More than the Brand

In this episode, we're pulling back the curtain on two recent client projects and breaking down the strategy we come back to again and again: pinned posts.

We walk through our content session with F45 Belmont and how we built out three foundation videos designed to live at the top of their feed, an origin story, a CTA, and a testimonial that we're honestly a little obsessed with. From there we get into our ongoing work with Mondays, a reformer studio where community and atmosphere drive everything we shoot.

But the bigger conversation is about why pinned posts work, and why they're usually the first thing we create with any new client. Unlike a regular post that disappears from the feed in hours, these three videos are doing work every time someone new lands on your page. They answer who you are, what you do, and why it matters, before someone decides whether to stick around or leave.

We break down how to approach pinned posts whether you're a personal brand, a small business, or somewhere in between, and why the strategy behind those first three slots matters more than most people realize.

We also get into the less glamorous side of growing something, reaching out to the people who left, asking for feedback, and why that discomfort is actually one of the most useful things you can do.

A podcast about what really goes on behind the scenes of building brands, businesses, and personal platforms. 

We talk marketing, content, branding, community, and the uncomfortable middle between idea and execution.
Built for founders, creators, and business owners who want honest conversations, not recycled advice.


Hosted by Matt and Olivia. Audio-only for now. New episodes regularly.

Listen & subscribe
→ Apple Podcasts
→ Spotify

Follow along
→ Instagram:
@Mattortlieb_
@oliviamckerrow
@ortliebmedia 

You've thought about showing up more online. Posting more, talking to the camera, letting people see what you're actually building. But every time you go to do it, something stops you.

In this episode, we're talking directly to you about that. The fear, the self-criticism, the "what will people think" spiral, and why pushing past all of that is the actual work.

Because the people who are growing right now aren't the ones with the best gear or the most polished content. They're the ones who keep showing up anyway.

A podcast about what really goes on behind the scenes of building brands, businesses, and personal platforms. 

We talk marketing, content, branding, community, and the uncomfortable middle between idea and execution.
Built for founders, creators, and business owners who want honest conversations, not recycled advice.


Hosted by Matt and Olivia. Audio-only for now. New episodes regularly.

Listen & subscribe
→ Apple Podcasts
→ Spotify

Follow along
→ Instagram:
@Mattortlieb_
@oliviamckerrow
@ortliebmedia 

Most businesses know they need content — but hiring the wrong person (or the wrong type of person) sets you back further than doing nothing at all. 

We break down the real difference between a social media manager, a strategist, a freelancer, and a full content team — and why knowing what you actually want before jumping on a discovery call changes everything. 

They run through a few industries (beauty, fitness, product-based businesses) and what each one should actually be looking for when it comes to content. If you're in research mode trying to figure out your next move, this one's for you.

A podcast about what really goes on behind the scenes of building brands, businesses, and personal platforms. 

We talk marketing, content, branding, community, and the uncomfortable middle between idea and execution.
Built for founders, creators, and business owners who want honest conversations, not recycled advice.


Hosted by Matt and Olivia. Audio-only for now. New episodes regularly.

Listen & subscribe
→ Apple Podcasts
→ Spotify

Follow along
→ Instagram:
@Mattortlieb_
@oliviamckerrow
@ortliebmedia 

Wearing too many hats, no budget for a content team, can't stay consistent, and still stuck under 400 views? In this episode, Matt and Liv break down the most common pain points they hear from business owners every day — and the real solutions behind each one.

From blocking off time to actually create, to understanding the content funnel, to why jumping to the next trend is keeping you stuck — this one cuts straight to it.

A podcast about what really goes on behind the scenes of building brands, businesses, and personal platforms. 

We talk marketing, content, branding, community, and the uncomfortable middle between idea and execution.
Built for founders, creators, and business owners who want honest conversations, not recycled advice.


Hosted by Matt and Olivia. Audio-only for now. New episodes regularly.

Listen & subscribe
→ Apple Podcasts
→ Spotify

Follow along
→ Instagram:
@Mattortlieb_
@oliviamckerrow
@ortliebmedia 

You know you need better content — but better looking isn't always better performing. In this episode, Matt and Liv break down the framework they use with every client: how to identify what your content actually needs to do, how to build a strategy around it, and what the process looks like from the first inquiry all the way to final delivery.

Whether you're a business owner trying to figure out where to start, or you've been posting consistently and still not seeing results — this one's for you.

A podcast about what really goes on behind the scenes of building brands, businesses, and personal platforms. 

We talk marketing, content, branding, community, and the uncomfortable middle between idea and execution.
Built for founders, creators, and business owners who want honest conversations, not recycled advice.


Hosted by Matt and Olivia. Audio-only for now. New episodes regularly.

Listen & subscribe
→ Apple Podcasts
→ Spotify

Follow along
→ Instagram:
@Mattortlieb_
@oliviamckerrow
@ortliebmedia 

We've had 10 incredible conversations since launching More Than The Brand — and for episode 11, we're doing something different. Matt and Liv sit down to reflect on every guest episode so far: what stood out, what surprised them, and what keeps showing up no matter who's in the chair.

From Dallas's non-traditional approach to content, to Quinn's reminder that even the biggest brands are figuring it out too — every conversation has had something worth sitting with. They talk imposter syndrome, setting boundaries with clients, the myth of follower count, building community over chasing trends, and why showing up consistently beats showing up perfectly.

This one's for the business owners, creatives, and builders who've been listening along — a chance to pull the through-line from everything so far and take it with you into whatever you're building.

A podcast about what really goes on behind the scenes of building brands, businesses, and personal platforms. 

We talk marketing, content, branding, community, and the uncomfortable middle between idea and execution.
Built for founders, creators, and business owners who want honest conversations, not recycled advice.


Hosted by Matt and Olivia. Audio-only for now. New episodes regularly.

Listen & subscribe
→ Apple Podcasts
→ Spotify

Follow along
→ Instagram:
@Mattortlieb_
@oliviamckerrow
@ortliebmedia 

For episode 10, Matt and Liv sit down with Hamilton-based photographer and filmmaker Owen Mert for an honest conversation about the disconnect that lives at the heart of most small business content. 

Clients want viral. They want trendy. They want it fast and cheap. And Owen has spent years navigating that gap — figuring out how to deliver work that actually moves the needle while staying true to the craft he fell in love with. 

He talks about growing up wanting to shoot big commercial productions, watching that world shrink as budgets shifted to influencers and quick-turn social, and how that forced him to find a different way to do meaningful work at a smaller scale. 

They get into his real estate storytelling approach and why ditching the templated formula in favour of finding the actual story behind a listing changes everything. They also cover what's really in front of the camera — wardrobe, props, lighting, art direction — and why that stuff matters more than any gear upgrade. 

Plus repurposing content with intention, the truth about how long a post actually lives on the feed, and the ongoing hypocrisy of telling clients to show up consistently online while quietly neglecting your own channels.

A podcast about what really goes on behind the scenes of building brands, businesses, and personal platforms. 

We talk marketing, content, branding, community, and the uncomfortable middle between idea and execution.
Built for founders, creators, and business owners who want honest conversations, not recycled advice.


Hosted by Matt and Olivia. Audio-only for now. New episodes regularly.

Listen & subscribe
→ Apple Podcasts
→ Spotify

Follow along
→ Instagram:
@Mattortlieb_
@oliviamckerrow
@ortliebmedia 

This week we're doing something a little different — our guest is Olivia's sister Quinn, an art director and creative director with over five years of experience building brands from the ground up. 

From planning full photo shoots to running social media, email marketing, and everything in between, Quinn has worn every hat in the creative world — and now she's going freelance.

We get into what actually goes into building a campaign pitch, why brand books matter more than people think, the trend cycle moving faster than ever, AI in advertising (looking at you, Pepsi), and why slapping text on a great photo can undo everything. 

Quinn also opens up about rediscovering her love of drawing and painting, and what she's most excited about in this new chapter.

Whether you're a photographer, designer, or creative of any kind — this one's for you.

A podcast about what really goes on behind the scenes of building brands, businesses, and personal platforms. 

We talk marketing, content, branding, community, and the uncomfortable middle between idea and execution.
Built for founders, creators, and business owners who want honest conversations, not recycled advice.


Hosted by Matt and Olivia. Audio-only for now. New episodes regularly.

Listen & subscribe
→ Apple Podcasts
→ Spotify

Follow along
→ Instagram:
@Mattortlieb_
@oliviamckerrow
@ortliebmedia 

Ariele (aka Babi on the Run) walked into this episode fresh off 4.3 million views, a 31.5km run from Waterloo to Guelph in support of colon cancer awareness, and a news segment — all in the same month. But what's more interesting than the numbers is how he got there.

In this episode, he breaks down how a private Instagram with 31 followers turned into one of the most genuine content accounts we've seen locally. We talk about posting every single day, studying your analytics without letting them run your life, filming in public when every instinct tells you to put your phone away, and what it actually means to show up as yourself online.

We also get into the role community plays in staying consistent, how Ariele balances high-effort cinematic edits with Snapchat-quality iPhone clips, and why he thinks the best time to start was always right now.

If you've been overthinking your first post — or your 500th — this one's for you.

A podcast about what really goes on behind the scenes of building brands, businesses, and personal platforms. 

We talk marketing, content, branding, community, and the uncomfortable middle between idea and execution.
Built for founders, creators, and business owners who want honest conversations, not recycled advice.


Hosted by Matt and Olivia. Audio-only for now. New episodes regularly.

Listen & subscribe
→ Apple Podcasts
→ Spotify

Follow along
→ Instagram:
@Mattortlieb_
@oliviamckerrow
@ortliebmedia 

Jackie Warmington didn't take a traditional path to becoming COO of Den 1880 — she found the role through a chance conversation after a failed job interview. In this episode, we sit down with Jackie to talk about building community the right way, why follower count is a vanity metric, and what it actually means to create a space where people want to show up.

We get into the organic networking culture at Den 1880, the new gym and wellness facility, content strategy for local businesses, knowing when to say no to clients, and why going viral might actually work against you.

If you're a business owner trying to build something real — this one's for you.

A podcast about what really goes on behind the scenes of building brands, businesses, and personal platforms. 

We talk marketing, content, branding, community, and the uncomfortable middle between idea and execution.
Built for founders, creators, and business owners who want honest conversations, not recycled advice.


Hosted by Matt and Olivia. Audio-only for now. New episodes regularly.

Listen & subscribe
→ Apple Podcasts
→ Spotify

Follow along
→ Instagram:
@Mattortlieb_
@oliviamckerrow
@ortliebmedia