Create Like The Greats: Recent Episodes
Ross Simmonds
An investigation & observation of some of the greatest ideas, backgrounds, and strategies used by influential and innovative thinkers. Find insights into what it takes to create things that lasts, stories that spread, and ideas that move people for decades to come. A proud member of the HubSpot Podcast Network.
We say it all the time on this show. We are help to help you build a life that you consider great. And , what better way to begin initiating that life by having a conversation with executive, performance coach, Dr. Julie Gurner. We talk about being "war-torn veterans" on Twitter, Hi vs. Low leverage action items, having No Plan B, and even her farm. It goes without saying but Dr. Julie (Twitter: @drgurner) has an interesting perspective on many topics that some of the top executives in the world struggle with. And she even has a strong opinion on the power of the life partner you choose to marry...or don't choose to marry.
On this episode, I have a chat with Chris Boardman, a music industry giant in his own right. We talk about his project, The Missing Link, the power that music has had through his and others' life transitions, and the way artificial intelligence may impact the music listening experience. About Chris Boardman: Beginning his career in the film, television and recording industry in 1974, Chris Boardman has consistently worked at the top echelon of the entertainment industry. He has received an Academy Award nomination for “The Color Purple”, 6 Emmy Awards, 13 Emmy nominations, ASCAP and BMI film awards and multiple platinum records for his work with such iconic artists as Quincy Jones, David Foster, Steven Speilberg, Julie Andrews, Shirley MacLaine, Barbara Streisand, Marvin Hamlisch and Josh Groban.
On this episode, I share some of the various ways that you can distribute and share your content online. Though you may be sharing your content, there are still so many platforms and strategies that many people don't think about using to share their content. I dive into distribution and some of the (seemingly) small things you can do to keep your content top of mind. From Reddit, email lists, newsletters, LinkedIn, Slack communities and more, I share ways to find your audience and get your content to them in a meaningful way.
One thing that I talk about often is the intersection of technology and content...in the case of this episode: Artificial Intelligence. In this episode, I share what impact AI can have on all of us. Not just our careers but our everyday lives. You can find the link to AI Ross here >>> https://twitter.com/foundationincco/status/1683821288819654658?s=46&t=irATAyz5mBSZy-v2YYh31w
Today’s episode, which is part of a segment that I call Journal Entries, I want to share some snippets about this information that I have curated from internal and external research and how you can use this information as you grow your brand, company, or simply in your own content marketing career.
In this episode, I share how I took a month long workcation as the CEO of Foundation. Taking a vacation can be challenging, especially when people on your team are depending on you to answer various questions, provide approvals, etc. So how did I do this successfully? Between the power of documentation, efficient time management, a change (advantage) with the time zone change, and some self-awareness, I am so glad I did.
The most frequently asked questions that come up when I talk to people about being shy is >>> How do you navigate through networking events? How do you navigate corporate events? How do you attend a conference and stay motivated? How can you ensure that your time is maximized at these events? How can you ensure that you’re not that shy person in the corner that doesn’t want to approach people? -- So today, I'm going to share 15 tips on how to navigate events, conferences, netwroking etc. as a shy person.
Whether it be things you can do before the event on social media, during the event to avoid being awkward and creepy, and even after the event to keep up with all of the people you've met, I'm happy to share these tips that I wish I had when I first started attending events years ago.
The best marketers aren't avoiding Reddit as a marketing channel. Instead, they're taking the steps required in 2023 to better understand how to use Reddit to drive traffic, build community and increase revenue. On this episode, I'll share how I've not only used Reddit to drive results for my business and clients but I've studied what companies like Pact Coffee, Beardbrand, and more have done to win on Reddit.
I'm excited to share one of the most popular keynotes that I have ever given. In this keynote, I share details about how I spent a lot of my time as a child trying to find Waldo (Wally depending on which part of the world you're in) and how the feeling of satisfaction when I would find Waldo can translate to how to uncover content market fit. The satisfaction of finding content ideas that are worth pursuing is similar to the satisfaction that I would get finding Waldo. Keywords Aren't Enough I say this because a lot of organizations spend too much time and resources relying on keyword research tools and not enough time studying the habits, behaviors, and thinking of their customers.
In this episode, I’m going to share seven simple yet important tips that will help you on your pursuit of creating something great. It’s a combination of a handful of different ideas I’ve spoken on in the past all brought together in one episode for you to enjoy. I’m sure that some of these ideas will be messages you’ve heard before and some might be a bit new. Either way, I hope that this Journal Entry helps you in your pursuit to create a life that you consider great.
Join me today as I speak with Dr. Susan Rogers, professor, neuroscientist, and sound engineer. Susan Rogers, PhD, is a cognitive neuroscientist and author of This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You. Prior to her science career Susan was a record producer and engineer, known chiefly for her work with Prince and Barenaked Ladies and she currently teaches for Berklee College of Music. Susan was Prince’s staff engineer during Prince’s commercial peak and worked on albums like Purple Rain, Around the World in a Day, Sign o’ the Times and the Black Album. But that’s not all Susan is known for. She’s the author of This Is What It Sounds Like. (https://www.thisiswhatitsoundslike.com/) A book that breaks down why you fall in love with music. She gives real world examples, so you can help identify your “listener type“ and help you appreciate even some “really bad“ music that you probably dismissed as being trash. You might not realize it but it has more to do with psychology and neuroscience than you think. This interview is important because in my opinion some of the greatest creators of all time are musicians. The greatest musicians have created songs, melodies and albums that have been listened to for decades. And some of them are what Susan describes as Hyper Creatives. A concept that I’m excited to share with you even more in this episode.
In this episode, I share my Keynote presentation that I gave about the power of experimentation to the audience at MozCon, one of the leading SEO conferences in the world. I’m sure you know, consciously or subconsciously, just how powerful experimentation is. Experiments have helped us create, cure diseases, invent things like velcro, Pumpkin Spice lattes and more. So, how can you strategically experiment with your content? And one myth I want to debunk right now: Experimentation is not just for big brands. Experiments work for small and medium sized brands as well. So, whether it’s Reddit, Quora, Slideshare, Quora, or Instagram, I share some of the results of my content experiments in hopes that you too will dive into your own content experiments. Build. Ship. Learn. Decide. This framework has fundamentally allowed me to quickly ship ideas, kill ideas, and, most importantly, understand what ideas work well for my business.
In this episode of my journal entries, I share a keynote that I presented at SimilarWeb on one of my favorite topics: Why marketers should think like investors in order to drive content results. This is one of my favorite things to talk about because I live and breathe this.
I bought my very first stock in 2008. I bought the GM stock at a time when I thought, I would definitely get a return on my investment.
I told myself, “it’s GM. Even in the midst of a global recession, GM won’t go bankrupt. That will never happen. It can’t. This brand has been around my entire life.” Well, GM went bankrupt and I lost everything. But in this moment I learned something that is very applicable to marketing and investing alike.
And that is that you cannot and should not jump into any market without doing your homework, studying the industry, studying your audience, understanding the game.
You can’t just jump in thinking that you know everything about the market without studying the market.
So, what does studyingook like, and how did I recoup from my GM stock investment? Listen to today's episode to learn more.