We usually talk about content as a marketing tactic to grow a business. But what if content is the business? This week, we're diving into the world of creators with Gil Kruger. Gil is the founder of Best Regards Media, a talent management and production company that represents some of the best narrative storytellers on social media.

We talk about:

• What the Creator Economy actually is

• How creators make money through brand deals and partnerships

• The difference between an influencer and a creator (and why it matters)

• Metrics that brands and creators really care about

• The rise of LinkedIn as a legit platform for content deals

• The role of authenticity, creative control, and choosing the right platform

Show Notes:

(0:58) In today's episode, we're joined by Gil Kruger of Best Regards Media.

(4:22) Gil walks us through his background- from film production to founding a creator management company.

(8:29) The types of creators Gil works with and how he helps them land brand deals and partnerships.

(15:13) What is the Creator Economy, really? And why are brands so eager to tap into it?

(19:40) What do brand deals actually look like behind the scenes?

(24:18) The magic word of this episode? Authenticity. How creators can align their content with brands they genuinely care about.

(25:45) LinkedIn is emerging as a new platform for brand deals. How it's different and why it matters.

(30:32) How much creative control do creators have when working with brands?

(32:45) We unpack the stigma around the word "influencer" and discuss the creator vs. influencer distinction.

(35:01) Tips for brands: What to know (and what to avoid) when working with creators.

(40:49) Gil shares common engagement metrics and how to measure success across platforms.

(44:39) UGC, EGC, CCG... what do all these content types mean, and how do they differ?

(55:02) Just because you can be everywhere doesn't mean you should. Lindsay discusses the importance of finding your platform.

(1:05:46) YouTube's staying power: Why it's still the #1 streaming platform for creators and brands.

(1:08:19) What makes TikTok such a magnet for creators?

(1:10:19) Gil notes how AI is showing up in the creator economy.

(1:12:12) Thanks for listening! Check out the links below to find Gil Kruger, and be sure to leave a review if you enjoyed this episode.

Best Regards Media

Camp Takota (2:38)

Creatorbuzz (31:55)

Creator Match (31:59)

Creator Authority (32:01)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/noraschlesinger/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-rios-61875336/

www.linkedin.com/in/gil-kruger

www.instagram.com/bestregardsmedia

MBE Group:

https://mbe.group/

https://www.facebook.com/mbegroupllc/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbegroupllc/

https://www.instagram.com/mbegroupllc/

When is a social strategy the right way to go and when is SEO the right way? We're joined by Ashley Rector, CEO of Quimby Digital, for a fun convo between agencies about the pros and cons of each of our approaches.

We dive into:

• When we each recommend our clients DON'T use our services
• Tips for SEO best practices on social media
• The best ways to use paid ads and social content for lead generation
• Ashley's unconventional journey to owning an agency
• How much you should spend on ads
• What ROI you can expect from social channels and paid ads
• Creative ways Ashley is using AI for work

Show Notes:

(1:12) Welcome back to The Content Lab! Joining us today is Ashley Rector, founder of Quimby Digital.

(1:42) Ashley shares her pivot from law to creative work and what inspired her to launch her own boutique social media agency.

(5:08) Lindsay and Ashley share hesitations they've heard around the word "agency" and why it carries negative perceptions.

(6:52) SEO in the context of organic social is often overlooked but increasingly important. We also chat about on-platform vs. off-platform SEO.

(10:59) Social media best practices, including testing strategies and optimizing your bio.

(13:20) Balancing platform-specific content with SEO. Why your marketing channels should work together.

(17:22) There is no silver bullet or magical solution. Good marketing takes time, consistency, and investment.

(19:25) Hear it from Quimby Digital and MBE Group: When we know we're not the right fit for a client and how success looks different for every client.

(25:41) How AI is changing agency work and where it still falls short.

(31:22) The value of AI in idea generation and content optimization.

(37:27) Customizing AI tools to better fit your agency's workflow.

(44:49) What does a realistic budget look like for organic and paid social strategy?

(49:17) UGC actors, influencers, and employee generated content... Oh my!

(54:05) How we stay up to date with industry trends and marketing news.

(56:32) The most useful KPIs for tracking ROI and knowing when to evaluate performance. (Spoiler: It's NOT after the first week)

(1:03:05) That's a wrap! We'd love to hear your thoughts about this episode. Find us on our social channels in the links below!

Harness (2:40)

Customize your ChatGPT (37:39)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/noraschlesinger/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-leith/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-rios-61875336/

https://quimbydigital.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/arector/

MBE Group:

https://mbe.group/

https://www.facebook.com/mbegroupllc/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbegroupllc/

https://www.instagram.com/mbegroupllc/

What happens when you stumble into content creation, and suddenly thousands of women see their story in yours? In this episode, Nora Schlesinger and Lindsay Rios sit down with Paige Connell, a content creator who built a deeply resonant platform by talking candidly about motherhood, mental load, and the invisible work so many women carry. Paige shares how she unintentionally grew her following, and how she balances authenticity, boundaries, and burnout as a creator.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Paige grew her platform through authentic content
• Why "mental load" content resonates so deeply
• The importance of setting boundaries as a public figure
• Channel strategy and engaging with your audience
• What creators need to know about feedback, burnout, and platform strategy

Show Notes:

(0:52) Joining us today is Paige Connell, a working mother of four whose relatable TikTok and Instagram content resonates with millions.

(1:49) Paige talks about the early stages of her content journey. Before she turned content into her full-time job, she started with lurking and posting without intention.

(5:57) Facing harsh judgment: the challenges of sharing personal experiences in motherhood and child care online.

(8:04) Paige shares how she copes with feedback and criticism, and how she sets boundaries as a content creator.

(13:20) How posting without direction turned into intentional growth.

(17:10) Balancing life as a creator and a parent. Paige shares how she manages both roles.

(26:21) Where Paige draws inspiration for her content.

(32:39) Consuming content opens you up to different viewpoints and experiences of others.

(35:59) Strategizing across different social channels and understanding who you're talking to when it comes to your messaging.

(46:33) Does content always have to be well thought out or scripted?

(48:04) Why engaging in your comment section can help you learn more about your consumers and their understandings.

(51:10) There's more than meets the eye when it comes to keeping up with content creation. Paige shares a glimpse of what her day-to-day looks like.

(57:33) Don't overthink, just do it.

(1:03:41) Making empathetic content centered around your audience.

(1:07:54) How different sides of your personality can emerge through your content.

(1:11:12) Paige gives her advice on staying energized and avoiding burnout.

(1:17:07) That concludes this episode, thanks for listening! Be sure to check out Paige's content in the links below, and let us know your thoughts on the episode.

Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke (25:07)

Mary Catherine Starr on Instagram (27:59)

Broma Bakery (1:06:16)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/noraschlesinger/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-rios-61875336/

https://www.sheisapaigeturner.com/

https://paigeconnell.myflodesk.com/freeguide

https://www.tiktok.com/@sheisapaigeturner

https://www.instagram.com/sheisapaigeturner/

MBE Group:

https://mbe.group/

https://www.facebook.com/mbegroupllc/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbegroupllc/

https://www.instagram.com/mbegroupllc/

We're not going anywhere... but our name is.

After years as the Growth Machine Marketing Podcast, we're rebranding to something that better reflects what this show has become: a space to explore how real people use content to build meaningful brands.

In this short episode, you'll hear why the change felt necessary, what you can expect going forward, and why we're so excited about the future of The Content Lab.

Thanks for being here!

Links:

• #42 Lessons From a Merger
• #46 Lessons From a Merger Pt 2: The Buyer Side

MBE Group:

https://mbe.group/

https://www.facebook.com/mbegroupllc/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbegroupllc/

https://www.instagram.com/mbegroupllc/

Frank Buscemi and Tom Eisbrenner from MBE Group share their POV of the acquisition of Growth Machine. We talk about how the merger process went on their end of things as the buyers, covering:

• Why they wanted to buy us
• How they chose Growth Machine
• Their biggest fears in the buyout process
• What they learned merging our two companies
• Advice for business owners looking to acquire a company

(1:35) You've heard the acquisition story from the Growth Machine side, but this time, hear it from the MBE Group side.

(1:57) Meet Tom, our President, and Frank, our CEO, as they share their backgrounds and roles at MBE Group.

(7:14) Tom and Frank discuss what growing the business looks like from their perspective.

(14:25) What MBE Group was looking for in an acquisition and their dealbreakers when evaluating potential companies.

(18:14) Why did MBE Group choose Growth Machine?

(24:41) How a past merger experience helped shape the process of bringing MBE Group and Growth Machine together.

(28:54) The importance of aligning core values when merging with another company.

(32:20) The biggest challenges and obstacles faced during the acquisition.

(40:37) How company culture impacts success—because apathy kills.

(43:28) Tom and Frank share whether they'd consider another acquisition in the future, and how it would differ from this one.

(48:39) Closing thoughts: Advice for those exploring acquisition opportunities.

IPREX (9:50)

Palmer (18:44)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/noraschlesinger/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-leith/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-buscemi-556a243/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-eisbrenner-2596185/

https://growthmachine.com/

https://twitter.com/growthmachine__

https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourgrowthmachine/

Join our newsletter!

MBE Group:

https://mbe.group/

https://www.facebook.com/mbegroupllc/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbegroupllc/

https://www.instagram.com/mbegroupllc/

It's Q&A time! Nora and Heather tackle listener questions, including:

• How do you build a better content strategy when your current content is suffering?
• Should I be optimizing for Google Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI tools?
• I have a limited budget and want to do SEO, paid ads, and social media, but can't afford all of them. Where is the best place to start?
• If you plan to sell in the future, what should you be doing now to prepare and put your agency in an attractive position to be acquired?
• What is the best lesson/resource to teach yourself SEO?

Show Notes

(1:45) Today's episode is a mailbag episode with questions sent in by listeners or followers on our social channels.

(2:19) Building a better content strategy.

(7:12) It's not just about finding the right keywords, but also about writing the right content.

(11:38) Should you be optimizing your content for Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI tools?

(16:47) Where to invest your marketing efforts with a limited budget.

(24:23) How to put your company in an attractive position to be acquired.

(34:48) Nora and Heather share their top tips and resources for someone who wants to teach themselves SEO.

(40:05) That wraps up this episode! As always, thank you for listening and sending in your questions.

Links:

Ahrefs (5:32)

Semrush (5:34)

Growth Machine's blog (6:58)

Clearscope (9:07)

Surfer (9:08)

Moz (36:35)

Google Help (36:45)

Search Engine Journal (37:23)

Search Engine Roundtable (37:24)

Hashtag Jeff (37:46)

Marie Haynes (38:57)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/noraschlesinger/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-leith/

https://growthmachine.com/

https://twitter.com/growthmachine__

https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourgrowthmachine/

Join our newsletter!

MBE Group:

https://mbe.group/

https://www.facebook.com/mbegroupllc/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbegroupllc/

https://www.instagram.com/mbegroupllc/

Want to make sure your content agency doesn't fire you? This week, Heather and Nora are breaking down the must-haves every business needs before diving into content marketing. Without them, you might be setting yourself up for failure. From choosing the right CMS to nailing your brand voice, we're covering everything that makes content agencies want to keep working with you for a long time.

Show Notes:

(1:04) So you've decided to hire a content agency. That's great! In this episode, we're giving our tips on what you can do to build a lasting partnership.

(2:46) Before you invest in any type of online marketing, you should have a functioning website.

(5:25) Why choosing a good CMS for your website matters.

(11:04) Get crystal clear on your unique value proposition and exactly what it is you offer.

(18:07) Developing your buyer persona. Who is is that we're targeting with our writing and messaging?

(20:45) The importance of knowing your customer's pain points and how they may search for them.

(22:26) How understanding your content competitors can help inform your content strategy.

(28:40) Heather and Nora talk brand voice and style.

(35:44) How much promotion of your services and products do you want in your content?

(39:24) Be prepared to answer questions on internal links, external links to avoid, and images. Major bonus if you have your own product images.

(43:04) Communication is key! A good partnership includes a point of contact who can give approval and provide updates.

(52:18) Whether you're looking to hire a content agency this week or in a year, we hope you took away some insights from this episode on how you can best prepare.

Links:

The 8 Best CMS Platforms for SEO-Conscious Businesses (6:13)

6 Iconic Tone of Voice Examples Every Brand Can Learn From (28:40)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/noraschlesinger/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-leith/

https://growthmachine.com/

https://twitter.com/growthmachine__

https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourgrowthmachine/

Join our newsletter!

MBE Group:

https://mbe.group/

https://www.facebook.com/mbegroupllc/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbegroupllc/

https://www.instagram.com/mbegroupllc/

As our VP of Content, Heather has hired hundreds of writers in all sorts of niches. There are writers who pop right off the page and make her want to talk to them immediately, and there are writers who get disqualified before she's even opened their portfolio. She's sharing all her tips and answering new freelancers' questions in this advice-packed episode. You'll walk away knowing how to structure an application to a freelance writing job and how to communicate your eagerness without looking too desperate.

In this episode:

• Advice from working freelance writers
• How to stand out from masses of applicants
• Easy tips to become indispensable once you get the job
• Red flags you'll want to avoid having in your application, socials, and portfolio

Show Notes:

0:51) How can you become an irresistible hire? Take it from a content agency who has worked with hundreds of freelance writers over the years!

(1:41) Heather kicks off the episode by sharing her background in working with freelance writers.

(4:20) The top 3 things to avoid that will likely disqualify your application right off the bat.

(9:12) What does it take to make yourself stand out from hundreds of other applicants?

(11:57) We give some real-life examples of great responses we've received, and why their answers hit the mark for us.

(25:29) Ways to give the extra *zing* on your application.

(27:20) So… you got the job! Now, how can you make yourself indisposable?

(33:07) Let's talk dealbreakers.

(37:05) Heather shares a few recent stories of things writers have done to make her job easier.

(40:35) AMA time! We invited Heather's network on LinkedIn to submit any questions they had about being successful freelance writers.

(53:01) That concludes this episode. Thanks for listening!

Links:

UpWork (43:44)

ProBlogger (43:53)

Writer Intake Form (49:38)

Alice's Lemee's LinkedIn post (50:32)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/noraschlesinger/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-leith/

https://growthmachine.com/

https://twitter.com/growthmachine__

https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourgrowthmachine/

Join our newsletter!

MBE Group:

https://mbe.group/

https://www.facebook.com/mbegroupllc/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbegroupllc/

https://www.instagram.com/mbegroupllc/

We're being acquired, and we're spilling all the tea about what the process was like from start to finish! Nora will go over how she knew it was time to sell the company, how it felt going through the acquisition process, and what she learned along the way.

Show Notes:

(1:02) Big news at Growth Machine! We will share our experience and takeaways for you out there who may be going through or are considering an acquisition.

(2:11) Nora talks us through the process of being acquired and how long it took.

(4:57) How did we come to this decision to join another company?

(12:05) Nora shares her experience in working with an M&A broker.

(18:43) Our non-negotiables in what we wanted out of a partnership.

(24:13) Change can be uncomfortable, but that doesn't mean it has to be painful.

(29:50) Nora gives her advice for leaders who are unsure of how to pivot their business.

(35:04) How to 'remove your blinders' when it comes to redefining what your definition of company success looks like.

(42:51) One unspoken job of being a leader: Setting the vibe.

(49:22) It's okay to gain perspective from others and not trek through a big business decision all alone.

(52:57) As the saying goes, there's a lid for every pot.

(54:56) We close out the episode by sharing what we're most looking forward to as the merger comes to completion.

(57:56) We hope anyone going through something similar will find value in this episode. Thanks for listening!

Links:

(1:35) Acquisition announcement

https://www.linkedin.com/in/noraschlesinger/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-leith/

https://growthmachine.com/

https://twitter.com/growthmachine__

https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourgrowthmachine/

Join our newsletter!

MBE Group:

https://mbe.group/

https://www.facebook.com/mbegroupllc/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbegroupllc/

https://www.instagram.com/mbegroupllc/

Heather, Lindsay, and Nora spent a few months trying to post on what could be considered the lamest social media of them all: LinkedIn. We all took different approaches and each found at least some degree of success building up a LinkedIn network and getting more followers. We share what worked, what miserably failed, and our pleasant surprises in navigating the cringey waters of LinkedIn.

Show Notes:

(1:01) You guessed if from the title… today we're talking about our journeys on LinkedIn!

(2:20) Lindsay kicks us off by sharing why she began using LinkedIn a year ago, and what her initial posts would look like.

(4:31) Is LinkedIn only for active job hunters? Nora tells some of her previous misconceptions before she began posting more regularly.

(7:14) The power of creating content that makes your audience say, "Me too!".

(10:41) If you're just mimicking the content that's already out there without adding your personal touch, you're going to fall flat.

(12:06) Should you outsource your LinkedIn content creation for your personal profile? Our short answer: No.

(19:27) From posting dinner ideas to resonating with fellow working women, we share what topics and posts have done well for us.

(28:12) It's not about the glamorous, but the authenticity.

(35:15) Heather shares the details of one of her LinkedIn posts that gained traction within the freelance writer community.

(37:21) Lindsay describes how she found her balance of providing helpful advice for those interested in what she does while also educating her ICPs (Ideal Customer Profile) as a fractional sales leader.

(41:40) It's tempting to go where you're getting the most attention. But we encourage you to stick to who you are to continue to build trust.

(50:01) What do our schedules for posting look like?

(53:36) We share our final tips for finding success on LinkedIn and making it your own. As always, thanks for listening!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/noraschlesinger/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-leith/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-rios-61875336/

https://growthmachine.com/

https://twitter.com/growthmachine__

https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourgrowthmachine/

Join our newsletter!