It was a bold idea. Well, some would call it a crazy idea, and even after the dust settled, they still called it crazy.
But the idea was this: what if we brought our clients’ podcasts together for a single, livestreamed podcast marathon?
A fun gimmick, yes, but also a strategic move to showcase the new Walk West Content Studio. It would to let our team flex theirits muscles, and providea unique way to accelerate our collective learning. For eight hours, we put our content studio to the ultimate test, and they delivered.
And the podcasts themselves? Our clients are leaders in their fields, and as they shared their stories, they didn’t just entertain – they offered a masterclass in modern business, personal growth, and human connection. There were trulyTruly some extraordinary “aha” moments.
The marathon featured a diverse list of topics like divorce, law, life sciences, AI, publishing recruiting, medicine, gut health, branding, digital transformation, fundraising and stress. Phew. While watching these episodes and after reviewing the 97,000+ word transcript (!!), here are the biggest takeaways.
Prioritize Self-Care and Mental Health in Challenging Times: Jamie Davis of A Year and a Day: Divorce Without Destruction emphasized the importance of emotional support during stressful periods like divorce, highlighting that well-being leads to better decisions. She also advised seeking professional consultation to avoid costly mistakes often made when relying on informal advice or online forms. The goal in legal processes, and in life and business, should be resolution, not revenge.
Innovation and Patient Focus in Life Sciences: Chris Adkins and Ryan Doxey of Life Science Solutions discussed how the life sciences industry learns from past challenges, such as the “pill burden,” to innovate for patient-centric solutions, including reducing injection volumes. This highlights a continuous effort to simplify complex regimens and prioritize the patient experience.
The Book as a Brand Foundation and Publishing Options: Erica Rooney of The Written Word Podcast explained that a book is a powerful tool for credibility and marketing, serving as an anchor for a personal brand. She also shared that hybrid publishing offers a balanced approach, providing professional support while allowing authors control, fitting between the difficulty of traditional publishing and the demands of self-publishing.
Passion, Community, and Monetization in Podcasting: Rob Cesternino of Rob Has a Podcast demonstrated that a podcast empire can begin from genuine passion. His success stemmed from building a dedicated community around a niche interest, showing that authentic engagement is the foundation for business growth and monetization.
Making AI Personal and Diversifying Marketing: Greg Boone and Erica Rooney of AI: Voice or Victim discussed how AI tools can be customized for playful, exploratory use, leading to innovation. They also highlighted the “lead flow crisis” due to AI search, urging businesses to diversify marketing beyond Google to channels like social media, video, and partnerships to ensure visibility.
Mental Health as a Starting Point for a Health Journey and Balanced Nutrition: Dr. Deepti Sharma of Weight and Metabolism emphasized that mental health is the most critical foundation for any health journey. She advocates for an 80/20 approach to nutrition, promoting healthy eating while allowing for guilt-free enjoyment of “soul food,” emphasizing that no food is inherently good or bad.
AI’s Role in Empowering Humans and the Importance of Personal Brand: Greg Boone of Triangle Tweener Talks emphasized that AI should handle routine tasks, freeing humans for creative, problem-solving, and relationship-building work. He also noted that a significant portion of a brand’s reputation is linked to its leader’s personal brand, making a strong personal brand essential in today’s business world. His “4 P” strategy (podcasts, partnerships, paid media, public relations) focuses on being “seen, heard, and cited” by both humans and machines to gain authority in the new AI search landscape.
Outcome Over Features and Digital Transformation Acceleration: Ardis Kadiu of Founder Shares learned that customers prioritize the outcome a product delivers over its features. He also observed that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation in higher education, forcing a focus on essential survival and growth strategies for his company, Element 451.
AI as a Recruiter’s Tool and Interview Integrity: Craig Stone of Recruiting on the Rocks emphasized that AI empowers recruiters by automating tasks such as sourcing, enabling them to focus on building relationships, assessing soft skills, and ensuring a genuine fit. He stressed that successful, long-lasting matches are built on honesty and integrity from both sides during interviews.
Embracing “Good Exhaustion” and Strategic Negotiation for Women: Kathryn Valentine on Amplify with Jess Ekstrom distinguished between “good exhaustion” (from work you love) and “bad exhaustion” (from misaligned work). She also provided three key negotiation strategies for women: thinking holistically, asking relationally, and discussing collaboratively.
Non-Transactional Relationships and the Power of a Quick “No”: Caleb Thornton of Orange T explained that strong relationships are built on non-transactional interactions, where helping others without keeping score fosters trust and opportunities. He also noted that a quick “no” is often more beneficial than an ambiguous “maybe,” allowing founders to adapt and move forward.
Funding as a Marathon and the Imperfection of Creative Projects: Caleb Thornton also shared that securing pre-seed to seed funding typically requires around 50 meetings, framing the funding path as a marathon. Erica Rooney’s publishing experience underscored that “perfect” can be the enemy of “good,” emphasizing that getting a manuscript done is the crucial first step, with professional editors refining the final quality.
The Strength of the Walk West Team: The marathon concluded with the realization that the Walk West team is exceptional.
So what do you think? What was your biggest “aha” from the marathon?
If you’re looking to build your brand through podcasting or video, we can help you capture attention and tell your story and drive real growth. Give us a shout.
