Fresh off the Shop Talk e-commerce conference, John and Marc break down everything makers need to know about AI in 2026. The episode covers practical AI applications for inventory forecasting, product design, marketing copy, and customer service, while drawing a clear line between where AI helps and where it can hurt your brand. They also discuss agentic commerce, AI image and video ethics, environmental impact, and the future of AI regulation

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Trailer

00:00:48 Welcome and Episode Overview

00:03:49 AI Is Evolving Fast: Get on the Boat

00:06:53 AI for Inventory Forecasting: Predaco

00:10:21 AI for Product Launch Organization

00:13:23 Shop Talk Conference: What We Learned

00:14:19 What Is Agentic Commerce?

00:17:32 Buying Directly Through ChatGPT

00:21:42 What Makers Must Do to Be Found by AI

00:25:05 Website SEO vs. AEO and GEO Optimization

00:28:16 Using AI for Product Design and Ideation

00:37:03 AI for Marketing Copy and Ad Scripts

00:44:47 What AI Should Never Replace in Your Business

00:49:28 AI Images and Video: What's Real vs. Fake

00:55:42 Authenticity vs. AI: Where to Draw the Line

01:00:00 Environmental Impact and AI Regulation

01:05:53 MakerFlo's Mela AI Customer Service Agent

01:10:24 Outro

Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -makerflo.comFacebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/

Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

John and Marc continue with Brit Shane to tackle one of the most common misconceptions in social media: that going viral is the goal. Brit breaks down why consistency beats virality, how micro-influencers outperform large accounts in conversions, and why reposting winning content is a legitimate and effective strategy for product businesses.

Timestamps00:00:00 Trailer00:00:15 Consistency vs. Virality: The Core Question00:01:46 Making a Million With Only 3,300 Followers00:02:22 Why Micro-Influencers Convert Better00:02:42 Virality vs. Consistency: The Gym Analogy00:03:55 Reward Consistency, Not Outcome00:04:22 Going Viral Pulls You Off Brand00:05:10 Allow Yourself to Be Bad at First00:06:05 Post First, Analyze Later00:06:24 Reposting Winning Content as a Strategy00:07:28 Outro

Follow Brit Shane:Brit’s Website - Brit ShaneInstagram - Britni Shane (@brit_shane) • Instagram photos and videosTiktok - TikTok - Make Your Day

Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -makerflo.comFacebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/

Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

John and Marc continue their conversation with Brit Shane, covering practical content ideas for makers just starting out on social media. The discussion moves into sales funnels, first-party data, affiliate marketing margins, and why getting customers off third-party platforms and onto your own website is critical for long-term business growth.

Timestamps:00:00:00 Trailer00:00:16 What Content to Post When Starting Out00:04:13 Show Your Manufacturing and Assembly Process00:07:07 Everything Is Content: Just Start Filming00:10:09 How to Convert Viewers Into Buyers00:13:38 Platform Fees and Protecting Your Margins00:18:26 Building a Long-Term Funnel and Email Strategy00:20:08 OutroFollow Brit Shane:Brit’s Website - https://www.britshane.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brit_shane/?hl=enTiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@houseofbritConnect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -http://makerflo.com/)Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

John and Marc sit down with Brit Shane, a social media expert with over a decade of experience across Instagram, TikTok, and beyond. The conversation covers platform strategy, content creation, personal branding, paid promotion, content batching, and the tools Brit uses to manage multiple brands. This episode is a practical guide for small business owners looking to turn social media into a real sales channel.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Trailer

00:00:19 Guest Introduction: Who Is Brit Shane?

00:03:00 How Social Media Algorithms Have Changed

00:05:10 Instagram vs. TikTok: Branding vs. Conversion

00:08:40 Social Media as a Discovery Engine

00:15:00 Should You Show Your Face on Camera?

00:29:10 Platform Strategy: Where to Start

00:31:40 Optimizing Your Profile and Bio

00:36:00 Pay to Play: When and How to Run Ads

00:43:30 Which Platform to Start With First

00:46:45 Content Batching and Posting Cadence

00:48:00 The Five Content Pillars Framework

00:50:00 Tools: CapCut, Descript, and Repurpose.io

00:58:25 Outro

Follow Brit Shane:Brit’s Website - Brit ShaneInstagram - Britni Shane (@brit_shane) • Instagram photos and videosTiktok - TikTok - Make Your Day

Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -makerflo.comFacebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/

Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

John and Marc sit down with Coach Tom Dougherty from ActionCoach to cover Step 6 of the business mastery framework: Freedom. The conversation explores what financial and personal freedom means for a business owner, why your "why" changes over time, and the different exit and growth paths available once a business reaches this stage. The episode closes with Coach Tom sharing where viewers can connect with him and get support.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Trailer00:00:19 What Is Step 6: Freedom?00:01:45 Passive Income, Franchising, and Selling00:03:00 Defining Your "Why" as a Business Owner00:06:05 Freedom, Philanthropy, and Giving Back00:07:19 Replacing Yourself: The System Creator00:09:15 Where to Find Coach Tom00:10:00 Outro

Follow Coach TomInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomdoc?igsh=dTZ2YmkwOG1kaGZ4LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdougherty1Website - https://actioncoachofaz.com/tomdougherty/

Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -makerflo.comFacebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/

Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

John and Marc sit down with Coach Tom from ActionCoach to break down Step 5 of the business mastery framework: Synergy. The conversation covers what it means to truly step back from your business, how to know when you've reached that level, and why vacation is the real test of whether your systems are working. Practical examples are shared from their own business and from client success stories.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Trailer

00:00:16 What Is Step 5: Synergy?

00:03:00 Do You Have Synergy If You Still Work In the Business?

00:04:45 Vacation as the Barometer for Synergy

00:07:30 Synergy Is a Process, Not a Destination

00:09:10 Definition of a Successful Business

00:10:25 Outro

Follow Coach TomInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomdoc?igsh=dTZ2YmkwOG1kaGZ4LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdougherty1Website - https://actioncoachofaz.com/tomdougherty/

Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -makerflo.comFacebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/

Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

John and Marc sit down with business coach Tom Dougherty to break down two critical stages of business growth: systems and team. Tom explains how documenting processes, leveraging tools like Loom and Google Docs, and building the right team culture can free business owners from being the bottleneck in their own company. The conversation includes real examples from MakerFlo's growth journey, from trade show checklists to hiring decisions and workplace culture.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Trailer00:00:21 Intro00:02:00 Systems Create Leverage00:03:45 Getting Systems Out of Your Head00:05:30 Loom and QR Codes for SOPs00:08:30 The Camcorder Method00:11:00 Systems for Infrequent Tasks00:13:30 System Ownership and Cross-Training00:15:30 When to Hire00:19:30 Hire Slow, Fire Fast00:22:30 Defining Your Ideal Candidate00:25:00 Valuing Your Time00:29:30 The Attorney Referral Story00:33:00 Building Team Culture00:37:30 Outro

Follow Coach TomInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomdoc?igsh=dTZ2YmkwOG1kaGZ4LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdougherty1Website - https://actioncoachofaz.com/tomdougherty/

Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -makerflo.comFacebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/

Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

John and Marc of Makerflo sit down with their long-time business coach, Coach Tom Doughtery, to walk through ActionCoach's six-step framework for scaling a business. The conversation covers mastery, marketing, goal-setting, financial management, and low-cost strategies for growing a maker-based business. Coach Tom draws on his own experience founding and exiting a paintball manufacturing company and launching Canada Goose in the US market.Timestamps - 00:00:00 Trailer00:01:03 Intro00:01:48 How John and Marc Found a Business Coach00:03:54 Coach Tom's Background and ActionCoach00:06:41 Coach Tom's Paintball Business Story00:21:55 Overview of the Six Steps Framework00:28:36 Step 1 – The Four Areas of Mastery00:44:51 Step 2 – Marketing and USP01:04:45 The Magic Five Ways Profit Formula01:07:54 Customer Lifetime Value and Retention01:10:23 Outro**Follow Coach Tom**Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomdoc?igsh=dTZ2YmkwOG1kaGZ4LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdougherty1Website - https://actioncoachofaz.com/tomdougherty/Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website - makerflo.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

In the final part of the Making with Purpose podcast, Hosts John and Marc explore with Dr. K how environments shape execution in business and personal life, including physical, digital, social, and time aspects. They discuss setting up surroundings for success, the impact of surrounding oneself with higher-level peers, and building positive team cultures to reduce turnover. The conversation emphasizes treating people well as good business practice and concludes with ways to connect with Dr. K.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Trailer

00:01:00 Intro

00:02:00 Environment influences execution

00:04:00 Average of five people

00:06:00 Physical environment setup

00:08:00 Digital environment management

00:10:00 Social environment importance

00:12:00 Time environment strategies

00:14:00 Networking with peers

00:16:00 Team culture building

00:18:00 Reducing employee turnover

00:20:00 Treating people well

00:22:00 Connecting with Dr. K

00:24:00 Outro

Follow Dr. K -Instagram - Dr. Karthik Ramanan (@dr.karthikramanan) • Instagram photos and videosYoutube - EMOTIONAL HEALTH DEFINITION - What is Emotional Health?Facebook - Dr. Karthik Ramanan | Chandler AZ | FacebookLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkarthikramanan/

Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website - makerflo.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/

Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

In Part 3 of the Making with Purpose podcast, John and Marc discuss with Dr. K why personal energy levels predict business success more reliably than time or money. They explore detecting burnout through language and body cues, strategies to maximize energizing tasks while minimizing draining ones, and recommendations like the book Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell. The conversation highlights team dynamics for energy management, the role of purpose and impact in sustaining motivation, and leading with authenticity to foster high energy.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Trailer

00:00:20 Intro

00:00:21 Energy as leading indicator

00:00:46 Energy vs time/money

00:01:16 Burnout detection on calls

00:01:31 Approaching burnout example

00:02:00 Optimizing personal energy

00:14:41 Purpose as energy fuel

00:14:48 Identifying draining activities

00:15:01 Gradual habit building

00:15:25 Epiphanies and realizations

00:15:35 High energy, high impact

00:15:43 Outro

Follow Dr. K -Instagram - Dr. Karthik Ramanan (@dr.karthikramanan) • Instagram photos and videosYoutube - EMOTIONAL HEALTH DEFINITION - What is Emotional Health?Facebook - Dr. Karthik Ramanan | Chandler AZ | FacebookLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkarthikramanan/

Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website - makerflo.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/

Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives