional home sales, how Lake Homes Realty uses niche positioning to attract highly engaged buyers, and why expertise matters when selling unique properties. The conversation dives into strategies for nurturing long-term leads, delivering value instead of constant sales pressure, and helping agents stay patient through multi-year buying journeys. Listeners will also learn how Glenn’s team combines data, digital platforms, and experienced agents to guide buyers through complex property decisions, while building a defensible sales process designed for long timelines and high-value purchases. Guest Bio Glenn S. Phillips is the CEO of Lake Homes Realty, a rapidly growing real estate brokerage specializing in lakefront properties across the United States. Under Glenn’s leadership, the company has appeared seven times on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies. Lake Homes Realty operates a unique niche-focused model that combines specialized agents with highly targeted digital platforms, including LakeHomes.com. The company has expanded its niche strategy into additional markets with Beach Homes Realty and Mountain Homes Realty, continuing to focus on experiential properties that serve as lifestyle destinations rather than primary residences. Glenn is known for pioneering niche real estate brokerage at scale, combining deep market expertise with long-cycle sales strategies that help buyers navigate complex, discretionary property purchases. Takeaways Niche specialization creates stronger engagement than broad real estate platforms. Discretionary real estate purchases often have sales cycles that average two years or longer. Buyers frequently research properties online for years before ever speaking with an agent. Providing value—market insights, education, and expertise—is more effective than aggressive selling. Experienced agents are better equipped to handle long-term relationship building with buyers. Qualifying leads often focuses on protecting time rather than determining financial capacity. Buyers today are more informed than ever and can quickly recognize overpriced properties. Unique property markets require local expertise because pricing can vary dramatically based on location and features. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Glenn S. Phillips and Lake Homes Realty 01:02 What Makes Lake Homes Realty Different 01:39 The Niche Strategy Behind Lake, Beach, and Mountain Homes 02:03 Understanding Discretionary Real Estate Purchases 02:22 Why the Sales Cycle Can Last Years 03:11 Managing Long Sales Cycles in Real Estate 04:14 The Power of Niche Traffic and Buyer Intent 04:52 Why Experienced Agents Perform Better 06:22 How Leads Move from Website to Agent 07:11 Delivering Value Instead of Sales Pressure 09:02 Examples of Value-Driven Client Engagement 10:39 Building Relationships Through Experiences and Events 11:04 Aligning Brand Power with Individual Agent Relationships 12:59 Using Data to Help Agents Win Listings 13:26 Maintaining Patience in Long Sales Cycles 15:34 Helping Buyers Discover What They Actually Want 18:03 Why Today’s Buyers Are More Informed Than Ever 19:10 Why Distressed Deals Rarely Exist in Niche Markets 20:24 Pricing Strategy and Market Signals 21:27 The Importance of Local Expertise in Unique Property Markets 22:02 Where to Find Lake Homes Realty LinkedIn Follow Glenn S. Phillips on LinkedIn Follow Vince Quinn on LinkedIn

    23 min

  2. 4D AGO

    Ep. 170 - Finding Stories in New Markets - Kim Nguyen

    In this episode of Future Fuzz, Vince Quinn sits down with Kim Nguyen, Head of Marketing at TreeRing, to explore how storytelling and problem-solving can unlock entirely new business verticals. Kim shares the origin story of TreeRing, a company that disrupted the traditional yearbook industry with a print-on-demand model, eliminating waste, administrative burden, and unsold inventory for schools. She then explains how the company applied the same philosophy to the travel industry, using AI to transform thousands of travel photos into curated physical keepsakes. The conversation dives into how marketers can enter new industries with curiosity, identify real customer pain points, and build partnerships that scale globally. Kim also highlights the power of listening—using open conversations with cruise operators and travel agents to uncover opportunities like gifting personalized photo books to travelers. For marketers exploring new markets, this episode is a masterclass in customer discovery, storytelling, and building solutions around real human experiences. Guest Bio Kim Nguyen is the Head of Marketing at TreeRing, a company that revolutionized the traditional yearbook industry with a sustainable, print-on-demand model that eliminates waste and administrative burden for schools. With over 16 years of experience supporting TreeRing’s growth, Kim has helped lead the company’s expansion into new verticals, including the travel industry. By leveraging AI-driven photo curation, TreeRing enables travelers to transform hundreds of digital photos into meaningful physical keepsakes in minutes. Kim specializes in storytelling, customer discovery, and market expansion, helping organizations identify hidden opportunities by deeply understanding customer pain points and behaviors. Takeaways Identify real problems first. TreeRing’s success comes from spotting inefficiencies—first in yearbooks, then in travel memories.Print-on-demand changed yearbooks. Schools no longer need to pre-order inventory or deal with unsold books.AI reduces friction. AI-powered photo curation can transform hours of manual work into minutes.Storytelling starts with truth. The best marketing highlights a real problem customers already feel.Customer discovery requires curiosity. Open-ended conversations often reveal opportunities you didn’t anticipate.Partnerships unlock scale. Collaborations with cruise lines like Norwegian and Carnival opened access to thousands of travelers.Focus on the “last mile” of experiences. Many travel brands neglect what happens after the trip ends—where memories are relived.Entering new verticals requires humility. Approaching industries with a blank-slate mindset helps uncover insights faster.Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Kim Nguyen and TreeRing 01:16 How TreeRing Disrupted the Traditional Yearbook Model 03:22 Identifying a New Opportunity in Travel Memories 04:49 Why AI Makes Photo Book Creation Frictionless 07:51 Expanding from Education to Travel Markets 10:00 Building Partnerships with Cruise Lines 11:53 Scaling Through Enterprise Travel Partnerships 13:00 Learning Customer Pain Points Across Travel Businesses 15:21 Discovering the Travel Agent Photo Book Opportunity 18:46 The Power of Curiosity When Entering New Industries 20:02 Why Listening Beats Being the “Know-It-All” Marketer 20:11 Where to Learn More About TreeRing LinkedIn Follow Kim Nguyen on LinkedIn Follow Vince Quinn on LinkedIn

    21 min

  3. 6D AGO

    Ep. 169 - AI, Influence & Brand Survival - Dan Lowden

    In this episode of Future Fuzz, Vince Quinn sits down with Dan Lowden, Chief Marketing Officer at Blackbird.ai, to unpack one of the fastest-growing threats facing organizations today: narrative attacks driven by disinformation, misinformation, and deepfakes. Dan explains how AI has dramatically lowered the barrier to creating convincing false content that can manipulate stock prices, damage brand reputation, target executives, and even threaten national security. He introduces the concept of Narrative Intelligence—a new category identified by Gartner—as a proactive way for companies to detect harmful narratives before they spiral out of control. The conversation explores how organizations should respond when false narratives gain traction, why real-time data is critical for crisis decisions, and how cross-functional “fusion centers” are becoming essential in managing modern reputation risk. They also discuss the upside: how brands can identify and amplify positive narratives to build trust and loyalty. If you care about brand protection, crisis management, AI risk, or the future of trust in the digital age, this episode is essential listening. Guest Bio Dan Lowden is the Chief Marketing Officer at Blackbird.ai, a leading Narrative Intelligence company that helps organizations detect and mitigate disinformation-driven narrative attacks. With over two and a half years at Blackbird.ai, Dan plays a key role in educating enterprises, government agencies, and global organizations about the emerging threat of AI-powered misinformation, deepfakes, and coordinated narrative manipulation. Under his leadership, Blackbird.ai has helped define and lead the newly recognized category of Disinformation Narrative Intelligence, empowering companies to proactively identify harmful narratives across social media, news, and the dark web—before they cause financial, operational, reputational, or physical harm. Takeaways AI has dramatically lowered the barrier to creating convincing deepfakes and disinformation.Narrative attacks can cause financial, reputational, operational, and even physical harm.A single post can evolve into a large-scale narrative across multiple platforms.You cannot rely on social platforms to “take it down” once a narrative spreads.Real-time narrative intelligence enables faster, more strategic crisis decisions.Companies are forming cross-functional “fusion centers” to respond to modern reputation threats.Authenticity and trust are fragile—one bad narrative can undo years of brand equity.Positive narratives should be identified and amplified strategically.Brands must earn trust consistently; inauthentic behavior gets exposed quickly.Knowing the full narrative landscape (positive, neutral, negative, harmful) creates both protection and opportunity.Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Dan Lowden and Blackbird.ai 00:34 What Is Narrative Intelligence? 02:18 Why Disinformation and Deepfakes Are Exploding 03:56 The Rise of AI-Powered Narrative Attacks 05:30 Why Companies Must Take This Threat Seriously 07:29 How Organizations Should Respond to False Narratives 09:48 The Importance of Real Data in Crisis Decisions 10:46 Identifying and Leveraging Positive Narratives 13:37 Authenticity, Trust, and Brand Vulnerability 16:38 The “Fusion Center” Approach to Crisis Management 18:13 How to Learn More About Blackbird.ai 19:14 Final Thoughts on Trust in the AI Era LinkedIn Follow Dan Lowden on LinkedIn Follow Vince Quinn on LinkedIn

    21 min

  4. MAR 6

    Ep. 168 - The Real ROI of Experiential - Erica Wiggins

    In this episode of Future Fuzz, Vince Quinn sits down with Erica Wiggins, Director of Marketing and Communications at George P. Johnson (GPJ), to unpack what it really takes to stand out at major global events like CES and South by Southwest. Erica shares how brands can move beyond surface-level activations and photo ops to create meaningful, measurable experiential marketing strategies. From setting clear goals and defining audience segments to building attendee journeys and leveraging new measurement technologies, she explains why strategy must come before spectacle. They explore the realities of planning timelines, budgets ranging from guerrilla activations to multi-million-dollar campaigns, and how GPJ audits events to bring competitive intelligence back to clients. Erica also makes the case for why in-person experiences are becoming even more critical in an AI-driven, increasingly mistrusted digital world. If you’re considering investing in a major event—or wondering how to prove ROI from experiential marketing—this episode is packed with practical insight. Guest Bio Erica Wiggins is the Director of Marketing and Communications at George P. Johnson (GPJ), a global strategic experiential marketing agency with over 111 years of history. Headquartered in Detroit, GPJ began in the automotive space and has since expanded to serve leading B2B and B2C brands across technology, retail, CPG, insurance, and beyond. At GPJ, Erica helps shape how brands connect with audiences through world-class live experiences at major global events. She works closely with strategy, creative, and new business teams to ensure experiential campaigns align with brand objectives, drive measurable results, and deliver meaningful attendee journeys. Takeaways Start with clear goals before committing to any event.Define your segmented audience and understand why they’re attending.Align your activation with the event’s vibe and structure.Build a strategic attendee journey—not just a booth.Measurement is critical—track leads, engagement, sentiment, and behavior.Smaller budgets require bigger creativity.Photo ops alone aren’t enough—especially for B2B brands.Experiential marketing is becoming more important in an AI-driven world.Auditing events provides competitive intelligence and future opportunity.In-person brand experiences build trust in ways digital alone cannot. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Erica Wiggins and GPJ 01:16 What GPJ Does and Its 111-Year Legacy 02:16 How Brands Stand Out at Major Events 03:28 Why You Must Understand the Event Before Showing Up 05:10 South by Southwest vs. CES Strategy Differences 06:28 Parallel Events and Creative Event Positioning 07:49 How GPJ Approaches Client Strategy 08:54 Planning Timelines: 6–12 Months in Advance 11:55 Budget Ranges: Guerrilla to Multi-Million-Dollar Campaigns 14:10 How GPJ Promotes Itself at Events 16:11 What an Event Audit Actually Looks Like 17:01 Common Mistakes Brands Make 18:30 Why Photo Ops Aren’t Enough 19:24 The Case for Experiential in an AI World 20:39 Where to Learn More About GPJ LinkedIn Follow Erica Wiggins on LinkedIn Follow Vince Quinn on LinkedIn

    22 min

  5. MAR 4

    Ep. 167 - Helping First Wins Every Time - Nic Banting

    In this episode of Future Fuzz, Vince Quinn sits down with Nic Banting, CMO at Roselion, to explore how strong relationships and intentional service can scale trust in a digital-first world. While marketers obsess over tactics, attribution, and AI-driven performance, Nic makes the case that trust is the ultimate growth lever—and it doesn’t scale the way ads do. Nic shares his philosophy of “helping first,” why reciprocity is wired into human behaviour, and how dedicating intentional time each week to meeting new people can compound into career-defining opportunities. From lessons learned in corporate environments to the power of going deep quickly in conversations, this episode reframes networking as an act of service rather than self-promotion. If you care about building meaningful connections, creating leverage through trust, and standing out in an increasingly automated world, this conversation is for you. Guest Bio Nic Banting is the Chief Marketing Officer at Roselion and a passionate advocate for relationship-led growth. With a career built on trust, service, and strategic connection, Nic believes that the strongest marketing outcomes stem from deep human relationships—not just tactical execution. He is a firm believer in intentional network building, helping without expectation, and going beyond surface-level interactions to build meaningful bonds. Through his work and personal philosophy, Nic champions the idea that trust compounds—and that helping others is one of the most scalable strategies in business. Takeaways Trust is the foundation of effective marketing and strong partnerships.Helping others first creates compounding opportunities through reciprocity.Intentional networking (dedicating time weekly) drives long-term growth.Deep conversations build stronger bonds than surface-level small talk.The most valuable opportunities often come from unexpected connections.Relationship building should be prioritized as highly as skill development.Emotional moments in conversations are what people remember most.In an AI-driven world, human trust is a differentiator.Chapters 00:00 Welcome and Introduction to Nic Banting 01:21 Why Trust Is the Foundation of Marketing 02:24 Helping First as a Core Principle 03:40 The Challenge of Maintaining Relationships 06:07 Scaling Trust Through Strategic Partnerships 07:11 Lessons from Isolation Early in Vince’s Career 08:42 The Power of Unexpected Connections 10:29 Building Rapport and Trust Quickly 12:44 Curiosity as a Relationship Tool 14:37 Intentional Networking: Blocking Time Weekly 16:49 Turning Conversations Into Value 20:00 Going Deep vs. Surface-Level Small Talk 22:39 Being a Student of People 23:49 Systems for Remembering and Reconnecting 25:22 Final Advice: Invest in Relationships Over Tactics LinkedIn Follow Nic Banting on LinkedIn Follow Vince Quinn on LinkedIn

    27 min

  6. MAR 2

    Ep. 166 - From Blog Posts to Pipeline - Sara Ceballos

    In this episode of Future Fuzz, Vince Quinn sits down with Sara Ceballos, Director of Marketing at Inspectiv, to explore how content can intentionally support every stage of the buyer journey. Sara breaks down why content isn’t just blogs and white papers—it’s a strategic system designed to move prospects from awareness to revenue. From mapping content to funnel stages, to identifying gaps through data analysis, to partnering closely with sales for real-world insights, Sara shares a practical framework for building content that converts. The conversation dives into attribution, dark funnel realities, empathetic marketing, and why content strategy must be both analytical and adaptable. If you’re creating content without a clear path to pipeline, this episode will help you rethink your approach. Guest Bio Sara Ceballos is the Director of Marketing at Inspectiv, a company providing continuous security testing solutions that help organizations launch applications securely and protect their digital environments. With a strong focus on data-driven strategy, attribution modeling, and cross-functional collaboration, Sara specializes in aligning marketing content with sales insights to drive measurable business impact. She is passionate about empathetic marketing, buyer journey mapping, and creating content ecosystems that influence pipeline and revenue. Takeaways Content must align intentionally with stages of the buyer journey.Data should guide content strategy—but sales conversations provide critical qualitative insight.The buyer journey is not linear; prospects may disappear and resurface months later.Dark funnel influence is real—attribution won’t always capture everything.Mapping existing content to funnel stages helps identify strategic gaps.North Star metrics should tie back to meetings, pipeline, and revenue.One core piece of content can be repurposed across multiple channels.Empathetic marketing builds trust by addressing real pain points.Optimization requires fast pivots when content doesn’t resonate.Distribution matters as much as creation—meet buyers where they already spend time. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Sara Ceballos 00:46 What Inspectiv Does 01:27 Building Strategic Content Campaigns 03:46 Mapping Content to Buyer Intent 05:18 Charting the Buyer Journey 07:20 Content Ecosystems and Repurposing 09:28 Attribution and Measuring Impact 10:44 The Non-Linear Buyer Journey 12:08 Aligning with Sales for Insight 13:54 Listening to Real Customer Conversations 15:45 Choosing the Right Content Formats 16:41 Empathetic Marketing in Action 17:41 Pivoting and Optimizing Strategy 18:53 Where to Find Inspectiv LinkedIn Follow Sara on LinkedIn Follow Vince on LinkedIn

    21 min

  7. FEB 27

    Ep. 165 - Frameworks Win with Ai Marketing - Kyle Shurtz

    In this episode of Future Fuzz, Harry Duran sits down with Kyle Shurtz, Fractional CMO at Avalaunch Media, to talk strategy, risk-taking, and why marketing is a lot like playing blackjack. Kyle shares how frameworks, not guesswork, drive better decisions in both cards and campaigns. From Google’s 70-20-10 “wild bets” philosophy to Avalanche’s structured Strategic Sprint process, the conversation explores how disciplined risk-taking separates winning brands from stagnant ones. They dive deep into the role of AI in marketing, why strategic leadership won’t be replaced by automation, and how agencies must evolve beyond tactics into true fractional executive partnerships. Kyle also breaks down Avalanche’s nine-square marketing framework (inspired by The One Page Marketing Plan), explaining how aligning ICP, messaging, media, customer journey, and lifetime value creates scalable growth. If you’re a founder or executive tired of reactive marketing and looking for structured, strategic growth—this episode delivers practical insight. Guest Bio Kyle Shurtz is the Fractional CMO at Avalaunch Media, a full-service digital marketing agency focused on strategic leadership backed by execution. At Avalanche, Kyle helps companies move beyond disconnected marketing tactics by implementing structured frameworks that align revenue goals, customer acquisition, and brand positioning. The agency specializes in building fractional in-house marketing teams—combining executive-level strategy with tactical delivery across content, paid media, analytics, and creative. Kyle is passionate about risk-taking, innovation, and what he calls “wild bets”—intentional experimentation designed to drive breakthrough growth. Through structured planning and disciplined execution, he helps businesses scale sustainably in an AI-driven marketing landscape. Takeaways Marketing, like blackjack, requires strategic decision-making based on known variables.AI enhances execution but cannot replace strategic leadership.The 70-20-10 model (core, adjacent, wild bets) can be applied to marketing budgets.Companies should allocate 10% of their marketing efforts to experimentation.90% of marketing dollars go toward acquisition, but 65% of revenue often comes from existing customers.Strong sales infrastructure is critical before scaling marketing efforts.Strategic planning must precede tactical execution.Content creation at scale is one of the biggest friction points in modern marketing.Human-led, founder-driven content will become increasingly important in an AI-saturated world.Fractional executive marketing teams can provide stability in a role with high turnover.Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Kyle Shurtz 00:28 AI Tools and the Gemini vs. ChatGPT Debate 01:23 Marketing as Blackjack: The Framework Mindset 03:11 AI’s Role in Strategic Marketing 04:24 The 70-20-10 Wild Bets Philosophy 06:01 Risk-Taking and Iconic Brand Growth 07:16 What Makes a Great Avalaunch Client 08:35 The Strategic Sprint Framework 10:46 Bringing Stability to Marketing Leadership 12:23 Content Strategy and AI-Driven Research 13:49 Content Creation Friction 15:21 The Importance of Human-Led Branding 17:59 The Fractional In-House Team Model 19:26 Rebuilding Trust in Digital Marketing 21:48 LinkedIn as a Growth Engine 26:29 Case Study: 45% Growth in 90 Days 28:24 Where to Connect with Kyle LinkedIn Follow Kyle Shurtz on LinkedIn Follow Harry Duran on LinkedIn

    30 min

  8. FEB 25

    Ep. 164 - The Power of Founder Networks - Michelle Breyer

    In this episode of Future Fuzz, Vince Quinn sits down with Michelle Breyer, Chief Marketing Officer at SKU, to explore the powerful ecosystem at the center of a consumer product accelerator. Founded in Austin 15 years ago, SKU was built specifically to support emerging consumer product brands with education, mentorship, and meaningful connections. Michelle shares how the accelerator evolved from an in-person, Austin-focused program into a national hybrid model—unlocking access to top-tier mentors from companies like Coke, Mars, Pepsi, Whole Foods, L’Oréal, and more. The conversation dives into what makes mentorship truly transformative, how SKU intentionally builds seven-to-nine person mentor teams around each founder, and why community—not curriculum—is the real secret sauce. Michelle also shares her own entrepreneurial journey, including building and selling NaturallyCurly.com, one of the first online communities for textured hair. Her firsthand experience as a founder shapes how she supports brands navigating fundraising, scaling, and sustainable growth today. If you’re interested in accelerators, community-building, or scaling consumer brands the right way, this episode is packed with insight. Guest Bio Michelle Breyer is the Chief Marketing Officer at SKU, a leading accelerator dedicated to consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands. Before joining SKU, Michelle co-founded NaturallyCurly.com in 1998, one of the earliest online communities and e-commerce platforms dedicated to textured hair. What began as a passion project grew into a media, e-commerce, and market research powerhouse serving millions of users monthly. In 2018, the company was acquired by Richelieu Dennis, founder of SheaMoisture, following SheaMoisture’s billion-dollar sale to Unilever. At SKU, Michelle leverages her entrepreneurial experience to help emerging brands scale sustainably through education, mentorship, and strategic connections. Takeaways SKU was built specifically to serve the unique needs of consumer product brands.The accelerator model combines structured education with highly curated mentorship teams.Each brand receives 7–9 mentors with specific subject matter expertise.Community and connection are the true long-term value of accelerator programs.The pandemic accelerated SKU’s shift to a hybrid model, expanding access nationally.Sustainable growth requires strong unit economics and operational clarity.Authenticity is essential when building a community—audiences can sense when it’s forced.The best communities are built around real pain points, not trends.Founders benefit most when they don’t have to “recreate the wheel.”Alumni engagement strengthens and perpetuates the ecosystem.Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Michelle Breyer 00:34 What SKU Is and How It Started 02:00 The Pivot to a Hybrid Accelerator Model 03:02 How SKU Builds Mentor Teams 04:35 The Power of Long-Term Community 06:36 Michelle’s Role as a Connector 07:52 The NaturallyCurly.com Origin Story 09:52 Scaling a Community into a Business 11:28 What Makes a Community Thrive 14:20 Authenticity vs. Opportunism in Community Building 17:41 Scaling SKU’s Impact 18:00 Why Unit Economics Matter for Founders 19:59 The Ongoing Power of the SKU Network 21:15 Mentor Culture and Alumni Engagement 23:00 How to Get Involved with SKU LinkedIn Follow Michelle on LinkedIn Follow Vince on LinkedIn

    24 min
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Experts from the industry speaking about B2B Marketing and Digital Marketing, giving you the listener insights into the best marketing technology to use, new insights and brilliant strategic ideas. Industry experts give insights on how to best run your marketing campaigns and a few laughs on the way!

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