Melanie Marshall is a speaker, coach, and filmmaker who guides individuals through their personal journeys. As an internationally acclaimed journalist, she spent over 20 years with BBC News, reporting from high-risk regions like Ukraine, Afghanistan, and China. Recognized for crafting human-centric narratives, Melanie’s work has received various awards and was nominated for multiple Emmys.

When the stakes are high and uncertainty is everywhere, how can you make clear decisions without getting paralyzed by fear? Whether you're navigating a supply chain crisis or a major acquisition, the mental weight can feel overwhelming — like you're stuck in fight-or-flight mode. What separates those who panic from those who perform well under pressure?

With decades of experience navigating conflict zones and global crises, former foreign journalist Melanie Marshall has developed mental frameworks for managing chaos. Her deliberate optimism mindset is built on purpose, presence, and service, consciously choosing to believe in a positive outcome. Accidental bravery is the unexpected courage that emerges from being committed to a greater purpose and a positive outcome, allowing you to move forward despite fear. These practices help anchor your mindset during uncertainty, retrain your brain to see options, and reframe challenges as opportunities.

Join William Harris in today’s episode of the Up Arrow Podcast as he sits down with Melanie Marshall, a speaker, coach, and filmmaker, to discuss building mental resilience under pressure. Melanie shares insights on overcoming imposter syndrome, how to make calculated decisions with incomplete information, and real stories from her time in the field.

Britney Muller is an AI consultant and keynote speaker advising tech companies on AI strategies, machine learning, and workflow automation. With over 10 years of experience in generative AI, she has developed over a dozen in-house AI applications. Britney was the former Marketing Manager at Hugging Face, where she launched the largest open-source, multilingual model.

AI is changing the game for marketers, but many don’t leverage it to its fullest potential for their businesses. Rather than producing AI-driven content at a faster rate, companies should focus on building a strong brand presence and leveraging AI for intentional automation. How can marketers cut through the noise, avoid common pitfalls, and harness AI to drive measurable results?

While AI can be used for pattern recognition, automation, and audience research, AI optimizer Britney Muller warns against relying on it for fact-based decision-making. You can leverage AI without losing the critical human element by transforming website content into vector embeddings. Analyzing these embeddings allows marketers to identify content clusters, uncover gaps in their website’s information architecture, and optimize internal linking structures to improve search engine rankings. Britney also recommends utilizing Reddit APIs to extract real-time customer sentiments, uncover trending pain points, and analyze top-performing content in specific communities.

In this week’s episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris chats with AI consultant Britney Muller about practical AI strategies for marketers. Britney explains why brand mentions are the new backlinks, how to build AI-powered internal tools, and the ethical concerns marketers should consider when adopting AI.

Jacques Spitzer is the CEO of Raindrop, a four-time Emmy® award-winning creative agency. Under his leadership, Raindrop has produced high-impact ads that have generated over a billion views and more than $1 billion in campaign sales for brands like Dr. Squatch, Manscaped, and Native. Jacques was named one of California’s most visionary CEOs by the Los Angeles Times. He also co-produced the award-winning documentary Wampler's Ascent and is an investor in multiple consumer brands. Jacques is the author of People Love Turkey Sandwiches, a collection of marketing parables designed to inspire innovation.

Many brands rely on a single ad channel, like Meta, to drive sales, but this can stall growth. Yet these brands often realize their brand-centric content doesn’t perform on other platforms like TikTok, YouTube, or connected TV. How can brands create compelling, high-performing ads tailored for multiple channels without losing their identity?

Award-winning creative strategist Jacques Spitzer maintains that each channel requires a unique creative approach, and brands must adjust content for various viewing experiences to drive engagement. Additionally, rather than creating ads centered solely around your brand identity, you should generate consumer-focused content by addressing your audience’s needs and emotions. Jacques also warns against relying too heavily on UGC or performance-driven creative without investing in top-of-funnel, storytelling-based content that builds long-term brand affinity.

In this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris interviews Jacques Spitzer, CEO of Raindrop, about the secrets to creating high-impact content for multiple advertising channels. Jacques talks about Dr. Squatch’s risky campaign, the components of a great ad, and the difference between high-growth and stagnating brands.

Nathan Chan is the Founder and CEO of Foundr, a global media and education company connecting millions with influential entrepreneurs. Under his leadership, Foundr has featured interviews with prominent figures such as Richard Branson, Arianna Huffington, and Tim Ferriss. Nathan bootstrapped Foundr from the ground up, providing insights on content marketing, brand building, and business growth for entrepreneurs worldwide.

Creating a business that stands out in the market is a goal for many entrepreneurs, but few understand the challenges of reaching this point. What does it take to transition from a side hustle to a globally recognized brand? How can you create fresh content in an oversaturated digital world?

According to eight-figure digital media founder Nathan Chan, brand growth relies on eye-catching designs, compelling products and content, and loyal brand ambassadors. Connecting with your audience through consistent content creation allows you to build a trustworthy and recognizable brand. Nathan suggests creating high-performing content using the unicorn strategy, which identifies and replicates top-performing content from notable brands and influencers in your niche.

In today’s episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris hosts Nathan Chan, the Founder and CEO of Foundr, about how he built Foundr into one of the most recognized entrepreneurial media brands. Nathan shares his three-part strategy for brand growth, how he cracked Instagram’s growth formula, and why personal branding is the future of entrepreneurship.

Kristan Bauer is an Advisor and the Founder of Conifr Media, an SEO consulting agency, which she sold to SEO Collective in 2024 to elevate their success. With over 15 years of experience in search marketing, she has developed SEO strategies for numerous Fortune 500 companies and prominent brands, including Google, National Geographic, and Express. Before Conifr Media, Kristan served as the Director of SEO at Zillow Group, where she managed a channel with over one billion annual visitors, and the Head of SEO at Amazon Web Services. Kristan provides independent consulting, advising, and coaching across various business and marketing disciplines.

While most e-commerce brands recognize the value of SEO, many focus too heavily on optimizing their product pages and neglect resource content. Without a strategic approach, companies waste time creating content that doesn’t generate traffic, links, or conversions. How can brands leverage resource content to improve visibility and drive revenue?

According to SEO consultant Kristan Bauer, product content involves optimizing product, category, and merchandising pages for search engines, while resource content educates, engages, and informs users at various stages of the buying journey. Resource content is sharable and linkable, allowing brands to build domain authority and drive organic traffic. Kristan emphasizes that brands must align resource content with user intent, invest in high-quality editorial strategies, and ensure articles support product sales rather than existing in isolation. By conducting keyword research, leveraging competitive gap analysis, and structuring content to maximize linkability, brands can improve their SEO performance.

In today’s episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris invites Kristan Bauer, an Advisor and the Founder of Conifr Media, to talk about optimizing resource content for e-commerce SEO. Kristan shares SEO strategies for AI-driven search engines, how to resolve technical SEO issues, and how to leverage competitive gap analysis to identify content opportunities.

Will Nitze is the Founder and CEO of IQBAR, a leading nutrition company offering keto, vegan, and paleo protein bars and supplements. Under his leadership, IQBAR has expanded to over 10,000 retail locations. Will also co-hosts Eating Glass, a podcast that features startup founders.

Building a CPG brand is challenging, especially when navigating product pivots, supply chain disruptions, and transitioning from e-commerce to retail. Many entrepreneurs struggle to maintain their brand vision while evolving to meet market demands. How can founders scale their business while maintaining profitability and operational excellence?

CPG brand builder Will Nitze leveraged customer feedback to shift from a niche product focus to a broader value-driven brand, making strategic pivots to expand his company’s total addressable market. When scaling a CPG brand, entrepreneurs must differentiate their supply chain practices, leverage omnichannel distribution, and transition from DTC-only to retail locations. Developing partnerships with major retailers requires testing and iterating products and selecting partners that align with your target audience.

In this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris chats with Will Nitze, Founder and CEO of IQBAR, about creating a $100 million CPG brand. Will discusses the importance of evolving product positioning, optimizing supply chain operations, and scaling through an omnichannel strategy. He also dives into overcoming manufacturing challenges, maintaining a lean team, and controlling your psychology for continuous results.

Tamsen Webster is the Founder and Chief Learning Officer at Message Design Institute, where she helps leaders craft compelling messages to foster large-scale change. With over 25 years of experience in persuasive message design, she is a renowned message strategist and keynote speaker. Tamsen is the author of two best-selling books: Find Your Red Thread and Say What They Can't Unhear. She has collaborated with major organizations, such as Harvard Medical School, Fidelity Investments, and Klaviyo, and serves as an Idea Strategist at TEDxNewEngland.

When strategic planning fails, it’s often because organizations either overlook their core values or struggle to communicate their vision effectively. Many businesses approach strategy with a broad brainstorming phase, leading to unrealistic or misaligned initiatives. How can leaders align decisions with their organization’s internal philosophy to catalyze intentional change?

According to message strategist Tamsen Webster, every decision follows an internal logic based on people’s existing beliefs. To foster lasting change, leaders must communicate in a way that aligns with these existing perspectives. Tamsen explains how identity shapes decision-making and why brand messaging should reflect true values rather than aspirational statements. By recognizing patterns in decision-making and communicating strategically, businesses can create messages that resonate deeply with employees and customers.

In this week’s episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris hosts Tamsen Webster, the Founder and Chief Learning Officer at Message Design Institute, to explore the nine principles of lasting change and how to gain buy-in for organizational transformation. Tamsen shares examples of strategic messaging in renowned brands, how to balance two opposing beliefs, and how storytelling and intuitive messaging influence effective communication.

Josh Durham is the Founder of Aligned Growth, an agency that helps DTC brands scale through influencer partnerships and performance-driven user-generated content. Before establishing Aligned Growth, he co-founded Weighting Comforts, a weighted blanket company that he grew to over $6 million in annual revenue before selling it in 2019. Josh also served as the Head of Growth at Groove Life, where he managed sizable advertising budgets.

Influencer marketing has become a popular tactic for brand awareness, yet many advertisers misunderstand its role and expect direct-response outcomes similar to paid social ads. How can brands leverage influencer partnerships to drive long-term growth and brand awareness?

While influencer marketing can generate sales, its primary function is to create brand interactions and organic content at an efficient CPM. Instead of relying solely on paid partnerships, brands can start with product gifting to build relationships with influencers and generate authentic content. This approach allows brands to test products on various creators while keeping costs low. Having led influencer growth initiatives for major brands, Josh Durham suggests combining product gifting with strategic paid influencer collaborations, ensuring a mix of organic and sponsored content for maximum reach. He also emphasizes prioritizing audience fit over follower count, advising brands to target influencers whose content aligns naturally with their brand rather than chasing big-name endorsements.

In the latest episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris talks with Josh Durham, the Founder of Aligned Growth, about scaling influencer partnerships. Josh shares his experience working with celebrity influencers like Tony Hawk, how to measure influencer marketing effectively, and how brand interactions drive purchase decisions.