When ChatGPT dropped, Scott Leff thought his content agency's run was over — instead, it clarified exactly what his team does that a model can't. He unpacks 17 years of building LEFF, the pandemic growth spurt that nearly tripled the team, and why founders can't outsource sales.

In this episode, Josh Hoffman and Scott Leff discuss:

• Building an agency from freelancing to ~40 people
• Pandemic as "rocket fuel" for B2B content demand
• Onboarding as a designed client experience
• AI pricing pressure and content quality
• Founder-led business development

Key Takeaways:

• Rapid growth can mask missing organizational muscles — work streaming in isn't the same as a business development capability.
• Technical depth is the moat. Anyone can write a feature-level piece on supply chain; connecting the dots for an expert audience is what signals credibility.
• Visibility and predictability build client confidence. Treat onboarding as a produced experience, not an email.
• Respecting senior executives' time — agendas, pre-reads, preparation — is a competitive advantage, not just etiquette.
• LinkedIn micro-targeting looked like fish in a barrel and was a dead end; systematic, intentional outreach through a CRM moved the needle instead.

"Nobody is a better evangelist for your company than you are." - Scott Leff

About Scott Leff:

Scott started LEFF in 2010 with the drive to make something new, and he’s committed to leading a creative team that says “yes” to a challenge. Scott’s early experiences playing music and managing a band gave him a chance to harness the power of promotion, cultivate strong professional relationships, and address problems with original solutions. As a managing editor of the McKinsey Quarterly and director of publications for Chicago 2016, the city’s Olympic bid organization, he continued to make bold decisions and explore ways to create distinct, powerful content. Now, Scott is helping clients achieve their goals with content that meets today’s complex business needs and strategies that position them for future success.

Connect with Scott Leff:

Website: https://leffcommunications.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmleff/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/leff-communications/home/

Substack: https://lefffield.substack.com/

Connect with Josh Hoffman:

Website: https://northpulse.awi/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhoffman610/

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Most podcasters quit at episode 10 because they're staring at download numbers that will never pay the bills. Doug Sandler has launched 350+ shows by flipping the model entirely — ignore the analytics and turn the guest seat into the most reliable client pipeline you'll ever build.

In this episode, Josh Hoffman and Doug Sandler discuss:

• Exiting a 30-year entertainment career and the accidental pivot into podcasting
• Strategy vs. cheap production in a race-to-the-bottom market
• "Pod fade," and the two moments podcasters are most likely to quit
• The "Guest to Gold" client-acquisition strategy
• Clips, repurposing, and meeting your market where it already is

Key Takeaways:

• Your market will tell you what it actually wants to buy — the entrepreneurs who win are the ones flexible enough to listen and pivot.
• Hobby-level marketing produces hobby-level results. A podcast treated as a spoke on the business wheel behaves completely differently than one treated as a creative outlet.
• Downloads are a vanity metric for most business owners. One or two high-ticket conversions a year can justify the entire operation.
• The interviewer's chair dissolves the defensiveness that kills sales calls — curiosity gets honest answers that prospecting never will.
• Great content alone isn't the job. Funnels, clips, distribution, and landing pages are "the other stuff" that decides whether any of it works.

"People don't buy a drill because they want a drill. People buy a drill because they want a hole. You know, we want podcasting because we want the results that podcasting can offer." - Doug Sandler

About Doug Sandler:

Doug, Co-Founder of Turnkey Podcast Productions, is an entrepreneur and industry leader. His book, Nice Guys Finish First, is a #1 ranked Amazon bestseller. As a podcast host of The Nice Guys, Doug has interviewed Gary V, Arianna Huffington, John C. Maxwell, Pat Flynn, John Lee Dumas, and dozens of celebs.

Doug is a nationally recognized speaker, writer, and founder of TurnKey Podcast Productions, providing podcast production, editing, and launch services. His Nice Guys podcast, with over 1,500 episodes, has been downloaded over 6 million times in more than 175 countries.

Connect with Doug Sandler:

Website: https://turnkeypodcast.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-sandler/

Connect with Josh Hoffman:

Website: https://northpulse.awi/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhoffman610/

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

A serial founder turns the microphone on himself to explain why he chases physical adversity to build business toughness — and reveals the single honest sentence in a cold LinkedIn message that's now working "like gangbusters."

In this episode, Josh Hoffman discusses:

• Startup life and struggling with authority
• Physical adversity as training for business
• Scoping failures and client expectation-setting
• Podcasting as a business development engine
• Show format, pillars, and ideal listener

Key Takeaways:

• Failure teaches more than success — winners often misdiagnose what actually worked for them.
• Scope and expectations are the same problem as wearing two hats; get both wrong early and even good work disappoints.
• Telling clients honestly what stage you're at buys patience and partnership instead of eroding credibility.
• In outreach, prospect people who've already proven they want content — past podcast guests and active LinkedIn posters.
• Naming your commercial intent upfront removes the sleaze and makes the follow-up conversation easy.

"We only get one of these life things, and I don't want to spend it making someone else money." - Josh Hoffman

Connect with Josh Hoffman:

Website: https://northpulse.ai/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhoffman610/

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.