Is Anything Real?

Founder-First VC: Equity, Access & Real SignalsGeneral Partner Christina Quinn (SSC Venture Partners) sits down with Adam W. Barney to move beyond the panel talk and into practice: which signals actually earn a second meeting, how to translate messy early traction into credible proof, and concrete ways funds and founders can widen the on-ramp for underrepresented builders...without performative theater.In this episode:Signals VCs trust: customer pull, learning velocity, and the right kind of focusNoise to ignore: vanity metrics, bloated roadmaps, and “partnerships” that aren’tEquity → operations: process changes that expand access (deal flow, diligence, support)Deck clarity: the 6-slide path that respects everyone’s energy and still lands the pointEnergyOS move: one weekly habit to protect momentum while fundraising3 takeaways you can use todayClarity > volume. Lead with one sharp problem, one real customer proof, one next milestone.Access needs a system. Make inclusion a process, not a press release—change sourcing and the first-meeting gate.Protect your energy. Schedule your recharge/review loop before you ship; it’s how you keep signal high for the long game.Guest• Christina Quinn, General Partner - SSC Venture Partners• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinamquinn/• Firm: https://sscventurepartners.com/• Email: christina@sscventurepartners.comHostAdam W. Barney - Transition Leadership Coach & host of Is Anything Real?, the Reality-First Leadership show for builders who optimize for proof over theater.👉 Book a 20-min Foundation Call: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/foundation-call-20minSupport the show (48-hour push)Follow on Apple/Spotify and turn on Auto-downloadDrop a 5★ review with “Lead with Humanity” in your note, language that helps others find it this weekChapters00:00 Why founder-first still wins02:11 Real signals vs. theater07:08 Equity into operations12:45 Turning early traction into proof18:10 Deck clarity and decision hygiene23:40 EnergyOS habit for momentum26:55 Next steps for founders

What if leadership stopped rewarding loudness and started rewarding truth?In this exclusive drop, Sharon Hurley Hall (journalist, author, anti-racism educator, and Co-Founder of The Introvert Sisters) joins Adam W. Barney to unpack impact without exhaustion: introverts as powerful leaders, boundaries that protect your best work, why “resilience” gets misused, and how to build communities that care while you still care for yourself.You’ll leave with a humane playbook and one EnergyOS move you can run today.  LinksSharon: https://sharonhh.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonhh/The Introvert Sisters (podcast): https://theintrovertsisters.com/Grab a copy of her book, "I'm Tired of Racism": https://www.amazon.com/Im-Tired-Racism-Stories-Existing/dp/9769546917Email: hello@sharonhurleyhall.comCheck out Hiyer: https://www.hiyer.pro/Work with Adam👉 20-min Exploration Call: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min

“Say something true.” In this episode, Aaron Wolpoff (Owner and Fractional CMO, Double Zebra) and I unpack authentic growth: the one-truth positioning pass, when rev-share/partner models beat hourly retainers, and how to set boundaries so generosity doesn’t become unpaid consulting. We also cover making paid media feel human again - and the EnergyOS move that creates momentum today.HighlightsOne-truth positioning (cut the bloat, earn attention)Rev-share done right: incentives, pitfalls, guardrailsFrom “free advice” to formalized valuePaid media with a pulse: people at the centerEnergyOS: progress from what’s within reach - ship dailyGuest links• Website: https://doublezebra.com/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marketingaaron/• Email: aaron@doublezebra.comWork with Adam👉 20-min Exploration Call: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min

Is spatial computing the next real channel...or another metaverse mirage? Adam Ortman (CEO/Founder, Kinetic319) brings operator truth: how to explore AR/VR without gambling the quarter, what the 1990s internet can teach us about adoption curves, and the 70/20/10 test budget that protects your core while finding edge wins. We also cover where the early inventory actually is (Roblox, console placements) and the leadership scripts that keep experiments sane.  You’ll learnA simple checklist for “is immersive worth it for us… now?”  The 70/20/10 play to test bold ideas without blowing trust or budget.  Channels to try first and how to attribute them sensibly.  One EnergyOS move to keep curiosity high and hype low.  Guest links• Site: https://kinetic319.com/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-ortman/• Email: adam@kinetic319.comWork with Adam👉 Book your 20-min Exploration Call: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min

