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What’s up, Rock Nation! Today we’re joined by Chad Cohen, founder of Fortem Media, a 37-person creative agency built around helping brands become part of culture. In this episode, we talk about what separates a true creative partner from someone who simply shows up and shoots, how brands can build real communities, the relentless selling it took to grow Fortem, why Chad is betting on New York, and how curiosity and relationships can create opportunities no automated outreach system ever could.

Check out Chad here:
https://www.instagram.com/itschadcohen/

00:00 – Intro
01:03 – One-Handed Crack
01:53 – What Separates Great Creative Agencies
02:26 – Why Brands Need to Know Who They Are
03:20 – Charging for Strategy, Not Just Deliverables
05:37 – Creating Work That Understands the Culture
07:57 – Why Polarizing Brands Get People Talking
08:31 – How to Understand a Brand’s Audience
10:39 – Is There a Repeatable Formula for Brands?
11:33 – Chad’s Pre, During, and Post Framework
13:41 – Artlist
14:19 – What It Actually Means to Build Community
15:14 – Chad’s 24-Hour Sled Push
16:11 – Why People Share Brand Experiences
17:50 – Creating Experiences People Can’t Get Elsewhere
19:00 – Finding the Moment People Want to Post
21:02 – Why Selling Directly Kills Community
22:51 – The Power of Surprise and Delight
24:16 – Why Feedback Is a Gift
25:21 – How Big Brands Lost Their Communities
27:14 – One-Off Projects vs Long-Term Retainers
29:31 – Building Fortem Media in New York
30:43 – Becoming the Man in the Arena
33:09 – Chad’s First Three Weeks in New York
34:05 – Reading One Book Every Week
35:00 – Why New York Creates More Opportunities
36:57 – How Chad Met George Heaton
39:37 – Tall Poppy Syndrome in Australia
40:41 – Why America Celebrates Success Differently
43:38 – How Chad Started Fortem Media
44:22 – Losing $200,000 at a Young Age
45:17 – The Relentless Selling That Built the Agency
46:10 – Networking Without Being Transactional
47:29 – How Curiosity Creates Relationships
52:42 – The Airplane Conversation That Opened New Doors
54:12 – Building a Life Full of Valuable Stories
55:24 – The Hardest Part of Expanding Internationally
57:04 – Should You Move to a Bigger City?
58:40 – Hiring and Managing 37 Employees
59:48 – Putting the Right People in the Right Seats
1:01:35 – Why Agency Owners Make Less Than You Think
1:02:17 – Building Systems Before You Need Them
1:03:40 – The Systems That Helped Fortem Scale
1:05:05 – Why Chad Went All In on YouTube
1:06:35 – Hiring a Full-Time Personal Brand Filmmaker
1:07:58 – Making Business Content Feel Personal
1:08:29 – How YouTube Started Creating Opportunities
1:10:10 – Letting Brands Enter Fortem’s World
1:11:02 – The Reality Behind Entrepreneurship
1:11:53 – Building Confidence Through Daily Commitments
1:13:14 – Why Keeping Small Promises Matters
1:14:51 – You Don’t Need a Two-Hour Morning Routine
1:15:48 – Wrapping the Episode With Chad

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