Most LinkedIn content is trying to sound professional… and that’s exactly why it doesn’t work.

In this episode, Lachlan sits down with Robin O Connell, a long-time LinkedIn leader who’s spent over a decade inside the platform across multiple roles, countries, and now within its evolving Creative Studio.

They unpack what’s actually working on LinkedIn right now, why so many brands and creators blend in, and how to build a presence that people actually care about.

From the rise of video and thought leader ads, to the psychology behind comments and why discussion drives reach, this is a practical look at how to use LinkedIn properly in 2026.

They also get into:

• why “sounding professional” is a trap
• how to stand out without forcing it
• what brands get wrong about content
• how creators can build real audiences
• why consistency beats perfection every time
  

If you’re posting on LinkedIn (or thinking about it), this one’s worth your time.

Proudly brought to you by Sked Social. Start your free 14-day trial today.

Most people aren’t bad at social… they’re just overthinking it.

In this episode, I sit down with Larissa Andrianakos (Senior Social Creative at Ogilvy) to unpack what actually makes content work right now and why confidence is probably the most underrated skill on the internet.

We get into:

• why “perfect” content is usually the thing that flops
• how small, almost invisible details drive engagement
• the balance between gut feel and data in creative
• what brands still don’t understand about social
• and how putting yourself out there opens more doors than any strategy deck ever will
  

Larissa shares her journey from posting “just for her” to building a strong presence across agency and creator worlds and why most people just need to stop hesitating and hit publish.

If you’ve ever second-guessed posting something… this one will hit.

Proudly brought to you by Sked Social.

Most brands are still trying to win attention with content that feels safe, polished, and instantly forgettable.

This week, Lach is joined by Medya Gungor from Zeno London to chat about what actually earns attention now — from creators and community to cultural tension, impact, and why the best brand ideas usually start with a real human problem.

Proudly brought to you by Sked Social.

Being “chronically online” might be the most valuable skill right now.

Lauren Meisner, founder of Centennial World, has built a media brand off the back of internet culture, creators, and understanding what people actually care about online.

We talk authenticity, trends, burnout, community, and why most brands are still playing catch up.

This one will change how you think about social.

This episode is brought to you by Sked Social. Start your FREE 14 day trial now.

Most brands think social media success means more followers and more views.

Shelley Strater says that’s completely wrong.

Shelley has spent 15+ years working across social media, digital marketing and content strategy, helping brands understand the real drivers behind audience growth — human behaviour, emotional connection and community.

In this episode of #seen, we talk about what actually moves the needle online and why chasing vanity metrics like follower counts and views can lead brands in the wrong direction.

Shelley breaks down how she thinks about engagement, audience psychology, storytelling and platform strategy, and why smaller creators with tight communities often have more influence than accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers.

We also get into the realities of working in social media — including burnout, algorithm pressure and staying creative in an industry that never switches off.

In this conversation:

• Why engagement matters more than follower counts
• The biggest mistakes brands make on social media
• Why views don’t necessarily mean your content is working
• How to build real communities online
• Why small creators can outperform big influencers
• How to survive working in a 24/7 social media industry

If you work in social media, marketing, content or brand, this episode is packed with practical insights from someone who’s spent more than a decade inside the industry.

This podcast is sponsored by Sked Social.

Sked helps social media teams plan, schedule and analyse content across Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and more — all in one place.

If you’re serious about social media, Sked makes it easier to stay organised, collaborate with your team and understand what content is actually working.

Start your FREE 14 day trial now.

A 17-year-old dropped out of school, picked up a camera, and accidentally learned more about the internet than most marketing teams.

In this episode of #seen, Lach Bradford sits down with Chris Mansour — a teenage videographer who went from filming real estate listings at 15 to helping founders build personal brands online.

Seven months ago, Chris dropped out of school and took a bet: get his boss (big, bad Timmy James) to 10,000 Instagram followers in exchange for $10K and a job.

What followed was a chaotic month of daily videos, failed ideas, existential self-doubt, and one last-minute post that blew everything up.

Now he’s helping founders turn storytelling into attention, and attention into audience.

In this conversation, Chris breaks down what actually works on social media right now, including why:

• viral views are mostly a vanity metric
• storytelling beats trends almost every time
• people massively overthink posting online
• most “personal brand” advice is completely wrong

We also talk about the psychology of posting, the pressure of putting your face online, and why the future of content might look more like a Netflix series than a marketing strategy.

If you’re trying to build an audience, a personal brand, or just figure out how social media actually works in 2026. This episode is worth your time.

This episode of #seen is brought to you by Sked Social.

Sked helps brands, agencies and creators plan, schedule and analyse their social media in one place.

They’ve also just launched Sked Ideas. A new feature designed to capture and organise content ideas before they disappear into the abyss of your Notes app.

Because the hardest part of social media isn’t posting. It’s remembering the idea you had in the first place.

She tore both ACLs, lost her dad, battled cancer — and still built one of the sharpest marketing brains in the game.

This week on the pod, Lach sits down with Maddie King — product marketer at Canva, ex-Unilever brand manager (Dove, Rexona, Lynx), former TikTok brand strategist, early Magic Brief marketing lead (acquired by Canva), and professional LinkedIn “shitposter.”

What unfolds is way more than a career chat. It’s a masterclass in resilience, taste, creative judgment, and building a marketing career that actually means something.

Maddie opens up about:

• Pivoting from ballerina dreams after tearing both ACLs and losing her dad at 17
• Getting cancer during uni, building a business, and storytelling her journey online
• Why “taste” is the most underrated skill in marketing
• AI vs originality (and why you must protect your creative muscle)
• Startup burnout, acquisition highs, and knowing when to say no
• Why social shouldn’t be reduced to perfect attribution
• Taking big swings in marketing (and allocating budget to “dumb shit”)
• Building community flywheels instead of chasing vanity metrics
  

If you work in content, marketing, social, paid ads, brand — or you’re just trying to stack skills and make bold career moves — this one will recalibrate how you think about creative work.

The podcast is proudly sponsored by Sked Social — the social media management platform built for teams who take socials seriously.

Social media isn’t burning you out, your workflow might be.

In this episode, Lach sits down with Matt Navarra — social strategist, consultant, media commentator, and author of the Geekout newsletter — to unpack the realities of working in social today.

From Matt’s unconventional career path (banking, teaching, government comms) to becoming one of the most trusted voices in the industry, this conversation dives into:

• ADHD and why social media attracts neurodivergent brains
• Burnout, boundaries, and shaping work around how you actually operate
• AI as your wingman — not your creative director
• Why judgment and personality matter more in an AI-saturated feed
• The shift from rented reach to owned community
• Repeatable, episodic content and building formats people come back for

We also touch on the Sked Social x Matt Navarra Trends Report — now live — where community is positioned as the true growth engine for brands in 2026 and beyond.

If you work in social, lead a team, or are trying to stay relevant without cooking yourself in the process, this one’s for you.

This episode is proudly brought to you by Sked Social — the platform built for teams who treat social seriously.

And if you’re looking to bring more structure to your creative process, Sked Ideas is now live with a free 14-day trial.

Ideas are infinite now. Execution is the real bottleneck.

In this episode, Lach sits down with Rich Henson, Product Manager at Sked Social, to unpack what actually happens between customer feedback and product launches — and why most social teams are drowning in ideas but starving for clarity.

From rebuilding approvals (and killing the screenshot era) to spotting early signals around AI adoption, Rich shares what five years inside Sked has taught him about workflow, burnout, and building tools that don’t replace social media managers — but empower them.

They also give a behind-the-scenes look at Sked Ideas, a new feature designed to bridge the messy gap between “rough thought” and “ready to schedule.”

You’ll hear:

• Why Google Sheets accidentally became the planning tool of choice
• How to filter good ideas from useful ones
• The real impact of AI on social professionals
• Why “grow at all costs” is a trap for agencies
• And how to avoid burning out in a reactive industry
  

If you manage social, run an agency, or build products for marketers, this episode will hit.

Most brands don’t need better content. They need better community instincts.

In this episode of Seen, Lach sits down with social strategist Cal Ritchie from Iris Worldwide to unpack what actually makes social work right now.

Cal started his career in community management and never lost touch with it. That foundation shapes everything he does, from big brand strategy to the smallest DM interaction.

Together, they talk about why community managers make better strategists, how “boring” brands can win on social, and why starting on social before big campaigns still feels wildly underused.

They cover humour as a creative weapon, hacking platform mechanics without losing your soul, why virality is more about compounding than lightning strikes, and how brands can earn a place in culture instead of just borrowing it.

There’s also a surprisingly deep crossover into music fandoms, hardcore scenes, AI weirdness, and why showing the messy process matters more than polished perfection.

This episode is proudly brought to you by Sked Social, the social media management platform built for teams who take socials seriously.

If you work in social, brand, content, or community, this one will hit.