S1E6: You think you know the tradeoff between agency and in-house. You don’t. Former agency titan turned internal marketing architect Michael Catanzaro joins CJ to talk shop: how to build an in-house creative team from scratch, why your big ideas keep getting killed, and how to make room for risk in the risk-averse world of fintech and healthcare. Oh, and there’s a cadaver lab. Real one. Tune in for truth bombs, tactical gems, and more than a few career curveballs. Show notes and video at hellovulgar.com/in-house-vs-agency-marketing-catanzaro

S1E5: Joy Fan didn’t just watch retail evolve—she helped shape it. In this episode, Joy, the founder of re/tell, lays out how modern brands are rewriting the rules of retail, starting small and scaling fast. Spoiler: it’s not about building a store—it’s about building momentum. From shelf-space matchmaking to real-time messaging insights, this one’s packed. Show notes and video at https://hellovulgar.com/retail-growth-strategy-joy-fan

S1E4: What do you get when you mix a killer hammock, zero production budget, and a trade show floor? A viral ad with 40 million views, apparently. Derek Tillotson, founder of Haven Tents, joins us to talk about how embracing lo-fi, unpolished storytelling turned his quirky product demo into content gold—and why a “mediocre” video might just outperform your next big-budget shoot. We talk scrappy content creation, brand growth beyond niche markets, and why sleep (not tents) is Haven’s real business. Video, show notes, and more at hellovulgar.com/viral-content-strategy-haven-tents.

S1E3: Russell Kern built and sold one of the most respected CRM agencies in the country, taking it to over 400 people inside of Omnicom while turning broken marketing programs into record-breaking growth for brands like Amex and AT&T. In this episode, he reveals the overlooked client behaviors that make or break ad agency performance. If you’re a brand stuck in the $10–$100M rut, tune in to learn how to get your agency to deliver their best work, consistently. Video, show notes, and more at hellovulgar.com/fix-ad-agency-performance.

S1 E2: Can a company scale without selling its soul—or its equity? Peak Design did. Adam and Lawrence, the marketing duo behind the brand, map out the five chapters of their company's evolution, including the painful content gaps, the retail pivot, and how they finally found an ad agency that "got them." Tune in for unfiltered stories, actionable insights, and the occasional boating magazine shout-out. Video, show notes, and more at hellovulgar.com/peak-design-marketing-playbook.

S1 E1: In the inaugural episode of 'The Bad Idea for Clarity Podcast,' host CJ Forse outlines his mission to explore how businesses can scale from a few million to over a hundred million in annual revenue. Drawing from his experience as the CEO and founder of the e-commerce marketing agency Vulgar, CJ shares the three most common pitfalls that hinder businesses from scaling. Show notes and more at https://hellovulgar.com/most-common-barriers-to-scale. Need help scaling your business? Check out Vulgar, the performance creative agency founded and run by CJ. Go to hellovulgar.com.