Content that actually resonates starts with telling the whole truth about what you can and cannot do right now. In this conversation, Trevor Grimes sits down with Tylor Jones, Director of Digital Acquisition at SIB Fixed Cost Reduction and 3X demand gen leader, to talk through category busting content, flopped campaigns, and building something that really matters.

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Tylor shares the long journey from 35 years of fixed cost reduction data to Spend Brain, a niche LLM that lets you “have a conversation with your spend,” plus how he borrows the B2C playbook, spends $100,000 a month on Meta, and uses UGC videos to make a complex offer feel simple.

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They walk through painful PLG and FBA reimbursement flops, the almond milk story, Reddit threads, cults, The Wandering Home Podcast, and why most teams under $20 million should stop chasing podcasts and ebooks and move the needle with honest structure, clear distribution, and real communities.

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Elder Emo, 3X demand gen leader, and self-described Gandalf of growth marketing, Tylor Jones is Director of Digital Acquisition at SIB Fixed Cost Reduction, a private equity–backed cost reduction and spend management firm. He builds and scales modern demand generation engines across high-growth B2B SaaS and B2B e-commerce, owning pipeline targets, budget, multichannel strategy, and executive-level reporting.

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Tylor also leads growth marketing for Getida, the largest FBA reimbursements auditor on the globe, and helps drive 3X inbound and 2X marketing-sourced pipeline. Outside of work, he co-hosts The Wandering Home Podcast, where a former pastor and a secular friend talk church, cults, and everything in between.

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• Content that actually resonates vs. content that just talks: why “stop mimicking and start making content that actually matters” is the starting point for both personal brand and company brand.
• Productizing fixed cost reduction into Spend Brain: how 35 years of enterprise spend data, an in-house AI and LLM, and “a conversation with your spend” turned a gray-hat-feeling service into extreme clarity for $100M+ businesses.
• Category busting content and the almond milk example: putting yourself “next to milk in the refrigerator” even when you don’t have to be there, fighting for that position, and using competitors’ categories as the comparison point.
• Borrowing the B2C playbook for B2B: why Tylor spends around $100,000 a month on Meta, runs UGC videos, blends product led and sales led motions, and treats category creation like a busy experiment instead of a static play.
• Two big flops and what they changed: a 10-video PLG onboarding series nobody watched, and an Amazon FBA reimbursement launch with a great deck, landing page, and CGO video—but weak distribution and wrong message order.
• UGC talent vs. “just use your webcam”: how Billo actors, stable spokespeople, consistent lighting, strong audio, and screen-cap product tours set the quality standard brands can’t drop below—while BDRs still use lo-fi 1:1 video in outreach.
• PLG, support, and that...

Free thing or paid thing? That tension sits at the center of this conversation about what makes content resonate and how to stop mimicking others and start making something that actually matters. Host Trevor Grimes and fellow marketer, content creator, and Scrappy ABMer Evan Cox walk through real examples of templates, guides, workshops, email sequences, and “ABM in a day” offers to figure out when to gate something, when to charge for it, and when to just give it away.

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Evan shares a simple line that shapes everything: “the highest motive brings the greatest motivation.” From lead gen CTAs that don’t default to “book a call,” to free products that unlock bigger, more expensive problems, they zoom in on relationship and revenue, quick wins, and logical reasons to ask for an email address. You’ll hear how to create the kind of content you want people to expect from you, why different is better than better, and how to move through crowded spaces like YouTube, Threads, and X without burning out or watering down what you do best.

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Evan Cox is a fellow marketer, content creator, and Scrappy ABMer who spends a lot of his time writing, creating, and designing content so brands stay well connected with their audience based on the content they produce. He and Trevor have worked together in a couple of settings and share a love for dogs (especially pugs) and back-and-forth riffs about Vietnamese food. Evan is also a huge football fan and brings that “different plays for different moments” mindset into how he thinks about account-based marketing, lead gen, and content offers.

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• How Trevor and Evan rethink traditional lead gen so every CTA doesn’t have to be “book a meeting” or “schedule a demo”
• Why a conversion can be as simple as a reply to an email, a question before a webinar, or a visit to your site—not just a booked call
• Different plays for free vs paid: starting with a free thing and turning it into a paid thing, or starting with a paid thing and later making it free
• How solving an immediate pain point with a product can unlock a bigger problem where you become the go-to problem solver
• Evan’s line: “the highest motive brings the greatest motivation”—and what that means for roofing guides, ABM workshops, and everyday content
• Trevor’s YouTube cohort story: offering a free email sequence template, then getting asked for a proposal and paid project from the same group
• Using logical reasons to request an email address (pre-registering kids, podcast Q&A, better estimates) so it feels like a benefit, not a trap
• Standing out in crowded spaces with “clear, compelling, and relevant” content and the idea that “different is better than better,” plus the “whereas our competitors…, we prefer to…” framing

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• Scrappy ABM (sponsor and ABM framework / “ABM in a day” workshop reference)
• StoryBrand (book and “StoryBrand guide” framework referenced by Trevor)
• Petfinder (used in Evan’s dog adoption example)
• Coke / Coca-Cola (Santa Claus and polar bear holiday billboard example)
• Amazon (as an example of a site with lots of paid products)
• Stand store (mentioned as a place to sell small guides)
• Gumroad (mentioned as a place to sell guides and products)

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Low-Tech, High-Impact Account-Based Marketing

If you’re ready to trade expensive, tech-heavy...

You block out time, sit down to batch content, open a blank document or camera app… and suddenly you’re deep diving on a Wikipedia page about soup spoons. That isn’t about talent. As Trevor Grimes says, creativity doesn’t die because you’re not talented. It dies because you sit down to create something and believe you have absolutely nothing to say yet.

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In this solo episode of The Content Crowd, Trevor shares the NoteCard Method, a simple, wildly tactical pen to paper system that became an absolute game changer for his content creation life and a fix for that “I’ve got nothing to post” panic. He walks through how a notebook and a stack of 3x5 or 4x6 cards can give you endless content ideas, make your process smoother, and help you stop treating content like a last minute chore.

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From perfectionism and procrastination to weekly brain dumps, categories, and deck sorting, Trevor shows how to hand yourself 20+ ideas in 10 minutes, recycle and remix posts that pop or flop, and destroy blank-page syndrome with a scrappy, no-tech, high-impact method.

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• Why creativity doesn’t die because you’re not talented, but because you sit down to create and think you have absolutely nothing to say.
• The real reason most creators quit: not content creation, but idea generation mixed with procrastination and perfectionism.
• How Trevor uses a notebook plus a stack of 3x5 or 4x6 note cards to move ideas from his brain to paper and never start from a blank page.
• The weekly 10–15 minute brain dump: one idea per card—stories, questions, lessons, frustrations, hooks, hot takes, tactical breakdowns, and behind-the-scenes moments.
• Using a legend card and simple labels like story, lesson, hot take, how-to, question, and behind-the-scenes (with highlighters or numbers) so you remember you need more than one type of content.
• Deck sorting: pulling specific mixes of cards (story, lesson, hot take, hooks, how-to) to build podcast scripts, long form videos, short form clips, blogs, emails, and posts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, X, or Blue Sky.
• Recycling and merging cards so one or two “mediocre” ideas can turn into huge hits once everything is out on paper and you let yourself find a narrative arc.
• Using prompts like questions your audience always asks, mistakes you made early in your journey, stories from your work or creative life, things that annoy you about your industry, and skills or tools you wish somebody told you about sooner to instantly create a 25-card deck.

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• Scrappy ABM – Sponsor that helps you build repeatable account based marketing plays and teaches you how to do them so that you can bring ABM in-house when you’re ready.
• “Do Over” by John Acuff – The book where Trevor first saw a note card method used to create a personal job network and categorize people, resources, and ideas on cards.
• “Chris Talks Cash Flow” with Chris Brown – Conversation about budgets where the note card method for money helped Trevor see how note cards could map content.
• 30-Day Content Sprint / Content Creation Sprint – Trevor’s sprint that helps you come up with 20+ ideas in about 10 minutes and feeds directly into your NoteCard stack.

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Tools & Supplies Mentioned

• Notes app in your phone
• A physical ideation notebook or planner
• A stack of 3x5 or 4x6 note cards
• Sharpie pen and regular pen
• Highlighters or binder tabs for color coding and sorting

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If you struggle with running out of content ideas, the NoteCard Method is your no-tech,

Guest slumps, last-minute reschedules, and still hitting publish—this conversation gets real about what it takes to keep creating when plans fall through. Trevor Grimes (host of The Content Crowd) sits down with colleague and fellow content creator Phil Pilalas to talk accountability, short solo episodes, and how a late-night recording turned into a 30-day content sprint. They compare “silly posts” that explode with impressions to educational posts that quietly serve the right people, and break down a simple model: content that “creates intrigue and eyeballs” vs. content that helps people “do their job better.” From the “Nothing burger vs. Everything sandwich” post that flopped to why a producer—or just someone who “pokes you and says, ‘Hey, you didn’t do the thing’”—can keep you shipping, this is a candid look at making something that actually matters. Actionable themes: build accountability, ship short when you must, and design offers that feel like a real extension of you—not a quote slapped on a shirt.

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Phil Pilalas is Trevor’s colleague and a fellow content creator at Scrappy ABM. Previously featured on Episode 3 (May 29), Phil brings hands-on experiments (including posting that SOA video), real talk on posts that “hit 11,000 impressions,” and a practical framework for balancing entertainment with detailed value so audiences first pay attention—and then grow.

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• How accountability (a producer or editor waiting on your file) gets you to “do the thing” and keep publishing.
• Turning a late-night riff into a 30-day content sprint—and why short solo episodes still count.
• The “Nothing burger vs. Everything sandwich” lesson: being proud of work that flops and shipping anyway.
• A simple split: entertainment content to “create intrigue and eyeballs” vs. educational content that helps people “do their job better.”
• When personal brand meets product: make it an extension of you—not just a quote on a shirt.
• Why some influencer products stall: quality, ease of buying, and trust (ghost kitchens vs. grabbing something at the store).
• Audiences that age with you vs. audiences that age out—and how that shapes what you sell.
• Word of mouth still matters: “These are the best peanut butter cups I’ve ever had” only spreads if real people say it.

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• Scrappy ABM
• LinkedIn
• Notion
• Fiverr
• YouTube
• Prime (hydration/energy)
• Beast Burger
• Five Guys
• Domino’s
• Trader Joe’s
• Costco
• Safeway
• Incog
• MYNA Snacks
• Squarespace
• Ryan Trahan
• MrBeast
• PewDiePie
• Drew Gooden
• Carl’s gummies
• Lunchables / “Lunchie” (mentioned as a reference)

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Low-Tech, High-Impact Account-Based Marketing

If you’re ready to trade expensive, tech-heavy account-based marketing for a repeatable, revenue-driving ABM program, check out Scrappy ABM. Led by a team of Scrappy ABM experts, they specialize in low-budget plays and programs that deliver high impact—no shiny tools required. Scrappy ABM has built account-based programs that have delivered millions in revenue, and you can build your first successful ABM program with their help.

Start with a pilot program or launch an account-based podcast. Learn more at

The loop of consuming, doubting, and delaying ends when you flip the switch from consumer to creator. In this solo episode, Trevor Grimes shares how to think like a content creator before you have an audience—turning daily life into fuel for content and moving from “I can’t” to “what if I tried?” He lays out five mindset shifts that changed everything for him: quantity over clarity, inspiration is earned, your story is a strategy, consistency builds confidence, and done is better than perfect.

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Trevor gets practical with a 30 day content practice plan: idea dumps, five posts in seven days, choosing a core topic, and building a simple system that trades motivation for discipline. Expect straight talk on posting when the lighting’s weird, showing up when it’s quiet, and building trust in yourself—1% better each time. If you’ve been waiting for permission, this is the decision: post it, learn, and keep going.

Content creation sprint — 30 Day Content System (download): https://komorebimtg.notion.site/30-Day-Content-System-29b468a0ddbf81019b5dfa6415af1fc1?pvs=143

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• The shift from consumer to creator and why it’s “all in your mind.”
• Identity-based habits: “I’m the kind of person who shares ideas online.”
• Quantity over clarity: clarity comes from doing, not waiting.
• Inspiration is earned, not found: systems over motivation.
• Your story is a strategy: point of view, messy middle, tiny wins, and failures.
• Consistency builds confidence: reps over results, 1% better.
• Done is better than perfect: action over perfection.
• The 30 day content practice plan: idea dump, five posts in seven days, pick a core topic, batch and schedule.

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• Notes app / Google Docs (idea bank and daily capture)
• YouTube, LinkedIn (posting, feedback, and connection)
• Content creation sprint — 30 Day Content System (download): https://komorebimtg.notion.site/30-Day-Content-System-29b468a0ddbf81019b5dfa6415af1fc1?pvs=143

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Low-Tech, High-Impact Account-Based Marketing

If you’re ready to trade expensive, tech-heavy account-based marketing for a repeatable, revenue-driving ABM program, check out Scrappy ABM. Led by a team of Scrappy ABM experts, they specialize in low-budget plays and programs that deliver high impact—no shiny tools required. Scrappy ABM has built account-based programs that have delivered millions in revenue, and you can build your first successful ABM program with their help.

Start with a pilot program or launch an account-based podcast. Learn more at scrappyabm.com. Let's get scrappy.

No effort goes unnoticed. That’s the throughline as Trevor Grimes sits down with Wael Davis to talk confidence, being findable, and why social media should be fun. Wael shares how long-form writing on Substack, short-form on TikTok, and simple, strategic systems can help you stop mimicking others and start making something that truly matters. From “you do not have to be active on every single platform” to “find what works for you,” this conversation normalizes letting go of perfection, training your algorithms to bring you joy, and posting without fear — even when views are under a hundred. Trevor lays out a practical path: a weekly live show that becomes clips and audio, turning one hour into exponential content. Together they underline two anchors: be kind to yourself and keep stepping into the arena. The result is confidence, clarity, and a human way to build a personal brand that makes you findable.

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Wael Davis has worked in the social media and digital landscape for 12–13 years. He started in fashion — his first “big boy job” was with Donna Karan International while it was under the LVMH umbrella — followed by roles with Perellis and Steve Madden. Over the last three to four years he moved into B2B and currently works at the Naso National Association of Marketers as the Director of Social Media and Communication Strategy. He also creates across Instagram, TikTok, and Substack, where he writes Clickbait Therapy.

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• “No effort goes unnoticed”: stepping into the arena builds confidence, notches reps, and removes the fear of posting.
• “Be findable”: show multifaceted interests across platforms so people can actually find you.
• “You do not have to be active on every single platform”: find what works for you and don’t cave to pressure.
• Substack and the desire for long form; TikTok as the documentary go-to that normalized making content.
• Make it simple and strategic: a weekly live conversation that turns into clips and audio for exponential growth.
• Let go of perfection: post even when views are 17, 20, 30 — there’s no such thing as a flop.
• Train your algorithms: use “not interested,” don’t engage with what you don’t want, and prioritize content that brings you joy.
• “Be kind to yourself”: positively encourage yourself and keep going.

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• TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Substack, newsletters, email marketing (general mentions)
• Clickbait Therapy (Substack): https://waeldavis.substack.com/
• Wael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waeldavis
• Scrappy ABM (podcast sponsor)
• MrBeast, Mark Rober (examples)
• Bug of the Week (newsletter reference)

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Low-Tech, High-Impact Account-Based Marketing

If you’re ready to trade expensive, tech-heavy account-based marketing for a repeatable, revenue-driving ABM program, check out Scrappy ABM. Led by a team of Scrappy ABM experts, they specialize in low-budget plays and programs that deliver high impact—no shiny tools required. Scrappy ABM has built account-based programs that have delivered millions in revenue, and you can build your first successful ABM program...

The polished “after” posts get all the attention—viral numbers, 100k followers in three months, a paid-off house from writing on LinkedIn. But as Trevor Grimes reminds us, that’s not the content people need most. What’s missing is the climb—the doubts, the no-likes posts, the awkward early experiments.

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This week, Trevor pulls back the curtain on what he calls the messy middle. He shares why documenting your imperfect process builds more trust and relatability than any “I made it” post ever could. From treating failures as your Museum of Failures to reframing stuckness as actual content, Trevor shows why being a few steps ahead—not miles—makes you worth listening to.

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If you’ve been waiting to “figure it all out” before hitting publish, this episode is your reminder: you don’t have to be done to be helpful. You just have to be honest.

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• Why showing only the “after” makes your wins less believable
• How the messy middle builds trust, relatability, and community
• Why documenting your process makes your future success credible
• The danger of copying creators who are in a completely different phase
• How to reframe pivots, burnout, and restarts as valuable content
• Why failures belong in your “Museum of Failures” and not in the trash
• The mindset shift from waiting for milestones to creating right now
• How being just three steps ahead makes you worth following

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• P90X (referenced as an example of before-and-after marketing)
• MrBeast (referenced as an example of different creator phases)
• Museum of Failures (an Instagram post Trevor saw right before recording)

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Low-Tech, High-Impact Account-Based Marketing

If you’re ready to trade expensive, tech-heavy account-based marketing for a repeatable, revenue-driving ABM program, check out Scrappy ABM. Led by a team of Scrappy ABM experts, they specialize in low-budget plays and programs that deliver high impact—no shiny tools required. Scrappy ABM has built account-based programs that have delivered millions in revenue, and you can build your first successful ABM program with their help.

Start with a pilot program or launch an account-based podcast. Learn more at scrappyabm.com. Let's get scrappy.

Hitting “post” and watching your content flop is a feeling every creator, marketer, or founder knows too well. In this solo episode, Trevor Grimes breaks down why most content doesn’t connect — and what to do about it.

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Drawing from his own messy middle of podcasting and content creation, Trevor shares the three silent killers of resonance: writing for everyone, teaching instead of showing, and skipping the middle part of the story. He walks through examples of content that misses the mark and offers a practical framework — relatable, emotional, and specific — for creating work that actually resonates.

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Whether you’re writing LinkedIn posts, starting a podcast, or trying to convince a skeptical CEO of the value of content, this conversation will give you specific ways to move beyond generic advice and start showing the real, human side of your journey.

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• Why writing for everyone dilutes connection and how to get specific about your audience’s real-life moments
• The difference between teaching and showing — and why social proof, stories, and personal experience matter
• How skipping the messy middle erodes trust and why documenting the journey builds connection
• The “Prince Charles vs. Ozzy Osborne” example that proves demographics aren’t enough for resonance
• Why frameworks alone aren’t enough — and how to ground them in lived experiences
• A simple three-part framework (Relatable, Emotional, Specific) to guide your next piece of content
• How Trevor is applying these lessons in real time while growing this podcast

ㅤ

Low-Tech, High-Impact Account-Based Marketing

If you’re ready to trade expensive, tech-heavy account-based marketing for a repeatable, revenue-driving ABM program, check out Scrappy ABM. Led by a team of Scrappy ABM experts, they specialize in low-budget plays and programs that deliver high impact—no shiny tools required. Scrappy ABM has built account-based programs that have delivered millions in revenue, and you can build your first successful ABM program with their help.

Start with a pilot program or launch an account-based podcast. Learn more at scrappyabm.com. Let's get scrappy.