The Takeover with Tim and Cindy

Most agencies don’t fail because of bad marketing.They fail because their systems, positioning, and sales processes are broken.In this episode of The Takeover, we sit down with Alisha Conlin-Hurd to talk about what’s actually working in today’s agency landscape, from paid ads and funnel strategy to sales psychology, niche selection, and scaling without burning out.Alisha shares how she went from cold calling and telco sales to launching hundreds of funnels across 120+ niches, building a 7-figure agency, and coaching agency owners around the world.Keynotes & Chapter Markers00:18 – Alisha’s journey from cold calling to entrepreneurship05:22 – Using sales feedback loops to improve marketing performance08:41 – How to increase show-up rates before the sales call17:56 – Building winning ad angles and creative systems29:34 – The scaling mistakes keeping agencies stuck38:55 – Redefining success, impact, and the next chapter of growthConnect with Alisha:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alishaconlinhurd/Website: https://www.persuasionexperience.comRESOURCES BELOW!Download The Free Outbound Sales Playbook:Master cold outreach, close more deals & drive revenue to your business using The Outbound Sales Playbook. Battle-tested on over 1,000+ businesses and proven with over 100M data-points.Join The Takeover Community:Sign up for The Takeover newsletter and get the latest marketing tips, sales strategies, and business insights delivered straight to your inbox. Join a community of entrepreneurs & high-performers dominating all areas of Sales & Marketing. Sign up for the newsletter.About The Hosts:Tim & Cindy Dodd are the Co-founders of PEMA.io, based out of Miami, FL. Connect with Tim and Cindy on LinkedIn and Instagram:Tim’s LinkedIn, Tim’s InstagramCindy’s LinkedIn, Cindy’s InstagramAbout PEMA.io:Need B2B Appointments or want to grow your authority on LinkedIn? Learn more about our services here: https://www.pema.io/discover

Most founders don’t have a marketing problem.They have a financial visibility problem.In this episode of The Takeover, we sit down with Heather Hall, founder of Sapphire CFO Solutions and former CFO across multiple fintech and SaaS companies, to break down what separates scalable businesses from the ones constantly stuck in survival mode.Heather shares the behind-the-scenes realities of startup finance, from messy books and cash flow stress… to fundraising, data rooms, forecasting, and preparing for exits.If you’re a founder, operator, or agency owner trying to grow with clarity and confidence… this conversation will completely change how you think about finance.Keynotes & Chapter Markers:00:00 – Heather’s journey from audit to startup CFO08:38 – Why founders delay finance until it’s too late11:28 – The importance of visibility & transparency around numbers16:39 – Building a data room and preparing for an exit24:13 – The ROI mindset CFOs use when evaluating investments29:57 – Why thought leadership matters for modern foundersConnect with Heather:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherhallcpa/Website: https://www.sapphirecfosolutions.com/RESOURCES BELOW!Download The Free Outbound Sales Playbook:Master cold outreach, close more deals & drive revenue to your business using The Outbound Sales Playbook. Battle-tested on over 1,000+ businesses and proven with over 100M data-points.Join The Takeover Community:Sign up for The Takeover newsletter and get the latest marketing tips, sales strategies, and business insights delivered straight to your inbox. Join a community of entrepreneurs & high-performers dominating all areas of Sales & Marketing. Sign up for the newsletter.About The Hosts:Tim & Cindy Dodd are the Co-founders of PEMA.io, based out of Miami, FL. Connect with Tim and Cindy on LinkedIn and Instagram:Tim’s LinkedIn, Tim’s InstagramCindy’s LinkedIn, Cindy’s InstagramAbout PEMA.io:Need B2B Appointments or want to grow your authority on LinkedIn? Learn more about our services here: https://www.pema.io/discover

What if building a global media team didn’t cost you thousands… but less than $500 a month?In this episode, we sit down with Lyrik Fryer, co-founder of WorkPlay Branding, a platform that’s redefining how founders and brands create content at scale.From shooting content herself 7 days a week… to building a global creator network across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Europe, Lyrik breaks down exactly how she turned a creative service into a scalable, recurring revenue machine.We get into the real strategy behind her “no-brainer offer,” how she leveraged relationships and brand positioning to grow, and why content infrastructure, not just content, is the real unlock as a founder in 2026.Keynotes & Chapter Markers:00:00 – From side hustle to global platform07:03 – Scaling through demand (and never saying no)10:03 – The “give it away for free” growth strategy13:14 – How the $497/month offer was created21:32 – Systemizing creativity (KPIs for content)26:42 – Why founders MUST build a content infrastructureConnect with Lyrik:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyrikfryer/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lyrik.fryer/WorkPlay Branding: https://www.instagram.com/workplaybranding/ RESOURCES BELOW!Download The Free Outbound Sales Playbook:Master cold outreach, close more deals & drive revenue to your business using The Outbound Sales Playbook. Battle-tested on over 1,000+ businesses and proven with over 100M data-points.Join The Takeover Community:Sign up for The Takeover newsletter and get the latest marketing tips, sales strategies, and business insights delivered straight to your inbox. Join a community of entrepreneurs & high-performers dominating all areas of Sales & Marketing. Sign up for the newsletter.About The Hosts:Tim & Cindy Dodd are the Co-founders of PEMA.io, based out of Miami, FL. Connect with Tim and Cindy on LinkedIn and Instagram:Tim’s LinkedIn, Tim’s InstagramCindy’s LinkedIn, Cindy’s InstagramAbout PEMA.io:Need B2B Appointments or want to grow your authority on LinkedIn? Learn more about our services here: https://www.pema.io/discover

AI is changing everything in marketing… but not in the way most people think.In this episode, we sat down with Dan Klein to break down what’s actually happening behind the scenes as AI floods the market with content, and why so many businesses are starting to blend together instead of stand out.We talk about the real opportunity most companies are missing: using AI to increase efficiency while doubling down on what makes you human.Because the truth is… AI isn’t your competitive advantage anymore. It’s the baseline.Keypoints & Chapter Markers:00:00 – The AI shift: why everything is starting to look the same04:08 – Efficiency vs pricing: the real growth lever09:09 – Standing out when everyone sounds identical13:45 – Why imperfect content performs better20:10 – Scaling with simplicity (not more services)29:59 – The future: human-first marketing in an AI worldConnect with Dan:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-klein-mba-168a0410/RESOURCES BELOW!Download The Free Outbound Sales Playbook:Master cold outreach, close more deals & drive revenue to your business using The Outbound Sales Playbook. Battle-tested on over 1,000+ businesses and proven with over 100M data-points.Join The Takeover Community:Sign up for The Takeover newsletter and get the latest marketing tips, sales strategies, and business insights delivered straight to your inbox. Join a community of entrepreneurs & high-performers dominating all areas of Sales & Marketing. Sign up for the newsletter.About The Hosts:Tim & Cindy Dodd are the Co-founders of PEMA.io, based out of Miami, FL. Connect with Tim and Cindy on LinkedIn and Instagram:Tim’s LinkedIn, Tim’s InstagramCindy’s LinkedIn, Cindy’s InstagramAbout PEMA.io:Need B2B Appointments or want to grow your authority on LinkedIn? Learn more about our services here: https://www.pema.io/discover

Most founders think they need better marketing. What they actually need is more visibility.In this episode, we sit down with Milou Pietersz, founder and CEO of Simply Multimedia and a Forbes-featured strategist who built a million-dollar brand by leading from the front. She shares how founder-led content is reshaping trust, why people connect with people over brands, and what it really takes to turn content into a consistent growth engine.We also dive into the mindset shift that changes everything, how to think about LinkedIn versus other platforms, and why the right visibility strategy can warm up prospects before the conversation even starts.Keypoints & Chapter Markers:00:16 – Why this conversation matters right now02:08 – Starting from zero and building momentum05:24 – The turning point behind building a personal brand08:11 – How trust is built in today’s market12:08 – Why most founders quit too early18:10 – Choosing the right platform for growthConnect with MilouLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miloupietersz/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MILOUPIETERSZ/RESOURCES BELOW!Download The Free Outbound Sales Playbook:Master cold outreach, close more deals & drive revenue to your business using The Outbound Sales Playbook. Battle-tested on over 1,000+ businesses and proven with over 100M data-points.Join The Takeover Community:Sign up for The Takeover newsletter and get the latest marketing tips, sales strategies, and business insights delivered straight to your inbox. Join a community of entrepreneurs & high-performers dominating all areas of Sales & Marketing. Sign up for the newsletter.About The Hosts:Tim & Cindy Dodd are the Co-founders of PEMA.io, based out of Miami, FL. Connect with Tim and Cindy on LinkedIn and Instagram:Tim’s LinkedIn, Tim’s InstagramCindy’s LinkedIn, Cindy’s InstagramAbout PEMA.io:Need B2B Appointments or want to grow your authority on LinkedIn? Learn more about our services here: https://www.pema.io/discover

