Episode 237: Haunted Houses, Taylor Swift & Trivia Nights: An Unexpected Journey to Smart Marketer
Release Date: 09/17/2025
Episode 256: The Top 3 Lessons from 2025 (with Pep, John, and Molly)
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 256: The Top 3 Lessons from 2025 (with Pep, John, and Molly) “These aren’t random clips. Each one was part of a conversation that deeply resonated with you, our audience, and together they tell a story about how to build smarter, more resilient businesses in a changing landscape.” – Anthony, Smart Marketer Podcast Episode Description As 2025 comes to a close, we’re reflecting on the shifts that defined the year; the strategies that moved the needle across offers, customer acquisition, and paid traffic. In this special recap episode, you’ll hear back-to-back clips from...
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Episode 255: Inside Smart Marketer’s Black Friday Strategy - Wins, Curveballs and Campaign Secrets
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 255: Inside Smart Marketer’s Black Friday Strategy - Wins, Curveballs and Campaign Secrets Episode Description Black Friday may be over, but the insights are just getting started. In this behind-the-scenes breakdown, Smart Marketer’s Director of Advertising, Denis Paskalev, joins Content Coordinator Zach Dampier to reveal what actually moved the needle during Cyber Week 2025. From Meta’s surprise budget update to a Shopify outage on Cyber Monday, Denis shares exactly how the team prepped, pivoted, and profited; and what you can still apply to your end-of-year campaigns. They also...
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Episode 254: From Support to Strategy: How Brittany Casella Helps Brands Unlock Hidden Revenue
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 254: From Support to Strategy: How Brittany Casella Helps Brands Unlock Hidden Revenue Episode Description What do eComm upsells and dog rescue have in common? More than you think. In this special live recording from Smart Marketer Live’s VIP Mentor Table Day, Zach Dampier sits down with Brittany Casella, Head of Enterprise at Zipify’s OneClick Upsell. Brittany shares how she climbed from support rep to strategic lead, helping top eCommerce brands boost revenue through post-purchase optimization. Then, the conversation shifts to something deeply personal: Brittany and Molly...
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Episode 253: How to Win on TikTok Shop - Real Strategy Over Viral Hype with Ashley Wright
The Smart Marketer Podcast
🎙️ Episode 253: How to Win on TikTok Shop - Real Strategy Over Viral Hype with Ashley Wright Episode Description "People think, ‘Okay, a video’s gone viral or it’s doing really well,’ but then realistically you’ve got to say, has that actually turned into ROI?" – Ashley Wright In this behind-the-scenes episode from Smart Marketer Live, Content Coordinator Zach Dampier sits down with Ashley Wright, founder of Social Tale and one of the top TikTok Shop experts in the game. With over $80 million in sales under his belt, Ashley reveals what most brands get wrong about the platform...
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Episode 252: Creative Shifts, Community, and the Realities of Modern E-Commerce with Kurt Elster
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 252: Creative Shifts, Community, and the Realities of Modern E-Commerce with Kurt Elster Episode Description What keeps a Shopify expert motivated after 15+ years in the game? In this episode, Kurt Elster, creator of the Unofficial Shopify Podcast and longtime Smart Marketer collaborator, joins Zach Dampier live at Smart Marketer Live to share real talk about modern eCommerce, creative fatigue, and building community in an often isolating industry. “The thing I hang my hat on is two words: enable entrepreneurship. If I can do that with my content, with my efforts speaking or the...
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Episode 251: Shark Tank, AI & Social Impact: How Kreyòl Essence Scaled With Purpose
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 251: Shark Tank, AI & Social Impact: How Kreyòl Essence Scaled With Purpose Episode Description: In this powerhouse episode, Smart Marketer’s Zach Dampier sits down with Yve-Car Momperousse, CEO & Co-Founder of Kreyòl Essence, the clean beauty brand that turned Haitian Black Castor Oil into a viral, purpose-driven movement. Yve-Car shares what it was like stepping into the Shark Tank spotlight, how she’s leveraging AI to evolve her brand, and why poverty alleviation is her true North Star. “Don’t feed into your own hype. What you did five years ago, what you did...
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Episode 250: Scaling Regulated Brands & Building What You Believe In
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 250: Scaling Regulated Brands & Building What You Believe In Episode Description What happens when you mix a viral beverage, a high-compliance industry, and one of the sharpest minds in performance marketing? In this episode, recorded live at Smart Marketer Live 2025, Nick Shackelford joins Zach Dampier for a candid behind-the-scenes look at building BRĒZ a microdose beverage brand blending THC, functional mushrooms, and adaptogens. From navigating paid media challenges to retail expansion, Nick shares real talk on scaling products you care about, retention strategies that...
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Episode 249: The Meta Algorithm Shift: How to Adapt Your Creative Strategy - Part 2
The Smart Marketer Podcast
🎙️Episode 249: The Meta Algorithm Shift: How to Adapt Your Creative Strategy – Part 2 (with Ben Bennett) 📝 Episode Description Want more winning ads with less guesswork? In Part 2 of this creative strategy masterclass, Smart Marketer’s Director of Creative, Ben Bennett, takes you behind the scenes of a real ad campaign to show how small, intentional changes to your message and creative experience can lead to major performance gains on Meta. Forget pumping out 20 random creatives a week. Ben shows you how to scale creative purposefully by testing strategic variables like persona,...
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Episode 248: The Meta Algorithm Shift: How to Adapt Your Creative Strategy - Part 1
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 248: The Meta Algorithm Shift: How to Adapt Your Creative Strategy - Part 1 (with Ben Bennett) 📝 Episode Description What’s really going on with Meta’s latest algorithm update? In this must-listen episode, Smart Marketer’s Director of Creative, Ben Bennett, breaks down what the Andromeda update means for advertisers and how to adjust your creative strategy to keep winning in 2025. “If we can take creative and make that our advantage, then it's like AI to the speed of sound.” – Ben Bennett Ben shares the four-step framework he uses daily to build high-performing...
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Episode 247: Revolutionizing Recurring Revenue with Supliful’s Game-Changing Consumables
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 247: Revolutionizing Recurring Revenue with Supliful’s Game-Changing Consumables Episode Description “You’re literally solving the biggest problem in business right now.” – Molly Pittman What if you could add high-margin, recurring revenue products to your business without worrying about inventory, cash flow, or manufacturing? In this episode, Molly Pittman sits down with Martins Lasmanis, CEO of Supliful; a platform that makes launching white-label consumables as easy as clicking a button. Whether you sell physical products, run a digital business, or want to boost LTV, this...
info_outline🎙 Episode 237: Haunted Houses, Taylor Swift & Trivia Nights: Paul Kalnitzky’s Unexpected Journey to Smart Marketer
Episode Description
What do haunted houses, radio gigs, trivia nights, and Taylor Swift have in common? Paul Kalnitzky. In this raw and hilarious episode, Molly Pittman sits down with Smart Marketer’s very own product and community manager to unpack his unexpected journey—from flipping golf carts at a haunted house to becoming the heart of Smart Marketer’s mastermind.
This is more than a career story, it’s a masterclass in authenticity, creative problem-solving, and following your weird (even if it involves skeletons puking green slime).
“If you just keep showing up as who you really are, eventually someone’s going to notice.” – Paul Kalnitzky
You Will Learn:
• Why showing up authentically is the ultimate career hack
• How Paul’s haunted house job sparked a career in creative media
• What working in toxic vs. supportive work cultures really feels like
• The leadership moment that made Paul a lifelong Taylor Swift fan
• How trivia nights & community building led him to his dream role
• Why embracing your quirks attracts the right opportunities
📌 Links & Resources:
⏱ Timestamps (Chapters)
00:00 – Welcome: Haunted Houses, Taylor Swift & Trivia?!
03:13 – Meet Paul Kalnitzky: Jack of All Trades (and Halloween Lover)
07:54 – How a Haunted House Changed Everything
19:37 – From Theater Rejection to Radio Stardom
25:28 – Programming a College Radio Station Like a Pro
31:19 – The Night Paul Met Taylor Swift (and Everything Changed)
38:02 – From Laid Off to Trivia Entrepreneur
47:02 – Toxic Workplaces, Misfit Kids & The Power of Chosen Family
51:13 – Entering the World of Smart Marketer
58:03 – Culture Shock: From Burnout to Belonging
1:02:58 – Trivia Nights, Wu-Tang, & Becoming a Community Leader
1:07:36 – Paul’s Advice: Show Up Authentically (What That Really Means)
1:12:11 – Final Thoughts: What’s Next for Paul & Smart Marketer
💬 Call to Action
If you laughed, cried, or nodded along with Paul’s story, do us a favor:
⭐ Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts
📲 Share this episode and tag us on social @smartmarketerig using #WeOutHere
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