Most marketing advice is built to fail you.

Not because you’re doing it wrong… but because it was never designed to work the way you think.

Alyssa Nolte sits down with Rachel Allen to rethink what actually drives sales today. Funnels, hacks, and “proven systems” promise results, but most ignore how buying really happens. This conversation breaks that down in plain language and shows a better path forward.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing all the right marketing things and still not seeing results, this one will hit. It’s about trust, timing, relationships, and why the old playbook is falling apart.

Why listen

You’ll walk away with a clearer way to think about marketing that actually matches how people buy today. Less guesswork, less noise, more clarity.

3 key takeaways:

1. Sales only happen when four things align: right thing, right person, right time, right way
2. Relationships matter more than funnels… people buy from people they trust
3. Most “systems” fail because they worked once, not because they work always

This episode is a fresh take on rethinking the future of customer relationships and what it really means to connect with buyers in a crowded market.

Resources and people mentioned:

• Rachel Allen - boltfromthebluecopywriting.com
• Tanya Kubo - Find Your Freaks podcast
• Book: Indirect Work by Carol Sanford

Alyssa Nolte:

• alyssanolte.substack.com
• linkedin.com/in/alyssanolte

Growth isn’t luck. It’s built on purpose.

If you think successful companies just got lucky, this will change how you see growth.

Alyssa Nolte sits down with Kathie Feng to break down a simple but powerful idea: growth is engineered. Not guessed. Not hoped for. Built step by step. They talk about what actually drives growth at different stages and why most founders get stuck when they try to scale.

If you are building a business, this episode will help you rethink how you approach customer relationships, product decisions, and growth strategy. It challenges the idea that a good product is enough and shows what really moves a company forward.

Why you should listen

Most founders rely on instinct or copy what worked for someone else. Kathie shares a clearer way to think about growth using stages, data, and real customer behavior. Alyssa brings it down to what this looks like in the real world, including where founders fool themselves.

3 key takeaways

1. Growth changes by stage What works from zero to your first customers will not work when you try to scale. You need a new approach at each stage.
2. Your product is not the judge It only works if real customers get it, want it, and can afford it. Your opinion does not count.
3. Scaling means hard choices At some point, you must decide who you serve, who you don’t, and how to grow without breaking what already works.

They also talk about pricing, product-market fit, and why many founders struggle to move past early traction.

People and resources mentioned

• Kathie Feng - LinkedIn and Signal Growth
• Tony Robbins

Connect with Alyssa

• alyssanolte.substack.com
• linkedin.com/in/alyssanolte

Most small businesses don’t own their marketing… they rent it. And it’s costing them more than they realize.

Alyssa Nolte sits down with Sara Nay to unpack a simple but powerful idea: if you don’t own your ads, website, or data, you don’t control your growth. This conversation challenges how businesses work with agencies and pushes you to rethink what “good marketing” actually looks like.

If you’ve ever hired an agency, run ads, or built a website, this will either confirm what you’re doing right… or make you question everything.

Why listen

Sara Nay shares real examples of businesses stuck in bad contracts, losing access to their own marketing, and paying for results that don’t exist. Alyssa Nolte pushes on the hard questions, making this a practical and honest look at how to fix it.

3 key takeaways

• If you don’t own your accounts, you’re building someone else’s asset
• Many agencies report on vanity metrics, not real business results
• AI is becoming a new kind of marketing asset, and you should own that too

This episode is about rethinking the future of customer relationships… starting with who actually owns the connection to your customer.

Resources and people mentioned

• Sara Nay
• Duct Tape Marketing - ducttapemarketing.com
• Lisa Adams (AI thought leader)

Connect with Alyssa Nolte

• alyssanolte.substack.com
• linkedin.com/in/alyssanolte

Most leaders say the right things. Few actually live them. If your team feels confused, stressed, or unsure what’s expected… this is why.

Alyssa Nolte sits down with Adriana Vaccaro to challenge a simple but uncomfortable idea: we don’t know how to lead. Not because we lack tools, but because our actions don’t match our words. This conversation pushes on what leadership really looks like in practice, especially in a world shaped by remote work and AI.

If you care about building trust, leading teams, or rethinking the future of customer relationships, this one is worth your time.

Why listen: This isn’t theory. It’s a real look at how leadership breaks down in everyday moments… and what to do about it.

3 key takeaways:

1. Your behavior is louder than your words You can say “work-life balance matters,” but if you send emails at midnight, your team hears something else.
2. AI should support thinking, not replace it Use AI to refine ideas, not create them. Leaders still need to think, question, and explain their decisions.
3. Predictability builds trust When leaders say one thing and do another, teams feel unsafe. Clear, consistent actions create stronger teams.

Alyssa and Adriana also explore how remote work is changing how we learn, why younger teams may be missing key experiences, and how small leadership habits shape culture more than big statements.

People and resources mentioned:

• Adriana Vaccaro - LinkedIn and redesign.com
• Stephen Covey
• Margaret Mead

For more from Alyssa Nolte:

• alyssanolte.substack.com
• linkedin.com/in/alyssanolte

Most sales outreach feels fake right now. And people can tell. If your growth depends on trust, this should concern you.

Alyssa Nolte and Mark L. Vincent dig into why AI-driven sales outreach is breaking customer relationships instead of building them. What looks like scale is often just noise. And worse, it can damage how buyers see your brand before you ever speak to them.

This is a conversation about rethinking the future of customer relationships. Not just how we sell, but how we treat people in the process.

If you care about long-term growth, brand trust, and actually winning customers… this one matters.

Why you should listen

Most teams are optimizing for speed and volume. But buyers are reacting to something deeper. This episode helps you understand what’s really happening and what to do instead.

3 key takeaways

1. Fake personalization breaks trust fast When outreach pretends to be human but isn’t, people notice. And it creates a negative first impression that’s hard to fix.
2. Short-term sales tactics hurt long-term growth If your process is built to close fast, you may be pushing away the very customers you want to keep for years.
3. Relationships still win Even in a world of AI and automation, people want real connection. The companies that build it will stand out.

People and resources mentioned

• Mark L. Vincent - MarkLVincent.com
• Dr. Mira Brancu - Psychology Today contributor

Alyssa Nolte

• alyssanolte.substack.com
• linkedin.com/in/alyssanolte

Most people are doing exactly what they’re told… and that’s the problem.

If you’ve ever felt stuck executing tasks without knowing why, this will change how you work.

Alyssa Nolte sits down with Bill Shander to rethink how we work with stakeholders, ask better questions, and create better outcomes.

Bill shares a bold idea: your boss, your client, even your leadership team often don’t know what they really need. And if you don’t challenge that, you stay an order taker.

This conversation goes deeper than communication tips. It’s about rethinking the future of customer relationships, internal alignment, and how real impact gets made inside organizations.

If you want to do better work, get promoted faster, and stop spinning on unclear direction, this is worth your time.

3 Key Takeaways:

1. “Why” is the wrong question: Asking “why” can make people defensive. Better questions like “how will we measure success?” uncover the real goal without friction.
2. Your job isn’t to take orders - it’s to find the real need: Stakeholders often ask for solutions, not outcomes. Great work starts when you dig into what they actually need, not what they say.
3. The customer should be in every room (even when they’re not): Most decisions ignore the customer until it’s too late. The best teams actively bring the customer perspective into every conversation.

Bill also breaks down how to handle misalignment across leadership, how to balance open and closed questions, and why this skill matters even more in a world of AI and remote work.

Resources & People Mentioned:

1. Bill Shander
2. https://billshander.com/
3. Andrew Davis

Connect with Alyssa Nolte

1. alyssanolte.substack.com
2. linkedin.com/in/alyssanolte

Trying to grow your business by doing more?

That might be the exact thing holding you back.

Alyssa Nolte and Ali Raymer rethink what it really takes to scale, and why doing less could be the smartest move you make.

Ali Raymer brings a bold take: most business owners are doing too much, and it’s slowing them down. Instead of adding more, she built her business by letting go, bringing in the right people, and focusing only on what she’s best at. Alyssa Nolte pushes on this idea, unpacking what it actually looks like to delegate, trust others, and still deliver great results.

If you’ve ever felt stretched too thin, struggled to delegate, or worried that no one can do it as well as you… this conversation will challenge how you think about growth.

Why you should listen: This is a real look at what it takes to grow without burning out. It’s about rethinking control, rethinking expertise, and rethinking how you deliver value to your customers.

3 key takeaways:

1. Doing more is not the path to growth The fastest way to scale might be cutting things out, not adding more to your plate.
2. Delegation isn’t just about freeing your time When you hold onto everything, you limit your team’s ability to grow and contribute.
3. Passion drives better outcomes than forced expertise You don’t have to be the expert in everything. Build a team where each person owns what they care about most.

This conversation is a reminder that growth doesn’t come from doing it all. It comes from doing the right things and trusting the right people.

Resources and people mentioned:

• Masters in Travel podcast (Brianna and Whitney)

Connect with Alyssa Nolte:

• alyssanolte.substack.com
• linkedin.com/in/alyssanolte

AI search is changing how people find you... but not how they buy.

If you think ChatGPT is replacing Google, you might be solving the wrong problem.

Alyssa Nolte sits down with Daniel Horowitz to rethink what AI search actually means for your business. Yes, it’s a new discovery layer. No, it’s not the full funnel. Daniel breaks down why AI search is both revolutionary and overrated, and what most teams are getting wrong right now.

If you care about SEO, brand perception, or showing up when buyers make a shortlist, this conversation will challenge how you think about growth.

Why you should listen:

Most teams are either ignoring AI or overcorrecting for it. This episode helps you find the middle. You’ll learn how to show up in AI search without breaking what already works.

3 key takeaways:

1. AI search helps people build shortlists, not make final decisions
2. You can’t fake your reputation - AI pulls from what already exists about you
3. Don’t abandon SEO - the smartest strategy blends both AI and traditional search

Daniel also shares practical ways to adapt, like structuring content for AI, using FAQs to shape how you’re understood, and making sure your best insights are actually visible online.

This is about rethinking the future of customer relationships... not chasing the next tactic, but understanding how buyers really behave.

People and resources mentioned:

• Ben Steele (Siege Media)
• Charles Harris (SEO consultant)

Connect with Alyssa:

• alyssanolte.substack.com
• linkedin.com/in/alyssanolte