Most founders think they understand their audience. They have the demographics, the personas, the segments. But oftentimes, that alone is not enough.

In this episode of High-Key Growth, I sit down with Erin Weaver, VP of Audience Development and Strategy at The Information (with past leadership roles at The New Yorker, Vox Media, and Group Nine Media), to break down what it actually means to understand an audience—and why it’s one of the most overlooked growth levers in business today.

Coming from the publishing world–an industry that has had to continuously evolve alongside shifts in media, technology, and consumer behavior—Erin brings a perspective rooted in truly knowing what resonates, what builds loyalty, and what ultimately drives action.

We explore why demographics fall short, how audience development connects top-of-funnel attention to long-term monetization, and what founders can learn from companies that have spent decades refining how to capture and keep attention.

This is a conversation about moving beyond surface-level targeting—and building a strategy around real audience insight.

In this episode, Erin covers:

• Why demographics alone don’t define your audience—and what actually does
• How to think about audience across the full funnel, from attention to loyalty
• Lessons founders can take from the publishing industry on building and converting an audience

Connect with Erin on LinkedIn

What does it take to break into one of the most competitive, relationship-driven industries…and build something from the ground up?

In this episode of High-Key Growth, I sit down with Olivia Suchko, Founder of Olive, to talk about the realities of building in fashion—an industry where who you know can matter just as much as what you create. From early traction to long-term vision, Olivia shares how she’s leveraging networking, relationships, and technology to carve out space in a traditionally offline process. 

We get into what it looks like to build in the early days, why relationships are still one of the most powerful growth levers, and how she’s approaching a global fit problem with tech. 

In this episode, Olivia covers: 

• Why networking and relationship-building are critical in industries like fashion
• What it really looks like to build from the ground up in the early stages
• Advice for other founders at this stage of the game, and where she’s found success so far 

What does it really take to build — and successfully exit — a company?

In this episode of High-Key Growth, I sit down with Hayden Cardiff, 3x founder and former Co-CEO of Idelic, to break down the realities behind building multiple companies and navigating a successful exit. Hayden shares candid insights on what worked, what didn’t, and how each venture shaped his approach to growth, fundraising, and founder-led brand building.

We dive into the lessons learned across startups, how to think about capital and scaling at different stages, and why building a strong personal brand—even in a B2B industry—can be a game-changer.

In this episode, Hayden covers:

•  The biggest lessons from building and exiting multiple companies—and what he’d do differently 
•  How to approach fundraising strategically across stages of growth 
•  Why founder brand matters (even in B2B) and how it can accelerate trust and traction 

What does it actually take to create scroll-stopping, high-converting content in the travel and short-term rental space? In this episode, I sit down with Heather Williamson, a digital marketing consultant specializing in aesthetic lifestyle video, to break down what’s working right now.

In this episode, we cover:

• How she carved out a niche creating content for Airbnb, hotels, and travel brands
• Why social media is now essential for bookings and brand growth
• Proven best practices for creating polished, high-performing video content (on your PHONE!)
• What most Airbnb hosts and travel brands are getting wrong

Learn how to unlock the potential of Account Based Marketing (ABM) and take your growth strategy to the next level on this episode of High-Key Growth. Listen in as Sendoso’s Co-CEO, Kris Rudeegraap, offers insights into why AMB has become a game-changing strategy for businesses. 

In this episode, Kris covers:

• How to identify and target the right accounts to maximize ABM success
• Cost-effective ways for early-stage companies to implement ABM strategies
• Tips for aligning sales and marketing teams to deliver personalized, high-impact campaigns

Hot Links
Sendosos Website
Connect with Kris on LinkedIn
Email Kris at [email protected]

Content marketing is a critical piece of the puzzle for B2B businesses, but is often one of the most challenging pieces to execute when you have very little bandwidth during the early stages of growth. Beam Content Co-Founder, Brooklin Nash, shares tips and tricks for building a content-driven brand as a founder or solo marketer. 

In this episode, Brooklin covers: 

• Low-cost market research and validation tools and processes
• Critical elements of effective product positioning and messaging
• Common mistakes early-stage founders often make

Hot Links
Beam Content Website
Connect with Brooklin on LinkedIn
Email Brooklin at [email protected]

For early-stage companies, a product marketing hire isn't often your first priority, but product marketing as a function is necessary for the success of your solutions and market fit. Idelic's Jada Gale stopped by High-Key Growth to discuss product marketing tips for the B2B business that needs hyper-growth with a limited bandwidth. 

In this episode, Jada covers: 

• Low-cost market research and validation tools and processes
• Critical elements of effective product positioning and messaging
• Common mistakes early-stage founders often make

Hot Links
[email protected]
Product Marketing Alliance
Connect with Jada on LinkedIn

There's more than meets the eye when it comes to content. With a solid content creation strategy, a brand can turn blog posts and ebooks into revenue. Tenspeed's Nate Turner joins this episode of High-Key Growth to talk about what building that successful strategy might look like. 

In this episode, Nate covers: 

• Leveraging thought-leadership to drive revenue
• Identifying the channels that will be most effective for your business
• Repurposing content to optimize your strategy for efficiency

Hot Links
Tenspeed.io
Connect with Nate on LinkedIn

For many businesses, Google and social advertisements are some of the most effective ways to reach their target audience and drive growth quickly. Although, marketing background or not, launching successful paid ads for search or social on a budget can be quite challenging for anyone. Fortunately, HBT Digital Consulting's RJ Huebert stops by to talk shop on digital advertising. 

In this episode, RJ covers: 

• Building the right keyword strategy for your business
• Types of ads and how to identify which is best for you
• How to balance your ad spend efficiently 
• Tips for improving ad performance

Hot Links
HBT Digital Consulting Website

Interested in crushing your lead generation goals? Download HBT Digital's "Lead Gen Guide - Succeed with Online Advertising" now.
https://digitalmarketing.hbtdigital.com/lead-gen-guide-succeed-with-online-ads/

Follow the HBT Digital journey on LinkedIn or Instagram, and check out their bi-weekly lead generation newsletter.

From reels and stories to conference presentations, brand videos, advertisements, customer testimonials, user-generated content... the list goes on when it comes to video options for your marketing toolbox. For even seasoned companies, navigating the realm of visual storytelling can be challenging when deciding which videos and channels make sense for their brand. Luckily, PMI Digital's Head of Business Development, Creative Production, Christopher Evans, stopped by to share some of his expertise. 

In this episode, Chris covers: 

• Trends in video that can help your company stand out
• Video styles and channels to leverage for your 2024 strategy
• How to identify the channels most effective for your business
• The rise of AI in video and how it can impact your marketing 

Hot Links
PMI Digital Website
@PMIdigital on Instagram
PMI on Facebook