Ryan Davis, founder of People First, joins Drop The Mic to unpack how AI is transforming not just marketing, but leadership, influence, and trust. From political campaigns to brand building, Ryan shares how artificial intelligence is changing how we communicate, connect, and convert in a world of digital overload.

Jason and Ryan dive into how micro-influencers are outpacing mass followings, how AI is reshaping customer targeting and content creation, and why authenticity—not automation—will define the next era of digital strategy. This is a real look at what marketers, consultants, and creators need to do now to future-proof their brand in 2025.

We dive into:
🤖 AI-driven influencer strategy and what’s coming next
🎯 Why micro-influencers are winning the attention game
🧠 Human creativity vs. AI copy — what still matters most
📢 How to balance authenticity, automation, and speed
🔍 What a political campaign would look like if it launched today using AI

Whether you're a brand leader, consultant, or creator, this episode will help you rethink how you show up and lead in an AI-first world.

[00:00] – Intro: Drop the Mic with Jason Hunt
[00:05] – Living in Guadalajara as a digital nomad
[02:31] – From theater director to digital strategist
[06:47] – Early political marketing + Howard Dean campaign
[09:12] – The birth of internet influencers in politics
[10:49] – What a 2025 AI-powered campaign would look like
[12:05] – AI-generated ICPs and smarter targeting
[13:42] – Why real content still beats AI output
[16:01] – Emotion, storytelling, and human copywriting
[18:00] – Reporting, measurement, and creative testing with AI
[22:21] – Hyper-personalized marketing and influencer strategy
[24:45] – Red flags in AI-generated engagement
[27:40] – Micro-influencers: why authenticity scales
[32:30] – How to avoid over-optimization
[35:11] – Full-funnel influencer planning + creative
[38:57] – Funnel-stage content and scalable creator assets
[40:04] – Behind the scenes of the People First newsletter
[41:26] – Ryan’s favorite digital trends & wrap-up

🌐 Website: https://jayhunt.social
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial

Greg Kaiser has over 30 years in the corporate world—including time at Hershey—and now running his own consultancy, Greg shares lessons in management, delegation, time optimization, and how to think about AI from a leadership perspective.

Jason and Greg dive into why most managers are spending time on the wrong things, how to stop micromanaging, and why meetings and communication are often a company’s real bottleneck—not the employees. Greg also shares how he's using AI as a research and decision-making tool, and why leaders shouldn't try to master it—but should know how to hire people who do.

We dive into:
🧠 The mindset shift from corporate exec to independent consultant
📊 How to delegate better and stop being the bottleneck
⏱️ Why time—not money—is your most valuable resource
👥 The problem with meetings and how to fix communication instead
🤖 How Greg is using AI in his consulting business today

Whether you're an executive, founder, or team lead, this episode is a crash course in managing smarter and leading more effectively.

⏱️ Timestamps:

[02:20] – Greg’s new venture: Management Mastery
[04:50] – Greg’s corporate journey from mailroom to managing global ops at Hershey
[09:20] – Why he left corporate after being told “you’ll never be COO”
[12:55] – First client story: how Greg launched into consulting
[15:15] – Why business owners need to stop doing everything themselves
[17:30] – The cost of micromanagement and poor delegation
[20:50] – How to help leaders identify time waste with “Know Thy Time”
[23:10] – 80/20 rule and Return on Invested Time
[25:15] – How to structure effective meetings in 2025
[28:50] – What remote work changed about team communication
[31:30] – The myth of multitasking & how to fix your focus
[34:10] – How Greg uses AI for research and decision support
[39:00] – Why AI works best when humans know how to prompt it
[41:20] – Where to find Greg online and learn more about his work

🔗 Connect & Support:

🌐 Website: https://jayhunt.social
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial

Sponsor: https://chatello.ai

Kasim Aslam is one of the most respected voices in performance marketing. He joins Drop The Mic to share how he scaled his agency to 200+ clients, exited for 8-figures, and why he believes AI and answer engine optimization (AEO) are the future of digital strategy.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Kasim gets raw about his entrepreneurial failures, the dangers of chasing hype, and what really moves the needle when building a scalable, sellable marketing business. He also shares why traditional digital marketing is dying, why the quality of your people matters more than your tools, and how businesses can win by adopting a bottom-up AI strategy.

We dive into:
🚀 What it takes to sell an agency for 8 figures
💸 Why private equity is targeting media buying businesses
🧠 How AI-enabled executive assistants are transforming operations
🔍 The rise of AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and what comes after SEO
🤖 Why most AI conversations ignore the real opportunity: empowered humans

Kasim brings fire, honesty, and real frameworks for marketers, entrepreneurs, and anyone trying to stay relevant in a rapidly changing digital world.

Episode Timestamps:

[01:30] – Building (and exiting) a top Google Ads agency
[03:00] – 60 offers in 6 months: Why agency valuations spiked
[05:20] – The Google Ads advantage and solving for traffic
[09:40] – Post-exit identity shift and investing lessons
[12:00] – AI as a bottom-up revolution, not top-down
[15:10] – Why mediocre employees + AI = dangerous
[18:45] – Kasim’s EA hiring strategy & human capital model
[22:30] – What most agencies get wrong about AI adoption
[25:40] – Why "Answer Engine Optimization" is the new SEO
[29:30] – The future of nimble teams vs bloated orgs
[32:15] – Paradigm shifts in training, culture & incentives
[36:50] – Empowering team members to lead with AI
[41:00] – Building businesses through delegation & ownership
[43:30] – Kasim’s vision for owning the AEO category

🌐 Website: https://jayhunt.social
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial

Omar Johnson is the former CMO of Beats by Dre and VP of Marketing at Apple—joins Drop The Mic to unpack the marketing playbooks that built billion-dollar brands and how he's now bringing those lessons into the world of AI.

Jason and Omar dive deep into how science, storytelling, and consumer behavior drive real marketing results. Omar shares never-before-heard stories from building Beats into a cultural powerhouse and his bold mission to revolutionize advertising with AI through his company, Opus Intelligence.

We dive into:
🔥 How Beats used scarcity, storytelling & athlete marketing to dominate a category
🧠 Omar’s marketing formula: intelligence, behavior, and emotional triggers
⚙️ Mistakes founders make when building tech and how Omar learned the hard way
🚀 The future of marketing and why AI is a creative unlock—not a replacement
📈 How Opus Intelligence is disrupting traditional agencies with speed, scale, and relevance

This episode is a masterclass in branding, marketing strategy, and adapting to tech-driven change.

⏱️ Timestamps:

[01:20] – How Omar went from mixtapes to Coca-Cola and Campbell’s
[02:45] – Why brand marketing is more formulaic than you think
[05:10] – How he got into Nike through an outsider program
[08:00] – Early mistakes as a founder and lessons from tech product dev
[11:45] – Big mistake: managing developers like marketers
[15:00] – Omar’s marketing formula: behavior > demographics
[19:10] – Behind the Beats strategy that scaled from $20M to $1.1B
[21:30] – How he created new use cases for headphones through storytelling
[25:00] – The Kobe Bryant strategy: scarcity + influencer seeding
[27:15] – Becoming the "pre-game headphone of sports"
[29:00] – Why Beats told stories other brands were afraid to tell
[31:30] – From Apple to AI: the spark that led to Opus Intelligence
[34:00] – Intelligence + NLP: Using behavioral data for better marketing
[36:20] – How marketers can use AI to unlock higher-level thinking
[42:00] – Omar’s crystal ball: the future of creative agencies
[45:30] – Democratizing great marketing for small and medium businesses

🔗 Connect & Support:

🌐 Website: https://jayhunt.social
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial

Sponsor: https://chatello.ai

Kris Rudeegraap, Co-Founder and CEO of Sendoso, joins Drop The Mic to break down how experiential marketing, personalized gifting, and AI-driven strategies are transforming sales and customer engagement.

Kris shares real-world stories and proven strategies that help businesses cut through the noise, create memorable experiences, and leverage direct mail in a digital-first world. From gifting a rack of ribs to sending rubber chickens — Kris explains why human connections still win deals.

We dive into:
🎯 How to use gifting to stand out and close deals
📈 The rise of AI in marketing and direct mail
🎁 Why thoughtful experiences drive customer loyalty
💡 The future of experiential marketing, including drone delivery

Whether you're in sales, marketing, or business development — this episode will inspire fresh ways to engage your audience and convert leads.

Time Stamps:

[02:30] - Experiential marketing stories: Helicopter rides & concerts
[04:30] - The before, during, and after strategy for events
[06:50] - Creating memorable booth experiences vs. being forgettable
[08:50] - Kris explains Sendoso and how gifting changes sales
[11:30] - Real-world examples: Real estate, enterprise sales, and client retention
[13:00] - Why companies prefer Sendoso over Amazon for gifting
[15:50] - The psychology of receiving physical gifts (reciprocity effect)
[16:10] - Craziest gifts sent: Traeger grills, drones, and rubber chickens
[17:30] - CRM integration and automating follow-ups after delivery
[18:10] - How Sendoso and Kris’s team leverage AI in sales & marketing
[20:30] - The truth about direct mail: Flat vs. dimensional mailers
[22:20] - Using gifting in every stage of the marketing funnel
[24:15] - Attribution, ROI, and why follow-up is everything
[26:00] - AI’s future impact on direct mail and customer engagement
[27:30] - Smart Gifting: How AI tailors messages and delivery
[29:10] - Is drone delivery part of Sendoso’s future?
[30:10] - Personal branding vs. business branding
[30:50] - Sendoso’s global scale and Kris’s final thoughts

CONNECT & SUPPORT:

🌐 Website: https://jayhunt.social
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial

Sponsor: https://chatello.ai

Kevin Bulmer, founder of NSM Brand Media and the voice behind the No Schedule Man, joins Jason Hunt on Drop The Mic to unpack the power of storytelling, personal branding, and authentic connection in a noisy digital world.

From his roots in radio to navigating the evolution of digital marketing, Kevin shares real-world insights on how entrepreneurs can amplify their brand story while balancing AI tools with human emotion. The episode dives into strategies for emotional marketing, the ROI of storytelling, and why your personal brand might be your most valuable asset in 2025.

Whether you’re a marketer, small business owner, or creator, this conversation is packed with actionable takeaways to help you connect, engage, and grow.

• 00:32 – Why long intros kill engagement and podcasting lessons from radio
• 04:50 – Kevin’s journey from radio to motorsports to marketing and speaking
• 08:15 – Why personal branding matters more than ever in the AI era
• 09:01 – Building authenticity: How to blend your story with your business
• 13:34 – The real estate example: Mixing professional and personal content
• 17:43 – Overcoming perfectionism and imposter syndrome with repetition
• 20:09 – Instagram’s new “trial” content feature and testing content publicly
• 27:38 – The importance of storytelling and crafting a brand story
• 31:27 – Emotional connection vs. top-of-mind awareness in marketing
• 35:21 – Is traditional media still a good investment?
• 39:00 – The role of AI: Amplification tool or creativity killer?
• 42:39 – Why storytelling and emotional connection will always win in marketing
• 43:00 – Where to connect with Kevin Bulmer online

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Website: ⁠https://jayhunt.social

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial

Jonathan Mast is an AI strategist and digital marketing expert. He joins Drop The Mic to break down how AI is reshaping the marketing landscape. With years of agency experience and a deep understanding of automation, Jonathan shares how businesses can use AI to enhance efficiency, improve content creation, and scale operations without losing the human touch.

We dive into:🚀 How AI is streamlining agencies & helping businesses scale
🧠 The balance between AI automation & human creativity
📢 Why transparency matters in AI-powered customer interactions
✍️ How businesses can train AI to match their unique brand voice

Jonathan and Jason discuss the challenges of AI adoption, how agencies can future-proof their operations, and whether traditional marketing agencies are becoming dinosaurs. This episode is packed with insights for agency owners, marketers, and business leaders looking to navigate the AI revolution.

Episode Timestamps:
[02:30] - How AI is transforming digital marketing
[06:50] - Real-world case study: How AI helped an agency scale
[09:00] - Addressing AI skepticism & resistance to change
[12:20] - Why AI won’t replace humans, but will reshape jobs
[15:45] - The art of AI prompting: How to train AI to match your brand voice
[19:30] - How AI is changing the search landscape & Google's stance on AI content
[23:15] - The future of AI-powered customer interactions & chatbots
[27:40] - The role of AI in email marketing automation
[30:55] - Should agencies fear AI or embrace it?
[35:10] - AI vs. DeepSeek: Comparing AI platforms for marketers
[38:25] - The future of marketing agencies in an AI-dominated world

This episode is a must-listen for agency owners, marketers, and business leaders looking to integrate AI without losing authenticity. Tune in now and learn how to future-proof your marketing strategy! 🚀

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Website: ⁠https://jayhunt.social

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial

Travis Stephenson is a serial entrepreneur who has built and sold businesses, including a Messenger automation company, and now teaches entrepreneurs how to create scalable digital products. In this episode of Drop The Mic, Travis shares his insights on leveraging AI, building an audience from scratch, and why a business that doesn’t serve your lifestyle isn’t worth running.

We dive deep into:

• The evolution of AI in marketing and business automation
• How Travis scaled and sold his company
• The power of email marketing and why newsletters are making a comeback
• How to create and sell digital products with his Paid Masterclass Method
• The future of AI-driven entrepreneurship

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If you're looking to scale your business, leverage AI, and create digital products that actually make an impact, this episode is for you.

[00:00] - Introduction: Meet Travis Stephenson
[02:30] - From CrossFit gym owner to digital entrepreneur
[05:45] - Why Travis sold his Messenger automation company
[10:15] - The shift from software CEO to digital product creator
[15:30] - How AI is reshaping marketing and business operations
[20:45] - The Paid Masterclass Method: How to package and sell knowledge
[26:15] - Using AI to automate content creation and marketing
[32:30] - The resurgence of newsletters and why big brands want them
[38:45] - The biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when launching digital products
[44:00] - How to turn knowledge into revenue through community-driven learning
[50:15] - Future predictions: AI’s impact on business over the next five years
[55:00] - Where to connect with Travis and learn more

This episode is packed with value for digital marketers, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to build a scalable, AI-powered business.

SUPPORT AND CONNECT:

Website: ⁠https://jayhunt.social

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayhuntofficial