Traditional SEO used to be about rankings and traffic. Today, success is defined by lead quality, relevance, collaboration, and strong foundations across design, UX, and content.
In this episode of the DesignRush Podcast, Kara Jensen, Co-Founder and Creative Principal at Bop Design and Andrea Soldat, SEO Specialist at DesignRush, discuss how SEO is evolving in the age of GEO, AI-powered discovery, and multi-platform visibility, and why the future of search belongs to teams that break silos and design with SEO in mind from day one.
Kara shares real examples of websites that reduced traffic but increased lead quality, while Andrea explains how closer overlap between SEO and content teams creates stronger outcomes and more intuitive workflows. Together, they explore how GEO and AI search are not replacing SEO, but rewarding brands with the right strategic foundations.
You will learn:
• Why lead quality matters more than traffic volume
• How SEO becomes stronger when it is shared across design, content, and dev
• Why foundational UX, copy, and structure shape performance before launch
• How GEO and AI discovery extend, not replace, traditional search
• Why collaboration and accessibility make SEO less technical and more strategic
• How brands should think about visibility across platforms, not just Google
🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations with marketing leaders, agency founders, and digital strategists shaping the future of branding, SEO, and growth.
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube.
#DesignRushPodcast #SEOStrategy #DesignLedSEO #LeadQuality #GEO #AIandSearch #ContentStrategy #UXandSEO #MarketingLeadership
Luxury brands do not win by being louder. They win by making people feel something. In this episode of the DesignRush Podcast, Shelley Pratt, Marketing and Communications Lead at INFINITI, explains how modern luxury brands rebuild desire through restraint, confidence, and emotional clarity instead of noise or trend chasing. Shelley breaks down how INFINITI shifted away from feature-heavy, volume-driven marketing and toward storytelling that centers people, pride, and real life moments. She shares how to recognize when a brand shift is actually landing, even before the metrics move, and why internal belief is often the first real signal of momentum. This conversation is for brand leaders navigating crowded markets, softer demand, and pressure to stay visible without losing long-term equity. In this episode, you will learn:• Why emotion outperforms specs in modern automotive marketing• How restraint signals confidence in competitive categories• What modern luxury really means to today’s buyers• How to spot early signs that brand work is working• Why internal belief matters before external results• How to balance short-term pressure with long-term brand equity• When saying no to trends protects brand trust Subscribe for weekly conversations with CMOs, brand leaders, and marketers shaping the future of brand strategy, luxury, and marketing leadership. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube.#brandstrategy #luxurymarketing #marketingleadership
Onboarding decides whether a global team succeeds or stalls. Most teams rush into tasks, reuse old playbooks, and hope it works. Lydia Hickman from Hugo explains what actually happens in the first ten days and why these early moves determine long term results. In this episode, we unpack the signals of a strong team, how to earn trust from day one, and why early alignment matters more than visible speed. You will learn: • Why questions are the strongest indicator of a high performing team • How to build trust and credibility from day one • Why copying old onboarding processes usually fails • The role AI plays in moving teams into higher value work • How to create culture and collaboration across remote teams • The real advantage of African talent in complex workflows • Why early calibration prevents months of rework • How Hugo earns the right to lead with global clients 🔔 Subscribe for weekly interviews with leaders in global operations, AI transformation, and modern delivery strategy. 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube. #Hugo #LydiaHickman #DesignRushPodcast #GlobalTeams #Onboarding #OperationsLeadership #AIworkflows #RemoteWork #AfricaTech #BPO #DigitalTransformation #TeamPerformance FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH ☑️ Website: https://www.designrush.com/☑️ Instagram: / designrushmag ☑️ LinkedIn: / designrush ABOUT DESIGNRUSHDesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects. FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH#BusinessStrategy #FutureOfBusiness #CompetitiveAdvantage #DesignRushPodcast #RishadTobaccowala #BusinessTransformation #StrategicThinking #InnovationInBusiness #GrowthStrategy #leadershipinbusiness
Google search isn’t what it used to be, and most strategies haven’t caught up.
In this episode, SEO expert Julian Goldie breaks down how AI has changed the way people use Google, from killing click-throughs to reshaping what “ranking” even means. If your SEO still revolves around traffic, keywords, and domain authority, this is your wake-up call.
You’ll learn:
🔔 Subscribe for weekly interviews with leaders redefining SEO, strategy, and visibility.
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube.
#SEO #AIsearch #MarketingLeadership #JulianGoldie #DesignRushPodcast #SGE #LinkBuilding #AgencyGrowth #GEO #GoogleSEO
Agencies aren’t failing because of weak sales, they’re failing because of broken systems. In this episode, EO Staff Founder & CEO Chris Kille reveals how agency leaders can prevent margin leaks, reduce churn, and reclaim 10–20 hours a week by fixing what’s behind the scenes: ops, delegation, and team clarity. Chris shares the frameworks he teaches hundreds of founders, from the “definition of done” to inbox triage and time blocking, all designed to help CEOs escape the daily grind and build agencies that scale without burnout. 🎧 You’ll learn: Why vague delegation silently kills profit How to spot early signs of churn and margin erosion The system that frees CEOs from $10/hour tasks Why time blocking beats hustle every time What to automate vs. what needs a human touch 📺 Watch on YouTube | 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify #AgencyOps #DelegationSystems #AgencyGrowth #ChrisKille #DesignRushPodcast FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH ☑️ Website: https://www.designrush.com/☑️ Instagram: / designrushmag ☑️ LinkedIn: / designrush ABOUT DESIGNRUSHDesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects. FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH#BusinessStrategy #FutureOfBusiness #CompetitiveAdvantage #DesignRushPodcast #RishadTobaccowala #BusinessTransformation #StrategicThinking #InnovationInBusiness #GrowthStrategy #leadershipinbusiness
B2B Scaling Smart: What PepsiCo, Lenovo & Billionaire Coaches Know About Growth. The real truth behind smart business growth, straight from four industry leaders. In this special edition of the DesignRush Podcast, we highlight powerful insights from executives at PepsiCo and Lenovo, alongside a top equity strategist and an AI-driven marketing expert. Together, they share the practical strategies shaping how brands grow in 2025. Featured Guests:• Carl Gerards (PepsiCo) – How Lay’s created a global identity without losing authenticity @Lays • Tom Butler (Lenovo) – Why on-device tools are transforming enterprise productivity @Lenovo • Emmy Sobieski (MegaWealth) – The equity-first framework used by top wealth builders • Alex Banks (The Signal) – How predictive systems help teams stay ahead of customer needs @becomethesignal In this episode, you'll discover:✔ How to build a brand system that works across markets✔ What makes new devices essential for business teams✔ Why shifting from salary to ownership unlocks long-term growth✔ How top brands anticipate customer behavior without guessingIf you lead a brand, product, or strategy team, this episode offers fresh thinking from those already creating results.📧 To be featured, email: amore@designrush.com☑️ Website: https://www.designrush.com/☑️ Instagram: / designrushmag ☑️ LinkedIn: / designrush ABOUT DESIGNRUSHDesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects. FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH
The best agencies aren’t scaling with hype, they’re scaling with systems. In this episode, Brainlabs Global CEO Daniel Gilbert reveals how his team grew from a one-person startup to 1,000+ employees by embedding AI into every process and building a culture of relentless execution. He breaks down how Brainlabs redefined what it means to be a data-driven agency, not by chasing trends, but by treating AI as infrastructure and process as product. 🎧 You’ll learn: Why top agencies focus on systems over slogans How Brainlabs uses AI across campaigns, culture, and ops What “AI visibility” means, and why it’s the new SEO How the 95/5 tech rule drives smarter innovation Why creativity and judgment now matter more than execution 📺 Watch on YouTube | 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify #AgencyGrowth #AIinMarketing #DigitalStrategy #Brainlabs #DesignRushPodcast FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH ☑️ Website: https://www.designrush.com/☑️ Instagram: / designrushmag ☑️ LinkedIn: / designrush ABOUT DESIGNRUSHDesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects. FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH#BusinessStrategy #FutureOfBusiness #CompetitiveAdvantage #DesignRushPodcast #RishadTobaccowala #BusinessTransformation #StrategicThinking #InnovationInBusiness #GrowthStrategy #leadershipinbusiness
The browser is now the new operating system and it’s also the #1 target for cyberattacks. So why are so many organizations overlooking browser security? In this episode, Shourya Pratap Singh, Principal Software Engineer at SquareX, dives deep into the rapidly evolving world of browser security and why it’s no longer enough to rely solely on endpoint and network protection. Shourya discusses how SquareX is bridging the gap between user experience (UX) and cybersecurity, making sure your team is protected without compromising their workflow. 🎧 You’ll learn: Why the browser has become the new cybersecurity battlefield The biggest misconceptions about browser security and how to address them How to balance security with user experience and productivity The role of empathy in designing security products Why browser security must be a top priority for every organization How SquareX is transforming the way businesses think about browser protection Subscribe for weekly interviews with leaders reimagining the future of security, UX, and tech. 📺 Watch on YouTube | 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify #CyberSecurity #BrowserSecurity #TechInnovation #UserExperience #SquareX #SecurityFirst FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH ☑️ Website: https://www.designrush.com/☑️ Instagram: / designrushmag ☑️ LinkedIn: / designrush ABOUT DESIGNRUSHDesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects. FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH
Design is moving faster than ever, but at what cost? In this episode, Viv Greywoode, Head of Design at Stink Studios, unpacks why today’s creative work often lacks emotional depth, and what it really takes to make brands feel human again. With over 15 years leading design for Google, Peloton, LOEWE, and Nike, Viv reveals how to protect craft in an AI-driven world, build empowered creative teams, and move beyond surface-level design into work that resonates and endures. 🎧 You’ll learn: Why design systems make creativity more human, not less How to lead high-performing teams without killing the spark What AI can’t replace, and how to use it without losing soul How culture, emotion, and storytelling elevate brand work Why clarity is the new creative superpower Subscribe for more conversations with global creative leaders redefining agency growth, design culture, and innovation. 📺 Watch on YouTube | 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify #AIandCreativity #DesignLeadership #StinkStudios #VivGreywoode #DesignRushPodcast FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH ☑️ Website: https://www.designrush.com/☑️ Instagram: / designrushmag ☑️ LinkedIn: / designrush ABOUT DESIGNRUSHDesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects. FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH
Most agencies aren’t failing because of bad clients, they’re failing because of bad focus. In this episode, Pete Caputa, CEO of Databox and architect of HubSpot’s $115M partner program, shares the hard truth: most agencies stay stuck because they chase trends instead of building systems. Pete breaks down his SPEARS framework and shows how to scale with strategy, not guesswork. 🎧 You’ll learn: The #1 reason agencies fail (and what to do about it) How “niching down” increases profits and retention Why most agencies confuse tactics with true strategy How to use data as your company’s memory Why AI is not your positioning — and what is The SPEARS system: from vision to execution to scale Subscribe for weekly interviews with leaders redefining agency growth. 📺 Watch on YouTube | 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify #AgencyGrowth #B2BMarketing #Leadership #Databox #PredictableScale FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH ☑️ Website: https://www.designrush.com/☑️ Instagram: / designrushmag ☑️ LinkedIn: / designrush ABOUT DESIGNRUSHDesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects. FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH#BusinessStrategy #FutureOfBusiness #CompetitiveAdvantage #DesignRushPodcast #RishadTobaccowala #BusinessTransformation #StrategicThinking #InnovationInBusiness #GrowthStrategy #leadershipinbusiness
How are the smartest eCommerce agencies driving year-over-year growth — and doing it without the limits of SaaS?
In this episode, Tamara Niesen, CMO at WooCommerce and former Shopify executive, shares how agencies are scaling faster by building long-term partnerships on open source. She breaks down real examples of revenue lift, premium service models, and the exact support WooCommerce offers to help agencies thrive.
Whether you’re leading a digital agency or building a commerce tech stack, this conversation will shift your thinking on flexibility, profitability, and platform control.
🎯 What You’ll Learn:
📈 Watch now and learn how to build smarter, scale faster, and double down on agency-led commerce growth.
🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube
🔔 Subscribe, like, and share for more insights
#WooCommerce #OpenSource #AgencyGrowth #EcommerceStrategy #DesignRushPodcast #DigitalCommerce #RecurringRevenue
What does it take to reinvent the world’s best-selling chip brand — and make it feel brand new again? In this episode, Carl Gerhards, Senior Design Director at PepsiCo, joins Kia Johnson on the DesignRush Podcast to unpack how Lay’s underwent its most ambitious brand refresh in nearly a century. From rediscovering its roots to turning packaging into storytelling, Carl shares how design drives meaning, emotion, and business growth on a global scale. What you’ll learn: How PepsiCo reimagined Lay’s visual identity for over 200 markets Why authenticity and storytelling are at the heart of great design The balance between heritage, innovation, and future-proofing a global brand How design systems create consistency and cultural resonance What Lay’s viral “Chip Cam” campaign with Beckham and Henry reveals about brand joy.Lay’s rebrand isn’t just a new look, it’s a masterclass in how design tells a story worth sharing. 🎧 Watch the full episode on YouTube, or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. #Lays #PepsiCo #BrandDesign #Rebrand #Storytelling #DesignLeadership #DesignRushPodcast FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH ☑️ Website: https://www.designrush.com/☑️ Instagram: / designrushmag ☑️ LinkedIn: / designrush ABOUT DESIGNRUSHDesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects. FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH
The Hidden Reason Agencies Lose Clients and How to Fix It Most agencies don’t lose clients because of bad work. They lose them before the first project even begins. In this episode of the DesignRush Podcast, Cliff Skelliter (Founder, Sky Story Creative) and Prashant Puri (CEO & Co-Founder, AdLift) reveal the hidden reason agencies lose trust: surface-level pitching, generic strategies, and black-box delivery models. From building emotional rapport to leveraging foresight and backend transparency, they explain how modern agencies can shift from “just another vendor” to indispensable strategic partner. What You’ll Learn: ✔️ Why most agency pitches fail before they start ✔️ The shift from clicks and CPC to revenue and relationships ✔️ How automation and AI build trust, not just efficiency ✔️ What interpretive design reveals about real audience connection ✔️ How to optimize for visibility in a post-Google, AI-driven world 👉 Watch now on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe. If you’ve got a story to share, email spotlight@designrush.com #ClientRetention #AgencyGrowth #Storytelling #SEO #PerformanceMarketing #DesignRushPodcast FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH ☑️ Website: https://www.designrush.com/☑️ Instagram: / designrushmag ☑️ LinkedIn: / designrush ABOUT DESIGNRUSHDesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects. FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH
Generosity is a business model. In this episode, Tim O’Reilly, founder and CEO of O’Reilly Media, shares how open source, Web 2.0, and now AI show that the future belongs to those who create more value than they capture. From coining “open source” to popularizing “Web 2.0,” O’Reilly has spent decades helping innovators tell the stories that shape the future. He explains why blitzscaling is a dead end, how generosity and trust drive long-term success, and what AI can learn from the history of the internet. Key takeaways: Why “create more value than you capture” is the ultimate growth strategy The architecture of participation: open systems beat closed ones How generosity + generativity drive innovation Why blitzscaling leads to fragility, not resilience Enshittification: how platforms fail when they forget their users What AI can learn from the rise of open source and Web 2.0 Why values and trust will define the next era of tech Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube. #OpenSource #AI #Web20 #Generosity #Innovation #DesignRushPodcast FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH ☑️ Website: https://www.designrush.com/☑️ Instagram: / designrushmag ☑️ LinkedIn: / designrush ABOUT DESIGNRUSHDesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects. FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH
There’s a $13 trillion market most businesses still overlook. Can your brand afford to? In this episode, Tiffany Yu, CEO of Diversability® and author of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto, breaks down the real cost of ignoring disability inclusion and the growth potential when companies get it right. What you'll learn: How the global disability community holds $13 trillion in consumer power What Walmart and Goldman Sachs are doing to embed accessibility How to move beyond surface-level DEI Where AI fits into the future of inclusive design What it takes to build a workplace where access is the default This isn’t about compliance. It’s about leadership. 🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. #DisabilityInclusion #BusinessStrategy #Accessibility #InclusiveLeadership #DesignRushPodcast FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH ☑️ Website: https://www.designrush.com/☑️ Instagram: / designrushmag ☑️ LinkedIn: / designrush ABOUT DESIGNRUSHDesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects. FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH
“Culture isn’t fluff—it’s your brand strategy.” — Erika Heald In this episode, B2B marketing consultant Erika Heald explains why authentic company culture is the key to trust, loyalty, and scalable content. With experience at Salesforce, LinkedIn, and Anaplan, Erika shares how culture shapes content, why employees are your best brand ambassadors, and how to use AI without losing humanity. Key takeaways: Why ignoring culture damages both talent and brand Salesforce as a model for culture-driven content How onboarding fuels employee advocacy Building governance frameworks (voice, style, taxonomy) B2B is really H2H: human to human How to adopt AI with a culture-first mindset Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube. #B2BMarketing #ContentStrategy #CompanyCulture #AI #Salesforce #DesignRushPodcast FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH ☑️ Website: https://www.designrush.com/☑️ Instagram: / designrushmag ☑️ LinkedIn: / designrush ABOUT DESIGNRUSHDesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects. FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH
“Any new founder that's spending time in things that are not sales or lead generation is probably wasting their time if they don't have a good business yet.” — Noemi Kis In this episode, Noemi Kis — serial entrepreneur, AI enthusiast, TEDx speaker, and founder of Future Proof Founders — shares the raw truths about scaling lean businesses. She built a seven-figure company with just two people and now teaches non-technical founders how to use AI, automation, and content to grow profitably without the grind. She explains why lead generation and sales must come before everything else, why you should never “automate chaos,” and how to balance automation with human connection. Noemi also reveals her LinkedIn growth playbook that’s attracted 145,000+ followers — proving content is the new inbound. Key takeaways: Why founders should master lead generation and sales before automating other areas The step-by-step process: do it manually → optimize → delegate → automate How to avoid the trap of automating broken or chaotic processes Where to keep the human touch in customer experience while scaling Why simplicity and practical tools beat “shiny object” tech in the early days How to use LinkedIn as an inbound engine to grow brand, leads, and community Future-proofing: why founders must think ahead and adapt to rapid AI disruption Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full video on YouTube. #SaaS #StartupGrowth #AI #Automation #Entrepreneurship #LinkedInGrowth #NoemiKis #DesignRushPodcast FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH ☑️ Website: https://www.designrush.com/☑️ Instagram: / designrushmag ☑️ LinkedIn: / designrush ABOUT DESIGNRUSHDesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects. FOLLOW DESIGNRUSH
“Be careful about being too forward looking… Stay focused on a narrow use case and a narrow feature set, and getting product-market fit.” — Steve Oriola
In this episode, Steve Oriola, CEO of Unbounce and Insightly CRM, breaks down the 6 most common mistakes SaaS companies make when trying to scale — from chasing features too early to misunderstanding TCO and ignoring critical metrics like LTV-to-CAC.
He explains why AI must be practical, not hype-driven, and how leadership evolves from “hunting down people who weren’t accomplishing tasks” to “helping people more than driving people.”
🚀 Key takeaways:
“People want to do good work… Leadership is about creating the want.”
“You need to be prototyping and testing because the way users interact with SaaS is going to change drastically.”
“Conversion rate when an email is getting you to a landing page is 19%.”
“If it’s not 3X [LTV-to-CAC], your business is not going to scale.”
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch the full video on YouTube.
#SaaS #StartupGrowth #CRM #AI #Leadership #SteveOriola #DesignRushPodcast
Can introverts become standout leaders? Public speaking coach Maria Malik says yes, and she’s the living proof.
In this episode, Maria shares how she built a thriving business and online presence by mastering mindset, consistent communication, and the psychology of leadership. Whether you're leading a scaling company or stepping into your first executive role, this episode gives you the tools to lead with confidence, no matter your personality type.
You’ll learn:
How Maria grew to 100K+ LinkedIn followers as an introvert
Why public speaking is the most overlooked leadership skill
How to turn fear of visibility into executive presence
Why consistency beats raw talent — every time
How communication must evolve as companies grow
The real reason agency fit comes down to energy, not resumes
👥 For introverts, founders, execs & coaches: this is your playbook for confident leadership.
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple & more: designrush.com/podcast
🔔 Follow for more executive-ready insights.
AI isn’t failing — your mindset is.
Dr. Joerg Storm, CEO of Digital STORM, reveals the real reason most digital transformation and AI projects stall — and what leaders must do to scale with clarity, speed, and strategy.
🎙 In this episode:
The #1 mindset shift leaders must make to scale AI
Why “speed beats perfection” in digital transformation
The 4 KPIs every successful AI initiative needs
How to go from pilot projects to full-scale execution
What top agencies do differently to earn trust and results
Preparing for real-time AI, hyper-personalization, and governance
🔔 Subscribe for weekly insights from the world’s top digital leaders.
📺 Watch on YouTube | 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple & more.
#DigitalTransformation #AILeadership #JoergStorm #MindsetShift #BusinessStrategy #AIIntegration #DesignRushPodcast