In this episode of The Ross Simmonds Show, Ross unpacks the silent bottlenecks that are stalling high-potential B2B companies, regardless of their size or success. Drawing from years of experience working with startups to publicly traded enterprises, Ross highlights the most overlooked internal barriers to growth and, more importantly, how to eliminate them.

You’ll walk away with actionable advice and frameworks to optimize your messaging, sales cycle, onboarding flow, content strategy, and team alignment, all aimed at transforming friction into momentum.

Key Takeaways and Insights:

1. Common B2B Bottlenecks

- Misaligned Messaging

- Bloated Revenue Process

- Weak Onboarding & Lack of Quick Wins

- Lack of Content Distribution

2. Ross’s 3-Step Audit Framework

- IMPACT – What’s costing us the most right now?

- URGENCY – What needs to be fixed immediately?

- EASE – What's a quick win we could implement this week?

Resources & Tools:

🔗 Create Once, Distribute Forever by Ross Simmonds

🔗 Distribution.ai

🔗 HubSpot

🔗 Loom

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In this episode of The Ross Simmonds Show, Ross ​dives deep into a topic that many leaders shy away from: the loneliness of leadership. He opens up about his experiences as a solo founder, the mental and emotional burden that comes with leading organizations, and how success can bring unexpected isolation. More importantly, Ross offers practical and powerful advice on how leaders can build resilience, create support systems, and avoid common traps that lead to burnout and self-doubt.

If you’ve ever felt alone at the top, this is the reminder you didn’t know you needed.

Key Takeaways and Insights:

1. The Quiet Weight of Foundership

- Leadership is often glamorized from the outside, but behind closed doors, it can be emotionally and mentally taxing.

- Founders are expected to always be “on” — delivering, solving, and showing up, even during personal lows.

- “Being a founder is a gift, but it’s also one of the loneliest jobs.”

2. What Makes Leadership So Isolating

- It’s not physical solitude, but the responsibility that isolates leaders.

- You make decisions that shape careers — sometimes lives — and often have no one to share the burden with.

3. The Trap of Self-Containment

- One of the biggest mistakes is trying to carry everything alone.

- Delegating responsibility and building trust with team members can alleviate this loneliness.

4. Four Reasons Leaders Feel Isolated

- 🧠 Information Asymmetry 

- ❤️ Emotional Labor

- Identity Tied to Business Outcomes

- Shrinking Circle of Trust

5. How to Fix It: Four Strategies

- Build a True Inner Circle 

- Or start a group chat with like-minded entrepreneurs.

- Find two kinds of mentors:

- Intentional Reflection 

- Thoughtfully Include Your Team in Pressure

- Work With a Coach or Therapist 

6. From Loneliness to Connection

- Celebrate wins publicly to avoid harboring joy alone.

- Share successes with your team, friends, and family.

- “You shift from performing to living.”

8. Final Reflections: You’re Not Alone

- Loneliness is common but not permanent.

- You can go further with people, with honesty, and with emotional openness.

- He who wears the crown must bear the weight — but not alone.

Resources & Tools:

🔗 EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization)

🔗 YPO (Young Presidents' Organization)

🔗 Hampton

🔗 Ross Simmons Show Archive

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In this episode of The Ross Simmonds Show, Ross dives deep into a major paradigm shift happening in search—Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). As AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, and others increasingly influence how we discover information, traditional SEO practices rooted in rankings, backlinks, and page authority are rapidly becoming outdated.

Ross unpacks how memory, personalization, and context are reshaping discoverability and what brands and marketers must do to stay competitive in this new era. From building real author entities to creating multi-format content experiences, you'll learn actionable strategies for future-proofing your content marketing and search approach.

Whether you're a seasoned SEO or an emerging content leader, this episode will give you the tools to thrive in the age of personalized AI-driven information retrieval.

Key Takeaways and Insights:

What Is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?

Definition of GEO: Moving from link-based to conversation-based discovery.

GEO Article: What’s Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) & How To Do It 

The Role of Memory in Personalized Search Results

How LLMs use your search history, preferences, and identity

Personalized SERPs: Millions of versions, no single truth

Memory as a Ranking Factor

Context-rich responses over one-size-fits-all answers

SEO is no longer about just ranking for a keyword

How to Win at GEO: Key Strategies

Author Entities & Digital Trust

Build real author bios with online presence

Credibility signals influence LLM citations

Use Industry Language with Authority

Avoid watered-down content

Lean into jargon and technical terms your audience uses

Cite Quotes, Data & Sources

LLMs favor content with references and expert opinions

Credibility boosts visibility

Embrace Redundant Modalities

Create Once, Distribute Forever

Repurpose content across Reddit, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn, Quora, Threads

Digital PR & Thought Leadership

How top brands are getting cited by LLMs and publications

Brand building = Visibility in AI answers

The New Fundamentals

Technical optimization still matters, but now include:

Distribution

Trust

Authority

LLM Memorability

Resources & Tools:

🔗 GEO Article by Ross: Generative Engine Optimization

🔗 Book: Create Once, Distribute Forever by Ross Simmonds

🔗 Distribution.ai

🔗 Foundation Marketing

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In this episode, Ross lays down the law on modern content distribution and why "hoping it goes viral" isn't a strategy. He breaks down the five most common mistakes marketers make with distribution, highlights the new reality of reaching audiences in the AI and multi-channel era, and walks you step-by-step through building a powerful, repeatable distribution system that delivers results. If you’ve been creating high-quality content but struggling to get it in front of the right audience, this episode gives you the system, mindset, and framework to turn things around.

Key Takeaways and Insights:

Hope Is NOT a Strategy

Pressing “publish” is not enough to drive content success.

Distribution is what transforms good content into great, high-impact content.

If no one sees your content, it may as well not exist.

5 Common Distribution Mistakes

Publish Once, Then Disappear

Celebrate distribution, not just publishing.

Implement a content distribution calendar to continuously share and promote assets.

Relying on a Single Channel

Multi-channel presence is essential to stay top of mind and generate multiple touch points.

Don’t stick to just LinkedIn or X — explore YouTube, Reddit, newsletters, Slack groups, and more.

Assuming Organic Reach is Guaranteed

Social and SEO algorithms don’t owe you visibility.

Use rented platforms to build owned ones (e.g., newsletters), and pair organic with smart paid amplification.

Not Repurposing Content

A blog post should become a LinkedIn carousel, a video, a thread on X, a newsletter, etc.

Embrace the mantra: Create Once, Distribute Forever.

Failure to Track Performance

You can’t optimize what you don’t measure.

Use tools like GA4, HubSpot, Ahrefs, etc., to analyze what’s working.

How to Build a Real Distribution System

Audience & Content Market Fit Research

Understand who your audience is, their interests, pain points, and where they hang out online.

Go beyond business competitors — study top-performing content in other niches (MrBeast, Yoga with Adriene, etc.) to understand attention mechanics.

Create a High-Value Pillar Asset

Choose a format (blog post, video, case study, podcast, etc.).

This asset will form the nucleus of your distribution efforts.

Repurpose & Atomize

Break your pillar asset into quotes, clips, carousels, threads, email snippets, and more for long-term promotion.

Define Distribution Across PESO

Paid (ads, boosts)

Earned (press, influencer shares)

Shared (social, communities)

Owned (newsletter, blog)

Measure Everything & Iterate

Use data to guide future efforts and content decisions.

Recommended tools: Google Analytics 4, HubSpot, Ahrefs, SparkToro, UTM dashboards, and Distribution.AI.

Resources & Tools:

🔗 Distribution.ai

🔗 Create Once, Distribute Forever

🔗 HubSpot

🔗 Ahrefs

🔗 Google Analytics 4

🔗SparkToro

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In this episode of The Ross Simmonds Show, Ross cuts through the overwhelming noise around AI in marketing to reveal what’s real, what’s useful, and what’s pure hype. From AI-fueled content creation and personalization to ads, analytics, and the dangers of AI deepfakes, Ross shares his honest take on how marketers can harness AI effectively—without losing their creativity (or their jobs). Hint: AI isn’t here to replace great marketers, but it will expose mediocre ones. Whether you’re feeling FOMO about AI tools or tired from constant information overload, this episode offers grounded insights and an actionable roadmap for embracing AI in a sustainable and meaningful way.

Key Takeaways and Insights:

Understanding the Current AI Hype Cycle

AI is at the peak of inflated expectations.

Nearly every tool is rushing to add AI capabilities.

$10B spent in AI implementation efforts by consulting firms.

The opportunity is real—but so is the noise.

Content Creation: The Draft, Not the Director

Tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, Rytr, SEMrush, and HubSpot offer “okay” drafts.

Great marketers use AI for first drafts, then add emotion, creativity, and data.

AI helps compress content production time significantly.

Key quote: “The AI tool is not your creative director.”

Repurposing & Distribution at Scale

One of the best use cases for AI in content marketing.

Turn one podcast into dozens of social assets, short videos, quotes, etc.

Old content can be brought back to life using AI.

24/7 brand promotion equals scale and efficiency.

AI for Creating Visuals & Ads

Tools now allow marketers to generate images and mock ads from product photos.

Emerging use case: image creation with tools like ChatGPT’s DALL·E.

AI lowers cost and time for creative asset generation.

AI-Powered Insights from Data

AI can identify behavior trends, segment audiences, and support lead scoring.

Automate personalized communications triggered by user behavior.

In-depth AI-based customer feedback analysis is now possible.

Reminder: "Good data = good AI."

Personalization: Right Message, Right Time

AI enables highly tailored emails, landing pages, and even video messages.

Important: Avoid going too far or getting creepy with data usage.

Balance personalization with ethics and relevance.

The Fluff: SEO Snake Oil & “Turnkey” Strategies

Beware of tools promising 10,000 blog posts and instant rankings.

"Hallucination" risk with auto-generated content hurts SEO in the long run.

One-click marketing strategy generators? Hard pass.

Deepfakes & AI Influencers

Increasing use of AI-generated personas to push products deceptively.

Danger of consumers being misled by realistic but fake endorsements.

The Future of Marketing & AI

AI will not replace everyone—but will replace some.

“It’s a force multiplier for the great. A replacement for the mediocre.”

Use AI to do more, faster—but don’t skip thinking and strategy.

To thrive, marketers must master the human elements: storytelling, empathy, strategy, and creativity.

Resources & Tools:

🔗Distribution.ai

🔗Japser

🔗ChatGPT

🔗Rytr

🔗HubSpot AI

🔗SEMrush AI Writing Tools

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In this special episode of Create Like the Greats, Ross Simmonds explores the monumental changes coming to search, marketing, and SEO in light of Google’s latest announcement at I/O 2025: the launch of AI Mode. Ross delivers a deep dive on the implications of AI-driven, personalized search experiences, task automation, and the end of traditional SEO practices as we know them. Learn how marketers must rethink strategies around intent, trust, authority, and omnichannel presence to stay relevant in a radically transforming digital landscape.

Key Takeaways and Insights:

Google I/O 2025 & The Birth of AI Mode

Google unveils AI Mode, revolutionizing user search experiences

Built on Gemini 2.5 (successor to Bard), enabling conversational, multimodal responses

The End of the Blue Links Era

Traditional SEO (blue link style interface) is being replaced by rich AI responses

Blue links are auto-clicked and content is synthesized into a single, AI-curated reply

Marketers must transition to understanding content context and intent

Rethinking Content Strategy

Intent-based content creation is essential

Importance of publishing across platforms (e.g., guest posts, syndication)

Guest blogging and content distribution regain critical relevance

Agentic Capabilities & Task Automation

Introduction of “agentic booking” via Google’s Project Marino

Users can command Google to complete multi-step tasks like buying tickets or scheduling demos

Implications for eCommerce, lead gen, and B2B automation

New Business Models: Pay-for-Acquisition

Shift from pay-per-click to pay-per-conversion

Google may monetize via completed transactions, not ad clicks

AI as Analyst: Data Visualization + Summarization

AI Mode can generate graphs and compare data on command

Removes need for internal teams to do common research or analysis tasks

SEO Reimagined: Personalized Search Challenges

Search results now depend heavily on user context

Traditional SEO tools and ranking metrics may become obsolete

Marketers may need to develop hyper-targeted, persona-driven strategies

The Rise of Persona-Based Marketing

Importance of thinking in micro-audience segments

Use industry, geography, and function to craft ultra-specific campaigns

Trust, Authority, and Authenticity Matter More Than Ever

Google will reward Authoritativeness and Experience (Double E-E-A-T)

Original research, author bios, backlinks, media mentions, and reviews are crucial

Avoid faking expertise with AI-generated personas/content

Where to Shift Budget and Strategy

Invest in video content

Grow presence on Reddit

Emphasize content distribution and repurposing

Ungate long-form content to enable AI indexing

Resources & Tools:

🔗Google I/O 2025 Announcement

🔗E-E-A-T Guidelines

🔗Distribution.ai

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In this episode of Create Like The Greats, Ross Simmonds shares a personal journal-style update on his business journey and a major new strategic partnership. Ross walks listeners through the evolution of his brand Foundation Marketing, a newly formed alliance with education-sector marketing leader Carnegie, and the power of delivering value in every room you enter. This episode delivers insight into the journey from humble beginnings to significant success and highlights the long-term impact of authentic relationship-building, content creation, and value-driven partnerships.

Key Takeaways and Insights:

1. A Major Partnership Announcement

- Ross announces the new partnership between Foundation Marketing and Carnegie

- Carnegie Dartlet - Higher Education Marketing Organization

2. The Power of Speaking & Connection

- Importance of showing up with value in every room

- The origin story of how opportunities arise from consistent effort and public speaking

3. Ross’s Content Creation Journey

- Ross’s early days blogging in his basement with little money (and lots of instant coffee)

- Turning point: speaking invitation to Miami from a reader

- Lesson: "You can live anywhere in the world, create content, and reach people globally"

4.  About the Carnegie Partnership

- Announcement revisited: Foundation + Carnegie collaboration to serve higher education clients

- Carnegie’s strength: deep experience with higher ed digital marketing

- Foundation’s traditional focus: B2B and SaaS, now expanding into higher ed

- Early wins and the rewarding nature of impacting students’ journeys

5. How the Partnership Came to Be: Storytime

- Carnegie first approached Ross via a DM inviting him to speak at their Orlando event

- Ross’s mindset: treat the audience with full value even though it wasn't his target industry

- Result: strong impact, positive reception, and future opportunity

6. Round Two: The Follow-Up Years Later

- Ross’s wife encourages follow-up; he DMs Carnegie again

- They invite him to speak a second time

- Second session’s topic: content as a competitive edge, SEO as a moat

- Deeper engagement: internal training, workshops at Carnegie

7. The Partnership Comes to Life

- The relationship matures into a formal partnership

- Foundation and Carnegie now jointly create content for higher ed institutions

- Goal: drive meaningful, measurable results in the education space

8. Collaboration Vs. Scarcity

- Business lesson: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

- Value of partnering with aligned people and organizations

- Nuggets of wisdom from Ross’s grandmother: “There’s enough for everyone to eat”

- Encouragement for listeners to seek partnerships that drive both impact and personal alignment

Resources & Tools:

🔗 Distribution.ai

🔗Carnegie and Foundation Partnership

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In this special episode of Create Like the Greats, Ross Simmonds sits down with SEO expert Garrett Sussman from iPullRank for a dynamic conversation recorded ahead of SEO Week. They unpack the current and future state of search, the increasing relevance of Reddit in SEO strategies, and how marketers must evolve with AI-driven search behaviors. Ross also previews his upcoming SEO Week talk on Reddit, AI, and user-generated content—and shares a tactical gem that every brand should act on today.

Key Takeaways and Insights:

SEO Week 2026 Preview

SEO Week will return to NYC in 2026 featuring top minds in SEO, content marketing, social, AI, and more.

The State of Search: Chaotic but Beautiful

Search has dramatically evolved; it's no longer just about Google.

Fragmented discovery across TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, ChatGPT, Perplexity.

Emphasis on first principles: high-quality content, user intent, and storytelling.

Marketers must now behave more like... well, marketers, not just SEOs.

Creating Content That Scales

SEO in 2024+ requires multimedia optimization:

Text + video (especially YouTube) for better SERP coverage.

Understanding where your audience starts their search journey.

Reddit threads and YouTube videos are now ranking in Google results, diversifying content visibility.

Reddit + AI + UGC: A Preview of Ross's Talk at SEO Week

Reddit is emerging as a powerful and underused SEO platform.

Ross's team is scraping and analyzing subreddits, mapping them to keywords and AI outputs.

Google & OpenAI have data licensing deals with Reddit—proof of its strategic value.

Reddit content is influencing AI-generated responses… and SEO strategies must adapt.

Tactical Insight: Own Your Subreddit

Brands should immediately create and claim their subreddit—even if not actively using it.

Prevent brand impersonation or NSFW sabotage by securing the namespace.

“It's as basic as securing your domain or Twitter handle,”

💡 Bonus Tip:If another user claimed your brand subreddit, reach out to the mod team to request control.

What's Next: The Future of Search

Rise in brand mentions could impact search visibility.

Voice search is finally finding a place—via AI assistants and wearable UIs.

Search is becoming more immersive—but Google is far from dead.

SEOs must balance short-term tactics with long-term strategic brand building.

Resources & Tools:

🔗Distribution.ai

🔗seoweek.org

🔗Create Once, Distribute Forever

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In this episode of Create Like The Greats, Ross dives into the evolving landscape of digital marketing in the era of artificial intelligence and large language models (LLMs). He challenges brands to rethink their approach by understanding that today’s most influential "audiences" aren't just humans—they're machines. Ross outlines how AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google’s AI Overviews, and others scrape public content to generate recommendations and answers for users, and how brands can strategically position their content to become part of this intelligence loop. Whether it’s SEO, Reddit commentary, or owning bottom-of-funnel content, Ross shares powerful frameworks and tactics to help your brand stay relevant, present, and impactful in the age of AI-driven search results.

Key Takeaways and Insights:

​​🤖Brands Must Market to Machines

Brands can influence LLMs like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.

Marketing today isn’t just targeting people—it's also about reaching the machines that influence them.

AI-generated answers are impacting consumer decisions more than ever.

🔍Understand How LLMs Source and Surface Information

LLMs are trained on public and proprietary web data.

Your content must live on platforms that LLMs can access and trust.

📍 The Realization: You’re Marketing to Machines

Machines are pollinators of your content to future customers.

Brands must understand search intent and align content accordingly.

🧵Why Reddit is a Goldmine for AI Training

Reddit is a top source for unfiltered opinions and bottom-of-funnel content.

LLMs scrape Reddit threads extensively due to their public availability and authenticity.

Tip: Don’t spam Reddit. Instead, add value consistently and transparently.

🪴Practical Example: Plant Delivery B2B Brand

Illustrates how niche brands can create bottom-of-funnel content (e.g., comparisons, Reddit engagement).

Great content can be repurposed across platforms like Reddit and industry forums.

🔄 Content Repurposing + Distribution Strategy

Resurface evergreen content in ecosystems that LLMs crawl.

SEO tactics and AI-driven discovery are not mutually exclusive—they are interconnected. 

📈 What Kind of Content Should You Create

Focus on:

Comparison pages

Buying guides

Objection-handling content

Use-case & case-study based content

Localized landing pages can help capture region-specific AI queries.

💡 Where to Distribute Your Content

Distribute into ecosystems LLMs are known to crawl or partner with.

Example: OpenAI Partnerships help identify valuable distribution hubs.

🧠 Build EEAT: Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust

Include author pages, cite real research, and use industry language.

Demonstrating trust and authority increases visibility in AI responses.

Resources & Tools:

🔗Google: Google AI Overview Info

🔗 Reddit: reddit.com

🔗 Foundation's Generative Engine Optimization

🔗 OpenAI Partnerships: OpenAI Partner Channels

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In this episode of Create Like The Greats, Ross offers a transparent reflection on a book that has significantly impacted his leadership and personal growth journey in 2025 — The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Warner Klemp. Ross walks through all 15 commitments outlined in the book, sharing real-life examples and insights from his entrepreneurial journey. If you're striving to lead consciously, foster better teamwork, and level up your self-awareness, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways for you.

1. Radical Responsibility

2. Learning Through Curiosity

3. Feeling All the Feelings 

4. Speaking Candidly 

5. Eliminating Gossip 

6. Practicing Integrity 

7. Generating Appreciation

8. Excelling in Your Zone of Genius 

9. Living a Life of Play and Rest

10. Exploring the Opposite

11. Being the Source of Approval, Control & Security 

12. Having Enough of Everything 

13. Seeing the World as an Ally

14. Creating Win-for-All Solutions 

15. Being the Resolution



🔗 The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership

🔗 Foundationinc.co

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