The Catching Fire Podcast

From 82 Videos a Day to AI Empire with John Gargiulo

In this engaging conversation, Bryan Karas speaks with John Gargiulo, founder of Airpost, about his journey from Airbnb to launching a successful AI video editing company. They discuss the evolution of video marketing, the challenges faced by direct-to-consumer brands, and the role of AI in enhancing video production quality. John shares insights on the importance of balancing performance and brand marketing, the dilution of user-generated content, and the future of AI in the marketing landscape. The conversation emphasizes the need for authenticity and quality in advertising, as well as the potential for AI to revolutionize the industry. Welcome to the Catching Fire Podcast, where we talk to founders and marketers about great ideas and how they spread! Learn about branding, marketing, and what large and small businesses do to make waves in their markets alongside our host: Bryan Karas! Did you learn something today? Tell us in the comments! Connect with John:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gargiulo/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gargiulo/] Connect with Bryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/]  https://bryankaras.com/ [https://bryankaras.com/]  Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/ [https://www.growtal.com/]  Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/ [https://www.playbookmedia.com/]

Inside Waymo’s Growth Playbook

Waymo’s Ori Herschmann joins Bryan Karas to share his journey as a growth marketer behind some of the world’s most well-known brands. Ori unpacks what modern growth marketing really looks like by highlighting the role of creative, AI, personalization, and product-market fit. If you care about building sustainable growth, Ori Herschmann’s insights are essential. Welcome to the Catching Fire Podcast, where we talk to founders and marketers about great ideas and how they spread! Learn about branding, marketing, and what large and small businesses do to make waves in their markets alongside our host: Bryan Karas! Did you learn something today? Tell us in the comments! Connect with Ori:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ori-herschmann-54758731/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ori-herschmann-54758731/] Connect with Bryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/]  https://bryankaras.com/ [https://bryankaras.com/]  Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/ [https://www.growtal.com/]  Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/ [https://www.playbookmedia.com/]

SEO that Pays: Driving Revenue, Not Just Traffic

Your website gets traffic but your brand isn’t seeing revenue.  SEO expert Eli Schwartz reveals why most SEO strategies fail at making money and shares the product-led approach that transformed companies like Zillow into billion-dollar machines.  Discover on this Catching Fire episode why branded searches convert like crazy, which technical tactics still matter, and how to build search strategies that turn browsers into buyers instead of just ranking for keywords nobody cares about. Connect with Eli:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwartze/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwartze/] Connect with Bryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/]  https://bryankaras.com/ [https://bryankaras.com/]  Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/ [https://www.growtal.com/]  Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/ [https://www.playbookmedia.com/]

30-year MarComm veteran reveals why your brand is losing customers

Here’s a fiery discussion with the final boss of marketing that you must face, Scott Robertson.  Scott is a Fractional CMO who has over 30 years experience in marketing, and has gone on to start his own PR & marketing agency RobertsonComm. He has also published his own magnum opus called - “Just Stop It:Your Survival Guide to Marketing Myths, Mistakes and Misgivings.” In this week’s Catching Fire episode, Scott just rips the bandaid off marketers and founders by explaining why their brands are not successful, how to stop talking about yourself and more about your customer, and how AI shouldn’t be the thing that breathes life into your brand. Connect with Scott:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/wscottrobertson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wscottrobertson/] Connect with Bryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/]  https://bryankaras.com/ [https://bryankaras.com/]  Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/ [https://www.growtal.com/]  Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/ [https://www.playbookmedia.com/]

The Future of PPC: How Humans Win in an AI World with Fred Vallaeys

Before “PPC” was even a term, Fred Vallaeys was helping Google build it. Now, he is on a mission to help marketers make sense of the monster it’s become. Fred unpacks his journey from those early Google days to founding Optmyzr, revealing how marketing transformed from the simplicity of goto.com to our current maze of touchpoints. He mentions five essential roles modern marketers must embody, from "PPC Doctor" diagnosing campaign ailments to "PPC Chef" combining ingredients in ways automation never could.  For anyone feeling swallowed by GA4 complexity or wondering if their job might vanish to algorithms, Fred offers refreshingly practical wisdom about layering your expertise on top of platform automation. Connect with Fred:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederickvallaeys/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederickvallaeys/] Connect with Bryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/]  https://bryankaras.com/ [https://bryankaras.com/]  Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/ [https://www.growtal.com/]  Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/ [https://www.playbookmedia.com/]