How to Build Authority That Actually Converts: Ash Jones

In this week’s episode we sit down with Oscar to break down what actually makes YouTube videos grow. We discuss why most creators focus on the wrong things, how titles and thumbnails influence whether people click, and the psychology behind videos that take off. Oscar explains the small change that helped double his views and how anyone building a brand online can apply the same thinking. If you’re a founder, creator, or marketer trying to grow on YouTube, this episode will change how you think about content. Learn more about Oscar Here: https://www.youtube.com/@oscarowenbiz Hear more from the Hosts: Jack - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b/?originalSubdomain=uk Zac - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b/ Brought to you by our amazing sponsors: *Prospeo,* the easiest way to find verified emails and contact data for outbound and lead generation. 98% more effective at finding mobile numbers and email addresses. Try it free at https://www.prospeo.io/wham *Nooks* The AI-powered platform helping teams automate outbound sales and book more qualified meetings. To learn more visit https://www.nooks.ai

In this episode we sit down with Ash Jones, founder of Great Influence, the agency behind the personal brands of Steven Bartlett and Gary Neville. Ash breaks down what it really takes to build a personal brand that creates leverage. We discuss why most founders stay invisible, the difference between attention and authority, and how long-term brand building turns into real commercial advantage. This isn’t about posting for vanity, it’s about owning distribution, building trust, and creating demand over time. If you’re serious about building authority in your industry, this episode is essential. More from Ash and Great Influence:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ash-jones-85363975/?originalSubdomain=uk /https://greatinfluence.com Hear more from the Hosts: Jack -https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b/?originalSubdomain=uk Zac -https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b/ Brought to you by our amazing sponsors: *Prospeo,* the easiest way to find verified emails and contact data for outbound and lead generation. 98% more effective at finding mobile numbers and email addresses. Try it free athttps://www.prospeo.io/wham *Nooks* The AI-powered platform helping teams automate outbound sales and book more qualified meetings. To learn more visithttps://www.nooks.ai

In this episode we sit down with Ash Jones, founder of Great Influence, the agency behind the personal brands of Steven Bartlett and Gary Neville. Ash breaks down what it really takes to build a personal brand that creates leverage. We discuss why most founders stay invisible, the difference between attention and authority, and how long-term brand building turns into real commercial advantage. This isn’t about posting for vanity, it’s about owning distribution, building trust, and creating demand over time. If you’re serious about building authority in your industry, this episode is essential. More from Ash and Great Influence: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ash-jones-85363975/?originalSubdomain=uk / https://greatinfluence.com Hear more from the Hosts: Jack - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b/?originalSubdomain=uk Zac - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b/ Brought to you by our amazing sponsors: *Prospeo,* the easiest way to find verified emails and contact data for outbound and lead generation. 98% more effective at finding mobile numbers and email addresses. Try it free at https://www.prospeo.io/wham *Nooks* The AI-powered platform helping teams automate outbound sales and book more qualified meetings. To learn more visit https://www.nooks.ai

In this episode, we sit down with Jodie Cook, An entrepreneur, investor, and founder who built and sold a 7-figure social media agency before turning her focus to AI-powered systems. We talk about building a business from 22, scaling to a team of 20, and what it really takes to create a company you can step away from. Jodie shares how her athlete mindset shaped her success, why most coaches struggle with lead generation, and how AI is transforming the way experts attract clients. This is a conversation about leverage, discipline, scaling smart, and building businesses that don’t rely on you. If you're a founder, coach, or entrepreneur navigating the AI shift, this one’s for you! Enjoy :) Learn more about Jodie - https://www.jodiecook.com Hear more from the Hosts: Jack - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b/?originalSubdomain=uk Zac - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b/ Brought to you by our amazing sponsors: *Prospeo,* the easiest way to find verified emails and contact data for outbound and lead generation. 98% more effective at finding mobile numbers and email addresses. Try it free at https://www.prospeo.io/wham *Nooks* The AI-powered platform helping teams automate outbound sales and book more qualified meetings. To learn more visit https://www.nooks.ai

