This week on #seen, Lach sits down with Rachael Webb from Sticki and DataSauce for a conversation on creator partnerships, internet culture, human behaviour and why the best marketing rarely follows a formula.

They get into the psychology behind why people buy things, why smaller brands are often moving faster than legacy players, the tension between originality and efficiency, and why creators should be trusted to “cook” instead of being over-managed by brands.

There’s also chat around influencer marketing blowing up into a billion-dollar industry, the emotional side of agency life, relationship-led growth, reality TV brain rot, Coke Zero addictions, frozen pizzas and a genuinely elite nacho business concept.

If you work in social, marketing, partnerships or creative, there’s a lot in this one.

Proudly brought to you by Sked Social — the social media workspace for teams who take socials seriously.

Everyone wants to grow online. Very few people talk honestly about what it does to your brain.

This week on #seen, Lach sits down with Madeline Daffara for a super honest conversation about content creation, community, burnout, vulnerability and trying to stay grounded while building a presence online.

Maddi works inside Kic as a Content Manager while also building her own platform across Instagram and TikTok through storytelling-led content focused on wellness, balance and authenticity.

The two unpack the pressure of constantly being perceived online, why authenticity still cuts through more than polished content, the mental toll of comparison culture, balancing personal content with brand work, and why community has become one of the most important things modern brands can build.

They also dive into creator burnout, AI in content creation, storytelling, trends, social media habits and the difference between building an audience versus building trust.

Proudly brought to you by Sked Social.
Start your free 14-day trial now.

Most brands think social media success means more followers and more views.

Shelley Strater says that’s completely wrong.

Shelley has spent 15+ years working across social media, digital marketing and content strategy, helping brands understand the real drivers behind audience growth — human behaviour, emotional connection and community.

In this episode of #seen, we talk about what actually moves the needle online and why chasing vanity metrics like follower counts and views can lead brands in the wrong direction.

Shelley breaks down how she thinks about engagement, audience psychology, storytelling and platform strategy, and why smaller creators with tight communities often have more influence than accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers.

We also get into the realities of working in social media — including burnout, algorithm pressure and staying creative in an industry that never switches off.

In this conversation:

• Why engagement matters more than follower counts
• The biggest mistakes brands make on social media
• Why views don’t necessarily mean your content is working
• How to build real communities online
• Why small creators can outperform big influencers
• How to survive working in a 24/7 social media industry

If you work in social media, marketing, content or brand, this episode is packed with practical insights from someone who’s spent more than a decade inside the industry.

This podcast is sponsored by Sked Social.

Sked helps social media teams plan, schedule and analyse content across Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and more — all in one place.

If you’re serious about social media, Sked makes it easier to stay organised, collaborate with your team and understand what content is actually working.

Start your FREE 14 day trial now.

A 17-year-old dropped out of school, picked up a camera, and accidentally learned more about the internet than most marketing teams.

In this episode of #seen, Lach Bradford sits down with Chris Mansour — a teenage videographer who went from filming real estate listings at 15 to helping founders build personal brands online.

Seven months ago, Chris dropped out of school and took a bet: get his boss (big, bad Timmy James) to 10,000 Instagram followers in exchange for $10K and a job.

What followed was a chaotic month of daily videos, failed ideas, existential self-doubt, and one last-minute post that blew everything up.

Now he’s helping founders turn storytelling into attention, and attention into audience.

In this conversation, Chris breaks down what actually works on social media right now, including why:

• viral views are mostly a vanity metric
• storytelling beats trends almost every time
• people massively overthink posting online
• most “personal brand” advice is completely wrong

We also talk about the psychology of posting, the pressure of putting your face online, and why the future of content might look more like a Netflix series than a marketing strategy.

If you’re trying to build an audience, a personal brand, or just figure out how social media actually works in 2026. This episode is worth your time.

This episode of #seen is brought to you by Sked Social.

Sked helps brands, agencies and creators plan, schedule and analyse their social media in one place.

They’ve also just launched Sked Ideas. A new feature designed to capture and organise content ideas before they disappear into the abyss of your Notes app.

Because the hardest part of social media isn’t posting. It’s remembering the idea you had in the first place.

She tore both ACLs, lost her dad, battled cancer — and still built one of the sharpest marketing brains in the game.

This week on the pod, Lach sits down with Maddie King — product marketer at Canva, ex-Unilever brand manager (Dove, Rexona, Lynx), former TikTok brand strategist, early Magic Brief marketing lead (acquired by Canva), and professional LinkedIn “shitposter.”

What unfolds is way more than a career chat. It’s a masterclass in resilience, taste, creative judgment, and building a marketing career that actually means something.

Maddie opens up about:

• Pivoting from ballerina dreams after tearing both ACLs and losing her dad at 17
• Getting cancer during uni, building a business, and storytelling her journey online
• Why “taste” is the most underrated skill in marketing
• AI vs originality (and why you must protect your creative muscle)
• Startup burnout, acquisition highs, and knowing when to say no
• Why social shouldn’t be reduced to perfect attribution
• Taking big swings in marketing (and allocating budget to “dumb shit”)
• Building community flywheels instead of chasing vanity metrics
  

If you work in content, marketing, social, paid ads, brand — or you’re just trying to stack skills and make bold career moves — this one will recalibrate how you think about creative work.

The podcast is proudly sponsored by Sked Social — the social media management platform built for teams who take socials seriously.

Social media isn’t burning you out, your workflow might be.

In this episode, Lach sits down with Matt Navarra — social strategist, consultant, media commentator, and author of the Geekout newsletter — to unpack the realities of working in social today.

From Matt’s unconventional career path (banking, teaching, government comms) to becoming one of the most trusted voices in the industry, this conversation dives into:

• ADHD and why social media attracts neurodivergent brains
• Burnout, boundaries, and shaping work around how you actually operate
• AI as your wingman — not your creative director
• Why judgment and personality matter more in an AI-saturated feed
• The shift from rented reach to owned community
• Repeatable, episodic content and building formats people come back for

We also touch on the Sked Social x Matt Navarra Trends Report — now live — where community is positioned as the true growth engine for brands in 2026 and beyond.

If you work in social, lead a team, or are trying to stay relevant without cooking yourself in the process, this one’s for you.

This episode is proudly brought to you by Sked Social — the platform built for teams who treat social seriously.

And if you’re looking to bring more structure to your creative process, Sked Ideas is now live with a free 14-day trial.

Ideas are infinite now. Execution is the real bottleneck.

In this episode, Lach sits down with Rich Henson, Product Manager at Sked Social, to unpack what actually happens between customer feedback and product launches — and why most social teams are drowning in ideas but starving for clarity.

From rebuilding approvals (and killing the screenshot era) to spotting early signals around AI adoption, Rich shares what five years inside Sked has taught him about workflow, burnout, and building tools that don’t replace social media managers — but empower them.

They also give a behind-the-scenes look at Sked Ideas, a new feature designed to bridge the messy gap between “rough thought” and “ready to schedule.”

You’ll hear:

• Why Google Sheets accidentally became the planning tool of choice
• How to filter good ideas from useful ones
• The real impact of AI on social professionals
• Why “grow at all costs” is a trap for agencies
• And how to avoid burning out in a reactive industry
  

If you manage social, run an agency, or build products for marketers, this episode will hit.

Most brands don’t need better content. They need better community instincts.

In this episode of Seen, Lach sits down with social strategist Cal Ritchie from Iris Worldwide to unpack what actually makes social work right now.

Cal started his career in community management and never lost touch with it. That foundation shapes everything he does, from big brand strategy to the smallest DM interaction.

Together, they talk about why community managers make better strategists, how “boring” brands can win on social, and why starting on social before big campaigns still feels wildly underused.

They cover humour as a creative weapon, hacking platform mechanics without losing your soul, why virality is more about compounding than lightning strikes, and how brands can earn a place in culture instead of just borrowing it.

There’s also a surprisingly deep crossover into music fandoms, hardcore scenes, AI weirdness, and why showing the messy process matters more than polished perfection.

This episode is proudly brought to you by Sked Social, the social media management platform built for teams who take socials seriously.

If you work in social, brand, content, or community, this one will hit.

Most brands talk about being “authentic.”
Renee Shaw actually is.

