HabitStack Podcast

In this episode of the HabitStack Podcast, host Scott Ward interviews Brad Solomon, co-founder of SC Digital. Brad shares what he's learning from rereading Perry Marshall's "80/20 Sales and Marketing" and "Cashvertising," plus his unexpected fascination with Howard Stern's interview techniques, specifically how preparation, storytelling, and compliments help break down barriers in conversations. The discussion explores Brad's evolution from believing he was the only one who could deliver quality work to building a team of leaders at SC Digital who not only match his abilities but exceed them. After a recent accident gave him fresh perspective, Brad has doubled down on what matters most: empowering his team, focusing on gratitude, and delivering speed with exceptional client care. They dive into Brad's transition from managing individual contributors to leading leaders, why he's shifting from one-on-one meetings to open office hours where the entire team can learn together, and his philosophy that the best part of leadership is taking ownership because when everything is your fault, you have the power to fix it. Brad explains why he hires people better than himself, gives them autonomy to make decisions, and creates an environment so good they don't want to leave.

Scott Ward, host of the HabitStack Podcast, interviews Bill Stathopoulos, author of Cold Email Secrets and CEO of SalesCaptain. Bill shares what he's learning from Measure What Matters about implementing OKRs to align his growing team, and The Greatest Salesman in the World, which teaches him about confidence and approaching business with a sense of faith that all will be well. The conversation explores Bill's journey from studying computer science to working at a growth marketing agency, eventually interviewing marketing legends like Scott Galloway and Arianna Huffington for massive conferences. Bill explains what growth marketing actually was and why it emerged from Silicon Valley startups needing scrappy experimentation in the early 2010s. They dive into why most founders fail at cold email, the three key components of outbound success (targeting, messaging, and deliverability), and why the offer is usually the problem. Bill explains why commoditized services struggle unless they get ultra-specific about industries and problems, the importance of answering "why me" and "why now," and how cold email's bidirectional feedback helps founders iterate to message-market fit faster than any other channel.

Scott Ward, host of the HabitStack Podcast, interviews Brian Swan, co-founder with his wife Rhonda of the Unstoppable Branding Agency. Brian shares his unconventional journey from robotics engineer selling actuators to SpaceX to becoming a branding and PR expert. After his wife Rhonda left pharmaceutical sales to pursue affiliate marketing and generate significant income, Brian left his engineering career in 2004. When they lost everything in the 2008 financial crisis, they pivoted to branding themselves as "the Unstoppable Family" while traveling the world. The conversation explores how Brian and Rhonda now help seven-figure to nine-figure founders get media exposure and credibility through PR on platforms like Forbes, USA Today, and the New York Stock Exchange. They dive into Brian's immersion in the tokenization and DeFi space, how fractional ownership through blockchain is reshaping asset ownership, and why Brian emphasizes that everyone has a story worth telling. The episode covers their company evolution from 50 employees during COVID to a lean team of 10, the importance of culture and values, and how they hire from trusted communities. Brian shares his morning routine, his participation in the Wake Up Warrior men's group, and how his father's death from AIDS at his coming-of-age shaped his philosophy of living fully now rather than deferring life until retirement.

Scott Ward, host of the HabitStack Podcast, interviews Brett Farmiloe, founder of Featured.com, a platform connecting journalists with vetted experts. Brett also recently acquired and revived HARO, an email newsletter serving the same purpose. They discuss the best practices for expert contributions: be helpful, authentic, relevant, and on time. Timing often matters more than perfect credentials when journalists face tight deadlines. The conversation explores Brett's journey through multiple startups, imposter syndrome that persists after success, and how talking to customers is the antidote to discouragement. They dive into Featured's exciting inflection point: having achieved product-market fit for earned media, Brett is now exploring how to leverage the expert network for new opportunities like disrupting survey incentives and providing fresh human knowledge for training AI models. Brett shares his approach to the Eisenhower Matrix for balancing urgent versus important work, his strategy of taking 15-minute walks to recalibrate every four hours, and the "baby fainting goat" mentality of moving fast despite potential pitfalls.

Scott Ward, host of the HabitStack Podcast, interviews Randy Herbertson, president of The Visual Brand (TVB), a branding studio based in Westport, Connecticut. Randy shares his journey from building his first agency to 40 people in New York City, selling it to a media company (which he warns against), and leaving after six miserable months when the promised synergies turned into constant trouble. He explains the key lessons from starting his second studio: ditching the three-hour NYC commute, avoiding web development he couldn't manage, and staying intentionally smaller at 20 people to remain hands-on with creative work. The conversation explores Randy's decision to turn down multiple acquisition offers despite tempting numbers, the critical importance of having a supportive life partner during pivots, and why he believes twists and turns lead to good places if you maintain a positive attitude. They discuss right-sizing teams to balance capacity without burnout, the challenge of letting go of toxic employees too late, and why daily standups transformed team organization. Randy reveals TVB's two specialties that set them apart: motion communications (2D/3D animation that's still a human practice despite AI) and packaging design (a surprisingly specialized field where most agencies fail at execution). He also shares why Studio feels more creative than Agency, and how maintaining work-life boundaries like clearing emails before leaving keeps Monday mornings exciting rather than dreaded. 

Scott Ward, host of the HabitStack Podcast, interviews Chris Rodriguez, CEO of iExcel, a digital marketing agency based in the greater DC/Virginia area. Chris shares his unconventional journey from earning a music degree at the University of Virginia and spending 10 years in the music industry to becoming a "30-year-old rookie in tech." They discuss why Chris intentionally avoids niching down despite conventional wisdom about riches in niches, finding passion in solving diverse marketing puzzles across verticals rather than specializing. The conversation explores the unique psychology of B2B SaaS marketing. Chris explains how iExcel has grown entirely through founder-led sales and referrals, the challenge of maintaining intimacy while scaling, and his approach to hiring people. They also discuss the tension between hustle culture and modern work expectations, why perfection is the enemy of good enough, the baseball batting average approach to hiring, and how hyper-detailed SOPs and call recording with AI summaries have transformed iExcel's operations.

Scott Ward, host of the HabitStack Podcast, interviews Dr. Sheila Brooks, founder, president, and CEO of SRB Communications, celebrating 35 years in business. Dr. Brooks shares her journey from being the first in her family to attend college to becoming a television journalist and eventually building a full-service marketing and PR firm two blocks from the White House. They discuss the critical pivot that saved her business during the 2008 recession when she transformed from a production-only company to a diversified agency. Dr. Brooks explains why she went back to school for her PhD while running the business. The conversation explores the crucial decision every founder faces between working in versus on the business, why she's still the one closing deals after hiring multiple business development managers, and her current pivot toward global opportunities as federal contracts shift. They also discuss leading through personal tragedy, the power of faith and resilience, building high-performing hybrid teams, and why it's not just who you know but who knows you.

Scott Ward, host of the HabitStack Podcast, interviews Dr. Renee Fraser, CEO of Fraser Communications and host of the Dr. Renee Fraser Show. With a PhD in social psychology and over 25 years running a full-service advertising agency, Renee shares how understanding human behavior creates more potent marketing communications. They discuss the Toyota hybrid campaign that reframed product features through the powerful message "we're all hybrids," and why connecting to deeper emotional needs drives better results than rational selling. The conversation explores the evolution from command-and-control leadership to strategic vulnerability, how to decide when and what to share as a leader, and the challenges of building culture with remote teams. Renee discusses diversifying beyond business through nonprofit board work and passion projects, the art of knowing when to persist versus pivot, and how Fraser Communications is exploring AI-powered consumer personas to potentially transform market research. They also tackle the delicate balance between staying informed as a leader while maintaining optimism during uncertain times.

Scott Ward, host of the HabitStack Podcast, interviews Karley Cunningham, founder of Big Bold Brand and creator of the Surefire Method. They explore how Karley's approach goes far beyond traditional branding to create business-wide alignment that drives accelerated growth. Karley shares how clients using the Surefire Method have doubled revenue year over year and achieved five-year goals in half the time by codifying their core beliefs, values, and unique brilliance. The conversation tackles the dangerous gap between stated values and actual behavior, using a powerful example of how finance departments can destroy client relationships built over years. They discuss why taking a strong market position requires courage, the tension between data-driven decisions and authentic company identity, and how first-time founders often let insecurity drive scattered strategy. Karley explains why every department must embody company values and how clarity, codification, and confidence form the foundation for sustainable business growth.

Scott Ward, host of the HabitStack Podcast, interviews Himanshi Raj, founder of Growth Gurus, an e-commerce agency specializing in Amazon, Walmart, and TikTok Shop. They discuss the realities of selling on Amazon versus common misconceptions, why manufacturing will likely stay overseas, and the hidden costs that shock new sellers. Himanshi shares her philosophy of prioritizing client retention over aggressive growth, explaining how her team stays hands-on with every account and why she turned off unnecessary reporting processes after realizing clients valued direct communication more. The conversation explores strategic decisions about expanding to multiple platforms, the importance of product selection and market timing, and building sustainable agency operations through intentional pacing and robust internal processes.