In this episode of AI Literacy for Entrepreneurs, host Susan Diaz heads into the world of storytelling and content creation with Dori Adams, founder of shutterb. Dori is revolutionizing the way businesses capture content by making high-quality storytelling accessible to everyone through a unique gig platform that functions like the "Uber of content creators"

🎙️ Episode Highlights

The Vision Behind shutterb, designed to solve the problem of businesses needing constant, high-quality content.

How AI Enhances Storytelling: Dori uses ChatGPT to streamline content creation, including crafting LinkedIn posts, email marketing, and even scripting her educational courses for shutterb labs. We talk about the importance of training custom GPTs for different business functions (e.g., social media, business development, HR) to optimize workflows.

The Power of Delegation with AI: By training GPTs as “employees”, you can delegate repetitive tasks and focus on high-level strategy.

Breaking Down Storytelling Myths: AI doesn’t replace storytelling; it enhances it. Dori emphasizes the importance of maintaining your unique voice and narrative.

Why AI Literacy Matters: Both Susan and Dori emphasize the importance of AI literacy for entrepreneurs. Staying ahead of the curve means embracing AI not just for productivity but as a co-pilot in business strategy.

Key Takeaways

💡 Storytelling + AI = Authentic Marketing: AI helps with the heavy lifting, but your voice and narrative remain the most powerful tools.

💡 Delegate to AI: Treat your GPTs like team members - train them, give feedback, and optimize your processes.

💡 Start with Strategy: Whether creating content or building a business, having a strategic foundation enhances every AI-powered workflow.

💡 AI Literacy is non-Negotiable: As Susan says, "Promote your AI to a thought partner, not just a task executor" The future belongs to those who leverage AI strategically.

🔗 Connect with Dori Adams on LinkedIn
🔗 Connect with Susan Diaz on LinkedIn

🎧 Listen to the Episode now

 

🚀 Ready to Leverage AI for Your Business?

Join the Marketing Power Circle (MPC), the only mastermind designed to help entrepreneurs implement AI strategically and buy back their time.

👉 Click here to learn more https://cpdigitalinc.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/1157552 

💬 Join the Conversation:

What’s your biggest takeaway from this episode? Drop a comment on social or DM Susan Diaz to chat about all things AI, storytelling, and entrepreneurship!

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with fellow entrepreneurs!

 

💡 AI is changing the way we work, learn, and grow - are you keeping up?

In this episode of AI Literacy for Entrepreneurs, I sit down with Leigh Mitchell, growth manager, educator, and changemaker, to unpack how AI is reshaping both education and business. Leigh shares insights from her work with York University, University of Guelph-Humber, and the startup ecosystem, offering a real-world perspective on AI adoption in learning and marketing.

What you’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔹 The Future of Work – Why every company is now a tech company and how professionals can upskill to stay ahead
🔹 AI in Education – How educators are leveraging AI to enhance learning without replacing critical thinking
🔹 Marketing and AI – Why prompt engineering is a must-have skill for modern entrepreneurs
🔹 DEI and AI Bias – The role AI plays in shaping inclusivity and the risks we need to be aware of
🔹 AI for Business Owners – How Leigh uses AI inside The ChangeMaker Collective to streamline content, automate research, and improve strategic decision-making

💡 Key Takeaway: AI isn’t replacing humans - it’s amplifying those who learn to use it strategically. Whether you're a student, entrepreneur, or corporate leader, mastering AI is becoming as essential as digital literacy.

🎧 Listen now to gain the edge in this AI-driven world!

Resources and Next Steps:

💡 Join the Marketing Power Circle (MPC) – The only mastermind designed for small business owners looking to implement AI at speed and scale 🚀

📩 Subscribe to my AI Newsletter for exclusive insights on how to stay ahead with AI.

💬 Let’s discuss! What’s one way you’ve used AI in your business or learning journey? Comment on our socials ⬇️

Follow us on Instagram

Connect with Susan Diaz on LinkedIn 

 

Welcome back to the 4am Report AI Literacy Podcast! As we transition our podcast name to better reflect our focus on AI literacy for entrepreneurs, I’m diving deep into debunking some of the most damaging AI myths that present often in the entrepreneurial community.

What I Cover in This Episode:

🚫 Myth 1: Using AI is Cheating

I explore why this belief is a misconception and how AI, like any tool, is designed to augment human capabilities and foster innovation, not replace our ethical minds or creativity.

🛠️ Myth 2: AI Implementation is Complicated

Real Talk: Ditch the myth that AI requires extensive tech knowledge. You’re firmly in the era of no-code solutions enabled by AI.

I share a story from my own experience on how AI (and a friend in my network) helped me save my business website from malware without expensive and time-consuming traditional fixes.

🤖 Myth 3: AI Results are Unreliable and Sound Robotic

I address concerns about AI-generated content’s quality, explaining the importance of quality inputs (garbage in; garbage out, folks) and the role of prompt engineering in achieving better outputs.

Looking Ahead:

This marks the last episode under the name "The 4AM Report". 

Stay tuned for our new name and a refreshed focus, continuing our mission to enhance AI literacy among entrepreneurs. Expect a lineup of incredible guests and impactful discussions in upcoming episodes!

Engage with Us:

Have thoughts on these AI myths or questions about AI implementation drop us a comment on our social media platforms. Your insights make our community stronger!

Connect with me - Susan Diaz on LinkedIn: Entrepreneur, podcast host, and passionate advocate for using AI to enhance small business revenue and productivity.

Special Announcement Reminder:

Be the first to experience our podcast under its new name in the next episode, where we'll continue to unravel the complexities of AI with expert insights and practical advice. Hit Subscribe!

Thank you for your continued support over the last five years. 

We kid ye not. There really is an international “Talk like a Pirate Day” on the 19th of September, so we decided to honour this as we introduce our latest episode of 🎙The 4am Report🎙. Being the kind, caring and salty duo we are (self-titled of course), this episode shares the five things ye need for a successful podcast launch. Take a glimpse at what we discuss:

1. Why ye need a solid content calendar with your content mapped out
2. What makes your podcast stand out (yes, that hook we keep harping on about and a few other treasures that may or may not be pirate-related🦜)
3. The tech suite ye choose and why it matters 
4. Good writing ✏ (underestimate it at ye peril)
5. Great relationships and how to foster them🤲

🎧Tune in for more sound and sage podcasting advice🎧

She. Was. 21. 
If you’re of a certain age, even if you’re not  American, you most likely remember THE presidential scandal of the 90s and have heard of Monica Lewinski. Considered the home wrecker of the century, the then-21 year old’s name was dragged through the mud after being groomed by a much older, powerful man, in a way that would be totally unacceptable these days.  Fast forward to now, the 48 year old has not only used her platform to advocate for anti-bullying measures, she’s producing her very own American Crime Story episode on the subject of the presidential impeachment. We love seeing the strength she has to rise above after years and years of abuse from the media.   Extreme Contract Makeover When it comes to being the spokesperson of a brand, the contracts end of things isn't always easy, breezy, or even beautiful. At least not until poet and activist Amanda Gorman came to the bargaining table and gave the whole deal a makeover. Now known as the "Global Changemaker" of 75-year-old and woman-founded Estée Lauder, Amanda says "I'm never just lending my body or my face. They are getting my spirit, my breath, my brain." Over the 3 year contract, Estée Lauder companies have pledged to donate $3 million to support writing and equality initiatives. Yassss!   Superbowl ad spots are going...going...almost gone
If you’ve got a cool $6.5 million just hanging around, you’d better move quickly to grab your advertising spot during the Super Bowl. Despite a lackadaisical response to the game in February, including a huge advertiser backing out in favour of supporting vaccination initiatives, this year spots are at a premium and going fast. While we’re not super crazy into the world of athletics (Go Sports!), we’re obviously not going to miss out on the epic commercials that just happen to come along with those big guys pushing each around over a ball.   The birth of an album Lil Nas X has been delighting us with his fearless marketing ever since he tossed in some red contacts, put blood into shoes, and killed the devil in one of the most controversial videos of the year. Now, in the leadup to the "birth" of his debut album, he's taking the pregnancy theme to the next level. On top of posting many photos of his very realistic baby bump and counting down to his September 17th due date, he has now released a "baby registry" - a list of 15 charitable organizations (each matched to one of the 15 tracks on the album) people can donate to, including the Transinclusive Group and The Bail Project. That is one classy baby daddy. Even Obama got involved. Listen to the podcast if you want the deets.   It’s the most wonderful time of the year Also possibly the most stressful time of this year, with parents wondering about how back to school is going to look once again with a potential 4th wave of covid on the horizon. Megan O’Neill (who subbed for resident host Will Lamont, who’s on a much needed break) is closely watching the Twitter bets on if and when schools will shut down again, sending her kids back to virtual learning, while Susan’s family has opted for virtual schooling. They can both agree that this is a huge topic on everybody’s minds right now.          

Hey, content creator. This episode of 🎙The 4am Report🎙 we’re telling you to:

🛑 Stop creating new content! 🛑

Yes, we know those words feel like a knife going into the creator’s heart. It’s controversial, it’s hard-hitting, but ultimately, we just share a different, fun way to be creative. Learn all about the mixed-media artist metaphor and how it applies to you. And how repurposing is a bit like creating different invitations to the same party🥳. 

So how do you repurpose?

1. Reclaim something with a successful lifespan and give it some more play
2. Reimagine how you present or promote that content

Nobody’s telling you not to create. Just create in a different way.

🎧Tune in for more!🎧

Did somebody say podcast cohort?

We were excited to hear the news that ABC announced that they’re doing a special podcast series called Behind The Table, based on The View. They will have past View cohosts talking about their time on The View, with behind the scenes stories and the hosts spilling the tea on the many controversies over the years. Obviously ABC is doing this because we have recently been thirsting for our View-like podcast panel services, where we bring together experts who share a similar audience to speak panel style, like a fireside chat. September 14th - check it out if you want to catch Meredith Vieira, Lisa Ling, and all your other faves!

Riot if not McPizza   McDonalds Canada recently posted a teaser saying they were bringing back a fan favourite, immediately leading the nostalgic internet to assume they were reviving the popular McPizza from the 80s. Turns out this was not the case, and what ensued was a hilarious thread of disappointed people, great (slightly panicked) marketing from McD’s, and a lot of newsjacking from other companies. Oh yeah, and it’s actually spicy McNuggets coming back. 

On another spicy note? Mountain Dew and Flaming Hot Cheetos have teamed up to make a spicy monstrosity of a beverage. As Will says, Mountain Dew? More like Mountain Don’t.    Pearl Milling Company

Pearl Milling Company, previously known as Aunt Jemima, has released their first ad since their huge rebranding from a long-time look that really smacked of racism. This ad features several black families enjoying the food they’ve made. No word on how sales have been, but we’re watching closely to see how this works out for them.   Zoom Doom   DYK that since remote working has been the norm, 1 in 4 bosses have had to fire someone for some kind of inappropriate Zoom behaviour, and most have had to dole out some discipline over poor Zoom etiquette? While things have been a bit more relaxed in general considering the circumstances (who really wears “hard pants” on these calls, amiright?), some people have slipped a little too far and execs and clients aren’t digging it. Not only that, evidently the higher ups don’t totally trust that work is getting done effectively enough at home either. Take it from some remote working experts - stay professional, stay on task, and just wear something - anything, please - on your bottom half.    Empowering or demeaning?
If you’ve been around for a while, you’ve definitely heard the term ”girl boss”. Love it or hate it, it’s been the war cry of women everywhere who have worked to be seen as equal to men in the same situations. Head over to this interesting article in Nymag's 'The Cut' column and let us know your take.
  Adaptive Fashion for the win   In the leadup to New York Fashion Week, we’re seeing a great trend of designers showcasing their inclusive designs. It’s not just about race and religion either. These designers are also creating “adaptive fashion” - clothes that are accessible to those with physical disabilities. 

So, you’ve got a podcast brand and you want to develop the visual side of it? On this episode of 🎙The 4am Report🎙 we share how you can grab your audience through your podcast promo visuals:

1. Think beyond cover art – get tactical
2. Use visual storytelling – and change it up often
3. Keep your video on 

🎧Tune in for more!🎧

With birthday boy Will off celebrating, Susan is joined this week by Global Marketing Director of Shared Services & Outsourcing Network (SSON), Dionne Vaz for this week’s #ThirstList

****

AirBnB and Afghanistan

The news cycle has been heavy the last little while and we’ve seen individuals and brands reacting to the situation in Afghanistan. One of the companies that is really stepping up is AirBnB, who are planning on paying for 20000 Afghan refugees to be housed in host homes.  This is fantastic, but not surprising, as this is super on brand for AirBnB. From Hurricane Sandy to the Pulse Nightclub shooting, they have been great in times of crisis.  One thing that bothered Susan just a little was that the story was rushed out with no real meat to it. So how are they going to go about doing this? What are the next steps? When you release things that are purpose-driven, make sure you include all the details in one spot so people get the dirt without all the digging. 

Want to help out in Afghanistan but not sure where to start? Check out this link for a list of curated and verified GoFundMe campaigns.   Podcast Wars - Spotify's on our radar again
At Spotify, after some beta testing, they have opened up Podcasts Subscriptions service to all US creators. Some of the highlight points: 

1) No more FOMO - you want in, you got it!
2) Lots of detail on the pricing - we appreciate that they noted that creators like more flexibility in prices. 3) The ability to use RSS feeds

Apple already jumped on the podcast subscription bandwagon a while back, but Spotify, an Apple critic in the antitrust fight, is so far keeping their prices more affordable.    #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt

While we’re still swimming around in the realm of Creator Economy, we had some news this week about how TikTok is expanding its ecommerce efforts in a partnership with Shopify and are allowing creators the ability to affiliate with brands. Users will be able to shop right from their favourite TikTokker’s account. We heart a good UX. Instagram has used this feature well, so why not?     OnlyFans tries to pull out, but there's a happy ending   This week OnlyFans, under pressure from banks and financial services companies, announced that they were banning sexually explicit content from the site. This decision was quickly reversed after a huge uproar from both fans and creators, many of whom are relying on their content as a main source of income. Talk about failure to identify both their target audience and target creators, but good on them for supporting their peeps in the end.    Curry is not a spice!
  Padma Lakshmi, Indian author, actor, model, and tv presenter, took on The Washington Post and one uber-annoying opinionated writer who ranted about how much he disliked Indian food. Ok that’s totally fine, right? Not when you do it in a lazy, racist, and frankly non-factual way, claiming it’s the only ethnic food completely based on one spice - curry. Um, what? Ugh. Padma fairly kindly Instagram-shamed him whilst also cleverly plugging her new book, “The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs” Hello, newsjacking! We love it, Padma!   Sort of Thirsting in T.O.    From right here in the hood, a story of a new tv series called Sort Of, created by and starring Bilal Baig, who is the first queer south asian Muslim playing the lead of a primetime show. How freaking amazing that we get to live in this wonderful diverse city and now it is going to be showcased all over mainstream TV! 

Want to get people hooked on your podcast? The Holy Trinity of Hooking tells you how (in our trademark style, because if your mind went there, you’re our people).  On this episode of 🎙The 4am Report🎙 we dive into the 3 ways you can make sure your podcast is memorable:

1. Up your visual 
2. Rethink your intro 
3. Ditch the fluff

🎧Tune in for more!🎧

With Susan Diaz off on a much deserved summer road trip, Rohini Mukherji, Susan's cohost of the ABCDEI podcast and senior PR leader, joined Will for this week’s #ThirstList

*****

Shang-Chi is not an "experiment"

Disney can’t seem to catch a break lately between their legal battles and a foot-in-mouth problem. Allegedly, on a Q3 earnings call, the CEO of Disney called the release of Shang-Chi, a film starring an Asian-Canadian actor, “a big experiment”. This caused some backlash from the cast, who rightly feel that this is a big moment for the Asian community. Maybe the comment didn’t come out quite right, but it goes to show that it's important to be intentional with our language. Actions matter, but words do too.

Disney's Spin and Turning Red

Despite our focus on the negative things lately, we're totally not anti-Disney, and think they have some really cool stuff in the works. The Disney Original Channel just premiered 'Spin', a movie  about an Indian-American family with a daughter torn between her family and wanting to be a DJ. And a little closer to home, a Pixar movie called 'Turning Red' set right here in Toronto and filled with characters of different races and religions is coming out, marking the debut of their first director that is a woman of colour. Represent!

Making Lululemonade out of lemons
  Last week we spoke about the recent UN climate report and how fast fashion is having a devastating impact on the environment. After a yoga-pants filled pandemic, Lululemon has announced a big plan for making their products more sustainable, starting with their investment in a plant based nylon company, Genomatica.    H&M's latest collab   H&M is known for its collabs with high end fashion designers, and recently they've paired up with Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherji. Known for his intricate and traditional embroidery, Sabyasachi often works to empower artisans, which is causing some people to wonder why he would sell out to a huge, ethically questionable company like H&M. We think it's a toss-up - we obviously would love more awareness of Indian fashion and have it become more mainstream, but we want to see this done in a way that is authentic, preserves the culture, and is fair to everyone involved.   Say no to fake political news!
  The Canada federal election is coming quickly, and Facebook has an initiative to ensure that the information that goes out to the public from the political parties is true and correct. Users can also now adjust settings to decide whether they want more political news or less in their newsfeed. In true Facebook style though, the process in which this will work is a closely guarded secret. Despite that, it's cool to be able to choose how much we want to hear about the election and have the news be a little more regulated to whatever we want.

Many people think it's boring, but it's not. The much maligned content audit is a fantastic tool to amplify your content. On this episode of 🎙The 4am Report🎙, we have a panel of three content auditing experts from the world of international marketing👏. We talk about the pet peeves that keep us up at night and the four content audit things you’re not thinking about – and should be:

1. Focusing on your Ideal Client Profile (ICP)
2. Establishing patterns by running ads
3. Using public domain content 
4. Trawling your own company for content  

🎧 Tune in for more! 🎧

 

About Romina Buchle

Romina is a passionate friction fighter for marketing, sales and customer success. She knows online marketing and the implementation of digital strategies, processes and tools and likes to get into the engine room from time to time. As Marketing Manager at Aioma she strives to enable fellow B2B marketers in Europe to do Rockstar Marketing - even with very limited resources.

About Amber Khan

Amber Khan is the founder of Amplifyology where they help marketing leads & author entrepreneurs defy obscurity & ignite their brands using the science of building brand momentum that we call, Amplifyology.  She's also authored an international bestseller called Guilt Free Motherhood for entrepreneurial mums suffering from "mum-guilt".  She believes that, without content marketing, your business is doomed. And without content repurposing, your content marketing is doomed.

About Kira Tchernikovsky

Kira is an international marketing consultant with over 14 years of experience with startup companies and corporates.    In 2020 Kira started her own gig - Customerization - to offer businesses fit-for-purpose solutions in the business technology space. Customerization enables small and medium businesses in Canada and beyond to sell and service digitally by implementing Zoho business automation technology and repeatable marketing programs that boost revenue.

With Susan Diaz off on a much deserved summer road trip , Angela Penton, Founder of Open Field PI, joined Will for this week’s  #ThirstyThursday

****

Greta Vogues fully on brand

Just in case you didn’t already realize the world is on fire, the latest UN climate report is stating that, unequivocally, humans are changing the climate everywhere on the planet. There’s really no going back, but we CAN slow things down. 

Recently Greta Thunberg, climate warrior extraordinaire, was on the cover of Vogue Scandinavia and took the opportunity to speak directly against the fast fashion industry as she accuses it of greenwashing.

What is greenwashing? Well in this case, it's when a company comes out with a line of environmentally friendly clothing (calling it recycled or eco or sustainable) to distract us from the environmental devestation they are actually causing. A recent report by the Changing Markets Foundation found that 59% of fast fashion brands making environmentally friendly claims, were in fact, false.

According to Greta, you cannot mass produce fashion and promote yourself as sustainable.

This has us rethinking some our own choices. We're all going to have to change our behaviour if we want to slow the warming down. 

Salesforce and Chill

Salesforce acquired Slack last year, and now they are announcing that in September they’re going to launch a streaming service for business professionals - basically Netflix for the Linkedin crowd. They plan to produce their own shows, but are also taking user-submitted content as well. Is this the next generation of Ted Talks? The new trusted business gospel? We’re watching closely!

Let’s Go To The Movies!

Are you ready to hit the movie theatres again? To encourage us all to return, Cineplex Canada is launching a membership program. For $9.99 a month, you get one free movie, discounts on their super addictive popcorn and the opportunity to purchase cheaper tickets for any friends who want to join you. Is this enough to lure us back now that the dents in the couch are JUST RIGHT for our butts after 18 months of Netflix and Disney+ in our own home theatres?

Delta Force

Delta airlines won some hearts for sending a gift package to a little girl named Delta, whose mother tweeted she was so bummed because, well, you know...the variant. 

Just like Delta Airlines, Corona Beer likely wasn't too happy when the Corona Virus was first name. But interestingly enough, their sales did not suffer at all. In fact, they went up!

Ah, the resiliency of kids and brands.

(BTW - we're wondering how Delta Burke has been handling the past few months)

A&W Antics

A&W Canada got a bit too gimmicky for both of us with their “Beyond Bait Experiment” to help launch their new plant based nuggets. In the promo video the veggie nugget is fed to a venus flytrap to prove that plant based bites can in fact satisfy a meat eater.

About Angela

Angela is the owner of Open Field PI and helps fast growing trades and manufacturers build capacity with effective processes so they can serve more happy customers with less day to day hassles and stress.   Continuous Improvement and creative and resourceful problem solving are the things that really drive her forward. In her spare time, she loves to swim, scuba dive and hike the beautiful trails of Nova Scotia.

Welcome to Episode 220 of The 4am Report, a practical guide for entrepreneurs at the beginning of their AI journey. In this episode, I’ll give you the foundational steps necessary for assessing and integrating AI into your business operations. I’ll  demystify the process and highlight actionable strategies that will have you moving in days and weeks, not months and years!

What you'll Learn:

⚡ Understanding AI and Its Potential Impacts on Small Businesses: We'll start with a basic introduction to AI, including its common forms such as machine learning and natural language processing, and discuss how it can enhance business operations, reduce costs, and improve decision-making.

🔎 Identifying AI Opportunities within Existing Business Processes: Learn how to conduct an audit of your current business processes to pinpoint where AI can be integrated, focusing on high-impact areas like customer service, sales, and marketing.

🔁 Simple AI Tools that Can Automate Routine Tasks: Discover user-friendly AI tools that can streamline operations, featuring general examples like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and specific tools for email management and CRM.

🧮 Statistics Highlight

According to McKinsey, 65% of organizations are now using generative AI, with a significant jump in adoption across various business functions.

Deloitte notes that organizations are transitioning from pilot programs to large-scale deployments, though the anticipated efficiency gains are still emerging.

🇨🇦 Canadian SMBs and AI

78% are looking to adopt AI, with 65% encouraging their employees to use AI tools.

The challenge remains in upskilling talent to utilize AI tools effectively.

🧠 ❤️ Why This Episode Matters

With AI adoption on the rise, understanding how to leverage this technology can set your business apart. This episode aims to build AI literacy and help entrepreneurs implement AI deeply and effectively, beyond superficial use.

🎒 Case Studies and Resources

For real-life examples of small businesses successfully implementing AI tools, revisit EP 218 - Beyond Blogging: 6 Use Cases for ChatGPT that Are Not Content Creation.

Also pop back to explore my detailed tool recommendations and integration strategies from EP 213 - 9 AI-Enabled Tools That Save You 2 Hours a Day.

📢🤫 Special Announcement coming up

Stay tuned for a significant rebranding in EP 222 after 5 years as ‘The 4am Report’. More details coming soon! Hit that subscribe button to stay in the know.

 

Podcasting is a great way to up your digital publishing, establish you as a thought leader and take your networking to the next level, especially if you’re still stuck at our kitchen table or on your laptop. Wendy Brookhouse is on the show to tell us about her experience with podcasting and how it’s helped her reach more people.

We talk about:

• Providing value that resonates
• How to avoid some of the biggest pitfalls of podcasting (like not maximizing your podcast and extracting those “nuggets of gold”)... and how to get the biggest benefits
• Choosing your panel and the joys of collaboration and batch recording
• The 🕸Charlotte’s Web effect🕸

🎧Tune in for more!🎧

About Wendy:

Wendy Brookhouse is a behavioural finance focused advisor who helps smart, ambitious people unleash their money power. Wendy believes that we all have money power. It is buried under life’s pleasures, unconscious spending and the desire to have the lives that everyone else’s social media says they have.  She invented the One Number Solution, a trademark system that unleashes money power with strategies around spending, debt, saving and safety net.

Connect:

Black Star

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackStarWealth/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/black-star-wealth-partners
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackStarHFX

Wendy

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wendybrookhouse?lang=en
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/wendy-brookhouse-4210701
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendy.brookhouse.370

Bitch finally had her money, I guess

About FourFive Seconds ago we found out that one of our favourite singers, Rihanna, is now Unapologetically a billionaire, and not just from her impressive song catalogue. She put a ton of Work into her two inclusive Fenty lines for face and clothing, which have given her a financial Umbrella to stand under. Now as long as she stays away from those Rude Boys and keeps her face Towards the Sun, she won’t have to Work too hard to keep herself in Diamonds.

(See how we did that there? That's some deep Rihanna knowledge on display!)

Black Widow Bites Disney

Scarlet Johansson is suing Disney over the terms of her contract surrounding the Black Widow movie, in which her contract is structured for her to get a share of the box office. Obviously since the pandemic is putting a damper on the movie theatre experience, Disney decided to sell the movie for $30 to Disney Plus subscribers. Is this ok?

If only we knew a lawyer who specializes in contracts…like our friend and business lawyer, ANDREA HENRY. She joined us on our #ThirstyThursday chat show to speak about Disney's condescending, public response to Scarlett's suit and how contracts are vital to building your empire.

Is ScarJo being greedy since she already made 20 million off this movie? Um, no - enforcing your contractual rights is not greedy. Andrea sets us straight on why this is not cool on Disney’s part, and why other celebs might be jumping on the bandwagon to fight for their contractual rights. 

Get a Real Contract so you don't end up Desperate 

We jump back to Andrea for more important insight on The Real Housewives of New York and a dust up over the lack of a contract.

Countess Luann was preparing a Christmas single, and all the housewives were to be featured in a merry explosion of fake togetherness for charity. When the topic of a contract was brought up, Luann was offended and felt accused of being untrustworthy. Here’s the thing - lots of friends work together and it can be uncomfortable for them to bring up the subject of a contract for this very reason. But when it comes down to it, contracts are ESPECIALLY important to keep both the business and the friendship intact. Ask the hard questions and just do it!

(Also, did you ever think we'd be learning business lessons from the ladies of New York?!?)

A 15-minute meeting where you actually stand up? Mara Svenne is back on the show to tell us about the benefits of daily Stand Ups for collaboration, productivity, and efficiency. Learn why:

🧍‍ Stand Ups are short, sweet, and focused
🧍‍♀️️‍ A facilitator helps keep things moving (along with the presence of key decision makers)
🧍‍️ Parking an idea can be strategic
🧍‍♀️️️ Stand Ups help team members get clear on their priorities (and so much more!)

Plus, you’ll get some of her top time management tips used in Agile, like Scrum and Combat.

🎧Tune in for more!🎧

About Mara

Mara Svenne is the founder of mPath Facilitation and works as a group process facilitator, scrum master and agile coach, primarily in the financial services industry.   Mara is an IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator, a past board member of the International Association of Facilitators (IAF), and a 2017 Gold winner of the Facilitation Impact Awards.  Mara has facilitated project team start-ups and retrospectives, management strategy sessions, and vision /mission sessions for non-profit boards and start-ups.  An active and Distinguished Toastmaster, Mara believes in the power of conversation to help individuals find their voice and create a shared path to success.   To more information, please contact: mara@mpathfacil.com

Spotify charges ahead

Spotify continues to dominate over all other podcasting platforms, announcing they have 165 million paid subscribers (compared to Apple’s estimated 55 million) and that their ad revenue was up 627% in Q2. Impressive. 

This comes on the heels of Spotify continuing to invest heavily in both content and technology: the recent acquisitions of podcast juggernauts, Call Her Daddy (hosted by Alex Cooper) and Armchair Expert (hosted by Dax Sheppard), and a software company called Podz, which allows for automated clips to be pulled from episodes. The podcast wars are heating up, folks. And we promise to keep you informed.

 

We ❤️ Simone. A lot.

Perhaps the most famous athlete at this summer’s Olympic Games, Simone Biles, shockingly withdrew from competing in the women’s gymnastics team event on Tuesday, citing concerns over her mental health. 

Gone are the days athletes had to push through the pain, risking serious injury, and mental health repercussions. These athletes are advocating for themselves and putting their own wellbeing first. We saw this with Naomi Osaka at the French Open. And now Simone is saying her mental health is more important than an Olympic medal.

We applaud you Simone. You really are a true role model.

 

...And then Michael Andrew is a whole other story

(FYI - we don’t ❤️ him)

One of the top US male swimmers, Michael Andrew, announced prior to the Games that he was not vaccinated and had no plans to get vaccinated. His rationale? He didn’t want to risk any effect the vaccine might have on his body and performance.

Talk about the utmost display of selfishness and disrespect this decision has towards his teammates (if anyone tests positive they’re done at the games), not to mention towards the people of Japan (who are experiencing record level of Covid cases).

One former Olympic US gold medal swimmer called him out in her now viral twitter rant, while others have defended his right to do what he wants.

This led us to thinking when brands chose to sponsor a big name athlete, you really need to consider things beyond just their athletic prowess. Their social media activity. Their social activism and the causes they support. And are they an anti-vaxxer?!? Is aligning with someone as great a swimmer as Andrew, knowing his stance on vaccines, worth it? 

 

And the gold medal goes to...Tik Tok!

With athletes having to isolate, and broadcasters not having the same access to them as they did during past games, Tik Tok has become the great connector at this year’s Olympic Games.

(Is it any surpirse that a bunch of locked up Gen Z'ers of coure turned to Tik Tok?)

Athletes have been using the platform to share 'behind the scenes' moments, such as testing out the cardboard ‘no sex’ beds, their pre-competition preparation rituals, and even the food they’re eating the cafetarias.

Seriously, if you haven’t looked up the hashtag #olympictiktok, do it! It’s just as, if not more, entertaining than the events themselves!

Sorry NBC, but Tik Tok is our unofficial Olympic broadcaster now.

 

The revenge of the unitard

It seems that some female athletes are sick and tired of being told what to wear when they compete. Especially when what they’re supposed to wear is skimpy, barely-there clothing.

We saw this last week when the Norweigan women’s beach handball team opted to wear biker shorts instead of the mandated bikini bottoms, and then received a fine for not complying. 

(Shout out to rockstar Pink for offering to pay their fines)

And this week, the German women’s gymnastics team chose to wear a unitard instead of the high cut, swim-suit style outfit you normally see at competition, as a statement against the oversexualization of women in their sport. 

And while we’re on the subject of more inclusive athletic apparel for women, Adidas launched a Burkini line of swimwear in the middle east. And to kick-off the new line, and in a true grandiose Dubai way, they made a billboard that's a real pool with Burkini-clad swimmers enjoying the water.

 

Are you bored by the traditional tired-to-death podcast formats that everyone uses, (probably) even you? Learn how to mix it with 12 imaginative podcast formats to help you engage and entertain your audiences: 

• Strategic and tactical teaching 
• Episode arcs, podcast cohorts and show & tell
• Sharing tactical processes, establishing yourself as a thought leader and/or newsjack with pride
• Repurposing your podcast content (like nobody’s business)👏👏👏

🎧Tune in for more!🎧

The Brewing Podcasting Wars   Amazon recently purchased one of the top listened-to podcasts, Smartless, -- hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett -- for 80 million bucks! Their plan? 

To release new episodes on Amazon one week before releasing them to other podcasting platforms. This followed Spotify’s recent acquisition of the super popular ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast and their plans to exclusively host it on their platform.

With podcasting advertising revenue breaking the 1 billion mark for the first time, and no signs of this audio medium slowing down, we’ve decided to start a new regular segment on The Thirst List that we’re dramatically calling ‘The Podcast Wars’.   Is that a rocket in your pocket? Or are you just happy to see me?

We couldn’t NOT talk about this. Billionaire Jeff Bezos blasted to space in a rocket, whose shape had the interwebs giggling with glee. And while we are here for all the phallic memes (oh, and the Dr. Evil comparisons too), we’re especially enjoying the debate about the huge dollars being spent by the trio of space cowboys (Bezos, Musk and Branson) while we have so many ongoing issues on planet earth.

To counter this narrative of what some say is irresponsible spending, immediately following his space trip, Bezos announced two 100 million donations to Van Jones and Chef José Andrés to help them basically change the world. 

One thing we want to point out -- sometimes it takes visionary, ego manically driven billionaires to push change forward. The advancements they are making now will undoubtedly inspire a whole new generation of space exploration.

As Henry Ford famously said, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”   Olympic Woes
  I’m not sure if you’ve heard,...but the Tokyo Olympic Games start TODAY, and boy, has this lead up been a messy one.

Just this week, the director for the opening ceremony was fired for past remarks about the holocaust, the majority of Japanese people don’t want the games happening, some athletes have already tested positive for Covid, leaving major advertisers and sponsors scrambling to put option B plans in place.

Toyota, one of the major advertisers, has pulled all their broadcast advertising for the Japanese audience (they're still going ahead as planned for other markets) in an attempt to not seem insensitive.

Brands are likely weighing the price being associated with a potential sh!t show vs losing out on money already spent on ads.   FOMO NOMO?   Clubhouse, the audio-only social platform that we all scrambled to check out this past winter, just announced that its ‘invite only’ policy is no more.
  Without that FOMO vibe, will Clubhouse lose its appeal? Actually, wait...hasn’t it already kinda lost some of its early appeal? We’d love to know your thoughts! Do you use Clubhouse still? Do you still see it as an effective platform for reaching new audiences? Hit reply to this newsletter and let us know.

This episode of 🎙The 4 AM Report!🎙 Will and I share how to use podcast cohorts to get a host (pun intended) of great benefits, including:

🎙 Accountability – when you have to get it done
🎙 Less bandwidth – another way to get more done for less effort
🎙 Amplified networks – benefit from a wider audience and more sharing
🎙 Up the Entertainment Quotient – and keep everyone engaged 
🎙 Get better together – the power of collaboration

🎧Tune in for more!🎧

🚨🚨We interrupt regular programming to bring you this week’s news at the intersection of entertainment and marketing.🚨🚨

Welcome to the Thirst List. A Friday edition of the hits, the misses, the causes, and the people that left us Thirsty.

Dundas is done   If you know Toronto, you know Dundas St. But soon you'll know it as something else, thanks to a city council vote that will change the name from one associated with Henry Dundas, who was involved with the slave trade. As Coun. Michael Thompson said before the vote, "History will remember not so much what it cost us to change the name — it will remember whether or not we actually take the right action. Our reputation is on the line."    Manchester shows their love   After a disgusting show of racism in the wake of the Euro loss, Brits are now stepping up to show Black footballer Marcus Rashford how much they really do love and appreciate him. The site of a graffitied Rashford mural is now covered up in signs, flowers, and tokens expressing, love, acceptance and appreciation for this young star.   Retail foot traffic
  They say shopping is like therapy, and after a tough round of lockdowns that mentally knocked us down, but not out, Canadians are taking "treat yo' self" to a whole new level. With restrictions easing, the retail market is getting set for a big boom, with clothing stores already seeing a 44% increase in traffic compared to the same time in 2019.   Survey says... Gen Z hates email. They might be checking their texts and TikTok notifications pretty quickly, but don't email them or you may be kept waiting. It's going to be interesting to see how workplace communication evolves when these guys take charge!   Imagination, life is your creation
  Barbie is no longer a blonde bimbo girl in a fantasy world. The latest celeb to find out that life in plastic is fantastic is none other than tennis star Naomi Osaka. After the drama of the French Open, we're loving that this doll is going to put a spotlight on giving girls the right to stand up and say, what they believe in and being able to live the way they choose. Come on Barbie, let's go party!   Streaming cuts the cable   Emmy nominations are out and for the first time ever, streaming has overtaken cable for popularity. All the major streaming channels have original productions in the running.  For a lot of us, our streaming services were a lifeline. (As an aside: who else has a serious dent in their couch from all the binge watching we've done this past year?)  

Welcome to the 💫4 AM Report💫 where we’re sharing the highlights from our Crisis Communications series to help you face some of the biggest crises of our time. So, if you don’t know what you should be saying, or how to respond, here’s our best tactical advice:

🚦Stop: Hit pause on your marketing lest something tone-deaf or tasteless goes out

🚦Drop: Drop all your current marketing plans and re-assess all your content. 

🚦Roll: Once you’ve got a grip on what’s happening and how you can contribute respectively, roll with it supportively (hint: get advice)

🚦Apologize: If you get things wrong, apologize (and we share what a good apology looks like). 

Tune in for more!

🚨🚨We interrupt regular programming to bring you this week’s news at the intersection of entertainment and marketing.🚨🚨

Welcome to the Thirst List. A Friday edition of the hits, the misses, the causes, and the people that left us Thirsty.

Canada's new Governor General

After Julie Payette resigned in disgrace, we were so over the concept of Canada requiring a Governor General. But when Prime Minister Trudeau announced this week that the new GG would be Mary Simon, an Inuk leader and activist, we changed our tune. A Governor General's role, while technically the representative of the Queen, is mainly symbolic. And what could be a better symbol of this country making steps toward reconciliation than appointing an Indigenous woman to the role of head of state. 

The Euro and The Olympics

With the Delta variant on the rise and Covid cases spiking again in some areas, many people are questioning if giant sporting events like the Euro Cup and the Olympics are the wisest idea. Japan, this week, declared a state of emergency in Tokyo, just as the summer games are set to commence on July 23. It’s now looking like locals won’t even be allowed to spectate.

#WeAreReadyToronto

Toronto mayor John Tory, in partnership with the Toronto Regional Board of Trade, announced a campaign to help downtown businesses reopen. Some people are ready to go back and some aren’t, but it's looking like most are set to embrace a hybrid type return.

To help, the campaign has released tailored playbooks “to help businesses bounce back and transition back to work confidently and safely when we get the green light." 

Space (Billionaire) Jam

The race to the stars is on between several of the world's most well-known billionaires, and they're super excited to make their mark in a whole new space (yuk yuk). Sure, they can do whatever they want with their money, but we can't help but wonder, is this all in the name of the greater good, or just some good old fashion rich man p!ssing content?

With parts of our country literally on fire and a global climate crisis, maybe these Space Cowboys could do something better with their time, effort, and $$. Check your egos upon reentry, mkay? 

 

🎉 Celebrating One Year: The AI Advantage Program

Welcome back, listeners! Today’s episode is special as we mark one year of our DIY AI literacy course - The AI Advantage. Join me, your host, Susan Diaz, as I extract three pivotal lessons from pioneering AI literacy for small businesses.

Key Lessons from the Year:

🚀 Lesson 1: Early Adoption Transforms

Embracing generative AI early can significantly enhance business capabilities. And I share personal reflections on how overcoming my own initial skepticism to realize AI's potential for marketing transformation.

🤝 Lesson 2: Community and Collaboration

The power of a supportive learning community in fostering growth and innovation cannot be overstated.

🔄 Lesson 3: Commit to Continuous Learning

I talk about the importance of adapting and evolving with AI advancements.

A heartfelt thank you to our community for a year of engagement and feedback inside the program. Exciting plans ahead to expand and deepen the program's impact.

🎉 Get the AI Advantage DIY AI Literacy Course

Ready to revolutionize your business with AI? Click here to join The AI Advantage Program.

🌟 Keep listening for more insights from upcoming guests who are using AI in groundbreaking ways, and join us next time for more AI literacy discussions on The 4am Report!

Connect with me - Susan Diaz on LinkedIn: Entrepreneur, podcast host, and passionate advocate for using AI to enhance small business marketing and sustainability.

As social injustice rocks our society, Shelagh Cummins joins us to discuss how to stand up for what you believe, even as you run your business and focus on sales

A business coach, strategist, and founder of The Road to Seven Shelagh's goal is to help women entrepreneurs use their voice and their platform as they grow a freedom-based, profitable, and fulfilling business. 

She shares:

• The positive side of Covid-19 (say what?)
• The importance of breathing into what is in alignment for you
• How to get to your messaging with one simple question
• That it’s not all about you – so, make a stand, but don’t make it personal 

We talk about tough topics in tough times, but it’s not all grim. Like Shelagh says, we create our own sunshine🌞

Enjoy!

About Shelagh

Shelagh Cummins is a business coach, growth strategist, and founder of The Road to Seven. The Road to Seven provides coaching, education, and access to capital so that women around the world can build profitable and fulfilling businesses.
Driven by an unwavering belief in the power of women and their impact on society and the economy, The Road provides the tools, the support, and the community needed to achieve your wildest dreams.

Shelagh inspires others to park the excuses and become #womenofaction. She is not afraid to kick out the crutches, make over mindsets, and flatten fears – always with a healthy dose of humour, candour and wit. Through practical strategies, personal stories and real-life insights, Shelagh helps women see the possibilities of their ideas, the power of their leadership, and the potential of their vision – all in a human and relatable way.

Website

In moments of reckoning surrounding a deep social injustice like that which Indigenous people in Canada have endured at the hands of settler colonialism, it’s hard to think about what to say, or how to make any sort of impact from a marketing and communication perspective.

For small businesses, specifically those between 1 and 5 million, navigating crisis communication - the guilt, the burnout, the uncertainty on how to go about doing business while this is the backdrop - can be a LOT.

How do you balance life in a global pandemic with ongoing self awareness and discovery?

How might small businesses be empathetic, self-educating allies, while respectfully doing our job as business owners, which often requires actively marketing and selling what we do?

If you, like us, believe that your teams, your partners, your collaborators, and your customers are your greatest assets, you really want to be thinking about what is challenging them on the daily and either:

1. Fix their problems in your communication with them or
2. Find a way to add to their days with levity and kindness 

Towards that end, here are The Three Bs Holding Back MANY small businesses: Budget, Bandwidth, and Burnout, and some thoughts on navigating them

The burnout part in particular is something we think is appropriate reading for a time in history when people are maxed and overworked in the extreme. 

Are you a reader? Here is a blog post on the subject.

This episode of 🎙The 4 AM Report! 🎙 we want to share how we got 100% attendance at our virtual event/cooking club featuring Chef Andrea Buckett, and how you can too. From creating an experience to keeping it short (no hard-sell ffs) to infusing entertainment in everything, we share:

🍓 Why you shouldn’t over-police 

🍓 How to add to the entertainment factor with your bloopers and missteps

🍓 The Holy Grail of connections – how loosening up has helped Andrea Buckett resonate with others more than ever 

🍓 That emailers can be used to communicate and entertain!

🎧Get comfy and tune in for more!🎧

🚨🚨We interrupt regular programming to bring you this week’s news at the intersection of entertainment and marketing.🚨🚨

Welcome to the Thirst List. A Friday edition of the hits, the misses, the causes, and the people that left us Thirsty.

Ronaldo prefers 'Agua'

Sometimes there's a lot of power in one little word. When Cristiano Ronaldo pushed aside bottles of Coke at a European Championship press conference and pointedly replacing them with water and a single word - "agua" - it drop-kicked the share price a whopping 1.6% aka 4 billion bucks. Considering the soccer star has 300 million followers on Instagram we're not surprised he feels he has the ability to speak out against the tournament's sponsor.

A shining display of leadership

This week, in what could have been a tragic scene when soccer player Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field, Denmark captain Simon Kjaer gave him CPR until medics arrived, had his teammates secure some privacy, and then consoled Eriksen's wife. People are are pointing to this as an example of true, next level leadership when a crisis strikes.

All of her apologizes to all of you

Legend-ary model, wife, mom, and Twitter Luna-tic lady, Chrissy Tiegen, was recently called out for some extremely nasty tweets from many moons ago, and rightfully left social meda for a mo', but recently returned in force with a Miles-long and self-centered apology letter. Enough with the self-indulgent apologies. We say it over and over: I'm sorry. FULL STOP. Resist the urge to overly explain your story.

BrewDog goes skunky 

According to several 2-4's of former employees, Scotland's BrewDog has brewed up a "culture of fear" on its way to the head of the pint glass. Instead of apologizing and promising change, the company proceeded to make things worse by forcing current employees to sign statements claiming their jobs were actually kegs of fun. 

These type of tactics may have worked in the past, but after living through a pandemic, and seeing other people hold those in power accountable, companies can't get away with this anymore. The voiceless are finally finding their voice.

Skin is in

According to the New York Times, not only are we going to be freeing our faces from masks post-pandemic, we are going to be freeing our beautiful pandemic bellies from the shackles of fabric with the summer 2021 hot trend: crop tops. And not the boxy, baggier ones you might have seen the past few years

A New York Times article explained that the 2021 crop top is smaller and tighter. They attribute this to the younger gen haveing missed out on musical festivals and other fun party events this past year and a half. 

Cut us off if you think it's a bad idea, but we're defo considering baring our b-buttons in a planned upcoming photoshoot.

Prepare to be wowed by this episode of 🎙The 4 AM Report! 🎙 where we talk to Colleen O’Connell-Campbell about the top four benefits of outsourcing to a fractional marketing team – and how this affected her podcast flywheel:

☸Management becomes easy-peasy lemon squeezy (because you have consolidated marketing support with a team of people to help keep you on track)

☸ You can uplevel your marketing with some helpful, strategic pushes in the right direction

☸ There’s no way that you won’t hold yourself/be accountable because everything is structured and focused 

☸ Systems become efficient and organized, which means less headaches and more clarity 

Grab a drink 🍷 and tune in for life lessons and wisdom gained!

About Colleen

Colleen O'Connell-Campbell, lead of O'Connell-Campbell Wealth Management at RBC Dominion Securities, specializes in building and strategizing financial plans that optimize how entrepreneurs, self-made millionaires, & wealthy families spend save, and share their wealth. She publishes a weekly blog and speaks regularly as an expert in areas relating to wealth management and entrepreneurship.

Website

 

🚨🚨We interrupt regular programming to bring you this week’s news at the intersection of entertainment and marketing.🚨🚨

Welcome to the Thirst List. A Friday edition of the hits, the misses, the causes, and the people that left us Thirsty.

Finding words when it's hard

Our editor in chief, Susan Diaz, wrote a Linkedin post earlier this week, reflecting on the horrific murders in London, ON, and how it took her a few days to 'find her words'. The post resonated with a lot of people. And it's a struggle we've seen brands both big and small have to navigate this past year. Susan's message --- Say something. Find your words. Even when it's hard.

#KeepYourPride

Happy Pride Month! This month we are loving the #KeepYourPride campaign, by a group called Corporate Accountablity Action, that’s calling out the two-faced, big brands that stick a rainbow flag on their logo while also donating to anti LGBTQ+ politicians. Companies like AT&T, NBC Universal, and Anheuser-Busch have been targeted, and we think it’s super important for these people to be kept accountable. Especially with the anti-trans and anti-gay legislation happening in several US red states.

Lindsay Lohan's Guide to NFTs

Who would have thought that we’d be taking advice from Lindsay Lohan on NFTs? She recently sold her latest single as an NFT for $85,000 (yes, Lohan still puts out music), and shared a step-by-step guide on how she creates and sells NFTs in the latest issue of Interview Magazine. 

According to Lohan, the NFT vibe is more than just the purchasing of a digital piece of art. She says, "Access to a stronger creator-and-buyer relationship is key." 

So fetch, Lindsay. So fetch!

Balenciaga crocs

Cardi B likes those Balenciagas, the ones that look like socks, but we're into THESE Balenciagas, the ones that come from Crocs! Or maybe not. Because why would you take a comfortable, practical shoe, put a 6 inch heel on it and sell it for a cool $1400? 

Can Kanye save the Gap?

Once upon a time Yeezy said "Let’s go back, back to the Gap”, and now here he is, with his new, remarkably inexpensive (for him) "round jacket" from the Gap. Made of recycled nylon, this is the first release from a long-anticipated line of clothes. Will this make him famous for something other than being Kim K's off-the-wall ex-husband? We doubt it, but good effort, Ye.

 

It’s 🎙The 4 AM Report! 🎙 and we’re back with Part 2 on How to Up your Publishing. And no, the answer isn’t hiring an SEO guy.

You need to incrementally increase the content you publish. And you can do this with 30% less effort. Here’s how:

🌟 Make use of the mountain of underutilized content that’s sitting on the cloud somewhere

🌟 Enjoy the win-win content grab of ‘market research’ interviews 

🌟 Publish at least 15 pieces of content from one 60- or 90-minute recording of an online event 

Kick back, relax and lean into some publishing magic 👏

It’s time for another episode of 🎙The 4 AM Report! 🎙 and we let you peek into our brains to discover How to Up your Publishing. 

You’ll learn how to become your own publishing guru by:

🌟 Making use of the multi-format

🌟 Mining your social

🌟 Owning the art of cross-linking

🌟 Raising that frequency and consistency 

🌟 Spinning off your content using the Anchor Theory 

Kick back, relax and enjoy some publishing magic right here, right now👏.

On 🎙 The 4 AM Report 🎙 we’re chatting to Laura Beauparlant about how to use explosive branding to stop the mindless scroll. She’s the founder and creative director of the agency Lab Creative and developed two innovative programs, Brand Camp and Brand Accelerator. Her mission is to help ambitious solo entrepreneurs and micro business owners create a brand that connects (❤ to ❤) with their audience. 

Listen to the episode to find out: 

💥 Why brands are becoming publishers

💥 How branding is like baking

💥 Why you need to connect with your brand, before your customers can

💥 Why a strong foundation is so important

💥 The need for a great visual identity, consistency, and clarity in the digital space

💥 Why being vulnerable and showing who you are is part of being kickass

Enjoy!

About Laura

As the founder and chief ‘brand alchemist’ at Lab Creative, Laura leverages her unique process to help entrepreneurs understand – and embrace – their magic and create explosive brands that stand out from the crowd, attract the right clients and reach new levels of impact, influence and success.

As a speaker, Laura has been recognized for the chemistry she creates with her audience as she informs, inspires and candidly shares insights into her own story of overcoming adversity and finding clarity – in both life and business.

She has an engaging presence and easy, conversational style that captures her audience every time.

Website

LinkedIn

Follow Laura: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Blog

Welcome back to the 💫4 AM Report💫 and we’ve been trumpeting🎺 our 100-episode milestone so hard, we almost forgot to share some of the pearls 🦪 of wisdom we’ve amassed since that fateful moment when we decided to start our own podcast. In this episode, you’ll learn:

🦪 To let go of perfection
🦪 Why consistency is key
🦪 How the Anchor Theory makes all the work easier
🦪 The domino effect
🦪 Why you should have fun with your podcast
🦪 Not to underestimate the power of a name

Tune in for more!

🌟 Welcome to The 4am Report, with me, Susan Diaz, your host and an AI optimist. Let’s talk about innovative ways small businesses can use artificial intelligence RIGHT NOW, beyond the basics. Today, I'm going to debunk a common myth about AI; and share six unique ways to use AI in your content marketing that go beyond writing blog articles.

On the episode I cover:

✍️ Expanding AI Use Beyond Blog Writing: Many perceive AI as a tool just for generating text-based content, but it’s so much more! I’ll introduce you to advanced, practical applications that can transform your business operations.

6️⃣ Six Innovative AI Use Cases for Small Businesses: From breaking down video content to enhancing your sales processes, these tried-and-tested strategies from our Marketing Power Circle (member-only AI implementation mastermind) will open your eyes to new possibilities.

In-Depth Topics:

📹 Video Content Utilization: How to transform existing video material into multiple content pieces for varied marketing channels.

💵 Enhanced Sales Processes: Utilize AI like ChatGPT and Claude to streamline your sales drafts and follow-ups, making your outreach efforts more efficient and personalized.

🎙️ Simplifying Guest Interviews with Myshowrunner.com: A free tool that eases the podcast interview process by streamlining guest research and question formulation.

♻️ Revitalizing Existing Content: Use AI to update old articles or reports with new insights, SEO enhancements, and user-friendly formats.

🔎 Efficient Summarization for Client Research: Employ AI tools to quickly summarize extensive research materials, saving valuable time and effort.

💻 Optimizing Workshop Summaries: How AI can help you efficiently repurpose past workshop and training content for new audiences or formats.

⭕ Special Invitation: If you’re interested in learning how to implement these AI strategies effectively in your business, consider joining our Marketing Power Circle. Drop me an email or LinkedIn DM and I'll send you more details about our AI implementation mastermind, designed specifically for small businesses looking to scale and innovate.

AI is not a futuristic concept but a practical tool that can dramatically enhance the way small businesses operate today. By adopting a broader view of AI’s capabilities and integrating these technologies into various aspects of your business, you can unlock significant growth and efficiency.

🌟 Keep listening for more insights from upcoming guests who are using AI in groundbreaking ways, and join us next time for more AI literacy discussions on The 4am Report!

Connect with me - Susan Diaz on LinkedIn: Entrepreneur, podcast host, and passionate advocate for using AI to enhance small business marketing and sustainability.

Welcome back to the 💫4 AM Report💫 and we’re still celebrating 100 episodes.

This time, singing 🎵Simply the Best🎵. You know we love Tina Turner. But there’s also the excellent Noah Reed version featured on Schitt’s Creek. So, without more ado, what could be more fitting than a discussion between Will and I about our top 5
favourite episodes? We chat about:

 What’s in a name – the story behind The 4AM Report and pilot
 How a clever tweet grabbed us, our audience and the world (kudos to us for being the first to snap this guest up!)
 The weird intersections of our book club and our podcast guests, from Allen Gannet and the Creative Curve to Tiffany Dufu and Drop the Ball
 Our foray into non-marketing topics and a focus on diversity and inclusion
 Marketing during times of crisis with Martin Waxman 

Tune in for more!

Welcome to the 💫4 AM Report💫 and our centennial episode, the 100th edition of the show!

To celebrate, we’re talking about all things creative with Allen Gannett. He’s the author of the Creative Curve, a tech entrepreneur and angel investor, and a brilliant speaker on creativity. He believes creativity is accessible to everyone, but most of us just don't have the right tools.

He shares his insights on:

💡 The line between inspiration and imitation,💡 Timing, craft and distribution of your creative ideas – and how getting this right leads to success
💡 How we’re all creatives (Go figure! And here we thought we were special 😉)
💡 Balancing creativity and productivity
💡 Neuroscience and the “AHA!” moment

Tune in for this epic, centennial episode!

 

About Allan

Allen Gannett was the founder and CEO of TrackMaven, a marketing analytics platform whose clients included Microsoft, Marriott, Saks Fifth Avenue, Home Depot, Aetna, and GE. In 2018 it merged with Skyword, the leading content marketing platform. His book The Creative Curve, came out in 2018 from Penguin Random House. The book has been featured on CNBC, Forbes, numerous top podcasts, and has been translated into nine other languages. Most importantly, he was once a very pitiful runner-up on Wheel of Fortune.

Hello everybody and welcome back for our 99th episode of 🎙 The 4 AM Report! 🎙 where we’ll be chatting to our guest:🎺performer, voice and speech specialist, Joy Juckes, about the power of your voice.

Joy is the founder of ‘The World of Voice’ and her mission is to help you connect with others through your voice. Now that we’re all on Zoom, giving webinars, making presentations, having team meetings, if we don’t know how we sound, we’re not in charge of how we’re connecting. This indisputable fact means that now is the perfect time to learn how to transform your voice into your most powerful asset. 

Some of Joy’s top tips and tricks on how to use your voice to be heard, and understood, include:

How to:

🔉 Warm up the sound of your voice
🔉 Be more engaging (and project less!)
🔉 Use breathing and core support for greater connection
🔉 Change how the listener feels when hearing your voice through targeted resonance
🔉 Master rhythm and pacing to make sure you’re being understood 
🔉 Find your f*ck muscle  

Listen and learn!

 

About Joy

A professional performer since childhood, Joy has worked on stage, in front of the camera, in the voice studio, and as a recording artist.

She brings her voice coaching expertise online to empower more students to take charge of their own learning, no matter what their learning style.

JoyJuckes.com
The World of Voice

 

Hi everybody and welcome back to the 🎙The 4 AM Report!🎙 and what’s keeping our guest, Ankita Rao, up at night are burning questions about authenticity. Brands have been so quick to say they stand for something (for example, diversity, equity and inclusion) but are they just jumping on the bandwagon? 

How can we know they’re being genuine and whether anything they do will be permanent? How do we keep the momentum going 🚀? Ankita is a social impact practitioner who is here to help us figure out how to create lasting change.

And it’s pretty simple: Put your money where your mouth is. Hold your brand accountable.

On this riveting episode you’ll find out:

• Why you need to ask ‘why’
• Whether DEI will benefit your organization in the long run
• How to eliminate the gap between intention and execution
• Why you need to tell stories, including the hardships you’ve faced 😲

Listen up!

About Ankita

Ankita is a Portfolio Manager with LEAP Pecaut Centre for Social Impact, responsible for selecting high-impact social organizations with passionate leaders for the LEAP portfolio, and working with them to provide strategic and operational capacity building support, and coaching, to scale their impact to more beneficiaries.

Prior to LEAP, Ankita led the access to finance strategy for USD25m cashew value chain development program in Benin, West Africa with Technoserve (international NGO). Prior to Technoserve, Ankita worked for 6 years as a Management Consultant with EY Canada.

Ankita is a CFA charterholder, and graduated with a Joint Honour in Economics and Finance, with a Minor in French, from McGill University.

Welcome to the next edition of 🎙 The 4 AM Report! 🎙 where our special guest is an expert sales coach and the author of Amazon bestseller📖: ‘Everybody Works in Sales.’ 

Niraj Kapur shares how to not suck at sales, drawing from his personal journey to success. He wanted to become the first Indian Bon Jovi and when he failed as a musician, took the first job he could find in sales. Now he’s a successful sales coach who helps others succeed through sales. 

Discover that:

• Sales is about relationships
• You need to be clear on your goals
• It’s crucial to ask the right questions 🙋‍♀️
• Rushing to get to the price isn’t your best strategy
• When to keep quiet 🤫
• When and how to follow up for the most impact.
• And much, much more. 

Niraj knows how to weave a story. You’ll meet his 90’s Rockstar persona, find out about walks with his nephew and a dog and feel like you can almost taste his mom’s Indian food. From using LinkedIn voice notes effectively to knowing how your audience’s life and schedule has changed, he has so much wisdom to share.

Enjoy!

 

About Niraj

After 23 years in London running sales teams from The Guardian newspaper Group to FTSE 100 businesses, Niraj wanted to raise the standards of sales, so he wrote Everybody Works in Sales which was in the Amazon Top 100 on 21 occasions.

He then set up his own sales coaching and training company to keep businesses accountable to help them achieve results.  He’s delivered sales training to 300 small businesses including corporates like: Barclays. Natwest, Sainsbury’s and Google.

To learn more, connect with Niraj https://www.linkedin.com/in/nkapur or www.everybodyworksinsales.com

Click here to purchase the Amazon bestseller Everybody Works In Sales

Click here to purchase the Amazon bestseller The Easy Guide to Sales for Business Owners

Today on 🎙The 4 AM Report!🎙, we’re talking LinkedIn and how to set it on fire🔥, whether you are part of a leadership team, a founder or an entrepreneur.

Our guest is Dionne Vaz, Marketing Director of IQPC – a large global events management firm – and former ad executive who supports her marketing smarts with data-driven results. She believes that LinkedIn should be a crucial part of any company’s marketing channels. So, she set out to prove it. She started posting once a day, following conversations, and responding to comments. Once she got results, the rest of the team were on board.

Find out how Dionne set 🔥LinkedIn🔥 on fire! Discover:

🔥 some of the tools she uses
🔥 what posts did well (so you can replicate her strategy!)
🔥 how to connect with other professionals on the platform

Enjoy!

 

About Dionne

Dionne believes in data-driven marketing, the power of the brand, and the magic of storytelling. Over the course of her career she have earned a reputation for her out-of-the-box thinking, creative problem solving skills (Winner of a Steve Jobs Award), building high performing teams and the ability to consistently deliver exceptional results.

It’s time for another episode of the 🎙 4 AM Report! 🎙 and this time we bring you our Podcast Masterclass (drum roll) an amalgamation of our very best tips and tricks for creating a podcast that converts. You’ll learn about: 

•         The anchor theory and how to spin that into as many pieces of content you can 👏
•         Building content hubs of themed content
•         Fine tuning your podcast to help you stand out in a sea of online content
•         Combining four or five episodes into a monthly email
•         Publishing a quarterly e-book or BOOK-book 📕
•         How to do less creating – and more collating – which gives you more time to grow your biz!
•         Better ways to track podcasting ROI (our ‘domino effect’) instead of only focusing on downloads or subscribers

These tips and tricks have worked for us (our podcast is the gift that keeps on giving!), and they WILL work for you!  

Grab a drink, kick back, relax and enjoy!

Welcome back to the 💫4 AM Report💫 and this week, we’ve crossed the border and gone international. Our guest is the UK’s leading expert on heart-centred sales, Catherine Watkin, on how to sell from the heart ♥.

She wants to change the paradigm from 'making a sale' to making a connection. She believes the most important part of the conversation you have with a customer is the value you offer.

Rather than thinking about how this could really help your bank balance, think about how you're going to serve the person you're trying to help.

Catherine works with people (like you) who are trying to make a difference to others through their work, or who do business because they're passionate about what they do! She wants you to learn:

❌ to avoid salesy language ❌ to stop being pushy (how to to have a conversation that clearly articulates the difference you can make ❌ to steer clear of the lame truisms that everyone hates Enjoy!

About Catherine

Catherine is a highly sensitive person and highly successful businesswoman who teaches her community how to get more of their clients saying “Yes!” without being pushy. She believes we can create great businesses without compromising our integrity and do it in a way that feels authentic, comfortable, and always aligned with our values.

Learn more at https://catherinewatkin.com/

Hello friends, it’s the 💫4 AM Report💫 and it’s early. Some crazy folk get up at this time, but for most of us, what’s keeping us up is that endless inner chatter, the carousel of thoughts that go through the theater of our mind when we so, so desperately want to sleep.

Big change coach and consultant Debbie Dimoff has some tips on silencing that mind saboteur. Or at the very least, hitting pause so you can get drowsy (and hopefully enter the (zzzzzzzzz zone).

And the secret is... cue suspense… ta-da! – finding your superpower and using it wisely. In other words, being resourceful. You have to be your own best friend and partner and not expect anybody else to take care of you (we saw how that worked out for Cher). Turn 🎵I got you babe🎵 into:

🎵I got me babe🎵.

She talks about the magic mental trifecta: 

1.       Know your values
2.       Build your core mental muscles
3.       Find relationships that support you (🜜 forges 🜜) 

Listen up, this one is a doozy.

 

About Debbie

Debbie is Managing Partner of Growing Legends, a transformation consultancy focused on helping leaders, teams, and companies accelerate their impact and business success.  

She is a leadership consultant, coach, facilitator, and speaker. Debbie combines business expertise from a long track record as a corporate executive, management consultant, and start-up experimenter, to help her clients initiate big change. 

Deb’s clients are inspired and equipped to take on the biggest adventures in business and life whether they are taking on a new business, a new role, or a new initiative. As a long-time champion of “what’s next” in technology, she helps to define how customers, employees, leaders, and businesses can benefit from it. With a lively sense of humour and creative mindset towards wicked hard business problems, her focus is on helping clients create the resourceful mindset to work, play and live better.

It’s time for another edition of the 💫4 AM Report💫 and what’s keeping us up at night are thoughts around how to empower women and girls.

This week we talk to Tiffany Dufu, author of “Drop the Ball”, and founder of The Cru. She’s the kind of awe-inspiring person who has dedicated her life to helping women realize their goals, and she helped this motley two drop-kick the ball right out of the park (ball begone! ⚽🤾‍♂️).

Tiffany has some incredible advice to share and we’re still gob-smacked at how effectively and eloquently she breaks everything down to make it so, so simple to start doing.

From why reciprocity isn’t confined to one person, to why you need to learn to ask for help, and how your village (aka cru) will hold you accountable, Tiffany says it like it is.

After all, she already knows what it’s going to say on her own tombstone💀☠.

 

About Tiffany

Tiffany Dufu is founder and CEO of The Cru. Their algorithm matches circles of women who collaborate to meet their personal and professional goals. She’s also the author of the bestselling book ​Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less​. Named to Entrepreneur's 100 Powerful Women and Fast Company’s League of Extraordinary Women, Tiffany has raised nearly $20 million toward the cause of women and girls. 

Welcome to The 4am Report, where talk AI literacy for founder-led brands with me, your host, Susan Diaz. Today I will be exploring what it means to think exponentially in the age of artificial intelligence and how this mindset can drastically shift your business landscape.

On this podcast, we no longer do intros and outro on audio, so here’s a short note on who I am. I am Susan Diaz, lifetime marketer with over 20 years of experience spanning startups to government sectors. I am the founder of a content marketing firm, and I am focused on how artificial intelligence can turbocharge small business operations.

In this episode you should expect to hear about:

🚀 Thinking Exponentially: How adopting a 100x mindset, with the support of AI, can lead to significant growth and innovation in your business.

💡 The True Power of AI: Exploring how artificial intelligence can be a game changer, not just a productivity tool but a strategic partner in your business.

In-depth Topics Covered:

I love a good metaphor to help me learn and remember. And I hugely value the experts who give me that. And I try to do the same as I speak to, and train, various audiences.

Inside this episode I give you an interesting analogy on how technology evolves and becomes mainstream, relating it to how refrigeration technology, initially developed for preserving life-saving drugs, evolved to widespread uses - including ‘skincare fridge’.

You’ll also learn the three key mindsets for leveraging AI to grow exponentially:

🤖 Strategic Partner, Not Just a Task Manager: Viewing AI as a co-thinker and brainstorming tool, not just as an automator of mundane tasks.

🔍 Workflow Visualization: Importance of understanding current processes clearly before integrating AI, bringing clarity to how AI can fit into and optimize these processes.

🌱 Focused Implementation: The significance of starting with one tool or process, mastering it, and then scaling to avoid overwhelming change and to grow sustainably.

Thinking about implementing AI in your small business? 

For hands-on help, consider joining our Marketing Power Circle ⭕ an AI implementation mastermind group that meets twice a month. Together, we focus on automating one business workflow every 90 days, turning your quantum possibilities into actions that will move you far ahead of the curve. Join Here

Connect with me, Susan Diaz on LinkedIn to gain AI literacy insights in real time.

As you hit play, please leave us a 5 star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

It goes far in helping us bring AI implementation strategies to more small businesses.

Welcome to another edition of the 💫4 AM Report💫 and what’s keeping us up at night is that hot fart under the covers (aka Dutch Oven). This week we talk to Mairlyn Smith, the Queen of Fiber (and fart jokes) and only professional home economist in Canada who can tell us what to do about that smelly surprise under your blanket.

Author of best-selling cookbook Peace, Love and Fiber and alumnus of the Second City Comedy Troupe, Mairlyn brings improv into everything she does, and she thinks you should too. She'll break down why:

✅ Censoring yourself blocks creativity ✅ Being real and relatable means not trying to be funny (although you know you’ve succeeded if your audience gets your fart-jokes (or whatever makes you, you))

✅ Getting fricken full with fiber supports your gut and boosts your immune system (and prevents those beautiful internal poo sculptures)

If it sounds irreverent, it is. But there’s a bucketload of wisdom to be found in this episode. Have a laugh, have a listen!

 

About Mairlyn:

Mairlyn Smith is the only P.H.Ec. (professional home economist) in Canada who’s also an alumnus of the Second City Comedy Troupe, making her the self-proclaimed funniest P.H.Ec. in the entire world. A popular media personality, MC and keynote speaker Mairlyn is also a Regular Guest Expert on the award winning national daytime television show Cityline as well as a regular on Toronto’s Breakfast TV. Mairlyn’s forte is her ability to mix learning with laughter.

She’s the author of eight award winning cookbooks – Her latest cookbook Peace, Love and Fibre: Over 100 Fibre-Rich Recipes for the Whole Family (appetite by Random House) made the best seller lists at The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, Amazon.ca and Chapters Indigo and was short listed for a Taste Canada Cookbook Award.

Check out her website www.mairlynsmith.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @MairlynSmith or her Facebook Fan page @mairlyn.smith (that’s mairlyn dot smith)

Hello friends! It’s time for another edition of the 🎧 4 AM Report.🎧 

Hope you’ve enjoyed February because it’s 👉 THIS 👈 close to be over!! 🎉💥💫🥶

After a long, dark winter of Covid lockdowns, we wanted this week to be all about wellness – your own, and your employees’. 💪🧘‍♀️🧠💪

And that is Lydia Di Francesco’s speciality! 🏆

As a workplace wellness consultant, she helps companies understand the connection between well-being and mental health, and employee productivity and retention. 👏👏👏

We talk:

💫 Setting boundaries.

💫 What she calls “stress resilience.”

💫 And how exercise and healthy eating equals better sleep.

As the old adage goes, if you don’t put your oxygen mask on FIRST – you won’t be much good at helping anyone else. 🛩 🤗 🛩

Enjoy!

 

About Lydia

Lydia Di Francesco is the CEO and Wellness Consultant at Fit + Healthy 365. Lydia has worked in the wellness industry for over 8 years. She works with organizations to support their employees' well-being and mental health, resulting in greater employee productivity and retention.

Website: www.fithealthy365.com  More info on the virtual employee wellness workshops: http://www.fithealthy365.com/wellness-webinars/ 

 

Hey folks, it’s time for another episode of the 💫4 AM Report. 💫 

This week, we talk Kolbe, and break down 🕵🏽‍♀️🕵️‍♂️Modus Operandi from the Kolbe system 🕵🏽‍♀️🕵️‍♂️ – with a special focus on teams!  

Our two expert guests - Laural Carr, founder and CEO of Toronto-based marketing firm Impagination and a Kolbe certified consultant, and Meredith Malloch, VP of Marketing and Communications at Investment Planning Council (and a huge Kolbe fan!) will:

✅ Break down what the system is…

✅ Plus how it helps identify your intrinsic action modes…

✅ And talk out how to use it to hire and structure high functioning teams!

The Kolbe test is super cool – and everyone in your organisation should take it.

🙏 🙏 🙏 PREACH! 🙏 🙏 🙏

If it sounds a bit 🔮‘woo-woo hippy-dippy’ 🔮to you – trust us, it’s not.

Have a listen!