Episode 280: AI Creative Strategy: How to Analyze Ads, Find What’s Working, and Build Smarter Creative Systems with Ben Bennett
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode Description Everybody can generate AI creative now. The real advantage is knowing what to make next. In this episode, Molly Pittman sits down with Smart Marketer’s Director of Creative, Ben Bennett, to unpack the AI-powered creative strategy workflow he’s building inside the Smart Marketer creative department. Instead of using AI only to pump out more ads, Ben explains how to use it to analyze creative, identify hidden performance patterns, build a “creative DNA” system, and turn ad data into smarter decisions. From creative metadata and hook analysis to Claude skills, Gemini...
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Episode 279: Smart Marketer’s 2026 Growth Playbook: What We’re Building, Testing & Doubling Down On
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 279: Smart Marketer’s 2026 Growth Playbook: What We’re Building, Testing & Doubling Down On Episode Description What does growth look like when AI is changing every week, paid traffic is evolving, and your business has to keep adapting in real time? In this behind-the-scenes episode, Molly Pittman and John Grimshaw pull back the curtain on what Smart Marketer has been building, testing, and improving in 2026. From Axon/AppLovin and TikTok Shop to AEO, AI-powered creative, new software, and launching an ecommerce brand from scratch, this episode is a candid look at how Smart...
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Episode 278: Answer Engine Optimization: How Brands Can Win in the Age of AI Search with Kasim Aslam
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode Description AI tools are changing how people research, compare, and make buying decisions, and the brands that show up in those answers are going to have a massive advantage. In this episode, Molly Pittman sits down with entrepreneur and AEO expert Kasim Aslam to unpack what Answer Engine Optimization really is, how it differs from traditional SEO, and why founder-led content, real expertise, strong reviews, and authentic authority are becoming non-negotiable for brands that want to stay visible. You’ll also hear early results from Smart Marketer’s first AEO client cohort,...
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Episode 277: How to Build an AI-Native Team with Rytis Lauris of Omnisend
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode Description AI can help your team move faster, work smarter, and free up hours of repetitive work… but only if you build the habits, systems, and ownership to actually use it. In this live session from Mentor Table Nashville, Rytis Lauris, co-founder and CEO of Omnisend, shares the six practical lessons his company learned while transforming a 200+ person organization into a more AI-native team. From monthly AI Days and simple point-solution agents to the mindset shift required to “manage” AI assistants, this episode is packed with real-world examples you can bring back to your...
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Episode 276: How to Get Your Brand Recommended by AI: AEO with Julian Lopez
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode Description AI is changing how customers discover, research, and choose brands. If your business isn’t showing up in AI-generated answers, you may be missing the next major wave of organic visibility. In this live session from Mentor Table Nashville, Julian Lopez from the Smart Marketer team breaks down AEO, Answer Engine Optimization, and what brands need to do now to become the recommended choice inside AI tools, AI overviews, and answer engines. From schema markup and indexability to brand authority and bottom-of-funnel search intent, Julian shares the early signals Smart...
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Episode 275: The Paid Ads Machine: Creative Systems That Scale in the Age of AI
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 275: The Paid Ads Machine: Creative Systems That Scale in the Age of AI Episode Description What if your ad creative system could think more like Meta’s algorithm? In this live session from Mentor Table Nashville, Smart Marketer’s Director of Creative Ben Bennett and Creative Operations Manager Melvin Cotton III break down the exact system they use to plan, produce, analyze, and scale paid social creative in the age of AI and Andromeda. From diagnosing what’s actually working inside your ad account to building scalable creator systems and using AI to uncover hidden performance...
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Episode 274: How to Use AI to Write Better Meta Ad Copy Without Losing the Human Touch
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 274: How to Use AI to Write Better Meta Ad Copy Without Losing the Human Touch Episode Description AI can help you write faster, but that does not mean it should be writing your ads for you. In this podcast episode taken from our Smart Paid Traffic Live training, Senior Paid Performance Specialist Dominique Nobel breaks down her step-by-step process for using AI to create stronger Meta ad copy. You will learn how to build a brand intelligence document, generate better hooks, write stronger body copy, improve headlines and descriptions, and use AI as a volume tool while keeping...
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Episode 273: Scaling to $300M+: Paid Media, Attribution & Building Teams That Win
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 273: Scaling to $300M+: Paid Media, Attribution & Building Teams That Win Episode Description What does it really take to scale to $300M+ in revenue and spend $300K per day on ads? In this live Mentor Table session from Nashville, Molly Pittman sits down with entrepreneur Rob Schmidt to break down what actually changes as you grow, from attribution and paid media to leadership and team building. “You have to be really comfortable relying on your other leaders… You need to find good people to surround yourself with that you can trust because you can't do it all yourself....
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Episode 272: The Business Growth Levers That Actually Matter (Ezra Firestone and John Grimshaw)
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Ep. 272: The Business Growth Levers That Actually Matter (Mentor Table with Ezra Firestone and John Grimshaw) Episode Description Most entrepreneurs are stuck optimizing the wrong things. In this Mentor Table conversation, Ezra Firestone and John Grimshaw break down the real levers that drive business growth from customer acquisition and profitability to product strategy and operational focus. If you have been buried in the weeds, this episode will help you zoom out, simplify, and focus on what actually moves the needle. “Don’t quit before the miracle, man, just keep going. I am telling...
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Episode 271: Meta Ads Q&A: Targeting Evolution, Retargeting & What Actually Matters Now
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 271: Meta Ads Q&A: Targeting Evolution, Retargeting & What Actually Matters Now Episode Description Are you overthinking your campaign structure while missing what actually drives results? In this episode of the Smart Marketer Podcast, Molly Pittman and Smart Marketer’s Director of Advertising, Denis Paskalev, continue the Meta Ads Q&A series, diving into retargeting, targeting strategy, and how the algorithm is really working in 2026. From whether you still need separate retargeting campaigns to how creative is now doing the heavy lifting, this conversation breaks down...
info_outlineEpisode 259: A Product Alone Won’t Save You
(with John Grimshaw, Colleen Taylor, Adam Von Rothfelder & Parker Hilton)
Episode Description
You can have the best product in the world, but if you’re not integrating it with the right brand identity, presentation, and customer insight, it’s not going to win. In this behind-the-scenes episode from the Smart Business Systems course, you’ll hear the real story of how the GigaLabs team launched a nootropic product in just 8 weeks, from nothing but a brand idea to standing out on the global stage.
This episode features a dynamic conversation between Smart Marketer’s John Grimshaw, Boom’s Colleen Taylor, Strong Coffee CEO Adam Von Rothfelder, and Parker Hilton of GigaLabs. If you’re looking to build products that actually sell, this one’s a masterclass.
"A product alone won’t save you. It has to be about the integration of the product, the brand image, and the way you’re presenting it, with a real understanding of the customer." – John Grimshaw
You Will Learn:
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Why a strong product means nothing without the right branding and positioning
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How GigaLabs launched in just 8 weeks with an unforgettable customer experience
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The power of emotional connection and understanding your audience
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Real-world product launch lessons you can apply in your own business
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How visual branding, packaging, and even outfits helped GigaLabs go viral
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Why new products are the lifeblood of DTC brands
Links & Resources:
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Smart Marketer – smartmarketer.com
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Smart Product Creation Course – smartmarketer.com/smart-product-creation
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Adam Von Rothfelder – linkedin.com/in/vonrothfelder
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GigaLabs – gigalabs.com
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Strong Coffee Company – strongcoffeecompany.com
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OmniSend – smartmarketer.com/omnisend (Use code SMART for 50% off 3 months)
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro: Why product alone isn’t enough
01:09 Ezra Firestone on why Smart Marketer uses OmniSend
02:23 Meet the Team: Parker, Colleen, John & Adam
04:05 From brand idea to live product in 8 weeks
05:20 Reworking the brand identity from "sleepy" to "vibrant"
06:48 The pivot: From nothing to GigaLabs
09:53 How GigaLabs targeted the D-gen crypto audience
12:21 Building emotional connection with your ideal customer
13:15 The power of physical presentation: The GigaBoy jumpsuits
15:41 What brands can learn from standout Expo activations
17:03 Attention to detail: From Pantone palettes to packaging
18:07 Why GigaLabs inspired this course
19:42 John Grimshaw’s Golden Rule: A product alone won’t save you
20:19 Building a brand flywheel & strong product feedback loops
21:03 Final thoughts on loyalty, purpose & what’s next
Call to Action
If this episode inspired you to rethink how you bring products to life, let us know.
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