Disruptive Influence: The Business Storytelling & Brand Communication Podcast

What if the biggest thing holding you back from selling, leading, or influencing others isn't your strategy, but the story you're telling yourself?Marcus Chan went from nearly getting fired from his first sales job to becoming a top-performing sales leader, building a nine-figure sales organization, and founding Venli Consulting Group.But his biggest breakthroughs weren't just about learning how to sell. They came from learning how to think, challenge his own beliefs, and understand people.In this episode of Disruptive Influence, Marcus joins Jeff Abracen to explore why belief drives behaviour, how the stories we tell ourselves shape our results, and why the best salespeople know how to serve before they sell.We get into:Why the hardest territory to manage is between your earsHow to rewrite the stories holding you backWhy you need to believe before you can be compellingThe surprising connection between self-awareness and sales successMarcus's "Whisper Test" for understanding customersWhy the best sales advice is often true, not newHow to turn learning into action instead of collecting informationSimple, human ways to build a stronger sales pipeline without spamming peoplePlus, Marcus shares the three values driving him beyond money, the letter that kept him from quitting his business, and some practical prospecting advice Jeff puts him on the spot to deliver.Because before you can influence someone else's beliefs, you might need to challenge your own.Connect with Marcus Chan:Venli Consulting Group: https://venliconsulting.comGet Six-Figure Sales Secrets: https://venliconsulting.com/bookConnect with Jeff Abracen:Find Jeff on LinkedIn and follow Disruptive Influence for more conversations about communication, storytelling, and the psychology of influence.Chapters00:00 – Why Knowledge Isn't Enough01:09 – From Nearly Fired to Top Sales Leader02:23 – Taking Ownership and Investing in Yourself06:05 – The Power of Self-Awareness11:30 – The Stories We Tell Ourselves15:00 – Rewriting Your Internal Narrative23:24 – What Drives Success Beyond Money?29:06 – Selling Is Serving at the Highest Level31:00 – Why Belief Comes Before Influence35:00 – The Letter That Kept Marcus Going38:16 – Building Consistency Through Systems41:53 – The Best Advice Is True, Not New44:45 – Understanding People Before Selling49:55 – The Whisper Test: Knowing Your Customer52:05 – Practical Ways to Build Your Sales PipelineConnect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you. Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.Cover art by Daniel DevoyMusic by Stephen Voyce©2024-2026 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

Joel Holtby believes creativity should be the most exciting part of any business — not something optimized into submission.As Founder & Global Co-CCO of Courage, one of Canada’s most awarded creative agencies, Joel has helped build work for brands including KFC, KitKat, CIBC, Nescafé and more.In this conversation, Joel & Jeff get into why creativity and efficiency often sit at opposite ends of the spectrum, why people don’t actually hate advertising, how Courage finds human truths that travel beyond borders, and why craft still matters in an AI-powered world.We also talk about the agency’s philosophy of courage, turning down the wrong clients, the story behind KitKat’s security convoy, Joel’s experience creating IKEA’s Lamp 2, working with people like Seth Rogen and Connor McDavid, and why AI should remain a tool - not become the creative.In this episode: Why creativity is a powerful business driver  The difference between courage and risk  Why efficiency can work against creativity  How simple ideas become memorable through craft  Why people don't hate ads - they hate bad ones  Creating work that enters culture instead of interrupting it  How Courage chooses clients  Why brand DNA can be a creative “cheat code”  The enduring power of human insight  Joel's concern with using AI to replace creative problem-solving  Why the next generation of creatives should become sponges, not trend-chasers Chapters00:00 — People Don't Hate Advertising. They Hate Bad Ads.00:35 — Meet Joel Holtby & Courage01:43 — Creativity as a Business Driver04:02 — Finding the Feeling of a Great Idea06:05 — Awards, Ego & Finding Joy in the Work09:25 — Building Courageous Brands11:02 — Courage's First Big Creative Bet14:52 — The Secret Sauce of Storytelling17:50 — Why Creativity Isn't Efficient20:22 — What Makes Advertising Memorable23:07 — People Don't Hate Ads - They Hate Bad Ads25:14 — The KitKat Security Convoy27:40 — Courage as a Client Filter30:12 — Rich and Miserable vs. Great Work32:21 — The Ad That Changed Joel's Creative Philosophy36:13 — IKEA's Lamp & The Art of the Rug Pull38:15 — The Pressure of Creating Lamp 240:01 — Finding the DNA of a Brand42:57 — Seth Rogen, Connor McDavid & Celebrity46:01 — AI vs. Lived Human Experience49:39 — Advice for the Next Generation of CreativesConnect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you. Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.Cover art by Daniel DevoyMusic by Stephen Voyce©2024-2026 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

Jodie Cook believes there are no unique messages - only unique messengers.And in a time when AI can create almost anything, who you are might matter more than ever.Jodie is the founder of Coachvox, a Forbes contributor, exited agency founder, author and competitive powerlifter for Great Britain. She talks with Jeff about using AI to create more freedom - not more work - the three moats every expert needs to build, why your personal brand should do the selling before you enter the room, and why the best opportunities rarely come from applying for them.We also get into Jodie’s shift from pure discipline to intuition, her “energy audit” for designing work around what lights you up, building genuine relationships without asking for anything, and why she believes founders should stop consuming so much information and start creating.In this episode: Why AI should help us become more human  The difference between information and influence  Why there are no unique messages - only unique messengers  Personal brand, community and distribution as your competitive moat  How to test a business idea before building it  Jodie’s “low-information diet”  Why desperation kills creativity  The energy audit: finding your +3 and eliminating your -3  Building relationships without transactional networking  Why the best opportunities don't come from applications  What competitive sport taught Jodie about business  Why you should build your personal brand for the lurkers, not the likes Chapters00:00 There Are No Unique Messages01:27 Why AI Should Make Us More Human03:06 Big Leverage & Building a Lighthouse06:37 Reps, Discipline & Becoming Yourself09:15 From Pure Logic to Trusting the Feeling12:32 Forbes, Founders & Going From Skeptical to Spiritual15:56 Jodie’s Biggest Business Bounce20:22 Success, Freedom & Autonomy21:26 Let AI Build Trust Before the Sales Call24:32 Stop Consuming. Start Creating.26:54 There Are No Unique Messages, Only Unique Messengers28:43 The Three Moats: Brand, Community & Distribution30:51 How to Know What to Build Next34:18 Purpose, Energy & Doing What Lights You Up37:56 The +3/-3 Energy Audit41:29 Relationships, Networks & The Friend Zone49:06 Value Per Minute52:33 Jodie’s Most Disruptive Move55:02 Build Your Brand for the Lurkers56:09 What’s Next for CoachvoxConnect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you. Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.Cover art by Daniel DevoyMusic by Stephen Voyce©2024-2026 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

What if the secret to building a better business isn’t being slightly better than everyone else - but becoming impossible to compare?Josh Lowman is the founder of Gold Front, a category design studio that helps companies create, define and own their categories.In this conversation, Josh explains why differentiation usually gets ignored, how category strategy can align an entire company and why founders need a simpler place in their minds from which to tell their story.But this episode goes beyond strategy.Josh and Jeff explore the tension between love and money, why wanting financial success doesn’t invalidate meaningful work, what it means to build a personal brand publicly and how Josh is navigating doubt during difficult seasons in his business.They also unpack the rapidly changing relationship between creativity and AI - from Josh’s experiments building an AI-powered operating system for his agency to the increasingly important role of human judgment, emotion and craft.In this episode:• Why being slightly different usually isn’t enough• The two ways a business can own its category• How category strategy aligns founders, marketers and product teams• Why great work alone doesn’t guarantee a great business• Reconciling creativity, purpose, ambition and money• Building a personal brand without treating LinkedIn like a money machine• Sharing uncertainty instead of pretending to have every answer• How Josh built AI agents around Gold Front’s strategy frameworks• The danger of overbuilding with AI• Why processed creativity quickly loses its value• What humans may still contribute that AI cannot• How to find work you genuinely want to do - and frame it differentlyChapters00:00 – We’re All Greedy00:44 – What Makes a Good Business?03:13 – The Two Ways to Own Your Category05:51 – From World-Class Agencies to Gold Front08:10 – Why Great Work Wasn’t Enough10:34 – Category Strategy as a Company-Wide Idea14:19 – How Ready Must a Company Be to Change?15:19 – Storytelling, Underdogs and Josh’s Deeper Motivation17:43 – Reconciling Love, Money and Ambition23:09 – Learning to Actually Sell24:16 – Becoming Josh Lowman in Public26:14 – The Complicated Relationship with Content28:09 – Sharing Doubt When Business Is Down31:29 – Building an AI-Powered Agency OS36:11 – The Danger of Overbuilding with AI37:55 – Turning Expertise into Helpful AI Agents39:42 – The Builder’s Brain vs. the Storytelling Brain43:58 – Why AI Creativity Feels Processed46:55 – Finding the Human Advantage51:03 – Josh’s Best Advice for Building a Brand53:06 – The Lifelong Desire to Tell StoriesJosh Lowman is the founder of Gold Front.Find him at GoldFront.com and on LinkedIn.Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you. Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.Cover art by Daniel DevoyMusic by Stephen Voyce©2024-2026 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

What if selling wasn’t about convincing someone to choose you - but helping them confidently make the right decision?In this episode of the Disruptive Influence Podcast, Jeff Abracen speaks with Alli Rizacos about selling with more structure, confidence and humanity - without the pressure, manipulation or ick traditionally associated with sales.Alli explains why buyers need three things before they are ready to act: awareness of the real problem, enough urgency to change and trust that you can help them solve it.They explore why your content might not actually be the problem, how imposter syndrome creates awkward sales conversations and why ethical selling means diagnosing before prescribing - even when that means directing someone away from your offer.Alli also reveals the systems beneath her seemingly casual approach, including personally messaging event registrants, qualifying people before they buy and testing offers in the market before building them.In this episode:• Why selling is really about helping people make decisions• The three conditions buyers need before they act• How to diagnose the real problem beneath the symptoms• Why your content might not be the actual issue• The difference between a “bruise” and a “broken bone” problem• How imposter syndrome makes sales conversations uncomfortable• Why personal attention can outperform automation• How systems make sales more repeatable and predictable• Why you should sell and test an offer before fully building it• How to use the language your buyers are already using• Why new entrepreneurs should begin with a market need - not only their passionChapters00:00 – Stop overcomplicating the sales conversation00:47 – What does good selling look like in 2026?03:10 – Stop selling and start helping people decide10:27 – The three things every buyer needs before acting16:00 – Diagnose before you prescribe22:10 – Ethical selling, commitment and client results28:26 – Success, pressure and moving the goalposts30:16 – Why your energy and capacity affect your business35:19 – Building repeatable and predictable sales systems37:32 – The personal DM strategy most people overlook42:17 – How imposter syndrome creates awkward selling47:13 – Testing your offer in the real market51:45 – Using the language your buyers actually use57:12 – Solve the market problem before chasing your passionAbout Alli RizacosAlli Rizacos is a sales coach and former corporate sales leader who helps coaches, consultants and service-based entrepreneurs create structured, repeatable sales systems without losing their personality.Drawing on her experience in enterprise sales and her fascination with buyer psychology, Alli teaches entrepreneurs how to clarify their market, strengthen their offers, start better conversations and help buyers make confident decisions—without manipulative tactics or performative sales personas.About the Disruptive Influence PodcastHosted by Jeff Abracen, Communication Coach & Advisor, and former agency Vice President, Creative Director, The Disruptive Influence Podcast explores how founders, leaders and creative thinkers use communication, storytelling and unconventional ideas to earn attention, build trust and inspire action.Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you. Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.Cover art by Daniel DevoyMusic by Stephen Voyce©2024-2026 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

Build the Business. Keep the Life.What if the goal wasn’t to build the biggest business possible - but to intentionally design one that gives you enough?In this episode of the Disruptive Influence Podcast, Jeff Abracen speaks with Jacob Pegs, a writer, marketer and architect of freedom-based businesses, about creating a highly leveraged one-person business without sacrificing your health, creativity or family life.Jacob shares how becoming a father forced him to rethink the business he was building. Instead of adding more clients, employees and responsibilities, he began designing around constraints: three working days a week, a defined number of clients and a business model built on one post, one email and one offer a day.The conversation explores why people buy proximity, how content can capture and multiply your energy, and why a smaller audience of the right people can be far more valuable than tens of thousands of passive followers.Jeff and Jacob also unpack the difference between relevance and resonance, why personality is a genuine competitive advantage, and how sharing who you are can matter as much as demonstrating what you know.This episode is for creators, coaches, consultants and entrepreneurs who want to make more impact without automatically creating more work.In this episode:Why freedom must be designed into your businessHow content creates leverage beyond your available hoursThe relationship between proximity, pricing and capacityJacob’s one-post, one-email, one-offer modelHow to start building an audience from zeroWhy your voice, writing and message are the real funnelThe difference between showing your expertise and sharing who you areWhy people buy relevance - and stay because of resonanceHow constraints can protect your creativity, health and familyWhy repelling the wrong people can strengthen your positioningHow to identify the small group of people your business truly needsWhy bigger revenue does not automatically create a better lifeKey ideas:Design before you scale.Set the life, schedule and capacity you want before building a business that overwhelms them.Energy plus assets creates leverage.Content, recordings, workshops and intellectual property can continue working after the original effort is complete.People buy proximity.Different offers can provide different levels of access to your thinking, support and guidance.Your voice is the funnel.Clear ideas, useful demonstrations and consistent communication can create demand without complicated systems.Relevance gets attention. Resonance builds preference.People may initially need your expertise, but your beliefs, experiences and personality help them choose you.You do not need everyone.A sustainable business may require only a small number of deeply aligned customers.Chapters00:00 – Why you only need the right 80 people00:48 – Can freedom-based businesses still be built?02:34 – Escaping the belief that success requires constant grinding04:28 – Turning your energy into leverage04:48 – Designing a three-day-a-week business07:15 – One post, one email and one offer a day08:40 – Separating your identity from your business09:49 – How to begin building an audience from zero13:21 – Showing what you do and sharing who you are16:54 – What Jacob actually helps people accomplish18:31 – Applying one model across different industries21:19 – Personality as a competitive advantage22:21 – Why people buy who you are24:44 – Giving people what they want and what they need27:31 – Staying consistent when the business starts working28:27 – Seasons, boundaries and choosing not to scale31:57 – Why your vibe attracts the right buyers32:36 – Repelling people as a positioning strategy33:45 – Finding the 80 people your business needs34:18 – Deletion by design35:49 – Jacob’s original $125 offer37:42 – Starting with the person you used to be39:31 – Choosing alignment over a successful but unwanted business43:32 – The question that forces you to tell yourself the truthAbout Jacob PegsJacob Pegs is a writer, content marketer and business strategist who helps coaches, consultants and service providers build highly leveraged, marketing-led online businesses.His model is built around simplicity: one post, one email and one offer a day. Rather than chasing unlimited scale, Jacob helps entrepreneurs design businesses around their desired income, capacity, creativity and quality of life.About the Disruptive Influence PodcastHosted by Jeff Abracen, Communication Advisor & Coach and former agency Vice President, Creative Director, The Disruptive Influence Podcast explores how founders, leaders and creative thinkers use communication, storytelling and unconventional ideas to earn attention, build trust and inspire action.Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you. Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.Cover art by Daniel DevoyMusic by Stephen Voyce©2024-2026 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