Matt Anthes (ex-federal campaign strategist, now Founder of Advocators) explains why micro and nano influencers outperform “big name” buys...and how to operationalize an advocate army that actually converts.We cover fraud in pay-per-view deals, AI’s role from segmentation to virtual creators, and a field-tested flow for activating 20+ localized creators with message variants mapped to sub-audiences.  You’ll learnAuthenticity > optics: the advocacy model and how to measure real impact.  The danger of vanity metrics (why per-view pricing gets gamed) and what to track instead.  Matching creators with 100+ affinity data points and coordinating message buckets.  AI you can use (audience, creative, VO) vs. AI to avoid (fake faces, fake clicks).  Why Reddit is rising in discovery and how it ties to search/Gen-AI results.  Connect with Matt• Website: https://advocators.ai/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewanthes/• Email: matt@advocators.aiWork with Adam👉 Book your 20-min Exploration Call: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min

Founder/operator Dan Newman breaks down a six-month Meta ads test (spoiler: $5,266 in spend for one sales call) and the lessons that matter for small teams: validate the offer first, track outcomes not optics, and invest in outbound + relationships until the engine is repeatable. We also cover persona pitfalls, “free” messaging traps, and where he’d deploy a fresh $5k right now (search + events).  TakeawaysProof over dashboards: engagement didn’t translate to pipeline.  Persona/offer misalignment beats ad tinkering every time.  Use paid after you have a validated, repeatable sales motion.  Practical reallocations: Google search + niche events/sponsorships.  Connect with Dan• Site: https://www.learntoscale.us/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dansnewman/• Email: dan@learntoscale.usWork with Adam👉 Book your 20-min Exploration Call

Brand-side veteran turned collective leader Gabe Wolff makes the case that tidy ROAS and over-engineered account structures distract from what actually scales: a sharp creative angle, a full user journey, and profit-first measurement. We cover misaligned agency incentives, post-iOS14 realities, practical ways to structure campaigns by angle/ICP, and why entry products and retention paths drive LTV more than day-to-day CPA swings.  You’ll learn:How outcome-aligned compensation changes behavior and results.  Why algorithms do the heavy lifting—and how to give them better angles.  When to keep one “scale” campaign vs. adding controls for inventory/LTV.  Persona-driven creative that sells (not just formats and hacks).  The LTV math of entry products, cross-sell, and retention.  Connect with Gabe• Everything Bagel: https://www.everythingbagel.com/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriel-wolff/• Email: gabe@everythingbagel.comWork with Adam👉 Book your 20-min Exploration CallUnpacking real. Ditching noise.

What happens when the glossy leadership myth meets real life - kids, partners’ health, and aging parents? Yasmine de Aranda argues that caregiving is a leadership superpower and that humane companies outperform hustle cosplay. We map marketing’s role as organizational glue, why growth-at-all-cost fails humans and strategy, and how to build flexible, trust-based teams that still deliver. We close with a protect-your-energy cadence any leader can adopt this week.  You’ll learn:How to design marketing to serve sales, success, and product (service over silos)  Policies and practices that support the sandwich generation without losing performance  Why empathy is an operational advantage—and how pressure erodes it if you’re not careful  Practical leadership OS: flexibility, clear values, and energy protection habits  Connect with Yasmine• Website: https://360angle.ca/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasminedearanda/• Email: yasminedearanda@gmail.comWork with Adam👉 Book your 20-min Exploration Call: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20minCheck on your people today. Care is strategy.Exclusive holiday release: 12/19. Unpacking real. Ditching noise.

Agency polish without agency baggage. Jamie Read unpacks how BriteBirch Collective builds project-led, specialist teams that scale up or down fast, why fractional talent creates anti-fragile organizations, and how the commoditization of paid media plus AI content noise makes earned, community-driven attention the smartest bet. We also cover earned-first launches with $0 ad spend, BriteBirch’s BriteStart community for freelancers, and a simple practice for better creative decisions: seek perspective on purpose.  You’ll learn:The “freelance collective” operating system (assemble specialists → deliver → unplug)Fractional staffing vs. six-month hires (speed, expertise, flexibility)When paid helps, when it adds to noise, and how AI should (and shouldn’t) be usedEarned attention plays: PR, timely cultural moments, and community buildingA perspective-seeking workflow to reduce brand risk and improve creative qualityConnect with Jamie• BriteBirch Collective: https://britebirch.com/• BriteStart Community: https://britestart-community.circle.so/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamjamieread/• Email: jamie.read@britebirch.comWork with Adam👉 Book your 20-min Exploration Call: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20minUnpacking real. Ditching noise.

Most teams confuse audience with community. Yurii Lazaruk explains the difference (one-to-many vs. many-to-many) and maps a measurable framework for community’s impact on support, product, marketing, and sales—including Community-Qualified Leads that move members into the right offer at the right time. We get into avoiding “fandom” traps, when to build audience first, why intentional facilitation matters, and a simple habit to start today: one real conversation a day.  You’ll learn:How to design for member-to-member connection (not just broadcasts)  Metrics that matter: ticket deflection, feature input/beta, UGC/advocacy, CQLs tied to revenue  When audience precedes community—and the role of a community manager  Tactics to avoid echo chambers and spark diverse, useful dialogue (ask better questions)  A practical cadence founders can sustain without burnout  Connect with Yurii• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/• Email: yuralazaruk@gmail.comWork with Adam👉 Book your 20-min Exploration Call: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min

Agency veteran Nikhil Vaish, founder of BoostSolo, argues that most ad failures start upstream. We walk through his three-step model: Offer > Homework > Execution, show how AI can amplify both good and bad strategy, and detail a practical voice-of-customer workflow using your own sales calls.Expect a frank conversation about niching down, pricing power, and building the right foundation so ads can finally do their job.You will learnThe Step Two foundation that most skip and how to build it fastHow to balance brand and performance without chasing vanity metricsWhy AI without clarity equals faster failureSpecialist positioning for higher fees and better fitA simple VOC loop: record calls, extract language, ship copyConnect with Nikhil• BoostSolo: https://boostsolo.com• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhilvaish/Work with Adam👉 Book your 20-min Exploration Call: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20minSpecial Friday drop. Unpacking real. Ditching noise.

E-commerce isn’t single-touch - and your reporting shouldn’t pretend it is. Growth leader Andrew Maffettone breaks down how marketplace spillover (Amazon, Walmart, DTC, social) makes ROAS tidy but wrong, why profit beats channel vanity metrics, and how to design campaigns by channel purpose (education vs. capture). He shares a surprising SEO play—using low-cost Google Ads to accelerate rankings—then retargeting for conversion, plus a blunt take on why driving ads straight to Amazon often hurts organic rank.You’ll learn:How to evaluate spend, revenue, and profit across channels, not in silosWhy last-click is broken—and what holistic measurement looks likeWhen Meta/TikTok work (and what to do when budgets are small)The SEO “quick lift” loop: traffic → rankings → retargeting → salesWhy “send paid to Amazon” backfires and better ways to support listingsConnect with Andrew• BlueTuskr: https://bluetuskr.com• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmaffWork with Adam👉 Book your 20-min Exploration Call: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min🎧 Subscribe to Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising? wherever you listen — and if this episode hit home, share it with someone who needs to hear that you can scale without selling your soul.

Community isn’t a channel—it’s an operating system. Shraddha Varma, Co-Founder of Fuzia, shares how a women-centered platform turns creators into contributors, and contributors into careers. We map the community → credibility → opportunity flywheel, plus a pragmatic view of paid media once audience and offer are proven.You’ll learn:How to build a values-driven community that compounds trustConverting community energy into a talent + partnerships pipelineThe right (and wrong) moments to use paid adsActivation ideas: storytelling, spotlights, and serviceMetrics that matter beyond impressionsConnect with Shraddha• Fuzia: https://www.fuzia.com/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shraddhavarma/• Email: shraddha@fuzia.comWork with Adam👉 Book your 20-min Exploration Call: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min

Author credibility beats vanity metrics—and hospitality beats hacks. In this conversation, Megumi Calver explains how she helps nonfiction authors and speakers use books as credibility engines, why she built Merobebe to champion women winemakers, and the narrow moments when paid ads are worth it—after audience and offer are dialed.You’ll learn:The difference between “bestseller” clout and durable credibilityHow to grow a thriving community without relying on paid adsWine-world lessons for marketers: language, labels, and transparencyA pragmatic framework for ads when budgets are tightWhy genuine hospitality outperforms dashboardsConnect with Megumi• Merobebe: https://www.merobebe.com/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megumicalver/• Email: megumi@merobebe.comWork with Adam👉 Book your 20-min Exploration Call: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20minUnpacking real. Ditching noise. Subscribe and share with a founder who values trust over tricks.

What if you could build a thriving global business — without spending a dime on ads?In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, Utsav Nagori, Founder of DynaPro Global, shares how he grew a VA agency serving clients across the U.S. entirely through trust, relationships, and ridiculous consistency.From his first few clients to managing a full remote team, Utsav walks through what it really takes to scale when you don’t have funding, investors, or ad budgets — just belief and execution.🎯 Highlights from the conversation:How one referral snowballed into a global client baseWhy “every client is a story” beats every marketing funnelThe underestimated power of showing up every day onlineBuilding systems that replace burnout with balanceTurning early mistakes into your most effective marketing💬 As Utsav puts it:“I didn’t start DynaPro to escape work. I started it to create work worth doing.”This one’s about grit, values, and what happens when founders stop chasing shortcuts and start playing the long game.🔗 Connect with Utsav:LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/utsav-nagori/Website → https://dynaproglobal.com/Email → utsav@dynaproglobal.com🎧 Subscribe to Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising? wherever you listen — and if this episode hit home, share it with someone who needs to hear that you can scale without selling your soul.#IsAnythingReal #PaidAdvertising #VAAgency #Entrepreneurship #BootstrappedGrowth #EnergyOS #ScaleSmarter #Leadership

Tired of chasing clicks and conversions that don’t convert?In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, host Adam W. Barney sits down with Jared Tang, Founder & CEO of Gaggle Social, to talk about breaking the cycle of ad dependency and building brands that grow on real connection, not rented reach.💡 What We Cover:Escaping the paid-media hamster wheelHow organic storytelling compounds faster than spendThe LinkedIn content loops that actually drive salesWhy most founders confuse activity with attentionBuilding authentic demand vs algorithm dopamine🎧 This one’s for founders, marketers, and growth leaders ready to detox from “more ads = more growth” thinking.🔗 Guest Links🌐 Gaggle Social: https://gagglesocial.com/📧 j.tang@gagglesocial.com🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredtangalejandro/⚡ About the Host🎙 Adam W. Barney — Author, Strategist & Energy Coach helping leaders install their EnergyOS to scale sustainably.👉 Book a clarity call → https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min

What happens when you stop chasing vanity metrics and start running ABM the way it’s meant to be — personal, measurable, and scrappy?In this episode, Mason Cosby, CEO & Founder of Scrappy ABM, joins Adam W. Barney to unpack how small, focused teams are generating enterprise-level outcomes with smarter, more human strategies.🔥 Topics we dig into:Why ABM has been misunderstood (and how to fix it)How to build real alignment between sales and marketingWhat “Scrappy” actually means in a post-AI worldTurning connection into pipeline — without buying attention🎙 Hosted by Adam W. Barney — author, strategist, and founder of Scale Smarter. No fluff. No funnels. Just what’s real.🔗 Mason Cosby – Founder & CEO, Scrappy ABM🌐 Website: https://scrappyabm.com📧 Email: mason@scrappyabm.com⚡ Ready to install your Energy-Driven Leadership OS?Book your 20-minute exploration → https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min

It's time for another Exclusive Drop you don't want to miss!Leadership isn’t forged at the summit: it’s forged in the storm.In this powerful conversation, Chuck Garcia, Columbia University professor, author, and founder of Climb Leadership, joins host Adam W. Barney to unpack what it really means to climb with resilience, emotional intelligence, and purpose .Mountains and boardrooms share the same truth: the climb tests your patience, your team, and your character. Chuck Garcia shares the three rules he learned on Kilimanjaro that every leader needs to adopt: set a goal (and adjust it), take one step at a time, and never go it alone  .🔹 What you’ll learnWhy “getting home safely” matters more than “reaching the summit.” Leadership is a long climb, not a photo finish.  The career lesson from Wall Street that proved EQ > IQ when it comes to promotions  .How stoicism and self-control under pressure separate average leaders from legends  .Why communication is the #1 leadership skill schools don’t teach  .The CTR Factor — credibility, trust, respect — and how to build it in every interaction  .🌍 About Chuck GarciaCEO of Climb Leadership International, Columbia University professor, mountaineer, and TEDx speaker. Author of A Climb to the Top and The Moment That Defines Your Life. Connect at chuckgarcia.com.🎙 About the ShowIs Anything Real in Paid Advertising? cuts through the noise with conversations on leadership, marketing, and the human energy that powers them. Hosted by Adam W. Barney — Energy Coach & Author of Make Your Own Glass Half Full.🔌 Work with Adam W. BarneyInstall the Energy-Driven Leadership OS in 90 days and reclaim your clarity and capacity. Book an exploration call → calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min.

In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, host Adam W. Barney sits down with Alex Steele, Founder & CEO of Opal, to unpack how agencies can unlock growth by rethinking how they bank.💡 Alex shares the story of building Opal — the fintech platform redefining how ad agencies and creators manage cash flow and credit.From partnering with Visa to solving the agency payment bottleneck, this conversation gets real about money, momentum, and the systems that fuel scale.We cover:🏦 Why traditional banks don’t understand agency business models💳 How Opal is modernizing cash flow for ad-driven companies🚀 Why scaling starts with better financial systems — not just better ads🧩 How to build tools and partnerships that grow with you🎙 Host: Adam W. Barney💼 Guest: Alex Steele, Founder of Opal | a@getopal.co🔥 Fix your foundation. Scale smarter.Subscribe for more episodes of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising? — where we unpack what’s real in marketing, growth, and leadership.

In a world where ads fight for attention and algorithms dictate visibility, one thing still cuts through the noise: storytelling.In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, I sit down with MK McGowan, Founder of MK McGowan Studios, to explore how narrative isn’t just marketing — it’s the difference between being ignored and being unforgettable.We dive into:✨ Why narrative intelligence matters more than vanity metrics✨ How to tell stories that scale across platforms and audiences✨ The art of shaping messages that connect with both logic and emotion✨ Where AI fits in — and where it never will — when it comes to authentic storytellingMK has built a career around helping leaders and brands clarify their voice and amplify their message in ways that build trust, impact, and long-term influence. This conversation is a masterclass for anyone trying to rise above the noise and lead with narrative power.📌 Learn more about MK: https://www.mkmcgowanstudios.com/📌 Connect with MK: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkmcgowan/🎧 Find all episodes of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising? by searching your favorite podcast app.