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  • Build Your Marketing Machine: Stop Chasing Trends & Start Creating Systems: with Jeff Wenberg

    Build Your Marketing Machine: Stop Chasing Trends & Start Creating Systems: with Jeff Wenberg
    2025/11/25

    If your marketing feels like guesswork — some months booming, others bone-dry — today’s episode will show you exactly what’s missing.

    Sam sits down with Jeff Wenberg, founder of Offer Evolution and former early-stage team member at Leadpages and Zipify Apps, where he helped scale tech companies by focusing on one core principle:
    ➡️ Marketing works when your machine works

    Jeff went from broke musician to building and selling his own SaaS and helping thousands of entrepreneurs create simple, scalable marketing systems that generate predictable revenue. In this actionable and energising conversation, Jeff shares:

    What You’ll Learn

    ✔ Why most founders struggle with inconsistent lead flow
    ✔ The #1 difference between companies that scale vs those stuck spinning their wheels
    ✔ The exact foundational components of a Marketing Machine (Audience → Message → Rhythm → Process)
    ✔ The 80/20 work every entrepreneur skips — and pays the price for later
    ✔ How to interview customers the right way to unlock language that converts
    ✔ The simple tweak that added $20K MRR in 3 months for one client
    ✔ How to avoid the shiny-object trap (especially with AI)
    ✔ Why true marketing is more human — and more simple — than ever


    Key Quotes

    “Most people don’t slow down long enough to get clear on the transformation they provide — and that confusion comes through in their marketing.”

    "The brands that win are simply joining the conversation their customers are already having.”

    “If you want to build something repeatable and scalable, you need a system — or you’ll be tied to your desk forever.”

    Jeff’s Top Takeaways

    1️⃣ Talk to your customers — deeply and often
    2️⃣ Sell the transformation, not the features
    3️⃣ Consistency beats cleverness, every time

    About Jeff Wenberg

    Jeff is the creator of Offer Evolution, where he helps coaches, course creators, and info-businesses position and pitch their offers so customers say “I need that” before they even hear the price. Previously, he helped scale Leadpages from 11 staff to over 170 and tens of thousands of users worldwide.

    👉 Website: JeffWenberg.com
    👉 Instagram: @IamJeffWenberg

    👉 Connect with Sam: sampenny.com

    Chapters

    00:00 – Introduction
    01:00 – From musician to marketer
    03:20 – Early lessons at Leadpages
    06:10 – When marketing becomes a machine
    10:00 – Tactic chasing vs. system building
    14:30 – What successful businesses always have in common
    20:00 – Consistency vs clarity
    23:30 – The customer that went from $0 to $20K MRR
    26:00 – Why AI will never replace connection
    32:00 – Storytelling as a trust accelerator
    36:00 – Jeff’s 3 steps to build your machine today
    37:30 – Where to find Jeff

    If You Found This Valuable

    Share it with a founder still searching for that elusive “consistent sales” feeling.
    You might just save them years of struggle.
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    38 分
  • Why Communication Is a Strategic Advantage: Joshua Altman

    Why Communication Is a Strategic Advantage: Joshua Altman
    2025/11/18

    In this episode, Sam dives deep into the power of communication as a growth driver — not a buzzword. Joshua Altman, former Capitol Hill journalist and now pioneer of the Fractional Chief Communications Officer (CCO) model, explains how smart communication shapes perception, accelerates decisions, builds trust, and connects every part of a business to its strategy.

    From small-to-mid-size companies to government agencies, Joshua has helped leaders transform messaging from reactive output into an operating system for better decisions. He breaks down:

    🔑 Key Takeaways

    • Communications is strategy
      Your newsletter, website, and pitch deck aren’t the end goal — they’re conversation starters that shape how customers and stakeholders think.
    • Better messaging = Faster decisions
      When teams and customers are aligned, they move confidently without hesitation.
    • Small businesses need an integrated approach
      Not siloed social posts — a narrative that supports product, sales, and culture.
    • Be the signal, not the noise
      Strategic silence can be powerful — but ignoring customers when it counts can destroy trust.
    • AI is a tool — not the storyteller
      Technology can speed execution, but humans are still the edge.

    🧩 What We Cover

    ✔️ What a Chief Communications Officer actually does
    ✔️ Why the fractional model is booming
    ✔️ How to prevent communications chaos during growth
    ✔️ The Cracker Barrel brand meltdown example — and what leaders should learn from it
    ✔️ The habits of leaders who communicate well
    ✔️ Practical steps any business can take this week to improve clarity


    🧠 Who This Episode Is For

    This one’s essential listening if you are:

    • A founder juggling marketing and messaging yourself
    • A CEO scaling into new markets or raising capital
    • A leader dealing with communication bottlenecks
    • Anyone wanting to build a brand that customers trust

    🔗 Connect with Joshua Altman

    • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/JoshuaiAltman
    • Website & Free Tools: beltway.media (check out the Quick Guides!)
    • Email: jaltman@beltway.media

    ❤️ Enjoying the Show?

    If this conversation helped you rethink communication as a growth engine, please:

    ✔️ Share this episode with your team
    ✔️ Leave a 5-star rating and review
    ✔️ Subscribe so you never miss an episode

    For the complete Blog Article, head to sampenny.com
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    51 分
  • Ben Adkins on Building 7-Figure Marketing Systems that Sell Themselves

    Ben Adkins on Building 7-Figure Marketing Systems that Sell Themselves
    2025/11/11

    From Chiropractic Tables to Digital Empires: Dr Ben Adkins on Building Systems That Sell Themselves

    Guest: Dr Ben Adkins — Founder of Fearless Social and One Hour Influencer
    Host: Sam Penny
    Duration: 1h 10m

    Episode Overview

    Dr Ben Adkins went from an overworked chiropractor in a small town to one of the most trusted marketing minds online.
    When faced with an empty waiting room, he taught himself digital marketing — and within months, filled his clinic beyond capacity. Then he sold it, built Fearless Social, and created One Hour Influencer — a system that helps business owners turn one hour a month into 30 days of powerful content.

    In this episode, Ben reveals how to:

    • Turn your expertise into scalable, sellable systems
    • Build a marketing engine that attracts clients — even while you sleep
    • Transition from being the operator to becoming the entrepreneur
    • Create authentic content in an AI-driven world
    • Build a business that fits in your backpack — literally

    This conversation is for service professionals, course creators, and business owners who want to escape the grind and build brands that scale with trust and simplicity.

    What You’ll Learn

    1️⃣ The “Empty Waiting Room” Moment
    How a failing chiropractic clinic pushed Ben to master digital marketing — and how that single skill created a business he could sell.

    2️⃣ Building the Engine That Attracts Buyers
    Why valuation skyrockets when your business runs on a repeatable marketing system rather than your personal hustle.

    3️⃣ The Birth of Fearless Social
    How fear became the foundation for an agency that helped thousands of small business owners grow their reach online.

    4️⃣ The Power of Simplicity: Answer 20 Questions
    The framework behind Ben’s success — turn the top 20 questions your customers ask into content. That’s your marketing plan.

    5️⃣ The Backpack Entrepreneur Philosophy
    Ben’s rule: if your business doesn’t fit in a backpack, it’s not truly free. He explains how to build portability into your business model from day one.

    6️⃣ From Service to Product
    How Ben scaled from done-for-you agency work to scalable digital products and recurring programs.

    7️⃣ The Birth of One Hour Influencer
    How a simple accountability problem led to a new business model that creates one month of content in one hour — now used by lawyers, coaches, and service professionals worldwide.

    8️⃣ Authenticity in the Age of AI
    Ben and Sam unpack how to use AI as a support tool — not a substitute — to keep content human and trust-driven.

    9️⃣ Action Plan for 2025 Creators
    Ben’s three-step roadmap for anyone starting today:

    1. Write down why you started.
    2. List the 20 questions your audience keeps asking.
    3. Get on camera and answer them — imperfectly but consistently.

    Top Quotes

    “If your business doesn’t fit in a backpack, you’re not free.”
    — Dr Ben Adkins“Your founder story is your most powerful marketing asset. Tell it before anyone else does.”
    — Sam Penny“AI should never be your final step. The human touch is the only thing that builds trust.”
    — Dr Ben Adkins

    Resources Mentioned

    • The 4-Hour Work Week – Tim Ferriss

    • Fearless Social

    • One Hour Influencer

    • Opus Clip

    • Hootsuite

    Connect with Ben Adkins

    🌐 Website: 1hourinfluencer.io

    📧 Contact: via the site
    📱 Instagram: @drbenadkins

    🎧 Podcast: Serial Progress Seeker

    Connect with Sam Penny

    🌐 sampenny.com

    🎙️ Follow Built to Sell | Built to Buy for weekly conversations on creating businesses that buyers chase.
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    1 時間 10 分
  • John Solleder on Building People, Purpose & Value That Lasts

    John Solleder on Building People, Purpose & Value That Lasts
    2025/10/22

    In this episode of Built to Sell | Built to Buy, host Sam Penny sits down with entrepreneur, author, and mentor John Solleder, whose 40-year career has been dedicated to one thing: helping people unlock their potential. From humble beginnings in New Jersey to building international, people-driven enterprises, John has spent decades proving that leadership, discipline, and personal growth are the foundations of lasting business value.

    Together, Sam and John unpack how to:

    • Build equity by developing people first.
    • Balance personal discipline with business agility.
    • Use technology and AI without losing the human touch.
    • Attract the right people and culture to scale beyond yourself.
    • Stay relevant across decades of change in marketing, mindset, and media.

    🧭 Key Topics Covered

    • The defining moment that launched John’s lifelong focus on mentorship and growth — inspired by Ronald Reagan’s 1983 commencement speech.
    • Success habits that compound: getting up early, staying consistent, and making each hour count.
    • How to pivot and stay agile, from cassette tapes and flyers to podcasts and AI.
    • The power of brand values and why personal integrity outlasts any tool or platform.
    • Leadership for the next decade — blending human empathy with technological fluency.
    • Equity as more than money: how to build reputation, culture, and enterprise value that endures.
    • Personal discipline & health — how John lost 40 kilos, redefined his diet, and turned lifelong habits into business fuel.

    💡 Key Quotes

    “Success isn’t luck — it’s design.” – John Solleder
    “For things to change, you have to change. For things to get better, you have to get better.”
    “Don’t let people rent space in your head unless they’re paying rent in positivity.”
    “Exercise is king, nutrition is queen — put them together and you build a kingdom.”
    “Businesses don’t scale — people do.” – Sam Penny

    🔑 Actionable Takeaways

    1. Discipline beats motivation. Go to bed early, get up early, and work like the future is now.
    2. Become a student of your craft. Read, listen, and learn constantly — success leaves clues.
    3. Build equity through people. Invest in culture and leadership, not just systems.
    4. Embrace change with agility. New tools don’t replace you; they multiply your reach if used right.
    5. Protect your mental bandwidth. Remove negativity and surround yourself with growth-minded people.

    📚 Mentioned in the Episode

    • Leaving Nothing to Chance and Equity by John Solleder
    • The Seasons of Life – Jim Rohn
    • Good to Great – Jim Collins
    • Influences: Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, Earl Nightingale, Mary Kay Ash

    🔗 Connect with John Solleder

    • Website: JohnSolleder.com

    • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnsolleder

    • Books: Leaving Nothing to Chance | Equity | Moving Up 2020 (available via Amazon & JohnSolleder.com)
    • Podcast: Leave Nothing to Chance
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    1 時間 5 分
  • Culture Branding: How to Build a Company That Moves 56x Faster — with Nader Safinya

    Culture Branding: How to Build a Company That Moves 56x Faster — with Nader Safinya
    2025/10/15
    In this episode of Built to Sell | Built to Buy, host Sam Penny sits down with Nader Safinya, founder of Black Ribbit and creator of the Culture Branding™ methodology — a powerful framework that bridges brand, culture, and leadership to accelerate decision-making and deepen loyalty inside and outside organisations.Over two decades, Nader has worked across continents and industries to help businesses design cultures that live their values, not just print them on a wall. He reveals how aligning core beliefs across employees and customers can make decisions up to 56 times faster, boost retention, and drive measurable growth.From his multicultural upbringing to the birth of Black Ribbit and the development of the Culture Brand Filter — an AI-driven decision-making system — Nader shares how empathy, consistency, and design thinking can transform both company culture and bottom-line results.🧠 Key Themes Covered1. The Origins of a Culture BuilderGrowing up across Iran, Indonesia, France, and the US, Nader’s early life taught him to observe human behaviour and cultural dynamics. He credits his mother’s legendary parties — where CEOs and housekeepers mingled as equals — for teaching him the power of consistent treatment and emotional safety.2. The Birth of Black RibbitWhat started as a misread tattoo shop in Munich turned into a global agency name — and an ethos. Frogs, as Nader later discovered, symbolise empathy, transformation, and guidance across cultures. “It was fate — or as my mum would say, kismet,” he laughs.3. Defining Your Core ValuesBefore he could define company values, Nader had to define his own. After a decade-long personal transformation, he identified his three non-negotiables — reliability, compassion, and deliberate action — values that now underpin every decision at Black Ribbit.4. What Is Culture Branding?Traditional branding focuses on customers. Culture Branding connects both sides of the business — employees and customers — through shared values and consistent experiences. It ensures that what companies say aligns with what they do.“Culture Branding bridges the gap between what companies say and what they do — by designing the customer and employer brand simultaneously.”5. The Culture Brand FilterThe heart of the framework is a powerful AI-driven tool that helps organisations make values-based decisions at speed.“We had clients who’d been deliberating for 12 months and solved it in 12 minutes,” Nader explains.The tool ensures decisions align with three core values, increasing clarity, trust, and cohesion across teams.6. Quantifying the ImpactCulture Branding has delivered dramatic results:56x faster decision-making96% increase in customer loyalty$2M saved in staff retention43% reduction in hiring costsYet the greatest ROI, Nader says, is time — “the one thing holding us back from becoming better humans.”7. The Challenge of ImplementationDespite its success, many companies hesitate to act. “It’s fear,” Nader admits. “They ask, ‘What do we get?’ — even as I show them the data. But what they’re really missing is the willingness to install the program, not just buy it.”8. AI, Humanity, and the Future of CultureNader warns that if businesses don’t integrate empathy and values into their systems now, “we risk becoming cattle to the machine.”“Culture Branding gives humans back time. It lets technology handle the monotonous so we can get back to being better humans.”9. Practical Steps for LeadersIf you want to apply Culture Branding in your business this week:Look in the mirror — Ask yourself, “Would you want to work for you?”Ask your team and customers — “Why do you want to work here or buy from us?”Read your reviews — Identify what feedback is consistent, good or bad, and act on it.“Consistent behaviour elicits consistent responses. That’s how trust is built.”💬 Memorable Quotes“Consistent behaviour elicits consistent responses — and that’s the foundation of brand trust.” “Culture Branding designs the inside and the outside of your business at the same time.” “Time is the only thing holding us back from becoming better humans.” “If your values change with your product, you don’t have values — you have preferences.”🏁 Final TakeawayAligning your brand and culture isn’t a marketing exercise — it’s a business accelerator. When your team and customers tell the same story about who you are, your company moves faster, makes better decisions, and becomes magnetic to the right people.Clarity of values leads to clarity in decisions — and clarity drives growth.🔗 Connect with Nader SafinyaWebsite: blackribbit.comPodcast: Frog TalkLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nadersafinya
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    1 時間 3 分
  • Culture That Sells: Chris Dyer on Transparency, Trust & Remote Leadership

    Culture That Sells: Chris Dyer on Transparency, Trust & Remote Leadership
    2025/10/08

    When it comes to building a business people actually want to buy, it’s not just about profits — it’s about people.

    In this episode, Chris Dyer, bestselling author, culture consultant and former CEO of PeopleG2, joins Sam Penny to unpack how company culture directly drives performance, profitability and business valuation.

    Long before remote work became mainstream, Chris built one of America’s most recognised “Best Places to Work,” scaling a fully virtual company through the GFC and eventually selling it — all by putting culture first.


    From his Seven Pillars of Culture to radical transparency, and why he ditched one-on-one meetings for faster decision-making, this conversation reveals how culture isn’t soft — it’s a hard-edge advantage that creates enterprise value buyers can see and feel.

    In this episode:

    • How Chris turned a struggling business during the GFC into an Inc. 5000 success story
    • Why transparency (even sharing your P&L) boosts profitability and trust
    • The “Seven Pillars” that every great culture is built on
    • How to make remote and hybrid teams thrive — without losing connection
    • The secret to “feed forward” instead of “feedback”
    • The quiet quitting myth — and what’s really behind disengagement
    • How culture impacts valuation (and why buyers pay more for great teams)
    • The meeting revolution: “Cockroach meetings,” “Tiger Teams,” and eliminating one-on-ones
    • Why the future of leadership depends on empathy, AI adaptability, and human-centred thinking

    Guest bio:

    Chris Dyer is a global culture expert, keynote speaker, and bestselling author of The Power of Company Culture and Remote Work. As the founder and former CEO of PeopleG2, he built one of the world’s first fully remote companies, recognised seven years running as a Best Place to Work. Chris now helps leaders worldwide build transparent, high-performing, human-centred organisations that attract and retain top talent.

    👉 Learn more at chrisdyer.com

    Follow Chris on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chrispdyer7

    On Instagram/TikTok: @chrisdyer

    Key takeaway

    A great culture isn’t a perk — it’s a multiplier.
    When you build transparency, trust, and meaningful connection into your business, you don’t just create happier teams — you build a company worth buying.

    Subscribe & share

    If this episode helped you rethink what really drives value in your business, share it with a fellow founder or leader.
    Subscribe to Built to Sell | Built to Buy wherever you listen to podcasts.
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    52 分
  • Behaviour Drives Money: Hugh Massie on DNA Insights, Leadership, and Building Exponential Businesses

    Behaviour Drives Money: Hugh Massie on DNA Insights, Leadership, and Building Exponential Businesses
    2025/10/01

    What if the way you’re wired is silently driving every financial and business decision you make?

    In this episode of Built to Sell | Built to Buy, host Sam Penny sits down with Hugh Massie, founder of DNA Behavior International, to explore how our natural behavioural wiring influences money, decision-making, leadership, and ultimately the value of a business.

    Hugh’s journey from chartered accountant to global entrepreneur reveals why behaviour is the denominator of success. He shares how losing his father at a young age shaped his passion for mentoring boys without fathers, why understanding behaviour is critical in scaling businesses, and how leaders can adopt an exponential mindset to unlock massive growth.

    Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, team leader, or someone simply looking to make smarter financial choices, this conversation will give you practical steps to align behaviour with money, reduce risk, and open the door to exponential growth.

    What You’ll Learn in This Episode

    • How behaviour drives money — and why financial outcomes start with self-awareness
    • The story of how Hugh built DNA Behavior into a global platform impacting millions
    • Why stress reveals your true wiring and how that impacts decision-making under pressure
    • The role of culture and behavioural alignment in maximising business valuation
    • What it means to adopt an exponential mindset vs. incremental growth
    • Lessons from Hugh’s initiative Boys Without Fathers, and how mentoring shapes leadership
    • How AI and technology are reshaping behavioural insights in business
    • Three practical steps you can take today to align your behaviour and money

    About Hugh Massie

    Hugh Massie is the Founder and Executive Chairman of DNA Behavior International, a global leader in behavioural profiling and money insights. His tools have been used by thousands of companies and advisors to improve decision-making, leadership, and financial outcomes. Hugh is also passionate about youth mentoring, particularly helping boys who grow up without fathers, and advocates for leaders to integrate purpose and values into business.

    👉 Learn more at dnabehavior.com

    👉 Contact Hugh: dnacare@dnabehavior.com

    Resources & Links

    • Explore DNA Behavior insights: dnabehavior.com

    • Connect with Hugh: dnacare@dnabehavior.com

    • Follow Sam Penny and discover more episodes: sampenny.com
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    1 時間 8 分
  • Jim Penman: From a $24 Lawn-Mowing Gig to a Global Franchise Empire

    Jim Penman: From a $24 Lawn-Mowing Gig to a Global Franchise Empire
    2025/09/24

    What does it take to turn a side hustle into a household name? For Jim Penman, it started with mowing lawns for twenty-four dollars a week — and grew into Jim’s Group, one of the largest and most recognisable franchise networks in Australia and beyond.

    In this conversation, Jim shares the story of how he built a brand that now stretches across more than 50 industries, why customer service has always been his non-negotiable, and the mindset that helped him grow from a single operator into a leader of thousands.

    But this isn’t just a business story. It’s a conversation about vision, persistence, and the courage to build something bigger than yourself. Jim opens up about:

    • The leap from working solo to creating a scalable system.
    • Why he believes strong values beat flashy marketing every time.
    • The lessons he learned about resilience, delegation, and trust.
    • How personal discipline and faith shape the way he leads.

    Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a leader steering a growing organisation, or simply someone fascinated by how ordinary people achieve extraordinary things, Jim’s story offers a rare window into the grit behind the growth.

    👉 If you enjoy this episode, you might also love my other podcast Why’d You Think You Could Do That?, where I explore the stories of people who attempt the extraordinary and say yes to the impossible. Find it on Apple, Spotify, or at sampenny.com/brave.
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    1 時間 3 分