Mark Schaefer and Paul Roetzer dissect several evolving AI-related developments, including the emerging emotional bond between children and AI bots, a humanoid fine artist, how AI is transforming education, and more.

Mark Schaefer brings LinkedIn expert Richard Bliss onto the show. Richard covers basic LinkedIn strategy, the role of AI and bots, collaborative content, emerging role of video and more. This episode contains bonus Q&A content about LinkedIn newsletters, streaming video, and LinkedIn for newbies.   Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark’s insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.

Every keynote speaker and content creator knows the value of that signature story – a tale that drives home a point with passion, insight, and a little drama. But how do you come up with these stories, and how do you craft them to serve you well in your marketing?   Mark Schaefer and Jay Acunzo explore this topic in this new episode. You'll learn how each identifies, nurtures, and delivers their best stories. And you'll get to hear two of their favorite tales.    Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark’s insights every week, subscribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Jay Acunzo consults experts and entrepreneurs to differentiate their messages and content. He hosts the podcast How Stories Happen, where guests dissect signature stories piece by piece, and runs the Creator Kitchen, where experts learn to become stronger storytellers. Learn more at jayacunzo.com

Ed Sheeran launched a new hot sauce in cooperation with Heinz. It makes so much sense. Ed doesn't have to harvest the tomatoes and make anything! Why aren't more bands launching products with influencers?   While celebrity endorsements have been around for ages, giving stars a stake in an actual product has been rarer. Meanwhile, influencers are launching their own products – with or without the brands. Why don't brands get ahead of this? Mark Schaefer and Amanda Russell discuss this trend on the new episode of The Marketing Companion.   Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark’s insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Amanda Russell is a marketing leader, entrepreneur, and scholar. By age 32, she built and sold two successful businesses: an online fitness subscription community for women and a digital marketing and production company. She served as Chief Marketing Officer at a NYC-based portfolio fund and developed the world’s first accredited MBA & EMBA Influencer Marketing programs at Northwestern University. She also founded the Global Center for Influence at the University of Texas. Amanda has taught at renowned institutions such as Bocconi University, London Business School, Harvard, Wharton, HEC Paris, NYU, and the University of Stockholm. Her book, "The Influencer Code," explores influence, consumer behavior, and the future of marketing. Amanda advises major companies, including Lamborghini, Cedars-Sinai, Lionsgate, and Silk-FAW.

Mark Schaefer and Keith Jennings explore the role of social objects in marketing. They are everywhere; they drive word-of-mouth marketing, and this is one of the least-explored ideas in the arsenal. Learn how to use social objects for your own business and why this idea is indispensable in the AI Era.   Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark’s insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Keith Jennings is an executive and writer who equips professionals to serve with values, generosity, and social impact. He serves as vice president of community impact with Jackson Healthcare. Connect with him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithjennings/.   

Mark Schaefer and Sara Wilson dive into the red-hot world of brand communities. Who is doing it well and why? What are the challenges? What is the role of influencers and what's next? We'll explore that and more in this new episode.   Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark’s insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.  

On this episode, Mark Schaefer and Mathew Sweezey talk about their search for personal peace within the corporate world and beyond. Both have been on a journey to live a life with less stress and more satisfaction, in sometimes divergent paths. They discuss financial freedom, impact of social media expectations, anxiety and depression, staying "centered," meditation, experimenting with psychedelics, and more.    Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark’s insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Mathew Sweezey is the Co-Founder of Salesforces Web3 Studio where he helped Salesforce and their top customers transition into Web3. Mathew an independent consultant, a best selling author, and avid adventurer. 

Jay Acunzo contends in this episode that you don't need to be brilliant to be an effective content creator. You need to up the ante on curiosity. Curiosity is one of the most important "soft skills" of marketing. But can it be learned? Improved? Spread to a team? You'll find out on this new episode.   Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and host of the podcast Unthinkable -- the show about marketers who trusted their intuition, not the best practices, and all the unconventional, refreshing things they did to build their brands and leave their legacies. Learn more and find a Starter Pack of episodes at https://jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast     Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark’s insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.

It seems like imposter syndrome is referenced everywhere these days. It's such a common obstacle to success but there doesn't seem to be any end in sight. Mark Schaefer and Amanda Russell explore this provocative topic from their own life experiences. Amanda has had extensive "brain training" as an elite athlete while Mark explored a family of origin narrative to discover personal roadblocks. It's a new take on a very old and ubiquitous problem.   Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark’s insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Amanda Russell is the founder of the Global Center for Influence (C4In), launching (2023) at the University of Texas at Austin with a mission to help brands & people learn how to position themselves and their companies for success, bridging the gap between academia and practice. Amanda's mission is to enhance how we do 'higher education.  Former Olympic-level athlete, Founder-to-sale Entrepreneur and Marketing Consultant who still loves the brain gymnastics of helping people and companies become more influential among their desired audience. Professor, Author "The Influencer Code", Speaker, Board Member and Director of C4In