AI is changing how people discover brands — but most marketers are either panicking or chasing the wrong things. In this episode, Erik Huberman, founder & CEO of Hawke Media ($600M+ revenue, 6,000+ brands), breaks down the Modern Marketer's Playbook for building trust, visibility, and real growth in an AI-first world.We cover SEO vs. GEO, why trust is your most valuable asset, the biggest AI marketing mistakes to avoid, and what's actually working right now.🔍 Get a free GEO/LLM visibility audit from Eric's team: https://hawkemedia.com/free-consultation/Connect with Erik Huberman:Instagram/LinkedIn: @ErikHuberman🌐 hawkemedia.comTIMESTAMPS:0:00 – Introduction & Why AI Hype Is Overblown2:28 – SEO vs. GEO: What's the Real Difference?9:06 – The 3 Pillars: Awareness, Nurturing & Trust14:06 – Trust & Third-Party Validation16:30 – Nurturing in an AI World29:01 – Biggest AI Marketing Mistakes31:16 – What's Actually Working with AI34:28 – Erik's AI Tech Stack36:41 – The Next 6–12 Months of AI Marketing🎟️ Join us at The Gathering: https://www.thegatheringfestival.com📬 Sign up for our Inner Circle Newsletter for exclusive insights, early access, and behind-the-scenes moments from the world’s boldest brand builders: https://go.thegatheringfestival.com/newsletter🔔 Subscribe to our channel for more legendary content from The Gathering. The Gathering: More than North America's #1 Brand Festival - it's where the world’s boldest brands and leaders build what lasts.Join us October 21–24, 2026 | Banff, Canada.

How today’s most impactful leaders build courage like a muscle, expand their capacity, and create connected cultures that last.

In this episode, Mandy Balak sits down with Jon Gordon, Leadership Coach and Best selling author 18 books including The Energy Bus and The Power of Positive Leadership, to explore what it really takes to lead with courage, clarity, and conviction in 2026 and beyond.

They unpack why leadership is so much harder in practice than on paper, the core traits that separate leaders who last from those who burn out, and how to build “capacity” so your problems never feel bigger than you. Jon shares candid stories from his own journey—from being naturally negative and almost losing his marriage, to rewiring his brain through 20+ years of daily gratitude walks.

From working with Super Bowl–winning coaches and world-class executives, Jon breaks down the habits, practices, and culture-building moves that make a real difference: how to listen like a leader, remove the “pebbles in the shoe” that hold teams back, and turn positive principles into daily practices your people can actually feel.

Whether you’re a CEO, founder, or emerging leader, this conversation will help you rethink how you show up for your team—and how to lead with more courage, connection, and hope.

Links & Resources:

• The Energy Bus

• The Power of Positive Leadership

• The Gathering Festival

Connect with Jon Gordon:

• Jon Gordon on Instagram (@jongordon11)

• jongordon.com

Connect with Mandy Balak:

• Mandy Balak on LinkedIn

If this episode sparked ideas for your leadership, share it with your team and use Jon’s principles and practices as a prompt for your next leadership meeting.

Want to experience this in person?

The Gathering brings together senior brand leaders who are building brands that last. If you lead a brand that invests in trust, culture, and transformation, this is your community.

🎟️ Join us in Banff, October 21-24, 2026

   Premium experience for senior marketers and founders

   → ⁠thegatheringfestival.com/tickets⁠

📅 Work with us

   Brand retreats, Experience Labs, and Events

   → Book a discovery call: ⁠thegatheringfestival.com/contact⁠

🎧 More resources

   → Subscribe to The Gathering Podcast on ⁠ Spotify⁠ or ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠

   → Follow @thegatheringfestival on⁠ Instagram⁠ + ⁠LinkedIn⁠ + ⁠YouTube⁠

Get the Pinterest Experiential Brand Principles here: Pinterest Playbook

In this episode, Mandy Balak sits down with Sean Doyle, Director of Global Brand Experiences and Group Creative Director of Experiential at Pinterest, the “positive corner of the Internet.” They unpack how Pinterest uses real-world experiences to build brand belief, stand out from the “blandemic” of sameness, and turn online inspiration into offline action.

From Cannes to Coachella to Davos, Sean shares the experiential principles that guide Pinterest’s most iconic work, how Gen Z is reshaping the experience economy, and why brands can’t afford to ignore IRL connection.

Whether you’re a CMO, founder, or creative leader, this conversation will help you rethink how your brand shows up in the real world—and how to design experiences your customers will never forget.

Links & Resources:

• Pinterest Experiential Principles 

• Pinterest Predicts: annual trends report

• The Gathering Festival

• Montana Experiential Brand Retreat (limited seats)

Connect with Sean & Pinterest:

• Sean Doyle on LinkedIn

Connect with Mandy Balak:

• Mandy Balak on LinkedIn

If this episode sparked ideas for your brand, share it with your team and bring the Pinterest principles into your next creative meeting.

Want to experience this in person?

The Gathering brings together senior brand leaders who are building brands that last. If you lead a brand that invests in trust, culture, and transformation, this is your community.

🎟️ Join us in Banff, October 21-24, 2026

   Premium experience for senior marketers and founders

   → thegatheringfestival.com/tickets

📅 Work with us

   Brand retreats, Experience Labs, and Events

   → Book a discovery call: thegatheringfestival.com/contact

🎧 More resources

   → Subscribe to The Gathering Podcast on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts

   → Follow @thegatheringfestival on Instagram + LinkedIn + YouTube

In this episode of The Gathering Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Eric Nelson, naturopathic doctor and co-founder of Sabi Health, to unpack what sustainable performance actually looks like—and why most high performers are unknowingly trading their health for short-term wins.Eric breaks down the physiological, mental, and emotional trade-offs leaders make when they push too hard for too long, from burnout and nervous system dysregulation to reliance on stimulants, hustle culture, and false productivity. Together, we explore why performance today can quietly sabotage performance tomorrow—and how to build a rhythm that lasts.This is a grounded, honest conversation for founders, executives, creators, and athletes who want to perform at a high level without burning out their future self.This episode explores:Why burnout shows up in over 70% of high-performing professionalsThe difference between short-term performance and long-term capacityHow stimulants, hustle, and overtraining mask deeper issuesThe role of trade-offs—and why ignoring them always catches upWhy “leaving a rep in the tank” applies to work, leadership, and lifeHow sustainable performance is built through structure, margin, and seasonsIf you care about longevity, clarity, and building a life—and career—that’s built to last, this episode is required listening.🎟️ Join us at The Gathering 2025 | October 21–24

In our first episode of 2026, Mandy Balak (President of The Gathering) and Owen Reader, sit down to debrief the lessons learned—and earned—from 2025. From fear and hesitation to edge-work, decisive action, and the power of integration, this is a candid conversation about what it takes to lead when the playbooks are burned.

They unpack practical takeaways like studying your edges, packing light (literally and metaphorically), and using the RICE framework (Revenue, Impact, Confidence, Ease) to filter distractions and focus on what actually moves the mission forward.

To close, Mandy and Owen share their Word of the Year for 2026—Boldness and Conviction—and challenge listeners to choose their own word, make it visual, and step into the year with intent.

This episode explores:

• Why your “word of the year” often attracts the opposite lessons you need

• How fear creates hesitation—and how action breaks the cycle

• What it means to “study your edge” and stop holding back

• How to prioritize change using the RICE filter (Revenue, Impact, Confidence, Ease)

• Why integration (rest + reflection) is part of the work—not a break from it

• Building out loud in a world full of polished, AI-generated sameness

🎟️ Join us at The Gathering 2026 | October 21–24
[Get Tickets Here]

Join Mandy Balak for a real conversation with Kathryn Gordon, author, entrepreneur, and co-author of Relationship Grit, on what it takes to build a relationship that can actually hold your ambition.

This episode is for high performers who lead hard, build big, and sometimes forget that your life runs on the strength of your closest relationships. Kathryn shares the “GRIT” framework (God, Resolve, Invest, Together), why weekly check-ins matter, how to handle seasons of intense work, and the simple habits that rebuild trust and connection over time.
In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why “relationship grit” is built in the hard seasons, not the easy ones
• The question to ask your partner (or team) to instantly improve communication
• How weekly meetings, one-word intentions, and small investments change everything
• Why “winning arguments” can cost you the relationship
• The rituals that keep high-performance households grounded and strong

• Book: Relationship Grit (Katherine Gordon + Jon Gordon)

Links mentioned:
Kathryn on Instagram: @kathryngordon

Join us at The Gathering 2026 | October 20–24
Get Tickets Here

High‑performance psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais joins Mandy Balak to unpack what it really takes to perform under extreme pressure. From coaching Felix Baumgartner’s jump from the edge of space to building a Super Bowl–winning culture with Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why technical skill isn’t enough when the stakes are high

• How the best in the world think about fear, risk, and regret

• Practical ways leaders can train their minds like elite athletes

• Why we’re all overtrained and under-recovered—and what to do about it

• Simple recovery and meeting rituals you can add to your team this week

A powerful, honest conversation about mastering your mind, honoring recovery, and learning to “be about it” in leadership and life.

About Dr. Michael Gervais

Dr. Michael Gervais is a leading high-performance psychologist, author, and podcast host whose career highlights center on his work with elite athletes, Fortune 100 CEOs, and organizations in high-pressure environments. He is globally recognized for developing mental frameworks that enable individuals and teams to excel under stress.

Links & Resources Subscribe to the Finding Mastery Podcast and newsletter for high-performance insights:

https://www.findingmaster.com/newsletter

🎟️ Join us at The Gathering 2026 | October 20–24, 2026 ⁠Get Tickets Here⁠

⁠⁠Follow us for updates: ⁠Instagram⁠ | Linkedin⁠

The best Gathering yet — and the energy was undeniable.

In this special debrief episode, the team sits down to unpack what Winning the Future—Together truly meant, share the top 10 lessons from 65+ sessions, and reflect on the ideas, leaders, and moments that made 2025 unforgettable.

From building brands that last to redefining what leadership looks like in the next decade, this is your all-access look behind the curtain at how bold brands and brave leaders are shaping what’s next.

If you were in the room, relive the magic.
If you missed it, here’s your chance to catch the highlights and fuel your fire for 2026.

🎟️ Be part of the next chapter:
[Pre-Sales Live] Lock in your spot for The Gathering 2026 at the best price of the year → thegatheringfestival.com/tickets

🔥 Elevate your leadership at The Montana Retreat → thegatheringfestival.com/retreats

💡 Join our Inner Circle

Big brand moves this week 👇

• AG1 expands from morning ritual to nighttime sleep with AGZ (a masterclass in owning daily routines).

• Mid-Day Squares x Coconut Cult drop a collab so hot it crashed the site and sold out in minutes.

• Emma Chamberlain x Pinterest prove vibe-first product launches can win attention without a 60-slide deck.

• Christian McCaffrey trades sponsorship for ownership with While on Earth—athletes building brands in real time.

Why this matters (for brand leaders): The winners aren’t chasing hype—they’re building rituals, communities, and creator-led collabs that compound over time. Step out of the weeds, get above the noise, and steal these playbook moves for 2026 planning.

—
🎟 Join us IRL at The Gathering (Banff, AB): Buy your ticket now → https://www.thegatheringfestival.com/tickets
Come home with the clarity, connections, and tools to level up your 2026 strategy. This isn’t a conference—it’s a strategic intervention for leaders who refuse to fall behind.

👍 Like, subscribe, and drop your favorite brand move in the comments. Tag us @cultgathering with your takeaways.

This week on The Brand Breakdown, we unpack how bold brands are turning attention into action. Netflix is stepping off the screen with modular, immersive “Netflix House” experiences; Tiffany & Co. shows a masterclass in premium positioning with its US Open takeover and century-long trophy pedigree; Build-A-Bear surprises Wall Street by doubling down on ritual and nostalgia; and pro athletes tap the rise of low/no-alc with community-first beer brands. We dig into what it means to design IRL moments, price for prestige, build generational rituals, and launch products with built-in fandom—so you can apply the same plays to your brand.