Strategize This Podcast

Strategize This Podcast

By Adam Matossian and Alicia JonesBusinessMarketing
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Strategize This Podcast episodes

  • How might a leader uncover a social challenge that exists in a work environment? | William Hardaway (1 of 5)

    Today, we're talking to William Hardaway working at the intersection of social justice and design thinking, after working in each field separately, for over a decade, we'll took the opportunity combining these two fields driving change and an industry that unites people and crosses borders. So we asked Well, how might a leader uncover a social challenge that exists in a work environment. Instagram @willgo.io Website Willgo.io _______________

    Follow Strategize This on Instagram for the latest updates

    Join our mailing list at strategize.club to get exclusive access to the private Facebook community

    Episode on the blog

    12 min
  • How might someone become more confident and authentic on camera? | Mo Ismail (1 of 5)

    Today we're talking to Mo Ismail, a video strategist helping digital entrepreneurs, course creators, digital product sellers and thought leaders explode their video content, create fans and make money through banger videos. So we asked Mo, How might someone become more confident and authentic on camera? This was his response.Instagram @moismaiLinkedIn @moismaiWebsite mocs.media______________Follow Strategize This on Instagram for the latest updatesJoin our mailing list at strategize.club to get exclusive access to the private Facebook communityEpisode on the blog

    14 min
  • How did you overcome imposter syndrome? - Forbes 30 under 30 | Matthew Cicanese (1 of 5)

    Today, we're talking with Matthew Cicanese, a National Geographic Explorer, storyteller, and photographer, educating people how to tell stories and explore their world with a fresh perspective, a mindful heart and a curious lens. So he asked Matthew, a recent Forbes 30, under 30, nominee and winner, what his experience was with imposter syndrome. And this was his response Instagram @matthewcicanese Website matthewcicanese.com ___________

    Follow Strategize This on Instagram for the latest updatesJoin our mailing list at strategize.club to get exclusive access to the private Facebook community

    Episode on the blog

    8 min
  • Do you have to be an expert to make a course? | Manja Horner (1 of 5)

    Today, we're talking with Manja. Horner, who is the founder of boost learning development, where she helps course creators and educators take their already successful programs and transform them into their lives greatest work. So we asked Vanya Horner, do you need to be an expert to make a course online? Instagram @boostld LinkedIn @boostld Website boostld.com ___________________

    Follow Strategize This on Instagram for the latest updates Join our mailing list at strategize.club to get exclusive access to the private Facebook community

    Episode on the blog

    8 min
  • Week 1 theme | Courage to Stand Out
    The theme this week is in the leadership category:“Courage to Stand Out”We are so excited to share what’s new. We have been working hard behind the scenes to tighten up the format of the show so it can have the most impact to your business growth!We will be dropping 5 short episodes per week focussed in on one strategist and their answer to a complex question they have experience with answering.We are fortunate to know and meet inspiring strategists every day on the internet, so we will be shining a spotlight on them with efficiency and value packed episodes!The podcast itself is only one part of the puzzle though... we are launching a private Facebook community where we will also feature our strategists playing games with us that are sure to bring a great laugh!You won’t want to miss this season! Stay tuned and come back tomorrow for a fresh new episode
    6 min
  • What is the most effective model for online courses? | Manja Horner (4 of 5)
    ## In This Episode
    Manja Horner breaks down the two fundamental approaches to online course delivery: synchronous and asynchronous learning. She walks through the strengths of each model — live group sessions for discussion and skills practice, coaching for one-on-one development, and self-paced automated programs for scale. Manja warns that the current obsession with scalable, automated courses comes with a hidden cost: low completion rates driven by irrelevant content and zero accountability. She emphasizes matching your delivery method to your learning outcome and addresses the forgetting curve — why learners must apply what they learn immediately or lose it.
    ## Key Takeaways
    - Synchronous learning works best when skills practice, discussion, or real-time feedback is required — new platforms are making live online sessions more engaging than ever
    - Role-play simulations with professional actors offer a powerful way to practice difficult conversations and build skills through deliberate practice with immediate feedback
    - Automated, self-paced courses are scalable but suffer from high dropout rates — adults bail when content feels irrelevant or when they hit a wall with no support
    - The forgetting curve is real: learners must stop and apply what they just learned immediately, or they will forget it — avoid building courses that are pure knowledge dumps
    - Always match your delivery model to the outcome: if the goal is skills practice, a video alone will not cut it — design activities that get learners doing, not just watching
    ## About Manja Horner
    Manja Horner is the founder of Boost Learning Development, where she helps course creators and educators take their already successful programs and transform them into their life's greatest work. She specializes in auditing existing courses to improve completion rates and learner outcomes.
    ## Connect
    - Hosted by [Adam Matossian](https://humms.io) and [Alicia Jones](https://designwise.ca)
    - Listen on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/4oz3bKkBwv70DkFtr0Icyp) | [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strategize-this/id1539086249) | [Amazon Music](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f38f0c4c-74f5-4c9f-a267-fd763f05dca4)
    13 min
  • How does storytelling help a brand on social media? | Marc Gutman (4 of 5)
    ## In This Episode
    Marc Gutman returns to discuss how storytelling transforms a brand's social media presence. He argues that the real conversation is happening on social — not on TV or websites — and brands that only talk about themselves become a bore. Marc draws parallels between brands and people: if all you do is self-promote without being vulnerable, sharing value, or showing what you stand for, people tune out. He highlights how Patagonia enrolls customers into a larger mission and how Nike planted their flag with Colin Kaepernick, referencing the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer showing that people trust businesses more than government or nonprofits. His key distinction: build a community, not just an audience.
    ## Key Takeaways
    - 90% of brands make the mistake of only talking about themselves on social — listing features, announcing conferences, and treating it like a bulletin board instead of telling meaningful stories
    - Brands should behave like people — be vulnerable, offer value, and create emotional safety rather than just self-promoting
    - The goal is to build a community, not just an audience — enlist customers into your story and enroll them in your worldview, as Patagonia does with its environmental mission
    - Ask yourself what value you can provide to customers that has nothing to do with your products — that design-thinking approach will put you ahead of nearly all your competitors
    ## About Marc Gutman
    Marc Gutman is the Chief Strategist at Wild Story, a brand strategy and design studio near Boulder, Colorado, focused on arts and outdoor recreational clients. Marc is on a mission to help the world one brand at a time.
    ## Connect
    - Hosted by [Adam Matossian](https://humms.io) and [Alicia Jones](https://designwise.ca)
    - Listen on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/4oz3bKkBwv70DkFtr0Icyp) | [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strategize-this/id1539086249) | [Amazon Music](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f38f0c4c-74f5-4c9f-a267-fd763f05dca4)
    22 min
  • How to tell an engaging story in the short video timeframes on social media | Mo Ismail (5 of 5)
    ## In This Episode
    Mo Ismail shares his step-by-step workflow for creating compelling short-form video content on platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok. Rather than trying to tell a complete story in 15 seconds, Mo advocates for identifying the single most potent "punchline" of your learning outcome and building everything around that one takeaway. He explains how he coaches clients to move away from chasing shiny metrics like views and engagement, and instead focus first on clarity of message — because if your audience cannot relay what they just watched in their own words, the content has failed.
    ## Key Takeaways
    - Start with the learning outcome — ask yourself what the single most important thing your audience should take away from the video is, then identify the "punchline" of that outcome
    - Work within your parameters creatively — if you have 15 seconds, do not try to cram a 10-minute video into it; instead, find the most potent angle (like a side-by-side comparison) to convey one idea clearly
    - The audience's time is an exchange — just like the selling process, viewers give their attention and expect value in return; always ask why they should care
    - Add a relatable element to hook viewers — even if you cannot tell a full story in 15 seconds, you can include something relatable that signals there is more depth if they stick with you
    ## About Mo Ismail
    Mo Ismail is a video strategist helping digital entrepreneurs, course creators, digital product sellers, and thought leaders explode their video content, create fans, and make money through banger videos.
    ## Connect
    - Hosted by [Adam Matossian](https://humms.io) and [Alicia Jones](https://designwise.ca)
    - Listen on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/4oz3bKkBwv70DkFtr0Icyp) | [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strategize-this/id1539086249) | [Amazon Music](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f38f0c4c-74f5-4c9f-a267-fd763f05dca4)
    8 min
  • How can brands go beyond using images to demonstrate cultural diversity? | William Hardaway (5 of 5)
    ## In This Episode
    William Hardaway tackles the gap between brands claiming to be inclusive and actually demonstrating it. He argues that true diversity storytelling means letting people tell their own stories unfiltered — not manufacturing narratives for them. Will uses the Nike and Colin Kaepernick partnership as a prime example of a brand willing to take a real stance, endure backlash, and let the athlete speak on his own terms. He also shares a practical case study of advising a white ally artist to use revenue-sharing with Black artists instead of profiting from inclusive art alone.
    ## Key Takeaways
    - Authentic diversity storytelling means honesty — if your brand is just beginning this work, tell that story transparently rather than pretending you have always been there
    - Let communities tell their own stories unfiltered — brands go wrong when they tell people's stories for them, adding surface-level imagery and music without substance
    - Revenue-sharing over extraction — when featuring or profiting from underrepresented communities, share the financial benefit rather than capitalizing on their culture
    - Move beyond stock photos — instead of purchasing manufactured diverse imagery, support actual artists from those communities and credit them visibly on your platforms
    ## About William Hardaway
    William Hardaway works at the intersection of social justice and design thinking. After working in each field separately for over a decade, Will combined these two disciplines to drive change in an industry that unites people and crosses borders.
    ## Connect
    - Hosted by [Adam Matossian](https://humms.io) and [Alicia Jones](https://designwise.ca)
    - Listen on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/4oz3bKkBwv70DkFtr0Icyp) | [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strategize-this/id1539086249) | [Amazon Music](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f38f0c4c-74f5-4c9f-a267-fd763f05dca4)
    14 min
  • What is the Anatomy of a Great Story? | Marc Gutman (3 of 5)
    ## In This Episode
    Marc Gutman, Chief Strategist at Wild Story, draws on his Hollywood training and mentorship under screenwriting coach Robert McKee to break down what makes a great story. He explains the classic three-act structure — inciting incident, a flawed but likable hero, the distinction between wants and needs, and a climax — while acknowledging that storytelling on social media does not need to be that rigid. Marc's core takeaway: something has to happen, there must be conflict or change, and your audience must be able to locate themselves within the narrative.
    ## Key Takeaways
    - A great story follows a three-act structure with an inciting incident, rising action, and climax — a framework dating back to Aristotle
    - Heroes do not need to be "good" — flawed, likable characters who struggle between what they want and what they need create compelling narratives
    - The simplest test of a great story: something has to happen — without conflict, change, or payoff, it falls flat
    - The more specific your details, the more universal the story becomes — when audiences can locate themselves in your narrative, you have created something powerful
    ## About Marc Gutman
    Marc Gutman is the Chief Strategist at Wild Story, a brand strategy and design studio near Boulder, Colorado, focused on arts and outdoor recreational clients. Trained in the movie business under screenwriting coach Robert McKee, Marc is on a mission to help the world one brand at a time.
    ## Connect
    - Hosted by [Adam Matossian](https://humms.io) and [Alicia Jones](https://designwise.ca)
    - Listen on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/4oz3bKkBwv70DkFtr0Icyp) | [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strategize-this/id1539086249) | [Amazon Music](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f38f0c4c-74f5-4c9f-a267-fd763f05dca4)
    14 min

About Strategize This Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Strategize This is where brand strategy meets creative execution. Hosted by Adam Matossian — CX strategist, Forrester-certified experience designer, and founder of HUMMs Design Agency — and Alicia…