The TAGLine Podcast

TAGline Podcast, Powered by The Aebli Group, and hosted by Justin Starbird

Our mission: to bring you the insights and strategies that fuel business growth. Our focus is on B2B marketing and growth strategies, actionable insights, real success stories, and “what not to do” lessons. We will emphasize human-to-human marketing, even in B2B. In this industry, where your name and credibility are of the utmost importance, transparency and expectations are at our core. Just because you’re selling to businesses doesn’t mean you aren’t marketing to people. We’ll explore how to add the right amount of personality to your strategy, and why transparency is the key to growth.

  1. The Crowdfunding Evolution and Impact Investing

    21H AGO

    The Crowdfunding Evolution and Impact Investing

    Join Justin Starbird as he sits down with finance veteran and founder of Planet Positive Investing, Mark Perlmutter, for an in-depth look at how the crowdfunding landscape is evolving to deliver real impact and smarter deals. Mark, whose career spans from licensed stockbroker to pioneering online IPOs in the '90s, cuts through the noise of the startup world to share invaluable insights for any business leader focused on growth and social responsibility. In this episode, you’ll discover: The Power of the Community Round: Learn how seasoned VCs are strategically carving out space for retail investors, leading to better-negotiated deal terms and more favorable exits for founders and the crowd alike. The Valuation Reality Check: Mark discusses the critical questions founders and investors must ask about exit multiples and market cap. A must-listen for anyone setting or evaluating an early-stage company's valuation. Beyond Veganism: The Business of Purpose: Hear the story behind Mark's company, formerly the Vegan Investing Club, and its deliberate, strategic rebrand to Planet Positive Investing (now encompassing health tech, climate solutions, and energy), and the crucial marketing advice Justin shares to cement the new vision. The Crowdfunding 'Stair Step' Future: Mark’s authoritative forecast on the next five years of equity crowdfunding, predicting the rise of specialized portals and platforms that offer a full lifecycle of services, from early Reg CF raises to public exit. This is a candid conversation about leveraging community for market proof, accelerating purposeful ventures, and the long-term playbook for building a successful, impactful business.  Tune in to hear the actionable advice that only decades in the game can provide.

    45 min
  2. Crowdfunding, Free Markets, and the New Face of Capital

    22H AGO

    Crowdfunding, Free Markets, and the New Face of Capital

    Kicking off season two of The TAGLine Podcast, we sit down with finance veteran and editor of The Shack; Media Hub and The Heritage Project, CJ Connell, for a candid and authoritative look at modern capital formation.  Connell, who famously walked away from Morgan Stanley in 2007 and hasn't looked back, argues that the core of American entrepreneurship has been strangled by Depression-era regulations that created a stark divide between the "accredited investor" and everyone else. This is a must-listen for any business leader or founder exploring alternative growth financing. Connell breaks down: The Regulatory Shift: How the $1 million limit for Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) made it a non-starter, and why the increase to $5 million in 2021 is finally delivering on the promise of the JOBS Act. Beyond Equity: Why issuing bonds through crowdfunding is often a superior and more flexible solution than selling equity, particularly for community-focused businesses. Vulture Capital vs. The Masses: Connell’s passionate argument for how decentralized capital is a genuine "return to free market capitalism" and a defense against private investors who attach strings that "transfer the value of what you're creating from you and your family." The Next Frontier: An early look at how non-security, utility tokens are starting to build community and finance arts projects, a trend that's picking up where initial crowdfunding enthusiasm has stalled. Join us as CJ delivers a powerful, unfiltered take on democratizing investment, scaling small businesses, and what it truly means to build wealth outside the traditional finance machine.

    49 min
  3. 09/11/2025

    Cracking the Code: Modern Digital Marketing & Strategic Partnerships

    In this episode of the TAGLine podcast, host Justin Starbird welcomes Matthew Lane, VP of Sales at Straight North, to discuss the evolving landscape of digital marketing partnerships. Matthew shares Straight North's focus on search marketing (SEO and paid advertising) for B2B lead generation and how they stay ahead of rapid changes in the industry, particularly with the rise of AI. Key discussion points include: The Power of Specialization: The importance of leveraging specialized expertise from partners rather than relying on generalist approaches in digital marketing. Measuring Success Beyond Traffic: How to measure success in the age of AI and zero-click search results, emphasizing visibility and valuable content. Meeting Prospects Earlier: The shift towards engaging prospects higher up in the sales funnel, even before they are ready to make a purchasing decision. The Genesis of Partnership Programs: The unique origin story of Straight North's partnership program, highlighting how collaboration, even with perceived competitors, can lead to mutual growth and expanded client value. Modernizing Paid Advertising: The benefits of leveraging Google's Performance Max campaigns and integrating customer data for improved targeting and ROI. The Enduring Value of Organic Content: The continued importance of high-quality, educational content for maximizing visibility in an AI-driven search landscape. Tune in to hear how these industry leaders are navigating the complexities of modern digital marketing and leveraging strategic partnerships for growth.

    35 min
  4. 08/20/2025

    Solving the Strategy-Execution Gap with Toyota's Mark Reich

    Key Takeaways: The Universal Challenge: Learn why many B2B companies, regardless of size, struggle to align their high-level strategy with day-to-day operations and achieve desired outcomes. Hoshin Kanri Explained: Discover Toyota's powerful, yet often unknown, management system for defining, aligning, executing, and continuously improving strategic objectives. Beyond Accountability: Understand how Hoshin Kanri cultivates a true sense of responsibility across all levels of the organization, breaking down silos and fostering shared ownership. The Power of Introspection: Explore why leaders must embrace self-reflection and a "situational approach" to effectively implement strategic change and drive sustained improvement. Actionable Steps: Get practical insights into how to use methodologies and tools, including the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle and A3 thinking, to bridge your own strategy-execution gap. 🤔 Are your B2B strategies collecting dust instead of driving results? Join Justin Starbird of Aebli Group as he sits down with Mark Reich from the Lean Enterprise Institute, a former Toyota executive and author of "Managing on Purpose," to tackle one of the most persistent challenges for business leaders: bridging the gap between strategic vision and operational reality. In this insightful episode, Mark draws on over two decades of experience at Toyota to reveal the transformative power of Hoshin Kanri. Often overlooked in Western business, this proven management system is Toyota's secret to: Defining clear mid-term and long-term objectives and targets. Building vertical and horizontal alignment throughout the entire organization, ensuring everyone is pulling in the same strategic direction. Rigorously managing annual execution to achieve those defined goals. Developing the capability of people at all levels, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and shared responsibility rather than mere accountability. Mark shares candid observations from his work with diverse industries, from healthcare and construction to manufacturing and software, highlighting how the struggle with strategy execution is universal. He emphasizes the critical need for a situational approach to implementation, understanding your organization's unique current state before charting its future. This discussion is a must-listen for any business leader seeking practical, actionable advice to: Overcome organizational silos. Foster true responsibility within their teams. Embrace introspection and structured self-reflection to improve organizational functioning. Sustain improvements and ensure strategic initiatives translate into tangible success. Mark also guides listeners on how his workbook, "Managing on Purpose," serves as a practical guide for implementing Hoshin Kanri, utilizing a compelling case study and actionable templates. Learn how to access free resources on lean thinking and practice through the Lean Enterprise Institute's website, lean.org.

    38 min

About

Our mission: to bring you the insights and strategies that fuel business growth. Our focus is on B2B marketing and growth strategies, actionable insights, real success stories, and “what not to do” lessons. We will emphasize human-to-human marketing, even in B2B. In this industry, where your name and credibility are of the utmost importance, transparency and expectations are at our core. Just because you’re selling to businesses doesn’t mean you aren’t marketing to people. We’ll explore how to add the right amount of personality to your strategy, and why transparency is the key to growth.