In our first episode of #seen — a podcast by Sked Social, host Lach Bradford sits down with the woman behind some of LinkedIn’s funniest and most fearless B2B content. Renee runs social for tl;dv — an AI meeting assistant built for teams who’d rather not rewatch their entire Zoom recordings, and she’s doing it her way.

No dashboards. No templates. Just taste, humour, and three coffees and a cigarette before hitting post.

This is how a jaded LinkedIn shit-poster turned creator helped build one of the most interesting B2B brands on the internet.

We talk about:

• The one creative rule that keeps content brave: “Punch up, never down.”

• Why reposting is dead — and A→Z testing is the future

• How to use AI for structure (not soul)

• Building culture and voice that travels across global markets

• The power of being a little bit unhinged in a world of beige B2B

If you care about social, content, or creative bravery, this one’s for you.

Proudly presented by Sked Social — use code 'SKEDBF50' for 50% off annual plans + a free 14-day trial (Black Friday offer).

For social media tips, insights and support — join the 280+ #seen community members on Slack ⁠here.

Perfect for SMM, marketers and creatives.

Social media doesn’t need more trends.
It needs better taste, conviction, and people who actually understand the feed.

In this episode of #seen, host Lach Bradford is joined by Lena Tuck — a freelance social video producer who’s helped brands, creators, and major platforms grow by throwing out the rule book.

We talk about:

• Why repeatable formats beat chasing trends

• Why comments matter more than views

• How TikTok flipped marketing on its head

• The real burnout signs social media managers ignore

• Why doubling down works (even when it feels boring)

• Using confidence — not perfection — to unlock opportunities

This is an honest, practical conversation for social media managers who feel stuck on the hamster wheel and want to build content that actually connects.

If you work in socials, content, or brand — this one’s for you.

This episode is proudly brought to you by Sked Social.

Jess Smalley has been behind some of the biggest podcasts in Australia — Mark Bouris, Two Doting Dads, plus a heap of shows she’ll never publicly take credit for.

Now she’s building her own thing.
Sharing the game she’s been running behind the scenes for years.
Starting from zero again — which is brutal, humbling, and very, very real.

In this episode we unpack:

• Why audience building starts way earlier than people think

• How to actually craft stories people care about

• The producer secrets that make good guests great

• Clip strategy, pre-production, structure, and the stuff that separates pros from punters

• Why humans > AI when it comes to podcasting

• How to publish when you’re not ready (because you’ll never feel ready anyway)

• What to do when your content flops — and how the best bounce back fast

If you work in content, marketing, podcasting or just want to show up more confidently online — save this one.

SKED SOCIAL DISCOUNT:
Use SKEDBF50 for 50% off annual plans.

New #seen episodes drop every Tuesday at 5am AEST.

Most brands obsess over “going viral.” Almost none know what to do after it happens.

In this episode of #seen — a podcast by Sked Social, Lachlan Bradford sits down with Josh Bailey, former TikTok insider and founder of CoCo, to unpack what brands actually get wrong about social.

Josh spent years inside TikTok watching the same mistakes play out again and again: chasing luck, copying trends, obsessing over reach, and ignoring the one thing that matters most — building content systems that create familiarity over time.

From long-form vs short-form to why authenticity is now a trap, this episode goes deep on what works, what doesn’t, and what every brand needs to rethink in 2025 and beyond.

We cover:
• Why going viral is overrated — and why the real work starts after it happens
• Consistency > luck: how the algorithm actually rewards creators
• How trends help established brands but hurt beginners
• The rise of episodic content and TikTok “TV shows”
• Why retention and watch time matter more than views
• How large brands block their own growth
• The trust gap in hiring full-time creators
• AI for structure, planning and creative clarity

If you work in social, content, marketing or brand — this episode is a must-listen.

Presented by Sked Social — use code 'SKEDBF50' for 50% off annual plans + a free 14-day trial.

Everyone wants the shortcut.
Nobody wants to do the boring work.

This episode with Jack Delaney goes deep into the overlap between elite sport, creativity, discipline, and why most people are chasing hacks instead of building actual skill.

Jack went from professional rugby into the world of creative strategy and performance marketing, eventually landing at Canva — where he now works across paid media, creative systems, storytelling, and growth.

