In this raw and revealing conversation, discover how dark comedy became a powerful tool for a veteran's mental health, why authenticity trumps production value, and what it takes to build a community-driven business from scratch. Whether you're an entrepreneur, creator, or someone fascinated by the power of niche storytelling, this episode offers invaluable insights on turning pain into purpose and building a business that truly serves its community.

Featured highlights:

• Why Hollywood gets military stories wrong

• How to build a Netflix-like platform with zero entertainment background

• The unexpected power of dark humor in healing trauma

• Building a business through community authenticity

Connect with Danny:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannydiazmaher/

Connect with Bryan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/

https://bryankaras.com/

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/

Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/

In this week’s episode, former Meta executive Sakshi Chadha pulls back the curtain on Silicon Valley's most controversial moments.

From managing Facebook's 2020 election integrity team to witnessing the platform's dramatic shift under recent political pressures, Sakshi shares unprecedented insights into how social media giants really operate.

Join host Bryan and Sakshi as they dive deep into Meta's evolution from its "Wild West" days to its current AI-driven future.

Highlights include:

• Behind-the-scenes look at Facebook's election integrity efforts

• The real story behind "data selling" controversies

• How AI is disrupting traditional business models

• Practical advice for startups in a post-pandemic world

Connect with Sakshi:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sakshi-chadha-7360727/

Connect with Bryan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/

https://bryankaras.com/

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal.https://www.growtal.com/

Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media.https://www.playbookmedia.com/

What happens when you treat talent as partners, focus on creative agility, and refuse to cut corners in production? You get Blitz Creative.

After transitioning from entertainment to branding, founder Jared Blitz built his sports-focused content studio around these principles, crafting high-impact branded content while keeping production lean, talent-first, and storytelling-driven.

In this episode, Jared shares:

• Why brands need to invest in creativity, not just media buys

• The secret to making brand content feel fresh, fun, and authentic

• The intimate connection between branding and entertainment

• How he pulled off a wildly creative ‘90s sitcom-inspired campaign

Connect with Jared:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredblitz/

https://www.blitzcreative.la/

Latest work with Cristian Mcaffrey:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C__Zg8Iybdy/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jaredblitz_can-you-create-a-90s-sitcom-with-christian-activity-7274453222843387904-kEu7/

Connect with Bryan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/

https://bryankaras.com/

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/

Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/

Peter Jonas has had a fascinating journey through the tech world. A former executive at Facebook, Uber, and Compass, he went from launching Facebook’s mobile app install product to co-founding his own company, Thirdwave, which gives developers and businesses deep insight into user behavior with blockchain data.

In this episode, you'll discover:

Why Web3 wallet IDs have the potential to revolutionize ad targeting

Parallels between the early days of mobile app installs and the current blockchain market

The power of small teams for avoiding bureaucracy and providing quality service

The importance of simplicity and elegance in branding

Connect with Peter:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pbjonas/

https://thirdwavelabs.com/

Connect with Bryan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/

https://bryankaras.com/

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/

Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/

There’s no bigger buzzword than “data-driven.” Tap In Digital co-founder Kirk Nielson actually earns the description – and he’s making one big bet based on data:

The importance of investing in brand marketing.

Kirk is in the business of solving one problem for clients: where to spend their next dollar for maximum impact. In this episode of Catching Fire, which is a precursor to an exciting service launch coming soon from Playbook Media, he shares:

How performance branding accelerates growth through better brand marketing

The limitations of media mix modeling and how to work around them

How non-marketing factors affect your marketing efforts

Why it’s so important to unify product and marketing

Connect with Kirk:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirk-nielson-4039023b/

Connect with Bryan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/

https://bryankaras.com/

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/

Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/

Are click-based attribution models holding your marketing strategy back?

In this special solo episode, Bryan introduces a new Playbook Media service called performance branding: a game-changing approach that shifts marketing dollars from traditional low-funnel spending to educating consumers earlier in the buying cycle. The end result? Higher conversion rates and better customer loyalty.

Discover:

• The evolution of marketing, from traditional brand spend to direct response (DR) advertising

• The limitations of click-based attribution models, and what you should be doing instead

• How performance branding improves storytelling and reach to drive conversions

Connect with Bryan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/

https://bryankaras.com/

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/
Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/

As a single mom, business owner, and cancer survivor, Chelsea Jones knows what it means to be resilient. At Chelsea & Rachel Co., her UX design and Shopify development agency, she inspires her team to design creative, eye-catching websites. And as an e-commerce expert, she knows how to use those designs to drive tactical results for clients. Most importantly, she does it all with an abundance of energy, positivity, and gratitude.

Discover:

• Why integrating online and offline channels matters more than ever

• The importance of conversion rate optimization and customer lifetime value

• AI’s role as an intelligent enhancer and a creative catalyst

• The importance of energy, positivity, and “rowing the boat” to get through tough times

Connect with Chelsea:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-jones101/

https://chelseaandrachel.com/

Connect with Bryan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/

https://bryankaras.com/

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/

Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/

As the founder of Successive Technologies, teacher-turned-entrepreneur Mark Bavisotto acts as a trusted tech concierge for business leaders. As the Chairman of education tech venture EduTrust, he works on another passion project: the intersection of teaching and AI. From tech to teaching to self-improvement in general, Mark has no shortage of insights to share.

Discover:

• Why higher education is broken—and how we might fix it

• How AI caters to diverse learners and empowers teachers

• Why we need a middle ground between high school and college

• Practical tips for adapting a growth mentality in your own life

Connect with Mark:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/markbavisotto/

Connect with Bryan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/

https://bryankaras.com/

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/

Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/