Authority in the Wild

Scott Proposki spent 28 years photographing the White House, National Geographic shoots, and celebrities like Sylvester Stallone and Robin Williams. Then COVID hit, and a 28-year career disappeared in 24 hours.In this conversation we get into:What actually happens when your identity dies overnightWhy $1 million in sales paid him less than $200K soloThe 3 words from Bill Belichick that restarted his careerWhy AI is not the death of photography (or any creative business)This is not a "how I bounced back in 30 days" story. Scott went silent for three years before he could even start rebuilding. That detail matters. If you have ever felt trapped by the business you built, watched your industry shift overnight, or wondered whether scaling is actually worth it, this one is for you.🟪 Timestamps(00:00) Intro(00:35) Pandemic Shockwave(04:08) Letting Go to Rebuild(11:08) Coaching Room Mic Drop(16:13) Finding Vision Again(22:03) Basement Entrepreneur Mindset(28:30) Celebrity Shoots and Daily Emails(37:02) When Money Runs Out(42:56) Connect with Scott Proposki🟪 About the GuestBefore the pandemic, Scott Proposki spent 27 years behind the camera as an event photographer for National Geographic, The White House, HBO, Microsoft, and celebrities like Robin Williams and Miley Cyrus. He built a seven-figure photography business with 52 team members and over $25M in lifetime sales. Then he lost it all when the world shut down in 2020. Three years of depression, rebuilding, and rediscovering his identity followed. His book Camera Focus became the roadmap that helped him rebuild. Today, Scott teaches photographers how to build unshakeable businesses through the Camera Focus Method.🟪 Connect with Scott ProposkiThe Focus Daily Email: https://scottproposki.comCamera Focus Book: https://www.amazon.com/Camera-Focus-Photography-Teaches-Business/dp/1947341553LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottproposki/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottproposki/🟪 Connect with Gabe MaruscaWebsite: https://www.gabemarusca.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabemaruscaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabemarusca/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabemarusca/X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabemaruscaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabemaruscaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabemarusca

Miriam Katz coaches executives at Google or Deloitte on public speaking. She also hosts Ex Appeal, a podcast where she interviews every person she's ever been romantic with.In this conversation, we get into:Why the real fear behind speaking has nothing to do with being polishedHow improv exercises expose defense mechanisms we've carried since childhoodWhat interviewing her exes taught her about herselfWhy she believes the stories we tell about ourselves are the biggest obstacle to growthThis is not a typical communication episode. Miriam brings the same radical honesty she demands from clients, and the conversation goes places neither of us expected.If you've ever held back from saying what you really mean, this is the one.🟪 Important Moments: (00:00) Trailer(01:02) Why Speaking Feels So Scary(10:08) Can Comedy Actually Make You Braver?(15:59) The Perfectionism Trap (and the Accent Myth)(21:13) Interviewing Your Exes On a Podcast(27:28) What Years of Dating Really Taught Her(36:44) Where Vulnerability Meets Strategy(40:57) Who Needs a Speaking Coach (Hint: Maybe You)🟪 About the GuestMiriam Katz is a public speaking coach and the host of the “Ex Appeal” podcast, for which she is interviewing every person she’s ever been romantic with on any level. As a coach, she works a lot with humor as a way to loosen up her clients and allow their natural charisma to emerge. Katz also works as a journalist and ghostwriter, and performs as an actor and improviser. Yes she is busy.🟪 Connect with Miriam KatzFree 20 minute mini class / exploratory coaching session: https://calendly.com/miriamkatz/new-meeting-2 Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ex-appeal-podcast/id1815156860 Podcast website: https://www.exappealpodcast.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theexappealpodcast/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriam-katz-b53ba828b/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@exappeal YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exappeal🟪 Connect with Gabe MaruscaWebsite: https://www.gabemarusca.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabemaruscaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabemarusca/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabemarusca/X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabemaruscaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabemaruscaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabemarusca

Mike Montague got fired by Billy Idol on stage in front of thousands of people. He now runs  Avenue9  a human-first AI marketing agency that has worked with LinkedIn, Uber, and the Kansas City Chiefs, and his podcasts have 3.7 million combined downloads.In this episode:- Why producing more AI content can actually weaken your authority- The three types of work and which one AI makes worse when you apply it- How to turn one human conversation into a full marketing system- Where AI use crosses into territory that destroys trust instead of building it Mike has a framework that most AI marketing advice ignores: trust moves at human speed regardless of how fast your tools produce content. This episode is for anyone building authority and wondering whether their AI use is helping or quietly working against them.About the Guest:Mike Montague is a leading voice in Human-First AI Marketing. His company, Avenue9, is an AI-powered marketing agency helping small businesses scale without burning bridges or blowing out their budgets. Mike has worked with giant brands like LinkedIn, Uber, Zoom, Bud Light, and the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s authored two books: LinkedIn The Sandler Way and Playful Humans, and his podcasts have over 3.7 million downloads. Now, he uses his decades of past marketing experience and the AI tools of the future to help small businesses amplify their marketing impact.🟪 Timestamps(00:00) Full Episode(00:37) Fired by Billy Idol(06:11) Practice Makes Authority(09:56) Human First With AI(14:14) Failing in Public(19:08) Speed Versus Trust(23:41) Work Types Framework(30:52) Sales Call To Deck(37:57) AI Avatars And Trust(40:51) Ethical AI Boundaries(47:03) Seven Day Tool Stack(51:16) Where To Find Mike🟪 Connect with Mike Montague:- Website: ⁠https://avenue9.com⁠ - YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@avenue9ai⁠- LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedmontague🟪 Connect with Gabe Marusca- Website: https://www.gabemarusca.com- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabemarusca- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabemarusca- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabemarusca- X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabemarusca- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabemarusca- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabemarusca

Greg Heilers recounts spending nearly seven years on organic farms and conservation projects worldwide before abandoning a planned culinary internship in Rome to move to Beijing after meeting his now-wife in Guatemala, shifting from “voluntourist” nomad life to building a home and transitioning into digital work.He describes adapting to China as a foreigner, starting with English and cultural localization editing, then moving into writing and realizing he had entered the SEO content ecosystem, later specializing in offsite SEO and journalist outreach.Greg contrasts “black hat” ROI-driven tactics with sustainable brand-focused strategies, discusses the costs of manipulating consumers, and explains how AI and platform deals (Google-Reddit, Reddit-OpenAI) reshaped SEO, pushing toward “SEO plus AI search.”He shares how he manages learning and building time as a business owner, the realities of running an agency, contingency plans if the business failed, misconceptions about living in China, and practical earned-media steps, maintaining consistent brand identity and EEAT signals.🟪 Timestamps(00:00) Choosing Beijing over Rome?!(01:23) Leaving the Nomad Life(05:22) Culture Shock in China(07:36) Falling into SEO(11:01) White Hat vs Black Hat(14:27) AI Reshaping Search(20:20) Time Blocking for Building(25:19) Problem Solving Reality(29:03) If The Business Vanished(32:50) China Opportunity And Safety(39:06) Earned Media First Steps(41:41) EEAT Explained Simply(46:21) Connect with Greg Heilers🟪 About the GuestGreg Heilers is the co-founder of Jolly SEO, an agency that specializes in earned media. Jolly SEO has helped more than 500 clients earn over 25,000 brand mentions and backlinks, and is now offering Reddit services in 2026 as well!🟪 Connect with Greg HeilersWebsite: https://jollyseo.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregheilers/🟪 Connect with Gabe MaruscaWebsite: https://www.gabemarusca.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabemaruscaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabemarusca/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabemarusca/X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabemaruscaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabemaruscaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabemarusca

An AI expert with a confession: nobody has figured this out, including her.Marinela Profi builds machine learning models for banks and financial services and advises enterprises on navigating AI agents.In this conversation, we get into:- Why large language models predict rather than reason, and why that gap matters- How outsourcing decisions to AI may feel like control while quietly removing it- The generational trust divide in AI, and the original research Marinela commissioned to study it- Why women are 47% more likely to be hurt in car crashes because of male-biased training data, and how that pattern extends across AI systemsMarinela is a TEDx speaker preparing to reveal original research at TEDx Harbor Square that will drop soon. She is also one of the most honest voices in AI, which in 2026 makes her unusual.​🟪 Timestamps(00:00) Trailer(00:37) LLMs Aren't Reasoning(03:44) AI Trust and Truth Risks(07:23) Decision Making Outsourced(12:24) Which Decisions Use AI(15:50) Autonomy and Guardrails(21:04) Why Humans Stay In Loop(24:36) How Marinela Uses AI(28:18) Women in Tech Reality(32:44) Gender Bias and AI Gap(35:06) First Steps With AI🟪 About Marinela ProfiWith a hybrid background in machine learning, marketing and economics, and a passion for human-centered innovation, Marinela leads go-to-market strategies that bridge technical depth with real-world impact. Marinela is an upcoming TEDx speaker, thought leader, and trusted advisor to enterprises navigating the next era of intelligent systems - from generative AI to AI agents. Her work sits at the intersection of AI, strategy, and storytelling, helping organizations turn complex technology into measurable business value.🟪 Connect with Marinela Profi- Website: https://marinelaprofi.com- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinelaprofi🟪 Connect with Gabe Marusca- Website: https://www.gabemarusca.com- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabemarusca- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabemarusca- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabemarusca- X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabemarusca- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabemarusca- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabemarusca()()()()()()()()((