Amanda's Playbook – Details, episodes & analysis

In this week's video, we explore why even the most prestigious and established brands are struggling to maintain their edge in an ever-changing market. Elite brands once relied on their name, exclusivity, and reputation—but in today’s world, that's no longer enough. People are looking for more than just a product; they want to connect with brands that offer a sense of belonging and community. We dive into how top-tier brands are facing challenges in reaching the next generation of affluent consumers and what they can do to regain their influence. From traditional wealth management firms to luxury fashion, the shift from simply selling products to creating experiences is real—and it’s something every brand needs to understand. Join the conversation: What are some of the luxury or elite brands you’ve remained loyal to, even when cheaper alternatives were available? Why do you choose them? Drop your thoughts in the comments below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I didn’t have a budget. Or connections. Or even a fully-formed plan. What I did have was an idea—and a camera in the corner of a one-bedroom apartment. This episode unpacks a defining moment from my early YouTube days: how I went from filming solo workouts in my NYC apartment to partnering with one of the most iconic luxury landmarks in Manhattan—The Plaza Hotel. No money exchanged. No backdoor connections. Just a different kind of value. It’s a story that challenges the traditional playbook: How do you earn trust… before you have credibility? How do you create opportunity… when no one’s opening doors? It turns out, the answer had nothing to do with pitching—and everything to do with perspective. I stopped asking what I needed, and started solving for them. That shift became the foundation of what would later become a global curriculum on influence. Key Reflections from the Episode: 💡 Real influence isn’t bought—it’s built through value exchange 💡 “No budget” can be your greatest creative superpower 💡 Influence starts when you stop leading with your ask 💡 The best partnerships often begin with a problem you didn’t know they had Let’s open the conversation: Is paying for posts really “influencer marketing”? Or just modern-day ad spend? Share your thoughts—I’m listening. 📍Next up: Why Creating Community Trumps Selling Products (Hint: Even Wall Street's Elite Are Changing The Game) #InfluenceRedefined #BrandStrategy #NoBudgetBigMoves #ThePlaza #AmandaRussell #ContentWithPurpose #MarketingThatMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One topic of conversation we haven't really discussed on the show is regarding the subject of NFTs - a topic that mystifies even the most forward thinking marketers and brand executives. Even if we understand the general concept, few of us really grasp how can they be used for brand marketing.Yet, it is undeniably the future and to compete the brands who are leveraging this are coming out ahead - just look at the likes of Dior and Louis Vuitton, not to mention small startups now sky rocketing thanks to their use of NFTs. Ok ok, so we understand the potential power, but where do you even? begin? Most of us are not technology platforms, nor do we have endless pockets to shell out. In this episode, Doug Neil, ex Universal EVP Doug Neil was named Marketing, Brand Chief At NFT Platform Chronicle breaks it down for us, and gives us the way of the land, alongside actionable insight on how you may want to use NFTs and what you can do to get started. For more information: •Chronicle: https://www.chronicle.io/ •Amanda Russell: https://amandarussell.co •Neal Schaffer: https://nealschaffer.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While most think of influencer marketing in terms of social media users representing consumer brands, what if you are a B2B company. Does influencer marketing translate well in a B2B paradigm? We are joined by Tim Williams, CEO of Onalytica, whose company has been helping B2B brands generate results with influencer marketing for nearly decade. He also explains the rationale behind their recent launch of the world's largest influencer marketplace - for B2B! For more information: •Onalytica: https://onalytica.com •Amanda Russell: https://amandarussell.co •Neal Schaffer: https://nealschaffer.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After spending 10 years over-working and burning out while building a credit card processing company into 38 states and a networking events company for over 30,000 people (which she later sold), she learned the wrong way to do it, and then discovered that there was a better way. Darrah Brustein has both inspired and influenced millions to reach higher and dream bigger. Having worked with Shaq, Deepak Chopra, Seth Godin, Bobbi Brown, Jillian Michaels, Adam Grant, Robert Herjavec, Nastia Liukin, Cam Newton, and the list goes on as well as brands like Chase, Visa, Toyota and FedEx, she digs into what it takes to build true influence, and it has nothing to do with 'following a passion' or taking great Instagram photos. We were riveted by this episode, a must listen! For more information: •Darrah Brustein: https://darrah.co/ •Amanda Russell: https://amandarussell.co •Neal Schaffer: https://nealschaffer.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most CMOs accept that with intense global competition and increased commoditization of products and services, the final frontier in differentiation is in the customer experience. This is the basis of what customer experience marketing is all about, and today we have the world's leading expert on the subject, Dan Gingiss, who just wrote the definitive book on the subject, The Experience Maker. In our conversation we take customer experience marketing one step further to unpack the natural intersection it has with influencer marketing, and how companies can begin to treat their customers as influencers and encourage them to incite word-of-mouth marketing. For more information: •Dan Gingiss: https://dangingiss.com •The Experience Maker: https://dangingiss.com/the-experience-maker-book/ •Amanda Russell: https://amandarussell.co •Neal Schaffer: https://nealschaffer.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A huge focus of this podcast is about showcasing brands and people who have achieved incredible levels of true influence in their space, and that is very different from simply having a social media following. In fact, some of the most powerful examples hapen completely offline. Dr Curtis Crane's episode will give you goosebumps, not only has he literally saved lives and created new ones becoming one of the most influential people in the space of transgender surgery, BUT he has done so entirely OFFLINE. So what does this mean? We talk about how to go about achieving real influence, and Dr Crane gets candid about cutting his teeth on the use of online to grow that influence and the movement! For more information: •Dr. Curtis Crane: https://cranects.com/ •Amanda Russell: https://amandarussell.co •Neal Schaffer: https://nealschaffer.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roger Dooley is one of the true thought leaders in the field of neuromarketing. He has focused his work on understanding unconscious influence, and has written a best-selling and authoritative book (Brainfluence) and has a podcast of the same name. If we are trying to figure out what influences people, and 95% of what influences people is in the subconscious, what tools do we have to better understand influence? Listen in as Roger shares his wealth of knowledge and experience on the subject with us. For more information: •Roger Dooley: https://rogerdooley.com •Amanda Russell: https://amandarussell.co •Neal Schaffer: https://nealschaffer.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you launch a beauty brand and get the biggest celebrities and A-listers on the planet to endorse you without having to shell out the big $$$ (or any $$$)? How do you win investors with no beauty-brand experience? How do you get on the shelves of conglomerates like Target in one of the most hyper competitive industries? Nyakio Grieco not only founded and sold the award winning skincare brand, Nyakio Beauty, with all but no resources and experiences, but she hustled her way to the top and is now leading a movement to give influence and expertise to other founders. This is the story of true influence and how to leverage it to build an empire and a movement for the greater good of the world. For more information: •Nyakio Beauty: https://www.nyakio.com/us/en •Thirteen Lune: https://thirteenlune.com/ •Amanda Russell: https://amandarussell.co •Neal Schaffer: https://nealschaffer.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pranav Yadav is one of those brilliant people in the industry I respect a lot who I've wanted to have on the show because I think he brings something so incredibly valuable (plus he's witty)! He's the founder/CEO of Neuro-Insight, a key player in building the neuromarketing industry, and he has changed how brands and customers communicate for the better. He has also been on every 'top of the top' list worth mentioning in our industry including Ad Age 40 Under 40, AMA 4 Under 40, Ad People of the Year, Forbes 30 Under 30, and Forbes Under 30 All-Star Alumni. This conversation literally takes all the guess work out of the future of marketing. He's one of the smartest and influential people among the neuromarketing industry, so having him on the show to learn from is a big pleasure! For more information: •Neuro-Insight: https://www.neuro-insight.com/ •Pranav Yadav on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pranavyadavpy •Amanda Russell: https://amandarussell.co •Neal Schaffer: https://nealschaffer.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices