Return on Reputation

Justin Obey
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

I'm Justin Obey, and this is Return on Reputation. Here's what I've learned building companies and helping founders scale: The game has changed. You don't need a bigger ad budget - you need a better media strategy. This show is about how founders are building authority and leverage in 2026: Podcasting that generates real clients, not just downloads AI tools that actually save you time instead of creating busy work Social media that builds relationships, not just follower counts Founder-led branding that positions you as the obvious choice I've built a 7-figure company, I run marketing for multiple 7 and 8-figure brands, and now I help B2B founders build the media engines that let them stop chasing and start attracting. If you're ready to play a different game, let's go.

  1. 6d ago ·  Video

    Why Clear Positioning Is the #1 Driver of B2B Business Growth | Anthony Pierri | Ep. 15

    📩 Join the Friday Briefing (free newsletter): https://get.obeycreative.com/newsletter 🎙️ Free Podcast Planner GPT: https://get.obeycreative.com/podcastplanner  Every B2B company says they have a positioning strategy. Almost none of them can explain what they actually do in one sentence. Anthony Pierri has seen this up close, hundreds of times. As co-founder of Fletch PMM, he's spent the last three years sitting with founders and leadership teams, staring at homepages that say everything and mean nothing. Not the pitch deck. Not the brand guidelines. The actual words a stranger reads when they land on your site and decide in seconds whether you're worth their time. What he's found is both simple and uncomfortable: most B2B companies aren't struggling because of their product. They're struggling because nobody, including their own team, can agree on who they're really for. In this episode of Return on Reputation, I had the chance to talk with Anthony Pierri to dig into why clear positioning is the #1 driver of B2B growth and why the homepage is the most underrated alignment tool in any company's arsenal. What you'll learn in this episode: Why your homepage isn't a marketing asset. It's a forcing function for internal alignment The difference between firmographic ICPs and Jobs-to-be-Done segmentation, and why one of them actually works The real reason B2B companies end up with 20 use cases and no clear message The trucking software company that was weeks away from dying until one positioning bet changed everything Why sharing everything you know publicly doesn't cost you clients. It brings them in The two content principles Anthony uses to build authority on LinkedIn: the spiky opinion and the super specific how Why the champion in a B2B deal is almost never who you think it is What Stripe, Calendly, and Vanta can teach any startup about winning a market If you're a B2B founder who's invisible outside your inner circle, great at what you do but unknown everywhere else, this episode is your roadmap. Follow Return on Reputation on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts so you don't miss an episode.   TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Meet Anthony Pierri of Fletch PMM 00:50 From Pastor to Product Marketer 03:04 What a Failed Sales Role Taught Him 04:59 How His First LinkedIn Post Went Viral 08:18 Your Homepage Is a Positioning Tool, Not a Marketing Asset 10:33 The Trucking Company That Almost Died 12:37 Why Niching Down Is Not About Firmographics 16:18 The Risk of Public Teardowns 18:11 Why B2B Websites Get Vague 23:04 How to Prioritize Your Homepage 25:49 Why Changing Market Perception Takes Time 27:09 Building a 90% Inbound Business With No Outbound 27:18 How LinkedIn Became His #1 Inbound Channel 29:25 Why Sharing Everything Publicly Wins More Clients 31:27 Will AI Kill the Case for Public Content 34:21 Why the Champion Is Never the C-Suite 38:23 The Authority Gap Every B2B Founder Has 44:37 How to Build Organic Distribution as a Founder 47:36 The Two Content Principles Behind Every B2B Thought Leader 49:49 Rapid Fire and Wrap

    54 min

  2. May 21 ·  Video

    Why Waiting to Build Your Personal Brand Is Costing You Millions | Alexandra Crabb | Ep. 14

    📩 Join the Friday Briefing (free newsletter): https://get.obeycreative.com/newsletter 🎙️ Free Podcast Planner GPT: https://get.obeycreative.com/podcastplanner  Alexandra Crabb just became the owner of a 28-year-old PR agency.   She didn't start it. She grew it from the inside over 14 years — joined as VP when the team was five people, helped build it to ten, and six weeks ago acquired Castor Communications from its founder, Kimberly Lancaster. Now she's thinking about something most founders never stop to consider: legacy. What does she want to leave behind? And how does she protect the reputation that was already there when she walked in?   That question runs through everything in this episode.   Alex has spent her entire career making founders visible — getting them in front of the right journalists, the right audiences, the right rooms. And she has a clear, honest take on where founders waste money, where they miss the window, and why the ones who wait until they "need" PR are already behind.   In this episode of Return on Reputation, we cover: — What PR actually does for a B2B founder  — and what it absolutely cannot do  — Why founders who wait to build their personal brand make their own lives harder  — The real cost of staying invisible while someone louder takes your market  — How AI is reshaping discoverability and why earned media now carries more weight than ever   — The owned, earned, and paid flywheel and how to think about the right ratios  — Why your whole team needs to be visible, not just the founder  — What "building in public" actually looks like when you're still figuring it out  — The AEO vs. GEO debate and why the fundamentals still win This one is for the founder who's heads down building  and hasn't looked up to ask who knows they exist yet.   Chapters:  00:00 Introduction  00:44 Alex acquires Castor Communications — the intrapreneurship story  04:45 The weight of ownership — legacy, pressure, and not screwing it up  05:35 AI and the future of discoverability — how Castor is adapting  11:10 The Wild West of social media and why LinkedIn still wins for B2B  13:45 What PR actually does for a B2B founder — and what founders get wrong  16:00 It's not magic: why PR doesn't work as an on/off switch  18:05 When a startup is NOT ready for PR  20:25 Building your personal brand before you need it — and what waiting costs  25:10 The loudest person in the room problem  27:00 Media training, story development, and the living pitch book  33:00 AEO, GEO, and the shift in how people find you  38:35 Why owned + earned + paid all work together  43:00 The whole team needs to be visible — not just the founder  49:05 AEO — the one thing every founder needs to understand right now  51:05 Rapid fire  57:10 What reputation means to Alex today — and why she's thinking about legacy   Subscribe to Return on Reputation on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.   Ready to close your Authority Gap? Visit OBEYCreative.com

    53 min

  3. May 14 ·  Video

    AI Won't Replace You — But This Skill Gap Will | Mamoon Chowdry | Ep. 13

    📩 Join the Friday Briefing (free newsletter): https://get.obeycreative.com/newsletter 🎙️ Free Podcast Planner GPT: https://get.obeycreative.com/podcastplanner ⬇️ Download the Authority Blueprint: https://get.obeycreative.com/mediaengineblueprint Every company says they're using AI. Almost none of them can prove it's working. Mamoon Chowdry has a front-row seat to that gap. As Director of AI Transformation at GE Healthcare — a company with more FDA-cleared AI medical devices than any other on earth — he spends his days sitting with engineering teams, watching what actually happens when AI lands inside a large organization. Not the announcement. Not the dashboard. The ground truth. What he's found is both reassuring and urgent: AI isn't coming for your expertise. It's coming for the generic version of it. The people who thrive aren't the ones who use the best tool. They're the ones who bring irreplaceable judgment to whatever tool they use. In this episode of Return on Reputation, Justin sits down with his neighbor and friend Mamoon Chowdry for one of the most practical and honest conversations about AI and your career you'll find anywhere. What you'll learn in this episode: Why 30% of AI success is in the technology and 70% is in the human layer — and what that means for every person using AI at work The two-question test you can run on your team tomorrow: are you using AI, and can you prove it's working? The "two jobs" framework: the difference between execution and judgment — and why judgment is the skill of the next 20 years The engineer story that changed how Mamoon thinks about AI: a woman working with temperature sensor data in maternal infant care who said "I finally feel like I can operate at the level I should have been operating at all along" Why AI without your expertise produces what Mamoon calls "plausible mediocrity" — and what that means for your career The two groups inside every company right now — and why both of them are quietly embarrassed about AI What an agentic operating system actually is and how Mamoon uses one to research, think, and grow as a person — not just a professional Why learning in public on LinkedIn changed the trajectory of his career — and the direct link between that and trust, reputation, and influence If you've been wondering whether AI is going to replace you — this episode answers the question honestly, practically, and with real stories from the inside of one of the world's largest healthcare companies. Follow Return on Reputation on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts so you don't miss an episode. HASHTAGS: #AI #CareerGrowth #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #PersonalBrand #AIAtWork #Leadership #GEHealthcare #EnterpriseAI #ReturnOnReputation TIMESTAMPS: 00:05 Who Is Mamoon Chowdry 03:00 The 30/70 Rule: Why AI Success Is Mostly Human 08:35 The Gap Between What Companies Think AI Will Do and What Actually Happens 11:00 The C-Suite Workshop — Every Hand Up, Then Every Hand Down 16:15 The Engineer Story — Temperature Sensors, Premature Babies, and One Hour 19:05 Execution vs. Judgment — The Two Jobs Every Knowledge Worker Has 23:30 Will AI Replace You? The Honest Answer 25:55 "This Is Why You Are Irreplaceable" 29:25 Tools, Agents, and the Agentic Operating System 32:30 The Research Agent That Works While He Sleeps 39:05 Has Learning in Public Changed His Career? 40:50 The Permission Slip — Two Groups in Every Company, Both Embarrassed 45:33 Rapid Fire 48:18 How to Start From Scratch If You're Feeling Behind

    48 min

  4. May 8 ·  Video

    Why Some Founders Get Backed and Others Don't | Suneel Gupta | Ep. 12

    What do you do when the New York Times labels you the face of failure — and your face is literally the first result when someone Googles the word? If you're Suneel Gupta, you use the article as your calling card, spend the next few years interviewing hundreds of the world's most successful people, and write the book that answers the question everyone's afraid to ask: why do some people get backed and others don't?   In this episode of Return on Reputation, Justin sits down with Suneel Gupta — bestselling author of Backable and Everyday Dharma, Harvard faculty member, and founding CEO of RISE (named App of the Year by Apple and later acquired by Amazon) — for a conversation about conviction, reputation, and what it actually takes to get people to take a chance on you.   This one goes deep. Suneel reveals why confidence is the wrong thing to optimize for, why AI makes conviction more valuable than ever, and what the most successful founders he's ever interviewed all have in common. Plus — an exclusive first look at his upcoming third book.   What you'll learn in this episode: Why the most backable people aren't charismatic — they have conviction, and there's a difference How to incubate an idea before you pitch it — and why sharing too early is a health hazard for your business The parking lot moment that changed how Suneel pitched Rise forever — and raised millions Why AI-generated content is killing reputations, not just building them The 55/5 principle Suneel uses to sustain energy and performance across a busy career What Everyday Dharma taught him about the gap between outer success and inner fulfillment What reputation actually means when you strip away the LinkedIn version of yourself If you're a founder who's been grinding in private, unsure if you're ready to step forward — this episode is your permission slip.   Follow Return on Reputation on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts so you don't miss an episode.   Hashtags: #PersonalBranding #Entrepreneurship #FounderStory #Backable #SuneelGupta #B2BMarketing #AuthorInterview #StartupLife #ConvictionOverCharisma #ReputationBuilding Timestamps: 00:00 Cold Open 01:10 Who Is Suneel Gupta — The Non-LinkedIn Version 02:40 Storytelling as Dharma 05:15 The Conviction vs. Confidence Shift 08:40 Why New Ideas Need Incubation 10:00 Stop Building Decks — Build Belief First 13:00 The Parking Lot Moment That Changed the Pitch 14:55 Why Your Energy Matters More Than Your Words 17:10 AI Scripts vs. Real Conviction 17:30 The Relationship Between Backable and Everyday Dharma 20:00 Finding Your Gift — The Meaning vs. Purpose of Life 21:00 The 55/5 Principle for Sustained Energy 25:00 What Being Backable Means for Invisible Founders Today 26:10 Why Suneel Doesn't Love Social Media — And What Actually Works 29:10 Outer Success vs. Inner Fulfillment 32:15 Rapid Fire 32:33 Courage Follows Action — His Mother's Ford Story 34:00 The Most Underrated Thing About Conviction 35:05 Twitter 2009 vs. LinkedIn 2026 35:45 The One Thing Successful People Have in Common 36:00 EXCLUSIVE: Suneel's Third Book Revealed — "The Game of Now" 38:05 What Does Reputation Mean to You Today?

    40 min

  5. Apr 30 ·  Video

    He Owned the Personal Branding Category Before Anyone Else Did | Dan Schawbel | Ep. 11

    In 2007, a kid from Bentley University Googled "personal branding" after a boring corporate training class and decided to own the entire category. Today, Dan Schawbel has 170,000+ LinkedIn followers, a newsletter reaching 380,000 professionals, three bestselling books, and a research firm that has interviewed 3.18 million people across 26 countries for companies like Oracle, Deloitte, UKG, and Upwork. He's interviewed Warren Buffett, Natalie Portman, Matthew McConaughey, and Hulk Hogan.   He also built all of it through relentless outreach, zero fear of rejection, and a commitment to starting small and compounding over 20 years.   In this episode of Return on Reputation, Justin sits down with his Bentley classmate and personal branding pioneer Dan Schawbel for a conversation about what it actually takes to build lasting authority and why the window to do it is closing faster than most founders realize.   What you'll learn in this episode: How Dan went from a corporate training class he hated to owning seven of the top ten search results for "personal branding" Why visibility creates opportunities — and how one Fast Company article turned him from a nobody at EMC into the person who wrote his own job description What 3.18 million research interviews and nearly 100 studies have taught him about what companies and employees actually want Why personal branding is 5,000 times more important today than it was two years ago — and why that number is only going in one direction The AI productivity paradox: 96% of executives say AI is boosting productivity. Most employees say it's adding to their workload. Why 60% of LinkedIn content is already AI-generated and what that means for anyone trying to build real authority What happens when you hire Dan Schawbel — and why your personal brand is actually Authority Capital If you've been waiting to build your personal brand, this episode makes clear there's no more time to wait.   Follow Return on Reputation on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.   Hashtags: #PersonalBranding #DanSchawbel #FounderStory #AuthorityBuilding #LinkedInGrowth #B2BMarketing #ThoughtLeadership #AIWorkplace #ContentStrategy #ReturnOnReputation   Timestamps: 00:11 Personal Branding Origins & Social Media Early Days  03:57 Standing Out at EMC & Tom Peters Breakthrough  08:29 Blogging, Networking & PR Visibility  12:27 Books, Going Solo & Rejection Mindset  22:44 Quality, Delegation & Posting Strategy in the AI Era  28:31 Research as a Brand Moat & Turning Studies into Campaigns  34:07 Headline Crafting & Demand Driven Topics  36:44 AI, Job Security & Personal Brand Urgency  41:33 Workplace Shift Post COVID & Authority Capital  46:04 Rapid Fire & Start Small Philosophy 50:32 Where to Find Dan

    53 min

  6. Apr 23 ·  Video

    His Brand Made Him Famous, But It Almost Destroyed Him | Thomas Edwards Jr. | Ep.10

    Thomas Edwards Jr. built one of the most recognizable personal brands of his generation. He was the real-life Hitch. Wall Street Journal. CNN. Steve Harvey. Tamron Hall. ABC Nightline. MTV. Axe. Maxim. Over 400 media appearances. He helped 400 people find love and get married. By every external measure, he was winning. He was also slowly disappearing. In this episode of Return on Reputation, Justin sits down with Thomas Edwards Jr. — founder of The Professional Wingman, coach, and author of the forthcoming book The One Up Effect — for one of the most honest conversations the show has ever had. Thomas unpacks what happens when you fuse your personal identity with a brand so completely that you lose the line between the two, how the validation addiction took hold, and how getting sober in 2019 became the win that didn't look like one. This one hits different. It's not just a founder story — it's a warning and a blueprint at the same time. What you'll learn in this episode: Why being the face of your brand is not the same as having a personal brand — and why the difference matters enormously How Thomas went from sleeping on the floor next to Gary Vaynerchuk at South by Southwest to launching one of the most media-covered personal brands of the 2010s The moment a Wall Street Journal article made him the second most-read story of the week — right behind the Obamacare proposal What it costs when you build a brand that's bigger than the person behind it Why he cut video games out of his life for a decade — and what that one decision reveals about identity and authenticity How the One Up Effect framework helps service-based business owners grow revenue without destroying their families or themselves in the process Why your massive L will ultimately lead to your greatest win If you're a founder who's ever felt like your brand was a cage — or worried it might become one — this episode is required listening. Follow Return on Reputation on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts so you don't miss an episode. Hashtags: #PersonalBranding #FounderStory #Entrepreneurship #Authenticity #B2BMarketing #MentalHealth #SobrietyStory #BrandBuilding #TheOneUpEffect #ReturnOnReputation Timestamps: 00:32 Boston Twitter Scene & Gary V Meetup 05:03 SXSW: How Wingman Was Born 09:40 Authenticity Over Algorithms 11:58 Wall Street Journal Breakthrough 13:38 Brand Identity Trap & Media Wins 21:30 Losing Purpose, Burnout & Identity Collapse 25:09 Standing Out in the AI Era 27:01 Letting Wingman Die & Launching The One-Up Effect 33:38 Coaching Service Businesses 36:42 The 12 Streams Fulfillment Framework 39:40 Design Your Own Game & The Super Mario Metaphor 43:47 Play Drives Innovation & Business Creativity 47:50 Client Growth & The Party Referral Strategy 48:43 How To Know If Your Brand Is A Mask 49:46 From Invisible To Known: Building a Personal Brand Today 53:50 Gary V In One Word & Biggest Loss To Biggest Win

    1 hr

  7. Apr 16 ·  Video

    He Killed His Drink Brand After 10 Years — Then Built a Golf Empire | Jon Mason | Ep.9

    What does it really take to kill your own brand — and rebuild it into something better? In this episode of Return on Reputation, host Justin Obey sits down with Jon Mason, founder of Swing Juice, for a raw and honest founder story about entrepreneurship, brand building, and the pivot that changed everything.   Jon spent nearly a decade building Swing Juice as an all-natural hydration and energy drink inspired by his love of golf — bootstrapped from his own bank account, cases loaded into his trunk, doors knocked on one at a time. In 2014, he made one of the hardest calls any founder can make: shut it down. He kept the name, threw out the product, and bet everything on a new idea — cool golf graphic tees for people who love golf, hip hop, tacos, and life outside the country club. Today, Swing Juice is a legitimate golf apparel brand with a team of eight, partnerships with the USGA and the MLBPA, and over 77,000 social followers.   What you'll learn in this episode: How Jon turned a phrase overheard at a 6:30 AM tee time into a trademarked brand — the same night Why killing the beverage business after 10 years was the right call, and how he knew it How he created a new category in golf apparel by building products around what he personally loved Why founders are afraid to put their face in front of their brand — and what finally convinced Jon to step out from behind the curtain Why going viral is a trap, and what consistency actually looks like on social over the long haul   If you're a founder who's ever considered pivoting, struggled to let go of control, or wondered when to start building your personal brand alongside your business — this episode is for you. Follow Return on Reputation wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode. Hashtags #Entrepreneurship #PersonalBranding #FounderStory #B2BMarketing #GolfLifestyle #StartupJourney #BrandBuilding #PivotStory #SmallBusiness #ContentMarketing   TIMESTAMPS: 02:49 The Swing Juice Name Spark 05:12 Building The First Beverage 07:35 Personal Brand Before Social 11:10 The 2014 Pivot Decision 13:09 Creating Golf Graphic Tees 17:27 First Shirt Sold Online 19:48 From Solo Hustle To Team 23:24 No Blueprint for Growth 24:01 Hiring and Letting Go 05:02 Community as a Catalyst 25:27 Bootstrapping and Obsession 26:39 Brand vs Personal Social 29:00 Founder Face and Fear 32:48 Building Personal Brand Today 35:06 AI Tools and Human Touch 38:02 Landing Major Partnerships 39:49 Five Year Vision Ahead 40:58 Rapid Fire Golf and Brands 45:40 Consistency Beats Viral

    48 min

  8. Apr 9 ·  Video

    Show Up or Get Outspent | Programmatic Advertising, Personal Brand, and How B2B Deals Actually Close | Jessica Chase | Ep.8

    Most founders chase the next ad format, the next platform, the next growth hack. But what if the thing that was actually closing deals was just you, posting honestly on LinkedIn every week, even when it felt cringe?   In this episode of Return on Reputation, my guest is Jessica Chase, Co-Founder of getabovethefold.com , a programmatic advertising agency helping brands scale beyond Google Ads into streaming TV, podcasts, audio platforms, and beyond.   Jessica is one of those founders who figured out early that reputation is the real growth channel. She did not land clients by outspending competitors or running a perfect funnel. She built 19,000 followers on LinkedIn by posting authentically, sometimes uncomfortably, once a week for an entire year. And the deals followed.   With over 20 years in marketing, Jessica started at 1-800-CONTACTS at 18, moved through international agencies, and eventually asked herself a question most marketers are afraid to ask: why am I making other people millions of dollars instead of myself?   In this episode we cover: What programmatic advertising actually is and how it differs from Google Ads When founders should start investing in programmatic vs other ad formats How geo-fencing corporate offices and events can accelerate a B2B sales cycle Why last-click attribution is killing your marketing strategy How to build a personal brand on LinkedIn without feeling like you are performing Why posting when it feels cringe is actually the most powerful thing a founder can do   Keywords: programmatic advertising, personal brand for founders, B2B marketing strategy, LinkedIn personal branding, Google Ads vs programmatic, ABM strategy, founder marketing, Return on Reputation podcast   About Jessica Chase Co-Founder of getabovethefold.com , a programmatic advertising agency helping brands scale beyond Google Ads. 20+ years in marketing, former client and agency side, now building one of the few agencies fully specialized in programmatic advertising.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/programmaticmarketing/   About Return on Reputation: Return on Reputation is the show for founder-led brands done flying under the radar. Host Justin Obey, founder of Obey Creative, sits down with experts, founders, and dealmakers to unpack how personal brand, trust, and authority compound into real business leverage. New episodes every week.   Connect with Justin Obey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinobey YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JustinObey Website: https://obeycreative.com   TIMESTAMPS:    01:26 What Get Above the Fold Does 02:28 Founder Mindset and Self Care 04:06 Meditation and Hypnotherapy 09:18 Why She Started the Agency 12:37 Programmatic Advertising Explained 14:24 When to Use Programmatic 18:13 ABM and Event Targeting 21:52 Connected TV and Ad Formats 24:14 Building Trust in a Technical Industry 27:15 Why Clicks Are Not the Whole Story 29:29 Personal Branding on LinkedIn 33:39 Why Founders Should Be the Face 35:50 Posting Through Fear and Haters 41:41 How Failure Builds Confidence 42:57 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up

    51 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

I'm Justin Obey, and this is Return on Reputation. Here's what I've learned building companies and helping founders scale: The game has changed. You don't need a bigger ad budget - you need a better media strategy. This show is about how founders are building authority and leverage in 2026: Podcasting that generates real clients, not just downloads AI tools that actually save you time instead of creating busy work Social media that builds relationships, not just follower counts Founder-led branding that positions you as the obvious choice I've built a 7-figure company, I run marketing for multiple 7 and 8-figure brands, and now I help B2B founders build the media engines that let them stop chasing and start attracting. If you're ready to play a different game, let's go.

Information

  • Creator
    Justin Obey
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    56
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Return on Reputation

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