The Publisher's Playbook

Creating a Category with Merry People

In this episode, I’m joined by James Smith, General Manager at Australian footwear brand Merry People, the company turning “gumboots” into an everyday, anywhere boot. We talk about how founder Dani Pearce spotted a gap between clunky farm rain boots and city-ready style, and turned it into a colorful, 100% waterproof product line that works from Whistler snow to Austin heat. James shares how the team has brought this Aussie gumboot culture to the US, leaning into bold colors, “merry” branding, and a no-discount pricing philosophy. We dig into the role that content publishers, creators, and elevated cashback and loyalty partners play in building awareness and credibility in new markets. If you’re a publisher, creator, or brand curious about category creation and long-term partnership strategy, you’ll get a ton of ideas from this conversation.

The VIP of SMB with BILL

On this episode of The Publisher's Playbook, Jerrid Grimm and Matt Robinson from BILL explore the niche world of B2B influencers and review sites and why SMBs love BILL.

New Year, New Gig with ISSA

In this episode of The Publisher's Playbook, Kurt Mangum II, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at ISSA, discusses the founding story of ISSA, the importance of fitness certifications, current trends in the fitness industry, and the goals of their affiliate and creator programs. Kurt and Jerrid dig into the unique job guarantee offered by ISSA and the growing demand for fitness professionals, highlighting the opportunities for partners to engage with a credible brand in a thriving industry.

Child's Play with Lovevery

Today I'm speaking with Colby Saenz from Lovevery. As a parent, I can immediately see the value of Lovevery playkits for keeping your kids not only entertained but helping them learn at the same time. And as a marketer myself I can see how activating creators, review sites and content publishers would be a great way to not only tell, but show how Love ervery has a positive impact on parents and their families every day. Colby and I dig into the company, products, business model and partnerships that are growing this incredible brand focused on helping kids ages 6 months to 5 years old learn through play.

From Seed to Shelf with Cycling Frog

Today I’m speaking with Ren Robinson, Ecommerce affiliate manager at Cycling Frog. It's clear that Cannabis has come a long way in the past decade. Beyond the regulatory changes we're also seeing companies like Cycling Frog take a deeper look at ingredients, production and packaging. Ren shares about the company, the products and what Cycling Frog cares about in a partnership.