Agency owner, speaker, and author Ron Tite breaks down why most companies get purpose completely wrong - and how to turn it into a real driver of growth, decision-making, and differentiation.Ron is the author of The Purpose of Purpose and has worked with leading brands to help them align what they believe with how they actually operate and grow.In this episode, Ron explains:-Why most purpose statements are performative (and why people can feel it)-The shift from “sounding good” to actually driving business results-The “We believe → so we do” framework-Why founders need to think beyond the product-How short-term thinking kills long-term brand value-The role of storytelling in uncovering what’s actually true-How leaders can make clearer, more confident decisionsThis is a grounded, honest look at purpose - not as a buzzword, but as something that should actually guide how a business operates and grows.Chapters00:00 – Purpose vs reality in business00:45 – Why Ron wrote The Purpose of Purpose 01:40 – The problem with purpose statements 03:20 – Purpose as a decision-making tool 05:00 – Where purpose went wrong 06:00 – “We believe → so we do” 07:50 – Is purpose manipulative? 10:15 – Art vs commercial creativity 12:30 – The social responsibility trap 13:30 – Founders: beyond the product 16:40 – The danger of short-term thinking 17:30 – Belief over product 19:45 – Leadership in service of others 21:00 – Fixing purpose in established companies 22:30 – Collaboration vs decision-making 24:10 – Finding courage as a leader 25:00 – Using stories to uncover truth 27:40 – Why stories beat data 29:00 – Brands getting it right 29:30 – Savannah Bananas case study 31:40 – Differentiation through experience 33:00 – Final takeaway: it’s all figureoutableConnect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you. Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.Cover art by Daniel DevoyMusic by Stephen Voyce©2024-2026 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

Jake Karls, Co-Founder & Rainmaker at Mid-Day Squares, joins Jeff Abracen for a fast, fun, and deep conversation on building brands by building out loud. Jake breaks down the origin story behind Mid-Day Squares' “act like a boy band” strategy, why story > features, and how humanization is an unfair advantage in a world obsessed with scale.They also unpack the behind-the-scenes reality of growth: therapy as a non-negotiable founder practice, the emotional swing from “nothing to lose” to “everything to lose,” and how a cocoa price crisis pushed MDS to innovate into a new category with their No Bread PB&J - complete with character-driven storytelling (hello, Trudy & Chip).In this episode, you’ll hear:Why “building out loud” expands your luck + opportunity surface areaHow Mid-Day Squares modeled their brand like the Backstreet Boys / Spice GirlsWhy the best brands sell feelings, not featuresThe real role of attention: getting trial in a 30-40k item grocery storeHow “serendipity” becomes a growth strategy (show up and good things happen)Therapy as a business system for alignment, trust, and conflict preventionThe cocoa crisis, the margins reality, and the innovation leap to No Bread PB&JCreating characters to scale storytelling beyond foundersJake on fear, pressure, loneliness, and shifting back to “play to win”Plus, a live taste test!00:00 The boy band brand model 00:24 Intro 00:41 Montreal energy and Jake’s travel rhythm 02:37 First advice to founders build out loud 04:13 Showing up and serendipity 06:07 Finding Mid-Day Squares DNA and the deal that changed everything 09:27 Story over product features 11:45 Cocoa crisis and category expansion 13:05 Humanization is the advantage 14:25 Innovation as the escape hatch 15:25 The No Bread PBJ origin 18:09 Packaging storytelling and characters 22:11 Product must hit and story gets trial 25:10 Founder lanes and trust 28:37 Therapy communication and avoiding founder conflict 30:04 Fear pressure and playing not to lose 33:06 Stage mode elevated Jake 34:28 The down days and recovery 37:52 What would make younger Jake proud 39:10 Life after Midday inspiring entrepreneurship 42:13 Serendipity story fraternity to investor 43:35 Live taste test outroConnect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you. Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.Cover art by Daniel DevoyMusic by Stephen Voyce©2024-2026 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

Most brands aren’t failing.They’re just fading into the background.In this episode, Jeff sits down with David Brier, one of the sharpest and most unapologetic minds in branding, to talk about why so much marketing today feels polished, competent… and completely forgettable.David calls it the Wall of Beige: what happens when brands optimize for speed, safety, and scale - but quietly lose their nerve, their taste, and their point of view along the way.We get into why “meeting expectations” is actually a trap. Why pumping out more content won’t save you if it costs you differentiation. And why loyalty isn’t built through clever tactics - it’s built through intention.From the ritual of opening an iPhone box, to handwritten notes, to small human moments most brands overlook, this conversation breaks down how everyday interactions - when handled with conviction - become the reason people come back, talk about you, and choose you again.This isn’t a conversation about trends.It’s a conversation about standards.If you’re a founder, executive, or brand leader who’s tired of sounding like everyone else - and wants people to stop saying “that’s nice” and start saying “I want more of that” - this is the episode for you.What we exploreWhy so many brands blend in (even when they’re doing “everything right”)The difference between convenience and careHow fanatical intention turns moments into loyaltyWhy anticipation beats persuasionWhere authenticity actually comes from - and where it doesn’tChapters00:00 — Turning Ordinary Into Amazing00:44 — AI, Speed & the Wall of Beige04:42 — Why Playing It Safe Is Riskier06:23 — Freshness, Familiarity & Surprise10:14 — The iPhone Box Lesson12:03 — Practitioner vs Professional vs Genius18:23 — Fanatical Intention22:39 — Why Meeting Expectations Is a Failure27:05 — Human Effort Creates Loyalty30:32 — Apple vs Microsoft: DNA Matters36:40 — Refusing to Let Ordinary Be Ordinary41:58 — Curiosity Beats Confusion44:07 — Why Meaning Beats Marketing55:17 — The Next 4 Years vs the Next 4058:44 — “I Want More of That”Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you. Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.Cover art by Daniel DevoyMusic by Stephen Voyce©2024-2026 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

In this episode, I sit down with designer, educator, founder, and category creator, Nick Broekema, the mind behind the booming discipline of Content Design and one of the most recognizable visual brands on LinkedIn™.Nick has built something rare: a business that’s 100% inbound. No outreach. No cold emails. No chasing. Just magnetic, systematic content that compounds.We go deep on:How Nick built an audience of 80k+How Content Design became a category, and how he's leading itThe exact steps he took to turn random posting into a businessWhat most creators get wrong on LinkedIn™Why alignment beats hustleThe role of clarity, positioning, and ICP refinementHis pivot from Done-For-You to Cohorts + CommunityAnd the mindset shifts required to scale a highly creative business sustainablyThis is a masterclass in positioning, design, systems, and treating content as a strategic asset - not decoration.Whether you're a founder, a coach, a designer, or someone reinventing their career on LinkedIn, this is a conversation you will want to save.Chapters:00:00 - Teaser Intro00:41 - Re-Framing, Re-Building01:08 - The Early Days & Becoming a Category of One02:50 - From Crickets to Clarity04:10 - The Coach Who Sparked a Category05:23 - Why LinkedIn™? Why Now?07:41 - Quitting, Drifting, and Rediscovering Entrepreneurship09:20 - Choosing LinkedIn™ Over Instagram09:53 - What a Carousel Really Is (and Why It Works)11:30 - Why Visuals Must Be Simple, Clear, and Fast13:49 - How to Build Leads on LinkedIn From Scratch15:44 - Compounding Through Conversation17:05 - The Turning Point: Selling Through Content18:38 - The Three-Month Danger Window19:45 - Quantity → Quality (No Other Shortcut Exists)22:16 - Why You Should Post BEFORE You Need To26:15 - The Multiple Facets of Content Design28:21 - Nick's Design Rules (And Why They Work)30:30 - How His Client Grew 8k Followers and 80k in Revenue32:22 - Trim the Offer: Why Less > More34:28 - The 60% Rule for Positioning36:22 - D.F.Y → D.I.Y: A Pivot That Scales37:52 - Nick’s Current Business Model40:10 - Why He’s Leaving Done-For-You Behind42:53 - The Rise of In-Person Events44:58 - Why Build a Community?46:32 - Screen-Sharing, Transparency, and “Winging It”48:06 - Jeff’s POV on Clarity, Story, and Power of Voice52:02 - Reframing Stage Nerves into Excitement53:36 - Nick’s Public Speaking Trauma (And How He Overcame It)55:54 - Expertise + Stories = Unshakeable Confidence57:15 - The Anchor of Inbound-Only58:10 - Jeff on Remembering Your Own Value59:41 - Jeff’s Storytelling Background & Business Model01:02:52 - Naming, Positioning & Not Getting “Too Cute”Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you. Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.Cover art by Daniel DevoyMusic by Stephen Voyce©2024-2026 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen