In this episode, I sit down with designer, educator, founder, and category creator, Nick Broekema, the mind behind the booming discipline of Content Design and one of the most recognizable visual brands on LinkedIn™.

Nick has built something rare: a business that’s 100% inbound. No outreach. No cold emails. No chasing. Just magnetic, systematic content that compounds.

We go deep on:

• How Nick built an audience of 80k+
• How Content Design became a category, and how he's leading it
• The exact steps he took to turn random posting into a business
• What most creators get wrong on LinkedIn™
• Why alignment beats hustle
• The role of clarity, positioning, and ICP refinement
• His pivot from Done-For-You to Cohorts + Community
• And the mindset shifts required to scale a highly creative business sustainably

This is a masterclass in positioning, design, systems, and treating content as a strategic asset - not decoration.

Whether you're a founder, a coach, a designer, or someone reinventing their career on LinkedIn, this is a conversation you will want to save.

Chapters:

00:00 - Teaser Intro

00:41 - Re-Framing, Re-Building

01:08 - The Early Days & Becoming a Category of One

02:50 - From Crickets to Clarity

04:10 - The Coach Who Sparked a Category

05:23 - Why LinkedIn™? Why Now?

07:41 - Quitting, Drifting, and Rediscovering Entrepreneurship

09:20 - Choosing LinkedIn™ Over Instagram

09:53 - What a Carousel Really Is (and Why It Works)

11:30 - Why Visuals Must Be Simple, Clear, and Fast

13:49 - How to Build Leads on LinkedIn From Scratch

15:44 - Compounding Through Conversation

17:05 - The Turning Point: Selling Through Content

18:38 - The Three-Month Danger Window

19:45 - Quantity → Quality (No Other Shortcut Exists)

22:16 - Why You Should Post BEFORE You Need To

26:15 - The Multiple Facets of Content Design

28:21 - Nick's Design Rules (And Why They Work)

30:30 - How His Client Grew 8k Followers and 80k in Revenue

32:22 - Trim the Offer: Why Less > More

34:28 - The 60% Rule for Positioning

36:22 - D.F.Y → D.I.Y: A Pivot That Scales

37:52 - Nick’s Current Business Model

40:10 - Why He’s Leaving Done-For-You Behind

42:53 - The Rise of In-Person Events

44:58 - Why Build a Community?

46:32 - Screen-Sharing, Transparency, and “Winging It”

48:06 - Jeff’s POV on Clarity, Story, and Power of Voice

52:02 - Reframing Stage Nerves into Excitement

53:36 - Nick’s Public Speaking Trauma (And How He Overcame It)

55:54 - Expertise + Stories = Unshakeable Confidence

57:15 - The Anchor of Inbound-Only

58:10 - Jeff on Remembering Your Own Value

59:41 - Jeff’s Storytelling Background & Business Model

01:02:52 - Naming, Positioning & Not Getting “Too Cute”

Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]

If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you.

Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.

Cover art by Daniel Devoy
Music by Stephen Voyce

©2024 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

This is a conversation about what it really takes to build a business, stand out in a sea of sameness, and recover when the hustle turns into burnout.

Louis Butterfield is the co-founder of Awesome Business Videos & Video Heroes, an agency, program & community helping founders create videos that actually get watched on LinkedIn. Known for his playful “videos in the park” format, Louis has carved out a reputation for making content that’s ungeneric, entertaining, and rooted in values. Alongside his wife Jenna Sipponen, he’s built a six-figure business and a fast-growing community - while also confronting the realities of burnout and balance.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How Louis went from living in a yurt and failing five businesses to launching a thriving video company
• Why ungeneric videos beat polished but forgettable content every time
• The park video formula: mix silly settings with serious value
• How partnerships and podcasts became rocket fuel for authority
• The hidden cost of 70-hour weeks and the truth about burnout
• Why stories that sell are really about shared values, not just hooks
• The mantra Louis lives by: Punch above your weight class

Takeaways

• Stand out by changing the setting - not watering down the message
• Trust compounds when you borrow audiences through collaboration
• Community brings accountability and consistency
• Shared values build stronger bonds than formulas ever could
  
  
  

Chapters

00:00 – The role of story: why we’re drawn to people like us
00:25 – Welcome to the Disruptive Influence Podcast
00:40 – Meet Louis Butterfield: ungeneric videos for ungeneric brands
01:10 – From yurts to five failed businesses → stumbling into video
02:00 – Why high-end video no longer works & the shift to LinkedIn
03:45 – The rise of “videos in the park” (and why they work)
07:20 – Behind the scenes: outtakes, swings, and slides
09:15 – From client work to community → launching Video Heroes
13:20 – Building authority: showing wins & stacking trust through partnerships
17:30 – Podcasting as rocket fuel for growth
23:00 – The hard truth: burnout behind the six-figure launch
27:30 – Guardrails, recovery, and avoiding future burnout
31:30 – Purpose & fuel: love vs. fear, family, and the housing dream
36:40 – Finding Ikigai & designing the long game
39:20 – Crafting stories that sell: values over hooks
46:20 – Imposter syndrome, client pain points & the mantra: Punch above your weight class

Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]

If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you.

Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.

Cover art by Daniel Devoy
Music by Stephen Voyce

©2024 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

What does it really take to stand out as a speaker in a noisy world?

The zesty and unapologetically real, Annelise McCarthy, founder of Her Speaking Coach, joins Jeff to explore what speaking with confidence really means.

From overcoming a childhood lisp to building a thriving global coaching business, Annelise shares powerful and counterintuitive lessons on communication, presence, and self-belief. This episode isn’t about tips and tricks, it’s about transforming the way you see yourself, so your voice carries the weight it deserves.

We dive into:

• Why being brilliant isn’t enough if you can’t communicate it memorably.
• The myth that you need to be “serious” to be taken seriously.
• How self-love becomes the ultimate speaking skill.
• The spotlight effect, and why nobody notices your mistakes as much as you do.
• The shift from performance to presence that changes everything.

Whether you’re a founder, leader, or simply someone who wants to use their voice more powerfully, this conversation will remind you: it’s never too late to claim your voice and step into the spotlight on your own terms.

🎧 Tune in and get ready to stop performing - and start connecting.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:40 Journey into Public Speaking

10:25 The Importance of Communication in the Age of AI

12:01 Memorable Moments in Speaking

18:05 The Impact of Empowering Voices

24:14 Self-Love and Communication

27:54 Embracing Anxiety as a Superpower

29:35 The Journey of Self-Discovery

31:27 The Impact of COVID on Personal Growth

34:08 The Mirror Moment: A Turning Point

36:40 Building a Relationship with Self-Love

38:07 The Power of Vulnerability in Storytelling

40:07 From Performance to Authenticity

44:14 Shifting Focus from Self to Audience

48:00 The Foundation of Compassion in Public Speaking

51:21 The Challenges of Entrepreneurship

Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]

If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you.

Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.

Cover art by Daniel Devoy
Music by Stephen Voyce

©2024 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

Priya Chopra reveals the secret ingredient behind her cross-border PR and creator agencies - a blend of vibes, intuition, and a relentless Momentum Mindset that keeps brands, and teams, sweetly winning.

Priya Chopra is the founder & CEO of 1Milk2Sugars and double shot, where she mixes her “Sugar Factor” - a unique recipe of psychic intuition, empathy, and entrepreneurial grit - to help brands and creators amplify impact, loyalty, and growth.

In this episode, she joins Jeff to break down:
◽️ How a quirky coffee-order name became a client-magnet launchpad
◽️ The daily “Sugar Factor” rituals that turn good vibes into sticky brand wins
◽️ Why “your 80 is someone’s 100” is the mindset hack to ditch perfectionism
◽️ Real-world tactics for sustaining momentum when the buzz fades
◽️ The surprising role of intuition (yes, she’s psychic!) in storytelling and leadership
◽️ Her blueprint for scaling from Canada to the U.S. without losing culture
◽️ Tactical tips for juggling agency hustle with family, fitness, and self-care

Chapters
00:00 – Winning Mindset (Intro Teaser)
00:32 – Meet Priya Chopra
01:33 – 1Milk2Sugars Origin
03:52 – Birth of double shot
05:49 – Championing Creators
08:10 – Lessons for Entrepreneurs
11:22 – The Sugar Factor
15:08 – Psychic Intuition Moment
17:03 – Vibes & Storytelling
20:11 – Manifesting Momentum
21:50 – Leading with Empathy
36:05 – PR’s Resurgence
41:39 – U.S. Expansion
49:02 – Your 80 Is Someone’s 100
53:24 – Work-Life Blend
55:04 – Word of the Year: Momentum
56:48 – Wrap up

Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]

If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you.

Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.

Cover art by Daniel Devoy
Music by Stephen Voyce

©2024 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

Curtis Matsko turned a pink diary and a garage startup into a $180 million leather-goods empire - then doubled it year after year by unleashing what he calls “founder magic.” He shares how leaning into your strengths and embracing the unknown can turn every setback into a launchpad for growth.

Curtis Matsko is the CEO and co-founder of Portland Leather Goods, one of North America’s fastest-growing DTC and retail brands. A self-described “over-educated jerk” who never held a real job beyond three days, he’s built his business on pattern recognition, calculated risks, and unapologetic authenticity.

Mariana Patiño, PA/EA at Portland Leather Goods, jumps in to share what it’s like being Curtis’ right hand - juggling the logistics, capturing his lightning-fast ideas, and turning his wild energy into every project’s secret sauce.

We talk about:
 ◽️ Why “10× is easier than 2×”—and how big-vision thinking sidesteps incremental bottlenecks.
 ◽️ How to pour gas on your strengths instead of wasting time fixing weaknesses.
 ◽️ The profit math behind scaling both direct-to-consumer and a 30-store footprint.
 ◽️ Why the clearest path isn’t yours - and how to find magic in uncharted territory.
 ◽️ How founder-led storytelling becomes your ultimate competitive advantage.
 ◽️ The secret role of Mariana, his “energy multiplier,” in rapid iteration and team chemistry.

Whether you’re launching your first venture or leading a mature organization, you’ll walk away with a new playbook for bold growth, real-talk storytelling, and the magic that happens when you refuel your superpowers.

Chapters

00:00 – Focus on Your Strengths (Intro Teaser)
00:21 – Podcast Intro & What to Expect  
00:35 – Meet Curtis Matsko, CEO of Portland Leather Goods  
01:39 – From Garage Origins to a $180M Business  
03:22 – The Three-Day Box Boy Job & Pivot to Lifeguarding  
07:04 – Authenticity in Founder-Led Storytelling  
10:15 – The Disruptive Influence Backstory  
13:15 – Balancing “Rush” vs. “Long-Haul” Vision  
16:49 – Pattern Recognition & On-the-Fly Problem Solving  
20:00 – Why 10× Is Easier Than 2× (Mindset Shift)  
23:49 – Scaling Online & Retail: Profit Math Revealed  
26:24 – Crafting Compelling Presentations (55-Minute Talks)  
31:13 – Calculated Risk: Worst-Case Scenarios & Learning Fast  
37:48 – Double Down on Strengths & Team Synergy  
40:54 – Introducing Mariana Patiño!
44:37 – Surprises, Gratitude & Final Takeaways  

Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]

If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you.

Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.

Cover art by Daniel Devoy
Music by Stephen Voyce

©2024 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

Jasmin Alić, LinkedIn's king of comments, content & community, shares how to turn content into conversations, stories into sales, and profile views into paying clients. We dive into warm outreach, offer alignment, and why connection beats content every time.

Jasmin is a brand strategist and community builder who’s helped thousands of creators turn personal brands into real businesses. As the founder of LinkUp and LinkBound, he teaches people how to grow with clarity, integrity, and a little bit of swagger.

Chapters

00:00  Opening Teaser - Low reach? Comment harder.
00:32  Intro – Disruptive Influence Podcast #30
03:22  Two new businesses: LinkUp & LinkBound
07:40  Why most paid communities trap their founders
10:00  Inside LinkUp: 3 in-house experts, daily feedback
12:29  Bosnia trip giveaway
14:10  “Build community, not a cage” – the mindset
18:55  2025 blind spot: Story > Tips
21:15  Storytelling 101: share what you think, not just what you know
24:55  Offers: choose an intro offer, then craft content
29:15  Starter-offer pricing & positioning
33:45  Warm-outreach playbook (+ LinkedIn’s new viewer data)
40:10  Limiting belief: “DM sales feel sleazy”
44:25  Coach’s proudest moments – client self-awareness
53:05 Surprise fun fact about Jasmin
54:45  Biggest LinkedIn opportunity: comments dominate
1:00:05  Reddit: LinkedIn Lunatics & blocking negativity

Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]

If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you.

Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.

Cover art by Daniel Devoy
Music by Stephen Voyce

©2024 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

Aaron Spivak co-founded Hush, turning a weighted blanket into a Kickstarter smash and selling to Sleep Country for eight figures - all before his 26th birthday. He joins Jeff to unpack the real juice behind:

Filling Your Four Buckets – his health / friends & family / business / integrity framework

Giving Before You Take – the counter-intuitive first rule powering his invite-only Founders Club

Cooling the Market – How hundreds of customer calls flipped Hush from summer slump to record-breaking demand

Story > Specs – how truly speaking to their audience turned their Dragons’ Den pitch into Canadian TV lore

Reps, Results, Reality Checks – why Aaron treats entrepreneurship like a full-contact sport

..and how Aaron Spivak Sold Hush, but kept his soul.

Chapters

0:00 Intro “Everything is war”
1:24 Why Founders Club exists & who it’s for
4:36 The first rule of Founders' Club and the “give first” philosophy
5:48 Defining a “successful founder” - The Four Buckets of Life
7:59 The loneliness factor & why community beats the island
10:28 Storytelling, customer calls & the $4,000 runway
14:42 "Make it cooling!” - the hundred call insight
17:33 Kickstarter blows up: $700K to $10M
19:59 “People buy magic” - best story wins philosophy
22:24 Vulnerability, emotion & why design alone can’t win
26:51 Dragons’ Den prep: spray-tan mishaps & thousands of reps
33:00 Business as war: Kobe, LeBron, and out-working talent
35:03 Right reps vs. first reps - tailoring for your stage
38:58 Momentum, niche audiences & getting the right views
44:08 The Range Rover promise to mom - entrepreneurship’s best payoff
49:24 Launching the Founder-to-Founder podcast (and the “double-F” hat)
51:33 How to join Founders Club, - cities, retreats and more
53:12 Outro & Jeff’s CTA

Useful Links

Find the Founders Club: https://www.foundersclubofficial.com/

Connect with Aaron Spivak: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-spivak1/

Connect with Jeff Abracen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/

Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]

If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you.

Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.

Cover art by Daniel Devoy
Music by Stephen Voyce

©2024 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

Shoaib Ahmed, Founder, Brand Storyteller, Ghostwriter, and Digital Nomad, joins Jeff to talk about building a business that actually works for you.

We get into personal branding that drives results, solopreneur freedom, the reality behind it, and how Shoaib curates what he calls his “little life”, for more freedom, flow, and focus. He shares how he approaches content, and what it’s like to ghostwrite for everyone from global execs to Gen Z founders, how numbers and narratives go hand in hand, fashion, power bowls, and how to win over your barista and batch create content in a coffee shop.

And surprise! Bestie Karla McNeilage, Personal Brand Strategist and Owner at Wave Socials, crashes the pod with surprise questions, unhinged chaos, and some real talk about growth, friendship, confidence, and how far they’ve come -together.

If you’re a executive, founder, coach, creator, consultant, or anyone building something that’s both personal and powerful, this episode slaps.

00:00 Intro

00:38 Meet Shoaib Ahmed

01:37 Curating a Stylish Life and Content

02:57 The Concept of 'My Little Life'

03:52 Business Retreats and Collaborations

05:04 Building Meaningful Connections

07:15 The Importance of Complementary Relationships

08:29 Navigating Business Partnerships

10:09 The Journey of a Digital Nomad

11:23 Finding Balance in Health, Wealth, and Happiness

12:46 The Evolution of a Solopreneur

14:56 Self-Discipline and Awareness

16:46 Understanding ADHD and Its Impact

18:27 The Role of a Ghostwriter

20:35 The Art of Context Switching

22:05 Automation and Systems in Business

23:41 The Challenges of Solopreneurship

25:08 The Intersection of Storytelling and Data

27:53 Proving Value Through Metrics

29:50 The Joy of Numbers and Analytics

30:58 Content Creation Rituals

32:38 Daily Routines and Coffee Rituals

37:11 Coffee Shop Strategies for Productivity

39:15 Client Relationships and Boundaries

41:31 The Importance of Trust in Branding

43:11 From Nerd to Rebel: Embracing Change

46:26 Unhinged Questions and Fun Dynamics

54:21 Reflections on Personal Growth and Identity

Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]

If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you.

Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.

Cover art by Daniel Devoy
Music by Stephen Voyce

©2024 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

Mike Fata is a founder, investor, health advocate, and builder of movements. After losing 100 pounds, he co-founded Manitoba Harvest and grew it into a $100M+ hemp foods powerhouse, later guiding its $419M sale to Tilray. He’s now the CEO of Fata & Associates, host of the Founder to Mentor podcast, and an advisor to world-class natural product brands. Whether he’s mentoring founders or plunging into ice baths, Mike is all about growth - with purpose.

He joins Jeff to talk about the discipline behind transformation, how to pitch in 60 seconds, why personal branding matters more than ever in 2025, and what it really means to live with purpose after the exit. From health to storytelling to deep work, this conversation goes way beyond business.

• Why discipline > motivation
• Building your personal brand without faking it
• The power of a 60-second pitch
• Letting your story sell
• Sleep, hydration, and health as your unfair advantage
• What burnout taught him after the $100M exit
• How to find your purpose (and stop lying to yourself about it)
• And so much more!

• LinkedIn
• mikefata.ca
• Book: Grow
• Podcast: Founder to Mentor

Chapters

00:00 Intro
04:10 The Importance of Storytelling
09:24 Flipping the Switch: Discipline Over Motivation
14:20 Spiritual Growth and Healing the Self
20:01 Abundance, Flow, and the “Treasure Hunt” Mindset
23:36 Rest, Recovery, and the Myth of Busy
26:32 Life After Exit: Redefining Freedom and Fulfillment
31:12 How to Actually Find Your Purpose
34:32 Building a Healthy Body: Sleep, Hydration, and Movement
39:09 Daily Routines, Electrolytes, and “Showering the Inside”
42:52 Business Lessons: When It Is Personal
46:28 Disrupting the Hemp Industry: From Niche to Mainstream
48:06 Building a Personal Brand in 2025
53:51 Connection, Community, and Showing Up Online
55:34 The 20-Year Dream: Restoring His Westfalia Van
57:18 Growth, Grit, and What He’d Tell His 13-Year-Old Self

Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]

If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you.

Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.

Cover art by Daniel Devoy
Music by Stephen Voyce

©2024 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

Aransas Savas, motivational strategist and coach, joins Jeff to explore the real drivers behind creativity, influence, and personal growth.

They dive into why healthy conflict is essential for innovation, how to transition from chasing positional power to embodying personal power, and why authenticity, not conformity, is the real superpower.

Aransas shares how embracing play, curiosity, and even our perceived limitations can unlock new possibilities in leadership, creativity, and life. This conversation reminds us that growth isn’t about fitting in - it’s about showing up as your truest self and finding the people and opportunities that see your value.

Key Topics:

• Why healthy conflict and tension fuel creativity
• Challenging societal norms to uncover your truth
• The shift from fitting in to standing out
• How to use play to solve problems and get unstuck
• Turning perceived weaknesses into your greatest strengths
• Finding community, courage, and personal power
• How emotional storytelling drives real-world influence

Connect with Aransas Savas:

• Podcast: The Uplifters Podcast
• LinkedIn: Aransas Savas

Connect with Jeff Abracen:

• LinkedIn

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:36 Understanding Wellbeing and Leadership Coaching

02:20 Embracing Authenticity and Personal Truth

04:43 Challenging Societal Norms and Personal Beliefs

08:50 The Struggle Between Fitting In and Standing Out

10:46 Transitioning from Positional to Personal Power

12:08 Finding Value in Uncommon Skills

17:04 The Role of Purpose in Professional Life

21:10 Navigating Acceptance and Impact

24:33 Defining the Ideal Customer and Job to Be Done

27:35 The Complexity of Superpowers and Insecurities

30:04 The Value of Diverse Perspectives

35:27 The Power of Play in Problem Solving

40:09 Breaking Free from Limiting Beliefs

42:25 Transforming Limitations into Strengths

48:21 Using Struggles to Help Others

54:11 Defining Your Unique Influence

01:01:14 The Impact of Stories on Courage

Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]

If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you.

Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.

Cover art by Daniel Devoy
Music by Stephen Voyce

©2024 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen