Podcast
The Duct Tape Marketing Podcast
Hosted by John Jantsch · EN
Insightful interviews with authors, experts, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who share valuable marketing tips, growth strategies, and resources. Hosted by John Jantsch, one of America's top small business marketing experts, this show is dedicated to helping you craft effective marketing strategies that will grow your business. Whether you're a small business owner, marketing professional, or marketing agency owner, you'll gain valuable insights and actionable advice on topics such as marketing strategy, consulting, social media marketing, content marketing, SEO, email marketing, lead generation, business management, entrepreneurship and much more. With over 900 episodes since its inception in 2005, The Duct Tape Marketing podcast is your go-to resource for all things marketing or business growth. Join us each week as we dive into the latest marketing trends and strategies that will help you achieve your business goals. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from the best in the business. Tune in to The Duct Tape Marketing podcast and start listening today!
161episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Why Trust Matters More Than Marketing Now
4d ago00:20:52Summary readyMost businesses spend too much time looking polished and not enough time building trust. As AI changes how customers discover and evaluate companies, generic messaging, safe branding, and surface-level credibility are becoming easier to ignore. Megan Hargroder explains why trust signals like reviews, personal stories, niche positioning, and real authority matter more than ever, and what small businesses can do now to stay visible, credible, and recommended. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:56 Why Playing It Safe Is Risky 00:04:22 Playing It Safe Hurts Law Firms 00:07:02 Trust Starts With the Client's Story 00:08:42 Reviews Are the New AI Trust Signal 00:13:02 How Law Firms Get Recommended by AI 00:14:52 Big Pivots Can Tank Your Search 00:17:14 Simple Trust Wins That Compound Rate, Review, & Follow If you liked this episode, please rate and review the show. Let us know what you loved most about the episode. Struggling with strategy? Unlock your free AI-powered prompts now and start building a winning strategy today! 👉 Get Your Free Prompts: https://dtm.world/freeprompts
SummaryBuild a Business AI Can't Replace
5d ago00:23:06Summary readyWhat does it take to build a business that thrives in the age of artificial intelligence? In this episode, John Jantsch talks with Derek Rydall about why the real competitive advantage in an AI-driven world isn't better tools—it's deeper humanity, authentic perspective, and lived experience. They explore how business owners can avoid outsourcing their thinking, strengthen creativity and communication skills, and rediscover the founder energy that makes brands irreplaceable. If you want to future-proof your business strategy in the AI era, this conversation offers a powerful roadmap. 00:00 Introduction 00:56 Discovering Emergent Potentia 05:31 Risks of Outsourcing Thinking to AI 12:56 Human Skills as the AI-Era Moat 15:22 How Founders Must Adapt for AI 19:41 Community, Humanity, and Authenticity Rate, Review, & Follow If you liked this episode, please rate and review the show. Let us know what you loved most about the episode. Struggling with strategy? Unlock your free AI-powered prompts now and start building a winning strategy today! 👉 Get Your Free Prompts: https://dtm.world/freeprompts
SummaryWhy Some Entrepreneurs Keep Growing While Others Stall
2w ago00:19:57Summary readyWhy do some entrepreneurs keep growing while others hit a wall? Jon Gordon says the difference often comes down to a handful of daily habits that shape mindset, resilience, and leadership over time. In this episode, we explore the routines that help business owners stay focused, lead stronger teams, avoid burnout, and keep growing even during stressful seasons. From building a positive mindset to creating habits that actually stick, this conversation is packed with practical strategies for entrepreneurs who want long-term business growth. 00:00 Introduction 01:06 Better Habits Build Better Leaders 04:43 Small Habits Create Big Results 06:18 Daily Habits Separate Great Leaders 10:36 Stress Destroys Healthy Habits 11:45 Simple Habits Create Big Results 13:43 Hidden Limits Keep Leaders Stuck 15:29 Strong Mornings Create Strong Days 16:53 Gratitude Changed Everything Rate, Review, & Follow If you liked this episode, please rate and review the show. Let us know what you loved most about the episode. Struggling with strategy? Unlock your free AI-powered prompts now and start building a winning strategy today! 👉 Get Your Free Prompts: https://dtm.world/freeprompts
SummaryHow to Know When Your Business Is Ready to Scale
2w ago00:22:58Summary readyMost businesses do not fail because they scale too slowly. They fail because they grow before they are actually ready. Mark Roberge, former CRO of HubSpot and author of The Science of Scaling, explains how founders can stop relying on gut instinct and start using evidence to know when growth makes sense. From product-market fit and customer retention to hiring, revenue strategy, and scaling without chaos, this conversation offers a practical framework for building a business that can actually sustain growth. 00:00 Introduction 01:46 Why Startups Scale Too Fast 03:49 Earn the Right to Scale 06:42 What Scaling Really Means 09:40 The Risk of Scaling Wrong 11:01 Evidence Beats Founder Instinct 14:56 The Founder Trap That Kills Growth 19:44 Scaling, Mental Health, and AI Rate, Review, & Follow If you liked this episode, please rate and review the show. Let us know what you loved most about the episode. Struggling with strategy? Unlock your free AI-powered prompts now and start building a winning strategy today! 👉 Get Your Free Prompts: https://dtm.world/freeprompts
SummaryWhy the Smartest Leader Usually Fails
3w ago00:21:49Summary readyMost businesses don't struggle because they lack talent or ideas. They struggle because leadership becomes too dependent on one person having all the answers. Jason Wilde explains why the future of innovation depends on building environments where teams can experiment, collaborate, and solve problems together instead of relying on lone-genius leadership. Learn how collective intelligence, psychological safety, and adaptive leadership help companies innovate faster, scale smarter, and create cultures built for constant change. 00:00 Introduction 01:46 Why Lone Genius Leadership Fails 06:17 The ABCs of Innovation Leadership 12:07 Building Trust Across Teams and Partners 14:25 Collective Genius Wins 17:14 Leadership Habits That Hurt Innovation 19:27 Human Skills in the AI Era Rate, Review, & Follow If you liked this episode, please rate and review the show. Let us know what you loved most about the episode. Struggling with strategy? Unlock your free AI-powered prompts now and start building a winning strategy today! 👉 Get Your Free Prompts: https://dtm.world/freeprompts
SummaryThe 5 Stages From Operator to Owner
3w ago00:22:32Summary readyMost agency owners think building a successful business means becoming the CEO, but many never escape the operator role. John talks with Jason Swenk about the five stages agency founders go through as they scale from overworked operators to true owners. They discuss founder dependency, leadership identity shifts, hiring the right people, building systems that remove bottlenecks, and why so many agencies struggle to let go of sales and daily operations. If you want to build an agency that can grow without relying on you for everything, this episode breaks down the mindset and structural changes that make it possible. 00:00 Introduction 02:12 The 5 Stages From Operator to Owner 05:26 Reinventing Agency CEOs 10:43 Scaling Beyond the Founder 15:41 Letting Go to Become a True Owner 18:48 The First Step to Escaping Operator Mode Rate, Review, & Follow If you liked this episode, please rate and review the show. Let us know what you loved most about the episode. Struggling with strategy? Unlock your free AI-powered prompts now and start building a winning strategy today! 👉 Get Your Free Prompts: https://dtm.world/freeprompts
SummaryPurpose-Driven Leaders Build Better Companies
4w ago00:23:04Summary readyWe explore why meaningful work and intentional leadership matter more than ever in today's AI-driven business landscape. In this episode, Tom Rath joins John Jantsch to discuss how entrepreneurs can avoid burnout, escape reactive busy work, and build purpose-driven businesses that create lasting impact. They dive into employee engagement, meaningful company culture, leadership habits, and why human creativity and contribution are becoming the ultimate competitive advantage. If you want to build a stronger business culture, improve leadership effectiveness, and create work that truly matters, this conversation delivers practical strategies for modern business owners. 00:00 Introduction 00:23 Why Business Owners Quietly Feel Stuck 03:51 Making Purpose Practical 06:24 AI and Meaningful Work 09:48 Purpose Drives Engagement 13:47 Habits for Meaningful Work 18:00 Why Younger Workers Demand Meaningful Work If you liked this episode, please rate and review the show. Let us know what you loved most about the episode. Struggling with strategy? Unlock your free AI-powered prompts now and start building a winning strategy today! 👉 Get Your Free Prompts: https://dtm.world/freeprompts
SummaryTurn Talks Into Your Most Effective Marketing Tool
4w ago00:21:48Summary readyWe explore how to turn talks into your most effective marketing tool and why public speaking remains one of the most underused growth strategies for small businesses. Learn how founders can use speaking engagements to build authority, generate leads, and create long-term client relationships. Discover practical speaking strategies that convert audiences into customers without relying on hard selling. If you're looking to use public speaking for marketing and business growth, this episode breaks down exactly how to do it. 00:00 Speaking as an Underrated Marketing Channel 01:45 Paid Speaking vs Client Acquisition 05:11 How Speaking Generates Clients 08:06 Status Speaking vs Real Value 11:24 Simple Framework for Better Talks 15:14 Imposter Syndrome in Speaking 17:23 Build and Refine Your Keynote 20:03 How to Start Speaking and Get Booked Rate, Review, & Follow If you liked this episode, please rate and review the show. Let us know what you loved most about the episode. Struggling with strategy? Unlock your free AI-powered prompts now and start building a winning strategy today! 👉 Get Your Free Prompts: https://dtm.world/freeprompts
SummaryWrite Press Releases That Generate Real Media
Apr 3000:23:21Summary readyMost press releases never earn real coverage—but a small percentage consistently attract journalists and drive meaningful exposure. In this episode, John Jantsch talks with Mickie Kennedy about how small businesses can write press releases that generate real media coverage by focusing on story angles, contrarian insights, and strategic earned media opportunities. They explore how to use AI to structure stronger press releases, avoid syndication traps, and create newsworthy narratives journalists actually want. If you want a practical press release strategy for small business marketing that leads to visibility and credibility, this conversation shows you how to do it right. 00:00 Introduction 01:32 AI Press Releases and Earned Media 04:54 Pandemic PR Success Story 08:45 Enemy Narratives in PR 13:53 Smart Newswire Strategy 20:48 Free PR Masterclass and Resources Rate, Review, & Follow If you liked this episode, please rate and review the show. Let us know what you loved most about the episode. Struggling with strategy? Unlock your free AI-powered prompts now and start building a winning strategy today! 👉 Get Your Free Prompts: https://dtm.world/freeprompts
SummaryBuild a Business AI Can't Replace
Apr 2900:24:15Summary readyWhat does it take to build a business that thrives in the age of artificial intelligence? In this episode, John Jantsch talks with Derek Rydall about why the real competitive advantage in an AI-driven world isn't better tools—it's deeper humanity, authentic perspective, and lived experience. They explore how business owners can avoid outsourcing their thinking, strengthen creativity and communication skills, and rediscover the founder energy that makes brands irreplaceable. If you want to future-proof your business strategy in the AI era, this conversation offers a powerful roadmap. 00:00 Introduction 01:31 Discovering Emergent Potentia 06:07 Risks of Outsourcing Thinking to AI 14:05 Human Skills as the AI-Era Moat 16:31 How Founders Must Adapt for AI 20:50 Community, Humanity, and Authenticity Rate, Review, & Follow If you liked this episode, please rate and review the show. Let us know what you loved most about the episode. Struggling with strategy? Unlock your free AI-powered prompts now and start building a winning strategy today! 👉 Get Your Free Prompts: https://dtm.world/freeprompts
Summary