Embracing Marketing Mistakes

My TEDx Talk Got 2,000 Views. Everyone Else Got 30,000

What happens when you pour your heart into a TEDx talk, expect it to skyrocket, and… nothing? We are joined with Niraj Kapoor back in episode 95, and dive into a brutally

EP 131: How An SEO Intern Got A Mashable Journalist To Cover Her Pitch

Britt Klontz started her career as an SEO agency intern, got a Mashable journalist to cover an infographic by following the journalist's own pitching guide, and now

I Spent 30 Years Building Everyone Else's Brand

We had Mark Terry-Lush back in episode 94 started his career in the glory days of magazines when Vogue was the size of a phone book and PR was full of big personalities.

EP 130: Gerry Hopkinson Sold His Agency, Stayed Five Years, And Became A Cultural Strategist

A 20-year agency founder built his reputation turning Pizza Express back into a cult favourite, then years later made the mistake he now calls his biggest regret. Gerry H

Six People Trolled Me. It Felt Like Sixty Thousand

Social media can feel like the best networking tool in the world, until it throws you a curveball. We were joined by Asif Choudry back in episode 96. We talk about the ea

Spending £30k on Influencers for Five Signups

We revisit Andy Lambert back in episode 93 to unpack the influencer marketing moment that changed how he thinks about influence in B2B. Andy explains how his team approac

EP 129: Unbounce's VP Of Marketing Explains What Actually Wins AI Search Visibility Now

A VP of Marketing running two brands at once shares what's working in AI search visibility right now, and admits to one of the messiest direct mail campaigns a B2B m

I Made the Worst Ad in British History

Kevin Chesters reveals the painful truth behind what he calls the worst advert ever made in British history. This is a forensic breakdown of ego, bad process and the less

EP 128: Why CFOs Keep Killing Influencer Budgets

Influencer spend hit $32.55 billion in 2025, and most brands still can't prove it works. In this Prohibition PR webinar, Chris Norton and Will Ockenden break down wh

One Tweet About Sleeping Beauty Ended in Death Threats

Back in episode 99 with Sarah Waddington, we dive into the story of a well-intentioned tweet about a Biff and Chip book image, posted during the height of the Me-Too era.

EP 127: Professor Jim Macnamara Says Most Of The PR Industry Is Still Measuring The Wrong Thing

A professor who built his entire career on communication measurement almost couldn't answer the question that started it all. Professor Jim Macnamara joins Embracing

He Asked for Honest Feedback. Then Never Spoke to Me

If you have ever watched a brilliant marketing strategy die in a sign‑off meeting, this episode is for you. We unpack the real reasons ideas fail in the boardroom and wha

EP 126: The Emotion Behind Every B2B Purchase Nobody Markets To - Talia Wolf

Most B2B brands are interchangeable, and Talia Wolf built a career proving it. In this episode, Talia Wolf, founder of GetUplift and creator of the emotional targeting f

EP 125: The PR Launch That Cleared The Building

A CIPR fellow with nearly six decades in PR says the industry still protects itself from its own scandals. In this episode, Robert Minton-Taylor, a CIPR fellow recognise

EP 124: He Built His Own AI Company Then Shut It Down

A toxic hire nearly cost him his agency. Then he made a similar mistake again, this time trying to build his own AI instead of renting one. In this episode, Roger Hurni,

EP 123: Why I Recommended the Man Who Fired Me - John O'Keeffe

He ran creative for the world's biggest advertising group. Then his own recommendation to the board cost him the job, and he sold every share he owned the same week.

EP 122: The Sales Funnel Is a Hundred Years Old and Wrong

KFC and Weetabix both threw away the most famous slogans in their category, and had to fight their way back to them. In this episode, Tom Roach explains how "Finger Lick

EP 121: I Invented a Category, Sold to Diageo, and Almost Lost It All

Ben Branson invented an entirely new drinks category from his kitchen. Then a £1 million hole nearly took it all away. In this episode, Ben explains how Seedlip, the wor

EP 120: We Fired 30 People and Nothing Changed

A growth lead at a fast-scaling startup admits the truth: his old company cut a 30-person marketing and sales team, and sales didn't change at all. In this episode,

EP 119: Moz Founder: 'I Was Making $50M a Year and Miserable'

Rand Fishkin built Moz into the biggest name in SEO. Then he raised $30 million in venture capital and watched it nearly break him. In this episode, Rand explains why ra