Authority in the Wild

Gabe Marusca
  • 5.0 (8)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to Authority in the Wild Podcast. I'm your host, Gabe Marusca, helping action-takers achieve Freedom Through Entrepreneurs, without sacrificing the things that matter to you. From sales and engineering to freelancing and business consulting, I've worn many hats for the past 20 years. Leveraging that background, I host unscripted conversations with successful entrepreneurs, renowned business leaders, and subject-matter experts. Learn the insights, tactics, and business principles successful people rarely share elsewhere. Take what you discover and use it to build your path to freedom.

  1. #157 - I Built a $1M Company & It Almost Killed Me - Erika Coleman

    2D AGO

    #157 - I Built a $1M Company & It Almost Killed Me - Erika Coleman

    This is not a "do less" conversation. Erika Coleman built a million-dollar company, lost her mother, and then collapsed on her couch the day she finally finished her to-do list. Then she went to Harvard to figure out what went wrong. In this conversation, we get into: - Why effort is not the same as achievement, and how that confusion creates burnout - The Olympian who won gold by stepping back, and the one who shattered her leg by giving everything - Why your nervous system treats you as the enemy when you push too hard - The Harvard research that proves doing good things can hurt you Erika calls herself a recovering overachiever, and she has built a methodology she calls "even achieving" for people who refuse to stop reaching but want to stop breaking. If you are stuck in the loop of working harder, getting more efficient, and somehow ending up with more on your plate, this episode names what is happening to you and what to do instead. 🟪 Timestamps (00:00) Intro (00:52) It's possible to succeed without sarcifice? (07:14) Momentum Myth (11:36) Do Less Misconception (14:33) Intentional Excellence (19:08) Fear Brain Chemistry (21:54) Pace Like Pro Athletes (26:09) Stop Working to Depletion (31:03) Renegotiate After Overdoing (36:11) Be Your Own Champion (42:42) Small Actions Big Dreams (48:17) Ask for Help to Win (50:18) Harvard Lesson 🟪 About the Guest Erika is a speaker, consultant and recovering overachiever. She believes most successful people are getting accomplishment wrong. Erika founded a million-dollar virtual training company that serviced some of the top organizations in the world. Her curiosity about stress, motivation, and well-being led her to a master's degree in industrial-organizational psychology from Harvard University. Erika imagines a world where no one needs to choose between achieving their goals and building a life worth living. 🟪 Connect with Erika Coleman TEDx Talk: https://erikastedtalk.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erika-coleman-1591b435/The Even-Achieving™️ Team Assessment: https://balanceyourteam.com/🟪 Connect with Gabe Marusca Website: https://www.gabemarusca.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabemaruscaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabemarusca/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabemarusca/X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabemaruscaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabemaruscaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabemarusca

    53 min
  2. #156 - He Made $1M and Took Home $120K. Solo Pays Better. w/ Scott Proposki

    APR 28

    #156 - He Made $1M and Took Home $120K. Solo Pays Better. w/ Scott Proposki

    Scott Proposki spent 28 years photographing the White House, National Geographic shoots, and celebrities like Sylvester Stallone and Robin Williams. Then COVID hit, and a 28-year career disappeared in 24 hours. In this conversation we get into: What actually happens when your identity dies overnightWhy $1 million in sales paid him less than $200K soloThe 3 words from Bill Belichick that restarted his careerWhy AI is not the death of photography (or any creative business)This is not a "how I bounced back in 30 days" story. Scott went silent for three years before he could even start rebuilding. That detail matters. If you have ever felt trapped by the business you built, watched your industry shift overnight, or wondered whether scaling is actually worth it, this one is for you. 🟪 Timestamps (00:00) Intro (00:35) Pandemic Shockwave (04:08) Letting Go to Rebuild (11:08) Coaching Room Mic Drop (16:13) Finding Vision Again (22:03) Basement Entrepreneur Mindset (28:30) Celebrity Shoots and Daily Emails (37:02) When Money Runs Out (42:56) Connect with Scott Proposki 🟪 About the Guest Before the pandemic, Scott Proposki spent 27 years behind the camera as an event photographer for National Geographic, The White House, HBO, Microsoft, and celebrities like Robin Williams and Miley Cyrus. He built a seven-figure photography business with 52 team members and over $25M in lifetime sales. Then he lost it all when the world shut down in 2020. Three years of depression, rebuilding, and rediscovering his identity followed. His book Camera Focus became the roadmap that helped him rebuild. Today, Scott teaches photographers how to build unshakeable businesses through the Camera Focus Method. 🟪 Connect with Scott Proposki The Focus Daily Email: https://scottproposki.comCamera Focus Book: https://www.amazon.com/Camera-Focus-Photography-Teaches-Business/dp/1947341553LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottproposki/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottproposki/🟪 Connect with Gabe Marusca Website: https://www.gabemarusca.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabemaruscaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabemarusca/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabemarusca/X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabemaruscaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabemaruscaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabemarusca

    48 min
  3. #155 - Coaching Google Execs & Interviewing Every Ex w/ Miriam Katz

    APR 21

    #155 - Coaching Google Execs & Interviewing Every Ex w/ Miriam Katz

    Miriam Katz coaches executives at Google or Deloitte on public speaking. She also hosts Ex Appeal, a podcast where she interviews every person she's ever been romantic with. In this conversation, we get into: Why the real fear behind speaking has nothing to do with being polished How improv exercises expose defense mechanisms we've carried since childhood What interviewing her exes taught her about herself Why she believes the stories we tell about ourselves are the biggest obstacle to growth This is not a typical communication episode. Miriam brings the same radical honesty she demands from clients, and the conversation goes places neither of us expected. If you've ever held back from saying what you really mean, this is the one. 🟪 Important Moments: (00:00) Trailer (01:02) Why Speaking Feels So Scary (10:08) Can Comedy Actually Make You Braver? (15:59) The Perfectionism Trap (and the Accent Myth) (21:13) Interviewing Your Exes On a Podcast (27:28) What Years of Dating Really Taught Her (36:44) Where Vulnerability Meets Strategy (40:57) Who Needs a Speaking Coach (Hint: Maybe You) 🟪 About the Guest Miriam Katz is a public speaking coach and the host of the “Ex Appeal” podcast, for which she is interviewing every person she’s ever been romantic with on any level. As a coach, she works a lot with humor as a way to loosen up her clients and allow their natural charisma to emerge. Katz also works as a journalist and ghostwriter, and performs as an actor and improviser. Yes she is busy. 🟪 Connect with Miriam Katz Free 20 minute mini class / exploratory coaching session: https://calendly.com/miriamkatz/new-meeting-2 Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ex-appeal-podcast/id1815156860 Podcast website: https://www.exappealpodcast.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theexappealpodcast/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriam-katz-b53ba828b/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@exappeal YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exappeal🟪 Connect with Gabe Marusca Website: https://www.gabemarusca.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabemaruscaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabemarusca/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabemarusca/X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabemaruscaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabemaruscaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabemarusca

    48 min
  4. #154 - The Marketing Secret Billy Idol Accidentally Taught Mike Montague

    APR 14

    #154 - The Marketing Secret Billy Idol Accidentally Taught Mike Montague

    Mike Montague got fired by Billy Idol on stage in front of thousands of people. He now runs  Avenue9  a human-first AI marketing agency that has worked with LinkedIn, Uber, and the Kansas City Chiefs, and his podcasts have 3.7 million combined downloads.In this episode:- Why producing more AI content can actually weaken your authority- The three types of work and which one AI makes worse when you apply it- How to turn one human conversation into a full marketing system- Where AI use crosses into territory that destroys trust instead of building it Mike has a framework that most AI marketing advice ignores: trust moves at human speed regardless of how fast your tools produce content. This episode is for anyone building authority and wondering whether their AI use is helping or quietly working against them. About the Guest: Mike Montague is a leading voice in Human-First AI Marketing. His company, Avenue9, is an AI-powered marketing agency helping small businesses scale without burning bridges or blowing out their budgets. Mike has worked with giant brands like LinkedIn, Uber, Zoom, Bud Light, and the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s authored two books: LinkedIn The Sandler Way and Playful Humans, and his podcasts have over 3.7 million downloads. Now, he uses his decades of past marketing experience and the AI tools of the future to help small businesses amplify their marketing impact. 🟪 Timestamps (00:00) Full Episode (00:37) Fired by Billy Idol (06:11) Practice Makes Authority (09:56) Human First With AI (14:14) Failing in Public (19:08) Speed Versus Trust (23:41) Work Types Framework (30:52) Sales Call To Deck (37:57) AI Avatars And Trust (40:51) Ethical AI Boundaries (47:03) Seven Day Tool Stack (51:16) Where To Find Mike 🟪 Connect with Mike Montague: - Website: ⁠https://avenue9.com⁠ - YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@avenue9ai⁠ - LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedmontague 🟪 Connect with Gabe Marusca - Website: https://www.gabemarusca.com - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabemarusca - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabemarusca - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabemarusca - X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabemarusca - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabemarusca - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabemarusca

    53 min
  5. #153 - From Organic Farming to SEO: Greg Heilers Impressive Journey

    APR 7

    #153 - From Organic Farming to SEO: Greg Heilers Impressive Journey

    Greg Heilers recounts spending nearly seven years on organic farms and conservation projects worldwide before abandoning a planned culinary internship in Rome to move to Beijing after meeting his now-wife in Guatemala, shifting from “voluntourist” nomad life to building a home and transitioning into digital work. He describes adapting to China as a foreigner, starting with English and cultural localization editing, then moving into writing and realizing he had entered the SEO content ecosystem, later specializing in offsite SEO and journalist outreach. Greg contrasts “black hat” ROI-driven tactics with sustainable brand-focused strategies, discusses the costs of manipulating consumers, and explains how AI and platform deals (Google-Reddit, Reddit-OpenAI) reshaped SEO, pushing toward “SEO plus AI search.” He shares how he manages learning and building time as a business owner, the realities of running an agency, contingency plans if the business failed, misconceptions about living in China, and practical earned-media steps, maintaining consistent brand identity and EEAT signals. 🟪 Timestamps (00:00) Choosing Beijing over Rome?! (01:23) Leaving the Nomad Life (05:22) Culture Shock in China (07:36) Falling into SEO (11:01) White Hat vs Black Hat (14:27) AI Reshaping Search (20:20) Time Blocking for Building (25:19) Problem Solving Reality (29:03) If The Business Vanished (32:50) China Opportunity And Safety (39:06) Earned Media First Steps (41:41) EEAT Explained Simply (46:21) Connect with Greg Heilers 🟪 About the Guest Greg Heilers is the co-founder of Jolly SEO, an agency that specializes in earned media. Jolly SEO has helped more than 500 clients earn over 25,000 brand mentions and backlinks, and is now offering Reddit services in 2026 as well! 🟪 Connect with Greg Heilers Website: https://jollyseo.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregheilers/🟪 Connect with Gabe Marusca Website: https://www.gabemarusca.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabemaruscaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabemarusca/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabemarusca/X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabemaruscaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabemaruscaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabemarusca

    48 min
  6. #152 - 3 Decisions You Should Never Give to AI w/ Marinela Profi

    MAR 31

    #152 - 3 Decisions You Should Never Give to AI w/ Marinela Profi

    An AI expert with a confession: nobody has figured this out, including her. Marinela Profi builds machine learning models for banks and financial services and advises enterprises on navigating AI agents. In this conversation, we get into: - Why large language models predict rather than reason, and why that gap matters - How outsourcing decisions to AI may feel like control while quietly removing it - The generational trust divide in AI, and the original research Marinela commissioned to study it - Why women are 47% more likely to be hurt in car crashes because of male-biased training data, and how that pattern extends across AI systems Marinela is a TEDx speaker preparing to reveal original research at TEDx Harbor Square that will drop soon. She is also one of the most honest voices in AI, which in 2026 makes her unusual.​ 🟪 Timestamps (00:00) Trailer (00:37) LLMs Aren't Reasoning (03:44) AI Trust and Truth Risks (07:23) Decision Making Outsourced (12:24) Which Decisions Use AI (15:50) Autonomy and Guardrails (21:04) Why Humans Stay In Loop (24:36) How Marinela Uses AI (28:18) Women in Tech Reality (32:44) Gender Bias and AI Gap (35:06) First Steps With AI 🟪 About Marinela Profi With a hybrid background in machine learning, marketing and economics, and a passion for human-centered innovation, Marinela leads go-to-market strategies that bridge technical depth with real-world impact. Marinela is an upcoming TEDx speaker, thought leader, and trusted advisor to enterprises navigating the next era of intelligent systems - from generative AI to AI agents. Her work sits at the intersection of AI, strategy, and storytelling, helping organizations turn complex technology into measurable business value. 🟪 Connect with Marinela Profi - Website: https://marinelaprofi.com - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinelaprofi 🟪 Connect with Gabe Marusca - Website: https://www.gabemarusca.com - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabemarusca - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabemarusca - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabemarusca - X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabemarusca - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabemarusca - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabemarusca () () () () () () () () ( (

    42 min
  7. #151 - The 4-Step AI System That Saves 30+ Hours a Week w/ Iwo Szapar

    MAR 24

    #151 - The 4-Step AI System That Saves 30+ Hours a Week w/ Iwo Szapar

    The top 1% of AI users save 31 hours a week. The bottom 50% save six. That gap does not come from smarter tools. It comes from how people build their context, codify their processes, and put agents to work on their behalf. Iwo Szapar co-created the AI Maturity Index, a Harvard-validated diagnostic used in 75 countries with 400,000+ data points. It was acquired by ISG, a Nasdaq-listed company, in January 2026. He built his AI Second Brain as a side project. It went viral on LinkedIn with 5,408 comments, then made $30,000 in 10 weeks. We talk about what the top 1% AI users actually do, how to build your own second brain from scratch in 4 clear steps, and why Iwo, a person who built his entire career on independence, chose to join the corporate acquirer. 🟪 Timestamps (00:00) Intro (00:43) Top 1% Habits in the Age of AI (04:08) Where to Start with AI (06:52) Second Brain In Action (10:42) SOPs Context And Evals (15:33) Future Of Work Shift (22:57) From Idea To Acquisition (31:05) Burnout And North Star (35:33) ADHD & Agentic AI (38:10) How to Build Your Own AI Agentic System (43:01) 2030 Outlook And Wrap 🟪 Connect with Iwo Szapar LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iwoszaparWebsite: https://www.iwoszapar.com🟪 Connect with Gabe Marusca Website: https://www.gabemarusca.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabemaruscaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabemaruscaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabemaruscaX/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabemaruscaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabemaruscaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabemarusca

    45 min
  8. #150 - Ex-YouTube Employee: Your Don't Need More Subscribers to Make Money /w Anastazja (Nastia) Debowska

    MAR 17

    #150 - Ex-YouTube Employee: Your Don't Need More Subscribers to Make Money /w Anastazja (Nastia) Debowska

    A gas delivery YouTube channel with 5,000 subscribers controls 80% of his country's market and charges the highest prices. His clients don't switch suppliers because no other supplier has a face they recognize. That's Anastazja (Nastia) Debowska's client. She spent six years inside YouTube and Google managing over 800 channels. What she discovered contradicts most of what creators are told about growth: subscriber counts don't determine revenue, faceless channels are harder than they look, and the algorithm rewards what it has always rewarded. And in this episode, Nastia reveals exactly what matters to YouTube, why YouTube outlasts every other platform, and what it actually takes to turn a small channel into a business. No subscriber count targets. No viral formulas. Only the logic of why some tiny channels are worth more than massive ones. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (00:52) YouTube Subscribers Myth Debunked (04:50) Life Inside YouTube Consulting Team (14:15) What Content Gets Views (17:48) How Pick Better Success Metrics (25:16) How to Build a YouTube Channel for Business (31:01) Why Faceless Is Hard (37:45) YouTube Packaging That Gets Clicks (43:47) YouTube Titles and AB Testing (48:14) Watch Time and Strong Hooks (51:32) From 0 to 600,000 Subscribers (56:57) From Instagram Content Treadmill to Evergreen YouTube (01:03:41) Where to Start With YouTube (01:10:15) Connect with Anastazja (Nastia) Debowska (01:11:41) Looking Back 🟪 Connect with Anastazja (Nastia) Debowska LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastazjadebowska/Website: https://nastiadebowska.comNewsletter: https://substack.com/@anastazjadebowska🟪 Connect with Gabe Marusca Website: https://www.gabemarusca.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabemaruscaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabemarusca/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabemarusca/X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabemaruscaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabemaruscaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabemarusca

    1h 13m
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5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Welcome to Authority in the Wild Podcast. I'm your host, Gabe Marusca, helping action-takers achieve Freedom Through Entrepreneurs, without sacrificing the things that matter to you. From sales and engineering to freelancing and business consulting, I've worn many hats for the past 20 years. Leveraging that background, I host unscripted conversations with successful entrepreneurs, renowned business leaders, and subject-matter experts. Learn the insights, tactics, and business principles successful people rarely share elsewhere. Take what you discover and use it to build your path to freedom.

Information

  • Creator
    Gabe Marusca
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    156
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Gabe Marusca
  • Show Website
    Authority in the Wild