We spoke about:

• Why strategy is actually action, not “thinking”
• The death of generic AI copy
• Why brands are becoming allergic to sounding human
• The hidden value of copywriting in 2026
• What great creators understand about repetition
• Why volume matters more than perfection online
• The psychology behind content hooks and audience retention
• How elite sport shaped Jack’s mindset around work
• Why execution beats ideas almost every time
• The difference between making content for algorithms vs people
  

There’s also a very honest conversation around burnout, identity, frameworks, and the weird state of modern creative work.

This episode is proudly brought to you by Sked Social — the social media management platform built for brands, agencies, and teams who take socials seriously.

Start your free 14-day trial now.

Social media didn’t just change how we post, it changed how we think, rest, work, and connect.

In this episode, Lach Bradford sits down with Kriti Gupta to unpack what it really means to live online. From starting out running Facebook events for community groups, to working across publishing, big brands, and building her own venture In My Head, Kriti shares the unfiltered realities of working in media without burning yourself out.

We talk about fake productivity, why boredom is a lost skill, the pressure to speak on everything, authenticity as a misunderstood buzzword, and why your “real-life algorithm” matters more than the one on your phone. Plus: practical habits Kriti uses to reset her brain, her minimal tech stack, and the tools she actually swears by.

This episode is brought to you by Sked Social — the social media management platform helping teams plan, publish, and engage smarter (without living in chaos).

If you work in social, content, media or feel permanently online — this one will hit.

This episode is the honest, no-BS breakdown social marketers actually needed.
Lach, Gabby (Head of Growth), and Hana (Campaign Manager) sit down to unpack Sked’s 2025 Social Trends Report — and reveal what really played out this year.

From trends that exploded to ones that died quietly, we dig into the strategies that shaped 2025 and what every marketer should prepare for heading into 2026.

Inside the episode:

• The difference between “raw” and “reckless” personal content

• Why trend cycles are now algorithmically fragmented (and what that means for you)

• How partnerships evolved in 2025 — and where the biggest opportunities are

• When organic product placement works… and when it’s just cringe

• The truth about community and conversions

• How to actually build an AI + human social “super team”

• Why nimble brands win — but patient brands scale

If you’re a social manager, creator, founder, or anyone tired of pretending to enjoy branded crying selfies… this one’s for you.

Brought to you by Sked Social.
Get 50% off annual plans with code SKEDBF50 + enjoy a 14-day free trial.

Social media isn’t broken, we’re just forgetting the people.

In this episode of #seen, Lach sits down with Yasmin Cooke, Social Media & Content Manager at EMU Australia, to unpack what great social actually looks like today.

Yasmin leads social, content, PR, creators, UGC, and community for a global brand — and brings a refreshingly grounded, people-first perspective to strategy, storytelling, and scale.

They cover:

• Why connection beats trends every time

• How to balance data, gut feel, and creativity

• The underrated power of community management

• Repetition vs reinvention in content strategy

• Burnout, boundaries, and being “always on”

• Where AI helps — and where it kills the soul

If you manage social, content, or marketing — this one will hit close to home.

This episode is proudly brought to you by Sked Social.

You don’t need a hot take on everything, and forcing one might be what’s burning you out.

In this episode, Lach Bradford sits down with Gen Fricker to talk about creativity in the internet age, finding your voice before algorithms existed, and what it really means to build a career that lasts. From early Twitter and Triple J to stand-up comedy, touring, and content creation today, Gen shares the lessons you only learn by doing, and by failing publicly.

We talk about creative burnout, trusting the process, why nothing you make is ever wasted, the pressure to always be relevant, and how to protect yourself while still showing up honestly online. It’s a candid conversation about comedy, culture, and choosing longevity over noise.

This episode is brought to you by Sked Social — the social media management platform helping teams plan, publish, and distribute great ideas without turning creativity into a grind.

If you work in media, content, comedy — or you’ve ever felt stuck between ambition and burnout — this one’s for you.

This week on the #seen Roundtable, Lach Bradford, Gabby Torres-Soler, and Hana Block dive head-first into 20 of the spiciest social media hot takes for 2026.

From trial reels and daily posting myths, to vibe-coding, AI slop, burnout, memes, creators-turned-founders, and whether LinkedIn is becoming Instagram for adults — nothing is off limits!!

Gabby just got back from Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball (twice), Hana is coming in with the most quietly savage takes of the year, and Lachy is… well, Lachy.

If you work in social, run a brand, manage a community, or just want to hear three people absolutely cook the industry we love — this one's for you.

What we cover:

• Trial reels = flop or future?

• Posting daily vs. actually having a life

• TikTok vs. Reels: who wins 2026?

• The death (or rebirth?) of aesthetic feeds

• AI captions, AI voiceovers, and AI slop

• Influencers vs creators — same thing?

• Why social teams are still treated like interns

• The rise of vibe-coding

• Burnout, budgets, and being chronically online

• Creator-led brands and the next wave of CPG

• LinkedIn's identity crisis

• And soooo much more

Expect: zero fluff, chaotic honesty, and painful truths only social people will understand.

Use the code 'SKEDBF50' for 50% off Sked Social annual plans.

Yazan Al Tamimi doesn’t do vanity metrics. He builds systems that last.

From dropping out of school at 15 in Jordan to becoming a founding member of Spotify MENA, Yazan has helped launch Spotify across Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and beyond — driving record-breaking engagement, viral cultural moments, and real business impact at scale.

In this episode of #seen, we unpack:

• Why the best social media managers are actually educators

• How Spotify separated organic, paid, and performance (and why shares + saves mattered more than followers)

• The balance between structure and chaos in creative teams

• What global brands consistently get wrong about local culture

• How to avoid burnout in an industry that never switches off

• Where AI actually helps (and where it absolutely doesn’t)

This episode is brought to you by Sked Social, the social media management platform built for teams who care about strategy, not just scheduling.

This week on the #seen podcast, we sit down with Georgie Healy — the marketer, operator, and AI strategist who helped launch Google’s first AI Startup Accelerator in ANZ.

What starts as a chat between two internet kids reminiscing about MySpace layouts and MSN fonts turns into a ridiculously deep dive on the future of marketing, authenticity online, AI literacy, personal branding, creativity, and how to stay sane while the industry shapeshifts underneath us.

Georgie breaks down:

• How marketers should actually be using AI (and what to avoid)

• Why “AI slop” is killing originality on LinkedIn

• How NotebookLM + LLM search are rewriting the rules for insights, research, and content

• The skills that will disappear — and the ones that will matter more than ever

• Why authenticity still wins (and why it’s harder than people admit)

• How to build an audience without hating yourself

• The rise of vibe-coding, personal websites, and the MySpace-ification of the internet

• Why Australia might struggle to compete in the AI era

• What it means to think for yourself when AI thinks faster

• And how to navigate big life/career pivots without losing your mind

It’s funny. It’s honest. It’s chaotic in the best way.
And it’s packed with insight for anyone working in social, content, brand, or growth.

Use code SKEDBF50 for 50% off annual Sked Social plans.

Most companies think they have a marketing problem.
Isaac Peiris will tell you they have a go-to-market problem.

In this episode of #seen — a podcast by Sked Social, Lachlan Bradford sits down with Isaac Peiris, founder of Pistachio, to unpack why brands struggle to turn positioning into pipeline — and what to do about it.

Isaac has led growth at The Daily Aus (180k subscribers in 10 months), scaled Mamamia’s membership business to $170k+ MRR, and built GTM systems for a bunch of successful teams.
Across all of it, he’s seen the same issue: smart teams, strong products, fractured execution.

From broken positioning to the fame effect, this episode goes deep on what actually drives compounding growth — and why most brands completely miss it.

We cover:• What “fractured go-to-market” looks like inside a business• Why customer success is the most underrated growth engine• How to fix broken positioning (and the signs yours is cooked)• Sugar hits vs compounding systems — and why brands need both• Why your audience isn’t your customer (and why that’s a good thing)• The fame effect: building a distribution moat over time• Influencers vs ambassadors — who actually moves the needle• How to measure content beyond likes and impressions• What founders get wrong about narrative, sequencing and channels• The overlap between product management and growth (and why it matters)

If you work in social, content, marketing, growth or brand — this episode is a must-listen.

Presented by Sked Social — use code 'SKEDBF50' for 50% off annual plans + a free 14-day trial.

If your content looks perfect but no one cares, this is why.

Bit of a different episode this week.

Lach jumps in solo for a quick, no-BS breakdown of what’s actually happening across social right now.

In 9 minutes:

• Why “perfect” LinkedIn posts are getting ignored
• The real reason Instagram reach is coming from shares, not likes
• What’s quietly shifting on TikTok
• What’s underplayed vs completely overcooked
  

Plus a new segment: Worth clocking
→ the stuff experienced operators feel, but don’t always say out loud

If you run socials, this is designed to get you thinking differently — fast.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Sked Social. Start your FREE 14 day trial now.

Most brands don’t have a content problem. They have a trust problem.

This week on #seen, Lach is joined by Kelsey Denouden, founder of Have and Hold Marketing.

They chat about her unconventional path from performing arts and retail into running an agency, why authenticity is getting harder to fake, how to create content that works in an AI world, the psychology behind customer behaviour, managing burnout, and why listening is still the most underrated growth strategy.

If you work in content, social, branding or marketing, there’s plenty in this one.

Proudly brought to you by Sked Social. The platform helping teams plan, collaborate and schedule socials without the mess.

Most sports content looks good.

Very little of it actually makes you feel anything.

In this episode, Lach sits down with Jacob Gaynor — one of the minds behind the shift in how AFL clubs show up online.

From his time at the GWS Giants to now helping build the Tasmania Devils from scratch, Jacob has been part of a new wave of content that feels more human, more connected, and a lot more interesting to watch.

They get into how he thinks about social media beyond just posting.

Storytelling, personality, getting buy-in from players, and why some of the best ideas don’t come from a strategy doc… they come from understanding people.

They also talk about the balance between planning and reacting, the pressure of always being “on”, and why the content that works best usually comes from taking a bit of risk.

If you care about content, sport, or just making things people actually want to engage with, this one’s worth your time.

Proudly brought to you by Sked Social.

Most LinkedIn content is trying to sound professional… and that’s exactly why it doesn’t work.

In this episode, Lachlan sits down with Robin O Connell, a long-time LinkedIn leader who’s spent over a decade inside the platform across multiple roles, countries, and now within its evolving Creative Studio.

They unpack what’s actually working on LinkedIn right now, why so many brands and creators blend in, and how to build a presence that people actually care about.

From the rise of video and thought leader ads, to the psychology behind comments and why discussion drives reach, this is a practical look at how to use LinkedIn properly in 2026.

They also get into:

• why “sounding professional” is a trap
• how to stand out without forcing it
• what brands get wrong about content
• how creators can build real audiences
• why consistency beats perfection every time
  

If you’re posting on LinkedIn (or thinking about it), this one’s worth your time.

Proudly brought to you by Sked Social. Start your free 14-day trial today.

Most people aren’t bad at social… they’re just overthinking it.

In this episode, I sit down with Larissa Andrianakos (Senior Social Creative at Ogilvy) to unpack what actually makes content work right now and why confidence is probably the most underrated skill on the internet.

We get into:

• why “perfect” content is usually the thing that flops
• how small, almost invisible details drive engagement
• the balance between gut feel and data in creative
• what brands still don’t understand about social
• and how putting yourself out there opens more doors than any strategy deck ever will
  

Larissa shares her journey from posting “just for her” to building a strong presence across agency and creator worlds and why most people just need to stop hesitating and hit publish.

If you’ve ever second-guessed posting something… this one will hit.

Proudly brought to you by Sked Social.

Most brands are still trying to win attention with content that feels safe, polished, and instantly forgettable.

This week, Lach is joined by Medya Gungor from Zeno London to chat about what actually earns attention now — from creators and community to cultural tension, impact, and why the best brand ideas usually start with a real human problem.

Proudly brought to you by Sked Social.

Being “chronically online” might be the most valuable skill right now.

Lauren Meisner, founder of Centennial World, has built a media brand off the back of internet culture, creators, and understanding what people actually care about online.

We talk authenticity, trends, burnout, community, and why most brands are still playing catch up.

This one will change how you think about social.

This episode is brought to you by Sked Social. Start your FREE 14 day trial now.