What if the real reason your business isn’t growing… isn’t what you think?In this episode, we sit down with Kevin St. Clergy, bestselling author of Blind Blaming and entrepreneur who has built, scaled, and exited multiple companies. He has helped high performers break through revenue plateaus by identifying the real problem most people never see.This conversation goes deeper than tactics. We unpack the belief ceilings, broken sales processes, and hidden blind spots that quietly stall growth. Kevin shares how small shifts in focus can completely change your trajectory, and why most entrepreneurs stay stuck for years solving the wrong problems.If you’re pushing hard but not seeing the results you want, this episode will challenge how you think about growth, sales, and scaling your business.Key Topics + Chapter Markers:00:00 – Kevin’s background and the mindset required to scale02:22 – Why most entrepreneurs stay stuck in linear growth05:42 – Finding your niche and focusing on outcomes over services09:27 – Fixing your sales process and qualifying the right clients12:17 – Retention, referrals, and scaling through existing clients25:54 – Building a growth culture and eliminating blame in your teamConnect with Kevin:Website: https://blindblaming.com/assessBook: Beyond Blind Blaming™RESOURCES BELOW!Download The Free Outbound Sales Playbook:Master cold outreach, close more deals & drive revenue to your business using The Outbound Sales Playbook. Battle-tested on over 1,000+ businesses and proven with over 100M data-points.Join The Takeover Community:Sign up for The Takeover newsletter and get the latest marketing tips, sales strategies, and business insights delivered straight to your inbox. Join a community of entrepreneurs & high-performers dominating all areas of Sales & Marketing. Sign up for the newsletter.About The Hosts:Tim & Cindy Dodd are the Co-founders of PEMA.io, based out of Miami, FL. Connect with Tim and Cindy on LinkedIn and Instagram:Tim’s LinkedIn, Tim’s InstagramCindy’s LinkedIn, Cindy’s InstagramAbout PEMA.io:Need B2B Appointments or want to grow your authority on LinkedIn? Learn more about our services here: https://www.pema.io/discover

What if the biggest lever in your business isn’t another strategy, funnel, or hire… but how much you actually care?In this episode, we sit down with Justin Ricklefs, founder of Guild Collective and author of Give a Damn, to break down a completely different approach to growth. One that challenges the idea that scaling requires more complexity, and instead focuses on clarity, alignment, and building a brand from the inside out.We unpack what really separates companies that grow from those that stall, why most businesses already have the answers but struggle to execute, and how simplifying your message can unlock momentum across your entire organization. If you’re trying to scale without losing what makes your business great, this conversation will shift how you think.What we get into:00:00 – Why most businesses struggle to scale effectively03:00 – The shift from complexity to clarity in growth08:45 – Finding the right niche without limiting your business14:50 – The difference between product and process21:50 – Why culture drives everything in your company27:00 – The real driver behind referrals, retention, and growthConnect with Justin:Book: Give a DamnLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinricklefs/RESOURCES BELOW!Download The Free Outbound Sales Playbook:Master cold outreach, close more deals & drive revenue to your business using The Outbound Sales Playbook. Battle-tested on over 1,000+ businesses and proven with over 100M data-points.Join The Takeover Community:Sign up for The Takeover newsletter and get the latest marketing tips, sales strategies, and business insights delivered straight to your inbox. Join a community of entrepreneurs & high-performers dominating all areas of Sales & Marketing. Sign up for the newsletter.About The Hosts:Tim & Cindy Dodd are the Co-founders of PEMA.io, based out of Miami, FL. Connect with Tim and Cindy on LinkedIn and Instagram:Tim’s LinkedIn, Tim’s InstagramCindy’s LinkedIn, Cindy’s InstagramAbout PEMA.io:Need B2B Appointments or want to grow your authority on LinkedIn? Learn more about our services here: https://www.pema.io/discover

Scaling revenue exposes every weakness in your business.In this episode, we sit down with Ben Reed, Founder of RevyOps, to unpack what really drives sustainable revenue growth. Ben has built, bought, and sold multiple companies and has spent years inside go-to-market execution, revenue operations, and founder-led sales.He shares why most founders misunderstand market research, why automation too early creates blind spots, and how AI has flooded teams with data but removed clarity.We also dig into why product decisions matter more than sales tactics, how GTM teams lose visibility as tools stack up, and what leadership teams should actually be paying attention to when scaling.This is a grounded conversation for founders and operators who want durable revenue, not short-term spikes.Keypoints + Chapter Markers:00:00 Why scaling exposes weak foundations05:05 Founder-led sales and market discovery11:40 Automation mistakes in GTM18:50 AI, data overload, and outbound noise25:35 Why revenue problems start with product33:10 What RevyOps solves for scaling teamsConnect with Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-aaron-reed/Website: https://go.revyops.com/RESOURCES BELOW!Download The Free Outbound Sales Playbook:Master cold outreach, close more deals & drive revenue to your business using The Outbound Sales Playbook. Battle-tested on over 1,000+ businesses and proven with over 100M data-points.Join The Takeover Community:Sign up for The Takeover newsletter and get the latest marketing tips, sales strategies, and business insights delivered straight to your inbox. Join a community of entrepreneurs & high-performers dominating all areas of Sales & Marketing. Sign up for the newsletter.About The Hosts:Tim & Cindy Dodd are the Co-founders of PEMA.io, based out of Miami, FL. Connect with Tim and Cindy on LinkedIn and Instagram:Tim’s LinkedIn, Tim’s InstagramCindy’s LinkedIn, Cindy’s InstagramAbout PEMA.io:Need B2B Appointments or want to grow your authority on LinkedIn? Learn more about our services here: https://www.pema.io/discover

How do you use AI agents to scale faster without turning your business into something you don’t recognize?AI is no longer a future trend. It is actively reshaping how founders, agencies, and SMBs operate right now. Yet most leaders are either overwhelmed by AI hype or stuck chasing tools without a clear strategy.In this episode, we sit down with Maritza Tobon, Co-Founder and CTO of Maison, to unpack how AI agents actually work and how founders should be thinking about AI going into 2026. This conversation focuses on AI for founders, agentic AI, and how teams can leverage AI in smart and unconventional ways without sacrificing trust, culture, or human connection.If you are building a service business, agency, or community-led brand and want to stay competitive in the AI era, this is a must-listen.Timestamps:00:17 Why AI is now a leadership decision for founders02:05 Maritza’s path from enterprise tech to AI-first startup founder06:37 How founders should start using AI without overcomplicating it09:42 Why prompt engineering is overrated for most businesses17:39 What AI agents are and how they differ from automation27:31 Why people plus AI will outperform service-only businessesConnect with Maritza: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maritzatobon/RESOURCES BELOW!Download The Free Outbound Sales Playbook:Master cold outreach, close more deals & drive revenue to your business using The Outbound Sales Playbook. Battle-tested on over 1,000+ businesses and proven with over 100M data-points.Join The Takeover Community:Sign up for The Takeover newsletter and get the latest marketing tips, sales strategies, and business insights delivered straight to your inbox. Join a community of entrepreneurs & high-performers dominating all areas of Sales & Marketing. Sign up for the newsletter.About The Hosts:Tim & Cindy Dodd are the Co-founders of PEMA.io, based out of Miami, FL. Connect with Tim and Cindy on LinkedIn and Instagram:Tim’s LinkedIn, Tim’s InstagramCindy’s LinkedIn, Cindy’s InstagramAbout PEMA.io:Need B2B Appointments or want to grow your authority on LinkedIn? Learn more about our services here: https://www.pema.io/discover

The rules have changed again.What worked even a year ago in marketing and sales is already breaking down, and 2026 will punish anyone still running outdated playbooks.This episode is a focused compilation built around four marketing and sales truths that consistently showed up across our conversations. These are not trends. These are realities we saw play out with companies that kept closing, scaling, and expanding while others stalled.If you want to dominate your market in 2026, this episode will reset how you think about demand, offers, selling, and growth.Timestamps:00:00 – Why 2026 will expose weak marketing and sales systems04:12 – Truth #1: Buyers buy outcomes, not services10:41 – Truth #2: No-brainer offers beat perfect sales scripts18:26 – Truth #3: The sale does not end when the deal closes26:58 – Truth #4: Expansion is engineered, not accidentalThese four truths will determine who wins next.RESOURCES BELOW!Download The Free Outbound Sales Playbook:Master cold outreach, close more deals & drive revenue to your business using The Outbound Sales Playbook. Battle-tested on over 1,000+ businesses and proven with over 100M data-points.Join The Takeover Community:Sign up for The Takeover newsletter and get the latest marketing tips, sales strategies, and business insights delivered straight to your inbox. Join a community of entrepreneurs & high-performers dominating all areas of Sales & Marketing. Sign up for the newsletter.About The Hosts:Tim & Cindy Dodd are the Co-founders of PEMA.io, based out of Miami, FL. Connect with Tim and Cindy on LinkedIn and Instagram:Tim’s LinkedIn, Tim’s InstagramCindy’s LinkedIn, Cindy’s InstagramAbout PEMA.io:Need B2B Appointments or want to grow your authority on LinkedIn? Learn more about our services here: https://www.pema.io/discover