Rocky Mountain Marketing- Digital Marketing for Entrepreneurs

Ready to stop doing it all yourself and build a high-performing team?

In this episode of Rocky Mountain Marketing, Katie Brinkley sits down with Shawn Quintero, COO and co-owner of Next Step Social & Podcasting, to share exactly how they scaled a remote team that runs on clarity, collaboration, and strong company culture.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction: The Real Challenge in Business

00:45 Welcome to Rocky Mountain Marketing

01:19 Meet the COO: Sean Quintero

02:38 The Importance of Hiring and Onboarding

04:01 Building Effective Systems and Culture

05:27 Managing People: Soft Skills and Emotional Intelligence

06:35 Making Tough Decisions: Letting Go and Hiring Right

15:16 Onboarding and Training: Setting Up for Success

20:09 Addressing Performance Issues

24:03 Creating a Positive Remote Work Culture

29:10 Conclusion: People Are People

30:20 Outro: Subscribe and Stay Connected

If you’re an entrepreneur, coach, or agency owner who’s tired of bottlenecking your business, this is the episode that will help you step fully into your leadership role.

Don’t miss it—hit play now and discover what it takes to scale your team with confidence.

Visit Shawn Quintero online:

Every time Austin Armstrong joins me on the show, he’s leveled up—and this time is no different. From billions (yes, billions) of organic views to launching tools like Syllabi and ThreadMaster, Austin’s name is now synonymous with AI-powered content creation and repeatable virality.

In this episode, we dive into the systems, frameworks, and mindset behind Virality—his new book that breaks down how to stop chasing vanity metrics and start building real business leverage with your content.

You’ll hear about:

• Why “stop chasing views” is his first message
• The power of thinking like a business owner who creates content—not just a content creator
• His START Video Framework for strategic posts
• How he uses AI tools to create 20+ pieces of content a day (without burnout!)
• The leverage behind vanity metrics when paired with the right backend strategy
• A practical AI prompt you can copy to generate a 30-day content plan

Austin also unpacks what’s actually working right now on social—and how you can implement the same systems to grow your brand, your revenue, and your reach.

If you’re tired of posting with no results, this episode is for you.

Visit Austin Armstrong online:

Website: https://syllaby.io/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Owwstin/

Virality! (Book): https://a.co/d/4UnuJ0x

Threadmaster.AI: https://threadmaster.ai/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SocialtyPro

Learn more about Katie and Next Step Social & Podcasting:

Speaking: https://katiebrinkley.com/

Website: https://yournextstep.agency/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiebrinkley

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/@rockymountainmarketing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamkatiebrinkley/

In this episode of Rocky Mountain Marketing, I sit down with the incredible Jenn Herman—Instagram strategist, author of Instagram for Dummies, and founder of the Profit Your Profile community. We unpack what’s actually working for organic Instagram growth in 2025 and beyond.

If you’ve ever felt like your content isn’t gaining traction or that the Instagram algorithm is working against you, this episode is your wake-up call. Jenn reveals:

• Why organic reach isn’t dead—it’s just different
• The secret to reels that stop the scroll
• How to balance short-form content with authenticity
• The growing importance of recommended content
• How to keep trust while leveraging AI in your content strategy

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction: Is Organic Reach Dead on Instagram?

01:09 Guest Introduction: Jen Herman on Instagram Strategy

02:36 The Evolution of Instagram: Features and Functions

05:48 Adapting to Algorithm Changes

08:31 Creating Authentic and Engaging Content

16:56 Leveraging Instagram Stories and AI

24:45 Building Private Communities and Memberships

29:55 Future Trends and Final Thoughts

We also talk about how micro-communities, subscriber-only content, and even Stories are still the highest-converting tools on Instagram when done right.

Ready to future-proof your Instagram strategy? Tune in to hear how you can grow with less, stay real, and leverage what’s actually working right now.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you tune in.

Visit Jenn Herman online:

Website: https://jennstrends.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenns_trends/

Profit Your Profile Community: https://profityourprofile.com/

Jenn Herman's Books: https://jennstrends.com/books/

Learn more about Katie and Next Step Social & Podcasting:

Speaking: https://katiebrinkley.com/

Website: https://yournextstep.agency/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiebrinkley

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/@rockymountainmarketing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamkatiebrinkley/

Running a business on sticky notes, late nights, and last-minute decisions? I’ve been there. In this episode of Rocky Mountain Marketing, I sit down once again with my operational other half and COO, Shawn Quintero, to share the behind-the-scenes journey of turning Next Step Social & Podcasting from a founder-dependent business into a scalable, framework-driven company.

We get real about what it takes to stop doing it all and start leading intentionally. From the CEO-COO relationship, to daily huddles, GWC evaluations, and how we use the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to guide every move—we're pulling back the curtain on the systems and rhythms that power sustainable growth.

Whether you're a solopreneur with a team or a visionary ready to scale, this episode is your blueprint.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The turning point when we shifted from solopreneurship to a true business model
• How hiring for growth (not relief) changes everything
• What it really means to become a CEO vs. just being a founder
• Why EOS became our growth framework
• How we run our business with vision, data, and process clarity
• Daily huddle structure that keeps our team aligned and efficient

Chapters:

00:00:00 Introduction to Business Scaling

00:00:00 Introduction to Business Scaling

00:03:00 Transitioning from Solopreneurship

00:06:00 Strategic Hiring and Systematization 

00:09:00 Understanding EOS and Its Components

00:12:00 Building a Strong Business Partnership

00:15:00 The Role of Vision and Delegation

00:18:00 Implementing Daily Huddles and GWC Test

00:21:00 The Importance of Complementary Skills

00:24:00 Maintaining Alignment and Communication

00:27:00 Scaling with Structure and Systems

00:30:00 Conclusion and Call to Action

Visit Shawn Quintero online:

In this episode of Rocky Mountain Marketing, I sit down with Matthew Rouse—author, agency owner, and AI startup founder—to talk about the real state of AI in business. Forget the hype—Matt and I dive into practical AI tools, how to build better automations, and how small businesses can scale smarter without sacrificing authenticity.

We explore:

• What AI is actually doing for businesses right now
• Creative AI workflows that go beyond social media posts
• Why automating your reporting could save you hundreds of hours
• How to train AI to support your team without replacing them
• The #1 automation every small business should implement before the year ends

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to AI and Job Security

00:30 Welcome to Rocky Mountain Marketing

01:00 Meet Matt Rouse: AI Expert and Entrepreneur

01:26 The Reality of AI for Entrepreneurs

06:18 AI Tools and Their Applications

14:03 Using AI for Creative Processes

18:32 Automating Business Tasks with AI

23:28 The Future of AI in Business

28:58 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Matt also shares insights from his book Will AI Take My Job Too?, plus his approach to building powerful AI agents and automations that actually move the needle.

Tune in to learn how to stop fearing AI—and start using it to make your business more efficient, impactful, and human.

Listen now on your favorite podcast platform and don’t forget to subscribe!

Visit Matt Rouse online: