Marketer of the Day with Robert Plank: Business Growth & Entrepreneur Stories

Robert Plank
  • 4.9 (160)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Marketer of the Day with Robert Plank is a daily business podcast for entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, consultants, agency owners, coaches, authors, speakers, and expert-led service businesses that want real growth without hype. Each episode features candid interviews with founders, marketers, creators, authors, and business owners who share the stories, systems, mistakes, and breakthroughs behind their success. You’ll hear practical ideas on business growth strategy, marketing strategy, authority building, podcasting, SEO, email marketing, social media, LinkedIn, lead generation, AI for business, automation, delegation, SOPs, productivity, leadership, and building predictable revenue without burning out. If you want to simplify your marketing, amplify your message, systemize your success, and become more confident about getting your business noticed, Marketer of the Day gives you daily insights and entrepreneur stories you can use to grow smarter.

  1. 21h ago

    1591: Scaling DTC Brands From Chaos to Profit with Cem Atik

    Are you scaling your e-commerce brand in revenue, but not in profit? Are you flying blind on CAC, LTV, fulfillment costs, and ad performance, hoping the numbers work out later? Many founders grow to low 7-figures on hustle and luck, only to hit a painful ceiling of chaos, cash-flow problems, and agency fatigue.  In this episode of Marketer of the Day, growth partner Cem Atik of Harucon Ventures shows you what it really takes to move from low 7-figures of chaotic growth to predictable, profitable scale. With 13+ years in e-commerce and a track record of stepping into DTC brands “stuck between traction and chaos,” Cem doesn’t just run ads, he and his team take equity and full control of marketing, perform deep finance and marketing due diligence, and rebuild growth systems from the inside out. Cem reveals the three bottlenecks he sees in almost every 7- and 8-figure brand: founders who don’t know their true CAC and LTV, broken or non-existent third-party tracking and attribution, and a lack of real control over fulfillment, taxes, and operational costs. He explains how, by building a single source of truth for numbers and cohorts, brands can finally make confident decisions about where to cut spend, where to double down, and how aggressively they can acquire new customers. Instead of guessing, you start steering your business with clarity. https://youtu.be/3fHMwV8W1tE?si=WS6EZKQnCQ77GEYj You’ll also hear a powerful case study of a brand doing $10M/month that boosted revenue while cutting marketing spend by 20–25% just by fixing structure and supply chain inefficiencies, saving 9% on fulfillment alone. Cem calls his model “marketing for adults”: performance-based, numbers-first, and designed so both sides win only when the business truly grows profitably. Along the way, he shares why humility beats ego when hiring marketers and operators, and why, if you truly control your numbers, you can afford to move fast and even be a little chaotic everywhere else. If you’re tired of agency fatigue, unclear profitability, and growth that feels like a gamble instead of a strategy, this conversation will give you a concrete blueprint. You’ll discover how to get a grip on your metrics, clean up your ad accounts, and build a team and system that take you from “winging it” at $1–5M to scaling like a pro toward $50M and beyond, without losing your sanity or your margins. Quotes: “Brands that grow from five to fifty million don’t do it because they run better marketing; they do it because they did the groundwork that allows them to grow safely.” “If you have control over your numbers, you can be chaotic in everything else, and as long as your execution speed is great, you will still succeed.” “You could be the best email, WhatsApp, Google Ads, or Meta guy, but the only thing that will always win is a good team that’s working proactively together.” Contact Details: Connect with Cem Atik on LinkedIn Explore Harucon Ventures Official Website

    27 min

  2. 1d ago

    1590: Build Profitable Course Communities with AI Support with Bryan McAnulty

    Most creators don’t struggle because they lack expertise. They struggle because tech overwhelm, scattered tools, and indecision keep them from turning their knowledge into a scalable business. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Bryan McAnulty, founder of Heights Platform, shares how solopreneurs can use AI-powered tools to build profitable online courses and communities, without sacrificing authenticity or getting buried in tech headaches. Brian pulls back the curtain on Heights Platform, an all‑in‑one course creation and community platform used by creators in over 100 countries. Instead of using AI to churn out low-quality “slop content,” Heights uses AI to act like a virtual assistant and coach, helping you set up your programs, structure offers, handle technical details, and even plan your marketing, while you stay focused on the one thing only you can do: teaching from your real-world experience. You’ll hear how features like live lessons, built‑in video calls, and gamified communities make it easy to deliver a premium, high‑touch learning experience. Bryan explains how you can run live cohorts directly inside your platform, automatically turn those sessions into course content, and use community features both to increase student results and to attract new leads with public community posts that rank in search, essentially turning your community into a living, SEO-friendly knowledge base under your own brand and domain. A big part of the conversation dives into pricing psychology and offer design. Bryan challenges the common trap of selling $10–$20 mini products and hoping volume makes up the difference. Instead, he walks through why most experts underprice themselves, why transformation and outcomes should drive your pricing (not video length or course size), and how adding community and live coaching can justify premium price points while delivering far better results for your students. https://youtu.be/_Vi-niuEZYs?si=EWdDlQeT8A_efrS5 Finally, Bryan shares a powerful perspective on thinking bigger with AI. As AI tools get faster and more capable, the real differentiator won’t be who has access to AI; it will be how you work, how you think, and how clearly you communicate your vision to these tools. From internal dev tools that used to cost tens of thousands to build, to weekend projects now powered by AI, Bryan shows how creators and entrepreneurs can ride this wave instead of getting left behind. If you’ve ever felt stuck between too many platforms, too many decisions, and not enough momentum, this episode will give you a concrete path to launching (or relaunching) your online course and community with confidence. Quotes: "I don't see AI replacing the humans for this kind of expertise. Our goal is to assist you, because most people don't wake up every day excited to use software, they're excited about the outcome the software helps them achieve."  "If every business has this magical AI agent that can do anything, then what makes the difference between you and any other business? If everyone can generate unlimited content and unlimited software, the difference comes down to how you do things."  "There weren't really many platforms that were actually focused on helping your customers get results. Marketing is kind of a solved problem, but learning is not a solved problem." Contact Details: Visit Bryan McAnulty's Facebook Page Connect with Bryan McAnulty on LinkedIn Learn More About Heights Platform Start & Grow Your Creative Business with Creator Climb Brayan McAnulty Official Website Explore the YouTube Channel of Bryan McAnulty

    30 min

  3. 4d ago

    1589: Creative Problem Solving in the Age of AI with Nir Bashan

    Business owners rarely fail because they’re short on tools or tactics, they fail because they blend in. In a world where everyone has access to AI, automation, and endless data, the real danger is that your message, brand, and leadership lose their human edge. Output becomes polished but generic. Teams get buried in analytics while intuition, originality, and genuine connection get pushed aside. Today’s guest, Nir Bashan, keynote speaker, creativity consultant, and author of The Solution Mindset: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving, has helped brands like Rolex and Porsche turn creativity into measurable profit by treating it as a practical business tool, not something fluffy or optional.  In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Nir shows us why creativity is now the last true competitive advantage in the age of AI. He explains how AI has become the great equalizer: everyone can generate emails, posts, and scripts at scale, but very few know how to separate the “AI fire hose” of output into what’s truly valuable, authentic, and on-brand. Nir reveals how to use AI as a starting point while applying a creativity rubric to refine, reshape, and humanize your content so it sounds like you and actually resonates with your audience. https://youtu.be/juP8aaBUPaI?si=b9yJ3lZXJT0Q3s2T This conversation is packed with insights for entrepreneurs, marketers, and leaders who feel overwhelmed by data, distracted by constant digital noise, or frustrated that their AI-assisted content still falls flat. If you’ve been wondering how to stand out when everyone else has the same tools, Nir’s Solution Mindset will show you how to reclaim creativity as a skill, integrate it with your analytics, and turn everyday problems into opportunities for differentiation and growth. Quotes: “Creativity is an actionable tool that we can use to grow businesses, get into new markets, change product, and change how customers relate to what we offer. The problem is that most people don't use it."  "AI is now the great equalizer. Everyone has access to it, so the question becomes: what do we do to get to the next level? That shortage, that gap there, is creativity."  "Reality doesn't lie strictly in the numbers; it lies in a balancing of the analytics and the creative. That's what I help people do, connect those two things to optimize their business." Contact Details: Visit Nir Bashan's Facebook Page Connect with Nir Bashan on LinkedIn Explore Nir Bashan's Official Website Follow Nir Bashan on Instagram Get a copy of The Solution Mindset: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving on Amazon Dive into the YouTube Channel of Nir Bashan

    23 min

  4. Jun 8

    1588: Retire on Real Estate and Unlock Home Equity with Kerry Worden 

    Most people don’t fall short in retirement because they’re lazy or bad with money. They fall short because their home equity sits idle, taxes quietly eat away at their gains, and they’ve never been shown how to turn real estate into reliable retirement income without creating another full-time job. Maybe you’re a homeowner in a high-cost market, a realtor with “lumpy” income, or a self-employed professional with no real pension, are you sitting on hundreds of thousands in equity and still worried you’ll outlive your money? In this episode of Marketer of the Day, mortgage broker and retirement strategist Kerry Worden shows you how to “Retire on Real Estate” by using short-term rentals, reverse mortgages, and tax-deferral strategies to turn what you already own into cash flow. If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I an accidental millionaire on paper but broke in retirement?” or “How do I use my house in my retirement plan without losing it?” This conversation is for you. https://youtu.be/eZ9SNKq6J_8?si=IAl1yuQcM6stemiP Kerry shares the story behind Buckeye Basecamp, his short-term rental near Yosemite that sleeps up to 20 people, and explains why short-term rentals, set up as real businesses, can deliver stronger income and better tax treatment than many traditional long-term rentals. You’ll hear about passive activity loss limitations, why so many investors and retirees leave money on the table, and how especially in your higher-earning pre-retirement years, short-term rentals can help you keep more of what you make. If you’re a realtor, homeowner, or self-employed pro who’s built up equity but not a real plan, this episode will challenge how you think about risk, retirement, and your house. Kerry’s mindset, captured in his personal motto “DFQ: Don’t F’n Quit,” is about not giving in to fear, myths, or confusion, but getting just educated enough to make smart, confident decisions for yourself and your family. Quotes: “Short-term rentals for retirement can be opportunity or overload. If you’re not ready, it really can feel like too much, but for people trying to get ready to retire, especially in those higher-income years, they can be incredibly helpful.”  “A reverse mortgage line of credit has a unique attribute: it grows and never stops growing. Even if the value of the house never goes up again, that line of credit keeps increasing anyway.” “My purpose with financial planners and realtors is to show them how a reverse mortgage can help their clients not outlive their assets and reduce their tax liability. If you ignore home equity, you’re ignoring one of the biggest tools in the retirement toolbox.”  Contact Details: Visit Kerry Worden's Facebook Page Connect with Kerry Worden on LinkedIn Visit Real Retirement Strategies' Official Website Learn More About Buckeye Basecamp Follow Kerry Worden on Instagram Get The Copy of Retire of Real Estate: The Realtor's Retirement Plan on Amazon

    28 min

  5. Jun 6

    1587: Book Marketing on a Budget After Loss with Robin Beamer Dalton

    What if the worst season of your life became the catalyst for your greatest creative work? Are you stuck in grief, burnout, or retirement drift, wondering if your story is “too ordinary” to ever matter to anyone else? Have you poured your savings and your soul into a book, only to discover that writing it was just the beginning, and now you’re drowning in marketing advice you can’t afford to follow? In this episode, retired West Virginia teacher turned romantic thriller author Robin Beamer Dalton shares how the loss of her husband, the shock of suddenly living alone after 27 years together, and the looming dread of dark winter evenings pushed her to finally write the book she’d always dreamed of. In just five intense months, she turned ten-hour writing days into Threads of Obsession, an action-packed, twist-filled romantic thriller that keeps the predator in the heroine’s life from the first chapter almost to the very end. https://youtu.be/A42sEnjJ6VY?si=DeC0bSugA417DJ71 Robin is uniquely qualified to talk about transforming pain into purpose. She spent 33 years teaching everything from physical education to reading, served as a reading specialist and adjunct instructor at Marshall University, and has been a voracious reader since childhood. She’s channeled that lifelong love of story, plus her own experiences with grief, caregiving, and small-town life, into a compelling novel and a tireless grassroots marketing campaign. If you’re an aspiring or struggling author, or someone wondering whether it’s “too late” to reinvent yourself, Robin’s journey will show you exactly how to turn your life experience into a powerful, marketable story without a massive budget. Quotes: “I got my computer out, I prayed over it, and just started writing, and I worked about 10 hours a day on it for about five months.”  “I didn't know what I was going to write till I was writing. I didn’t have an outline on paper or in my head, and when I’d get to a point I’d think, this is the perfect place to throw a kink in the story.”  “I decided I would turn the tables and write where she actually would have been the first one never to leave the coal camp in the story. She was single, she didn’t have a husband and children, so I could send her out into the world in a way real life never allowed.” Contact Details: Connect with Robin Beamer Dalton on Facebook Visit Robin Beamer Dalton's Official Website Follow Robin Beamer Dalton on Instagram Threads of Obsession on Amazon

    28 min

  6. Jun 5

    1586: AI Video Production, Podcasts & Business Growth with Dan Portik

    From broke musician and scrappy ad-agency owner to in-demand video producer and podcast studio leader, Dan Portik has ridden every wave of media disruption, not just surviving each shift, but turning it into his next level of growth. In this episode, Dan shares how he evolved from a 90s advertising entrepreneur into the founder of BVS Media Group and Premier Podcast Productions, running a 12,000-square-foot studio in Cleveland that serves coaches, experts, and companies with high-end podcasts, documentaries, and AI-powered video content. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by cameras, editing, and AI tools, or worried that AI might make your skills obsolete, Dan’s story is a masterclass in turning disruption into opportunity. Dan also shares a powerful mindset shift for creatives and professionals facing AI and other “disruptors”: you can either declare your career over, or you can look for licensing, new revenue streams, and scalable digital assets built on the skills you already have. Through examples like turning a home-services client into an on-screen superhero, hosting Joe Rogan, style three-camera podcast sessions for Bitcoin experts, and drawing on wisdom from mentors like Tom Hopkins and Zig Ziglar, Dan shows how service, adaptation, and consistency beat fear every time. Whether you’re a coach, consultant, or business owner who knows you should be doing more with video and podcasts, or a creative person worried about AI, this conversation offers a grounded, practical roadmap for building a resilient, opportunity-rich media presence. https://youtu.be/kTbhC8BwFys?si=VL58vKjh0sdHZkXM You’ll learn how to think about goals, budget, and ROI before you hit record, why human conversation and storytelling still beat fake AI content, and how to use AI as a streamlining tool (not a replacement) in your production workflow. If you’ve been wanting to launch a podcast, upgrade your video presence, or finally use AI the right way in your marketing, this episode will give you a clear path forward and a behind-the-scenes look at what’s possible with a pro studio like BVS. Quotes: “What I’m finding about AI is, yeah, it’s a shiny tool in the corner, but all it really does is streamline everything that you’re doing. “I can’t even tell you how many times I could have easily just folded it up, but you have to find the opportunities and have that mindset to find the opportunities.” “We don’t use voiceovers; we use AI voiceovers. They’re perfect. Why would I hire someone when I can use a perfect voice that can be done in five seconds?” Resources: Dan Portik on LinkedIn Connect Dan Portik on Facebook Visit the Official Website of Dan Portik Premier Podcast Productions Official Website BVS Film Productions Official Website Follow Dan Portik on Instagram

    26 min

  7. Jun 2

    1585: Forever Stalwart: Titus Billings, Isaac Morley, and Edward Tuttle’s Pioneer Legacy with Susan Billings Mitchell

    After spending more than three decades researching her pioneer ancestors, faith-based author Susan Billings Mitchell refused to let their stories stay dry and distant. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Robert Plank talks with Susan about how she turned generations of family history into Forever Stalwart, a gripping, novel-style series that feels more like an epic saga than a genealogy report The series follows three real Mormon pioneer families: Titus Billings, Isaac Morley, and Edward Tuttle, as they navigate persecution, the Missouri extermination order, disease, starvation, harsh weather, and repeated forced migrations in their quest for religious freedom. Susan explains how a single request from her father to “write Grandpa’s story” led her into years of pre-Internet research in small museums and libraries, reconstructing the life of her great-great-grandfather after his original journal was lost, refining. https://youtu.be/eu983UhCWwE?si=ZVYXVe_6gdHeIii1 What began as an 800-page historical “brick” has become a multi-volume saga organized by both location (Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, across the plains, and Salt Lake) and spiritual theme (discovery, testing, sacrifice, enduring, refining). Susan shares how she balances strict historical accuracy with engaging storytelling, carefully weaving in fictionalized letters and scenes, but always documenting her sources and clearly labeling what’s imagined. You’ll hear why her motto is “Hearts Turn When History Talks,” how understanding pioneer hardships can give us fresh perspective on modern “problems,” and how she’s using tools like FamilySearch and Amazon print-on-demand to make these stories available to current and future generations. If you’ve ever wanted to make your own family history readable, inspiring, and impossible to put down, this conversation will show you what’s possible. Quotes: "They didn't set out to be heroes; they just wanted religious freedom. They just wanted to live the new gospel." "My website motto is ‘Hearts Turn When History Talks,’ and I think history is so important. I really think it's the stories that turn hearts." "If we don't learn from the past, we're going to repeat the same mistakes, and there's an effort out there to destroy history. A lot of our history is just being wiped out—that's not right." Resources: Visit the Official Website of Susan Billings Mitchell Forever Stalwart on Amazon

    25 min

  8. May 27

    1584: Digital Ethnography for Real Employee Engagement with Dean Browell & Rich Salon

    Most organizations still rely on outdated employee surveys and filtered feedback to understand engagement, culture, and reputation. The problem? Those tools rarely reveal what people really think. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Robert Plank talks with Dean Browell, co-founder of Discover Feedback, and returning guest Rich Salon about how digital ethnography and deep social listening uncover the unprompted conversations that matter most. Dean explains how anthropologists analyze public online behavior on platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and niche forums, to capture real employee and consumer sentiment at scale. Instead of just checking a survey box, organizations can finally see both the what and the why behind engagement, recruitment, retention, and brand perception. Rich brings the HR and operations perspective, contrasting opinion surveys and “pencil‑whipped” responses with the raw, candid insights employees share when their boss isn’t watching. Together, they reveal how this approach helps spot emerging risks, surface hidden strengths, and turn lived experiences into tactical changes. If you want to move beyond generic engagement scores and truly understand how your workforce and audiences talk about you online, this episode is your playbook. https://youtu.be/zh4UA1A6TZY?si=W2CHZfw2NKTEFRLM If you’re serious about recruitment, retention, and employer brand in a world where every role has its own subreddit or niche community, this conversation will challenge how you think about listening. You’ll learn how to move beyond outdated survey culture, mirror your employees’ own language back to them, and use real-world behavior as your most valuable data source. If your organization is ready to go beyond “pretty good” engagement scores and build decisions on what employees are actually saying in the wild, Dean and Rich’s approach may be the competitive advantage you’ve been missing. Quotes: "When employees don’t trust the anonymity of surveys and fear retaliation for honest feedback, every number leadership sees is filtered—and filtered data leads to flawed decisions."  – Rich Salon "Digital ethnography is the next big gift HR can give to business, because for the first time we can reliably understand not just what employees feel, but why they feel that way."  – Rich Salon "Digital ethnography can make you look like you’re predicting the future, but all you’re really doing is finally listening to conversations that have been happening in plain sight the whole time."  – Dean Browell  "Like Jane Goodall, we don’t touch the monkeys; this isn’t about prompting anyone; it’s about quietly watching what people already say when they think no one from corporate is listening."  – Dean Browell Resources: Dean Browell on LinkedIn Rich Salon on LinkedIn Visit the Official Website of Rich Salon Explore More at Discover Feedback Discover Feedback on Facebook

    28 min
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4.9
out of 5
160 Ratings

About

Marketer of the Day with Robert Plank is a daily business podcast for entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, consultants, agency owners, coaches, authors, speakers, and expert-led service businesses that want real growth without hype. Each episode features candid interviews with founders, marketers, creators, authors, and business owners who share the stories, systems, mistakes, and breakthroughs behind their success. You’ll hear practical ideas on business growth strategy, marketing strategy, authority building, podcasting, SEO, email marketing, social media, LinkedIn, lead generation, AI for business, automation, delegation, SOPs, productivity, leadership, and building predictable revenue without burning out. If you want to simplify your marketing, amplify your message, systemize your success, and become more confident about getting your business noticed, Marketer of the Day gives you daily insights and entrepreneur stories you can use to grow smarter.

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