Launching a New Social Brand & Making $10,000 in 30 days
Release Date: 03/21/2025
The #1 NFL Team on Social is…
Business Of Social
NFL teams generated over $1.5B in social value last season. But most teams still are not capitalizing on the content that actually drives engagement, reach, and sponsorship revenue. In this episode, David Brickley sits down with Dan LaTorraca, Head of Marketing at Zoomph and former NFL and NHL team executive, to break down the biggest trends from the 2025 NFL Social Media Report. You’ll learn: • Why YouTube Shorts generated the most social value in the NFL • Why Instagram still dominates total engagement • Why mic’d up moments consistently outperform highlight clips • Why teams are...
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Why Women’s Sports Is the Smartest Bet in Media
Business Of Social
Recorded live at the SPORT BEACH Clubhouse content studio during Super Bowl week in San Francisco — a destination where sport, culture, and innovation collide — David Brickley sits down with Kati Fernandez, Chief Content Officer at TOGETHXR, for a candid and strategic conversation on content, community, and the meteoric rise of women’s sports. Kati breaks down her career path — from the NFL to Hulu, ESPN, and now leading content at TOGETHXR — and why authenticity is her superpower. She shares how real relationships drive growth, how TOGETHXR built community-first momentum before the...
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This Is Why Your Marketing “Didn’t Work”
Business Of Social
A lot of people have “marketing” in their title—but what they’re doing is actually just low-funnel performance tracking. In this episode, David Brickley breaks down the real reason most marketing strategies fall flat: skipping the top of the funnel entirely. He dives into why awareness still matters, how to build real community and trust, and what it actually means to be additive to culture. If you’ve ever had to explain the value of upper-funnel content to someone who only wants clicks and conversions, this one’s for you. 📬 Sign up for David’s monthly newsletter—Real...
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The Truth About A.I. That Investors Won’t Say Out Loud
Business Of Social
Everyone’s talking about AI—but is anyone talking about what’s not working? In this episode, David Brickley breaks down why AI adoption isn’t moving as fast as the hype, and why marketers need to approach it with more patience than panic. He covers: The Ben Affleck quote that reframed his thinking Why 95% of AI pilots are failing, according to MIT The $1.5B lawsuit that could shape copyright law for AI What the .com bubble can teach us about overhype Why AI content generation still isn’t ready for prime time If you’re overwhelmed by the pressure to overhaul your brand...
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The #1 WNBA Team on Social is...
Business Of Social
This WNBA season was historic…and the data proves it. STN teamed up with Zoomph to analyze 20,000+ posts from every WNBA team, tracking engagement, growth, and earned media value. David Brickley is joined by Zoomph’s James Ho to reveal the biggest takeaways from the 2025 WNBA Social Rankings, including the teams, formats, and content types driving massive impact. This episode covers: • How the Fever delivered $55M+ in social value • Why the Wings saw a 5x spike in engagement • The NBA crossover content outperforming everything else • What Facebook is still getting right • Where...
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Relationships, Boundaries & the Science of Feeling Safe ft. Sabrina Zohar
Business Of Social
Sabrina Zohar, host of The Sabrina Zohar Show (7M+ downloads, top 0.1% globally), joins David Brickley for a raw, honest conversation about mental health, dating, relationships, and childhood trauma—and how all of it ties into the patterns we carry as adults. They unpack the psychology behind anxious vs avoidant attachments, the neuroscience of texting anxiety, the truth about boundaries (hint: it’s not about telling people what to do), and how to actually rewire old beliefs instead of projecting them onto your partner. From real talk about her own healing journey to the patterns she sees...
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StubHub’s Secret To Breaking The Internet
Business Of Social
Caity Bransby, Head of Global Social - Growth, Strategy, Analytics at StubHub, joins David Brickley to break down how her team built a content engine that taps into real-time trends, drives massive earned reach, and keeps StubHub top-of-mind across sports and entertainment. They walk through the exact moments that broke the internet—from the Kendrick Lamar tower edit to Coldplay’s HR scandal to the Jalen voodoo doll—and break down the real strategy, approvals, and creative instincts behind them. 📍 StubHub social links and campaigns mentioned in this episode: • Kendrick Lamar vs....
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7 Sports Sponsorships that Sports Fans Loved
Business Of Social
Too many brands still try to hijack the culture instead of creating with it. In this episode, David Brickley breaks down seven sports sponsorships that actually worked—each one built trust, earned credibility, and showed how to add to the conversation instead of interrupting it. From LeBron’s viral Prime Day tease to Nike’s emotional Asia Wilson campaign, these are the moments that didn’t just check the brand box—they created real fan connection. David walks through each one, explains why it worked, and gives you the playbook to create campaigns that sports fans actually want to...
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The New US Only TikTok App
Business Of Social
It’s official: TikTok is getting a U.S.-based spinoff. Trump signed an executive order valuing the U.S. portion at $14 billion, shifting control of the algorithm, data, and oversight into U.S. hands—likely via Oracle. But here’s what’s still unclear: Will you still be able to search for global content? Will your For You Page feel like a walled garden? Will brands and sports teams need regional accounts to stay visible? In this episode, David Brickley breaks down what’s actually changing, what remains unknown, and what it means for creators, marketers, and sports orgs that rely on...
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How BetMGM Is Winning the Sports Betting War
Business Of Social
In this episode, David Brickley sits down with Casey Hurbis, Chief Marketing Officer at BetMGM, to talk about brand-building in crowded markets, the evolution of betting, and how smart marketers earn attention. They cover: - Why a great customer experience still beats a great offer - The biggest challenge in regulated markets—and how BetMGM navigates 29 states - The power of loyalty programs in a world of app-switching bettors - How Casey approached rebranding BetMGM (and why Jon Hamm was the right call) - The biggest mistake marketers make when jumping into new spaces Casey also opens up...
info_outlineWhat does it take to launch a brand from zero—and make it look like it’s been around for years? In this episode, David Brickley and producer Katie break down exactly how they built Stay Fit Social Destination (SFSD) from scratch in just 30 days, generating over 87,000 engagements, 1.8 million views, and $10,000 in ticket sales—all with zero paid ads.
📲 Want to attend a future event?
Follow @sfsd.life on Instagram to stay in the loop on upcoming fitness + social events in San Diego.
🔹 https://www.instagram.com/sfsd.life/
🔹 https://www.tiktok.com/@sfsd.life
🔥 Inside This Episode:
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How branding and credibility are the hardest (and most crucial) parts of launching a new business.
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The micro-influencer strategy that helped SFSD grow a highly targeted audience.
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How to leverage social trends to gain traction and increase visibility.
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Why choosing depth over width in platform strategy makes all the difference.
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How SFSD secured 15+ vendor partnerships and sold out its first event—before even having a single piece of B-roll.
This episode is a rare behind-the-scenes look at the strategies STN Digital uses with top clients—without the NDAs! Whether you’re launching a side hustle, building a new brand, or just want a masterclass in organic social growth, this one’s packed with insights you can apply today.
💬 Drop a comment if you found this episode valuable!
#BrandBuilding #SocialMediaStrategy #MicroInfluencers #BusinessOfSocial
Interested in becoming a guest on the podcast? Reach out to our team at businessofsocial@stn.digital
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STN Digital is a social-first marketing agency that specializes in launching brands and building highly engaged audiences.
➡Check us out: https://www.stndigital.com/
➡Get in touch with our team: https://www.stndigital.com/contact/
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