The Content Crowd

How Going Viral Starts With Being Honest | Ep. 29

Some of the most powerful content ever created was never meant to go viral. It was just someone telling the truth. That is the thread running through Trevor Grimes [www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-grimes]'s conversation with Joshua Harrell [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaharrell/], Chief Revenue Officer at Worldvia Travel Network [https://worldviatravelnetwork.com], a host agency supporting thousands of travel entrepreneurs across the United States. Joshua opens up about the moment that changed how he thinks about content forever. Sitting in a gym parking lot after a cancer diagnosis, he pulled out his phone, hit record, and said "What's up guys, I have cancer." He had zero YouTube subscribers. The video hit 40,000 views in a weekend. He was not trying to go viral. He was just trying to tell the story once so he would not have to keep repeating it. The result became the clearest proof he has ever had that authenticity is not a strategy. It is the thing itself. This conversation goes well beyond content tactics. Joshua breaks down why marketing is not a support function (it is the revenue engine) and why so many organizations are leaving their biggest asset untapped by keeping their team members on the sidelines. He also gets personal about being a self-described introvert who wears sequins, officiates weddings with Chaka Khan lyrics, and invented an inner dragon just to walk onto a stage. It is a conversation about getting out of your own way, showing up as exactly who you are, and why the first eleven videos you make are supposed to be terrible. About Joshua Harrell Joshua Harrell is the Chief Revenue Officer at Worldvia Travel Network, one of the largest host agencies in the United States, supporting thousands of travel agency owners and advisors. A serial entrepreneur with a background spanning cosmetics, live television, and B2B marketing, Joshua oversees marketing, sales, and service delivery for the organization. He is a passionate advocate for founder-led content, employee empowerment, and the radical idea that showing up as yourself, awkward, imperfect, and unfiltered, is the most powerful brand strategy available to anyone. What We Cover 1. Marketing as a Revenue Function: Why the shift from CMO to CRO is more than a title change and what happens when an entire team finally understands how the business actually makes money. 2. The Permission Problem: Why employees who love their company still hold back from creating content, and what leaders can do to unlock their most underutilized brand asset. 3. The Cancer Video: How a zero-subscriber YouTube channel hit 40,000 views in a weekend and what it taught Joshua about the only kind of content that actually connects. 4. The Chaka Khan Dragon: Joshua's deeply personal method for stepping into high-stakes moments as a self-described introvert, and what it reveals about the "fake it till you make it" debate. 5. Get Going, Get Smart, Get Good: Why waiting to be good before you start is the single biggest mistake content creators make — and why your first eleven videos are supposed to be bad. 6. Go Live or Go Home: The case for live streaming as the highest-ROI content format available right now, and why travel advisors doing live TikTok quotes are outsmarting brands with full production budgets. ㅤ Resources Mentioned 1. Worldvia Travel Network [https://worldviatravelnetwork.com] 2. Joshua Harrell on TikTok and Instagram — @JoshuaHarrell [https://www.instagram.com/JoshuaHarrell]

Why 85% of Podcasts Are Already Dead | Ep. 28

Most marketers are told to pick a lane. Adam Sockel has built a career doing the opposite, and the results speak for themselves. That is the mindset Trevor Grimes [https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-grimes/] unpacks with Adam Sockel, [https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-sockel/] VP of Marketing at Share Your Genius, a content agency that turns a single podcast recording into a full content engine for B2B brands. ㅤ Adam opens up about the reality of podcasting that most people get wrong. He shares that of the 4.9 million podcasts in existence, only 15% ever make it past nine episodes, meaning the bar to stand out is far lower than the noise would suggest. The opportunity is hiding in plain sight, and most brands are too intimidated to take it. ㅤ This conversation covers the full lifecycle of content strategy. Adam breaks down why YouTube has overtaken Spotify and Apple as the number one podcast discovery platform, how AI tools can get your content 75% of the way there without replacing the human who takes it the rest of the way, and why the moment you are exhausted saying something is exactly when your audience is just starting to hear it. It is a blueprint for building a content operation that compounds over time, not just one that looks good for a quarter. ㅤ About Adam Sockel Adam Sockel is the VP of Marketing at Share Your Genius, a video-first content agency specializing in podcast production, executive thought leadership, and full-funnel content strategy for B2B brands. With a background in brand and content strategy, Adam helps companies transform their recordings into newsletters, blogs, short-form video, and pillar reports — turning a single show into an always-on content engine. He is also a decade-long podcast host, a dedicated runner, a vegetarian lasagna enthusiast, and a self-described yapper. ㅤ What We Cover 1. The 85% Opportunity: Why the podcasting landscape is far less crowded than it feels, and how showing up consistently puts you ahead of the vast majority of competitors before you even hit publish. 2. YouTube as the Discovery Engine: How YouTube surpassed Spotify and Apple as the number one place people find new podcasts — and why brands that ignore video are leaving their most valuable discovery channel on the table. 3. The Content Multiplication Framework: How Share Your Genius transforms a single podcast recording into written thought leadership, short-form clips, newsletters, and pillar reports that reach every corner of your ICP. 4. AI as a 75% Solution: The right way to use AI clipping and writing tools — not as a replacement for human judgment, but as a starting point that a skilled content person finishes. 5. Consistency as a Habit, Not a Grind: Why posting 3–5 short-form videos per week from content you have already recorded is more sustainable than it sounds, and how to batch and schedule your way into making it stick. 6. Content About Content is the Enemy: Adam's hill-to-die-on take on why LinkedIn meta-commentary — "this is dead," "I can tell this was written by AI" — is the most boring and counterproductive thing a creator can do. ㅤ Resources Mentioned 1. Share Your Genius [https://shareyourgenius.com] 2. Wait For It [https://shareyourgenius.com/wait-for-it-2026/] — The Annual State of Podcasting Episode

Free Work Is Not Bad Work (with Kaleigh Schouten) | Ep. 27

Turning a hobby into a full-time career often strips away the glamour. You get to "do the dang thing," but you also lose your creative outlet. That is the reality Trevor Grimes [https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-grimes/] explores with Kaleigh Schouten [https://www.kaleighmadison.com/], a creative who transitioned from 12-hour days as a construction engineer to a full-time wedding photographer. ㅤ Kaleigh opens up about the friction of monetizing art. She explains how the "dream" of destination wedding photography often results in lonely weekends and creative fatigue. To combat this, she is pivoting again: splitting her focus between capturing memories for families and solving problems for businesses through her design agency. ㅤ This conversation covers the practical side of creativity. Kaleigh breaks down why "free work" was the catalyst for her success, not a hindrance. She also challenges the industry obsession with technical perfection, arguing that blurry, messy, and "unusable" photos are often the ones that hold the most emotional weight. It is a look at how to build a business that reflects who you are, rather than just what you sell. ㅤ About Kaleigh Schouten Kaleigh Schouten [https://www.kaleighmadison.com/] is a professional photographer and the founder of Kaleigh Madison Photography and Resqueue Studio based in Huntsville, Alabama. A former construction engineer who helped build data centers for Facebook, Kaleigh pivoted to photography full-time in 2022. She specializes in capturing authentic moments for couples and families, while her sister company, Resqueue Studio, focuses on branding and web design for small businesses. ㅤ What We Cover 1. The Engineer’s Approach to Art: How a background in construction engineering and coding influenced Kaleigh's initial obsession with technically "clean" images and systems. 2. The Trap of the "Dream Job": Why traveling for work isn't always a vacation and how the wedding industry can lead to becoming ungrateful for the craft. 3. Free Work as Strategy: Why shooting for free is essential for building a portfolio, practicing skills, and networking when you are starting from zero. 4. Audience Misalignment: The common mistake photographers make when trying to sell educational content to an audience that is made up of brides and moms, not peers. 5. Prompting Over Posing: Moving away from rigid perfection to capture "messy" storytelling moments that feel like a memory rather than a stock photo. 6. Personality as a Differentiator: Why solo founders need to inject their specific voice, wardrobe, and habits into their brand to stand out against corporate competitors. ㅤ Resources Mentioned 1. Kaleigh Madison Photography [https://www.kaleighmadison.com/] 2. Resqueue Studio (Branding & Design) [https://www.resqueuestudio.com/]

100 Loyal Fans vs. Viral Fame (with Wanda Wesolowski) | Ep. 26

You can have a million followers on TikTok and still play to an empty room. Trevor Grimes [https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-grimes/] talks to Wanda Wesolowski [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wandaband/] about the reality of building a career versus chasing a viral moment. Wanda explains that if you can find 100 people who will always buy your record or merch, you have a sustainable career. She breaks down her approach to "physical" branding with the Wanda Van and why she refuses to rely solely on 15-second clips to prove her talent. ㅤ This conversation bridges the gap between B2B strategy and the raw, emotional approach of an independent artist. Wanda discusses the anxiety of hitting publish, the importance of longevity over quick hits, and how she took advice to lean into her queer identity to finally find her true audience in the South. ㅤ Guest Bio Wanda Wesolowski [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wandaband/] is a singer, songwriter, and the manager of The Wanda Band based in Huntsville, Alabama. Known for her "iconic" and "catchy" Southern pop-rock sound, she has been a fixture in the local music scene since she was 14. She is a "spacemaker" who co-founded Boardman HSV and recently released the album Only Feeling. Wanda champions DIY production, sobriety, and queer joy through her music and community work. ㅤ What We Cover 1. The Wanda Van as branding: How painting a Ford Transit Connect became a moving landmark in Huntsville and a better use of free will than driving a standard car. 2. The trap of viral metrics: Why getting 300,000 followers from a single viral video often leads to empty venues because the audience doesn't actually know who you are. 3. Performance vs. Content Creation: Wanda argues that recording a perfect 30-second take for social media does not prepare you to hold a room's attention or handle a soundcheck professionally. 4. Finding your specific crowd: How leaning into her identity as a gay woman helped Wanda connect with a dedicated audience that needed a space, rather than alienating listeners. 5. Longevity requires consistency: A look at Wanda's digital footprint from 2005 vlogs to today, proving that showing up over time matters more than immediate perfection. 6. Overcoming posting anxiety: Why you have to sit with the discomfort of vulnerability after posting and realize that 60% of the internet is just bots anyway. ㅤ Resources Mentioned 1. The Wanda Band [https://wandaband.com/] 2. Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/] 3. Pomplamoose & Jack Conte [https://www.youtube.com/user/PomplamooseMusic] 4. Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment [https://www.lowemill.art/] ㅤ Low-Tech, High-Impact Account-Based Marketing If you’re ready to trade expensive, tech-heavy account-based marketing for a repeatable, revenue-driving ABM program, check out Scrappy ABM. Led by a team of Scrappy ABM experts, they specialize in low-budget plays and programs that deliver high impact—no shiny tools required. Scrappy ABM has built account-based programs that have delivered millions in revenue, and you can build your first successful ABM program with their help. Start with a pilot program or launch an account-based podcast. Learn more at scrappyabm.com [https://scrappyabm.com/]. Let's get scrappy.

How to Create Better Content in 2026 | Ep. 25

What if your content isn't failing? It might just be unemployed. It lives online, but it doesn't have a job. It isn't creating conversations, leading to opportunities, or building toward anything specific. ㅤ That aimlessness is scary. It is also wasteful because it looks like you are doing everything right from the outside. You are consistent. You are showing up. Yet, you are left asking what it was all for. ㅤ In this solo episode, Trevor Grimes [https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-grimes/] argues that content needs a job, not just better vibes or more polish. He explains why posting without purpose quietly burns people out and how to shift your focus from performance metrics to creative curiosity. ㅤ Trevor explains how to use content pillars as boundaries to save your energy. He also covers how to set goals that actually support your business—such as having thoughtful conversations or clarifying your thinking—rather than chasing follower counts that stifle creativity. ㅤ What We Cover 1. Why content needs a job: Every piece of content should answer the question: "What is this here to do?" It could be to start conversations, clarify thinking, or attract a specific type of person. 2. The real cause of burnout: Burnout doesn't usually come from doing too much. It comes from doing things that feel aimless or from putting effort in without direction. 3. Content pillars as boundaries: Pillars aren't just topics. They are how you decide what not to spend energy on. Ideas must earn their way into your story. 4. The Note Card Method filter: Before turning an idea into content, ask one question: "Does this belong in the story I'm telling right now?" 5. Goals that don't kill creativity: Avoid goals that suffocate you, like arbitrary follower counts. Choose goals such as deepening your understanding of a topic or aligning yourself with a specific problem you solve. 6. Performance vs. Curiosity: Performance asks, "How did this do?" Creative curiosity asks, "What did I learn?" The latter keeps you moving. 7. The Creator Transformation: Becoming someone who notices ideas instead of forcing them, and creates without waiting for permission. ㅤ Resources Mentioned 1. Previous Episode: How to Create More Content (referenced for volume strategies). 2. The Note Card Method: Referenced as a tool for filtering ideas (Check previous episodes/videos). 3. 30-Day Content Sprint: Available in the show notes (referenced in outro). ㅤ Low-Tech, High-Impact Account-Based Marketing If you’re ready to trade expensive, tech-heavy account-based marketing for a repeatable, revenue-driving ABM program, check out Scrappy ABM. Led by a team of Scrappy ABM experts, they specialize in low-budget plays and programs that deliver high impact—no shiny tools required. Scrappy ABM has built account-based programs that have delivered millions in revenue, and you can build your first successful ABM program with their help. Start with a pilot program or launch an account-based podcast. Learn more at scrappyabm.com [https://scrappyabm.com/]. Let's get scrappy.