The Catching Fire Podcast

“It all started when we found a puppy in a dumpster,” begins the About page on the website for K9 Sport Sack. For founder and CEO Joseph Watson, the rest is history. 14 years ago, Joseph and Jen Watson experimented with various carriers for their new puppy before designing their own: a backpack built for comfort and durability. They haven’t stopped looking for new ways to keep the Sport Sack as durable and dog-friendly as possible since.

In this episode, Bryan chats with Joseph about:

• How K9 expanded its reach with the power of in-person marketing

• Why it’s key to cater to customers instead of viewing them as a profit center

• How to create a marketing halo effect with a good referral program

• The importance of never giving up as an entrepreneur

Connect with Joseph:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-watson-45849b17b/

https://www.k9sportsack.com/collections/all-products

Connect with Bryan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/ 

https://bryankaras.com/ 

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/ 

Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/ 

Ryan Estes is committed to turning founders into influencers—and getting them paid. He helps leaders meet their goals with two different ventures in the podcast space: Kitcaster books founders and execs on top podcasts, while Wildcast is a B2B podcast advertising marketplace.

Ryan has a ton of insights to share on marketing, content, and how budding creators can get the ball rolling. We talk through:

• Common hurdles with starting your own podcast and how to overcome them

• The importance of founder-led marketing initiatives, including guesting on other podcasts

• Why authenticity equals engagement—even if it’s only an illusion

• Tips for marketers on how to measure the impact of podcast advertising

Connect with Ryan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/estesryan/

https://x.com/goryanestes

Connect with Bryan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/ 

https://bryankaras.com/ 

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/ 

Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/ 

Helping startups run smoothly is James McKay’s singular objective. In this episode of the Catching Fire podcast, learn how the founder and CEO makes it happen with the power of revenue operations. Discover:

• Why usage-based business models blow recurring revenue out of the water

• How he accelerated growth at the unicorn Clearco in just six months

• Tips for balancing business and family life

• Why it’s so important for founders to build a strong culture—for their companies and themselves

Connect with James:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-mckay-ven/

Connect with Bryan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/

https://bryankaras.com/

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/

Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/

Let’s get to know the host behind the Catching Fire Podcast! In this episode, Bryan hands over the host mic to the Catching Fire podcast producer, Sarah Little, who dives into Bryan’s entrepreneurial journey. 

Listen in and discover:

• The influences that shaped Bryan’s entrepreneurial path

• The challenges of starting and running two bootsrapped businesses 

• An unstoppable framework for hiring talent (and your internal team!)

• The 3 biggest mistakes companies make wasting advertising dollars - and how to prevent them.

This is your chance to get to know the host, Bryan Karas. Thanks for listening.

Connect with Sarah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-little-a55bb5155/

https://www.linkedin.com/

Connect with Bryan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/

https://bryankaras.com/

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/

Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/

What’s the number one most important thing to look at when vetting crypto companies to invest in? In the latest episode of the Catching Fire podcast, cryptocurrency and blockchain expert Shaam Pamidi has the answer, plus a whole lot more. Learn all about:

• The nuts and bolts of blockchain, including differences between layers

• Early-stage investment tips for VCs

• How founders can make innovation more than a buzzword

• Tips on how to save yourself from a million dollar scams 

Connect with Shaam:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaampamidi/

Connect with Bryan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/

https://bryankaras.com/

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/

Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/

In this episode, Bryan and special guest Jason Neufeld dive into e-commerce strategy, D2C vs. Amazon Marketplace, mistakes to avoid when going into a product launch, & more. Don't miss out on a chance to enhance your e-commerce marketing program.

Connect with Jason:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-ecommerce/

Connect with Bryan:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/
• https://bryankaras.com/

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/

Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/

Are you a marketer looking for a competitive edge in data-driven decision making? Co-founder and CEO of Rockerbox Ron Jacobson has you covered.

Built for complex brands, Rockerbox is a measurement platform that centralizes ad data across all media channels to help marketers attribute conversions and optimize media investments.

In this episode, Bryan chats with Ron about:

• How AI is changing the measurement landscape,
• The ins and outs of media mix modelling
• Why multiple measurement methods are always better than one.
• The importance of company culture
• Why the best advertisers are also the best storytellers.

And more!

Connect with Ron:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjjacobson/

Connect with Bryan:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/
• https://bryankaras.com/

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/

Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/

The first episode of the Catching Fire Podcast with special guest Canberk Beker, Head of Growth at HockeyStack.

HockeyStack is more than an attribution platform—it’s an all-in-one command center for B2B revenue teams that helps marketing drive pipeline and sales close deals faster.

In this episode, you will learn about:

• Where marketing ends and product begins.
• Why all B2B companies should be testing the waters with CTV.
• Why you should always be ashamed of your first product.
• The drawbacks of traditional attribution.
• Why it’s so important to put users first.

Great leaders don't stop at great ideas—they cut through the noise and make them stand out. They make them "catch fire."

Connect with Canberk:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/canberkbeker/

Connect with Bryan:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/
• https://bryankaras.com/

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/

Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/