Salespeople who swear on their calls close 8% more deals. Marketing teams using pink and purple instead of "Series A Blues" get more attention. Companies that avoid pissing anyone off end up exciting no one. In this episode, we sit down with Udi Ledergor, Chief Evangelist and former CMO at Gong, to unpack the psychology behind courageous marketing, the real impact of AI on sales teams, and why being different beats being better every single time. Udi reveals how Gong built one of the most recognizable brands in B2B by rejecting best practices, embracing controversy, and creating a culture where teams feel safe to fail. From the drooling bulldog mascot that made enterprise customers angry, to the viral research on swearing in sales calls, to the plain-text email that generated 700 event registrations in hours—this is a masterclass in standing out in a sea of sameness. We also dive deep into AI: what it can actually do right now, what it can't, and why the creators of ChatGPT don't use ChatGPT to run their revenue teams. Spoiler: AI isn't coming for your job. But salespeople who know how to use AI are coming for the jobs of those who don't. What You'll Learn: Why swearing on sales calls increases win rates by 8% The danger of "best practices" and why boring is the biggest risk in B2B marketing How to build a brand that polarizes—without crossing the line The two buckets of AI: what it can automate vs. what it can guide you on Why OpenAI and Anthropic use Gong to run their revenue teams (and what that tells you about generic LLMs) The plain-text email experiment that got 700 event sign-ups in hours How to create psychological safety on your team so they take risks and do their best work Why indifference is worse than hate when it comes to your messaging From privacy policy emails that went viral, to bulldogs on login screens, to the Starburst logo that refused to fit neatly into a square, this episode will change how you think about marketing, sales, and standing out in 2026. If your brand feels invisible, your messaging feels safe, or your team feels stuck playing by the rules everyone else is playing by, this conversation will give you permission to break free. Sponsored by Prospeo, the easiest way to find verified emails and contact data for outbound and lead generation. 98% more effective at finding mobile numbers and email addresses. Try it free at prospeo.io/wham About the Guest: Udi Ledergor is Chief Evangelist and former CMO at Gong, and author of the bestselling book Courageous Marketing: How to Take the Boring Out of B2B. He's known for building bold, unconventional marketing teams and helping sales leaders understand how AI is transforming their world. Find Udi on LinkedIn and grab his book wherever books are sold. Chapters: 00:00 Salespeople Who Swear Close 8% More Deals: The Research That Went Viral 02:15 Who Is Udi Ledergor: From Gong CMO to Chief Evangelist 04:30 Courageous Marketing: Why Different Beats Better Every Time 08:12 The Series A Blues Problem: How Gong Chose Pink and Purple 11:45 The Drooling Bulldog: When Enterprise Customers Hated the Brand 15:20 How to Be Polarizing Without Crossing the Line 19:03 The Plain-Text Email That Got 700 Event Registrations in Hours 23:47 AI vs Automation: What's Actually New and What's Just Rebranded 28:34 The Two Buckets of AI: Automation and Guidance 32:19 Why OpenAI Uses Gong to Run Their Revenue Team 36:55 Are We Losing Critical Thinking by Outsourcing to AI? 41:28 Building Courageous Teams: Psychological Safety and Process Accountability 47:12 The Privacy Policy Email That Went Viral on Twitter 50:45 One Question to Ask Yourself: How Can You Break Away From Boring Practices? #CourageousMarketing #UdiLedergor #Gong #SalesPsychology #AIinSales #B2BMarketing #WeHaveAMeeting

Does dropping an F-bomb actually close more deals? Udi Ledergor shared the data point that shocked the sales world: salespeople who swear on calls have an 8% higher win rate than those who don't. The reaction was instant chaos. One-third of people were appalled, calling it "unprofessional." The other two-thirds? They knew we were onto something real. In this sneak peek with Udi Ledergor, we dive into the controversial "Profanity Study" and the philosophy of Courageous Marketing. Key takeaways: Why "safe" marketing is actually the most dangerous strategy The psychology behind why polarising content wins Why indifference is the true enemy of sales growth Subscribe for the full episode dropping tomorrow! Chapters: 00:00 The Swearing Sales Stat That Broke the Internet 00:35 The Marketer's Dream: When Half Love It and Half Hate It 00:52 The Indifference Problem: If Nobody's Pissed Off, Nobody Cares 01:45 The Core Domain Exercise: Defining Your Brand Identity 02:08 What People Say When You Leave the Room: The Jeff Bezos Brand Test 02:20 From Best Practices to Courageous Marketing: Making the Transition Sponsored by Prospeo, the easiest way to find verified emails and contact data for outbound and lead generation. Try it free at prospeo.io/wham #SalesAdvice #CourageousMarketing #B2BMarketing #Polarizing #SalesPsychology #WeHaveAMeeting

You think you’re sending a meeting invite. Your team feels like they’ve just received a summons. In this episode on effective workplace communication, expert Chris Fenning reveals why the "blank calendar invite" is destroying your team's productivity. He shares his 3-part TPO Framework (Topic, Purpose, Output) to cut meeting times in half. What you’ll learn: • How to start every meeting so people instantly know why they’re there • The TPO framework that cuts meeting time in half • The polite sentence that brings a hijacked meeting back on track • How to write emails people actually reply to • How to communicate clearly between teams, experts, and non-experts Chapters: 00:00 The Meeting Framework That Changes Everything: Topic, Purpose, Output 01:14 Who Is Chris Fenning: Helping People Communicate 7% More Efficiently 02:02 The Symptoms of Bad Communication: Glazed Eyes and Endless Meetings 02:51 The First Minute of Every Meeting: Getting Everyone on the Same Page 06:38 The Amazon Six-Page Memo: Why It's Terrible for Most Companies 10:53 Regaining Control: What to Do When Meetings Go Off Track 15:54 The Education Gap: Why Nobody Teaches Us to Communicate at Work 18:48 University of Chris: Building a Communication Curriculum That Actually Works 21:38 Technical Teams vs Business: Bridging the Jargon Gap with Perspective and Impact 24:38 The Email Revolution: Subject Lines, Brevity, and the 30-40% Reduction 34:41 Making Training Stick: The Forgetting Curve and the Power of Repetition 37:23 Energising Your Team: The Anti-Icebreaker Approach to Training 40:33 AI and Communication: Custom GPTs, Chatbots, and the Ikea Success Story About the Guest: Chris Fenning is a communication expert helping technical teams and business leaders speak the same language. Website: chrisfenning.com LinkedIn: Chris Fenning Join the conversation: What's the most pointless meeting you've sat through this week? Tell us in the comments! 👇 #WorkplaceCommunication #ProductivityTips #ChrisFenning #WeHaveAMeeting

Stop writing emails until you watch this. You’re not bad at email, you’ve just been taught wrong. Here are 3 mistakes filling up your inbox (and how to fix them today). In this sneak peek from our full conversation with communication expert Chris Fenning, we break down the simple changes that can cut your inbox volume by 30–40%. If your inbox feels endless, this clip will change how you write immediately. What you'll learn in this clip: Why "being polite" in emails actually backfires & wastes time The 1-minute structure that saves hours of back-and-forth Why most subject lines get ignored (and how to fix yours) The simple change one company used to reduce weekly emails by 40% 00:00 Where Everyone Gets Email Wrong: Subject Lines That Actually Work 00:13 The Columbia Email Problem: Why We're All Drowning in Messages 00:40 The Golden Rule: As Few Words as Possible 00:55 Skip the Small Talk: Why Social Niceties Kill Email Effectiveness 01:34 The Perfect Email Introduction: Tell Me What You Need Immediately 02:01 The 30-40% Fewer Emails Result: Real-World Proof This Works Subscribe to watch the full episode tomorrow. Get the complete framework, real-world examples, and learn how to apply these skills to your meetings and internal updates.

Got a sales problem you can't solve? Struggling with pipeline consistency, no-shows, or closing relationship-led deals? In this live sales therapy session, we answer real questions from the audience and break down what's actually holding your sales back. This isn't theory. This is live troubleshooting for SDRs, BDRs, founders, and anyone trying to fix their sales process in real time. We tackle everything from building consistent pipeline to handling objections, beating call screening, and getting senior decision-makers to actually take your call. In This Episode, We Cover: How to generate consistent sales pipeline (not just one-off wins) Why your meetings have high no-show rates and how to fix it The real reason your tone on cold calls isn't working How to build accurate call lists without wasting time on bad data The LinkedIn outreach strategy that's getting 99% reply rates How to close relationship-led deals without being pushy Getting C-suite and Fortune 500 executives to respond The ACES framework for handling objections in real time We also break down the "Poke the Bear" LinkedIn strategy, why case studies should be stories (not boring PDFs), and how to use direct mail to actually stand out in 2026. If you've ever felt stuck in your sales process, this episode will give you the clarity and tactics you need to move forward. Sponsored by Prospeo, the easiest way to find verified emails and contact data for outbound and lead generation. Try it free at prospeo.io/wham Chapters: 00:00 Sales Therapy Session: Fix Your Sales Problems Live 02:15 How to Generate Consistent Sales Pipeline 07:42 Case Studies and Testimonials: Do It All Upfront 11:20 No Shows on Meetings: The Emotion Problem 16:33 Building Call Lists That Actually Convert 22:47 The New LinkedIn Offering: The Poke the Bear System 28:19 Closing Relationship-Led Deals Without Pressure 32:56 Guarantees and Managing Client Expectations 37:14 Reaching C-Suite and Fortune 500 Decision Makers 42:08 The ACES Framework: Accept, Clarify, Explore, Redirect #SalesTherapy #SalesTips #ColdCalling #LinkedInOutreach #B2BSales #WeHaveAMeeting

Ever wondered what actually happens in the boardroom? Join us for an unfiltered conversation with Mike Soutar as he reveals the truth behind those viral interview moments on BBC's The Apprentice. In this episode, Mike pulls back the curtain on working with Lord Sugar, the psychology behind the famous interview panel, and what the cameras don't show you. We discuss: Becoming an Apprentice Interviewer What it's really like meeting Lord Sugar Behind-the-scenes secrets from the set Mike's honest opinion on the contestants #TheApprentice #MikeSoutar #BusinessAdvice Chapters: 00:00 The Call That Changed Everything: Becoming an Apprentice Interviewer 00:25 Meeting Alan Sugar: 40 Minutes That Determined Everything 00:58 From One-Time Opportunity to 13-Year Legacy 01:37 13 Years Later: The Privilege and Impact of The Apprentice 01:58 Behind the Scenes: What Really Happens in Those Interview Rooms 02:32 The Real Motivation: Protecting Alan Sugar's Investment Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/jiirD9b_l-Q