The ThoughtLeaders Podcast

We sat down with Pavel Bains, the co-founder of Bluzelle - the decentralized database for the new internet. The world of crypto combined everything he was interested in - economics, finance, science fiction, distributed computing - causing him to dive headfirst down the rabbit hole and create Bluzelle. Bains explained the crypto ecosystem, touched on the wild west of NFT’s (for those who are still trying to grasp the basics), and revealed how the world of gaming will completely transform people’s understanding of cryptocurrency. It’s safe to say that Pavel Bains pulled us down the crypto rabbit hole...

In early May, HubSpot announced that it was launching its very own podcast network which would include six shows that “represent a wide range of business topics and backgrounds.” We sat down with Alanah Joseph, the Senior Marketing Manager at HubSpot who is responsible for marketing and operations of the HubSpot podcast network. She gave us insight into why HubSpot decided to go down the podcast route, what it means to be a part of the network, what does success look like for podcasts, and what’s Joseph’s personal goal with HubSpot’s podcast network.

We sat down with Check My Ads co-founders, Claire Atkin and Nandini Jammi, who noticed a huge increase in brands' digital advertisements appearing on websites that they didn’t intend their marketing efforts to support. They were also alarmed with the role digital advertising played in spreading disinformation. Check My Ads is on a mission to expose where ads are really ending up usually without the marketer even knowing and how brands can regain control in the digital wild west, otherwise known as the ad industry.

We sat down with Darren Heitner, founder of HEITNERLEGAL - a sports and contract law firm, and author of How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know. As one of the most respected sports law professionals, Darren Heitner has great, first-hand insight into the recent change in NCAA rules regarding athletes’ ability to earn money for their name, image, and likeness. Heitner breaks down NCAA’s past NIL regulations, the current state of student-athletes ability to profit off their NIL, and how college athletes and brands should take advantage of this new opportunity.

We sat down with Dan Weinsten to get the inside scoop about the future of the creator economy. Weinstein is the co-founder of Underscore Talent, a next-generation talent management company that focuses on helping today’s content creators leverage their talent and influence. He takes a deep dive into what led him, and his partners Michael Green and Reza Izad, to found the newly formed management company, where he sees the creator economy heading, how creators can utilize their social influence to catapult into more opportunities and why brands should continue leaning into the world of influencer marketing.

We sat down with ChefPK, who has 274K subscribers, and he shared with us what it’s really like to be a content creator on YouTube, touching on how he continues to weave his hotel chef manager experiences into the wild west of YouTube, sharing major YouTube secrets and insider tips, and giving aspiring creators tools for success.

We sat down with Craig Hewitt who took a deep dive into what it really means to be a podcast hosting platform, how to succeed with private podcasting, why monetizing podcasts with ads is “garbage” and the value of community within the podcast sphere.

We sat down with John Lee Dumas who gave us a quick look at what he did (and continues to do!) to dominate the podcasting realm. From nailing time management (he literally works a total of 6 days a month) to current trends that can catapult you in the industry, you’ll definitely want to take some notes.

Get the inside scoop about being a futurist in the bleeding edge tech realm, Wormhole Labs’ pivot from B2C to B2B due to COVID-19, the metaverse future, what brands should do today to get prepared and much much more.

It has been a big year for podcast advertising - US podcast ad spending is set to increase by 38.7% YoY and, in just two years, US podcast ad spending has increased from $701 million to $1.33 billion in 2021.  We sat down with Bryan Barletta to get the inside scoop about the current state of podcast adtech, everything from the golden metric to the biggest problems in the industry.

Andrew Warner, founder of Mixergy, has had his fair share of failed business ventures. But, instead of giving up, he decided to take a closer look at what he did wrong. He had two options: trying to understand his mistakes on his own or open up about his setbacks with other entrepreneurs. Andrew Warner began interviewing successful entrepreneurs who gave incredible insights. Instead of keeping all this entrepreneurial gold to himself, Warner turned it into a thing of its own - Mixergy. So, what can you do better next time? What questions are you too afraid to ask and what methods should you use to dig deeper and find that million dollar question? We sat down with Andrew Warner, founder of Mixergy, who shared his insights, as well as tips & tricks about the marathon that is entrepreneurship.

Get the inside scoop about Twitch from James Davidson, their Influencer Relations Manager. Listen to learn what it really means to be a full-time Twitcher, how brands can get started with Twitch partnerships, and much much more. 

Today we are shifting gears from the world of YouTube and podcast marketing and turning our attention to Instagram.I am sitting down with Jay Desai of Trend, the leading destination for Instagram creators to produce content for the world's fastest-growing brands. Jay gives me his insider insight into the world of IG sponsorships.

On today's episode, I had a great time chatting with Sherell Dorsey, founder of The Plug. The Plug is a distinctive, Black tech news and insights platform covering Black innovators in tech, venture capital, future of work policy, and more. Tune in to hear how she was able to start The Plug and why it is such an important publication. 

Are you hungry? If you are then today's episode is right up your alley as I am sitting with one of the biggest food challenge stars on YouTube, Erik The Erik The Electric. We discuss how he got his start, how he stays fit, and how he is able to do all those incredible challenges.

We are back for season 2 of the ThoughtLeaders podcast and what a way to start. This is a man who needs no introduction, except maybe for SUPA SETS. That's right Mike Tornabene, or as most of you know him Dom Mazzetti of BroScienceLife is here.

The sport of bodybuilding is back to reclaim its glory days. It's on Netflix, it's on YouTube, Instagram, and everywhere you look. This is no coincidence though and we have two men too thank for this, Edwin Mejia & Vlad Yudin.  Hear how they came together to create GenerationIron and have helped propel bodybuilding back to its rightful place atop the sport and fitness world.

If you have been on Facebook recently, then I can almost guarantee you that you have seen some of JungleCreations content. They are the brains behind, VT., Twisted, Craft Factory, LVL and Four Nine. New Business, Director, US Will Hamnett joins me on the show and gives us a glimpse of how it all comes together. 

There are a lot of players and factors to the content world that you might not realize on a daily basis, but they play a huge role in helping we the viewers get the best possible content. One of those players is Similar Web, the worlds leading web analytics platform. I am chatting with Donna Dror, to get an understanding of how it works!

When it comes to influential media companies, Complex Media is right at the top of that list and it's time to meet the man who started it all, Rich Antoniello, CEO and Founder of Complex. I got the inside story of how Complex did things the right way and morphed from their humble beginnings into the powerhouse they are today.

Ever wonder about how Hollywood and Tech interact and collide? David Bloom is a journalist, podcaster, and consultant addressing exactly that issue. David and I are chatting all things content, from the streaming wars to brands shifting away from traditional TV advertisements and turning to YouTube and podcasts instead. Finally, we attempt to look into the future of content and David explains what the Metaverse is, how its already here, and how it will change the way we consume content. 

Art, fashion, and advertising always seem to converge and today, Donna Adi is bringing it all together for us. Donna is a digital mixed media creator, who has taken Instagram and Pinterest by storm. She has worked with some of the biggest names in the fashion world, including Michael Kors, Dior, and Puma. Donna walks me through her creative process, explains how she created her own niche in the digital art community and gives us a behind the scenes look at some of her biggest collaborations.

It is very rare that you get to talk to someone who is partially responsible for creating an entire genre on YouTube. Today I have that pleasure as I sit down with Terry Adelman, the founder of MENfluential Media. If you have ever watched a men's how to, style, fashion, or lifestyle video on YouTube, then you can thank Terry and the guys over at MENfluential. Terry represents the leading YouTubers in this category and has helped people all over the world, dress look, and feel better. Terry and I talk everything that went into creating this media company, to what makes their channels connect with their audience so well and everything that goes into a Menfluential channel.

Joe Rogan signs a $100 million deal with Spotify, and you are asking yourself what did I miss here? Every time you watch your favorite channel on YouTube or listen to a podcast, there is some awesome brand advertising there and you are asking yourself why? Yup, this episode is exactly for you as Dan Conn and I get down to basics about branded content

On today's episode, I am sitting down with the one and only Simon Whistler. Simon is the host of 8 youtube channels with over 6 million subscribers, with channels including Today I found Out, Biographics and TopTenz.  We had a great time talking about everything from how Simon broke into YouTube to his role as a teacher to millions around the world. Enjoy!

On today's episode, I got to sit down with the Goal Guys. Brothers Cam and Brenden have been making incredible fitness and lifestyle challenge themed videos on YouTube. We discussed what goes into each one, the difficulties, and how they are inspiring others to better themselves.

On today's episode, I am sitting down with YouTube cooking star Adam Ragusea. Adam's channel has over 700,000 subscribers and he has gone viral with many of his episodes. Adam explains to us how he went from being a college professor in Georgia to becoming a full-time YouTuber. We hear about how Adam has been inspired to come up with his relatable and easy to follow cooking style. Adam also lets us in on what goes into the business side of running a successful channel and how he is able to churn out so much great content. 

On today's episode, I sat down with David Tintner, Co-founder and CEO of ThoughtLeaders and former host of the HackingUI podcast.

We discussed how he got his start creating content and how that helped him launch his currnet comapny, ThoughtLeaders.

Welcome to the ThoughtLeaders Podcast! Today you will be getting an awesome preview at what is to come on our first season. If you want a behind the scenes look at your favorite content creators than stay tuned. On the ThoughtLeaders Podcast, I am chatting with amazing content creators on YouTube and podcasts. I am pulling back the mic and getting an inside look at to who they are and how it all works.